What Is the Purpose of the Sacrament?

My Come Follow Me studies for this week took me to Exodus 7-13 and a lesson titled “Remember this Day, in Which Ye Came Out from Egypt.” The lesson was introduced by the following information. 

Plague after plague afflicted Egypt, but Pharaoh still refused to release the Israelites. And yet God continued to demonstrate His power and give Pharaoh opportunities to accept “that I am the Lord” and “there is none like me in all the earth” (Exodus 7:5; 9:14).

Meanwhile, Moses and the Israelites must have watched with awe at these manifestations of God’s power on their behalf. Surely these continued signs confirmed their faith in God and strengthened their willingness to follow God’s prophet. Then, after nine terrible plagues had failed to free the Israelites, it was the tenth plague – the death of the firstborn, including Pharaoh’s firstborn – that finally ended the captivity. This seems fitting because in every case of spiritual captivity, there truly is only one way to escape. It is only the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Firstborn – the blood of the Lamb without blemish – that will save us.

The principles taught in this scriptures block include (1) I can choose to soften my heart (Exodus 7-11); (2) Jesus Christ can save me because of His Atonement (Exodus 12:1-42); (3) The sacrament helps me remember my deliverance through Jesus Christ (Exodus 12:14-17, 24-27; 13:1-16).

This essay will discuss principle #3 about the sacrament. This is obviously the Easter lesson, which is scheduled a week late due to General Conference being held on Easter Sunday. However, it is a good lesson for us to remember all year long.

Jehovah commanded the Israelites to observe the Passover each year to help them remember He had delivered them, even after their captivity became a distant memory. He wanted them to teach their children and children’s children about the Passover to remember “throughout your generations” (see Exodus 12:14, 26-27).

After His Resurrection, Jesus Christ instituted the sacrament as a reminder of His atoning sacrifice. The sacrament is an ordinance in which Church members partake of bread and water in remembrance of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Through this ordinance, Church members renew the covenants they made with God when they were baptized. Here is a video titled “Always Remember Him” that teaches the importance of the sacrament. 

Each Sunday when we partake of the bread and water, we should do so in remembrance of the Savior’s Atonement – His time in the Garden of Gethsemane, His trials, His Crucifixion, and His Resurrection.

As you participate in the sacramental services tomorrow, think of the things that you do to “always remember” Jesus Christ (Moroni 4:3; 5:2). Think of ways that you can preserve that remembrance “throughout your generations” (see Exodus 12:14, 26-27).

The Atonement of Jesus Christ

                As I searched for something to say about the Atonement of Jesus Christ, I discovered an article written by Elder Russell M Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  His counsel is much greater than any I could write; therefore, I thought I would simply share his message.  His words are wonderful, and the video accompanying them is powerful.  I encourage you to read Elder Ballard’s article titled “Our Savior’s Atonement” and then watch the video “Because of Him.”  I include this paragraph as a taste of what is available from Elder Ballard.

                “There is no greater expression of love than the heroic Atonement performed by the Son of God. Were it not for the plan of our Heavenly Father, established before the world began, in a very real sense, all mankind—past, present, and future—would have been left without the hope of eternal progression. As a result of Adam’s transgression, mortals were separated from God (see Romans 6:23) and would be forever unless a way was found to break the bands of death. This would not be easy, for it required the vicarious sacrifice of one who was sinless and who could therefore take upon Himself the sins of all mankind.”

                I later found this wonderful collection of thoughts about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and thought it appropriate to send my readers to this site.  I will include my two favorite quotes from the site.

                "I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." —C.S. Lewis

                "I still can't help wondering how we can explain away what to me is the greatest miracle of all and which is recorded in history. No one denies there was such a man, that he lived and that he was put to death by crucifixion. Where ... is the miracle I spoke of? Well consider this and let your imagination translate the story into our own time — possibly to your own home town. A young man whose father is a carpenter grows up working in his father's shop. One day he puts down his tools and walks out of his father's shop. He starts preaching on street corners and in the nearby countryside, walking from place to place, preaching all the while, even though he is not an ordained minister. He never gets farther than an area perhaps 100 miles wide at the most. He does this for three years. Then he is arrested, tried and convicted. There is no court of appeal, so he is executed at age 33 along with two common thieves. Those in charge of his execution roll dice to see who gets his clothing — the only possessions he has. His family cannot afford a burial place for him so he is interred in a borrowed tomb. End of story? No, this uneducated, property-less young man has, for 2,000 years, had a greater effect on the world than all the rulers, kings, emperors; all the conquerors, generals and admirals, all the scholars, scientists and philosophers who have ever lived — all of them put together. How do we explain that — unless He really was what He said He was?" —Ronald Reagan

The Atonement

                We lived in heaven a long time ago with our Heavenly Father and Elder Brother, Jesus Christ.  While we were there our Father presented His plan for the happiness of His children.  His plan of happiness contained three great pillars:  the Creation, the Fall of Adam and Eve, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  These pillars support the narrow path we must take from the time we enter this life through mortal birth until we walk back into the presence of God.  All three pillars are necessary in our lives. 

                Elder Russell M. Nelson spoke about these pillars in the October 1996 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:  “Before we can comprehend the Atonement of Christ, however, we must first understand the Fall of Adam.  And before we can understand the Fall of Adam, we must first understand the Creation.  These three crucial components of the plan of salvation relate to each other.  [See Alma 18:34-39; Mormon 9:12; Doctrine and Covenants 20:17-24.]

                Elder Nelson explained that Adam and Eve were created in the Garden of Eden “in the image of God, with bodies of flesh and bone.” They were “not yet mortal” and therefore could not grow old or die or have children.  This was a “paradisiacal creation” that “required a significant change” before they could have children.

