Elder Dylan Hansen's first talk on his mission

Preparing talks has always been a little difficult for me, and honestly, I think I have done it a different way almost every single time I’ve written one. I really enjoy teaching lessons because they are usually done in a different sort of setting, but talks are fun if you like to monologue. To me, it is a testament to the spirit. I am not adequate to preach to you all, but according to my calling and by the grace of the spirit, we may continue forward and discuss the atonement.

In my efforts to construct a coherent talk, I often go to the Gospel Topics, or Guide to the Scriptures to get started. It’s always best to start at the root before expounding your own thoughts.

BEFORE THE BEGINNING
Before mankind was placed on the Earth, we lived with our Heavenly Father. In February 2015, in the church magazine, it reads, “In our premortal life, we were taught lessons that prepared us to assist Heavenly Father in bringing about the salvation of His children (see D&C 138:56). We also had the agency to follow and obey God. Some of Father’s children distinguished themselves through their “exceeding faith and good works' ' and were foreordained, or given assignments, to serve in specific ways on earth (Alma 13:3). The greatest of those who followed Heavenly Father back then was His firstborn spirit son, Jesus Christ—or Jehovah, as He was known there.”

God presented the plan to us on how we could become like him and have the fullness of joy. We learned we needed a Savior to overcome the problems of mortal life, and Jesus Christ volunteered to fulfill that role. Satan proposed a plan that would put him above the judgment seat of God, and God said unto him, “I will send the first (Jesus Christ).” From this Satan rebelled.

Bare testimony that this is what came to pass, that we had a loving Heavenly Father that wanted us to become like him. That is why we are here today. Jesus Christ was foreordained to come to this world, and our own roles and positions within Christ’s Church was as well.

Just how there was foreordination there were laws predicated. In Doctrine and Covenants, it explains, “There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated— And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.” [D&C 130:20–21] The rules of justice and agency were already set in place before the creation of the world.

IN THE BEGINNING
Read Genesis 1:1-3 This is how the world began, and there is much to learn from Genesis. I deeply encourage those to study Genesis in new ways to learn the importance of this story throughout the Bible, Book of Mormon, and the temple.

In the book of Moses, we are explained further about the actions of Adam and Eve after they were cast from the garden of Eden. Read Moses 5 : 5-10.
5 And he gave unto them commandments, that they should worship the Lord their God, and should offer the firstlings of their flocks, for an offering unto the Lord. And Adam was obedient unto the commandments of the Lord.
6 And after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me.
7 And then the angel spake, saying: This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth.
8 Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore.
9 And in that day the aHoly Ghost fell upon Adam, which beareth record of the Father and the Son, saying: I am the bOnly Begotten of the Father from the beginning, henceforth and forever, that as thou hast fallen thou mayest be redeemed, and all mankind, even as many as will.
10 And in that day Adam blessed God and was filled, and began to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying: Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God.

Even from the very beginning, the coming of the Savior was prophesied. Read Moses 5:11 as well.
11 And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.

THE NEED FOR A SAVIOR
Due to the transgression of Adam, and the requirement of so, in order for us to come into this world and experience joy, we are in an incomplete state. Because of this incomplete state, we are able to sin and become unclean and enter into the presence of God our father.

In 2 Nephi 11:4-6, this is exactly discussed.
4 Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ; for, for this end hath the law of Moses been given, and all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him.
5 And also my soul delighteth in the covenants of the Lord which he hath made to our fathers; yea, my soul delighteth in his grace, and in his justice, and power, and mercy in the great and eternal plan of deliverance from death.
6 And my soul delighteth in proving unto my people that save Christ should come all men must perish.

Robert J. Matthews, the Dean of Religious Education at BYU, in a beautiful talk, "Why a Savior Is Necessary", and "Why Only Jesus Christ Could Qualify", stated it clearly. “There is passage after passage in the Book of Mormon and in other scriptures indicating that the fall of Adam brought death upon mankind, two kinds of death: the death of the body, which is the death we are familiar with in relation to mortuaries and funerals and undertakers, and then the death of the spirit, which means a separation from things of righteousness or an alienation from the things of God. Because of the fall of Adam, first Adam and then all of his posterity suffered both of these deaths. If there were no atonement made by someone who was not subject to those deaths—if there were no atonement made by Jesus Christ—then mankind would everlastingly remain subject to those two deaths and could not redeem himself.”

