The Lamb of God

In The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, Jesus is often referred to as "The Lamb of God."

In The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, Jesus is often referred to as "The Lamb of God." Today, I've been pondering what this name means.

In the beginning, before the earth was formed and before mankind was placed on the face thereof, Jesus Christ was chosen. God, our Ethernal Father--our Father--knew that we all would sin. And yet, He loved us! (see John 3:16) 

His purpose is for us to return to Him, clean and pure. In and through the atonement of Christ the Lord, our return to God is possible! Simply put, Jesus is the Lamb without blemish, the pure and spotless sacrifice offered by God for us--in our behalf. The Law of Moses and the Law of Sacrifice instituted from the beginning looked forward to the offering of Jesus Christ--His blood, shed in the Garden of Gethsemane, and His body offered on the cross of Golgotha. 

Revelation 7:14

John 1:36

Nephi's numerous references to "the Lamb of God."

"Forty-four references to 'the Lamb' appear in Nephi's vision in 1 Nephi 11-14 alone," (https://archive.bookofmormoncentral.org/node/243, accessed on 27 June 2020).

I know that my Redeemer lives!

I know that my Redeemer lives! He is all that the Book of Mormon testifies that He is! He was bruised for our iniquities and, He knows our pain! (what makes Jesus Christ so important?) Jesus is the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. He came to Earth to take upon Him the sins, shortcomings, and frailties of all humankind. He is the King Immanuel--God with us. I know that He will come again, and at this very moment, this sphere is being prepared! To Joseph Smith Jesus said, "I, God, knowing the calamities which should come upon the children of men called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jr., and gave him commandments . . . that faith might increase in the earth,"

calamity (is this a single event? Is this, or could this be the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet? {referenced by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland in the talk about the sister missionaries who got spat upon.} What is the abomination of desolation? Is it not the natural consequences of sin setting in or taking their disastrous effect? Obedience to God's commandments assures us of Divine Favor--through righteousness, we are naturally qualified for protection. I could site many examples. He that is tithed shall not be burned at the last day. That is significant doctrine! If I am willing to put my money where my mouth is, figuratively speaking, I am assured of preservation, because where a man's treasure is, there will his heart be also. I know that Jesus is laboring to preserve scattered Israel in our time! The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ is very bold and very clear on that point.

Questions from My "Daughter"

I wrote the following letter for an assignment a BYU-Pathway Worldwide PathwayConnect course I am taking.

Dear Jane,

I am so very, very glad, and grateful, that you have come to me! You may not know until you are a parent how much it means that you have come to me with your questions and concerns. If I understand your concerns, your question, in essence, is why does God give us commandments? Is that right? Do God’s commandments take away our agency? If He loves us so much, why do we have to be baptized to return to Him? If God gave us agency--freedom of choice--why does He then ask us not to do certain things? To answer your questions, let’s go to the scriptures. Providentially, the prophets of The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ have answered these questions. Heavenly Father knew you were going to ask. That is why He gave you this book!

In His instructions to His followers in the Americas, our resurrected Lord said: 

the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me. And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God. And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned (3 Nephi 11:32-34).

Jesus is love personified. He teaches us here in humility. This is not a threat, but rather, a very direct statement. If you follow Him and receive baptism, you will be saved. If you do not follow and you are not baptized, you will be halted in your progress (this is the definition of “damned”). When He was suffering the agony of His atonement and eternity weighed upon Him, Isaiah says:

when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied; by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. . . . he hath poured out his soul unto death; and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bore the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors (Mosiah 14:10-12, The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ). 

Later, about this scripture the prophet Abinadi explained:

And who shall be his seed? Behold I say unto you, that whosoever has heard the words of the prophets, yea, all the holy prophets who have prophesied concerning the coming of the Lord—I say unto you, that all those who have hearkened unto 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 say unto you, that these are his seed, or they are the heirs of the kingdom of God. For these are they whose sins he has borne; these are they for whom he has died, to redeem them from their transgressions. And now, are they not his seed?

Because God’s laws are immutable, only the righteous will be saved. 

Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah (2 Nephi 2:8, The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ).

This is why we preach repentance. In his final sermon to a group of inhabitants in the Americas, righteous King Benjamin declared:

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 (Mosiah 3:17, The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ).

There is no other way. Jesus really is the only way (see also 2 Nephi 9:41; 2 Nephi 25:20; 2 Nephi 31:21; Acts 4:12).

God loves us. He loves us deeply, and because He loves us deeply, He gives commandments. He knows it is only in and through the commandments—in and through Christ—that we may become like Him. This is the sublime opportunity He gave us when He awarded us our agency in the our life before life on earth (see Moses 4:3; The Pearl of Great Price of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).

