A Perspective on Christ and His Atonement
In Covenant of Christ the Savior concludes a portion of His sermon with the following commandment:
“The Law also says for you to love your neighbor, and lets you even hate your enemy. But now I say to you: Love your enemies also, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you, so you may become the children of your Father who is in heaven, for He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good. Therefore everything ordained anciently under the Law of Moses has all been fulfilled through Me. Those prior things are over and I implement these new things. Therefore I want you to be perfect, just as I or your Father who is in heaven is perfect” (CofC 3 Nephi 5:31; emphasis added).[1]
When we act as the Savior toward mankind, we qualify as children of our Heavenly Father. The Lord commands us to be perfect as He and His Father are. In doing so He prepares a way for us to fulfill His will.
“. . . You see, the Lord knows all things from the beginning. Therefore He prepares in advance any needed response to accomplish all His plans for mankind, to fulfill all His words. That’s exactly how He works. Amen” (CofC 1 Nephi 2:14; emphasis added).
If we are to become perfect like the Savior and Heavenly Father, He prepares a way for us to accomplish His desire. Speaking to His disciples our Lord pointed to Himself as “the way” back to the Father’s presence:
“Do not allow your heart to be troubled. You are devoted to God and are also devoted to me. In the journey through my Father’s realms [plural] are many stages [plural] with temporary abodes [plural]. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare an abode for your upward journey [pre-mortal, mortal, and post-mortal].[2] And when I arise [Resurrection], I will prepare places [plural] for you, but I will be your companion again and visit each of you, so that where I travel, you may journey to also. And the path [singular] I follow upward you know, and the way [singular] of ascent you also know. Thomas said to him, Lord, we don’t know where you are going; how can we know the way? You have not told us. Jesus said to him, I am the way, the record [singular] of the truth, and the means for Eternal lives [plural], worlds [plural] without end: no man comes to the Throne of the Father without me. If you follow me [exactly], you will come to the Father’s Throne through me and will thereafter be like him forever” (RE T&C 171, Testimony of Saint John 10:9; emphasis added).
The fall of Adam and Eve led to mankind’s separation from God’s presence. Redemption from the Fall of Adam and Eve is only completed by returning mankind to God’s presence embodying His perfection. Not only restoring us to His presence, but on arrival we are like Them.[3] Salvation provided by a perfect being must inherently be perfect. Anything less and they are not perfect. The Atonement of Jesus Christ was the completion of His preparations[4] for the perfect redemption of mankind and their return to Their presence.
Full redemption is accomplished by following “the way” or path marked by the Son[5] as the embodiment of truth and means for achieving Eternal lives, worlds without end. Our “upward journey” is complete when we follow the Savior to “abodes” He prepared for us. They are progressive milestones we experience while passing through the Father’s “realms” and “many stages.” This is a process extending beyond mortality ending in our perfection beyond this life.[6]
The Lord completed His preparations for our salvation. Our ability to take full advantage of His preparations is contingent on following His example precisely over eons of time.[7] This is our preparations for the ascension journey. How diligently we pursue those preparations determines the speed and time required for our ascension to perfection. That is not to say we control the timing or velocity of our ascent. Our diligence in accumulating light and knowledge increases the likelihood of the Lord accommodating those desires. It is less a matter of doing and more a matter of becoming like Him. Nevertheless, the timing is always according to His wisdom for our benefit.
Understanding of the Atonement has evolved over time. Intellectually some believe the Atonement is like golf. Living our lives is like driving a golf ball down a fairway. Sinning is like driving the ball into the rough where approaching the hole favorably is marred by our mistakes. Repentance becomes our “mulligan,”[8] erasing sin because God grants us a do over to repair the regretful misstep. Mercy and grace of Christ continues the round of golf with a sense of accomplishment and faux perfection. Like magic fairy dust our handicap is made perfect. “Thank you, Jesus!”
Years of study and contemplation have led to a more nuanced understanding of the Savior’s example and Atonement. “This life is the time to prepare to meet God”[9] how it is properly interpreted and what His preparations require of us.
Lectures on Faith explores what the Savior accomplished and how literally He intends for His example to be “the way” back to the Father for mankind.
“. . . the Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, a personage of tabernacle, made or fashioned like unto man, or being in the form and likeness of man, or rather, man was formed after his likeness and in his image — he is also the express image and likeness of the personage of the Father, possessing all the fullness of the Father, or the same fullness with the Father, being begotten of him, and was ordained from before the foundation of the world to be a propitiation for the sins of all those who should believe on his name, and is called the Son because of the flesh — and descended in suffering below that which man can suffer, or in other words, suffered greater sufferings and was exposed to more powerful contradictions than any man can be. But notwithstanding all this, he kept the law of God and remained without sin, showing thereby that it is in the power of man to keep the law and remain also without sin. And also, that by him a righteous judgment might come upon all flesh, and that all who walk not in the law of God may justly be condemned by the law and have no excuse for their sins. And he being the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, and having overcome, received a fullness of the glory of the Father — possessing the same mind with the Father, which mind is the holy spirit that bears record of the Father and the Son, and these three are one, or in other words, these three constitute the great matchless, governing, and supreme power over all things, by whom all things were created and made that were created and made. And these three constitute the Godhead and are one: the Father and the Son possessing the same mind, the same wisdom, glory, power, and fullness, filling all in all — the Son being filled with the fullness of the mind, glory, and power, or in other words, the spirit, glory, and power of the Father — possessing all knowledge and glory, and the same kingdom: sitting at the right hand of power, in the express image and likeness of the Father — a mediator for man — being filled with the fullness of the mind of the Father, or in other words, the spirit of the Father, which spirit is shed forth upon all who believe on his name and keep his commandments. And all those who keep his commandments shall grow up from grace to grace and become heirs of the Heavenly kingdom and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ, possessing the same mind, being transformed into the same image or likeness, even the express image of him who fills all in all: being filled with the fullness of his glory, and become one in him [the Savior], even as the Father, Son, and holy spirit are one” (RE T&C 110, Lecture 5:2; emphasis added).
