Jesus Christ, Good Shepherd

Jesus Christ is the good shepherd. We know that Jesus Christ was also Jehovah, the God of the Old Testament or the Lord. The 23rd Psalm is very clear; “the Lord is my shepherd.” In John 10:14, the Savior said, “I am the good shepherd.” In the society of the New Testament, shepherds were lowly and humble, just as the Savior was. He descended below all things. The sheep also know the voice of the shepherd. In Mosiah 26 in the Book of Mormon, the Savior in talking with Alma states “he that will hear my voice shall be my sheep.” His sheep hear His voice and keep His commandments. Jesus Christ is the good shepherd.

Jesus Christ, Glory of

See also Glory; God, Glory of The glory of the Jesus Christ is very bright and overpowering to our natural eyes. In the Old Testament, the glory of Jesus Christ, is mentioned in many places. Since Jesus is Jehovah, He is the God of the Old Testament and his glory filled the Tabernacle, the portable temple. There are many references to the glory of God that apply at His second coming in all the standard works. One of the best descriptions of his glory is in Doctrine and Covenants, section 110 where the Savior is described: “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.” Joseph Smith gave a similar description in his First Vision. “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!” He and His glory are brighter than the sun.

Jesus Christ, Foreordained.

See also Foreordination In I Peter 1:20 we learn that Christ “was foreordained before the foundation of the world.” In Moses 4: 2-4 we clearly learn of the role of Jesus Christ, that he was chosen (foreordained) from the beginning. He was truly foreordained and chosen to be the one to perform the infinite atonement to fulfill the Father’s plan of salvation.

Jesus Christ, Firstborn

See also Jesus Christ, Divine Sonship. The scriptures are clear that Jesus Christ was the Firstborn. In D&C 93:21, the Savior states: “And now, verily I say unto you, I was in the beginning with the Father, and am the Firstborn.” He was the Firstborn of all the Spirits. He is Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last. “In the beginning was the Word” In Moses 2:26, Heavenly Father stated: “And I, God, said unto mine Only Begotten, which was with me from the beginning: Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and it was so. And I, God, said: Let them have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” Not only was He the Firstborn of all the Spirits, but He was the first person to be resurrected.

Jesus Christ, Exemplar

The Savior continually invited all to follow Him and to be like Him. In Mark 8:34, he said, “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” In John 14:6, he stated “I am the way.” In 3 Nephi 12:48, he invited all to “Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.” He was perfect, and He invites us to become “perfect.” Also in 3 Nephi 27:27, he issues a similar invitation: “Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even das I am.” He was the perfect example.

Jesus Christ, Divine Sonship

The are so many references in the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price affirming that Jesus Christ is literally the only Begotten Son of Heavenly Father. Isaiah prophesied that “a virgin shall conceive and bear a son.” There are other Old Testament prophecies, but I want to turn to the Bible first and then the Book of Mormon and the Pearl of Great Price about the testimonies that Jesus Christ is literally the Son of God. On two occasions in the New Testament, we have recorded the testimony of Heavenly Father that Jesus Christ is His Beloved Son. At the Savior’s baptism, God the Father testified that “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Three of the Gospels record this. On the mount of transfiguration, again God the Father testifies that “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.” Another of my favorite Bible scriptures about Jesus Christ being the Son of God is in John 20:31. “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” The Gospel of John is written that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. He is the divine Son of God. Also, in John 3:16 and in John 17, the great intercessory prayer, there is no doubt that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. All the prophets of the Book of Mormon either prophesied of the coming of Jesus Christ as the Son of God or witnessed that he was the Son of God. His appearance in 3 Nephi chapters 11-28 again clearly witness that He is the literal Son of God. In the Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith relates his experience of his “first vision.” There God the Father introduces Jesus Christ: “Joseph, this is my Beloved Son, Hear Him!” Joseph Smith’s testimony in the Doctrine and Covenants is testifies again of the divine sonship of our Savior. “ 22 And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! 23 For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—24 That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.” I would also add my testimony that the Holy Ghost has born undeniable witness to me that Jesus Christ is the “Only Begotten Son of the Father, who is full of grace and truth.”

Jesus Christ, Death of

The death of our Savior by crucifixion was covered previously. Isaiah prophesied in chapter 25, verse 8: “He will swallow up in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.” Isaiah clearly knew and understood that the Savior’s mission was to perform the atoning sacrifice for all. His death was a very important part of the atonement. Without His death, there could be no resurrection for Him or for anyone else. Without the atonement, all who live on the earth would be lost. We could not be resurrected, and we could not be cleansed from all our sins. The Savior redeemed all from physical death. All would be resurrected in that their physical body and the spirit would be reunited forever. He would also redeem those who truly repented of their sins from spiritual death. Since all have sinned and no unclean thing can live in the presence of God, we cannot be in God’s eternal presence unless we are cleansed from all sin. Through the Savior’s atonement and our honest repentance, we can become cleansed from all sin and are worthy to live in the presence of the Father and the Son forever. The apostles of the New Testament, the prophets of the Book of Mormon, and the latter-day prophets, seers, and revelators have all testified that He died and was resurrected, that through His atoning sacrifice all would be resurrected, and that the truly repentant would be able to come and dwell with him forever.