Gospel Principles
Unit 4: Jesus Christ as Our Savior
Chapter 11: The Life of Jesus Christ
Concept 7: He Redeemed Us from Our Sins and Saved Us from Death.
"When his work of teaching and blessing the people was finished, Jesus prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for all the sins of mankind. He had been condemned to die because he had testified to the people that he was the Son of God.
The night before his crucifixion, he went to a garden called Gethsemane. There he knelt and prayed. Soon he was weighted down by deep sorrow and wept as he prayed. Latter-day Apostle Orson F. Whitney was permitted to see the Savior's suffering in a vision. Seeing the Savior weep, he said: "I was so moved at the sight that I also wept, out of pure sympathy. My whole heart went out to him; I loved Him with all my soul, and longed to be with Him as I longed for nothing else" (in Bryant Hinckley, The Faith of our Pioneer Fathers, p. 211). Jesus "went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." (Matthew 26:39).
In a modern revelation the Savior described how great his suffering was, saying it caused him to "tremble because of the pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit" (D&C 19:18). The awful anguish of taking upon himself every sin that any human being has ever committed went through the Savior's body. No mortal person can comprehend just how great this burden was. No other person could have endured such agony of body and spirit, "He descended below all things ... that he might be in all things and through all things, the light of truth" (D&C 88:6).
But his suffering was not yet complete. The following day, Jesus was beaten, humiliated, and spit upon. He was required to carry his own cross up the hill; then he was lifted up and nailed to it. He was tortured in one of the cruelest ways men have ever devised. After nine hours on the cross, he cried out in agony, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34). In Jesus' bitterest hour, the Father had withdrawn his spirit from him so Jesus could finish suffering the penalty for the sins of all mankind that Jesus might have complete victory over the forces of sin and death.
When the Savior knew that his sacrifice had been accepted my the father, he exclaimed in a loud voice, "It is finished " (John 19:30). "Father, in to thy hands I commend my spirit " (Luke 23:46). He bowed his head and voluntarily gave up his spirit. The Savior was dead. A violent earthquake shook the earth.
Some friends took the Savior's body to the tomb, where it lay for three days. During this time his spirit went and organized the missionary work to the other spirits who needed to receive his gospel.
(1 Peter 3:18-20
"18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.";
See Also D&C 138).
On the third day, a Sunday, he returned to his body and took it up again. He was the first to overcome death. The prophecy had been fulfilled 'that he must rise again from the dead." (John 20:9).
Shortly after his resurrection, the Savior appeared to the Nephites and established his Church in the Americas. He taught the people and blessed them. This moving account is found in 3 Nephi 11 through 28.
3 Nephi 11 Jesus Christ did show himself unto the people of Nephi, as the multitude were gathered together in the land Bountiful, and did minister unto them; and on this wise did he show himself unto them. Comprising chapters 11 to 26 inclusive.
The Father testifies of his Beloved Son Christ appears and proclaims his atonement The people feel the wound marks in his hands and feet and side They cry Hosanna He sets forth the mode and manner of baptism The spirit of contention is of the devil Christ's doctrine is that men should believe and be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost. [A.D. 34]
3 Nephi 12 Jesus calls and commissions the Twelve He delivers to the Nephites a discourse similar to the Sermon on the Mount He speaks the Beatitudes His teachings transcend and take precedence over the law of Moses Men are commanded to be perfect even as he and his Father are perfect Compare Matthew 5. [A.D. 34]
3 Nephi 13 Jesus teaches the Nephites the Lord's Prayer They are to lay up treasures in heaven The Twelve in their ministry are commanded to take no thought for temporal things Compare Matthew 6. [A.D. 34]
3 Nephi 14 Jesus commands: Judge not; ask of God; beware of false prophets He promises salvation to those who do the will of the Father Compare matt/7">Matthew 7. [A.D. 34]
3 Nephi 15 Jesus announces that the law of Moses is fulfilled in him The Nephites are the other sheep of whom he spake in Jerusalem Because of iniquity the Lord's people in Jerusalem do not know of the scattered sheep of Israel. [A.D. 34]
3 Nephi 16 Jesus will visit others of the lost sheep of Israel In the latter days the gospel will go to the Gentiles and then to the house of Israel The Lord's people shall see eye to eye when he brings again Zion. [A.D. 34]
3 Nephi 17 Jesus directs the people to ponder his words and pray for understanding He heals their sick He prays for the people, using language that cannot be written Angels minister to and fire encircles their little ones. [A.D. 34]
3 Nephi 18 Jesus institutes the sacrament among the Nephites They are commanded to pray always in his name Those who eat his flesh and drink his blood unworthily are damned The disciples are given power to confer the Holy Ghost. [A.D. 34]
3 Nephi 19 The Twelve Disciples minister unto the people and pray for the Holy Ghost They are baptized and receive the Holy Ghost and the ministering of angels Jesus prays using words that cannot be written He attests to the exceedingly great faith of these Nephites. [A.D. 34]
3 Nephi 20 Jesus provides bread and wine miraculously and again administers the sacrament unto them The remnant of Jacob shall come to the knowledge of the Lord their God and shall inherit the Americas Jesus is the prophet like unto Moses, and the Nephites are children of the prophets Others of the Lord's people shall be gathered to Jerusalem. [A.D. 34]
3 Nephi 21 Israel shall be gathered when the Book of Mormon comes forth The Gentiles shall be established as a free people in America They shall be saved if they believe and obey; otherwise they shall be cut off and destroyed Israel shall build the New Jerusalem, and the lost tribes shall return. [A.D. 34]
3 Nephi 22 In the last days, Zion and her stakes shall be established, and Israel shall be gathered in mercy and tenderness They shall triumph Compare Isaiah 54. [A.D. 34]
3 Nephi 23 Jesus approves the words of Isaiah He commands the people to search the prophets The words of Samuel the Lamanite concerning the resurrection are added to their records. [A.D. 34]
3 Nephi 24 The Lord's messenger shall prepare the way for the Second Coming Christ shall sit in judgment Israel is commanded to pay tithes and offerings A book of remembrance is kept Compare Malachi 1:3" 3. [A.D. 34]
3 Nephi 25 At the Second Coming the proud and wicked shall be burned as stubble Elijah shall return before that great and dreadful day Compare Malachi 4. [A.D. 34]
3 Nephi 26 Jesus expounds all things from the beginning to the end Babes and children utter marvelous things which cannot be written Those in the Church of Christ have all things in common among them. [A.D. 34]
3 Nephi 27 Jesus commands them to call the Church in his name His mission and atoning sacrifice constitute his gospe l Men are commanded to repent and be baptized that they may be sanctified by the Holy Ghost They are to be even as Jesus is. Between A.D. 34 and 35
3 Nephi 28 Nine of the Twelve desire and are promised an inheritance in Christ's kingdom when they die The Three Nephites desire and are given power over death so as to remain on the earth until Jesus comes again They are translated and see things not lawful to utter, and they are now ministering among men. Between A.D. 34 and 35
How do you feel as you ponder the Savior's sacrifice for us?"