Being born again is aided by the sanctifying power of the sacrament as we continue to repent of our sins, day by day, even moment to moment, together with the sanctifying and refining influence of Christ-like service—at home, in the Church, through family history, in temple service, and in the community, out of love for our brothers and sisters, and God and Christ. (Dellas W. Lee, The Infinite Christ [Lubbock, Tex.: Woodsworth Books, 2020], 34)
Why was God confident Jehovah would succeed?
The Father had observed his Firstborn honor the holy order of God over eons of time, and thus knew of his unwavering capacity to honor covenants with exactness, and this with “a glad heart and a cheerful countenance.” (D&C 59:15; Prov 8:30). From the beginning, God had anticipated the need for a Redeemer who could satisfy the demands of justice through an infinite atonement, and in his omniscience he knew that his Firstborn would qualify.
President Lorenzo Snow had pondered this question and made the following observation: “Thousands of years before He came upon earth, the Father had watched His course and knew that He could depend upon Him when the salvation of worlds should be at stake, and He was not disappointed.” (Lorenzo Snow, 18 May 1899, Millennial Star, 61:532, a quoted in The Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, 93) Thus, eons back, upon Jehovah covenanting, “Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever,” the Savior had given his word of honor, which he would not break, because Gods do not break their covenants. Henceforth the Father was able to describe him as, and thus he became, “the Lamb . . . slain from the foundation of the world.” (Moses 7:47; 1 Pet 1:20; Rev 13:8). And so he was.
The foreknowledge of God in no way impinged upon the agency of the Savior. He was free to choose the path he would follow at any moment in the many events leading up to and during his final tribulation. His infinite suffering would cause himself, “even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that [he] might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—” Through he foresaw the depths of pain, knowing the worlds without number depended upon him, or all was lost, he did not waver, he did not shrink. Thus, the Great Jehovah, our Beloved Savior, midst unimaginable agony, “partook and finished [his] preparations unto the children of men.” (D&C 19:19, 18 . . .) (Dellas W. Lee, The Infinite Christ [Lubbock, Tex.: Woodsworth Books, 2020], 50-51)
Grace being ontic/transformative, etc:
Transition from man to godhood by grace
How does God bring about this “transition” from man to godhood of which President Taylor writes? It appears to be by the grace of the Gods. Yes, the Gods created the universe and Christ performed the atonement by the power of the priesthood, but it appears that even the priesthood is an element of grace. The Lord revealed that man can “receive grace for grace,” and grow “from grace to grace,” until he receives “a fullness”—which is godhood. (D&C 93:12, 13, 19-20, 27-28, 36.)
Brother Packham gives us this observation on the process of cleansing and sanctification by the atonement of Christ through the power of the Holy Ghost: “While sanctification comes through Christ [“the blood of mine Only Begotten,” Moses 6:59-60], the Holy Ghost is the actual cleansing agent and the manifestation of this renewing power is conditional (see 3 Nephi 9:20.” (E. Richard Packham, My Maturing Views of Grace, Aug Ensign 22 at 25 [2005])
Thus, because of the atonement, through the grace of Christ we are redeemed from the fall and cleansed from our sins by the blood of Christ, following repentance. Then comes forgiveness by the mercy of God, by which we are made innocent. (Moses 6:59-60.) But the power by which we are sanctified and perfected and granted a fulness of the glory of God, is the power of the Holy Ghost, through the grace of God. (Elder D. Todd Christofferson, The Divine Gift of Repentance, General Conference, Nov Ensign 38 [2011]; President Russell M. Nelson, Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Loves, General Conference, May Ensign 39 [2017]) (3 Ne 27:20; D&C 93:20.) That is exaltation in the celestial kingdom.
Although the prophets do speak of the light of truth, the light of Christ, the Spirit of Christ, etc., often they summarize the foregoing (the transition from man to godhood) by simply referring to the mission of the Holy Ghost. For example, Nephi said that the mysteries of God will be unfolded to them that seek by the power of the Holy Ghost. (1 Ne 10:19.) However, later he adds “through the merits, mercy and grace of the Holy Messiah” (2 Ne 2:8), and still later, “for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.” (2 Ne 25:23.)
In summary, we again cite the particularly precious key to eternal progression through the principles we have been discussing, as revealed by the Lord through Moroni: “And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.” (Ether 12:27; Moro 10:32-33.)
