The Life, Suffering, and Death of Christ
Through transgression, mankind had fallen from the presence of the Lord, entering a world of sin, pain, sickness, sorrow, and death. However, through this fall mankind gained a knowledge of good and evil and, with it, the ability to choose for himself. As a consequence of these choices, we are able to learn from experience the joy of choosing righteousness and the sorrow from choosing wickedness. This knowledge brought us one step closer to the character of God, who knows and chooses righteousness forever. Additionally, the fall enabled us to house the immortal spirits of our father by bringing children into this earth. We were them enabled to have a small sense of the joy and sorrow our Eternal Father must surely feel for each of us, as His children, during our mortal experience.
These lessons were not the only to be learned, however, during mortality. Having fallen, mankind could not merit anything of himself (see Alma 22:14) and would, without the atonement, die and crumble to the earth, never to rise again again. However, the plan of our Father did not stop at the fall. This plan also provided for us, His children, an atonement as a means through which we could return to Him. Through this great gift, God provided for mankind the opportunity to learn another essential lesson of mortality: mortality is provided to us to help us learn to rely on Him.
This chapter is dedicated to 'that God in whom [we] should trust' (Mormon 8:20): Christ, the Savior of the World and the only way through which man could be reclaimed from his lost and fallen state. This atonement provided for us is essential to our progression toward eternity, for there is 'no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation may come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, The Lord omnipotent' (Mosiah 3:17).
Greater Importance than They All
Six hundred years following the arrival of Lehi and his family to the Americas, the believers of Christ watched steadfastly, pleading for an event to come to pass that their fathers had looked forward to for generations. This 'one thing [was] of greater importance than they all...that the Redeemer liveth and cometh among His people' (Alma 7:7). These people were condemned for their beliefs, and a day was set aside for all those proclaiming faith in Christ to be put to death because of their faith. The night before this terrible event, Nephi, the prophet of the people, seeing their plight, cried mightily to The Lord for their deliverance.
How great must have been his joy for the words he heard in response. The long-awaited Messiah spoke in response to this fervent prayer: 'On the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets. Behold, I come unto my own, to fulfil all things which I have made known unto the children of men from the foundation of the world, and to do the will, both of the Father and the Son--of the father because of me, and of the Son because of my flesh. And behold, the time is at hand' (3 Ne 1:13-14).
That night, the Savior of the world came 'in His glory, in His might, majesty, power, and dominion...Behold, the glory of the King of all the earth, and also the King of Heaven [shone] forth among all the children of men' (Alma 5:50).
A Precious and Chosen Vessel
Christ was brought to earth, held with love by one of the greatest women this world has ever known. No woman in scripture receives more attention in the Mary, the mother of Christ and God’s ‘precious and chosen vessel’ (Alma 7:10). Nephi saw this beloved daughter of God in vision centuries before she brought that Holy Infant into the world, describing her as the ‘most beautiful and fair above all other virgins’ (1 Ne 11:15). She conceived the Son of God while ‘she was carried away in the spirit for a space of time,’ (1 Ne 11:19), being ‘overshadowed and conceive[d] by the power of the Holy Ghost’ (Alma 7:10). What a truly sacred experience this must have been for this righteous young woman. She then gave birth and cradle this beautiful baby in her arms, afterward spending her entire life nurturing and learning from the Son of God, the Light of the World. How truly choice she was to be called the mother of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning (see Mosiah 3:8)!
For, Unto Us a Child is Born
In anticipation of this great event, Isaiah declared ‘for, unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace’ (2 Ne 19:6, Isaiah 9:6). The condescension of Christ was that He descended from Heaven, where he lived in glory with the Father, to come down as a helpless babe, to learn and grow under the nurturing hand of His precious mother, to experience trials and temptations, hunger and fatigue, afflictions and sorrows, and to ultimately lay down His life, all as part of His own earthly experience. This condescension was done because of ‘the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the Children of men; wherefore, [His love] is the most desirable above all things’ (1 Ne 11:22-23).
Following His death and resurrection, He visited the Nephites, sharing with them the purpose in His earthly sojourn: ‘I came into the world to do the will of the Father, because my Father sent me. And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil’ (3 Ne 27:13-14). In his life, He would perform mighty miracles, provide for men the gospel, establish His church, and live a life of righteousness, but His primary purpose in coming to this earth was ultimately to lay down His life. Why is this the case? So said Nephi, ‘He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him’ (2 Ne 26:24).
