Who Is Jesus Christ?

My VIP for this Christmas week is Jesus Christ, the reason for the Christmas season. I love Jesus Christ, and I worship Him as the Son of Heavenly Father. Yet, I feel inadequate to write about Him. Therefore, I will use the words of other people to answer the question, who is Jesus Christ?

In April 1976, Elder Eldred G. Smith, then-Patriarch to the Church, spoke on the topic “Who Is Jesus?” He opened his address by quoting the words of the Savior as He was praying to Heavenly Father, just prior to his crucifixion: “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). 

We must know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ to have eternal life. So, what does it mean to know Them, and how do we gain that knowledge. I propose that we must go to the beginning, even our premortal life. Elder Smith shares essential information.

In that council in heaven, the plan and purpose of this earth life was explained to all the spirits [all of us because we were there], and then “the Lord [Heavenly Father] said: Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man [Jehovah]: Here am I, send me. And another [Lucifer] answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send the first.” ([Pearl of Great Price, Abraham] 3:27).

He who was selected was Jehovah, the oldest, who had promised that in going he would honor the Father and give him all the glory.

The Father has declared: “This is my work and my glory – to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” ([Pearl of Great Price,] Moses 1:39.)

Jehovah was, then, under the direction of the Father, the creator of this earth and many other worlds. Moses was shown in vision “many lands; and each land was called earth, and there were inhabitants on the face thereof.” (Moses 1:29.) God declared to Moses: “By the word of my power, have I created them, which is mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth.

“And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten.” (Moses 1:32-33.)

To get some idea of the magnitude of these creations: President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., said, “Astronomers now yield what they did not formerly yield, that there may have been many, and probably were, many worlds like ours. Some say there were in this galaxy perhaps from its beginning, one million worlds like unto this one.

“’Worlds without number have I created,’ through ‘mine Only Begotten Son.’ I repeat, our Lord is not a novice, he is not an amateur; he has been over this course time and time and time again.

“And if you think of this galaxy of ours having within it from the beginning perhaps until now, one million worlds, and multiply that by the number of millions of galaxies, one hundred million galaxies, that surround us, you will then get some view of who this Man we worship is.” (J. Reuben Clark, Jr., Behold the Lamb of God, Deseret Book Company, 1962, pp. 16-17.)

He was truly no novice, no amateur, in the art or skill of a creator. “Worlds without number” he has created.

It was he, then, who came to this earth in the meridian of time, born of the virgin Mary – the literal Son of God the Father, “the Only Begotten Son.”

He declared who he was. Throughout his life on earth, he repeatedly declared that he was the Son of God….

On numerous occasions, he declared that he was the Christ, the Son of God.

Is it any wonder then that he, the Son of God, the great Creator, had power over the elements of this earth, even to violate the law of gravity by walking on the water?

I suppose it was quite simple for him, the Creator, when obligated to provide wine at the wedding feast to change the water to wine.

Nor was it a trick of the imagination when he fed five thousand plus the women and children with a few loaves and fishes, and on another occasion, four thousand plus the women and children. (See Matt. 14:16-21; 15:32-38.)

He also showed his power over the elements when at his command to “be still,” the stormy sea was calmed. (Mark 4:39.)

He demonstrated his power over the animal kingdom; on two separate occasions, at his command, a great catch of fish was made when they had had no success before. (See Matt. 14:16-21; 15:32-38.)

He showed his power over the vegetable kingdom when he cursed the fig tree. (See Matt. 21:19.)

On each occasion, he was declared to be the Christ, the literal Son of God.

He healed all manner of illness or disease. At his command, the evil spirits departed, they, too, declaring who he was. He made the blind to see, the lame to walk. Yes, he even controlled life itself, for he restored Lazarus to life, who had been declared dead for four days. There were others, too….

He took upon himself the sins of all who shall repent, and gave his life that all might live. He brought about the resurrection for all. Do you realize that the creation of this earth, and all the work of Jesus and the prophets since the very beginning, was for you – that you might have immortality and eternal life – just as much as for anyone else? …

In March 2008, President Boyd K. Packer, then-Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, authored an article titled, “Who Is Jesus Christ?” He wrote of the many titles of Jesus Christ – such as Mediator, Savior, Redeemer and then quoted the Apostle John and Joseph Smith. 

“God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son” (John 3:16) ….

