2000 The Living Christ

2000 Statement Image

Introduction

1978 Statement image

The First Presidency: President Gordon B Hinckley, Thomas S Monson (First Counselor), James E Faust (Second Counselor)
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: Boyd K Packer, L Tom Perry, David B Height, Neal A Maxwell, Russel M Nelson, Dallin H Oaks, M Russell Ballard, Joseph B Wirthlin, Richard G Scott, Robert D Hales, Jeffery R Holland, Henry B Eyring

        As the world approached the beginning of a new millennium and the advent of the 21st century, there were approximately 2 billion Christians1 in a world of j ust over 6 billion people.2 Representing roughly half of the world’s Christians at the time, the Roman Catholic Church proclaimed the year 2000 as a “Great Jubilee.”3 Other groups of Christians around the world looked forward in different ways to the milestone year 2000 with great joy, hope, anticipation, and some speculation.4 While some people around the world feared the possible havoc of the “Y2K bug,”5 the Washington Post heralded the “calm of being prepared [as] the dominant sentiment”6 of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Generally speaking, the 10.7 million members of the Church7 had no particularly noteworthy celebrations, although Elder L. Tom Perry extended the following exhortation to Church members in the October 1999 General Conference:

As we approach a new century, certainly it is a time to examine what our patterns have been in the past. Could this be a time of reinforcing those practices that lead to our good and betterment? Could it be a time of disregarding those habits and activities which ensnare and enslave us in the traps of the adversary and retard our eternal progress?...
May God bless us that we may look forward to a new century with faith, testimony, confidence, and determination to better prepare ourselves for the eternal life we are all seeking. May the new year begin with the sound of trumpets and joyful shouts as we make the most of this coming year of jubilee…8

        In a previous session of the same conference, President Gordon B. Hinckley acknowledged that it was indeed “an exciting and wonderful thing...to step across the threshold of the centuries.” His message focused on Jesus Christ as “the great central figure of human history, the zenith of the times and seasons of all men.”9

       This same emphasis pervaded the final meeting of the First Presidency and the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1999. Elder Perry offered the following account of that last meeting of the Lord’s prophets, seers, and revelators of the 20th century as the second millennium since the birth of Christ dawned:

Before the final meeting of the First Presidency and the Twelve last year, President Hinckley, sensing the forthcoming changes about to occur, proposed that we come to the temple fasting and conclude our year, the century, and a millennium with a fast and testimony meeting. So not to detract from the spirit of testimony, he requested that we dispense with any business items at this special meeting and save them for the new year.
The meeting was a spiritual feast filled with the witness and testimony of our Lord and Savior. After partaking of the sacrament, each member of the Twelve stood and bore his witness to the mission of Jesus the Christ, the Savior of the world. The concluding three testimonies were given by members of the First Presidency, the final witness being given by President Hinckley. It was a sobering yet joyous occasion as we strengthened each other with strong testimonies.10

        Although the specific date of this meeting is unknown and Elder Perry did not connect it directly to the 2000 Statement entitled, “The Living Christ,” these 15 special witnesses clearly sensed an obligation and opportunity to bear their collective witness to the world at this historic moment. Although perhaps not in conjunction with this particular meeting, President Russell M. Nelson, of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, recalled another catalyst for the production of the 2000 Statement:

The importance of the Savior’s mission was emphasized by the Prophet Joseph Smith, who declared emphatically that “the fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.”
It was this very statement of the Prophet that provided the incentive for 15 prophets, seers, and revelators to issue and sign their testimony to commemorate the 2,000th anniversary of the Lord’s birth. That historic testimony is titled “The Living Christ.” Many members have memorized its truths. Others barely know of its existence. As you seek to learn more about Jesus Christ, I urge you to study “The Living Christ.”11

       Indeed, this strong desire to testify of Jesus Christ led the First Presidency and Quorum of Twelve Apostles to produce an inspiring hour-long video entitled, “Special Witnesses of Christ,” which was broadcast via satellite between the morning and afternoon sessions of General Conference on April 1-2, 2000.12 Shortly after the conclusion of the April 2000 conference, Elder Russell M. Nelson explained that with the combination of the 2000 Statement and the video program “he and the other apostles hope[d] they [had] created the best birthday gift they could give” the Savior, “something that would get into the hearts of people and endure, even beyond the life of those testifiers.” 13

