There is a lot of misunderstanding about what the doctrine of Christ is and isn't. Also, there is a lot of misunderstanding about the requirements for being saved. We have added a lot to these requirements, much like the Jews in ancient times did.
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3 Nephi 11:31-40
31 Behold, verily,
verily, I say unto you, I will declare unto you my doctrine.
32 And this is my
doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I
bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy
Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father
commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me.
33 And whoso
believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they
who shall inherit the kingdom of God.
34 And whoso
believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned.
35 Verily, verily, I
say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and I bear record of it from the
Father; and whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also; and unto him
will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the
Holy Ghost.
36 And thus will the
Father bear record of me, and the Holy Ghost will bear record unto him of the
Father and me; for the Father, and I, and the Holy Ghost are one.
37 And again I say
unto you, ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my
name, or ye can in nowise receive these things.
38 And again I say
unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little
child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.
39 Verily, verily, I
say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth
upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.
40 And whoso shall
declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same
cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy
foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods
come and the winds beat upon them.
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So here is Christ's doctrine:
1. Repent
2. Believe
3. Be baptized
4. Receive the Holy Ghost
Why is this all there is? Don't we need lots of rules to keep us in line? Don't the rules matter?
Matthew 22:36-40
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
But what happens if we break the rules? Aren't the rules there to make us holy and keep us clean?
Luke 18:10-14
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Luke 7:47-50
47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
Lectures on Faith, Lecture 7:17
Who cannot see, then, that salvation is the effect of faith? for as we have previously observed, all the heavenly beings work by this principle; and it is because they are able so to do that they are saved: for nothing but this could save them. And this is the lesson which the God of heaven, by the mouth of all his holy prophets, has been endeavoring to teach to the world. Hence we are told, that without faith it is impossible to please God; and that salvation is of faith, that it might be by grace to the end, the promise might be sure to all the seed. Romans 4:16. And that Israel, who followed after the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law; for they stumbled at that stumbling stone.
We equate in large measure, repentance, with whatever it is you're doing with your genitals. Joseph equates redemption and repentance with whatever it is you're doing with your heart and with your mind. (Denver Snuffer, Preserving the Restoration lecture series - lecture 1)
Joseph Smith:
A man is saved no faster than he gets knowledge, for if he does not get knowledge, he will be brought into captivity by some evil power in the other world.
Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 217)
"You might as well baptize a bag of sand as a man if not done in view of the remission of sins and getting of the Holy Ghost. Baptism by water is but half a baptism, and is good for nothing without the other half-that is, the baptism of the Holy Ghost" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 314).
This first Comforter or Holy Ghost has no other effect than pure intelligence. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.149)
No man can receive the Holy Ghost without receiving revelations. The Holy Ghost is a revelator. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.328)
"We were filled with the Holy Ghost, and rejoiced in the God of our salvation. Our minds being now enlightened, we began to have the scriptures laid open to our understandings, and the true meaning and intention of their more mysterious passages revealed unto us in a manner which we never could attain to previously, nor ever before had thought of" (JS-H 1:73-74)
D&C 130:18-19
18 Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.
19 And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.
Christ's Church:
D&C 10:67-68
67 Behold, this is my doctrine—whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church.
68 Whosoever declareth more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is against me; therefore he is not of my church.
2 Nephi 32:5-6
5 For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.
6 Behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and there will be no more doctrine given until after he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh. And when he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh, the things which he shall say unto you shall ye observe to do.
2 Nephi 31:17-21
17 Wherefore, do the
things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer
should do; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know
the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance
and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by
the Holy Ghost.
18 And then are ye
in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have
entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the
Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the
Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that
if ye entered in by the way ye should receive.
19 And now, my
beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I
would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come
thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying
wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.
20 Wherefore, ye
must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness
of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press
forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus
saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.
21 And now, behold,
my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name
given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now,
behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end.
Amen.
So can anyone join Christ's Church? Are there any prerequisites? Does one have to be a member of the LDS church? Is it possible to be baptized by someone with authority and not be confirmed a member of the LDS church and still receive the Holy Ghost? Can any institution control how a person receives the Holy Ghost? Does Christ need any servant at the gate to direct us in the way? Does anyone other than Christ and the individual disciple have any control over this process?
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