On Behalf Of The First Presidency Of...

On behalf of the First Presidency of the Church I bring greetings and best wishes to all assembled here in this great Tabernacle, to the vast listening audience, and to all the world, and bear witness to you that ". . . 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); that the gospel of Christ "is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" ¶

(Rom. 1:16); and that Christ's work and his glory, in his own words, is ". . . to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39.) Today I should like to address myself especially to the young people of the Church, and to any others who may be listening in, and humbly pray that the Spirit of the Lord will enlighten our minds and touch our hearts, that we may understand the truthfulness and the meaning of the statement, "For I know that my redeemer liveth, . . ." ¶

(Job 19:25.) The Real Existence of the Father and the Son Because of the great doubt that exists throughout the world and which has been expressed in many places, even by influential men, including ministers of the gospel, regarding the real existence of God the Eternal Father and his Son Jesus Christ, some of our youth are experiencing doubt and are asking such questions as: "Was Jesus Christ actually the Son of God?" "Was he crucified and literally resurrected?" "Is the gospel any more than just a moral code of ethics?" ¶

Before dealing with these questions I should like to emphasize this one fact, that those who are questioning the existence and power of God and his Son Jesus Christ and the purpose of Christ's mission here upon the earth readily accept the fact that man with his finite mind can put inanimate things into space and keep in touch with them, receive messages from and send messages to them and control them, and that he has directed their courses even to the point of hitting the moon. Yet they doubt that God the Creator of all can speak to man, that man's prayers can be and truly are answered regularly. ¶

The Scriptures Testify of Him The scriptures have much to say about the coming of Jesus Christ, his mission, his crucifixion and resurrection, the message of peace and love, and the plan of life and salvation which he brought. ¶

All of the scriptures which we have are not accepted by all of the people in the world today. The Old Testament is accepted by the Jewish people as the word of God. The Old Testament and the New Testament are accepted by the Catholics and Protestants as the word of God. ¶

We as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly called Mormons, accept the Old Testament and the New Testament and also the Book of Mormon as the word of God, as well as the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. ¶

These are accepted as the standard works of our Church. ¶

There is no conflict between the teachings of the Old and New Testament or between the Bible and the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price, all of which contain the gospel message as given by God through his prophets from Adam down to Joseph Smith, and by Jesus Christ himself as he visited the Old and the New World? It is my intention to refer to all of these scriptures which provide us with irrefutable documented evidence and testimony that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and the Savior of the world. ¶

His Coming Predicted One of the greatest evidences that he is the Son of God and that he was chosen by God as the Savior of the world is the fact that his coming was foretold centuries before his birth and mission here upon the earth. His coming was seen in vision and foretold by Adam, Enoch, Moses, Job, David, Zechariah, Isaiah, Micah, Lehi, Nephi, Jacob, King Benjamin, Alma, Abinadi, Samuel, and many others, including Mary, the mother of Jesus. ¶

Moses tells us that after they had been turned out of the Garden of Eden into the lone and dreary world, Adam and Eve, his wife, called upon the name of the Lord and offered sacrifice unto the Lord. ¶

"And after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? ¶

And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me. ¶

"And then the angel spake, saying: ¶

This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth. ¶

"Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore. ¶

"And in that day the Holy Ghost fell upon Adam, which beareth record of the Father and the Son, saying: I am the Only Begotten of the Father from the beginning, henceforth and forever, that as thou hast fallen thou mayest be redeemed, and all mankind, even as many as will. . . . ¶

"And thus the Gospel began to be preached, from the beginning, . . ." ¶

(Moses 5:6-9, 58.) Oral Traditions Ever since that time this information has been handed down from father to son, and therefore the human family, whether pagans or Christians, have continued to look toward some kind of God and rely upon a Savior to redeem them from the evils of mortality. Because of apostasies and false teachings, men have had distorted views and beliefs regarding Jesus the Christ. However, because of God's interest in the immortality and eternal life of man, he has seen fit to inform his people through his chosen prophets in the different dispensations that Jesus is the Christ and that their salvation can come only in and through him. ¶

Enoch saw the day of the coming of the Son of Man, even in the flesh, and he beheld the Son of Man lifted up on the cross, after the manner of men, and then Enoch beheld the Son of Man ascend up unto the Father. (See ibid.. ¶