The only way the Son of God accomplishes the Atonement and sets a righteous example for us is to do exactly, precisely what the Father instructed Him to do.
“I am the true vine or head of the Father’s family [Israel], and my Father is the husbandman over that family. Every branch connected to me that does not produce fruit, he will remove, and every branch that produces fruit he will prune back so that it produces better fruit [by facing greater contradictions]. You will bear fruit if you follow the things I have taught you. Stay connected to me as part of the Heavenly family, and I will nourish you. Just as a branch cannot produce fruit if it is not connected to the vine, neither will you be able to bear fruit unless you remain connected with me. I am the vine, and you are the branches. He that stays connected to me, and I to him, will be abundantly fruitful; but without the connection to me you will perish. If a man loses his connection with me, he is merely a withered branch; and men take the withered branches, cut them away and burn them. If you stay connected to me, and my words live in you, you will ask according to my will, and you will be given the ability to accomplish my will.[10] It will please and vindicate my Father if you produce abundant fruit [“meet for the Father’s kingdom”],[11] and that will prove you follow me. Just like the Father has loved me, I have in turn likewise loved you. Therefore, remain connected with me and my love will be with you. If you practice my teachings you will always remain connected with me; just as I have kept my Father’s teachings and have remained connected with him.[12]
I say these things to you so I will be able to rejoice at your triumph. You will overcome all obstacles if you follow what I have taught.
This is my commandment: That you love one another as I have loved you. No man loves more than when he is willing to sacrifice his life to save his friends. You are my friends if you do whatever I communicate to you. Beginning now, I will no longer call you my servants because a servant does not share his Lord’s life. But I make you my friends because every thing I received from my Father I have shared and will yet share with you. You did not choose me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you,[13] that you should progress and become fruitful, that your fruit will testify on your behalf forever, that whatever I direct you to seek from my Father you will be able to obtain. I have taught these things to you to enable you to share my love among one another” (RE T&C 171, Testimony of Saint John 10:17-19; emphasis added).
Understanding the roles of the Father and Son is important. Christ is the Head of the Father’s family [Israel, those connected to Christ, sons and daughters of God] on earth. Jesus created this earth,[14] willingly sacrificing His life in preparation for mankind’s salvation. Our Lord was able to accomplish everything because He surrendered His will, His desires to the Father’s will without compulsion.
We connect with the Savior [“True Vine”] when we exercise our agency to submit willingly to the will [example] of the Son as He submitted to the Father’s will. Not from a desire to obtain blessings or desire for personal recognition or achievement. Connection to the Savior comes only when we obey because of our love for Him.
“Yet a little while, and the world will no longer see me, but you will not lose sight of me because I give life, and you shall share in endless lives [plural]. You will know that I and the Father are one, and I am one with you, and you are one with me. He that treasures my teachings, and stands ready, watching for every communication I send him, is he who shows love for me. To those who show love for me, my Father will show love to them, and I love all those, and I will personally minister to them” (RE T&C 171, Testimony of Saint John 10:12; emphasis added).
Because of institutional conflation of this teaching members believe they fulfill the Savior’s requirement through organizational compliance and endorsement. Obtaining a temple recommend, participation in ordinances, full payment of tithes, listening to leadership instruction semi-annually and reading institutionally sanctioned instructions and periodicals are examples of institutional compliance. From a scriptural perspective these may be inspirational milestones and outward manifestations for faithful membership. However, they do not define faithful discipleship. The promise in the passage from the Testimony of Saint John is the Lord ministers to you personally when you connect to Him. Relying solely on institutional guidelines from institutional guides is vicarious representation under the lesser, Aaronic Covenant. That covenant was fulfilled when the Savior Atoned for the sins of the world. The greater Priesthood provides for self-representation before the Lord.[15]
The concept of collective salvation through institutional membership and compliance is a fallacy contradicting the second article of faith:
“We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression” (emphasis added).
Each of us is judged for our actions, independent of any institutional membership. Jesus Christ and those He appoints, are given His judgment and the only ones empowered to judge Israel. Ultimate accountability is self-judgment when each of us is judged by the standard we judge others in mortality.[16] This concept plays a key role in the plan of salvation often overlooked and underappreciated in its gravity.
Institutional membership provides opportunities for outward expressions of faith if a person’s motives are devotion to Christ. The more critical relationship is how our lives express our personal discipleship and devotion to Christ. The Gospel of Jesus Christ offers the opportunity to mold us into His image in preparation for His presence. What we are is more important than what we have done. Our actions influence who we become but how we treat others determines how we are judged.
What Becoming Precisely as Christ Requires of Us
Perfection as a requirement for salvation in mortality is an impossible task to the natural man.
“When Alma had finished speaking these words, the people became even more surprised. But Antionah, who was a chief ruler, stepped forward and asked: What is this that you’ve said, that man would rise from the dead and be changed from this mortal state to an immortal state, so the soul can never die? What does the scripture mean that says God placed cherubim and a sword of fire east of the Garden of Eden so our first parents couldn’t enter and eat the fruit of the tree of life and live forever? Obviously it was impossible for them to live forever. Alma replied: This is what I was about to explain. We see that Adam fell by eating the forbidden fruit, according to God’s word. We see because of his fall all mankind became lost and fallen. Now if it had been possible for Adam to have then eaten the fruit of the tree of life, there would be no death and God’s word would have been empty, making God a liar, since He said: If you eat, you will certainly die. And death has come upon mankind, the death mentioned by Amulek, which is the temporal [temporary] death. Nevertheless, mankind is given time to repent. Therefore this life has become a probationary state, a time to prepare to come face to face with God. It’s a time to prepare for the endless state we talked about, which is after the resurrection of the dead. Now if it weren’t for the plan of redemption established at the foundation of creation, there wouldn’t be any resurrection of the dead [temporal death becomes permanent]. But there is a plan of redemption that provides the resurrection of the dead we mentioned” (CofC Alma 9:6; emphasis added).
