Life's Purpose and the Doctrine of Christ

In the new Proclamation to the World given yesterday by President Nelson, “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” it says that the Book of Mormon “teaches of life’s purpose and explains the doctrine of Christ, which is central to that purpose.”  The proclamation  does not reference specific passages of the Book of Mormon, so I thought I would explore in more detail what the book actually says about life’s purpose and the doctrine of Christ.  

               Of life’s purpose, Amulek taught, “For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors” (Alma 34:42).  This life is also meant to allow us to prepare to return to meet God—that is our great purpose here.  Alma similarly put it this way, “There was a space granted unto man in which he might repent; therefore this life became a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God; a time to prepare for that endless state which has been spoken of by us, which is after the resurrection of the dead” (Alma 12:24).  Lehi said it this way: “The days of the children of men were prolonged, according to the will of God, that they might repent while in the flesh; wherefore, their state became a state of probation, and their time was lengthened, according to the commandments which the Lord God gave unto the children of men. For he gave commandment that all men must repent.”  The days of our probation were lengthened so that we would have time to repent, to change, to become more like God as we prepare to meet Him.  He also added, “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy” (2 Nephi 2:21,25).  As we repent and prepare to meet Him we can be filled with joy in this life, and that is one of the great purposes of mortality.

               The Book of Mormon also teaches us the doctrine of Christ.  Nephi taught us “concerning the doctrine of Christ” when he explained our need to follow Christ and be baptized.  He wrote, “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” (2 Nephi 31:2,13).  The doctrine of Christ includes following the Son, repenting, being baptized for the remission of sins, and receiving the Holy Ghost.  The Savior put it this way when He was among the Nephites, “And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that 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…. Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and I bear record of it from the Father; and whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also; and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost” (3 Nephi 11:32-35).  Here again He taught that His doctrine consists of believing in Him, repenting, being baptized, and receiving the Holy Ghost.  That is what it means to follow Him, and the Book of Mormon simply and repeatedly declares this simple doctrine of Christ.    

The proclamation states that the doctrine of Christ “is central” to life’s purpose, and that is clear because we prepare to meet God—our purpose here—by following the doctrine of Christ.  Our best preparation comes in following Christ, taking upon us His name through baptism, and receiving the Holy Ghost to guide our path in mortality.  After explaining the doctrine of Christ, Nephi described how we successfully fulfil our purpose on earth in these words, “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…. This is the doctrine of Christ” (2 Nephi 31:20-21).  As we follow the doctrine of Christ and endure with faith on Him we will indeed successfully pass the test of mortality and be prepared to meet the Father, who will at the judgment day say to us, “Ye shall have eternal life.”