[Updated on 9/21/2024. Changes in blue.]

One of the greatest challenges we face in trying to be disciples of Christ is that we do not correctly understand the doctrines of faith in Jesus Christ and repentance. In connection with this, we do not understand what exactly is required to become heirs of salvation and eternal life or to receive the blessings promised by the Lord. Presumably, if we understand these things and we are doing them, then we will be receiving these great blessings in our everyday lives. After all, logic dictates that if we are not receiving the blessings promised by the Lord, it is because we are not understanding the conditions for receiving them, and/or we are not doing what is required to receive them. Furthermore, it needs to be understood that mercy and grace are the beginnings of receiving all things from God, while obedience and faithfulness most definitely are the middle and end.

The scriptures speak in such lofty superlative language that it often seems difficult to connect in modern life context what really is required to qualify for God’s greatest blessings. Accordingly, my intention with this paper is to demonstrate what the authors of the Book of Mormon have said on these topics. If you truly believe the Book of Mormon to be scripture, then by reading this paper, we should all understand and generally agree on the meanings of these essential doctrines.

What I have done here is copy from my book, Greatest Sermons from the Book of Mormon, those scripture passages that most directly address these doctrines. What I am going to do here is quote these passages sequentially, and then provide my own commentary. I know that many other scriptures could and probably should be used in addressing these questions, but my intent is not to make this paper comprehensive, but merely informative.

My main premise in my assertions is that faith in Jesus Christ is based on evidence; and those with faith in Christ will manifest in their lives evidence of their faith, evidence of their goodness and faithfulness, and evidence of the Lord’s blessings as evidence of faithfulness. We exercise faith in Jesus Christ, not because we merely hope he is legit, but because we have evidence through study, observation, and rational thought that he is real, he is good, and his promises are reliable. Likewise, the Lord rewards us for faithfulness, based on his promises and agreements and the evidence he sees that we have satisfied the requirements based on the promises and agreements he has made.

Let’s look at some examples.

1 Nephi 14

1  AND it shall come to pass that if the Gentiles shall hearken unto the Lamb of God, then in that day he shall manifest himself unto them in word, and also in power, in very deed, unto the taking away of their stumbling blocks—

How the Lord manifests himself is very important. For most of us, his manifestations are revealed through the examples and inspired words of others, through inspiration and revelation, and in the many miracles in our lives. But this verse speaks of things much greater. To have the Lord speak to you, in person, with words, in a display of power, in very deed—these things denote visions, visitations, and displays of glory far above what is received by those who have not fully committed themselves to faith in Jesus Christ, perfect repentance, and so forth.

In this verse, we see the terms given for specific blessings offered by the Lord to the Gentiles. Here, the Lord promises that he will manifest himself in word, power, and in very deed, if they will hearken to him. Inversely, we can be assured that if he is not manifesting himself to us, individually, in word, power, and in very deed, it is because we are not adequately or correctly hearkening to him. There exists a deficit.

Those who are honest and humble will admit to this. Those who are dishonest and proud will make excuses as to why the Lord is not revealing himself in word, power, and in very deed. They will claim that they are doing everything right, but that the Lord, in his wisdom, is delaying things, etc. They will not admit that their faith and repentance are evidently still lacking.

Two of the great stumbling blocks we experience are dishonesty and pride. Another is that we lack understanding and belief in what the scriptures actually say. We deny that faith and repentance are required and instead attempt to take shortcuts, denying faith, withholding repentance, and then lying about it. Deep down, we all know that our faith is weak and that our repentance is incomplete, so why be dishonest about it?

2  And if they harden not their hearts against the Lamb of God, they shall be numbered among the seed of thy father; yea, they shall be numbered among the house of Israel; and they shall be a blessed people upon the promised land forever; they shall be no more brought down into captivity; and the house of Israel shall no more be confounded.

