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CHAPTER 6Repentant persons are baptized and fellowshipped—Church members who repent are forgiven—Meetings are conducted by the power of the Holy Ghost. [Between A.D. 400 and 421] |
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Concerning Baptism |
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1 AND now I speak concerning baptism. Behold, elders, priests, and
teachers were baptized; and they were not baptized save they brought forth
afruit meet that they were bworthy of it.
2 Neither did they receive any unto baptism save they came forth with a abroken bheart and a contrite spirit, and witnessed unto the church that they truly repented of all their sins. 3 And none were received unto baptism save they atook upon them the name of Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end.
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1a
TG
Baptism, Qualifications for b TG Worthiness 2a TG Poor in Spirit b TG Contrite Heart 3a 2 Ne. 9:23; TG Jesus Christ, Taking the Name of
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After Baptism |
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4 And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought
upon and acleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they
were numbered among the people of the bchurch of Christ;
and their cnames were taken, that they might be remembered
and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep
them continually dwatchful unto prayer,
erelying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the
author and the finisher of their
faitha.
5 And the achurch did meet together boft, to cfast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls. 6 And they did ameet together oft to partake of bread and wine, in bremembrance of the Lord Jesus.
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4a author and the finisher of their faith In Hebrews 12:2 the Apostle Paul uses this same 'title' description of Jesus Christ, calling him 'the author and finisher of our faith. That was in the first centry A.D. It would appear that during the fouth centry A.D. that the Church in the Americas did use the same descriptive title in reference to Christ. Joseph Smith translated the reformed Egypt words into that same concept which those who translated the King James Bible used in their translation from the presumed Greek text to state that Christ is the 'author' and the 'finisher' of our faith. We will not know until a latter time the exact Nephite Reformed Egyptian words but we know from the prophet's translation that the concept is the same as that translated in the King James Bible. There are other such similar statements which reflect much the same ideas. Christ is the creator, meaning that he is he who made or authored this existance. Christ is also he who is the final judge and the 'finisher' of our faith. This Second estate Begins with Him, it also Ends with him. He is that Alpha and Omega, that First and that Last, the Beginning and the End. That the Aposlte Paul states it in more personal terms as translated by those who translated the King James Bible making him the 'author' which personalized the matter more than just saying the Beginning or the Alpha and that saying he is the 'finisher' makes it more personal than saying he is the Omega or the End. What the Nephite text said made him also more personal and whither the exact word translation would be 'author' or a more personalized Nephite term meaning its intimate and personal organizer and creator; and whither the exact Nephite word would equate with 'finisher' or some other personal word meaning the grand summarizing of the matter; Joseph Smith chose or was given that which would have the closest and nearest meaning to us of what the Nephite text said and it was basically that which the Apostle Paul had attempt to state in the Greek and has been also translated the same as the 'author and finisher of our faith'. He is our beginning, he stands as our head at the start of this Second Estate as it divine creator. He personally 'authored' it. He also stands at its culmination, its end as its finisher. In a graphic representation of the Sealing rooms of the temple he stand at the two reflective morrors which infiniately reflect each other representing eternity. He stands at the one mirror as the entrance by which we enter this mortality from the eternity of our past. He stands at the other mirror as the entrance back into that eternity in our future. There is no other way. He is the way the truth and the light. He is the author and the finisher of it all. This is our faith and our belief and there is not other. into the eternity which |
4a
TG
Purification b TG Jesus Christ, Head of the Church c D&C 20:82; D&C 47:1-4 d D&C 20:53; TG Watchfulness e 2 Ne. 31:19; D&C 3:20 5a Acts 1:14 (13-14); TG Church b 3 Ne. 24:16 c 4 Ne. 1:12; D&C 88:76 6a TG Assembly for Worship; TG Meetings b TG Sacrament
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Matter of Sin and Repentance |
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7 And they were strict to observe that there should be
ano iniquity among them; and whoso was found to commit
iniquity, and bthree witnesses of the church did condemn
them before the celders, and if they repented not, and
dconfessed not, their names were eblotted
out, and they were not fnumbered among the people of
Christ.
8 But aas oft as they repented and sought forgiveness, with real bintent, they were cforgiven.
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7a
D&C 20:54 b D&C 42:80-81; TG Witnesses c Ex. 4:29; Josh. 20:4; Alma 6:1; TG Elder d TG Confession e Ex. 32:33; D&C 20:83; TG Excommunication d TG Book of Life 8a Mosiah 26:30-31 b TG Sincerity c TG Forgiveness
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Meetings Held by Power of Holy Ghost - The Spirit |
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9 And their meetings were aconducted by the church
after the manner of the workings of the Spirit, and by the
bpower of the Holy Ghost; for as the power of the Holy
Ghost led them whether to preach, or to exhort, or to pray, or to supplicate,
or to sing, even so it was done.
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9a
D&C 20:45;
D&C 46:2 b 1 Ne. 13:37; Moro. 3:4; TG Holy Ghost, Gifts of; TG Teaching with the Spirit;
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