My Dear Brethren And Sisters I Humbly...

My dear brethren and sisters, I humbly pray that the Spirit of God will direct me that I may bear my testimony this morning along with the testimonies borne by the other brethren. ¶

During the past year I have had several most unusual experiences. I desire this morning to recount one of them. ¶

I had the opportunity to go to the Holy Land last July, a privilege which I had desired for many years. My son was released from the Swiss-Austrian Mission, having completed two and one-half years' service. I joined him and three other outstanding elders, and the five of us went to the places made famous and sacred through the life of the Master. ¶

We were met at the airport at Tel Aviv by a very outstanding man named Joseph, a Jew who had fled from Germany at the time that Hitler killed four or five million of those unfortunate people. Joseph spoke several languages fluently. He was a very cultured person, a historian by profession before he left Germany. He was familiar with the history of Palestine, both the ecclesiastical and the profane, and of course he told us about numerous historical events in a very pleasing and faith-promoting way. ¶

When we entered the Holy City, we were psychologically and spiritually prepared for the wonderful experiences that we were to have that day and the following few days while in Israel. I said to my traveling companions, "I have a feeling of peace and contentment such as I have experienced only a few times in my life. It is a feeling similar to one that I had the first time I entered the Sacred Grove or when I go into the house of the Lord." ¶

Each of these young men said, 'We are experiencing a similar feeling." ¶

Joseph, our guide, took us from place to place in Jerusalem and described many of the important events that had taken place in ancient times, especially those that pertained to the life of Jesus. ¶

My traveling companions hummed the tune, "I walked today where Jesus walked." We were thrilled when we were shown the traditional place where Christ was born in Bethlehem, the place in Jerusalem where he was crucified, the spot where he was buried and where he later rose from the grave. We were reminded that he met Mary Magdalene near the tomb before he ascended to heaven. All of these events as well as numerous other important events which had occurred in the Holy City were explained to us in a masterful way. ¶

We went northward to Galilee. There we saw many marvelous things which recalled to our memories important events connected with the life of Christ. ¶

One outstanding experience that comes to my mind vividly at this moment occurred in Nazareth. We were standing in front of what is known as "Mary's Well," the place, according to our guide, where Mary, when a girl went to get water just as the girls do in that part of the world today. During the past few days we had eagerly listened to Joseph's accounts of the events that had occurred during the life of Jesus of Nazareth. He had told these stories with great faith. ¶

I said to him, "Joseph, I would like to ask you a question." As I think about it, it appears, I realize, that I perhaps was a little unfair in taking advantage of him as I did. ¶

He replied, "If I can answer your question, I will be very happy to do so. ¶

I then said, "You have told us about the miraculous things that took place at the birth of John the Baptist and explained these things with much faith. ¶

You have told about the Angel Gabriel's appearance to Mary, announcing the birth of Christ and declaring that he would be the Son of God. You have told about the birth of Jesus, and have showed us the place where the shepherds were feeding their flocks, as well as the place where Christ was born in a manger. You have told us about the new star that appeared at his birth and about the wise men who came to see him soon thereafter. You have told us about Christ's various visits to the temple from the time he was twelve years old until his last visit there shortly before his crucifixion. You have taken us to the room which is claimed to be the one in which Jesus and his apostles ate the Last Supper. You maintained that that was the place where Christ had appeared to the apostles the day of his resurrection. You reminded us that the doors and windows were shut and locked, and yet he suddenly stood in their midst. Jesus observed that the apostles thought that he was a spirit. ¶

Perceiving their thoughts, he said, '. . . ¶

handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.' (Luke 24:39.) You showed us Golgotha, the Place of the Skulls, and said, 'There is where Christ was crucified.' And then you told us that Jesus had been taken down from the cross and buried in Joseph of Arimathea's tomb. ¶

You pointed out a spot in a swale to the south of Golgotha where it is claimed that Christ was buried. Then you said that an angel came to the tomb and rolled the stone away from the door and that Christ was resurrected from the dead and appeared first to Mary Magdalene. You have repeated to us many passages of scripture related to the importance of Christ's ministry. For example, 'Jesus saith unto her [Mary], Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go tell my brethren and say unto them, I ascend to my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.'" (John 20:17.) This famous statement declares the universal brotherhood of man and the Fatherhood of God. ¶

"You said that Jesus did ascend into heaven, and then you declared that later he descended to earth to visit his apostles. You pointed out that he appeared to several groups of people following his resurrection. And you have shown us the place of his final ascension. ¶

