Fulness of the Gospel

Fulness of the Gospel

The Book of Mormon and the fulness of the gospel

Question: What does it mean when it is said that the Book of Mormon contains the "fulness of the gospel?"
The Book of Mormon contains the fulness of the Gospel, for the purpose of convincing Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ

The Lord declared that he had given Joseph Smith "power from on high...to translate the Book of Mormon; which contains a record of a fallen people, and the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles and to the Jews also" (D&C 20:8-9; cf. D&C 27:5; D&C 42:12; D&C 135:3).

The Book of Mormon is correct in the doctrines and principles it teaches, but it does not claim to contain all truth. Its own self-described purpose is to "the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that JESUS is the CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD, manifesting himself unto all nations" (title page), and that these teachings are "plain and precious" (1 Nephi 13:35,40; 1 Nephi 19:3). For the most part, the Book of Mormon does not concern itself with the deeper mysteries of God.

The book itself admits that it does not contain all the doctrines the Lord wants us to know. The prophet Mormon explained that he only recorded "the lesser part of the things which [Jesus] taught the people," for the intent that "when [the Book of Mormon reader] shall have received this...if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them" (3 Nephi 26:8-9; compare Alma 26:22).
What is the gospel?

In the Book of Mormon, Jesus Christ gave a specific definition of "the gospel":

Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you—that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me.

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.

And he that endureth not unto the end, the same is he that is also hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence they can no more return, because of the justice of the Father.

And this is the word which he hath given unto the children of men. And for this cause he fulfilleth the words which he hath given, and he lieth not, but fulfilleth all his words.

And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end.

(3 Nephi 27:13-19, italics added.)

In this passage, Jesus defines "the gospel" as:

    Christ came into the world to do the Father's will.
    The Father sent Christ to be crucified.
    Because of Christ's atonement, all men will be judged by him according to their works (as opposed to not receiving a judgment at all and being cast out of God's presence by default; 2 Nephi 9:8-9).
    Those who repent and are baptized shall be filled (with the Holy Ghost, see 3 Nephi 12:6), and
    if they continue in faith by enduring to the end they will be justified (declared "not guilty") by Christ before the Father, but
    if they don't endure they will be subject to the justice of God and cast out of his presence.
    The Father's words will all be fulfilled.
    Because no unclean thing can enter the Father's heavenly kingdom, only those who rely in faith on the atonement of Christ, repent, and are faithful to the end can be saved.

This is "the gospel." The Book of Mormon teaches these concepts with a plainness and clarity unequaled by any other book. It has therefore been declared by the Lord to contain "the fulness of the gospel." The primary message of the gospel, the "good news" of Jesus Christ, is that he has atoned for our sins and prepared a way for us to come back into the presence of the Father. This is the message of the Book of Mormon, and it contains it in its fulness.

Question: How can the Book of Mormon contain the "fulness of the Gospel" if it does not speak of ordinances such as baptism for the dead or celestial marriage?
The Book of Mormon does not contain detailed descriptions of many religious topics and ordinances, such as eternal marriage or baptism for the dead

Is it possible that the Book of Mormon cannot contain "the fulness of the gospel" because it doesn't teach certain unique LDS doctrines, such as baptism for the dead, the Word of Wisdom, the three degrees of glory, celestial marriage, vicarious work for the dead, and the corporeal nature of God the Father?

There are many religious topics and doctrines which The Book of Mormon does not discuss in detail (e.g., the premortal existence—see Alma 13:), and some which are not even mentioned (e.g., the ordinance of baptism for the dead).

This is unsurprising, since the Book of Mormon's goal is to teach the "fulness of the gospel"—the doctrine of Christ.
Harold B. Lee: "our scoffers say, 'How can you say that the Book of Mormon has the fulness of the gospel when it doesn't speak of baptism for the dead?'"

Of this criticism, Harold B. Lee said:

Now, our scoffers say, "How can you say that the Book of Mormon has the fulness of the gospel when it doesn't speak of baptism for the dead?" Some of you may have asked that question.

