Jehovah, Jesus Christ—Creator, Savior, Judge, "Father"
262. Before the earth was created Jesus Christ was with God the Father in a premortal life.
263. Jesus Christ is the firstborn spirit son of God.
264. Jesus Christ was chosen and foreordained to come to earth to perform the atoning sacrifice.
265. Christ was born on earth April 6 (not December 25).
266. Jesus Christ is the only Begotten Son of God in the flesh (in mortality).
269. Christ had power to lay down His life and to take it up again.
271. The resurrected Jesus Christ possesses a fulness of the glory of the Father.
273. Jesus Christ is the mediator between God and all mankind; He is our advocate with the Father.
274. Jesus Christ is Jehovah, the God of the Old Testament.
275. Jesus Christ presides as the God of this world (under the Father).
276. Jesus Christ is the life and light of the world.
277. Only through Christ can we be saved.
278. Jesus Christ is the judge of all.
279. The Son, Jesus Christ, carries out the Father's will.
262. Before the earth was created Jesus Christ was with God the Father in a premortal life.
[The] Holy Writ plainly taught, and . . . Jesus himself declared, that he had an antemortal existence with the Father, that he lived with the Father in eternity from the very "beginning," during untold periods before he came to earth to take on a mortal body. (On the Way to Immortality and Eternal Life, p. 27) MPSG1968-69:12
No one who accepts Jesus Christ as the Son of God can consistently deny His antemortal existence, or question His position as one of the Godhead before He came to earth as Mary's Son. The common interpretation given to the opening words of John 's Gospel sustains the view of Christ's primeval Godship: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." We read further, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." The affirmations of the Redeemer support this truth. When His disciples dissented concerning His doctrine of Himself, He said: "What and if ye shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before?" On another occasion He spoke in this wise: "I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father." And His disciples, pleased with this plain declaration confirming the belief which, perchance, they already entertained at heart, rejoined, "Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb . . . by this we believe that thou camest forth from God." To certain wicked Jews who boasted of their descent from Abraham, and sought to hide their sins under the protecting mantle of the great patriarch's name, the Savior declared: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." In solemn prayer the Son implored, "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." Yet Christ was born a child among mortals; and it is consistent to infer that if His earthly birth was the union of a preexistent or antemortal spirit with a mortal body such also is the birth of every member of the human family. AF:174-75
receiving the Word of the Lord
And now, verily I say unto you, I was in the beginning with the Father, and am the Firstborn; . . . (The Lord speaks by revelation at Kirtland, Ohio, May 6, 1833) D&C 93:21
Evidence is abundant that Jesus Christ was chosen and ordained to be the Redeemer of the world, even in the beginning. We read of His foremost position amongst the sons of God in offering Himself as a sacrifice to carry into effect the will of the Father. He it was, "Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world." AF:172
quoted by Joseph Smith,
translating John
In the beginning was the gospel preached through the Son. And the gospel was the word, and the word was the Son, and the Son was with God and the Son was of God. . . . (The record of the Apostle John, testifying of the Savior) JST John 1:1
quoted by John
For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. . . .
62. What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? (Jesus teaches the people after feeding the 5,000) John 6:38,62
quoted by John
I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. (Jesus teaches his disciples) John 16:28
quoted by John
And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. (Jesus offers the great intercessory prayer for his Apostles) John 17:5
also quoting John
And John saw and bore record of the fulness of my glory, and the fulness of John 's record is hereafter to be revealed.
7. And he bore record, saying: I saw his glory, that he was in the beginning, before the world was;
8. Therefore, in the beginning the Word was, for he was the Word, even the messenger of salvation—
9. The light and the Redeemer of the world; the Spirit of truth, who came into the world, because the world was made by him, and in him was the life of men and the light of men.
10. The worlds were made by him; men were made by him; all things were made by him, and through him, and of him.
11. And I, John, bear record that I beheld his glory, as the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, even the Spirit of truth, which came and dwelt in the flesh, and dwelt among us. (The Lord reveals that John bore record of his glory; Kirtland, Ohio, May 6, 1833) D&C 93:6-11
Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, (Letter to the churches in modern Asia Minor, about A.D. 60) 1 Peter 1:20
Related Witnesses:
Among the spirit children of Elohim, the first-born was and is Jehovah or Jesus Christ, to whom all others are juniors. (Gospel Doctrine, p. 70) MPSG1987:39
quoted by Joseph Fielding Smith
At the first organization in heaven we were all present, and saw the Savior chosen and appointed and the plan of salvation made, and we sanctioned it. (Jan. 1841 at organization of a school of instruction)(Words of Joseph Smith, p. 61) TPJS:181; MPSG1987:39
quoted by John
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. (Jesus answers the disputing Jews) John 8:58
quoted by Joseph Smith
And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell; (Abraham learns of pre-earth life and foreordination) Abraham 3:24
263. Jesus Christ is the firstborn spirit son of God.
Among the spirit children or Elohim, the first-born was and is Jehovah, or Jesus Christ, to whom all others are juniors. (Gospel Doctrine, p. 70) DGSM:9
We believe absolutely that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, begotten of God, the first-born in the spirit and the only begotten in the flesh; that He is the Son of God just as much as you and I are the sons of our fathers. (Millennial Star, Jan. 1922, p. 2) DGSM:9
He, in the nearness of His relationship to the Father, seems to occupy a position that no other person occupies. He is spoken of as His well beloved Son, as the Only Begotten of the Father—does not this mean the only begotten after the flesh? If He was the first born and obedient to the laws of His Father, did He not inherit the position by right to be the representative of God, the Savior and Redeemer of the world? And was it not His peculiar right and privilege as the firstborn, the legitimate heir of God, the Eternal Father, to step forth, accomplish and carry out the designs of His Heavenly Father pertaining to the redemption, salvation and exaltation of man? And being Himself without sin (which no other mortal was), He took the position of Savior and Redeemer, which by right belonged to Him as the first born. And does it not seem that in having a body specially prepared, and being the offspring of God, both in body and spirit, He stood preeminently in the position of the Son of God, or in the place of God, and was God, and was thus the fit and only personage capable of making an infinite atonement? (The Mediation and Atonement, pp. 135-37) TLDP:299
Anthon H. Lund, Charles W. Penrose
(First Presidency)
There is no impropriety, therefore, in speaking of Jesus Christ as the Elder Brother of the rest of human kind. That He is by spiritual birth Brother to the rest of us is indicated in Hebrews: "Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people." (Hebrews 2:17) Let it not be forgotten, however, that He is essentially greater than any and all others, by reason (1) of His seniority as the oldest, or firstborn; (2) of His unique status in the flesh as the offspring of a mortal mother and of an immortal, or resurrected and glorified, Father; (3) of His selection and foreordination as the one and only Redeemer and Savior of the race; and (4) of His transcendent sinlessness. MOFP5:34
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14. In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
15. Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: (Letter from prison to the Church in Colossae, Asia Minor, about A.D. 60) Colossians 1:13-15
We declare that Jesus is the Firstborn Son of our Heavenly Father in the spirit and the Only Begotten Son of God in mortality. He is a God, one of the three in the Godhead. He is the Savior and Redeemer of the human race. In a premortal council at which we were all present, He accepted our Father’s great plan of happiness for His children and was chosen by the Father to give effect to that plan. He led the forces of good against those of Satan and his followers in a battle for the souls of men that began before this world was formed. That conflict continues today. We were all on the side of Jesus then. We are on the side of Jesus today. (CR 1996Oct; Christians in Belief and Action, Ensign, November 1996, p.70)
Related Witnesses:
receiving the Word of the Lord
And now, verily I say unto you, I was in the beginning with the Father, and am the Firstborn; (The Lord speaks by revelation at Kirtland, Ohio, May 6, 1833) D&C 93:21
