Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and the Son of God. He is our Redeemer. The Holy Bible teaches us that Jesus Christ's mother was Mary, His father on earth was Joseph, that He was born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth, and labored with Joseph as a carpenter. When he turned 30, He began a three-year ministry of teaching, blessing, and healing the people of the Holy Land. He also organized His Church and gave His apostles "power and authority" (Luke 9:1) to assist in His work.
But what do we mean when we say He is the Savior of the world? The Redeemer? Each of these titles points to the truth that Jesus Christ is the only way by which we can return to live with our Heavenly Father. Jesus suffered and was crucified for the sins of the world, giving each of God’s children the gift of repentance and forgiveness. Only by His mercy and grace can anyone be saved. His subsequent resurrection prepared the way for every person to overcome physical death as well. These events are called the Atonement. In short, Jesus Christ saves us from sin and death. For that, he is very literally our Savior and Redeemer. In the future Jesus Christ will return to reign on earth in peace for a thousand years. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and He will be our Lord forever.
Jesus Christ, Son Of God
Jesus was born 2,000 years ago to a virgin mother named Mary in the city of Bethlehem.
When we accept Jesus Christ’s help we can feel peace in this life and return to Heavenly Father after we die.
God is our Heavenly Father, and like any parent He wants us, His children, to be happy. In the scriptures, He teaches “my work and my glory [is] to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). Eternal life means to live in heaven, in His presence, with our families, forever. God has given us commandments, which teach us what is right and wrong and chart a way through life that will offer the greatest happiness. Jesus Christ taught, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). But the scriptures also teach that “no unclean thing can dwell with God” (1 Nephi 10:21). As hard as we try to live good lives, we all sin, so how can we live in God’s perfect kingdom if we are imperfect?
God sent Jesus Christ to earth to give us a way to overcome our sins and imperfections. “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).
God sent Jesus Christ to earth to give us a way to overcome our imperfections.
“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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:16-17).
Our entire religion is focused on Jesus Christ, this is His church. As a mormon I know that Jesus is my savior. Because were are but humans, we will make mistakes, some small, others more serious. It is through His love and mercy that we might be free from the guilt that burdens us from those mistakes. More than just guilt and mistakes, Jesus can comfort us ad save us from situations that are not self inflicted. "All that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ." I know Jesus loves me, I know this because I have experienced feelings of sorrow, feelings of physical,emotional, and spiritual pain, and every time I have felt these things, I have also felt the healing power of Christ working in my life.
Our Heavenly Father sent us his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to die, so our sins could be forgiven through repentance. Without the Savior, there would be no hope to us of even being forgiven and to return to our Heavenly Father.
Without the grace and mercy made possible by His Atonement, we could not be saved from sin.
Even before God created the world, He prepared a plan that allows us to learn and grow during this life. Jesus Christ is the center of this plan. Christ’s mission was not only to teach us about God the Father and how we should live, but also to make a way for us to be forgiven after we sin. Sin is more than just making a mistake. When we sin we disobey God's commandments or fail to act correctly despite our knowledge of the truth (James 4:17).
Before He was crucified, Jesus prayed to God in the Garden of Gethsemane on our behalf. Christ's suffering for our sins in Gethsemane and on the cross at Calvary is called the Atonement. He suffered for us so that we can be made clean and return to live with our Heavenly Father. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the "good news" of Christ's sacrifice for us, giving us a path back to the Father. "Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah" (2 Nephi 2:8).
A firm belief that Jesus Christ is our Savior inspires us to follow His teachings.
Faith in Jesus Christ leads us to do good works. The Holy Bible teaches, “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:20). This does not mean that we can be saved by good works, for no amount of good works can cleanse our souls of even a trace of sin without the power of Christ’s sacrifice. But those who have genuine faith in Christ will want to follow Him and do the kinds of works He did, such as helping the poor and needy, caring for the sick, visiting the lonely, and showing good will and love to all people.
Faith in Jesus Christ is a firm conviction that He is who He says He is and that He will help us when we seek Him. Faith in Christ means trusting in Him, remembering Him, and following His teachings. It is a conviction that He is the Son of God, “The way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6).
As we follow His example and live according to His words, we will feel our faith growing until it becomes an active force in our lives, helping us repent of our sins and deal with our challenges. Faith in Jesus Christ isn’t a simple declaration of belief—it is a source of power we can renew every day by studying His words, praying, and by trying harder to follow His example.
What do Mormons believe about Jesus Christ? Do Mormons believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?
