The prophet President Russell M. Nelson has taught that “In God’s eternal plan, salvation is an individual matter; exaltation is a family matter.” Salvation is defined as “saved from physical and spiritual death . . . through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, by their faith in Him, by living in obedience to the laws and ordinances of His gospel, and by serving Him.” Exaltation “refers to the highest state of happiness and glory in the celestial realm” enabled by the sealing ordinance between a husband and wife in the temple. (“Salvation and Exaltation”, General Conference, April 2008)
In teaching that salvation is an individual matter, the prophet is highlighting that no one can make saving decisions for us. Each of us individually must pray to God, read His scriptures, and keep His commandments. No one can develop faith in Jesus Christ for us. No one can repent for us. No one can make and keep sacred covenants for us. We alone must let the saving power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ work in our lives. We alone are responsible and accountable for starting on and walking the covenant path to the Celestial Kingdom.
That said, I would like to suggest that our journey along the path to salvation and exaltation is more than just an individual or even family matter. Our journey along the covenant path back to our Father in Heaven is, rather, a Church family or community matter.
Consider the following verses from the Doctrine and Covenants:
And I give unto you, who are the first laborers in this last kingdom, a commandment that you assemble yourselves together, and organize yourselves, and prepare yourselves, and sanctify yourselves; yea, purify your hearts, and cleanse your hands and your feet before me, that I may make you clean;
That I may testify unto your Father, and your God, and my God, that you are clean from the blood of this wicked generation; that I may fulfil this promise, this great and last promise, which I have made unto you, when I will. (D&C 88:74-75)
In these verses, the Lord lists things we must do to become clean from the blood and sins of this generation and return to Him, including assembling and organizing ourselves as well as sanctifying ourselves and purifying our hearts. “Assembling ourselves” and “organizing ourselves” denotes multiple people coming together, either at Church or at home or wherever, and is a prerequisite to purifying our hearts and cleansing our hands and feet that the Lord may make us clean.
The commandment to gather together and the power it has to bless our lives as we journey along the covenant path is repeated throughout the scriptures both ancient and modern. In addition to the verses I just read, consider these other statements from the scriptures:
- And I give unto you a commandment that you shall teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom. (D&C 88:77)
- And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; (D&C 88:118)
- Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God; (D&C 88:119)
- See that ye love one another; cease to be covetous; learn to impart one to another as the gospel requires. (D&C 88:123)
- And above all things, clothe yourselves with the bond of charity, as with a mantle, which is the bond of perfectness and peace. (D&C 88:125)
- And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith.
And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls.
And they did meet together oft to partake of bread and wine, in remembrance of the Lord Jesus. (Moroni 6:4-6)
- And there was one day in every week that was set apart that they should gather themselves together to teach the people, and to worship the Lord their God, and also, as often as it was in their power, to assemble themselves together. (Mosiah 18:25)
- And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day; (D&C 59:9)
- And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them. (Moses 7:18)
- See also Alma 6:6, D&C 101:22
Please note that the commandment to gather together is not simply for the sake of gathering to satisfy a checklist item. Rather, the Lord commands us to gather together oft that we may teach and learn the gospel, love and serve one another, fast and pray for others, renew our covenants through the Sacrament, and become of one heart and one mind--all to help us along the path to salvation and exaltation.
Indeed, how can we keep our baptismal covenant to mourn with those that mourn, comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and bear one another’s burdens that they may be light if we do not gather ourselves together oft, accept and magnify church callings, and when we are converted, strengthen our brethren? (see Luke 22:32)
And this all goes hand-in-hand with the new mantra of “home-centered, church-supported gospel learning.”
Sister Reyna Aburto from the Relief Society general presidency recently taught this principle that salvation is a community matter, emphasizing that "we need each other, and we can bring each other to the Savior's redeeming healing" and reminding us that "Our purpose in His kingdom should be to bring each other to Christ." (“We Are The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”, General Conference, Apr 2022)
Indeed, we cannot become clean and return to live with our Father in Heaven on our own in the sense that we need the saving ordinances provided by the Church--administered by people. We must also serve others to fulfill the second great commandment as well as live up to our baptismal covenant to mourn with those that mourn and comfort those that stand in need of comfort. And, perhaps just as importantly, we need to be served, loved, and helped along the way. We cannot make it through this life alone.
So, while we alone are responsible for the decisions and actions required to develop faith in Christ, repent, and make and keep sacred covenants, we need all the support we can get as we walk along the covenant path, and we must offer our support to others on their journeys as well.
What does this support look like?
- It looks like young men and young women kindly and inclusively encouraging each other to participate in activities
- It looks like members of a ward “adopting” the children of a younger family that is trying--mostly unsuccessfully--to keep it together
- It looks like primary teachers faithfully preparing throughout the week to show up each Sunday and wrangle attention-deficit children in order to help them feel the love Jesus has for them
- It looks like a quiet friend who simply puts their arm around someone who has just lost a loved one
- It looks like a worthy priesthood holder responding to a request to give a blessing
- It looks like a family who quietly shares their father and husband with the rest of the ward when he is called as the new Bishop
- It looks like ministering brothers and sisters who reach out to and visit each other whether they live next door or an hour and a half away
- It looks like youth leaders who make sure engaging activities are planned, everyone has a ride, and that the youth feel safe and accepted
- It looks like a Melchizedek priesthood holder faithfully taking their new Aaronic priesthood companion ministering
- It looks like someone sharing their testimony formally at the pulpit on fast sunday and informally through their actions every day
- It looks like a Relief Society that prepares meals, cleans the house, and takes care of the yard of a family whose baby is in the hospital
- It looks like teachers who prepare for and preach by the Spirit of truth, that “he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together.” (D&C 50:21-22)
- It looks like an introvert accepting a calling in faith to be a teacher or a leader, knowing the call came from God and that He will support them
- It looks like someone sending a quick text the let someone else know they are thinking about them
Because inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, our brethren, ye have done it unto Christ.
I close with the words of the Book of Mormon prophet Nephi:
Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life. (2 Nephi 31:20)
We do not have to press forward alone. God put us here together that we may press forward together, sometimes leading, sometimes following, but never alone. The path to salvation and exaltation is a community matter.
