Jesus Christ is the most controversial figure in human history.
Bold, I know. But nevertheless, I think that it’s crucial to understand that His name brings out a debatable nature among many. And yet, He is still the Redeemer who has been there for each and every one of us, knowingly or not. His work never ends. He was sacrificing Himself before His time on earth, ministering to the masses during His life, and will continue to be our advocate to the Father hereafter (D&C 110:3-4). It cannot be emphasized enough, but He is the Savior of the world. He is the Living Christ.
The Living Christ was presented at the Church’s April 2000 General Conference. It captures the importance of our Savior in our lives during past, present, and future. It is documented as the testimony of the apostles, but truthfully, it is the truths that I know each faithful member of the Church already knows. One of my favorite lines from the article states, “We solemnly testify that His life, which is central to all human history, neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded on Calvary.” I think one of the most important parts of that sentence is that His life “is central to all human history.” All human history can be tied back to the Savior. Even that fraction of a phrase rings out immeasurable truths, just as the rest of the sentence does as well. While his mortal ministry was significant in more ways than one, it doesn’t even begin to portray His sacrifices for His children both before and after His life here on Earth because His life “neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded on Calvary.” And I know that to be fact.
In high school, I used to keep a small copy of The Living Christ in the back of my phone case, so when life got hard or something/someone got the better of me, I could remind myself not only why I’m here or what I know to be true, but to acknowledge that what I’ve been given is a gift and it should not be wasted. I know it seems trivial, but growing up as the only member of the Church in a school where underage drinking and drug use was more commonplace than the other way around, sometimes things got a little complicated for me. Nevertheless, while we each are given trials to withstand, it should not be forgotten who sacrificed everything so that we may live again with Him and our Father in Heaven once again.
Circling back, Christ’s ministry was successful long before His time as a mortal on Earth and has continued to be since. It is all part of the Plan. The Creation, The Fall, and The Atonement are are vital components of the Plan of our Heavenly Father. Each one depends upon the completion of the other—without the Creation, there would be no Fall, and with no Fall, there could be no Atonement. With that being said, we need to acknowledge our responsibility in this.
The Plan was created for us, so that we may endure our necessary trials, and have the opportunity to live with Him again. While we may not understand every facet of the Plan, we know enough to follow through on our responsibilities. President Russell M. Nelson stated, “Grand as it is, planet Earth is part of something even grander—that great plan of God. Simply summarized, the earth was created that families might be.” I think the most significant part of that statement is the unexpected truth—“earth was created that families might be”. When I think of the creation of the earth, I don’t immediately jump to the importance of being sealed together as a family, but when put so frankly, it is difficult to ignore its truth.
My father is a convert to the church, so my family was not sealed together until I was twelve years old. Being sealed in that room of the temple was the most sacred experience I have at this point in my life and I imagine it will be for a long time. I think somewhere right after we were sealed, it all clicked into place for me. Everything is connected. The Plan was created that way. Each part depends on the next, just as our Heavenly Father imagined it.
“Adam fell that men might be; and men are that they might have joy.” (2 Nephi 2:25) I’m grateful for the sacrifices which were made for mankind, so that I may have the opportunity to live with my family forever.
The Savior is responsible for that. He experienced a cruel death, despite his immeasurable power over it. In a BYU devotional address, President Russell M. Nelson said, “His responsibility for the Atonement was known even before the Creation and the Fall. Not only was it to provide for the resurrection and immortality of all humankind, but it was also to enable us to be forgiven of our sins—upon conditions established by Him. Thus His Atonement opened the way by which we could be united with Him and with our families eternally. This prospect we esteem as eternal life—the greatest gift of God to man (D&C 14:7).”(The Mission and Ministry of Christ, 1998)
His ministry—as a whole, including the Plan of Salvation—is critical to our success in this life and the next. In Moses 4:2 it says, “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.” He was willing. However, it is not only because of His willing sacrifice here on earth, but because of His ability to accept the Lord’s Plan in the pre-mortal life and ultimately, afford each of us the opportunity to make choices, just as He did.
“The Lord endowed us all with agency; he gave us laws that would enable us to advance and progress and become like him; and he counseled and exhorted us to pursue the course leading to glory and exaltation. He himself was the embodiment and personification of all good things. Every desirable characteristic and trait dwelt in him in its eternal fulness. All of his obedient children started to become like him in one way or another. There was as great a variety and degree of talent and ability among us there as there is among us here. Some excelled in one way, others in another. The Firstborn excelled all of us in all things” (Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah, 4 vols. [1979–81], 1:23).
Just as Elder McConkie said, Christ “excelled all of us in all things”. He was perfect. When I was little, my dad used to illustrate this concept to me by explaining that when it really counts, and the game is on the line, the coach isn’t going to put in a scrub from the bench. No, he’s going to put in his ace to get the job done. Now, I can’t imagine anyone else taking our shot for mankind’s agency and potential happiness in the life hereafter.
Even in the pre-mortal realm, we were given the option to choose. We were allowed our agency because of Christ. Without Him, the entire Plan would be moot. Because of this agency, we were able to progress in order to become more Christlike. We were able to excel and embrace our nature as we strived to become like our Father in Heaven. However, in our lives now, it doesn’t always seem so easy.
