On a sunny spring day
in 2017, the open house for the Paris France
Temple was well underway when one of the tour
guides was approached by a man with a sorrowful
expression on his face. He said he lived
next to the temple and admitted he had
been an active opponent of its construction. He related that one day as he
was gazing out of his apartment window, he watched a large
crane lower a statue of Jesus from the heavens and softly
place it on the temple grounds. The man declared that this
experience completely changed his feelings toward our Church. He realized we were
followers of Jesus Christ and begged our forgiveness
for the previous harm he might have caused. The statue of the
Christus, which adorns the grounds of the
Paris Temple and other Church properties, testifies of
our love for the Savior. The original marble statue is
the work of the Danish artist Bertel Thorvaldsen, who sculpted
it in 1820--the same year as the First Vision. The statue stands
in stark contrast to most of the
artistic renderings of that period, which
largely portray the suffering Christ on the cross. Thorvaldsen's work
presents the living Christ, who gained victory over
death and, with open arms, invites all to come unto Him. Only the prints of the
nails in His hands and feet and the wound in
His side testify of the indescribable agony He
endured to save all mankind. Perhaps one reason we as
members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints love this statue is that it reminds us
of the description given in the Book of Mormon of
the Savior's appearance on the American continent: "And behold, they saw a Man
descending out of heaven; and he was clothed
in a white robe; and he came down and stood
in the midst of them. ... "And it came to pass that
he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the
people, saying: "Behold, I am Jesus Christ, ... "... 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." Then He invited each
man, woman, and child to come forth and thrust
their hands into His side and feel the prints of the
nails in His hands and feet, thereby receiving
a personal witness that He was indeed the
long-awaited Messiah. This sublime scene is the
climax of the Book of Mormon. The entire "good
news" of the gospel is contained in this image
of the Savior tenderly extending His "arms of mercy"
to invite each individual to come unto Him and receive
the blessings of His Atonement. The central message
of the Book of Mormon is to restore the true
knowledge of the essential role of Jesus Christ in the salvation
and exaltation of mankind. This theme reverberates
from the introductory page through the very last
words of the last chapter. Through centuries of apostasy
and spiritual confusion, the deeper meaning
of what Christ did in Gethsemane
and on Golgotha became lost or corrupted. How excited Joseph Smith
must have felt when, as he was translating 1 Nephi,
he discovered this marvelous promise: "These last records
[the Book of Mormon]...shall establish the truth of
the first [the Bible] ... 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." Plain and precious truths
about the Savior's Atonement resound throughout
the Book of Mormon. As I list several
of these truths, I invite you to reflect on
how they have changed or could change your life. First, the Atonement
of Jesus Christ is a free gift
offered to all who have lived, who currently live,
and who will live on the earth. Second, in addition to bearing
the burden of our sins, the Christ took upon Himself
our sorrows, infirmities, sufferings, sicknesses,
and all the afflictions inherent in the mortal
condition of man. There is no anguish,
no pain or sadness that He did not suffer for us. Third, the atoning
sacrifice of the Savior allows us to overcome the
negative consequences of Adam's fall, including physical death. Because of Christ, all of God's
children born on this earth, regardless of their
righteousness, will experience the reuniting
of their spirits and bodies through the power of the
Resurrection and return to Him to "be judged ... according
to [their] works." Fourth, in contrast,
receiving the full blessings of the Savior's Atonement is
conditioned upon our diligence in living the
"doctrine of Christ." In his dream, Lehi saw the
"strait and narrow path" that leads to the tree of life. Its fruit, which represents
the love of God as expressed through the exquisite blessings
of Christ's Atonement, is "most precious and
most desirable ... [and] is the greatest of
all the gifts of God." In order to access
this fruit, we must exercise faith
in Jesus Christ, repent, "hearken unto
the word of God," receive essential ordinances,
and keep sacred covenants until the end of our lives. Fifth, through His Atonement,
Jesus Christ not only washes away our sins, but He also
provides enabling power through which His disciples may
"[put] off the natural man," progress "line upon line," and
increase in holiness so that one day they might become
perfect beings in the image of Christ, qualified to live
again with God and inherit all the blessings of the
kingdom of heaven. Another comforting truth
contained in the Book of Mormon is that, although infinite
and universal in its reach, the Lord's Atonement
is a remarkably personal and intimate
gift, suited to each of us individually. Just as Jesus invited each
one of the Nephite disciples to feel His wounds, He
died for each one of us, personally, as if you or I
were the only person on earth. He extends to us a personal
invitation to come unto Him and draw upon the marvelous
blessings of His Atonement. The personal nature
of Christ's Atonement becomes even more
real as we consider the examples of
remarkable men and women in the Book of Mormon. Among them are Enos,
Alma, Zeezrom, King Lamoni and his wife, and
the people of King Benjamin. Their conversion stories
and vibrant testimonies provide a living witness of
how our hearts can be changed and our lives transformed
through the Lord's infinite goodness and mercy. The prophet Alma asked his
people this burning question. He said, "If ye have
experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing
the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can
ye feel so now?" This question is vital
today because, as disciples of the Lord, His
redeeming power should accompany us, motivate us, and
change us each and every day. Alma's question could
also be rephrased to ask, when was
the last time you felt the sweet influence
of the Savior's Atonement in your life? This happens when you feel an
"exquisite and sweet" joy come over you that bears
witness to your soul that your sins are forgiven;
or when painful trials suddenly become lighter to bear; or
when your heart is softened and you are able to
express forgiveness to someone who has hurt you. Or it may be each time
you notice your capacity to love and serve
others has increased or that the process
of sanctification is making you a different
person, patterned after the Savior's example. I bear witness that all these
experiences are real and are evidences that lives can be
changed through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement. The Book of Mormon
clarifies and expands our knowledge of
this supernal gift. As you study this
book, you will hear the voice of the living Christ
inviting you to come unto Him. I promise that if you accept
this invitation and pattern your life after His example,
His redemptive influence will come into your life. Through the power
of the Holy Ghost, the Savior will transform
you day after day "until the perfect day" when
you will, as He declared, "see my face and
know that I am." In the name of
Jesus Christ, amen.
