On January 1,
2000, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a one-page
document entitled “The Living Christ:
The Testimony of the Apostles.”
This document commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ and reaffirms the
doctrines and teachings of the Church about Him. This declaration was signed by fifteen
Apostles of the Church: three members of
the First Presidency (Gordon B. Hinckley, Thomas S. Monson, and James E. Faust)
and by the members of Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (Boyd K. Packer, L. Tom
Perry, David B. Haight, Neal A. Maxwell, Russell M. Nelson, Dallin H. Oaks, M.
Russell Ballard, Joseph B. Wirthlin, Richard G. Scott, Robert D. Hales, Jeffrey
R. Holland, and Henry B. Eyring). The
document has been frequently quoted by leaders and members and featured in
Church magazines and publications.
As we commemorate the birth of
Jesus Christ two millennia ago, we offer our testimony of the reality of His
matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice. None other has had so profound an influence
upon all who have lived and will yet live upon the earth. He was the Great Jehovah of the Old
Testament, the Messiah of the New. Under
the direction of His Father, He was the creator of the earth. “All things were made by him; and without him
was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). Though sinless, He was baptized to fulfill
all righteousness. He “went about doing
good” (Acts 10:38), yet was despised for it.
His gospel was a message of peace and goodwill. He entreated all to follow His example. He walked the roads of Palestine, healing the
sick, causing the blind to see, and raising the dead. He taught the truths of eternity, the reality
of our premortal existence, the purpose of our life on earth, and the potential
for the sons and daughters of God in the life to come.
He instituted the sacrament as a
reminder of His great atoning sacrifice.
He was arrested and condemned on spurious charges, convicted to satisfy
a mob, and sentenced to die on Calvary’s cross.
He gave His life to atone for the sins of all mankind. His was a great vicarious gift in behalf of
all who would ever live upon the earth.
We solemnly testify that His
life, which is central to all human history, neither began in Bethlehem nor
concluded on Calvary. He was the
Firstborn of the Father, the Only Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of
the world.
He rose from the grave to
“become the first fruits of them that slept” (1 Cor. 15:20). As Risen Lord, He visited among those He had
loved in life. He also ministered among
His “other sheep” (John 10:16) in ancient America. In the modern world, He and His Father
appeared to the boy Joseph Smith, ushering in the long-promised “dispensation
of the fulness of times” (Ephesians 1:10).
Of the Living Christ, the
Prophet Joseph wrote: “His eyes were as
a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his
countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the
sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying: `I am the first and the last; I am he who
liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father’” (Doctrine
and Covenants 110:3-4).
Of Him the Prophet also
declared: “And now, after the many
testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all,
which we give of him: That he lives!
“For we saw him, even on the
right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only
Begotten of the Father –
“That by him, and through him,
and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are
begotten sons and daughters unto God” (Doctrine and Covenants 76:22-24).
We declare in words of solemnity
that His priesthood and His Church have been restored upon the earth – “built
upon the foundation of … apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the
chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:20).
We testify that He will someday
return to earth. “And the glory of the
Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together” (Isaiah
40:5). He will rule as King of Kings and
reign as Lord of Lords, and every knee shall bend and every tongue shall speak
in worship before Him. Each of us will
stand to be judged of Him according to our works and the desires of our hearts.
We bear testimony, as His duly
ordained Apostles – that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands
today on the right hand of His Father.
He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness
in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His
divine Son.
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