Jesus The Christ

That the Man, Jesus, surnamed the Christ (Talmage, Preface iii) is the literal Son of God the Father, Elohim. That He is a being, separate, distinct, and apart from God the Father, both of Whom have glorified, physical Resurrected Bodies of flesh and bone. As one of the weakest of those who are or who can be called Saints, my faith is insufficient to have beheld his face in the flesh, to have felt the imprints of the nails in his feet and hands, or to have thrust my hands in His side. There are, however, those who have. In fact there are likely thousands who have personally and physically thrust their hands in His side, and felt the prints of the nails in His hands and in His feet. Some even break bread and ate with the Savior of the world after rising from the dead. Listed below (with great thanks to Elder Talmadge’s Jesus the Christ) is only a rough approximation of some of those who so testified from personal, physical and actual knowledge.

1. Mary Magdalene, near the sepulcher (Mark 16:9-10; John 20:14) 1 person

2. The two Marys, somewhere between the sepulcher and Jerusalem (Matt 28:9) 2 people

3. Two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Mark 16:12; Luke 24:13) 2 people

4. Peter, the apostles and others in or near Jerusalem (Luke 24:36; John 20:19) 13 persons

5. The eleven apostles and others at Jerusalem (Mark 16:14; John 20:26) 12 people

6. The apostles at the Sea of Tiberias, Galilee (John 21) 11 people

7. The eleven apostles on a mountain in Galilee (Matt. 28:16) 11 people

8. Five hundred brethren at once (1 Cor. 15:6) 500 people

9. To James, the other 10, and Paul (1 Cor. 15:7) 12 people

10. The eleven apostles at the time of the ascension, Mount of Olives (Mark:16:19; Luke 24:50-51) 11 people

11. A great multitude of the Nephites (3 Nephi 11:8-17 3 Nephi 17:25) 2500 people

12. Spring 1820 Joseph Smith (Joseph Smith 1:5-26) 1 person

13. Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon February 16, 1832 (D & C 76:11-24) 2 people

14. Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdrey April 3, 1836 (D & C 110:1-11) 2 people

Approximately 3079 personally saw, heard–and some felt–and bear record of the reality of Christ’s Resurrection. And, though I am not numbered among them, I have personally felt His influence, light and Spirit in my life. His was a life without sin, to balance the Eternal equation in my favor. I acknowledge I will ever fall short, despite all I can do. It is and ever will be through His Amazing Grace that I will ever have a hope of that physical witness–moving beyond faith, my belief in things hoped for but not yet seen–to a perfect knowledge. I am mindful of and eternally grateful for His infinite Sacrifice and Atonement–least understood by me.

This I believe.