Darren

We learn from the story of Moses and the children of Israel about the one basic principle of the gospel, to focus your mental energy upon Jesus Christ, to "always remember him." All of the rest of the doctrines and commandments are to help you in your journey to do that one thing. Find the path to that one destination is the one basic principle of the gospel. What happens along the way as you work to travel that path and find the helps you need to get there are where we find the commandments and doctrines that are beyond that one basic principle of the gospel. 1 Nephi 17:41. … He sent fiery flying serpents among them; and after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished. Alma 33:18. But behold, this is not all; these are not the only ones who have spoken concerning the Son of God. 19. Behold, he was spoken of by Moses; yea and behold a type was raised up in the wilderness, that whosoever would look upon it might live. And many did look and live. 20. But few understood the meaning of those things, and this because of the hardness of their hearts. But there were many who were so hardened that they would not look, therefore they perished. Now the reason they would not look is because they did not believe that it would heal them. 21. O my brethren, if ye could be healed by mearly casting about your eyes that ye might be healed, would ye not behold quickly, or would ye rather harden your hearts in unbelief, and be slothful, that ye would not cast about your eyes, that ye might perish? Helaman 8:13 ... and also the words that were spoken by this man, Moses, who had such great power given unto him, yea, the words which he hath spoken concerning the coming of the Messiah. 14. Yea, did he not bear record that the Son of God should come? And as he lifted up the brazen serpent in the wilderness, even so shall he be lifted up who should come. 15. And as many as should look upon that serpent should live, even so as many as should look upon the Son of God with faith, having a contrite spirit, might live, even unto that life which is eternal. 2 Nephi 25:29. ... the right way is to believe in Christ, and deny him not ... ye must bow down before him and worship him with all of your might, mind and strength, and your whole soul; and if ye do this ye shall in nowise be cast out. In this passage Jacob cites the error of the Jews his family had left behind in Jerusalem. Jacob 4:14. But behold, the Jews were a stiffnecked people; and they despised the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and sought for things that they could not understand. Wherefore, because of their blindness, which blindness came from looking beyond the mark, they must needs fall … In the Book of Jarom, written some 200 years after Nephi’s time, Jarom chronicles the effort of the Church in his day. Jarom 11. Wherefore, the prophets and the priests, and the teachers did labor diligently, exhorting with all long-suffering the people to diligence; teaching the law of Moses, and the intent for which it was given; persuading them to look forward unto the Messiah, and believe in him to come as though he already was. And after this manner did they teach them. God Bless, Darren

People struggle with the words, but words are just feeble proxies for thoughts, used to convey mental images. Another way to look at the thought associated with "perfect" is through the word "holy." Holy comes from the same Germanic word spelled in English, whole, or could be spelled wholy. To be Holy is to have your whole mind focused on virtue. Jesus was "perfect" because his mind was rivited upon everything he saw his Father do. Jesus was perfect at every stage of his journey. And another thought, Before time immorial the word "atonement" was cooked up by the Catholic Church to assist them in the presentation of the eucharist and did not mean what we in the church use it for today. The word atonement originally meant, "that magical thing that happens at the "tone" or ringing of the bell, behind the rood screan, by a monk, when the priest turns the crackers and wine into the flesh and blood of our lord." The people sitting in the congregation while the priest is doing his incantation, and the monk is ringing the bell, wonder what it is that the priest is saying. As he says his incantation. They hear him say something in Latin that sounds like "hocus pocus" at that magical moment when that priest serves up the flesh and blood of God. The point is focus on the true meaning of the words, and not the words themselves. God Bless, Darren