Jesus is the suffering Resurrected Living Christ, Yeshua, The Holy Messiah, who honors Our Father in Heaven by keeping His commandments, and who soon will come in power and great glory to usher in His great Millennial Reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. The Holy Bible testifies that Jesus is the Resurrected Christ. The Holy Book of Mormon, a Bible of peoples who lived in the Western Hemisphere, is another witness that Jesus is the Christ, the Holy Messiah.

Jesus is The Holy Living Christ Messiah. I invite you to repent of your sins, be baptized, be confirmed a member of The True Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and receive The Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, which will help you live a more holy, happy, peaceful life.

I invite you to call right now 1-801-240-1000 in order to arrange to visit with the missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You can also reach the missionaries via the website https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/easter-2021/talk-with-missionaries. And for more details about the Church see www.lds.org.

Richard W. Linford, member

Jesus is The Holy Living Christ Messiah. Learn about God the son, and God our Father to whom we pray in the holy name of Jesus Christ.

Call now to meet with member missionaries, learn more, attend Church, and arrange to be baptized in the next week or so.

Learn now about God the Father https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/god-the-father?lang=eng

Overview

God the Father is the Supreme Being in whom we believe, whom we worship, and to whom we pray. He is the ultimate Creator, Ruler, and Preserver of all things. He is perfect, has all power, and knows all things. He “has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s” (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22).

The Father of Our Spirits

One of life’s great questions is “Who am I?” A beloved Primary song helps even little children answer this question. We sing, “I am a child of God, and he has sent me here.” The knowledge that we are children of God provides strength, comfort, and hope.

Scholars have long acknowledged that the view of God held by the earliest Christians changed dramatically over the course of centuries. Early Christian views of God were more personal, more anthropomorphic, and less abstract than those that emerged later during Christianity’s creedal stage. The key ideological shift that began in the second century, after the loss of apostolic authority, resulted from a conceptual merger of Christian doctrine with Greek philosophy.

Latter-day Saints believe the melding of early Christian theology with Greek philosophy was a grave error. Chief among the doctrines lost in this process was the nature of the Godhead. Latter-day Saints hold that God the Father is an embodied being with the attributes ascribed by the earliest Christians. That belief is consistent with the early Christian views of God, yet it differs from the later creeds.

We are all literally children of God, spiritually begotten in the premortal life. As His children, we can be assured that we have divine, eternal potential and that He will help us in our sincere efforts to reach that potential.

The Supreme Creator

Heavenly Father is the Supreme Creator. Through Jesus Christ, He created heaven and earth and all things in them (see Moses 2:1). Alma said, “All things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator” (Alma 30:44).

The Author of the Plan of Salvation

Our Father in Heaven wants us to dwell with Him eternally. His work and glory is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). In order to make this possible, He prepared the plan of salvation. He sent His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to loose the bands of death and atone for the sins of the world: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). This sacrifice is the greatest expression of our Father’s love for us.

Coming to Know God the Father

As children of God, we have a special relationship with Him, setting us apart from all His other creations. We should seek to know our Father in Heaven. He loves us, and He has given us the precious opportunity to draw near to Him as we pray. Our prayers, offered in humility and sincerity, are heard and answered.

We can also come to know our Father by learning about His Beloved Son and applying the gospel in our lives. The Savior taught His disciples: “If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also. … He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:7, 9).

We draw near to God the Father as we study the scriptures and the words of latter-day prophets and as we give service. When we follow God’s will and live as He would have us live, we become more like Him and His Son. We prepare ourselves to return to live in Their presence.

Jesus is The Holy Living Christ Messiah

Call now to meet with member missionaries, learn more, attend Church, and arrange to be baptized in the next week or so.

Learn Christ’s gospel and join His True Church and receive Our Savior’s peace and His promised eternal life.

As a member of Christ’s true Church, I invite you to learn Christ’s True Gospel and be baptized by immersion, and receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, and join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Richard Linford.
To enjoy our Savior Jesus Christ’s promised peace and eternal life, to meet with missionaries and join Christ’s true Church, I invite you to call right now 1-801-240-1000 in order to arrange to visit with the missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You can also reach the missionaries via the website https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/easter-2021/talk-with-missionaries. And for more details about the Church see www.lds.org.

