Gospel Principles
Unit 4: Jesus Christ as Our Savior
Chapter 11: The Life of Jesus Christ
Concept 1: Introduction
"Every Person who comes to earth depends on Jesus Christ to fulfill the promise He made in heaven to be our savior. Without him, the whole plan of salvation would have failed. Because his mission was necessary, all of the prophets from Adam to Christ testified that he would come (Acts 10:43 "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins."). All of the prophets since Christ have testified that he did come. All of us need to study the life of the Savior and follow him faithfully throughout our lives. We each need to have a personal relationship with him."
Concept 2: The Life of Christ Was Predicted Long Before His Birth
"An angel told Adam that the Savior's name would be Jesus Christ (Moses 6:51-52
"51 And he called upon our father Adam by his own voice, saying: I am God; I made the world, and men before they were in the flesh.
52 And he also said unto him: 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.").
Enoch saw that Jesus would die upon the cross and be resurrected (Moses 7:55-56
"55 And the Lord said unto Enoch: Look, and he looked and beheld the on of Man lifted up on the cross, after the manner of men;
56 And he heard a loud voice; and the heavens were veiled; and all the creations of God mourned; and the earth groaned; and the rocks were rent; and the saints arose, and were crowned at the right hand of the Son of Man, with crowns of glory;").
Noah and Moses also testified of him (Moses 8:23-24
"23 And it came to pass that Noah continued his preaching unto the people, saying: Hearken, and give heed unto my words;
Believe and repent of your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, even as our fathers, and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost, that ye may have all things made manifest; and if ye do not this, the floods will come in upon you; nevertheless they hearkened not.").
About eight hundred years before the Savior was born on the earth, Isaiah foresaw his life. When Isaiah saw the grief and sorrow that the Savior would suffer to pay the price for our sins, he exclaimed:
"He is is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief...
"Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: ...
"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities...
"He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter" (Isaiah 53:3-7).
Nephi also saw a vision of the Savior's future birth and mission. He saw a beautiful virgin, and an angel explained, "Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh." (1 Nephi 11:18). Then Nephi saw the virgin holding a child in her arms. The angel declared, "Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father!" (1 Nephi 11:21).
About 124 years before Jesus was born, King Benjamin, another Nephite prophet and king, also foresaw the Savior's life"
"For behold, the time cometh, and is not far distant, that with power, the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth, who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity, shall come down from heaven among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay, and shall go forth amongst men, working mighty miracles, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and curing all manner of diseases.
"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.
"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 3:5-8)."