Free to Live

                The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is the simple fact that mankind is free because Jesus Christ provided the way to escape this world.  Jesus Christ was born in a stable and reared as the son of a carpenter; however, He was the Son of God and came to earth to save all mankind.  We celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ because of the man He became as well as His mission.

                Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten Son of Heavenly.  He is the only person on earth who had a mortal mother an immortal Father.  He inherited mortality from His mother and was subject to hunger, thirst, fatigue, pain, and death.  He inherited divine powers from His Father.  Because of His divine qualities, He had the power to lay down His life and then take it up again.  He was the first person to be resurrected and made it possible for all mankind to be resurrected.

                There were few witnesses when Jesus Christ came to earth the first time; when He comes again, He will come “with power and great glory” and all mankind will witness it (Doctrine and Covenants 29:11).  The Second Coming of the Savior will be the beginning of the Millennium, a time when the Savior will “dwell in righteousness with men on earth a thousand years” (Doctrine and Covenants 29:11).

                No one knows when the Savior will return, not even the angels in heaven, but He promised to give us signs of His coming.  The signs have begun.  The scriptures tell us that we will see (1) earthquakes, tempests, thunder, and lightning, and seas heaving themselves beyond their boundaries. Storms; (2) the sun turning dark and the moon turning into blood; (3) wars and rumors of wars.

                The scriptures also tell us that the Savior will return in glory, so much glory that the “sun shall hid his face in shame” (Doctrine and Covenants 133:49).  The signs are here and growing in frequency.   Are you ready to meet the Savior?  Are you like the wise virgins who brought extra oil for their lamps or are you like the foolish virgins who brought no extra oil and expected to borrow it from others?

                “For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived – verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day” (Doctrine and Covenants 45:56-57; see also Matthew 25:1-13).

                Even though our Savior came to earth the first time as a Baby, He will come again in great glory.  Everyone on earth will see Him and know He is Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  We are all indebted to our Savior for making it possible for each of us to live truly free!