Cycle of Conversion

JESUS CHRIST: THE HOLY ONE

Jesus is the only name whereby salvation comes

If thou wilt turn unto me, and hearken unto my voice, and believe, and repent of all thy transgressions, and be baptized, even in water, in the name of mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth, which is Jesus Christ, the only name which shall be given under heaven, whereby salvation shall come unto the children of men, ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, asking all things in his name, and whatsoever ye shall ask, it shall be given you.

--Moses 6:52

Jesus Christ taught faith in Him and repentance for remission of sins. He is full of grace and truth and in the Only Begotten Son of God the Father in the flesh. Regardless of what the world teaches, there is no other name under heaven through which salvation can come to a person that through the name of Christ. No person can or will ever change this doctrine in spite of the thoughts, philosophies, and learning of man, for this absolute truth is constant, never-changing. When one repents and is baptized unto Christ into the true church, he/she then can receive the Holy Ghost, the testator of all truth.

JESUS CHRIST: REPENTANCE MADE POSSIBLE

The Suffering of Jesus

"Glory be to the Father"

16 For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;

17 But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;

18 Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—

19 Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.

--Doctrine and Covenants 19:16-19

Jesus suffered for all, giving us the opportunity and freedom to repent if we choose to do so; otherwise, we must suffer as He suffered. One of the sufferings we will experience if we don’t repent is that His Spirit will withdraw from us. Jesus’ suffering was so great that it caused Him to tremble because of pain, to bleed at every pore. He suffered both body and spirit to fulfill the will of the Father and bring about the Father’s desire of providing a Savior for all.

Jesus is that Savior who glorified the Father from the beginning. We to can glorify God by repenting and following our Savior in righteousness; herein, is peace and happiness and joy.

JESUS CHRIST: HIS RIGHTEOUS EXAMPLE

Faith in Christ-Repentance-Baptism-Holy Ghost

27 And behold, he cometh to redeem those who will be baptized unto repentance, through faith on his name.

28 Therefore, prepare ye the way of the Lord, for the time is at hand that all men shall reap a reward of their works, according to that which they have been—if they have been righteous they shall reap the salvation of their souls, according to the power and deliverance of Jesus Christ; and if they have been evil they shall reap the damnation of their souls, according to the power and captivation of the devil.

---Book of Mormon Alma 9:27-28

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. Jesus taught the path to heaven and that was to believe in Him, that He is our Savior and Redeemer. Repent of our wrongs, to change our way, our minds and our perspective on life. Then we need to be baptized by one holding the proper authority to do so. Not just anyone can baptize and it be recognized by God.

Everybody will be judged and rewarded according to their thoughts, motives, actions, deeds, and works. God will not be mocked. The righteous will receive a glorious reward. The wicked who don’t repent will reap damnation for their consequences resulting from the devil and his evil influence. Jesus is the master example for us to pattern our lives after. He said, “Come, Follow Me.” We follow Him by striving to be like Him in righteousness and perfection.

JESUS CHRIST: REPENTANCE MADE POSSIBLE

Repentance

Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.

Book of Mormon Alma 7:13

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He suffered, bled, and died so that He could fulfill the Father’s purpose: working out the infinite atonement for all humankind and all living things. Jesus suffered according to the Father’s will in order for us to receive a remission of our sins and transgressions based upon our faith and repentance. Read a thorough description of Repentance here. REPENTANCE: From the LDS Bible Dictionary, Repentance is defined as followers: The Greek word of which this is the translation denotes a change of mind, a fresh view about God, about oneself, and about the world. Since we are born into conditions of mortality, repentance comes to mean a turning of the heart and will to God, and a renunciation of sin to which we are naturally inclined. Without this there can be no progress in the things of the soul’s salvation, for all accountable persons are stained by sin and must be cleansed in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. Repentance is not optional for salvation; it is a commandment of God.

