The Doctrine of Christ Explained in One Verse

How do you ascend and receive your first and second comforters? By entering into a covenant with the Lord as outlined in the Doctrine of Christ scriptures. We offer Him our broken heart and contrite spirit. In return, He promises to give us the two comforters.

From the days of Adam, people learned this doctrine and entered into the new covenant. However, due to conspiring men, only remnants of this path can be found in the Bible today. The Book of Mormon restores the Doctrine of Christ in its fullness. Its entire purpose is to help us come unto the Lord and receive the first comforter.

Keys Words to 4 Steps on the Path of Ascension

1. Broken Heart & Contrite Spirit (BH&CS): Come unto Christ, faith in Christ, repentance, baptism of water, offer your whole souls as an offering, meekness, lowliness of heart
2. First Comforter (1^stC): Baptism of fire and baptism of the Holy Ghost, redeemed, cleansed from sin, enter the gate, charity, the elect, sons & daughters of Christ
3. Endure to the End (ETTE): Strait and narrow path, feast on the words of Christ
4. Second Comforter (2^ndC): Eternal Life, Saved, Kingdom of God, Right Hand of God, Rest

All Book of Mormon Prophets Preached Doctrine of Christ

The prophets in the Book of Mormon teach all four steps of the Doctrine of Christ in full detail. Sometimes they sum everything up in a single doctrine of Christ scripture. I call these “power verses” because they contain everything you need to be brought back into the presence of the Lord. Below you’ll find a list of “power verses” from almost every prophet in the Book of Mormon, as well as from members of the Godhead.

Heavenly Father

This is actually two short verses, but I read them together as one. These verses are where the four steps originated from. Rarely do we read words in scripture exactly as they were spoken by the voice of Heavenly Father. In this case, we see that God was indeed the original author of the Doctrine of Christ.

1. BH&CS: “Repent ye, repent ye”
2. 1^stC: “be baptized in the name of my Beloved Son”
3. ETTE: “He that endureth to the end”
4. 2^ndC: “the same shall be saved”

If you seek to enter the new covenant, ask God what He would have you do to offer up a broken heart and contrite spirit and enter into the new covenant. Plead for Him to give you the experiences and knowledge you need to fulfill your oath. Give Him permission to lead you in any direction He sees fit.

Lehi (588-570 B.C.)

Coming unto the Lord and seeking to follow His commandments is always the first step. But you will not be able to hear His Voice calling to you without a broken heart and contrite spirit. The Lord is our Mediator. If we follow His commands, He will plead our case before Father. We must be faithful to His words and He will lead us on the path to eternal life. “Eternal” is His name. “Eternal Life” is life with Him forever. 

1. BH&CS: “look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments”
2. 1^stC: “according to the will of his Holy Spirit”
3. ETTE: “be faithful unto his words”
4. 2^ndC: “choose eternal life”

Nephi, Son of Lehi (559-545 B.C.)

1. BH&CS: “the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water”
2. 1^stC: “then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost”
3. ETTE: “And then are ye in this strait and narrow path”
4. 2^ndC: “which leads to eternal life”

Receiving the first comforter is the Father and Son’s witness to you that you are on the correct path back to Them. You cannot enter this gate without exercising great faith by seeking after and receiving revelation from the Lord. We repent by following the specific commands He reveals to us. Through the baptism of water, we make a covenant to always keep those commands. Then, the Lord will baptize us with fire and with the Holy Ghost. We must receive all three baptism, which are one, to be redeemed from the consequences of sin. After we are baptized, the strait and narrow path to eternal life can only be revealed to you by the Holy Ghost.

Jacob, Son of Lehi (544-421 B.C.)

Jacob 6:11 “O then, my beloved brethren, repent ye, and enter in at the strait gate, and continue in the way which is narrow, until ye shall obtain eternal life.”

