While studying Mormon 7 for a Book of Mormon study group I attend, I noticed that Mormon’s final prophetic exhortation resembles President Russell M. Nelson’s plea to remember our most important and truest identities:
So who are you? First and foremost, you are a child of God, a child of the covenant, and a disciple of Jesus Christ.
You Are a Child of God
President Russell M. Nelson:
First: Know the truth about who you are. I believe that if the Lord were speaking to you directly tonight, the first thing He would make sure you understand is your true identity. My dear friends, you are literally spirit children of God.
Mormon:
Mormon 7:2 Know ye that ye are of the .
You Are a Child of the Covenant
President Russell M. Nelson:
Second: Know the truth about what God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, have offered you.
Heavenly Father’s plan for His children allows us to live where and how He lives and ultimately to become more and more like Him. His plan literally makes the richest blessings of all eternity available to us, including the potential for us to become “joint-heirs with Christ.” . . .
God has a special love for each person who makes a covenant with Him in the waters of baptism. And that divine love deepens as additional covenants are made and faithfully kept. Then at the end of mortal life, precious is the reunion of each covenant child with our Heavenly Father.
He also cares deeply that all His children have an opportunity to hear the glad tidings of the restored gospel. Heavenly Father has sent His children to earth for more than six millennia. Most of these people have not yet received the ordinances that would qualify them for eternal life. That is why temples are so significant. That is why the gathering of Israel on both sides of the veil is the most important cause on earth today. You, my dear colleagues in this holy work, have an essential role in this gathering, and I thank you for it.
Mormon:
Mormon 7:7 And he hath brought to pass the of the , whereby he that is found before him at the judgment day hath it given unto him to in the presence of God in his kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which are , in a state of which hath no end.
Mormon 7:8 Therefore repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and lay hold upon the of Christ, which shall be set before you, not only in this record but also in the record which shall come unto the Gentiles the Jews, which record shall come from the Gentiles you.
Mormon 7:9 For behold, is for the intent that ye may that; and if believe that ye will believe this also; and if ye believe this ye will know concerning your fathers, and also the marvelous works which were wrought by the power of God among them.
You Are a Disciple of Jesus Christ
President Russell M. Nelson:
Know the truth related to your conversion. The truth is that you must own your own conversion. No one else can do it for you.
I plead with you to take charge of your testimony. Work for it. Own it. Care for it. Nurture it so that it will grow. Feed it truth. Don’t pollute it with the false philosophies of unbelieving men and women and then wonder why your testimony is waning. . . .
Engage in daily, earnest, humble prayer. Nourish yourself in the words of ancient and modern prophets. Ask the Lord to teach you how to hear Him better. Spend more time in the temple and in family history work.
As you make your testimony your highest priority, watch for miracles to happen in your life.
If you have questions—and I hope you do—seek answers with the fervent desire to believe. Learn all you can about the gospel and be sure to turn to truth-filled sources for guidance. We live in the dispensation when “nothing shall be withheld.” Thus, in time, the Lord will answer all our questions.
In the meantime, immerse yourself in the rich reservoir of revelation we have at our fingertips. I promise that doing so will strengthen your testimony, even if some of your questions are not yet answered. Your sincere questions, asked in faith, will always lead to greater faith and more knowledge.
There is nothing happening on this earth more important than gathering Israel for Him. Let your Heavenly Father know that you want to help. Ask Him to put you to work in this glorious cause. And then stand back and marvel at what happens when you let God prevail in your life.
Mormon:
Mormon 7:3 Know ye that ye must come unto repentance, or ye cannot be saved.
Mormon 7:4 Know ye that ye must lay down your weapons of war, and delight no more in the shedding of blood, and take them not again, save it be that God shall you.
Mormon 7:5 Know ye that ye must come to the of your fathers, and repent of all your sins and iniquities, and in Jesus Christ, that he is the Son of God, and that he was slain by the Jews, and by the power of the Father he hath risen again, whereby he hath gained the over the grave; and also in him is the sting of death swallowed up.
Mormon 7:6 And he bringeth to pass the of the dead, whereby man must be raised to stand before his . . . .
Mormon 7:10 And ye will also know that ye are a of the seed of Jacob; therefore ye are numbered among the people of the first covenant; and if it so be that ye believe in Christ, and are baptized, first , then with fire and with the Holy Ghost, following the of our Savior, according to that which he hath commanded us, it shall be well with you in the day of judgment. Amen.
Clearly, remembering our identities is a timeless prophetic plea. As I now look for this pattern through the scriptures, I’m sure I’ll find other prophets conveying the same message.
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