The sentence, “. . . this life has become a probationary state, a time to prepare to come face to face with God,” suggests perfection is impossible in this life. Since “this life” leaves the impression perfection must be accomplished before we die. Fear and desperation persuade us to conjure up innovative ways to achieve this outcome.
It is a true statement this life is a time to meet God face to face. It is always time to prepare for His presence. The “endless state” arrives after our resurrection from the dead. The state of endlessness doesn’t imply we remain forever as we are at our death. Why would God provide a spirit world after death if those who died are without hope? Why would a plan of salvation be instituted from before creation of the earth if few qualify? How many people who died were “precisely” as Christ at the time of their death? None but Christ qualify.
Christ waving a magic wand and sprinkling cleansing fairy dust of grace and mercy upon us is only a feeble attempt of finite minds describing the infinite.
The First and Second Estates
Abraham was shown a vision of pre-mortality by the Lord. In that vision he saw “one who was like unto God” referring to Christ. He saw those known as “noble and great” to whom the Savior led in earth’s creation. The creation was to benefit those less experienced, a the third group.
In the Lord’s instructions to the noble and great He said:
“And there stood one among them that was like unto God [Christ], and he said unto those who were with him [noble and great], We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials and we will make an earth whereon these [those not noble and great] may dwell. And we [Christ and the noble and great] will prove them herewith to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them. And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon, and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory[17] added upon their heads for ever and ever” (RE T&C 145, Abraham 6:2; emphasis added).
Parsing differences between the first and second estates helps reduce confusion about what the Lord expects us to accomplish in this life.
Denver Snuffer made the following comments regarding Abraham and Moses’ records on this subject:
“This is not our “first estate,” nor will it be our last. Creation is endless, and God has declared that His words are without end…for they never cease (Genesis 1:1). God explained to Moses:
For behold, there are many worlds which have passed away by the word of my power, and there are many [worlds] also which now stand, and numberless are they unto man; but all things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them.
And it came to pass that Moses spoke unto the Lord, saying, Be merciful unto your servant, O God, and tell me concerning this earth and the inhabitants thereof, and also the heavens; and then your servant will be content. And the Lord God spoke unto Moses of the heavens, saying, These are many and they cannot be numbered unto man, but they are numbered unto me for they are mine. And as one earth shall pass away, and the heavens thereof, even so shall another come. And there is no end to my works, neither my words. (Ibid. 6-7) . . .
It is all one eternal round, worlds without end, opportunities to prove faithful without end.
Accordingly, we can prove faithful in this present estate so that what comes in the next cycle will let it be said of us:
…being called and prepared from the foundation of the world [pre-mortality], according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works in the first place [estate], being left to choose good or evil; therefore they, having chosen good, and exercising exceeding…faith, are called with a holy calling… (Alma 9:10)
We tip the scales by our choices, and by so doing, we change all eternity. We change eternity by the choices we make here (T&C 159:13).
There is an eternal balance, with infinite results, hanging on our every choice. We stand in peril or stand in glory depending upon our every thought and deed (Ibid. 14).
Five minutes of mortality are more precious than all the prior eternities of pre-earth life. Only here can you demonstrate the faith from which creation itself was born (Ibid. 15).
Why not view this moment as another “first place” and choose to obey God, in faith, to have your good works follow you into your next [second] estate?
Our noble acts and righteous deeds are celebrated in joy and song in the corridors of Heaven. As we choose God and His ways, the Hosanna Shout rings out in Heaven for such choices. We are the place where eternity’s conflicts are now being played out. We are the battleground between infinite good and infinite failure (Ibid. 17).
What you do with your thoughts, words, and deeds NOW matters. Whether you will repent and follow Christ determines an eternal course. . .” (The Holy Order, Part 2, Denver Snuffer Jr., pp.33-35).
When hiking with our family I often reflect on how much time is spent staring at the ground to avoid ankle sprains. So much attention is focused downward the spectacular vistas often go unnoticed and underappreciated. Quotations like the one above are often passed by without contemplating the gravity of what is said.
Understanding the powerful implications of the Atonement of Christ is swept under the proverbial rug by saying He delivered us from death and hell. The statement is true enough. It falls short of conveying the substantial sacrifice required of Him, the immense scope of blessings we receive through His unwavering commitment to follow the Father’s will, while minimizing what is required of us.
Theoretically it is possible for us to pass from this life as perfect beings but unlikely. The Savior is the only “One” who accomplished this. His Atonement for our sins allows us to continue our quest for perfection endlessly until we become “one” with Him as He is “One” with the Father.
“Even what we envision as the highest heaven, is a condescension for those who sit enthroned, able to dwell in everlasting burnings.[18] Else why in section 130 [Doctrine andCovenants] would you be given a white stone that reveals things that pertains to “a higher order of kingdoms,” when you are in the Celestial Kingdom? This is because where you are now, at this moment, in this meeting, hearing my voice in this room today, is about halfway to where you need to grow. It has been almost infinite in the time that has been required to get you here today. Much more will be required before you will arrive at the point at which you will be precisely as Christ became.
I might add where Christ has arisen to dwell in everlasting burnings is about halfway to where things ultimately can go in this “higher order of kingdoms” spoken of in Section 130. You say it's necessary in this condition to have a physical body in order to come down here and perform, and you say that rightly. But there are other places beyond this. There are places where, in everlasting glory, the personages dwelling there are of “spirit, glory, and power” like The Father” [19](Christ: The Prototype of the Saved Man, Denver Snuffer Jr., pp.18-19; emphasis added).
Traditional illustrations of the three degrees of glory were just refuted. To the mind of mortal man it is easier to believe in the Savior’s pre-mortal cycles than consider we have and are passing through cycles as did He. Reclaiming mankind’s pre-fall relationship with God requires divine intervention and suffering beyond our comprehension. A degree of suffering only someone with endless lives has the capacity to endure.