        The timing of the release of the 2000 Statement was interesting for another reason. Peggy Fletcher Stack, of the Salt Lake Tribune, reported: “Elder Dallin H. Oaks told his Salt Lake City ward that the apostles considered various ways to mark the millennium milestone and concluded the statement would be the best. It is part of a decades-long effort to respond to the allegation among some religious groups that Mormons are not Christians.”14 While accusations of not being a Christian Church have persisted against the Church with varying levels of intensity throughout its history, BYU professor Stephen L. Robinson asserted in 1998 that “the accusation that we are not Christians is probably the most commonly heard criticism of the LDS Church and its doctrines today.”15 Robinson even wrote a full-length book dedicated to answering this question, Are Mormons Christian? (Bookcraft, 1998).16 Indeed, in 1995 both the Presbyterian17 and Methodist denominations issued statements concluding that “Mormons” and the “Mormon Church” were decidedly not Christian.19

        Unlike some other documents issued jointly by the First Presidency and Quorum of Twelve Apostles, the 2000 Statement actually contains the signatures of all fifteen men. The First Presidency consisted of President Gordon B. Hinckley, Thomas S. Monson (1st Counselor), and James E. Faust (Second Counselor). The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles consisted of: Boyd K. Packer (Acting President), L. Tom Perry, David B. Haight, Neal A. Maxwell, Russell M. Nelson, Dallin H. Oaks, M. Russell Ballard, Joseph B. Wirthlin, Richard G. Scott, Robert D. Hales, Jeffrey R. Holland, and Henry B. Eyring. This historically stable group served together in these two presiding quorums of the Church from April 6, 1995 to July 21, 2004. They issued both the 1995 Proclamation and the 2000 Statement; these are the only two documents in this collection to be issued by the same group of 15 prophets, seers, and revelators.

        The 2000 Statement declares no new doctrine for the Church. Rather, it brings together essential truths regarding the person, mission, and message of Jesus Christ that are central to the faith and lives of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In it, the Apostles bear an unwavering witness of the divine roles of Jesus Christ in the premortal, mortal, and postmortal stages of His matchless life. His divinity is beyond doubt. His power to save, deliver, redeem, and exalt is unquestionable. His sinless example is extolled as the only way to follow so we can receive joy and peace in this life and in the next. He is unequivocally the Living Christ, the King of Kings, who will one day return to earth and reign upon it during a thousand-year era of peace. Only His truth, His grace, and His love can bring about such a culmination of human history.

        More than a decade after the 2000 Statement was issued, Elder Robert D. Hales observed: “The world is moving away from the Lord faster and farther than ever before. The adversary has been loosed upon the earth. We watch, hear, read, study, and share the words of prophets to be forewarned and protected. For example…‘The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles’ was prepared in advance of when we will need it most.”20 Whether Elder Hales was referring to the decline of religiosity in many countries of the world, or the increasing scope and severity of disease and natural disasters, or the rise of pessimism, skepticism, and despair, or any of the challenges that the people of the world now face or will yet face, the 2000 Statement, “The Living Christ,” stands as a constant reminder and invitation to all people to “come unto that God who is the rock of [our] salvation.”21