I invite you –

to receive The True Gospel and Church of Jesus Christ:
to have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ,
to repent of your sins,
to be baptized by immersion for the remission of your sins,
to be confirmed a member of The True Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and
to receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost at the hands of those in the Church who hold legitimate priesthood authority from God.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is our Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness.
The central doctrine of the gospel is the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
The Prophet Joseph Smith said, “The first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are:
first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ;
second, Repentance;
third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins;
fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Articles of Faith 1:4).
In its fulness, the gospel includes all the doctrines, principles, laws, ordinances, and covenants necessary for men and women to be exalted in the celestial kingdom.
The Savior has promised that if we [repent of our sins and] endure to the end, faithfully living the gospel, He will hold us guiltless before the Father at the Final Judgment (see 3 Nephi 27:16).
The fulness of the gospel has been preached in all ages when God’s children have been prepared to receive it.
In the latter days, or the dispensation of the fulness of times, the gospel has been restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Source. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Gospel Topics. www.lds.org.
The original Church of Jesus Christ “of Latter-day Saints” built on a foundation of living apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, has been restored by Our Savior through the Prophet Joseph Smith and subsequent prophets and apostles.
See www.lds.org.
The Articles of Faith are:
1
We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost. [The godhead is comprised of three separate persons: God, the Eternal Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ, are resurrected glorified perfect men with immortal bodies of flesh and bone. The Holy Ghost is a glorified man with a spirit body.]
2
We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.
3
We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, [worked out in Gethsemane and on the Cross] all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
4
We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
5
We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof. Ordinances are administered by those with legitimate priesthood authority restored by John the Baptist and Peter, James, and John.]
6
We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.
7
We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.
8
We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon [a second witness that Jesus is the Christ, recording His visit to and His dealings with peoples on the American continent] to be the word of God.
9
We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
10
We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
11
We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.
12
We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.
13
We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
To enjoy our Savior Jesus Christ’s promised peace and eternal life, to meet with missionaries and join Christ’s true Church, I invite you to call right now 1-801-240-1000 in order to arrange to visit with the missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You can also reach the missionaries via the website https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/easter-2021/talk-with-missionaries. And for more details about the Church see www.lds.org.

Do you want to be blessed today?

MATTHEW CHAPTER 5

Jesus preaches the Sermon on the Mount—Its teachings replace and transcend some aspects of the law of Moses—All are commanded to be perfect like their Father in Heaven.

1 ^aAnd seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

3 ^aBlessed are the ^bpoor in spirit: for theirs is the ^ckingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are they that ^amourn: for they shall be ^bcomforted.

5 Blessed are the ^ameek: for they shall inherit the ^bearth.

6 Blessed are they which do ^ahunger and thirst after ^brighteousness: for they shall be filled.

7 Blessed are the ^amerciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

8 Blessed are the ^apure in ^bheart: for they shall ^csee God.

9 Blessed are the ^apeacemakers: for they shall be called the ^bchildren of God.

10 Blessed are they which are ^apersecuted for ^brighteousness’ sake: for ^ctheirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are ye, when men shall ^arevile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of ^bevil against you falsely, ^cfor my sake.

12 ^aRejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your ^breward in heaven: for so ^cpersecuted they the prophets which were before you.

13 ¶ Ye are the ^asalt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

14 Ye are the ^alight of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a ^acandle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your ^alight so shine before men, that they may see your good ^bworks, and ^cglorify your Father which is in heaven.

Jesus is the Christ, the Holy Messiah, the Savior of the World, the Only Begotten Son of God Our Heavenly Father. Jesus is the Prince of Comfort and Peace. SO BE OF GOOD CHEER. Love your family, friends, neighbors, and enemies. Do good to all including those who despitefully use you and persecute you.

Remarks: Be of Good Cheer

By President Dallin H. Oaks

First Counselor in the First Presidency

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, headquarters Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Click here for the Temple Square Tabernacle Choir “Let Us All Press On” music https://www.google.com/search?q=let+us+all+press+on+by+the+tabernacle+choir&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS863US863&oq=Let+us+all&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j35i39j46i457j0l5.4028j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

If you want to talk to the missionaries, to get in touch and make an appointment and reach missionaries for a phone call or online face to face call 1-801-240-1000 or check out toll free numbers depending on where you are in the world at this internet link: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/help/support/toll-free-numbers-gsc?lang=eng/.

