Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of listening to Mark Sorensen, a member of my ward (the Paradise Ward), address the congregation with one of the best talks about the Lord Jesus Christ I have heard. With his permission, I have posted his talk below.
The Lord
Jesus Christ
In the
beginning the great Father of all, Elohim, in his perfect and glorious state
brought his first spirit child into existence. This child while yet in his
disembodied state was named Jehovah. He was to be distinct from all other
children Elohim was to have. He was chosen and endowed by divine investiture of
authority from the Father which allowed him to attain a status while yet a
spirit that no other was capable of. Jehovah attained Godhood while yet in his
pre-mortal existence.
The
ante-mortal godhood of Jehovah is well attested to in scripture and by modern
day prophets. Elder James Talmage stated that “We claim scriptural authority
for the assertion that Jesus Christ was and is God the Creator, the God who
revealed himself to Adam, Enoch, and all the antediluvial patriarchs and
prophets down to Noah; the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the God of Israel
as a united people, and the God of Ephraim and Judah after the disruption of
the Hebrew nation; the God who made Himself known to the prophets from Moses to
Malachi; the God of the Old Testament record; and the God of the Nephites. We
affirm that Jesus Christ was and is Jehovah, the Eternal One.”
That
Jehovah was the creator mentioned in the scriptures was well understood by Old
and New Testament prophets alike. Jeremiah testified “He hath made the earth by
his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out
the heavens by his understanding.” (Jeremiah
51:15)
John further
added that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by
him; and without him was not anything made that was made.” (John 1: 1-3)
While
god was in this state we as additional children of our father came into being.
We stood by his side and learned from him. We enjoyed the companionship of our
perfect spirit brother and sought to emulate him in all things, but were unable
to achieve the perfection which his inherent endowment made possible.
This
time was not to last however. Though for untold millennia we slowly grew and
progressed, our eternal progression was not possible in that present state. We could
never become like Jehovah, in that no matter how long we learned, studied and
grew we would never be able to achieve that which he was born to achieve,
godhood.
The
natural period of our spiritual incubation complete our Father put forth the
next stage of His eternal plan to all his children.
Elohim
explained that for us to progress as he had we had to take upon ourselves
mortal bodies and live out our mortal probation gaining experiences which would
allow us to more fully emulate and become like our grand exemplar, Jehovah. He
explained to us that only through creating the possibility of doubt could faith
be achieved; that only through trial and sacrifice could charity and hope be taught.
Sadly, he then explained to us that for us to learn these lessons we would need
to be separated from him for a time.
I
believe that when I heard this plan I mourned for the separation that was to
come, but I also rejoiced at the great chance our loving father was giving us.
Job
recounts it was then that “The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of
God shouted for Joy.” (Job 38:7). We were among those shouting for joy.
The
Father then continued to explain a principle to us that I believe I would not
have understood at that time. He explained that for us to truly be separated
from him all of His creations would have to “Fall” away from his presence. This
fall was to be total and complete and affect all that had been created by
Jehovah from the beginning. This complete separation was necessary to bring
about faith, and eventually our return to him in triumph. However, if a fall were
to occur all creation would be subject to the immutable law of justice and
forever removed from his presence unless he then provided a Savior which could
overcome the bounds of justice.
This
role, which the Father explained, was the role for which Jehovah had been
groomed his entire existence. Realizing this, Jehovah ever willing to obey his
father quickly stated “Here am I, send me.” It is important to note that while
Jehovah was the only one capable of performing this role it speaks to his great
compassion and love that he would so quickly and readily volunteer for what
would eventually lead to unimaginable agony on his part.
He was
not alone in his acceptance however. Another sought the distinction that such a
singular role would entail. He was Lucifer, a Son of the Morning, and one of
the brightest of the morning stars. He stated “Here am I, send me.” The Father
in his wisdom knew that only one of His children was suitable for this role and
authoritatively stated “I will send the first.”
The apostle
John then recorded the turbulent outcome. “And there was war in heaven: Michael
and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.”
(Revelation 12:7) For his rebellion Lucifer and all those that followed him
were cast out of heaven, no longer capable of standing in the presence of our
glorious Father. They fell and forsook their first estate never to have a
chance at their second.
Of those
that remained Abraham testified “Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the
intelligences that were organized before the worlds was; and among all these
there were many of the noble and great ones; And God saw these souls that they
were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said; These I will make my
rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were
good; And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto
those that 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; And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things
whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them.” (Abraham 3:22-25)
Thus our
first estate had been completed and our second estate began. Adam, the Ancient
of Days fulfilled his role in being the progenitor of the human race. He
brought about the fall of which the father spoke and lived out his long life in
righteousness. Adam is Michael, the great archangel who aided Jehovah in the
creation of the world upon which he now resided as a mortal.
