The Doctrine of Christ - Talk given May 2015

I was asked to give a talk earlier this year about the Doctrine of Christ. Now, I think we all are familiar with the steps being faith, repentance, baptism, holy ghost and enduring to the end. We have different levels of understanding of these steps, but we have all heard them at one point or another.

So I didn't want to be yet another person who simply read the steps and pointed out doctrine about it. I wanted to twist it up and focus on aspects of it that perhaps people don't think about, perhaps even sensitive to talk about. Below is the talk I ended up preparing in under 5 hours the night before due to school all week. Hope you enjoy!

The Doctrine of Christ

In the October 2013 General Conference, President Utchdorf starts his talk out with a story,

“Once there was a man who dreamed that he was in a great hall where all the religions of the world were gathered. He realized that each religion had much that seemed desirable and worthy.

He met a nice couple who represented The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and asked, 

“What do you require of your members?”

“We do not require anything,” they replied. “But the Lord asks that we consecrate all.”

The couple went on to explain about Church callings, home and visiting teaching, full-time missions, weekly family home evenings, temple work, welfare and humanitarian service, and assignments to teach.

“Do you pay your people for all the work they do?” the man asked.

“Oh, no,” the couple explained. “They offer their time freely.”

“Also,” the couple continued, “every six months our Church members spend a weekend attending or watching 10 hours of general conference.”

“Ten hours of people giving talks?” the man wondered.

“What about your weekly church services? How long are they?”

“Three hours, every Sunday!”

“Oh, my,” the man said. “Do members of your church actually do what you have said?”

“That and more. We haven’t even mentioned family history, youth camps, devotionals, scripture study, leadership training, youth activities, early-morning seminary, maintaining Church buildings, and of course there is the Lord’s law of health, the monthly fast to help the poor, and tithing.”

The man said, “Now I’m confused. Why would anyone want to join such a church?”

The couple smiled and said, “We thought you would never ask.””

Why would anyone want to join such a church? Some people might view such a list as just another organized community activity, charity or righteous cause. What makes us different? It is our belief in the Doctrine of Christ, the teachings of Gospel Principles as taught by our Savior Jesus Christ that sets us apart. That is our foundation. That is why we do all the things we do as members of the church!

Because of the faith and hope that if we follow Jesus Christ to the best of our ability, “that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.” Helaman 5: 12

As members of the church, we have been taught countless times the basic fundamentals of the gospel. It’s in our articles of faith! The first says, “We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.” And the fourth says, “We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

Elder Ronald E. Poelman  in the November 1984 Ensign states, “Understanding the proper relationship between the gospel and the Church will prevent confusion, misplaced priorities, and failed expectations and will lead to the realization of gospel goals through happy, fulfilling participation in the Church. Such understanding will avoid possible disaffection and will result in great personal blessings” I wish to examine specifically these five points, or steps in the fourth article of faith.

Faith

I’m sure we are all familiar with each principle listed in the fourth article of faith in some degree or another. To have faith means to believe in something we cannot see or prove is there. Primary children will recognize the lyrics, “Faith is like a little seed: If planted, it will grow. Faith is a swelling within my heart. When I do right, I know”.  Jesus has promised us in Matthew 17:20 that “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”

I haven’t been successful in moving any mountains yet. And a mustard seed is really, really small. Does that make my faith nearly non-existent? I sure have felt that way before. In the April 2013 Conference, Elder Holland counsels, “Let me be clear on this point: I am not asking you to pretend to faith you do not have. I am asking you to be true to the faith you do have. Sometimes we act as if an honest declaration of doubt is a higher manifestation of moral courage than is an honest declaration of faith. It is not!”

While on the topic of faith, I want you to focus for a second on what calling or callings you have in the church. Bishop. Stake President. Sunday school teacher. Primary Pianist. Choir director, just to name a few. Maybe you don’t have a calling yet. Regardless, I want you to think about why God gives us callings. Are we to learn something or make a weakness become strong?

My friend Liesl Andersen, a return missionary, suggested, “I always believe God does things for more than one reason. Yes, we are given certain callings because we need to learn. But I also believe that no matter what, someone else can learn from us in our callings. No matter how "good" or "bad" you do it. ...always do your best of course, but no matter the total outcome, people are effected. Lives are touched. That is how God works.” What a fantastic opportunity to put forth faith and let God help us to learn, help others, and change.

