In the prior post (the Promise of the Holy Ghost), I talked about the blessings available to us through the companionship of the Holy Ghost. The question then becomes: what do we need to do to have the Holy Ghost with us?
A significant word that I noticed in my study of the sacrament is “condition.” The Savior’s grace is an absolute gift. We do not earn his blessings, and we do not deserve his blessings. Instead, he establishes conditions and asks that we satisfy those conditions. Typically, the “conditions” are mentioned in conjunction with repentance.
In this post, I will discuss various conditions that are required to have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost.
Salvation is free
The prophet Lehi taught that “the way is prepared from the fall of man, and salvation is free.”1 Throughout the scriptures, we learn that the grace of Jesus Christ is a gift, freely given.
Isaiah invited all to come unto Christ: “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”2 Relying on Isaiah’s teachings, Jacob extended the same invitation, “Come, my brethren, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price.”3
Nephi explained that all are invited to come unto the Savior: “he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.”4
The invitation is extended to all of God’s children. Everyone is invited, and none who want to come are denied. Salvation is not exclusive to a certain group, and so in that sense it is free. However, that does not mean it is without a cost. In one of my favorite scripture stories a rich man came to Jesus and asked, “Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”5 The Savior told him to keep the commandments, which the man said he had done from his youth. The Savior then said, “One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.”6
Certainly, that is a tremendous cost to follow the Savior! He asked this man to not just give up everything, but to “take up the cross.” There is no doubt that although salvation is freely available, there are things that we must do in order to receive the blessings he has offered us.
What is the role of our works?
Paul taught that it is “by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”7
From that, Paul teaches that we are saved by grace, and we are not saved by our works. That seems consistent with the concept that salvation is free. However, James seemed to teach something different, as he emphasized the importance of works:
“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? . . . Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. . . . For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”8
So how are we supposed to interpret this? Did Paul and James teach contradictory doctrines? What is the relationship between the grace of Jesus Christ and our works?
I believe that when Isaiah, Lehi, and Jacob taught that salvation is free, they are saying that all are invited, and nobody will be excluded who truly want to come unto Christ. However, that does not mean the way is necessarily easy. Christ asks much of his followers. The Sermon on the Mount sets forth some very challenging doctrines.9 And by asking us to take up our cross, the implication is that we must be willing to give up everything, and endure everything, to follow him. His way is not easy, even though it is free. So what is it we must do?
Jesus Christ has established conditions
As recorded in one of the most influential chapters in all of scripture, when Jesus Christ visited the American continent, he clearly explained what he expected of his followers:
“Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, I will declare unto you my doctrine. 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.”10
That is the Doctrine of Christ. Exercise faith in Christ, repent, be baptized, and receive the Holy Ghost. Those are the conditions he has established. In a prior post called the Doctrine of Christ, I discussed this more extensively. Through this process, we demonstrate our willingness to change our lives to do what God has asked, we form a covenant relationship with God, and by receiving the Holy Ghost, we provide a way for God to not only continue to guide us throughout our lives, but to provide us with his most beneficial blessings.
Condition of Repentance
So if faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost are the conditions, why did I call this post the “condition of repentance”? Baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost is a one-time event, but repentance is a life-long process. It is through repentance that we work daily to ensure that we have the Holy Ghost with us, and it is by having and following the Holy Ghost that we know what we must do to repent. (See my prior post called The Sacrament: an Ordinance for Repentance).
In a revelation given through Joseph Smith, the Lord clearly explained what he expects from us:
“For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;
“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—Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.”11
The Savior has asked us to repent. It is the commandment.
“And remember also the words which Amulek spake unto Zeezrom, in the city of Ammonihah; for he said unto him that the Lord surely should come to redeem his people, but that he should not come to redeem them in their sins, but to redeem them from their sins.
“And he 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.”12
The conditions of repentance brings us unto the power of the Redeemer. That is the condition. We must repent.