264. Jesus Christ was chosen and foreordained to come to earth to perform the atoning sacrifice.
Evidence is abundant that Jesus Christ was chosen and ordained to be the Redeemer of the world, even in the beginning. We read of His foremost position amongst the sons of God in offering Himself as a sacrifice to carry into effect the will of the Father. He it was, "Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world." AF:172
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
20. Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, (Peter writes to the churches in modern Asia Minor about redemption by blood of Christ, about A.D. 60) 1 Peter 1:19-20
The only begotten Son of God in this world came in it primarily to die. He is spoken of in the scriptures as the "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." The meaning of this is that he was chosen to his mission as Redeemer of a fallen world, even before the foundations of the earth were laid. (The Restoration of All Things, pp. 283-84) TLDP:309
Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters. (Christ speaks as he shows his spirit body to the brother of Jared, at the time of the Tower of Babel) Ether 3:14
Related Witnesses:
quoted by Joseph Fielding Smith
At the first organization in heaven we were all present, and saw the Savior chosen and appointed and the plan of salvation made, and we sanctioned it. (Jan. 1841 at organization of a school of instruction) (Words of Joseph Smith, p. 61) TPJS:181; MPSG1987:39
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (The Apostle John sees the devil gain power over the nations) Revelation 13:8
translating the Book of Moses
And behold, Enoch saw the day of the coming of the Son of Man, even in the flesh; and his soul rejoiced, saying: The Righteous is lifted up, and the Lamb is slain from the foundation of the world; and through faith I am in the bosom of the Father, and behold, Zion is with me. (The record of Moses : Enoch foresees the coming of the Son of Man) Moses 7:47
265. Christ was born on earth April 6 (not December 25).
April 6, 1973, is a particularly significant date because it commemorates not only the anniversary of the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in this dispensation, but also the anniversary of the birth of the Savior, our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. CR1973Apr:4; DCSM:40
The name of Jesus Christ and what it represents has been plowed deep into the history of the world, never to be uprooted. Christ was born on the sixth of April. Being one of the sons of God and His only Begotten, his birth is of supreme importance. CR1975Apr:3-4
The rise of the Church of Christ in these last days, being one thousand eight hundred and thirty years since the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the flesh. . . . (Revelation on Church Organization and Government April 1830) D&C 20:1
The day [April 6, 1833] was spent in a very agreeable manner, in giving and receiving knowledge which appertained to this last kingdom—it being just 1800 years since the Savior laid down His life that men might have everlasting life, and only three years since the Church had come out of the wilderness, preparatory for the last dispensation. (Journal entry of the Prophet, April 6, 1833) HC1:337; DCSM:40
266. Jesus Christ is the only Begotten Son of God in the flesh (in mortality).
We believe absolutely that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, begotten of God, the first-born in the spirit and the only begotten in the flesh; that He is the Son of God just as much as you and I are the sons of our fathers. (Millennial Star, Jan. 1922, p. 2) DGSM:9
One of the great questions that I have referred to that the world is concerned about, and is in confusion over, is as to whether or not his was a virgin birth, a birth wherein divine power interceded. Joseph Smith made it perfectly clear that Jesus Christ told the absolute truth, as did those who testify concerning him, the Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, wherein he is declared to be the very Son of God. And if God the Eternal Father is not the real Father of Jesus Christ, then are we in confusion; then is he not in reality the Son of God. But we declare that he is the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh.
Mary told the story most beautifully when she said that an angel of the Lord came to her and told her that she had found favor in the sight of God, and had come to be worthy of the fulfilment of the promises heretofore made, to become the virgin mother of the Redeemer of the world. She afterwards, referring to the event, said: "God hath done wonderful things unto me." "And the Holy Ghost came upon her," is the story. "and she came into the presence of the highest." No man or woman can live in mortality and survive the presence of the Highest except by the sustaining power of the Holy Ghost. So it came upon her to prepare her for admittance into the divine presence, and the power of the Highest, who is the Father, was present, and overshadowed her, and the holy Child that was born of her was called the Son of God.
Men who deny this, or who think that it degrades our Father, have no true conception of the sacredness of the most marvelous power with which God has endowed mortal men—the power of creation. Even though that power may be abused and may become a mere harp of pleasure to the wicked, nevertheless it is the most sacred and holy and divine function with which God has endowed man. Made holy, it is retained by the Father of us all, and in his exercise of that great and marvelous creative power and function, he did not debase himself, degrade himself, nor debauch his daughter. Thus Christ became the literal Son of a divine Father, and no one else was worthy to be his father. (Sermons and Missionary Services of Melvin J. Ballard, pp. 166-67) TLDP:301
He, in the nearness of His relationship to the Father, seems to occupy a position that no other person occupies. He is spoken of as His well beloved Son, as the Only Begotten of the Father—does not this mean the only begotten after the flesh? (The Mediation and Atonement, p. 136) TLDP:299
Jesus Christ is the heir of this Kingdom—the only begotten of the Father according to the flesh, and holds the keys over all this world. (Address at the Stand in Nauvoo, Ill., Aug. 27, 1843) HC5:556; MGSP:5
Our Father in heaven is the Father of Jesus Christ, both in the spirit and in the flesh. Our Savior is the Firstborn in the spirit, the Only Begotten in the flesh.
I believe firmly that Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh. He taught this doctrine to his disciples. He did not teach them that he was the Son of the Holy Ghost, but the Son of the Father. Truly, all things are done by the power of the Holy Ghost. It was through this power that Jesus was brought into this world, but not as the Son of the Holy Ghost, but the Son of God. . . .
Christ was born a babe at Bethlehem. That is where he got his body, and the only physical body, or body of flesh and bones, that he ever had or ever will have. (Doctrines of Salvation, 1:18) TLDP:301
Related Witnesses:
quoted by Joseph Smith,
translating John
In the beginning was the gospel preached through the Son. And the gospel was the word, and the word was the Son, and the Son was with God and the Son was of God. . . .
13. He was born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14. And the same word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (The record of the Apostle John, testifying of the Savior) JST John 1:1,13-14
That Child to be born of Mary was begotten of Elohim, the Eternal Father, not in violation of natural law but in accordance with a higher manifestation thereof; and, the offspring from that association of supreme sanctity, celestial Sireship, and pure though mortal maternity, was of right to be called the 'Son of the Highest.' JTC:81; DGSM:9
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5. To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke records the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior) Luke 2:4-14
267. Christ's spirit body, before His birth on earth, was the same in appearance as His earthly body.
And never have I showed myself unto man whom I have created, for never has man believed in me as thou hast. Seest thou that ye are created after mine own image? Yea, even all men were created in the beginning after mine own image.
16. Behold, this body, which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit; and man have I created after the body of my spirit; and even as I appear unto thee to be in the spirit will I appear unto my people in the flesh. (Christ shows his spirit body to the brother of Jared, at the time of the Tower of Babel) Ether 3:15-16
(First Presidency)
Jesus Christ is the Son of Elohim both as spiritual and bodily offspring; that is to say, Elohim is literally the Father of the spirit of Jesus Christ and also of the body in which Jesus Christ performed His mission in the flesh, and which body died on the cross and was afterward taken up by the process of resurrection, and is now the immortalized tabernacle of the eternal spirit of our Lord and Savior. ("The Father and The Son; A Doctrinal Exposition by The First Presidency and The Twelve," pamphlet published by the Church, June 30, 1916. Reprinted in AF:420-426. See MOFP5:23-34) MOFP5:27
Now who is Jesus Christ, and how could he bring about the resurrection when no other man nor all men put together could do so? The Scriptures respond to these questions. They make it clear that the spirit person Jesus Christ—as are the spirits of all men—is the Son of God, our Eternal Father. In this respect he is like all other men. He differs from all other men, however, by reason of the fact that men's bodies are begotten of mortal men and are, therefore, subject to death, being descendants and inheritors from Adam, while Christ's physical body was begotten of God, our Heavenly Father—an immortal being not subject to death. Christ, therefore, inherited from his Father the faculty to live on indefinitely. CR1975Apr:123-24
Related Witnesses:
The true God exists both in time and in space, and has as much relation to them as man or any other being. He has extension, and form, and dimensions, as well as man. He occupies space; has a body, parts, and passions; can go from place to place—can eat, drink, and talk, as well as man. Man resembles him in the features and form of his body, and he does not differ materially in size. When he has been seen among men, he has been pronounced, even by the wicked, as one of their own species. So much did he look like man, that some supposed him to be the carpenter's son. Like man, he had a Father; and he was "the express image of the person of the Father." The two persons were as much alike in form, in size, and in every other respect as fathers and sons are of the human race; indeed, the human race are "his offspring," made in his likeness and image . . . after the image of his person. (The Kingdom of God, p. 4) TLDP:308
