Photo supplied, Intellectual Reserve

Last week was my turn to teach the lesson in Elder’s Quorum. I teach the second Sunday of each month, and each Elder’s Quorum lesson is focused on a different general conference address.

The general conference talk selected for last week’s discussion was by Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Elder Stevenson opened the Saturday Evening session with a talk titled “And We Talk of Christ.”

As I watched and listened to the talk in preparation for the lesson, admittedly, I was struggling to think of how to guide a discussion about it. But then I started reading the talk on the website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and suddenly I was inundated with insights and ideas. For me, being able to read the general conference talks is such a blessing because I seem to absorb more that way than simply by listening or watching.

There are a number of insights that I wanted to share as part of this article that came to me as I prepared the lesson and continue to come to me, all of which confirm to me a simple truth: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is all about Jesus Christ.

Carrying Christ around with us

Elder Stevenson spoke of an experience with a customs officer at an airport. The officer, seemingly mechanically and emotionlessly, performed her duties of analyzing the documents presented by Elder Stevenson and his wife until a moment came that seemed to completely change her countenance and approach.

Ryan Comer, Standard-Examiner

“We were somewhat surprised when she suddenly stopped, lifted her head, and made eye contact with Lesa in a deliberate and warm upward gaze,” Elder Stevenson recalled. “With a tender smile, she gently stamped Lesa’s passport and handed the documents back to her. My wife smiled in return, accepted the documents, and exchanged warm parting words.”

What happened to change this officer’s attitude?

“Lesa then showed me what the agent had seen — a small card with the image of the Savior,” Elder Stevenson explained. “It had accidentally slipped from Lesa’s purse into the folds of her passport. This is what the customs officer had found. This is what had changed her whole demeanor.”

Sister Stevenson didn’t have to say a single word to connect with and have an impact on this officer. She just had to have “a small card with the image of the Savior.” Indeed, it’s hard to imagine what kind of words could have had more of an impact on this airport officer than that single and simple yet powerful card.

Of course, none of this would have happened if Sister Stevenson wasn’t carrying the card in the first place, which speaks to her personal love for and commitment to the Savior. So, in addition to being able to talk of Christ without words, we also learn the importance of a personal love for and commitment to the Savior, which influences our choices and makes it possible to have experiences like Sister Stevenson had in the first place.

Elder Stevenson made several more comments in his emphasis on Christ throughout his talk that led me to reflect.

Receiving and sharing Christ’s light

“We are followers of Jesus Christ, and we seek to both receive and share His light,” he said.

I think sometimes it can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking it’s enough that we have received Jesus Christ’s light, and we don’t put enough emphasis on sharing it, but here we learn that for followers of Jesus Christ, it’s just as important to share as it is to receive. We can receive Christ’s light, but if we don’t then share it, what have we accomplished? I guess we can congratulate ourselves for having received it, but do we think Christ would be satisfied knowing we received his light and didn’t share it?

Furthermore, if Christ’s light is truly meaningful for us, shouldn’t we want to share it with others? Reading how Elder Stevenson connects receiving and sharing in this context, I wonder if it’s even possible to receive if you don’t share. If you aren’t willing to share Christ’s light, what does that say about how much you have actually received it yourself?

Everything centered on Christ

“Implicit in the name of the Church is our theology of ‘Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone,'” Elder Stevenson said. “Through ancient and living prophets, our Heavenly Father has commanded us to ‘hear Him!’ and to ‘come unto Christ.’ ‘We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, [and] we prophesy of Christ.’

“We teach that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and during His earthly ministry, Jesus taught His gospel and established His Church.

“We testify that at the end of His life, Jesus atoned for our sins when He suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane, was crucified on the cross, and then was resurrected.

“We rejoice that because of the Savior’s atoning sacrifice, we can be forgiven and cleansed of our sins as we repent. This brings us peace and hope while making it possible for us to return to God’s presence and receive a fulness of joy.

“We prophesy that because of Jesus’s Resurrection, death is not the end but an important step forward. ‘We will all be resurrected after we die. This means that each person’s spirit and body will be reunited and live forever.'”

Jesus Christ truly is at the center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It’s not the Church of Joseph Smith. It’s not the Church of Mormon. It’s not the Church of any prophet, apostle, book or doctrine. It’s the Church of Jesus Christ. He is the cornerstone. Joseph Smith himself said:

“The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the apostles and prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.”

