As mentioned in last week’s post, our first Article of Faith is, “We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.” What Mormons or members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe about Jesus Christ could fill volumes and does. In addition to what is in the Old Testament, New Testament, and modern scriptures of The Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price, there are hundreds of books written by LDS authors and many talks given by apostles who are witnesses of Jesus Christ. In fact in the 576 pages of The Book of Mormon, Jesus is referred to over 400 times. We do believe in Christ. We are Christians, followers of Christ.
Here are a few simple truths about what I believe about Jesus Christ.
He is the Son of God, the literal son. God or Heavenly Father is the father of Jesus’s spirit just as He is the father of our spirits. God is also the father of Jesus’s body, along with Mary. I don’t understand how the process worked, but when Jesus was born on earth, His mortal mother was Mary and His father was God. This means that when Jesus lived on earth, He was mortal and immortal. He was subject to death because He was mortal, and He was able to overcome death because He was immortal or a God.
Jesus is our older brother. Because God or Heavenly Father is the father of our spirits and Jesus’, we are spirit brothers and sisters to Jesus.
Jesus was chosen and chose to be our Savior. He loved us so much that He wanted us to be able to return to God. Because of His suffering and sacrifice, His death and Atonement, we can return to our Heavenly Father.
Jesus is the perfect example. He taught and showed us how to live. “Love one another. Come, follow me. Keep my commandments. Be baptized.”
Jesus was resurrected. After His crucifixion and death, Christ’s spirit and body were reunited. Because of Him, we will be resurrected too.
Jesus Christ is also God. Not our Heavenly Father, but a God. He was the God of the Old Testament, Jehovah who spoke to Moses and directed the prophets. He is a separate being from God, the Eternal or Heavenly Father, but they have the same goals, the same purposes. Jesus follows the will of the Father.
Jesus is our Savior, our Redeemer, our Lord. He lives. He is available through prayer to comfort us. I don’t just believe this. I know. I know because I’ve studied the scriptures, asked in prayer, and felt the love of my Savior. My belief has become knowledge.
Powerfully and simply taught!