                An ancient American prophet named Lehi taught “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy” (2 Nephi 2:25).  According to Elder Nelson, the Fall “constituted the mortal creation and brought about the required changes in their bodies, including the circulation of blood and other modifications as well.  They were now able to have children.  They and their posterity also became subject to injury, disease, and death.  And a loving Creator blessed them with healing power by which the life and functions of precious physical bodies could be preserved….”

                “Even though our Creator endowed us with this incredible [healing] power, He consigned a counterbalancing gift to our bodies.  It is the blessing of aging, with visible reminders that we are mortal beings destined one day to leave this `frail existence.’  Our bodies change every day.  As we grow older, our broad chests and narrow waists have a tendency to trade places.  We get wrinkles, lose color in our hair … to remind us that we are mortal children of God, with a `manufacturer’s guarantee’ that we shall not be stranded upon the earth forever.  Were it not for the Fall, our physicians, beauticians, and morticians would all be unemployed.”

                Elder Nelson explained that Adam and Eve were taught to worship God and to sacrifice their “firstlings of their flocks” as an offering to God.  “They were further instructed that `the life of the flesh is in the blood…. For it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul’ [Lev. 17:11].  Probation, procreation, and aging were all components of – and physical death was essential to – God’s `plan of happiness’ [Alma 42:8].

                “But mortal life, glorious as it is, was never the ultimate objective of God’s plan.  Life and death here on planet Earth were merely means to an end – not the end for which we were sent.”

                Now that we have discussed the Creation and the Fall, we are ready to discuss the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  The Apostle Paul said, “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22). 

                Elder Nelson taught, “The Atonement of Jesus Christ became the immortal creation.  He volunteered to answer the ends of a law previously transgressed.  And by the shedding of His blood, His and our physical bodies could become perfected.  They could again function without blood, just as Adam’s and Eve’s did in their paradisiacal form.  Paul taught that `flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; … this mortal must put on immortality’ [1 Corinthians 15:50-53].”

                The word atonement means at-one-ment or to become one with another.  Even though the New Testament uses the word atonement only, the Old Testament has many references to it; most of these references have to do with animal sacrifice.  Elder Nelson explained that in order for a sacrifice to be acceptable it had to meet several considerations:  (1) the animal must be a firstling of the flock, without blemish, (2) the life of the animal must be sacrificed by the shedding of its blood, (3) the death must occur without breaking any bones, (4) one animal could be sacrificed as a vicarious act for another.

                “The Atonement of Christ fulfilled these prototypes of the Old Testament.  He was the firstborn Lamb of God, without blemish.  His sacrifice occurred by the shedding of blood.  No bones of His body were broken – noteworthy in that both malefactors crucified with the Lord had their legs broken.  And His was a vicarious sacrifice for others.

                “While the words atone or atonement, in any of their forms, appear only once in the King James translation of the New Testament, they appear 35 times in the Book of Mormon.  As another testament of Jesus Christ, it sheds precious light on His Atonement, as do the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price.  Latter-day revelation has added much to our biblical base of understanding.”

                Even though the practice of atonement in Old Testament times was finite – had an ending – it was symbolic of the infinite Atonement of Christ – was without end.  “It was also infinite in that all humankind would be saved from never-ending death.  It was infinite in terms of His immense suffering.  It was infinite in time, putting an end to the preceding prototype of animal sacrifice.  It was infinite in scope – it was to be done once for all.  And the mercy of the Atonement extends not only to an infinite number of people, but also to an infinite number of worlds created by Him.  It was infinite beyond any human scale of measurement or mortal comprehension.

                “Jesus was the only one who could offer such an infinite atonement, since He was born of a mortal mother and an immortal Father.  Because of that unique birthright, Jesus was an infinite Being.”

                After discussing the actual ordeal of the Atonement – the Savior suffered much greater pain than any mortal could bear – he concluded:  “The Creation required the Fall.  The Fall required the Atonement.  The Atonement enabled the purpose of the Creation to be accomplished.  Eternal life, made possible by the Atonement, is the supreme purpose of the Creation.  To phrase that statement in its negative form, if families were not sealed in holy temples, the whole earth would be utterly wasted.”  [See Doctrine and Covenants 2:3; 138:48.]

                “The purposes of the Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement all converge on the sacred work done in temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  The earth was created and the Church was restored to make possible the sealing of wife to husband, children to parents, families to progenitors, worlds without end.

                “This is the great latter-day work of which we are a part.  That is why we have missionaries; that is why we have temples – to bring the fullest blessings of the Atonement to faithful children of God.  That is why we respond to our own calls from the Lord.  When we comprehend His voluntary Atonement, any sense of sacrifice on our part becomes completely overshadowed by a profound sense of gratitude for the privilege of serving Him….”

                As we commemorate the Atonement of Christ and celebrate His Resurrection, I hope we remember that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer.  He did for each one of us something that we could not do for ourselves.  Without His Atonement, Adam and Eve and all  their posterity would be consigned to everlasting darkness and sin.  I am grateful to know of the Savior and all that He did for me.  How many drops of precious blood did He spill for my sins?  I may never know the number, but I can live my life in such a way that fewer drops are required!

Cleansing Power of the Atonement

                We celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ because of who He is and the mission He performed.  If He had not performed His atoning sacrifice, He would have been just one of many little babies born into the world.  His mission on earth was to provide a way for you and me and all mankind to return to the presence of our Heavenly Father and to be with Him and our loved ones for all eternity.  The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the reason why we celebrate His birth at Christmas.

                I have been pondering the cleansing power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  People often lose hope because they feel that they are beyond the point of repentance and that they can never be forgiven.  These people do not understand the meaning of why Jesus Christ suffered in Gethsemane and on the cross.  When we lose hope, it is as though we are disavowing the power of the Savior and His suffering in behalf of all of us.  He suffered for all of us, but He also suffered for me and you as individuals.