We believe that Jesus Christ is the Almighty, the First and the Last, Alpha and Omega, the LORD of LORDS, the Son of Man, Creator, Savior and Redeemer. Christ came down from heaven to take upon flesh and died on the cross to Atone for the sins of all mankind, He rose from the dead that all men can be resurrected to stand before Christ be judged. We believe that there is none other name under heaven given among men, but the name Jesus Christ, whereby we must be saved. We believe the Jesus Christ is the Firstborn Spirit Son of God (Col. 1:15) and that He is the Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh (John 3:16, Heb. 12:9, Rom. 8:16).
Jesus Christ is the literal Son of God. His birth, life, death, and resurrection fulfilled the many prophecies contained in the scriptures concerning the coming of a Savior. He was the Creator, He is our Savior, and He will be our Judge (see Isaiah 9:6, 53:3-7; Psalms 22:16-18).
Under the direction of our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ created the earth (John 1:10; Hebrews 1:2).
When Jesus lived on the earth (approximately 2,000 years ago), He led a perfect life. He taught by word and example how people should live in love of God and others.
Through His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and by giving His life on the cross—that is, by performing the Atonement —Jesus Christ saves us from our sins (1 Peter 2:21) as we follow Him. Because of the Atonement, you can be forgiven of your sins when you sincerely repent (Book of Mormon, Mosiah 26:30).
Through His Resurrection, Jesus Christ saved us from death. Because He overcame death, we will all be given the gift of resurrection, that is to say our spirits will be eternally re-united with our bodies (Acts 24:15; 1 Corinthians 15:22). When life on this earth is over, Jesus Christ will be the final Judge (Acts 17:31; John 5:21-22; Acts 10:42).
The official name of our church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and that says a lot - it's very important to me that I belong to a church that bears the Savior's name because He is central to everything. He is the Son of God and it is only through Him that we can overcome our sins and our faults and return to live with God. But more than just our sins, His life, example, and sacrifice give us comfort and hope through all the trials of life.
Breaking God’s commandments causes us to feel sorrow, but Jesus Christ made a way for us to be forgiven.
Having faith in Jesus Christ makes us want to live good lives. When we sin and seek to repent, we recognize and feel deep and sincere sorrow for what we’ve done wrong. God understood when He created the earth that we wouldn’t be perfect, so He provided a way for us to overcome our sins. The ability to repent is truly one of our greatest blessings.
To repent we need to recognize and feel sorry for what we’ve done wrong, do whatever is possible to repair the damage it may have caused, and to leave our sinful behavior behind. Repentance can be difficult and requires a lot of honesty, but the joy and freedom we feel when we turn away from our sins are well worth the effort. Because Christ suffered for our sins, we can be forgiven when we repent. That’s why the Atonement is so important to all of us.
We believe Christ's Atonement gives us the ability to repent and become clean from sin. To say we have to repent for our sins may sound like a punishment, but the real punishment is the guilt, sorrow, and disappointment we feel when we sin. Repentance is the opposite of punishment, then, because it allows us to become clean in God’s eyes and remove the feelings of guilt that follow our bad choices.
I was baptized early in the morning of the day I turned 18, back in the 1970's. A truly wonderful day!
I was already a "virtual" Mormon, if there is such a thing. The bishop called me a "dry Mormon", which I confess I didn't understand the first time he said it. Sorry, I guess I was kind of slow on the uptake, a characteristic I suppose I retain to this day. Anyway, I had been attending church and seminary (church sponsored religious instruction for high school students) and serving as a primary teacher and secretary of the priests quorum. I was a teenager when I found the church and parental permission was required for me to be baptized as a minor. My mother, a widowed single parent at that time who continues strong in her own faith, refused to give permission for my baptism. So it was that early the morning of my 18th birthday, the seminary class and other friends gathered at the side of the swimming pool of a very dear friend where I was baptized. What a great feeling to come up out of that water! I dried off and was confirmed right there by the side of the pool. Our bishop laid his hands on the top my head for the confirmation ordinance. When the bishop said, "Receive the Holy Ghost", I felt something come right out of his hands which proceeded to fill my body. It started from the top of my head and went all the way down to the tips of my toes. It was a real physical thing, not just some warm fuzzy feeling. For this reason I can honestly say that I know that the Gift of the Holy Ghost as given under the authority of the priesthood is real. I repeat for emphasis – the Gift of the Holy Ghost is not some ethereal concept. It is real.
So yes, the day I was baptized was a wonderful day. Right up there on the list including the day I was baptized for and in behalf of my father, the day on my mission when I taught my first lesson (an incredibly spiritual experience - yes the man was baptized), the day I was married, and the day my first son was born.
Baptism is a promise or covenant we make to follow Jesus Christ throughout our lives. When we develop faith in Him and repent of our sins, a person who has God’s authority to baptize immerses us in water and raises us back up. This ordinance, or ceremony, suggests burial and rebirth, symbolizing the end of our old life and the beginning of a new life as a follower of Jesus Christ.
