My Come Follow Me studies for this week took me to “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles” in a Christmas lesson titled “The Matchless Gift of God’s Divine Son.” The lesson was introduced by the following information.
The Prophet Joseph Smith declared, “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 [2011], 49). Over 160 years
later, this statement inspired the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles to publish “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles” in honor
of the 2,000th anniversary of the Savior’s birth (see Russell M. Nelson, “Drawing
the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2017, 40).
As Latter-day Saints, we rejoice in the blessing of
continuing revelation through modern prophets and apostles. We are thankful for
their inspired words of counsel, warning, and encouragement. But most of all,
we are blessed by their powerful testimonies of Jesus Christ—at Christmastime
and throughout the year. These are more than just stirring words of skilled
writers or public speakers or insights from scriptural experts. They are the
words of God’s chosen, called, and authorized “special witnesses of the name of
Christ in all the world” (Doctrine and Covenants 107:23).
The subject matter includes numerous principles that could
be the topic of this essay. Such principles include (1) “None other has had so
profound an influence,” (2) “He rose from the grave,” (3) “His priesthood and
His Church have been restored,” (4) “He will someday return to earth,” (5) “He
is the light, the life, and the hope of the world,” and (6) “God be thanked for
[His] matchless gift.”
Rather than discussing a specific quote from “The Living Christ” document, I feel prompted to discuss the document as a whole. To begin, I would like to share the document. The document is titled “The Living Christ:The Testimony of the Apostles [of] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
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 firstfruits of them
that slept” (1 Corinthians 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” (D&C 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” (D&C
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. [Emphasis added.]
The
document is signed by the First Presidency on January 1, 2000 (Gordon B.
Hinckley, Thomas S. Monson, and James E. Faust) and the members of the Quorum
of the Twelve Apostles on the same date (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).
It is
interesting to me that all of the men whose names are listed above have
“graduated” to the next life except Dallin H. Oaks and
Henry B. Eyring – the current Prophet and President of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints (Oaks) and his first counselor (Eyring). Yet, the current
Apostles claim this document as their own because their "name" is on it.
In his
discourse in the October 2024 General Conference, Elder Ronald A. Rasband
talked about the family proclamation and said, “When I was called to the holy
apostleship in 2015, I was advised, ‘This proclamation is now yours. Your name
[pointing to the words “Council of the Twelve Apostles” in the title] is right
here. Feel it and teach it like you own it.”
Even
though the family proclamation and the living Christ are two separate documents,
both of them refer to the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in their
titles. Therefore, their names are on both of them, and each Apostle has
testified that Jesus Christ lives.
My
oldest sister had an interesting experience this week in her study of “The
Living Christ,” and she gave me permission to use it in my blog post.
Let
me tell you of my day of repentance. This week in Come Follow Me, we are
learning about The Living Christ. On a podcast I heard the words, “We hang it
on our walls, but we never read it.” That fit me. This week I have studied it,
read it, and listened to it. I have felt the spirit of it. I have cried over
the great blessing my Savior is to me. This morning in my reading in the Book
of Mormon, my chapter was Mormon 9. This went along with The Living Christ. My
soul was filled, and my eyes leaked.
My
sister, obviously, did more than read The Living Christ. She came to know the
Savior a bit better and make the living Jesus Christ a bigger part of her life.
