What is the Doctrine of Christ?

After declaring the doctrine of Christ, Jesus says this, "And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them." (3 Nephi 11:40)

This makes me think of these scriptures on what is the priority:
 "Say nothing but repentance unto this generation; keep my commandments, and assist to bring forth my work, according to my commandments, and you shall be blessed." (D&C 6:9)
"And of tenets thou shalt not talk, but thou shalt declare repentance and faith on the Savior, and remission of sins by baptism, and by fire, yea, even the Holy Ghost." (D&C 19:31)
"And now, behold, I say unto you, that the thing which will be of the most worth unto you will be to declare repentance unto this people, that you may bring souls unto me, that you may rest with them in the kingdom of my Father. Amen." (D&C 16:6)

It seems to me that the core of the "Doctrine of Christ" are
- Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
- Repentance
- Baptism, by immersion for the remission of sin and
- The laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

In 3 Nephi 11
- Believe is found 4 times
- Repent is found 4 times
- Baptism is found 13 times
- Holy Ghost is found 6 times
- The chapter heading says, "Christ’s doctrine is that men should believe and be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost"

Some other points of the Doctrine of Christ.
In 1 Nephi 11:1-17, Jesus confirms the faith of many. If it is possible that there were any that did not yet have faith, he offered it to them.
In 1 Nephi 11:18-27, Jesus calls Nephi to be the presiding authority among the people. He gave him power to baptize the people and to call others to. It confirms the need for the ordinance and that authority is necessary to perform it.
In 1 Nephi 11:28-30, he declares that disputations and contention are not of God.

1 Ne 11:31 says he will state his doctrine.
:32 the Father gave the doctrine to him. He bears record of the Father. The Father bears record of the Son. The Holy Ghost bears record of the Father and the Son. This is his declaration that we are to have faith in.
:32 The first commandment he gives here is to "repent and believe in me". It is interesting to me that repentance comes before faith. Although the first half of the verse is also about faith.
:33-34 if we believe in Jesus and are baptized we are saved [from the consequences of sin]. We will inherit the kingdom of God. If we do not, we are damned.
:35 He states again what his doctrine is, to believe in him, and the Father and if we do, the Father will visit him with fire and the Holy Ghost.
:36 They bear record of each other
:37-38 Repent, be baptized, become as a little child. What is it about being as a little child? Humble, coachable, eager.
:39 Declaring again what the doctrine is. And that it is a sure foundation that hell itself cannot shake us from.

"It was tangible and I could feel it"

Kathryn Skaggs decided to share her conversion story.

"Whenever I was around my mother's family, I felt the Spirit and knew that I was amidst truth.  It was tangible and I could feel it. I loved being in the midst of that feeling. To me I was home."

This is how I feel about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Unlike Kathryn, I was raised in a practicing Mormon family. They practiced in letter and in spirit. I was raised by parents that love the Lord and are following the best they know how. The Lord requires no more of anyone.

I love the gospel and feel its power down in my bones. It has been a long time since I have gotten emotional about it, but I am now. To be connected to God by knowing and doing His will is life and light and joy to me.

"Everyone has their own ongoing conversion journey..." I love this message in Kathryn's post. Testimony and conversion are not binary. They are spectrums. We move from darkness to light, ignorance to knowledge. From a rebelling attitude to one of freely giving to the One who gave us life. We grow from a seed to a tree and beyond.

Adjourn or Adieu

When I hear "adjourn" at the end of General Conference, it seems rather formal. When I think of what it means, break off (a meeting, legal case, or game) with the intention of resuming it later", it reminds me of the last word of Jacob, adieu.

Jacob seems to be saying, "farewell until we meet with God". President Eyring is not saying "Fare well, I may never see you again". He is saying goodbye, or "God be with you until we meet again".

The Odd Use of the Word "Even"

Sometimes LDS speakers in General Conference use the word "even" in an unfamiliar way. One phrase is "even Jesus Christ". If you search the usage of it in the scriptures you will find many. As I have thought about it, I think it might mean something similar to the phrase, "the very same". So if someone says "even Jesus Christ", it may mean "the very same Jesus Christ I have told you about."

The MacMillan dictionary captures this definition

Even is used for emphasis mainly before a word, a phrase, or a clause beginning with "as," "if," or "though." When emphasizing verbs, even comes before an ordinary verb: They even served champagne at breakfast. But even comes after an auxiliary verb, a modal verb, or the verb "to be": She doesn't even know his name. ♦ Some computers can even talk to you.

Sometimes even is used after a word for emphasis: São Paulo is a huge city, larger even than New York. ♦ The task might be difficult, impossible even.

Related dictionary definitions

• even ADJECTIVE
• even VERB
• even NOUN
• even up PHRASAL VERB
• even out PHRASAL VERB
• even-handed ADJECTIVE
• even money NOUN
• even-tempered ADJECTIVE
• break-even point NOUN
• even odds NOUN at even money
• be even
• break even
• even number
• even the score
• on an even keel
• it's even money

more dictionary definitions

1. 
   

   1 used for showing that you are saying something that is surprising
   

   It always feels cold in this room, even in summer.

   Even the dog refused to eat it.

   Lucy's face brightened a little – she even managed to smile.

   not even: 
   

   He never stopped working, not even at Christmas.

