Principles and Ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ's church restored to the Earth. Because of this, ". . . we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."(2 Nephi 25:26) Christ is the only way whereby men can be saved, and he has taught us the steps we need to follow to return to live with our Heavenly Father again.

"We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost."(Articles of Faith 4) These four principles are what the Lord has taught will lead us to salvation. It is when we are exercising our Faith in the Lord, repenting of our sins, getting baptised, and listening to the Holy Ghost that we being fully obedient to the Lord and his commandments.

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ:

I have been taught that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen. (Ether 12:6) Sometimes it is hard for me to have a complete faith and rely wholly on the Lord. My pride gets in the way of allowing me to see that Christ can do all things, if I put my trust in him. "Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to him." (1 Nephi 7:12) Nephi, a prophet in the Book of Mormon, is a wonderful example of someone who has a meek and whole faith in Christ. "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." (1 Nephi 3:7) This example teaches me that I need not fear anything that I may be faced with in the future. As long as I have faith in Christ, I can trust that he will help me do whatever he asks of me.

Throughout my life I have discovered that a key for me to keep faith is to always remember Christ, and all that he has done for me. When I remember that it was Christ who created the Heavens and the Earth, and all that is in them, it is easy for me to have faith that he will help me in my life. "And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait 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." (2 Nephi 31:9)

Repentance:

Because of Christ's atonement, I have the opportunity to repent of all my sins, and be forgiven. "Hath [Christ] commanded any that they should not partake of his salvation? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but he hath given it free for all men; and he hath commanded his people that they should persuade all men to repentance." (2 Nephi 26:27) It is such a wonderful blessing, and one that I too often take for granted, that salvation. Christ has already paid the price for our sins, we only need to follow him.

When I sin, I feel an awful weight of guilt upon me. As I am not a perfect person, I sin everyday. Without repentance, that load would grow and continue getting heavier with each passing day. Through repentance, I have a chance to release that burden, and experience rest."And now, my brethren, I would that ye should humble yourselves before God, and bring forth fruit meet for repentance, that ye may also enter into that rest." (Alma 13:13)

Gaining salvation requires action. This means that if I don't repent, there will be negative consequences. "Therefore if that man repenteth not, and remaineth and dieth an enemy to God, the demands of divine justice do awaken his immortal soul to a lively sense of his own quilt, which doth cause him to shrink from the presence of the Lord, and doth fill his breast with guilt, and pain, and anguish, which is like an unquenchable fire, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever."(Mosiah 2:38)

Christ loves us so much that he was willing to suffer for all our sins. Repenting for our sins is not easy, but it is the only way provided for us to receive eternal salvation, and it is a lot easier than if we had to pay for our own sins ourselves. I am so very thankful for repentance and for the promise that we will be forgiven if we are truly sorry for what we've done. There is always hope through Christ.


Baptism by Immersion:

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe in baptism by immersion, immersing the whole body, at the age of accountability. This age was revealed by modern-day prophets to be eight years of age. When we are baptized, we make covenants with the Lord.

"And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life— Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?" (Mosiah 18: 8-10)

Baptism is one of the first steps that must be accomplished in order to gain salvation. In the book of Alma we are taught that". . . whoso believeth in me, and is baptised, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God." (3 Nephi 11:33)

The most beautiful example of baptism is found in our Savior, Jesus Christ. He was perfect, a man with our fault, yet he was baptized to show his complete obedience to his Father's command. "And now, if the Lamb of God, he being holy, should have need to be baptized by water, to fulfil all righteousness, O then, how much more need have we, being unholy, to be baptized, yea, even by water!" (2 Nephi 31:5)

Being baptized is also a sign unto the world, that you are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, and ". . . as a witness and a testimony that [you are] willing to serve God with all [your] heart . . ." (Mosiah 21:35)

These principles of Christ's gospel are necessary for main to obtain salvation. They fit in perfectly with the plan of happiness, and our role in that plan. Christ has already paved the way for us to return to live with him. All we need do is understand his gospel and be obedient to his commandments. I know I am happiest when I am living righteously, and choosing the right. I have a testimony of the Plan of Salvation, and the reality that if I am faithful, I can return to live with my Father in Heaven once more.

