Jesus Christ: His Atoning Sacrifice

"The atoning sacrifice had to be carried out by the sinless Son of God, for fallen man could not atone for his own sins. The Atonement had to be infinite and eternal―to cover all men throughout all eternity."

See the complete discourse: "The Miracle of the Atonement," by Elder Scott Grow, April 2011 General Conference

References

1. 
   
   1.  Luke 15:17.
2.  
   2.  Doctrine and Covenants 58:42–43.
3.  
   3. See 2 Nephi 2:25–26.
4.  
   4. See Alma 34:14.
5.  
   5.  Alma 42:15.
6.  
   6. See Alma 34:11.
7.  
   7. See Alma 34:10.
8.  
   8. See Alma 22:14.
9.  
   9.  Mosiah 15:7.
10.  
    10.  Mosiah 14:10.
11.  
    11.  Mosiah 3:7.
12.  
    12.  Alma 7:11–12.
13.  
    13.  Mosiah 14:4.
14.  
    14.  Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service (2004), 2.
15.  
    15.  Doctrine and Covenants 18:12.
16.  
    16.  Doctrine and Covenants 19:15–18.
17.  
    17.  3 Nephi 9:13.
18.  
    18.  Doctrine and Covenants 88:74.
19.  
    19.  Doctrine and Covenants 45:4–5.
20.  
    20.  2 Nephi 2:27.
21.  
    21.  3 Nephi 9:13.

JESUS CHRIST: SON OF GOD

Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God.

--Hebrews 4:14

Jesus was the great high priest of the high priestly order. He is the Son of God the Father, and the Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh. Jesus is the Great I AM, for He is is the Savior and Redeemer of the world. He is the Light and life of the world. He is the light that lighteth every man who cometh into the world. There is no other besides Him. His name is the only name whereby man can be saved and gain eternal life.

JESUS CHRIST: SON OF GOD

Testimonies of Jesus Christ

Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.

--John 1:48-49

Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the King of Israel. Nathanael testified of this truthfulness. At first, Nathanael had faith, he believed that Jesus was the Son of God, but he didn’t have that sure knowledge of the fact. However, now it is apparent that the Holy Ghost bore witness to him about who Jesus actually was, that He was the Son of God. From that time onward Nathanael knew that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, the King of Israel.

Gordon B. Hinckley also bears a testimony of Jesus Christ:

“He is the central focus of our worship. He is the Lord who shall come again to reign on earth. He is our King, our Lord, our Master, the living Christ, who stands on the right hand of His Father.”

Testimony of Boyd K. Packer, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Henry B. Eyring, Thomas S. Monson.

JESUS CHRIST: THE HOLY ONE

Jesus is the only name whereby salvation comes

If thou wilt turn unto me, and hearken unto my voice, and believe, and repent of all thy transgressions, and be baptized, even in water, in the name of mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth, which is Jesus Christ, the only name which shall be given under heaven, whereby salvation shall come unto the children of men, ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, asking all things in his name, and whatsoever ye shall ask, it shall be given you.

--Moses 6:52

Jesus Christ taught faith in Him and repentance for remission of sins. He is full of grace and truth and in the Only Begotten Son of God the Father in the flesh. Regardless of what the world teaches, there is no other name under heaven through which salvation can come to a person that through the name of Christ. No person can or will ever change this doctrine in spite of the thoughts, philosophies, and learning of man, for this absolute truth is constant, never-changing. When one repents and is baptized unto Christ into the true church, he/she then can receive the Holy Ghost, the testator of all truth.

JESUS: ONLY BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER

Jesus Christ: The Son of God

6 And he shall cast out devils, or the evil spirits which dwell in the hearts of the children of men.

7 And lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people.

8 And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary.

--Mosiah 3:8

Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. For He is the Father of heaven and earth because He created the heavens and the earth. He is the creator of all things under the direction of the Father. He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. While on earth, He suffered pain, agony, and torture of all sorts, even suffering death of the cruel cross to atone for the sins of the world. Jesus suffered the pain of all’s sins because of His great, infinite love for us. He is the Son of God, the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh.

JESUS CHRIST: SON of THE BLESSED

Jesus Sitting on the Right Hand of Power

Jesus is questioned and then He responds, Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

--Mark 14:61

Jesus is the Christ, and He testifies of himself, that He is the Son of the Blessed and sits on the right hand of God the Father, meaning that He is at the Father’s side in all He does. He is God’s son and obeys His Father. Jesus will return for the Second Coming in due time. He will come and will be seen in the clouds of heaven.

Jesus will not and cannot force anyone to do good or evil. He can persuade and encourage and prompt, but will never force. Each individual has the freedom to choose for himself/herself to do right or wrong. Jesus, while living in mortality, chose the right and never the wrong. We need to seek to be like Him.

JESUS CHRIST: HIS NEVER-ENDING INFLUENCE

Mosiah 15:10-11

10 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 the heirs of the kingdom of God.

God the Eternal Father sacrificed His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, for all the sins of the world, and Jesus humbly and willingly accepted this sacrifice, the infinite and eternal sacrifice. He is the only one qualified to make such an never-ending sacrifice whose influence would stretch beyond no boundaries. Jesus is the Great Atoner, the Holy One of Israel. As we learn the Savior’s gospel and heed His teachings, we become His sons and daughters, His seed forever as long as we obey all His commandments. We become heirs of His kingdom everlasting. Eternal life is the greatest gift that God the Father can grant unto us as His children, for we are His spirit offspring, and Jesus is our Brother, for He too is a Son of God.

