The Way, the Truth, and the Life

Descriptions of the Savior often come in triplets in the scriptures. Jesus said of Himself in mortality: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). Through Moroni we have these similar words: “For behold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world” (Ether 4:12). In The Living Christ declaration from modern prophets we have this related statement: “He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world.” Alma described Him to the people of Zarahemla in these words: “I know that Jesus Christ shall come, yea, the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, and mercy, and truth” (Alma 5:48). To the people of Ammonihah he similarly declared: “And not many days hence the Son of God shall come in his glory; and his glory shall be the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, equity, and truth, full of patience, mercy, and long-suffering, quick to hear the cries of his people and to answer their prayers” (Alma 9:26). Here we have two sets of three: He is full of grace, equity and truth as well as patience, mercy, and long-suffering. To the same people Alma likewise spoke about those called from before the foundation of the world who were “high priests forever, after the order of the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, who is without beginning of days or end of years, who is full of grace, equity, and truth” (Alma 13:9). The Savior is the way, the truth, the life; He is the light and the hope of the world; He is full of grace, mercy, and truth; He has equity, patience, and long-suffering. As Paul declared, “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established,” and in these three witnesses—many times over—we start to understand the great goodness of our God (2 Corinthians 13:1).

                Paul also described another common triplet in the scriptures that shows us how we can then be like the Savior: “Now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three” (1 Corinthians 13:13). These are the three great virtues that we are to seek after as Christians. Mormon similarly taught his people of faith, hope, and charity and invited us to develop these three Christlike attributes: “If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me…. Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope…. He must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity.” And then in his description of charity itself, Mormon and Paul gave multiple triplets to tell what attributes we must develop to be full of charity: it “suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not”; it “is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked”; it “thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth” and, in a final list of four, charity “beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things” (Moroni 7:33, 42, 44-45). Of course, all of these triples of charitable attributes are descriptions of Christ Himself: He suffereth long, is kind, and does not envy; He does not think evil or rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth; He bears, believes, hopes, and endures. As we seek to become like the Savior, developing faith in Him, hope in Him, and charity like Him, we must strive to likewise cultivate these attributes and become like He who is the way, the truth, and the life.