Salvation through Obedience and Jesus Christ's Atonement

Book of Mormon--Mosiah 4:6-7 Requirements for Salvation through Christ’s Atonement

6 I say unto you, if ye have come to a knowledge of the goodness of God, and his matchless power, and his wisdom, and his patience, and his long-suffering towards the children of men; and also, the atonement which has been prepared from the foundation of the world, that thereby salvation might come to him that should put his trust in the Lord, and should be diligent in keeping his commandments, and continue in the faith even unto the end of his life, I mean the life of the mortal body—

7 I say, that this is the man who receiveth salvation, through the atonement which was prepared from the foundation of the world for all mankind, which ever were since the fall of Adam, or who are, or who ever shall be, even unto the end of the world.

The atonement of Jesus Christ was established before this world was created. Thus, Christ came to this earth to fulfill the assignment of He being the Great Atoner. He came to earth knowing that He must sacrifice himself by shedding His blood so that all mankind would have the opportunity to earn and experience salvation. He set forth the guidelines and requirements for us to gain salvation for those who:

1. Trust the Lord
2. Keep all God’s commandments with all diligence
3. Continue keeping all God’s commandments with all diligence until the end of mortality. Endure faithfully to the end of mortal life.

(1) To trust the Lord is to believe in Him and to believe Him. Believe that He truly is our Savior and Redeemer and never doubt His love and power. Trust Him even more than you trust yourself. He know our hearts and desires and intentions and needs; therefore turn to Him with all faith, hope, and confidence.

(2) To keep all God’s commandments with all diligence is to (1) Learn His commandments, and they are found in the Lord’s true church, namely The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, (2) Obey them, live them, apply them. Let keeping all God’s commandments be your lifestyle, for in the end, it will be the only lifestyle.

(3) To Continue keeping all God’s commandments with all diligence until the end of mortality  means to endure faithfully to the end of mortal life, until you die and there is no more life in you.

The more obedient we are the more freedom we enjoy. Obedience doesn’t limit or restrict us, but just the opposite. Obedience frees us from bondage, sin, restrictions, and limitations.

“True independence and freedom can only exist in doing what’s right.”

Brigham Young

Obedience applies Christ’s atonement to us so that we can be clean from the blood and sins of this generation, so that we can become spotless now and at the judgement bar.

Turn to Christ and live, even the obedient life which is the abundant life.

If No Atonement, All Mankind Must be Lost

Alma 34:9

9 For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made.

Without Christ’s atonement, all mankind would be lost, would eventually perish and then become as Satan. Jesus’ atonement began in Gethsemane, continued on the Cross (Jesus’ altar of sacrifice), and culminated with the Resurrection. All phases of His atonement are vital, expedient, important, and necessary or the Savior’s infinite and eternal sacrifice would not take effect. Man is by nature carnal, sensual, and devilish, but the Savior’s atonement cleanses us from our natural ways and make us saints. Jesus atonement was like no other. His atonement affects all from all earths that have been created, that are being created this moment, and all that will yet be created by Elohim or any other exalted person who creates worlds by virtue of he being an exalted individual who is married to an eternal companion. Jesus’ atonement was infinite and eternal.

Be Reconciled to GOD

Jacob 4:11

Wherefore, beloved brethren, be reconciled unto him through the atonement of Christ, his Only Begotten Son, and ye may obtain a resurrection, according to the power of the resurrection which is in Christ, and be presented as the first-fruits of Christ unto God, having faith, and obtained a good hope of glory in him before he manifesteth himself in the flesh.

We can be reconciled to God the Father through the application of Christ’s atoning blood in our lives. To reconcile is to restore peace, and in this scenario, having our hearts restored to feeling God’s peace. We lose this peace when we sin and violate covenants and choose the wrong, but we have His peace restored to us as we repent and look to Christ’s atonement. When we are in the process of repenting and improving, then we are in the process of becoming like God, which is the meaning of atonement; becoming one with God, even At-One-ment.

By the power of Christ’s resurrection, we can be resurrected and thus overcome physical death. “For as in Adam, all die. Even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”(see 1 Cor. 15:20-22). Thus, since all must experience physical death due to the Fall, then all will be resurrected to fulfill the merciful plan of Heavenly Father.

Having Faith in God gives us hope, hope for a better life and a better world, hope for forgiveness of our sins and hope to be reconciled to God, even the Father through His Son Jesus Christ so that we can enjoy peace in this world and eternal life in the world to come.

Jesus Offereth Himself a Sacrifice for Sin

2 Nephi 2:7

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.

In the Law of Moss, people offered animals, fowl, and ox as sacrifices, symbolic of the future ultimate sacrifice that Christ would make. They would kill it, sacrifice it on the altar, and then they would sprinkle it's blood on the altar for reconciliation and atonement for the sins of the people.