What is the gospel as it is defined? Let me give you how the Lord defines the gospel, in these words: "And verily, verily, I say unto you, he that receiveth my gospel receiveth me; and he that receiveth not my gospel receiveth not me. And this is my gospel—repentance and baptism by water, and then cometh the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, even the Comforter, which showeth all things, and teacheth the peaceable things of the kingdom." (DC 39:5-6.)

Wherever you have a restoration of the gospel, where those fundamental ordinances and the power of the Holy Ghost are among men, there you have the power by which the Lord can reveal all things that pertain to the kingdom in detail, don't you see, including baptism for the dead, which He has done in our day. That is what the Prophet Joseph Smith meant when he was questioned, "How does your church differ from all the other churches?" and his answer was simple, "We are different from all the other churches because we have the Holy Ghost." (See History of the Church 4:42.) Therein we have the teachings of the fulness of those essentials in the Book of Mormon upon the foundations of which the kingdom of God is established.[1]

BYU professor Noel Reynolds wrote:

The gospel of Jesus Christ is not synonymous with the plan of salvation (or plan of redemption), but is a key part thereof. Brigham Young stated that the 'Gospel of the Son of God that has been revealed is a plan or system of laws and ordinances, by strict obedience to which the people who inhabit this earth are assured that they may return again into the presence of the Father and the Son.' While the plan of salvation is what God and Christ have done for mortals in the creation, the fall, the atonement, the final judgment, and the salvation of the world, the gospel contains the instructions--the laws and ordinances--that enable human beings to make the atonement effective in their lives and thereby gain salvation.[2]

Main article: Baptism for the dead absent from the Book of Mormon?

Question: Why is baptism for the dead not mentioned in the Book of Mormon?
The Church has no official answer to this question

The Church has, of course, no official answer to this question. There are several factors which should be considered. There are textual and editorial reasons to suspect that Mormon would not include vicarious ordinances: most of the history predates Christ, and little about Nephite worship after Christ is discussed.

On a more basic level, however, baptism for the dead is not discussed because it is not germane to the Book of Mormon's purpose: to teach the fulness of the gospel, which involves the basics of faith in Christ, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and endurance to the end. The readers of the Book of Mormon are promised that they will learn more once they have passed these first steps.

There are additional factors, however, which lead us to suspect that vicarious baptism would not be included in the Nephite record.
#1: Baptism for the dead may not have been preached before Christ

This ordinance of baptism for the dead would perhaps not be practicable prior to the atonement of Christ, for Christ is the one who broke the bands of death and hell and inaugurated the preaching of the Gospel to the Spirit World (see 1 Peter 3:18-20, 1 Peter 4:5-6, DC 138:). Since most of the Book of Mormon account precedes the resurrection of Christ, we should perhaps not expect vicarious ordinances to be mentioned prior to 3rd Nephi. Third Nephi is concerned with the teachings of Christ, and Mormon specifically tells us that only the lesser portion of Christ's teachings are recorded (see 3 Nephi 26:8-12). The Book of Ether likewise predates Jesus' resurrection, and so the performance of vicarious ordinances might be premature.
#2: Mormon's abridgement does not tell us much about Nephite worship after Jesus' departure

This leaves only the books of 4th Nephi, Mormon, and Moroni as potential sources for baptism for the dead among the Nephites. It is clear, however, that during this time that Mormon and Moroni were both heavily engaged with an apostate people. Both Mormon and Moroni were teaching repentance to their people, rather than temple ordinances.