                President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a master teacher and story teller.  He wrote and illustrated a small book entitled A Christmas Parable [1993] which is one of my favorite Christmas stories.  It is the story of a farmer and his wife and their own Christmas miracle.  As you may know, a parable is “a brief, simple story told to illustrate or teach a moral or spiritual truth,” and this Christmas parable fulfills that description.

                It was Christmastime and money was short.  The farmer had experienced three bad years on his farm, and he realized that he would lose his farm if there was another bad year.  He usually enjoyed Christmas, but this year “Christmas bothered him.  And it bothered him that Christmas bothered him.  Christmas was home and family and fireplaces and happy times with presents and good meals and memories of better times. Christmas symbolized things that mattered most to him.”

                The farmer and his wife tried to encourage each other even though they were both worried and losing hope.  The farmer fell into bed exhausted and was soon in deep sleep.  He dreamed that he was working on some of his equipment when his wife called him to supper.  He stopped at the sink to wash but the dirt would not come off of him.  He scrubbed harder but more dirt appeared.  He noticed that dirt and stains from years past were on his hands and arms and even on his face, and he also noticed faint odors from his work on the farm.  He looked at the stains and remembered when each one was put there.  He wondered why the stains were there and why he could not wash them off.  The farmer was grateful to awaken and find that he had only been dreaming, but he could not forget the dream.

                The farmer was a good man who loved his wife and children, but he went to Church only on special occasions even though he was a baptized member.  His wife insisted that he had to go to Church this day because he needed it.  He could not resist his wife’s counsel and went with his family.  “He sat uncomfortably with [his wife] in the Gospel Doctrine class.  The struggling teacher had only modest teaching ability.  The lesson was on baptism, but he was not interested in that.  His mind was on the disturbing dream of the night before.”

                The teacher read a scripture, and two of the words “hit him with great force.”  Those two words were “washed clean.”  “And after they have paid the penalty of their transgressions, and are washed clean, [they] shall receive a reward according to their works, for they are heirs of salvation” (Doctrine and Covenants 138:59).

                The unskilled teacher defined baptism as “an ordinance to wash away our sins.”  Then another scripture was read:  Now I say unto you that ye must repent, and be born again; for the Spirit saith if ye are not born again ye cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness” (Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ, Alma 7:14).

                Another scripture was read:  “Then Peter said …, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38).

                Some of the words in the scriptures – washed, sins, baptism, cleanse from all unrighteousness, and gift – made the farmer feel that the lesson was about Christmas.  He felt something that day, the same feeling that he felt at Christmas.

As he went about his week, he kept thinking about his dream and the lesson.  A few days later he read the message on a Christmas card:  “Behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife:  for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.  And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus:  for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20-21).

                “For the first time he understood!  He knew what that meant.

                “He was a man with little-boy feelings about Christmas.  The birth of the Christ had always been more or less present for him in that season.  But now the symbols of Christmas which he loved had real meaning.  Gifts form the wise men now represented something, as did the tree and the star.  But now, the promise of redemption had entered the scene.  He had lost nothing from the appealing traditions of Christmas; in fact, they now had greater meaning.

                “He understood!  For the first time he understood what the gift was!

                “The problems of life were not lessened by his new understanding, but there was a new power working within him.  The problems remained, but the troubled heart did not.  He had new kinds of conversations with his wife….

                “After the reunion, for the first time he told his wife of the dream.  They talked into the night of what it meant.  Now he understood that, just as he could wash up for supper, there was a way to become spiritually clean.  Because of the first Christmas and what followed it, he could get clean and he could stay clean.

                “They talked of another reunion awaiting them beyond the veil. To enter there one must be clean, spiritually clean.  He listened as his wife explained the Atonement and the Resurrection.  He understood!  For the first time, he understood!  Because of that first Christmas, they would live eternally.  They could enter in and be together there – a family.  This was the gift!”

                This is a wonderful story, which I read every year at Christmas time.  It is fiction, but it comes true in the lives of many different people in many different places and many different times. 

Bishop Richard C. Edgley, First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, related an experience where he saw the same miracle take place in the life of a young man.  He explained that he was on assignment to speak in a stake conference and to interview a prospective missionary while he was there.  He read some of the background as to why this young man needed to be interviewed by a General Authority, and his heart ached with the realization that the young man had committed serious transgressions.

                Bishop Edgley went into the stake president’s office for the interview and was approached by a “handsome young man with a wonderful countenance” when he was expecting “a very troubled young man.”  He asked the young man in private, “Why am I interviewing you?”

                “He recounted his past.  When he was through, he began to explain the steps and the personal suffering he had gone through.  He talked about the Atonement – the infinite power of the Atonement.  He bore his testimony and expressed his love for the Savior. And then he said, `I believe the Savior’s personal suffering in Gethsemane and His sacrifice upon the cross were powerful enough to rescue even a man like me.’” 

Bishop Edgley approved the young man to serve as a missionary.  He understood “the young man’s hope was based not only upon a knowledge and testimony of the Atonement but also upon a personalization of this gift.  He understood that it was for him personally!  He knew the power of the Atonement and the hope it gives when all might seem lost or hopeless.”   (See Ensign, April 2012, p 80.)

I know that the Atonement of Jesus Christ was performed for each of us as individuals.  I know that it was broad enough and deep enough to encompass all of us.  I also know that it will be inactive until we activate it in our individual lives by turning to our Lord and Savior, even Jesus Christ and living as He would have us live.  I know that He loves us and stands with outstretched arms waiting for us to come to Him.  I love Him and have hope that I will be worthy return to His presence with my family.

