Jesus Christ and the Plan of Salvation

In the Church we commonly teach and discuss what we refer to as the Plan of Salvation which teaches us about what happens before this life, during this life, and after death. Often we will create a visual aid to help illustrate the various stages of our eternal journey: it will show the premortal existence, the veil of forgetfulness coming to earth, our life on earth, the Spirit World where we go when we die with paradise and prison, the resurrection, the day of judgment, and finally the three kingdoms of glory. In that visualization which is meant to highlight the various stages of our progression, we can forget to focus on the most fundamental piece of every phase: Jesus Christ and His atonement. While that may be the case that some discussions of this plan of salvation among church members don’t appropriately focus on all that the Savior has down during each phase—premortal, mortal, and post-mortal—of our eternal journey, the scriptures certainly do not suffer from the same neglect. The fault is ours and not due to the plain truths taught by the prophets. In fact, section 76 of the Doctrine and Covenants, the record of the vision of the plan of salvation that Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon had, is indeed centered on Jesus Christ. For example, the name Jesus appears eight times, Christ appears twelve times, Lamb appears four times in this revelation, and Lord (typically referring to the Savior) is mentioned sixteen times. If we had to sum of the plan of salvation in two words as this vision teaches, it would be simply this: Jesus Christ. All other details related to our personal progression from one place to the next are simply appendages to the fact that salvation and exaltation through Christ is the plan that the Father prepared.

               Here are some of the declarations contained in section 76 of the Doctrine and Covenants which witness that Christ is indeed the central part of the plan in all of its phases. That He was central to the premortal existence as declared in these words: “Even those things which were from the beginning before the world was, which were ordained of the Father, through his Only Begotten Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, even from the beginning” (v13). His work in mortality, in particular His suffering and death for all mankind, is described this way: “He came into the world, even Jesus, to be crucified for the world, and to bear the sins of the world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness; That through him all might be saved whom the Father had put into his power and made by him” (v41-42). Our need in mortality to follow Him and be cleansed by Him is witnessed by this description of those who inherit the celestial kingdom: “They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial…. They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial” (51, 69). Those who inherit the terrestrial glory were those who “received not the testimony of Jesus in the flesh, but afterwards received it” as well as those who “are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus” (v74, 79). Those who inherit the telestial glory are those who “received not the gospel of Christ, neither the testimony of Jesus” (v82). So the way the vision describes each of these separate kingdoms of glory is based upon our individual commitment to the Savior Jesus Christ. No matter what kingdom we will inherit it will be based upon our relationship to the Savior.

My favorite declaration of the vision is that pertaining to the resurrection, a part of the plan of salvation that will bless every soul who ever came to earth to receive a body. The prophet and Sidney Rigdon declared, “And we beheld the glory of the Son, on the right hand of the Father, and received of his fulness; And saw the holy angels, and them who are sanctified before his throne, worshiping God, and the Lamb, who worship him forever and ever. And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God” (v20-24). The Savior was indeed resurrected after His death and now stands on the right hand of His Father. He was the Creator of the world before we came here and it is through Him that we can become like unto the Father now and ultimately return to His presence after this life. All aspects of the plan of salvation are centered in our Savior Jesus Christ, and He is the only way for us to progress from our fallen state to become even as the Father is.