This leaves us with only 4th Nephi, about which very little is written other than to say that the people enjoyed almost 200 years of peace. The text tells us nothing about the practices and worship of this period—partly because the record has been created retrospectively. Mormon's goal as editor in 4th Nephi is clearly to illustrate the collapse and ruin of the Nephites because of worldliness and pride. He makes it clear, however, that there were many other things revealed to the Nephites (Mormon 5:16-17).
#3: Some preparatory scripture is included

Though we have no record of Jesus teaching baptism for the dead in 3 Nephi, He did command the inclusion of material from Malachi about the coming of Elijah and hearts turning from the children to the fathers (see 3 Nephi 25:1-6). This is a classic text for the doctrines of temple work and vicarious ordinances, so this may be a hint that further teachings were given about these matters of which we do not have record, as discussed in point #2 above.[3]

Question: Did Joseph Smith contradict Jesus’ commandment in the Book of Mormon to not add to nor take away from Jesus' Gospel?
Introduction to Question

Upon his arrival to the Americas in 3 Nephi 11, Jesus begins to instruct the local masses of Nephites in his Gospel.

Near the close of 3 Nephi 11, the Savior says the following in verses 35–41:

    35 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.
    36 And thus will the Father bear record of me, and the Holy Ghost will bear record unto him of the Father and me; for the Father, and I, and the Holy Ghost are bone.
    37 And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in nowise receive these things.
    38 And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.
    39 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.
    40 And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them.
    41 Therefore, go forth unto this people, and declare the words which I have spoken, unto the ends of the earth.

The phrase “And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock” has puzzled interpreters.

Some critics contend that since Joseph Smith “added” to Jesus’ gospel by providing additional commandments and covenants through revelation in, for example, the Doctrine and Covenants, that Joseph Smith disobeyed the Savior’s command in the Book of Mormon and that the Gospel Joseph claimed to be restoring was a complete fabrication. Some critics go further than this and claim that this throws the Book of Mormon’s ancient authenticity into question since Joseph Smith was “clearly” just making up commandments and revelations to suit his religiously exploitative motives.

This article examines this criticism and provides and easy counterargument to it.
Response to Question
The Context of Jesus’ Words are “Disputations” Among the Nephites

The first point that we can easily establish is that the context of Jesus’ words are “disputations” among the Nephites (3 Nephi 11:22, 28). Thus, it is likely that what the Savior is saying is not that there will be no other prophets after him that will deliver commandments given from the Savior through the prophet, but that there is no other thing that a prophet can add to these specific points of doctrine delivered about the role of the Holy Ghost and Father in creating testimony, repentance, baptism, and becoming a little child. He means to both allay the disputations of these points of doctrine (and especially vis-a-vis baptism as pointed out by verses 22 and 28) and say that there will be no one that will dispute these points as he has laid them out in the future, whether a prophet or not.
Jesus Contradicts Himself

Further evidence of this is that Jesus gives further commandments beyond the ones delivered in 3 Nephi 11 after 3 Nephi 11, contradicting his own alleged injunction to not add to nor take away from the Gospel/commandments delivered in 3 Nephi 11. The Savior delivers a sermon almost identical to the Sermon on the Mount in 3 Nephi 12, 13, and 14.

Jesus contradicts himself more starkly in 3 Nephi 18 when he institutes the sacrament among the Nephites. There, he gives instruction to eat of his body and drink of his blood symbolically through the ordinance. In 3 Nephi 18:12 he says:

12 And I give unto you a commandment that ye shall do these things. And if ye shall always do these things blessed are ye, for ye are built upon my rock.

In verse 13 he says:

13 But whoso among you shall do more or less than these are not built upon my rock, but are built upon a sandy foundation; and when the rain descends, and the floods come, and the winds blow, and beat upon them, they shall fall, and the gates of hell are ready open to receive them.

Thus Jesus gives his followers a commandment to partake of the sacrament and remember him. He says, in the minds of our critics perhaps, that anyone who does more or less than these commandments is not built upon his rock. But then look at what he says in verses 27–28 of the same chapter:

27 Behold verily, verily I say unto you, I give unto you another commandment, and then I must go unto my Father that I may fulfill other commandments which he hath given me.

Thus now Jesus is going to introduce another commandment after he just told us that the commandments we should be following are no more nor less than partaking of the sacrament and remembering his blood and body! What is the commandment that Jesus delivers?

28 And now behold, this is the commandment which I give unto you, that ye shall not suffer any one knowingly to partake of my flesh and blood unworthily, when ye shall minister it.