During His mortal ministry, Christ had a mission and a purpose. In 3 Nephi 27:13-14, it is explained by saying, “I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me. And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me”.
Given a somewhat unwilling environment, He was able to teach the gospel to others. He was able to gain followers who believed in Him—who believed in Heavenly Father. He was successful in training his disciples to carry on His work once He was gone. And unfortunately, it was He who had to bear the sinful burden of every man past, present, and future.
In John 10:11, 17, 18, He says, “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep…Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father”.
It had to be Him. There was no other option, and He knew that. Even with the pains of this world, His love for us was so strong that He was able to persevere through the worst pain any man will ever know.
Having that kind of faith is difficult in any circumstance, but today’s world presents a particular dilemma that has led many to neglect religion all together. Historically, religion has always been intertwined with human life, but it seems the only thread left today are the hate crimes recapped on the nightly news.
I grew up in a small branch in Detroit, Michigan. To paint a picture, my church building has bulletproof, barred windows surrounded by a twelve foot, enclosed fence which can only be unlocked with a code that changes about every six months, and it’s only strange if you don’t hear police cars or ambulance sirens during sacrament meeting. The majority of the members are recent converts, but that doesn’t stop them from fully participating in the Church. They are proof that having Christ and His gospel with you can truly turn your life around. He’s here for you and for those to come, just as he was here for them. This is what He can do when you show your love and commitment to Christ.
Brother Timothy Black was a smoker, heavy drinker, and a gambler. Then, given the ability to change his life, the missionaries eventually baptized Brother Black. He went on to serve in the branch presidency. He contributed to mormon.org for their compilation of self-reliance videos filmed at our branch. He even married his wife in the temple. Then he continued to work in the temple with his wife, once a week, until the day he died.
Sister Beatrice Taylor was addicted to heroin. However, later in life, and shortly after she had her son, the missionaries knocked on her door. Despite many difficulties, Sister Taylor is now a baptized member of the Church and takes great pride in her “calling” to be in charge of decorating the branch’s announcement board.
Sister Arkasha Howard has an interesting story. As a girl, she grew up in the brothel which her mother ran. One day, the missionaries spoke to her mother and eventually to Arkasha. Shortly after, her mother shut down the brothel and got baptized to become a member of the Church. Sister Howard was then baptized as well. Over this past summer, Sister Howard got her temple recommend and was married in the temple to her lovely husband, Brother Lambert.
Brother Ken Stroman was in prison for eighteen years. The missionaries found him in a halfway house while he was on probation. In two short years, he changed his life completely and got baptized as a member of the Church. Through the help of a branch missionary couple, the Hopkins, Brother Stroman was able to move to Utah, accepted a job with Deseret Industries, and married a lovely member of the Church. They live happily in Salt Lake City.
Each one of these beautiful converted members of the Church overcame difficult trials and obstacles in order to find their way to Christ. It was through Him that each of these people have been able to persevere through anything that has been thrown their way. Each of them is an inspiration to me because had I not told you their stories, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between them and another member of the Church born and raised in Utah County. It is because of Christ’s ministry that each of these individuals was able to hear His word. And it is because of Him that they will be able to return to live with Him and their families for all of time and eternity.
However, Christ has touched more lives than those who are members of the Church. In the early years of my education, my parents sent me to a Catholic private school. I learned a lot about the differences in our beliefs, but was still respectful when I was asked to attend mass every Friday morning during the school year. I met a lot of interesting people here, one of which was the mother of one of my best friends. Her name is Judy Armbruster. Besides some of the nuns that taught me, I had never seen a woman so devoted to the Catholic church. Even when her oldest son’s lungs failed, causing him permanent disabilities and she almost lost him forever, she still went to Friday mass. Over Thanksgiving break, I saw her at the gym. She was on the elliptical and as always, she was saying her rosary prayers as she worked out. Once, a long time ago, I asked her why she did that. She told me that Christ has touched her life in so many ways, and she sings his praises for that.
One thing that I learned from my time learning about the Catholic church is that all religions have good parts of the gospel, but their picture isn’t complete. I like to think of it as if the LDS Church is like a full-length mirror—you can see the entire gospel, as a whole. If you shatter that full-length mirror, you can pick up the shards (other religions) and see parts of the image. But you only have that piece. You don’t have the fullness of the gospel. Only the Church has the fullness of His gospel on the earth today, and I am so grateful for that.
What I really appreciate about Christianity as a whole is that there is a fundamental belief in the Savior. There is faith in Christ.
And it is because of that fullness of the gospel and my own faith that I know that this Church is true. I know that I will have the opportunity to live with my Heavenly Father once again. I know that when the day comes, my Savior, Jesus Christ, will be with me, advocating for me. It tells us in Doctrine and Covenants 29:5, “Lift up your hearts and be glad, for I am in your midst, and am your advocate with the Father; and it is his good will to give you the kingdom”.
He’s the one I know that I can always count on. He’s the one that we should all know that will always be there for us, no matter what—like my mom always says, ain’t no mountain high enough.
He’s always been the light to lead us through the dark before this life, during, and will continue to do so long after we leave it. Some question what the purpose of this life is, and while our goal is to return to live with Him, I think Joseph Smith said it best when he said, “Happiness is the object and design of our existence” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 255).
And I truly believe that the only way to experience true happiness is through our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.