ChristusThe Book of Mormon: Chapter Thirty-Six: Helaman 8:15

15And as many as should look upon that serpent should live, even so as many as should look upon the Son of God with faith, having a contrite spirit, might live, even unto that life which is eternal.

The call to “look to God and live” is ours today as it been to those who lived anciently on this continent as recorded in The Book of Mormon, above. The same call, to “come and see” or come to Christ is written all over the New Testament. The invitation is open, extended, as Christ’s arms, without a closed-ended RSVP. In the words of one LDS (Latter-day Saint, “Mormon,”) apostle:

The burden of all the prophets, from Adam to our present prophet, has been to persuade men to look to God and live. 

That men have not enjoyed peace, happiness, and continual progress is, therefore, not because God has failed to make known the way by which these blessings could be had. It is because men have refused to obey the revealed laws upon which these blessings are predicated.

Cain’s curse was brought on by his own willful rejection of the counsel of God. The antediluvians brought on the flood in which they perished by rejecting Noah, who taught and pleaded with them for one hundred twenty years. The Jaredites pursued their rebellious course to their utter destruction in defiance of the teachings and warnings of their prophets. Following the same course, the Nephites suffered great destruction at the time of Christ’s crucifixion.

All of this endless tragedy, carnage, and sorrow could have been avoided. All of these peoples could have existed in peace and prosperity had they been willing to look to God (Marion G. Romney, Look to God and Live, pp. 8–9).