The Prophet Joseph Smith was often asked, “What are the fundamental principles of your religion?”

“The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.” [Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2007), 49]

Who is Jesus Christ? He is the Creator of the earth and “worlds without number.” He is the Son of God. He is our Mediator with the Father. He is the Savior of the world. He is the Redeemer of all people who believe on His name and repent of their sins. He is our loving Elder Brother.

He is the Head of His Church, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Through His Atonement, He made it possible for each of us to repent of our sins and become clean. Through His resurrection, He overcame death and made it possible for all of us to overcome death and live forever.

I love Jesus Christ. I know that He loves you and me. I know that He lives, and that He made it possible for you and me to live forever with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Who Is Jesus Christ?

My VIP for this week is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The following information comes from a special 2024 Christmas study plan. 

President Russell M. Nelson said, “[Jesus Christ’s birth was] foreseen by prophets since the days of Adam [and Eve].”

·         Isaiah prophesied about the birth of Jesus Christ during a time of great trouble and uncertainty for the people of Judah (see Isaiah 9:6-7).

·         Nephi, one of the first prophets in the Book of Mormon, was shown the Savior’s birth by an angel 600 years before the birth of Christ (see 1 Nephi 11:13-23).

·         King Benjamin was another Book of Mormon prophet who learned from an angel about the Savior’s coming (see Mosiah 3:5-10).

·         Samuel the Lamanite, who lived just before Christ’s birth, told of great signs in the heavens that would appear on the day the Son of God was born (see Helaman 14:1-13).

An angel appeared to Mary to tell her that she had found favor in the sight of God and that she would be the mother of the Son of God. Mary was humble and had great faith in accepting her role in God’s plan of salvation as the mother of the Son of God. Mary replied to the angel, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word”  (Luke 1:38).

The same angel appeared to Joseph to tell him that Mary’s baby was the Son of God and that he should go ahead with plans to marry her. Joseph was a man of integrity and humility, who was divinely appointed to protect and support Mary and to help her rear the Savior of the world.

More angels announced the birth of the Son of God to shepherds caring for their sheep.

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). The angelic announcement to the shepherds was a divine declaration that the Savior’s birth is a cause to celebrate! It replaces fear with joy, glory, peace, and goodwill. The angel said this good news “shall be to all people” (Luke 2:10), so the shepherds “made [it] known abroad” (verse 17).

Elder Neil L. Andersen observed: “What comfort and reassurance Joseph and Mary must have felt as they realized there was purpose in the difficulty that surrounded them. The angels had declared His coming and His noble mission.” As humble shepherds worshipped at the manger, they were adding their witness to Mary’s and Joseph’s that this baby was God’s Son and a divine plan was at work.

The Lord provided a night without darkness in the Americas. President Russell M. Nelson taught the following:

“The scriptural story of Jesus Christ” … “is indeed a two-hemisphere story. While Mary and Joseph in the East were making preparations for the holy child’s birth in Bethlehem, Nephi in the West was being taught by the premortal Messiah. To Nephi the Lord said, ‘Be of good cheer; … on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets’ [3 Nephi 1:13].”

Jesus Christ was born and presented in the temple. “She brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger” Luke 2:7). Jesus Christ was born to be the Savior of the world. Mary and Joseph journeyed to Bethlehem. Away from the crowded inn, Mary gave birth to Jesus in a stable. Angels appeared to shepherds, who then went to see the baby Jesus. After the shepherds left to spread the good news, “Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19).

Simeon had been waiting for the Messiah, and he finally received a personal prompting that the day had come. Following that prompting to the temple, Simeon was blessed with a one-on-one encounter with the Messiah he had been seeking.

Anna, an elderly widow, spent much of her time in the temple. One day, Anna had a unique and personal experience with the Savior.

The wise men worshipped Jesus and gave Him gifts. “Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2). We do not know much about the wise men mentioned in Matthew 2, but we know they looked forward to the coming of the Messiah. They were willing to travel far to worship Him. And their gifts have inspired a long tradition of giving at Christmastime. “We cannot doubt,” President Dallin H. Oaks said, “that they were led by the Lord for His sacred purpose…. These wise men were of another land and culture, so a witness to them was a reminder that the Messiah was born for all people.”

Their simple story reminds us to reflect on our hope in Christ’s coming, our diligence in worshipping Him, and the gifts we can give to Him. 

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.