"You have said that Christ healed the sick and raised the dead, and you have shown us various places where he did those miraculous things. You have claimed that Christ cast out devils, restored sight to the blind, and performed all sorts of miracles. You showed us where he stilled the waves on the Sea of Galilee, and where he walked on the waters of that same sea." ¶

Joseph replied, "Yes, I have explained these things to you." ¶

I then remarked, "This is my question: Do you actually believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world, the universal Messiah, your Savior, my Savior, and the Savior of the entire human family?" ¶

He looked very perplexed, a little dumbfounded. When he regained his composure he replied, "I suppose that since I am an orthodox Jew that in giving an answer to that question I am forced to say that I do not accept Jesus to be the Christ, the Savior of the world, your Savior and my Savior. The Jews regard Christ as a great prophet, one of the greatest that has ever lived, but they do not accept him as the real Messiah. We are looking for the Messiah to come." ¶

Then I said, "Joseph, I want to bear witness to you that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world, the only true and living Messiah. All the things you have told us are true — those things recorded in the New Testament which you have accounted with much faith. Jesus Christ broke the bands of death; he not only rose from the grave, being the first fruits of the resurrection, but he also made it possible for all human beings, regardless of how righteously or how wickedly they live, to rise from the grave. ¶

And furthermore, he gave us the gospel of Jesus Christ, a plan of salvation, promising that if we render obedience to it and remain faithful to the end, we shall come back into his presence and dwell with the Father and the Son forever. Jesus did ascend into heaven. ¶

He now sits on the right hand of the Father, where he reigns as our Lord, our God, our Judge, and our Savior." ¶

Curiously he asked: "How do you know that all of these things are true?" ¶

I replied, "First, I know these things are true through the power of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost has borne witness to my heart that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world; and so I am as certain that he is as I am sure that I am alive. It is only through the power of the Holy Ghost that any person can declare Jesus to be the Christ, and that we can know that he is the Only Begotten of the Father. ¶

"Second, following Christ's death and resurrection, he appeared to another branch of Israel over in America. These people were called the Nephites. Their ancestors had come from Jerusalem." ¶

And then I described the great storm, the earthquakes, the intense darkness, and terrific destruction that took place on the western hemisphere at the time of Christ's crucifixion. I then told him about the Resurrected Lord's appearance to the inhabitants of ancient America, explaining that he taught them the gospel and established his Church among the Nephites. I also explained that for nearly two hundred years they were a righteous people, developing one of the most perfect societies that the world has ever known. Finally, those people dropped into wickedness, and then the Nephites as a nation were destroyed by the Lamanites. ¶

And I further explained: "My third reason for my positive conviction that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, and Savior, lies in the fact that in the spring of 1820 he appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith, a boy in the state of New York, at a place known today as the Sacred Grove. He was accompanied on this glorious visitation by the Eternal Father. There he told the boy not to join any existing church, but that he would be the instrument in the hands of God through which the true Church would be established in due time. During the following several years, Joseph Smith was taught the true gospel of Jesus Christ through the ministration of angels and through visitations from Jesus Christ. Acting in accordance with divine command, this prophet organized the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the 6th day of April, 1830. The Church was declared by the Lord to be 'the only true and living church in the world with which he was well pleased.' That Church was endowed with all the powers, priesthood, authority, doctrines, and ordinances that have been held by any and all dispensations from Adam's day down to the present time. ¶

It possesses all that is necessary and requisite for the salvation and eternal exaltation of the human family. ¶

"Furthermore," I said, "some day members of the Church of Jesus Christ will bring the gospel to your people, and then God's covenants with your ancient prophets will all be fulfilled." ¶

Also, I told him that when the Jews repent and accept the gospel of Jesus Christ, which, according to the ancient prophets, will take place at the time of the fulness of the Gentiles, and when they look not for another Messiah to come but accept him who has come as their Messiah, then God will remember the covenants made with their ancestors. ¶

At that time missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, having the true gospel, will take that gospel to the Jews. Many of them will believe and accept Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world. ¶

In all sincerity, Joseph remarked: ¶

"These are the most marvelous things I have ever listened to in my life. I would like to learn more." He asked for a copy of Orson Hyde's prayer when he dedicated the Holy Land for the return of the Jews, and also for a copy of the Book of Mormon. ¶

May God bless us. ¶

I know that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world, that he is our Redeemer, our Lord and our God. May we keep his commandments and remain faithful unto the end, that we may come back into his holy presence I pray in Jesus' name. Amen. ¶