Because
of the fall, all creation existed in a telestial state. Jehovah explained to
Adam that because of his actions the earth would be cursed for his sake. His
future struggles taught him the lessons necessary for his eventual exaltation.
As was
decreed from the beginning Jehovah took on a central role for his creations
acting as the intermediary between telestial creation and a celestial father.
He taught and laid down law to Old Testament and Book of Mormon prophets while
yet a spirit and became known as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; The God
of Israel; The Great I Am.
From the
very beginning of man the sacrifice and earthly sojourn of Jehovah had been
prophesied. After making a sacrifice upon an altar an angel of the Lord
appeared to Adam and asked why he had performed the action. Adam explained he
knew not why. Then the angel declared “This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice
of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth.” (Moses
5:7)
Isaiah
declared “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our
iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we
are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) Isaiah also gave this simple, yet powerful testimony
of Jehovah “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 12:2)
For Jehovah
to fulfill his role as savior it was vital for him to come to earth and receive
a mortal body; for though he was in deed God before his earthly ministry he
still needed a body as his father had to complete his role. This condescension
of God was spoken of reverently by an angel to Nephi when he stated “Knowest
thou the condescension of God? Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the
Eternal Father!” (1Nephi 11:16, 21)
The role
of Jehovah during his earthly ministry can hardly be overstated. His actions
were to have eternal and infinite consequences as he set about fulfilling every
prophesy which had been made of him.
In the meridian of time
Jehovah was born and given the earthly name of Jesus. Jesus is the Greek form
of the Hebrew Yeshua, which literally means ‘God delivers his people’. Later,
the title of Christ was appropriately given to Jesus which conveys the mission
he had been appointed to fulfill. Christ means, ‘the Anointed One’. Truly
Christ had been anointed to be the great intermediary with the Father, and the
intercessor between mercy and justice.
We know
little of his early life other than what Luke tells us. He states “And the
child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of
God was upon him.” (Luke 2:40)
When he
was thirty he appears back on the record preaching and teaching the people with
power and authority. By this time he fully understood who he was and the
mission which had been set before him. He spent every available moment serving
and teaching others around him. He led a perfect life and taught others to do
likewise.
Christ
taught “what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I
am.” (3 Nephi 27:27) He lived a perfect life and once again held the role of
exemplar to all of us. Christ further taught others of his role testifying
boldly “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father,
but by me.” (John 14:6)
Understanding
the significance of the essential role of Christ requires understanding of the
two most pivotal doctrines of the Church; that of resurrection and the
atonement.
As a
consequence of the fall two forms of death came upon all the Father’s children
which irrevocably bound us all. Nephi testified of what our state would be had
no intercession been made on our behalf. “And our spirits must have become like
unto him [meaning Lucifer], and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut
out from the presence of our God, and remain with the father of lies, in
misery, like unto himself.” (2 Nephi 9:9)
This
consequence had to be avoided at all costs and knowledge of this is what
prompted a loving father to provide his Only Begotten Son in the Grand Council
in Heaven before the world was. Of this mission Christ stated “To this end was
I born, and for this cause came I into the world.” (John 18:37)
The
first death which Christ overcame was that of the physical. This death was
overcome for all by the glorious resurrection of Christ. Paul captured this
doctrine succinctly by stating “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall
all be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22) This gift is given to all freely by
Christ, thus he becomes our Savior and we are all saved physically through
Christ.
All of
Jehovah’s creations will be redeemed from the fall that we may once again stand
in his holy presence. This, that we may be judged of him according to our
works. Our bodies will be like unto his. John testified that “Beloved, now are
we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that,
when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (1
John 3:2)
The
second death which Christ overcame is that of the spiritual. Through the
infinite atonement all of God’s children are given the freedom to choose. Nephi
explained “men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them
which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal
life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death,
according to the captivity and power of the devil.” (2 Nephi 2:27)
The
doctrine of the atonement in its full and glorious truth is impossible to fully
grasp with the limited capacity which we have at this time. What we do know is
that Christ willingly chose to take upon himself the sins of his people thus
empowering mercy to overcome justice. Of this Alma testified “And he shall go
forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this
that the word might be fulfilled which sayeth he will take upon him the pains
and sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may
loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their
infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh,
that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to
their infirmities.” (Alma 7:11-12)
The
doctrine of the atonement must be understood, as much as we are able, in order
for us to truly “know God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.” This is what
John explains is eternal life- knowledge of God. We can know Christ as God- he
is perfect, omnipotent, and omniscient, full of grace and truth. He led a
sinless life filled with compassion and service.
