Come Unto Christ

What does it mean to come unto Christ? All must come unto me or they cannot be saved. And how do men come unto me? It is by faith, repentance, and baptism, which bring the Holy Ghost, to then show you all things you must know (T&C 157:21). “There is a succinct description of the process in [T&C 93:1]. You haven’t come to Him until you have seen [His] face and know that [He is], or, in other words, until you hear from His own voice that He has atoned for your sins and He promises you a place in His kingdom. Until we have come to Him, all our concerns about other matters must remain secondary. Of what good is it to know all mysteries, if we have not come to Him?”¹ “There is this interesting statement by the Lord found [in JSH 10:19]: Behold, this is my doctrine: whosoever repents and comes unto me, the same is my church. The statement requires us to (1) Repent, and then (2) Come unto Christ. Repentance is a lifelong process. As we get further light and knowledge we have to incorporate it into our lives and change behavior. Over a lifetime, this should be dynamic, not static. The more difficult explanation is to come unto Him. It is my view that this includes fully receiving Him into your life as did the brother of Jared, Nephi, Enos, Enoch, Abraham, Moses, Joseph Smith, Daniel, Isaiah, Jacob, Mormon, Moroni, Alma the Younger, Paul, and so many others who have testified of Him. That is a subject so great that the entire body of scriptures exist to help us accomplish it.”² In one exchange with His disciples, Christ explained: And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all unto me. This he said signifying what death he should die (John 8:3). In one brief statement, Christ summarized the power of His love. He does not compel men to come, instead He will draw all men unto Himself. Without compulsory means, men come to Him. They are attracted to Him. Men want to be with Him. He is pleasant, appealing, inviting, and positive. Men seek Him out when they realize who He is. Christ leaves it to each person to choose between Him and all He offers or to reject Him. He invites; He does not demand. In one exchange with a doubting critic, He patiently explained to His interrogator that only those who belong to Him will follow Him. Others are free to wander off. Those who follow, however, would be protected eternally through His enduring love. As He explained: But you believe not because you are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand (John 6:29).³