”And now my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this straight and narrow path, I would ask if all is done. Behold, I say unto you, nay, for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ, with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save. 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.” (NC 2 Nephi 13:4, LDS 2 Nephi 31:19–20)
What is the “end” or purpose of this enduring? Is enduring an inconvenience or an obstacle that is getting in the way of the desired outcome? Is it a necessary but begrudging part of the path leading to what is really desired? Is it possible that this enduring can be an end in itself? Could enduring be it’s own blessing? What then might it mean to endure?
As Nephi describes, nobody can even get far enough on the path to even begin to worry about enduring without living by the word of Christ. After beginning on the path, the idea is that ”ye shall press forward feasting upon the word of Christ”.
What begins with hearing the word of God and acting upon it, must continue by hearing God and acting upon His word. Man is to live by every word that proceeds forth out of the mouth of God and not by bread alone. ”Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (KJV Matthew 4:4)
To endure is to live, or more specifically, to live by every word that proceeds from God’s mouth. ”For you shall live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God.” (LDS D&C 84:44)
This implies that in order to endure, a person has to continually be hearing the word of God within himself and living by it. To continuously hear the word of God within, cannot be done without first receiving the Holy Ghost.
The visitation of the Holy Ghost comes because of meekness and lowliness of heart. This kind of meekness and lowliness of heart follows the remission of sins. Remission of sins comes by fulfilling the commandments. Fulfilling the commandments comes by baptism. Baptism is the first fruits of repentance. Repentance is the result of faith. Faith comes by hearing the word of God. The word of God comes, in the first instance, from hearing one sent by God. God sends angels who are appointed to minister, “Wherefore, by the ministering of angels, and by every word which proceeded forth out of the mouth of God, men began to exercise faith in Christ;” (LDS Moroni 7:25).
”And the first fruits of repentance is baptism; and baptism cometh by faith unto the fulfilling the commandments; and the fulfilling the commandments bringeth remission of sins; And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God.“ (LDS Moroni 8:25–26)
Whoever receives the word of God will be given more of the word of God that he may have it in abundance. Rejecting more, when more of the word of God is given, results in the word which was received being taken away. ”For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.” (KJV Matthew 13:12)
The Holy Ghost enables a person to endure or live by every word God speaks by hearing the word of God continuously within himself. To endure is to live abundantly. ”I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.“ (KJV John 10:10)
Living abundantly by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God prepares the hearer to meet God. “Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am;” (LDS D&C 93:1)