Russell M. Nelson shares his testimony of the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ, who exemplified the virtues of love, knowledge, and worship.
This devotional was given on August 18, 1998.
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"Elder Eyring, President Bateman, family, faculty, friends, and fellow students, Sister Nelson and I are delighted to be with you. We are pleased to see so many here to enjoy an opportunity to learn together. “The glory of God is intelligence,” and you confirm that fact. You look glorious to me!
I bring greetings from President Gordon B. Hinckley, his counselors, and my associates of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. We thank you for your faith and devotion. We are grateful for your desire to learn and to serve.
Knowledge is a wonderful thing. Not all information is of equal importance, however. Nothing can reach the pinnacle of knowledge spoken by the Lord to his Heavenly Father: “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
As one among the “special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world,” I believe I would serve you best if I teach and testify of him. First, I might ask you the same questions that he once posed to the Pharisees: “What think ye of Christ? whose son is he?”
These questions often come to mind as I meet with leaders of governments and various religious denominations. Some acknowledge that “Jesus was a great teacher.” Others say, “He was a prophet.” Others simply do not know him at all. We should not be totally surprised. After all, Christianity is a minority religion in the world. And members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are but a small minority among those who claim to be Christians.
In a world populated by more than five billion people, our large numbers here, augmented by many more watching on television, are really but a relative few. Our circumstance today was foreseen centuries ago by Nephi:
And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few . . . ; nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small. . . .
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.
That righteousness, that power, that glory—indeed, all of our many blessings—stem from our knowledge of, obedience to, and our gratitude and love for the Lord Jesus Christ.
During his relatively brief sojourn in mortality, the Savior accomplished two overarching objectives: One was his “work and [his] glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” The other he stated simply: “I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done.”
His first objective we know as the Atonement. This was his magnificent mission in mortality. To the people of ancient America, the resurrected Lord gave his mission statement:
I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me.
And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me.
In continuing his sermon, he revealed his second objective—to be our exemplar: “Ye know the things that ye must do . . . ; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do.”
His first objective I have defined as his mission. His second objective I would like to identify as his ministry. For our discussion today, let us review these two components of his life—his mission and his ministry."
–Russell M. Nelson