Increasing focus on Christ

The rest of Elder Stevenson’s talk was focused on highlighting the various “adjustments and enhancements announced by the First Presidency that are designed to focus us on Jesus Christ” that have been made in the last few years. He listed a few of them in bullet points, citing:

• “The decision to retire the name ‘Mormon Church’ and to replace it with the correct name, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
• “The availability of new, inspired Christ-themed art for display in meetinghouses.
• “Young Women and Aaronic Priesthood quorum themes and music focused on Jesus Christ, such as ‘Disciple of Christ’ and ‘Look unto Christ.’
• “Greater emphasis on the Atonement and literal Resurrection of Jesus Christ as the most glorious events in history.
• “Celebration of Easter as a season and not just a holiday, with an emphasis on Jesus Christ.
• “The introduction of the visual identifier of the Church of Jesus Christ and its symbolic nature.”

It’s noteworthy to me that despite the name of the church being what it is, and despite all the ways the church could say it is Christ-centered, there’s isn’t any complacency. There’s a desire to emphasize Christ even more, and that desire is demonstrated in these “adjustments and enhancements.” What a humbling lesson for our own lives. No matter how well we may think we’re doing, no matter how righteous we think our choices have been, we can and should always strive to do more, to be better.

Elder Stevenson spoke more in depth on the church symbol, Easter and the literal resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The church symbol

Elaborating on the church symbol, Elder Stevenson said:

“The center of the symbol is a representation of Bertel Thorvaldsen’s beloved marble Christus statue, which has become widely associated with the Church and is found in visitors’ centers and on temple grounds around the world. Its prominence in the Church symbol suggests that Christ should be the center of all we do. Likewise, the Savior’s outstretched arms indicate His promise to embrace all who will come unto Him. This symbol is a visual representation of the love of the Savior Jesus Christ and a constant reminder of the living Christ.

“Out of curiosity, I have inquired of many families and friends concerning one important element of the Church symbol. Surprisingly, many are not aware of a hallowed feature that it embodies. Jesus Christ stands under the arch. This represents the resurrected Savior emerging from the tomb. We truly celebrate the resurrected, living Christ, even in the use of the Church symbol.”

As I thought of the church symbol, I thought of remarks made by Dallin H. Oaks not too long after he had been called as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. In an October 1987 address titled “The Light and Life of the World,” he said:

“A friend who was making his first visit to Salt Lake City called on me in my office. He is a well-educated man and a devout and sincere Christian. Although we have not discussed this with each other, we both know that some leaders of his denomination have taught that members of our church are not Christians.

“After a short discussion on a matter of common interest, I told my friend I had something I would like him to see. We walked over to Temple Square and into the North Visitors’ Center. We viewed the pictures of Bible and Book of Mormon Apostles and prophets. Then we turned our steps up the inclined walkway to the second level. Here, Thorvaldsen’s great statue of the risen Christ dominates a setting suggestive of the immensity of space and the grandeur of the creations of God.

“As we emerged and beheld this majestic likeness of the Christus, arms outstretched and hands showing the wounds of his crucifixion, my friend drew a sharp breath. We stood quietly for a few minutes, enjoying a reverent communion of worshipful thoughts about our Savior. Then, without further conversation, we made our way down to the street level. On the way, we walked past the small diorama showing the Prophet Joseph Smith kneeling in the Sacred Grove.

“As we left Temple Square and took our leave of one another, my friend took me by the hand. ‘Thank you for showing me that,’ he said. ‘Now I understand something about your faith that I have never understood before.’ I hope that every person who has ever had doubts about whether we are Christians can achieve that same understanding.”

In this moment, Elder Oaks accomplished exactly what Sister Stevenson accomplished – the ability to testify of the Savior in a way that had a stunning impact without using any words at all. Elder Oaks exemplified exactly what Elder Stevenson spoke of when he said followers of Christ “seek to both receive and share (Jesus Christ’s) light.”

Easter and the resurrection

Regarding Easter, Elder Stevenson said:

“Easter allows us to honor both the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the literal and joyous Resurrection of Him. Our hearts are heavy as we imagine the Savior’s suffering in the garden and upon Calvary, but our hearts rejoice as we envision the empty tomb and the heavenly decree ‘He is risen!'”

Regarding the resurrection of Jesus Christ, he said:

“While there appears to be a growing trend among various Christian theologians to view the Resurrection in figurative and symbolic terms, we affirm our doctrine that ‘the Resurrection means that all who have ever lived will be resurrected, and the Resurrection is literal.’ ‘For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.’ Jesus Christ broke the bands of death for every living soul.”

Conclusion

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is truly a Christ-centered church. Everything points to Christ, whether it’s the name of the church or the doctrine of the church. Everything is meant to build faith in Christ as our Savior and Redeemer, the only name “under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

With President Russell M. Nelson’s commitment to a greater focus on Christ, it’s no surprise to me that he has been saved for this time — where so many people across the world are “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness” (Ephesians 4:14) — and had his life prolonged as it has been.

Contact Ryan Comer at rcomer@standard.net.