"We declare the divinity of Jesus Christ. We look to Him as the only source of our salvation"
Today, Lesson 6 from Teachings of the Presidents of the Church, The Life of Ezra Taft Benson was taught by Sister Andrea Buchan.
What better way to spend our time than studying the life and mission of our Savior, learning more of Him and His example?
Sister Buchan asked us each to think about where we stand with the things we know about Jesus Christ while we proceeded to read and discuss the experiences of President Benson.
President Benson begins his testimony by saying, "I cannot recall a time that I did not believe in Jesus Christ. It seems that the reality of His life, death, and resurrection has always been a part of me." We are told that this testimony of Jesus Christ was the foundation of President Benson's life. It shaped his priorities, guided his decisions and helped him through trials. It provided perspective on the purpose of mortality and confidence in the promises and blessings of eternal life. So should our own testimonies of the Savior take precedence in our lives - leading, guiding, directing us in all things.
President Benson frequently bore his testimony of Jesus Christ throughout his life and apostolic ministry and he was often asked whether Mormons are Christians. His answer to this was that,
“We declare the divinity of Jesus Christ. We look to Him as the only source of our salvation. We strive to live His teachings, and we look forward to the time that He shall come again on this earth to rule and reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. In the words of a Book of Mormon prophet, we say … , ‘There [is] 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 Omnipotent’ (Mosiah 3:17).”
His testimony of the Savior revealed the personal closeness he felt with Him. He bore witness that Jesus Christ is the same today as in Biblical times, that he cares about and loves each of us. "He lives today as our Lord, our Master, Our Savior, Our Redeemer, and our God." He urged all to believe in Christ, to accept Him, to worship Him, to trust in Him and to follow Him.
Because of His infinite love for us, Jesus Christ redeemed us from physical and spiritual death.
This section helps us to understand the influence and impact the life, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ have had on the earth and upon each of us.
He set high standards and goals for us to attain and though we may feel we are far short of the goal, we must never lose sight of where we are headed, we must continue the climb toward the light and perfection which would not be possible without Him and His sacrifice.
We read through the amazing attributes of Jesus Christ, what He was willing to do, what He accomplished in His earthly mission for the benefit of all mankind. As the Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh, He was the only one able and willing to fulfill the requirement to redeem all men from sin. He came to the earth at a fore-appointed time being foreordained to the task before Him. The Plan of Salvation required that He live a perfect life, but that He also be subjected to all the difficulties and temptations of mortality. Because of His divine heritage, He was able to be perfectly obedient to all the laws of God and live a life without sin. He was able, through His infinite love, to carry the weight and burden of all men's sins on Himself as He suffered through the Atonement and thereby saved us all, if we will but repent, believe on Him and live the laws and ordinances of the gospel. We can look upon the Savior's sacrifice and Atonement as the bridge between mortal life and eternal salvation.
Jesus Christ came forth from the tomb, and He lives today as a resurrected Being.
As is stated in the lesson manual: "The greatest events of history are those that affect the greatest number of people for the longest periods. By this standard, no event could be more important to individuals or nations than the resurrection of the Master."
On the third day, as He had promised, Jesus Christ was resurrected and came forth, alive, from the tomb. Because of this, we know that every living being will be resurrected. We are told that “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Cor. 15:22.)
This event was not a secret or hidden from man. We are given scriptural references of the many witnesses of the resurrected Christ. Our living prophets also witness and testify that He lives today and "that He will come again as our glorified, resurrected Lord." And as President Benson testified "… As one of [His] special witnesses so called in this day, I testify to you that He lives. He lives with a resurrected body. There is no truth or fact of which I am more assured or more confident than the truth of the literal resurrection of our Lord."
We must be valiant in our testimony of Jesus Christ
Our testimony is the most priceless gift we can receive in mortal life. It is one of the very few possessions we may take with us as we leave this life. We gain a testimony of Jesus Christ through the Holy Ghost bearing witness to us of the divine life and mission of Jesus Christ. We come to know that His teachings are true, that he performed the Atonement for our sake so that we will not have to suffer if we will repent and that his Resurrection is a blessing upon all men that we, too will be resurrected and have eternal life.
We read that "Having such a testimony is vital. But of even greater importance is being valiant in our testimony." We must continue to learn and grow in knowledge and truth, adding daily to our testimony if we are to partake in the eternal blessings promised by our Heavenly Father.
Faith in Jesus Christ consists of relying completely on Him and following His teachings.
Here we need to go back to Sister Buchan's opening question. Where do we stand with the things we know about Jesus Christ? Our answers can determine how we face the future: with courage, hope and optimism or with apprehension, anxiety and pessimism. Are we looking forward with anticipation or fear? From President Benson we read
"My message and testimony is this: Only Jesus Christ is uniquely qualified to provide that hope, that confidence, and that strength we need to overcome the world and rise above our human failings. To do so, we must place our faith in Him and live by His laws and teachings. …
Faith in Him is more than mere acknowledgment that He lives. It is more than professing belief.
Faith in Jesus Christ consists of complete reliance on Him. As God, He has infinite power, intelligence, and love. There is no human problem beyond His capacity to solve. Because He descended below all things (see D&C 122:8), He knows how to help us rise above our daily difficulties.
But, we are cautioned that His gospel is only as effective as it is applied in our lives. If we fail to do His teachings, we fail to demonstrate faith in Him. Mosiah 4:9-10 tells us how to make use of our faith in Christ.
“Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend. …
We are most blessed and joyful when we strive to be like Jesus Christ.
We have been told many times that this mortal life is a test to see if we will do all that God will command us. One of the most striking statements in this section, to me anyway, is that "Some . . . are willing to die for their faith, but they are not willing to fully live for it." As we live in the manner of Christ, we can gain the greatest gift of all - eternal life. As we walk in the paths of righteousness, striving to be more like Christ, we will have more peace and joy in our lives even through the trials and tribulations we may face. If we ask daily, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" and if we listen and obey, we will have the spirit of the Holy Ghost to guide and direct our actions.
President Benson suggests that our small gift back to the Savior might be that of our lives and our sacrifices now and in the future. We should stand as witnesses of God "at all times, and in all things, and in all places". We can carry Christ in our heads and in our hearts at all times and include Him in all our decisions. As we obey the laws and commandments of God, as we keep the covenants we have made, sharing the truth of the gospel through word and deed, we will surely find our way to life eternal.
Your ever hopeful bloggess,
Karen
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