"From the foundation of the world to the present day, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has been the central figure in the plan of the Father to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man," writes Gerald N. Lund.
In Jesus Christ, Key to the Plan of Salvation, Gerald Lund draws upon over a quarter century of teaching experience in the Church Educational System and a thorough knowledge of the Holy Land and the scriptures. He examines both the ministry of the Savior and the critical elements in the Father's plan. How did the Savior define the purpose of his ministry? Why was the Fall necessary? How does the Old Testament prefigure the Messiah? What does the Atonement do for God's children? What names and titles of the Savior reflect his Godhood and his work? How do grace, faith, and works fit into the plan? How can we keep the Savior's commandment to be perfect? These are just some of the questions Brother Lund answers.
"He it was who stepped forward in the Great Council in heaven," Brother Lund writes, "and offered his life as ransom for all. (See Moses 4:1-2.) He it was who, under the direction of the Father, created worlds without number. (See Moses 1:32-33.) He it was who directed men as Jehovah, God of the Old Testament. . . . He it was who put aside his godly glory, thinking it not unseemly to take upon himself the frail and corruptible body of mortality. (See Philip. 2:6-8.) He it was who sweat blood for us in a garden of olive trees; . . . who endured the lacerating pain of a Roman scourging and the unspeakable horror of death by crucifixion—all that he might save us from the results of our foolishness and rebellion. . . . He it is who will overthrow Babylon and make the kingdoms of the world become the kingdoms of our God and his Christ. (See Rev. 11:15.) He it is who will come again in such resplendent glory that the mountains will flow down at his presence and the sun will hide its face in shame."
Jesus Christ, Key to the Plan of Salvation is a clear and incisive look at the work and gifts of our Redeemer as they relate to our exaltation.