Our unshakable faith in the doctrine of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ guides our steps and gives us joy.
In the final days of His mortal life, Jesus Christ told His Apostles of the persecutions and hardships they would suffer.1
He concluded with this great assurance: “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
That is the Savior’s message to all of our Heavenly Father’s children.
That is the ultimate good news for each of us in our mortal lives.
“Be of good cheer” was also a needed assurance in the world into which the resurrected Christ sent His Apostles.
“We are troubled on every side,” the Apostle Paul later told the Corinthians, “yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8–9).
Two thousand years later we are also “troubled on every side,” and we also need that same message not to despair but to be of good cheer.
The Lord has special love and concern for His precious daughters.
He knows of your wants, your needs, and your fears.
The Lord is all powerful. Trust Him.
The Prophet Joseph Smith was taught that “the works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught” (Doctrine and Covenants 3:1).
To His struggling children, the Lord gave these great assurances:
“Behold, this is the promise of the Lord unto you, O ye my servants.
“Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God” (Doctrine and Covenants 68:5–6).
The Lord stands near us, and He has said:
“What I say unto one I say unto all, be of good cheer, little children; for I am in your midst, and I have not forsaken you” (Doctrine and Covenants 61:36).
“For after much tribulation come the blessings” (Doctrine and Covenants 58:4).
Sisters, I testify that these promises, given in the midst of persecutions and personal tragedies, apply to each of you in your troubling circumstances today.
They are precious and remind each of us to be of good cheer and to have joy in the fulness of the gospel as we press forward through the challenges of mortality.
Tribulation and challenges are the common experiences of mortality.
Opposition is an essential part of the divine plan for helping us grow,2 and in the midst of that process, we have God’s assurance that, in the long view of eternity, opposition will not be allowed to overcome us.
With His help and our faithfulness and endurance, we will prevail.
Like the mortal life of which they are a part, all tribulations are temporary. In the controversies that preceded a disastrous war, United States president Abraham Lincoln wisely reminded his audience of the ancient wisdom that “this, too, shall pass away.”3
As you know, the mortal adversities of which I speak—which make it difficult to be of good cheer—sometimes come to us in common with many others, like the millions now struggling through some of the many devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Similarly, in the United States millions are suffering through a season of enmity and contention that always seems to accompany presidential elections but this time is the most severe many of the oldest of us can ever remember.
On a personal basis, each of us struggles individually with some of the many adversities of mortality, such as poverty, racism, ill health, job losses or disappointments, wayward children, bad marriages or no marriages, and the effects of sin—our own or others’.
Yet, in the midst of all of this, we have that heavenly counsel to be of good cheer and to find joy in the principles and promises of the gospel and the fruits of our labors.4
That counsel has always been so, for prophets and for all of us.
We know this from the experiences of our predecessors and what the Lord said to them.
Remember the circumstances of the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Looked at through the lens of adversities, his life was one of poverty, persecution, frustration, family sorrows, and ultimate martyrdom.
As he suffered imprisonment, his wife and children and the other Saints suffered incredible hardships as they were driven out of Missouri.
When Joseph pleaded for relief, the Lord answered:
“My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;
“And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes” (Doctrine and Covenants 121:7–8).
This was the personal, eternal counsel that helped the Prophet Joseph to maintain his native cheery temperament and the love and loyalty of his people.
These same qualities strengthened the leaders and pioneers who followed and can strengthen you as well.
Think of those early members!
Again and again, they were driven from place to place.
Finally they faced the challenges of establishing their homes and the Church in a wilderness.5
Two years after the initial band of pioneers arrived in the valley of the Great Salt Lake, the pioneers’ grip on survival in that hostile area was still precarious.
Most members were still on the trail across the plains or struggling to get resources to do so.
Yet leaders and members were still of hope and good cheer.
Even though the Saints were not settled in their new homes, at October 1849 general conference a new wave of missionaries was sent out to Scandinavia, France, Germany, Italy, and the South Pacific.6
At what could have been thought their lowest level, the pioneers rose to new heights.
And just three years later, another 98 were also called to begin to gather scattered Israel.
One of the Church leaders explained that these missions “are generally, not to be very long ones; probably from 3 to 7 years will be as long as any man will be absent from his family.”7
Sisters, the First Presidency is concerned about your challenges.
We love you and pray for you.
At the same time, we often give thanks that our physical challenges—apart from earthquakes, fires, floods, and hurricanes—are usually less than our predecessors faced.
In the midst of hardships, the divine assurance is always “be of good cheer, for I will lead you along.
The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours” (Doctrine and Covenants 78:18).
How does this happen?
How did it happen for the pioneers?
How will it happen to women of God today?
By our following prophetic guidance, “the gates of hell shall not prevail against [us],” the Lord said by revelation in April 1830.
“Yea,” He said, “… the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name’s glory” (Doctrine and Covenants 21:6).
“Fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail” (Doctrine and Covenants 6:34).
With the Lord’s promises, we “lift up [our] heart[s] and rejoice” (Doctrine and Covenants 25:13), and “with a glad heart and a cheerful countenance” (Doctrine and Covenants 59:15), we go forward on the covenant path.
Most of us do not face decisions of giant proportions, like leaving our homes to pioneer an unknown land.
Our decisions are mostly in the daily routines of life,
but as the Lord has told us, “Be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great” (Doctrine and Covenants 64:33).
There is boundless power in the doctrine of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.
Our unshakable faith in that doctrine guides our steps and gives us joy.
It enlightens our minds and gives strength and confidence to our actions.
This guidance and enlightenment and power are promised gifts we have received from our Heavenly Father.
By understanding and conforming our lives to that doctrine, including the divine gift of repentance, we can be of good cheer as we keep ourselves on the path toward our eternal destiny—reunion and exaltation with our loving heavenly parents.
“You may be facing overwhelming challenges,” Elder Richard G. Scott taught.
“Sometimes they are so concentrated, so unrelenting, that you may feel they are beyond your capacity to control.
Don’t face the world alone.
‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding’ [Proverbs 3:5].
… It was intended that life be a challenge, not so that you would fail, but that you might succeed through overcoming.”8
It is all part of the plan of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ,
of which I testify,
as I pray that we will all persist
to our heavenly destination,
in the name of Jesus Christ,
amen.