When we hearken to the Lamb of God, we are numbered among the house of Israel. You will know this has happened when God reveals this to you by revelation. The house of Israel refers to those who have become heirs of the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, by their faithfulness. They become heirs of salvation. It is a massive mistake to assume you are an heir of salvation before God has directly revealed to you, by his own voice, that you are on that path and that as you faithfully continue on that path you will continue to be an heir of salvation. It becomes a great stumbling block to assume you are an heir of salvation before the Lord has confirmed this to you, by his own voice.

Nobody gets to be numbered with the house of Israel until they have hearkened to the Lamb of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, and the Gift of the Holy Ghost. As we continue with our review of these scriptures, these doctrines will be revealed and discussed at great length.

To be blessed upon the promised land suggests that lands of inheritance are received and retained, prosperity abounds, and the blessings of God are continuously evidenced in many material ways. In connection with this, the Lord promises that the people will not be brought into captivity. Inversely, one of the great evidences that we are ripening in iniquity and sin is that real estate is increasingly very difficult to get, most people are poor and getting poorer, and the people are suffering in captivity. This is the hard reality throughout the world today.

Confounded, in this context, means that it (the house of Israel) is destitute, uninhabited, or in decline. There is almost nobody there, and those who are there are being greatly afflicted by the wickedness of those around them.

In the last days, those who are of the house of Israel will be called Zion.

Nobody should claim to be of the house of Israel, or of Zion, until the Lord has confirmed this upon them and has commanded them to proclaim such things.

3  And that great pit, which hath been digged for them by that great and abominable church, which was founded by the devil and his children, that he might lead away the souls of men down to hell—yea, that great pit which hath been digged for the destruction of men shall be filled by those who digged it, unto their utter destruction, saith the Lamb of God; not the destruction of the soul, save it be the casting of it into that hell which hath no end.

4  For behold, this is according to the captivity of the devil, and also according to the justice of God, upon all those who will work wickedness and abomination before him.

The great pit, described in these verses, is the lies and deceptions of Satan, who is described as the father of all lies. Satan’s lies come in many forms. Most commonly, he promises happiness in doing sin, and he promises salvation in heaven by taking shortcuts and by placing faith in the arm of the flesh, in corrupt mortals, and in earthly institutions. Furthermore, he ascribes great value in that which has very little value and he ascribes very little value in that which has great value. In short, he preaches false doctrine; he promotes a reality that is fantasy.

The lies of Satan also very often deny the justice of God. They deny that men will be judged and blessed according to their works. They deny personal accountability. They promote ideas that suggest blessings are not based on faithfulness and repentance, but on the grace, mercy, and predetermination of God. They preach priesthood without righteousness, entitlement without merit, and personal freedom without accountability. They preach that God is no longer of God of miracles, that he no longer reveals himself to man, that he has finished his work, that he has given his power to man. These false doctrines are calculated to undermine faith in Christ, annul the importance of repentance, and increase the power and dominion of men and earthly institutions. We should all remain on high alert for these lies and deceptions and do our best to expose them as we may.

When we believe the lies of Satan, we are deceived, we are led away on crooked paths, we are brought into bondage of every kind, and ultimately, we are destroyed. This is undesirable.

Wickedness and abomination are synonymous with evil and the profane. When we profane the holiness of God, through disbelief, rejection, and sin, we cannot be elevated by the goodness we have turned away from. Hence, inasmuch as we continue in sin, with incomplete repentance, we cannot expect to receive salvation when we have knowingly turned our backs to him, when we have openly rebelled against him. God must be a God of justice. The grace of God only applies to those who repent. Mercy cannot rob justice. We cannot be saved in our sins. Heaven is a holy place. It is no place for the unholy and profane.

5  And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me, Nephi, saying: Thou hast beheld that if the Gentiles repent it shall be well with them; and thou also knowest concerning the covenants of the Lord unto the house of Israel; and thou also hast heard that whoso repenteth not must perish.

