Eternal Life for Dummies

I think everyone, at one point or another has wondered, "Will I make it to heaven? What do I have to do to get there?" Really, its pretty simple, let me break it down for you. Simply stated, te only way back to our Father in Heaven and eternal life is through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the Book of Mormon, we read, "that salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent" (Mosiah 3:18).  This gospel is broken down into five easy steps, five things we can do to ensure that we will be welcomed home to peace and rest by God. President Joseph Fielding Smith laid it out simply and clearly in a talk called, "The Plan of Salvation." He said,

"First, we must have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; we must accept him as the Son of God; we must put our trust in him, rely upon his word, and desire to gain the blessings which come by obedience to his laws.

Second, we must repent of our sins; we must forsake the world; we must determine in our hearts, without reservation, that we will live godly and upright lives.

Third, we must be baptized in water, under the hands of a legal administrator, who has power to bind on earth and seal in heaven; we must through this sacred ordinance enter into a covenant to serve the Lord and keep his commandments.

Fourth, we must receive the gift of the Holy Ghost; we must be born again; we must have sin and iniquity burned out of our souls as though by fire; we must gain a new creation by the power of the Holy Ghost.

Fifth, we must endure to the end; we must keep the commandments after baptism; we must work out our salvation with fear and trembling before the Lord; we must so live as to acquire the attributes of godliness and become the kind of people who can enjoy the glory and wonders of the celestial kingdom.

Now I thank the Lord for his goodness and mercy and grace in revealing anew to us in this day the terms and conditions upon which salvation may be won. I thank him for the restoration of the priesthood and power which enable us to perform the ordinances of salvation so they will be binding on earth and sealed everlastingly in the heavens."

(The full talk is amazing, I reccomend you all read it)

When I read this, it really helped me put everything I do as a missionary into perspective. The process of obtaining eternal life is easy! We must first have faith in Christ and the hope he offers. Then we must act on that faith, and repent, or change, to be bring our lives in closer harmony with His teachings.  To show Him that we are truly repentant, we enter into a covenant with Him and are Baptized. Because we promise to always follow Him, our Heavenly Father promises to give us the Holy Ghost, which we recieve through the priesthood authority. With the gift of the Holy Ghost, we are then well equipped and able press on through life more easily, always striving to be better and continue repenting. 

I know that through the constant application of having faith, repenting and renewing that promise that we make at baptism, we can continually progress and change until we reach that perfect day. We probably won't get there soon, but because of our Savior, Jesus Christ, we are able to progress. I am so greatful for the price he paid to offer me the wonderful blessing of eternal life. Through the gospel of Jesus Christ, I have been able to find peace and joy in this life, and a hope for the same in the next. I know that those same blessing are available to you as you live the gospel as well. 

How Can I Know?

I have always been fascinated by the way that Heavenly Father communicates to each of His children differently. No matter who you are, we are all children of a loving Heavenly Father, who knows us better then we know ourselves. We can go to him with anything; any concern, any question, and we can receive guidance and answers. The prophet Joseph Smith laid out the process of how we receive answers from God very simply.

"Yea, behold, I will ^atell you in your mind and in your ^bheart, by the ^cHoly Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart."

Doctrine and Covenants 8:2

In your search for truth, when looking for answers to some of life's hardest questions, remember to ask God. After all, He knows you, me, and everything else better then anyone else around. Why not then go to the source of all light and knowledge? After you ask him to know if something is true, or wait course to take, wait for the answer. Pay close attention because thoughts will come to your mind that "sound right." It will make sense when you think about it. Also, powerful feelings will come to you in your heart, and it will "feel right." That is when you can know through the Holy Ghost that you have received your answer. To further clarify, Joseph Smith later wrote,

"But, behold, I say unto you, that you must ^astudy it out in your ^bmind; then you must ^cask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your ^dbosom shall ^eburn within you; therefore, you shall ^ffeel that it is right.

 But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a ^astupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong;"

Doctrine and Covenants 9:8-9

I know this process works! I have tried it out many times, and felt either that 'burning in the bosom,' or the 'stupor of thought.' I have gained a testimony that God is my father in Heaven, and He loves me. He wants me to chose the right. He wants show me all the beautiful things about this world. He knows how I can be most happy, and when I counsel with Him in my decision making, he will guide me correctly. I am so thankful for this process, it truly is one of the greatest blessings from our Father in Heaven.

Tools of the Trade...

Everyone has tools. No matter what it is you do, you usually need something to do it with. Musicians need their instruments, Mechanics need wrenches, computer programmers need computers, and scientists need like beakers and Bunsen-burners and stuff... I think... Anyways, you get the point!

As a missionary, I have a lot of tools at my desposal. I have my car, phone, cards, pamphlets, planners, and most recently facebook and blogs... But all of those pale in comparison to my most favorite tool, the one I use most and is most effective at bringing people closer to Jesus Christ... the Book of Mormon.


But what is the Book of Mormon and why is it so important? 

Christ Appears in America

The Book of Mormon is an ancient record of Prophets here on the American continent, who knew about and testified of Jesus Christ and His life. It was written by a family who left Jerusalem around 600 B.C. and came to America to start a new life in the Promised land. They teach their children the gospel and prophecy about the coming of Christ, who at the climax of the record, comes down and teaches his disciples here the same things he taught in Jerusalem and the Bible. Eventually, the righteous people are hunted down and killed (similar to what happened to the primitive Christians) and the record was hid up in the earth by the last Prophet in the family, to be brought forth at a later time...

In comes Joseph who, as a young man was called of God to become a Prophet in these last days (to understand more about Joseph Smith, click here). Part of his calling was to restore the true Gospel of Jesus Christ on the Earth, and bring forth the Book of Mormon. He found the record, and through the power of God translated it. He went on to do much as a Prophet, and through him Christ's church, or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon church) was restored.

My tool set!

Everything I do, and the truthfulness of everything I teach relies completely on the Book of Mormon. If the Book of Mormon is False, then Joseph Smith was never a prophet, and this Church is not true. I love that! I love knowing that anytime I teach something that might be difficult for them to understand or accept, they can take all their doubt to the Book of Mormon. I think President Ezra Taft Benson said it best, 

"...The only problem the objector has to resolve for himself is whether the Book of Mormon is true. For is the Book of Mormon is true, then Jesus is the Christ, Joseph Smith was his prophet, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true, and it is being led today by a prophet receiving revelation"

There is a promise at the end of the book that states if you, "... ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost." (Moroni 10:4) I invite all to take that challenge.

I know that the Book of Mormon is scripture from God, and is true. I know that Joseph Smith really was called of God to bring it forth, and I am so glad that he did. Whenever I read the book, I gain that witness. Sometimes I'll find answers to questions I have been wondering about. I always feel the spirit as I read it. The book truely does teach and testify of Christ and just as Joseph Smith said, "...A man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book" Dont take my word for it, go and find out for yourself! If you want a free copy, go to the link below, or you can read it online. If you have any questions, let me know on facebook. I talk about this all day every day, and would love to shed some light for ya!

Free Book of Mormon, and more information about it! 
Read the Scriptures Online!