The Pre-mortal Life

Overview:

In our pre-mortal spiritual existence, we lived with our Heavenly father, and He is just that, the Father of our spirits. While we dwelled in the Pre-mortal world, there was what we refer to as the Council in Heaven where all of Heavenly Father’s spirit children were present. At this council we learned that we, God’s spirit children, were going to live on Earth and “we were taught all that we would need to know in order to return to Heavenly Father’s presence one day.”(1) After this plan was presented to us, and we all agreed that this plan sounded good, Satan came up with a plan and presented it to us. Our Heavenly Father’s plan was to give us human bodies and send us to the Earth and to overcome difficult forms of temptation and overcome our carnal desires. In order to overcome these desires, we would have to exercise our agency; choose the right or suffer from choosing the wrong. Satan’s plan was to not let us choose the wrong, but to live perfected lives and return to our Heavenly Father with no trial or test of our decisions. The vote for Heavenly Father’s plan, the Plan of Salvation, was voted on by a majority, hence we are here. But Satan still exists today. 3Nephi 11:29 says, “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." Anything that isn't positive is of our Heavenly Father, for he knows we must taste the bitter with the sweet, but the temptation to dance with the negative isn't a temptation from our Heavenly Father, that is purely of our fallen brother, Lucifer. “Lucifer in clever ways manipulates our choices, deceiving us about sin and consequences. He and his angels tempt us to be unworthy, even wicked. But he cannot—in all eternity he cannot, with all his power he cannot—completely destroy us, not without our own consent. Had agency come to man without the Atonement, it would have been a fatal gift.”(2)

Agency:

Sometimes, it feels like our lives are empty halls
with many doors surrounding us
and we need to make a choice.
This is our agency;
these doors are our options.

Agency is defined as “the ability and privilege God gives us to choose and act for ourselves.” In 2Nephi 2:15-16, which says, “. . . it must needs be that there was an opposition; even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life; the one being sweet and the other bitter. Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other.” Our agency would be a null point if we did not have a negative to each positive. For each bad choice, there is a good choice. This bitter and sweet was differentiating between the simplicity of Satan’s plan, or the complex yet purity of Heavenly Father’s plan. Which was bitter and which was sweet? 2Nephi 2:27, a well known verse, says, “Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.” The devil used his agency and he chose poorly, therefore, he wanted us to choose poorly too. What is the point of being miserable if you aren’t miserable with someone else? That must have been his thought process. So, he tries to make us see and choose the negative, easy way of life. He makes this feel like happiness, but in all actuality, it isn’t a wholesome feeling. We have to make the conscious decision to choose the right which is liberty as opposed to the way of life that is captivity. In the pre-mortal life, if we chose the way Lucifer did, we did not gain mortal bodies and live in a constant state of captivity. If you are reading this, and have a human body, way to go! You chose the right thing! 2Nephi 10:23- “Wherefore cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves—to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life.” All the decisions made in this lifetime are to be judged in the day of judgment, but that doesn’t have too much to do with the pre-mortal life, so let us just stay on topic, eh?

So, which door do you choose?

God is the Father of Our Spirits:

Alma 30:60 says, “And thus we see the end of him who perverteth the ways of the Lord; and thus we see that the devil will not support his children at the last day, but doth speedily drag them down to hell.” This statement shows that we are the children of our Heavenly Father, and that the devil has a personal vendetta against us, but that is beside the point. We, in the pre-moral existence, were born to Heavenly Parents, but we were not of flesh in the pre-mortal world, hence the pre part of the mortal. In the Book of Mormon, we are often informed that our bodies and our spirits are separate entities. In Moroni 10:34, Moroni states that his body and his spirit are separating as he passes on. Directly, he says, “And now I bid unto all, farewell. I soon go to rest in the paradise of God, until my spirit and body shall again reunite. . .” Whenever death is talked about, it refers to how our spirit leaves our bodies to continue a different path, only to be reunited with our bodies at a later time. In Mosiah 7:27, it says that “Christ was the God, the Father of all things” which includes our spirits as well. While not a whole lot is really stated about how God is our ACTUAL father in the Book of Mormon, plenty is said elsewhere. Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, “We all existed premortally as spirit children of God, our Heavenly Father.” (3) President Gordon B. Hinckley, taught and proclaimed, “I believe without equivocation or reservation in God the Eternal Father. He is my Father, the Father of my spirit, and the Father of the spirits of all men.” (4) In the Bible Dictionary that comes with our scriptures, under the term “Spirit,” this is found, “Every person is literally a son or a daughter of God, having been born as a spirit to Heavenly Parents previous to being born to mortal parents on the earth.” I have also some more verses found within the Bible: Hebrews 12:9 says “…shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of our spirits and live?” Romans 8:16 says, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” Ecclesiastes 12:7 states, “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto god who gave it.” And last but not least is one of my personal favorites: Psalms 82:6, “I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.”