                                                                      

Prepare for Easter

                    Families grow stronger when we as parents and grandparents teach the children that we celebrate Easter in remembrance of the Resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  I received the following Easter lesson/activity at a Relief Society conference and found it very interesting and useful.  I am posting the information a little early in order for you to have time to make the necessary preparations.  I believe the lesson/activity is applicable for both adults and children.

                    Eggs have become a part of our Easter celebration because they symbolize life.  Just as the chick finds life as it breaks through the egg shell, Christ broke the bonds of death when He rose from the tomb and brought eternal life to all of us. 

The following activity follows some of the events of the last week of Christ's life.  You can prepare for this lesson/activity by gathering the following items:  ten plastic Easter eggs, small cup, towel, silver coins, crown of thorns, purple robe, nail, piece of white cloth, rock, picture of the resurrected Christ, and a candle.  These items can be small enough to fit inside the eggs or they can be regular size.

Copy the following information and scripture references and place one slip of paper - plus the applicable item -in each plastic egg.  The activity involves viewing in order the items and reading the applicable information and scriptures explaining the object.  Make sure that you include the number so that the activity can be completed in proper order.

1.  The week before His death, during the week of the feast of the Passover, Jesus met in an upper room with His twelve Apostles, and instituted the first sacrament at the Last Supper.  This cup reminds us of the blood He would freely shed for us, and the life He gave for us.  Read Matthew 26:26-28.

2.  This towel reminds us of how Jesus washed and dried the feet of his disciples at the Last Supper, a reminder of our Savior's example of love and service.  Read John 13:4-5, 14-15.

3.  These silver coins represent the 30 pieces of silver for which Judas betrayed Jesus.  Read Matthew 26:14-16.

4.  This crown of thorns and purple robe remind us of how the soldiers mocked Christ.  Read Matthew 27:28-30 [JST Matthew 27:30]. 

5.  This nail reminds us of the suffering Jesus endured as they nailed Him to the cross and that He suffered death that we might live again.  Read Luke 23:46 and Doctrine and Covenants 19:16-19.

6.  This white cloth represents the clean linen cloth in which Jesus was wrapped for burial.  Read Matthew 27:59.

7.  This rock represents the great stone rolled in front of the tomb to protect the body of Jesus.  Read Matthew 27:60.

8.  This egg is empty, just as the tomb was found empty by Jesus' loved ones on the third day after His death.  Read Mark 16:6.

9.  This picture of Christ reminds us that we celebrate Easter in remembrance of the Resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Just as the new chick finds life as it escapes from its shell, Christ brought eternal life when He rose from the tomb.  He has risen and lives once more; He brings life and light to all.  Read Luke 24:36, 39.

10.  This candle is to remind us of the light and life Jesus freely shares with us.  Let us follow His light.  Read John 8:12.

                    The twelve year olds in my Sunday School class seemed to appreciate this activity and acted like they understood the Atonement of Jesus Christ a little better.  They also liked the fact that I sent kits with the information and items home with them to use in family home evening.

The Atonement of Jesus Christ

                    The front page of any newspaper is usually reserved for the most important events of the day.  In fact, the most important news can usually be found "above the fold" on the front page.  If a newspaper published a special issue covering the entire history of the world, what stories do you think would be on the front page?  I believe that the news about the Atonement of Jesus Christ would be printed above the fold!

                    Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stated:  "The wondrous and glorious Atonement was the central act in all of human history" (Ensign, May 1985, 73).

Why do you think that Elder Maxwell would make this statement?  I believe that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is the most important event in all history because it affects not only life on earth but the eternal lives of every person who has ever lived on earth.  Knowing about the Atonement can help each of us deal better with the bad news and terrible events we often hear about on the news.

To help you gain better understanding of the Atonement, I would like to share a story about an ordinary man who did an extra-ordinary thing.  "On a cold, wintry day in 1982, an airplane crashed into a bridge in Washington, D.C., and landed in the Potomac River.  Most of the people on the plane were killed immediately, but six people got out of the plane and hung on to its tail while two men in a helicopter threw them a life preserver.  The water was very cold, and it was hard to hang on to the plane.  The rescuers were afraid that the passengers might lose their grip and drown before they could be pulled out and carried to safety.  The rescuers noticed that one man seemed to be more alert than the others, so they lowered the life preserver to him.  But every time they did this, he passed the life preserver to someone else so the other person could be rescued first.  When the other five people were safe, the helicopter went back for the man, but he was gone." (See Roger Rosenblatt, "The Man in the Water," Time, 25 Jan. 1982, 86; see also Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, May 1983, 56.)

                    This was an ordinary man, a mortal like you and I; yet he gave his life that other people might live.  I don't know if I would have been as brave, unselfish, and loving as this man.  The man in the river did a great thing when he selflessly gave his own life to save the lives of five other people; but Jesus Christ did an even greater thing when he gave his life to save the spiritual lives of everyone on earth.

                    Last week I wrote about the Fall of Adam and Eve.  http://causeofliberty.blogspot.com/2012/01/fall-of-adam-and-eve.html

Because Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, both spiritual and physical death came into the world.  In physical death, a person's body becomes separated from his/her spirit.  In spiritual death, a person becomes separated from Heavenly Father.  Without a Savior, both physical death and spiritual death would be permanent.  After death our bodies and spirits would be separated forever, and we would be unable to live with Heavenly Father again.  But just as the Fall was part of Heavenly Father's plan, Heavenly Father also planned for us to have a Savior who would overcome both physical and spiritual death.

                    John 1:1-3, 14 tells us, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

                    "The same was in the beginning with God.

                    "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

                    "And the 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."

                    The "Word" is a name used for Jesus Christ.  He was with Heavenly Father before the earth was created, and He was chosen in the premortal world to create the earth and become our Savior.

                    The statement in John is confirmed in Pearl of Great Price, Moses 4:2, where we read, "But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me - Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever."

