Moroni 8:25

And the first fruits of repentance is baptism; and baptism cometh by faith unto the fulfilling the commandments; and the fulfilling the commandments bringeth remission of sins;

To receive full forgiveness of our sins and to have them remitted or canceled from our account requires obedience on our part. Christ has already paid the price. The cost of our ransom has been covered by his atoning sacrifice. He is prepared to set us free whenever we qualify. To which commandments must we be obedient to become eligible to be ransomed and released from guilt? Repentance and baptism. While the Lord gives us many commandments to guide our lives and teach us how to live as he lives, the two things we must do for forgiveness and justification are repent and receive baptism. The doctrine is simple enough for an eight-year-old to understand.

Ether 12:34

And now I know that this love which thou hast had for the children of men is charity; wherefore, except men shall have charity they cannot inherit that place which thou hast prepared in the mansions of thy Father.

Charity is the love God has for us. Unless we have his love, we cannot be exalted with him. So, how do we accept his love? We obey him. "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." We reach the tree of life and partake of its fruit, which is his love. We reach the tree by following the strait and narrow path, with our hand firmly grasping the iron rod of revelation. When we come to him, his love takes effect in our lives. It is his love, as embodied in Christ and the atonement, that will save us and exalt us.

Ether 12:11

Wherefore, by faith was the law of Moses given. But in the gift of his Son hath God prepared a more excellent way; and it is by faith that it hath been fulfilled.

The love of God is his greatest gift, and the coming of his Son is the ultimate expression of his love.

For those who think they can obey their way into heaven, the message is clear: obedience is insufficient without faith. Faith in Christ is the most excellent way to God.

Ether 4:12

And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none save it be of me. I am the same that leadeth men to all good; he that will not believe my words will not believe me—that I am; and he that will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me. For behold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world.

The test of whether something is of God is whether it leads people to do good. The question we must answer is, what is good? It is good to have faith in the Father and the Son. It is good to love God with all our heart, might, mind and strength. It is good to love and serve others. It is good to keep the commandments. It is good to humbly accept the ordinances of salvation. Anything that leads us to do these good things and not resist the truth when we hear it is of God.

3 Nephi 24:7

Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of Hosts. But ye say: Wherein shall we return?

This is God's promise throughout the scriptures. When we turn to him, he turns to us. It is just that simple.

3 Nephi 23:5

And whosoever will hearken unto my words and repenteth and is baptized, the same shall be saved. Search the prophets, for many there be that testify of these things.

Salvation is free but not without stipulations and qualifications. We must learn and obey the commandments, receive the ordinance of baptism, and continually repent if we want salvation. It is not hard or complicated to understand, but it takes a lifetime and beyond to do it. The promise, however, is worth every effort.

3 Nephi 19:29

Father, I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me out of the world, because of their faith, that they may be purified in me, that I may be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one, that I may be glorified in them.

We come unto Christ by faith. The Father, who recognizes our faith, gives us to Christ to purify and nurture. When Christ owns us, his goal is to purify us through his atonement to make us as much like him as he is like his Father. His glory is to bring us back to the Father purified, sanctified, and ready to dwell with him in the Father's presence. Notice who is doing all the work. Our job is to start the process through faith in Christ as evidenced by our desire and our obedience. Once we are turned over to him, he does the rest.

3 Nephi 12:20

Therefore come unto me and be ye saved; for verily I say unto you, that except ye shall keep my commandments, which I have commanded you at this time, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

We have to keep the commandments to be admitted into the heavenly kingdom where the Father and the Son dwell. But Christ knows we cannot do it on our own. So he invites us to come to him, lean on him, depend on him, draw strength from him, and accept his offer of redemption, justification, and sanctification. He will help us to qualify for eternal life. It is after all his work and glory. He can do almost everything for us except the one vital part of the equation -- we, and only we, can and must choose to come to him. If we will but make that one choice, he will do all in his infinite power to see to it that we succeed. No wonder the gospel is good news!

3 Nephi 7:17-18

And he did minister many things unto them; and all of them cannot be written, and a part of them would not suffice, therefore they are not written in this book. And Nephi did minister with power and with great authority. And it came to pass that they were angry with him, even because he had greater power than they, for it were not possible that they could disbelieve his words, for so great was his faith on the Lord Jesus Christ that angels did minister unto him daily.

Nephi is an example of one to whom God granted great power to do good by degrees. Step by step he learned obedience, and with each step he gained more power. The more faithfully and righteously he used that power, the more power he received. Eventually God gave him all power on earth because he knew Nephi would do much good with it and would never abuse it. 

We gain power in the same way, step by step, in small degrees, one test at a time. If we want more power, we must use the power we now have in all diligence and in total obedience. We must recognize our gifts from God, honor them, and always ask God how he would have us use them. The better we use the power we have, the more power we will receive.

Helaman 4:12-13

And it was because of the pride of their hearts, because of their exceeding riches, yea, it was because of their oppression to the poor, withholding their food from the hungry, withholding their clothing from the naked, and smiting their humble brethren upon the cheek, making a mock of that which was sacred, denying the spirit of prophecy and of revelation, murdering, plundering, lying, stealing, committing adultery, rising up in great contentions, and deserting away into the land of Nephi, among the Lamanites—And because of this their great wickedness, and their boastings in their own strength, they were left in their own strength; therefore they did not prosper, but were afflicted and smitten, and driven before the Lamanites, until they had lost possession of almost all their lands.

While at least some of our afflictions come upon us because of our pride and disobedience, it is not always a one-to-one relationship. On an individual basis the consequences of sin seem to be more random. Wicked, greedy, selfish people may prosper financially and in other measurable ways, while righteous people seem to suffer in many ways. It must be this way or we could not exercise faith. But on a societal level and over long periods of time, the axiom proves true over and over: if ye (plural) keep God's commandments, ye (plural) shall prosper in the land, but if ye (plural) keep not the commandments, ye (plural) shall be cut off.

Helaman 3:27-30

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:

1. God is merciful when we sincerely repent.
2. Everyone who repents is welcome in the church and kingdom of God.
3. True members of God's kingdom believe in Christ.
4. We choose belief and faith. 
5. 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.
6. Revelation from God is life-giving and powerful to change our lives. 
7. When we live the gospel, we can avoid and overcome the temptations of Satan. The gospel leads on a strict path back to God.
8. To live with God permanently is our ultimate goal and destination.
9. We can look forward to the same exaltation as the patriarchs and prophets. 

Helaman 3:20

Nevertheless Helaman did fill the judgment-seat with justice and equity; yea, he did observe to keep the statutes, and the judgments, and the commandments of God; and he did do that which was right in the sight of God continually; and he did walk after the ways of his father, insomuch that he did prosper in the land.

Contention and troubles surrounded Helaman, yet he had personal peace and prosperity. Our attitude and obedience are the source of peace far more than our temporal surroundings.

Alma 57:27

Now this was the faith of these of whom I have spoken; they are young, and their minds are firm, and they do put their trust in God continually.

Helaman's warriors were faithful because they chose to be. Their minds were firm, meaning they were made up and not open to doubt. In a life and death situation, one cannot afford to vacillate. He must know his objective and clearly understand the strategy, the tactics, and the immediate orders. If he stops to think and evaluate, he is dead. 


We are in a battle of spiritual life and death. The adversary would have us think that obedience is closed-minded. We should be ever doubting and always questioning and never satisfied. Such an attitude of cynicism works to his advantage. He doesn't care what we believe as long as we don't believe the truth. He wants us to be weak and infirm because then he doesn't have to work so hard. If we can confuse ourselves, he can just sit back and watch us flounder. A firm mind does not mean we never ask questions. But we ask in faith and look to God as the source of our answers. We do not let what we don't know overshadow what we do know.

Alma 57:21

Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them; and I did remember the words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them.

We defeat the adversary through exact obedience. We must trust that we are receiving good instructions, and then we must do all in our power to follow those instructions. We call this being diligent in keeping the commandments. It us our only sure defense. We do not keep commandments to earn points or to buy our way into heaven, but to minimize the damages of mortality and to protect ourselves from the constant attacks of Satan from the outside and the traitorous natural man on the inside. Christ saves us and redeems us, but he can work only with a willing heart that can be taught by the Holy Spirit. Blessings are predicated on obedience to law. When we keep the commandments, we qualify ourselves to receive the Holy Ghost, who teaches us how to come unto Christ and receive salvation from his hand.

Alma 53:20

And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all—they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted.

Youth, courage and strength are important, but obedience was the greatest trait of the stripling warriors. Through obedience, weak things become strong. If we want more strength, we must find a way to be more obedient.

Alma 50:23

But behold there never was a happier time among the people of Nephi, since the days of Nephi, than in the days of Moroni, yea, even at this time, in the twenty and first year of the reign of the judges.

Our happiness is not dependent on external circumstances. The Nephites were in terrible danger, surrounded by enemies, and threatened on every side, but they were still happy because they were keeping the commandments.

Alma 38:5

And now my son, Shiblon, I would that ye should remember, that as much as ye shall put your trust in God even so much ye shall be delivered out of your trials, and your troubles, and your afflictions, and ye shall be lifted up at the last day.

Blessings are predicated upon obedience. Trust in God is synonymous with faith in him. When we have faith in him, wonderful blessings will come into our lives. Of course, for us to recognize blessings, we must also have opposition. Shiblon is promised a full load of adversity, but the promised deliverance is greater than the trials from which he will be delivered. When we are faced with great trials, if we exercise faith, we can expect miraculous deliverance.

Alma 37:40

And [the Liahona] did work for them according to their faith in God; therefore, if they had faith to believe that God could cause that those spindles should point the way they should go, behold, it was done; therefore they had this miracle, and also many other miracles wrought by the power of God, day by day.

Faith is manifest in works. As long as Nephi's family believed that the Liahona pointed them in the right direction and they followed it, God caused the spindles to point out their course. As soon as they stopped following the Liahona and tried to choose their own way, the device stopped working. No sense in giving directions that people won't follow. The same is true of the Holy Spirit. As long as we believe we can receive direction from the Spirit and follow diligently the direction we receive, the Spirit will keep working with us. But as soon as we quit listening and decide our own way is better, the Spirit will stop trying to coach us. No sense in giving us directions we won't follow.

Alma 32:19

And now, how much more cursed is he that knoweth the will of God and doeth it not, than he that only believeth, or only hath cause to believe, and falleth into transgression?

Why do we not have more plain personal revelation and open vision? Because we are not sufficiently dedicated and determined to obey. Knowledge is a curse if we do not abide by it. The Lord does not tell us more because he cannot trust us to respond in the right way to what we might learn. Better to leave us ignorant and subject to mercy than to make us knowledgeable and condemned by the law we cannot keep.

Ignorance is not good, however. We are not rewarded for being ignorant. We are rewarded for acting on the knowledge we have. The more knowledge we gain, the greater our potential for doing good. Without knowledge, we are damned, meaning stopped in our progress. Our goal is to act faithfully so we can qualify for more knowledge, which increases our righteous actions and prepares us for the next level of knowledge. And so it goes in an upward reaching and ever-broadening cycle of growth.

Alma 30:40-41

And now what evidence have ye that there is no God, or that Christ cometh not? I say unto you that ye have none, save it be your word only. But, behold, I have all things as a testimony that these things are true; and ye also have all things as a testimony unto you that they are true; and will ye deny them? Believest thou that these things are true?

The absence of something is practically impossible to prove. The existence, however, is relatively easy to prove. So it is with the existence of God. Everything we see suggests a mindful, purposeful design. What's more, we have witnesses who claim to have a direct knowledge of God. To stare the evidence in the face and still claim God does not exist is to be illogical and dishonest. It takes a wilder imagination to believe that the universe, the earth, and life came about by random chance than it does to accept the concept of a Supreme Being and Creator. Accepting that God exists, however, is a much different thing than listening to him and obeying him. Obedience comes from faith.