The Creation:
And God said,
Let us make man in our own image
after our likeness.
-Genesis 1:26

In order for this whole Plan of Salvation to start, there had to be a beginning, a creation. And so, it was done. In order to receive a human body, there had to be a beginning. The beginning of this story is quite well known. In 2Nephi 2:12 it says, “Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God.” I personally love verse 13 too, because of its argument. “And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away.” It really is as simple as that. If there were no God, there would be no earth, no life, nothing. With this creation, however, came into existence two very well known beings: Adam and Eve. In Alma, chapter 18, verse 36 there is a record of Ammon speaking of the creation: “Now when Ammon had said these words, he began at the creation of the world, and also the creation of Adam, and told him all the things concerning the fall of man…”

In the scriptures, it is noted that Jesus Christ was basically delegated to create the world on behalf of our Heavenly Father. This is found in 3Nephi 9:15- “Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father and the Father in me; and in me hath the Father glorified his name.” But, what is the Father and the Son without the Great Spirit? In Alma 22:11 it is said, “Yea, I believe that the Great Spirit created all things.” Heavenly Father had his work cut out for him creating the Plan of Salvation and its momentum henceforth, therefore, it was a group effort of sorts to bring to pass the creation of the world and mankind.

And there we have it-- a basic overview of the Pre-mortal aspect of the Plan of Salvation.

Any questions?

Life Beyond The Grave

Death

Latter day revelation teaches us that there was no death on this earth for any forms of life before the fall of Adam. When the fall happened, death entered the world as a result. Each person suffers only one physical death, since when once resurrected, the body can die no more.
President Hugh B. Brown once declared: “Sooner or later life’s vicissitudes bring each of us to grips with this important subject … of the immortality of the soul, and man’s relationship to Deity. … Each of us, regardless of color, creed, or nationality, has a rendezvous with the experience that we call death." Living on this wonderful world is a gift that we must treasure. Yet there will come a day when we will be taken, so to speak, from this world. We do not know the time nor the place. All we know is that once our mortal bodies die we are freed from this temporal state.

Two different deaths are spoken of in the Book of Mormon. The Fall of Adam and Eve brought about two deaths. We are subject to those deaths.
Physical death is the separation of the spirit from the physical body. Because of the Fall of Adam, all mankind will suffer physical death. We have no way around it. No amount of surgeries or procedures can alter the fact that we will one day die then be resurrected.
In Alma 11:42-45 it states:
(42) Now, there is a death which is called a temporal death; and the death of Christ shall loose the bands of this temporal death, that all shall be raised from this temporal death.
(43) The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time; and we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt.
(44) Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one Eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil.
(45) Now, behold, I have spoken unto you concerning the death of the mortal body, and also concerning the resurrection of the mortal body. I say unto you that this mortal body is raised to an immortal body, that is from death, even from the first death unto life, that they can die no more; their spirits uniting with their bodies, never to be divided; thus the whole becoming spiritual and immortal, that they can no more see corruption.
As said, death is inevitable. But once dead, we are promised resurrection. (see Resurrection)