Repentance

And how do we change? The second principle of the gospel; repentance. To ask for forgiveness of our sins. This requires using the Savior’s Atonement, for He suffered for all our sins and is the only one we can look to for full and perfect forgiveness. For some, it’s an easy process to go through. For others, it takes years of hard work and dedication. And it’s never ending. We all make mistakes, and asking for and receiving forgiveness can be a blessing or a burden to us.

D. Todd Christofferson, in the October 2011 Conference, says, “When prophets come crying repentance, it “throws cold water on the party.” But in reality the prophetic call should be received with joy. Without repentance, there is no real progress or improvement in life. Pretending there is no sin does not lessen its burden and pain. Suffering for sin does not by itself change anything for the better. Only repentance leads to the sunlit uplands of a better life. And, of course, only through repentance do we gain access to the atoning grace of Jesus Christ and salvation. Repentance is a divine gift, and there should be a smile on our faces when we speak of it. It points us to freedom, confidence, and peace. Rather than interrupting the celebration, the gift of repentance is the cause for true celebration.”

Baptism

And what better way to celebrate change in our life, than though accepting opportunity to get baptized. Many churches believe and perform this ordinance in different ways, but we all seem to agree that it is an essential ordinance in order to enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus Christ Himself was baptized as an example for us to follow.

In the new testament, Mark 1, it says,

“9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.

10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:

11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”.

Holy Ghost

God is well pleased when each of us covenant with Him and are baptized. Simply put, when we are baptized, we promise God we will remember Jesus Christ and obey His commandments. In return, God promises us that He will forgive us and provide us with the Holy Ghost. This is critical because Baptism is but part of the process to entering the gate of heaven. We must also receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

John 3:5 confirms saying, “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” We receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, or in other words, a worthy Melchizedek Priesthood holder places his hands on our head and in a special prayer states, “receive the Holy Ghost”.

In the October 2010 conference, Elder Bednar notes, “The Holy Ghost does not become operative in our lives merely because hands are placed upon our heads and those four important words are spoken. As we receive this ordinance, each of us accepts a sacred and ongoing responsibility to desire, to seek, to work, and to so live that we indeed “receive the Holy Ghost” and its attendant spiritual gifts.”

Endure to end

How should we take advantage of the Gift of the Holy Ghost? We will need to depend on it as we endure to the end. A very short phrase that can be interpreted, expounded on and studied in multiple ways.

In the October 2007 conference, President Uchtdorf said, “When I was a young boy, “endure to the end” meant to me mainly that I had to try harder to stay awake until the end of our Church meetings. Later as a teenager I progressed only slightly in my understanding of this scriptural phrase. I linked it with youthful empathy to the efforts of our dear elderly members to hang in there until the end of their lives.

“Enduring to the end is a process filling every minute of our life, every hour, every day, from sunrise to sunrise. It is accomplished through personal discipline following the commandments of God. The restored gospel of Jesus Christ is a way of life. It is not for Sunday only. It is not something we can do only as a habit or a tradition if we expect to harvest all of its promised blessings.”

Baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost are essential to enter the kingdom of God. Yet many have died without a chance to physically get baptized and have hands laid on their head. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe that when we die, our body and spirit separate and we go into the spirit world. Here on Earth we can enter one of the Lord’s Temples to perform work for those in the spirit world.

Having done some family history on my Mission, I had brought family names that needed the work done. As we entered the baptistery, I recognized a difference in the spirit. Having been in the Temple multiple times, I knew what it normally felt like. But this time, with my own family names ready, I saw the physically empty looking room, but could literately feel that it was filled with the presence of many individuals from the other side of the veil, all excited and ready for someone to perform the ordinances for them. It was a very unique experience that I will never forget.

Is it enough?

I have but scratched the surface. I have found so much information from past prophets and apostles. So many scriptures that expound so much on each principle mentioned. It seems like it requires a lot from us to follow Christ and live with Him again.

In the April 2013 conference, Elder Oaks warned, “Following Christ is not a casual or occasional practice but a continuous commitment and way of life that applies at all times and in all places.”

In the October 2008 conference, Elder Andersen said, “Our spiritual journey is the process of a lifetime. We do not know everything in the beginning or even along the way. Our conversion comes step-by-step, line upon line.” “We then remain steady and patient as we progress through mortality. At times, the Lord’s answer will be, “You don’t know everything, but you know enough”—enough to keep the commandments and to do what is right. Remember Nephi’s words: “I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.””

And final counsel from Elder Holland, “Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead—It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come.--Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come.”