Each of
us has had experiences where we have lived an otherwise righteous life, but
have uncharacteristically sinned. In these instances the pain of sinning and
failure is utterly real. The agony and shame is felt poignantly and the loss of
the spirit is mourned. We feel the
impact our sin has had upon our Father in Heaven and sorrow that we have added
to the Savior’s burden which he has agreed to pay on our behalf.
Now
think of a time when a loved one: a child, a sibling, a parent is suffering, is
in pain. Perhaps you would wish to take that pain away and lay it upon yourself
instead.
These
two overarching premises played out and initiated the suffering which the
savior endured. He, leading a sinless life was suddenly assaulted by the sins
of countless individuals all at once. Imagining how a perfect individual would
feel if he suddenly were guilty of murder, or adultery, or some other equally
serious offense and you can begin to understand how such a thing would be able
to cause even physical pain. Multiply that and apply the appellation ‘infinite’
and you have a glimmer of understanding what it was that our Savior endured for
us. He felt our sins, experienced our failures, endured our trials, and saw our
worst selves in those horrible hours he spent in the Garden of Gethsemane. He
descended below it all that he could rightly and justly be called our Savior
and our Judge. He having endured it all was then best able to meet out justice
and mercy to all.
The
atonement overcame the fall which Adam brought about and ensured that all
people would have the ability to choose eternal life through repentance and
obedience or death through sin. It is because of Christ that happiness and joy
are possible. The atonement also made possible all of creation’s eventual
triumph over its current telestial state and return to a celestial state.
After he
had accomplished his mission he willingly gave up his life for none could take
it from him. He chose to give up his life so that he could take it up again
three days later as a perfected, resurrected being, and us with him.
During
the time after his death Christ initiated the teaching of the dead in spirit
prison and commissioned teachers to continue that work. From that time on work
for the dead became essential for they are bound to the same laws which our
Father laid down which require specific ordinances be completed and certain
knowledge learned to affect every person’s exaltation.
All of
these events have since passed and we now venture into what we know of our
future. It has long been foretold that Jesus Christ will come again upon this
earth. That he will walk with us, teach us, and lead us. The apostle Luke
prophesied “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same
Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as
ye have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11) This declaration was made shortly
after the death of the Savior and was understood as an actual, physical return
from the heavens.
Isaiah
declares the power the Savior will have at his return by stating that “every
knee shall bow, [and] every tongue shall swear” that Jesus is the Christ. (Isaiah
45:23) When he comes again it will be in power and glory and will be in stark contrast
to the humility of his first sojourn on this earth. When he comes again we
shall not have the power to deny him anymore. All will confess that he is God
and knowledge of him will travel to every corner of the earth.
He will
live with us for a period which is known as the Millennium. During this time
resurrected and mortal people will work together to bring about the Kingdom of
Heaven and complete the work of the Father for the dead.
This
will all lead up to what we term the final judgment. This is the great endeavor
of sorting out those that were willing to do all that the Father had commanded
them as Abraham testified was the primary reason for mortal life, and those
that chose their own path in contravention of Christ. Christ uniquely qualified
himself to be our great and final judge through his experiences which he
endured during the atonement. He has the power, the mercy, and a perfect
understanding of the principles of justice. All of these qualifications combine
and are why Christ was called to be the eternal judge of us all. John verifies
that “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the
son.” (John 5:22) John further declares in the Revelation that “I saw the dead,
small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened, which is the book
of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the
books, according to their works.” (Revelation 20:12)
After
this judgment we receive our final justification from Christ and are given
according to his word our final destination. Nephi taught “And in this state
they were to remain until the judgment day of Christ; and at that day they were
to receive a greater change, and to be received into the kingdom of the Father
to go no more out, but to dwell with God eternally in the heavens.” (3 Nephi
28:40)
Of the
three kingdoms, the celestial is the one which we strive for. The glory of the
celestial is difficult to describe but Joseph Smith provided his testimony on
the subject when he declared of those that inherited celestial glory that “they
are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were
baptized after the manner of his burial…that by keeping the commandments they
might be washed and cleansed from all their sins…and who overcome by faith, and
are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all
those who are just and true. They are they who are priests and kings, who are
received of his fullness, and of his glory; wherefore, as it is written, they
are gods, even the sons of God.” (D&C 76: 51-58).
Through
this brief witness of our Savior Jesus Christ I endeavored to instruct on the
purpose of Jesus Christ and the events which have circulated around his
pre-mortal, mortal, and resurrected life. Understanding these doctrines and
learning to emulate them is literally the purpose of life and why each of us
chose to continue to our second estates. He is literally my song and my joy. He
is my salvation and my song. I owe my life to him.
Mark Sorensen