6  Therefore, wo be unto the Gentiles if it so be that they harden their hearts against the Lamb of God.

A vital aspect of the Lord’s covenant with Israel is that all the people of the earth (including the Gentiles) will be, or can be, blessed according to the Lord’s covenant with Israel. All the children of men can be redeemed and blessed, by repentance and faith in Christ, and by so doing be brought into the house of Israel. And so, we read that the Lord commands all his children everywhere, including the Gentiles, to repent, that they might also receive the blessings of God’s covenant with Israel. These are the blessings of the Holy Spirit, of priesthood, and of holiness that the Lord desires that we all receive in this life, and also the blessings of salvation, exaltation, and eternal lives in the worlds to come.

The scriptures refer to repentance as a rather binary thing. Either it’s a one or a zero. Either you’ve repented or you haven’t. If you still occasionally sin, then you haven’t repented. The challenge we have is learning how to altogether cease from sinning. How do we develop the integrity, commitment, and intelligence to altogether cease doing what we know is wrong, is unrighteous, or is less than what is best? This seems impossible, but the Lord and his prophets assure us that it is not; but it require a great deal of heed and diligence to learn how to live this way.

We harden our hearts when we reject the doctrine of repentance as a binary thing. Sadly, almost everybody does. This is most unwise. After all, we have been fairly warned that those “who repenteth not must perish.”

7  For the time cometh, saith the Lamb of God, that I will work a great and a marvelous work among the children of men; a work which shall be everlasting, either on the one hand or on the other—either to the convincing of them unto peace and life eternal, or unto the deliverance of them to the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds unto their being brought down into captivity, and also into destruction, both temporally and spiritually, according to the captivity of the devil, of which I have spoken.

So, there is a contest going on. On the one hand, Satan is using lies and all manner of deceptions to convince us to sin and do evil, and to compromise with sin and evil. On the other hand, God is seeking to convince and persuade us to do good and to follow him at an altogether pure and uncompromised level.

God uses persuasion, reason, and life lessons to convince us of the wisdom in following him. We cease to sin as we come to a greater understanding as to why we should not sin and why we should do what the Lord communicates and demonstrates is best.

The Lord’s basic doctrine is to do good. To do good is to that which has the best value, best benefit, and best outcome. It is to do what the ideal person would do in your situation. This seems quite reasonable to anyone who is honest.

As we accept and follow the doctrine of doing good, our eyes are opened, our understanding increases, our abilities increase; and as we learn to want what is best, we are freed from sin, we are delivered from evil, and we are increasingly blessed with a multiplicity of blessings, even with the ability to become permanently sinless!

On the other hand, as we choose to take what we perceive as the easier way, doing less than what is best, then our hearts become hardened, our eyes are blinded, we decrease in our understanding, we diminish in our abilities, we become slaves of sin, and ultimately face destruction, “both temporally and spiritually.” This is the cause-and-effect result of doing less than what is best.

…14  And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.

There are some who might define “the power of the Lamb of God” as priesthood power. Priesthood power is different than priesthood authority. Priesthood authority merely denotes some sort of authenticity. But priesthood power implies that you can and will do the types of things God would do in your place.

Priesthood power is manifest by you doing what God would do in your place. The power of the Lamb of God is manifest by those who reliably do what God would do in their place. Learning to do what God would do requires study, practice, increased understanding, sacrifice, and great faith.

Those who hearken to the Lamb of God (vs.1), who are taught his principles, doctrines, commandments, and ways, and who live accordingly, are “armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.” Righteousness is doing what God would do. The glory of God is demonstrated by the accomplishing of his purposes and the manifestation of his ways through faith in him. Anyone can learn to do this.

Receiving the power of God is not magical. It is not a magic wand act of God that suddenly imbues chosen people with special abilities or divine powers. The saints of the church of the Lamb have divine power because they have learned how to live free from sin, they have learned how to have faith in Jesus Christ by always doing what they sincerely believe he would do, or what they sincerely believe is best. They have become holy. Holy means better. They are better aligned with the perfections of God. They are more faithful. They are more disciplined. Their thoughts and desires are more pure. They are more trusted. By this they merit an infusion of increased ability such that they are able to do what God would do in their place; not by their own power, but by his; but they were only able to receive this power and ability by first learning to be absolutely faithful in righteousness.

