thou art the Christ

In Matthew chapter 16, the Savior asks, "Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" and his disciples respond that some think He is John the Baptist, others think He is Elias, and still others believe him to be Jeremias or another of the ancient prophets.

2000 years have passed, and still men do not know who Jesus Christ is. While scholars and religious sects alike generally agree that He did in fact live on this earth, they disagree significantly on who He was and what He did while here.

Some say he was a Jewish preacher and religious leader, an important prophet and messenger of God. Many say He was mortal, that He was no one of any consequence, that He was not the Messiah nor the Son of God. Some say He had nothing to do with the founding of Christianity while others believe that He was the central figure of Christianity. Some religions believe that He was the reincarnation of Elisha, a student of John the Baptist, not the Resurrected Lord and Savior. Some say He was born of Mary, a virgin, while others say the phenomenon is impossible. Many, many people believe that Jesus Christ had no power to atone for our sins, that He was not crucified on the cross, that He wasn't buried in a tomb for three days, and most importantly, that He didn't rise again and ascend into heaven.

Whom do men say that the Son of Man is? Anything but the Christ.

But whom say we that he is?

Throughout general conference we had the privilege of listening to our Church leaders as they testified of Christ. Our testimonies of Jesus have been reaffirmed as we have heard the apostles and prophet proclaim that Jesus Christ is

our Savior (Elders Soares, Andersen, Uchtdorf, Holland, Stevenson, Renlund, Cook, Christofferson, Gong, Bednar, and Rasband, and Presidents Eyring, Ballard, Nelson and Oaks)

the Redeemer of the world (Elders Soares, Holland, Stevenson, and Gong, and Presidents Eyring and Nelson)

the Lord God (Elders Soares, Uchtdorf, Andersen, Renlund, Cook, Christofferson, Gong, Bednar, and Rasband, and Presidents Eyring, Ballard, and Nelson)

the Living Christ (President Eyring)

the sacrificial Lamb of God who atoned for our sins, died on the cross, and was resurrected on the third day that we might all return to live with Him (Elders Soares, Andersen, Holland, Renlund, Cook, Christofferson, and Gong, and Presidents Eyring, Ballard, Oaks, and Nelson)

the Son of God/Only Begotten of the Father (Elders Soares, Uchtdorf, Andersen, Holland, Renlund, and Gong, and Presidents Eyring, Oaks, and Nelson)

the Messiah (Elders Soares, Holland, and Christofferson)

the Good Shepherd (Elder Gong)

the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Elder Andersen)

Jehovah (Elder Holland and Presidents Eyring and Nelson)

the Anointed One (Elder Holland)

the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Elder Christofferson)

the Son of Man (Elder Christofferson)

our Healer (President Nelson)

I know that Jesus is the Christ. I know He lives. I know He loves me, and you, and all of us. I know He was crucified at Calvary and laid in a tomb for three days, and that He was resurrected. I know that He atoned for all of my sadness and heartache and sin in the Garden of Gethsemane, and that because of that He understands me infinitely, eternally, perfectly. More importantly, I know He did that for you too, for everyone. I know that He will come again and I can only hope I will be ready. I know he is the Master Healer and Teacher, our Savior and Redeemer, the Good Shepherd and the Lamb of God, the Great Jehovah and the promised Messiah. I know He is real. 

Whom say ye that the Son of Man is? He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.