Satan will tell you, “I am no devil, for there is none,” (2 Nephi 28:22). He is a master deceiver. His servants and those who are without God in the world will tell you that the commandments are foolishness. This simply is not true. Satan and the world will say, “if you always keep the commandments, then you have no choices!” This is a blatant and boldface lie. Obedience to God’s laws is a choice. The Restored Church of Jesus Christ is different from the world by design. Satan is very good at making sin look appealing. Dig beyond the surface of sin and you find all of the consequences! Smoking leads to bad health, addiction, and a number of other negative physical and spiritual consequences. Drinking alcohol exposes you to a litany of ills, liabilities and risks—not the least of which is alcoholism. Drugs are a similar story as is the use of sexual passions outside of marriage. The truth is, you can always make choices. What Satan leaves out are the consequences(see 2 Nephi 2:17-19). From the beginning, his song has been, “have what you want now and you shall have no consequences.” This is simply and thoroughly false.  

Do we have to go through certain steps in order to return to God? Yes. The truth is, if taken deep into our souls, the commandments change us. Obedience is not hoop-jumping. It is practice! Repentance is not hoop-jumping. It is practice. Christ’s gospel is the way. Following Christ is the way. If we follow, we become more like Him. This is the beautiful truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Would it be more loving if God simply let everyone come back to Him? No. If we have not repented of our sins, we will not want to live with Him! The fact is, if we don’t follow Jesus, we are filthy! Moroni talks about this in Mormon 9:3-4 in The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. 

Do ye suppose that [after death] ye shall dwell with [Jesus Christ] under a consciousness of your guilt? Do ye suppose that ye could be happy to dwell with that holy Being, when your souls are racked with a consciousness of guilt that ye have ever abused his laws? Behold, I say unto you that ye would be more miserable to dwell with a holy and just God, under a consciousness of your filthiness before him, than ye would to dwell with the damned souls in hell. 

Think about it this way. If you were smoking and drinking, doing drugs, or breaking the law of chastity, would you feel comfortable in the Holy Temple, the House of the Lord? No. This is why we have the Holy Temple—so that on earth we may qualify for and literally prepare to enter into God’s presence. 

God’s commandments, especially those mentioned in the interview for your temple recommendation, prepare you to enter His presence and feel worthy. They are the way! After our resurrection, all of us will be brought back into the presence of Jesus Christ (at least temporarily) to be judged of Him. To the His Nephite disciples He Said:

And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil—And for this cause have I been lifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their works. And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world. (3 Nephi 27: 14-15, The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ). 

In his July 2011 BYU Devotional talk Brother Brad Wilcox taught that after Jesus Christ offers His grace to us—that power of deliverance which He was granted through His immeasurable atonement and suffering,  “what is left to be determined by our obedience is what kind of body we plan on being resurrected with [telestial, terrestrial, or Celestial—see 1 Corinthians 15:40-41, The Holy Bible] and how comfortable we plan to be in God’s presence and how long we plan to stay there”. By the choices we make, we decide what we become, by believing in or not believing in and following Jesus Christ. If we believe and sincerely repent, we will be comfortable in God’s presence. What a blessing! God always loves us! Always. That is His nature. Through our faith in Christ and our humble repentance, we demonstrate how much we love Him! (And I do love Him! I want to obey Him with all my heart!) Obedience to His laws and ordinances brings us back into His presence. Jesus Christ is the way. He showed us the way! If we become pure through Him and learn to love as He loves, when we see Him, we shall be like Him! (See Moroni 7:48.)

We choose to obey or not obey and by doing so, we choose our desired eternal rewards. Satan advertises, “get thrills now,” and leaves out the eternal consequences you will pay later. Satan says, as an obedient member of the Church, “you cannot sin. Restricted by the commandments, no earthly pleasure is yours!” This is not true! What is true is that we cannot sin and still get a good reward! It simply doesn’t work like that! “Wickedness never was happiness,” (see Alma 41:10)! When we make a choice, we get both ends of the stick—our choice, and the consequence. Satan’s lie is get what you want now, for this life. There is no afterlife. He is a liar from the beginning (see Doctrine and Covenants of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 93:25). 

O, daughter. I know that God loves us. Because He loves us, He gives us commandments not a few. If we follow His commandments with faith in Jesus Christ, we will be blessed—eternally. The commandment of the Father is to repent and believe in His Son. If we do this, we will be blessed. Of this I testify.

