Elder Merrill J. Bateman
E-mail story
It's easy. Send a link to the story you were just reading to a friend. Just fill out the form on this page and we'll send it along.
Your name and e-mail address are transmitted to the recipient. Otherwise, it is considered private information; see Privacy policy.
"The worldwide significance of the Prophet Joseph Smith's First Vision and the Book of Mormon are not measured by location, but by their message regarding man's relationship to God, the Father's love for his children, and the divine potential within each human being."
Each of us "are the offspring of God." The call to "come unto Christ" is universal. Christ atoned for all.
"Unlike mortals who inherit the seeds of death from both parents, Jesus was born of a mortal mother but an immortal Father. The seeds of death received from Mary meant that He could die, but the inheritance from his father gave him infinite life, which meant death was a voluntary act.
"The infinite nature received from his father gave Jesus the power to perform the Atonement, to suffer the sins for all."
In the Pearl of Great Price, it states that Moses "was shown all the inhabitants of the earth which were 'numberless as the sand upon the sea shore.' If Moses beheld every soul, then it seems reasonable that the creator of the universe has the power to become intimately acquainted with each of us. He learned about your weaknesses and mine. He experiences your pains and sufferings. He experiences mine."
"I testify that the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is a pattern for all. It is not the location of events that matters, it is the good news — the doctrine and the timeless Atonement of Christ."
