The Guide to the Scriptures of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) states that a savior is “one who saves.” Mormons believe that “Jesus Christ, through his atonement, offered redemption and salvation to all mankind.”
Jesus Christ is our rescuer or savior because He saved our bodies from physical death and has shown us the way to save our souls from spiritual death (or separation from God).
Resurrection, or immortal life with a body of flesh and bones, is a gift given to all as a result of Christ’s atonement, and resurrection.
Spiritual death is being cut off from the presence of God. Jesus Christ has also saved us from this fate through the atonement. He suffered for our sins that we may repent and return to live with God. Christ is the only person through whom we may be saved from both physical and spiritual death. Jesus Christ’s role as our Savior was given to Him before the world was created.
In their proclamation entitled “The Living Christ,” The First Presidency of the LDS Church gave this testimony of the Savior’s mission:
“We offer our testimony of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice. None other has had so profound an influence upon all who have lived and will yet live upon the earth.
“He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New. Under the direction of His Father, He was the creator of the earth. ‘All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made’ (John 1:3). Though sinless, He was baptized to fulfill all righteousness. He ‘went about doing good’ (Acts 10:38), yet was despised for it. His gospel was a message of peace and goodwill. 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. He taught the truths of eternity, the reality of our premortal existence, the purpose of our life on earth, and the potential for the sons and daughters of God in the life to come.
“He instituted the sacrament as a reminder of His great atoning sacrifice. He was arrested and condemned on spurious charges, convicted to satisfy a mob, and sentenced to die on Calvary’s cross. He gave His life to atone for the sins of all mankind. His was a great vicarious gift in behalf of all who would ever live upon the earth.
“We solemnly testify that His 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.
“He rose from the grave to ‘become the firstfruits of them that slept’ (1 Corinthians 15:20). As Risen Lord, He visited among those He had loved in life. He also ministered among His ‘other sheep’ (John 10:16) in ancient America. In the modern world, He and His Father appeared to the boy Joseph Smith, ushering in the long-promised ‘dispensation of the fulness of times’” (Ephesians 1:10).