That is, because of the atonement of Jesus Christ, we can be saved by grace—the power of Christ, the power of the Godhead, after all we can do. (Moro 10:32-33; 2 Ne 25:23.) (Dellas W. Lee, The Infinite Christ [Lubbock, Tex.: Woodsworth Books, 2020], 385-86)
Repentance is a gift of the Spirit
Through the grace of God, true repentance comes as a gift through the Holy Ghost—a spiritual gift. True repentance is a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and is a process, not a single event. It includes godly sorrow, which is also a spiritual gift. It goes hand in hand with sanctification, which is the perfecting process. (3 Ne 27:19-20.) Through repentance our guilt is swept away and the gate is opened to the pathway to godhood. (Enos 1:6.) Repentance may be the greatest of all the gifts of the Spirit, for without the gift of repentance we would be limited in our capacity to receive all other gifts of the Spirit. We are now ready to receive gift upon gift that will lead us to perfection.
How then can we receive this most precious of all spiritual gifts?
We begin with the agency of man. Until he understands the fall of Adam and the need for Christ, until he sees the need for repentance, desires it, has faith in the atonement of Christ, is pricked in his conscience, and is willing to pay the price for it, he will not receive it. The price is a broken heart and a contrite (penitent, sorry) spirit. (Elder Bruce D. Porter, A Broken Heart and a Contrite Spirit, General Conference, Nov Ensign 31 [2007]) (2 Ne 2:7; 3 Ne 9:20; 12:19; Moro 6:2; D&C 59:8.) It beings with gratitude as we learn about the infinite sacrifice that has been made for us by Jesus Christ. “How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?” (Rom 10:14) As we learn of Christ we are touched by the grace of God. (1 Pet 1:13.) Gratitude leads to humility. (Mosiah 2:23-24.) And humility leads to a desire to be the beneficiary of true repentance. Desire can be nurtured and enlarged until it leads to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Desire, May Ensign 42 [2011]) (Alma 32:27.)
Faith leads to repentance, and repentance leads to a broken heart and a contrite spirit, which leads to baptism and a healing miracle. “Think of the good that comes from broken things,” said Elder Funk. “Soil is broken to plant wheat. Wheat is broken to make bread. Bread is broken to become the emblems of the sacrament. When one who is repentant partakes of the sacrament with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, he or she becomes whole.” (Elder Randy D. Funk, Called of Him to Declare His World, General Conference, Nov Ensign 52 at 53 [2013])
. . .
But true repentance includes more than a reformation of bad behavior. Merely refraining from sin is not repentance. It requires a “mighty change” of heart as well as a disposition to refrain from evil (Mosiah 5:2; Jer 31:33; Ezek 36;26.) It requires godly sorrow. “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death” (2 Cor 7:10.) Godly sorrow is also a gift of the Spirit, and may come only through the deeply humble prayer. It needs the help of the Spirit. It is to be born of the Spirit. (Mosiah 27:24; Moses 6:59-65.) So we humbly pray that God will bless us with the gift of repentance. As that comes, we learn to follow the counsel of Alma to his son, Shiblon: “bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love.” (Janet Jacob Erickson, “Can commitment and Sacrifice Survive Culture of Cheap Sex?,” Deseret News, 10, Funday, February 11, 2018) (Alma 38:12) (Dellas W. Lee, The Infinite Christ [Lubbock, Tex.: Woodsworth Books, 2020], 439-41)
We see in these words (Moses 6:59-61; Rom 2:13) that justification [being forgiven and made innocent] invokes water (baptism), the Spirit (additional light and truth through the Holy Ghost, though not the gift) and the blood of Christ, through the “wisdom, mercy, truth, justice, and judgment” (i.e., the grace of God. (Rom 3:24; 5:15). (Dellas W. Lee, The Infinite Christ [Lubbock, Tex.: Woodsworth Books, 2020], 478-79)
At this point, through born of water and justified, i.e., cleansed by the blood of Christ, and having received additional light of truth, they have not yet been born of the Spirit. President Lorenzo Snow made this distinction with respect to the Saints in Samaria who had been baptised by authority, but not yet received the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost: (Acts 8:5): “They probably were rejoicing in consequence of having received a remission of sins, through faith, repentance, and baptism, and of receiving some portion of the Holy Spirit of God, which naturally followed them, after having obtained the answer of a good conscience by the remissions of sins. Through this portion of the Holy Spirit which they came in possession of, they began to see the kingdom of God. For it will be recollected that our Saviour has declared that no man can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again; and in [the] verse following, he says—he cannot enter into it, except he is born twice; first of water, then of the Spirit [see John 3:3-5].” Teachings Of the Presidents Of The Church, Lorenzo Snow, 52-53, emphasis added). (Ibid., 479 n. 33)
