let's study the scriptures together!

Today I feel like preaching some Gospel.

During my Compton transfer, the very last 6 weeks of my mission, I had some very edifying personal and companionship studies. These past couple days a scripture has weighed upon my mind which I remember to have more fully realized during that sacred period of my life. It's found in the Book of Mormon, 3Nephi 28:11. Jesus Christ is speaking to the 3 Nephites, describing to them the joy of redemption:

"And the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me: and the Father giveth the Holy Ghost unto the children of men, because of me."

It's a simple, concise piece of scripture. And it's also one of the most powerful and comprehensive verses I've ever come across. This scripture is also particularly significant because it happens to be the last recorded words that Christ said when He was physically present among the Nephites in the ancient Americas. So this was His parting thought. As such it's definitely worth some of our time for serious thought and study.

Consider this--- in Moses 6:57-62 we are taught the Doctrine of Sanctification. We learn that all men everywhere need to obey God by repenting and being baptized by water (based on His laws). After that outward manifestation of willing obedience one can receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost-- the Spirit. The Spirit is a personage and is also the power through which the blood of Christ is applied. We learn this in Mosiah 4:2-3--- that when the Atonement of Christ is fully applied one can receive 1. forgiveness of one's sins (justification) and 2. purification of one's heart (sanctification). Further we learn there that this application is fulfilled through the reception of the Spirit (read what the people ask for and then see what they are given). Sanctification includes not only becoming cleansed from sin but also losing the desire to sin. In other words it means to experience a mighty change of heart and to become HOLY. As one consistently comes unto Christ, applying His Atonement through obedience and repentance-- (the sacrament and the temple ordinances playing a vital role in this)-- line upon line, precept upon precept, the soul is perfected in Christ and will one day become holy, without spot-- worthy to dwell in the presence of God.

It's really more simple than I made it sound. The Holy Ghost is the greatest gift we can receive in mortality because it leads the soul to eternal life, which is the greatest of ALL the gifts of God. Because of Christ's Atonement we can receive the Spirit and through the process of making, keeping and renewing our covenants we can have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. So, the Father gives us the Holy Ghost because of Christ. (I want to add here that when one worthily partakes of the sacrament ALL covenants entered into with the Lord are renewed. Fact.)

Finally I want to talk more about covenants- particularly the role of the temple and the covenants made there (not explicitly of course). In D&C 109:14-15 we learn that in the House of the Lord we grow up and can "receive a fulness of the Holy Ghost." Continue to verses 22 and 23 and we can learn that our covenants are like armor. I don't want to spoil the impact of this doctrine for you-- so just go ahead and open up your copies of the Book of Mormon to Alma 43:19-21, followed by 1Nephi 14:12-14 and later D&C 38:38 and just bask in some personal revelation from on high.

Okay. So that's what I understand and that's what I've been thinking about lately. And really in essence that's the central doctrine I was taught throughout my mission in Southern Cali. President Edwin Sexton brought it to my attention and the Holy Ghost grafted it into my soul. I just wanted to share that with you and lo hago en el nombre de Jesucristo, Amen.