What is the Fulness
What is the "fulness of the gospel" of the Book of Mormon?
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Ray Farmer
, Jealous of and Zealous for the Book of Mormon
Answered Mar 5
The Book of Mormon does not "HELP restore the fullness", it COMPLETELY and plainly presents the fullness of the Gospel. We are warned not to add to the conditions presented in the Book of Mormon. We are told that this fullness is presented completely in the Book of Mormon and Bible.
Because of the fall, we are carnal, sensual and devilish. Until we make ourselves a part of the fold of Christ, we are of the fold of the devil.
God, however, invites, entices and calls everyone to follow the Good Shepherd. Some respond to that voice.
Our response includes admitting there is a good and loving and powerful God. That being admitted, we realize he must have laws of rectitude and that he will bless or condemn according to our adherence to that law. And so we begin our sorry attempts to discover and live that law.
We soon find that we cannot follow that law due to the fall of our nature. Realizing that, despite our best efforts, we conclude that we deserve to be punished and cast out of His presence. This is humility. We are frightened by the phrase that God cannot look at sin with the least degree of allowance. This is the fear of God. In this state of complete helplessness (broken heart and contrite spirit) and fear, we apply to the atonement of Christ for help and forgiveness. We are justified at that moment and the process of sanctification (conforming to the law, both inwardly and outwardly) begins. We now become the Sons and Daughters of God. We are no longer children of wrath. Our spirit cries "Abba, Father".
We are to make a public declaration that we are determined to follow Christ and his law until the end. This is done by baptism. We are given the Holy Ghost that guides, yes, but also gives us the power to overcome our fallen nature. We continue to rely on the merits of Christ, still convinced that we deserve hell, but confident that the grace of Jesus will save us, even us, from that awful monster, death and hell.
Because we love our Father and Jesus, we pray, hate sin, study his word and keep his commandments. We do this not because those things will save us (even doing the best we can, we are still unprofitable servants and know it), but because he saved us and we are grateful and love God and doing God's law is becoming part of our new nature. We have put off the natural man who is an enemy to God. We continue to follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost until the end. We love the Holy Ghost, therefore, as we love our Father and our Savior. The Holy Ghost blesses us by filling us with love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance…the very values, attributes and characteristics of Christ. We work toward arriving at the full measure of Christ, His mind becoming our mind. We will rejoice in meeting Jesus because as he is, even are we.
Our probation given us to prepare to meet God ends in death. If we fail to be justified and sanctified in this mortal life, we die in our sins and are lost. We are as if no redemption was made. If, however, we are justified and sanctified, we are as pure a Jesus as we confidently approach the Judgement where we will be judged by our works, but, despite that, we will be saved by grace provided by the blood of Christ.
Those who ignore the invitation (for his arms of mercy are extended to all and he manifests himself unto all) remain children of the devil. They have persisted in their fallen state until death, despite the continuing and powerful invitation of the good shepherd to enter his fold. These are cast out forever. These will agree with that judgement and punishment, for they will realize that throughout their probation they were invited and they willingly rejected that invitation.
This is the fullness of the Gospel as taught in the Book of Mormon. Grace is the source of our salvation and faith in the atoning blood of Christ applied to ourselves, personally, is the only condition.
3 Nephi 11:39-40 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. 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.