Success often requires persistence, and our discipleship is no different. Jesus promises salvation to those who “endure to the end.” The Greek hupoménō means “remain under,” evoking His yoke and cross. It's important to pace ourselves, but also to keep moving toward the goal.
“The Roots are Good”
In the Allegory of the Olive Tree, when a tree was producing bad fruit, the servant reminded the leader that the roots were still good. When you're working on a worthy goal and encounter setbacks, don't give up. Remember the goodness of the roots.
Endure
Nephi warned us that we have to keep moving along the path if we want to reach our destination. In Agile software methodology, there's an aphorism, "Stop starting, start finishing." We need to maintain our focus on the goal and avoid distractions.
Patient Continuance
Enduring to the end is an active process: continuing to do good with an ongoing commitment to eternal goals. It involves learning and growing. It is an uplifting process that can also be called "enjoying to the end."
Endure in Faith
Persevering through hardship is an essential component of discipleship. Fifteen times in the Book of Mormon, we are promised that those who endure to the end will be saved and will receive eternal life (1 Nephi 13:37, 1 Nephi 22:31, 2 Nephi 9:24, 2 Nephi 31:15, 16, 20, 2 Nephi 33:4, Omni 1:26, Alma 32:13, 15,... Continue Reading →
Cumorah
Mormon was 73 years old when he gathered his people for their final battle (Mormon 6:5). He had begun leading Nephite armies nearly 60 years earlier, at the age of 15 (Mormon 2:2). He had seen a lifetime of battles, and he knew the likely outcome of this conflict, but he believed that his people's... Continue Reading →
Why Did Jesus Tell Us to Be Perfect?
During His mortal ministry, the Savior gave this counsel: "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). This guidance is similar to an admonition in the book of Leviticus: "Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy" (Leviticus 19:2). When the Savior visited... Continue Reading →
What Does It Mean to Endure to the End?
Throughout the Book of Mormon, we are encouraged to endure to the end. The prophet Nephi heard the voice of the Father declaring, "He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved" (2 Nephi 31:15). Jesus Christ made the same promise during His visit to the American continent (3 Nephi 15:9). Near the... Continue Reading →
Why Is Jesus Called “the Author and the Finisher of Our Faith?”
"Author and finisher" can also be translated "pioneer and perfecter." Jesus sparks our faith through His teachings and invitations, and then He works with us to improve and refine that faith over time.
If He Endureth to the End – 3 Nephi 27:13-16
13 Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you—that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me. 14 And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that... Continue Reading →