This is a continuation of this post. As we look at further examples of scriptures of the form: "if ye do [...], ye shall have eternal life" or similar, let's see if the summary of the pattern in the table below still applies.
Covenant preparation / find the way and enter through the gate | Faith Repentance Baptism |
Covenant keeping / "walk therein" | Keep the commandments Endure to the end |
Mosiah 18:8-10
Conditions:
- Desirous to come into the fold of God and be called his people
- Willing to bear one another's burdens, that they may be light
- Willing to mourn with those who mourn
- Willing to comfort those that stand in need of comfort
- Stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things and in all places, even until death
- Be baptized in the name of the Lord as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him
- Serve him and keep his commandments
Reward
- Be numbered with those of the first resurrection
- Have eternal life
- He may pour his Spirit more abundantly upon you
2 Nephi 10:23-24
Conditions:
- Choose the way of eternal life
- Reconcile yourselves to the will of God
- (Reconcile not yourselves to the devil and the flesh)
- Salvation through the grace of God
3 Nephi 9:14
Conditions:
- Return to Christ
- Repent of your sins
- Be converted
- Come unto him
- I will receive you
- I will heal you
- Ye shall have eternal life
Alma 13:27-29
Conditions:
- Cast off your sins and not procrastinate the day of your repentance
- Humble yourselves before the Lord
- Call on his holy name
- Watch and pray continually
- Having faith in the Lord
- Having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life
- Having the love of God always in your hearts
Reward:
- Be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest
3 Nephi 11:33
Conditions:
- Whoso believeth in me
- ...and is baptized
Reward:
- ...the same shall be saved and...inherit the kingdom of God
3 Nephi 27:16
Conditions:
- Whoso repenteth
- and is baptized in my name...
- Endure to the end
- Him will I (Christ) hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I stand to judge the world.
I think it's safe to say that the pattern still applies, although it would probably also work to frame it a bit differently. As mentioned in the previous post, it may depend on the audience and whether they have been baptized yet or not. For instance, in Mosiah 18 (the first example), Alma addresses a group of people who are just about to be baptized. The conditions actually apply to the "covenant keeping" part in the table, because they must be "willing" and "desirous" to do these things before they commit.
Read together, all these examples in this post and the previous one, display a wonderful recipe for eternal life. What we are asked may not be easy for the natural man, but we see from the examples that a lot of it is about choosing, being willing and humbling ourselves. The reward is beyond my comprehension but sounds beautiful enough for me to want to strive towards.