1. BH&CS: “repent ye”
2. 1^stC: “enter in at the strait gate”
3. ETTE: “continue in the way which is narrow”
4. 2^ndC: “until ye shall obtain eternal life”

We offer up our broken heart & contrite spirit through faith, repentance, and the baptism by water. Interestingly, Jacob wraps these three principles all together by simply saying, “repent ye.” We repent by giving up anything we may have turned into a personal idol. These might include your favorite sins, your possessions, your comforts, your relationships, your expectations, your false beliefs and traditions, or any other person or thing you have placed between you and the Lord. You must be willing to place all things on the altar before Him and agree to any sacrifice He may ask you to make. If you seek the Lord humbly, He will reveal to you the idols that are blocking your path back to Him.

Enos, Son of Jacob (544-421 B.C.)

1. BH&CS:
2. 1^stC: “thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed… wherefore, my guilt was swept away.”
3. ETTE:
4. 2^ndC:

Enos knew the words his father had spoken concerning the second comforter and the promise of eternal life. He offered the Lord his broken heart and contrite spirit in a remarkable prayer that lasted all day and night. After he was redeemed by receiving the first comforter, he wondered how it was done. A voice came to him and said, “Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen.” Surely the Lord knew that Enos would be willing to labor and struggle the rest of his life to declare the Doctrine of Christ and bring souls unto Him.

Jarom, Son of Enos (~399 B.C.)

1. BH&CS: “as many as are not stiffnecked and have faith, have communion with the Holy Spirit, which maketh manifest unto the children of men, according to their faith.”
2. 1^stC:
3. ETTE:
4. 2^ndC:

Jarom’s lifetime begins a 250-year decline in the Nephites’ willingness to enter the new covenant with Christ and follow His doctrine. During his life, the people still exercised great faith and followed the commands they received through the spirit. However, the heavens must have been closed because there was no mention of anyone receiving their first or second comforters until the Doctrine of Christ was restored and taught in its fullness again by Abinadi. 

Omni, Son of Jarom (~317 B.C.)

1. BH&CS: “I of myself am a wicked man, and I have not kept the statutes and the commandments of the Lord as I ought to have done.”
2. 1^stC:
3. ETTE:
4. 2^ndC:

Omni knew the commandments and statutes of the Lord but did not keep them as he should have. Is it any wonder he spent his life fighting with the sword to protect his people? When we willfully reject the Lord’s commands to us, He will begin to withdraw His spirit and leave us on our own. I think Omni may still have had a chance to enter into the new covenant, because he recognized his own weakness before the Lord. It’s a shame he waited until the end of his life to make that admission. Nevertheless, that one humble act gives me hope that he also went on to exercise faith in the Lord, repent, and receive redemption.

Amaron, Son of Omni (~279 B.C.)

1. BH&CS:
2. 1^stC:
3. ETTE:
4. 2^ndC:

During the days of Amaron, the more wicked part of the Nephites were destroyed. There is not much redeeming about the words of Amaron. I am glad he made the point that even in desperate and trying times, the Lord still protects the righteous.

Chemish, Brother of Amaron (279-130 B.C.)

1. BH&CS:
2. 1^stC:
3. ETTE:
4. 2^ndC:

Somehow, Chemish is still willing to preserve the holy records and pass them on to his son. Why he, and some of the others, didn’t melt the plates down and sell the gold is beyond me. There must have still been a spark of loyalty, somewhere deep down in their hearts. More likely, the Holy Spirit worked upon them in a way that they knew destroying the record would bring an everlasting destruction upon their own souls. I pray that if they were prodigal sons, that they have repented and returned to the Lord.

Abinadom, Son of Chemish (279-130 B.C.)

1. BH&CS:
2. 1^stC:
3. ETTE:
4. 2^ndC:

Apparently, Abinadom had read the plates and was familiar with the revelations and prophecies within them. Unfortunately, he makes no mention of how the great truths and promises contained in the Doctrine of Christ affected him. His story reminds me of my own. I didn’t start reading the Book of Mormon until some 150 years after it was first printed. By then, the true meaning of the doctrines it revealed had been lost. None, but the truly humble followers of Jesus Christ could see it. Thankfully, the heavens have re-opened since then, and the fullness of the doctrine is being taught again today.

