The God of the Whole Earth

When the Savior visited the people at Bountiful, He invited them with these words, “Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world” (3 Nephi 11:14). That He is the “God of the whole earth” is language also used by Isaiah who said, “For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called” (Isaiah 54:5). The Savior wanted the people of Nephi to understand that His ministry and love was not limited to any one group of people; rather, He is the God and Savior of all mankind. The idea is similarly expressed in other Book of Mormon passages emphasizing the universality of His mission. Nephi summarized the teachings of his father Lehi in these words, “He also spake concerning the prophets, how great a number had testified of these things, concerning this Messiah, of whom he had spoken, or this Redeemer of the world. Wherefore, all mankind were in a lost and in a fallen state, and ever would be save they should rely on this Redeemer” (1 Nephi 10:5-6). He is the Redeemer of the world, not just of a single group or people. Nephi also recorded these words of the angel to him when he beheld in vision the last days, “These last records, which thou hast seen among the Gentiles, shall establish the truth of the first, which are of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and shall make known the plain and precious things which have been taken away from them; and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world; and that all men must come unto him, or they cannot be saved” (1 Nephi 13:40). This highlights the universality of the mission of Jesus Christ—He is Savior of the world, not just of one people. The records mentioned by this angel, Bible and Book of Mormon, though they came to us by the House of Israel, declare the Son of God is the Savior of all the world. As Paul declared to Timothy, “For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe” (1 Timothy 4:10).

                The Savior also declared the universality of His mission in modern revelation. In the preface to the Doctrine and Covenants He affirmed His goal “that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world; That faith also might increase in the earth” (Doctrine and Covenants 1:20-21). He introduced Himself in another revelation in these words, “Hearken, O ye elders of my church, who have assembled yourselves together in my name, even Jesus Christ the Son of the living God, the Savior of the world” (Doctrine and Covenants 42:1). He summarized another revelation with these words, “Hearken ye to these words. Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. Treasure these things up in your hearts, and let the solemnities of eternity rest upon your minds” (Doctrine and Covenants 43:34). He similarly said to William E. McLellin, “Blessed are you, inasmuch as you have turned away from your iniquities, and have received my truths, saith the Lord your Redeemer, the Savior of the world, even of as many as believe on my name” (Doctrine and Covenants 66:1). He is the Redeemer and Savior of the whole earth. Because of that, He reaches out to every man and women on the earth with this invitation: “Hearken and hear, O ye inhabitants of the earth. Listen, ye elders of my church together, and hear the voice of the Lord; for he calleth upon all men, and he commandeth all men everywhere to repent” (Doctrine and Covenants 133:16). We have never met anyone for whom He is not the Savior. We have never seen anyone for whom He did not suffer and bleed from every pore. We have never learned of a historical person for whom He is not their Redeemer. For those of us who have made covenants with Him, who call ourselves His people, we can know that we are not set apart from the world to be isolated from it, but that through our faith and covenant-keeping “shall all the families of the earth be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal” (Abraham 2:11). We bear witness to all that He is the God of the whole earth, the Redeemer of the world, and the Savior of all men.