The work of Christ is to bring about the immortality and eternal life of man.
In His second letter to Timothy Paul wrote: “but be partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling — not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace — which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel”
Christ also testified: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes on him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes on him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 2:2 RE)
Christ through His sinless sacrifice merited immortality and eternal life. We are taught that in order not to perish, but to receive eternal life we must believe on Christ. I would propose this is not a passive, but a very active process. Those who believe on Christ will believe on His words. His words necessarily include commandments which He has given for us to follow. It is only through acting upon our belief in Christ and keeping His commandments that we can build faith in Him unto life and salvation.
Christ also taught: “Truly I say unto you, it is not everyone that says unto me, Lord, Lord, that shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven, but he that does the will of my Father who is in Heaven. For the day soon comes that men shall come before me to judgment, to be judged according to their works. And many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, and in your name have cast out devils, and in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I say unto them, You never knew me. Depart from me, you that work iniquity.
Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, I will liken him unto a wise man who built his house upon a rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house; and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock. And everyone that hears these sayings of mine and does them not shall be likened unto a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house; and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 3:47-48 RE)
Christ is the rock of our salvation. He bids us build our house upon His rock. Hear His sayings, believe on His words, and do as He bids us do, so when the wind, and rain the floods of the tempests come upon us our foundation remains sure, and no matter what the enemy to all righteousness does we remain firm and steadfast, immovable in Christ the Rock upon which we are built.
Christ also taught: “If you love me, keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may be with you for ever — even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive because it sees him not, neither knows him. But you know him, for he dwells with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless. I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world sees me no more, but you see me. Because I live, you shall live also. At that day, you shall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. He that has my commandments and keeps them, he it is that loves me. And he that loves me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him and will manifest myself to him.”
And also: “Verily thus says the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsakes their sins, and comes unto me, and calls on my name, and obeys my voice, and keeps all my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am” (T&C 93:1 RE)
Christ Himself is this other Comforter. Those who forsake their sins, and come unto Him, call on His name, obey His voice, and keep all His commandments, are promised they shall see His face. He will come to you. He will not leave you comfortless. If you abide by the conditions He has set forth you can take part in this promise in this life. He will minister to you personally while you yet draw breath on this earth. This is the means whereby Christ has prepared to bless mankind with the promises of eternal life in the world to come.
Christ also has taught us concerning His doctrine. He revealed His doctrine to a prophet named Nephi, which Nephi then wrote for us to understand: “Wherefore, the things which I have written sufficeth me, save it be a few words which I must speak concerning the doctrine of Christ. Wherefore, I shall speak unto you plainly, according to the plainness of my prophesying. For my soul delighteth in plainness, for after this manner doth the Lord God work among the children of men. For the Lord God giveth light unto the understanding, for he speaketh unto men according to their language, unto their understanding. Wherefore, I would that ye should remember that I have spoken unto you concerning that prophet which the Lord shewed unto me that should baptize the Lamb of God, which should take away the sin of the world.
And now, if the Lamb of God, he being holy, should have need to be baptized by water to fulfill all righteousness, oh, then, how much more need have we, being unholy, to be baptized, yea, even by water? And now I would ask of you, my beloved brethren, wherein the Lamb of God did fulfill all righteousness in being baptized by water? Know ye not that he was holy? But notwithstanding he being holy, he sheweth unto the children of men that according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments. Wherefore, after he was baptized with water, the holy ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove. And again, it sheweth unto the children of men the straitness of the path and the narrowness of the gate by which they should enter, he having set the example before them. And he said unto the children of men, Follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father? And the Father said, Repent ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my Beloved Son. And also the voice of the Son came unto me, saying, He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the holy ghost like unto me. Wherefore, follow me and do the things which ye have seen me do. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ by baptism — yea, by following your Lord and Savior down into the water according to his word — behold, then shall ye receive the holy ghost. Yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the holy ghost, and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.