In this way, Christ is both the Father and the Son for us all. ‘Because he dwelleth in the flesh he shall be called the Son of God’ (Mosiah 15:2), the Father literally as His paternal parent. Yet in His life, He acted in the stead of His Father, ‘subjecting the flesh to the will of the Father’ (Mosiah 15:2), His flesh represented His role as Son and His spirit overcame the flesh in doing as His Father would. ‘Thus the flesh becoming subject to the Spirit, or the Son to the Father’ (Mosiah 15:5). In this way, because He, as the Son of God was acting in the will of our Father in Heaven, the two could symbolically become ‘one God, yea the very Eternal Father of Heaven and Earth’ (Mosiah 15:4). Truly, He is ‘in the Father, and the Father in [Him]; and in [Him] hath the Father glorified His name’ (3 Ne 9:15).
A Root Out of the Dry Ground
Through the loving nurture of his choice mortal parents, and with divine tutelage from His immortal Father, Christ matured physically and spiritually. He was fed butter and honey, food of young children in times of hardship, and during His youth he learned to choose the good from the evil (see 2 Ne 17:15, Isaiah 7:15). An important point is demonstrated in these words: Christ was born, as every child, without a knowledge of good and evil. He was innocent in the tender years of His life, gaining over time a knowledge of right and wrong, through which He could ultimately choose righteousness instead of wickedness. In His spiritual development, His beloved earthly parents certainly assisted in this regard, and the ‘Spirit of the Lord [rested] upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord’ (2 Ne 21:2-3, Isaiah 11:2).
This beloved Child was born, not in luxury nor surrounded in righteousness. Instead, He was born to a humble carpenter, surrounded by the Jews who made up ‘the more wicked part of the world’ (2 Ne 10:3). In these surroundings, he ‘[grew] up as a tender plant, as a root out of the dry ground’ (Mosiah 14:2, Isaiah 53:2), as the hope for a nation lost in the sophistries of man. He stood as a solitary witness of the gospel of His Father amidst a people given to priestcrafts and iniquities (see 2 Ne 10:5). In spite of these challenges, He continued to progress and began His ministry to reclaim this lost nation, now ‘dwindling in unbelief’ (1 Ne 10:11).
To Fulfill All Righteousness
At last He reached the age where He would begin His ministry to reclaim His fallen people. His first act in His ministry was to make the day’s journey from Judea to Bethabara, to meet the ‘prophet who would come before the Messiah, to prepare the way of the Lord’ (1 Ne 10:7). This man went forth to ‘cry in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight; for there standeth one among you whom ye know not; and he is mightier than I, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose’ (v 8).
‘The Lamb of God went forth and was baptized of him; and after he was baptized...the heavens open[ed], and the Holy Ghost [came] down out of heaven to abide upon him in the form of a dove’ (1 Ne 11:27). After this prophet baptized him, he ‘[beheld] and [bore] record that he had baptized the Lamb of God, who should take away the sins of the world’ (1 Ne 10:10).
Our Savior was holy, having never sinned, yet was baptized nonetheless. Understanding why our Lord was immersed in the river Jordan provides important insight for us, not only into our necessity of baptism, but in understanding why Christ did everything that He did in this life. ‘And now, if the Lamb of God, he being holy, should have need to be baptized by water, to fulfil all righteousness, O then, how much more need have we, being unholy, to be baptized, yea, even by water!’ (2 Ne 31:5).
Christ fulfilled all righteousness in this and all aspects of life, as ‘he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments’ (2 Ne 31:7) The act of His baptism, and all others He would do as part of his earthly travail, accomplished two important goals: first, He demonstrated ‘unto the children of men the straitness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which they should enter, he having set the example before them’ (2 Ne 31:9), and second He acted in perfect righteousness, submitting the will of the son to the will of the Father in all things. So said Christ, 'follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father? (2 Ne 31:10). In Christ’s baptism, as well as in every other act that He would do while on the earth, as He said in His own words ‘I am the light; I have set an example for you’ (3 Ne 18:16).
I Have Set an Example for You
This chapter is not meant to be a complete retelling of the life of Christ--indeed, volumes can be and have been written on the subject. Instead, this chapter is meant to be a brief overview of the life of Christ, as well as His ministry in the America’s, to summarize what the Savior of Mankind did in His time here on earth.
