What's So Important About Jesus Christ?

Many people celebrate Easter in difference ways. Easter, like many other holidays, has origins in the belief of Jesus Christ. Why are there so many holidays and religions founded on the belief of this one individual who lived for a little more than 30 years, 2000 years ago? Were there not other mighty characters of history deserving of such great attention? What is so important about Jesus Christ?

To understand the significance of Jesus Christ, we first must recognize our own eternal potential: --to experience the fullness of joy (referred to as exaltation or eternal life). The fullness of joy is experienced when (1) we have a perfect physical body inseparable from our spirit (or soul), and (2) we continue to progress through eternity in the presence of our Heavenly Father (God). To live in the presence of our Heavenly Father, we must live by His laws...since He knows what must be done in order to receive the fullness of Joy.

The problem we face here on earth is that it is impossible to achieve the fullness of Joy by ourselves for two reasons. (1) We have imperfect, mortal bodies in which our bodies will separate from our spirit (soul) at death. (2) Our behavior is not perfect--we break the laws of God that allow us to achieve the fullness of joy (called sin). No unclean thing can dwell with God.

Heavenly Father's plan for our salvation required a Savior to help us overcome death and sin. Jesus was appointed to be that Savior and executor of the Plan of Salvation from before the earth was created through to the end.

As the only begotten son of our Heavenly Father (Jesus was born with Mary as His mother and God as His father), Jesus had power over death. Jesus also obeyed all of the laws/commandments of God. His behavior was perfect for he committed no sin.

Justice requires punishment for any who break the eternal laws of God--including never being able to live with God and experience the fullness of Joy. Jesus Christ, a perfect man requiring no punishment, took upon himself the punishment for all sins committed by the human family past, present and future. His only ability to live through the physical, emotional, and spiritual pain caused by this atonement was his power to not die.

Immediately after drinking the 'bitter cup' of the atonement in the Garden of Gethsemane, he was betrayed by a friend, physically tortured, and condemned to death by the Roman technique of crucifixion. He was nailed to the cross and while there suffered the final solitary moments to complete the atonement. When Jesus Christ knew his work at this stage was finished he let his spirit leave his body--he finally chose to die.

Three days later, Jesus Christ reunited his body--now 100% immortal and perfect--with his spirit never to be separated again in all eternity. Being the first to rise from the dead, he set in place the resurrection of all humankind. Anyone who is born on the earth, past, present and future will now be resurrected with a perfect, immortal body, never again to be separated from his/her spirit by death. All of us will receive glorious bodies for the rest of eternity. Christ's gift of the resurrection is given to all.

Through the atonement and resurrection, Jesus Christ became our mediator with our Heavenly Father. We are still required to obey the laws of God if we are to experience the fullness of joy, but Jesus Christ is able to fill-in the gaps of our imperfections and inabilities as we honestly strive to live up to the knowledge we have of those laws of God. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, becomes our merciful judge and is willing to apply his atonement on our behalf. All He asks is that we choose for ourselves to exercise faith in Him ( He has the understanding and ability to help us physically, emotionally, and spiritually with all that we need and want); repent when we come short of what we know we should do; get baptized by those whom He has authorized to perform such ordinances; receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit); and to keep His commandments which will bring us happiness and comfort in this life and throughout eternity.

I am convinced that our loving Heavenly Father does everything in his power to help us come back to Him without taking away our freedom to choose for ourselves. Not only did God provide a Savior to overcome death and sin for us, but as an added help He provided the Holy Ghost (or Holy Spirit).

The Holy Ghost, among other things, confirms truth, provides comfort and cleansing, and provides guidance to help us follow the path that our Savior laid out for us to return to live with Heavenly Father in the fullness of joy. It is by the power of the Holy Ghost that we can know in our heart and mind that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true. The Holy Ghost communicates to us in such a personal way that we know for ourselves that truth is truth. When the Holy Ghost confirms truth to us we simply act on those feelings to follow the Savior and keep His commandments.

So what is so important about Jesus Christ? Perhaps the unmistakable, good feelings from the Holy Ghost provided that answer to you as you read and thought about our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ lives! Because He lives, we all can be resurrected and forgiven of our imperfections so we can live with Heavenly Father again in the fullness of joy! All we have to do is choose to act on the increasing knowledge we gain of His gospel until little by little we find ourselves full beneficiaries of the atonement of Jesus Christ and experience the fullness of joy with our Father in Heaven. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Happy Easter!

May the hope and gratitude of the atonement and resurrection of a loving Savior, Jesus Christ, lift you through all of your good times and challenging times no matter what the circumstances may be. The most hopeful phrase for us now and in all eternity: He Lives!

Happy Easter!

To Change or Not To Change

The Sermon had ended

The Preacher descended

So delighted were they,

But preferred the old way.

--???

Every six months the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints conducts a world-wide conference in which the top leaders of the church speak to the world. The meetings, consisting of five two-hour sessions, are broadcast via satellite, cable, internet and printed word to all the world and translated into several languages. The leaders who speak consist of the President of the Church, his two counselors, the Twelve Apostles, and other General Authorities of the Church.

For me, I anxiously look forward to listening to or watching all ten-hours of the conference every six months. What would make sitting in meetings for ten hours on a weekend so exciting?!

The answer is simple. When else in the history of the world do you have the opportunity to listen to all the living prophets and the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ in one weekend?

Just as Jesus Christ, himself, called Peter, James, John and the other disciples to follow Him and be special witnesses of His work on the earth (including the Atonement and the Resurrection); so also, in these latter-days, since the restoration of His church on earth, the resurrected Savior calls men to be special witnesses of Him to the world. The First Presidency and the Quorum of Twelve Apostles of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are these modern special witnesses of the Savior. Listening to these men is like listening to Peter, James, John, Paul and the other apostles who led Christ's church after His resurrection and His ascension into heaven. The tone and power of these modern day apostles' words matches the tone and power of Peter, John and Paul as found in the New Testament.

You can't listen to these righteous men without feeling the truth of their words and their testimony of the Savior. You can also feel their sincerity and love for the Lord and for all people.

I am surprised that more people don't take advantage of this unique blessing every six months.

Although I've developed my own conviction of the significance of the General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the more difficult part of Conference (and studying the scriptures) is following the council provided.

Listening and feeling good about what is said (and read in the scriptures) is easy. But the real test is afterwards when you face the everyday world and can no longer hide behind the temporary protection of ignorance. In the instant you are forced to make decisions, great or small, is the test of whether you will fulfill the personal commitment you made as the Holy Spirit confirmed the truth of the words of the Lord's representatives. In the blink of an eye, in an instant...and sometimes within seconds of gaining the new depth of knowledge, your commitment may be tested, the decision made, and the uncontrollable consequences unleashed.

Hopefully the right decision is made, releasing the blessings associated with obedience. But, unfortunately, all too often I fail the test, forfeit the blessings, and sit ashamed that I disappointed the Lord and sabotaged my own potential. I end up with a 'mess' that I must 'clean-up' in order to repair any damage made to myself or others. And gratefully the opportunity to sincerely try again is made available by the atonement of Jesus Christ.

The ultimate challenge from the historically unique opportunity of listening to the Lord's representatives at General Conference every six months is: To Change or Not to Change. But I know the Lord gives no commandments that we can't keep and gives us the opportunity to turn things around when we don't do what we know we should do. Heavenly Father loves us so much, he gave his only begotten son to give us every opportunity in the world to choose eternal life.

You may listen/watch archives from this weekend's General Conference to learn these truths for yourself. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.