The central message of the Book of Mormon is to restore the true knowledge of the essential role of Jesus Christ in the salvation and exaltation of mankind.
On a sunny spring day in 2017, the open house for the Paris France Temple was well underway when one of the tour guides was approached by a man with a sorrowful expression on his face. He said he lived next to the temple and admitted he had been an active opponent of its construction. He related that one day as he was gazing out of his apartment window, he watched a large crane lower a statue of Jesus from the heavens and softly place it on the temple grounds. The man declared that this experience completely changed his feelings toward our Church. He realized we were followers of Jesus Christ and begged our forgiveness for the previous harm he might have caused.
The statue of the Christus, which adorns the grounds of the Paris Temple and other Church properties, testifies of our love for the Savior. The original marble statue is the work of the Danish artist Bertel Thorvaldsen, who sculpted it in 1820—the same year as the First Vision. The statue stands in stark contrast to most of the artistic renderings of that period, which largely portray the suffering Christ on the cross. Thorvaldsen’s work presents the living Christ, who gained victory over death and, with open arms, invites all to come unto Him. Only the prints of the nails in His hands and feet and the wound in His side testify of the indescribable agony He endured to save all mankind. Perhaps one reason we as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints love this statue is that it reminds us of the description given in the Book of Mormon of the Savior’s appearance on the American continent:
“. . . . Plain and precious truths about the Savior’s Atonement resound throughout the Book of Mormon. As I list several of these truths, I invite you to reflect on how they have changed or could change your life.
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The Atonement of Jesus Christ is a free gift offered to all who have lived, who currently live, and who will live on the earth.5
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In addition to bearing the burden of our sins, the Christ took upon Himself our sorrows, infirmities, sufferings, and sicknesses and all the afflictions inherent in the mortal condition of man. There is no anguish, no pain or sadness that He did not suffer for us.6
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The atoning sacrifice of the Savior allows us to overcome the negative consequences of Adam’s Fall, including physical death. Because of Christ, all of God’s children born on this earth, regardless of their righteousness, will experience the reuniting of their spirits and bodies through the power of the Resurrection7 and return to Him to “be judged … according to [their] works.”8
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In contrast, receiving the full blessings of the Savior’s Atonement is conditioned upon our diligence9 in living the “doctrine of Christ.”10 In his dream, Lehi saw the “strait and narrow path”11 that leads to the tree of life. Its fruit, which represents the love of God as expressed through the exquisite blessings of Christ’s Atonement, “is most precious and most desirable … [and] is the greatest of all the gifts of God.”12 In order to access this fruit, we must exercise faith in Jesus Christ, repent, “hearken unto the word of God,”13 receive essential ordinances, and keep sacred covenants until the end of our lives.14
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Through His Atonement, Jesus Christ not only washes away our sins, but He also provides enabling power through which His disciples may “[put] off the natural man,”15 progress “line upon line,”16 and increase in holiness17 so that one day they might become perfect beings in the image of Christ,18 qualified to live again with God19 and inherit all the blessings of the kingdom of heaven.20 (For complete post click below
For Bishop Gérald Caussé complete talk click. . .‘A Living Witness of the Living Christ’
