I am almost ready to launch my new blog which will focus on the scriptures and what I understand and learn from them. But I do not plan to start it with what I learned this week in Pathway.
This week we studied the last chapters of 2 Nephi. One of the things I liked the most and studied a good bit was about baptism, the straight and narrow path, and enduring to the end. In 2 Nephi 31:11 it is written, "And the Father said: Repent ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my Beloved Son." In 2 Nephi 31:17-18 we learn that the gate to the straight and narrow path which leads to eternal life is repentance and baptism.
For all who have been baptized, the way Jesus was, are on the straight and narrow path. None got on that path by doing nothing. Effort was required. Part of that effort was exercising faith and making changes (repenting) to be ready for baptism. Doing was required before baptism and doing is required after baptism and much of this doing is part of enduring to the end.
"...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) Next Nephi makes reference to the words he wrote about baptism and the above when he wrote in verse 21, "...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..."
Here we find that eternal life and being saved in the kingdom of God are linked. In my mind they represent the same thing but are described with different words. To gain more understanding of enduring to the end I looked up a few other scriptures which I will share here.
First we go to 3 Nephi 15:9 wherein we can gain more insight from words that Jesus spoke to the Nephites in the Americas when he visited them. He said,"Behold, I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life."
I find it interesting how with these words Jesus reminds us about the commandments by referring to himself as the law and how he reminds us that he is the light, a light to guide us to our Heavenly Father. Then he says, "Look unto me" He is the light and is always there but we must look unto him, pay attention to his words, and follow him for the rest of our lives; this is enduring to the end. He promises life to those who follow him and eternal life to those who follow him to the end of their mortal life.
Last I found more clarification to enduring to the end in Doctrine And Covenants 20:29 wherein we can read, "And we know that all men must repent and believe on the name of Jesus Christ, and worship the Father in his name, and endure in faith on his name to the end, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God."
We must endure in faith on his name. We have to exercise faith in Jesus Christ on a regular basis, not just on the day we are baptized. We should exercise faith on Jesus Christ daily until our very last breath which is the end and doing so is how we endure to the end.
