The Pearl of Great Price: Yet Another Testament of Jesus Christ

The past few days I’ve written about the various themes that we find in the Pearl of Great Price and which connect the otherwise very different sections of the book.  There’s one more topic that I haven’t mentioned and which is touched upon in all five parts: Jesus Christ.  All chapters in the book speak about Him in some way, even if they use different titles: Only Begotten Son, Beloved Son, the Son of Man, Messiah, Jehovah, God, or simply Jesus Christ.  Even though the majority of the book speaks about prophets in a time before the Savior came, all of it witnesses of the reality, power, and importance of the Son of God.  

               Each chapter in the book of Moses refers to the Savior and shows His power and His concern for mankind.  In Moses 1, the prophet had a remarkable vision in which he learned that the “Only Begotten Son” created “worlds without number” (Moses 1:33). In the Creation story we read that Adam and Eve were created “in the image of mine Only Begotten” and that the Father worked with the “Only Begotten” to create man and woman (Moses 2:27, 3:18).  Moses learned about the premortal Christ in this description: “But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me—Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever” ( Moses 4:2).  Adam learned that sacrifices were to be done as “a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth” (Moses 5:7).  He also received this invitation from heaven: “Turn unto me, and hearken unto my voice, and believe, and repent of all thy transgressions, and be baptized, even in water, in the name of mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth, which is Jesus Christ, the only name which shall be given under heaven, whereby salvation shall come unto the children of men” (Moses 6:52).  Enoch had a vision of “the Son of Man lifted up on the cross” and saw Him “ascend up unto the Father” (Moses 7:55, 59).  Noah invited his people simply with these words: “Believe and repent of your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Moses 8:24).  The book of Moses testifies again and again of Jesus Christ.

               The rest of the Pearl of Great Price also speaks much of the Savior.  Abraham learned of His power when he was saved from destruction and heard the voice, “Abraham, Abraham, behold, my name is Jehovah, and I have heard thee, and have come down to deliver thee” (Abraham 1:16).  Jehovah spoke more to Abraham about His divine power in these words, “For I am the Lord thy God; I dwell in heaven; the earth is my footstool; I stretch my hand over the sea, and it obeys my voice….  My name is Jehovah, and I know the end from the beginning; therefore my hand shall be over thee” (Abraham 2:7-8).  Abraham also learned about the premortal existence and the Father’s choice to center His plan around the Savior: “And the Lord said: Whom shall I send?  And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me” (Abraham 3:27).  Like Moses, Abraham also was given knowledge of the creation, and Abraham 4 and 5, while not specifically referring to Christ, speaks of the Gods who took great care in creation and we know that this certainly references the Father and the Son.  Joseph Smith—Matthew of course also speaks of the Savior and gives an account of Jesus’s teachings to the apostles on the Mount of Olives, giving the promise of the return of the Savior: “They shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory” (JSM 1:36).  Joseph Smith—History also testifies of the Savior and describes the Father’s introduction to Joseph of Jesus in these words, “This is My Beloved Son.  Hear Him!” (JSH 1:17)  And the Articles of Faith give us this testimony: “Through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel” (A of F 3).

               The Pearl of Great Price, though the smallest of our books of scripture, is still filled with witnesses of Jesus Christ and the reality of His life and power.  If the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, then the Pearl of Great Price is yet one more that bears witness of the Son of God.  We are blessed to have the incredible witness of the Savior contained therein, and these words from thousands of years ago stand as a testimony today of the Living Christ: “I am Messiah, the King of Zion, the Rock of Heaven, which is broad as eternity; whoso cometh in at the gate and climbeth up by me shall never fall” (Moses 7:53).