Ether 4:19

And blessed is he that is found faithful unto my name at the last day, for he shall be lifted up to dwell in the kingdom prepared for him from the foundation of the world. And behold it is I that hath spoken it. Amen.

The message of conditional salvation is repeated over and over. Salvation is a gift. We are lifted into heaven; we don't climb in on our own power. But the gift is given to those who are faithful. We don't have to be perfect, just true, constant, trustworthy keepers of covenants.

3 Nephi 21:22

But if they will repent and hearken unto my words, and harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them, and they shall come in unto the covenant and be numbered among this the remnant of Jacob, unto whom I have given this land for their inheritance;

This prophecy is about those who accept the gospel and enter into the covenants of baptism and the temple. We are added to the Lord's chosen people because of our covenants, regardless of our birth heritage or DNA. We therefore share in the inheritance of the promised land with the rest of Lehi's descendants. The same is true of our spiritual homeland. We can be accepted into the celestial kingdom because of covenants, and because of the covenant Christ made with the Father to be our Redeemer, Mediator, and Savior.

Alma 37:17

For he will fulfil all his promises which he shall make unto you, for he has fulfilled his promises which he has made unto our fathers.

The scriptures record God's fulfilling of promises to previous generations and dispensations, and thus provide us with hope. For God is the same yesterday, today, and always. Because he has kept and honored covenants with previous people, we can have confidence that he will act with integrity towards us.

Mosiah 26:18

Yea, blessed is this people who are willing to bear my name; for in my name shall they be called; and they are mine.

When we covenant to bear the name of Christ through baptism, we identify with him. We become as much like him as we can. Through his grace and because of his atonement, we develop Christ-like attributes until, eons from now, we become indistinguishable from him. We will be called by his name and we will not be ashamed to answer to it. Just as children carry the family name of their father, so we as children of Christ will carry his name.

Mosiah 5:4

And it is the faith which we have had on the things which our king has spoken unto us that has brought us to this great knowledge, whereby we do rejoice with such exceedingly great joy.

What are the prerequisites to the mighty change of heart like the people of King Benjamin experienced? Faith (faithfulness) and covenants (promises) to do God's will and to obey his commandments. We demonstrate our faith and make such a covenant at baptism. The weekly sacrament is an opportunity to renew our covenant with God. If we truly desire it, we can have a mighty change come to us every week when we partake of the sacrament.

Second Nephi 31:13

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 your 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.

For our ordinances and covenants to be effective, we must enter into them with an honest desire to conform ourselves to the Lord's plan of happiness. We must have a real and abiding intention of following through. Please note that we do not have to be perfect in the execution of our covenants. God knows, and surely we should know, that we will be less than successful in our attempts to be perfectly obedient. It is the whole purpose of the Atonement to enable Christ to help us overcome our failures, mistakes, shortcomings, and sins. The Lord does not expect us to be perfect, but he expects us to want perfection and to strive for it. He will perfect us through his Atonement in his own time. In the meantime, we practice, which means we make mistakes, we receive feedback and correction, and we try again.

As we make a genuine and honest effort to comply with the commandments, the gift of the Holy Ghost will become more evident in our lives. As we qualify ourselves with Christ's help, we will draw ever closer and more consistently to the influence of the Spirit until eventually we will be enveloped by him. Just as we were immersed in the water of baptism, we will be immersed in the Holy Ghost. Thus, we are baptized with the Holy Ghost, the symbol of which is fire.

Second Nephi 31:4-5

Wherefore, I would that ye should remember that I have spoken unto you concerning that prophet which the Lord showed unto me, that should baptize the Lamb of God, which should take away the sins of the world. 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!

Christ not only teaches the doctrine, he lives it. He is the very embodiment of his doctrine. He says with authority and confidence, "Come, follow me." Baptism is a key principle in the doctrine of Christ. Jesus demonstrated the significance of baptism by setting the example for us.

Baptism is a cleansing ordinance and a covenant making ordinance. We are baptized unto repentance. The ordinance unlocks for us the door to forgiveness, justification and sanctification. Jesus needed no repentance, but he still needed baptism because he needed to make the covenant with his Father that he would obey him. We are likewise baptized into the covenant to do our best to become like Christ, and always remember him, and keep his commandments.

The covenant of baptism also brings with it a promise from God that as we keep the covenant, we will always have his spirit to be with us. Jesus needed that promise as much as we do.

Second Nephi 11:5

And also my soul delighteth in the covenants of the Lord which he hath made to our fathers; yea, my soul delighteth in his grace, and in his justice, and power, and mercy in the great and eternal plan of deliverance from death.

The atonement of Christ is the central, enabling act of the plan of salvation. It embodies Christ's grace, justice, power and mercy. Because he atoned for us, Christ can deliver us from physical and spiritual death. Because of Christ, we have hope.

Second Nephi 10:15

Wherefore, for this cause, that my covenants may be fulfilled which I have made unto the children of men, that I will do unto them while they are in the flesh, I must needs destroy the secret works of darkness, and of murders, and of abominations.

The secret works of darkness, which are the secret combinations, are designed by Satan to thwart the Lord's purposes in keeping his covenants with his children. What are those covenants? To save us and exalt us based on repentance, faith in Christ, partaking of the ordinances of salvation, receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. If Satan can get us to turn our backs on the Lord, stop repenting, give up on Christ, ignore or refuse the ordinances, harden our hearts against the Spirit, and stop trying, he has blocked God's power and grace in our lives. He wins when God loses. Secret combinations promote all of these sins and bind the adherents to Satan by oaths. An important part of God's work among men is to destroy the secret combinations before they destroy his children.

Second Nephi 9:53

And behold how great the covenants of the Lord, and how great his condescensions unto the children of men; and because of his greatness, and his grace and mercy, he has promised unto us that our seed shall not utterly be destroyed, according to the flesh, but that he would preserve them; and in future generations they shall become a righteous branch unto the house of Israel.

The covenants God offers us represent his condescensions. They express his willingness to let us participate with him in working out our salvation. When we make and keep sacred covenants, he condescends, meaning he descends to be with us. He comes down to our level to lift us up to his level. Covenants and ordinances are the means by which he does this.