Ultimately, in the end-times, it is the power of God that allows the righteous to be preserved, protected, and to abide the fire and destruction that is poured out like a flood throughout the whole earth. These are they who “are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived—verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day.  And the earth shall be given unto them for an inheritance; and they shall multiply and wax strong, and their children shall grow up without sin unto salvation.” (D&C 45:57-58)

2 Nephi 1

15  But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love.

How does one become redeemed from hell? What must one do to behold the glory of God? What is the glory of God? And how does one become encircled about eternally in the arms of God’s love? Are these blessings interrelated? And are these the things we need to do and receive if we expect to receive salvation and eternal life?

In this verse, Lehi is speaking in anticipation of his imminent death. Lehi is not afraid of death or hell because he knows that the Lord has redeemed his soul. This has occurred through faith in Christ. The Lord did (or would do) his part, and Lehi likewise did what the Lord required him to do in order to be redeemed, to behold God’s perfection, and experience his love.

Hell has no terror for those who have, by faith, beheld and experienced the glory and perfection of God. To behold the glory and perfection of God is not altogether a happy thing. It involves great trials, sacrifice, and faithfulness. To behold the glory of God includes experiencing and comprehending of both the light and the darkness. Hence, those who have experienced and beheld his glory are not daunted by hell. They are not daunted by the darkness, chaos, enmity, or forces of evil. They have already confronted it. They comprehend it. They have power over it by virtue of their faith and knowledge. Indeed, they are encircled about by the arms of love because they comprehend the virtue and majesty of God in relation to the darkness and comparatively diminutive power of the devil.

The light comprehends the darkness, but the darkness does not comprehend the light. The darkness rejects the light; but the light has empathy for the darkness. The light seeks to illuminate the darkness and fill it with truth and life.

Those who are encircled about eternally in the arms of God’s love are those who are receiving, through faith, all that he is offering. Receiving love always includes receiving what the giver so selflessly offers. God offers us light, truth, guidance, safety, redemption, and exaltation; he offers us more life, a better life; but we must receive all these things by faith, by doing what he asks us to do. There is no other way. And there are no shortcuts.

2 Nephi 2

6  Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.

To offer grace is to offer something that has not been earned.

Those who offer grace have paid the price for the understanding and opportunities they offer. They hope that they may benefit those offered these things.

Those who are offered grace very rarely, if ever, understand the price that was paid by those offering such things. Nobody understands such things until they have paid similar prices themselves. Unfortunately, this creates a problem for those who are offered such grace. Those who are offered grace rarely value or appreciate, as they should, what is being offered to them.

The Holy Messiah is distinguished by the grace that he offers. He alone has paid prices, made sacrifices, and exerted faith in ways that nobody else has. A big part of why he has done these things has been with the objective of helping others to do and receive the great things they could not otherwise do or receive on their own.

In so many ways, the grace that Jesus offers us is truth; it is knowledge, it is understanding, it is awareness of that which is, was, of what may be and yet shall be. This is truth.

The greatest truths that Jesus offers are those truths about his character, his thought processes, and his approach to righteous living. This would include the principles, doctrines, ordinances, and laws in connection with his gospel. Sometimes he likes to refer to the grace and truth he offers as the Great Plan of Happiness.

Everything Jesus does is to enable the greatest joy and happiness possible. Even when we are required to pass through hell, it is to pave the way to experience the greatest joy and happiness after.

This is why Jesus is described as holy. He is better than everyone else. He is more righteous than everyone else. He does more for the benefit of mankind than anyone else. Man of Holiness indeed!

7  Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.

Obviously, these principles and laws run very deep. Much would be required to adequately explain them. But the fundamental principle that needs to be understood is that Christ’s atonement enables the forgiveness of sins, it offers mercy to sinners, and it enables grace to be extended to all mankind that they may be released from the captivity of sin and hell, that they may become holy, even as Christ is holy, if they will but repent!