The second death is spiritual. It is a separation from God’s presence. Adam and Eve had the great blessing of talking freely with God in the Garden of Eden. After partaking of the fruit, however, they lost that privilege. After that decision, communication from God came only through faith and sacrifice, and the wonderful gift of prayer.
As of now, we are all in the state of spiritual death. We are separated from God. He dwells in heaven and we live on earth. We would like to return to Him. He is clean and perfect. We are unclean and imperfect.
But we know that the power of Christ’s Atonement overcame both deaths.
After the crucifixion and burial, Christ was resurrected on the third day. This Resurrection reunited Christ’s physical body with His spirit.
The Resurrection is universal and applies to the everyone here on the earth. We will all be resurrected. This is an unconditional gift from God that will never be taken away no matter what we do.
But to be resurrected does not overcome the second death. To gain eternal life and live in the presence of the Father and the Son, we must repent and receive Christ's mercy, which will satisfy justice.
In Alma 12:16 it states: "And now behold, I say unto you then cometh a death, even a second death, which is a spiritual death; then is a time that whosoever dieth in his sins, as to a temporal death, shall also die a spiritual death; yea, he shall as to things pertaining unto righteousness."



Resurrection

The resurrection is the uniting of a spirit body with a body of flesh and bones, never again to be divided. Jesus Christ was the first person to be resurrected on this earth. It is because of the fact that Jesus Christ overcame death that we are able to also be resurrected. "Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise. " (2 Nephi 2:8)

Thinking about your body and all the "wrecks" its been in, it's sometimes hard to comprehend that once resurrected, our bodies will become perfect. When our new perfect bodies are reunited with our spirit bodies, we will then be judged. "...there is a space between death and the resurrection of the body, and a state of the soul in happiness or in misery until the time which is appointed of God that the dead shall come forth, and be reunited, both soul and body, and be brought to stand before God, and be judged according to their works. The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame." (Alma 40:21&23)


We know what the Resurrection is—the reuniting of the spirit and body in its perfect form (Alma 11:43)
President Spencer W. Kimball said, “I am sure that if we can imagine ourselves at our very best, physically, mentally, spiritually, that is the way we will come back.”
Can you imagine that? Life at our prime? Never sick, never in pain, never pained by the temptations that always seem to enter our lives? What a wonderful thought to know that one day we will be forever happy with the body that we have.



Judgment Day

The final judgment will occur after the resurrection of our bodies. God, through Jesus Christ, will judge each person to determine the eternal glory he will receive. This judgment will be based on each person's obedience to God's commandments, including the acceptance of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Elder Neal A. Maxwell said: " This is a gospel of grand expectations, but God's grace is sufficient for each of us if we remember that there are no instant Christians." (1)

When we are placed before the judgment seat of God, we will know what wrongs we have committed. We will also know with a perfect knowledge that Jesus is the Christ and there won't be any liars. "Yea, every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess before him. Yea, even at the last day, when all men shall stand to be judged of him, then shall they confess that he is God; then shall they confess, who live without God in the world, that the judgement of an everlasting punishment is just upon them; and they shall quake, and tremble, and shrink beneath the glance of his all-searching eye."

It would seem that there is no hope for one who is a daily sinner, which qualifies all those who live and breathe. But just as Elder Neal A. Maxwell said, God's grace is sufficient for each of us. By this he means the Atonement. If we practice the Atonement in our lives we will experience the grace and mercy of God. (see Atonement)

(1) Alma 5:17-21 "Or do ye imagine to yourselves that ye can lie unto the Lord in that day, and say--Lord, our works have been righteous works upon the face of the earth--and he will save you? Or otherwise, can ye imagine yourselves brought before the tribunal of God with your souls filled with guilt and remorse, having a remembrance of all your guilt, yea, a perfect remembrance of all your wickedness, yea, a remembrance that ye have set at defiance the commandments of God? I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances? I say unto you, can ye think of being saved when you have yielded yourselves to become subjects to the devil? I say unto you, ye will know at that day that ye cannot be saved; for there can no man be saved except his garments are washed white; yeah, his garments must be purified until they are cleansed from all stain, through the blood of him of whom it has been spoken by our fathers, who should come to redeem his people from their sins."

Mortality

MORTALITY

The Fall

The Fall refers to the Fall of Adam from the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden, they were given two commandments: multiply and replenish the earth and do not eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge from good and evil, or The Tree of Life. Adam and Eve did not know good from evil, they were innocent. By keeping one of these commandments, they could not keep the other. Therefore, Eve was tempted by the devil to partake of the fruit of the Tree of Life, and upon so doing was cast out of the Garden of Eden, with Adam following (1). They now had a knowledge of good and evil and were subject to death. "And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end. And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin."(2 Nephi 2:22-23).

