In prior posts I have talked about the Plan of Salvation, the Nature of God, the Creation, the Fall, the Atonement of Christ, and a Covenant Relationship with God. Those teachings culminate in the doctrine of Christ.
Understanding the Plan of Salvation, the Fall, and the Atonement of Christ helps us to understand the “why.” They answer life’s most difficult questions. But what are we supposed to do? How do we receive the blessings that are promised us as we learn about those events?
The doctrine of Christ answers the fundamental questions about what we should do in order to obtain all blessings that God has offered us. The primary, simple answer is that the doctrine of Christ teaches us that we should follow Christ. We should follow his teachings, we should follow his example, and we should follow him wherever he leads us. To follow Christ is not only to do what he teaches, but to enter into a covenant relationship with him whereby we promise to follow him in all things.
The Savior teaches us with principles
The doctrine of Christ is comprised of simple, basic principles. That is how the Savior teaches us: he explains principles, and he asks us to use our agency to make decisions based on those principles.
The Sermon on the Mount was filled with Christ’s teachings containing principles that can be used to govern life’s most challenging circumstances.1 When asked what was the greatest commandment in the law, the Savior said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”2 This was quite a departure from the “very strict law” of “performances and ordinances” that the Jews were required to “observe strictly from day to day.”3
In a revelation given to Joseph Smith in 1831, the Lord said, “it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.”4
Several years after that revelation, while the Saints were living in Nauvoo, a member of the state legislature asked Joseph Smith how he was able to govern so many people and preserve order. Joseph responded, “I teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves.”5
The doctrine of Christ contains basic, fundamental principles that help us to follow Christ in everything we do. It does not tell us everything we need to do, or give us any specifics of day-to-day living, but it contains the basic principles we need to guide our lives and find answers for ourselves.
Essentially, the fundamental principle of the doctrine of Christ was stated during his mortal ministry: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”6
The doctrine of Christ as taught in the Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon contains clear teachings about the doctrine of Christ, taught by both Nephi and the Savior himself.
Nephi’s teaching about the doctrine of Christ
Hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, the prophet Nephi spoke concerning the “doctrine of Christ.”7 I would recommend that you study 2 Nephi 31 and 32 for his complete teaching, but here is a summary:
“[I]f the Lamb of God, he being holy, should have need to be baptized by water, to fulfil all righteousness, O then, how much more need have we, being unholy, to be baptized, yea, even by water! . . .
“But notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments. Wherefore, after he was baptized with water the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove. And again, it showeth unto the children of men the straitness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which they should enter, he having set the example before them. And he said unto the children of men: Follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father? And the Father said: Repent ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my Beloved Son. . . .
“I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel. . . .
“Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.”8
Nephi talks about baptism as the gate to enter the “strait and narrow path.”9 But that is only the beginning:
“[A]fter ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.
“Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.”10
But what are we to do once we enter the path? How are we supposed to live? Nephi sees that as fairly simple: “Do ye not remember that I said unto you that after ye had received the Holy Ghost ye could speak with the tongue of angels? And now, how could ye speak with the tongue of angels save it were by the Holy Ghost? Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.”11
The Savior’s teaching about the doctrine of Christ
After the Savior’s resurrection and ascension into heaven, he appeared to the people living on the American Continent, and he organized his church among them. He taught the following regarding the doctrine of Christ:
“And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me.
“And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God. And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and I bear record of it from the Father; and whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also; and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost. And thus will the Father bear record of me, and the Holy Ghost will bear record unto him of the Father and me; for the Father, and I, and the Holy Ghost are one.
“And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in nowise receive these things. And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.”12
What is the Doctrine of Christ?
Based on the teachings of Nephi and the Savior, what is the doctrine of Christ? The common elements are faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.
As we live the doctrine of Christ, we exercise faith in Christ unto repentance. In other words, we turn our hearts to Christ and seek to change our lives to align our will with his. We enter into a covenant relationship with him by being baptized. By this act, we bind ourselves to him, or we take his yoke upon us. After baptism, we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, which will teach and instruct us in all things, enabling us to endure to the end.
The manual called “Preach My Gospel” contains the primary information that missionaries use to help them know how to be missionaries, and to know what to teach. Not surprisingly, it helps missionaries understand that their purpose is intertwined with the doctrine of Christ:
“The gospel message is that we can access the saving, redeeming power of Jesus Christ. We do this by exercising faith in Him, repenting, being baptized, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end (see Articles of Faith 1:4).
“This is also known as the doctrine of Christ. Living this doctrine is how we come unto Christ and are saved (see 1 Nephi 15:14). This is powerfully taught in the Book of Mormon (see 2 Nephi 31; 32:1–6; 3 Nephi 11:31–40; 27:13–22). Your purpose is to help people come unto Christ by helping them live His doctrine.”13
We are meant to live the doctrine of Christ. It’s not just a curiosity, not just random trivia. The doctrine of Christ is not just academic. It constitutes the fundamental principles of what we need to do in order to receive the blessings of Christ’s atonement.
Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge, it’s hoping for things which are not seen, but are true.14 Faith in Jesus Christ means “relying completely on Him—trusting in His infinite power, intelligence, and love. It includes believing His teachings. It means believing that even though you do not understand all things, He does. Remember that because He has experienced all your pains, afflictions, and infirmities, He knows how to help you rise above your daily difficulties (see Alma 7:11–12; D&C 122:8). He has ‘overcome the world’ (John 16:33) and prepared the way for you to receive eternal life. He is always ready to help you as you remember His plea: ‘Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not’ (D&C 6:36).”15
We live in an information age, when there is greater knowledge and access to information than at any other time in the history of the world. But a significant danger is that because we know so much, we are less likely to be willing to exercise faith.
Faith in Jesus Christ is and has always been the first principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Even in the preexistence, before we were born, and before the Savior performed the atonement, we exercised faith in Christ. In the book of Revelation, John teaches that in the war of heaven, when Satan sought to destroy our agency and Michael and his angels “faught against the dragon, . . . they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb.”16 Can you imagine what it might have been like? The earth was not yet created, we lived as spirits, our Father in Heaven had told us of his plan and that Jehovah would provide the infinite sacrifice necessary to save us. And yet Satan fought against this plan, and tried to fill our hearts with fear. I imagine that he likely criticized this plan, making us worry what might happen if Jehovah failed. “What if he has one stray thought,” Lucifer might have said, or “what if he feels unrighteous anger for even one moment,” could have been another accusation. And yet, we know that we exercised faith in Christ. We didn’t know the details, but we trusted in Christ and we exercised faith in him. Even in the presence of God the Father and Jehovah himself, we had to exercise faith.
With all the knowledge we have, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is still the first principle of his gospel and his doctrine.
Repentance
Repentance is “the” commandment.17 When teaching on the American continent, the Savior said, “this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.”18 The commandment.
During Jesus Christ’s mortal ministry, his first teaching pertained to repentance: “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”19
After the Savior called and authorized his disciples to preach his gospel, “they went out, and preached that men should repent.”20
In this dispensation, in one of the earliest recorded revelations the Lord instructed his disciples to “[s]ay nothing but repentance unto this generation.”21 In the first revelation pertaining to the soon-to-be-organized Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the Lord provided instructions that they should “preach unto the world, saying: You must repent and be baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ.”22
Repentance is so much more than acknowledging when we’ve done something wrong. “It is a change of mind and heart that gives you a fresh view about God, about yourself, and about the world. It includes turning away from sin and turning to God for forgiveness. It is motivated by love for God and the sincere desire to obey His commandments.”23 As we turn our hearts to God, we will have a desire to do the things the Lord has asked of us: “You must fill your life with righteousness and engage in activities that bring spiritual power. Immerse yourself in the scriptures. Pray daily for the Lord to give you strength beyond your own. At times, fast for special blessings.”24
Repentance is pondering the teachings of Jesus Christ, and making an effort to live them day by day, hour by hour, even minute by minute. Repentance is following the promptings of the Holy Ghost, allowing God to correct us, and having the humility to do God’s will in all things.
Baptism
The Savior’s final commission to his disciples before his resurrection was to baptize: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”25
Baptism is the first covenant we make with God. It is by baptism that we begin a covenant relationship with God. It is by baptism that we take the Savior’s yoke upon us. Even the Savior was baptized, and in choosing to be baptized, we are choosing to follow the Savior. We choose not only to follow the Savior’s teachings, but to yoke or bind ourselves to him and follow him in all things.
The choice to follow the Savior is reflected in the covenant we make by being baptized: “When you were baptized, you entered into a covenant with God. You promised to take upon yourself the name of Jesus Christ, keep His commandments, and serve Him to the end (see Mosiah 18:8–10; D&C 20:37).”26
The gift of the Holy Ghost
The Holy Ghost is one with the Father and the Son.27 When the Savior taught his final lesson to his disciples during his mortal ministry, he said, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”28 How would he do that? He said, “These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”29
How would he come to them? Because the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are one, even though they are three separate personages (see Doctrine and Covenants 130:22), he would visit them by sending the Holy Ghost in his name. Therefore, as we have the Holy Ghost with us, it is as if we have the Savior himself with us. We have access to his knowledge, his wisdom, and his power.
It is because of this tremendous gift that Nephi told his people that after they had entered in the way (through baptism), they could rely upon the Holy Ghost to know how to continue to follow Christ:
“I suppose that ye ponder somewhat in your hearts concerning that which ye should do after ye have entered in by the way. But, behold, why do ye ponder these things in your hearts?