Jesus offered HIMSELF as a sacrifice for the sins of the people. He didn't sacrifice animals, fowl or ox, but he sacrificed HIMSELF, His life and blood, willingly and humbly to do the Father's will for humankind. He chose to die at the moment he gave up the ghost. He suffered until His time was up. The Law of Moses sacrifices were finite and short-lived, but Jesus' sacrifice was Infinite and eternal.

The cross was Jesus's altar of sacrifice.

The Clay and the Potter

Isaiah 64:8

8 But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

God’s work is us, people, His children. All that He and Jesus Christ do point to their desired end result: immortality and eternal life of man, people. They work endlessly toward this end. Just like a potter molds and shapes clay into various forms of pottery, God desires to mold and shape us into the people He wants us to be, the type of person prepared and qualified to inherit the highest heaven of the Celestial world, exaltation, even eternal life in the future.

God doesn’t force us to do right or wrong; he gives us our agency and leaves our choices entirely up to us to choose as we see fit. We can choose but we cannot choose the consequences of our choices. We know that it is our choices that will determine what our eternal destiny will be. As Thomas S. Monson said, “Decisions Determine Destiny.” Our decisions determine whether or not we gain eternal life, the life that God lives. If we turn to the Lord and submit our selfish ways unto doing His will, He can and will be the potter He wants to be and mold us, like clay, into the people He knows we are capable of becoming, the person with Christ-like qualities that will bring us happiness not only now but eternal joy and happiness in the hereafter. Trust in God and let Him shape you into the man or woman that is achieving self-fulfillment, becoming the person who will be spiritually fit and spotless at the judgment bar, ready to enter into exaltation. The molding will require that we be tried, tested, and refined. But it is worth the experience.

How will the molded clay turn out? How will we turn out in the end? Father knows best; therefore, turn your whole soul over to Him and let Him mold and shape us as He deems necessary and desirable. He possess perfect foresight, and we do not. Trust in Him, and become the person He wants us to become.

Prayer-Try Again

The following is an excerpt from an address given at a BYU 14-stake fireside, Sunday, 2 March 1980

H. Burke Peterson

Tonight, if it’s possible for you to be alone, go where you can be alone. If you can’t be alone, do what I suggest anyway. And if your spouse or roommate doesn’t pray, perhaps your example tonight will be all that he or she needs to make a fresh start. Go and kneel.

Think about who you are praying to, for ofttimes we kneel and start to pray so quickly that we don’t have in mind to whom we are praying. Frequently, I will try to picture in my mind a painting of the Savior. Now, I’m not exactly sure what Heavenly Father looks like, but that thought gives me something to contemplate as I kneel.

And then as you think to whom you are praying, speak out loud to him—or, if you wish, whisper to him. Address him as your Father and say what you would like to say to him. Don’t repeat trite phrases that you have heard others say; instead, be sincere with him, and talk about the things you want to talk about. Thank him for what he has done for you. Confide in him; let him know what’s in your heart. Ask him for some help.

Those of you who may have had some particularly difficult experiences may only want to ask him for a desire to pray. That may be all you will want to ask for tonight. But at least ask for that—a desire to pray. Then plead with him, enjoy his Spirit, tell him you love him. I don’t know how many of you have prayed out loud and in that vocal prayer have told the Lord that you love him, but that is a great experience.

After you have talked to him, listen to him. You must listen carefully, or you are going to miss his answers. Sometimes people will pray for a minute, or two, or five, or fifteen, and then not even listen for a second. Perhaps something different would happen if you continued to kneel at your chair or your bed (after you prayed) for a minute, or two, or five, or fifteen, until you get that good, warm feeling that you have received an answer. Then you know the Lord has heard your prayer, you know he’s there, and you know that you have finally found a way to allow him to get his messages through to you. A great experience comes to those who feel the Spirit.

I testify that the Lord is in his heavens. I know he listens to us and answers us. I know, too, that we must be prepared to hear him. Without prayer we will never really know our Heavenly Father or his Son, the Savior; and without prayer we cannot return to him, for we will have closed the door. He does not close the door—we do. I plead with those of you who are discouraged to not give up. I think we have all had at least one experience, and perhaps many more, in our lives when we have had an unusually warm and good feeling about something spiritual. That feeling, the warmth of the Spirit that comes as we learn to talk to the Lord, is available to each of us, and I plead with you to not give up.

Launch out into the Deep

Referencing the biblical story of Jesus directing Peter and other fishermen to return to their boats after failing to catch fish, Romney quoted the Savior’s words from Luke, “Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets.”

“In some ways, these words are a metaphor for life,” explained Romney. “Launch out into the deep. Don’t live your life in the shallows, live it in deep waters ... Reach beyond the shallowness of selfishness, of complacency, of mindless conformity, and of indulgence. This is the promise: launch out into the deep, and your nets will be filled.”

Romney encouraged graduates to launch their lives into the deep by marrying, starting families, finding God, pursuing careers and serving others. "

Mitt Romney, 

Southern Virginia University Commencement Address

Click for Highlights