Faith
In order to follow Jesus Christ we must have faith in him. The first step to faith is prayer. We pray to God for such things as blessings and forgiveness, and thank Him for what we've received. We can pray to know if He is there and if Jesus Christ was in fact His son. Answers can come in many forms, and they come by the power of the Holy Ghost (also known as the spirit). Answers or revelation comes as a result of our faith. Some steps we can take to show our Heavenly Father that we are ready for an answer are to pray, read scriptures, and attend church. We can feel these answers in our hearts from feelings of great peace, love, joy... all good things (Galatians 5:22-23). Once we receive this confirmation of the spirit of the truthfulness that Jesus is the Savior, we can build upon that truth and grow.
Repentance is a turning away from our mistakes as we turn to the Savior, Jesus Christ. It is only effective because of his atonement. When we repent we feel sorrow for our sins, desire to, and make things right, and replace the wrong things we do with righteous things. As we repent we can feel the correctness of our actions confirmed by the spirit which drives us further along toward the perfect example Jesus set for us.
Another amazing blessing we can receive after we are baptized, is the Holy Ghost. We can feel of it's power before we are baptized, but afterwords, we are entitled to it's constant companionship as long as we are living worthy of it. How amazing a blessing is that?! To have a member of the Godhead with us at all times! This is one of the many reasons the Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints want to share this gospel: we know that it is the path to true happiness.
Enduring to the End
Repentance
Repentance is a turning away from our mistakes as we turn to the Savior, Jesus Christ. It is only effective because of his atonement. When we repent we feel sorrow for our sins, desire to, and make things right, and replace the wrong things we do with righteous things. As we repent we can feel the correctness of our actions confirmed by the spirit which drives us further along toward the perfect example Jesus set for us.
Baptism
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| John the Baptist baptizing Jesus Christ |
Baptism is a sacred ordinance that we all must take upon ourselves in order to be able to return and live in our Father's presence after this life. No unclean thing can dwell with God so we must be cleansed of sin. Baptism is a necessary step in the cleansing process. Hebrews 5:4 says a man must be "called of God" to act in His name, and that is still a necessary authority to have in order for baptisms to be valid in the sight of God. The same priesthood that existed in the church Jesus Christ established when he visited the Earth has been restored! The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has this priesthood and invites all to come unto Christ through baptism.
Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost
Another amazing blessing we can receive after we are baptized, is the Holy Ghost. We can feel of it's power before we are baptized, but afterwords, we are entitled to it's constant companionship as long as we are living worthy of it. How amazing a blessing is that?! To have a member of the Godhead with us at all times! This is one of the many reasons the Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints want to share this gospel: we know that it is the path to true happiness.
Enduring to the End
The last step is not completed in one-step, it is a lifelong process. We must trust in God throughout our lives, that whatever happens, He is in control. When we come to that realization, our lives are peaceful. We recognize that whatever happens, we will be okay. We do our best to improve ourselves everyday to try to be like Jesus.
