[Teachldsseminary] TEACH: Hinckley testimony -Special Witnesses of Christ

Mon Jan 28 00:15:17 MST 2008

Special Witnesses of Christ
Following is the text from a video presentation by the First
Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints.

President Gordon B. Hinckley

President Gordon B. Hinckley speaking in Jerusalem.

This great and ancient city of Jerusalem—it has always been an
inspiration to me. It is so because this place bears the imprint of
the Son of God. Two thousand years ago, the Savior of mankind was born
in Bethlehem, a short distance to the south. He was brought here to
the temple when He was an infant. Here Mary and Joseph heard the
wonderful prophecies spoken by Simeon and Anna about this tiny babe
who was destined to become the Savior of the world.

He spent His boyhood in Nazareth of Galilee to the north of us. When
12 years of age, He was brought back here to Jerusalem. Here He was
found by His mother conversing with the doctors in the temple, "and
they were hearing him, and asking him questions" (JST, Luke 2:46,
footnote c).

It was near here that He gazed out over this city and said with
sorrow, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and
stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered
thy children together, … and ye would not!" (Matt. 23:37).

Jerusalem was the scene of the final days of the mortal life of the
Son of God. Here He suffered the agony of Gethsemane, His arrest, His
trials, His condemnation, the unspeakable pain of His death on the
cross, His burial in Joseph's tomb, and the triumphant coming forth in
the Resurrection.

None can fully comprehend the splendor of His life, the majesty of His
death, the universality of His gift to mankind. We declare with the
centurion, who said at His death, "Truly this man was the Son of God"
(Mark 15:39).

Now, 2,000 years have come and gone since His birth in Bethlehem.
Surely this is a time for remembrance and recommitment. In our day the
Lord has called 15 special witnesses to testify of His divinity before
all the world. Theirs is a unique calling; they are Apostles of the
Lord Jesus Christ, chosen and commissioned by Him. They have been
commanded to bear witness of His living reality by the power and
authority of the holy apostleship in them vested.

I invite you to listen to the testimonies of these special witnesses.
They will speak to us from various locations around the earth,
testifying of His premortal, mortal, and postmortal ministry. God be
thanked for the gift of His Son, the Redeemer of the world, the Savior
of mankind, the Prince of Life and Peace, the Holy One.

President Gordon B. Hinckley speaking from the Garden Tomb.

President Gordon B. Hinckley

Just outside the walls of Jerusalem, in this place or somewhere
nearby, was the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea where the body of the Lord
was interred. On the third day following His burial "came Mary
Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

"And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord
descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the
door, and sat upon it. …

"And the angel … said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye
seek Jesus, which was crucified.

"He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place
where the Lord lay" (Matt. 28:1-2, 5-6).

These are the most reassuring words in all of human history.
Death—universal and final—had now been conquered. "O death, where is
thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" (1 Cor. 15:55).

To Mary the Risen Lord first appeared. He spoke to her, and she
replied. He was real. He was alive, He whose body had been laid in
death. Small wonder that when Thomas later saw Him with His wounded
hands and side, he exclaimed in wonder, "My Lord and my God" (John
20:28).

Never had this occurred before. There had been only death without
hope. Now there was life eternal. Only a God could have done this. The
Resurrection of Jesus Christ was the great crowning event of His life
and mission. It was the capstone of the Atonement. The sacrifice of
His life for all mankind was not complete without His coming forth
from the grave, with the certainty of the Resurrection for all who
have walked the earth.

Of all the victories in the chronicles of humanity, none is so great,
none so universal in its effects, none so everlasting in its
consequences as the victory of the crucified Lord, who came forth from
the tomb that first Easter morning.

Those who were witnesses of that event, all who saw and heard and
spoke with the Risen Lord, testified of the reality of this greatest
of all miracles. His followers through the centuries lived and died in
proclamation of the truth of this supernal act.

To all of these we add our testimony that He who died on Calvary's
cross arose again in wondrous splendor as the Son of God, the Master
of life and death.

President Hinckley speaking from the Sacred Grove.

President Gordon B. Hinckley

This is the Sacred Grove. This hallowed ground is reverenced by
Latter-day Saints throughout the world. Here is where it all began,
the miracle of this great work which has spread over the earth. This
is the scene of the First Vision. It was here that God, the Eternal
Father, appeared with His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, the resurrected
Lord. The Father, pointing to His Son, said, "This is My Beloved Son.
Hear Him!" (JS—H 1:17).

Do you realize the import of that declaration? Here was God, the
Eternal Father, the Almighty, bearing testimony in words plainly
spoken. No more important or compelling testimony has been given of
the Risen Lord than this testimony of His own Father.

The curtains that had been closed for centuries were now parted. A new
and glorious gospel dispensation was opened, introducing yet other
marvelous revelations. Another testament of Jesus Christ was brought
forth to speak as a voice from the dust. The holy priesthood,
originally bestowed by the Master on His living Apostles, was restored
upon living men by these same Apostles, now resurrected. There
followed a veritable "cloud of witnesses" with keys and powers to
complete the restoration of the Church established by Jesus when He
walked the earth, now to be known as The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints.

Here in this very place the long night of apostasy blossomed into the
glorious dawn of a new age. God Himself was both seen and heard. Here,
where we stand in the quiet of these trees, in this most sacred of
places, the nature of Deity was again revealed.

The uncluttered and receptive mind of a boy became the instrument of
the revelation here given and of many more yet to follow. Standing as
the 15th in line from Joseph Smith and bearing the prophetic mantle
which came upon him, I solemnly declare my testimony that the Prophet
Joseph's account of these events is true, that the Father here bore
witness of the divinity of His Son, that the Son instructed the boy
prophet, and that there followed a train of events which led to the
organization of "the only true and living church upon the face of the
whole earth, with which," He declared, "I, the Lord, am well pleased"
(D&C 1:30).

Of the reality and personality of the living God and of His Son, our
Redeemer, I stand as a solemn and reverent witness, speaking these
words by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the sacred name of Jesus
Christ, amen.

President Hinckley's Concluding Statement
How I love my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! His stirring commission
and His divine love motivate all of us in this work. I love my
brethren. To a man they are loyal. Without hesitation they respond to
every call. They are true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is He, Jesus Christ, who stands at the head of this Church which
bears His sacred name. He is watching over it. He is guiding it.
Standing at the right hand of His Father, He directs this work.
Unitedly, as His Apostles, authorized and commissioned by Him to do
so, we bear our witness that He lives and that He will come again to
claim His kingdom and rule as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Of this
we are certain and bear apostolic testimony in His holy name, even the
name of Jesus Christ, amen.

 Find it on the web at:  www.lds.org/features/frames/0,5963,252-307-1,00.html