Jesus is a real clutz, huh? Must have just been tripping over himself so much that day. He had way too many things on his mind and kept forgetting all of the commandments that he was supposed to deliver before declaring that his disciples shouldn’t obey any additional commandments. Maybe he was too preoccupied thinking about how many peoples he had to visit besides the Nephites and deliver similar instructions.

We can think that or we can take the other possible and arguably more sensible interpretation that Jesus means that we should keep the commandments that he delivers exactly and not let those specific commandments be added to nor taken away by critics, whether inside or outside the Church, or future prophets.
Conclusion

This argument and the obvious failure that it is should remind us that the scriptures need to be read both contextually and holistically when attempting to extract their messages and commandments to us. FAIR has produced an article that one can read to get a primer on how to do that.

Fulness of the Gospel 2

Fullness of the Gospel

The word Gospel is a contraction of “Good” and “Spell” and means literally the good story or good news. The Good News of Jesus Christ is that He suffered for our sins, died, and was resurrected from the dead. This constitutes the Atonement of Jesus Christ through which all mankind can be saved in the Kingdom of Heaven through faith, repentance, baptism, the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end in righteousness. The Book of Mormon usually refers to this as the Doctrine of Christ.
Contents

    1 The Fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
    2 Faith
    3 Repentance
    4 Baptism
        4.1 Baptism by Water for the Remission of Sins
        4.2 Baptism by Fire and the Holy Ghost
    5 Enduring to the End

The Fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Latter-day Saints teach that the fullness of the Gospel, or the complete teachings of the Gospel necessary for salvation and exaltation, as well as the authority to perform baptism and the covenants God makes with man, were lost from the earth in the centuries following Christ’s death and resurrection, and that these teachings and this authority were restored through modern day prophets beginning with Joseph Smith [1]. Part of the restoration was the calling of prophets who receive direct revelation from God and impart truths to their followers, preach repentance to the world, and pass on authority to perform ordinances that can be sealed on earth and in heaven. Part of the restoration was the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, which the Lord gave to clarify and expound more fully this essential doctrine. In a revelation given to Joseph Smith, Jesus Christ said, “the elders, priests and teachers of this church shall teach the principles of my gospel, which are in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, in the which is the fullness of the gospel” (Doctrine &Covenants 42:12).

The Book of Mormon explains what this fullness means. Shortly after his resurrection, Jesus Christ appeared to some of the ancient inhabitants in the Americas and said this:

Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you—that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me. 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. And he that endureth not unto the end, the same is he that is also hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence they can no more return, because of the justice of the Father [ . . . ] And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end (3 Nephi 27:13–17, 19).

This describes the basic elements of the Gospel:

    Jesus came into the world to do the will of the Father
    The Father’s will was that he die on the cross and draw men unto him through the Atonement and Resurrection
    Men will return to Father to be judged of their works
    Those who have faith, repent, are baptized, and endure to the end will be able to lay hold upon the atonement wrought for them and receive exaltation.

The Apostle Paul said something very similar about the basic nature and emphasis of the Gospel. He said to the Corinthians, “[W]e preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness” (1 Corinthians 1:23). To the Romans he said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16). Through the power of the Gospel, the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ becomes active in a person's life, and he becomes clean from all sin. This is the good news that lifts up mourning hearts, brings hope to those in despair, comforts and restores lost souls, and makes possible every good thing. This is the foundation of the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ. The Prophet Joseph Smith said,

The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it. But in connection with these, we believe in the gift of the Holy Ghost, the power of faith, the enjoyment of the spiritual gifts according to the will of God, the restoration of the house of Israel, and the final triumph of truth (Joseph Smith, History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7 vols., 3:30).

The fourth Article of Faith of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sometimes erroneously called the (Mormon Church) says:

We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

This represents the basic foundation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as taught by the Church of Jesus Christ. These steps are what a person must do to enter a covenant with Christ and enter the path that leads to Eternal life.
Faith

Faith is more than believing Jesus exists, it means believing Him when He says that you will be forgiven of your sins and saved in His Kingdom. This faith includes two parts:

The belief that all who live on Earth are granted salvation from physical death (physical resurrection) through the Atonement
That salvation from sin (or spiritual death) is obtained through sincere repentance, resulting in forgiveness for sin through His grace, and by following the teachings and commandments of Jesus Christ.

