Why the cross

Why is the cross displayed prominently on our website at zionsoutpost.org?  The cross holds a prominent place in God’s great and eternal plan of redemption for mankind.  

I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever; nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it; and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.  (Ecclesiastes 3:14)

Recall that Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God who was slain from foundation of the world, and that He was slain according to the plan of redemption which God established from the foundation of the world.¹

And, behold, Enoch saw the day of the coming of the Son of Man, even in the flesh; and his soul rejoiced, saying, The righteous is lifted up; and the Lamb is slain from the foundation of the world; and through faith I am in the bosom of the Father; and behold, Zion is with me!  (Genesis 7:54 IV)

Now if it had not been for the plan of redemption, which was laid from the foundation of the world, there could have been no resurrection of the dead; But there was a plan of redemption laid, which shall bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, of which has been spoken.  (Alma 9:42,43)

…for all the rest shall be brought forth by the resurrection of the dead, through the triumph and the glory of the Lamb, who was slain, who was in the bosom of the Father before the worlds were made.  (D&C 76:4f)

Briefly stated, Jesus was slain from the beginning according to God’s plan which was from the beginning.

Brethren, this is the testimony which we give of that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life.  (I John 1:1)

Wherefore, when he [Jesus Christ] cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me; In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By which will we are sanctified through the offering once of the body of Jesus Christ.  And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God. (Hebrews 10:5-12)

Therefore, even as God has purposed, so may we expect Him to carry out His plans according to His will.

The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand … For the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannual it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?  (Isaiah 14:24,27)

As it is written, His word does not return to Him void.

For, as I, the Lord God, liveth, even so my words cannot return void, for, as they go forth out of my mouth, they must be fulfilled. (Genesis 3:30)

Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near;  Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.  For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater; So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth; it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.  (Isaiah 55:6-11)

God’s word is forever settled in heaven, and through Jesus Christ His word has been revealed unto the world.

He [Jesus Christ] came unto his own, and his own received him not.  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God; only to them who believe on his name.  He was born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the same word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bear witness of him, and cried, saying, This is he of whom I spake; He who cometh after me, is preferred before me; for he was before me.  For in the beginning was the Word, even the Son, who is made flesh, and sent unto us by the will of the Father.  And as many as believe on his name shall receive of his fullness.  And of his fullness have all we received, even immortality and eternal life, through his grace.  For the law was given through Moses, but life and truth came through Jesus Christ.  For the law was after a carnal commandment, to the administration of death; but the gospel was after the power of an endless life, through Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father.  (John 1:11-18)

This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one.  And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood; and these three agree in one.  (I John 5:6-8)

Wherefore, by the words of three, God hath said, I will establish my word.  Nevertheless, God sendeth more witnesses; and he proveth all his words. Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ:  For, for this end hath the law of Moses been given: And all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him. And also, my soul delighteth in the covenants of the Lord which he hath made to our fathers; Yea, my soul delighteth in his grace, and his justice, and power, and mercy, in the great and eternal plan of deliverance from death. And my soul delighteth in proving unto my people, that save Christ should come, all men must perish. For if there be no Christ, there be no God; and if there be no God, we are not, for there could have been no creation. But there is a God, and he is Christ; and he cometh in the fullness of his own time.  (II Nephi 8:5-14)

Thus, Jesus Christ’s atonement for the sins of the world, which is an infinite atonement, is a reality in heaven that was realized on earth at the appointed time.  In this way, all those who lived before Jesus Christ ministered on the earth were able to exercise faith in Him just as everyone who has lived after He was lifted up upon the cross have been able to exercise faith in Him.

Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? (Isaiah 40:21)

Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me.  Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, my counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. (Isaiah 46:9,10)

The manner in which and the means by which Jesus Christ was to be slain for the sins of the world were not left to chance or to the inventions of men.²

Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counselor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding? (Isaiah 40:13-14)

Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his Redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and besides me there is no God.  And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them show unto them.  Fear ye not, neither be afraid; have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses.  Is there a God besides me? yea, there is no God; I know not any. (Isaiah 44:6-8)

Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else.  I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. (Isaiah 45:22-23)

Consider the word of God, how He reveals His plans before carrying them out so that no one can say their idol performed it.

I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I showed it to thee; lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them; and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.  (Isaiah 48:5)

Now consider the cross and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.  Did God prepare the cross from the beginning and give it a prominent place in His plan of redemption?  Or was the cross first conceived of in the minds of idol worshipers?  Was it something devised by an idolator to be the work of his hands?  To claim the cross originated with such a person and not with God (according to His plan of redemption) is to associate Jesus’ suffering and death with a pagan ritual or practice.  Doing so would, at best, suggest that someone’s idol contributed to Jesus Christ’s work of salvation by contriving the instrument of His death.  At worst, it would ascribe Jesus’ sacrifice directly or indirectly to the work of an idol and, thus, suggest that a pagan’s idol could or should be seen as performing it and even officiating over the crucifixion of Christ.  God forbid that such a claim would be made by anyone, especially by anyone who believes in Jesus Christ as their Redeemer.  To do so would be unconscionable sacrilege to God and to those who love God and look to Him for salvation. We are God’s witnesses that He alone is our Savior.  There is none else who is able to deliver out of His hand.

I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no savior. I have declared, and have saved, and I have showed, when there was no strange god among you; therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God.  Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand; I will work, and who shall let it?  Thus saith the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel…  (Isaiah 43:11-14a)

Clearly, Jesus Christ could be the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world only if God had prepared the cross in the beginning for this purpose.  We can verify the truth of this conclusion by looking to God’s word and His assurance that He does nothing until He reveals it to His servants, the prophets.

Surely the Lord God will do nothing, until he revealeth the secret unto his servants the prophets.  (Amos 3:7)

Consider, for example, Enoch, the seventh from Adam.  He was shown that the Son of Man would be lifted up in the flesh upon the cross according to the word of God.

And the Lord said unto Enoch, Look; and he looked, and beheld the Son of Man lifted up on the cross, after the manner of men.  (Genesis 7:62 IV)³

The Brother of Jared likewise was shown that Jesus Christ would be slain upon the cross (as evidenced by the Lord’s instruction to him regarding the vision He was given).

And the Lord commanded the Brother of Jared to go down out of the mount from the presence of the Lord, and write the things which he had seen; and they were forbidden to come unto the children of men, until after he should be lifted up upon the cross… (Ether 1:94)

Others, like Nephi and the prophets before him were also shown the manner in which our Savior would be slain upon the cross.

Yea, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, yieldeth himself according to words of the angel, as a man, into the hands of wicked men, to be lifted up according to the words of Zenock, And to be crucified, according to the words of Neum. (I Nephi 5:240,241)

And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted up upon the cross, and slain for the sins of the world. (I Nephi 3:87)

Finally, Jesus Himself testified prior to His death of the manner in which He was to die and, thus, by what means He would draw all men unto Himself.

And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.  This he said, signifying what death he should die. (John 12:32,33)

Then, after His death, Jesus confirmed that the manner in which He died was by design and at the very center of His gospel according to the plan of God.

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; And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, I might draw all men unto me:  That as I have been lifted up by men, even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil; And for this cause have I been lifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father, I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their works.  (III Nephi 12:25-28)

This is the strength of the gospel message:  no one took the life of Jesus away from Him.  Neither was power given to any other to slay Him in a fashion that might please them.  Jesus testified that the power to lay down His life and to take it up again was given to Him and to no other.

Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.  No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.  (John 10:17,18)

In other words, Jesus presided over His own crucifixion.  Thus, the manner in which He died upon the cross was not left to chance.  He laid down His life and took it up again according to the commandment of God.  In the words of Paul, Jesus was obedient unto the death of the cross.

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:8)

If Jesus had died in any way other than the manner in which God had ordained from the beginning according to the plan of salvation, Jesus would have been outside the will of God and therefore He would have sinned by allowing Himself to be put to death in a manner not ordained of God.

Wherefore, when he [Jesus Christ] cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me; In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By which will we are sanctified through the offering once of the body of Jesus Christ.  And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God. (Hebrews 10:5-12)

Jesus, as our High Priest, offered an acceptable sacrifice before God.  He did not use any means that were unholy or not sanctified for this purpose.  The cross was His instrument, not the instrument of pagans or anyone else.  It was written into the plan of redemption from the foundation of the world.

What then can we conclude, and what then are we to understand about the use of the cross by pagans, for example, prior to or since the suffering and death of Christ?  Many of the things God has created or set apart for holy purposes have been turned into idols and instruments of idol worshippers.

For God hath revealed unto them the invisible things of him, from the creation of the world, which are clearly seen; things which are not seen being understood by the things that are made, through his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse; Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were they thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, through the lusts of their own hearts; to dishonor their own bodies between themselves; who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever.  Amen.  (Romans 1:20-25)

Consider the rainbow.  Recall that God set the rainbow in the sky for a particular reason, that it would be a token of a covenant such that when He looks upon it He promises to remember the everlasting covenant He made with Noah and Enoch before him.

And God made a covenant with Noah, and said, This shall be the token of the covenant I make between me and you, and for every living creature with you, for perpetual generations; I will set my bow in the cloud; and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.  And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember my covenant, which I have made between me and you, for every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.  And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant, which I made unto thy father Enoch; that, when men should keep all my commandments, Zion should again come on the earth, the city of Enoch which I have caught up unto myself.  (Genesis 9:18-21)

What do you see when you see a rainbow today?  Do you think of God’s intended purpose in setting His bow in the cloud?  Or do you think of the various things people today use the rainbow for, such as their own messages and agendas? As followers of Jesus Christ, we should see the rainbow as God sees it, not as the profane or unbelieving see it.  It is God’s token of a covenant He made between Himself and the earth, and He yet views it in this way even though there are those who view it otherwise.  Therefore, we cannot justifiably avoid or defame the rainbow because there are those who use it or view it in a manner not designed of God. The rainbow will forever belong to God, for He has said, “I will set my bow in the cloud.”  He has not surrendered it or given it up to those who misuse or abuse it, nor should we.

The same is true of the cross.  When God looks upon the cross, He sees it from His vantage point.  He sees it from the plan of redemption that was laid from the foundation of the world.  He sees the Lamb of God who was slain from the foundation of the world.  He sees His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, who ever lives to make intercession for those who come unto God by Him, that is, by way of the cross.  And so must we.  For God has revealed these things unto us by His Spirit.

…as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit; for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.  For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, except he has the Spirit of God.  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.   But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.  (I Corinthians 2:9-16)

If we fail to see the cross as God sees it, it will be because we are viewing it from the vantage point of our carnal minds, not from the mind of Christ.  In such a state of being, we can only see the cross as idolaters see it (as an instrument of idol worship) or view it as the unbelieving view it (as irrelevant foolishness).  Thus it is not only our privilege to view the cross as God views it, it is our calling and duty in Jesus Christ to do so … and then to take action accordingly by taking up our cross and following Him.

And he said unto them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.  For whosoever will save his life, must be willing to lose it for my sake; and whosoever will be willing to lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.  For what doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and yet he receive him not whom God hath ordained, and he lose his own soul, and he himself be a castaway?  For whosoever shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own kingdom, clothed in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels.  (Luke 9:23-26)

In his book, The Restitution, Bob Moore describes how Moses was instructed to have the children of Israel pitch their tents in the wilderness in a particular fashion to reveal Christ and His reign in the midst of His people.⁴  Their camp formed a cross, with the various tribes arranged after a particular pattern.

Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard, with the ensign of their father’s house; far off about the tabernacle of the congregation shall they pitch. (Numbers 2:2)

In a short video,⁵ Chuck Missler, a noted Bible teacher of our day, provides us with a description of what the camp of Israel would have looked like and how God would have viewed the camp from above.  As can be seen in the video, the manner in which they camped formed a cross of a particular orientation and with the tabernacle at the center of the cross.  When God looked upon the camp of Israel from the heavens He would have seen the cross of Christ and remembered His blood of the New Covenant in the same manner in which God promised to look upon the bow He set in the cloud and remembered the covenant He made with Noah.

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread and brake it, and blessed it, and gave to his disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is in remembrance of my body which I give a ransom for you.  And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it.  For this is in remembrance of my blood of the new testament, which is shed for as many as shall believe on my name, for the remission of their sins.  And I give unto you a commandment, that ye shall observe to do the things which ye have seen me do, and bear record of me even unto the end.  But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I shall come and drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.  (Matthew 26:22-26)

Let us, therefore, remember the cross with God by remembering the words Jesus spoke at the Lord’s Supper prior to His crucifixtion:

Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And when I go, I will prepare a place for you, and come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, ye may be also. And whither I go ye know; and the way ye know … I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also; and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.  (John 14:1-7)

Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name.  (Hebrews 13:12-15)

Like Israel of old, let us camp according to the design of God.  Let us pitch our tents as well as take our journey under our Father’s banner (token), the cross of Christ’s sufferings, by bearing His reproach.  For as Jesus said:

And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.  Therefore, settle this in your hearts, that ye will do the things which I shall teach, and command you.  (Luke 14:27,28)

Yes, the cross has been misrepresented and misused by many.  However, this does not change the way God views the cross.  Even though different peoples over time have misused the cross for their own purposes and designs, it yet reminds God of the infinite and eternal sacrifice Jesus Christ offered to appease the demands of divine justice, and this that His mercy might claim the truly penitent.⁶  Therefore, He yet calls us to be like the faithful of old who have come to the defense and confirmation of the gospel, which includes the preaching of the cross.

For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel; not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish, foolishness; but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God.  For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.  Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?  For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.  (I Corinthians 1:17-21)

Lest we forget, this is the gospel, that God sent His Only Begotten Son into the world to be lifted up upon the cross; and after He was lifted up, that He might draw all men unto Himself.

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; And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, I might draw all men unto me: That as I have been lifted up by men, even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil; And for this cause have I been lifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father, I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their works. And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name, shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father, at that day when I shall stand to judge the world. And he that endureth not unto the end, the same is he that is also hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence they can no more return, because of the justice of the Father: and this is the word which he hath given unto the children of men. And for this cause he fulfilleth the words which he hath given, and he lieth not, but fulfilleth all his words; and no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; Therefore nothing entereth into his rest, save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end. Now this is the commandment, Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day. Verily, verily I say unto you, This is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do, that shall ye also do; For that which ye have seen me do, even that shall ye do; therefore if ye do these things, blessed are ye, for ye shall be lifted up at the last day.  (III Nephi 12:25-35)

Why is Jesus Christ drawing all men unto Himself by way of the cross?  As Arthur Oakman wrote in his book, He Who Is, “the Lord Jesus Christ rules the universe from the cross.”

“When John the Beloved was invited to pass through the door that was opened into heaven, he was presented with the throne and the elders and the beasts.  There was a book which concerned him, the Book of the Future.  Nobody could open it.  Then a voice said unto him, ‘Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, … hath prevailed to open the book and loose the seven seals thereof.’  John, who was a Jew, having had the lion as the emblem of Judah, approached the throne of God and looked for the lion of the tribe of Judah.  And what did he see?  He saw a lamb slain from the foundation of the world.  He knew then that the Lord Jesus Christ rules the universe from the cross.  God, who created all things to reveal himself, things in heaven and things upon the earth, had manifested on the cross the nature and purpose of creation, for he sacrificed himself.”⁷

May we too come to know this marvelous truth that John and Arthur and all the faithful, both before and after them, have come to know.  Jesus Christ, as the Good Shepherd, is gathering His sheep, even as many who know His voice and follow Him, unto Himself by way of the cross.

I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep.  And the shepherd is not as a hireling, whose own the sheep are not, who seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth; and the wolf catcheth the sheep and scattereth them. For I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.   But he who is a hireling fleeth, because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep.  As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.   And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.   Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.  (John 10:11-18)

He promises to gather all those who will not harden their hearts against His words, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings.

I am he who said, Other sheep have I which are not of this fold, unto my disciples, and many there were that understood me not.  And I will show unto this people, that I had other sheep, and that they were a branch of the house of Jacob; and I will bring to light their marvelous works, which they did in my name;  yea, and I will also bring to light my gospel, which was ministered unto them, and, behold, they shall not deny that which you have received, but they shall build it up, and shall bring to light the true points of my doctrine; yea, and the only doctrine which is in me;  and this I do, that I may establish my gospel, that there may not be so much contention;  yea, Satan doth stir up the hearts of the people to contention, concerning the points of my doctrine; and in these things they do err, for they do wrest the Scriptures, and do not understand them;  therefore, I will unfold unto them this great mystery; for, behold, I will gather them as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if they will not harden their hearts; yea, if they will come, they may, and partake of the waters of life freely.  Behold, this is my doctrine: Whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church;  whosoever declareth more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is against me; therefore, he is not of my church.  And now, behold, whosoever is of my church, and endureth of my church to the end, him will I establish upon my Rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against him.  And now, remember the words of him who is the life and light of the world, your Redeemer, your Lord, and your God. Amen.  (D&C 3:14c-18)

This is His work and glory.

…and there is no end to my works, neither to my words; for this is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality, and eternal life of man.  (D&C 22:23b)

Behold the cross.

I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever; nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it; and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.  (Ecclesiastes 3:14)

For more on the cross, see Resurrection:  Redemption & Restoration.

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