To know the Son is to know the Father. To follow the Father and the Son is to receive and enjoy Eternal Life!

To know the Son is to know the Father.

To follow the Father and the Son

is to receive and enjoy Eternal Life.

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3)

Book of Mormon, the book of Second Nephi, Chapter 2

Redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah—Freedom of choice (agency) is essential to existence and progression—Adam fell that men might be and men are that they might have joy —Men are free to choose liberty and eternal life. About 588–570 B.C.

1 And now, Jacob, I speak unto you: Thou art my firstborn in the days of my tribulation in the wilderness. And behold, in thy childhood thou hast suffered afflictions and much sorrow, because of the rudeness of thy brethren.

2 Nevertheless, Jacob, my firstborn in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain.

3 Wherefore, thy soul shall be blessed, and thou shalt dwell safely with thy brother, Nephi; and thy days shall be spent in the service of thy God. Wherefore, I know that thou art redeemed, because of the righteousness of thy Redeemer; for thou hast beheld that in the fulness of time he cometh to bring salvation unto men.

4 And thou hast beheld in thy youth his glory; wherefore, thou art blessed even as they unto whom he shall minister in the flesh; for the Spirit is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. And the way is prepared from the fall of man, and salvation is free.

5 And men are instructed sufficiently that they know good from evil. And the law is given unto men. And by the law no flesh is justified; or, by the law men are cut off. Yea, by the temporal law they were cut off; and also, by the spiritual law they perish from that which is good, and become miserable forever.

6 Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.

7 Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.

8 Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise.

9 Wherefore, he is the first fruits unto God, inasmuch as he shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved.

10 And because of the intercession for all, all men come unto God; wherefore, they stand in the presence of him, to be judged of him according to the truth and holiness which is in him. Wherefore, the ends of the law which the Holy One hath given, unto the inflicting of the punishment which is affixed, which punishment that is affixed is in opposition to that of the happiness which is affixed, to answer the ends of the atonement—

11 For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

12 Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God.

13 And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away.

14 And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things for your profit and learning; for there is a God, and he hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be acted upon.

15 And to bring about his eternal purposes in the end of man, after he had created our first parents, and the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and in fine, all things which are created, it must needs be that there was an opposition; even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life; the one being sweet and the other bitter.

16 Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other.

17 And I, Lehi, according to the things which I have read, must needs suppose that an angel of God, according to that which is written, had fallen from heaven; wherefore, he became a devil, having sought that which was evil before God.

18 And because he had fallen from heaven, and had become miserable forever, he sought also the misery of all mankind. Wherefore, he said unto Eve, yea, even that old serpent, who is the devil, who is the father of all lies, wherefore he said: Partake of the forbidden fruit, and ye shall not die, but ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil.

19 And after Adam and Eve had partaken of the forbidden fruit they were driven out of the garden of Eden, to till the earth.

20 And they have brought forth children; yea, even the family of all the earth.

21 And the days of the children of men were prolonged, according to the will of God, that they might repent while in the flesh; wherefore, their state became a state of probation, and their time was lengthened, according to the commandments which the Lord God gave unto the children of men. For he gave commandment that all men must repent; for he showed unto all men that they were lost, because of the transgression of their parents.

22 And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end.

23 And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin.

24 But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.

25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

26 And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.

27 Wherefore, 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; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

28 And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit;

29 And not choose eternal death, according to the will of the flesh and the evil which is therein, which giveth the spirit of the devil power to captivate, to bring you down to hell, that he may reign over you in his own kingdom.

30 I have spoken these few words unto you all, my sons, in the last days of my probation; and I have chosen the good part, according to the words of the prophet. And I have none other object save it be the everlasting welfare of your souls. Amen.

Given all the disasters, maybe there is value in refocusing. JESUS WAS AND STILL IS THE CHRIST, THE SACRIFICIAL LAMB OF GOD THE FATHER, THE HOLY MESSIAH, OUR RESURRECTION AND OUR LIFE, THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD. A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD WHO SOON WILL COME!

Given all the disasters, maybe there is value in refocusing. JESUS WAS AND STILL IS THE CHRIST, THE SACRIFICIAL LAMB OF GOD THE FATHER, THE HOLY MESSIAH, OUR RESURRECTION AND OUR LIFE, THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD. A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD WHO SOON WILL COME!

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
Text by Martin Luther.

2.1. A mighty fortress is our God,

2.2. A tower of strength ne’er failing.

2.3. A helper mighty is our God,

2.4. O’er ills of life prevailing.

2.5. He overcometh all.

2.6. He saveth from the Fall.

2.7. His might and pow’r are great.

2.8. He all things did create.

2.9. And he shall reign for evermore.

CHRIST.
CHRIST THE LAMB.
CHRIST OF GOD.

He is Christ.
He is the Christ.
He is The Christ of God.
(Luke 9:20)
He is The Anointed One. (Greek)
He is The Messiah. (Hebrew)
“Jesus, who is called Christ,
is the firstborn of the Father in the spirit
and the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh.
“He is Jehovah,
and was foreordained to his great calling
in the Grand Councils
before the world was.
“He was born of Mary at Bethlehem,
lived a sinless life,
and wrought out a perfect atonement
for all mankind
by the shedding of his blood
and his death on the cross.
“He rose from the grave
and brought to pass the bodily resurrection
of every living thing
and the salvation
and exaltation
of the faithful.
“He is the greatest Being
to be born on this earth —
the perfect example —
and all religious things
should be done in his name. …
“He will come again
in power and great glory
to dwell on the earth,
and
“[He] will stand as Judge of all mankind
at the last day.”

(Bible Dictionary, Christ, pg. 633.)

LAMB.
LAMB OF GOD.
LAMB WITHOUT BLEMISH.
SACRIFICIAL LAMB OF GOD.
He is the Lamb.
(Revelation 21:9,14,22,27; 22:1,3;
Revelation 5:6,8, 12-13; 6:16; 7:9, 14, 17; 12:11; 14:1,4,10;
15:3; 17:14; 19:7,9).
He is the Lamb without blemish and without spot.
(1 Pet. 1:19)
He is the Lamb of God.
(John 1:29,36)
He was and is the Sacrificial Lamb of God.
LIVING BREAD.

