Jesus Christ, The Reason for our Hope
The greatest message that has ever been proclaimed is that Jesus Christ lives. He has restored his church once more upon the earth. He speaks to his prophet, and we are guided daily by his hand. The Book of Mormon, which was brought forth to be another testament and witness of Jesus Christ accurately describes our church: “We preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins” (2 Nephi 25:26)
In the Book of Mormon the Prophet Alma said,
“And behold, he shall be born of Mary...she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God. And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the 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 7:10-12)
The original definition of the word “succor” used in this scripture literally means run to help. During the atonement, the Savior took upon him all of our pains, illnesses, infirmities, on top of all of our sins so that he could know the best way he could run to help us.
In his recent conference address President Boyd K Packer of the twelve apostles stated: “The Savior wrought the Atonement, which provides a way for us to become clean. Jesus Christ is the resurrected Christ. We worship and recognize Him for the pain He suffered for us collectively and for the pain He endured for each of us individually, both in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross. He bore all with great humility and with an eternal understanding of His divine role and purpose.
Those who will repent and forsake sin will find that His merciful arm is outstretched still. Those who listen to and heed His words and the words of His chosen servants will find peace and understanding even in the midst of great heartache and sorrow. The result of His sacrifice is to free us from the effects of sin, that all may have guilt erased and feel hope.
Had He not accomplished the Atonement, there would be no redemption. It would be a difficult world to live in if we could never be forgiven for our mistakes, if we could never purify ourselves and move on. The mercy and grace of Jesus Christ are not limited to those who commit sins… but ... to all who will accept and follow Him and His teachings. His mercy is the mighty healer, even to the wounded innocent.
President Packer continued, saying,
I recently received a letter from a woman who reported having endured great suffering in her life. A terrible wrong, which she did not identify but alluded to, had been committed against her. She admitted that she struggled with feelings of great bitterness. In her anger, she mentally cried out, “Someone must pay for this terrible wrong.” In this extreme moment of sorrow and questioning, she wrote that there came into her heart an immediate reply: “Someone already has paid.”
If we are not aware of what the Savior’s sacrifice can do for us, we may go through life carrying regrets that we have done something that was not right or offended someone. The guilt that accompanies mistakes can be washed away. If we seek to understand His Atonement, we will come to a deep reverence for the Lord Jesus Christ, His earthly ministry, and His divine mission as our Savior. A testimony of the hope of redemption is something which cannot be measured or counted. Jesus Christ is the source of that hope.” close quote.
Preach My Gospel teaches that Hope is an abiding trust that the Lord will fulfill his promises to you. It is manifest in confidence, optimism, enthusiasm, and patient perseverance. When you have hope, you work through trials and difficulties with the confidence and assurance that all things will work together for your good. Hope conquers discouragement.
President James E Faust taught: “Hope is the anchor of our souls… Hope is trust in God’s promises, faith that if we act now, the desired blessings will be fulfilled in the future. Our greatest hope comes from the knowledge that the Savior broke the bands of death. His victory came through His excruciating pain, suffering, and agony. He atoned for our sins if we repent. In the Garden of Gethsemane came the anguished cry, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” 10 Luke described the intensity of the agony: “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling to the ground.” All of us can find hope in Peter’s experience during the events leading to the Crucifixion. Perhaps the Lord was speaking to all of us when He said to Peter:
“Behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
“But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted,strengthen thy brethren.”
Peter responded, “Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.”
Then the Savior told him, “Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before … thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.” 12
As Peter watched the events unfold, he was identified as a disciple of Christ. A maid said, “This man was also with him,” and Peter answered that he knew Him not. Two others identified Peter as His disciple. Peter again denied knowing the Savior. And while he was speaking a cock crowed.
“And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
This experience strengthened Peter to the point that he would never fail again and was known as the rock. His hope became firmly anchored to an eternal Rock,even our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. 14 As the chief Apostle he carried the work forward faithfully and valiantly.
As Peter gained hope after a moment of weakness, you, I, and everyone can enjoy the hope that comes from the knowledge that God truly lives. Such hope springs from the belief that if we have faith, somehow He will help us through our challenges—if not in this life, then surely in the life to come.” close quote.
Hope is the factor that propels missionaries to leave their families to go serve. Hope for themselves to grow closer to the Savior, hope for the people they are going to serve, and hope for their families. The current number of full-time missionaries exceeds 88,000 of which I will soon be a part of. The purpose of this missionary force, and the reason the Church of Jesus Christ was restored to the earth, is to move the knowledge of the life and teachings of the Savior throughout the world. The numbers that are connected to membership of the church or how many baptisms a missionary “gets” are irrelevant measures of success in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
President Packer declared, “The true success of the gospel of Jesus Christ will be measured by the spiritual strength of it’s individual members. We need the strength of conviction that is found in the heart of every loyal disciple of Christ. We seek to strengthen the testimonies of the young and old, the married and single. We need to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ to men, women, and children, those of every race and nationality, the rich and the poor. We need the recent convert and those among our numbers descended from the pioneers. We need to seek out those who have strayed and assist them to return to the fold. We need everyone’s wisdom and insight and spiritual strength. Each member of this Church as an individual is a critical element of the body of the Church.”
President Packer continues to say that, “Each member serves as a testimony of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. We are at war with the forces of the adversary, and we need each and every one of us if we are going to succeed in the work the Savior has for us to do.” close quote
In the Pearl of Great Price, Moses recounts a vision that was given to the Prophet Enoch.
“26 And he beheld Satan; and he had a great chain in his hand, and it veiled the whole face of the earth with darkness; and he looked up and laughed, and his angels rejoiced.”
I think that this quite accurately describes the world which we live in today. There is great darkness and adversity. Yet, there must be opposition in all things. There must be light to combat the dark.
continuing to Verse 27:
“ 27 And Enoch beheld angels descending out of heaven, bearing testimony of the Father and Son; and the Holy Ghost fell on many, and they were caught up by the powers of heaven into Zion.”
The power to defeat the adversary lies in our ability to bare testimony of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We can build our testimonies of both the Father and the Son through dedicated scripture study and heartfelt prayer. We can strengthen our relationships with Jesus Christ by following his example. By truly striving to do as he would and align our will with his.
I know that Jesus Christ Lives. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ's church. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I close in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
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