Amaleki, Son of Abinadom (279-130 B.C.)

1. BH&CS: “I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel” “come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him”
2. 1^stC: “partake of the power of his redemption”
3. ETTE: “continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end”
4. 2^ndC: “partake of his salvation” “as the Lord liveth ye will be saved”

Finally, the fullness of the Doctrine of Christ is restored! Amaleki was alive during the time Abinadi was preaching the Doctrine of Christ. He also lived to see King Benjamin enter into the new covenant with his people which ushered in a new era of peace and abundance for the Nephites. Amaleki believed in prophesying, revelations, ministering of angels, speaking with tongues, interpreting languages, and in all good gifts of the spirit. After 250 years of descending into darkness, it must have been a marvelous time to witness the light from heaven break forth and shine again on all who were willing to humble themselves and enter into the new covenant.

Abinadi (~148 B.C.)

1. BH&CS: “whosoever has heard the words of the prophets, yea, all the holy prophets who have prophesied concerning the coming of the Lord—I say unto you, that all those who have hearkened unto their words”
2. 1^stC: “they that believed that the Lord would redeem his people, and have looked forward to that day for a remission of their sins” “these are his seed”
3. ETTE:
4. 2^ndC: “they are the heirs of the kingdom of God”

A true prophet always points you to Christ and never to themselves. If you follow their words, you will receive the first comforter. This is the fruit by which you can tell if someone is a true messenger of God and speaks His words with power and authority.

Alma (~147 B.C.)

1. BH&CS: “as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort” “if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments:
2. 1^stC: “that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection” “that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you”
3. ETTE: “to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death”
4. 2^ndC: “that ye may have eternal life”

Few prophets in the book of Mormon give as much detail as Alma does about what you must do to enter into the new covenant with the Lord. This is not so much a list of requirements to check off, as a guidepost to measure your own intentions by. Do you want to take upon you His name and be numbered among His people? Do you mourn for others who are lost? Do you feel the desire to comfort those in trouble? If these things are the desires of your heart, rest assured you are on the right track. If not, humble yourself and repent! 

King Benjamin (~124 B.C.)

1. BH&CS: “and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.”
2. 1^stC: “becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord”
3. ETTE:
4. 2^ndC:

King Benjamin taught the entire Doctrine of Christ to his people. This particular verse does not contain all four steps. But I chose it because of his beautiful description of what it means to offer the Lord your broken heart and contrite spirit. This is our only part in the new covenant. We make an oath with Him that we will continually humble ourselves and acknowledge our role as His servant. We must come before Him as a child, meek and lowly, and be willing to submit to all things the Lord may see fit to inflict upon us. If there is even a spot of pride left in any part of you, it will be difficult to fulfill your part of the covenant. I don’t know how else to put this. The path is narrow and few there be that find it.

Ammon (~90 B.C.)

1. BH&CS: “he has repented of his sins”
2. 1^stC:
3. ETTE:
4. 2^ndC: “thy soul could not be saved”

Ammon knew the plan of redemption well and had taught it to king Lamoni and his servants (Alma 18:39). However, in this verse, he only mentions two of the steps. Frequently the prophets in the Book of Mormon combine steps and simplify their words in order to emphasize a particular point. If someone asked me to summarize the Doctrine of Christ in a few words, I’d probably say the same thing as Heavenly Father, Jacob, Ammon, and Alma the Younger. Repent! Repent and be saved.

Aaron (90-70 B.C.)

1. BH&CS: “what shall I do” “I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom”
2. 1^stC: “that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy”
3. ETTE: “that I may not be cast off at the last day”
4. 2^ndC: “What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken”

Aaron taught the king of all Lamanites the Doctrine of Christ and it had a powerful effect upon his mind. So much so that the king was willing to give up his entire kingdom in order to enter into the new covenant and begin his path of ascension. None of us today have that much to give up. And yet, it’s still just as hard. Although our paths may be different than the king’s, we are all motivated by the same thing. That great joy that Christ alone brings us.

