The Way of Eternal Life

During the past several posts I have focused on Christ and the atonement. In those posts I have explained all that I wanted to say about the atonement for now. This post is the first of a new and extensive topic - The Way.

The third Article of Faith says, “We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.” In earlier posts, we learned how the atonement is closely connected to the priesthood and in some ways is indistinguishable from it. We also learned how the priesthood is a system of laws that, if kept, will qualify us to enter the kingdom of heaven to go no more out. Therefore, the third Article of Faith is talking about priesthood. The priesthood system of laws, ordinances, and tests or trials can be called “the way of eternal life” (2 Nephi 10:23), “the way of the Lord” (Isaiah 40:3), and “paths of righteousness” (Psalm 23:3) among other names. By following The Way, we will ultimately be “redeemed from the fall” and be “brought back into [the Lord’s] presence” (Ether 3:13). However, before being brought back to Lord’s presence, and having an enjoyable experience there with him, we must receive the spiritual endowment of charity, “the pure love of Christ” (Moroni 7:47), “that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (Moroni 7:48).

Elder Dallin Oaks described the general process and purpose of The Way like this – “We are challenged to move through a process of conversion toward that status and condition called eternal life. This is achieved not just by doing what is right, but by doing it for the right reason—for the pure love of Christ. The Apostle Paul illustrated this in his famous teaching about the importance of charity (see 1 Cor. 13). The reason charity never fails and the reason charity is greater than even the most significant acts of goodness he cited is that charity, ‘the pure love of Christ’ (Moro. 7:47), is not an act but a condition or state of being. Charity is attained through a succession of acts that result in a conversion. Charity is something one becomes. Thus, as Moroni declared, ‘except men shall have charity they cannot inherit’ the place prepared for them in the mansions of the Father (Ether 12:34; emphasis added).” (The Challenge to Become, https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2000/10/the-challenge-to-become?lang=eng). However, what exactly is The Way and what are the major steps along The Way towards the presence of the Lord? Or, to use the words of the Psalmist, “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?” (Psalm 24:3). A brief answer to that question is found in the following verses – “He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.” (Psalm 24:4-5).

Seeing Christ (and the Father) is part of the ultimate experience at the end of The Way. However, Christ is involved in every step of The Way. Thomas, one of Jesus’ apostles, asked “Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:5-6). In a revelation to the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel, the Lord described his ministry to those who have not yet begun their journey back to his presence – “Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.” (Ezekiel 34:11-12). He describes his ministry to those who in the middle of their journey in the famous 23^rd Psalm – “he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:3-4). Towards the end of the path, the Lord ministers at the entrance to the kingdom of Heaven, inviting the righteous to enter, to whom he will something like what The Book of Mormon prophet Enos imagined that he would hear – “And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father.” (Enos 1:27).

The Way, along with its major steps, is represented by the layout of the tabernacle of Moses. Here is a picture of that layout, which happens to come from a lesson titled “The House of the Lord in the Wilderness” from one of the LDS Church Education System’s Institute manuals (http://www.ldsces.org/manuals/old-testament-institute-student-manual-1/ot-in1-04-exo-13.asp; I shifted the labels on left-hand side slightly in order to better align with the layout and then rotated it 180 degrees):

This layout represents the general pattern for fallen man to be brought back to the Lord’s presence. (On the layout, the veil to the Holy of Holies represents entering the Lord’s presence.) I would like to divide The Way to the veil into three phases. The first phase corresponds entirely to the layout in the Outer Courtyard, including the altar of sacrifice and the laver or wash basin. The middle phase corresponds to  the table of showbread and the sacred lamp, or menorah, in the Holy Place. The ending phase corresponds to the altar of incense in the Holy Place and the veil to the Holy of Holies. There is another phase of spiritual development after entering the Holy of Holies that I will also discuss, which has more to do with mentoring or developing other people. These phases can be termed the steps of spiritual progression or spiritual development. These phases or steps of spiritual progression align more or less with the three phases of the light of Christ that President Marion Romney spoke about in a General Conference talk in 1977:

“[M]y topic is ‘The Light of Christ.’ There are three phases of the light of Christ that I want to mention. The first one is the light which enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world; The second phase is the gift of the Holy Ghost; And the third is the more sure word of prophecy.” (The Light of Christ, https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1977/04/the-light-of-christ?lang=eng)