   They didn't even offer me a glass of water.

   even now (=used for saying it is surprising that something still continues): 
   

   Even now, after all these years, he cannot mention hername without crying.

   even then (=used for saying that something is surprising after what has happened): 
   

   I sat down and explained the rules to him, but eventhen he continued to do as he pleased.

   Thesaurus entry for this meaning of even
2. 2

   used for emphasizing that although something is big, good, bad, etc.,something else is bigger, better, worse, etc.
   

   She admits things are bad, but argues they were even worse under theprevious government.

   If anything, local people are treated even more harshly than foreigners.

   Thesaurus entry for this meaning of even
3. 3

   used for adding a more extreme word or phrase to emphasize what youhave just said
   

   Her latest novel was very good, maybe even brilliant.

   The argument might have ended in violence – murder, even.

   Thesaurus entry for this meaning of even

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Charity Never Faileth

Charity, the pure love of Christ, exceeds almost all else.

1 Corinthians 13
 1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
 4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
 8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
 13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

"I, the Lord, will feel after them"

"And after their temptations, and much tribulation, behold, I, the Lord, will feel after them, and if they harden not their hearts, and stiffen not their necks against me, they shall be converted, and I will heal them." (D&C 112:13)

I have sometimes sung "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean" to my children at bedtime. I have fond memories of my mother singing it to me as she rocked me to sleep. It is among my earliest memories. Years ago, as I sang it, a new meaning came to me. My children are far from me. Far because of the truth of the free will of the human soul. God designed us that way. His plan for our eternal happiness depends on it. Jesus defended the Father's plan against Lucifer in our pre-mortal life.

The song reminded me that I must invite and persuade my children to follow Jesus. It is not possible for me to force them. And God would not want me to. We are here on earth to learn the difference between good and evil and to learn to choose the good. To be good, to become good like Jesus has shown us.

The scripture above tells me that the Lord feels after us. He will not force himself upon me. My experience with the Holy Spirit has taught me this. God allows us to do unspeakably horrible things to each other. Why? Maybe because that is the only way some of us will learn to stop doing them. Stop being selfish. Instead to unify my will with His.

This life is short. But it is not a practice sand-box. We are making real decisions causing either real, supernal joy, misery or something in between. What do I want? As soon as I decide to make a half measure toward God, I sense him feeling after me as we see in Michelangelo portraying.

He is reaching after me. So my heart can be softened. So my neck can be loosened; to be converted and healed. So I can learn to live after the manner of happiness.

Knowing That We Know

When the 23-year-old Heber J. Grant was installed as president of the Tooele Stake, he told the Saints he believed the gospel was true. President Joseph F. Smith, a counselor in the First Presidency, inquired, “Heber, you said you believe the gospel with all your heart, … but you did not bear your testimony that you know it is true. Don’t you know absolutely that this gospel is true?” 

Heber answered, “I do not.” Joseph F. Smith then turned to John Taylor, the President of the Church, and said, “I am in favor of undoing this afternoon what we did this morning. I do not think any man should preside over a stake who has not a perfect and abiding knowledge of the divinity of this work.”  

President Taylor replied, “Joseph, Joseph, Joseph, [Heber] knows it just as well as you do. The only thing that he does not know is that he does know it.” ("Knowing That We Know". Douglas L. Callister. Oct 2007)

Within a few weeks that testimony was realized, and young Heber J. Grant shed tears of gratitude for the perfect, abiding, and absolute testimony that came into his life.

I was reminded of this great story when I listened to How Do I Know If I Know? by John Bytheway. I loved the book. It had great insight.

Forget Yourself and go to Work

As a new missionary serving in Preston, England, Elder Gordon B. Hinckley was facing a major trial in his life. He was sick when he arrived in the mission field, and he quickly became discouraged because of the opposition to the missionary work. At a time of deep frustration, Elder Hinckley wrote in a letter to his father that he felt he was wasting his time and his father’s money. A little while later, Elder Hinckley received a reply from his dad. It said, “Dear Gordon, I have your recent letter. I have only one suggestion: forget yourself and go to work.” (Gordon B. Hinckley. "Sweet Is the Work: Gordon B. Hinckley, 15th President of the Church". May 1995)

It Is Better to Look Up

At the end of a particularly tiring day toward the end of my first week as a General Authority, my briefcase was overloaded and my mind was preoccupied with the question “How can I possibly do this?” I left the office of the Seventy and entered the elevator of the Church Administration Building. As the elevator descended, my head was down and I stared blankly at the floor. 

The door opened and someone entered, but I didn’t look up. As the door closed, I heard someone ask, “What are you looking at down there?” I recognized that voice—it was President Thomas S. Monson. 

I quickly looked up and responded, “Oh, nothing.” (I’m sure that clever response inspired confidence in my abilities!) 

But he had seen my subdued countenance and my heavy briefcase. He smiled and lovingly suggested, while pointing heavenward, “It is better to look up!” As we traveled down one more level, he cheerfully explained that he was on his way to the temple. When he bid me farewell, his parting glance spoke again to my heart, “Now, remember, it is better to look up.” (Carl B. Cook, "It Is Better to Look Up", Oct 2011)