What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Jesus?

[Greg West]

Here's another chapter from my book, A Mormon Answers the Hard Questions Posed by Anti-Mormons

Mormon critics often accuse Latter-day Saints of believing in another Jesus than the one in the Bible. This ludicrous slander is baseless and doesn't even make sense when one considers that "recognized" Christian denominations differ in their conceptions of who Jesus Christ was, what his mission was, and who and what he is today.

Of course, anti-Mormon pamphleteers don't want you to actually examine Christian history. They just want you to believe that their particular interpretation of Christian theology is the only authoritative one, despite the interdenominational disunity and rivalry.

If you get a chance, ask an evangelical minister if Catholics (who believe in the Pope, veneration of saints, reverence for religious icons, and centuries of tradition in addition to the Holy Bible) are Christians. He may "them and haw,” seeking to avoid directly answering your question, but if you press him, he will admit he believes that practicing Catholics will not be saved by virtue of being Catholic.. That condemns over a billion Christians, right there.

This is well and good, because in 2007, Pope Benedict XVI declared in an official statement that Protestant denominations “cannot be called true churches in the proper sense” because their ministers cannot trace their authority back to the ancient apostles. (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Declaration “Dominus Iesus” on the Unicity and Salvific Universality of Jesus Christ and the Church)

While the Protestants and Catholics are busy condemning each other, Mormon doctrine, by comparison, condemns no one to a burning hell for having a different opinion. We believe that God blesses each of us according to the light we choose to accept, believe, and live. Nevertheless, the Christian world is far from united in what it believes about Jesus Christ, his mission, his teachings, and his Church.

Let's get back to the subject at hand, what does the Book of Mormon teach about Christ? Truly, the founder of the Church and translator of the Book of Mormon said that a man will get nearer to God by abiding its principles than any other book. It merits at least a brief look at what the book professes about Jesus Christ.

For according to the words of the prophets, the Messiah cometh in six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem; and according to the words of the prophets, and also the word of the angel of God, his name shall be Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (2 Nephi 25:19)

For behold, the time cometh, and is not far distant, that with power, the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth, who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity, shall come down from heaven among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay, and shall go forth amongst men, working mighty miracles, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and curing all manner of diseases. And he shall cast out devils, or the evil spirits which dwell in the hearts of the children of men. And lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people. And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary. And lo, he cometh unto his own, that salvation might come unto the children of men even through faith on his name; and even after all this they shall consider him a man, and say that he hath a devil, and shall scourge him, and shall crucify him. And he shall arise the third day from the dead; and behold, he standeth to judge the world; and behold, all these things are done that a righteous judgment might come upon the children of men. (Mosiah 3:5-10)

How is it measuring up so far? Sound like the same Jesus to you so far? Now, there are those critics who falsely claim that Mormons believe "another gospel," one that believes that one is saved by one's works in the flesh. This too, is an inaccurate portrayal of what we believe. The Book of Mormon teaches:

Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered. Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise. Wherefore, he is the firstfruits unto God, inasmuch as he shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved. (2 Nephi 2:7-9)

And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens. And there came a voice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed. And I, Enos, knew that God could not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away. And I said: Lord, how is it done? And he said unto me: Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen. (Enos 1:8)

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. (2 Nephi 25:23)

The ancient prophet Mormon's own son Moroni, wrote the best description I've ever read of how faith and grace work salvation in the life of a believer.

Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot. (Moroni 10:32-33)

The Book of Mormon relates the account of a prophet-king named Benjamin who lived approximately 124 B.C. He preached Christ unto his subjects, bringing to pass a great spiritual outpouring upon them.

And they had viewed themselves in their own carnal state, even less than the dust of the earth. And they all cried aloud with one voice, saying: O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created heaven and earth, and all things; who shall come down among the children of men. And it came to pass that after they had spoken these words the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience, because of the exceeding faith which they had in Jesus Christ who should come, according to the words which king Benjamin had spoken unto them. (Mosiah 4:2-4)

In his explanation of the Jews' observance of the Mosaic Law and it's ritual sacrifices, the Book of Mormon prophet Alma explained it's symbolism to the (yet future) sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

...Thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance. (Alma 34:15)

The Book of Mormon prophet Samuel the Lamanite taught why it was necessary for Jesus to suffer and die to bring about the resurrection of the dead.

For behold, he surely must die that salvation may come; yea, it behooveth him and becometh expedient that he dieth, to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, that thereby men may be brought into the presence of the Lord. Yea, behold, this death bringeth to pass the resurrection, and redeemeth all mankind from the first death—that spiritual death; for all mankind, by the fall of Adam being cut off from the presence of the Lord, are considered as dead, both as to things temporal and to things spiritual. But behold, the resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind, yea, even all mankind, and bringeth them back into the presence of the Lord. (Helaman 14:15-17)

Let me ask again. Does this sound like "another gospel to you?" Faith, repentance for sin, mercy, and the blood of Christ offered for the sins of all mankind? Does anything in what you've read so far imply that Mormons look to anyone other than Jesus Christ as the Savior?

The most magnificent part of the Book of Mormon is the Third Book of Nephi. After centuries of waiting, the peoples of the Book of Mormon were visited by Jesus Christ, some months after his crucifixion and resurrection. This account contains the most transcendent and powerful testimony in existence of Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world. It wouldn't do justice to quote it here, so I encourage you to go to the Church web site at www.lds.org which has an online version of all our scriptures, including the Book of Mormon.

In these chapters, Jesus heals their sick, calls twelve disciples to baptize the believers, blesses the children. He teaches them to have faith, to pray, to keep God's commandments, and to endure all things in faith. He ministers to them and blesses them in ways that defy mortal man's ability to describe. There is no more compelling witness to believe in Jesus Christ than the Book of Mormon.

Book of Mormon should seem "familiar" to you as you read it. You can feel the truthfulness of it. There is only one Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. There is only one gospel. The Book of Mormon is not another gospel, but it is another witness of the gospel that testifies of Jesus' divinity. The passages I have cited above are a characteristic few of hundreds of powerful passages that witness for Christ.

Don't give credence to the Church's critics when your heart tells you otherwise. I encourage you to read, ponder, and pray about the Book of Mormon. Ask God if it is true with a sincere heart and a willingness to follow the answer you'll receive, and you will most definitely learn for yourself that the Book of Mormon is of God.