Trying to imagine a world without the Atonement is difficult. In Robert J Matthew’s talk, he suggests the idea of so and explains what would have happened. He references 2 Nephi 9:10:
9 O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit.

This ‘monster’, death and hell, is bigger than we realize at first glance. We would not receive our full glory, would not have bodies, and would be cast from the presence of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. It makes it undeniably clear without the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we would have perished forever. Robert Matthews explains, “And so, when we sing and think and read and talk and meditate upon the coming of the Son of God into the world, we need to think in terms of what he did for mankind, all mankind, both as to the resurrection of the body and in bringing them forth out of what would have been a most miserable and gloomy existence. Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). You see that when we understand the alternative, it gives altogether new meaning, and additional meaning, to his words.”

Bare testimony that without this Savior and this understanding, life would be completely different. I want to return to my Father in Heaven to live with my family forever.

ABRAHAM WAS IMPERFECT (SAVIOR PROTOTYPES)
One of my favorite books of scripture is the Old Testament (other than the Book of Mormon). This is the book of scripture that Jesus would have known, thus it makes it interesting to read from. It also remains a wonderful place to gain more insight on our Savior. A common question in my seminary (basically Institute for teens) was, “Where is Jesus in the Old Testament?

Look closely. He is everywhere. Even in people in the Old Testament. The writers liked to emphasize aspects of the savior in people. In the Ensign from June, 2002, an article was written titled, "Finding Jesus Christ in the Old Testament". As I was studying, I read, “Some of the most poignant and powerful symbols of Christ in the Old Testament are found in the persons whose callings, speech, and actions mirrored those of the Savior. They were themselves anointed in ancient Israel to perform their special duties in imitation of the Anointed One. Following His Resurrection, the Savior taught His disciples to look to the contents of the scriptures—in other words, the Old Testament—and see all things “concerning himself” (see Luke 24:13–32). Thus, the lives of these Old Testament personalities—prophets and priests—are types or similitudes of the life of the great Prophet and Priest.”

This article has it beautifully laid out, so rather than me just babbling on, I thought I could just read this part from the article. It lists many of the “Christ Prototypes.” These people contained qualities of the Savior, but either missed a certain aspect of what makes up the Savior. One of the biggest aspects of this is these people were not foreordained to be the Savior of the world. However, they were good people, and show us the Savior in the Old Testament.

Adam
“As Adam and Eve’s fall brought life in mortality and the gift of a physical body to all of Heavenly Father’s faithful premortal children, the Atonement of Christ also gives life with an immortal, perfected physical body for every son and daughter of Adam and Eve. The Apostle Paul recognized this similitude when he wrote: “The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam [Christ] was made a quickening spirit. … And as we have borne the image of the earthy [man], we shall also bear the image of the heavenly [man]” (1 Cor. 15:45, 49). Just as Christ can be called the “last Adam,” so is the first Adam a type or foreshadowing of Christ.”

Abel
“Abel’s death was a similitude of the death of Jesus Christ. Satan and Cain conspired in Abel’s premeditated murder, and Abel was delivered by Satan into the hands of a wicked man (see Moses 5:29). In parallel fashion, Jesus was delivered by Satan into the hands of wicked men (see Luke 9:44) and was crucified as a result of a conspiracy. Furthermore, Satan “entered into” Judas Iscariot, the instrument of Jesus’ betrayal (see John 13:27; Luke 22:3). Just as Abel’s death resulted in the shedding of his innocent blood, so too Christ’s sacrifice and death were accomplished by the shedding of His innocent blood.”

Melchizedek
“The Apostle Paul taught that Christ was ‘after the similitude of Melchisedek’ (Heb. 7:15). There is much we do not know about this great patriarch, but his name, Melchizedek, means ‘King of Righteousness.’ He was also known as the Prince of Peace, the King of Peace, and the King of Heaven (see Alma 13:14–19; JST, Gen. 14:26–36, Bible appendix; JST, Heb. 7:3, Bible appendix). These name-titles not only refer to Melchizedek as the king-priest of Salem, but also denote names for the Lord Jesus Christ. The high priesthood, originally called the ‘Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God,’ was renamed the Melchizedek Priesthood (see D&C 107:2–4). Thus, ‘the priesthood held by Melchizedek is the very priesthood promised [to] the Son of God during his mortal sojourn, which is to say that Christ was to be like unto Melchizedek.’”  Melchizedek Priesthood has multiple names as well. It is the “Holy Priesthood” but as well it is “Jesus Christ’s Priesthood”. The meaning behind Melchizedek in Hebrew means, King of Righteousness. Jesus Christ is THE king of Righteousness.

