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).
Have you ever met a perfect person? I doubt it. Why? Because everyone makes mistakes. When you make a mistake or are confused on what you should do, you want someone to help you, right? We all need someone to help us. We all need a Savior. We always hear that Jesus Christ saved us, but what does that truly mean? It not only means that he suffered and died for you personally, it means that he lived and lives for us too. He wants to help us. Jesus Christ is the only one who underestands everything that we go through. He not only wants to make up for the mistakes we make, but he wants to carry our burdens too. All we need to do is let him carry our burdens. Everyone faces personal challenges and Jesus is there to help. Everyone makes a mistake qa some point in life too. The beauty of having a Savior, is the fact that we can be forgiven. Sometimes our hands get dirty, but they can always be washed clean.
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?
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).
Jesus Christ is the Savior of all humankind, the Son of the Living God, the Messiah, the holy and anointed one of Israel, and He lives today to guide and lead us back to our Heavenly Father.
We absolutely believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. We believe that He was the God of the Old Testament. Under the direction of the Father, He created the earth. He spoke to the Old Testament prophets such as Noah, Abraham and Moses. He was born to the virgin Mary in Bethlehem. He walked among the people of Palestine, working many mighty miracles. He suffered and died for our sins. He rose from the grave and ascended to Heaven to stand on the right hand of the Father. We believe that He appeared alongside the Father to the prophet Joseph Smith. Today, He is at the head of our church and leads it through the prophet and twelve apostles. He will come again to reign upon the earth with all those who have faith in Him. Through Him, and Him alone, we can be forgiven for our sins and receive eternal live in the Kingdom of God.
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.
My baptism was so special to me! At first I was the only one who was going to get baptized in my family. After I begged to have the missionaries over to teach me my parents listened in to see what I was getting myself into. What happened in my family was truly a miracle! The Spirit of God touched my brother's heart that at 8 he desired to be baptized, touched my dad's enough to leave something he loved (coffee & some other things) for something better--the strength that The Lord gives as we rely on Him. And finally my mami-I am so proud of her-despite of her immense fear to be disowned by family members, she followed the Spirit's prompting to enter the waters of baptism. We had 3 wonderful elders and one of them extended his mission after much pondering and prayer and didn't quite know why he felt to extend until after the baptism. My mom wasn't going to be baptized with us because of the great fear she had-the elder that extended his mission was an instrument for the Lord as he bore His testimony with the words of comfot my mom needed to hear. She got up and changed 2 minutes before we were going to enter the waters. The Spirit was so strong in the room at this point that there was no doubt this is what our Father in Heaven wanted for all of us. We were all baptized on Dec 31st, 2006! And we are continually greatful that choice :)
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.
The Holy Ghost has been a wonderful and constant influence in my life. He has guided me, inspired me, protected and taught me. I have felt his influence many times in my life and in many different ways. Shortly after I started working as a nurse, I felt confusion regarding the course my life should take. I prayed and asked for the Holy Ghost to help guide me. I made a decision to serve a mission for the church. As soon as I had made this decision I felt a peace and calm knowing that I had made the right decision. I know this feeling came from the Holy Ghost.
The best part about the Holy Ghost is that he has confirmed the truthfulness of my beliefs. I have felt an undeniable confirmation and burning in my heart and soul that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is teaching the pure, true and complete gospel of Jesus Christ and that the Book of Mormon is a true book of scripture and that Joseph Smith did see God the Father and Jesus Christ and was called to be a Prophet of God.
The Holy Ghost has helped me in everything and blessed my life so much. He guided those two missionaries to knock on my family's door and to testify about the restored Gospel. He blessed my home with peace and joy as my family and I would learn from missionary lessons. As I sincerely prayed to Heavenly Father, having faith in Christ, to ask the veracity of the Book of Mormon and of the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Holy Ghost enlightened my mind and filled my heart with peace and joy. After coming out of the waters of baptism, the Holy Ghost filled my heart and my siblings' hearts with so much pure joy and exceeding gratitude that we couldn't hold our tears back. In the days when I have felt much grief, the Holy Ghost has brought me loving peace and warm comfort. In the days when I have felt weak and wanting to give up, the Holy Ghost has lifted me up, encouraged me to keep trying, and strengthened me with more determination and patience. In the days when I have felt confused or anxious, the Holy Ghost has given me abundant reassurance that everything will work out in the end and has taught me that there must be opposition in all things in order for me to progress. The Holy Ghost helps me to make the right decisions, guides me to be in the right places and protects me to be with the right people, and lets me know how to use my talents to serve others. He has helped me to draw nearer to my Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ and get to know them more and understand their will for my life. In many ways and instances, the Holy Ghost has truly testified to me that the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the one and only true Church of the Lord. I welcome everyone to find out about these glad tidings. I'm so grateful for the companionship of the Holy Ghost. He will never let us down. I know if you invite Him into your life, He will guide you, comfort you, protect you and testify to you of the veracity of this true Gospel.
When I was fifteen, I blew out my left eardrum in a diving accident at the local pool. The doctor said it probably would not heal. Normal ear drum injuries are tears which heal readily. This was a perforation. He tried an unusual technique and told me to come back in thirty days to assess the procedure and get further instructions.
For three weeks, every night my ear would drain an ugly discharge onto my pillow. I knew it was not healing. Was I was facing a life with impared hearing and continual ear infections?
Then, one night as I lay in bed, I began to get scared about my ear problem. In our church, we can have priesthood blessings for the healing of the sick. I had heard many times from my friends how their dads had given them blessings and they were healed of various maladies. I felt alone. My family did not have this priesthood authority. (I could have asked for a blessing from my congregation leader, but that was lost upon the thinking of this fifteen year old.) I felt like it wasn't fair. Why couldn't I get a blessing and be healed? I cried. I was having a perfect little "pity party". I prayed to my Heavenly Father a prayer of help. Why didn't he love me as much as my friends?
As I shed those tears, something wonderful happened. I began to feel a strange and wonderful feeling. Something that was coming from outside of my own faculties. It soon enveloped my entire body with a loving warmth. As I layed in bed, I received a feeling that I should not worry about my ear. I cried again. This time, they were tears of joy. The Holy Ghost had manifested to me. One of his names is the Comforter. I bear testimony of this. He has personally comforted me.
The next morning there was no discharge on my pillow.
In a week, the doctor exclaimed as he pulled his instrument from my ear, "It's second time this procedure worked for me in thirty-five years!! Your ear has healed."
I already knew that.
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.
“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?
Proverbs 3:5-6 reads "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." During these tough economic times, I've really come to rely on this scripture and just how often it's necessary for me to acknowledge Him in this journey of life. Where I'm at now and where my family is at now is not a mistake or a chance occurrence, but a part of the Lords' unique and divine mission for me. Who I am is not a mistake or chance occurrence but a unique combination of what makes me able to most effectively carry out His plan for me. My mission here on earth is special and unique and precious. I sincerely believe that the Lord has a mission for each of us, and that only through being in tuned to the Holy Ghost can we carry out His mission for us to its fullest potential.
"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.
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.
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.