A perfect person accomplishing the perfect Atonement not only prepares the way to return to God’s presence. He prevents us from burning due to our imperfections.
Consider the conundrum of the Savior achieving perfection in mortality while only being “about halfway to where things ultimately can go.” If Christ was perfect in His mortal ministry and attained to “dwelling with God in everlasting burnings,” how does He advance in the second half of His progression? How can perfection be halfway to where things ultimately can go?
A clue to answering these question is in the record of John the Beloved given to Joseph Smith:
“And I, John, saw that he received not of the fullness at the first, but received grace for grace. And he received not of the fullness at first, but continued from grace to grace until he received a fullness, and thus he was called, the Son of God, because he received not of the fullness at the first” (RE T&C 93:4; emphasis added).
We cannot begin to understand this passage without understanding grace. A Glossary of Gospel Terms explains grace:
“The free, unmerited love and favor of God. Grace is a gift, but the gift must be received. Only those willing to “receive” it merit grace (see T&C 86:4–5). It is “received” in the way the Lord ordained and in no other way. There is no space between faith in Christ and behavior evidencing that faith. There is no dichotomy between “grace” and “works” because it is by one’s conduct that he or she merits grace. Christ received grace by the things He did. The manner by which each person receives grace is through keeping His commandments (see T&C 93:7). Grace — or power to move closer to God — is also an increase of light. Light grows only as one moves closer to it. But man has choice, and he must elect to move closer to the light. If man receives the light from Him, he receives grace, and he becomes more like Him. He will be more gracious and patient with others. How was the Lord able to accomplish all He did? In Abraham 5:4 the Lord explains, I am the Lord thy God, I am more intelligent than they all. He was more intelligent because He grew from grace to grace until He understood all things — because He had been through all things, He had descended below all things, and He had risen above all things — therefore He comprehends all things. Comprehension of the “doctrine of Christ” is not based on the command of a vocabulary or mastery of an argument. It is based on gathering light. Light is gathered by heed (obedience) and diligence alone. “We consider that God has created man with a mind capable of instruction, and a faculty which may be enlarged in proportion to the heed and diligence given to the light communicated from heaven to the intellect….” By following the light one has received already, one grows in light (see T&C 36:4). This process leads to the “perfect day” where the light has chased away all darkness. This is how all, like Christ, can grow from grace to grace until they also receive a fullness (see T&C 93:7). As man keeps the commandments, he gains light and truth. Experience will be his guide. It works. If anyone finds this odd or difficult to grasp, he just needs to keep the commandments, and he will find it becoming increasingly easy to understand. Man will get light and truth as he follows the process. Do it, and see it unfold.[20] This is the way in which Christ grew from grace to grace. This is how He received the fullness. It is also the way man can get greater grace, greater light and truth. It is the way man will obtain the fullness of light and truth. Moroni first asked Christ to give the Gentiles grace (see Ether 5:7), but Christ could not promise it. Therefore, Moroni asked that the Gentiles seek for it; Moroni pled for the latter-day Gentiles to seek grace. It is through grace one can obtain charity. It is through charity one can bless others” (A Glossary of Gospel Terms, Grace, pp. 136-137; emphasis added).
Grace from Christ is offered to all but must be received. “Only those willing to “receive” it merit grace. It is “received” in the way the Lord ordained and no other way.”
The way God ordains for a person to obtain His grace is through obedience to God’s commandments. Contrition without obedience results in grace, light and knowledge withheld.
When John describes Christ’s progression beginning “grace for grace,” it has nothing to do with sin. It may be an antidote for sins consequences but Christ was sinless. The Father imparted “grace” by sharing light and knowledge with Him. The Savior exercised faith by obeying the Father’s instruction exactly.[21] His reception of truth and willingness to obey it drew Him nearer to God by becoming precisely what the Father is through strict obedience over many cycles until He became the Son of God. The perfection of the Savior is directly related to His strictness in obeying what the Father revealed to Him over numerous cycles.
The Savior was diligent in seeking the Father’s will to the extent He embodied the Father’s commandments becoming, the “Word” in John the Beloved’s gospel.[22] The Son’s precise obedience to the Father’s instruction provided sufficient light and grace to obtain charity. The greatest spiritual gift God bestows upon those who receive His grace.
Moroni explained how faith, hope, meekness, and lowliness of heart leads God to grant charity to mankind:
“But I [Moroni] hold a higher opinion of you. I conclude you have faith in Christ because of your meekness. Because if you don’t have faith in Him, then you aren’t fit to be included among the people of His congregation. Again, I want to speak to you about hope. How can you attain faith without having hope? So what will you hope for? You must have hope through Christ’s atonement and the power of His resurrection to be raised to life eternal, and you’ll have this hope because of your faith in Him, according to the promise. So if a person has faith, they must have hope, since without faith there can’t be any hope. Again, I tell you a person can’t have faith and hope unless they’re meek and humble of heart. Otherwise, their faith and hope are useless, since no one is acceptable before God except the meek and humble of heart.
If a person is meek and humble in heart and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, they must have charity. Because if they don’t have charity, they’re nothing; so they must have charity. Charity is long-suffering and kind; it doesn’t envy or brag; it doesn’t insist on its own way; it isn’t easily angered; it doesn’t keep track of wrongs; it takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth; it patiently bears all things, always believes, always hopes, and always endures. So, my dear people, if you don’t have charity, you’re nothing, since charity never fails. Therefore hold firmly to charity, which is the greatest of all. Because everything will pass away; but charity is Christ’s pure love, and it endures forever. Those who are found to possess it on the last day, it will go well with them. So, my dear people, pray earnestly to the Father so you can be filled with this love that He’s freely given to all who are true followers of His Son Jesus Christ, so you can become the sons and daughters of God, so when He appears, we’ll be like Him and we’ll see and comprehend Him, so we can have this hope, so we can be purified, just as He is pure. Amen” (CofC Moroni 7:8-9; emphasis added).
