The Doctrine of Christ – The Fifth Cornerstone

In the previous post, I discussed the four cornerstones of the Doctrine of Christ and that viewing them as steps on the staircase didn’t do them justice. This is so because the Brethren see them as eternal concepts. So we need a new analogy.

To make this paradigm shift, we must add a fifth cornerstone – enduring to the end. We are all familiar with the concept that we must keep the commandments and then endure to the end to gain eternal life (D&C 14:7). When we add enduring then we need a new analogy to better grasp the eternal nature of the Doctrine of Christ.

President Heaton used the analogy of a nut on a bolt. As you exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, you twist the nut a quarter rotation. Your faith leads to a desire to repent as we see with King Lamoni (Alma 18:41) and his father (Alma 22:18) as they learn about Christ for first time. The desire to repent, or to align your will with the will of God, allows you to turn the not another quarter rotation.

After experiencing the cleansing power of the atonement in our lives we either seek to be baptized, or use the sacrament to remember the covenants made at baptism. So, we turn the nut on more quarter rotation.

Finally, because we have faith, we are repenting, and we are reminded of our baptismal convents, we position ourselves to have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. Then we turn the nut one more quarter turn.

Endurance comes when we recognize that we constantly fall short because of our mortal nature (2 Nephi 4:17-31) Simply because you turned the nut on the bolt a full rotation does not mean you are done. Rather, trials and challenges will force us to renew our faith in Christ. Our constant struggles to be like Him will remind us of our need to repent. Repentance is augmented by taking the sacrament. Then the still small voice of the sprit will remind us that God loves us enough to sacrifice His Son on our behalf (John 17:3).

So, by adding endurance as the fifth cornerstone, we can find great joy in a deeper understanding and the liberating power of the Doctrine of Christ.