Nephi, 600 years before the advent of Christ, saw in vision the life of the Messiah from conception to crucifixion (see 1 Ne 11). After witnessing the baptism of Christ, he ‘looked, and [he] beheld the Son of God going forth among the children of men; and [he] saw many fall down at his feet and worship Him’ (v 24). The Light of the World 'went forth ministering unto the people in power and great glory; and the multitudes were gathered together to hear him’ (v 28). He spent His days preaching the gospel to this lost and fallen people, acting as ‘the word of truth and righteousness’ (Alma 38:9) for the children of Israel. Many came to him with physical and spiritual ailments, and these ‘multitudes of people who were sick, and who were afflicted with all manner of diseases, and with devils and unclean spirits...were healed by the power of the Lamb of God; and the devils and the unclean spirits were cast out’ (v 31). As He went forth, He ‘did no evil, neither was there any deceit in His mouth’ (Mosiah 14:9). Truly, he is ‘the law and the light’ (3 Ne 18:16) and He has ‘set an example for [us]’ (3 Ne 18:16).
Though He only did good, Nephi ‘beheld that [the multitudes] cast him out from among them’ (v 28). In the beautiful words penned by Isaiah, He was ‘despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and we hid, as it were, our faces from him. He was despised, and we esteemed Him not’ (Mosiah 14:3, Isaiah 53:3). He ‘suffer[ed] temptation, and yieldeth not to the temptation, but suffer[ed] Himself to be mocked, and scourged, and cast out, and disowned by his people (Mosiah 15:5). Throughout His life, He went ‘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’ (Alma 7:11). ‘And lo, he [suffered] temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer’ (Mosiah 3:7). Through these, Christ is able to understand our mortal experience, having suffered all these things as He went forth among the children of men.
The Will of the Son...Swallowed Up in the Will of the Father,
Through His suffering, Christ accomplished two important goals: first, He laid upon Himself the iniquities of all mankind and second, He suffered the pains of all mankind. Through these two, Christ was able to satisfy the demands of justice and bring about the bowels of mercy.
In the poignant words penned by Isaiah, through Christ’s suffering ‘He has borne our grief and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted...He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement [or punishment] of our peace was upon him, and with His stripes we are healed’ (Mosiah 14:4-5, Isaiah 53:4-5). During His suffering, He felt ‘the pains of all...men women and children’ (2 Ne 9:21) and ‘laid on Him the iniquities of us all’ (Mosiah 14:7, Isaiah 53:7). This suffering was so intense that ‘blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be His anguish for the wickedness and the abomination of His people’ (Mosiah 3:7). In this way, He took ‘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.... [for] Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance’ (Alma 7:11-12).
After suffering for the sins of mankind, one final act remained of His atoning sacrifice for the children of man: laying down His life for all mankind. It was expedient that Christ was born among those at Jerusalem (see 2 Ne 8:5), 'for thus it behooveth our God, and there is no other nation on earth that would crucify their God. For should the mighty miracles be wrought among other nations they would repent, and know that He be their God’ (2 Ne 10:3-5).
The Jews, 'judge[d] him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge[d] him, and he suffereth it; and they sm[o]te him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men.' (1 Ne 19:9). He came unto His own, and His own received Him not (see 3 Ne 9:16). The Lamb of God ‘was taken by the people; yea, the Son of the everlasting God was judged of the world’ and ‘was lifted up upon the cross’ (1 Ne 11:32-33). As He hung on the cross, ‘his visage was so marred, more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men’ (3 Ne 20:44, Isaiah 52:14). At last, He was ‘slain, the flesh becoming subject even unto death, the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father’ (Mosiah 15:7). Through this, He ‘suffer[ed] Himself to become subject unto man in the flesh, and die for all man’ (2 Ne 8:5), and this that ‘all men might become subject unto Him’ (2 Ne 9:5). In the ultimate expression of love, Christ laid down His own life (see 3 Ne 9:22), taking ‘upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people’ (Alma 7:11-12).
Other Sheep I Have
Christ was ‘laid in a sepulchre for the space for three days,’ and after which ‘He [rose] from the dead with healing in his wings’ (2 Ne 25:13). Having fulfilled all that His Father commanded, He was now perfect, obtaining the great fullness of His Father (see 3 Ne 12:48). He would appear to His other sheep: the descendants of Lehi living on the American continents (see 3 Ne 15:21). In this space of time, He showed to them all the great things which He did for those in Jerusalem.
