The greatest act of ingratitude is failing to recognize and appreciate the Atonement of Jesus Christ. To ignore Christ is the height of foolishness, while obedience to Him brings the greatest happiness. Following the Lord and keeping His commandments is the most profound wisdom we can demonstrate in our lives.
I have sought divine guidance in choosing and delivering this message, not for personal gain, but out of concern for the perception of religious education and the importance of this subject. For the sake of the message, the reputation of this institution, and your valuable time, I pray for clarity of expression, guided by the Holy Spirit. I also pray that this message will resonate in your hearts, that where my words may fall short, the Spirit will amplify. While I take full responsibility for what I share today, I believe in the truth of these principles.
I acknowledge the valuable resources that have aided me in preparing this message, particularly the topical guide in the LDS edition of the Bible and the index in the new edition of the triple combination, which significantly helped in locating relevant references.
Scriptures Bear Witness of Christ
This time of year fills us with joy. The Christmas season brings excitement, carols, the spirit of giving, and reflections on the coming and mortal birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Born in a humble manger, His birth was truly a holy night. He is the Son of God the Father and Mary. Prophets foretold His coming, angels sang, shepherds rejoiced, stars illuminated the sky, wise men journeyed afar, and even Herod was troubled. The Father smiled upon this birth, while the adversary sought to destroy the child. Eternity itself was deeply invested in the events of that day.
The New Testament chronicles the birth of Jesus, a story familiar to many. The New Testament stands as a witness for Jesus Christ. However, the Book of Mormon also serves as a powerful witness and testament of Jesus Christ, providing deeper insights into why Jesus was born and why His birth was so crucial. No other book on earth elucidates the mission of Jesus Christ with such clarity as the Book of Mormon. While the Bible recounts what happened, the Book of Mormon and other latter-day scriptures illuminate why it happened. Although biblical authors understood the “why,” the Bible’s transmission has resulted in some loss of original purity and clarity. Therefore, the Lord has provided these additional scriptures in plain language to prevent us from wandering in spiritual darkness. The Lord desires us to comprehend the most profound truths in human history.
When astronauts first landed on the moon, the U.S. President declared it “the greatest week in history.” Reverend Billy Graham rightly corrected him, stating, “No, the greatest week in history was the week Jesus died and rose from the grave.”
Indeed, Reverend Graham’s perspective is profoundly accurate.
Let’s examine some foundational scriptures, beginning with the Doctrine and Covenants. While not typically associated with Christmas, these verses hold a relevant connection, which I believe will become clear as we proceed.
“There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—
And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.” (D&C 130:20–21)
Note that these laws were established before the creation of the world.
The Book of Mormon offers profound insights. Nephi wrote:
“Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ; for, for this end hath the law of Moses been given, and all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him.
And also my soul delighteth in the covenants of the Lord which he hath made to our fathers; yea, my soul delighteth in his grace, and in his justice, and power, and mercy in the great and eternal plan of deliverance from death.
And my soul delighteth in proving unto my people that save Christ should come all men must perish.” (2 Nephi 11:4–6)
This underscores the critical importance: Without Christ’s coming, all of humanity would perish.
In a missionary setting, Alma explained:
“Now we see that Adam did fall by the partaking of the forbidden fruit, according to the word of God, and thus we see, that by his fall, all mankind became a lost and fallen people.
And now behold, I say unto you that if it had been possible for Adam to have partaken of the fruit of the tree of life at that time, there would have been no death, and the word would have been void, making God a liar, for he said: If thou eat thou shalt surely die.
And we see that death comes upon mankind, yea, the death which has been spoken of by Amulek, which is the temporal death; nevertheless there was a space granted unto man in which he might repent; therefore this life became a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God; a time to prepare for that endless state which has been spoken of by us, which is after the resurrection of the dead.” (Alma 12:22–24)
And in Alma 22:13–14, during another missionary encounter:
“And Aaron did expound unto him the scriptures from the creation of Adam, laying the fall of man before him, and their carnal state and also the plan of redemption, which was prepared from the foundation of the world, through Christ, for all whosoever would believe on his name.
And since man had fallen he could not merit anything of himself; but the sufferings and death of Christ atone for their sins, through faith and repentance, and so forth; and that he breaketh the bands of death, that the grave shall have no victory, and that the sting of death should be swallowed up in the hopes of glory; and Aaron did expound all these things unto the king.”
The Dual Deaths Introduced by Adam
Scripture after scripture in the Book of Mormon and other sacred texts reveals that the Fall of Adam brought death upon mankind—two distinct forms of death. The first is physical death, the mortality we experience in this world. The second is spiritual death, a separation from righteousness and alienation from God. Due to Adam’s transgression, both he and all his descendants experienced these deaths. If an atonement had not been made by one not subject to these deaths—if Jesus Christ had not atoned—humanity would be eternally bound by these two deaths, incapable of self-redemption.