Meekness and sincere humility establish a connection with God. This connection begins by having sufficient faith to obey God’s commands. Blessings predicated on our obedience brings His endowment of transformational knowledge, dispelling ignorance and molding us into His image and attributes. The process mirrors the Savior’s experience with the same result. The primary difference between us and Him is He is more intelligent because of a greater body of knowledge and experience. He has charity or “pure love” for us because He knows and appreciates how challenging His path is.
In the account of Enos we witness how we transition from “grace to grace” advancing to “grace for grace.” The Savior perfected Himself through strict obedience to the Father, receiving light for diligent obedience. Continuing progress beyond perfection requires our extending grace [suspending demands for justice and offering forgiveness] to others through charity. That is why the Son explained to Moses their work and glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.[23] Their advancement beyond perfection is providing further light and truth to those who are less advanced that repent and obey. Rising beyond perfection is accomplished by extending charity to others. Coming to this realization instills in our hearts meekness and lowliness of heart accompanied by reception of the Holy Ghost.[24] The Holy Ghost instills charity into our being turning our attention away from ourselves to the salvation of others.
We see in the account of Enos how the words of his father provide him with grace by teaching Enos about the Savior through reading the Lord’s words.
“I Enos respected my father because he taught me to read and understand his language, and that allowed me to be guided and corrected by the Lord. May the name of God be blessed for it” (CofC Enos 1:1; emphasis added).
The father of Enos gave grace to him by teaching him how to gain light and knowledge through reading and understanding the Nephite language. His father’s teachings provided fertile ground in the heart of Enos. In the solitude of hunting the Lord drew Enos’s thoughts to the teachings of his father:
“. . . I went to hunt animals in the forest, and the lessons I had often heard from my father about eternal life and the joy of the holy ones sank deep into my heart, and I wanted that to my very soul. . .” (ibid).
The testimony of Christ passed down through generations found its way from Enos father into Enos’s heart. Enos wrote appropriately, “God be blessed for it.” The Father of all fathers began a righteous testimony passed down through the ages to Enos. Grace to grace and grace for grace.
As Enos reflected on “. . . eternal life and the joy of the holy ones” [Patriarchal Fathers] the Spirit of God carried those thoughts into his heart kindling a righteous desire to share his joy. Immersed in the Lord’s Spirit Enos began a “powerful prayer” in sincerity:
“Therefore I knelt down before my Maker and cried out to Him in powerful prayer in an appeal for my own soul. I prayed to Him all day long. When the night came, I continued to pray out loud to get the attention of heaven. Then a voice came to me, saying: Enos, your sins are forgiven, and you will be Blessed. [25]And because I knew God couldn’t lie, I felt no more guilt. Then I asked: Lord, how did it happen? And He replied: Because of your faith in Christ, whom you haven’t heard or seen before this. Many years from now He’ll reveal Himself as a man. Press on, your faith has made you whole” (ibid).
The faith of Enos made him whole and his guilt was swept away. This came about because of grace given him by the Lord and generations of righteous fathers preceding him. When Enos is whole his heart turns to the welfare of “my Nephite brothers and sisters.”
“When I heard this, I began to be concerned about the well-being of my Nephite brothers and sisters; so I prayed from my whole heart to God for them. While I was laboring like this in the spirit, the Lord’s voice came into my mind again, saying: I’ll bless or punish them according to their diligence in keeping My commandments [key to receiving the Lord’s grace]. I’ve given them this land, and it’s a holy land; and I’ll only curse it because of iniquity. Therefore I’ll bless or punish your people just as I’ve said, and bring their transgressions down with sorrow on their own heads. And after I had heard these words, my faith became unshaken in the Lord” (ibid).
Enos’ faith became unshaken because twice he prayed to the Lord and the Lord responded. The message to Enos is the Lord responds when we pray “from my whole heart.” Faith is rewarded and supported by the Lord. In addition to the Lord’s response it is important to note the spiritual trajectory of Enos. After becoming whole by the Lord’s hand, his heart turns to the salvation of his family. In response to Enos’ plea, the Lord explains his Nephite brothers and sisters are held to the same standard as Enos. They are given a “holy land” and they are blessed or cursed according to their diligence in keeping His commandments. Diligence is rewarded with grace, light, truth, and transformation like Enos is experiencing.
In praying for his Nephite brothers and sisters Enos seeks grace for them rather than himself. The grace Enos received from the Lord persuades him to become like the Savior. That is more evident when his concerns move from his friends and family toward his enemies [“pray for them who despitefully use you”].[26]
“. . . And I prayed to Him with greater intensity for my Lamanite brothers and sisters.
After I prayed and diligently stated my concerns, the Lord told me: I’ll grant your request because of your faith. Now this was what I requested of Him: that if it turned out my people the Nephites fell into transgression and were destroyed, but the Lamanites weren’t destroyed, that the Lord God would keep a record of my people the Nephites safe, even if it’s done by His own power, so it could be brought to light at some time in the future for the Lamanites. Then they might be able to learn and be saved. Because at present our struggles to restore them to the true faith were hopeless. They swore an oath in anger that if possible, they would destroy our records and us and all the traditions passed down to us by our forefathers [the very things leading Enos to obtain grace].
Since I knew the Lord God was able to preserve our records, I prayed to Him continually, because He had told me: Anything you ask in faith, in the name of Christ, believing you will receive, you will receive it. And I had faith and prayed to God that He would keep the records safe. He covenanted with me that He would provide them for the Lamanites when He decided it was the right time. I knew it would happen according to the covenant He had made; so my soul was at peace. Then the Lord told me: Your fathers have also asked Me to do this. And it will be done for them according to their faith, because their faith was like yours” (ibid).