Alma the Younger (83-74 B.C.)

1. BH&CS: “Repent ye”
2. 1^stC: “prepare the way of the Lord”
3. ETTE: “walk in his paths, which are straight”
4. 2^ndC: “the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and the Son of God cometh upon the face of the earth”

In my opinion, the first Nephi teaches the Doctrine of Christ more clearly than any other prophet in the Book of Mormon. Having said that, Alma the Younger is a real close second. Alma’s sermons to the apostate members of the Church of Christ throughout the land are packed with the Doctrine of Christ. I chose this particular “power verse” from the many spoken by Alma because he preferences it with “the Spirit hath said this much unto me.” All true prophets reveal their sources for what they know about the Doctrine of Christ. It is always from the voice of the Father, the voice of the Son, the voice of the Spirit, or the voice of a true servant.

Amulek (~74 B.C.)

1. BH&CS: “come forth and harden not your hearts any longer” “if ye will repent and harden not your hearts”
2. 1^stC: “immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you”
3. ETTE: “For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors”
4. 2^ndC: now is the time and the day of your salvation

We are redeemed by offering up a broken heart and contrite spirit to the Lord. He redeems us, or cleanses us from sin, by baptizing us with fire and the Holy Ghost. Salvation comes by continuing on the path and following every command He gives us. Then we can enter into His presence in the fullness of His glory. Now is the time to prepare to meet the Lord. Today is the day we must do the work to make our calling and election sure. Amulek would disagree with anyone who might say we were not meant to receive the second comforter in this life.

Helaman, Son of Alma the Younger 

1. BH&CS: “Preach unto them repentance, and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ; teach them to humble themselves and to be meek and lowly in heart; teach them to withstand every temptation of the devil, with their faith on the Lord Jesus Christ. Teach them to never be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart”
2. 1^stC:
3. ETTE:
4. 2^ndC: “such shall find rest to their souls”

So far in my search, I have not found a “super verse” spoken by Helaman. I hope to find one someday. However, I did find the council his father Alma gave him about what to preach to the people. After all the wars, Helaman set out on a mission to strengthen the church. It’s probably not too much of a stretch to think he taught them the Doctrine of Christ as his father had taught him.

Helaman, Son of Helaman (41-39 B.C.)

1. BH&CS: “but that ye may do these things to lay up for yourselves a treasure in heaven”
2. 1^stC:
3. ETTE:
4. 2^ndC: “that ye may have that precious gift of eternal life”

Helaman’s council to his two would-be missionary sons explains the proper intentions of a true disciple of Christ. We should not seek either comforter so that we can boast or brag. The comforters are not meant to gratify our personal pride in any way. If you seek them for any reason other than to be with God and give Him glory, you will not receive them.

Nephi, Son of Helaman (23-20 B.C.)

1. BH&CS: “so as many as should look upon the Son of God with faith, having a contrite spirit”
2. 1^stC:
3. ETTE:
4. 2^ndC: “might live, even unto that life which is eternal”

It was Nephi and his brother Lehi that received a mighty baptism of fire with three hundred other Lamanites in Helaman chapter 5. I’ve read that account many times and wondered how the Lamanites could have received the baptism of the Holy Ghost given their rebellious and idolatrous state. There is much to be gained by pondering and seeking revelation on these verses.

Samuel the Lamanite (~6 B.C.)

1. BH&CS: “as many of them as are brought to the knowledge of the truth, and to know of the wicked and abominable traditions of their fathers, and are led to believe the holy scriptures, yea, the prophecies of the holy prophets, which are written, which leadeth them to faith on the Lord, and unto repentance”
2. 1^stC: “which faith and repentance bringeth a change of heart unto them”
3. ETTE: “are firm and steadfast in the faith”
4. 2^ndC: “in the thing wherewith they have been made free”

Sometimes you aren’t open to hearing the truth until you come out from underneath your wicked traditions. That thing that will make you question your current beliefs is different for everyone. For me, it was when the spirit whispered to me to start studying the words of Isaiah. For others, the calamities of the last days will get so bad we will have no other choice but to turn to the Lord. Samuel the Lamanite was called by the Lord to prophecy to the wicked Nephites lest they be completely destroyed. Unfortunately, they were too proud to listen.

