Embedded Files
Topic: The New Testament: A Guide to Understanding Christ’s Doctrine
Sister Tami Snider | Sacrament Talk Feb. 08, 2026
Brothers and sisters,
I am grateful for the privilege of speaking with you today about a book of scripture that has shaped the course of the world and, more importantly, the lives of countless men and women who have sought to follow the Savior of the world.
The New Testament is not simply a historical record. It is a loving invitation to come unto Christ and to learn His doctrine—not only with our minds, but with our hearts.
The pivotal message of the New Testament is clear: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and the Redeemer of the world. Everything in its page’s points to Him—His life, His teachings, His compassion, His mercy and His saving mission.
Jesus declared,
“I am the way, the truth, and the life.” John 14:6
This statement is more than doctrine—It is an invitation. Christ does not only show the way. He is the way.
At the center of Christ’s doctrine is love.
When asked which commandment was greatest,
Jesus responded,
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart…and… thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” (Matthew 22:37–39)
These two principles form the foundation of everything He taught.
This love is not merely kind feelings or good intentions. It shapes how we speak, how we forgive, and how we treat others—Especially when it is difficult.
The Sermon on the Mount is one of the most sacred teachings of Christ’s doctrine. In this sermon the Savior speaks with divine authority, teaching us not only how to live, but who we can become.
He began by blessing the meek, the merciful, and the pure in heart, teaching that true happiness comes through humility and compassion—not power or pride (Matthew 5:3–9).
He then invites us to be “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world,” reminding us that discipleship is often lived quietly, through small and faithful acts (Matthew 5:13–14).
The Savior also taught that His doctrine reaches beyond outward behavior and into the heart—asking us to forgive, to let go of anger, and even to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44).
Finally, He invites us to build our lives upon a rock, promising that those who hear His words and live them will stand firm when the storms come (Matthew 7:24–25).
As we continue to study the doctrine of Christ, we come to understand the nature of our Heavenly Father.
The Savior taught, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.”
In Luke chapter 15, Jesus teaches with relatable stories that carry eternal truths—In the parables the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son. We see a loving Father who notices the one, who does not forget, who does not give up and who rejoices when we return.
The pathway that leads us to Christ is Repentance. In the New Testament, repentance is not taught as punishment, but as a divine gift made possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It is the process by which we turn away from sin and realign our lives with God. The Savior taught that repentance brings joy not only to those who repent, but in heaven itself, declaring, “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
Repentance is not about being flawless; it is about choosing Christ—again and again. Each sincere step toward the Savior invites His power into our lives and brings peace, renewal, and enduring joy.
The heart of everything Christ taught points us to His Atonement.
His doctrine cannot be separated from His sacrifice.
Jesus taught faith, repentance, obedience, and love—not as isolated principles, but as a way of life made possible through His sacrifice.
Jesus declared His mission simply:
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10)]
In Gethsemane and on the cross, the Savior took upon Himself our sins, pains, and sorrows. As a result, there is no burden He does not understand and no pain He cannot help heal.
As a witness to the Resurrected Christ,
Paul testified:
“But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that slept. … In Christ shall all be made alive.”” (1 Corinthians 15:20)
Because of Jesus Christ, repentance is joyful, forgiveness is real, and death has been overcome.
Brothers and Sisters Throughout the New Testament, the Savior makes it clear that everything He taught begins with faith.
Jesus said, “He that believeth on me hath everlasting life” (John 6:47),
He is reminding us that belief in Him is not passive—it is life-giving. Without faith, His teachings remain words we admire from a distance.
But when we believe in Jesus Christ, His doctrine becomes personal, His commandments become possible, and His promises become real.
Faith opens the way for repentance, invites the power of His Atonement into our lives, and allows us to truly come unto Him and to follow Him—to live as He lived, love as He loved, and serve as He served.
Jesus said,
“I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
I testify that the New Testament is a sacred guide to understanding the doctrine of Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God. He lives. His teachings are true. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.
President Gordon B. Hinckley
President Gordon B. Hinckley
“I promise you that if you will read the words of that writing which we call scripture, there will come into your heart an understanding and a warmth that will be pleasing to experience. ‘Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.’ (John 5:39.) Read … the Gospel of John. … Let the Lord speak for himself to you, and his words will come with a quiet conviction that will make the words of his critics meaningless. Read also the testament of the New World, the Book of Mormon, brought forth as a witness ‘that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations.’ (Book of Mormon title page.)” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1966, 87).
Faith in Jesus Christ
Relying Upon the Lord
Faith in Jesus Christ
Relying Upon the Lord
The Apostle Paul taught that “faith is the substance [assurance] of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”1 Alma made a similar statement: “If ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.”2 Faith is a principle of action and power. Whenever we work toward a worthy goal, we exercise faith. We show our hope for something that we cannot yet see.
Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
In order for faith to lead to salvation, it must be centered in the Lord Jesus Christ.3 We can exercise faith in Christ when we have an assurance that He exists, a correct idea of His character, and a knowledge that we are striving to live according to His will.