268. Through the process of death and resurrection, Jesus Christ's spirit was reunited with his body.
(First Presidency)
Jesus Christ is the Son of Elohim both as spiritual and bodily offspring; that is to say, Elohim is literally the Father of the spirit of Jesus Christ and also of the body in which Jesus Christ performed His mission in the flesh, and which body died on the cross and was afterward taken up by the process of resurrection, and is now the immortalized tabernacle of the eternal spirit of our Lord and Savior. ("The Father and The Son; A Doctrinal Exposition by The First Presidency and The Twelve," pamphlet published by the Church, June 30, 1916. Reprinted in AF:420-426. See MOFP5:23-34) MOFP5:27
We believe that Christ, divinely begotten, was born of woman, that He lived a mortal life, that He was crucified upon the cross, that He died, His spirit leaving His body, and was buried, and was on the third day resurrected, His spirit and body re-uniting. We believe this is the exact pattern we shall all follow. We believe that all men will be resurrected, that "men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression." MOFP6:33
also quoting Joseph Smith
"From eternity to eternity he is the same." (D&C 76:4) So it is written of that Lord who is both Jehovah and Jesus. And so it is. As the Unembodied One, while he dwelt in preexistence as the Firstborn spirit Son of the Eternal Elohim; as the Embodied One, while he dwelt among us, with his spirit shackled in a tabernacle of clay, a tabernacle created in the womb of Mary whose Son he was; as the Disembodied One, while he ministered for a moment among the spirits of the righteous dead; and finally as the Reembodied One, which he became when he rose from the dead, clothed with glory, immortality, and eternal life—in all of these states he was and is the same. (The Promised Messiah, pp. 197-98) TLDP:308
In order for Adam to regain his original state (to be in the presence of God), an atonement for this disobedience was necessary. In God's divine plan, provision was made for a redeemer to break the bonds of death and, through the resurrection, make possible the reunion of the spirits and bodies of all persons who had dwelt on earth.
Jesus of Nazareth was the one who, before the world was created, was chosen to come to earth to perform this service, to conquer mortal death. This voluntary action would atone for the fall of Adam and Eve and permit the spirit of man to recover his body, thereby reuniting body and spirit.
Jesus Christ has influenced humanity more than anyone else who ever lived. CR1978Apr:7-8
So Jesus did for us something that we could not do for ourselves, through his infinite atonement. On the third day after the crucifixion he took up his body and gained the keys of the resurrection, and thus has power to open the graves for all men, but this he could not do until he had first passed through death himself and conquered. (Doctrines of Salvation, 1:128) DGSM:87
Related Witnesses:
recorded in Luke
And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
37. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
38. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
39. Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. (The risen Christ appears to the Apostles and others) Luke 24:36-39
Next we affirm the Jesus Christ of Nazareth is indeed the Christ—he who was born in Bethlehem on the first Christmas; he who answered the questions of the doctors in the temple when but twelve years old; he who was baptized of John ; he who walked the plains of Palestine preaching his gospel, healing many who were sick, and raising some of the dead; he who was persecuted by the religious cults of the day, was condemned to the cross, but who conquered death and the grave in a glorious resurrection on the third day afterward.
He is the Savior of mankind He is the Redeemer of all flesh He did arise from the grave. He is risen, as the angel said, in physical, corporeal reality. And he lives today Our modern prophets have seen him face to face and have talked with him. We know that he lives and by his resurrection he will also give to each of us a victory over death, for we too shall be resurrected—physically and literally. We too shall live again. CR1980Apr:93-94
But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
26. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27. Then saith he to Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
28. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
29. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. (The risen Jesus appears to his assembled disciples) John 20:24-29
quoted by Mormon
Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world.
15. And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come.
16. And when they had all gone forth and had witnessed for themselves, they did cry out with one accord, saying:
17. Hosanna Blessed be the name of the Most High God And they did fall down at the feet of Jesus, and did worship him. (The risen Jesus Christ appears to the Nephite people on the American continent soon after his ascension into heaven following the Crucifixion, A.D. 34) 3 Nephi 11:14-17
269. Christ had power to lay down His life and to take it up again.
One thing, as we read, is that the Father gave [Christ] power to have life in Himself; "For as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;" and further, He had power, when all mankind had lost their life, to restore life to them again; and hence He is the Resurrection and the Life, which power no other man possesses.
Another distinction is, that having this life in Himself, He had power, as He said, to lay down His life and to take it up again, which power was also given Him by the Father. This is also a power which no other being associated with this earth possesses. (The Mediation and Atonement, pp. 135-37) TLDP:299
The Son hath life inherent in Himself, even as the Father hath life in Himself, He having received this power from the Father. Also, that He had power in Himself, as elsewhere stated, to lay down this body, and also to take it up again; and in this respect He differed from others. While man dies and lays down his body, he has not power under any circumstance to raise it again, only through the power of Jesus and His intercession and atonement; for the Redeemer has proclaimed Himself to be the Resurrection and the Life; and it is by this resurrective power which He possesses, as the gift of God through obedience to the will of the Father, that the dead shall hear the voice of God and shall live. Hence He not only becomes the first fruits of those that slept, having conquered death Himself and triumphed over it, but He also becomes the means of the resurrection of all men from the dead. (The Mediation and Atonement, pp. 146-47) TLDP:312
Jesus said that the Father wrought precisely in the same way as His Father had done before Him. As the Father had done before. He laid down His life, and took it up the same as His Father had done before. He did as He was sent, to lay down His life and take it up again; and then was committed unto Him the keys, &c. (Sermon at the Stand in Nauvoo, Ill., June 16, 1844) HC6:477
Jesus only of all mankind—Jesus, the Son of the living God; Jesus, the Son of the mortal Virgin—this One Man of all men had power to live or to die; and having chosen to die, he had power to live again in glorious immortality, never again to see death. All this is according to the commandment of the Father. (The Mortal Messiah, 3:216-17) TLDP:313
Jesus, the Only Begotten of the Father . . . had power to lay down His life and take it up again, and if we keep inviolate the covenants of the Gospel, remaining faithful and true to the end, we too, in his name and through his redeeming blood, will have power in due time to resurrect these our bodies after they shall have been committed to the earth. (General conference, April 1876, JD18:277) TLDP:560
Christ is the "resurrection and the life" and the first fruits of them that slept. Therefore, none could pass from mortality to immortality until our Savior completed his work for the redemption of man and had gained the keys of the resurrection, being the first to rise, having "life in himself" and the power to lay down his life and take it up again, thus freeing all men from the bondage which the fall had placed upon them. (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:300-01) TLDP:700
I cannot disbelieve such things as these, they appeal to my judgment; they take my poor, helpless soul, my helpless mortal being, destined to pass through the grave, out of this mortal life, and above and beyond it, and there is no other hope or assurance on earth, that I have ever found, for a future reward or happiness or the enjoyment of the fulness of the hopes and aspirations of my soul, except those which are held out to me in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who came into the world with power to lay down His life and take it up again, the only Being sent from God to earth who possessed the power to lay down His life and take it up again. To no other soul under heaven has this power been given, and He demonstrated the resurrection from death to life by His own example, and has freely offered the same deliverance to all the sons and daughters of God that ever lived on earth or that will ever live from henceforth. (CR Oct; 1913,, p.8-9)
270. The resurrected Jesus Christ is a glorified personage in form like man; He has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's.