Enos transformation led him into the company of righteous forefathers seeking blessings for their enemies knowing the Lamanites will destroy most of their posterity. Like the Savior on the cross, they pled “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”[27]
Disciples of Christ replace demands for justice with pleas of mercy for those who destroy their Nephite posterity. Nothing stirs demands for justice more than seeing children suffer at the hands of enemies.[28] Consider the Father observing the Savior in Gethsemane and on the cross. Forgiveness at that level is the ultimate act of divinity. Moroni wrote:
“. . . So, my dear people, pray earnestly to the Father so you can be filled with this love that He’s freely given to all who are true followers of His Son Jesus Christ, so you can become the sons and daughters of God, so when He appears, we’ll be like Him and we’ll see and comprehend Him, so we can have this hope, so we can be purified, just as He is pure. Amen” (CofC Moroni 7:9; emphasis added).
The highest rung on the ascension ladder leads to the throne of the Father. We become like He and His Son in setting aside claims for justice because we value mercy and grace over justice. When we attain perfection as did Christ, our only means for advancement to the Father’s throne is offering “grace for grace” without exception. That is godliness.
[1] Not everyone will judge others, but this admonition supports the Savior’s admonition to be perfect like He and the Father. “. . . The Father keeps a record of everything. Therefore the world will be judged from the books that will be written. And you should understand you’ll [disciples] be judges of this people [descendants of Lehi], following the judgment I’ll provide to you, which will be just and true. Therefore what type of men should you be? Truly I say to you: Precisely as I Am . . .” (CofC 3 Nephi 13:1; emphasis added).
[2] “When you climb up a ladder, you must begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step, until you arrive at the top; and so it is with the principles of the Gospel-you must begin with the first, and go on until you learn all the principles of exaltation. But it will be a great while after you have passed through the veil before you will have learned them. It is not all to be comprehended in this world; it will be a great work to learn our salvation and exaltation even beyond the grave. . .” (TPJS. Kindle, p.398; emphasis added).
[3] “If a person is meek and humble in heart and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, they must have charity. Because if they don’t have charity, they’re nothing; so they must have charity. Charity is long-suffering and kind; it doesn’t envy or brag; it doesn’t insist on its own way; it isn’t easily angered; it doesn’t keep track of wrongs; it takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth; it patiently bears all things, always believes, always hopes, and always endures. So, my dear people, if you don’t have charity, you’re nothing, since charity never fails. Therefore hold firmly to charity, which is the greatest of all. Because everything will pass away; but charity is Christ’s pure love, and it endures forever. Those who are found to possess it on the last day, it will go well with them. So, my dear people, pray earnestly to the Father so you can be filled with this love that He’s freely given to all who are true followers of His Son Jesus Christ, so you can become the sons and daughters of God, so when He appears, we’ll be like Him and we’ll see and comprehend Him, so we can have this hope, so we can be purified, just as He is pure. Amen” (CofC Moroni 7:9; emphasis added).
[4] “Wherefore, I command you by my name, and by my almighty power that you repent, repent so that I don't smite you by the rod of my mouth, and by my wrath, and by my anger, and your sufferings be sore — how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not. 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, 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” (RE T&C 4:5; emphasis added).
[5]“. . . What did Jesus do? Why; I do the things I saw my Father do when worlds came rolling into existences. My Father worked out his kingdom with fear and trembling, and I must do the same; and when I get my kingdom, I shall present it to my Father, so that he may obtain kingdom upon kingdom, and it will exalt him in glory. He will then take a higher exaltation, and I will take his place, and thereby become exalted myself. So that Jesus treads in the tracks of his Father, and inherits what God did before; and God is thus glorified and exalted in the salvation and exaltation of all his children. It is plain beyond disputation, and you thus learn some of the first principles of the Gospel, about which so much hath been said” (TPJS. pp. 347-348; emphasis added).
“He marked the path and led the way, And ev’ry point defines
To light and life and endless day Where God’s full presence shines” (How Great the Wisdom and the Love, Lyrics: Eliza R. Snow, Music: Thomas McIntyre; emphasis added).
[6] “Christ progressed over eons in “worlds without end” on a journey that prepared Him before
His birth in this world. He completed His long journey here in this world. How long the
Lord’s development took is not fully revealed in Scripture, but Scripture makes it clear that
He alone achieved the required progress to become like His Father. While the Scriptures
clarify that others can follow His path and arrive at the same place, Scripture also makes it
clear that NO ONE ELSE HAS EVER DONE SO [in mortality], and Christ alone is the prototype of the saved man” (In Defense of Christ, Denver Snuffer Jr., p.4; emphasis added).
“We stumble, and we have fallen down. We have discarded the expansive theology of Joseph
Smith. The earliest dispensations had truth from heaven as their guide. Joseph began
re-assembling what was lost, but was slain before it was completed. We are the offspring of
heaven, and are capable of reuniting with heaven while mortal. We also have the
opportunity, through eons of progression, to become as our Parents, the Gods” (The Restoration’s Shattered Promises and Great Hope, Denver Snuffer Jr., p.18; emphasis added).
[7] “If you are going to be saved, you must be “exactly” and “precisely” what Christ is and “nothing else.” At the moment you are saved this is what you must be “or else not be saved.” Christ is the prototype and we must emulate Him. He proved [vindicated] God the Father’s word by doing as the Father asked. He “suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning.” Or, in other words, Christ was obedient before the creation of this world, and the creation of the world began after Christ first qualified to redeem it. As a consequence, to speak of Christ is necessarily to speak of salvation. To understand Christ is to understand salvation. Salvation requires of us what was required of Christ. We cannot be different from Christ and be saved, because salvation depends upon being precisely what He is and nothing else. Despite how plainly this is put, we still seem not to comprehend” (Snuffer, Denver. Preserving the Restoration, p.302; emphasis added).
[8] “A mulligan in golf is an informal, penalty-free “do-over” shot that allows a player to replay a poor or unlucky stroke as if the first attempt never happened” (Wikipedia).
[9] “. . . Nevertheless, mankind is given time to repent. Therefore this life has become a probationary state, a time to prepare to come face to face with God. It’s a time to prepare for the endless state we talked about, which is after the resurrection of the dead” (CofC Alma 9:6; emphasis added).
