Thus we may see that the Lord is merciful unto all who will, in the sincerity of their hearts, call upon his holy name. Yea, thus we see that the gate of heaven is open unto all, even to those who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God. Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked—And land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out.
If I were marooned on a desert island and could have only one small section of scripture to keep me company, I might choose these four short verses. Mormon sums up a series of lessons learned by the Nephites during a period of relative peace following many years of war. These are truths about how God works with his children in all ages of the world. This brief discourse sums up the whole Gospel of Christ:
- God is merciful when we sincerely repent.
- Everyone who repents is welcome in the church and kingdom of God.
- True members of God's kingdom believe in Christ.
- We choose belief and faith.
- The word of God is not just the written scriptures. It is also revelation, both through the prophet and personally to each of us. We must choose to receive and obey revelation.
- Revelation from God is life-giving and powerful to change our lives.
- When we live the gospel, we can avoid and overcome the temptations of Satan. The gospel leads on a strict path back to God.
- To live with God permanently is our ultimate goal and destination.
- We can look forward to the same exaltation as the patriarchs and prophets.
No comments:
Post a Comment