2 Nephi 9:23 reads, "And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God."
Faith is an attribute that must be developed over time. Faith is manifest by a desire and willingness to follow God's commandments and to yield to the Holy Spirit. (See Loren C. Dunn, "Building Bridges to Faith" 1981).
Having faith in Jesus Christ leads us to change our lives for the better, and this change is called repentance. In a talk given by Richard G. Scott in the October 2000 General Conference, Elder Scott said, "Why have our Father and His Son commanded us to repent? Because they love us. . . . It is our Master and His redeeming act that make it possible for us to avoid such condemnation. It is done through faith in Jesus Christ, obedience to His commandments, and enduring in righteousness to the end" (Richard G. Scott, "The Path to Peace and Joy")
Having perfect faith does not mean that we are perfect, but that we know in whom we trust and we live our lives accordingly. We recognize our need for constant repentance, and we trust in God's plan for us. Perfect faith involves being one with God, repentant, and humble.
Prophets in the scriptures have constantly reminded us of Jesus Christ's role in our salvation: "There is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ" (Helaman 5:9). It is not possible to have perfect faith in any being besides Jesus Christ Himself. It is only through Him that we can reach salvation, and He has given us the way.
In another General Conference talk in 1997, Elder Scott said, "I witness that 'redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah . . . unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered' (2 Nephi 2:6-7). This absolute requisite of a 'broken heart and a contrite spirit' prescribes the need to be submissive, compliant, humble (that is, teachable), and willingly obedient. Finally, I witness 'how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah' (2 Nephi 2:8).
"Jesus Christ possessed merits that no other child of Heavenly Father could possibly have. . . . Our Master lived a perfect, sinless life and therefore was free from the demands of justice. He was and is perfect in every attribute, including love, compassion, patience, obedience, forgiveness, and humility. His mercy pays our debt to justice when we repent and obey Him. Even with our best efforts to obey His teachings we will still fall short, yet because of His grace we will be saved 'after all we can do' (2 Nephi 25:23)."
(Richard G. Scott, "Jesus Christ, Our Redeemer," April 1997)
I testify that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and by exercising perfect faith in Him we can have access to His grace and mercy, and we can someday join Him, perfected, in the Kingdom of Heaven with our Father.
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