We have heard from His Own lips, words telling us what Jesus Christ did, and for what purpose. Now let us hear, from those same lips, the things we should do. "...This is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the Earth, and come unto Me and be baptized in My Name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before Me at the Last Day. Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is My Gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in My Church; for the works which ye have seen Me do that shall ye also do; for that which ye have seen Me do even that shall ye do...." (vv. 20-21)
Now we being imperfect, nevertheless are commanded to do the things we have seen our Lord and Savior do, Who to us is perfect. However, it is not a hard thing that is required of us. Remember the words of one of God's holy prophets: "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Micah 6:8) To walk with God is to go where He goes and to do the things you see Him do. No more, no less is our allotted portion. The reason for so doing is made clear in verse 19, where we are told: "...no unclean thing can enter into His Kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into His rest save it be those who have washed their garments in My blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end."
Sin is something unclean, it is filthy; evil also is unclean. The Savior said: "No unclean thing can enter into God's Kingdom."
Through faith on Christ's Name, and repentance from sin, man is washed clean of evil by being immersed in the Waters of Baptism by one who has been commissioned to perform that sacred Ordinance. Not only is he cleansed from sin, but if his repentance is sincere he will receive the Holy Ghost which will guide him along that Path which is straight and narrow. And what is more, as blood is the life-giver in this mortal existence he may look to the shedding of Christ's blood and to His resurrection from the dead as salvation from the effects of Adam's Sin, and therein, with hope, look forward to Immortality, and by the grace of God, to that Life in the Kingdom of God which is eternal. Man may see his uncleanness swallowed up in everlasting and glorious victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Ordinance of Baptism, when upheld by our faith and repentance, cleanses us from all sin and blameworthiness; our garments, or in other words, our lives, are made white as snow. Our transgressions are forgiven, and, therefore, if we continue in well-doing unto the end, the Savior also said that such a one may enter the rest that abides in God's Kingdom.
In words the most beautiful and simple, Nephi, the son of the Prophet Lehi, in a discourse delivered before his elder brothers, deals emphatically with this very subject. He tells them how the voices of both the Father and the Son came to him, the voice of the Father testifying of the Son, and the voice of the Son, saying: "Wherefore, follow Me, and do the things which ye see Me do." But, said Nephi, "My beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?"
The passage of Book of Mormon Scripture to which we refer is in detail Nephi's comments, and for us to comment on his comments is like a novice attempting to improve the work of a master. Therefore we reproduce Chapter 31, II Nephi, with the prayer in our hearts that the Holy Spirit will render its message, most for our good and greatest for the glory of our Father which is in Heaven.
"And now I, Nephi, make an end of my prophesying unto you, my beloved brethren. And I cannot write but a few things, which I know must surely come to pass; neither can I write but a few of the words of my brother Jacob.
"Wherefore, the things which I have written sufficeth me, save it be a few words which I must speak concerning the doctrine of Christ; wherefore, I shall speak unto you plainly, according to the plainness of my prophesying.
"For my soul delighteth in plainness; for after this manner doth the Lord God work among the children of men. For the Lord God giveth light unto the understanding; for he speaketh unto men according to their language, unto their understanding.
"Wherefore, I would that ye should remember that I have spoken unto you concerning that prophet which the Lord showed unto me, that should baptize the Lamb of God, which should take away the sins of the world.
"And now, if the Lamb of God, he being holy, should have need to be baptized by water, to fulfil all righteousness, O then, how much more need have we, being unholy, to be baptized, yea, even by water!
And now, I would ask of you, my beloved brethren, wherein the Lamb of God did fulfil all righteousness in being baptized by water?
"Know ye not that he was holy? But notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments.
"Wherefore, after he was baptized with water the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove.
"And again, it showeth unto the children of men the straightness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which they should enter, he having set the example before them.
"And he said unto the children of men: Follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?
"And the Father said: Repent ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my Beloved Son.
"And also, the voice of the Son came unto me, saying: He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the Holy Ghost, like unto me; wherefore, follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do.
"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism-yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.
"But, behold, my beloved brethren, thus came the voice of the Son unto me, saying: After ye have repented of your sins, and witnessed unto the Father that ye are willing to keep my commandments, by the baptism of water, and have received the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost, and can speak with a new tongue, yea, even with the tongue of angels, and after this should deny me, it would have been better for you that ye had not known me.
"And I heard a voice from the Father, saying: Yea, the words of my Beloved are true and faithful. He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.
"And now, my beloved brethren, I know by this that unless a man shall endure to the end, in following the example of the Son of the living God, he cannot be saved.
"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.
"And then are ye in this straight 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.
"And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this straight 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.
"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.
"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.
We hesitate to comment further on these wondrous promises of the Lord which He gave to us through His Nephite Disciples, but in humility we repeat the Savior's words which in the end is the sum and substance of all our joy, our happiness and peace: "Therefore, if ye do these things blessed are ye, for ye shall be lifted up at the Last Day." (v. 22)
Men to be judges by what is written in the books