The entire objective of Christ’s atonement is to enable the acquisition of greater holiness. It is to enable the transition from the natural man, which is carnal, sensual, and devilish, into the divine nature of Christ. In short, it is to enable the transition from devils, to angels of light, to Gods. It is to enable the process for us to transition from what we are into becoming what Jesus Christ is.

Christ’s atoning sacrifice is only efficacious for those who choose to actually follow him and become like him. In other words, only those who actually repent by always keeping the commandments of God the best that they know how are redeemed by virtue of the atonement. You have a “broken heart” when you choose to love truth and always do what you sincerely believe is best. You give up what the natural man desires in favor of the value that Christ offers. When you sincerely regret the sins you’ve committed and the mistakes you’ve made, as evidenced by your faithfulness in keeping the commandments, your spirit is contrite.

We are informed that the atonement is only efficacious in satisfying the demands of justice, according to the laws of God, for “those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.” In other words, we must repent, and have faith in Christ, in order to be redeemed from hell by virtue of the atonement of Christ. The scriptures tell us this again and again.

…17  And I, Lehi, according to the things which I have read, must needs suppose that an angel of God, according to that which is written, had fallen from heaven; wherefore, he became a devil, having sought that which was evil before God.

We become devils by choosing evil. We become saints by always choosing good. Devils go to hell. Saints go to heaven. Jesus wants us to stop being devils by becoming saints. He shows us how this is done.

… 21  And the days of the children of men were prolonged, according to the will of God, that they might repent while in the flesh; wherefore, their state became a state of probation, and their time was lengthened, according to the commandments which the Lord God gave unto the children of men.  For he gave commandment that all men must repent; for he showed unto all men that they were lost, because of the transgression of their parents.

The tendencies of the flesh always lean toward dissolution. The flesh desires immediate gratification. People naturally want to have fun and be entertained, stimulated, revered, worshiped, and adored. The youth want to party. The middle-aged want to travel and live “the good life,” and the elderly want all the same things but at a slower pace. In short, the natural man does not seek holiness or improvement, but rather, physical and emotional gratification, ways to be lazy, and ways to get the most but give the least. We tend toward atrophy. By default, we engage in those mentalities, emotions, and behaviors that make us worse, not better; sad and depressed, not happy; under the bondage of sin, not redeemed; damned, not saved.

Mortality makes us stupid. The flesh motivates desires for all the wrong things. Our evaluation of what has the greatest worth and what has the least worth generally gets turned upside down. We tend to get it all wrong because we are thinking emotionally, not logically. We believe in the lies of Satan rather than the truth of God. This is the problem we have. This is the test.

It is evident, though, that God gives us all the reasons in the world to do good, to become better, and to seek for that joy and happiness that is not temporary, but eternal. God reasons with us. He persuades. He teaches us by example, doctrine, and life experience the results of sin as opposed to the results of righteousness, with the freedom to choose for ourselves whether to do good or to do evil.

The tides and rivers of life push us to do sin; whereas the straight and narrow path that God prescribes leads us to do good, which is to do that which yields the best value, the best benefit, and the best outcome. And so, this life is the time to be tempted, to be tested, and to choose for ourselves to be wise, not foolish.

God gives us an entire lifetime to do this. He prolongs our days. He gives us time to repent, even though by the laws of justice all we merit is bondage, destruction, and damnation. Still, he gives us time to figure things out, to repent, and to align ourselves with truth and righteousness.

If we want freedom, happiness, and improvement, then we must repent. God commands us to repent, to turn to him, to follow his example and teachings. He shows us the way to become holy. He provides the way for redemption, salvation, and the joy of eternal life. Getting on this path can only happen in the flesh. Only in mortality is repentance really a test. Only in mortality does repentance require great faith. After we die all these conditions radically change. Now is the time for us to repent. If we do not, we severely limit what we can receive from God.

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