I Am Jesus Christ the Son of God

The Book of Mormon contains many testimonies of prophets of the Savior Jesus Christ. From Nephi to Jacob to King Benjamin and countless others, the words of Book of Mormon prophets teach us of Jesus Christ, His atonement, and His plan of redemption for all the children of men. There are numerous passages in which these prophets gave us the direct words of the Savior Himself, and today I searched to find as many of those as I could in which Christ testified of Himself and His mission. The most obvious place to look is of course when He visited them in person. He declared, “Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father in me; and in me hath the Father glorified his name…. I am the light and the life of the world. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end…. Behold, I have come unto the world to bring redemption unto the world, to save the world from sin. Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God. Behold, for such I have laid down my life, and have taken it up again; therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved” (3 Nephi 9:15-22). Here He confirmed that He is the Son of God, the Father (of our salvation), the light and the life of the world, the beginning and the end. He further declared to this people, “Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world. And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning…. 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 11:10-11, 14). Here he affirmed that He completed the atonement by taking the sins of the world upon Him and drinking the bitter cup. He is both the God of Israel and the God of the whole earth who invites us all to come unto Him. On the same day He also declared to them, “Behold, I am he that gave the law, and I am he who covenanted with my people Israel; therefore, the law in me is fulfilled, for I have come to fulfil the law; therefore it hath an end…. Behold, I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life” (3 Nephi 15:5, 9). He is the law and the light, the one who gave the law in the Old Testament, and through Him we gain eternal life.

            There are several other passages, outside the account of His visit in 3 Nephi, in which the prophets recorded statements He made about Himself. Nephi gave us these words: “For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith” (2 Nephi 27:23). He is a God of miracles who is unchanging and who will work among the children of men through faith. The Savior said this to Alma (the Elder): “For it is I that taketh upon me the sins of the world; for it is I that hath created them; and it is I that granteth unto him that believeth unto the end a place at my right hand. For behold, in my name are they called; and if they know me they shall come forth, and shall have a place eternally at my right hand. And it shall come to pass that when the second trump shall sound then shall they that never knew me come forth and shall stand before me. And then shall they know that I am the Lord their God, that I am their Redeemer; but they would not be redeemed” (Mosiah 26:24-26). He affirmed again that He took on Him our sins, and He is the Creator. He is our God and Redeemer. Mormon recorded these words the Savior spoke to Him: “Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power over them; and the law of circumcision is done away in me” (Moroni 8:8). He is our Physician and He takes away the curse of the fall for all the innocent. To the brother of Jared the premortal Jehovah declared, “Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters” (Ether 3:14). Again He affirmed His mission of redemption and His place as both Father (of our salvation) and the Son of God. He was prepared as the Savior before the world was formed. He also said to Moroni, “And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none save it be of me. I am the same that leadeth men to all good; he that will not believe my words will not believe me—that I am; and he that will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me. For behold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world” (Ether 4:12). He is the light, life, and truth of the world and all good comes from Him. Later He also gave this invitation to Moroni: “And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them” (Ether 12:27). He invites us to come unto Him so that He can make our weakness strong through His grace. All of these passages together give a personal testimony of the power and mission of the Savior. Along with the countless words from Book of Mormon prophets also testifying of Him, these declarations of the Savior help fulfill the great mission of this sacred book to convince “Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations.”