The Divine Mission of Jesus Christ: Messiah

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Faith, Family, Relief

The scriptures teach that we can dwell in the presence of God “through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah” (2 Nephi 2:8). Messiah is “an Aramaic and Hebrew word meaning ‘the anointed.’ … In the New Testament Jesus is called the Christ, which is the Greek equivalent of Messiah. It means the anointed Prophet, Priest, King, and Deliverer.”¹

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles testified: “I know [Jesus Christ] is the Holy One of Israel, the Messiah who will one day come again in final glory, to reign on earth as Lord of lords and King of kings. I know that there is no other name given under heaven whereby a man [or woman] can be saved.”²

“[Jesus Christ] is the Savior and Redeemer of the world,” said President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency. “He is the promised Messiah. He lived a perfect life and atoned for our sins. He will ever be at our side. He will fight our battles. He is our hope; He is our salvation; He is the way.”³

Additional Scriptures

John 1:38–41; 4:25–26, 40–42; 2 Nephi 6:13; 25:16–17

From the Scriptures

Female disciples of Christ have been witnesses of His role as the Messiah. Mary Magdalene was a disciple of Jesus Christ. She was the first to see “the stone taken away from the sepulchre” on the morning of Christ’s Resurrection. She “stood without at the sepulchre weeping” after discovering that His body was no longer in the tomb.

Then “she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

“Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

“Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.” Mary recognized that He was not the gardener but Jesus Christ, the Messiah. (See John 20:1–17.)