[W]e know that both the Father and the Son are in form and stature perfect men; each of them possesses a tangible body, infinitely pure and perfect and attended by transcendent glory, nevertheless a body of flesh and bones. AF:38
Jesus is the express image and likeness of His Father; therefore, as Jesus is a personage of flesh and bones, having a body as tangible as that of man, bearing in it the wounds of the nails and of the spear, so is the body of the Father just as tangible; it is just as real as that of the Son. (Millennial Star, Nov. 1, 1906, p. 690) TLDP:221
The thing I want to impress upon you is that God is real, a creature of flesh and bones the same as you and I. Christ is the same but the Holy Ghost is a creature of spirit. ("Mutual Conference Is Well Attended," The Journal, Logan, Utah, March 14, 1911, p. 4) TLDP:228
The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead. He is a Spirit, in the form of a man. The Father and the Son are personages of tabernacle; they have bodies of flesh and bones. (Doctrines of Salvation, 1:38) TLDP:272
The Father has a body of flesh and bones, the Son also, but the Holy Ghost is a "personage of Spirit" (D&C:130). ("Whom Do the Latter-day Saints Worship?", IE1914Jun:706, 709) TLDP:362
In common with the rest of Christianity, we believe in a Godhead of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. However, we testify that these three members of the Godhead are three separate and distinct beings. We also testify that God the Father is not just a spirit but is a glorified person with a tangible body, as is his resurrected Son, Jesus Christ. (CR 1995Apr; Apostasy and Restoration, Ensign, May 1995, p.84)
The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's. The Son also; (Revelation received April 2, 1830) D&C 130:22
For instance, Jesus said: Handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. (Instructions given at Nauvoo, Ill., Feb. 9, 1843; keys given whereby messengers from beyond the veil may be identified) D&C 129:2
recorded in Luke
And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
37. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
38. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
39. Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. (The risen Christ appears to the Apostles and others) Luke 24:36-39
quoted by Mormon
And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words the whole multitude fell to the earth; for they remembered that it had been prophesied among them that Christ should show himself unto them after his ascension into heaven.
13. And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto them saying:
14. Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world.
15. And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come. (The risen Jesus Christ appears to the Nephite people on the American continent soon after his ascension into heaven following the Crucifixion, A.D. 34) 3 Nephi 11:12-15
It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him (Vision of the Father and the Son, spring of 1820) JS-H 1:17
271. The resurrected Jesus Christ possesses a fulness of the glory of the Father.
The Savior did not have a fulness at first, but after he received his body and the resurrection all power was given unto him both in heaven and in earth. Although he was a God, even the Son of God, with power and authority to create this earth and other earths, yet there were some things lacking which he did not receive until after his resurrection. In other words he had not received the fulness until he got a resurrected body. (Doctrines of Salvation, 1:33) DGSM:9-10
Christ is also our Father because his father has given him of his fulness; that is, he has received a fulness of the glory of the Father. . . .
The Father has honored Christ by placing his name upon him, so that he can minister in and through that name as though he were the Father; and thus, so far as power and authority are concerned, his words and acts become and are those of the Father. (Doctrines of Salvation, 1:29-30) TLDP:302-03
1:19. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; . . . 2:9. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. (Paul writes from prison to the Church in Colossae, Asia Minor, about A.D. 60) Colossians 1:19; 2:9
quoted by Joseph Smith
And I, John, saw that he received not of the fulness at the first, but received grace for grace;
13. And he received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness;
14. And thus he was called the Son of God, because he received not of the fulness at the first.
15. And I, John, bear record, and lo, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove, and sat upon him, and there came a voice out of heaven saying: This is my beloved Son.
16. And I, John, bear record that he received a fulness of the glory of the Father;
17. And he received all power, both in heaven and on earth, and the glory of the Father was with him, for he dwelt in him. (The Lord reveals that John bore record of his glory; Kirtland, Ohio, May 6, 1833) D&C 93:12-17
receiving the Word of the Lord
The Father because he gave me of his fulness, and the Son because I was in the world and made flesh my tabernacle, and dwelt among the sons of men. (The Lord speaks by revelation through Joseph Smith at Kirtland, Ohio, May 6, 1833) D&C 93:4
He is the Elect, the Chosen, and one of the Presidency in the heavens, and in Him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, which could not be said of us in any of these particulars. (The Mediation and Atonement, pp. 135-37) TLDP:299
also quoting John ,
as he is quoted by Joseph Smith
Testimony of John the Apostle Concerning Christ's Development in Knowledge and Grace.—In a modern revelation, Jesus the Christ has confirmed the record of John the apostle, which record appears but in part in our compilation of ancient scriptures. John thus attests the actuality of natural development in the growth of Jesus from childhood to maturity: "And I, John, saw that he received not of the fulness at the first, but received grace for grace; And he received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness; And thus he was called the Son of God, because he received not of the fulness at the first" (D&C 93:12-14. Notwithstanding this graded course of growth and development after His birth in the flesh, Jesus Christ had been associated with the Father from the beginning, as is set forth in the revelation cited. We read therein: "And he [John ] bore record, saying, I saw his glory that he was in the beginning before the world was; therefore in the beginning the Word was, for he was the Word, even the messenger of salvation, the light and the Redeemer of the world; the Spirit of truth, who came into the world, because the world was made by him, and in him was the life of men and the light of men. The worlds were made by him: men were made by him: all things were made by him, and through him, and of him. And I, John, bear record that I beheld his glory, as the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, even the Spirit of truth, which came and dwelt in the flesh, and dwelt among us" (verses 7-11). JTC:119
272. The mission of the Savior is to offer all the human race the sublime privilege of regaining the presence of the Father and of entering into His rest (in the celestial kingdom).
The mission of the Savior and of His Church is to offer to all the human race the sublime privilege of regaining the presence of the Father and of entering into His rest. PCG:31
The errand of Jesus to earth was to bring his brethren and sisters back into the presence of the Father; he has done his part of the work, and it remains for us to do ours. There is not one thing that the Lord could do for the salvation of the human family that He has neglected to do; and it remains for the children of men to receive the truth or reject it; all that can be accomplished for their salvation, independent of them, has been accomplished in and by the Savior. . . . "Jesus paid the debt; he atoned for the original sin; he came and suffered and died on the cross." (In new Tabernacle, July 18, 1869, JD13:59) TLDP:309
quoted by John A. Widtsoe
Can all the wisdom of the world devise means by which we can be redeemed, and return to the presence of our Father and Elder Brother, and dwell with holy angels and celestial beings? No, it is beyond the power and wisdom of the inhabitants of the earth that now live, or that ever did or ever will live, to prepare or create a sacrifice that will pay this divine debt. But God provided it, and his Son has paid it, and we, each and every one, can now receive the truth and be saved in the Kingdom of God. Is it clear and plain? It is to me, and if you have the Spirit of God, it is as plain to you as anything else in the world. (In Ogden, Utah, Tabernacle, July 10, 1870, JD14:72) DBY:59
quoted by John
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. (Jesus speaks to the Twelve of his many mansions) John 14:1-4
Related Witnesses:
translating the Book of Moses
For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. (The Lord talks to Moses, face to face) Moses 1:39
All three [missions of the Church] are part of one work—to assist our Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ, in Their grand and glorious mission "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39) CR1981Apr:3
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (The record of the Apostle John, testifying of the Savior) John 1:12
[T]hat Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (Paul writes to his assistant Timothy, about A.D. 64) 1 Timothy 1:15
And this is the gospel, the glad tidings, which the voice out of the heavens bore record unto us—
41. That he came into the world, even Jesus, to be crucified for the world, and to bear the sins of the world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness;
42. That through him all might be saved whom the Father had put into his power and made by him; (Vision to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon, Feb. 16, 1832) D&C 76:40-42
quoted by Nephi
And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam. (Jacob to the people of Nephi, 559-545 B.C.) 2 Nephi 9:21
The only begotten Son of God in this world came in it primarily to die. He is spoken of in the scriptures as the "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." The meaning of this is that he was chosen to his mission as Redeemer of a fallen world, even before the foundations of the earth were laid. His great mission is twofold. First, to redeem all men from death irrespective of their obedience or disobedience, their willingness to keep his commandments, or their rejection of those commandments, and this is done because since Adam, all men have been innocent of the cause of death in the world. Therefore they are redeemed from its consequences irrespective of their belief or lack of belief in the Son of God. Secondly, he came into the world to save all men from the consequences of their own sins if they are willing to repent. (The Restoration of All Things, pp. 283-84) TLDP:309
. . .His real mission was to redeem man from the Fall of Adam by the atonement He made. We declare this is the greatest gift that ever came to man, for without it there would be no immortality of the soul, which is "the spirit and the body of man." ("I Am the Resurrection and the Life," IE1943Jan:63) TLDP:38
