Receiving the blessings of the Atonement

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 suffering before and on the cross and his great sacrifice can mean little or nothing to us unless we live his commandments. For he says: "... why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46.)

"If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15.)

Men who know God and love him and live his commandments and obey his true ordinances may yet in this life, or the life to come, see his face and know that he lives and will commune with them. We believe, and it is our testimony, and we proclaim it to the world "that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent" (Mosiah 3:17).

We know, and it is our testimony, and we also proclaim it to the world that to be saved men must "believe that salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent" (Mosiah 3:18).

Thus, with Nephi, "we 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.

"And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." (2 Ne. 25:23, 26)

http://tinyurl.com/2v5tmf

Jesus Christ is the son of God

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 showed myself unto man whom I have created, for never has man believed in me as thou hast. Seest thou that ye are created after mine own image? Yea, even all men were created in the beginning after mine own image.

16 Behold, this body, which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit; and man have I created after the body of my spirit; and even as I appear unto thee to be in the spirit will I appear unto my people in the flesh.

Heavenly Father introduced Jesus Christ, our Savior, on at least four occasions, once to surprised listeners at Jordan (see Matt. 3:13-17), at the Mount of Transfiguration (see Matt. 17:1-9), at the temple of the Nephites (see 3 Ne. 11-26), and in the grove at Palmyra, New York [see Joseph Smith-History 1:17-25]. At each of these times the Father testified that Jesus is his son. He declared, "This is my son, in whom I am well pleased."

There can be no greater testimony than that of the Father, witnessing that Jesus Christ is His son.

Why did John reject the Sadducees and the Pharisees?

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 stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

His message, however, was received by the publicans, who were tax collectors under the Roman rule. (See Luke 7:29-30)

Who were the Sadducees? (see http://scriptures.lds.org/en/bd/s/7)

The Sadducees were a party or caste among the Jews, originating at the time of Solomon. They included the families of high-priests who came forward and defended Judah in the Maccabean war. Although they were few in number, they were powerful and formed the Jewish aristocracy. They followed to the letter the Mosaic law and denied the authority of ancient tradition, thus opposing the Pharisees who believed in angels and spirits and the doctrine of immortality. Through their influence, Greek culture spread in Israel. They were opposed to Jesus Christ and the work of the apostles because they preached the resurrection (Acts 4: 1-3; cf. Mark 12: 18-27; Acts 23: 7-8).

Who were the Pharisees? (see http://scriptures.lds.org/en/bd/p/30)

Another religious party among the Jews, the Pharisees "prided themselves on their strict observance of the law, and on the care with which they avoided contact with things gentile." They believed in the doctrine of immortality and resurrection of the body and the existence of angels and spirits. They regarded oral tradition as of equal value with the written law. The word Pharisee means "separatist" and, because their strict observance of a multiplicity of ceremonial rules, they separated themselves out from the rest of Judah and considered themselves better. Their opposition of Christ prevented many Jews from accepting his message. For the Lord's judgment on them and their works see Matt. 23; Mark 7; Luke 11: 37-54.

John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus Christ to come

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 baptized (TPJS, p. 276).

A similar command is given to us in D&C 65 which is a prayer given through Joseph Smith. We also are to prepare for the coming of Christ. (see http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/65)

The Aaronic Priesthood, which John restored to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, is a preparatory priesthood. It prepares someone to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood. It also plays a key role in preparing for the coming of Christ. (see http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/13)