I am a Christian

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I am a Christian.  I believe in and follow Jesus Christ.  The Jesus Christ that I believe in was born to a mortal mother, Mary, and an immortal father, even God.  He lived a perfect life and, therefore, was the only person who was able to sacrifice himself as a ransom for my sins and for yours.  He suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane for the sins of all mankind.  He was falsely accused and ultimately gave His life on the cross.  He rose three days later and appeared to many before ascending to His Father in Heaven.

I believe that Jesus Christ is the only way back to the Father.  I believe that there is nothing that I can do to save myself.  If I were to work my entire life doing my best to overcome the effects of sin and death, I would still fall short.  Without Jesus Christ and His ultimate sacrifice, I would not be able to obtain exaltation and eternal life.  While I fully understand that my works cannot and will not save me, I believe that my faith should be evident in my works.  The way I live is my testimony of Him, but it is only through Him that I can be saved.

I am a Christian.  I am also a Mormon – a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  There are those who would tell me that these two statements are incompatible, that Mormons are not Christian.  They might go on to give a definition of Christianity that, for example, includes references to councils where men decided the nature of Christ and His relationship to God.  Their statements do not prove that I am not a Christian, they simply prove that I am not a Catholic or a Baptist or a member of numerous other Christian denominations.  I submit that we actually believe in the same Jesus Christ, we simply understand Him differently.  Jesus Christ is my Savior.  I am a Mormon and I am a Christian.

 

On this Christmas day, the day we celebrate Jesus’ birth, I just wanted you to know. 

Merry Christmas!