273. Jesus Christ is the mediator between God and all mankind; He is our advocate with the Father.
Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him—
4. Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified;
5. Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life. (Revelation March 7, 1831; Christ will intercede with the Father, with these words) D&C 45:3-5
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
6. Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. (Paul writes to his assistant Timothy, about A.D. 64) 1 Timothy 2:5-6
When Adam was in the Garden of Eden, he was in the presence of God our Eternal Father. After his fall, he was driven out of the presence of the Father, who withdrew from Adam, and when children were born to Adam they, too, were shut out of the presence of the father. Then, according to the scriptures, Jesus Christ became the Advocate for Adam and his children, and also their Mediator standing between mankind and the Eternal Father, pleading our cause. From that time forth it was Jesus Christ who directed his servants on the earth and gave revelation and guidance to the prophets. (Answers to Gospel Questions, 3:5) TLDP:305
[T]he Father withdrew from having personal contact with his children and Jesus Christ as the advocate and mediator between God the Father and mankind comes upon the scene. (Man, His Origin and Destiny, p. 312) TLDP:305
He came into the world to ransom men from the temporal and spiritual death brought upon them by the fall of Adam. He came to satisfy the demands of divine justice and to bring mercy to the penitent. He came as a Mediator, as an Intercessor, to plead the cause of all those who believe in him. CR1977Apr:16-17
also quoting Paul
[B]y eternal law, mercy cannot be extended save there be one who is both willing and able to assume our debt and pay the price and arrange the terms for our redemption.
Unless there is a mediator, unless we have a friend, the full weight of justice untempered, unsympathetic, must, positively must fall on us. The full recompense for every transgression, however minor or however deep, will be exacted from us to the uttermost farthing.
But know this: Truth, glorious truth, proclaims there is such a Mediator.
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5) CR1977Apr:80
Related Witnesses:
For he hath answered the ends of the law, and he claimeth all those who have faith in him; and they who have faith in him will cleave unto every good thing; wherefore he advocateth the cause of the children of men; and he dwelleth eternally in the heavens. (Mormon preaches about Christ in the synagogue, prior to A.D. 384) Moroni 7:28
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin [JST(1 John 1 fn. a "and repent"], we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (John writes to the churches in Asia) 1 John 2:1
The veil was taken from our minds, and the eyes of our understanding were opened.
2. We saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit, before us; and under his feet was a paved work of pure gold, in color like amber.
3. 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:
4. 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. (Visions manifested to Joseph Smith and to Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple, April 3, 1836) D&C 110:1-4
274. Jesus Christ is Jehovah, the God of the Old Testament.
Jesus of Nazareth, who in solemn testimony to the Jews declared Himself the I Am or Jehovah, who was God before Abraham lived on earth, was the same Being who is repeatedly proclaimed as the God who made covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ; the God who led Israel from the bondage of Egypt to the freedom of the promised land, the one and only God known by direct and personal revelation to the Hebrew prophets in general.
The identity of Jesus Christ with the Jehovah of the Israelites was well understood by the Nephite prophets, and the truth of their teachings was confirmed by the risen Lord who manifested Himself unto them shortly after His ascension from the midst of the apostles at Jerusalem. JTC:38
Jesus Christ was and is Jehovah, the God of Adam and of Noah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of Israel, the God at whose instance the prophets of the ages have spoken, the God of all nations, and He who shall yet reign on earth as King of kings and Lord of lords. JTC:4
Names applied to our Lord are numerous. Each has a differing shade of meaning and teaches some special thing relative to him and his work. But each refers to the same individual. Old Testament prophets refer to him as the Savior, Redeemer, Deliverer, Messiah, God of Israel, Jehovah, and so forth, all being names that identify the Only Begotten of the Father. (The Promised Messiah, p. 306) TLDP:300
All revelation since the fall has come through Jesus Christ, who is the Jehovah of the Old Testament. In all of the scriptures, where God is mentioned and where he has appeared, it was Jehovah who talked with Abraham, with Noah, Enoch, Moses and all the prophets. He is the God of Israel, the Holy One of Israel; the one who led that nation out of Egyptian bondage, and who gave and fulfilled the law of Moses . The Father has never dealt with man directly and personally since the fall, and he has never appeared except to introduce and bear record of the Son. (Doctrines of Salvation, 1:27) DGSM:4
(First Presidency)
also quoting Jesus
as He is quoted by John
In all His dealings with the human family Jesus the Son has represented and yet represents Elohim His father in power and authority. This is true of Christ in His preexistent, antemortal, or unembodied state, in which He was know as Jehovah; also during His embodiment in the flesh; and during His labors as a disembodied spirit in the realm of the dead; and since that period in His resurrected state. To the Jews He said: "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30; see also John 17:11, 22); yet He declared "My Father is greater than I" (John 14:28); and further, "I am come in my Father's name" (John 5:43; see also John 10:25). The same truth was declared by Christ Himself to the Nephites (see 3 Nephi 20:35 and 3 Nephi 28:10), and has been reaffirmed by revelation in the present dispensation (D&C 50:43). Thus the Father placed His name upon the Son; and Jesus Christ spoke and ministered in and through the Father's name; and so far as power, authority and Godship are concerned His words and acts were and are those of the father. ("The Father and The Son; A Doctrinal Exposition by The First Presidency and The Twelve," published by the Church in a pamphlet, June 30, 1916. Reprinted in AF:420-426. See MOFP:5:23-34) MOFP5:31-32
The veil was taken from our minds, and the eyes of our understanding were opened.
2. We saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit, before us; and under his feet was a paved work of pure gold, in color like amber.
3. 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:
4. 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. (Visions manifested to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple, April 3, 1836) D&C 110:1-4
quoted by Joseph Smith
For I am the Lord thy God; I dwell in heaven; the earth is my footstool; I stretch my hand over the sea, and it obeys my voice; I cause the wind and the fire to be my chariot; I say to the mountains—Depart hence—and behold, they are taken away by a whirlwind, in an instant, suddenly.
8. My name is Jehovah, and I know the end from the beginning; therefore my hand shall be over thee. (Jehovah appears to Abraham in response to prayer) Abraham 2:7-8
Jesus, when once assailed with question and criticism from certain Jews who regarded their Abrahamic lineage as an assurance of divine preferment, met their abusive words with the declaration: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." The true significance of this saying would be more plainly expressed were the sentence punctuated and pointed as follows: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham, was I AM"; which means the same as had He said—Before Abraham, was I, Jehovah. JTC:37; MPSG1987:40
Before the world was formed, the Lord Jesus Christ was Jehovah, “the Great I Am … the beginning and the end, … [who] looked upon the wide expanse of eternity, and all the seraphic hosts of heaven” (CR 1987Oct; Lessons from Eve, Ensign, November 1987, p.86)
The First Vision confirms the fact there are three separate Gods: God the Father—Elohim, to whom we address our prayers; Jesus the Christ—Jehovah; and the Holy Ghost—the Comforter, through whose spirit we may know the truth of all things. (CR 1984Apr; The Magnificent Vision Near Palmyra, Ensign, May 1984, p.67)
Related Witnesses:
quoted by John
Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?
54. Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:
55. Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.
56. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
57. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
58. Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
59. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. (Jesus answers the disputing Jews) John 8:53-59
receiving the Word of the Lord
Thus saith the Lord your God, even Jesus Christ, the Great I AM, Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the same which looked upon the wide expanse of eternity, and all the seraphic hosts of heaven, before the world was made;
2. The same which knoweth all things, for all things are present before mine eyes;
3. I am the same which spake, and the world was made, and all things came by me. (Christ speaks to the Prophet giving revelation of commandments to Saints in conference, Jan. 2, 1831) D&C 38:1-3
quoted by Mormon
And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto them saying:
14. Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world. (The risen Jesus Christ appears to the Nephite people on the American continent soon after his ascension into heaven following the crucifixion, A.D. 34) 3 Nephi 11:13-14
quoted by Mormon
Behold, I am he that gave the law, and I am he who covenanted with my people Israel; therefore, the law in me is fulfilled, for I have come to fulfil the law; therefore it hath an end. (The resurrected Jesus teaches the Nephites, A.D. 34) 3 Nephi 15:5
And the God of our fathers, who were led out of Egypt, out of bondage, and also were preserved in the wilderness by him, yea, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, yieldeth himself, according to the words of the angel, as a man, into the hands of wicked men, to be lifted up, according to the words of Zenock, and to be crucified, according to the words of Neum, and to be buried in a sepulchre, according to the words of Zenos, which he spake concerning the three days of darkness, which should be a sign given of his death unto those who should inhabit the isles of the sea, more especially given unto those who are of the house of Israel. (Nephi's writings, between 588 and 570 B.C.) 1 Nephi 19:10
translating the book of Exodus
. . .I am the Lord God Almighty; the Lord JEHOVAH. And was not my name known unto them? (The Lord identifies himself to Moses as Jehovah) JST(Exodus 6:3 fn. c)
Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. (Isaiah anticipates the millennial day) Isaiah 12:2
. . .God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses . And he said, Here am I.
5. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
6. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob . And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. . . .
15. And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
16. Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt: (Jehovah/Christ appears to Moses in the burning bush) Exodus 3:4-6,15-16
275. Jesus Christ presides as the God of this world (under the Father).
Jesus Christ is the God of this world. He has made it very plain in his many self-introductions. CR1977Oct:112
The vital and dynamic message of Mormonism is that there is a personal God in the heavens. He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. He has not abated his power—he has not surrendered his sovereignty; he has not diluted his love; he changes not; and his plans never fail. We bear witness that his chief executive officer in the creation and direction of the affairs of this and other worlds is Jesus Christ the Lord, the Redeemer of the World, the Son of the Father. CR1962Oct:43
Nearly two thousand years ago a perfect man walked the earth: Jesus the Christ. He was the son of a heavenly father and an earthly mother. He is the God of this world, under the Father. He taught men truth, that they might be free. His example and precepts provide the great standard, the only sure way, for all mankind. He became the first and only one who had the power to reunite his body with his spirit after death. By his power all men who have died shall be resurrected. Before him one day we all must stand to be judged by his laws. He lives today and in the not too distant future shall return, in triumph to subdue his enemies, to reward men according to their deeds, and to assume his rightful role to rule and reign in righteousness over the entire earth. CR1967Apr:58-59
Yes, this same Jesus has already come to earth in our day. The Resurrected Christ—glorified, exalted, the God of this world under the Father—appeared to the boy Joseph Smith in 1820. This same Jesus who was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of Moses, the Creator of this earth, has come in our day. CR1964Apr:122
quoted by Mormon
And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning.
12. And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words the whole multitude fell to the earth; for they remembered that it had been prophesied among them that Christ should show himself unto them after his ascension into heaven.
13. And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto them saying:
14. Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world. (The risen Jesus Christ appears to the Nephite people on the American continent soon after his ascension into heaven following the Crucifixion, A.D. 34) 3 Nephi 11:11-14
We are to study Him as the Creator of the world, as the Word of Power, through whom the purposes of the Eternal Father were realized in the preparation of the earth for the abode of His myriad spirit children during the appointed period of their mortal probation. Jesus Christ was and is Jehovah, the God of Adam and of Noah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of Israel, the God at whose instance the prophets of the ages have spoken, the God of all nations, and He who shall yet reign on earth as King of kings and Lord of lords. JTC:4
Related Witnesses:
I bear you my witness, as the Spirit has before, and does now bear witness to my soul, that there has been entrusted to this, the true Church of Jesus Christ in these latter days, the true doctrines of salvation by which mankind may be redeemed, through the atonement of our Lord and Master, the Savior of the world. The Lord Jesus Christ does live and presides from his holy dwelling place, over this, his kingdom of God on this earth, through him who has been sustained this day as your President, a prophet, seer, and revelator. CR1970Apr:126
I declare to you that they are not one person, but that they are two persons, two bodies, separate and apart, and as distinct as are any father and son within the sound of my voice. Yet, Jesus is the Father of this world, because it was by him that the world was made. (March 16, 1902) (Gospel Doctrine, p. 68) TLDP:306
quoted by Mormon
And also that ye might know of the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and of earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and that ye might know of the signs of his coming, to the intent that ye might believe on his name. (Samuel preaches to the Nephites that Christ, through his death and resurrection, redeems men from temporal and spiritual death, about 6 B.C.) Helaman 14:12
Christ-Messiah is God
Such is the plain and pure pronouncement of all the prophets of all the ages. In our desire to avoid the false and absurd conclusions contained in the creeds of Christendom, we are wont to shy away from this pure and unadorned verity; we go to great lengths to use language that shows there is both a Father and a Son, that they are separate Persons and are not somehow mystically intertwined as an essence or spirit that is everywhere present. Such an approach is perhaps essential in reasoning with the Gentiles of sectarianism; it helps to overthrow the fallacies formulated in their creeds.
But having so done, if we are to envision our Lord's true status and glory, we must come back to the pronouncement of pronouncements, the doctrine of doctrines, the message of messages, which is that Christ is God. And if it were not so, he could not save us. Let all men, both in heaven and on earth, hear the proclamation and rejoice in its eternal verity; "The Lord is God, and beside him there is no Savior." (D&C 76:1) (The Promised Messiah, p. 98) TLDP:302
If He was the first born and obedient to the laws of His Father, did He not inherit the position by right to be the representative of God, the Savior and Redeemer of the world? And was it not His peculiar right and privilege as the firstborn, the legitimate heir of God, the Eternal Father, to step forth, accomplish and carry out the designs of His Heavenly Father pertaining to the redemption, salvation and exaltation of man? And being Himself without sin (which no other mortal was), He took the position of Savior and Redeemer, which by right belonged to Him as the first born. And does it not seem that in having a body specially prepared, and being the offspring of God, both in body and spirit, He stood preeminently in the position of the Son of God, or in the place of God, and was God, and was thus the fit and only personage capable of making an infinite atonement? (The Mediation and Atonement, pp. 135-37) TLDP:299
receiving the Word of the Lord
Hearken and listen to the voice of him who is from all eternity to all eternity, the Great I AM, even Jesus Christ—
2. The light and the life of the world; a light which shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not;
3. The same which came in the meridian of time unto mine own, and mine own received me not;
4. But to as many as received me, gave I power to become my sons; and even so will I give unto as many as will receive me, power to become my sons. (Revelation received Jan. 5, 1831) D&C 39:1-4
Author's Note: Although Christ is God of this world, the devil would arrogantly claim, "I am the god of this world" Satan has at times been called "the god of the world," referring to his role as ruler of darkness of the world. (See Ephesians 6:12.) Satan is not, of course, the true God of the world, except in the context that "worldly" people follow him and allow Satan to rule over them.
Paul talked about "the god of this world" who "hath blinded the minds of them which believe not" (2 Corinthians 4:4). Elder Harold B. Lee said that the coming of Christ as the Son of God "seemed to have intensified the hatred of the forces of evil. So powerful was Satan that the Master, you recall, spoke of him as the prince of this world. Said he, '. . . the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me'." (John 14:30) (CR1965Oct:128)
276. Jesus Christ is the life and light of the world.
Our understanding of the Light of Christ is limited. Finite powers and capacities cannot comprehend that which is infinite. But we do know certain basic principles, among which are these:
1. That it is the light which proceeds forth from the presence and person of Deity to fill immensity, and that it is therefore everywhere present;
2. That it is the agency of God's power, the law by which all things are governed.
3. That it is the divine power which gives life to all things and that if it were completely withdrawn life would cease;
4. That it enlightens the mind and quickens the understanding of every person born into the world (all have a conscience);
5. That it strives with all men (the Holy Ghost testifies but does not strive) unless and until they rebel against light and truth, at which time the striving ceases, and in that sense the Spirit is withdrawn;
6. That those who hearken to its voice come unto Christ, receive his gospel, are baptized, and gain the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Moroni 7:12-18; D&C 84:43-53; 88:7-13(The Promised Messiah, pp. 208-09) DGSM:44
And now, remember the words of him who is the life and light of the world, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Amen. (Revelation received summer 1828) D&C 10:70
He that ascended up on high, as also he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth;
7. Which truth shineth. This is the light of Christ. As also he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made.
8. As also he is in the moon, and is the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was made;
9. As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were made;
10. And the earth also, and the power thereof, even the earth upon which you stand.
11. And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings;
12. Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space—
13. The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things. (Revelation Dec. 27/28, 1832) D&C 88:6-13
quoted by Mormon
I am the light and the life of the world. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. (The voice of the resurrected Jesus Christ to the Nephites immediately before he visited them, A.D. 34) 3 Nephi 9:18
That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. (The record of the Apostle John, testifying of the Savior) John 1:9
quoted by Joseph Smith,
translating John
In him was the gospel, and the gospel was the life, and the life was the light of men;
5. And the light shineth in the world, and the world perceiveth it not.
6. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John .
7. The same came into the world for a witness, to bear witness of the light, to bear record of the gospel through the Son, unto all, that through him men might believe.
8. He was not that light, but came to bear witness of that light,
9. Which was the true light, which lighteth every man who cometh into the world; JST(John 1:4-9 in Appendix)
For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
46. And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit. (Revelation received Sept. 22/23, 1832; the Spirit of Christ enlightens men) D&C 84:45-46
receiving the Word of the Lord
And that I am the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world; . . .
9. The light and the Redeemer of the world; the Spirit of truth, who came into the world, because the world was made by him, and in him was the life of men and the light of men. (The Lord speaks by revelation at Kirtland, Ohio, May 6, 1833) D&C 93:2,9
quoted by John
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (Jesus teaches the people in the temple) John 8:12
The message of this general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that there is but one guiding hand in the universe, only one truly infallible light, one unfailing beacon to the world. That light is Jesus Christ, the light and life of the world, the light which one Book of Mormon prophet described as “a light that is endless, that can never be darkened.” (CR 1992Oct; The Beacon in the Harbor of Peace, Ensign, November 1992, p.18)
Jesus Christ is the light and life of the world because all things were made by him. (CR 1987Oct; “The Light and Life of the World”, Ensign, November 1987, p.63)
Related Witnesses:
quoted by John
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (Jesus answers Thomas, who asks, "How can we know the way?") John 14:6
277. Only through Christ can we be saved.
quoted by John
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (Jesus answers Thomas, who asks, "How can we know the way?") John 14:6
I am thankful that the Church to which I belong preaches Christ and Him crucified, and resurrected, . . . the Christ that was the offspring in the flesh, as well as in the spirit, of the very Eternal Father, the Christ who is the Savior and Redeemer of mankind, beside whom there is none, beside whose name there is no name under heaven, whereby mankind may be saved. CR1916Apr:131
[We Latter-day Saints] . . . realize that there is no virtue for salvation and exaltation outside of the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, our Savior. There is no other name under heaven by which man may obtain salvation. CR1916Apr:53
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Peter and John are arrested and brought before the Jewish council; Peter answers the question, "By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?" by replying "by the name of Jesus Christ") Acts 4:12
He came to bring hope, to bring joy, to bring peace, to bring salvation; and his is the only name given under heaven whereby salvation comes.
Our Lord—the Lord Jehovah, the Lord Jesus—is our hope and our salvation. He it is that hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. He has redeemed us from death, hell, the devil, and endless torment. CR1977Apr:17
quoted by Mormon
And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omni potent. (King Benjamin addresses his people, about 124 B.C.; the Lord Omni potent shall minister among men in a tabernacle of clay) Mosiah 3:17
quoted by Mormon
And under this head ye are made free, and there is no other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives. (King Benjamin addresses the people after they entered into a covenant with God to keep all his commandments, about 124 B.C.) Mosiah 5:8
quoted by Nephi
[T]he keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name. (Jacob teaches the people of Nephi, 559-545 B.C.) 2 Nephi 9:41
This is the true Church of Jesus Christ. His is the only name through which our Father’s children may be sanctified and gain eternal life. (CR 2002Oct; Rise to Your Call, Ensign, November 2002, p.75)
Related Witnesses:
quoted by John
Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. . . .
9. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. (Jesus teaches the people) John 10:7,9
278. Jesus Christ is the judge of all.
quoted by John
For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: . . .
27. And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. . . .
30. I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. (Jesus addresses the Jews) John 5:22,27,30
The Lord says that He is coming "to recompense unto every man according to his work, and measure to every man according to the measure he has measured to his fellow man." This is in keeping with the words of Jesus: [Luke 6:37-38 is quoted]. (Gospel Truth, 1:92) TLDP:321
When we reflect upon the statement of creatures being judged without law, the question arises as to who are to be their judges. We may here state that Christ is called the judge of the quick and the dead, the judge of all the earth. (The Mediation and Atonement, pp. 155-57) TLDP:324
[C]alamities will befall the nations as signs of the coming of Christ to judgment. (Gospel Doctrine, p. 55) TLDP:327
But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.
8. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. Psalms 9:7-8
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. (Paul writes to his assistant Timothy, about A.D. 64) 2 Timothy 4:8
Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
41. Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.
42. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. (Peter preaches about Christ) Acts 10:40-42
And now I bid unto all, farewell. I soon go to rest in the paradise of God, until my spirit and body shall again reunite, and I am brought forth triumphant through the air, to meet you before the pleasing bar of the great Jehovah, the Eternal Judge of both quick and dead. Amen. (Moroni 10:34)
Related Witnesses:
It is written that Jesus will judge not after the sight of the eye, or after the hearing of the ear, but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity the meek of the earth. (In Tabernacle, Feb. 5, 1865, JD11:79) TLDP:324
279. The Son, Jesus Christ, carries out the Father's will.
quoted by John A. Widtsoe
He did nothing of himself. He wrought miracles and performed a good work on the earth; but of himself he did nothing. He said, "As I have seen my Father do, so do I. I came not to do my will, but the will of him that sent me." We must come to the conclusion that the Son of God did not suggest, dictate, act, or produce any manifestation of his power, of his glory, or of his errand upon the earth, only as it came from the mind and will of his Father. (In Tabernacle, Nov. 29, 1857, JD6:96) DBY:26
quoted by John
Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. (The disciples of Christ encourage him to eat) John 4:34
quoted by John
Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. . . .
30. I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. (Jesus addresses the Jews) John 5:19,30
Anthon H. Lund, Charles W. Penrose
(First Presidency)
The Council of the Twelve
Thus the Father placed His name upon the Son; and Jesus Christ spoke and ministered in and through the Father's name; and so far as power, authority and Godship are concerned His words and acts were and are those of the Father. ("The Father and The Son; A Doctrinal Exposition by The First Presidency and The Twelve," published by the Church in a pamphlet, June 30, 1916. Reprinted in AF:420-426. See MOFP:5:23-34) AF:425
If He was the first born and obedient to the laws of His Father, did He not inherit the position by right to be the representative of God, the Savior and Redeemer of the world? And was it not His peculiar right and privilege as the firstborn, the legitimate heir of God, the Eternal Father, to step forth, accomplish and carry out the designs of His Heavenly Father pertaining to the redemption, salvation and exaltation of man? (The Mediation and Atonement, pp. 135-37) TLDP:299
God, our Father, lives. His Son, Jesus the Christ, did the will of the Father and atoned for all of our sins (CR 1995Apr; “Always Remember Him”, Ensign, May 1995, p.25)
I am Jesus Christ; I came by the will of the Father, and I do his will. (D&C 19:24)
Related Witnesses:
recorded in Matthew
And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. . . .
42. He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. (Jesus suffers in Gethsemane) Matthew 26:39,42
quoted by Mormon
And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning. (The risen Jesus Christ appears to the Nephite people on the American continent soon after his ascension into heaven following the Crucifixion, A.D. 34) 3 Nephi 11:11
quoted by Joseph Fielding Smith
He [our Lord] never transgressed or broke a commandment or law of heaven—no deceit was in His mouth, neither was guile found in His heart. (Epistle to the elders of the Church generally, Jan. 1834) TPJS:67; DGSM:10
280. Jesus Christ, the Savior and Son of God, is sometimes referred to as the Father; He is father of the spiritually reborn.
Few doctrines are better known by members of the true Church than the doctrine of preexistence. We are well aware that all men are the children of God, the offspring of the Father, his sons and his daughters. We know that we were all born in his courts as spirit beings, long before the foundations of this earth were laid, and that the Lord Jehovah was in fact the Firstborn Son. What is not so well known is that nearly all the passages of scripture, both ancient and modern, which speak of God as our father and of men on earth being the sons of God, have no reference to our birth in preexistence as the children of Elohim, but teach rather that Jehovah is our Father and we are his children.
In setting forth that all men must be born again to gain salvation, we have seen that this means they must be "born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters;" (Mosiah 27:25). Whose sons and whose daughters do we become when we are born again? Who is our new Father? The answer is Christ is our Father; we become his children by adoption; he makes us members of his family. Nowhere is this set forth better than in the words of King Benjamin to his Nephite subjects. (The Promised Messiah, pp. 351-52) TLDP:303
quoted by Mormon
And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters. (King Benjamin addresses the people after they entered into a covenant with God to keep all his commandments, about 124 B.C.) Mosiah 5:7
In 1916, the duly constituted heads of the earthly Church, who have the ultimate responsibility, under Deity, to interpret and promulgate the mind and will of the Lord to mortals, issued a document entitled The Father and The Son: A Doctrinal Exposition by The First Presidency and The Twelve. Therein are set forth, among other things, three distinct senses in which Christ is also known as the Father. These are:
1. He is the Father as Creator, the Father of the heavens and the earth.
2. He is the Father of those who abide in his gospel, the Father of all those who take upon themselves his name and are adopted into his family.
3. He is the Father by divine investiture of authority, meaning that the Father-Elohim has placed his name upon the Son, has given him his own power and authority, and has authorized him to speak in the first person as though he were the original or primal Father. (The Promised Messiah, p. 63) TLDP:300
Anthon H. Lund, Charles W. Penrose
(First Presidency)
The Council of the Twelve
Jesus Christ the "Father" of Those Who Abide in His Gospel— A third sense in which Jesus Christ is regarded as the "Father" has reference to the relationship between Him and those who accept His Gospel and thereby become heirs of eternal life. . . .
Salvation is attainable only through compliance with the laws and ordinances of the Gospel; and those who are thus saved become sons and daughters unto God in a distinctive sense. In a revelation given through Joseph the Prophet to Emma Smith the Lord Jesus addressed the woman as "My daughter," and said: "for verily I say unto you, all those who receive my gospel are sons and daughters in my kingdom" (D&C 25:1). In many instances the Lord has addressed men as His sons (e.g. D&C 9:1; 34:3; 121:7).
That by obedience to the Gospel men may become sons of God, both as sons of Jesus Christ, and, through Him, as sons of His Father, is set forth in many revelations given in the current dispensation. ("The Father and The Son; A Doctrinal Exposition by The First Presidency and The Twelve," pamphlet published by the Church, June 30, 1916. Reprinted in AF:420-426. See MOFP5:23-34) MOFP5:27-29
also quoting King Benjamin
The Savior becomes our Father, in the sense in which this term is used in the scriptures, because he offers us life, eternal life, through atonement which he made for us. In the wonderful instruction given by King Benjamin we find this: "And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters."
So we become the children, sons and daughters of Jesus Christ, through our covenants of obedience to him. Because of his divine authority and sacrifice on the cross, we become spiritually begotten sons and daughters, and he is our Father.
Christ is also our Father because his Father has given him of his fulness; that is, he has received a fulness of the glory of the Father. This is taught in Doctrine and Covenants 93:1-5, 16-17and also by Abinadi in the 15th chapter of Mosiah . Abinadi's statement that he is "the Father, because he was conceived by the power of God," harmonizes with the Lord's own words in Section 93 that he is the Father because he has received of the fulness of the Father. Christ says he is the Son because, "I was in the world and made flesh my tabernacle, and dwelt among sons of men." Abinadi expresses this truth by saying he is "the Son because of the flesh."
The Father has honored Christ by placing his name upon him, so that he can minister in and through that name as though he were the Father; and thus, so far as power and authority are concerned, his words and acts become and are those of the Father. (Doctrines of Salvation, 1:29-30) TLDP:302-03
quoted by Mormon
And also that ye might know of the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and of earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and that ye might know of the signs of his coming, to the intent that ye might believe on his name. (Samuel preaches to the Nephites that Christ, through his death and resurrection, redeems men from temporal and spiritual death, about 6 B.C.) Helaman 14:12
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah predicts the birth of the Messiah) Isaiah 9:6
Related Witnesses:
Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters. (The Lord shows himself to the brother of Jared, about the time of the Tower of Babel) Ether 3:14
receiving the Word of the Lord
Hearken unto the voice of the Lord your God, while I speak unto you, Emma Smith, my daughter; for verily I say unto you, all those who receive my gospel are sons and daughters in my kingdom. (Revelation for Emma Smith, July 1830) D&C 25:1
receiving the Word of the Lord
Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I am the life and the light of the world. 29. I am the same who came unto mine own and mine own received me not;
30. But verily, verily, I say unto you, that as many as receive me, to them will I give power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on my name. Amen. (The Lord speaks in a revelation for Hyrum Smith, May 1829) D&C 11:28-30
quoted by Mormon
And now I say unto you, who shall declare his generation? Behold, I say unto you, that when his soul has been made an offering for sin he shall see his seed. And now what say ye? And who shall be his seed?
11. Behold I say unto you, that whosoever has heard the words of the prophets, yea, all the holy prophets who have prophesied concerning the coming of the Lord—I say unto you, that all those who have hearkened unto their words, and believed that the Lord would redeem his people, and have looked forward to that day for a remission of their sins, I say unto you, that these are his seed, or they are heirs of the kingdom of God.
12. For these are they whose sins he has borne; these are they for whom he has died, to redeem them from their transgressions. And now, are they not his seed?
13. Yea, and are not the prophets, every one that has opened his mouth to prophesy, that has not fallen into transgression, I mean all the holy prophets ever since the world began? I say unto you that they are his seed. (Abinadi preaches to King Noah and his people of the intercession of Christ, about 148 B.C.) Mosiah 15:10-13
Author's Note: For a detailed discussion of four meanings of the term "Father," when applied to Deity in sacred writ, see pamphlet, "The Father and The Son; A Doctrinal Exposition by The First Presidency and The Twelve," published by the Church June 30, 1916. Reprinted in AF:420-426. (See MOFP5:23-34)