He is the Living bread (John 6:51).
The sacramental bread of life.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you,
Moses gave you not that bread from heaven;
but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God
is he which cometh down from heaven,
and giveth life unto the world.
Then said they unto him,
Lord, evermore give us this bread.
And Jesus said unto them,
I am the bread of life:
he that cometh to me shall never hunger;
and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”
(John 6:32-35)
“I am the living bread
which came down from heaven:
if any man eat of this bread,
he shall live for ever:
and the bread that I will give is my flesh,
which I will give for the life of the world.”
(John 6:51)

MESSIAH.
MESSIAS.

He is the Messiah.
He is the anointed one.
(Daniel 9:25)
He is the Messias.
He is the King and Deliverer.
He is the Messiah
whose coming the Jews eagerly expected..
(John 1:41; 4:25)
Messiah is fairer than the children of men.
Messiah is anointed with the oil of gladness
above his fellows.
Messiah is blessed forever.
Messiah is remembered in all generations.
(Psalm 45)
“Only the faithful were able [and are able]
to see in Jesus of Nazareth
the true Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53.”
(Bible Dictionary, 731.)
“There is only one Messiah. (2 Nephi 25:18)
And his status as the Anointed One,
as the promised Savior,
is what constitutes his Messiahship.
Others do not
and cannot
attain a status of Messiahship
(for they are not born,
as Christ was,
inheriting life in themselves from an Immortal Parent),
though others may become joint-heirs
with him in his Father’s kingdom.”
(MD p. 489)
(Genesis 49:10; Isaiah 10:27; 11:1; John 1:49;
Acts 3:15; 5:31; Hebrews 2:10; 12:2; 2 Nephi 20:27;
Doctrine & Covenants 58:22; Moses 4:2; Abraham 3:27)

RESURRECTION.
RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE.

He is the Resurrection.
He is the Ressurection and the Life for each of us.
(John 11:25)
“The resurrection consists in
the uniting of a spirit body with a body of flesh and bones,
never again to be divided.
The resurrection shall come to all,
because of Christ’s victory over death.
Jesus Christ was the first to be resurrected on this earth. …
Others had been brought back from death,
but were restored to mortality … ,
whereas a resurrection means to become immortal,
without blood,
yet with a body of flesh and bone.
All will not be raised to the same glory
in the resurrection … ,
nor will all come forth at the same time ….
Christ was first;
the righteous have precedence over the wicked,
and come forth in the first resurrection,
whereas the unrepentant sinners
come forth in the last resurrection …
The New Testament gives ample evidence
that Jesus rose with his physical body:
He ate fish and honey… ;
he said he had flesh and bones …;
the people touched him …;
the tomb was empty …;
and the angels said he had risen …
One of the most fundamental doctrines
taught by the Twelve
was that Jesus was risen from the tomb,
with his glorified, resurrected body, …
To obtain a resurrection
with a celestial, exalted body
is the center point of hope in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The resurrection of Jesus
is the most glorious of all messages
to mankind.
Latter-day revelation
confirms the reality of the resurrection of Christ
and of all mankind, … .”
(Bible Dictionary, p. 761)
Yes, He raised Lazarus, yet Lazarus died.
He will raise us once and for all
and we shall live forever more.

SAVIOR.
SAVIOR OF ALL MANKIND.
SAVIOR OF THE WORLD.

He is The Savior.
(Matthew 1:21; Luke 2:11;
Acts 5:31; 13:23; Philip. 3:20)
He is our Savior.
(1 Timothy 2:3; 2 Timothy 1:10;
Titus 2:10, 13; 3:6)
He is The Savior of our body.
(Ephesians 5:23).
He is The Savior of Israel.
(Acts 13:23)
He is The Savior of the World
(John 4:42; 1 John. 4:14)
We can never be thankful enough
that He is the Savior of our spirits and our bodies.

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
Text by Martin Luther.

180.1. A mighty fortress is our God,

180.2. A tower of strength ne’er failing.

180.3. A helper mighty is our God,

180.4. O’er ills of life prevailing.

180.5. He overcometh all.

180.6. He saveth from the Fall.

180.7. His might and pow’r are great.

180.8. He all things did create.

180.9. And he shall reign for evermore.

Redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah