" We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul- We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things."
THE WAY TO SALVATION
Paul, set the standard for all true believers and followers of Jesus Christ: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.1”
For the study of this article of faith, we will go through those qualities that qualify us as a true follower of Christ. We will try to understand how we can develop those qualities through the light of the scriptures.
A) Virtues and attributes of a follower of Christ
Honesty: Paul to the Saints in Corinth: “Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest...2” Honesty is a great virtue. It walks together with integrity. Honesty may begin within our words: “But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.3” The prophet Jacob taught his people in this way: “Behold, my brethren, he that prophesieth, let him prophesy to the understanding of men; for the Spirit speaketh the truth and lieth not. Wherefore, it speaketh of things as they really are, and of things as they really will be.4”
It is our responsibility to not be dishonest. Paul taught: “Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.5” In Mosiah's time, the prophet taught this principle to his people by explaining the importance of honesty in their dealings: “And I would that ye should remember, that whosoever among you borroweth of his neighbor should return the things that he borroweth, according as he doth agree, or else thou shalt commit sin; and perhaps thou shalt cause thy neighbor to commit sin also.6” Alma resumed honesty by saying: “Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again; and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again.7”
Chaste: The scriptures give us a lot of clarity about this virtue. As “a man shall cleave unto his wife8” and follow the Lord, “a virtuous women is a crown to her husband.9” Chastity is found in a sincere pure heart: “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.10”. We will develop this virtue as we have the Spirit who allows us to resist temptations; “This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.11” We need to be chaste because our body is a temple: “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?12”
We need to be chaste in a physical manner as well as in speech. By remaining chaste in our thoughts and actions, we will be protected from the evil things of this world. It will enable us to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost. The prophet Nephi instructs all of us in that way: “Wherefore, if ye have sought to do wickedly in the days of your probation, then ye are found unclean before the judgment-seat of God; and no unclean thing can dwell with God; wherefore ye must be cast forever.13”
Benevolent: The dictionary explains Benevolent as a disposition to do good, resulting in acts of kindness. The standard has been set by doing good to our enemies, and to everyone: “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute.14” What a wonderful example the Savior has set!
Benevolence between husband and wife should reside in the home: “Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.15” Benevolence is found in pure religion: “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.16” The prophet Alma extended the invitation to do good continually.17
Good works: We know that all we have done shall be judged: “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.18” The prophet taught us to do good works. From the scriptures we find that we need to:
-Do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8)
-Hunger and thirst after righteousness (Matthew 5: 6)
-Do to others what we would want them to do to us (Matthew 7: 12)
-Work righteously (Acts 10: 35)
-Be a doer of the law (Romans 2: 13, James 1: 22)
-Exercise faith (James 2: 26)
-Pray continually without ceasing (Alma 26: 22, 34: 28)
King Benjamin, a great prophet of the Book of Mormon, gave this profound truth:
“And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom, that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God.19”
Every man shall be rewarded accordingly to his works: “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.20”
Paul said:“Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one; and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.21”
Alma recorded: “Therefore, prepare ye the way of the Lord, for the time is at hand that all men shall reap a reward of their work.22”
Every good thing comes from God. We seek after those things to help us grow, to help us follow the example of the Savior, to help us become more like Him and prepare to return to the presence of our Father in Heaven. Those great virtues will help us become a better person and enjoy life more. We could wonder how the world would be if every human being was looking after those and trying to make them part of their every day life.
B) Christ in Heavenly Father’s plan
We have been discussing the importance of Jesus Christ in the plan of our Father in Heaven. He is the central figure of that plan. Jesus Christ is our Creator. As the prophets recorded, he has created the earth and every thing that constitute this world: “And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary.23” Everything we have comes from Him.
Jesus Christ is our Savior. Without Him, we could not overcome physical and spiritual death. Thus, we could not return in the presence of our Heavenly Father. His Atonement removed all obstacles standing in our way as we exercise faith and repent of our sins. Finally, Jesus Christ will be our Judge. One day, when our mortal life is over, we will stand in front of him and answer for our works and desires.
Immortality will be given to each of us. It is a free gift given to us because Jesus Christ overcame physical death and was resurrected. Whatever we do in this life, we will be resurrected and immortal; that we may be able to stand before our Maker. Through His grace, Jesus Christ saved us from death. The prophet Nephi testified: “For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled with to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.24”
To obtain eternal life with our Heavenly Father or exaltation, we need to prepare ourselves during this life, to be worthy of this gift. Exaltation or eternal life is the greatest gift of God: “And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.25”
It is only through Christ that we obtain the gift of exaltation: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father but by me.26” saith the Lord.
We need to follow Him and His teachings. Through our membership in the Church of Jesus Christ, we are able to receive all the necessary ordinances, the spiritual guidance and the fellowship needed to progress toward this ultimate goal of exaltation. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is organized to help all the children of our Heavenly Father receive eternal life or exaltation. God, while teaching Moses on a mountain, showed him the immensity of heaven and explained to him his purposes: “For behold, this is my work and my glory--to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.27”
C) The mission of the Church
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is organized after the purposes of God, to help bring salvation to all His children. To make that possible, the church has divided its mission in three different aspects of salvation.
The first aspect is the salvation of its members. Perfecting the Saints, as taught by the Apostles : “ And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.28” It is an important part of the church.
A "Saint" is someone who has accepted Christ through baptism in His church and have committed to follow Him throughout his life.
Through the church, every member receives guidance by modern day prophets and apostles. It is also a place to learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ that we may print His words and example in our hearts. In the church we can enjoy the fellowship of others and it gives us wonderful opportunities to serve the Lord and our fellow beings. “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.29”
As mentioned earlier, there is no paid clergy in the church. Members receive assignments and responsibilities to participate in the Lord's vineyard and helping us to become like Heavenly Father. The church helps us to receive all the ordinances necessary to return to the presence of our Father in Heaven. The prophet Moroni, in the book of Mormon taught: “And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ. and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith. And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls. And they did meet together oft to partake of bread and wine, in remembrance of the Lord Jesus.30”
The second aspect the church focuses on, is to Proclaim the Gospel. Sharing the gospel is an essential responsibility of all those that have already received it. Christ taught: “But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.31” James taught: “Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.32”
A revelation given to the prophet Joseph Smith sheds more light on the responsibility of those that have received the gospel to share it. It is stated: “Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor. Therefore, they are left without excuse, and their sins are upon their own heads.33”
Every member of the church received, and continues to receive blessings and joy in their life. Even though life is not easy, the gospel brings peace and hope. Through their examples and love for God and family, members can extend an invitation to learn more about Christ's Gospel. Once a person has found something that brings peace, joy and serenity into their life; they will want to share it. Members work for the salvation of people around them who want to follow Christ.
Finally, the third aspect is Redeeming the dead. The purpose of this work is to give a chance for those who have passed away, to receive the Gospel. Those who have not heard the gospel in this life have an opportunity to hear it in the life to come.34
Through Genealogical Research, members of the church look for their ancestors and perform sacred ordinances for them such as baptism which can only performed on earth. These ordinances performed in behalf of the dead, by proxy, are done in holy temples. Of those who did not meet the requirements to enter God's kingdom, Paul said: “God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.35” It is our responsibly to perform this work for those who are dead; giving them a chance to accept or reject it as they wish.
Those three missions are part of this marvelous work and wonder! It is the Lord's work and we can be a part of it by serving in the church.
The Lord has taught that it is wonderful to have faith, to repent of our sins and show our desire to follow him by baptism, confirmation and receiving the Holy Ghost. But if we do not endure to the end, all this is in vain. Baptism is the gate to enter the strait and narrow path of eternal life. Baptism is not an end by itself but the beginning of a new life as a disciple of Christ. Of this, the prophets testified: “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.36”
On the other hemisphere, they also testified of the importance of enduring to the end.37 Nephi, a Book of Mormon prophet expresses his feelings in this way: “I also have charity for the Gentiles. But behold, for none of these can I hope except they shall be reconciled unto Christ, and enter into the narrow gate, and walk in the strait path which leads to life, and continue in the path until the end of the day of probation.38”
It is important to keep the commandments throughout our life and to serve the Lord until the end. Jesus taught: “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.39” The Lord revealed to Nephi: “And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost; and if they endure unto the end they shall be lifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb; and whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be.40” Finally, Nephi concluded: “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.41”
Those three aspects that the church focuses on are in complete accord with the mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the purposes of our Heavenly Father. It gives us a chance to participate in the work of the Lord.
By developing these attributes and receiving our spiritual nourishment through the church, we may be able, through the grace of our Savior Jesus Christ, to return to the presence of our Father in Heaven.
References Part 13
1. Philippians 4: 8
2. 2 Corinthians 13: 7
3. Matthew 5: 34-36
4. Jacob 4: 13
5. 2 Corinthians 4: 1-2
6. Mosiah 4: 28
7. Alma 41: 14
8. Genesis 2: 24
9. Proverbs 12: 4
10. Matthew 5: 8
11. Galatians 5: 16
12. 1 Corinthians 6: 19
13. 1 Nephi 10: 21
14. Matthew 5: 44
15. 1 Corinthians 7: 3
16. James 1: 27
17. See Alms 41: 14
18. Ecclesiastes 12: 14
19. Mosiah 2: 17
20. Matthew 16: 27
21. 1 Corinthians 3: 8
22. Alma 9: 28
23. Mosiah 3: 8
24. 2 Nephi 25: 23
25. Doctrine and Covenants 4: 27
26. John 14: 6
27. Pearl of Great Price, Moses 1: 39
28. Ephesians 4: 11-12
29. 1 John 3: 18
30. Moroni 6: 4-6
31. Luke 22: 32
32.James 5: 20
33. Doctrine and Covenants 88: 81-82
34. 1 Peter 3: 18-19, 4: 6
35. Hebrews 11: 40
36. Matthew 7: 13-14
37. See 2 Nephi 31: 17-20
38. 2 Nephi 33: 9
39. Mark 13: 13
40. 1 Nephi 13: 37
41. 2 Nephi 31: 16
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