I Witnessed a Book. My Beliefs Are Simple.

#ArtistShimmer | DOES THIS HELP®

Once upon a time, there was a man born into this world.

He was a good man. He served others. He helped those who came before Him, walked beside Him, and followed after Him. He demonstrated leadership through service, compassion, patience, forgiveness, and love.

One day, this man was put on trial.

He was judged, condemned, and crucified. His death was slow and painful, carried out under the judicial authority of His time.

But His story did not end there.

Through the power of God, our Eternal Father, Jesus Christ overcame death, was resurrected, and returned home to our Father in Heaven.

That man is Jesus Christ. My Lord, my Savior, and my Eternal Brother.

And this is how I comprehend Him.

Two Books. One Continuing Story.

I witnessed a book.

Actually, I witnessed two records that help me comprehend one continuing story.

The Bible tells us about the children of Israel, their deliverance from Egypt, their journey under Moses, and their covenant relationship with God.

The Book of Mormon tells us about another branch of that covenant family.

It records how Lehi, a descendant of Joseph of Egypt, was guided by the Lord to leave Jerusalem around 600 BC. His family eventually crossed the ocean to a promised land.

These were not Europeans arriving to discover a world that had never existed before them.

These were ancient people with families, histories, beliefs, struggles, and relationships with God.

And the Book of Mormon records the Lord’s dealings with their descendants here on the American continent.

Tada! There it is.

The Bible tells one part of the story. The Book of Mormon tells another.

They are not competing stories to me. They are connected testimonies of Jesus Christ.

He Had Other Sheep

In John 10:16, Jesus Christ speaks of other sheep who are not of the fold to which He is then speaking.

And in 3 Nephi 15:21, the resurrected Jesus Christ tells the people gathered in the Americas:

“Ye are they of whom I said: Other sheep I have which are not of this fold.”

There it is again.

The connection.

The comprehension.

The Book of Mormon records that Jesus Christ came to this continent following His Resurrection, ministering to people who had their own history of being guided by the Lord.

Long before Dutch, English, Italian, and other European colonists arrived in the Americas, the people described in the Book of Mormon were already part of the Lord’s continuing story.

And long before those colonists arrived, according to this sacred record, the resurrected Jesus Christ had ministered here.

He did not come to conquer a nation, claim territory, establish a commercial empire, or declare ownership of the land.

He came to serve.

He healed the sick. He blessed children. He prayed with the people. He invited them to come unto Him.

He demonstrated leadership by example.

The Judicial System of Yesterday

One of the things I contemplate is how a man who spent His mortal life serving others could be arrested, put on trial, condemned, and executed.

Jesus Christ was crucified under the political and judicial authorities of His day.

That makes me consider what justice really means.

Having authority does not automatically make a decision righteous.

Having a law does not automatically make its application just.

And having the power to condemn another human being does not mean we possess the wisdom of God.

Jesus Christ’s life reminds me that leadership is not measured by how much control we exercise over another person.

Leadership is measured by how we serve.

He endured the consequences of human judgment and demonstrated something greater than earthly authority.

He demonstrated obedience to our Eternal Father, even through suffering.

And through His Resurrection, He demonstrated that death was not the end.

My Eternal Family

I believe God is our Eternal Father.

I believe Jesus Christ is His Son, my Eternal Brother, and my Savior.

I believe the Holy Ghost is a distinct member of the Godhead, whose influence helps us recognize truth, seek understanding, and act upon righteous promptings.

I do not have to confuse these three divine beings to comprehend their unity of purpose.

To me, they are united in helping the children of our Eternal Father return home.

And that makes Jesus Christ’s example personal.

He is not merely a figure in an ancient story.

He is my Brother.

He is someone whose example I can follow in the way I treat my family, my neighbors, strangers, and even those with whom I disagree.

I do not need to stand above another person to demonstrate leadership.

I can stand beside them.

I can help.

I can listen.

I can serve.

What I Believe

I believe the Book of Mormon is true.

I believe it preserves a sacred account of the Lord’s dealings with ancient people on this continent and the resurrected Jesus Christ’s ministry among them.

I believe the Bible and the Book of Mormon belong in the same conversation.

I believe we are children of an Eternal Father, with the freedom and responsibility to learn, comprehend, choose, and act.

I believe Jesus Christ provided the perfect example of leadership through His mortal ministry, His sacrifice, His Resurrection, and His continuing love for His Father’s children.

And I believe that what we do with His example matters far more than what we simply claim to believe.

Because if I say I follow Jesus Christ, then I should make an effort to live as He demonstrated.

Help those in need.

Love one another.

Respect the agency of others.

Seek justice.

Practice forgiveness.

Serve without demanding recognition.

And remember that every person I encounter is somebody’s child — and a child of our Eternal Father.

My Testimony

Once upon a time, a man came into this world.

He lived.

He loved.

He served.

He was judged.

He was crucified.

He was resurrected.

And He returned to our Eternal Father.

But His influence did not end.

His example continues in every person who chooses compassion over cruelty, service over selfishness, understanding over ignorance, and love over hatred.

I witnessed a book.

And I found my Brother.

I witnessed another record, and I recognized the continuing story of His family, His people, and His ministry.

My beliefs are simple because, to me, His example is simple enough to follow every day.

Love one another.

Serve one another.

Learn from one another.

And return home to our Eternal Father having done something good with the life we were given.

Through the power of God, our Eternal Father, and with gratitude for the guidance of the Holy Ghost, I share my testimony of my Eternal Brother, Jesus Christ.

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

#ArtistShimmer | DOES THIS HELP®

Two records. One Eternal Father. One Savior. One continuing family story.

Scriptural references for further comprehension: Exodus 12–14; 1 Nephi 2; 1 Nephi 5:14–16; John 10:16; 3 Nephi 11; 3 Nephi 15:21–24; 3 Nephi 17; Mosiah 2:17; Moroni 10:3–5.