The Birth of Jesus

Matthew 1:21

20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Jesus was born of Mary and Joseph at Jerusalem. Joseph was called the son of David because he was of the lineage of David; thus, Jesus was of the lineage of David. Jesus was born of a mortal mother, Mary, and an immortal Father, Elohim.

The angel told Joseph and Mary to name their new born babe, Jesus, for He would save the world from their sins, not in their sins, but from their sins predicated upon their repentance. Saving people from their sins made Him the Savior, the one who saves, rescues, preserves, delivers. He is the Savior, the Rescuer, the Preserver, and the Deliverer for all humanity and all living things. He is the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Beside Him, there is no other. He is the Great I Am. He is the powerful I Am.

Jesus Christ: God of the Whole Earth

Isaiah 54:5

For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

JESUS CHRIST is our Redeemer, the God of the whole earth. He is our Savior and Maker. Jesus is the crucified One, the great Atoner, the only one with power to lay down His life and take it again.

17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.

18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father (John 10:17-18).

Jesus received this power in the pre-mortal life prior to being born here on earth. He is the divine Son of God having a mortal mother and an immortal Father; thus, inheriting Godhood from His Father and mortality from His mother, Mary. He is the Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh. He now is God of the whole earth, for there is none like Him.

The Rock of Christ: The Sure Foundation

Helaman 5:12

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

JESUS CHRIST, the Son of God, is the Rock upon which we must build our life’s foundation. There is no other foundation we can build upon that will be 100% dependable and lasting. All other foundations will eventually falter and crumble-they will not endure. Some will last a while, others  longer, but as time diminishes in the sunset of existence, these foundations will also lessen and eventually abate and disappear and be replaced with another foundation. The Rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, is the only SURE upon which we can build that will be everlasting, never faltering, never wavering, never weakening, never losing ground. Christ will always be with us and guide us if but choose Him as our irreplaceable, personal life’s foundation.

Choosing the Rock of Christ as our life’s foundation is the starting point to our having a rock-solid mortal experience. This choice qualifies as the most important choice you will ever make because all other choices will be build upon your life’s foundation, and having Christ as your foundation, you will not falter and fall, you will never lose ground, but you will forever move forward and upward becoming more Christ-like and preparing yourself for eternal life in the highest heaven of the Celestial world, if you but endure to the end of mortal life. Enduring to the end is to continue living each day with Christ as your life’s foundation, never replacing Him with another foundation.

Start each day the perfect way, and the perfect way is to build each day on the Rock of Christ. This is done FIRST AND EARLY EACH DAY through mighty prayer, sincere and humble scripture study, deep meditation and pondering on Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ until you feel the Spirit of the Holy Ghost. You start the day by putting Christ first. This makes Him your life’s foundation. If you put Him first, then you will have a successful day, then week, then month, then 12 months, then year, and then a lifetime Put Christ first, make Him your life’s foundation, and you will overcome temptation and experience peace and joy every day of your life.

Jesus Christ: Our Spiritual Rock

1 Corinthians 10:4

1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;

4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

Jesus Christ is the spiritual Rock from which the living waters originate and flow. The children of Israel were fed spiritual and temporal food while in the wilderness, and they also drank spiritual and temporal drink. Christ follow them in a cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night. He provided them the spiritual guidance and nourishment needed to survive in the wilderness and throughout their journey to the Promised Land, Canaan. Jesus is the “Rock of Our Salvation.” (See hymn by Joseph Townsend)

Lyrics: Click for Music

• 1. O thou Rock of our salvation,
• Jesus, Savior of the world,
• In our poor and lowly station
• We thy banner have unfurled.
• (Chorus)
• Gather round the standard bearer;
• Gather round in strength of youth.
• Ev'ry day the prospect's fairer
• While we're battling for the truth.
• 2. We a war 'gainst sin are waging;
• We're contending for the right.
• Ev'ry day the battle's raging;
• Help us, Lord, to win the fight.
• 3. Onward, onward, we'll be singing
• As we're marching firm and true,
• Each succeeding battle ringing,
• Earnest of what we can do.
• 4. When for all that we've contended,
• When the fight of faith we've won,
• When the strife and battle's ended,
• And our labor here is done,
• (Chorus after fourth verse)
• Then, O Rock of our salvation,
• Jesus, Savior of the world,
• Take us from our lowly station;
• Let our flag with thee be furled.
• Text: Joseph L. Townsend, 1849-1942
• Music: William Clayson, 1840-1887

If we build our lives upon the Rock of Christ, the only sure and solid foundation, we will not fall, regardless of what we must pass through.

Helaman taught his sons Nephi and Lehi: And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

May we always seek to construct our lives upon the Rock of our Redeemer, who  is Christ, the Son of God. He is our Spiritual Rock from whence our spiritual thirst is quenched, for He is everlasting living water.

Jesus Christ: The Only Begotten

Acts 13:33

God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

Jesus is the Only Begotten Son of the Father. “This day have I begotten thee.” The day Jesus was born into mortality was the day the Father begat Jesus in the flesh. Jesus was born into mortality having a mortal mother, Mary, and an immortal Father, Elohim; thus, being the Only Begotten of the Father. All other sons and daughters of God  have mortal mothers and fathers of the flesh.

Jesus had power over life and death. He had power to lay down His life and power to take it again.

17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.

18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. (John 10:17-18).

Therefore, Jesus took His own life; He chose the moment He would die. He had power to resurrect Himself and became the firstfruits of them that slept.