The Power of Simple Principles

This was a good week.  I celebrated my 34th birthday with my family.  It was the first birthday I've celebrated at home since 2011, and so it was nice to be here again.

As I teaching my D&C class a few weeks ago, we came to D&C 131:5-6, which teaches the Saints about the meaning of having their calling an election made sure.  Since I know next to nothing about the subject, I cited this famous quotation from the Prophet Joseph Smith:  "The other Comforter spoken of is a subject of great interest, and perhaps understood by few of this generation.  After a person has faith in Christ, repents of his sins, and is baptized for the remission of his sins and receives the Holy Ghost, (by the laying on of hands), which is the first Comforter, then let him continue to humble himself before God, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, and living by every word of God, and the Lord will soon say unto him, Son, thou shalt be exalted.  When the Lord has thoroughly proved him, and finds that the man is determined to serve Him at all hazards, then the man will find his calling and election made sure, then it will be his privilege to receive the other Comforter, which the Lord has promised the Saints" (Joseph Smith, TPJS, 150).

After reading the Prophet's quotation, I talked to the class about the pattern that the Prophet had laid out in order for us to make our calling and election sure, or to receive the sure promise of eternal life. It is a rather simple pattern, laid out in several places throughout the holy scriptures.  1) We must obtain faith in Jesus Christ.  2) We must repent of our sins.  3) We must be baptized by immersion for the remission of sins.  4) We must receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and enjoy the comfort that He brings.  5) We must endure to the end, which the Prophet defines as continuing to humble ourselves before God, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, and living by the words of God.  In other words, we are to live the simple patterns of the gospel that we teach to even the youngest primary children and the newest converts to the gospel.  As we do so, we receive the promise that in God's own time and way, He will give us the promise of eternal life.

It's not altogether uncommon for us to joke about these so-called "Sunday School answers," and to hope to learn about the so-called "deeper doctrines," generally including this principle of making one's calling and election sure.  And yet, the Lord continues to repeat this timeless simple message to us throughout his words.  When God wanted to teach Adam the gospel following the fall, these are the things that He taught him (Moses 6:51-68).  When Nephi wanted to give his last discourse to his people and commit his final testimony to writing, these are the things that he taught (2 Nephi 31, particularly verses 17-21).  And when the Savior came to visit the Nephites, fulfilling countless prophecies, His first words were about faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end (3 Nephi 11:31-41).  In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion that when He comes again to reclaim His throne upon this earth, His first words to the assembled billions will be of faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.

The simple truth is that these simple truths we teach to the youngest primary children and the newest investigators and converts, are the most profound and transformative doctrines that heaven has to offer us in this life.  If we are wise, we never leave the first principles and ordinances behind in our quest for doctrinal understanding and scriptural truth.  None of us has mastered the principle of faith, which is the very power by which the world was made.  None of us has fully repented of all our sins and overcome all imperfection through the Atonement.  None of us has outgrown the baptismal covenant, which we desperately need to renew each Sabbath day.  None of us completely enjoy the full promise of the Gift of the Holy Ghost, which is that we may "always have His Spirit to be with us."  These are the tasks that encapsulate enduring to the end.  It is only through continually humbling ourselves before God, learning how to hunger and thirst after righteousness consistently, and then feasting upon and living by every word of God that we begin to learn the depth of each of these simple principles.

Regardless of where we may be along the path back to our Heavenly Home, there is much for us to learn.  The danger comes when we think that we know it all.  May we all learn to more fully "press forward with a steadfastness in Christ" (2 Nephi 31:20) that we may one day hear those choice and holy words: "Son or Daughter, thou shalt be exalted."

Brett