Enduring to the End...

"19 And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? "- (2 Nephi 31:19)

One of my favorite scriptures with a question within that makes us think. The Book of Mormon prophet Nephi posses the question that was asked countless times before, after, and will continue to be asked by so many people.

In my blogs about the Doctrine of Christ, I have written about baptism by immersion for the remission of sins by one with priesthood authority and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. I would now like to conclude these three blogs with a final installment of the importance of "Enduring to the End".

Endure, a word that brings into one's mind the struggles and afflictions of life. So why endure? The scriptures teach us that we "...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 [we] 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) We must "endure to the end" if we truly seek eternal life.

Though we don't have to think of it as such a hard thing, like the term endure usually implies. There is a basic two step process of Gospel principles that we can use to successfully "endure to the end". It starts  where everything in the Gospel starts, FAITH. Now I won't spend to much time teaching about faith, if you want to know more about it then what I say here, you can reference back to one of my past blogs that is entirely dedicated to that Gospel principle. Simply put, if I can, faith is a principle of action and power. One scripture defines faith as such: " 21 And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true." -(Alma 32:21). So to put those two definitions together. Our faith is the belief we have in our Savior and our Father in Heaven that drives us to act in a Christian manner. We help others because of faith, we share our testimonies because of faith, and we live a life of higher standards then the common world because of our faith.

The second principle that we need to understand in our lives to "endure to the end" is repentance. This is another Gospel principle that I have previously written a blog about. So in light of that fact, I will again try to summarize a more simpler definition and  process of application. Repentance is the process by which one accesses the atonement of Jesus Christ;  His suffering in the garden, death on the cross, and resurrection three days later, so that they may be cleansed through His blood, of their sins. The basic steps of repentance are as follows: 

1. Recognize that you have sinned.
2. Feel true "Godly sorrow" for knowing that you have disappointed and offended God.
3. Seek forgiveness  from your Father in Heaven through earnest prayer.
4. Seek restitution by striving to make up for, in any way you can, the sins you have committed.
5. Finally, forsake the sin you are penitent for by not committing it again.

"Enduring to the End" is something that is asked of all by the Lord. It is also something that everyone is capable of. By doing the simple things of our faith we can endure to the end of this life, and prepare ourselves for the life to come. As we read our scriptures, say our prayers, attend our Church meetings, enter into covenants (two way promises) with our God, and renew those first covenants which put us on the "strait and narrow path" by partaking of the Lord's Sacrament on a weekly basis to receive a remission of our sins, we can "endure to the end."

I know that the principle of enduring to the end is what will keep us on the path back to our Heavenly Father. As the Savior Himself taught in the book of Matthew in the New Testament 24th chapter, " 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. "