For generations, the people of Nephi had looked forward to the coming of Christ and were filled with joy at the promise that He would show Himself unto them after His life in Jerusalem. They had witnessed the signs of His birth and death (see Ch 4), and they had gathered together around the temple, conversing with each other the great change of the land that came as part of the sign of His death. Few stories in the Book of Mormon are as poignant as the long-awaited appearance of Christ to this people.
‘And it came to pass that while they were thus conversing one with another, they heard a voice as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round about, for they understood not the voice which they heard; and it was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the center, insomuch that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it did pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their hearts to burn.
And it came to pass that again they heard the voice, and they understood it not. And again the third time they did hear the voice, and did open their ears to hear it; and their eyes were towards the sound thereof; and they did look steadfastly towards heaven, from whence the sound came.
And behold, the third time they did understand the voice which they heard; and it said unto them: Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him.
And it came to pass, as they understood they cast their eyes up again towards heaven; and behold, they saw a Man descending out of heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe; and he came down and stood in the midst of them; and the eyes of the whole multitude were turned upon him, and they durst not open their mouths, even one to another, and wist not what it meant, for they thought it was an angel that had appeared unto them.
And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people, saying:
Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.
And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning.
And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words the whole multitude fell to the earth; for they remembered that it had been prophesied among them that Christ should show himself unto them after his ascension into heaven.
And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto them saying: Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world.
And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come.
And when they had all gone forth and had witnessed for themselves, they did cry out with one accord, saying: Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God! And they did fall down at the feet of Jesus, and did worship him.’ (3 Ne 11:3-17)
In His days spent in the Americas, He called 12 apostles (3 Ne 12:1), gave them authority to baptize (3 Ne 11:21-22) and to give the Holy Ghost (3 Ne 18:37), taught them the gospel (3 Ne 11-27), instituted the sacrament (3 Ne 18:1-12), taught them how to pray (3 Ne 19:17-24), was transfigured along with the the apostles (3 Ne 19:25-30), quoted the prophets (3 Ne 20-26), established His church (3 Ne 27), and performed many miracles (3 Ne 20:6-7, 26:15). One story will be given to demonstrate the incredible love He has for this people:
‘But now I go unto the Father, and also to show myself unto the lost tribes of Israel, for they are not lost unto the Father, for he knoweth whither he hath taken them.
And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus spoken, he cast his eyes round about again on the multitude, and beheld they were in tears, and did look steadfastly upon him as if they would ask him to tarry a little longer with them.
And he said unto them: Behold, my bowels are filled with compassion towards you.
Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy.
For I perceive that ye desire that I should show unto you what I have done unto your brethren at Jerusalem, for I see that your faith is sufficient that I should heal you.
And it came to pass that when he had thus spoken, all the multitude, with one accord, did go forth with their sick and their afflicted, and their lame, and with their blind, and with their dumb, and with all them that were afflicted in any manner; and he did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto him.
And they did all, both they who had been healed and they who were whole, bow down at his feet, and did worship him; and as many as could come for the multitude did kiss his feet, insomuch that they did bathe his feet with their tears.
And it came to pass that he commanded that their little children should be brought.
So they brought their little children and set them down upon the ground round about him, and Jesus stood in the midst; and the multitude gave way till they had all been brought unto him.
And it came to pass that when they had all been brought, and Jesus stood in the midst, he commanded the multitude that they should kneel down upon the ground.
And it came to pass that when they had knelt upon the ground, Jesus groaned within himself, and said: Father, I am troubled because of the wickedness of the people of the house of Israel.
And when he had said these words, he himself also knelt upon the earth; and behold he prayed unto the Father, and the things which he prayed cannot be written, and the multitude did bear record who heard him.
And after this manner do they bear record: The eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard, before, so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak unto the Father;
And no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak; and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father.
And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying unto the Father, he arose; but so great was the joy of the multitude that they were overcome.
And it came to pass that Jesus spake unto them, and bade them arise.
And they arose from the earth, and he said unto them: Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full.
And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.
And when he had done this he wept again;
And he spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones.
And as they looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven, and they saw the heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them.
And the multitude did see and hear and bear record; and they know that their record is true for they all of them did see and hear, every man for himself; and they were in number about two thousand and five hundred souls; and they did consist of men, women, and children’ (3 Ne 17: 5-25)
Having done all these things for them, He ascended to His father, appearing to them from time to time, after having established His church among a people who would remain righteous for four generations. Christ then went to His other sheep, the lost tribes of Israel, who also wrote of His coming. In a coming day, we will receive the words of these people, as further testimony of the divinity of the Savior of Mankind (see 3 Ne 16:4).