                    Jesus' existence on earth was different from every other mortal's in two different ways:  1) Jesus was the Only Begotten Son of Heavenly Father.  This means that Heavenly Father was the father of Jesus' physical body as well as His spirit.  2) Jesus was the only person to ever live on earth without committing a single sin.  These are two very important differences because these two qualities - his Godhood and his sinlessness - were necessary for Christ to atone for our sins and be our Savior.)

                    The word atone means to "correct or overcome the consequences of sin" and make "at one" people who have been separated [see "Atonement," Bible Dictionary, 617].)  The Atonement of Jesus Christ enables us to become "at one" with Heavenly Father because eternal law, or justice, requires that whoever violates a law must be punished.  Through his suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and his death on the cross, Jesus Christ took upon himself the punishment for the sins of everyone who ever lived on the earth.  Because of this Atonement, we can repent of our sins, be freed from guilt, and be worthy to dwell with Heavenly Father again.

                    One of the Articles of Faith for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints states:  "We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel."  (See Pearl of Great Price, Articles of Faith 1:3.)  Christ's Atonement was performed for all mankind!

                    Elder Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles told a story - a parable - entitled "The Mediator;" this parable explains why the Atonement was necessary.  It is about a debtor (one who borrows or owes money), a creditor (one who lends money), and a mediator (one who solves problems).  It symbolizes our relationship with our Savior.  The debtor represents all mankind, the creditor represents the laws of justice, and the Mediator represents Jesus Christ.

                    "There once was a man who wanted something very much.  It seemed more important than anything else in his life.  In order for him to have his desire, he incurred a great debt.

                    "He had been warned about going into that much debt, and particularly about his creditor.  But it seemed so important for him to do what he wanted to do and to have what he wanted right now.  He was sure he could pay for it later.

                    "So he signed a contract.  He would pay it off some time along the way.  He didn't worry too much about it, for the due date seemed such a long time away.  He had what he wanted now, and that was what seemed important.

                    "The creditor was always somewhere in the back of his mind, and he made token payments now and again thinking somehow that the day of reckoning really would never come.

                    "But as it always does, the day came, and the contract fell due.  The debt had not been fully paid.  His creditor appeared and demanded payment in full.  Only then did he realize that his creditor not only had the power to repossess all that he owned, but the power to cast him into prison as well. 

                    "`I cannot pay you, for I have not the power to do so,' he confessed.

                    "`Then,' said the creditor, `we will exercise the contract, take your possessions, and you shall go to prison.  You agreed to that.  It was your choice.  You signed the contract, and now it must be enforced.'

                    "`Can you not extend the time or forgive the debt?' the debtor begged.  `Arrange some way for me to keep what I have and not go to prison.  Surely you believe in mercy?  Will you not show mercy?'

                    "The creditor replied, `Mercy is always so one-sided.  It would serve only you.  If I show mercy to you, it will leave me unpaid.  It is justice I demand.  Do you believe in justice?'

                    "`I believed in justice when I signed the contract,' the debtor said.  `It was on my side then, for I thought it would protect me.  I did not need mercy then, nor think I should need it ever.  Justice, I thought, would serve both of us equally as well.'

                    "`It is justice that demands that you pay the contract or suffer the penalty,' the creditor replied.  `That is the law.  You have agreed to it and that is the way it must be.  Mercy cannot rob justice.'

                    "There they were:  One meting out justice, the other pleading for mercy.  Neither could prevail except at the expense of the other.

                    "`If you do not forgive the debt there will be no mercy,' the debtor pleaded.

                    "`If I do, there will be no justice,' was the reply.

                    "Both laws, it seemed, could not be served.  They are two eternal ideals that appear to contradict one another.  Is there no way for justice to be fully served, and mercy also?

                    "There is a way!  The law of justice can be fully satisfied and mercy can be fully extended - but it takes someone else.  And so it happened this time.

                    "The debtor had a friend.  He came to help.  He knew the debtor well.  He knew him to be shortsighted.  He thought him foolish to have gotten himself into such a predicament.  Nevertheless, he wanted to help because he loved him.  He stepped between them, faced the creditor, and made this offer.

                    "`I will pay the debt if you will free the debtor from his contract so that he may keep his possessions and not go to prison.'

                    "As the creditor was pondering the offer, the mediator added, `You demanded justice.  Though he cannot pay you, I will do so.  You will have been justly dealt with and can ask no more.  It would not be just.'

                    "And so the creditor agreed.

                    "The mediator turned then to the debtor.  `If I pay your debt, will you accept me as your creditor?'

                    "`Oh yes, yes,' cried the debtor.  `You save me from prison and show mercy to me.'

                    "Then,' said the benefactor, `you will pay the debt to me and I will set the terms.  It will not be easy, but it will be possible.  I will provide a way.  You need not go to prison.'

                    "And so it was that the creditor was paid in full.  He had been justly dealt with.  No contract had been broken.

                    "The debtor, in turn, had been extended mercy.  Both laws stood fulfilled.  Because there was a mediator, justice had claimed its full share, and mercy was fully satisfied" (Ensign, May 1977, 55-55).

                    When we agreed to come to earth and receive bodies, we knew that we would sometimes make wrong decisions.  Our sins are like the debt of the man in the story.  The laws of justice demand that our sins be paid for if we are to return to live with Heavenly Father again.  Because Jesus was sinless and the Only Begotten Son of Heavenly Father, he was the only one who could atone for our sins and satisfy justice.

In the story, the mediator (the debtor's friend) said he would become the debtor's new creditor.  The debt would be repaid on his terms.  Christ has set the terms for us in order that we might receive all the blessings of the Atonement.  Those terms are contained in the following scriptures.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

"And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam.

