What Good Have I Done?

Here is commentary from Spencer W. Kimball about what we must do to receive the blessings of the Atonement. Every soul has his free agency. He can have all the blessings Christ lived and died to give him. But Christ's death and plan are all in vain and even worse than futile if we do not take advantage of them: "For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent" (D&C 19:16). The Savior came "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39). His birth, death, and resurrection brought about the first. But we must join our efforts with his to bring about the second, to attain eternal life. When we think of the great sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ and the sufferings he endured for us, we would be ingrates if we did not appreciate it so far as our power made it possible. He suffered and died for us, yet if we do not repent, all his anguish and pain on our account are futile. His suf...

An apostle and prophet, Spencer W. Kimball, bore witness that Jesus Christ was the God of the Old Testament. He said, "It was He who conversed with Abraham and Moses. It was He who inspired Isaiah and Jeremiah; it was He who foretold through those chosen men the happenings of the future, even to the latest day and hour." He is the great Jehovah and his father is the holy Elohim, our Heavenly Father. At the time of the tower of Babel, in response to a prayer of faith, Jesus Christ, as Jehovah, appeared to the brother of Jared, as described in the 3rd chapter of Ether in the Book of Mormon (http://scriptures.lds.org/). This what the Savior told the brother of Jared. 14 Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters. 15 And never have I...

The Sadducees and Pharisees were curious about John's teachings and came to see his baptisms, but they chose not to repent and to be baptized. When he saw this, he chastised them and called them to repentance. His message must have angered them. He warned them that they must repent and told them if they didn't they would be rejected as the children of Abraham. They would lose their inheritance and not receive eternal life. They would be cut off at the root and thrown into the fire. Then, his most important message was of the coming Messiah, who he said would baptize with fire and the Holy Ghost. This message they rejected and did not understand. This is what he said to them as recorded in Matthew 3:7-12: 7 O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: 9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these st...

Ancient forerunners ran before the chariot of the King, cleared rocks and other obstacles from his path, and loudly proclaimed his coming. Similarly, John prepared for the coming of Jesus Christ. He exposed the false teaching and sins of the leaders, preached repentance, and proclaimed the imminent coming of the Messiah. His influence extended to individuals who later became followers of the Savior. Andrew followed John's teachings and Peter was his brother. John the Beloved may also have been a disciple of John the Baptist. And Peter suggests in Acts that others of the Twelve were tutored by John (see http://beardall2000.com/nt/nt04.html ). The prophet Joseph Smith summarized the role of John the Baptist. First, he was entrusted with the divine role of preparing for the coming of the Savior. Second, he was required to baptize the Lord and testify of his divinity. Finally, he was the only legitimate authority at that time on earth. Christ recognized this and came to him to be bapt...