When we are baptized, we take Christ’s name upon us. As Christians, we seek to follow Him in all aspects of our lives. Jesus was baptized when He was on earth. He has asked us to follow His example and to be baptized (see 2 Nephi 31:12). He has promised that if we follow His example and keep the promises we make when we’re baptized, we will have His Spirit to guide us through this life. Because Heavenly Father is a fair and loving God, everyone will have the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ through baptism, if not in this life then in the next.
After Jesus was baptized, a voice from heaven said, “Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11). We believe that God is also well pleased when each of us chooses to follow His Son and be baptized. He sees everything we do, knows us by name, and wants us to become clean so we can return to His presence.
God comforts, guides and strengthens us through the Holy Ghost.
When Jesus was on the earth, He told a man named Nicodemus, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:5). After we are "born of water," or baptized, we can be "born […] of the Spirit" by receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. A person with God's authority puts his hands on our heads and gives us the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 8:17). This ceremony is known as confirmation. The Holy Ghost is a Spirit. He is the third member of the Godhead, along with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. When we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and walk humbly before God He can always be with us. We call it a gift because the Holy Ghost is given to us from God to guide us as we face difficult decisions, comfort us when we are sad, influence our minds and feelings, and help us recognize when something is true. This kind of divine help reminds us that God loves each one of us and wants to help us through the difficulties of our lives.
During my first year in the church I had a wonderful experience where the Holy Ghost guided me as I served as a Sunday school teacher of 5 and 6 year olds. One child in particular taught me a great lesson. He found it difficult to endure the length of the lessons and would disrupt the whole class. Once, as we were discussing how Jesus had calmed the sea, I invited the chorister into my class to teach us a hymn “Master, the Tempest Is Raging” Hymns, no. 105. Like the storm referred to in the hymn, that child tempestuously raged until the chorister broke down in tears. I grabbed him and scolded him in the hall. I wasn’t pleased with myself, knowing in my heart that Jesus would never have done this.
Not knowing what to do, I prayed for guidance. After one such fervent prayer, a specific thought entered my mind Send a letter home praising good behavior. I decided to give it a try.
The next week I explained to my class that those who could listen and participate attentively in class would have a letter sent home describing their virtues. All their eyes lit up, and each, including my little tempest, prepared to be honored.
In the next couple of weeks every child received a letter except the one who was the reason behind my efforts and inspiration. He would try, but he could not get through a whole lesson without a problem. Week after week this occurred. I prayed for him. I encouraged him privately each week, reminding him how badly I wanted to send him that letter.
Finally it happened. Miraculously, he not only got through the lesson without disruption, but he even participated in the discussion. When the lesson ended, I excitedly told him of his great accomplishment. He smiled from ear to ear and walked out in triumph.
That night I created a veritable epistle praising him. The following Sunday, a new boy walked into class. He looked like my tempest of weeks past, yet he had confidence and self-discipline that continued for the rest of the time I knew him.
I can think of one specific example, where the Holy Ghost gave me a prompting, but I ignored it. It actually happened to me as a missionary. We were leaving our house, and got into the car. I was searching for the place we needed to go on the GPS. The GPS thought we were heading the other way on the street, so it told me to go out a different way. I could have easily gone that way, but I figured it would take more time, and it was easier to go out the normal way. Before we pulled out, I felt like we should listen to the GPS and go the different route. I ignored the feeling, and started leaving the normal way. We got to the first intersection, less than 1/4 mile away from our house. The man driving on the cross street didn't stop at his stop sign. I slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting him, but it was too late. We ended up broadsiding his car, causing plenty of damage to both vehicles. In fact, our car ended up being totaled. Thankfully, there were no severe injuries... just a sore ankle and a little bit of whiplash. But the lesson I learned has had a strong impact on my way of thinking.
Even though the accident wasn't my fault, I've thought about this experience several times since it happened. If I had listened to the prompting I received from the Holy Ghost, the accident would have been avoided. I've learned a lesson from this experience... when the Holy Ghost tells you to do something, DO IT! Many times, we don't understand why we're receiving a prompting, but from the accident, I learned that it's better to just follow and obey, rather than rely on our own wisdom.
The Holy Ghost is God's messenger. If we will listen to and obey his promptings, we can learn the truth of all things, and be guided in our daily actions. He will lead us back to our Heavenly Father.