"And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day" (Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ, 2 Nephi 9:21-22).

"For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent" (Doctrine and Covenants 19:16).

All mankind are unconditionally saved from physical death because of the Savior's Atonement.  Every one of us will be resurrected and gain immortality.  In order to be saved from spiritual death and live with Heavenly Father again, we must follow the counsel given in these scriptures:  1) we must believe in Christ, 2) we must follow and obey him, and 3) we must repent of our sins.

If we do not repent of our sins, we will have to suffer the consequences for our choices.  Doctrine and Covenants 19:17-18 tells us:  "But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;

"Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit - and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink -

"Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men."

The debtor in the story would have lost all his possessions and gone to prison if his friend had not offered to help him.

Jesus Christ has already atoned for our sins.  In the Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ (2 Nephi 9:7-9), a prophet named Nephi explained what would happen to us if an atonement had not been made.  "Wherefore, it must needs be an infinite atonement - save it should be an infinite atonement this corruption could not put on incorruption.  Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man must needs have remained to an endless duration.  And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more.

                    "O the wisdom of God, his mercy and grace!  For behold, if the flesh should rise no more our spirits must become subject to that angel who fell from before the presence of the Eternal God, and became the devil, to rise no more.

                    "And our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself; yea, to that being who beguiled our first parents, who transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness."

                    In other words, without the Atonement of Jesus Christ and our willingness to abide by the terms of His offer, we would not be resurrected, and our sins in this life would keep us out of the presence of Heavenly Father forever.

Heavenly Father showed His great love for all His children when He sent Jesus Christ, His Only Begotten Son, to earth and allowed Him to suffer, bleed, and die to atone for our sins.  Jesus Christ showed His great love for His spirit brothers and sisters when He willingly suffered for our sake.  I am so very grateful for the sacrifices made by both of them.  In fact, "I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me" (Hymns, 193).  I love both Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ with all my heart!

                   

Life of Christ

The birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ were foretold by many prophets. Adam knew that the Savior would be known as Jesus Christ (Moses 6:51-52). Enoch, Noah, Moses, Isaiah, Nephi and King Benjamin all foresaw the Savior's life, ministry, and sufferings (see Moses 1:11; 7:55-56; 8:23-24; Isaiah 53:3-7; 1 Nephi 11:21; Mosiah 3:5-8).

When we were in the premortal world, Jesus Christ promised that He would come to earth and be the Savior of all mankind. Every person who has come or will come to earth is dependent on Jesus Christ fulfilling His promise. His mission as the Savior was one of the crucial pillars of the plan of salvation. Without Him, the plan would fail. His mission was so important that all of the prophets from Adam to Christ testified that He would come (see Acts 10:43). Every prophet since Christ has testified that He did come. In order to faithfully follow Christ throughout our lives, we need to study and learn about His life.

Information about the birth and life of the Savior can be found in the scriptures, particularly Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the New Testament. From the scriptures we learn that Jesus was born of Mary, a beautiful virgin who was engaged to marry Joseph when an angel appeared to her. The angel told Mary that she had been selected to be the mother of the Son of God. Mary asked how that would be possible (see Luke 1:34). The angel explained to her, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35). God the Father became the literal Father of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the only person on earth to be born of an immortal Father and a mortal mother. That is the reason that He is known as the Only Begotten Son. From his Father, Jesus inherited divine powers. From his mother, He inherited mortality and was subject to pain, fatigue, hunger, thirst, and death. No one had the power to kill Jesus Christ unless He was willing to be killed. He had the power to give up His life, and He had the power to take up His body again after dying. (See John 10:17-18.)

Mary and Joseph guided Jesus, and He grew as other children grow. He loved and obeyed the truth. From the time of his youth, Jesus made good choices and obeyed all that Heavenly Father required Him to do. (See Luke 2:40; Doctrine and Covenants 93:12-14.)

An incident in Jerusalem demonstrates that Jesus by age twelve had some understanding that He was on earth to do the will of His Father. He went with His family to Jerusalem to participate in the Passover. When they started on their trip home, His parents discovered that He was not in the group and returned to Jerusalem to find Him. They searched for Him for three days before they found Him in the temple "sitting in the midst of the doctors, and they were hearing him, and asking him questions" (Joseph Smith Translation, Luke 2:46). "And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers" (Luke 2:47).

Joseph and Mary were of course relieved to find Him. When Mary asked Him why He had treated "thy father and I" as He did, He answered, "Wist ye not that I must be about my [Heavenly] Father's business?" (Luke 2:48-49). Jesus understood that His mission was to do the will of His Heavenly Father. He declared, "… I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things… I do always those things that please Him" (John 8:28-29).

When Jesus was thirty years old, He went to the Jordan River to find John the Baptist and asked John to baptize Him in order "to fulfil all righteousness." John recognized that Jesus was greater than he, but he baptized the Savior, immersing Him completely in the water. Then he heard the Father speaking from heaven saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." The Holy Ghost descended, as shown by the sign of the dove. (See Matthew 3:13-17.)

Soon after His baptism, Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights to be with God. After this period of fasting was over, Satan tried to tempt Jesus, and Jesus resisted all of Satan's temptations and commanded Satan to leave. (See Matthew 4:1-11.) Jesus Christ was sinless, the only perfect person to ever live on earth. (See Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:21-22.)

Jesus' mission on earth consisted of several different responsibilities. Among those duties were the responsibilities to teach us how to love and serve each other, to organize the only true church on earth, to save us from death, and to redeem our souls from our sins. Jesus taught us how to live by both His words and His example. He taught that there were two great commandments: The first is to love God with all our heart, mind and strength; and the second is to love others as we love ourselves. (See Matthew 22:36-39.) He showed us by His life how we should obey these two commandments. He demonstrated His love for God by trusting Him and by being obedient to Him. He showed His love for others by helping them to meet their physical and spiritual needs.

