The Life and Teachings of Elder David Todd Christofferson

The Biography of Elder David Todd Christofferson

            The first thing that stuck out to me about Elder Christofferson’s life was his reaction to being called as an apostle. I think for all of the apostles it “seemed impossible” at the time of their call, but just as Elder Christofferson said, “we all rely on the Lord.” The second thing that stuck out to me about Elder Christofferson was that Elder Scott was his mission president. I can only image what those mission reunions must be like. The next thing the stuck out to me was that Elder Christofferson clerked for the judge in charge of the Watergate hearings. I find it amazing that this judge would state that Elder Christofferson was the only person he could talk to, and that he was too valuable to let him go. What a compliment!

The Testimony of Elder David Todd Christofferson

            The one thing that really stuck out to me about Elder Christofferson’s was that he testified that you don’t have to go to the sacred grove to receive a witness of the truthfulness of the Gospel. One thing I remember from when I was taking the mission prep class a few years ago was that the mission prep teacher said that it was important for us to get our investigators to the sacred grove. He followed this by saying that we don’t need to physically get our investigators to the sacred grove, but that we needed to get them there spiritually. The spiritual witness of the truthfulness of the Gospel is what is needed to provide investigators with knowledge and conviction to enter the waters of baptism.

Recent Teachings

Elder David Todd Christofferson, The Resurrection of Jesus Christ, April 2014 General Conference, Sunday Afternoon Session

Key Doctrine and Principles:

·         Atonement

·         Death

·         Justice

·         Resurrection

Favorite Quotes and Why They Matter to Me:

·         “By His Atonement and Resurrection, Jesus Christ has overcome all aspects of the Fall. Physical death will be temporary, and even spiritual death has an end, in that all come back into the presence of God, at least temporarily, to be judged. We can have ultimate trust and confidence in His power to overcome all else and grant us everlasting life.”

o    I loved this quote because I find comfort in know that if I am doing what right, I have nothing to fear. However because of all the things I have gone through with my family, especially my brother, I sometimes find it difficult to forgive him for what he has done and said to me. It is at times like these that I remember something a very wise missionary once said to me. This missionary said that when someone asks us for forgiveness and we deny them that forgiveness, we are in essence looking our Savior in the eye and telling him that the Atonement was good enough, that the Atonement covers everything, but this one injustice. This missionary went on to explain that we are doing the same thing when this person, who may hurt us in some way, doesn’t ask us for our forgiveness, but we still deny them our forgiveness and hold a grudge against them, regardless of whether or not the realize they have done something to hurt us.

·         “Having satisfied the demands of justice, Christ now steps into the place of justice; or we might say He is justice, just as He is love. Likewise, besides being a ‘perfect, just God,’ He is a perfect, merciful God. Thus, the Savior makes all things right. No injustice in mortality is permanent, even death, for He restores life again. No injury, disability, betrayal, or abuse goes uncompensated in the end because of His ultimate justice and mercy.”

o    I loved this quote because it goes along perfectly with how my relationship with my brother is. He and I don’t get along anymore. We used to be very close when we were little, but over the years things have changed. I have changed and so has he, but those changes are what have pushed us apart to the point that he refuses to acknowledge my very existence, and he has stated at one time that it would have been better if my parents had just aborted me. Although I put on a tough face and say that it doesn’t bother me, it really does. Through Christ I have been able to come to terms with the fact that my brother may never acknowledge my existence, but I take comfort in knowing that Christ will make all things right.

Past Teachings

Elder David Todd Christofferson, The Redemption of the Dead and the Testimony of Jesus, Ensign and General Conference (through the LDS Gospel Library App), November 2000 (General Conference October 2000, Saturday Morning Session)

Key Doctrine and Principles:

·         Family History

·         Temple Work

·         Redemption

·         Agency

·         Atonement

·         Testimony

Favorite Quotes and Why They Matter to Me:

·         “God gave man his agency from the beginning.”

o    I love this quote because it plainly states that from the foundations of the world, we have been given our agency to choose. Nothing and no one can take that away from us. Even God, with all His power and glory, cannot and will not take away our agency. He wants us to be able to make the choice of whether or not we want to follow Him. He will never force that upon us.

·         “Our anxiety to redeem the dead, and the time and resources we put behind that commitment, are, above all, an expression of our witness concerning Jesus Christ. It constitutes as powerful a statement as we can make concerning His divine character and mission. It testifies, first, of Christ’s Resurrection; second, of the infinite reach of His Atonement; third, that He is the sole source of salvation; fourth, that He has established the conditions for salvation; and, fifth, that He will come again.”

o    I loved this quote because next Wednesday, I will be going to the Redlands Temple to do baptisms for several of my family members. I have friends coming down from Utah this Saturday, and I have some of my friends from the YSA who are willing to help me with this temple trip that I have planned. The time and effort it takes to find these names can be very daunting, but with the help of the Lord, as well as the help of our ancestors, the work can progress much faster than we can comprehend. Our ancestors will guide us to the right names, the right places, and the right times so that we might be able to find them and perform those saving ordinances which they did not have the opportunity to perform for themselves in this life. The powers of Heaven will lift us up and direct us where to go.