But behold, my beloved brethren, thus came the voice of the Son unto me, saying, After ye have repented of your sins, and witnessed unto the Father that ye are willing to keep my commandments by the baptism of water, and have received the baptism of fire and of the holy ghost, and can speak with a new tongue — yea, even with the tongue of angels — and after this should deny me, it would have been better for you that ye had not known me. And I heard a voice from the Father saying, Yea, the words of my beloved are true and faithful. He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved. And now my beloved brethren, I know by this that unless a man shall endure to the end in following the example of the Son of the living God, he cannot be saved. Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shewn unto me: that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water, and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the holy ghost. And then are ye in this straight 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 witness 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 should receive.
And now my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this straight and narrow path, I would ask if all is done. Behold, I say unto you, nay, for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ, with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save. Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.
And now behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under Heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy ghost, which is one God without end. Amen.” (2 Nephi, 13:1-5)
After His resurrection Christ appeared to a multitude who included descendants of this prophet Nephi. Concerning this event we have this account: “And it came to pass that he spake unto Nephi (for Nephi was among the multitude)” [And as a brief aside this Nephi spoken of here was a descendant of the Nephi spoken of above, having the same name, but these are two different people.] “He spake unto Nephi … and commanded him that he should come forth. And Nephi arose and went forth, and bowed himself before the Lord, and he did kiss his feet. And the Lord commanded him that he should arise. And he arose and stood before him. And the Lord said unto him, I give unto you power that ye shall baptize this people when I am again ascended into Heaven.
And again, the Lord called others and said unto them likewise, and he gave unto them power to baptize. And he said unto them, On this wise shall ye baptize, and there shall be no disputations among you. Verily I say unto you that whoso repenteth of his sins through your words and desireth to be baptized in my name, on this wise shall ye baptize them: behold, ye shall go down and stand in the water, and in my name shall ye baptize them. And now behold, these are the words which ye shall say, calling them by name, saying, Having authority given me of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy ghost. Amen. And then shall ye immerse them in the water and come forth again out of the water. And after this manner shall ye baptize in my name, for behold, verily I say unto you that the Father and the Son and the holy ghost are one; and I am in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father and I are one. And according as I have commanded you, thus shall ye baptize. And there shall be no disputations among you, as there hath hitherto been, neither shall there be disputations among you concerning the points of my doctrine, as there hath hitherto been. For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the Devil, who is the father of contention; and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another. Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another, but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away.
Behold, verily, verily I say unto you, I will declare unto you my doctrine. And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me — and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the holy ghost beareth record of the Father and me — and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men everywhere to repent and believe in me. And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved, and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God. And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned. Verily, verily I say unto you that this is my doctrine, and I bear record of it from the Father. And whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also, and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the holy ghost. And thus will the Father bear record of me, and the holy ghost will bear record unto him of the Father and me, for the Father and I and the holy ghost are one. And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in nowise receive these things. And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God. Verily, verily I say unto you that this is my doctrine. And whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them. And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establisheth it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil and is not built upon my rock, but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell standeth open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them.” (3 Nephi 5:7-9 RE)
This is the starting point to the path to His presence. Repent or in other words turn from sin and turn to face Him, believe in Christ and receive baptism in His name following the pattern that He gave here.
This doctrine is Christ's doctrine. It is not tied to any church or institution. It is free and independent. Organized religion needs the words of God in order to justify their institution as true, however, the words of God are free and independent and need no institution to make them true.
Some will recognize many of these words as coming from the Book of Mormon. Various
Mormon institutions have laid claim upon the Book of Mormon and claim to be the only true church. Even so they have practiced priestcraft, adulteries, secret murders, and all manner of abominations. All of which the Book of Mormon starkly condemns. They have set their hearts on money and power and have utterly rejected the words of God found in the very book they claim as their own.
Yet the words of God stand boldly and independently free from any institutions claims that His words belong solely to them. The Lord offers salvation to all who will believe in His words and do as He has commanded. Come to Him, believe on His words, and receive for yourself the promises of eternal life in the world to come.
“Angels speak by the power of the holy ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, Feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.” (2 Nephi 14:1 RE)
For any who believe these things and would like to be baptized in the name of Christ, by one holding authority given them of God, by His own voice. Feel free to contact me via my email at: ts3591@gmail.com
Any may also contact me at my email if they would like to talk further together on the words of Christ.
