Today’s Reading: Mosiah 3: 6-18
17 And moreover, I say unto you, 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.
I have seen a mighty unfortunate “trend” in our society today. This trend says that believing in a God is not reasonable and indeed, there is no Christ. This belief, or rather lack of belief, offers heartache, lack of fulfillment and is void of a path of covenants that lead back to our Heavenly Father.
King Benjamin teaches, “And moreover, I say unto you, 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.” Jesus, the Christ, is the only way to return to our Heavenly Father. Let’s explore just a few reasons why that is.
Saving Ordinances
First, it is through our Savior that saving ordinances have been restored. One of these saving ordinance is baptism. Baptism is THE gate into the Celestial Kingdom (i) where our Heavenly Father dwells. Having had people muse that there is no need for baptism, let’s remind them, as did Nephi, (ii) that our perfect, sinless Savior, Himself, had need of baptism. Are we better than He? That thought is inconceivable. It is also important to note that saving ordinances are only valid when performed with the proper authority, even the Holy Priesthood, which has been restored to us today, again made possible by our Savior.
Repentance
Here in lies our problem: Adam fell. This presents two obstacles- sin and death. We have a terrible problem in that we can’t enter into God’s presence with sin, and we can’t overcome sin by ourselves. This situation creates more than a desire for a Savior, it is a bone- deep need. Someone had to willingly pay the price or ALL of the posterity of Adam would be lost. What a chilling thought, and yet, because of the atonement, we can choose our Savior, thus choosing to be saved. He paid a heavy price so that He could not only bear our worst heartaches, but also provide a way to repent of sins both large and small; this requires a belief, not only in a Most High God but also in His sinless Son.
Resurrection
Adam falling created obstacles: sin (see above) and death. We know that as many spirits such as Adam and Eve, and Isaac and Abraham, awaited our Savior to literally burst the bands of death, they found their situation of being separated from their bodies to be “bondage.” (iii) Further, the need to have our body and spirit is more than just a feeling of bondage; if we could not participate in the resurrection, we would become angels to a devil. (iv) We also read that we “shouted for joy” (v) at the prospect of coming to earth and gaining a body, so it does make perfect sense that we will miss our bodies, as did Adam and Eve, when we will no longer have them. The joy for us is that our Savior has already burst these bands and has freed the captives. If we repent and are cleansed through the very blood of our precious Savior, we will look forward to our own saving ordinance of resurrection with great anticipation.
With all the energy of my soul, I testify that we do, unequivocally need a Savior. In fact, on a more personal note: I need a Savior. I need Him to heal my heartaches, provide saving ordinances, make my scarlet sins “white as snow” (vi), and provide a way back to my Heavenly Father, whom I miss deeply and thank my Savior profoundly for such a possibility. Jesus, the Christ, is the ONLY way back to the presence of our God. He is, additionally, the singular one who could offer such a path and we CHOSE to follow Him in this role in the pre-mortal realm. His way offers peace, joy, and eternal life. It is only through the name of Jesus Christ that these blessings can be secured.
Jeni Brockbank and her husband Bart are parents to 6 amazing children. She finds great joy in being a wife and mother and feels that both callings are sacred privileges. Jeni is a continual student of the scriptures and loves to share her testimony with anyone who will listen. She teaches choir, is crafty and is grateful on a daily basis to live a few blocks from the Brigham City, UT temple.