Jesus is called the Christ (a Greek word) or the Messiah (an Aramaic word). Both words mean “the anointed.” He is the one anointed of the Father to be the Father’s personal representative in all things pertaining to the salvation of mankind.(LDS Scripture Study Helps)
Anointed One
“God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power” (Acts 10:38). Jesus was the Anointed One. Because of this fact, He was accorded two specific titles. One was the Messiah, which in Hebrew means “the anointed.” The other was the Christ, which comes from the Greek word that also means “the anointed.” Thus, “Jesus is spoken of as the Christ and the Messiah, which means he is the one anointed of the Father to be his personal representative in all things pertaining to the salvation of mankind” (Bible Dictionary, “Anointed One,” 609). Scriptures declare that Christ is the only name under heaven whereby salvation comes (see 2 Ne. 25:20). So one may add either of these titles to signify adoration for Jesus: the Christ or the Messiah, both signifying an anointing by God for that supernal responsibility.
Jesus the Christ: Our Master and More, Russell M. Nelson, April 2000
Jesus Christ is our Advocate with the Father. The word advocate has Latin roots meaning “one who pleads for another.”1 The Savior pleads for us, using understanding, justice, and mercy. Knowing this can fill us with love and gratitude for His Atonement.
Visiting Teaching Message July 2014
1 John 2:1-3 1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
Doctrine and Covenants 29:5 Lift up your hearts and be glad, for I am in your midst, and am your advocate with the Father; and it is his good will to give you the kingdom.
Doctrine and Covenants 45:3-5
3 Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him—4 Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified;5 Wherefore, Father, spare these mybrethrenthatbelieveon my name, that they may come unto me and haveeverlasting life.
Mosiah 3: 88 And he shall be called JesusChrist, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary.
John 1:33 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Hebrews 1:22 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by hisSon, whom he hath appointedheir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Doctrine and Covenants 38:1-3 1 Thus saith the Lord your God, even Jesus Christ, the Great I Am, Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the same which looked upon the wide expanse of eternity, and all the seraphic hosts of heaven, before the world was made;2 The same which knoweth all things, for all things are present before mine eyes;3 I am the same whichspake, and the world was made, and all things came by me.
I love this talk from Pres. Uchtdorf regarding how creating helps us to be more like Jesus. Jesus and Heavenly Fathers are creators. Happiness, Your Heritage
This is the first of my study regarding Jesus Christ. I plan to look up all the references to Christ in the topical guide, as suggested by President Russell M. Nelson. I think this will take me quite a bit of time so I might as well get started.
Bread of Life
Scriptures that refer to Jesus as the Bread of Life:
John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
John 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
There was a reference to Revelations where it talks about Jesus representing the Manna from Heaven.
I also think about the bread of life referring to the sacrament, where we eat a piece of bread that represents Jesus' broken body. In thinking about the pieces of manna that the children of Israel ate on a daily basis, and the sacrament that we partake of weekly, it makes me think of how Jesus wants us to try to be like Him every day. So when we partake of the sacrament, we take a little piece of bread and try to be more like Him. It reminds me of the scripture "line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little". Jesus doesn't expect us to become perfect all at once but a little at a time. He becomes part of us a little more everyday, until, one day in the distant future, we will be like Him.
What it is. A cornerstone is the first stone placed upon a building’s foundation, in a corner of the structure.
What it does. A cornerstone bears much of the weight of a building’s outer structure, and it connects and unites two of the walls. After it is placed, all other stones and their angles are measured out from it.
What its characteristics are. Anciently, a cornerstone would normally be one of the largest, most solid stones a builder had to work with. The builder would examine his stones carefully and select the best one as a cornerstone, rejecting any stones that didn’t appear suitable.
I have been thinking a lot about the purpose of life and why we have adversity, especially since that was what my lesson in Laurels was on today. Here is an outline and some things I looked at to help me with this lesson:
As
part of Heavenly Father’s plan, we must experience adversity during mortality.
In some cases, adversity comes as the result of our own poor choices or the
choices of others. Other trials are simply a natural part of our mortal
experience. Though they are difficult, our challenges can help us grow
spiritually and become more like Jesus Christ.
This actually turned into more of a "how to handle adversity with optimism" lesson. The lesson last week in Priesthood meeting and Relief Society was from The Teachings of Pres. Hinckley and was on optimism. So that colored my lesson.
Here are a few quotes from Pres. Hinckley:
“Don’t be gloomy. Do not dwell on unkind things.
Stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. Even if you are
not happy, put a smile on your face. ‘Accentuate the positive.’ Look a little
deeper for the good. Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile
on your face, with great and strong purpose in your heart. Love life.”
"It isn’t as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don’t worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us. If we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers." From the funeral program for Marjorie Pay Hinckley, April 10, 2004; see also “Latter-day Counsel,”Ensign, Oct. 2000, 73.
And a favorite of mine from Elder Holland:
Yes, life has its problems, and yes,
there are negative things to face, but please accept one of Elder Holland’s
maxims for living—no misfortune is so bad that whining about it won’t make it
worse.
Also a favorite of mine from Elder Holland: Good Things to Come
I started making a list of things to do to get us through adversity:
Have an optimistic attitude, don't be bitter Count your blessings Make a list of things that make you HAPPYExercise faith, be willing to step into the darkness Be teachable: What can I learn from this? Take time to be quiet: prayer, scriptures, general conference talks, write in journal Listen to good music Watch and listen for the tender mercies of the Lord Go to church Ask for a blessing Read your patriarchal blessing Exercise, eat right, get the right amount of sleep but not too much Get out in nature Go to the temple Serve others Be patient Don't stop attending church. Don't compare your trials with others' Follow the prophet
My Laurels each shared a scripture they likes that helps them when they struggle:
2 Nephi 26:15 ...and the prayers of the faithful shall be heard, and all those who have dwindled in unbelief shall not be forgotten.
D&C 122: 7-8:
And if thou shouldst be cast into thepit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into thedeep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine tohedgeup the way; and above all, if the very jaws ofhellshall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give theeexperience, and shall be for thy good.
The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?
But thefruitof theSpiritislove,joy,peace,longsuffering,gentleness, goodness,faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
1 Nephi 3:7:
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.
They also shared a hymn or Primary song that helps them:
