Lessons on the Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ and His Apostles
Lesson No. Fourteen

The Testimony of Jesus

Jesus testifies of Himself – Experiencing increasing opposition Jesus held a testimony meeting to strengthen His apostles. “And it came to pass, as he went alone with his disciples to pray” (JST Luke 9:18). This testimony meeting began with prayer, likely offered by the Lord Himself. We do not know all that transpired, but certainly there is more than has been preserved. Jesus then states the purpose of the meeting and bears the first testimony of His own divinity by asking, “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” (Matthew 16:13). He is doing what He has done many times before; He is applying to Himself the title “the Son of Man.” This is the equivalent of saying “I am the Son of God.”

The disciples answered his question: “Some say that thou art John the Baptist; some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am” (Matthew 16:14-15). He is now inviting the disciples to offer their testimonies of Him.

Peter testifies of Christ; the rock of revelation; the sealing keys are promised – “And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou Simon Barjona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock (revelation) I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:16-18, clarification mine).

Some Christian denomination believe that Peter is the rock upon which Jesus is saying He will build His Church. However, the Prophet Joseph Smith clarified that revelation is the rock upon which Jesus will build His Church. (See Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 274)

Jesus continued with the promise that Peter would be given sealing keys: “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19).

The Mount of Transfiguration – Approximately one week after Peter gave his testimony and Jesus’ promise that the keys of the kingdom would be given (Matthew 16:13-19) the Lord took Peter, James, and John to a high mountain to pray (Luke 9:28), and Jesus and his three leading apostles were transfigured by the power of God to a higher more holy state.

Moses and Elias “appeared in glory, and spake of [Jesus’] death and resurrection which he should accomplish at Jerusalem” (JST Luke 9:31). Elder James E. Talmage wrote: “In faithfully treading the path of His life’s work, He had reached the verge of the valley of the shadow of death; and the human part of His nature called for refreshing. As angels had been sent to minister unto Him after the trying scenes of the forty days’ fast and the direct temptation of Satan, and as, in the agonizing hour of His bloody sweat, He was to be sustained anew by angelic ministry, so at this critical and crucial period, the beginning of the end, visitants from the unseen world came to comfort and support Him” (Jesus the Christ, p. 373).

Keys conferred; temple blessings given – Moses and Elijah appeared not only to strengthen Jesus, but also to join with Him in conferring the priesthood keys which would allow the apostles to lead the Church after the Lord’s resurrection. Both Moses and Elijah had been translated or taken from the earth without tasting death, so that they could now come with physical bodies to confer their keys.

We believe that Moses conferred the keys of the gathering of Israel and that Elijah conferred the sealing keys, the power to bind on earth and in heaven, that Jesus had promised the week before. “Jesus himself gave [Peter, James, and John] all else that they needed to preside over his earthly kingdom; to lead all men to eternal salvation in the mansions on high; to send the gospel to the ends of the earth; and to seal men up unto eternal life in the kingdom of his father” (Mortal Messiah 3:57).

One of the things the apostles needed to preside over the Church of Jesus Christ was the temple endowment. President Joseph Fielding Smith wrote: “I am convinced in my own mind that when the Savior took the three disciples up to the mount,…he there gave them the ordinances that pertain to the house of the Lord and they were endowed” (Doctrines of Salvation 2:170).

The Father testifies of His Beloved Son; the apostles are sealed up unto eternal life – While on the Mount of Transfiguration “a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him” (Matthew 17:5).

Many years later, as recorded in 2 Peter 1:15-19, Peter spoke of the experience on the Mount of Transfiguration and implied that he, James, and John received the more sure word of prophecy, the knowledge that they were sealed up unto eternal life. (See D&C 131:5)

The Prophet Joseph Smith expanded our understanding of 2 Peter 1:15-19: “And though they had heard an audible voice from heaven bearing testimony that Jesus was the Son of God, yet [Peter] says we have a more sure word of prophecy than to hear the voice of God saying, This is my beloved Son.

“Now for the secret and grand key. Though they might hear the voice of God and know that Jesus was the Son of God, this would be no evidence that their election and calling was made sure, that they had part with Christ, and were join heirs with Him. They then would want that more sure word of prophecy, that they were sealed in the heavens and had the promise of eternal life in the kingdom of God. Then having this promise sealed unto them, it was an anchor to the soul, sure and steadfast. Though the thunders might roll and lightnings flash, and earthquakes bellow, and war gather thick around, yet this hope and knowledge would support the soul in every hour of trial, trouble and tribulation” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 298).

We testify of the Living Christ – My wife Susan and I, as two of His latter day disciples, bear testimony that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son. (See The Living Christ – The Testimony of the Apostles)