Jesus spent His life serving others: curing people of diseases, causing the deaf to hear, the blind to see and the lame to walk. When He miraculously fed 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fishes (see Matthew 14:14-21), He demonstrated that we are to help the hungry, needy, cold or lonely all that we can. He taught by His words and actions that we serve God by helping God's children. (See Matthew 25:35-46.)

Jesus loved people with all His heart. He wept with compassion for others. He loved little children, the elderly, the simple people who had faith in Him. He loved the sinners and taught them to repent. He loved those who sinned against Him and didn't repent. Even as He hung on the cross, He pleaded, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." Jesus taught us to "love one another, as I have loved you" (John 15:12).

Another part of Christ's mission on earth was to organize His Church. He taught the people. He chose and ordained His Twelve Apostles. He gave them the authority to act in His name and to do the works they had seen Him do. They were to testify of Christ and to teach, baptize and perform other ordinances in His name and with His authority. After the death of Christ, the Apostles carried on His work until the people grew so wicked that they killed the Apostles.

Jesus Christ redeemed us from our sins and saved us from death. Jesus was condemned to death because He had testified that He was the Son of God. In preparation for the final events of His life, Jesus met with His Apostles in an upper room and introduced the sacrament to them. They sang a hymn and then went to a garden called Gethsemane. He was weighed down with much sorrow and wept as He prayed. He prayed, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: never the less not as I will, but as thou wilt" (Matthew 26:39). Jesus described His suffering in a revelation to Joseph Smith, saying that it caused Him "to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit" (Doctrine and Covenants 19:18).

The next day Christ was beaten, humiliated, and spit upon. He was forced to carry His own cross and then was lifted up and nailed to it. While Jesus was suffering on the cross, the Father withdrew from Him, allowing Christ to finish suffering the penalty for the sins of all mankind and have complete victory over the forces of sin and death. (See James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 3rd Ed [1916], 660-61.)

When He knew that the Father had accepted His sacrifice, the Savior exclaimed in a loud voice, "It is finished" (John 19:30). Luke 23:46 records that He said, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." He then bowed His noble head and voluntarily gave up His spirit and died.

A terrible earthquake shook the earth. Some of the Savior's friends took His body to a tomb where it lay until the third day. During the time His body was in the tomb, His spirit went to the spirit world where He organized the missionary work needed to teach His gospel to other spirits. (See 1 Peter 3:18-20; Doctrine and Covenants 138.) On the third day, Sunday, he returned to the tomb and took up His body again, becoming the first to overcome death and be resurrected. Soon after His resurrection Jesus appeared to the Nephites on the American continent and established His Church there. He taught the people and blessed them (3 Nephi 11 through 28).

Jesus' willingness and humility to suffer in Gethsemane and on the cross showed His great love for the Father and for us. He fulfilled His part of the great plan of salvation that we might all receive the promised blessings. Now the responsibility is ours. In order to receive these blessings, we must put the Atonement of Jesus Christ into effect in our lives. We must repent of our sins, love Christ with all our hearts and follow Him.

Christ's Gifts

Merry Christmas to each and every one of you! Christmas is when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. He is the reason why we celebrate this season. He came to earth in the same way that all babies come, but He is the Son of God. We don’t celebrate His birth simply because He was born. We celebrate His birth because of the life He lived. Because He lived a perfect life, and then was willing to give up His life, all of us may live again after we leave this mortal life.

Jesus Christ gave us many gifts. He gave us freedom from death through the power of His Resurrection. By His power over death, He made it possible for all of us to have our bodies and spirits united in such a way that they will never be separated again.

Jesus Christ also gave us freedom from sin through the power of His Atonement. Anyone who believes in Jesus Christ and exercises that faith in the process of repenting for his/her sins will have the sins forgiven and will become clean. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the principle of repentance, we can all enjoy freedom from sin.

Freedom from death and freedom from sin are not the only gifts that God has given to His children. We received our very first gift - agency, the freedom to choose – before we left our Father’s presence. Other gifts or freedoms come from living in obedience to the commandments and teachings of Jesus Christ. By living as God wants us to live, we can be free from causing abuse or divorce or contention or war. Jesus Christ is the great Peace Maker. Those who follow His teachings receive the great gift of peace in their lives no matter what happens around them. They will also receive the greatest gift of all - the gift of eternal life. I hope that you enjoy your celebration even more today because you know that Jesus Christ has given us the greatest gifts of all.

Life of Jesus Christ

When we were in the premortal world, Jesus Christ promised that He would come to earth and be the Savior of all mankind. Every person who has come or will come to earth is dependent on Jesus Christ fulfilling His promise. His mission as the Savior was one of the crucial pillars of the plan of salvation, and, without Him, the plan would fail. His mission was so important that all of the prophets from Adam to Christ testified that He would come (see Acts 10:43). Every prophet since Christ has testified that He did come. In order to faithfully follow Christ throughout our lives, we need to study and learn about His life.

Many of the prophets prophesied of Christ. Adam knew that the Savior would be known as Jesus Christ (Moses 6:51-52). Enoch, Noah, Moses, Isaiah, Nephi and King Benjamin all foresaw the Savior's life, ministry, and sufferings (see Moses 1:11; 7:55-56; 8:23-24; Isaiah 53:3-7; 1 Nephi 11:21; Mosiah 3:5-8).

