Jesus Christ

Could Jesus have sinned? If He could not sin, what was the point of the temptation? Every person who was ever created by Heavenly Father was given the gift of moral agency, which is the right to make choices. This includes Jesus Christ. The Savior’s gift to us was one He gave willingly, which was a necessary part of the gift. This means that when Satan tried to tempt Him, Jesus could indeed have given into temptation. God knew, when He sent Jesus, that His Son would not sin, but Jesus had the ability to do so if He chose. Howard W. Hunter, a former prophet of the Mormons, spoke on this subject before he was a prophet. Elder Hunter, as he was then called, said, “It is important to remember that Jesus was capable of sinning, that he could have succumbed, that the plan of life and salvation could have been foiled, but that he remained true. Had there been no possibility of his yielding to the enticement of Satan, there would have been no real test, no genuine victory in the result.... Read the rest of this entry »

The New Testament authors, who provide the earliest reliable information about Jesus of Nazareth, noted that Jesus Christ often prayed during his life, especially at critical points in his ministry (Luke 5:16; 9:28). Additionally, the Gospels also provide information about what Jesus taught about prayer.  For example, Jesus told his disciples, “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened” (Luke 11:9-10).  This is a glorious promise, one that applies moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day.  It is understated, and perhaps by some, underexamined and underutilized.  Prayer is the means by which we develop our relationship with God and the Savior, and by which he is enabled to offer the additional assistance he freely loves to give. Prayer is the conduit to God’s power, his perspective, and his... Read the rest of this entry »