  1. See Stack, Peggy F., “LDS Church Affirms Its View of Jesus,” Salt Lake Tribune, December 25, 1999, https://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=100EF84525F2E1D5&itype=storyID , accessed July 28, 2021; also Harrison, Victoria S., “Appendix: Jews, Christians, Muslims and Atheists in 1900 and 2000 Globally, in Europe and in Northern America,” https://www.gla.ac.uk/0t4/humanities/files/mindmapping/Religion1_files/docs/religionstatistics.pdf , accessed July 28, 2021.
  2. “World Population by Year,” Worldometer, https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/world-population-by-year/ , accessed July 28, 2021.
  3. “What is a Holy Year?” The Vatican, https://www.vatican.va/jubilee_2000/docs/documents/ju_documents_17-feb-1997_history_en.html , accessed July 28, 2021.
  4. See Strickert, Fred, “Christians Face the Year 2000 in Different Ways,” Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, January-February 1999, https://www.wrmea.org/1999-january-february/hristians-face-the-year-2000-in-different-ways.html , accessed July 28, 2021; also Gary, Jay, “The Meaning of the Year 2000,” ChristianFutures, https://www.christianfutures.com/meaning-2000/ , accessed July 28, 2021.
  5. See “Y2K bug,” National Geographic, https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/Y2K-bug/ , accessed July 28, 2021.
  6. Wallace, C.G., “Y2K or Not, Mormons in Utah Are Ready,” Washington Post, December 26, 1999, https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1999/12/26/y2k-or-not-mormons-in-utah-are-ready/fcf7d281-9202-450d-b68e-5afb0ce4e757/ , accessed July 28, 2021.
  7. See “Statistical Report, 1999,” April 2000 General Conference, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2000/04/statistical-report-1999?lang=eng , accessed July 28, 2021.
  8. “A Year of Jubilee,” October 1999 General Conference, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1999/10/a-year-of-jubilee?lang=eng , accessed July 28, 2021.
  9. “At the Summit of the Ages,” October 1999 General Conference, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1999/10/at-the-summit-of-the-ages?lang=eng , accessed July 28, 2021.
  10. “‘Thou Shalt Give Heed unto All His Words,’” April 2000 General Conference, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2000/04/thou-shalt-give-heed-unto-all-his-words?lang=eng , accessed July 28, 2021.
  11. “Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives,” April 2017 General Conference, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2017/04/drawing-the-power-of-jesus-christ-into-our-lives.p15-p17?lang=eng , accessed July 28, 2021.
  12. The original video can be viewed in the Gospel Media Library: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2000-01-0000-special-witnesses-of-christ?lang=eng , For a transcript of the video, see https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2001/04/special-witnesses-of-christ?lang=eng As new members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have been called, each has been given the opportunity to record a video bearing his witness of Jesus Christ. The entire collection can be viewed in the “Prophets and Apostles” section of the Church’s web site: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/prophets-and-apostles/what-are-prophets-testimonies?lang=eng
  13. Weaver, Sarah Jane, “An enduring testament of the living Christ,” Deseret News, April 15, 2000, https://www.deseret.com/2000/4/15/20776673/an-enduring-testament-of-the-living-christ , accessed July 28, 2021.
  14. Stack, “LDS Church Affirms Its View of Jesus,”. Salt Lake Tribune, December 25, 1999.
  15. “Are Mormons Christian?” New Era, May 1998, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/new-era/1998/05/are-mormons-christians?lang=eng , accessed July 28, 2021.
  16. The Church has also published a Gospel Topics essay as a response to this question: “Are Mormons Christian?” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics-essays/christians?lang=eng , accessed July 28, 2021.
  17. Jackson, Kent P. (2000), “Are Mormons Christians? Presbyterians, Mormons, and the Question of Religious Definitions,” Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 52-65 https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/nr.2000.4.1.52?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents , accessed July 28, 2021.
  18. Roberts, Phil (2011), “FIRST-PERSON: Is Mormonism Christian?” Baptist Press, https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/first-person-is-mormonism-christian/ , accessed July 28, 2021.
  19. Despite Latter-day Saint efforts to reaffirm their identity as Christians, the Roman Catholic Church determined the next year not to accept baptisms performed in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (along with a few other denominations) as legitimate as part of an ecumenical announcement to recognize baptisms performed within some other traditional Christian churches; see Stammer, Larry B., “Vatican Will Not Accept Mormon Baptisms,” Los Angeles Times, July 20, 2001, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-jul-20-mn-24451-story.html , accessed July 28, 2021.
  20. “General Conference: Strengthening Faith and Testimony,” October 2013 General Conference, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2013/10/general-conference-strengthening-faith-and-testimony?lang=eng , accessed July 28, 2021.
  21. 2 Nephi 9:45; see also Psalm 18:2; 62:2, 6-7; 1 Nephi 15:15; 2 Nephi 4:30; and Jacob 7:25.

Commentary & Impact

Talks given in General Conferences, General Relief Society Meetings, General Young Women Meetings, and First Presidency Christmas Devotionals have repeatedly quoted, referenced, and cited “The Living Christ.” Some examples of these references include the following:

  • Sharon G. Larson, “Standing with God,” March 2000, General Young Women Meeting:
    The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have boldly declared where they stand. Their testimony of the Living Christ, validated by each one of their signatures, is for all the world to see and know of their conviction.
    Read More: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2000/04/standing-with-god?lang=eng
  • Harold G. Hillam, “Future Leaders,” April 2000 General Conference:
    I ask the Lord to help you throughout your life to join your testimony with those of today’s living prophets and apostles, who have declared: “We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles—that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God... To this I also testify and witness in the name of Jesus Christ.
    Read More: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2000/04/future-leaders?lang=eng
  • Keith Crockett, “Retaining a Remission of Sin,” October 2000 General Conference:
    Today we can stand steadfast in the testimony of “The Living Christ,” as given by living Apostles: “We testify that He will someday return to earth.
    Read More: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2000/10/retaining-a-remission-of-sin?lang=eng
  • John M. Madsen, “Eternal Life through Jesus Christ,” April 2002 General Conference:
    I know of no more wonderful summary of the identity and role of the Lord Jesus Christ than the declaration of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve entitled “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles,” from which I quote.
    Read More: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2002/04/eternal-life-through-jesus-christ?lang=eng
  • Sheldon F. Child, “A Sure Foundation,” October 2003 General Conference:
    This very afternoon, we will raise our hands to sustain President Gordon B. Hinckley, his counselors, and the Quorum of the Twelve as prophets, seers, and revelators. They are special witnesses of the name of Jesus Christ. In the document “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles,” they state: “We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles—that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God…”
    Read More: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2003/10/a-sure-foundation?lang=eng
  • Keith B. McMullin, “Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee,” April 2004 General Conference:
    We have with us today the Lord’s duly ordained Apostles. True to their sacred commission as “special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world,” they declare: “Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God…”
    Read More: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2004/04/jesus-the-very-thought-of-thee?lang=eng
  • Boyd K. Packer, “On Zion’s Hill,” October 2005 General Conference:
    I cannot possibly describe in detail or even list all that has been put in place by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in recent years. In them you will see continuing revelation, open to the Church and to each individual member. I will describe a few of them… The First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles issued “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.” They then published “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles.”... These things all witness of continuing revelation.
    Read More: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2005/10/on-zions-hill?lang=eng
  • Susan W. Tanner, “I Am the Light Which Ye Shall Hold Up,” March 2006 General Young Women Meeting:
    Jesus Christ is the light that we must hold up. “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.”
    Read More: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2006/04/i-am-the-light-which-ye-shall-hold-up?lang=eng
  • Elaine S. Dalton, “Stay on the Path,” March 2007 General Young Women Meeting:
    The Savior is the perfect example of virtue… “He taught the truths of eternity, the reality of our premortal existence, the purpose of our life on earth, and [our] potential [as] … daughters of God in the life to come”... He has not only marked the way, but He has even led me by the hand at times. “His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come”... Truly, I stand all amazed at “His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice.”
    Read More: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2007/04/stay-on-the-path?lang=eng
  • Christoffel Golden Jr., “The Father and the Son,” April 2013 General Conference:
    For further understanding of the Savior and His mission, see “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles.”
    Read More: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2013/04/the-father-and-the-son?lang=eng (see the drop down bar for related content on the top right for his notes)
  • Rosemary M. Wixom, “What Happened Next?,” 2013 First Presidency Christmas Devotional:
    Being ready to receive Him gives all new meaning to being ready for December 25. John, wherever you are, the living Apostles have said: “We solemnly testify that [our Savior’s] life, which is central to all human history, neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded on Calvary. He was the Firstborn of the Father, the Only Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world.” John, His gift to us is what happens next.
    Read More: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/broadcasts/article/christmas-devotional/2013/12/what-happened-next?lang=eng
  • Neill F. Marriott, “Sharing Your Light,” October 2014 General Conference:
    I have now begun to learn the words of “The Living Christ” as these sisters did, and because of their influence I am more fully experiencing the sacramental covenant to always remember the Savior as I repeat over and over the Apostles’ testimony of Christ. The sacrament is taking on a deeper meaning for me… Can you find yourself in the following words of this document, “The Living Christ”? “He entreated all to follow His example. He walked the roads of Palestine, healing the sick, causing the blind to see, and raising the dead.”
    Read More: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2014/10/sharing-your-light?lang=eng
  • Neill F. Marriott, “Yielding Our Hearts to God,” October 2015 General Conference:
    I have struggled to banish the mortal desire to have things my way, eventually realizing that my way is oh so lacking, limited, and inferior to the way of Jesus Christ. “His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come.”
    Read More: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/10/yielding-our-hearts-to-god?lang=eng
  • Dale G. Renlund, “Through God’s Eyes,” October 2015 General Conference:
    I add my testimony to that of the Apostles who, in the year 2000, stated “that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. … He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world.”
    Read More: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/10/through-gods-eyes?lang=eng
  • Paul V. Johnson, “And There Shall Be No More Death,” April 2016 General Conference:
    To those ancient witnesses are added witnesses in the latter days… Living prophets and apostles have testified of the reality of the resurrected, living Christ.
    Read More: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2016/04/and-there-shall-be-no-more-death?lang=eng
  • M. Russell Ballard, “Return and Receive,” April 2017 General Conference:
    One additional help is “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles”... Place a copy where you can see it, and take time to review each of the statements found in this inspired testimony of Christ by His special witnesses who signed it. I would urge you to study it along with “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.” We speak often about the family proclamation, but please remember to read it in light of the saving power of the living Christ. Without the living Christ, our fondest expectations will be unfulfilled… Prayerfully reading “The Living Christ” is like reading the testimonies of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the prophets of the Book of Mormon. It will increase your faith in the Savior and help you stay focused on Him as you follow your plans to reach your eternal goals.
    Read More: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2017/04/return-and-receive?lang=eng
  • Dallin H. Oaks, “The Godhead and the Plan of Salvation,” April 2017 General Conference:
    The Son, the greatest of all, was chosen by the Father to carry out the Father’s plan—to exercise the Father’s power to create worlds without number and to save the children of God from death by His Resurrection and from sin by His Atonement. This supernal sacrifice is truly called “the central act of all human history.”
    Read More: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2017/04/the-godhead-and-the-plan-of-salvation?lang=eng
  • Jean B. Bingham, “That Your Joy Might Be Full,” October 2017 General Conference:
    How do we come unto Him? Last April, President Russell M. Nelson and Elder M. Russell Ballard encouraged us to study “The Living Christ” as part of learning about the Savior... As I have studied the life and teachings of Jesus Christ with more focus and committed “The Living Christ” to memory, my gratitude and love for our Savior have increased. Each sentence of that inspired document contains a sermon and has enhanced my understanding of His divine roles and earthly mission.
    Read More: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2017/10/that-your-joy-might-be-full?lang=eng
  • Jean B. Bingham, “Ministering as the Savior Does,” April 2018 General Conference:
    What did the Savior do? Through His supernal gifts of the Atonement and Resurrection—which we celebrate on this beautiful Easter Sunday—“none other has had so profound an influence [on] all who have lived and who will yet live upon the earth.”
    Read More: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2018/04/ministering-as-the-savior-does?lang=eng
  • D. Todd Christofferson, “Preparing for the Lord’s Return,” April 2019 General Conference:
    In two weeks, we will celebrate Easter. The Resurrection confirms the divinity of Jesus Christ and the reality of God the Father. Our thoughts turn to the Savior, and we ponder “His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice.”
    Read More: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2019/04/44christofferson?lang=eng
  • L. Todd Budge, “Consistent and Resilient Trust,” October 2019 general Conference:
    I witness that Jesus is the Christ. He is the source of all joy. His grace is sufficient, and He is mighty to save. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world.
    Read More: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2019/10/27budge?lang=eng
  • Gary E. Stevenson, “A Good Foundation against the Time to Come,” April 2020 General Conference:
    What might spiritual cornerstones of our personal and family lives be? They may be the simple, plain, and precious principles of gospel living—family prayer; scripture study, including the Book of Mormon; temple attendance; and gospel learning through Come, Follow Me and home evening. Other helpful resources to strengthen your spiritual foundation may include the Articles of Faith, the family proclamation, and “The Living Christ.”
    Read More: https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/04/28stevenson?lang=eng
  • Russell M. Nelson, “Divine Gifts,” 2020 First Presidency Christmas Devotional :
    I thank God for the gift of His Beloved Son. And I thank our Lord Jesus Christ for His incomparable sacrifice and mission. At His first coming, Jesus came almost in secret. But at His Second Coming, the Lord’s glory “shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.” Then He shall “rule as King of Kings and reign as Lord of Lords.”
    Read More: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/broadcasts/christmas-devotional/2020/12/15nelson?lang=eng
  • Taniela B. Wakolo, “God Loves His Children,” April 2021 General Conference:
    Our Eternal Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, show Their love by making it possible for us to have eternal relationships with Them and our family members, by calling modern-day prophets to teach and minister to us, and by chastening us to help us learn and grow. “God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son,” our resurrected Lord, even the living Christ.
    Read More: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/04/46wakolo?lang=eng