Information about the birth and life of the Savior can be found in the scriptures, particularly Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the New Testament. More information about Christ and His teachings can be found in the Book of Mormon. From the scriptures we learn that Jesus was born of Mary, a beautiful virgin who was engaged to marry Joseph when an angel appeared to her. The angel told Mary that she had been selected to be the mother of the Son of God. Mary asked how that would be possible (see Luke 1:34). The angel explained to her, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35). Heavenly Father became the literal Father of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the only person on earth to be born of an immortal Father and a mortal mother. That is the reason that He is known as the Only Begotten Son. From his Father, Jesus inherited divine powers. From his mother, He inherited mortality and was subject to pain, fatigue, hunger, thirst, and death. No one had the power to kill Jesus Christ unless He was willing to be killed. He had the power to give up His life, and He had the power to take up His body again after dying. (See John 10:17-18.)

Mary and Joseph guided Jesus, and He grew as other children do. He loved and obeyed the truth. From the time of his youth, Jesus made good choices and obeyed all that Heavenly Father required Him to do. (See Luke 2:40; Doctrine and Covenants 93:12-14.)

An incident in Jerusalem demonstrates that Jesus by age twelve had some understanding that He was on earth to do the will of His Father. He went with His family to Jerusalem to participate in the Passover. When they started on their trip home, His parents discovered that He was not in the group and returned to Jerusalem to find Him. They searched for Him for three days before they found Him in the temple "sitting in the midst of the doctors, and they were hearing him, and asking him questions" (Joseph Smith Translation, Luke 2:46). "And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers" (Luke 2:47).

Joseph and Mary were of course relieved to find Him. When Mary asked Him why He had treated "thy father and I" as He did, He answered, "Wist ye not that I must be about my [Heavenly] Father's business?" (Luke 2:48-49). Jesus understood that His mission was to do the will of His Heavenly Father. He declared, "… I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things… I do always those things that please Him" (John 8:28-29).

When Jesus was thirty years old, He went to the Jordan River to find John the Baptist and asked John to baptize Him in order "to fulfil all righteousness." John recognized that Jesus was greater than he, but he baptized the Savior, immersing Him completely in the water. Then he heard the Father speaking from heaven saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." The Holy Ghost descended, as shown by the sign of the dove. (See Matthew 3:13-17.)

Soon after His baptism, Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights to be with God. After this period of fasting was over, Satan tried to tempt Jesus, and Jesus resisted all of Satan's temptations and commanded Satan to leave. (See Matthew 4:1-11.) Jesus Christ was sinless, the only perfect person to ever live on earth. (See Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:21-22.)

Jesus' mission on earth consisted of several different responsibilities. Among those duties were the responsibilities to teach us how to love and serve each other, to organize the only true church on earth, to save us from death, and to redeem our souls from our sins. Jesus taught us how to live by both His words and His example. He taught that there were two great commandments: The first is to love God with all our heart, mind and strength; and the second is to love others as we love ourselves. (See Matthew 22:36-39.) He showed us by His life how we should obey these two commandments. He demonstrated His love for God by trusting Him and by being obedient to Him. He showed His love for others by helping them to meet their physical and spiritual needs.

Jesus spent His life serving others: curing people of diseases, causing the deaf to hear, the blind to see and the lame to walk. When He miraculously fed 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fishes (see Matthew 14:14-21), He demonstrated that we are to help the hungry, needy, cold or lonely all that we can. He taught by His words and actions that we serve God by helping God's children. (See Matthew 25:35-46.)

Jesus loved people with all His heart. He wept with compassion for others. He loved little children, the elderly, the simple people who had faith in Him. He loved the sinners and taught them to repent. He loved those who sinned against Him and didn't repent. Even as He hung on the cross, He pleaded, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." Jesus taught us to "love one another, as I have loved you" (John 15:12).

Another part of Christ's mission on earth was to organize His Church. He taught the people, and He chose and ordained His Twelve Apostles. He gave them the authority to act in His name and to do the works they had seen Him do. They were to testify of Christ and to teach, baptize and perform other ordinances in His name and with His authority. After the death of Christ, the Apostles carried on His work until the people grew so wicked that they killed the Apostles.

Jesus Christ redeemed us from our sins and saved us from death. Jesus was condemned to death because He had testified that He was the Son of God. In preparation for the final events of His life, Jesus met with His Apostles in an upper room and introduced the sacrament to them. They sang a hymn and then went to a garden called Gethsemane. He was weighed down with much sorrow and wept as He prayed. He prayed, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt" (Matthew 26:39). Jesus described His suffering in a revelation to Joseph Smith, saying that it caused Him "to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit" (Doctrine and Covenants 19:18).

The next day Christ was beaten, humiliated, and spit upon. He was forced to carry His own cross and then was lifted up and nailed to it. While Jesus was suffering on the cross, the Father withdrew from Him, allowing Christ to finish suffering the penalty for the sins of all mankind and to have complete victory over the forces of sin and death. (See James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 3rd Ed [1916], 660-61.)

When He knew that the Father had accepted His sacrifice, the Savior exclaimed in a loud voice, "It is finished" (John 19:30). Luke 23:46 records that He said, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." He then bowed His noble head and voluntarily gave up His spirit and died.

A terrible earthquake shook the earth. Some of the Savior's friends took His body to a tomb where it lay until the third day. During the time His body was in the tomb, His spirit went to the spirit world where He organized the missionary work needed to teach His gospel to other spirits. (See 1 Peter 3:18-20; Doctrine and Covenants 138.) On the third day, Sunday, he returned to the tomb and took up His body again, becoming the first to overcome death and be resurrected. Soon after His resurrection Jesus appeared to the Nephites on the American continent and established His Church there. He taught the people and blessed them (3 Nephi 11 through 28).

Jesus' willingness and humility to suffer in Gethsemane and on the cross showed His great love for the Father and for us. He fulfilled His part of the great plan of salvation that we might all receive the promised blessings. Now the responsibility is ours. In order to receive these blessings, we must put the Atonement of Jesus Christ into effect in our lives. We must repent of our sins, love Christ with all our hearts and follow Him.