Nephi's Last Plea - Jeus is the Way

After teaching the Doctrine of Christ in 2 Nephi 31, Nephi spends chapters 32 and 33 answering the question, "What comes next?"

The Doctrine of Christ is beautifully simple:

• Humility and baptism
• Obedience to God's commandments
• Repentance
• Receiving the Holy Ghost
• Pressing forward with faith in Christ
• Feasting upon His word
• Enduring to the end

What strikes me is that after all of these steps, Nephi's focus turns to the Holy Ghost.

"Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ" (2 Nephi 32:3).

If I want to speak words that bless, teach, and testify, I need to fill my life with the words of Christ until they become familiar to me. That has always been a desire of my heart. I'm not someone who thinks quickly on my feet. I ponder. I study. I search. I long to be able to draw upon scripture and truth when someone needs encouragement or understanding.

Nephi gives simple counsel when we don't understand: ask. Sometimes the answers are far less complicated than we make them.

One of my favorite promises is found in 2 Nephi 33:1. When we speak by the power of the Holy Ghost, the Holy Ghost carries the message into the hearts of others. For me, that witness often comes to the speaker as well. Nearly fifty years ago, while bearing my testimony, I felt that witness so powerfully that I could hardly continue speaking. In that moment, I knew the gospel of Jesus Christ was true. That experience still compels me to testify of the Savior whenever the Spirit prompts me.

Nephi says he glories in plainness, truth, and in Jesus Christ. I understand that. The gospel is not complicated. It is plain. It is true. It changes lives.

As I read these final chapters, I hear Nephi making one last effort to convince his people—his own family—that Jesus is the Christ. His message is straightforward: come unto Christ. Follow Him. Seek truth. Do good. Keep moving forward.

One note I wrote years ago in my margin caught my attention: If we reject the words of the Book of Mormon and the testimonies of God's servants, those very words will stand as witnesses against us.

That is a sobering thought.

Nephi's final testimony is both an invitation and a warning. More than anything, it is a witness that Jesus Christ is the only way back to our Heavenly Father. The message is plain. The path is clear. The choice is ours.