[10] “. . . That which is of God is light, and he that receives light and continues in God receives more light, and that light grows brighter and brighter until the perfect day.
And again, truly I say unto you, and I say it that you may know the truth, that you may chase darkness from among you. For he that is ordained [called] of God and sent forth [chosen], the same is appointed to be the greatest, notwithstanding he is least and the servant of all. Wherefore, he is possessor of all things, for all things are subject unto him both in Heaven and on the earth: the life and the light, the spirit and the power, sent forth by the will of the Father through Jesus Christ, his Son. But no man is possessor of all things except he be purified and cleansed from all sin. And if you are purified and cleansed from all sin, you shall ask whatever you will in the name of Jesus, and it shall be done. But know this, it shall be given you what you shall ask” (RE T&C 36:4-5; emphasis added).
[11] “And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received, which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation. And this condemnation rests upon the children of Zion, even all, and they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon, and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say but to do according to that which I have written, that they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father’s kingdom. Otherwise, there remains a scourge and a judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion, for shall the children of the kingdom pollute my holy land? Truly, truly I say unto you, Nay” (RE T&C 82:20; emphasis added).
[12] “The Lectures were prepared five years into Joseph’s church ministry. It is clear he wanted
to make sure the doctrine was correct. This is the “doctrine” he prepared for that first publication
of the “Doctrine” & Covenants. Yet, despite that, we tend to rarely read this, and when we do it
is not taken seriously.
If you are going to be saved, you must be “exactly,” you must be “precisely” what Christ
is and “nothing else.” You! At the moment when you are saved this is what you must be, “or else
not be saved.
” Christ is the prototype and we must mirror Him. He proved God the Father’s word
by doing what the Father asked. This is how Christ identified Himself to the Nephites. He
“suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning.” (3 Ne. 11: 11.) Or, in other
words, Christ was obedient before this world was, and this world started in its creation after
Christ was first qualified to redeem it.
As a consequence of that doctrine, to speak of Christ is necessarily to speak of salvation.
To understand Christ is to understand salvation. Your salvation is to be understood as requiring
from you exactly what was required of Christ. You cannot be different from Christ and yet be
saved, because your salvation depends upon you being precisely what He is and nothing else.
Despite how plainly this has been put, we still stop short of comprehending this doctrine” (Christ, Denver Snuffer Jr., p.16; emphasis added).
[13] “Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen, and why are they not chosen? Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson — that the rights of the Priesthood are inseparably connected with the Powers of Heaven and that the Powers of Heaven cannot be controlled nor handled, only upon the principles of righteousness. That they may be conferred [ordained, called] upon us, it is true, but when we undertake to cover our sins or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control, or dominion, or compulsion, upon the souls of the children of men in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the Heavens withdraw themselves, the spirit of the Lord is grieved, and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man. Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God. We [God] have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion. Hence many are called, but few are chosen” (RE T&C 139:5; emphasis added).
[14] “Unto me [Paul], who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the world has been hidden in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ, to the intent that now, unto the Principalities and Powers in Heavenly places, might be known by the church the much varied wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. Wherefore, I desire that you faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory” (RE Ephesians 1:9; emphasis added).
[15] “And this greater Priesthood administers the gospel and holds the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God. Therefore, in the ordinances thereof the power of godliness is manifest, and without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the Priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto man in the flesh, for without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live” (RE T&C 82:12; emphasis added).
[16] “And now after Jesus had said this, He turned back to the crowd and addressed them again, saying: I warn you not to condemn others so that you aren’t condemned; for the reason you condemn anyone else will be the reason you’re also condemned — your standards for others will be used against you” (CofC 3 Nephi 6:5; emphasis added).
[17] “The glory of God is intelligence, or in other words, light and truth. Light and truth forsake that evil one. Every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning, and God having redeemed man from the Fall, man became again, in their infant state, innocent before God. And that wicked one comes and takes away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers. But I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth” (RE T&C 93:11; emphasis added).
[18] “These are the first principles of consolation. How consoling to the mourners when they are called to part with a husband, wife, father, mother, child, or dear relative, to know that, although the earthly tabernacle is laid down and dissolved, they shall rise again to dwell in everlasting burnings in immortal glory, not to sorrow, suffer, or die any more; but they shall be heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. What is it? To inherit the same power, the same glory and the same exaltation, until you arrive at the station of a God, and ascend the throne of eternal power, the same as those who have gone before. What did Jesus do? Why; I do the things I saw my Father do when worlds came rolling into existence. My Father worked out his kingdom with fear and trembling, and I must do the same; and when I get my kingdom, I shall present it to my Father, so that he may obtain kingdom upon kingdom, and it will exalt him in glory. He will then take a higher exaltation, and I will take his place, and thereby become exalted myself. So that Jesus treads in the tracks of his Father, and inherits what God did before; and God is thus glorified and exalted in the salvation and exaltation of all his children. It is plain beyond disputation, and you thus learn some of the first principles of the Gospel, about which so much hath been said” (TPJS. pp.347-348; emphasis added).
[19] “. . . the Father being a personage of spirit, glory, and power: possessing all perfection and fullness. . .” (RE T&C 110, Lectures on Faith 5:2; emphasis added).
[20] “During the celebration of the feast, Jesus arrived and openly taught in the temple courtyard. Hearing what he taught, the Jewish leaders were surprised and posed the question, How can he understand these complex things so well when he never received learning from us? Jesus responded to their question, My doctrine does not come from me, but from God who sent me. Anyone who walks in God’s path will understand his doctrine, because that path increases light and knowledge. I testify of that path. Follow it and you will know whether I am sent by God or I am not sent by God. Teachers who preach from their own understanding only gratify their pride, but a teacher of truth teaches only what God tells him, and that teacher provides a light worth heeding” (RE T&C 171, Testimony of Saint John 6:5; emphasis added).
