Jesus Christ:
Savior and Friend

I have come to the conclusion that getting to know Jesus Christ is not unlike getting to know a friend. Guys, let’s imagine that tomorrow you’re walking down the halls at school and out of nowhere there appears a vision of loveliness walking toward you; a beautiful and virtuous daughter of God, and girls, imagine that you see this incredible hunk, not a boy, but a real man! You each say to yourself, "You know, I would really like to develop a personal relationship with that person!" What is the process that you go through in getting to know them?

Originally there is the desire. This is someone that you just have to get to know. You’re life will be empty without them! The problem is that most of us would be a little nervous about just walking up and saying, "Hi. I just saw you there and well, you’re really cute and I’m not so bad, so why don’t we get together?" This relationship could be very important and you don’t want to blow this one, so there are several unwritten steps you have to go through.

First you have to find out about him or her. You begin asking lots of questions; What is her name? Where is he from? Is she dating anyone? What does he like? Where does she live? Does she have a history of killing boyfriends? and stuff like that. This process can be very involved. We watch, listen and ask questions to people who know her. One of my favorite things that we do is to get our friends to ask their friends questions. I’ve always thought that it was a little weird that we find out where they live and then we drive by their house. If they ever saw us we’d die of embarrassment! Nonetheless, it’s important to find out all this stuff if we’re going to develop a relationship. Hey, if we can track down a picture that’s even better. We stare at it for hours never tiring of looking at it.

One of the things we find out is where they are going to be at certain times of the day so that we can make sure that we just happen to be passing by at that particular moment. You see, it’s important in this developmental process that we get noticed by them. This is such a potentially important relationship that we must be proceed cautiously. I mean, this could be the big one! The big "M", forever and ever you know. I knew a girl in Junior High that used what I’ll call the "omni-present" approach. She knew this guy’s schedule and would literally run around to different parts of the school between classes, up and down stairs simply so she could just happen to be there as he went to his locker or walked into class so she could wave and say, "hi"several times each day. It seems we never get tired of looking at this wonderful creature.

Eventually you’ve been noticed enough by that special someone and know enough about them that the relationship can naturally and safely move forward into ever more exciting territory. We can now venture forward and actually speak to them. Now I realize that verbal skills are not usually a boy’s best qualities, but this relationship is so important that we are willing to open up their mouths and risk sounding stupid. So we say something like, "Hey, I saw you in Chemistry class. Did you get the assignment for tomorrow?" Although we have the assignment we’re easing into this communication stuff. This leads to further, more important conversation. It’s actually amazing for us guys to find out that we can talk for so long.

After you get up the courage to actually speak to them, the next step is to spend time together. This is commonly known as dating, but some of us guys are either so cheap or so broke that we can’t actually afford to go on a date, so mostly we just come over to your house and hang out a lot. It doesn’t seem to matter what we do, we just love to be around.

After some time in talking and spending time together there is an important step in the advancement of any relationship; This is physical contact. Now I know that you have to be careful with this one and your parents would like you to wait as long as possible for this one, but girls if you’ve been dating someone for more than let’s say...9 months and he hasn’t held your hand yet, I’d definitely say that this relationship is not progressing well! There’s a certain closeness that can only come to a relationship through physical touch. Whether it’s a hug between friends or guys punching each other in the arm, we need that contact.

I remember my very first physical contact with a girl. I was in 7th grade and her name was Kathy. (Yeah, I know I was a bit of a mover.) Anyway, we were watching a movie at a school assembly and as 7th graders we were stuck up in the balcony. I was sitting next to Kathy. I have absolutely no clue what the movie was because all I was thinking about the entire movie was how I could hold her hand. It took me about an hour and a half to gradually slide my hand millimeter by millimeter across my leg so that my little finger touched her leg. When she didn’t flinch and say, "Ooh gross!" I took that as a good sign and I took the big step to slide my hand over onto her hand that she had been making available to me by resting it on her leg the whole movie like I had been. (Well, what did I know about hints? I was only in 7th grade?) Anyway, when I finally touched her hand and she gave my hand a little squeeze I thought that I had died and gone to heaven! It was absolutely amazing! I spent the last 15 minutes of the movie trying to figure out how to put my arm around her, but the movie ended way before that was going to happen.

This closeness isn’t something that you just get however, it’s something that you earn. Guys, think back to that first time you saw that beautiful girl in the hall. What would have happened if you would have just run up to her and given her a big kiss right there? Would it have been received well? Probably not. You would probably received a slap at best and suspension and a sexual harassment charge at worst. So what was the difference in how the kiss is received then or now? It was the time and effort that you had put into the relationship. The caring, the talking, spending time together. Each of these things gradually advanced this relationship to the point that you had developed a physical closeness.

We have many different relationships throughout our lifetime that advance to different levels of this process we have discussed here, but eventually we will meet that one special someone and advance entirely through this process and become engaged and finally married to. Christ spoke of being "married" to the church and I feel that this process of getting to know someone is quite similar to the process we go through in getting to know the Savior.

First, do we really have the desire to get to know him? Sir Isaac Newton was asked how he discovered the law of gravity. He replied, "By thinking about it all the time." Do we think about the Savior all the time like we think about that special girl we would like to date or do we just think about it on Sunday or at Seminary?

Second, how do we find out about the Savior? Girls, if someone handed you the life story of the guy you were interested in dating would you read it? Of course! You’d devour it. You’d want to find out what he’s like, and what he likes and everything about him. We have the scriptures which are the words of Christ. In them we can find out all about him and what he expects from His friends. My very favorite scripture is 3rd Nephi 17. I feel that I truly get to know the Savior in that chapter.