Following the publication of the document The Living Christ the Church created a related video presentation titled Special Witnesses of Christ which was filmed in early 2000 and broadcasted between general conference sessions on 1–2 April 2000. It was later displayed at Church visitor’s centers along with the document “The Living Christ.” The DVD format of the video was released in 2003. The video series has continued today with new videos added each time a new special witness is called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles.

The Church’s magazines have made frequent and notable use of “The Living Christ.” In addition to including full reprints (which are listed in a separate entry below), the magazines have also excerpted, quoted, and cited it in a variety of articles. The following examples highlight this use:

A March 30, 2002, Deseret News article, titled “The Living Christ,” includes most of the document and describes how it was included in information packets handed out at the Nauvoo Temple dedication:

As has been done when open house events have been scheduled at the completion of other temples, the Church has prepared an attractive, 16-page publication for media distribution in the temple district. The publication highlights photos and information about the new temple and, most important, bears witness of Jesus Christ… Also included in this publication is the powerful witness of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. (A copy of this testimony, titled "The Living Christ," is available at distribution centers.)

Read more: https://www.deseret.com/2002/3/30/20780583/the-living-christ

Additional information regarding Public Affairs Temple media packets and their continued use at subsequent temple dedications is available in the Church History Library under the Call Number CR 195 288:

https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org/record/e7b536b1-01f2-4004-8a69-f133b3ab3c01/0?view=summary (Unfortunately these packets have not been digitized yet and are only available on site.)

“The Living Christ” has been republished many times in the years since its initial publications. Some of these later republications include the following:

In connection with the dedication of the Rome, Italy Temple in early 2019, all fifteen of the current apostles collaborated to make a video where they each recited portions of the Living Christ. This video was released on Mar 12, 2019:

https://youtu.be/j6G1CtoJqQU

Church curriculum has also made extensive use of “The Living Christ,” quoting it, citing it, encouraging its use, and devoting lessons to its study. Some examples of this trend include the following:

Study of “The Living Christ” was encouraged as part of the 2021 Easter #Starting Today initiative; the content for the segment, “Good Friday, April 2: Starting Today I’m Taking the Leap,” included the following quotation:

Through the power of His atoning sacrifice, we can leave fear behind, find hope, and become a better version of ourselves. To learn more about what Jesus did and made possible for us, read “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles.”

Read More: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/easter-starting-today/08-leap?lang=eng

Extant Documents

The 2000 Statement, “The Living Christ,” was first published in the Church News on January 1, 2000, on p. 3: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Aul-kAQHnToC&dat=20000101&printsec=frontpage&hl=en [see p. 10 of this archived document]

[Featured version] The 2000 Statement was published in the April issue of the Ensign on pp. 2-3: https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org/assets/8b461e15-4b77-4cf4-945b-36fdde526fdb/0/3
[web version: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2000/04/the-living-christ-the-testimony-of-the-apostles-the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints?lang=eng ; if the site redirects you to another version, go to the April 2000 Ensign and this Statement is the first item in the index]

For the benefit of French-speaking Church members, the 2000 Statement was published on pp. 2-3 of Le Liahona in April 2000: https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org/assets/21f8a845-5b0f-4454-83c7-04cd72bf3041/0/0

The 2000 Statement was published in the Danish edition of the Liahona on pp. 2-3 in the April 2000 issue: https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org/assets/51cdffc6-abf1-4e30-a665-864633f8735a/0/0

The 2000 Statement was published in the Dutch edition of April 2000 issue of the Liahona on pp. 2-3: https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org/assets/3d551c8c-f047-49d0-a870-e1ce74681eee/0/0

The 2000 Statement was published in the German edition of the Liahona on pp. 2-3 of the April 2000 issue: https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org/assets/a1c5d83c-ab98-4605-97c8-221e8614fad4/0/0

The 2000 Statement was published in the English edition of the Church’s international magazine, the Liahona, in the April 2000 issue: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2000/04/the-living-christ-the-testimony-of-the-apostles-the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints.html?lang=eng#title1

The 2000 Statement was published for the youth of the Church in the April 2000 issue of the New Era: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/new-era/2000/04/the-living-christ-the-testimony-of-the-apostles-the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints.html.html?lang=eng#title1

A PDF version of the 2000 Statement is available on the Church’s web site: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/bc/content/shared/content/images/gospel-library/manual/12339/living-christ-testimony-apostles_1518931_prt.pdf

The current version of the 2000 Statement on the Living Christ can be found on the Church’s web site: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/the-living-christ-the-testimony-of-the-apostles/the-living-christ-the-testimony-of-the-apostles?lang=eng [Translations of the current version of the 2000 Statement in multiple languages are available on this web site by clicking on the world icon in the upper right corner; then click on the language button and select the desired language. On a mobile device, click on the three-line menu icon in the upper left corner; then click on the world icon and then select the desired language.]