Example of His conditions: the salvation of children
As I studied and tried to understand the Savior’s conditions, I pondered the doctrine regarding the salvation of children who die before the age of accountability:
“[L]ittle children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power over them; . . . little children need no repentance, neither baptism. Behold, baptism is unto repentance to the fulfilling the commandments unto the remission of sins. But little children are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world; . . . For behold that all little children are alive in Christ, and also all they that are without the law. For the power of redemption cometh on all them that have no law; wherefore, he that is not condemned, or he that is under no condemnation, cannot repent; and unto such baptism availeth nothing.”13
In this dispensation, the Savior has said, “[L]ittle children are redeemed from the foundation of the world through mine Only Begotten; Wherefore, they cannot sin, for power is not given unto Satan to tempt little children, until they begin to become accountable before me.”14
I am a father of four children, and I can tell you from first-hand experience that little children absolutely can do things they know are wrong. I’ve seen them purposefully and intentionally do things we’ve told them not to do. I’ve seen guilt-ridden faces when they were caught doing something they knew was wrong. So as I pondered these things, I wondered what it meant that little children are not “capable” of commiting sin.
But as I thought about that, I realized that the answer is very simple. “Sin” is essentially anything contrary to the will of God.15 And so as it pertains to children, Christ has quite simply chosen not recognize any actions of little children as sin. In other words, he has not placed any conditions on little children. They have no need to repent, because Christ has not asked them to. They do not have to enter into any covenant relationship with God, because Christ has not set that condtion for them.
This has helped me understand better how to look at the Savior’s “conditions.” Anything we do does not “earn” anything for ourselves. Rather, as we satisfying the Savior’s conditions, we are giving him the opportunity to keep his promises to us which have been extended through our covenants.
Conditions help us understand the relationship between grace and works
Nephi taught, “[W]e labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.”16
Significantly, there is nothing we can “do” to return to the presence of God ourselves. Our salvation can only be accomplished “through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah.”17 So what it is that Nephi says we are supposed to do?
I believe “all we can do” is to satisfy the conditions that Christ has set for us. It is to exercise faith in Christ, repent, and make and keep covenants with God. I believe this helps us understand the relationship between faith and works. Certainly, God expects us to do something. And that “something” is to satisfy the conditions that Christ has established for us to receive the blessings of his atonement.
What conditions do I need to satisfy to always have the Holy Ghost with me?
As we consider “conditions” that Christ has established, it can become overwhelming. We can look to the New Testament for his teachings, including what he taught in the Sermon on the Mount. We can look to the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants. We can look to the words of living prophets. But as I have mentioned in prior posts, the Savior teaches us with principles. (See my posts on the Doctrine of Christ and The Sacrament: an Introduction). So rather than try and list everything we are supposed to do, let’s look to basic principles that we can use to judge or measure our actions.
My prior post talked about the blessings available to us through the Holy Ghost (The Sacrament: the Promise of the Holy Ghost). So let’s ask the question this way:
What do I need to do to always have His Spirit to be with me? Or, what conditions do I need to satisfy to always have the Holy Ghost with me?
Receive the Holy Ghost
First, let’s look to the words of the ordinance when we receive the Holy Ghost. The gift of the Holy Ghost is given in the confirmation ordinance following baptism. The Church’s General Handbook has very express instructions:
“Under the direction of the bishopric, one or more Melchizedek Priesthood holders may participate in a confirmation. They place their hands lightly on the person’s head. Then the one acting as voice:
“1. Calls the person by his or her full name.
“2. States that the ordinance is being performed by the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood.
“3. Confirms the person a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“4. States “receive the Holy Ghost” (not “receive the gift of the Holy Ghost”).
“5. Gives words of blessing as guided by the Spirit.
