Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is first mentioned in the Book of Mormon in the very first verse, when Nephi, a prophet of the Book of Mormon, writes that he had been highly favored of the Lord in all his days. It’s been said by scholars that Jesus Christ or his mission are mentioned every 1.7 verses on average, which is more often than the Bible itself mentions Jesus Christ.

The Mormon religion includes the Book of Mormon, which is not the Mormon Bible, but a book used in addition to the Bible. The Book of Mormon story involves a family that left Jerusalem at the time of the prophet Jeremiah. The father, Lehi, was a prophet whose life was in danger when he tried to call the people of Jerusalem to repentance. His family and a few others fled to what is now the American continent, where they began a new civilization. The continent was not empty at the time-they were simply one group among many.

The people of the Book of Mormon brought scriptures with them, equivalent, roughly, to the first five books of the Bible. They knew of Jesus Christ and saw Him in visions prior to His birth. When He was born, they were given signs that had been promised by their prophets, and they also knew when He was killed. After His death, He came to them in person, and spent several days helping them to formally organize His church and teaching them more about God. He gave them blessings, healed the sick, and taught them of His great love for them. This is the centerpiece of the Book of Mormon story, and it’s primary purpose for existing. It serves as additional evidence that Jesus Christ is real and is divine, that He loves all His children and came for all of them, not just those born in Jerusalem. It serves to testify of the truthfulness of the Bible, as Biblical passages are quoted often by the Book of Mormon prophets.

The Book of Mormon centers around the Savior, Jesus Christ:

“23 For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do. …

26 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.  (2 Nephi 25)

Following are just five of the things the Book of Mormon teaches Mormons about Jesus Christ:

1. Jesus loves all of us, and is not a respecter of persons. (2 Nephi 26:33)

2. Jesus Christ died for our sins. (2 Nephi 9:21)

3. Anyone willing to pray with a sincere heart can know Jesus is the Christ. (Moroni 10:3-5)

4. Salvation comes to man only through Jesus Christ. (Mosiah 3:17)

5. Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. (Jacob 4:5)

Throughout the Book of Mormon, you’ll find great truths about Jesus Christ, revealed or testified of. You’ll come away from your reading of it with an increased love for Jesus Christ and a renewed understanding of just how great His love for us really is.