Nephi, Son of Nephi (~30-33 A.D.)

1. BH&CS: “all such as should come unto them should be baptized with water, and this as a witness and a testimony before God, and unto the people, that they had repented”
2. 1^stC: “received a remission of their sins”
3. ETTE:
4. 2^ndC:

Before the Lord returned to the Nephites in Bountiful, the baptism of water that Nephi was performing was for a remission of sins. However, it did not include the baptism by fire and the Holy Ghost. When the Lord came, He gave Nephi the power to baptize with water into the terrestrial order. Nephi first baptized himself and after coming up out of the water, He received his baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost. 

Brother of Jared

1. BH&CS: “even they who shall believe on my name”
2. 1^stC: “I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people” “they shall become my sons and my daughters”
3. ETTE:
4. 2^ndC: “In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally”

Although the words of this verse were spoken by Jesus Christ, they were spoken to and recorded by the Brother of Jared. Unfortunately, we are not allowed yet to read what the Brother of Jared saw and heard in the presence of the Lord in His full glory. Perhaps he wrote about how to receive our third comforter, or maybe our fourth or fifth and so on. For now, it doesn’t matter. What’s important now is for us to receive the first two comforters. Then, in the millennium, we will have the chance to continue on the path of ascension if we so desire.

Ether

1. BH&CS: “Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world”
2. 1^stC: “maketh an anchor to the souls of men”
3. ETTE: “make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God”
4. 2^ndC: “even a place at the right hand of God”

Ether lived through a brutal round of men descending into complete destruction. When he speaks of hope, sometimes I think that’s all he had to hold onto. But I know that his testimony of the Savior was built on firsthand experiences. Ether was willing to go through anything to serve the Lord. It is our hope of a better world, and to be on the right hand of God, that will serve as our motivation to follow Him until we are filled with charity.

Mormon (~401-21 A.D.)

1. BH&CS: “And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart”
2. 1^stC: “because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love”
3. ETTE: “which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come”
4. 2^ndC: “when all the saints shall dwell with God”

If you are ever feeling doubtful or confused about the path, read this verse. There is always something in it that will help you move forward. I frequently realize that I do not have charity, and I say that fully understanding that without charity I am nothing. The Lord has revealed to me many times what I can do to obtain more charity. It always has something to do with forgetting myself and lifting or serving another. Everyone’s journey is different. For me, I think my path to the first comforter is helping others.

Moroni, Son of Mormon (400-421 A.D.)

1. BH&CS: “neither can ye be saved in the kingdom of God if ye have not faith; neither can ye if ye have no hope”
2. 1^stC: “except ye have charity”
3. ETTE:
4. 2^ndC: “saved in the kingdom of God”

Part of receiving the first comforter, is receiving an endowment of charity. Moroni explains multiple times that faith and hope will eventually fail but charity will endure. What he means, is that only by first being redeemed by Christ can we be saved. Those who reject their Redeemer are doomed to pay for the consequences of their sins themselves. Those who turn from Him after receiving their first comforter, it would be better that they never knew Him.

In Conclusion

If you’ve made it this far, no doubt you are now an expert in identifying the four major steps of the Doctrine of Christ in the scriptures. I hope you’ll share with me some of your favorite super verses as you find them in the future. In the meantime, below are five verses in the Book of Mormon, taught by the Lord, that all contain the fullness of His Doctrine. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I do.

Jesus Christ

It changes the entire meaning of Ether chapter 12 when you understand that “charity” is a key word for receiving the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost. Moroni is worried that the gentiles in the latter days will not have charity. What he’s really worried about, is that they will not come unto Christ and enter the Gate. But the Lord told Moroni not to worry, it’s not his problem. Whether or not we receive the first comforter is completely between us and the Lord. The Lord is our Master. This is His plan for bringing us back into His presence. And He is very good at what He does.

Justin