We must have opposition in all things, or we could not be happy. Consider the following, if you only had Ben and Jerry's Ice cream every day of your life, how would you know it tasted good? Or, if you only had spinach every day of your life, how would you know it tasted bad? The only way to know is to have multiple foods to know what tastes good and what tastes bad. So it is with life. If Adam and Eve would not have fallen, they could have known no joy or pain, because they knew not good from evil. "And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth" (2 Nephi 2:13). The prophet Lehi taught his son: "For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad (2 Nephi 2:11).

The Fall was so important. Without it, we could not be happy. Adam fell by eating of the forbidden fruit, "and thus we see, that by his fall, all mankind became a lost and fallen people"(Alma 12:22). By partaking of the fruit, man was removed (or lost) from the presence of God and became subject to the enticings of the devil. "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man" (Mosiah 2:19). Now, because we have become like unto to the natural man, we must die. "And we see that death comes upon mankind...which is a temporal death; nevertheless there [is] a space granted unto man in which he might repent; therefore this life became a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God" (Alma 12:24).

1. 2 Nephi 2:15-20:
"And to bring about his [The Father's] eternal purposes in the end of man, after he had created our first parents [Adam and Eve], and the bests of the field and the fowls of the air, and in fine, all things which are created, it must needs be that there was an opposition; even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life; the one being sweet and the other bitter.
"Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other.
"...An angel of God, according to that which is written, had fallen from heaven [Satan]; wherefore, he became a devil, having sought that which was evil before God.
"And because he had fallen from heaven, and had become miserable forever, he sought also the misery of all mankind. Wherefore, he said unto Eve, yea, even that old serpent, who is the devil, who is the father of all lies, wherefore he said: Partake of the forbidden fruit, and ye shall not die, but ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil.
"And after Adam and Eve had partaken of the forbidden fruit they were driven out of the garden of Eden, to till the Earth.
"And they have brought forth children; yea, even the family of the earth."

The Atonement

The Savior said: "Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect" (3 Nephi 12:48). This seems like an impossible prospect, especially when Christ was the only perfect man to walk the earth. We are all subject to sin, therefore we must repent or be punished. What can the atonement do for us?

Let's first define what the Atonement is. King Benjamin, a great leader over the Nephites around 124 B.C. taught some very important principles about the Atonement and what it is. He taught of the coming of the Savior, Jesus Christ, and told how he would 'work mighty miracles' and heal the hearts of men. The purpose for Christ's coming to earth was to establish his Heavenly Father's kingdom, but also to suffer for our sins so that we might return again to live with our Father if we repent (1). King Benjamin said: "And lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people. And lo, he cometh unto his own, that salvation might come unto the children of men even through faith on his name; and even after all this they shall consider him a man...and shall scourge him, and shall crucify him. And he shall rise the third day from the dead; and behold, he standeth to judge the world; and behold, all these things are done that a righteous judgment might come upon the children of men" (Mosiah 3:7,9-10). Because Jesus Christ did this for us we are able to come and live again with him in heaven. This is what the atonement is.

Why do we need the atonement? To dwell with our Father in Heaven after we die we must have repented of our wrong doings and have served him on earth. But "I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another--I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants" (Mosiah 2:21). So, it is by grace through the atonement that we are saved and can return again to our Father in heaven. (2)

Now, when we die, we will be judged (see The Judgment ). When we are judged we are judged with justice, therefore we must pay for all our wrongs/sins through much suffering. But, because of the great sacrifice of the Savior, we need not suffer because of the plan of mercy (the Atonement). "For behold, justice exerciseth all [the Father's] demands, and also mercy claimeth all which is her own; and thus, none but the truly penitent are saved. And now, the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also." (Alma 42:24, 15). Hence, because of justice we must repent and come unto Christ, but becuase we are not able to pay the full price, Christ can step in with the atonement and allow for our mercy. However, repentance is a painful process (see Repentance) and does not come without price. Many say that we can be saved by grace/mercy alone--that you can practice many sins if you just believe in Christ. This is not so, there must be justice also. "What, do you suppose that mercy can rob justice? I say unto you, Nay; not one whit. If so, God would cease to be God" (Alma 42:25). So, we must do our part to repent of our sins.