Repentance denotes:

1. A change of mind: We are literally in charge of our thinking. We control our thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs. “As a man thinketh, so is he.”
2. A fresh view about God: As we study the holy words of God, ponder, and pray, our views and perceptions about God improve that increases our faith in Him. Faith leads to good works.
3. A fresh view about oneself: The more we learn about God, the better we feel about ourselves, that we are His spirit offspring, His children, and that He loves us and wants the best for us, that which we need.
4. A fresh view about the world: Knowing God and His gospel gives us reasons for living, purposes for being on the earth. Knowing the ‘WHY” of earthlife motivates to action in doing that which is righteous and pleasing to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Our lives become single to the Glory of God.

Jesus is our Master teacher and friend. We sin-He saves. He is our Savior and Redeemer. May we repent and enjoy our mortal experience.

JESUS CHRIST: HE TAKES AWAY OUR SINS

When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more (John 8:10-11).

1 John 3:5

5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

Jesus did no sin. He was spotless. He came to take away our sins through our repentance. As we repent and improve we can receive a remission of our sins and be forgiven. As we do repent and receive forgiveness, God remembers those sins no more. “He who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven and I, the Lord, remember them no more. By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins, behold, he will confess them and forsake them” (D&C 58:42-43).

Jesus bled and died to remit our sins predicated upon our being born again and humbling our hearts, even experiencing Godly sorrow for our wrongs. Unless we show Godly sorrow we haven’t repented deeply enough. God may send us more challenges and trials to bring us to the depth of Godly sorrow so the atonement can take effect in our lives for forgiveness to take effect.

Jesus Christ: What Manner of Men Ought Ye to Be?

The Great I AM

Mosiah 16:15

Redemption cometh through Christ the Lord.

Jesus said, "What manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say, 'Even as I Am.' " (See 3 Nephi 27:27) 

Redemption, freedom from sin, comes through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. He was foreordained in the councils of heaven before this world was created to come down and be the Savior of all mankind. He is the Firstborn of Heavenly Father in the pre-earth life, and is the Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh. Jesus removes our every sin and spot from our hearts and lives as we turn to Him through  prayer and repentance.

Repentance means to improve. To repent means to feel or express sincere regret or remorse for one’s wrongdoing or sin, to feel humble and contrite over  one’s misconduct against God’s laws. Repentance is a gift from Almighty God. As we are improving, we are repenting. Our goal is to become Christlike. We should constantly be in a state of improving ourselves in becoming more like Christ. As we do, then we are in the spirit of repentance always, and this is pleasing to God and Jesus.

Jesus Christ: Lamb of God

John 1:29

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Jesus is the Lamb of God. Just like followers of the Law of Moses sacrificed lambs on the altar of sacrifice, God sacrificed His only Begotten Son on the Altar of Sacrifice, the cross. Jesus became the sacrificial lamb, for He was without blemish and without spot. He was the firstborn and perfect in every way. His atonement, the shedding of His blood and giving of His life, takes away sins of the world as we repent. We apply the power of the Atonement by repenting. We access the Power of the Atonement through faith in Christ and repenting. We feel the power of the Atonement as we repent and improve, as we love and serve.  

First Principles: Faith in Jesus Christ and Repentance

Moses 5:15

And as many as believed in the Son, and repented of their sins, should be saved; and as many as believed not and repented not, should be damned; and the words went forth out of the mouth of God in a firm decree; wherefore they must be fulfilled.

The first principles of the gospel are (1) Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, (2) Repentance. On these two principles hang all other laws, ordinances, doctrine, principles, and beliefs of true Christendom. Christendom is the worldwide body or society of Christians, those who confess a faith and belief and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Faith in Christ leads to repentance, and repentance leads to obedience to the commandments, and obedience until the end of mortality leads to salvation in the eternities, even eternal life living with Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, family, friends, and others. Eternal life is the life that God now lives, and He desires that we become as He is and enjoy exaltation that He now enjoys.

