2003
Believing in Jesus Christ
April 2003


“Believing in Jesus Christ,” Friend, Apr. 2003, 16–17

Poster Article:
Believing in Jesus Christ

Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matt. 16:16).

There are many spiritual gifts, and we have each been given at least one (see Friend, March 2003, pp. 36–37). Everyone can have one particular spiritual gift, though—faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Who is Jesus Christ? Why should we believe in Him?

Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. He is kind, honest, helpful, intelligent, caring, loving—everything good. He created this world for us, He died for our sins so that we can be forgiven when we repent, and He overcame death for us so that we can be resurrected and can return to live with Heavenly Father and Him.

How can we know all this is true and have faith in Him? Jesus Himself told us one important way. He said to “search the scriptures; for … they … testify of me” (John 5:39).

The scriptures tell us of all the things He did for people in the Old Testament, such as telling Joshua how to win the city of Jericho (see Josh. 6:1–20).

In the New Testament, in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, we learn of His ministry to the people in the area where He lived. He healed sick people, and He even brought back to life a few people who had died. He taught the gospel to the people, often with parables, or stories, to help them understand how Heavenly Father wanted them—and us—to live. And He organized His church to help them.

After Jesus Christ was resurrected, He visited the Nephites in America. He healed the sick there, blessed the children, taught the people, prayed for and with them, and organized His church. You can read about these marvelous happenings in 3 Nephi, chapters 8–28, in the Book of Mormon.

Although His church was taken away in both the Holy Land and in America, He restored it in our day through the Prophet Joseph Smith. The Savior is still teaching us through the prophets and the scriptures—and through answers to our personal prayers. He loves us. He wants us to believe in Him and follow Him.

Picture-strip Bookmarks

By Caroline Benzley

Remove page 17 from the magazine and mount it on heavy paper. Cut out the four strips. On the two blue strips, cut the slits on the dotted lines. With a blue strip facing you, push the bottom end of a picture strip from the back through the top slit and back out through the next slit; continue to the next slit and repeat the process. Do the same procedure with the other two strips. As you pull the picture strips down, the pictures will help you remember some of the important events in Jesus Christ’s life.

Image
Paintings of Jesus

Christ Healing a Blind Man by Del Parson, Christ and the Book of Mormon Children by Del Parson, The Sermon on the Mount by Harry Anderson, Christ Calling Peter and Andrew by James Taylor Harwood, The Three Nephites by Gary Kapp, The Transfiguration by Carl Bloch, The Crucifixion by Harry Anderson, Christ in Gethsemane by Heinrich Hofmann

I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (Acts 8:37).
Healing the sick
Blessing the children
Teaching the Sermon on the Mount
Calling the Twelve Apostles
Visiting the Nephites in America
Ascending to heaven
On the cross
Suffering for our sins in Gethsemane
Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matt. 16:16).

Christ with Children by Del Parson