The Keeper of the Gate

I have been contemplating a lot on two verses of scripture found in Helaman: 

Helaman 3:28 

28 Yea, thus we see that the gate of heaven is open unto all, even to those who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God. 

These two verses are deeply related. Heavenly Father wants all of his children to return home to him. He says that so clearly with the gate of heaven is open to all people. But there is only one way into the gate and that is by believing in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  

2 Nephi 9:41 

41 O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name. 

Second Nephi teaches us that Jesus Christ is the keeper of the gate, and cannot be deceived. Christ knows us on a personal level. He knows our we make mistakes. He knows our weaknesses and promises that he will turn them into strengths if we would just repent. 

That brings me to my second scripture in Helaman: 

Helaman 5:10 

10 ... the Lord surely should come to redeem his people, but that he should not come to redeem them in their sins, but to redeem them from their sins. 

The world's view is quite the opposite to this. Especially in today's society we see the attitude that was found in Second Nephi 28: 

8 And there shall also be many which shall say: aEat, drink, and be bmerry; nevertheless, fear God—he will cjustify in committing a little dsin; yea, elie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a fpit for thy neighbor; there is gno harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God. But as it says in Helaman, the Lord will not redeem us in our sins, but from our sins. 

This requires action on our part. This means that we actively and daily use the Atonement in our lives.  Elder M Russell Ballard said,"None of us will ever be so lost that we cannot find our way again through His Atonement and His teachings." That is a great promise! I am filled with such Gratitude as I think of the Atonement, and the suffering that my Savior did on my behalf. There is no way that I can repay him, but he doesn't ask us to. He just asks for us to use repentance to help better our lives, and that we remember Him.