Latter-day Saints are encouraged to develop their faith through study, prayer, service, and obedience to God's commandments. Faith is a form of spiritual work and is character-shaping, in conjunction with the miracle of Christ's Atonement.

The Book of Mormon discusses how to develop faith (Alma 32:18–43). One begins by being humble and teachable. If one is arrogant, the Spirit of God cannot work within him. Second, one desires to believe. The Book of Mormon compares this to planting a seed and watering it. A person plants the seed by desiring to believe in Jesus Christ and in the Book of Mormon, which teaches of Him. The seed is nurtured through prayer, scripture study, service to others, and keeping the commandments. As one does this, the Holy Sprit will enter into his heart and he will know that what he is studying and doing is true.
Repentance

Once a person begins to develop faith, the next step is repentance. Repentance is a wonderful gift from a loving Father in Heaven. Through repentance one can overcome weaknesses and move beyond mistakes he has made in the past.

To repent one must acknowledge his mistakes and weaknesses. He must take responsibility for his own actions and recognize that what he has done has hurt others and offended God. Second, he must forsake the sin. This means he must stop doing it and never return to it again. He must, if possible, make restitution. This means that if one steals something, he should return it or pay the person for what he took. If a person lied or hurt someone’s feelings, he must apologize. Restitution is not always possible, but one must always apologize and ask for forgiveness from those he offended or hurt. God is able to heal all wounds, and when one trusts in Him, he can be forgiven. Finally, one must ask for forgiveness from God through prayer.

When a person has done this, he has this promise from God:

Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more. By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins--behold, he will confess them and forsake them (Doctrine and Covenants 58:42–43).

When one has sincerely repented, he has God’s promise, and God cannot lie, that he is forgiven. To become clean from all sins and become a new creature in Christ, one must follow repentance with baptism. However, as everyone continues to make mistakes, they must repent throughout their lives and continually turn towards God for strength and forgiveness. Through the sacrament, which Latter-day Saints partake virtually every Sunday, members renew the covenants made at baptism and thus renew the cleansing of the Holy Spirit. The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ states:

Yea, repent and be baptized, every one of you, for a remission of your sins; yea, be baptized even by water, and then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost. Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel; and remember that they shall have faith in me or they can in nowise be saved And upon this rock I will build my church; yea, upon this rock ye are built, and if ye continue, the gates of hell shall not prevail against you (Doctrine and Covenants 33:11–13).

Since this Gospel is the rock upon which the Church of Jesus Christ is built, it follows that these are the first steps taken by converts to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. After faith and repentance, a person is baptized by immersion for the remission of sins.
Baptism

Baptism by immersion is a symbol of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul said, “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection” (Romans 6:3-5)

Baptism also serves as a sign of one’s covenant with Jesus Christ to take His name upon him and serve Him and keep His commandments until death. Latter-day Saints call this the baptismal covenant. It includes:

    Taking the name of Jesus Christ upon oneself and becoming one of His people
    Bearing one another’s burdens
    Mourning with those who are suffering and comforting them
    Standing as a witness of God at all times and in all places
    Serving God and keeping His commandments

(See Mosiah 18:8–10)

God in turn promises that those who keep their baptismal covenants will

    Receive a greater portion of His Holy Spirit
    Be redeemed (or saved)
    Rise in the first resurrection, the resurrection of the just
    Inherit Eternal Life

Since a person must exercise faith by following the commandments and repenting of his sins, members of the Church of Jesus Christ do not baptize children until they reach the age of accountability, which is understood to be around eight years old.
Baptism by Water for the Remission of Sins

When a person is baptized, he or she commits to follow Jesus Christ. Those who are to be baptized dress in plain white clothes to symbolize humility and purity. The person baptizing must hold the priesthood, which is authority from God to perform ordinances in the Church. All worthy adult male members of the Church of Jesus Christ can be ordained to the priesthood. The prayer for baptism is simple and straightforward. The officiator holds his right arm up, bows his head and says:

Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, amen.