(1) Doctrine and Covenants 19:15-19:
"Therefore I command you to repent--repent, lest I smite you by the rod of my mouth, and my wrath, and by my anger, and your sufferings be sore--how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not.
"For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;
"But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;
"Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit--and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink--
"Nevertheless, glory to be the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men."

(2) 2 Nephi 25:23:
"For we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."

(3)Alma 42:22-23:
"But there is a law given, and a punishment affixed, and a repentance granted; which repentance, mercy claimeth; otherwise, justice claimeth the creature and executeth the law, and the law inflicteth the punishment; if not so, the works of justice would be destroyed, and God would cease to be God.
"But God ceaseth not to be God, and mercy claimeth the penitent, and mercy cometh because of the atonement; and the atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead; and the resurrection of the dead bringeth back men into the presence of God; and thus they are restored into his presence, to be judged according to their works, and according to the law and justice."

The Gathering of Israel

Israel refers to the seed of Abraham, the Lord's covenant people. Anciently, God promised Abraham that his seed would receive the blessings of the gospel and the priesthood and certain lands of inheritance. However, when Israel rejected the words of the prophets and turned their hearts away from God and 'stiffened their necks', they were 'scattered among all nations. (1)

However, God had made a promise to his son Abraham, therefore, they must be gathered again together. "Behold, thus saith the Lord God: When the day cometh that they (the children of Israel) shall believe in me, that I am Christ, then have I covenanted with their fathers that they shall be restored in the flesh, upon the earth, unto the lands of their inheritance" (2Nephi 10:7).

What does it mean to gather Israel? Surely we cannot gather the entire seed into one place, for it is so numerous. The gathering means that the House of Israel is brought back into the fold of God and they accept Him as their Redeemer and Lord. "And at that day shall the remnant of our seed know that they are of the house of Israel, and that they are the covenant people of the Lord; and then shall they know and come to the knowledge of their forefathers, and also to the knowledge of the gospel of their Redeemer, which was ministered unto their fathers by him; wherefore, they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer and the very points of his doctrine, that they may know how to come unto him and be saved. And then at that day...will they not come unto the true fold of God? Behold, I say unto you, Yea; they shall be remembered again among the house of Israel" (1Nephi 15:14-16). The gathering generally doesn't have to be in a specific place (although the Jews will gather in Jerusalem), but can be in our general church buildings.

One question this leads us to is: How are we, as Gentiles, to help aid in this process of gathering Israel? When we receive our patriarchal blessings, we are adopted into one of the 12 tribes of Israel, thus becoming part of the house of Israel. It is our responsibility, as Gentiles, to bring Israel together. How are we to accomplish this great task? There is one answer: Missionary work. The Book of Mormon and the restored gospel was brought forth in this day and age to gather Israel. In 1 Nephi 22:8 it reads: "And after our seed is scattered the Lord God will proceed to do a marvelous work among the Gentiles, which shall be of great worth unto our seed." This is referring to the Book of Mormon and the gospel being brought among us. "And it (the Book of Mormon) shall also be of worth unto the Gentiles; and not only unto the Gentiles but unto all the house of Israel, unto the making known of the covenants of the Father of heaven unto Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed." The whole purpose of the Book of Mormon is "to show unto the remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever--and also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, namifesting himself unto all nations" (Title Page, Book of Mormon).

Missionary work is so important. By spreading the gospel to Israel, you are spreading the gospel to the world. "And the day cometh that the words of the book...shall be read upon the housetops; and they shall be read by the power of Christ; and all thinkgs shall be revealed unto the children of men" (2 Nephi 27:11). What an amazing prophecy and promise.

(1) 2 Nephi 10:5-6:
"But becuase of preistcrafts and iniquities, they at Jerusalem will stiffen their necks against him (Christ), that he be crucified.
"Wherefore, becuase of their iniquities, destructions, famines, pestilences, and blookdshed shall come upon them; and they who shall not be destroyed shall be scattered among all nations."