Those who do exercise faith in Christ and repent will be saved, and those who do not, will be damned, will not progress eternally and become gods or goddesses, which is damnation.

Believing in Jesus Christ, repenting, and obeying all God’s laws and commandments is the only way to live and enjoy peace and happiness. Satan, the devil, even Lucifer, desires just the opposite. He wants us to doubt Christ, never repent, and always be disobedient because this life style makes one miserable like he is miserable. God is the author of light-satan darkness.

Seek the path of life that God’s desires you to trod, and you will be buoyant and happy, successful and triumphant. You will fulfill the missions and foreordinations for mortality and will be prepared to return to live with Him again.

Jesus: His Atoning Influence

What is the most important commandment?

1 John 2:1-2

1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Jesus is our Advocate (Helper, Comforter, Intercessor) with the Father. All have sinned and continue to sin. Disobedience to God’s commandments distances us from Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. Thus, we must constantly repent and improve our souls by obeying all God’s laws and statutes and especially work on those that we are having trouble living with exactness.

President Harold B. Lee said, “The most important of all the commandments of God is that one that you're having the most difficulty keeping today. If it's one of dishonesty, if it's one of unchastity, if it's one of falsifying, not telling the truth, today is the day for you to work on that until you've been able to conquer that weakness. Then you start on the next one that's most difficult for you to keep.”  (President Harold B. Lee, Church News, May 5, 1973, p. 3)

Our disobedience separates us from the presence of God, and Jesus, the mediator, reconciles us to the Father, restores God’s peace to our hearts, since He is our Advocate. Jesus propitiates (calms and soothes) us as we repent of our wrongs. This applies to all people through the entire world and the countless worlds beyond this mortal earth. For this earth is only one of the worlds without number Jesus has created under the direction of the Father. His atonement is infinite, which means there are no ends to His atoning influence.

Seek to sin not.

We Must Trust in the Atonement

We must trust in the Atonement. Our only real affirmation of the Atonement is our own repentance. Otherwise, we mock God. President Kimball also said, “God is good. He is eager to forgive. He wants us to perfect ourselves and maintain control of ourselves. He does not want Satan and others to control our lives.” We don’t want other people to control our lives. God doesn’t want Satan and other wicked people to lead us into doing things that are not good. “We must learn that keeping our Heavenly Father’s commandments represents the only path to total control of ourselves, the only way to find joy, truth, and fulfillment in this life and in eternity.”  In the videoThe Faith of an Observer, a documentary about Hugh Nibley, that splendid man said with the accumulated wisdom of his seventy-five years, “There are only two things we can do with distinction in this life: repent and forgive.” I would suggest that we cannot understand the one without experiencing the other.

Ann N. Madsen

“A Voice Demands That We Ascend”-Dare the Encounter: Building a Relationship With God – included in “As Women of Faith: Talks Selected from the BYU Women’s Conferences” edited by Mary E. Stovall, Carol Cornwall Madsen, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1989

Christ Atoned for Our Sins

Atonement of Jesus Christ

Book of Mormon, Alma 34:8

8 And now, behold, I will testify unto you of myself that these things are true. Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

To atone--to pay for, to reconcile, to make right.
Atonement--payment

Christ came into the world to take upon himself the sins and transgressions of all people, and to atone, to pay for, the sins of the world. According to the justice of the Father, when one sinned, there must be a punishment. In Gethsemane and on the cross, Jesus suffered the punishment  and paid the penalty for everyone’s sins. Our responsibility is to exercise faith in Christ, repent of our sins, and stop sinning.

Life is a constant process of repenting, being forgiven, and striving to cease sinning. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (I Philippians 4:13). By the grace and power of Christ, we can do it.  Grace is divine assistance, heavenly help, divine intervention.

Jesus said, (Doctrine and Covenants 19:16-19)16 For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;
17 But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;
18 Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—
19 Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.

Therefore, come unto Christ and partake of His salvation.