[21] “. . . Thus, the Son became the Word of God because He did what the Father asked Him. Do you want to be a son or daughter of God? Do what He asks. This is what we must do to worship Him. Abinadi declared Christ would be called the Son of God (Mosiah 8:6). He explained He was “called” because He subject[ed] the flesh to the Father’s will. “We cannot be the Son of God the Father unless we subject our will to Him. We are His ‘Son’ when we are like Him because we obey Him. This was how Christ defined Himself.” Abinadi understood God. Now I ask you: Who will identify His sons and daughters? I tell you that after His life has been made a sin offering, He’ll reclaim His children. Now, what do you say? Who will be His children? I tell you that whoever has believed the prophet’s words — moreover, all the holy prophets who have prophesied about the Lord’s coming, I tell you that all those who have followed their words and believed that the Lord would redeem His people and have looked forward to that day for a remission of their sins, I tell you that these are His children, or they are heirs of God’s kingdom. These are the ones whose sins He has borne; these are the ones He has died for, to redeem them from their transgressions. And now, are they not His children? And the prophets, every one who’s proclaimed His messages, who hasn’t fallen into transgression — I mean all the holy prophets since the world began — I tell you that they are His children (Mosiah 8:8 CE). The Holy Order after the Order of the Son of God makes those who inherit it, by definition, the sons of God. Therefore, in a way, calling it the Holy Order after the Order of the Son of God is a way of identifying the recipient as someone who has become one of God’s sons. Even though a couple may be mortals in the flesh, they are by definition “sons of God” if they belong to the Order. It is the nature of this Holy Order that it is conferred upon the man and woman jointly” (A Glossary of Gospel Terms, Sons and Daughters of God, pp.322-323; emphasis added).
[22] “In the Highest Council of Heaven there was One who spoke out. And the One who spoke out was among the Gods, and He was a God. He was in the Council of the Gods, and the creation of the cosmos was organized through Him. And without Him does not exist one thing that has come into existence in the cosmos. In Him was the power of life and this power was conveyed into the cosmos as the Light in men and every thing. The Light shone in the chaos and those in darkness have not been able to grasp it” (RE T&C 1, Testimony of Saint John 1:1emphasis added).
[23] “. . . For behold, this is my work and my glory: to bring to pass the immortality and the eternal life of man. . .” (RE Genesis 1:7; emphasis added).
[24] “My son, this thing shouldn’t be. Because repentance is for those who are under condemnation and the curse of a broken law. The beginning step following repentance is baptism. And baptism comes through faith in order to fulfill the commandments; and fulfilling the commandments brings remission of sins; and the remission of sins brings meekness and a humble heart. And because of meekness and a humble heart comes the presence and gift of the Holy Ghost, and this Comforter fills with hope and perfect love, and this love endures by being diligent in prayer until the end comes, when all the holy ones will live with God” (CofC Moroni 8:5; emphasis added).
[25] “Enos tells us the Lord promised him, you will be Blessed (Enos 1:1 CE). Words matter, and this statement can be read in the future tense. Enos is not promised that he is blessed but that in some future event or events he “[will]” be blessed. If Blessed is another name given to Enos by the Lord, then here is another wonderful revelation about Enos’ relationship with God. These words could be punctuated: “…[you will] be Blessed,” meaning the Lord gave to Enos the new name “Blessed” at the time of their first meeting. If so, then in the concluding verse of his record, Enos is telling us of the future time when the Lord will call him by the new name “Blessed,” while assuring him of the mansion which belongs to him in the Father’s kingdom.
Enoch was 25 years old when he was ordained by the hand of Adam, and forty years later (when he was 65), Adam “blessed” him. Once the power came (from the “blessing”), he saw the Lord, and he walked with him, and was before his face continually; and he walked with God three hundred sixty-five years, making him four hundred thirty years old when he was translated (T&C 154:15). So, he is ordained (the first requirement), then he is “blessed” (the second part), which has the effect of him becoming “continually before the Lord” (the intended result of ordination). And Enoch lived sixty-five years and begot Methuselah (Genesis 3:25). Enoch had been ordained to the priesthood but was not a father until he was “blessed” and entered the Lord’s presence.” (A Glossary of Gospel Terms, Blessed, p.38, emphasis added).
[26] “The Law also says for you to love your neighbor, and lets you even hate your enemy. But now I say to you: Love your enemies also, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you, so you may become the children of your Father who is in heaven, for He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good. Therefore everything ordained anciently under the Law of Moses has all been fulfilled through Me. Those prior things are over and I implement these new things. . .” (CofC 3 Nephi 5:31; emphasis added).
[27] “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do — meaning the soldiers who crucified him. . . “(RE Luke 13:21; emphasis added).
[28] “Finally, he shouted to the people: I’m the guilty one, and these men are spotless before God. He began to defend them from that time forward. But the crowd yelled insults at him, saying: Are you also possessed by the devil? Then they spit on him and threw him out of their city, as well as anyone who believed in the words taught by Alma and Amulek. They expelled them and sent men to throw stones at them. Then they gathered the wives and children of those they threw out, and anyone who remained in the city who believed in God’s word, and threw them all into a bonfire. They also gathered their records containing the holy scriptures, and threw them into the fire to burn them up.
Then they forced Alma and Amulek to go where they were killing the martyrs, to make them watch the people being killed in the fire. When Amulek saw the pains of the women and children dying in the fire, he was shocked and pained. He said to Alma: How can we watch this awful scene? Let’s stretch out our hands and use God’s power given to us to save them from the flames. But Alma replied: The Spirit restrains me from stretching out my hand. Understand that the Lord receives them up to Himself in glory. He allows them to do this thing — that is, He permits the people to do this to them because of the hardness of their hearts, so that His judgments punishing them in His wrath will be justified and righteous. The blood of the innocent will stand as a witness and testify powerfully against them at the last day. Now Amulek said to Alma: Maybe they’ll burn us too. And Alma replied: If that’s according to the Lord’s will so be it. However, our work isn’t finished; so they won’t burn us” (CofC Alma 10:6-7; emphasis added).
Scott Roderick
10/27/2026
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