Doctrine of Christ

Nicole, this one is for you because you asked me about it last night.

I started this study with the all-mighty power of google: I punched in "Doctrine of Christ" and eagerly awaited the results. Would you believe that in .28 seconds google spit out over 12.3 million different results? Crazy! I spent a good deal of time perusing them to see what the different results were about. Many of them were questions and concerns about what the Doctrine of Christ really is. (for instance: http://www.learnthebible.org/the-doctrine-of-christ.html and http://www.bibletruths.net/Archives/BTAR205.htm and http://www.piney.com/Doctrine.Christ.html)

You see, in the Bible the phrase "doctrine of Christ" is found two places. One which says: (2 John 1:9) "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son." A stern promise indeed. However, nowhere in the Old or New Testaments is found an explicit definition of what exactly the doctrine of Christ is. Hence the reason that there are over 12.3 million google hits, and countless people proffering their own, often conflicting, opinions on what that doctrine is.

Enter the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ. The exact phrase "doctrine of Christ" is found in 4 places in the Book of Mormon, with substantial amounts of explication of the phrase. In fact, 2nd Nephi 31 is an entire chapter devoted to the definition and declaration of the doctrine of Christ:

v2-- "I must speak concerning the doctrine of Christ . . ."
v3 through 8-- Christ is the perfect example of the doctrine of Christ through his obedience, baptism, Holy Ghost, etc
v9 and 10-- Christ set the example and said "Follow thou me"

Ok, so Nephi says he's going to teach us the doctrine of Christ, then teaches us that Christ was the ultimate example by being obedient, being baptized and receiving the Holy Ghost. Then Christ says "Follow thou me." So Nephi is definitely getting at something. He clarifies further:

v10--"Can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?"
v11--"And the Fater said: Repend ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my Beloved Son."
v12--"He that is baptized . . . to him wil the Father give the Holy Ghost, like unto me; wherefore, follow me and do the things which ye have seen me do."

So there it is, the doctrine of Christ as defined by Nephi: Repent, Be Baptized, Receive the Holy Ghost. It's even nicely bookended by v10 saying Follow me, then the explanation, then v12 saying follow my example.

Nephi then summarizes the doctrine of Christ in verse 13. "Wherefore . . . I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocristy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father thta 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; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel."

Ok, so that's a lot to digest. I'll try to summarize more but the doctrine is so powerful and so pure it's hard to. Then in v14 we're told that that isn't the end of it, and in 15 we're told that the last part is that "He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved."

With this additional point, Nephi concludes the chapter with a summary of the complete "doctrine of Christ;" which is:

Faith/Obedience--v17 "do the things which i have seen that your Lord and Redeemer should do"

Repentence--v17 "the gate by which ye should enter is repentence"

Baptism--v17 cont "baptism by water"

Gift of the Holy Ghost--v17 cont "and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost"

Enduring to the End--v18-20 "ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ . . . and endure to the end."

v27 The concluding verse of the chapter says "This is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen"

This, then, is the doctrine of Christ: Faith, Repentence, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, the reception of the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End that "thus saith the Father, ye shall have eternal life." v20

There is so much more I could say. However, I'll stop at this point for today, having arrived at the definition of the doctrine of Christ, and expound more upon it tomorrow. I know that truely this is the doctrine of Christ whereby men can be saved. The Holy Ghost has so borne witness to me.