“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” [Matt. 28]
Matthew’s concluding verses speak of the powerful admonition given by the Lord to His disciples before returning to God the Father. The eleven disciples witnessed Christ’s ascension and heard His admonition to “go ye therefore“. We likewise as disciples [followers] of Jesus Christ are responsible for fulfilling our Savior’s plea to “teach all nations” and baptize them in His name and with His authority and power [priesthood].
What Shall We Teach?
The Lord taught us what to teach, “to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you”. Key in this particular verse of scripture [v. 20] is the word “you”, for it is mentioned twice in reference to our Lord’s admonition. If we are too teach others to observe all the things we have been commanded then we are responsible for 2 things.
- Obtain His Word – Revelation to Hyrum Smith [Joseph's brother] teaches us a valuable lesson about fulfilling Christ’s command. First, before we strive to declare the words of the Lord we must obtain it. “…First seek to obtain my word” is the revelation Hyrum received in the Doctrine and Covenants [D&C 11:21] which I believe applies to us today as well. We must first learn to understand God’s plan for us before we can adequately have our mouths filled with the spirit. Think of it this way… if we have not understood what Christ has commanded of us, how can we teach others to observe all things?
- Live His Word – Observing the word of the Lord in your life requires others to be able to see Christ’s commandments bless your life. The only way this happens is if you are living the gospel according to Christ’s teachings. To share the gospel we must not only learn it, but strive to live it to the best of our abilities.
My purpose is to teach anyone interested in how to blog, especially those interested in sharing the gospel.