Because of the Book of Mormon

The topic of discussion in Sunday School and Relief Society this past week was the Book of Mormon. During our lesson in Relief Society, the teacher wrote up several truths that President Hinckley identifies as being taught in the Book of Mormon. We then had a discussion focused on how these truths change our perspective. How are our lives different because we know these truths? Of the several listed, one in particular jumped out at me:

Jesus Christ is our Redeemer.

As a missionary in Italy, the majority of people I met had faith of some sort. Whether they weekly attended church functions or preferred personal worship over organized religion, most everyone I talked to claimed to believe in God. But then I realized, that although almost 100% of the people I talked to every day said they were Christian, I hardly ever heard them talk about Jesus Christ. They would talk about God and Mary and Peter and other saints or prophets or religious figures, but rarely was their faith focused on Jesus Christ.

The title page of the Book of Mormon reads that the purpose of the book is to "[convince]...the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God..." I have learned countless lessons from the Book of Mormon, but if I were to pin down the most vital, the most prominent theme of the Book of Mormon, it would be its purpose as stated: it has convinced me that Jesus is the Christ. And that knowledge changes everything for me.

Because of the Book of Mormon, I know that Jesus Christ is the source to look to for a remission of my sins. I have never been unsure about where to turn to or who could help me escape the pits and chains of sin. I have never had to wonder if there was any way to be freed from the darkness that follows disobedience. The Book of Mormon has always testified to me that Jesus Christ is my Redeemer, that He could and would rescue me if I turned to Him.

Because of the Book of Mormon, I also know that He is the only way by which salvation comes. No matter how many righteous acts I perform throughout my life, they cannot save me. There is no other person, practice, or object that mediates between me and God. Jesus Christ alone is my Advocate, interceding on my behalf before the Father.

Because of the Book of Mormon, I know that I can receive forgiveness for my sins; when I have felt God's forgiveness, I have known that it is real! That forgiveness is unequivocal, almost tangible. It is the sensation of a deep wound being totally healed, without scar, without vestigial pain. The resulting relief, hope, joy come through faith in Christ who makes me whole.

Because of the Book of Mormon, I know that Jesus is the Christ, the Light and the Life of the world—not just in a blanket-statement way, but personally. It was in the blue of the sky and the warmth of the sun as I walked to church on Sunday. It was on top of the mountains as I stood beside my good friends and looked in awe at the peaks and valleys surrounding us. It was in hugging my family when I got off the plane at the end of my mission. It was in my father's hands on my head as he gave me a blessing that promised great things in my future. Again and again, Jesus Christ has blessed me with life and has filled me with light, the promise of good things to come, the hope of joy in following His path, the assurance that endings are never permanent, but that their sorrow is swallowed up in His love.

Because of the Book of Mormon, I know that the marks in His hands and feet are a crowning symbol of His sacrifice for each of us so that we could be resurrected and brought again into the presence of our eternal Father, to go no more out. Those marks are a promise that He has never forgotten me. My trials have never gone unnoticed; His compassion has never been checked in my regard. In all things, He has walked beside me, going with me where no one else could.

Because of the Book of Mormon, "I know in whom I have trusted." He has become an indelible force in my life, an unmistakable presence in both the sunshine and the rain that fall on my path. I see His hands shaping my way, molding me—if I allow Him—to become all He wants me to be as a daughter of God.

The Book of Mormon has confirmed over and over that Jesus Christ is my Redeemer. And that has changed everything for me. I am not burdened by past sins and mistakes. I am full of hope and excitement for the future. I am not afraid of the fiery darts of the adversary. I have learned on Whom to build my firm foundation. I have found enduring peace in my faith in Christ.

The Book of Mormon has brought me to an empowering knowledge of my Redeemer. What has it done for you?

Anika