(Doctrine and Covenants 20:73)

The officiator then immerses the person completely under the water to symbolize the death of the old self, burial, and the promised resurrection through Jesus Christ.
Baptism by Fire and the Holy Ghost

Baptism is actually composed of two parts: baptism by water and baptism by fire. John the Baptist said, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire” (Matthew 3:11). It is through this baptism of the Holy Ghost that a person will be cleansed of his or her sins. In the Church of Jesus Christ, this ordinance is called confirmation, and it typically occurs in the Sunday services in the week following baptism, or at the "water's edge" (directly following baptism).

In confirmation, also called the laying on of hands, a priesthood holder lays his hands upon the new member's head and gives him or her a blessing. He will call the person by name and through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, confirm the person a member of the Church. Then the priesthood holder acts as a vehicle to bestow the Gift of the Holy Ghost, which means the right to have the Holy Spirit as a constant companion. Finally, he pronounces blessings and promises as the Spirit inspires him, and then closes in the name of Jesus Christ.
Enduring to the End

Jesus Christ said to his disciples, “strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:14). Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ is the gate that leads to the Way. The Book of Mormon teaches this more clearly:

For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost. And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive (2 Nephi 31:17–18).

Once one has entered the path, he must continue on the path that leads to Eternal Life. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ call this enduring to the end. Again, the Book of Mormon gives a good explanation of what this means. It says:

Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, 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 (2 Nephi 31:20).

One must endure with steadiness in obedience to Jesus Christ’s commands, being filled with hope and love. One must feast on Christ’s words, which means he must continue to study His words in the scriptures and as given by revelation through living prophets. This corresponds to what the Apostle Paul said as he discussed faith, hope, and charity (see 1 Corinthians 13).

Enduring to the end does not means that Latter-day Saints expect to be perfect. Part of enduring is continuing to improve oneself through repentance, whenever something is out of harmony with God’s will. Because people continue to make mistakes, the Lord has provided a way to renew these covenants. Virtually every Sunday Latter-day Saints partake of the Sacrament, usually called the Eucharist or Lord’s Supper in other churches. The Sacrament consists of broken bread and water to symbolize the body and blood of Jesus Christ. For faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ, this represents a renewal of the covenants and commitments made at baptism and an opportunity to meditate upon the atoning mission of Jesus Christ.

Enduring to the end also requires service to others. The Book of Mormon teaches that “when ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God” (Mosiah 2:17). A person endures by growing in Godly attributes. President Dallin H. Oaks, of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ, said:

The Apostle Paul taught that the Lord's teachings and teachers were given that we may all attain "the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13).This process requires far more than acquiring knowledge. It is not even enough for us to be convinced of the gospel; we must act and think so that we are converted by it. In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something ("The Challenge to Become," Conference Report, October 2000).

He says further,

From such teachings we conclude that the Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts--what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts--what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become.

Peter said something similar in his general epistle. He counseled the righteous followers of Christ in his day to become “partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:4). To do these, he says, we must “add to [our] faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity” (2 Peter 1:5–7).

The Book of Mormon described one individual who endured righteously. His name was Ether and he was a prophet to a wicked people. Of him the Book of Mormon states:

For he did cry from the morning, even until the going down of the sun, exhorting the people to believe in God unto repentance lest they should be destroyed, saying unto them that by faith all things are fulfilled—Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, be led to glorify God (Ether 12:3–4).

This path of hope and faith in God which brings men to do good is the narrow path that Jesus spoke of that leads us toward Eternal Life, which is to know Jesus Christ and God (see John 17:3) because we have become like them (see 1 John 3:2). Then, through power of the atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ, those who have followed this path will be cleansed from their sins and taken at last to heaven to dwell with Christ and God forever.