“Do ye not remember that I said unto you that after ye had received the Holy Ghost ye could speak with the tongue of angels? And now, how could ye speak with the tongue of angels save it were by the Holy Ghost?
“Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.”30
As Nephi taught, feasting upon the words of Christ is receiving revelation, it is seeking guidance through the Holy Ghost. But more than that, feasting upon the words of Christ is seeking it more than anything else we desire. President Russell M. Nelson has said we should seek after the Lord’s power in our life “with the same intensity that a drowning person has when grasping and gasping for air.”31 We should seek the companionship and guidance of the Holy Ghost above anything else in our lives.
Faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost: these principles have been stated in many different ways throughout the scriptures, but perhaps none more simply than this: “And I give unto you a commandment, that ye shall forsake all evil and cleave unto all good, that ye shall live by every word which proceedeth forth out of the mouth of God. For he will give unto the faithful line upon line, precept upon precept; and I will try you and prove you herewith. And whoso layeth down his life in my cause, for my name’s sake, shall find it again, even life eternal.”32
Healing by the Grace of Jesus Christ
As we ponder the doctrine of Christ, it should be made clear that we do not earn anything of our own merit. As we exercise faith, repent, follow Christ into the waters of baptism, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, all we are doing is satisfying the conditions the Savior has established for us to receive his grace:
“[The Lord] hath power given unto him from the Father to redeem them from their sins because of repentance; therefore he hath sent his angels to declare the tidings of the conditions of repentance, which bringeth unto the power of the Redeemer, unto the salvation of their souls.”33 The prophet Alma taught that “according to justice, the plan of redemption could not be brought about, only on conditions of repentance of men in this probationary state, yea, this preparatory state; for except it were for these conditions, mercy could not take effect except it should destroy the work of justice. Now the work of justice could not be destroyed; if so, God would cease to be God.”34
Conditions. The doctrine of Christ teaches us that we must follow the Savior, and it teaches us what he has established as conditions for us to receive of his grace. Nephi taught that “we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.”35 And all we can do is satisfy his conditions, which are taught to us in the doctrine of Christ.
Jesus Christ is the focus of our faith, our hope, and is the only name given under heaven by which we can be saved.36 The doctrine of Christ is not only what we must do, but it helps us understand that it is only by and through Christ that we can be saved.
References
- Matthew 5-7. ↩︎
- Matthew 22:37-40. ↩︎
- Mosiah 13:29-30. ↩︎
- Doctrine and Covenants 58:26-28. ↩︎
- “Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah 2011, 284, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/teachings-joseph-smith/chapter-24?lang=eng&id=p8#p8. ↩︎
- Matthew 11:28-30. ↩︎
- 2 Nephi 31:2. ↩︎
- 2 Nephi 31:5-17. ↩︎
- 2 Nephi 31:18. ↩︎
- 2 Nephi 31:19-20. ↩︎
- 2 Nephi 32:2-3. ↩︎
- 3 Nephi 11:32-39. ↩︎
- “Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2023, 61-62, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/preach-my-gospel-2023/04-chapter-3/10-chapter-3-lesson-3?lang=eng&id=aside1_p2-aside1_p3#aside1_p2. ↩︎
- Alma 32:21; Ether 12:6. ↩︎
- True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference, “Faith,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2004, 54, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/true-to-the-faith/faith?lang=eng&id=p4#p4. ↩︎
- Revelation 12:9-11. ↩︎
- 3 Nephi 27:20. ↩︎
- 3 Nephi 27:20. ↩︎
- Matthew 4:17. ↩︎
- Mark 6:12. ↩︎
- Doctrine and Covenants 6:9. ↩︎
- Doctrine and Covenants 18:41. ↩︎
- True to the Faith, “Repentance,” 132, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/true-to-the-faith/repentance?lang=eng. ↩︎
- True to the Faith, “Repentance,” 135, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/true-to-the-faith/repentance?lang=eng. ↩︎
- Matthew 28:19-20. ↩︎
- True to the Faith, “Baptism,” 23, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/true-to-the-faith/baptism?lang=eng. ↩︎
- 3 Nephi 11:27. ↩︎
- John 14:18. ↩︎
- John 14:25-27. ↩︎
- 2 Nephi 32:1-3. ↩︎
- Russell M. Nelson, “Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives,” Ensign, May 2017, 42, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2017/05/saturday-morning-session/drawing-the-power-of-jesus-christ-into-our-lives?lang=eng&id=p29#p29. ↩︎
- Doctrine and Covenants 98:11-13. ↩︎
- Helaman 5:11. ↩︎
- Alma 42:13. ↩︎
- 2 Nephi 25:23. ↩︎
- 2 Nephi 25:20; Acts 4:12. ↩︎
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