The Prophet Joseph Smith and the Restoration of Christ's Authorized Church

God's Prophet, Joseph Smith

Many people attack the #ProphetJosephSmith, calling him delusional, a fraud, an evil genius, a charlatan, or a philanderer. I testify that Joseph was righteous! Anyone can know this who will ask of God. Every question has an answer! Please comment below. #josephsmith

Our Fate Without the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ

I wrote this response for my PathwayConnect Religion 275 Doctrines and Teachings of The Book of Mormon Class.

How would you respond to a younger brother or sister who asks you, “Why do our church leaders always teach us about the Atonement of Christ and the resurrection? Why are they so important?”

Without the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we would all be lost (Alma 34:9). The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is part of His atonement for us. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ teaches us that if there were no resurrection, all mankind would be subject to Satan. He would be our master (2 Nephi 9:8-9)! The resurrection redeems us from that awful fate. Jesus Christ ransomed us from the effects of the fall of Adam and Eve. One of the effects of the fall of our first parents is that all humanity became subject to Satan, being separated from God’s presence and influence. On earth, because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we have a choice (2 Nephi 2:4, 26-27). Because of Christ’s atonement for sin, we have an option. If there were no atonement made, we would not have the option of returning to God. We would simply be lost, subject to sin. We would suffer the full effects of God’s law, subject to Satan, for eternity. Because He loved us, God offered His perfect Son, Jesus Christ as a ransom for us. Through His atonement and resurrection, Jesus has made us free!

The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ: A Fictitious Fraud, a Delusion, or The Word Of God

The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ is either a fictitious fraud, a delusion, or, it is the word of God.

From the very first line of its title page, The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ declares itself to be an ancient record. From the very first sentence, the weight of the text, this witness of Jesus Christ, is substantial. Over 500 pages long in the modern edition, the text itself unquestionably claims it is an ancient work (see the Title Page, introduction to 1 Nephi and 1 Nephi 1:1-3, to cite just three examples).

If the book was authored by Joseph Smith (or any other modern author), then it is simply false. Based on the claims of the text itself, I see no other option. The first line of the title page says the book is, "an account written by the hand of Mormon [a historical character from the book] upon [metal] plates, taken from the plates of Nephi [another character from the book]." Either this statement is true, or it is not.

Joseph Smith and those associated with him either lied and patently deceived the world about what the Book of Mormon was, or they unquestionably believed what they were saying. If they were deluded, then it was an honest (and quite unusual) delusion (three of Joseph's associates solemnly testified that they saw and heard an angel, saw the ancient Book of Mormon plates, and witnessed that they heard the very voice of God testify to them that the Book of Mormon record was true; eight of his associates testified that they saw and handled The Book of Mormon plates).

I know that The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ is true. I know this because of what God has told me, personally. This book witnesses of Jesus Christ. It is significant evidence that Jesus Christ has set His hand again to recover His ancient covenant people.

"We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."

Lately, I was impressed with a thought, "Share the Book of Mormon daily."

The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ (the first witness of Jesus Christ is the Holy Bible). The scripture in my title comes from 2 Nephi 25:26 in the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. I am writing this blog for my children. I hope it will become a resource for them in the future.

Nephi, in the above scripture, identifies the purpose of his writing and teaching. I want my children to have no doubt about where we find salvation. Salvation is in Jesus Christ and in Him alone.

The voices of the world are sly and sophisticated. Those who are better-dressed and well-educated will mock at the doctrine of Christ. My children, these things are true. One of the greatest witnesses we have of Jesus Christ is The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

Produced by a 23-year-old third-grade educated farmer from Upstate New York, this book fits the definition of a marvelous work and a wonder. This book has been the reason your ancestors were gathered from the United States, Canada, Great Brittain, Scandinavia, Italy, Switzerland, and other lands. The coming forth of the book is a sign that Jesus Christ has set his hand again to gather His people! It is a marvelous work and a wonder. By this book, the wisdom of the world's wise men shall perish and the learning and understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. I testify to you before God and before His holy angels in heaven that the Book of Mormon is true! I know this from God. I believed these things before I knew them but the day came when I knew and I knew that I knew, and I knew that God knew that I knew and I cannot deny it, neither dare I do it! I have had my doubt removed on this matter.

My children, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true! Jesus Christ personally and literally appeared to Joseph Smith in the year 1820. He did in very deed appoint Joseph to this work! I know that this is true! Joseph was chosen at a tender age, and God prepared him, line upon line. Joseph was not perfect! None of us is, but we are called to do great things for the Lord--all of us. The miracles and wonders done and prophesied in the scriptures are to be done by us. Humility before the Lord will give us great power.

In Helaman chapter 10 in The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, we learn a priceless truth: God rewards His children who declare His word with unwearyingness. My children, let us be as tireless as we can in declaring God's word to the world! As we do so, God will bestow upon us great power.