“6. Closes in the name of Jesus Christ.”18
I find the instruction regarding the wording very enlightening. The priesthood holder must say “receive the Holy Ghost,” not “receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
What’s the difference? What does it matter? Elder David A. Bednar has taught us why this wording is so significant, and why it effectively represents the primary condition to having the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost:
“The simplicity of this ordinance may cause us to overlook its significance. These four words—’Receive the Holy Ghost’—are not a passive pronouncement; rather, they constitute a priesthood injunction—an authoritative admonition to act and not simply to be acted upon (see 2 Nephi 2:26). 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. ‘For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift’ (D&C 88:33).”19
Receive the Holy Ghost. That is a significant invitation, and represents a “condition” for us to have the presence of the Holy Ghost in our lives.
I like to think of it in the context of American football. A receiver and a quarterback have to work together to make an offensive play successful. The play starts with a designed route that the receiver has to run. The quarterback anticipates where the receiver will be, all the while knowing that there will be a defense trying to stop the success of the play. Even a tremendous quarterback will not be able to complete a pass if the receiver fails to run the correct route, or is unable to evade the defense, or doesn’t catch the ball.
So by analogy, if we want to “receive” the Holy Ghost, we have to be in the right place at the right time, all the while avoiding the efforts of the adversary.
The Sacrament teaches us the conditions to receive the Holy Ghost
This is the primary teaching that I have learned from the sacrament. It has been the most helpful to me, the most satisfying, and the most instrumental in helping me draw closer to the Savior. The covenants that we make as we partake of the sacrament represent the primary conditions we must satisfy to always have the Holy Ghost in our lives.
The instructions in the General Handbook are clear that the sacrament prayers must be precise, and it contains instructions for how a bishop is to correct the priesthood holder if there is a mistake in the wording of the prayers. (See my prior post titled “The Sacrament: An Ordinance for Repentance“). Why do the prayers have to be exact? Because we are making a covenant, and the prayers contain the wording of the covenant:
“O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them; that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.”20
Can you see the conditions that are contained in this prayer? Through the sacrament, we are promised that we may always have his Spirit to be with us. But in order to do that, we must “witness” unto God that we are “willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them.” Those are the conditions:
(1) Take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ;
(2) Always remember him;
(3) Keep his commandments which he has given us.
Those are the conditions. Those are the covenants. Those are the principles that we can use to know what we can do to always have the Holy Ghost with us. Because of their significance, I will address each covenant in its own post.
We must be willing
The language of the sacrament prayer says that we witness that we are “willing.” That is a significant, and merciful qualifier. I believe as we analyze that sentence, the word “willing” describes the intentions of the people who are taking the sacrament. It indicates that they are “willing” to take upon themselves the name of Jesus Christ; they are “willing” to always remember him; they are “willing” to keep his commandments which he has given them.
Throughout the scriptures, we see that the Lord praises the “willing,” even when they fall short:
- “[T]he Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind.”21
- “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.”22
- “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”23
If we are willing, we can get credit for “trying”
The word “willing” has many meanings. I believe it modifies the covenants, and indicates that even if we try but fall short, we nevertheless satisfy the covenants the Lord has established, simply by trying. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland has given us significant comfort in helping us understand that we get credit for trying:
“With the gift of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the strength of heaven to help us, we can improve, and the great thing about the gospel is we get credit for trying, even if we don’t always succeed.
“When there was a controversy in the early Church regarding who was entitled to heaven’s blessings and who wasn’t, the Lord declared to the Prophet Joseph Smith, ‘Verily I say unto you, [the gifts of God] are given for the benefit of those who love me and keep … my commandments, and [for them] that seeketh so to do.’ Boy, aren’t we all thankful for that added provision ‘and … seeketh so to do’! That has been a lifesaver because sometimes that is all we can offer! We take some solace in the fact that if God were to reward only the perfectly faithful, He wouldn’t have much of a distribution list.”24
Willing may also mean we must try with real intent
But “willing” may also indicate that we cannot qualify for those blessings if we simply do them outwardly, without any real intent. So if we just go through the motions, if we just live the culture of the church, if we live without “real intent,” we might not satisfy the “willingness” condition in order to receive the Holy Ghost.
