Ether 3:14

Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters.

What a magnificent statement of the purpose of Jesus Christ! From the very beginning, before the world was created, he was selected to be the centerpiece of the plan of salvation for the entire human family. He is both the Creator (the Father) and the Redeemer (the Son). His promise is to all mankind to redeem them if we will believe in him and become his sons and daughters.

Mormon 7:7

And he hath brought to pass the redemption of the world, whereby he that is found guiltless before him at the judgment day hath it given unto him to dwell in the presence of God in his kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the choirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which are one God, in a state of happiness which hath no end.

Because Christ has redeemed us, we can in fact pass before the judgment bar of God totally guiltless. We can be perfect in Christ. And then note the next phrase: it will be given to us to dwell with God. To live in the presence of the Father and the Son is a gift. First, Christ has to erase our sons, which is totally a gift of his love and mercy. And then when he has cleaned us all up through his perfect sacrifice, he gives us the gift of eternal life with him in the presence of Heavenly Father, which we totally do not deserve! The whole idea is beyond comprehension and truly humbling. As Elder Holland once said, how thrilling it must be for God to be merciful to those who least expect it and don't think they deserve it. Of course we won't really have time to stand around all day and sing songs of praise in a heavenly choir,  but we will feel like it as we are filled to overflowing with gratitude as we begin to comprehend the gift we have received.

3 Nephi 21:22

But if they will repent and hearken unto my words, and harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them, and they shall come in unto the covenant and be numbered among this the remnant of Jacob, unto whom I have given this land for their inheritance;

This prophecy is about those who accept the gospel and enter into the covenants of baptism and the temple. We are added to the Lord's chosen people because of our covenants, regardless of our birth heritage or DNA. We therefore share in the inheritance of the promised land with the rest of Lehi's descendants. The same is true of our spiritual homeland. We can be accepted into the celestial kingdom because of covenants, and because of the covenant Christ made with the Father to be our Redeemer, Mediator, and Savior.

3 Nephi 15:5

Behold, I am he that gave the law, and I am he who covenanted with my people Israel; therefore, the law in me is fulfilled, for I have come to fulfil the law; therefore it hath an end.

No clearer statement exists in the scriptures about who Christ is than this one. Christ is Jehovah, the God of the Old Testament. How fitting, how logical that the One who gave the law should be the one who lived it perfectly and so earned the right to redeem the rest of us who fall short in keeping the law. He could pay the penalty for sin because he defined both sin and the penalty. He knew when he gave the law that he would have to be the one to fulfill it.  It us not fair that Christ had to pay for our sins, but it was the plan from the beginning, he knew it, and he willingly accepted the role of Savior.  Thanks be to the Father for having such a magnificent Son!

3 Nephi 12:26

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence until thou hast paid the uttermost senine. And while ye are in prison can ye pay even one senine? Verily, verily, I say unto you, Nay.

We are faced with a troubling paradox: we cannot get out of prison unless we pay the fine, yet we cannot pay the fine while we are in prison. What is the solution? Someone else must pay the fine for us. We cannot redeem ourselves. We need a mediator. Jesus Christ is our Redeemer.

Heleman 5:12

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

Satan cannot exercise control over those who are built on the Rock—Jesus Christ. This message is repeated many times. Having faith in Christ and building on his foundation does not exempt us from trials and storms. Faith enables us to withstand the storms and triumph over them. The formula for eternal success is E + R = O. It is not the Event but our Response to it that determines the Outcome.

Helaman 5:11

And he hath power given unto him from the Father to redeem them from their sins because of repentance; therefore he hath sent his angels to declare the tidings of the conditions of repentance, which bringeth unto the power of the Redeemer, unto the salvation of their souls.

Of all the powers given to Jesus, the power to redeem us is the greatest. Through this power Christ can right every wrong, repair every injustice, heal every wound, and remove every sin. He can bring equality to all who have suffered the inequalities of mortality. He has the power to make us an exalted seat right next to his on the throne of heaven, as if we were his equals. That is power indeed!

Alma 33:11

And thou didst hear me because of mine afflictions and my sincerity; and it is because of thy Son that thou hast been thus merciful unto me, therefore I will cry unto thee in all mine afflictions, for in thee is my joy; for thou hast turned thy judgments away from me, because of thy Son.

Christ is the Redeemer and the Healer. He intercedes with the Father on our behalf. He paid the price not only to heal us from our sins, but also to heal our relationship with our Father.

Alma 26:20

Oh, my soul, almost as it were, fleeth at the thought. Behold, he did not exercise his justice upon us, but in his great mercy hath brought us over that everlasting gulf of death and misery, even to the salvation of our souls.

This theme is repeated over and over throughout the scriptures, but it is particularly emphasized in the Book of Mormon. We do not save ourselves. We do not leap over the awful gulf in a single bound. Christ carries us over the gulf. It is his power, not ours, that brings us to salvation. I am awed and humbled each time I am reminded of this magnificent concept of salvation. The gift of salvation is beyond comprehension in the depth and breadth of mercy, kindness and love it represents. Oh, how blessed we are to live in a universe over which a God of love reigns supreme! And how blessed we are that this God of love could produce a Son of equal capacity and possessed of a willingness to pay the price to save us. I truly stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me.

Alma 12:14

For our words will condemn us, yea, all our works will condemn us; we shall not be found spotless; and our thoughts will also condemn us; and in this awful state we shall not dare to look up to our God; and we would fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the mountains to fall upon us to hide us from his presence.

Without Christ, we are condemned by the works, words, and the very thoughts of the natural man. We cannot do everything right to save our lives--literally. Without Christ's Atonement we are fallen and lost. If it were not for him, the judgment would be the terror of terrors. God would have no alternative but to execute justice, for he lives by law, and law demands justice, otherwise it is not law. Thankfully, we have a Redeemer and an Advocate who can save us from ourselves.

Second Nephi 33:6

I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell.

Nephi taught the gospel of Christ plainly. He left no doubt who the Redeemer is and what he does for us. I glory with Nephi in my Jesus. The miracle is that Christ is as personally my Savior and he is Nephi's, Peter's, Paul's, Adam's, and yours. We can know him personally, individually, intimately, and directly. He stands at my door and knocks, just as he stands at your door.