We heard a good talk in church on Sunday that mentioned that we should always be building upon our faith, asking questions, and searching, pondering and praying for answers.
As I think about questions, one that comes to mind is what does the “fulness of the everlasting gospel” [of Jesus Christ] mean.
What does the fulness entail?
Why is that important to understand?
As I looked through the title page of the Book of Mormon, a few things stuck out:
…that they may know the covenants of the Lord
When Christ visits the Americas, he introduces himself as the light and life of the world, and He reminds the people about His Atonement and sacrifice for all of us:
And behold, I am the alight and the life of the world;and I have drunk out of that bitter bcup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in ctaking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the dwill of the Father in all things from the beginning. (vs 11)
He also invites them to come and verify that it is Him:
Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may athrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may bfeel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the cGod of Israel, and the God of the whole dearth, and have been slain for the sins of the world. (vs 14)
After the people testify that it is Him, he invites Nephi, the leader of that time, to come and stand before Him. At that point, He gives Nephi the power to act in the name of God – the priesthood:
And the Lord said unto him: I give unto you apower that ye shall bbaptize this people when I am again ascended into heaven. (vs 21)
The priesthood is the power to act in the name of God. The priesthood is one of the three pillars of Christ’s Church. Without the power to act in God’s name, everything we do in the Church is only temporal.
The word priesthood has two meanings. First, priesthood is the power and authority of God. It has always existed and will continue to exist without end (see Alma 13:7–8; D&C 84:17–18). Through the priesthood, God created and governs the heavens and the earth. Through this power, He exalts His obedient children, bringing to pass “the immortality and eternal life of man” ( Moses 1:39; see also D&C 84:35–38).
With that power, Christ taught Nephi that he would use it to baptize in His name:
…that ye shall bbaptize this people when I am again ascended into heaven.
In 3 Nephi, the first ordinance that Christ teaches is about baptism. He talks about how it should be done, who should do it, and what should be said:
…On this wise shall ye baptize; and there shall be bno disputations among you.
23 Verily I say unto you, that whoso repenteth of his sins through your awords, and bdesireth to be baptized in my name, on this wise shall ye baptize them—Behold, ye shall go down and cstand in the water, and in my name shall ye baptize them.
24 And now behold, these are the words which ye shall say, calling them by name, saying:
25 Having aauthority given me of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the bFather, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
26 And then shall ye aimmerse them in the water, and come forth again out of the water.
27 And after this manner shall ye abaptize in my name; for behold, verily I say unto you, that the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost are bone; and I am in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father and I are one.
The title page also talks more about the purpose of the Book of Mormon:
And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is theChrist, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations
I’m grateful to review these concepts and understand better how the Book of Mormon contains the fulness of the everlasting gospel.
I will study more about this and continue to ask questions.
Hasta luego!
Nate
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