Having faith in Jesus Christ means relying completely on Him—trusting in His infinite power, intelligence, and love. It includes believing His teachings. It means believing that even though we do not understand all things, He does. Because He has experienced all our pains, afflictions, and infirmities, He knows how to help us rise above our daily difficulties.4 He has “overcome the world”5 and prepared the way for us to receive eternal life. He is always ready to help us as we remember His plea: “Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.”6
Living by Faith
Faith is much more than passive belief. We express our faith through action—by the way we live.
The Savior promised, “If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.”7 Faith in Jesus Christ can motivate us to follow His perfect example.8 Our faith can lead us to do good works, obey the commandments, and repent of our sins.9 Our faith can help us overcome temptation. Alma counseled his son Helaman, “Teach them to withstand every temptation of the devil, with their faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.”10
The Lord will work mighty miracles in our lives according to our faith.11 Faith in Jesus Christ helps us receive spiritual and physical healing through His Atonement.12 When times of trial come, faith can give us strength to press forward and face our hardships with courage. Even when the future seems uncertain, our faith in the Savior can give us peace.13
Increasing Our Faith
Faith is a gift from God, but we must nurture our faith to keep it strong. Faith is like a muscle. If exercised, it grows strong. If left immobile, it becomes weak.
We can nurture the gift of faith by praying to Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ. As we express our gratitude to our Father and as we plead with Him for blessings that we and others need, we will draw near to Him. We will draw near to the Savior, whose Atonement makes it possible for us to plead for mercy.14 We will also be receptive to the quiet guidance of the Holy Ghost.
We can strengthen our faith by keeping the commandments. Like all blessings from God, faith is obtained and increased through individual obedience and righteous action. If we desire to enrich our faith to the highest possible degree, we must keep the covenants we have made.
We can also develop faith by studying the scriptures and the words of latter-day prophets. The prophet Alma taught that the word of God helps strengthen faith. Comparing the word to a seed, he said that the “desire to believe” can lead us to “give place” for the word to be “planted in [our] heart[s].” Then we will feel that the word is good, for it will begin to enlarge our souls and enlighten our understanding. This will strengthen our faith. As we continually nurture the word in our hearts, “with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life.”15
Doctrinal Study
Atonement of Jesus Christ
What is the Atonement?
Doctrinal Study
Atonement of Jesus Christ
What is the Atonement?
As used in the scriptures, to atone is to suffer the penalty for sins, thereby removing the effects of sin from the repentant sinner and allowing him or her to be reconciled to God. Jesus Christ was the only one capable of carrying out the Atonement for all mankind. Because of His Atonement, all people will be resurrected, and those who obey His gospel will receive the gift of eternal life with God.
As descendants of Adam and Eve, all people inherit the effects of the Fall. In our fallen state, we are subject to opposition and temptation. When we give in to temptation, we are alienated from God, and if we continue in sin, we experience spiritual death, being separated from His presence. We are all subject to temporal death, which is the death of the physical body (see Alma 42:6–9; Doctrine and Covenants 29:41–42).
The only way for us to be saved is for someone else to rescue us. We need someone who can satisfy the demands of justice—standing in our place to assume the burden of the Fall and to pay the price for our sins. Jesus Christ has always been the only one capable of making such a sacrifice.
From before the Creation of the earth, the Savior has been our only hope for “peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come” (Doctrine and Covenants 59:23).
Only He had the power to lay down His life and take it up again. From His mortal mother, Mary, He inherited the ability to die. From His immortal Father, He inherited the power to overcome death. He declared, “As the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself” (John 5:26).
Only He could redeem us from our sins. God the Father gave Him this power (see Helaman 5:11). The Savior was able to receive this power and carry out the Atonement because He kept Himself free from sin: “He suffered temptations but gave no heed unto them” (Doctrine and Covenants 20:22). Having lived a perfect, sinless life, He was free from the demands of justice. Because He had the power of redemption and because He had no debt to justice, he could pay the debt for those who repent.
Jesus’s atoning sacrifice took place in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross at Calvary. In Gethsemane He submitted to the will of the Father and began to take upon Himself the sins of all people. He has revealed some of what He experienced as He paid the price for our sins:
“I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;
“But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;
“Which suffering caused myself, 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 I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—
“Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men” (Doctrine and Covenants 19:16–19; see also Luke 22:44; Mosiah 3:7).
The Savior continued to suffer for our sins when He allowed Himself to be crucified—“lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world” (1 Nephi 11:33).
On the cross, He allowed Himself to die. His body was then laid in a tomb until He was resurrected and became “the firstfruits of them that slept” (1 Corinthians 15:20). Through His death and Resurrection, He overcame physical death for us all.
Jesus Christ redeems all people from the effects of the Fall. All people who have ever lived on the earth and who ever will live on the earth will be resurrected and brought back into the presence of God to be judged (see 2 Nephi 2:5–10; Helaman 14:15–17). Through the Savior’s gift of mercy and redeeming grace, we will all receive the gift of immortality and live forever in glorified, resurrected bodies.
Although we are redeemed unconditionally from the universal effects of the Fall, we are accountable for our own sins. But we can be forgiven and cleansed from the stain of sin if we “apply the atoning blood of Christ” (Mosiah 4:2). We must exercise faith in Jesus Christ, repent, be baptized for the remission of sins, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
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