Moses
“The Lord taught Moses, the great lawgiver and deliverer of Israel, that he was a similitude of Jesus Christ: “And I have a work for thee, Moses, my son; and thou art in the similitude of mine Only Begotten; and mine Only Begotten is and shall be the Savior” (Moses 1:6). In addition, Moses taught the children of Israel that the Messiah would be like him: “The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken” (Deut. 18:15). This prophecy and testimony is mentioned in all our standard works (a truly significant fact), including a statement from the Savior to the Nephites that He was the fulfillment of Moses’ prophecy (see 3 Ne. 20:23; Acts 3:22; Acts 7:37; D&C 133:63; JS—H 1:40). Here are some of the specific ways the lives and ministries of Moses and Christ are alike: both were foreordained in premortal life; both were deliverers, lawgivers, and judges; both taught of the Atonement; both had control over the elements, especially the waters, and provided food for their peoples; and both were known as the meekest of men.”

Boaz
“The book of Ruth contains a wonderful story of loyalty and love that takes place in Bethlehem. Its heroine, an ancestor of Jesus of Nazareth, gave up her homeland, religion, and life to unite with her mother-in-law in Israel (see Ruth 1:14–16). Her life strikingly shows that participation in the kingdom of God is not decided by bloodlines but by obedience to God’s will. In the story God provides Ruth with a kinsman-redeemer named Boaz. The Hebrew word used to describe Boaz’s relationship with Ruth is go’el. It is translated as “kinsman,” but it literally means “redeemer.” Boaz redeemed the estate of his deceased relative by marrying the widowed Ruth and having a child by her, thus reenfranchising her as a member of Hebrew society. Thus Boaz is a type of Christ’s love and redemptive power. We have a Redeemer who has purchased or rescued us with a price—His precious blood (see Acts 20:28; 1 Cor. 6:20).”

Elijah and Elisha
“The lives and ministries of these two mighty prophets foreshadowed the life of Christ in many impressive ways. Both Elijah and Elisha multiplied a widow’s food supply to sustain her family (see 1 Kgs. 17:10–16; 2 Kgs. 4:1–7), episodes that foreshadowed two of Christ’s great miracles, the feeding of the 5,000 and the 4,000. Elisha fed 100 men with only 20 loaves and some grain, with food left over, much like Christ (see 2 Kgs. 4:42–44; Mark 6:33–44; Mark 8:1–9). Like Christ, Elisha healed the sick (see 2 Kgs. 5). Elijah and Elisha raised young boys from the dead (see 1 Kgs. 17:21–22; 2 Kgs. 4:32–35) as Jesus raised a widow’s son (see Luke 7:11–17).”

THE LAW OF MOSES
Earlier, I discussed the Law of Moses. Let me elaborate.
*Explain the law of Moses and how I have been reading in Numbers. There is a lot to the law of Moses, and it was given because people were stiff necked, and could not receive the higher law. Explain how this is the way things were prior to the coming of the Savior.*

JESUS CHRIST ARRIVES TO THE WORLD IN THE FLESH
Then, Jesus Christ was born. This is one of our most celebrated Holidays in the world, the celebration thereof. Talk about Christ and celebrations thereof and spending time with family. The Birth of the Savior was one of the greatest events in the history of the world. That is why those that knew of it were so excited.His ministry. How he would introduce himself. READ JOHN 4: 3-30

OUR NEED TO REPENT AND PLACE OUR SINS UPON HIM
Our need to repent and place our sins upon him. He has already died, so all we must do is sincerely try to change and become a disciple of Him. THAT IS WHY IN THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS, WE ARE CALLED SAINTS. EVERY MEMBER OF THE CHURCH IS A SAINT. In the Exodus 19: 6, it says, “Kingdom Of Priests”.

CELEBRATION OF EASTER
How will you celebrate Easter? How will you try to remember your Savior this Sunday? Invitation to watch General Conference.

Bare Testimony. In the name of Jesus Christ
Amen

Elder Dylan Hansen