To the Corinthians, Paul taught, “If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me.”25 In the book of Revelation, John wrote several letters to congregations of the church. To the Laodiceans, he wrote in the name of the Lord: “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”26 When Alma observed the apostate Zoramites offering their prayer on the Rameumptom, he noticed that “they returned to their homes, never speaking of their God again until they had assembled themselves together again to the holy stand, to offer up thanks after their manner.”27
We must be willing. That has multiple meanings. I believe it has a merciful meaning that all the Lord expects of us is to try. He knows we are imperfect, which is the exact reason he performed the atonement. But I also believe it means that we must live our covenants intentionally, even if we fall short. If we just go through the motions, only living the culture of the church, that might not be enough to satisfy the conditions the Savior has established.
The sacrament helps us understand how to receive all blessings God has offered us
In my prior post, “The Sacrament: the Promise of the Holy Ghost,” I talked about some of the blessings that are available to us because of the atonement of Christ, which are offered to us through the Holy Ghost. As discussed in that post, through the Holy Ghost, we can be sanctified, we can have the peace of Christ and receive His comfort and succor in our trials and infirmities, we can be strengthened by the “enabling” power that is in Jesus Christ, we can receive revelation and inspiration, a testimony of truth, and direction to act.
But how can we qualify to always have the Holy Ghost with us to receive those blessings? How can we be sanctified? How can we receive the peace of Christ? How can we receive his comfort and succor during our trials and infirmities? How can we be strengthened by the atonement of Jesus Christ? How can we receive revelation, inspiration, a testimony of truth, and direction to act?
The answer is that we must be willing to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ, and always remember him, and keep his commandments which he has given us.
As we reflect on those covenants, as we ponder them day by day, hour by hour, even minute by minute, even if we fall short, as long as we are willing and have a real intent to live those covenants, we will have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost to enable us to receive all the blessings offered to us.
References
- 2 Nephi 2:4. ↩︎
- Isaiah 55:1. ↩︎
- 2 Nephi 9:50. ↩︎
- 2 Nephi 26:33. ↩︎
- Mark 10:17. ↩︎
- Mark 10:21. ↩︎
- Ephesians 2:8-9. ↩︎
- James 2:14-26. ↩︎
- See Matthew 5 through 7. ↩︎
- 3 Nephi 11:31-38. ↩︎
- Doctrine and Covenants 19:16-19. ↩︎
- Helaman 5:10-11. ↩︎
- Moroni 8:8-22. ↩︎
- Doctrine and Covenants 29:46-47. ↩︎
- Guide to the Scriptures, “Sin,” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/gs/sin?lang=eng&id=p1#p1. ↩︎
- 2 Nephi 25:23. ↩︎
- 2 Nephi 2:8. ↩︎
- General Handbook, “Confirmation and Gift of the Holy Ghost,” 18.8, then “Instructions,” 18.8.2, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/general-handbook/18-priesthood-ordinances-and-blessings?lang=eng&id=p96-p102#p96. ↩︎
- Elder David A. Bednar, “Receive the Holy Ghost,” Ensign, November 2010, 95, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2010/11/sunday-afternoon-session/receive-the-holy-ghost?lang=eng&id=p18-p19#p18. ↩︎
- Doctrine and Covenants 20:77. ↩︎
- Doctrine and Covenants 64:34. ↩︎
- Isaiah 1:18-19. ↩︎
- Matthew 26:41. ↩︎
- Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Tomorrow the Lord Will Do Wonders among You,” Ensign, May 2016, 125-126, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2016/05/sunday-afternoon-session/tomorrow-the-lord-will-do-wonders-among-you?lang=eng&id=p12-p13#p12. ↩︎
- 1 Corinthians 9:17. The language quoted is from the New International Version, taken from biblegateway.com. The language in the King James version says, “For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.” ↩︎
- Revelation 3:15-16. ↩︎
- Alma 31:23. ↩︎
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