We also said that a good way to find out about someone was to ask their friends. Who are the Savior’s friends? The bishop, missionaries, Seminary teachers, church leaders, hopefully your parents and your friends. The apostles are called as "special witnesses" of the Savior. And of course, the prophet.

I have a friend that was being a good missionary and talking to a guy about the church. He wasn’t particularly interested until she told him that we have a living prophet on the earth today. He was really excited about this concept and asked how this prophet gives us God’s messages. She told him that we have General Conference and he said, "That’s it? Just 2 times a year?" She said, "No. The prophet also puts a message in the Ensign magazine each month." He said, "Good! What did he say last month?" My friend swallowed hard and said, "I’m sorry, I haven’t read that one yet." He said, "That’s OK. How about the moth before that?" She again had to answer that she hadn’t read that one either. The investigator was confused that she professed to know that there was a prophet on the earth, but hadn’t taken the time to find out what he had to say.

We have so many sources and ways to find out about the Savior and we need to take advantage of them. Ask questions. Get answers. Watch and listen.

How do you get noticed by the Savior? Remember the omni-present approach? You position yourself where the Savior will see you. Where will He see you? In church, seminary, the temple, reading your scriptures, providing service, bearing your testimony, doing missionary work.

How do you talk to the Savior? That’s kind of a tricky one because we don’t actually pray to Jesus, we pray to our Heavenly Father. Jesus is our mediator to the Father. This means that He speaks to the Father on our behalf so he hears our prayers and has a hand in answering them.

Marriage counselors have said for years that the main reason for divorce is a lack of communication. Communication is the most important part in the success in any relationship. I remember in college that I was attending the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and my girlfriend was attending BYU 40 miles away in Provo. After class I’d jump in the car and hurry down there. We’d hang out and talk for 5 hours and then I’d drive back to Salt Lake. On the way home I’d remember all the things that I forgot to tell her and so I’d call her and talk for another hour once I finally got home.

How long do we speak to our Heavenly Father? Not that our prayers have to be long, but we can talk to friends for hours and only minutes or even seconds to our Heavenly Father. Perhaps the key is that when speaking to friends we don’t do all the talking. We speak then we listen. Girls, how long do relationships last if you do all the talking? (Perhaps some of you have already been in relationships like this?)

I knew a girl in High School that was becoming really frustrated because her boyfriend wouldn’t ever talk. He was an all-state basketball player and basketball was pretty much his life. Finally one night in desperation to get him to talk she said to hi, "You know, I really think that basketball is a dumb sport!" His response was, "Well....yeah....I guess it’s not for everybody." She knew right then that this relationship was over!

Imagine how neat it would be if we could actually carry on a conversation with the Savior. We could ask a question and get an answer. Actually this is possible. I know people that have developed this relationship so well that they, through the Holy Ghost, can hear the Savior’s voice and receive answers to their questions. "Ask and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you." Some of my most wonderful moments have come because I took the time to listen after I had asked a question and felt the comforting words of the Savior come to me.

How do we spend time with the Savior? We go to the places where He is and do the things that He would feel comfortable doing. Would the Savior feel comfortable being with you in all of your daily activities? If Jesus came to your house could you say, "I’m glad you’re here. Let’s go up to my room." Or would you say,"Uh...just a minute. Why don’t you talk to my mom for a minute while I go up to my room and put away some magazines and posters and CDS and get out my scriptures and stuff." Do you associate with the kind of people that the Savior would feel comfortable associating with? Do you go to the kind of parties that he would go to? And most of all remember His words, "If ye have done it unto the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Basically, is the Savior your constant companion in all your activities. He would like to be.

Finally, is it possible to have a physical contact with the Savior? D&C 6: 20 states, "Behold thou art (Your name here) , and I have spoken unto thee because of thy desires; therefore treasure these words in thy heart. Be faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments of God, and I will encircle thee in the arms of my love." It is my testimony that at certain times in our lives when we really need it and when we have done all the things necessary to deserve it, the Savior allows the veil to become extra thin and we can actually feel His arms around us. I know this is true because I have felt His arms around me at a time in my life when I really needed it and when I had put into the relationship what was necessary to be close.

It is my testimony that the times in my life when I have been the happiest is when I have been closest to the Savior. This closeness does not come easy, just as developing closeness with a friend does not come without effort, but I can testify that the feelings of love are worth anything and everything we need to do to experience them. I have a favorite song that I think is what the Savior would say to us if He were here:

When you’re down and troubled and you need some loving care,

And nothing, nothing is going right.

Close Your eyes and think of me and soon I will be there

To Brighten up even your darkest hour.

You just call out my name and you know wherever I am

I’ll come running to see you again.

Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall

All you’ve got to do is call and I’ll be there, You’ve got a friend.

Ain’t it good to know that you’ve got a friend when people can be so cold?

They’ll hurt you and desert you. They’ll take your soul if you let them,

But don’t you let them.

Just call out my name and you know wherever I am

I’ll come running to see you again.

Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall

All you’ve got to do is call and I’ll be there, You’ve got a friend.

I bear testimony that the Savior would like to be our truest friend if we will only do the things necessary to be close to Him; Desire to know Him, Find out about Him, Get noticed by Him, Talk to Him, Spend time with Him and then we can feel His presence near us always. This is the way to true happiness, this is the way to eternal life.