Therefore, the coming of the Lord into the world to perform the Atonement was absolutely critical.
Let us consider the words of Jacob, Nephi’s brother, a profound doctrinal teacher in the Book of Mormon, a remarkable theologian. While it’s difficult to compare prophets, each possesses unique gifts. Jacob excelled in explaining the Atonement.
“O how great the holiness of our God! For he knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it.
And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam.
And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day.” (2 Nephi 9:20–22)
Continuing in the same chapter, Jacob explains further in verses 6-10:
“For as death hath passed upon all men, to fulfil the merciful plan of the great Creator, there must needs be a power of resurrection, and the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the fall; and the fall came by reason of transgression; and because man became fallen they were cut off from the presence of the Lord.
Wherefore, it must needs be an infinite atonement—save it should be an infinite atonement this corruption could not put on incorruption. Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man must needs have remained to an endless duration. . . .”
The first judgment, “thou shalt surely die,” encompassed both physical and spiritual death—separation from righteousness and God.
“O the wisdom of God, his mercy and grace! For behold, if the flesh should rise no more [if there were no resurrection of the body] our spirits must become subject to that angel who fell from before the presence of the Eternal God, and became the devil, to rise no more.
And our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself. . . .
O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit.” (2 Nephi 9:6–10)
“I Am Come That They Might Have Life”
Often, when we speak of the Savior, we focus on the resurrection, but rarely contemplate our state without Jesus’s atoning sacrifice. I recall a class discussion in my youth where a student asked what would become of our spirits without Christ’s redemption.
The teacher speculated that even without the Atonement, we might progress to some degree of glory as spirits, but without physical bodies, as the resurrection is a direct result of Jesus’s act.
However, later, while serving a mission, I read 2 Nephi and realized that Jacob would have corrected that assumption. The Atonement not only ensures the resurrection of the body but also redeems our spirits from an otherwise endless, miserable state under the devil’s dominion. In essence, every person born into Adam’s family would become a son of perdition without the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Jacob, understanding this profound truth, declared:
“O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit.” (2 Nephi 9:10)
Therefore, as we celebrate the coming of the Son of God, we must consider the magnitude of His gift to all mankind—redemption from both physical and spiritual death, rescuing us from a bleak existence. Jesus declared, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Understanding the alternative scenario deepens our appreciation for His words.
Numerous scriptures elaborate on this truth. Luke recounts Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, making the Atonement for all:
“And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him.
And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.
And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,
Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.
And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow,
And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.” (Luke 22:39–46)
It was in Gethsemane, not just on the cross, that Jesus completed the perfect Atonement, shedding His blood. Doctrine and Covenants section 19:16–20 corroborates this:
“For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;
But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;
Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—
Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.
Wherefore, I command you again to repent, lest I humble you with my almighty power; and that you confess your sins, lest you suffer these punishments of which I have spoken, of which in the smallest, yea, even in the least degree you have tasted at the time I withdrew my Spirit.”
We all have moments where we feel the Spirit withdraw due to our actions—a feeling of being low, down, or alone. Yet, this is a faint echo of what Jesus experienced. He, who had the Holy Ghost throughout His life, the Comforter, who had always been strengthened by the Holy Ghost, entered Gethsemane and began to take upon Himself our sins. At that point, the Father withdrew His Spirit, leaving Jesus to complete the Atonement alone (see JD 3:205–6). He alluded to this immense burden and our brief glimpses of spiritual withdrawal, “you tasted it in the smallest, yea, in the least degree at the time I withdrew my Spirit from you.” Jesus, sinless Himself, bore the weight of our sins, treading the winepress alone (D&C 133:50). Jesus alone is our Redeemer and Savior.
Jesus praying in Gethsemane
In John 3:16–17, we read:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
The Bible declares that without the Savior, we would perish. Paul touches upon these truths in 1 Corinthians and Romans, but with less explicit detail. The Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price provide fuller explanations of why we would perish—due to the Fall of Adam and our inability to save ourselves from its consequences or our own sins.
Premortal Life: The Foundation for Understanding Christ’s Mission
The War in Heaven and the events of our premortal existence are crucial to understanding the Atonement. We understand that Jesus Christ was chosen as our Redeemer in that premortal realm. We knew Him there. Our relationship with the Savior began long before our mortal birth. To truly grasp our redemption, we must consider our premortal life.
The central issue in the spirit world that led to the War in Heaven is often misunderstood. It’s often simplified as Lucifer seeking forced obedience. His declaration, “I will save them all,” is sometimes interpreted as a plan of coercion.
It seems improbable that a third of all spirits would favor a plan of forced obedience, as most beings resist coercion. The core issue, I believe, was not force, but Lucifer’s promise to guarantee salvation—salvation without striving, effort, personal responsibility, or excellence. This was the deception he propagated in the pre-earth councils.
