Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ

When Paul and Silas were cast into prison in Philippi, they were put under the care of a jailor. There was an earthquake in the middle of the night, and that jailor awoke to find all of the doors open. He was ready to kill himself because he assumed the prisoners were gone, but Paul stopped him and assured him that they were still there. I love the question he then asked these missionaries: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Paul’s answer was this: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” This verse and the few following it focus not just on how this man could receive salvation but his family also. Paul and Silas “spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house” (Acts 16:30-34). Each of these verses highlights how both he and “his house” (meaning I believe those in his family and living with him) received the gospel and were converted. The gospel of Jesus Christ was not just for him but for all of his household who were blessed because he first believed on Jesus Christ. Perhaps one of the messages of this story then is that all our household is blessed when we choose to believe in Jesus Christ. This was evident in a dramatic way for this man whose life was saved because of these missionaries who taught him to believe in Jesus instead of seeking to take his own life, an event which would have devastated and likely ruined his family. Instead, he chose faith in Jesus Christ and his household was blessed for it.

                Another example in the scriptures of how one believing in Christ helped his or her whole family is the story of Lamoni. As he was converted he declared to his wife, “Blessed be the name of God, and blessed art thou. For as sure as thou livest, behold, I have seen my Redeemer; and he shall come forth, and be born of a woman, and he shall redeem all mankind who believe on his name.” She likewise gained a witness of the Savior and declared, “O blessed Jesus, who has saved me from an awful hell! O blessed God, have mercy on this people!” She and Lamoni then helped dispel the contention among the people and the household of Lamoni “did all declare unto the people the selfsame thing—that their hearts had been changed; that they had no more desire to do evil” (Alma 19:12-13, 29, 33). And so because of Lamoni’s choice to believe in Jesus Christ, his whole family and house were blessed to come to know the Lord. And it didn’t stop there. Lamoni shared his faith with his father who (though at first was angry) eventually received Aaron to teach him of the Savior. Aaron taught “the plan of redemption, which was prepared from the foundation of the world, through Christ, for all whosoever would believe on his name. And since man had fallen he could not merit anything of himself; but the sufferings and death of Christ atone for their sins, through faith and repentance, and so forth.” The king was eventually converted, and then “the king stood forth, and began to minister unto them. And he did minister unto them, insomuch that his whole household were converted unto the Lord” (Alma 22:13, 23). His choice to believe in Jesus Christ blessed his whole family who likewise received the blessings of the gospel. Of course, our choice to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ does not mean that all members of our family will fully embrace it, but they will be blessed for our faith. When we struggle with how to help our families through various challenges that they face, perhaps we would do well to remember Paul’s invitation as the best way to bring them aid: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” As we show forth our faith in Jesus Christ, they too will be blessed.