The Holy Ghost helps by giving me a message. As long as I am trying to do the right things the Holy Ghost talks to me in a small quiet voice, and all I need do is listen. It does take some time to learn what to hear, but the Holy Ghost is very helpful and will only lead me in the right direction. I thank God for this extra helping hand.
at a young age of 16 my testimony of how the holy ghost prompts us was strengthened. when i was 14 i had a knee surgery on my right knee and all went well. 2 years later my left knee went out one time and i was scheduled to do surgery on that knee. it really hadn't ever given me trouble ever, except this one time. because my right knee surgery was so successful, i felt comfortable having the other one done. a week before my surgery I had an impression that I would die if i had surgery. it just kept coming to me the entire week. not loud, just quiet thoughts and i thought i was crazy and it was hard to figure out if the impression i was having was just nerves or real impressions that needed action. i prayed hard to know what to do. when i would tell people i was having surgery, they seemed concerned, which wasn't the reaction i thought they would give me. the next thought was to ask my mom if i would be ok. i hesitated a few days and the night before the surgery, i blurted out, "mom, am i going to die if i have surgery tomorrow?" i heard her answer from the kitchen next door..."what did you say?' with concern. i knew right away that her response of concern and not humor, was an answer to my prayer. turns out that on her way home from work that afternoon, she had heard the same prompting and she thought someone was in the car, so she turned around and realized it was a prompting and she too, thought that it might have been a silly nervous thought, until i asked her my question. what i realized was that, the feeling i had was real, her feeling was real and they were both provided by the Holy Ghost. now i know better that when things feel right, they move forward and when they don't feel right it's probably not right. if we put our trust in the Lord everything works out how it is supposed to and we feel the Holy Ghost testify of truth and feel at peace. by the way, i NEVER had another left knee problem again....EVER!
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”
Matthew 11:28
Having faith in Jesus Christ means following Him throughout our lives.
A relationship with Jesus Christ is like any other—it can start to fade if we fall out of touch. It takes effort to exercise enough faith in Christ to repent, be baptized, and receive the Holy Ghost, but we have to strive to follow Christ to receive all the blessings God wants to give us.
The key is to think of the gospel of Jesus Christ as a pattern for living, rather than steps on a checklist. We can continue to develop our faith in Christ every day by reading His words in the scriptures and praying to our Heavenly Father. When we sin, we can repent every time with a humble heart because Jesus Christ's Atonement is never-ending. We can remember the promises and blessings of baptism by taking the sacrament every Sunday at church. We can continue to rely on the comfort and guidance of the Holy Ghost as he leads us back to God.
Which of the Savior’s teachings have influenced you in your life?
I enjoy studying the life of Jesus Christ in the new testament of the bible. The parable of the talents, that he taught, has really influenced my life. Everything that we receive, and who we are, is from our heavenly father and his son. It has taught me that we need to use all that we have been given not only for ourselves but to the benefit of others! One of them was given ten talents and doubled it before he returned, and he was blessed. Others did what they could, and the one that got one buried it and did nothing with what he was blessed with and it was taken away. I know that as we take every opportunity to learn in this life, and use those "talents" that we have been given to benefit others we will be blessed with more, and none will be taken away.
◘ I believe the biggest teaching of the Savior to influence my life has been - " He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone."
◘ I believe that we all make mistakes, and I am grateful to a loving Savior in whom I have a hope of infinite mercy.
"As I have loved you, love one another". After 37 years of being married, I have recently gone through a divorce. The most important lesson I have learned is that without charity (the pure love of Christ; loving people the way He loves them, seeing their worth as He sees it) we are nothing and we will wind up with nothing in eternity. There is ultimate justice because of the law of the harvest. We can sow love for all of God's children and reap peace and a joyful life.
Charity never faileth! I think charity is something that has influenced my life greatly, or at least I hope it has. This is a Christlike attribute that I have strived and am striving to have with me constantly. It is the pure love of Christ, to love all unconditionally. I think if we all had true charity and can forgive others as well as ourselves, the world would definately be a better place and people would be a lot happier! When I know that when I have charity towards someone, I want to help them more and everything is just so much better! I have definately felt charity from my Heavenly Father, Savior Jesus Christ, parents, family, church leaders, friends, and the list goes on. Because of this feeling of love, I want to help others feel the same love I've felt through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Sometimes, even when we are doing our best to follow Christ’s example, we will run into obstacles that can bring frustration, disappointment, and even despair. Many of the things that weigh us down in our lives are not the result of sin. For example, the death or illness of loved ones, stress at work, or the difficulty of raising a family can bring challenges and heartache. Jesus Christ said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). As soon as we are willing to turn to Him, we will feel His love. This is another benefit of continuous Christianity—the closer we come to Jesus Christ, the more we will realize that God is aware of us in our joy and in our sadness. We can take comfort in the fact that God has a plan of happiness for us. With Christ’s help we can happily fulfill that plan and return to live with our Father in Heaven. This gives us a broader perspective and helps us face life’s challenges.