This false shortcut to salvation appealed to many spirits who were perhaps gullible or lacked diligence, desiring reward without effort. We see echoes of this today in promises of something for nothing, subsidies that suggest reward without labor. Lucifer misled many with this approach, but true spiritual progress requires individual effort and growth.
Character development and spiritual growth are achieved through dedicated and strenuous exertion. Even now, we encounter those influenced by this flawed philosophy, believing they can attain salvation and exaltation without personal struggle. The War in Heaven continues, with the same adversaries and the same core issues, but now fought on the battleground of mortality.
Understanding that Satan’s plan promised reward without effort illuminates the true nature of Jesus’s struggle, and our own—to strive in this world, overcome weaknesses, and achieve redemption from the effects of mortality. The premortal life and the conflicts fought there provide the necessary context for understanding Jesus’s ministry and the entirety of the gospel in mortality.
Without the perspective of premortal life, a clear understanding of the gospel in mortality remains elusive. However, with this understanding, the events of Christmas—Christ’s birth, the guiding star for the wise men, the angelic messages to the shepherds—and the prophets’ fervent anticipation of the Savior’s coming, become profoundly meaningful. His coming was an absolutely essential event in human history.
Jesus, the divinely appointed Beloved Son of God the Father, was born of Mary into mortality. In many ways, in the mundane aspects of life like eating, speaking, and clothing, He was like other men. But in His parentage, begotten by the Eternal Father, He was unique. This unique parentage was essential for Him to pay the price for Adam’s transgression and the individual sins of all humanity.
Every other being born into mortality is subject to the Fall of Adam and therefore to death. Only Jesus possessed the power to die and yet remain unconquered by death. Because He was not subject to death through Adam’s fall or personal sin, He could willingly offer His life and blood as a sacrifice for others. He also possessed the power to rise from the dead with a perfect, glorified body—a power no other being held.
It is likely that many of us served as missionaries for the Savior in our premortal lives, persuading others to choose Him and preparing for earthly existence. While the veil of forgetfulness obscures the details of those events, the spiritual capacity we developed then accompanies us into mortality. When we hear the gospel preached, it resonates as familiar. We are relearning principles we once knew, and our spirits respond to true doctrine. Our primary purpose in this world is to continue the spiritual growth initiated long ago, achieved through obedience to the gospel.
Jesus Christ: The Only True Redeemer
Jesus declared of Himself: “I am the Way, the Truth, the Life, the Light, the Resurrection. I am the Law. I am the Lawgiver. I am the Standard, the Door, the Savior, the Shepherd, the Redeemer, the Example, the Master, the Advocate. I am your Judge. I am your Friend. I am your Lord. I am your God. And I am the only way that you can be redeemed.”
Paul wrote to the Philippians concerning Jesus: “God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name” (Philippians 2:9).
Reflecting on the immensity and gravity of these truths, and how quickly we complain when difficulties arise or feel wronged, I am reminded of the Lord’s injunction to be patient, loving, long-suffering, forgiving, and to model our lives after Him.
We began by quoting the Doctrine and Covenants, where the Lord states that every blessing is predicated upon obedience to laws established before the world’s foundation. We then read Nephi’s declaration of his delight in proving the necessity of Christ’s coming, without which all mankind would face spiritual darkness.
Alma adds:
“Yea, and the voice of the Lord, by the mouth of angels, doth declare it unto all nations; yea, doth declare it, that they may have glad tidings of great joy; yea, and he doth sound these glad tidings among all his people, yea, even to them that are scattered abroad upon the face of the earth; wherefore they have come unto us.
And [the gospel is] made known unto us in plain terms, that we may understand, that we cannot err; and this because of our being wanderers in a strange land; therefore, we are thus highly favored. . . .” (Alma 13:22–23)
Failing to recognize and appreciate the Atonement is profound ingratitude. Ignoring Christ is utter folly. Obedience to Him is the source of greatest happiness. The greatest wisdom we can demonstrate is to follow the Lord and keep His commandments.
Without the Fall of Adam, the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, and the premortal life, the gospel becomes merely a system of ethics, which is insufficient. The gospel is ethical, but it is infinitely more. I rejoice with you in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am profoundly grateful for His coming.
Our connection to Him is not optional or casual; it is absolutely essential. He honors us by allowing us to bear His name when we are baptized. This is a sacred honor and privilege. He calls us servants, and as we grow in faithfulness, He calls us friends. The promise is that we can become joint heirs with Christ in all that the Father possesses.
As we approach the celebration of Jesus Christ’s birth, let us remember and join our testimonies with the prophets: Jesus Christ, our Elder Brother, the Son of God, is our Leader, Example, and Savior. I testify to the truth of these doctrines and pray that the Spirit of the Lord will carry this feeling into your hearts, that as we read the Christmas story, we may understand not only what happened, but why it happened—and deeply appreciate our blessed condition today. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
