The Doctrine of Christ

For several years I have been on a quest. I have been looking at how I can more fully bring my life into harmony with God's will. I have spent countless hours reading and praying and asking God to tell me what He wants me to do. About six months ago I decided that I needed to understand the gospel more. I decided to leave off all of my secular learning and focus on studying the gospel. My life has completely changed. I am a new person and like Christ and Alma advised us to do, I have been born again. My focus in life is very different. I no longer wish to be smart, I hope to be righteous and please God. I have developed faith necessary to make things happen in my life. My life is centered on my role as a daughter of God, which includes being a wife, mother, and disciple. Everything I do now has a divine purpose. I can even see a divine purpose in laundry and cooking dinner. This has not been easy, but it has been fun. It has been frustrating, yet fulfilling.

Recently I was reading in Second Nephi and all that I have been thinking about became clear. My thoughts begin in chapter 31:13 which tells us the steps to spiritual enlightenment. The first is follow the Son with full purpose of heart. Step two is to act no hypocrisy and no deception before God. The third step is repent of your sins. Step four is to witness to the Father that you are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by following Him in baptism. Then the reward you receive is the Holy Ghost. This may look like a one time thing, after all how many times is a person baptized? This actually happens constantly in our lives, which is why God gave us the ordinance of the Sacrament so that each week we have the opportunity to show God we are willing to take upon us the name of His Son. Going through this process brings the Holy Ghost to our lives. Another amazing part of the gift is the Holy Ghost gives us the ability to speak with the tongue of angels. Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost and speak the words of Christ (2 Nephi 32:3). This is amazing to me. We can speak the words of Christ only when we know them, although, so in the same verse Nephi tells us to feast upon the words of Christ. This will get them into our inner most parts and allow the Holy Ghost to bring them to our remembrance when it is necessary.

These steps lead us onto a path, through the gate of baptism, which is strait and narrow. Once on the path we leave at our peril, for Christ tells us that if we start and then deny Him it would have been better to not have knows Him (2 Nephi 31: 14). This is startling because to know Him and the Father is eternal life (John 17:3), to not know them seems to be damnation, progression stopped.

Staying on the path leads to eternal life. Verse 18 of the 31st chapter in second Nephi says,

“And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life;
yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments
of the Father and the Son, and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses
of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath
made, that if ye entered in by the way ye would receive.”

This tells us what our goal is, eternal life, and how to get there. First enter the gate, next keep the commandments, then receive, not just once, but more like entertain, the Holy Ghost, all the way unto the end until we receive what he promised. The promise is found in John 14. It is called the Second Comforter. Christ Himself comes to us and makes our calling and election sure because we have proven that we will do all that the Lord asks, not matter what. Then we will have power, like Helaman's son, Nephi and Joseph Smith to have whatever we ask granted (Helaman 10:5-11, TPJS p. 340).

This is a long process and for most it won't happen in this life. The time line doesn't matter, as long as we start of the path and never get off or get back on when we realize we are off. The promise is made and God can't lie, just ask Enos (Enos 1:6). He will follow through. We will have eternal life. Because of Christ's atoning sacrifice , it is done and waiting for us to take advantage of it. If we don't understand all we have to do is ask (2 Nephi 32:4). I did and my understanding is unclouded now.

Nephi declares this to be the doctrine of Christ and writes in ch 32:6, “There will be no more doctrine given until after he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh.” This is really all we have to worry about for now. This gives us plenty to work on for a lifetime. The verse concludes with a teaser to keep us enduring. “And when he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh, the things which he shall say unto you shall ye observe to do.” I am excited to find out what the Lord has planned for me to do. I am looking forward to this personal interview with Him to learn what he wants me, individually, to do. This confirms something I heard a while ago, “Your mission is life to to find your mission in life and then do it.”