Declarations of the Savior

 As Moroni recounted the story of the brother of Jared, he left us with numerous powerful declarations from the Savior Himself about who He is and how we can come unto Him. For example, as the veil was rent and He showed Himself to the brother of Jared He said this: “Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters.” This was the premortal Jehovah, declaring His calling from before the foundation of the world to offer redemption for all mankind, even eternal life to all those who will believe on Him. He is the Son of God and the Father of our salvation, and this account of the brother of Jared witnesses that through faith in Him we too can be “redeemed from the fall” (Ether 3:13-14).

                After Moroni recorded this story, he told how the account of the brother of Jared was written and hid up according to the commandment he received. He then recorded the words that the Lord gave to him directly in what is now 14 verses, and these contain some of the most direct declarations and powerful invitations anywhere in scriptures about the Savior and how to come unto Him. He declared, “In that day that they shall exercise faith in me, saith the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did, that they may become sanctified in me, then will I manifest unto them the things which the brother of Jared saw, even to the unfolding unto them all my revelations, saith Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of the heavens and of the earth, and all things that in them are.” With faith in Him as we become sanctified we can likewise have the revelations of the Lord manifest unto us. He continued, “But he that believeth these things which I have spoken, him will I visit with the manifestations of my Spirit, and he shall know and bear record. For because of my Spirit he shall know that these things are true.” If we will but believe in Him, we will have the manifestations of His Spirit which lead us to Him and to that which is good: “I am the same that leadeth men to all good; he that will not believe my words will not believe me—that I am; and he that will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me. For behold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world.” He is the light of the world, He is the giver of life, the embodiment of truth who will lead us to all good. To come unto Him we must believe in Him and His words. His invitations call down to us many hundred years later: “Come unto me, O ye Gentiles, and I will show unto you the greater things… Come unto me, O ye house of Israel, and it shall be made manifest unto you how great things the Father hath laid up for you.” And how do we come unto Him? He gave us the way in these words: “Rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind…. Call upon the Father in my name, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit… Therefore, repent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me, and believe in my gospel, and be baptized in my name; for he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Ether 4:6-19). We come unto Him as we truly believe and are baptized, as we overcome the hardness of our hearts, repenting of our sins and praying to the Father with a broken heart. These two chapters of the book of Ether are powerful witnesses of who the Savior is and the path we must take to come unto Him so that one day we too can be “brought back into [His] presence” (Ether 3:13).