7:47-59.) Prophecies of His Coming It is impossible for me today to refer to or quote from more than a few of the visions and prophecies foretelling the coming of Christ. However, seven hundred years before Christ was born, Isaiah made this prophecy: ¶

"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, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (Isa. 9:6.) He also predicted that Christ would be born of a virgin, that he would be despised and rejected of men, and that he would go like a lamb to the slaughter and make intercession for the transgressors, and said, "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted." (See ibid., 53:1-12.) His Coming Anticipated Through the Centuries In the Book of Mormon we find that from six hundred years before Christ until the time of his coming many American prophets from Lehi to the Lamanite prophet Samuel had foretold that he would be born of a virgin, that he was the Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh, that he would heal the sick and bless the poor, that he would minister among the people in power and glory, but that he would be judged and crucified by man; and they predicted that whosoever shall believe in the Son of God, the same shall have everlasting life. "And if ye believe on his name ye will repent of all your sins, that thereby ye may have a remission of them through his merits." (Hela. 14:13.) And we all know, as recorded in Luke, the angel said unto Mary: ¶

". . . thou shalt . . . bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. ¶

"He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: ¶

"And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." (Luke 1:31-33.) I am sure that many of you young people wonder how it was that the shepherds and the wise men were looking for and recognized the sign that would tell of the birth of the Savior. They expected a new star. This was because ancient prophets had foretold the signs that would appear. Those who had read of the prophecies were prepared for these signs when they came, and what a thrilling thing it is to know, as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, that the wise men from the east followed the star to the place of his birth, and as they came to Jerusalem they asked: ". . . Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him." (Matt. 2:2.) They were instructed to go to Bethlehem, where he would be born, as prophesied by Micah the prophet. When they arrived at Bethlehem, they saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and fell down and worshiped him. ¶

He Dwelt Among Men All the scriptures to which I have referred are testimonies of those who were told by angels or by God himself, many years before the birth of Christ, that he is the Son of God; that he would come and dwell among men; that he would be crucified and resurrected; and that all of this was done that all mankind may be saved. ¶

His Ancient Disciples Testify We also have the testimonies of many of those who walked and talked with him while he was here on the earth among men, who testify that he is the Son of God. In fact, the New Testament gives its readers a beautiful and enlightening story of Jesus while in mortality and of his message of love and salvation and of his crucifixion and resurrection. ¶

We have Peter's testimony as recorded in Matthew, when Christ, speaking to his disciples, ". . . saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? ¶

Peter's Testimony "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. ¶

"And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: ¶

for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." (Ibid., 16:15-17.) Paul, A Witness Then imagine Paul, who without fear, but with conviction, pleaded for himself as he stood in chains for trial before Agrippa, saying that he had persecuted the Christians, and when they were put to death he gave his voice against them. ¶

He then recited the vision which he received while he was on his way to Damascus to persecute the Saints, saying: ¶

"At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. ¶

"And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? ¶

it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. ¶

"And I said, Who art thou, Lord? ¶

And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest." (Acts 26:13-15.) Paul then bore testimony that he was directed to tell the people that Christ had appeared to him, that they were to repent and turn to God and do the works meet for repentance, and said: ¶

"For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me." {Ibid., 26:21.) As he proceeded to plead for himself he said: ¶

"King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. ¶

"Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. ¶

"And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds." ¶

{Ibid., 26:27-29.) Other Testimonies of Paul Paul, when released, continued to bear testimony to the Romans, the Corinthians, the Ephesians, and many others that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world, and that he did appear to and instruct him. ¶

Now let me refer to Christ's own beautiful Sermon on the Mount, in which he admonished mankind: ¶

The Testimony of His Teachings "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matt. ¶

6:33.) Then he went on to say: ¶

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." ¶

{Ibid., 7:21.) Another touching testimony of the reality and love of Christ, even as he suffered on the cross, is found in these words: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34.) And when one of the thieves said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom," Jesus replied, "Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." {Ibid., 23:42-43.) Finally, he said: "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost." {Ibid., 23:46.) His Resurrection On the early morning of the Sabbath following his crucifixion the devoted Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to the tomb, and the angel who had rolled away the stone said unto the women: ¶

". . . Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. ¶

"He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. ¶

"And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; . . ." ¶

(Matt. 28:5-7.) His Disciples, Witnesses Following his resurrection, the disciples were discussing the message that the Lord had risen indeed and had appeared to Simon. ¶

"And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and said unto them, Peace be unto you. ¶

"But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. ¶

"And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? ¶

"Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. ¶

"And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet." ¶

(Luke 24:36-40.) Thomas, who was not present, did not believe that Jesus had come to them, but after eight days Jesus appeared again to the disciples, and Thomas was with them. ¶

"Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. ¶

"And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. ¶

"Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. ¶

"And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: ¶

"But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." (John 20:27-31.) When Jesus had spoken to his Aposties, and while they beheld, he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight. ¶

"And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; "Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? ¶

this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." (See Acts 1:9-11.) Testimony from the Western World In the Book of Mormon also we have the testimony that Christ appeared to the multitude on the American continent following his crucifixion, and the multitude heard a voice which said unto them: ¶

"Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name — hear ye him. ¶

"... 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 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." (3 Nephi 11:7-10.) And he invited them to come forth and thrust their hands into his side and to feel the prints of the nails in his hands and feet (See ibid., 11:14-15.) All Trustworthy Witnesses All of these testimonies to which I have referred were made by men of integrity who had no reason to lie or deceive or mislead in any way, but who in spite of all threats and danger continued to testify that they had seen Jesus Christ before, at the time of, and following his crucifixion and resurrection. These testimonies then are of the resurrected Lord, not Jesus, the Teacher, nor Jesus of Nazareth, but Jesus the Lord, the Redeemer of mankind. ¶

Why do men doubt the truthfulness of these irrefutable testimonies of these great men and deprive themselves and their families of the guidance of his Spirit? I urge those who have any doubt to do as Moroni admonishes us to do, that is, ". . . ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost." (Moroni 10:4.) Joseph Smith, a Witness One of the most outstanding testimonies of all time regarding the divinity of Jesus Christ is that borne by that young boy Joseph Smith in our dispensation just over a century ago, when he, only fourteen years of age, went into the grove alone to ask God in all humility which church he should join. From his own written record we read the experience of this young man: ¶

"... I kneeled down and began to offer up the desire of my heart to God "... I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, . . . ¶

". . . When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other— This is My Beloved Son. Hear Himl "... I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right — and which I should join. ¶

"I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong." ¶

(Joseph Smith 2:15-19.) As he left that grove he knew as he knew he lived that God and Jesus Christ live and that in answer to his prayer they had appeared and spoken to him. ¶

As he told ministers and others of his experience and the vision that he had seen, though he was an obscure boy of only fourteen years of age, he was persecuted by the great ones of the most popular sects of the day, and ridiculed and tormented. In spite of all this persecution he continued to bear testimony that he had seen a vision; that God knew he had seen it and that he could not deny it. (See ibid., 2:25.) The "Testimony Last of All" ¶

Another vision to which I should like to refer is that given to Joseph Smith the Prophet and Sidney Rigdon over a year after the Church was organized, which bears further witness that Jesus is the Christ in these words: ¶

"Hear, O ye heavens, and give ear, O earth, and rejoice ye inhabitants thereof, for the Lord is God, and beside him there is no Savior. ¶

"By the power of the Spirit our eyes were opened and our understandings were enlightened, so as to see and understand the things of God — "And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! ¶

"For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father — "That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God." (D&C 76:1, 12, 22-24.) He is the Christ .... ¶

And to you young people today I should like to bear my own personal testimony that by the power of the Holy Ghost I know as I know I live that God lives; that Jesus is the Christ, the Redeemer of the world; that he came and dwelt among men; that he willingly gave his life for you and me; that he was literally resurrected; that he and God the Eternal Father did actually appear to Joseph Smith in answer to his prayer. ¶

If people throughout the world would accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God and keep his commandments, there would be no more war but peace and good will in the world, and we would be assured of immortality and eternal life. ¶

I further bear testimony that David O. McKay is a prophet of God, as were the prophets who preceded him and that he is led and directed by the Lord himself. ¶

It is our responsibility as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who have this testimony to bear it to the world and to keep the commandments of God so that we might all enjoy eternal life, which is God's greatest gift to man. May God bless us all to this end, I humbly pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