Volume 1
THE GOSPELS
By Bruce R. McConkie
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"Understandest thou what thou readest?"
So asked Philip of one who was diligently searching the scriptures.
"How can I," came the answer, "except some man should guide me."
Jesus said: "Search the scriptures," and gave the promise, "Whoso treasureth up my word, shall not be deceived."
Today the Lord's command is: "Teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom."
This Doctrinal New Testament Commentary is designed to enable gospel students to learn and live the doctrines of the New Testament; to grasp the greatness and glory of our Lord's mortal ministry; to comprehend the doctrines of the Master Teacher and of those commissioned by him to reveal pure religion to the world.
Salvation centers in Christ. He is the Creator and Redeemer; the Way and the Truth; the Light of the World; the One Man who could say: "Follow thou me."
Most of our knowledge of his earth-bound ministry is contained in the four Gospels. It is devoutly hope that this Commentary will help make the Gospels a living reality in the lives of gospel scholars, that it will help them understand what they read. Jesus himself is real; the Gospels are his life story; of him they teach and testify; and a knowledge of them is essential to salvation.
Anything spoken by the Father, Son, or Holy Ghost, by the angels of heaven, or by mortal man when moved upon by the Holy Ghost, is scripture. Such spoken words are the will, mind, word, and voice of the Lord. (D. & C. 68:1-5.)
Since it is a comparatively rare thing for mortal man to hear the personal voice of Deity, or to converse with angels, it follows that most scriptural utterances are given to man by revelation from the Holy Ghost. These statements, made by the power of the Holy Spirit, consist of the identical words which the Lord himself would speak under the same circumstances. They are indeed the Lord's words because he authorizes and directs the Holy Ghost to influence and guide men in giving utterance to them.
It is by the power and guidance of the Holy Ghost -- that Spirit Personage who, as a member of the Godhead, has power to speak with unerring certainty to the spirit within man -- that the saints "have the mind of Christ." (1 Cor. 2:16.) That is, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost, the saints are enabled to think what our Lord thinks, to give voice to the very words he does or would speak, and to act as he would act in the same situation. What is true of the mortal saints is also true of the heavenly saints, for "Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ." (2 Ne. 32:3.)
All scripture is true. It is composed wholly and solely of pure, unvarnished, irrefutable, and eternal truth. "Thy word," O God, "is truth." (John 17:17.) "By the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." (Moro. 10:5.)
All scripture comes by revelation. Whenever any revealed truth is expressed in words, those words are scripture. "The Holy Ghost is a revelator," Joseph Smith said. "No man can receive the Holy Ghost without receiving revelations." (Teachings, p. 328.) And when those revelations are either spoken or written, they are scripture.
Most scripture has been, is now, and will continue to be oral and unrecorded. Throughout the length and breadth of his earthly kingdom, the Lord's agents are frequently moved upon to speak, testify, prophesy, exhort, expound, preach, and teach by the power of the Holy Ghost. Such inspired utterances benefit and bless those who speak them and the spiritually endowed among the hearers. (Mormon Doctrine, p. 614.)
So that the plan of salvation might be known to and taught among men, the Lord reveals its terms and conditions to his servants the prophets and commands them to record the revealed word. Fragments and portions of these revealed teachings are found in the Bible and other standard works of the Church. As choice selections from the ever increasing ocean of eternal scripture, these standard works are commonly referred to as the scriptures.
These canonized scriptures are the voice of Deity to the Church and the world. They have been formally adopted by the Church as the standard, rule, and measuring rod by which all gospel teaching shall be judged. Any doctrinal teaching that is out of harmony with the standard works is false, no matter who sponsors or promulgates it. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 690-691.)
It was of the then extant recorded scripture which Paul wrote when he commended and counseled Timothy: "From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Tim. 3:15-17.)
Since salvation comes to those who both know and do the will of the Lord, the saints are under express command both to search the scriptures and to keep the commandments. (John 5:39; D. & C. 1:37-39; 3 Ne. 23.) They are to "teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom" (D. & C. 88:77), for "It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance" of God, of Christ, and of the gospel laws. (D. & C. 131:6.) At the peril of losing their own salvation, men must learn the will of God concerning them, for "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." (Matt. 7:21.)
To learn the doctrines of salvation men:
(1) Must search the scriptures diligently themselves (3 Ne. 23);
(2) They must hearken to the voice of the prophets and inspired interpreters of the divine word who are sent among them; and
(3) They must themselves so live as to have the spirit and gift of scriptural understanding and interpretation.
These three requisites are illustrated in the conversion by Philip of the "eunuch of great authority" in the court of "Candace queen of the Ethiopians." This high civil official, as he returned from worshiping in Jerusalem, and as he read aloud from the Messianic prophecies of Isaiah, was met by Philip who said: "Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me?" Thereupon Philip taught him the gospel of salvation, which is in Christ, and the eunuch, his mind enlightened by the Spirit and believing with all his heart, was baptized for the remission of sins. (Acts 8:26-40.)
"If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus," Paul taught the Romans, "and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. . . . For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! . . . So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Rom. 10:9-17.)
But after personal study and research, and after being taught by an inspired teacher who does have the power of interpretation, the gospel student must get the revelations of the Spirit himself. Only then will the full and clear meaning of the scriptures be unfolded. This principle is the basic rule of scriptural interpretation. "Knowing this first," Peter said, "that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." (2 Pet. 1:20-21.) It is only when the Holy Ghost reveals anew the same truth originally given in the scripture that its full and perfect meaning is known.
After the baptism of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, the Holy Ghost fell upon them in a miraculous manner. "We were filled with the Holy Ghost, and rejoiced in the God of our salvation," the Prophet said. "Our minds being now enlightened, we began to have the scriptures laid open to our understandings, and the true meaning and intention of their more mysterious passages revealed unto us in a manner which we never could attain to previously, nor ever before had thought of." (Jos. Smith 2:73-74.) Truly the things of God are known only by the power of the Spirit of God. (1 Cor. 2.)
Scriptural insight, however, is aided by a knowledge of the history, political and social conditions, educational status, and temperment of the peoples to whom the various scriptures were originally revealed. For instance, it was more difficult for the Nephites to gather the full import of Isaiah's prophecies than it was for the Jews in Jerusalem, because the Nephites were not taught "after the manner of the Jews." True, Isaiah's words "are plain unto all those that are filled with the spirit of prophecy"; but just as scientific and medical writings can be better understood by those trained in science and medicine, so those schooled in interpreting prophecies are in a better position to determine their full meanings. "I know that the Jews do understand the things of the prophets," Nephi said, "and there is none other people that understand the things which were spoken unto the Jews like unto them, save it be that they are taught after the manner of the things of the Jews." (2 Ne. 25:1-8.)
In the world today there is an appalling ignorance of the true teachings of the scriptures. There has never been a time before when so many have known so little about Deity and his laws. Nor has there been a time when the opportunity to learn the basic principles of salvation has been available to so many. But instead, "darkness covereth the earth, and gross darkness the minds of the people" (D. & C. 112:23); it is "as with the people, so with the priest" (Isa. 24:2); apostasy is universal, except among the Latter-day Saints.
But even in the true Church there are few sound scriptorians and theologians who have a comprehensive knowledge of revealed truth. So far this dispensation has not been noted for the diffusion of real gospel scholarship among the elders and saints generally. There are few modern experts on the gospel. Few have paid the price of intense study, of determined self-discipline, and of righteous living necessary to gain a broad knowledge of the truths of salvation. Nearly all members of the Church need to study the revealed word far more than they now do. Even a brief daily study period works miracles in adding to one's knowledge of the doctrines of the gospel.
This Doctrinal New Testament Commentary is designed as a tool to aid the saints to gain a knowledge of the Lord's dealings with his people in the meridian of time. Needless to say, the many New Testament commentaries prepared by the scholars of the world are of slight value to the saints. Such books are all written without reference to the great flood of gospel truth now available through latter-day revelation; their authors speak from the perspective of an apostate Christendom, without having a comprehensive knowledge of the whole plan of salvation. In many instances their evident purposes are to minimize, question, or out-and-out deny the divinity of our Lord. In almost every instance they reach false doctrinal conclusions, and such value as they may have is confined to their presentation of historical and social conditions among ancient peoples. The saints need Bible commentaries and doctrinal presentations which are prepared from the standpoint of the restored gospel.
All scripture now found in the Bible was first written between about 1500 B. C. and 100 A. D., between some 2000 and 3500 years ago. As it came from the pens of the original inspired authors it was perfect scripture and accurately conveyed to man the mind and will of the Lord. Since then, "Ignorant translators, careless transcribers, or designing and corrupt priests have committed many errors." (Teachings, p. 327; 1 Ne. 13:20-42; 14:18-30.)
There are many versions of the Bible now available, all varying in literary excellence and in accuracy of translation. Though all versions are incomplete and contain many errors and false statements, there are two which excel all others and come the nearest to the whole truth. They are the King James Version and the Inspired Version. This Doctrinal New Testament Commentary is based upon them.
"In large measure the hand of the Lord has been manifest in the preservation of his word among men. Though translators and custodians of Bible manuscripts have enjoyed unabridged agency in their work, those of some ages have been endowed with greater inspiration and the possessors of more integrity than those of other ages. The great perversion of the scriptures under the hands of that great church which is not the Lord's Church took place primarily in the early centuries of the Christian Era. The English translations preceding the Authorized Version were preparatory in nature, that is, they paved the way and laid the groundwork for the literary, historical, and doctrinal masterpiece which was to come forth under the aegis of King James.
"Certainly the King James Version is by all odds the greatest of the completed English translations. Scholars universally acclaim it as containing as forceful, direct, and majestic prose as has ever been coined in the English language. But more important than this, it was the Bible which the Lord was preparing for use by his Prophet who should lay the foundations of the mighty work of latter-day restoration. As a consequence, Joseph Smith read, respected, reverenced, and taught the King James Version, `as far as it is translated correctly.' (Eighth Article of Faith.) Whenever he found Biblical quotations in the Book of Mormon (they having been copied from the brass plates and preserved by the Nephite prophets), he rendered them into English in the exact language of the King James Version, except in instances in which the language of that version did not convey accurately the original thought. It was on the King James Version that the Prophet worked when he corrected portions of the Bible by the spirit of revelation, always preserving the existing language unless a thought change was necessary.
"English versions that have come forth since the King James Version, and particularly the Revised Standard Version, have been translated by individuals and groups who have questioned the divinity of Christ and his mission. As a consequence, many of these versions throw doubt on his Divine Sonship and question basic doctrines of the gospel. It is no wonder that the King James Version has been and remains the official version of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This official usage most assuredly will not be changed until such time as the Lord directs that the needed corrections in the Inspired Version be completed." (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 385-386.)
"At the command of the Lord and while acting under the spirit of revelation, the Prophet corrected, revised, altered, added to, and deleted from the King James Version of the Bible to form what is now commonly referred to as the Inspired Version of the Bible. (D. & C. 35:20; 42:56-60; 45:60-61; 73:3-4; 93:53; 94:10; 104:58; 124:89.)
"This inspired revision of the ancient scriptures was never completed by the Prophet, and up to the present time none of his successors have been directed by the Lord to carry the work forth to its final fruition. President George Q. Cannon has written: `On the 2nd day of February, 1833, the Prophet completed, for the time being, his inspired translation of the New Testament. No endeavor was made at that time to print the work. It was sealed up with the expectation that it would be brought forth at a later day with other of the scriptures. Joseph did not live to give to the world an authoritative publication of these translations. But the labor was its own reward, bringing in the performance a special blessing of broadened comprehension to the Prophet and a general blessing of enlightenment to the people through his subsequent teachings."
"Again: `We have heard President Brigham Young state that the Prophet before his death had spoken to him about going through the translation of the scriptures again and perfecting it upon points of doctrine which the Lord had restrained him from giving in plainness and fulness at the time of which we write.' (George Q. Cannon, Life of Joseph Smith, new ed., pp. 147-148; History of the Church, vol. 1, p. 324; Sidney B. Sperry, Knowledge is Power, pp. 9-61.)
"Such changes as the Prophet made in the Bible were done, in the main by topics or subjects. He did not go from Genesis to Revelation and make all needed corrections in every passage as he came to it. True, in many passages all necessary changes were made; in others he was `restrained' by the Spirit from giving the full and clear meaning. As with all revealed knowledge, the Lord was offering new truths to the world, `line upon line, precept upon precept; here a little, and there a little.' (D. & C. 128:21.) Neither the world nor the saints generally were then or are now prepared for the fulness of Biblical knowledge. The Lord was operating in conformity with the principle explained by Alma: `It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.' (Alma 12:9.)
"Such Biblical revisions as have been made may be used with safety, and parts of these are now published by the Church in its standard works. The first 151 verses of the Old Testament, down to Genesis 6:13, are published as the Book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price. But as restored by the Prophet the true rendition contains about 400 verses and a wealth of new doctrinal knowledge and historical data. The revised 24th chapter of Matthew is also found in the Pearl of Great Price.
"Most of the Prophet's corrections were made in Genesis, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and the first six chapters of John. Some important doctrinal changes were made in Exodus and other Old Testament books. Very little was done in Acts, but a reasonable number of corrections were made in the various Epistles and in Revelation. In all cases where major changes were made, the student with spiritual insight can see the hand of the Lord manifest; the marvelous flood of light and knowledge revealed through the Inspired Version of the Bible is one of the great evidences of the divine mission of Joseph Smith.
"The fact that some changes were made in a particular passage or chapter does not mean that all needed corrections were given even in that portion of the Bible. Important changes were made in several thousand verses, but there are yet thousands of passages to be revised, clarified, and perfected. After his work of revision, the Prophet frequently quoted parts of the King James Version, announced that they contained errors, and gave clarified translations -- none of which he had incorporated into his prior revisions of the Bible." (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 351-352.)
Testament means covenant. As used in the gospel sense, a testament is a covenant which Deity makes with his people. Thus the fulness of the gospel is the new and everlasting testament or covenant, and the preparatory gospel or Mosaic law is the Mosaic or lesser testament or covenant. When the gospel was restored in the meridian of time by Jesus and his apostles, it was a new testament (covenant) as compared with the old testament (covenant) that had been in force since the days of Moses.
Those who compiled the authentic scriptural documents, which set forth the historical development and preserved some of the doctrinal teachings of inspired writers in the meridian of time, called that compilation the New Testament. The name contrasts with the designation Old Testament, the scriptural record containing a record of God's dealings with people who were erroneously supposed to have had only the lesser or Mosaic covenant. If we were using this manner of naming these scriptural compilations today, we would probably call them the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.
In the New Testament there are 27 books by eight authors. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were written by the ancient saints whose names they bear. Acts is the work of Luke. Romans, the two Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, the two Thessalonians, the two Timothys, Titus, Philemon, and Hebrews came from the inspired pen of Paul. James is the author of his own epistle, the two Peters were written by Peter, the three Johns by John, Jude by himself, and Revelation by John. The specious theorizing of the higher critics that these inspired documents were composed by other and various unknown authors is as false as the rest of their vagaries.
It is common to classify Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts as historical books, though they all abound in doctrinal matter. The writings of Paul, James, Peter, and Jude, and the three letters of John, 21 books in all, are classified as epistles. The book of Revelation is reserved in an apocalyptic category of its own. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 483-484.)
Our Lord promised certain of the disciples who were with him in his ministry that after he returned to his Father the Holy Ghost would come upon them. Then that holy Spirit Personage, he promised, would bring all that the Master had said and done to their remembrance, would teach them all things, and would guide them to all truth. (John 14:26; 15:26-27; 16:7-15.) The Holy Ghost, Jesus said, "shall testify of me." Then came the command: "And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning." (John 15:26-27.)
On another occasion, after reminding them of the events of his ministry and of the great atoning sacrifice which he had worked out, he solemnly reminded: "And ye are witnesses of these things." (Luke 24:48.) And finally, as he stood ready to ascend in glory to his Father, he bestowed this assurance and benediction: "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (Acts 1:8.)
True to the divine injunction, these apostolic ministers were witnesses. They bore testimony of our Lord, of his birth, life, ministry, teachings, death, and atoning sacrifice. They testified of the salvation that is available in and through his name. Some recorded their testimonies. Such of these authentic and true written accounts as have been preserved to this day are called (in the language of the Inspired Version of the Bible) the testimony of Matthew, the testimony of Mark, the testimony of Luke, and the testimony of John. Because these testimonies bear record of Him whose life, teachings, and mission are the center and core of the whole gospel plan, and because they deal with the gospel or glad tidings which he preached, they are known as the gospels, or the gospels according to Matthew, Mark, and the others.
"Many volumes have been written by the scholars of the world analyzing, comparing, dissecting, and criticizing the gospels. As is always the case when `the things of God' are subjected to evaluation by `the spirit of man' (1 Cor. 2:11-16), the conclusions reached are, in the main, false, speculative, and destructive of faith.
"It is true that the four New Testament gospels do present different aspects of our Lord's personality and teachings. It appears that Matthew was directing his gospel to the Jews. He presents Christ as the promised Messiah and Christianity as the fulfilment of Judaism. Mark apparently wrote with the aim of appealing to the Roman or Gentile mind. Luke's gospel presents the Master to the Greeks, to those of culture and refinement. And the gospel of John is the account for the saints; it is pre-eminently the gospel for the Church, for those who understand the scriptures and their symbolisms and who are concerned with spiritual and eternal things. Obviously such varying approaches have the great advantage of presenting the truths of salvation to people of different cultures, backgrounds, and experiences But the simple fact is that all of the gospel authors wrote by inspiration, and all had the same purposes: 1. To testify of the divine Sonship of our Lord; and 2. To teach the truths of the plan of salvation." (Mormon Doctrine, p. 307.)
Since the teachings, parables, miracles, and occurrences of our Lord's ministry are not set forth in identical language or in the same sequential order in all of the gospels, it is a common practice among Bible scholars to create gospel harmonies. These attempts to collate and compare the events and teachings of the various gospels run into many complex and insolvable problems. Each gospel records items peculiar to itself; other matters are found in two, three, or all of the accounts.
Matthew, Mark, and Luke are commonly called the synoptic gospels because they all deal with the same general part of the Master's ministry, and therefore their accounts more easily can be set side by side for purposes of study and analysis. But in the synoptic gospels and in John there are some instances of apparent disagreement on the chronological order of events and on the actual teachings that were given. Apparently also the same truths have been taught in substantially the same language to different hearers at different times and places. Many changes and errors have, of course, been made in all of the gospel accounts since they left the hands of the original inspired authors.
No matter what the problems of comparison and correlation are, however, they fade into relative insignificance when the true use and purpose of the gospel testimonies is remembered. It is not overly important whether Luke wrote his record in 61 or 80 A. D. or whether our Lord announced a particular eternal truth during his Judean or Perean ministry. It may be of some academic interest to know that he discussed the matter of being born again with a man whose name was Nicodemus, who had a high standing in the community, but the matter of real import is the truth that men cannot be saved unless they are born again. (John 3.) The gospels are of surpassing worth because of the witness which they bear of Christ and of the doctrines of salvation that are taught in them. The details of time and circumstance under which the truths were taught are relatively unimportant.
Volume I of this work is both a harmony and a commentary. But it is totally unlike any other harmony or commentary. As a harmony it is concerned primarily with comparing, evaluating, and interpreting events and teachings from a doctrinal rather than a chronological or historical standpoint. In some instances, for example, the records of the same gospel truths are compared in parallel columns even though the original statements were made to different peoples at different times. Contexts and settings of such passages are then noted in the explanatory material.
As a commentary this volume is concerned primarily with analyzing and interpreting the doctrinal teachings of our Lord as such are found in his words and acts. Discussions of personalities; of geography, chronology, and time; of the political, social, and economic conditions of the day -- all of which occupy such a prominent place in most commentaries -- are given less weight and consideration. It is an actual knowledge of our Lord's doctrines that leads to salvation in his kingdom, not the times, places, or circumstances under which those saving truths happened to be presented to a given group of hearers.
To the Latter-day Saints the real value of these commentaries is that they interpret and explain the New Testament doctrines in the light of all revelation both ancient and modern. Interpretations are based, not alone on Biblical knowledge, as is the case with commentaries prepared by sectarian scholars, but upon the wonderful flood of revealed truth that has come in modern times through the Prophet Joseph Smith and his associates.
Particular and extensive use is made of the Inspired Version. All major changes found in this version, together with all new and added knowledge found in it, are published in full, alongside the comparable passages from the King James Version. Extensive use is also made of the revealed word as found in the Doctrine and Covenants, Book of Mormon, and Pearl of Great Price, and as found in the sermons and writing of such recognized doctrinal authorities, scriptorians, and theologians, as Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and Joseph F. Smith.
Luke 1:1-4. Many of the early saints recorded their testimonies or gospels, bearing eyewitness accounts of the divinity of our Lord and of his ministry among men, just as many with personal knowledge of Joseph Smith and his work of restoration have written journals, letters, and histories delineating what took place in the ushering in of this dispensation. Luke had access to many of these ancient gospels. It may be also, as some scholars speculate, that of the four gospels now in the New Testament, Mark was written first; that Matthew and Luke had before them Mark's account when they recorded their testimonies; and that John was familiar with all three accounts. It is apparent, however, that each inspired author had especial and intimate knowledge of certain circumstances not so well known to others, and that each felt impressed to emphasize different matters because of the particular people to whom he was addressing his personal gospel testimony. Of the four gospels now accepted as canonical, Luke alone follows the classical though non-Jewish style of beginning his record with a formal preface.
I. V. Luke 1:1. Messenger of Jesus Christ] Luke was a legal administrator. He held the Melchizedek Priesthood, served as an official minister of Christ, quite likely wrote his gospel by assignment of the church officers, and spoke as one having authority. His testimony is binding upon the world and will stand as a witness against the unbelieving before the judgment bar of Christ. The same is true of Matthew, Mark, and John.
From latter-day revelation we learn that the material in the forepart of the gospel of John (the Apostle, Revelator, and Beloved Disciple) was written originally by John the Baptist. By revelation the Lord restored to Joseph Smith part of what John the Baptist had written and promised to reveal the balance when men became sufficiently faithful to warrant receiving it. (D. & C. 93: 6-18.) Verse 15 of this passage is the key to the identity of the particular John spoken of. This verse should be compared with Matt. 3:16-17 to learn the identity of the writer.
Even without revelation, however, it should be evident that John the Baptist had something to do with the recording of events in the forepart of John's gospel, for some of the occurrences include his conversations with the Jews and a record of what he saw when our Lord was baptized -- all of which matters would have been unknown to John the Apostle whose ministry began somewhat later than that of the Baptist's. There is little doubt but that the Beloved Disciple had before him the Baptist's account when he wrote his gospel. The latter John either copied or paraphrased what the earlier prophet of the same name had written. The only other possibility is that the Lord revealed to the gospel author the words that had been recorded by the earlier messenger who prepared the way before him.
John 1:1-2. The Word] Christ is the Word or Messenger of Salvation. Thus, John's meaning is: `In pre-existence was Christ, and Christ was with the Father, and he, the Son, had himself also attained godhood.' I. V. John 1:1-2; D. & C. 93:7-8. Further, the gospel itself is the word, and it is because the gospel or word of salvation is in Christ that he, on the principle of personification (Mormon Doctrine, p. 516), becomes the Word.
3. All things] Under the Father, Christ is the Creator of all things: the heavens and the earth, all that in them are, and also worlds without number. (D. & C. 38:1-3; Moses 1:33.)
4-5. Life was the light of men] Life abounds, all things exist, and the very planets roll on their course because of the light of Christ, "The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed." It is the same light which enlightens men and quickens their understandings. (D. & C. 88:7-13; Mormon Doctrine, pp. 407-409.)
John 1:7 A witness] Deity works through witnesses; he does not personally teach each person. This mortal sphere is one in which men are privileged to walk by faith rather than by sight. The gospel is always preached by witnesses who know by personal revelation of the divinity of the message they bear. Acceptance or rejection of the Lord's witnesses brings salvation or damnation to men.
I. V. John 1:7. To bear record of the gospel through the Son] John's appointed mission was, not only to bear record that Jesus was the Son of God, but to testify that the gospel, through which salvation comes, would be revealed by the Son.
John 1:9. Lighteth every man that cometh into the world] Every person born into the world automatically and instinctively knows right from wrong because of the universally bestowed divine endowment called conscience. In other words, "the Spirit of Jesus Christ" or the light of Christ, "giveth light to every man that cometh into the world." (D. & C. 84:44-47.) "The Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil." (Moro. 7:12-19.)
D. & C. 93:10. Men were made by him] It was the Father, not the Son, who created man both in the spirit and in the flesh. The Lord Jesus was one of the created persons, both in the spirit in pre-existence and in the flesh in mortality. This statement of John the Baptist speaks of our Lord as the Creator of man on the basis of divine investiture of authority. On this principle our Lord sometimes speaks in the first person as though he were the Father because the Father has put his name upon the Son; and similarly, scriptures speak of the works of the Father as being those of the Son, because the Son represents the Father and the two exalted Personages are so perfectly and completely united as one in all things. (Mormon Doctrine, p. 122.)
The sonship here proclaimed has no reference to man's existence as a spirit offspring of the Eternal Father. Rather, through faith and righteousness, men have power to become (1) the sons of Christ (D. & C. 39:1-6), and (2) sons of God, meaning the Father, by adoption into the family of Christ.
Through "the covenant" of baptism, those who are actually born again, become "the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters"; they are "spiritually begotten" by him; their "hearts are changed through faith on his name"; thus they "are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters." (Mosiah 5:7.) Baptism and church membership standing alone do not make men sons of Christ, but through them, as he said, men have "power to become my sons." (D.&C. 39: 4; Rev. 21:7.)
Those who are sons of God (meaning the Father) are persons who, first, receive the gospel, join the true Church, obtain the priesthood, marry for eternity, and walk in obedience to the whole gospel law. They are then adopted into the family of Jesus Christ, become joint-heirs with him, and consequently receive, inherit, and possess equally with him in glorious exaltation in the kingdom of his Father. (D. & C. 76:54-60; 84:33-41; 88:107; 132:15-25; Rom. 8:14-18; Gal. 3:26-29; 4:1-7.)
I. V. John 1:13. He was born, not of blood] Our Lord's literal Father was an immortal personage, not a mortal man of flesh and blood.
John 1:14. The Word was made flesh] Christ became mortal; he inherited mortality from Mary, his mother, even as he inherited the power of immortality from Man of Holiness (Moses 6:57) who was his Father. As a mortal man, the Lord Jesus was subject to all of the trials, tribulations, temptations, and vicissitudes of mortality.
Full of grace and truth] Grace consists of the mercy, love, and condescension of God; truth is that which actually is; those possessing truth have "knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come." (D. & C. 93:24.) Our Lord was and is the embodiment and personification of these attributes in their perfection.
To gain the fulness of the Father means to attain exaltation and godhood. This fulness consists of (1) all power, both in heaven and on earth, and (2) eternal increase or "a continuation of the seeds forever and ever." (D. & C. 132:19-24; Mormon Doctrine, pp. 275-276.) As is the case with all men, our Lord worked out his own salvation and exaltation. Having been made flesh, he continued in obedience to the whole law, until having overcome all things, he rose in the triumph of a glorious resurrection to receive, inherit, and possess all things, that is, to the "fulness of the glory of the Father." Having set the example himself, our Lord now proclaims: "If you keep my commandments you shall receive of his fulness, and be glorified in me as I am in the Father." (D. & C. 93:20.)
I. V. John 1:18. Because the law of carnal commandments, as it prevailed from Moses to Christ, was administered by the Aaronic Priesthood, it was "the administration of death." That is, no one could gain the fulness of the Father by the Mosaic law alone. There is no celestial marriage without the Melchizedek Priesthood, and without celestial marriage and the consequent continuation of the family unit in eternity, men inherit what the Lord calls "the deaths." (D. & C. 132:25.) They do not have spirit children in the resurrection.
On the other hand, in the fulness of the gospel, as restored in the meridian of time by the Son, is found "the power of an endless life," meaning that through the Melchizedek Priesthood (which always accompanies the fulness of the gospel) men may gain endless life, or eternal life, or exaltation. In other words they may gain the fulness of the Father, which includes "eternal lives" as contrasted with "the deaths." To inherit "eternal lives" means to have eternal increase or spirit progeny forever. (D. & C. 132:15-32.)
D. & C. 93:13. Continued from grace to grace] From intelligence to intelligence; from achievement to achievement; from obedience to obedience; from glory to glory -- such is the process whereby our Lord worked out his exaltation. Similarly, as the prophet taught: "You have got to learn how to be gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all gods have done before you, namely, by going from one small degree to another, and from a small capacity to a great one; from grace to grace, from exaltation to exaltation, until you attain to the resurrection of the dead and are able to dwell in everlasting burnings, and to sit in glory, as do those who sit enthroned in everlasting power." (Teachings, pp. 346-347.)
As presently found in the King James Version this passage is one of the classical examples of scriptural mistranslation. The whole body of revealed truth bears record that Deity has been seen by man. What John actually taught was that the Father had never appeared to any man except for the purpose of introducing and bearing record of the Son. The joint appearance of the Father and the Son to Joseph Smith shows the pattern that has always been followed. (Jos. Smith 2:14-20.)
All things center in Christ. He is the God of Israel, the God of the Old Testament, the Advocate, Mediator, and Intercessor. Since the fall of Adam, all of the dealings of Deity with man have been through the Son. On occasions, however, in accordance with the principle of divine investiture of authority, the Son has and does speak in the first person as though he were the Father, because the Father has put his name on the Son. The visions of Moses as revealed anew to the Prophet in this day fall in this category. (Moses 1; Mormon Doctrine, pp. 24-25, 122, 355, 428-429.)
Though many of the Jews in the meridian of time were in a state of direful and awful apostasy, such darkness of mind and spirit was not universal. It did not envelope the whole nation. Elizabeth and Zacharias were righteous saints. Both were lineal descendants of Aaron, and Zacharias held the office of priest in the Aaronic Priesthood. (Teachings, pp. 272-273.) This lesser priesthood had continued in direct descent, without a break in the line, from Aaron to Zacharias and his son John the Baptist. (D. & C. 84:26-28.)
13. Thy prayer is heard] Obviously Zacharias, faithful and devout servant that he was, had prayed in faith that Elizabeth would give him a son. John] Literally, "Jehovah is gracious."
15. Filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb] John alone, of all the prophets, as far as our present scriptures record, was the recipient of this promise. (D. & C. 84:27.) Implicit in this divine assurance is the prophecy that John would be true to his mission as a witness of Christ and would endure all his days in faith and righteousness. Otherwise he would not remain filled with the Spirit. Because of this special endowment, John, yet unborn and while literally in his mother's womb, recognized and saluted Mary the mother of Jesus. (Luke 1:39-45.)
17. Spirit and power of Elias] An Elias is a forerunner. Acting in the power and authority of the Aaronic Priesthood, he prepares the way for a greater and more glorious work which is later to be done in all the glory and beauty of the Melchizedek Priesthood. Joseph Smith, for instance, served as an Elias from May 15, 1829, when he received the lesser priesthood, until sometime in June of that year, when the higher order was conferred upon him. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 203-206.) John the Baptist was the greatest Elias of all the ages, for his mission was to lay the foundation upon which the Lord himself in his personal ministry would build.
Turn the hearts of the fathers to the children] This whole passage appears to be a paraphrase of some of the same language the Lord used in revealing to Malachi that Elijah the Prophet would return before the Second Coming to restore the sealing power so that vicarious ordinances could be performed for the dead. (Mal. 4:5-6.) As here used by Gabriel, however, the meaning is that John, as our Lord's forerunner, was to point the attention of the "disobedient" children to the wisdom of their "just" fathers who, in repeated majestic Messianic prophecies, had foretold what to them was the future mission and ministry of the Lord in mortality. The hearts of the fathers -- the prophets and patriarchs of former ages -- had been centered on their children when these great Messianic prophets were recorded. Such of the children of the prophets as believed the witness of John and the utterances of their inspired ancestors would attain unity of heart with their forebears. The hearts of all men, of whatever age, who believe and obey the same everlasting gospel truths are always united perfectly in one, whether those men are on earth, in the paradise of God, or in the kingdoms of glory.
19. Gabriel] Noah. (Teachings, p. 157.)
Gabriel came to Mary before her conception, and to Joseph after it became apparent that his espoused wife was with child, to announce that she should be "the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh." (1 Ne. 11:18.) In both visits the unborn child was heralded as the promised Messiah, the heir to the throne of David, the Lord God Omnipotent who should come down and through the normal birth process make flesh his tabernacle. (Mosiah 3:5-8.)
Virgin birth] Mary was a virgin "A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins" (1 Ne. 11:15) -- until after the birth of our Lord. Then, for the first time, she was known by Joseph, her husband; and other children, both sons and daughters, were then born to her. (Matt. 13:55-56; Mark 6:3; Gal. 1:19.) She conceived and brought forth her Firstborn Son while yet a virgin because the Father of that child was an immortal personage.
Jesus is the Son of God, not of the Holy Ghost] Just as Jesus is literally the Son of Mary, so he is the personal and literal off-spring of God the Eternal Father, who himself is an exalted personage having a tangible body of flesh and bones. (D. & C. 130:22.) Apostate religionists -- unable to distinguish between the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost -- falsely suppose that the Holy Ghost was the Father of our Lord. Matthew's statement, "she was found with child of the Holy Ghost," properly translated should say, `she was found with child by the power of the Holy Ghost.' (Matt. 1:18.) Luke's account (Luke 1:35) accurately records what took place. Alma perfectly describes our Lord's conception and birth by prophesying: Christ "shall be born of Mary, ... she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God." (Alma 7:10.) Nephi spoke similarly when he said that at the time of her conception, Mary "was carried away in the Spirit," with the result that the child born of her was "the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father." (1 Ne. 11:19-21.) As Gabriel told Luke, he was the "Son of the Highest" (Luke 1:32), and "the Highest" is the first member of the godhead, not the third.
Matt. 1:18. Mary was espoused to Joseph] According to Jewish law, marriage took place in two steps, first came the espousal or betrothal, later the formal marriage ceremony. Both formalities preceded assumption of the full privileges and responsibilities of the marital state. In a sense, espoused persons were viewed as already married, so that the angel in counseling Joseph to fulfill his marriage plans properly referred to Mary as his "wife." Espoused persons were considered bound to each other so that their betrothal could only be broken by a formal action akin to divorce. This is what Joseph had contemplated prior to receiving direction from the angelic visitant.
22-23. Matthew takes frequent occasion to quote Old Testament Messianic prophecies and to show their fulfillment in the birth, life, and ministry of Jesus.
Luke 1:31. Thou shalt conceive in thy womb] Our Lord was destined to have all of the essential experiences of mortality, including conception and birth in the natural and literal sense. Jesus] Greek form of the Hebrew Yeshua, Jeshua, Joshua, or Jehoshua, meaning Jehovah is salvation or deliverance.
32. The throne of his father David] Our Lord was heir to David's throne in both the temporal and eternal sense of the word. Mary his literal mother and Joseph his foster father were descendants of David. Indeed, their lineage was in the royal house itself. "Had Judah been a free and independent nation, ruled by her rightful sovereign, Joseph the carpenter would have been her crowned king; and his lawful successor to the throne would have been Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." (Talmage, pp. 87, 90.) Thus Jesus was an heir to the throne of the temporal kingdom. But in a far greater sense, he is the Eternal King of Israel -- the King whom they once served in all their ancient trials and tribulations, the King whom they shall serve again when the scattered remnants of Israel are gathered into one great millennial kingdom, with our Lord, the King, reigning personally upon the earth. (Ezek. 37:21-28; Tenth Article of Faith.)
38. Be it unto me according to thy word] This affirmation of submission, conformity, and obediencies, even of anxious willingness to do the will of Deity -- ranks in sublimity and majesty with the declaration of the pre-existent Christ, who responding to the Father's search for a Redeemer, volunteered: "Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever." (Moses 4:2.)
Luke 1:41. The babe leaped in her womb] In this miraculous event the pattern is seen which a spirit follows in passing from his pre-existent first estate into mortality. The spirit enters the body at the time of quickening, months prior to the actual normal birth. The value and comfort attending a knowledge of this eternal truth is seen in connection with stillborn children. Since the spirit entered the body before birth, stillborn children will be resurrected and righteous parents shall enjoy their association in immortal glory. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 693-694.)
The Book of Mormon account of Christ speaking to Nephi the grandson of Helaman and saying, "On the morrow come I into the world" (3 Ne. 1:13), is not intended to infer that the spirit does not enter the body until the moment of the actual birth. Rather this revelation to the Nephites was itself being conveyed in a miraculous and unusual way. Quite probably the one uttering the words was speaking in the first person as though he were Christ, in accordance with the law enabling others to act and speak for Deity on the principal of divine investiture of authority. (Mormon Doctrine, p. 122.)
42. Blessed art thou among women] This is a Hebraic way of saying, `Thou art the most blessed of all women,' a statement which is literally true. As there is only one Christ, so there is only one Mary. And as the Father chose the most noble and righteous of all his spirit sons to come into mortality as his Only Begotten in the flesh, so we may confidently conclude that he selected the most worthy and spiritually talented of all his spirit daughters to be the mortal mother of his Eternal Son. Such an understanding, however, in no way condones or mitigates the unscriptural practice whereunder Mary and graven images of her are worshiped and prayers are offered to her in the false hope that she will intercede with her Son on behalf of those who so pray.
43. The mother of my Lord] To Elizabeth the Holy Ghost revealed that Mary was to be the mother of the Son of God.
Two psalms of praise, worship, thanksgiving, and prophecy were given by the Spirit, through especially chosen vessels, as the foundations were laid and announced for the ushering in of the great meridian gospel dispensation. While the Holy Ghost rested upon her, Mary responded to Elizabeth's inspired salutation by uttering the memorable words since adopted as part of the musical ritual of many churches under the latin name, the Magnificat. Zacharias, similarly enlightened by the Spirit, enriched Christian literature and knowledge by speaking the so-called Benedictus, a song of praise over the birth and naming of his son, John the Baptist. Both psalms tie the traditions, teachings, and inspired declarations of the patriarchs and prophets of old into the new era of restoration that was commencing with the birth and ministry of our Lord and his forerunner.
Luke 1:47. God my Saviour] Christ is the Savior of all men including Mary. Christ "the Lord is God, and beside him there is no Savior." (D. & C. 76:1.)
48. All generations shall call me blessed] No woman has ever been held in higher esteem by the true saints than the mother of their Lord; and even among apostate peoples -- false and delusive though it be -- praise, reverence, adulation, and even supposed worship are bestowed upon her.
50. Mercy] Deity gives mercy to the righteous, those who believe in the Son and repent of their sins; all others are subject not to the benificent peace of mercy, but to the harsh penalties of justice. (D. & C. 19:4-20; Alma 42.)
53. Filled the hungry with good things] Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness reap the rich spiritual blessings which bring peace in this life and eternal life in the world to come.
69. An horn of salvation] In Jewish idiom, Messiah's power and strength is signified by comparing it to a horn. (1 Sam. 2:10; 2 Sam. 22:3; Ps. 18:2; 132:17.) This is a natural figure of speech for a pastoral people to use, a people who saw the strength of the bull or wild ox manifest by use of his horns.
72. His holy covenant] 73. The oath] With an oath the Lord Jehovah promised Abraham that all nations would be blessed through the holy covenant (meaning the fulness of the everlasting gospel), in that all who accepted the gospel would be adopted as the seed of Abraham and become inheritors of "the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal." (Abra. 2:10-11; Gen. 22:15-18.)
77. Remission of their sins] As the clarification added in the Inspired Version shows, remission of sins is gained only by baptism.
78. The dayspring] Christ is the dayspring from on high, a figure of speech which has lost most of its force through translation, but which according to the original Greek word had two possible meanings: (1) That he was the Branch (Jer. 23:5-6; 33:15; Zech. 6:12); or (2) That he was the Sun or Star of Israel. Perhaps the meaning is similar to his own expression that he is the bright and morning star. (Rev. 22:16.)
79. Our Lord's mission included bringing the gospel, which is "the way of peace," to those in apostate darkness.
59. Eighth day] Naming of children and circumcision of male members of the house of Israel took place on this day. In the case of John, he "was ordained by the angel of God at the time he was eight days old" -- not to the Aaronic Priesthood, for such would come later, after his baptism and other preparation, but -- "unto this power, to overthrow the kingdom of the Jews, and to make straight the way of the Lord before the face of his people, to prepare them for the coming of the Lord, in whose hand is given all power." (D. & C. 84:28.) That is, at this solemn eighth day ceremony, an angel, presumably Gabriel, gave the Lord's Elias the divine commission to serve as the greatest forerunner of all the ages.
Circumcision] To distinguish the covenant race from all other nations, the Lord put a sign in their flesh; he required the circumcision of all male children on the eighth day. "And I will establish a covenant of circumcision with thee," the Lord told Abraham, "and it shall be my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations; that thou mayest know for ever that children are not accountable before me until they are eight years old. . .. Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations." (I. V. Gen. 17:11-17; Mormon Doctrine, pp. 134-136.)
80. As is the case with his kinsman Jesus, the scriptures are virtually silent on the life and labors of John prior to his formal ministry, which commenced, according to Levitical law, when he was thirty years of age. (Num. 4:3, 47.) We do know that "he was baptized while he was yet in his childhood" (D. & C. 84:28), meaning when he was eight years of age; that his parents were faithful and righteous people; that he "was a priest after his father, and held the keys of the Aaronic Priesthood, and was called of God to preach the Gospel of the kingdom of God" (Teachings, pp. 272-273); that he "waxed strong in spirit," that is, became a tower of spiritual strength; and that he was guided during his whole life by the Holy Ghost. It naturally follows that he was trained in obedience to the law of Moses, officiated in the Levitical ordinances and performances, was married (an almost mandatory social requirement among the Jews), and probably had children.
By small means and natural ways Deity governs in the affairs of men so that his purpose will prevail and the words of his prophets never fail. Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth of Galilee; the prophetic pronouncements required that the promised Messiah be born in Bethlehem of Judea. (Mic. 5:2.) So in harmony with the divine plan, Joseph and Mary responded to the Roman decree to journey to the place of their origin as such was determined by their family and tribe. Bethlehem and Jerusalem had been part of the inheritance of Judah in the days when the promised land was divided among the tribes. (Joshua 15.) The assembling in the lands of their forebears apparently was for the purpose of taking a census or making an enrollment so that a tax could be imposed on a population basis.
Luke 2:5. His espoused wife] This conflicts with Matt. 1:24-25. Joseph and Mary, at this time, were no longer in a state of espousement or betrothal. Pursuant to the angelic command and for the protection of Mary, Joseph had previously completed the legal marriage.
Christmas is the traditional rather than the actual birthday of our Lord. As to the actual day and year, scholars generally are in such complete disagreement that reference to their various views does little more than multiply confusion and uncertainty. Authorities can be cited who contend his birth was during every year from B. C. 1 to B. C. 7. Perhaps most of them lean to the conjecture that it was in late 5 B. C. or early 4 B. C.
From the first sentence of the revelation given to Joseph Smith on the day the Church was organized in this dispensation, it appears that the latter-day kingdom formally came into being on the eighteen hundred and thirtieth anniversary of our Lord's birth. In other words, Christ was born April 6, B. C. 1. (D. & C. 20:1.) As pointed out by Elder James E. Talmage, the Book of Mormon accounts that the Messiah would come "six hundred years from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem" (3 Ne. 1:1; 1 Ne. 10:4), seem to corroborate this B. C. 1 birthdate. (Talmage, pp. 102-104, 109.)
I. V. 7. There was none to give room for them in the inns] Inns were square buildings, open inside, in which travelers commonly put up for the night; back parts of these erections were used as stables. Mary's condition probably required slow travel so that the inns were all filled upon their arrival in Bethlehem, necessitating their use of the stable part of one of them for shelter. It was the traveling hosts of Judah generally, not just an innkeeper or an isolated few persons, who withheld shelter from Joseph and Mary. Though her state was apparent, the other travelers -- lacking in courtesy, compassion, and refinement -- would not give way so she could be cared for more conveniently and commodiously. This rude rejection was but prelude to the coming day when these same people and their children after them would reject to their eternal sorrow the Lord who that night began mortality under the most lowly circumstances.
These genealogical records of Matthew and Luke purport to give the lineage of Jesus, tracing it back from Joseph his foster father. Several discrepancies are apparent, but as Elder James E. Talmage points out, "such have been satisfactorily reconciled by the research of specialists in Jewish genealogy." Then he summarizes the known facts in this field in these words: "The concensus of judgment on the part of investigators is that Matthew's account is that of the royal lineage, establishing the order of sequence among the legal successors to the throne of David, while the account given by Luke is a personal pedigree, demonstrating descent from David without adherence to the line of legal succession to the throne through primogeniture or nearness of kin. Luke's record is regarded by many, however, as the pedigree of Mary, while Matthew's is accepted as that of Joseph. The all important fact to be remembered is that the Child promised by Gabriel to Mary, the virginal bride of Joseph, would be born in the royal line. A personal genealogy of Joseph was essentially that of Mary also, for they were cousins. Joseph is named as son of Jacob by Matthew, and as son of Heli by Luke; but Jacob and Heli were brothers, and it appears that one of the two was the father of Joseph and the other the father of Mary and therefore father-in-law to Joseph. That Mary was of Davidic descent is plainly set forth in many scriptures; for since Jesus was to be born of Mary, yet was not begotten by Joseph, who was the reputed, and, according to the law of the Jews, the legal, father, the blood of David's posterity was given to the body of Jesus through Mary alone." (Talmage, pp. 83-87, 89-90.)
Matt. 1:1. Book of the generation] That is, table of the genealogy; it has reference not to the whole gospel account of Matthew, but to the first seventeen verses in which the royal line age of Jesus is shown. Compare Gen. 5:1.
The son of David, the son of Abraham] Writing particularly for Jewish converts, Matthew traces our Lord's lineage from Abraham and David, both of whom received promises that the Messiah would be among their seed. (Gen. 12:3; Ps. 132; Isa. 11; Jer. 23:5; Gal. 3:16; D. & C. 113:1.) Luke, on the other hand, writing for Gentile readers, traces the descent from Adam, the first man.
Luke 3:38. Adam, which was the son of God] This statement, found also in Moses 6:22, has a deep and profound significance and also means what it says. Father Adam came, as indicated, to this sphere, gaining an immortal body, because death had not yet entered the world. (2 Ne. 2:22.) Jesus, on the other hand, was the Only Begotten in the flesh, meaning into a world of mortality where death already reigned.
I. V. Luke 3:45. The first man upon the earth] There were no so-called pre-Adamites. When Deity "formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life," that noble personage, thereafter to be named Adam, "became a living soul, the first flesh upon the earth, the first man also." (Moses 3:7; 1:34; 6:45; Abra. 1:3; D. & C. 84:16; 1 Ne. 5:11; 1 Cor. 15:45.) Adam was the first man from the standpoint of ancestry, lineage, pre-eminence, power, and position; he was the first flesh meaning the first mortal flesh. All things were first created in immortality, in a state devoid of death; then after Adam fell, the effects of his transgression passed upon the earth and all life thereon. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 249-250, 262.)
Lo! this night a God is born, the Word is made flesh, the great Jehovah makes clay his tabernacle, becomes a Babe in Mary's arms -- and heaven and earth join in singing praises to his holy name. No scene quite like this has ever elsewhere been manifest to mortal man. Righteous men, finding their eyes open, see within the veil, and having their ears unstopped, hear the angelic hosts praise God and proclaim tidings of joy and peace on earth for men of good will everywhere.
Nephite kinsmen of the Jewish shepherds, though removed by half a world from the angelic choirs, were also blessed with miraculous assurances that the God of Israel was now the Son of David. During the preceding day, the voice of Jehovah had said to Nephi, grandson of Helaman: "Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets. Behold, I come unto my own, to fulfil all things which I have made known unto the children of men from the foundation of the world, and to do the will, both of the Father and of the Son -- of the Father because of me, and of the Son because of my flesh." Then it was that there was a day and a night and a day on the Western Hemisphere in all of which there was no darkness; and then it was that all the people beheld the rise of the promised new star. (3 Ne. 1:4-21; Hela. 14:2-5.) Thus the very heavens and all the hosts of them bore record that God himself had come down among men.
Luke 2:8. Shepherds] These particular shepherds were righteous and devout men who by lives of holiness and purity had prepared themselves to behold the angelic presence and hear the heavenly choirs.
10. All people] Not just to the Jews, not just to the house of Israel, not merely to a favored few -- the glad tidings of salvation were to go to all the ends of the earth; every ear should hear, every eye see, and every heart be penetrated.
11. The city of David] Bethlehem, where David was born. A Saviour] The one who would work out the infinite and eternal atonement bringing immortality as a free gift to all (thus saving them from the temporal effects of the fall of Adam) and bringing eternal life to those who would hearken to his teachings (thus saving them from the spiritual fall).
12. Swaddling clothes] Bands of cloth commonly wrapped around newborn infants. I. V. 12. And this is the way you shall find the babe] The swaddling clothes and the manger were not a "sign" which would identify Jesus; the angel was merely describing where he was and how he was dressed.
Luke 1:14. And on earth peace, good will toward men] Marginal readings give what is probably a more accurate translation of the "Gloria in excelsis" song: "On earth peace among men of good will," or, "On earth peace among men in whom he is well pleased."
According to the terms of the eternal plan of salvation, men in mortality walk by faith and not by sight. Hence Deity, in his infinite wisdom, deigns to offer salvation to them by the mouths of witnesses whom he raises up -- righteous men who can testify of what they have heard and seen and know. These shepherds, devout and believing souls, were the first mortals to go forth bearing witness that the promised Messiah, the Lord Omnipotent "whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting" (Mic. 5:2), had been born of woman.
To Abraham, the great Jehovah, now tabernacled among men as the child Jesus, had revealed the law of circumcision. To Moses he had given the detailed laws governing purification and sacrifice which should govern ancient Israel. Now the great Lawgiver, as guided by his mother, Mary, and his guardian, Joseph, honored his own laws by strict conformance to them.
21. Circumcision] See Luke 1:59.
22-24. For forty days following the birth of a male child, eighty in the case of a female offspring, a mother in Israel remained in retirement. When this period, "the days of her purifying," were over, she brought to the priest a lamb for a burnt offering and either a young pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. If she could not afford both the lamb and the bird, then she was permitted to bring two pigeons or two turtledoves. (Lev. 12.) The modest temporal circumstances of Joseph and Mary are apparent from their presentation of the less costly sacrificial offering.
In the case of the firstborn male child, these sacrifices were part of a ceremonial of redemption which exempted the child from the burden of ministerial service which the Lord had laid instead upon the Levites. After the Lord slew the firstborn among the Egyptians (Ex. 12:29-30), he took in return as his own special servant the firstborn of each family in Israel. (Ex. 22:29.) Though the male Levites were later chosen to serve in the Priesthood instead of all the firstborn sons (Num. 8:14-18), the ceremonial requirement of ransoming or redeeming every such firstborn son was retained. (Ex. 13:2, 13; Num. 18:15.)
By revelation from the Holy Ghost, Simeon and Anna recognized the infant, then but forty days old, as the promised Messiah; and they so testified. Not to all men everywhere, but to a devout few -- chosen vessels who prepared themselves by obedience, fasting, and prayer -- was the Holy Spirit revealing sacred truths about Christ and his mission. Such had been, was, and is the Lords method of sending forth the truths of salvation to mankind generally.
Luke 2:25. The consolation of Israel] An idiomatic expression meaning the Messianic age, the era in which King Messiah would come to bring comfort and solace to the people and to relieve their mental and physical distress. The Messiah himself, as the bearer and personification of these blessings, also may properly be called, the Consolation of Israel.
30. Thy salvation] Salvation is centered in Christ. Through his atoning sacrifice all men are saved in the sense of resurrection, while those who believe and obey his laws become, in addition, inheritors of eternal life. Thus to see Jesus and to recognize him as the Lord's Christ is to see salvation for he is the personification of it. It was as though Simeon had said, `Mine eyes have seen Christ.'
32. To lighten the Gentiles] Blessings coming in and through the Messiah were for all men, not just the chosen seed of Israel.
35. I. V. 35. Except perhaps in a figurative sense, no sword was to pierce Mary; rather, a spear was to pierce her Son, to the consequent wounding of her own soul.
36. A prophetess] A woman who has received revelation from the Holy Ghost certifying that Jesus is the Christ. (Rev. 19:10; Mormon Doctrine, pp. 544-547.)
37. Great age] Assuming she married at the age of twelve, which is possible in the East, Anna thus would have been at least one hundred and three.
38. All them that looked for redemption] Apostasy was not universal among the Jews. A small minority understood the Messianic prophecies and prayed for the spiritual and temporal redemption that becomes available through faith in the Holy Messiah himself. To them redemption meant, not just relief from Roman imperialism, but a ransom from the temporal and spiritual effects of the fall of Adam.
Matt. 1:1. Wise men from the east] In contrast to the lowly shepherds and to the devout Simeon and Anna, who had become witnesses of our Lord, divine providence now provided witnesses from the great and mighty of the earth, witnesses who could bring gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh, witnesses who could command audience with kings and who could boldly inquire: "Where is he that is born King of the Jews?" So there came from unnamed eastern lands -- perhaps, Persia, Arabia, Mesopotamia, perhaps elsewhere -- an unspecified number of wise men. Whether they were two, three, or twenty in number is a matter of pure speculation.
To suppose they were members of the apostate religious cult of the Magi of ancient Media and Persia is probably false. Rather, it would appear they were true prophets, righteous persons like Simeon, Anna, and the shepherds, to whom Deity revealed that the promised Messiah had been born among men. Obviously they were in possession of ancient prophecies telling of the rise of a new star at his birth. That they did receive revelation for their personal guidance is seen from the inspired dream in which they were warned not to return to Herod after they had found and worshiped the Son of Mary.
2. His star in the east] In listing the signs to attend the birth of Jesus, Samuel the Lamanite prophesied: "There shall a new star arise, such an one as ye never have beheld." (Hela. 14:5.) That this new star was seen by the whole Nephite nation at the actual time of the heavenly birth, is also recorded in the Book of Mormon. (3 Ne. 1:21.) There is, however, no comparable Messianic prophecy in the Bible as we now have it. The nearest allusion to such is found in the prophecy of Balaam who, speaking of Messiah himself, said: "There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel." (Num. 24:17.)
But there can be little doubt that others besides the Nephites knew by revelation that great signs and wonders, including the rise of a new star, were to attend Messiah's birth. The language of the wise men, upon reaching Jerusalem, clearly assumes that the Jews were just as aware that a new star would bear record of the holy birth as they were that the birth itself should take place in Bethlehem.
4-8. I. V. Matt. 3:4-6. Bethlehem, the city and birthplace of David, located some five miles southwest of Jerusalem, was known by the Jews generally as the promised natal spot of their Messiah. Micah's record reads: "Thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." (Mic. 5:2-4.) Apparently others of the prophets, whose records are not now available, had also so spoken.
As Egypt had been a land of refuge for the house of Jacob anciently, so now it became a convenient and natural refuge for Jacob's King. It was a nearby Roman province, outside the jurisdiction of Herod, where more than a million Jews already dwelt. And as Israel anciently had been called out of Egypt, so now her King was to return to the Canaan of promise to perform his earthly ministry. Since Herod is believed to have died when Jesus was two or three years old, our Lord's sojourn in that land may have been as short as a few months. Presumptively it was the plan for him to spend his childhood, youth, and young manhood in Nazareth.
Matt. 2:15. Out of Egypt have I called my son] Hosea's prophecy, "When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt" (Hos. 11:1), though having seeming reference to the house of Israel itself, is one of the many illustrations of prophetic utterances having dual meaning and fulfilment. It points up the eternal truth that the things of the prophets are only understood fully by those who are themselves prophets and who have the same Spirit enjoyed by all who prophesy. (1 Cor. 14:32; 2 Pet. 1:20-21.) It may also be that others of the ancient prophets spoke of Jesus' sojourn in and return from Egypt.
16. Herod] "Herod was professedly an adherent of the religion of Judah, though by birth an Idumean, by descent an Edomite or one of the posterity of Esau, all of whom the Jews hated; and of all Edomites not one was more bitterly detested than was Herod the king. He was tyrannical and merciless, sparing neither foe nor friend who came under suspicion of being a possible hindrance to his ambitious designs. He had his wife and several of his sons, as well as others of his blood kindred, cruelly murdered; and he put to death nearly all of the great national council, the Sanhedrin. His reign was one of revolting cruelty and unbridled oppression. .
"The mortal end of the tyrant and multi-murderer is thus treated by Farrar in his Life of Christ, pp. 54-55: `It must have been very shortly after the murder of the innocents that Herod died. Only five days before his death he had made a frantic attempt at suicide, and had ordered the execution of his eldest son Antipater. His deathbed, which once more reminds us of Henry VIII., was accompanied by circumstances of peculiar horror; and it has been asserted that he died of a loathsome disease, which is hardly mentioned in history, except in the case of men who have been rendered infamous by an atrocity of persecuting zeal. On his bed of intolerable anguish, in that splendid and luxurious palace which he had built for himself, under the palms of Jericho, swollen with disease and scorched by thirst, ulcerated externally and glowing inwardly with a "soft slow fire," surrounded by plotting sons and plundering slaves, detesting all and detested by all, longing for death as a release from his tortures yet dreading it as the beginning of worse terrors, stung by remorse yet still unslaked with murder, a horror to all around him yet in his guilty conscience a worse terror to himself, devoured by the premature corruption of an anticipated grave, eaten of worms as though visibly smitten by the finger of God's wrath after seventy years of successful villainy, the wretched old man, whom men had called the Great, lay in savage frenzy awaiting his last hour. As he knew that none would shed one tear for him, he determined that they should shed many for themselves, and issued an order that, under pain of death, the principal families of the kingdom and the chiefs of the tribes should come to Jericho. They came, and then, shutting them in the hippodrome, he secretly commanded his sister Salome that at the moment of his death they should all be massacred. And so, choking as it were with blood, devising massacres in its very delirium, the soul of Herod passed forth into the night.'" (Talmage, pp. 97-98, 106-108.)
Evil and wicked though his reign was, we need not suppose that Herod was in a class by himself. In ordering the slaughter of a host of innocent children, he was but following the iniquitous path of all autocratic rulers, rulers whose thrones rest on the bones and are bathed in the blood of the slain. Ghengis Kahn, Ceasar, Nero, Gadianton, Hitler, Stalin, Kruschev, and thousands of others, are guilty of similarly gross crimes and mass murders.
16. Two years old and under] When did the wise men come to Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and how old was the child Jesus when they bowed before him? Though this date cannot be known with certainty, there is strong reason to suppose that more than seven weeks and quite possibly several months or even nearly three years elapsed between this visit and the nativity. It could not have taken place during Mary's forty days of purification, because immediately following them the holy family went to Nazareth to live (Luke 2:21-24, 39) Whereas following the visit of these eastern prophets, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, fled into Egypt for a season.
It is worthy of note that the wise men found Jesus in a house, not a stable, inn, or temporary abiding place; that he is called a "young child," not a baby, a total of seven times in the course of fourteen consecutive verses; that Matthew makes two pointed references to the diligent nature of Herod's inquiry as to the actual time of the birth; and that a child is two years of age until the time of his third birthday. Now assuming that Herod would order the massacre of all young children in the general age bracket involved, still the presumption arises that a number of months or even one or two years may have elapsed before the arrival of the eastern visitors.
17. Jeremy] Jeremiah.
Where Jesus lived] Although the chronological order of the travels and sojournings of our Lord's early years is not entirely clear, the following seems reasonably certain:
(1) At the time of their espousement and marriage, Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth in the eastern part of the province of Galilee. (Luke 1:26-35; 1 Ne. 11:13.)
(2) Guided by divine providence, they traveled to Bethlehem, the city of David, where Jesus was born in a stable. (Luke 2:1-7.)
(3) On the eighth day, while the couple was still in Bethlehem, Jesus was circumcised. (Luke 2:21.)
(4) Following the days of Mary's purification, a forty-day period (Lev. 12), the holy family traveled to Jerusalem where Jesus was presented in the temple, with Simeon and Anna then bearing record of his divine Sonship. (Luke 2:22-38.)
(5) Thus, having "performed all things according to the law of the Lord," they then went immediately to Nazareth. (Luke 2:39.) Obviously the wise men had not yet come to worship their King, because following their visit comes the flight to Egypt. That they could not have gone to Egypt and returned to Bethlehem within the forty-day period is clear (a) because they were in Egypt at the time of Herod's death which did not occur until about two years after the nativity, and (b) because they returned from Egypt to Nazareth, not Bethlehem.
(6) Next, for some unknown and unrecorded reason, Joseph and Mary and the child returned to Bethlehem, obtained a house there, and were part of the community life when the wise men came. (Matt. 2:1-12.)
(7) Warned of God, the holy family now fled to Egypt for a sojourn of unknown length, possibly one of only a few weeks or months. (Matt. 2:13-15.)
(8) After Herod's death they returned with obvious purpose of settling again in Bethlehem, where they must have had an adequate place to live. But fearing Archelaus, son of Herod, they foresook the Judean province for the greater security of the Galilean. Hence their return to and abode in Nazareth. (Matt. 2:19-23.)
(9) From then until his formal ministry began, a period of perhaps twenty-seven or twenty-eight years, our Lord continued to live in Nazareth. (Luke 2:51-52; I. V. Matt. 3:22-26.)
Matt. 2:20-21. Land of Israel] Joseph was not told in the first instance to go to Nazareth; it took a second angelic visitation to specify the chosen part of the land of Israel. He was required to walk by faith; revelation came to him, as it does to all the faithful, line upon line as necessity requires.
23. Matthew here quotes one of the lost Messianic prophecies.
Under Jewish law, Jesus, now twelve, became "a son of the law" -- one subject to its obligations. Now he rated a position in the congregation and stood forth as a recognized member of his home community. His religious and secular studies entered an advanced stage; his vocational preparations were intensified; and he could no longer be sold by his parents as a bond-servant.
That he should now be taken to the annual passover celebration was a natural and expected thing; and that he should enter the temple courts, join the discussion groups, listen to the expositions of the rabbis, and ask and answer questions himself, was in perfect keeping with the customs of the day. The significance of his youthful appearance in the temple lies, not in the fact of its occurrence, but in the divine wisdom manifest by him in his conversation and in the testimony which he then bore of his own divinity.
41. Feast of the passover] See Matt. 26:17-20. This annual feast, lasting in Jesus' time for eight days (twenty-four hours for the passover proper and seven days for the feast of unleavened bread), commemorated the deliverance of Israel from the oppressions of Pharaoh. (Ex. 12.)
49. My Father's business] Though Mary (quite naturally under the circumstances) had referred to Joseph as the father of Jesus, our Lord, knowing already by revelation of his true paternity, bore in reply the first recorded testimony of his own divinity. God, not Joseph, was his Father; and now, as he began a more mature part of his mortal probation, how appropriate that already he should know it!
In our present state of spiritual understanding, it apparently is not intended that we have any appreciable knowledge of the life of Jesus prior to the commencement of his ministry. No doubt complete and full accounts will be available during the millennium, for in that day the Lord has promised to "reveal all things." (D. & C. 101:32.) Such knowledge as is now available, however, leads us to believe that the Son of Mary (1) participated in the normal activities and experiences of the time, and (2) was endowed with talents and spiritual capacities exceeding those of any other person who ever lived. That he was obedient and sinless is evident; yet, with it all, he was subject to the restrictions and testings of mortality, was in all points tempted as other men are (Heb. 2:10-18; 5:8-9), and having "continued from grace to grace," he finally (after the resurrection) "received a fulness of the glory of the Father," and perfected his own salvation. (D. & C. 93:6-16.)
Luke 2:40. A summary of his life from the age of forty days to that of twelve years. 51-52. Covers the period from twelve to thirty years of age. I. V. Matt. 3:24-26. From the return out of Egypt to the beginning of his ministry, a period of perhaps twenty-seven or twenty-eight years.
Matt. 3:1. John the Baptist] This miraculously-born son of Zacharias was the last legal administrator of the old dispensation, the first of the new; he was the last of the old prophets, the first of the new. With him ended the old law, and with him began the new era of promise. He is the one man who stood, literally, at the crossroads of history; with him the past died and the future was born. He was the herald of the Messianic age, the messenger, fore-runner, and Elias who began the great restoration in the meridian of time and on whose secure foundation the Son of Man himself built the eternal gospel structure. His ministry ended the preparatory gospel; Messiah's commenced again the era of gospel fulness.
Wilderness of Judea] A desert area about ten miles wide, lying west of the Dead Sea and extending northward to the west bank of the Jordan near its mouth.
2. Repent ye] John's teaching was "the preparatory gospel; Which gospel is the gospel of repentance and of baptism, and the remission of sins." (D. & C. 84:26-27.) Without repentance there is neither forgiveness of sin nor salvation in the celestial realms.
The kingdom of heaven is at hand] That is, the kingdom of God on earth, the one true Church, the sole organization through which salvation is administered, the very Church and kingdom is here. "John came preaching the Gospel for the remission of sins," the Prophet taught. "He had his authority from God, and the oracles of God were with him, and the kingdom of God for a season seemed to rest with John alone. ... But, says one, the kingdom of God could not be set up in the days of John, for John said the kingdom was at hand. But I would ask if it could be any nearer to them than to be in the hands of John. The people need not wait for the days of Pentecost to find the kingdom of God, for John had it with him, and he came forth from the wilderness crying out, `Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is nigh at hand,' as much as to say, `Out here I have got the kingdom of God, and you can get it, and I am coming after you; and if you don't receive it, you will be damned'; and the scriptures represent that all Jerusalem went out unto John's baptism. There was a legal administrator, and those that were baptized were subjects for a king; and also the laws and oracles of God were there; therefore the kingdom of God was there; for no man could have better authority to administer than John; and our Savior submitted to that authority himself, by being baptized by John; therefore the kingdom of God was set up on the earth, even in the days of John." (Teachings, pp. 272-273.)
4. John wore the dress and ate the food of the poor and the lowly, a course which in effect rebuked the rich and haughty of Judea for centering their hearts on costly robes and elaborate feasts.
Mark 1:1. The beginning of the gospel] Mark is about to tell the story of Jesus, to proclaim the good news about him through whom salvation comes, to record salient facts about the life, ministry, death, resurrection, and glorification of him who had life in himself. The "beginning" of that gospel is that men must repent, be baptized, and receive the Holy Ghost. (D. & C. 39:6.) This "beginning" merely puts them on the path leading to eternal life; to gain salvation they must thereafter "press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men, . . . feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end." (2 Ne. 31:20.)
2. My messenger] In two dispensations, before both the first and second comings of our Lord, John has come as a messenger before the Lord's face. Malachi's promise that the Lord would send a messenger to prepare the way of his coming, though properly here quoted by Mark, also refers to the Lord's coming in glory, to the day few can "abide," the day he shall sit in "judgment," "the great and dreadful day of the Lord." (Mal. 3; 4.) In the full and complete sense, however, the latter-day messenger is the Prophet Joseph Smith; and the everlasting gospel, restored through his instrumentality, is the revealed message. (D. & C. 45:9.) John came to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdrey on May 15th, 1829, as a messenger, to commence the actual restoration of the latter-day kingdom, he being the first to bring actual priesthood and keys back to earth again. (D. & C. 13.)
4. The baptism of repentance for the remission of sins] There is no other true baptism. This holy rite is a cleansing ordinance; it is the sole ordained way for accountable people to free themselves from sin. No unclean thing can enter the celestial kingdom, and without repentance and baptism no accountable person is free of sin. (3 Ne. 27:19-21.) Such was the eternal law, and the Jews knew it. John's procedure was not new to them. Baptism had been performed by them and their forebearers for four thousand years. It was a well known ordinance which of itself caused no stir among them.
To be binding on earth and in heaven baptism must be preceded by repentance. Little children cannot repent, need no baptism, are alive in Christ, and shall be saved by virtue of his atoning sacrifice. "Repentance and baptism" are for "those who are accountable and capable of committing sin; . . . they must repent and be baptized, and humble themselves as their little children, and they shall all be saved with their little children. And their little children need no repentance, neither baptism. Behold, baptism is unto repentance to the fulfilling the commandments unto the remission of sins." (Moro. 8:5-26.)
Luke 3:2. The word of God came unto John] He held the priesthood, received revelations, enjoyed the companionship of the Holy Ghost, angels ministered to him, and he was expressly commanded to stand forth as the Lord's forerunner. (D. & C. 84:26-28.) "John, it that time, was the only legal administrator in the affairs of the kingdom there was then on the earth. And holding the keys of power, the Jews had to obey his instructions or be damned, by their own law." (Teachings, p. 276.)
4. Prepare ye the way of the Lord] Isaiah (Isa. 40:3-5), Lehi (1 Ne. 10:7-10), and Nephi (1 Ne. 11:27), all prophesied "concerning a prophet who should come before the Messiah, to prepare the way of the Lord." As Nephi recorded: "Yea, even he should go forth and cry in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight." (I Ne. 10:7-8.) This Book of Mormon account pertains only to John's ministry in the meridian of time. Isaiah, however, in his prophecy, is speaking only incidentally of the preparatory work of John and more particularly and extensively of the Second Coming when every valley shall be exalted and the Lord shall be revealed to reign personally on earth.
Matthew and Mark record John's true claim that he came to fulfil Isaiah's promise that one should come in that day to prepare the Lord's path. Luke does the same, but then continues the quotation, leaving the false inference that John claimed he was then fulfilling the glorious predictions relative to the Second Coming. But in Luke's account, as found in the Inspired Version, the Prophet inserted more than five verses which show clearly that John was claiming to be the promised forerunner of time's meridian, and that the Isaiah quotation about the mountains being brought low and all flesh seeing the salvation of God, had reference not to the first but to the Second Coming of the Lord.
I. V. Luke 3:4. Esaias] Isaiah.
5-10a. These newly revealed words of John present an inspiring summary of the mission and ministry of the Master.
5. Salvation unto the heathen nations] 6. Gospel unto the Gentiles] 7. Light unto all, ... unto the uttermost parts of the earth] John knew, and all Israel should have known, that the mission of the great Messiah would not be limited to one chosen nation and people. Salvation is offered to all men everywhere on the same terms and conditions.
8. Keys of the kingdom shall be delivered up again unto the Father] The keys of the kingdom are the rights and powers of presidency; they consist of the authorization and obligation to preside over the Church (which is the kingdom of God on earth) and to regulate all of its affairs. In due course these keys were given to Peter, James, and John, and then to all the Twelve of that day. They were restored to Joseph Smith and his associates in this day and are now held by the living oracles of this dispensation. When the great gathering at Adam-ondi-Ahman takes place those who have held keys on earth will make accounting of their stewardships, Christ will take back the keys, and then the millennial era shall be ushered in, an era in which the rightful King of the kingdom shall reign personally upon the earth. Finally, there shall be a day when the salvation of man shall be completed, a day in which the keys shall be returned to the Father. Or, as Paul expresses it, "Then cometh the end, when he [Christ] shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power." (1 Cor. 15:24; Mormon Doctrine, pp. 377-379.)
9-10. Reference is here made to the Second Coming, a day of "judgment, ... a day of power."
Matt. 3:7. Pharisees and Sadducees] Two of the most influential apostate sects among the Jews. The Pharisees were a zealous, devoted sect who accepted both the law of Moses and the traditions of the elders. They were pious and puritannical in conduct, glorying in frequent fasts and public prayers. Intensely patriotic and nationalistic, they believed in spirits, angels, revelation, immortality, eternal judgment, the resurrection from the dead, and rewards and punishments in the life to come.
The Sadducees, on the other hand, categorically rejected and believed in none of these things. They were a sect composed of skeptical, worldly, wealthy people a selfish group finding their most powerful adherents among the chief priests. Though the Sadducees professed belief in the law, they rejected the traditions of the elders, and made no pretentions of piety or devout worship. The Pharisees were far more powerful and influential in Jewish political and religious life than were the Sadducees.
Generation of vipers] An evil and wicked group, who by their poisonous opinions and corrupt influence, were destroying the religious health of the nation. Our Lord similarly castigated the scribes and Pharisees (Matt. 23:33), and the Prophet applied the same condemnation to the persecutors of the saints in this dispensation. (D. & C. 121:23.)
I. V. Matt. 3:34. If ye receive not me, ye receive not him] No man in John's day could believe in Jesus as the Messiah without also believing in John as his forerunner. It is the same today. No man can receive the full revealed assurance of the divinity of the Lord Jesus without, for instance, accepting Joseph Smith as a prophet and the one through whom the knowledge of Christ and of salvation has been revealed for this age. "He that receiveth my servants receiveth me," saith the Lord, (D. & C. 84:36; John 13:20.) "Whosoever receiveth me, receiveth those, the First Presidency, whom I have sent." (D. & C. 112:20.) Similarly, those who reject the Lord's prophet' and witnesses reject the Lord. (Luke 10:16.)
36. I. V. Luke 3:13. These stones] John's hearers believed that they and their kindred only could provide seed for Abraham and that none could be saved except the literal seed of that ancient Patriarch. But John's stinging rebuke was that "Of these stony Gentiles, these dogs," these lowest of all creatures (in the Jewish mind), God is able "to raise up children unto Abraham." (Teachings, p. 319.) Our Lord's forerunner is teaching the principle of adoption: that Abraham is "the father of all them that believe" (Rom. 4:11) both Jew and Gentile; that through belief in Christ all men become "Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Gal. 3:28-29); that all who believe the gospel shall be accounted as Abraham's seed and rise up and bless him "as their father." (Abra. 2:10.)
Matt. 3:10. Cast into the fire] Go to hell, to sheol, the spirit prison where the wicked suffer the burning fires of remorse of conscience as they await the day of the resurrection of damnation. (Alma 40:13-14; D. & C. 76:84-85, 105-106.)
I. V. Luke 3:17. Publicans] Roman tax collectors or tax farmers. Imperial Rome sold to the highest bidder the right to collect taxes in a given area. Publicans purchasing this power for large areas often resold it to numerous others who did the actual assessing and collecting in smaller areas. Exorbitant profits were often made by all through whose hands the taxes passed. Cases of exorbitant collections, bordering on extortion, were not uncommon.
19. Even among these apostate Jews, welfare provisions were made to care for the poor among them.
Matt. 3:12. Christ is the great Judge. He shall reap the earth and harvest the ripened sheaves. With the winnowing fan of judgment, he shall separate the wicked chaff from the righteous wheat, gathering the wheat into the celestial gamer and burning the chaff in the depths of hell; his threshing-floor is the whole earth.
I. V. Matt. 3:39. In the fulness of his own time] Wicked men do not suffer the full torments of unquenchable fire until they are cast into the spirit prison which is hell; and the earth itself will not be burned until the Second Coming, the great and dreadful day, the day of burning and desolation. (Mal. 3:1-6; 4.)
I. V. Mark 1:6. Messiah shall baptize both with water and the Spirit. The baptism of fire is the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Souls so cleansed by the Spirit have dross and corruption burned out of them as though by fire. (D. & C. 19:31.)
Matt. 3:15. To fulfil all righteousness] Why was Jesus baptized? Not for the remission of sins for he was the one sinless person, the one person whose thoughts were pure, whose heart knew no guile, whose lips gave forth no improper words, and whose every act was in perfect harmony with the divine will of his Father. Yet baptism was required of him. Why?
Nephi gives four reasons as to how our Lord fulfilled all righteousness in being baptized: (1) He humbled himself before the Father; (2) He convenanted to be obedient and keep the Father's commandments; (3) He had to be baptized to gain admission to the celestial kingdom; and (4) He set an example for all men to follow. (2 Ne. 31:4-11.) To fulfil all righteousness is to perform every ordinance, keep every commandment, and do every act necessary to the attainment of eternal life.
16. Like a dove] All four gospel authors record that the Spirit descended "like a dove"; Luke adds that he also came in "bodily shape"; and the Book of Mormon accounts say he came "in the form of a dove." (1 Ne. 11:27; 2 Ne. 31:8.) Joseph Smith said that John "led the Son of God into the waters of baptism, and had the privilege of beholding the Holy Ghost descend in the form of a dove, or rather in the sign of the dove, in witness of that administration."
Then the Prophet gives this explanation: "The sign of the dove was instituted before the creation of the world, a witness for the Holy Ghost, and the devil cannot come in the sign of a dove. The Holy Ghost is a personage, and is in the form of a personage. It does not confine itself to the form of the dove, but in sign of the dove. The Holy Ghost cannot be transformed into a dove; but the sign of a dove was given to John to signify the truth of the deed, as the dove is an emblem or token of truth and innocence." (Teachings, pp. 275-276.) It thus appears that John witnessed the sign of the dove, that he saw the Holy Ghost descend in the "bodily shape" of the personage that he is, and that the descent was "like a dove."
I. V. Matt. 3:44. Down into the water] As every informed person knows, Jesus was baptized by immersion. Baptism means immersion. There was no thought of any other mode or form of baptism in the Church our Lord set up until after that holy organization had fallen prey to the doctrine of men and of devils. (1 Ne. 13.)
45-46. John saw the heavens open and beheld the personage of the Holy Ghost descend upon Jesus; then John, and apparently also the whole assembled multitude, heard the voice of the Father certify to Jesus' divine Sonship. This was the Master's formal introduction to the world, and in all solemnity and majesty the Father then and there decreed: "Hear ye him."
I. V. Luke 3:28. Luke alone preserves the vital truth that the heavens were opened, the manifestation of the Holy Ghost seen, and the voice of the Father heard because of Jesus' prayer.
Personages in the Godhead] Our Lord's baptism is one of the classical illustrations of the separate and distinct individualities who comprise the eternal Godhead. Jesus is present in mortality; the personage of the Holy Ghost is seen descending from heaven to be with him; and the voice of the Father is heard introducing his Son to the world.
Jesus dwelt in mortality as a man. He was subject to all of the passions, desires, appetites, and temptations that go with this mortal probation. To work out his own salvation, he had to overcome the flesh, bridle his passions, control his desires and appetites, and resist the tempting wiles of Lucifer. Thus he was called upon to "suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue." (Mosiah 3:7; 15:5.) Though he dwelt in the flesh as the Son of God, "yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered." (Heb. 5:8.)
True, he remained obedient and faithful in all things, and never at any time did sin gain power over him. Though he "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet [he remained] without sin." (Heb. 4:15.) But in accordance with the eternal laws of free agency he could have succumbed to temptation; he could have lost his own soul and failed in his divinely appointed mission. That he remained true to his trust, that he was faithful and obedient to the whole law, made him the great Exemplar, the light of the world, who could say to all men, "Follow thou me." (2 Ne. 31:10.)
As with all men, Jesus was tempted from time to time. (Luke 4:13; Heb. 2:18.) The particular temptations occurring after he had fasted and prayed for forty days presumably were some of the most severe. From the abbreviated scriptural accounts available to us it is useless to speculate as to how rapidly Jesus gained knowledge of his divine Sonship and as to the full nature of the temptations he suffered. That they were real, and that overcoming them constituted a major spiritual triumph is evident. Such record as we have probably was preserved because Jesus told his early disciples of his experiences in the wilderness. In analyzing what took place it is particularly important to note the changes made by the Prophet in the Inspired Version.
I. V. Matt. 4:1-2; I. V. Luke 4:2. Jesus did not go into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil; righteous men do not seek out temptation. He went "to be with God." Probably he was visited by the Father; without question he received transcendent spiritual manifestations. The temptations came after he "had communed with God," "after forty days." The same was true in the case of Moses. He communed with God, saw the visions of eternity, and was then left unto himself to be tempted of the devil. After resisting temptation he again communed with Deity, gaining further light and revelation. (Moses 1.)
I. V. Matt. 4:5-9; I. V. Luke 4:5-6, 9. Lucifer did not transport Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple or into a high mountain. Such is not his power or prerogative. In each instance Jesus was taken to these locales by the Spirit, and then the devil came to tempt him. Nor did Lucifer show him all the kingdoms of the world; such was done by the Spirit; it was after he had seen the vision that the devil made his false offer.
In the time of Jesus and John, the whole Jewish nation was stirred up with anxious expectation, awaiting the momentary appearance of the Messiah and his Elias. With great hosts from Jerusalem and all Judea flocking to John and accepting him as a prophet, and with the banks of the Jordan crowded with his baptized converts, it was natural for the leading Jews -- members of the great Sanhedrin, whose obligation it was to test prophetic claims -- to send priests and Levites to make detailed investigation. To their pointed questions, John gave bold and authoritative answers:
Art thou Elias? `Yes; I am Messiah's forerunner, his Elias; I have come in the spirit and power of Elias to prepare the way before him. I hold the Priesthood of Elias, the Aaronic Priesthood; I baptize with water only. He shall come in the power and authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood and baptize both with water and the Spirit. But, do not be confused, I am not that Elias who was to restore all things, for that Elias is the Messiah himself; he shall restore all things, even the fulness of the gospel which was had by Adam and Abraham and many of the prophets of old. He shall replace the lesser law of Moses with the high law of Christ.' (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 203-206.)
Art thou that prophet like unto Moses whose coming is promised? See John 7:41. (Deut. 18:15-22.) `No; I am not that prophet, for that prophet is the promised Messiah himself. He it is who, coming after me, is preferred before me. Instead, I am the prophet whose coming Isaiah foretold (Isa. 40); I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, who is the prophet of whom Moses spoke.'
Art thou the Christ? `No; I am not the Christ; nor am I worthy to fill his place, or even to unloose the very latchet of his shoes. But I bear record of him; and he now standeth among you, and he is the Son of God.'
I. V. John 1:22. Elias who was to restore all things] John's questioners were familiar with some ancient Messianic prophecy, unknown to us, which foretold the coming of Elias to perform a mighty work of restoration. Perhaps it was part of the same prophecy discussed by Peter, James, and John, and our Lord on the Mount of Transfiguration. (Matt. 17:11.)
26; 28. From the ancient prophecies available to them (but not to us) the Jews knew that Christ, Elias, and the Prophet of whom Moses spoke, would all perform baptisms of both water and the Spirit. John showed that he was not fulfilling such prophecies because his baptisms were of water only.
John 1:29. Lamb of God] How fitting for John whose mission was to close the door on the past glory and worship of Israel, and to open it for the coming gospel and worship which was to be made available for all men of all races -- to testify that Jesus was the Lamb of God! For four thousand years righteous men had sacrificed the firstlings of their flocks, lambs and other animals without spot or blemish, in similitude of the coming sacrifice of the Son of God. (Moses 5:5-8.) Now Deity's own Son, born of woman, grown to maturity and commencing his ministry, was soon to be slain as a Paschal Lamb to atone for the sins of the world.
I. V. John 1:30-32. John is bearing record of what he saw and learned on the occasion of Jesus' baptism. Hence, he says "I knew him," rather than, "I knew him not," as the King James Version erroneously has it.
32. He who sent me] As with all true prophets, John was sent of God; he was a legal administrator. Angels had ministered to him; he had seen visions, received revelations, and now he was doing what he had been told to do.
34. Bethabara] Many manuscripts say Bethany. From the Book of Mormon account we learn that Bethabara is correct. (1 Ne. 10:9.) Also, by placing this verse at the end of John's testimony about the baptism of Jesus, rather than at the end of the conversation concerning Elias, the Inspired Version shows that the entire account took place at Bethabara.
John 1:35. Two of his disciples] Only one, Andrew, is mentioned; apparently the other was John the Apostle and author of the account, who with typical self-effacement withheld his own name. (John 13:23; 21:20-24.) 35-37. John the
41. Messias] Greek form of the Hebrew Messiah.
I. V. John 1:42. Seer] Destined to stand as President of the Church of Jesus Christ and to exercise the keys of the kingdom in their fulness, Peter was to be a prophet, seer, and revelator. (D. & C. 81:2.) Foreshadowing this later call, Jesus here confers a new name upon his chief disciple, the name Cephas which means a seer or a stone.
Added significance will soon be given this designation when, in promising him the keys of the kingdom, our Lord will tell Peter that the gates of hell shall never prevail against the rock of revelation, or in other words against seership. (Matt. 16:18.) Seers are specially selected prophets who are authorized to use the Urim and Thummim and who are empowered to know past, present, and future things. "A gift which is greater can no man have." (Mosiah 8:13-18.)
p John 1:45. Nathaneal] Believed by scholars to be Bartholomew, the apostle. (Matt. 10:3.) Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write] Philip knew Jesus was the Messiah.
46. Come and see] This is the perfect answer to all who seek to know the truth about Christ, his laws, or the divinity of his earthly kingdom. Truth supports itself and is the best witness of its own divinity. Impartial investigators, with spiritual inclinations, are always converted when they come and see.
47-48. Jesus here exercises his powers of seership. From the fragmentary account preserved in the scripture it is apparent that Nathaneal had undergone some surpassing spiritual experience while praying, or meditating, or worshiping under a fig tree. The Lord and giver of all things spiritual, though absent in body, had been present with Nathaneal in spirit; and the guileless Israelite, seeing this manifestation of seership, was led to accept Jesus as the Messiah.
51. Guileless and righteous as he was, Nathaneal could look forward to other heavenly manifestations, though the scanty New Testament record, as it has come to us, does not preserve the account of these later visions.
Son of Man] See Matt. 16:13. Christ is the Son of Man, meaning that his Father is a Holy Man. In the Adamic language the Father's name is Man of Holiness. (Moses 6:57; 7:35.) It is a false sectarian vagary to suppose that the appellation Son of Man has reference to the manhood or mortality of our Lord; he was the Son of God, not the Son of Joseph; and the very designation of himself as the Son of Man is conclusive proof of the kind of Being his Father is.
John's record of the marriage in Cana is fragmentary; it does not by any means tell the whole story. From what is recorded, however, we learn:
(1) Mary seemed to be the hostess at the marriage party, the one in charge, the one responsible for the entertainment of the guests. It was she who recognized the need for more wine, who sought to replenish the supply, who directed the servants to follow whatever instructions Jesus gave. Considering the customs of the day, it is a virtual certainty that one of Mary's children was being married.
(2) Jesus also had a close personal interest in and connection with the marriage and the subsequent festivities which attended it. He and apparently at least five of his disciples (John, Andrew, Peter, Philip, and Nathaneal) were "called" to attend. Since the short age of wine occurred near the close of the festivities, and since these commonly lasted from seven to fourteen days, it is apparent that Jesus' party was remaining for the entire celebration. Seemingly, also, he had some personal responsibility for entertaining the guests and felt an obligation to supply them with added refreshments.
(3) Participation by Jesus and his disciples in the marriage customs of that day places an endorsing stamp of divine approval upon the system of matrimony itself and also upon reasonable and modest display attending its solemnization.
(4) Jesus was no recluse, no hermit, no ascetic. He came eating and drinking, enjoying the natural, normal, and wholesome social intercourse of the day.
(5) By turning water into wine, he manifest during the early days of his ministry that he had power over temporal, physical matters.
(6) The faith of his disciples was strengthened in him.
(7) Obviously, also, it would be with this as with his subsequent miracles: when word of his miraculous powers was noised among the people, many would investigate, hear the proclamation of his Messiahship, listen to his teachings, believe his message of salvation, and become heirs of eternal life.
John 2:3. Wine] "Fruit of the vine" (Matt. 26:29), a light, sweet wine (normally unfermented); eaten with bread it was one of the staple foods of the day.
I. V. John 2:4. Jesus' answer to Mary was respectful and discreet. He agreed to do what she requested even though the hour for the heralding abroad of his miraculous powers was yet future.
John 2:6. Firkins] About nine gallons. Thus each of the six waterpots contained between twelve and eighteen gallons of water, with the result that Jesus then created some one hundred and fifty gallons of win -- a miracle showing the wedding celebration was one of no small size.
8. Governor of the feast] Chairman, master of ceremonies.
11. Beginning of miracles] First of the miraculous signs of his ministry, that is, the first of those intended for public knowledge, those designed as witnesses of the divine powers resident in him. He previously may well have performed other personal or private miracles. Indeed, Mary's appeal to him at the wedding celebration for aid carries an inference of her prior knowledge of his miraculous abilities.
Miracles] In the divine economy all things operate by law, but some laws are outside the pale of human experience and beyond the power of man to control. "In the gospel sense, miracles are those occurrences wrought by the power of God which are wholly beyond the power of man to perform. Produced by a supernatural power, they are marvels, wonders, signs, which cannot be duplicated by man's present powers or by any powers which he can obtain by scientific advancements. Miracles in the gospel sense are gifts of the Spirit; they take place when the Lord on his own motion manifests his powers or when man by faith prevails upon Deity to perform supernatural events." (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 459-461.)
See Mark 11:15-19. As Jesus entered the outer courts of the temple, during the first Passover of his ministry, he beheld what he was to call three years later on a similar occasion, "a den of thieves." (Matt. 21:13.) Before him were stalls of oxen, pens of sheep, cages of doves and pigeons, with greedy hucksters offering them at exorbitant prices for sacrificial purposes. Crowded on every hand were the tables of the money-changers who, for a profit, changed the Roman and other coins into temple coins so that sacrificial animals could be purchased and the half shekel poll tax required at this season of the year might be paid. In righteous anger and with physical force he drove the apostate priesthood from their unhallowed merchandising enterprises.
This dramatic episode in the life of our Lord has been preserved to bear record:
(1) That the meek and lowly Nazarene was a man of action; a dynamic forceful character; a man of courage and physical strength; one whose soul filled with righteous indignation upon seeing the desecration of sacred things; one who responded zealously and vigorously in the cause of righteousness, though all men opposed him;
(2) That God was his Father; and
(3) That the temple was still his Father's house, though virtually all who worshiped there were walking in dark and direful apostasy.
13. The Jews' passover] See Matt. 26:17-20.
John 2:19. On this and other occasions Jesus taught his own death and resurrection, and though disbelieving, the Jews knew what he was teaching and understood the meaning of the figurative expressions he used. Later, after his crucifixion, these same Jews, hearking back to Jesus' teaching that he would be resurrected, told Pilate: "Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again." (Matt. 27:63.) Their testimony to the contrary at his trial was part of the conspiracy of perjury which led to his death. (Mark 14:58.)
I. V. John 2:22. They remembered the scriptures] Only after the resurrection did the full and complete meaning of Jesus' announcement of his coming resurrection dawn upon his disciples. Then they remembered that the Lord Jehovah, the God of Israel himself, after his birth into mortality, was to die and be resurrected. They remembered that Isaiah had said of him: "He was cut off out of the land of the living: . . . He made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death." (Isa. 53:8-9.) They remembered that the great Jehovah had said to Israel: "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise." (Isa. 26:4, 19.)
I. V. John 2:24. He knew all things] During his mortal life our Lord went from grace to grace and from truth to truth. He progressed from intelligence to intelligence until finally after the triumph of a glorious resurrection he gained all power, all knowledge, and all truth. It is only in this exalted and resurrected state that he came to a knowledge of all things in the ultimate and unlimited sense. (D. & C. 93:6-28.) However, in the course of his mortal probation, he knew all things in the sense that, having the constant companionship of that Spirit (the Holy Ghost) who does know all things, Jesus could and did receive revelation of all that was needed for his ministry from time to time. He knew all things in the sense that a knowledge of all things was constantly available to him.
In this same sense faithful saints are entitled to receive revelation from the Spirit, or in other words to "have the mind of Christ." (1 Cor. 2:16.) Those who gain their exaltation will, like Christ, be glorified in truth and light and know all things in the ultimate and absolute sense, meaning there will be no truth they do not know, no knowledge they have not mastered. (D. & C. 93:27-28.)
1. Nicodemus] To a limited extent this ruler of the Jews manifest faith in Christ, but as far as the New Testament record reveals, he never quite attained that state of valiant devotion which would classify him as a true disciple. This interview, at which presumably John and others were present, took place at night, away from the prying eyes of other members of the Sanhedrin. Later, when officers of that body were reporting upon their failure to take Jesus into custody, it was Nicodemus who queried his colleagues of the Sanhedrin by saying: "Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?" (John 7:30-39, 50-53.) Still later we read of Nicodemus bringing a costly "mixture of myrrh and aloes" to use in preparing the body of the crucified Lord for burial. (John 19:38-42.) Whether he himself was ever born of water and of the Spirit remains unknown.
3. Born again] Since the fall of Adam, all accountable men are by nature carnal, sensual, and devilish. In this fallen state, as enemies to God, they are spiritually dead. To gain salvation, they must put off the natural man and become saints; they must become new creatures of the Holy Ghost, thereby attaining a state of spiritual life. They must be born again. (Mosiah 3:19; 5:7; Alma 7:14; 1 Pet. 2:2.)
To Alma the younger the Lord said: "Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters; And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God." (Mosiah 27:24-29.)
Kingdom of God] Celestial kingdom of heaven.
5. Born of water and of the Spirit] Baptism by immersion in water, so that the person comes forth from the watery womb, and baptism of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. (Moses 6:59-60.) Those who go through the form of baptism in water and by the Spirit, under the hands of legal administrators, thus becoming members of the Church, by such course have power given them to be born again in the full sense that is required for salvation. Church members are not born again by the mere fact of baptism alone; rather, after baptism, they must so live as to experience a "mighty change" in their hearts. (Alma 5:14-31.)
8. Though there may be miraculous manifestations attending specific instances of spiritual rebirth, such are in addition to the actual fact of being "born of the Spirit." When the Holy Ghost falls upon a worthy recipient, it has the effect of pouring out pure intelligence upon him; all is calm and serene; the still small voice speaks peace to the spirit within man; and the sanctifying, cleansing power of the Spirit begins to manifest itself. (Teachings, pp. 149-150.)
10. Nicodemus should have known these truths about spiritual rebirth; he had the prophetic writings before him and was obligated, as a teacher in Israel, to read and understand them.
11. Jesus and his disciples were teaching by testimony; that is, they were proclaiming what the Holy Ghost had revealed to them. Such is the only way gospel truths can be conveyed, if they are to convert those who hear.
12. That is: `If I have told you the simple, basic truths about being born again; if I have told you the first principles -- faith, repentance, baptism, and the receipt of the Holy Ghost; and ye believe not; how shall ye either believe or understand if I tell you the "wonders of eternity," "the hidden mysteries of my kingdom," the "things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the heart of man"?' (D. & C. 76:1-10.)
I. V. John 3:13. One of the "heavenly things," of which Jesus bore record, was that he, the Messiah who had come down from heaven, was the Son of Man of Holiness who is in heaven. (Moses 6:57.) Like Nicodemus, almost the whole so-called Christian world, as yet unable to understand even "earthly things," rejects the full and literal meaning of this divine testimony.
John 3:14-15. Having borne record of his Messiahship, Jesus now reminds Nicodemus that Moses and all Israel bore the same record in the day that poisonous "fiery serpents" came among them. (Num. 21:4-9.) Nephi, son of Helaman, used this same episode in Israel's ancient history to bear witness of the Son of Man who came down from heaven. Did not Moses "bear record that the Son of God should come," he asked. "And as he lifted up the brazen serpent in the wilderness, even so shall he be lifted up who should come. And as many as should look upon that serpent should live, even so as many as should look upon the Son of God with faith, having a contrite spirit, might live, even unto that life which is eternal." (Hela. 8:13-15.)
15. Perish] Lose salvation. Eternal life] See John 17:3. An inheritance in the highest heaven of the celestial world.
John 3:16. This is perhaps the most famous and powerful single verse of scripture ever uttered. It summarizes the whole plan of salvation, tying together the Father, the Son, his atoning sacrifice, that belief in him which presupposes righteous works, and ultimate eternal exaltation for the faithful.
God so loved the world] Similarly, our Lord "so loved the world that he gave his own life, that as many as would believe might become the sons of God." (D. & C. 34:3.) Only Begotten Son] Only Begotten in the flesh, meaning in mortality. This designation of our Lord signifies that he was begotten by Man of Holiness as literally as any mortal father begets a son. The natural processes of procreation were involved; Jesus was begotten by his Father as literally as he was conceived by his mother. Everlasting life] See John 17:3. Eternal life or exaltation.
17-18. Salvation is in Christ and in him only. He came to save sinners, which includes all men. Those who believe and obey shall be saved; all others are damned. "There shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent. . . . Salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent." (Mosiah 3:17-18.)
I. V. John 3:18. The insertion in this verse establishes conclusively that the words in John 3:16-21 were spoken by Jesus and that they are not, as some analysts have falsely supposed, the reflections of John. They testified of me] All the holy prophets testified of the coming of the Messiah, which act is the very thing that made them prophets. (Mosiah 13:33; Acts 10:43; Rev. 19:10.)
John 3:18-21; I. V. John 3:22. Compare D. & C. 29:43-45; 50:23-29; 84:43-53.
John 3:22-26. The ministries of Jesus and John overlapped. Both were now preaching and baptizing. John's baptisms were in water only, after which his disciples were told (as John the apostle and Andrew had been) to follow Jesus who would baptize them with fire and the Holy Ghost. Jesus' baptisms were also in water unto repentance, but then he added the promise that in due course his converts would be baptized by the Spirit. Further, John, who had once baptized to cleanse, purify, and prepare a people for a Messiah who was to come, now was baptizing into the kingdom set up by the Holy One of Israel who had come. However, according to the apostate Jewish traditions, the purifying power of baptism was needed only for Gentile proselytes; those of the seed of Abraham claimed exemption from its cleansing power and substituted various ritualistic cleansing ordinances of their own. (Mark 7:1-8.)
It is not unnatural that these diverse views should arouse questions "between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying," and that those disciples should come to John to inquire about Jesus and the baptizing being done by him and his disciples. In answer John preached one of the greatest sermons ever delivered on the divinity of Christ and the obligation resting upon all men to accept him as the Son of God if they would be saved. Few if any prophets have ever preached stronger doctrine or testified more powerfully to the divinity of their Lord than did the Lord's own forerunner on this occasion. Verses 27-36 contain a brief digest of his inspired utterances.
23. Much water there] Aenon, a land of springs, where, in a desert country, ample water was found in which to immerse repentant souls. No special location is required for baptism when the false practices of sprinkling or pouring are followed.
27-36. That is: `I, John, came only as the promised Elias, but he came as the holy Messiah, of whom all the prophets have testified. Each of us has received only as the Father has given unto us -- he to be the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world, I to announce his coming and to prepare the way before him. It is not given to me to do his work, for he, as the Son of an immortal Father, is greater than I. Ye yourselves are witnesses that I have always said I was not the Christ, only his forerunner. He is the Bridegroom; I, his servant, am as the friend of the bridegroom, the one sent to make arrangements for the wedding. My reward is to be near him, to hear his voice, to know my mission was successful; in this my joy is full.'
`His mission is beginning, mine ending; he must increase, I decrease. My counsel is: Forsake me; follow him; he is the light of the world who teaches the truth and makes salvation available to all men. He is the Lord Omnipotent who, coming from his Father in heaven, is superior to all men; I am as other men, of the earth.'
`But though he is the very Son of God, and though he carries the very message his Father sent him to deliver, yet few men receive his testimony. Those who do believe his witness and obey his counsels, however, have a seal placed upon them; they are sealed up unto eternal life in the everlasting kingdom of the Father.'
`And the Son, whom the Father hath sent, speaks the words of the Father because the Spirit of God is not apportioned to him; he enjoys it in full measure; and it is by this means that the Father dwelleth in him. Yea, and the Father loveth the Son and hath given all things unto his hands -- all power, all wisdom, all truth, all judgment, and the fulness of every godly attribute.'
`Now those who believe in Jesus as the Son, who believe so fully and completely as to abide in his counsels, shall have everlasting life, even exaltation in the highest heaven of the Father's kingdom. They shall then receive of his fulness, even all power, both in heaven and on earth, and the glory of the Father shall be with them, for he shall dwell in them. But those who believe not on the Son shall fail to gain eternal life, and shall not receive of his fulness, for the wrath of God is upon them.'
29. Jesus was the Bridegroom, and the bride, the Jewish people, should have accepted him as a bride receives her beloved. According to the custom of the day, the friend of the bridegroom arranged the marriage contract and presided at the wedding.
Contrary to the false teachings and traditions of sectarianism, Jesus personally performed water baptisms so that in all things he might be the great Exemplar. Without question he also performed all other ordinances essential to salvation and exaltation.
I. V. John 4:2. Received John as a prophet] That is, they accepted John as a prophet in an emotional, unreasoning way, much as the world today believes in the prophets of old. If they had accepted John in the full gospel sense, they would have also believed in Jesus as the Messiah, for such was the burden of John's message to them.
I. V. Matt. 4:11. He sent angels] Though in mortality ministering among men, Jesus was still the King of angels. He did not ask his Father to send angels to comfort John; Jesus himself sent them.
Matt. 14:3-5. Was it not ever thus? Prophets are always persecuted for telling the truth, for "the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center." (1 Ne. 16:2.)
I. V. Mark 6:21. Even the wicked and ungodly fear and respect holy men who serve God and keep his commandments.
John 4:6. Being wearied] Here we view one of the most human scenes of the Master's whole ministry. The Lord of heaven, who created and controls all things, having made clay his tabernacle, is physically tired, weary, hungry, and thirsty, following his long journey from Judea. He who had power to draw food and drink from the elements, who could have transported himself at will to any location, sought rest and refreshments at Jacob's well. In all things he was subjecting himself to the proper experiences of mortality.
9. Samaritans] When the Ten Tribes were transported to Assyria more than seven centuries before the Christian Era, Samaria was repeopled by heathen colonists from other Assyrian provinces. These pagan peoples, intermixing somewhat with scattered remnants of Israel, founded the race of despised and hated Samaritans of Jesus' day. As a nation, they claimed Jacob as their father and maintained they were inheritors of the blessings of the chosen seed. Their religion, partially pagan in nature, accepted the Pentateuch, but rejected the prophets and the psalms. In the day of Jesus they were friendly to Herod and Rome, but bitter toward the Jews, a feeling fully reciprocated by their Jewish kindred.
10-15. Living waters] How graphically Jesus uses the simple truths of everyday life to teach the eternal spiritual realities of his gospel! For the thirsty and choking traveler in a desert wilderness to find water, is to find life, to find an escape from agonizing death; similarly, the weary pilgrim traveling through the wilderness of mortality saves himself eternally by drinking from the wells of living water found in the gospel.
Living water is the words of eternal life, the message of salvation, the truths about God and his kingdom; it is the doctrines of the gospel. Those who thirst are invited to come unto Christ and drink. (John 7:37-38.) Where there are prophets of God, there will be found rivers of living water, wells filled with eternal truths, springs bubbling forth their life-giving draughts that save from spiritual death. "Unto him that keepeth my commandments," the Lord says, "I will give the mysteries of my kingdom, and the same shall be in him a well of living water, springing up unto everlasting life." (D. & C. 63:23.)
10. Gift of God] Christ is the gift of God; because he was given by the Father, immortality and eternal life and all things incident to them become available. (John 3:16.)
John 4:22. Ye worship ye know not what] These Samaritans would have made good sectarian Christians. They selected out five of the books of the Old Testament and said, `These we will believe and none others,' and they worshiped an Unknown God. The creeds of Christendom describe Deity as incomprehensible and, in effect, as unknown and unknowable. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 55-57, 158-159, 484-486, 738-739.)
Salvation is of the Jews] Though in that day most of the Jews were in a state of apostasy, yet they did have the prophetic writings and the psalms, in which the knowledge about God was recorded. They had a reasonable knowledge of the nature and kind of Being Deity is. Further, salvation was to be offered to all men through the Jews, because they were the ones who preserved the scriptures and the recorded truths of salvation; and most importantly, Messiah himself, in whom salvation centers, was a Jew.
24. God is a Spirit] What marvels of mischief one mistranslated phrase has done! Jesus never, never, never said, "God is a Spirit," but rather that God had promised his Spirit unto those who worshiped him in Spirit and in truth. Yet, falsely supposing our Lord to be the author of this statement, the whole sectarian world has turned to it, more than to any other single passage, to find support for their false creeds.
There is a sense in which it might be said, without impropriety, that God is a Spirt. He is most assuredly not a spirit in the sense in which the creeds speak, in the sense that he is an ethereal nothingness which fills the immensity of space and is everywhere and nowhere in particular present. But when it is remembered that a spirit is a personage, an entity, a living personality whose body is made of more pure and refined substance than the temporal bodies of men; and when it is remembered that such spirits live in preexistence, come to earth to gain temporary physical bodies, are separated from those bodies by the natural death, with the assurance that eventually body and spirit will be inseparably connected again in resurrected immortality; and when it is remembered, further, that God himself is an exalted, perfected, glorified, resurrected Man; then it might truly be said that God is a spirit. He is a Spirit Personage, a Personage with a body of flesh and bones. (D. & C. 130:22.) He is a Spirit in the same sense that all men are spirits, and in the sense that all men eventually will have resurrected or spiritual bodies as contrasted with their present natural or mortal bodies. (1 Cor. 15:42-50; D. & C. 88:25-28.)
I. V. John 4:28. I . . . am the Messias] Jesus was his own chief witness; again, and again, and again -- both in figurative language known to and understood by his hearers, and in plain, unequivocal utterances as here -- he proclaimed himself as the Messiah, the King of Israel, the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world. It is a strange thing that there are people in the world today who accept him as the greatest moral teacher of the ages and yet reject his divine Sonship. How could he be a great moral teacher, if he taught and lived a lie, if he openly proclaimed himself as the Only Begotten in the flesh without in fact being such?
John 4:31-34. Though weary and hungry Jesus' first concern was to plant the seeds of salvation in the hearts of the approaching multitude. Similarly, those sent forth by him to preach the gospel, who have the spirit of their calling, are so imbued with divine zeal that they scarcely take time to eat or rest as they herald the message of salvation to the world.
35-36. Blessings flowing from ministerial service accrue first to the minister sent forth to harvest the souls of his brethren and then to the receptive persons who heed his testimony. "Lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul." (D. & C. 4:4.)
37. Jesus is here quoting some ancient scripture, well known to his disciples, but lost from our knowledge. Paul apparently had the same scripture in mind when he said, "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase." (1 Cor. 3:6.)
I. V. John 4:40. Jesus' disciples were building on the foundation laid by the ancient prophets; in due course they would reap a harvest of souls from among the Samaritans because that people had some belief in the writings of the ancient prophets. Similarly today the elders of Israel reap a harvest from seeds planted in the writings of the apostles and prophets of old.
What did Jesus teach? During his ministry did he just go around doing good, healing the sick, and proclaiming various ethical principles, which if accepted would raise men to a higher way of life? Such is the common sectarian view. In reality, Jesus taught the gospel of the kingdom of God. That is, he taught that the kingdom of God, which is the Church of Jesus Christ, had again been set up on earth, and that it was the only true and living Church upon the face of the whole earth. He taught the gospel which means that he taught the terms and provisions of the plan of Salvation. He taught that gospel which "embraces all of the laws, principles, doctrines, rites, ordinances, acts, powers, authorities, and keys necessary to save and exalt men in the highest heaven hereafter." (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 303-306.)
His proclamation was that he, as the Son of God, had come to work out the infinite and eternal atonement, whereunder immortality would come to all as a free gift, while those who believed and obeyed the fulness of gospel law would inherit in addition eternal life in the realms to come. He taught that men must believe in him as the promised Messiah, repent of their sins, be baptized in water by a legal administrator, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, and then endure in righteousness and faith to the end. He taught the gospel, and all these things and more are the gospel.
He taught that the gospel or plan of salvation was being restored in his day, so that if men would believe and obey, they could gain peace in this life and eternal life in the world to come. He taught exactly, precisely, and identically what he has told the elders of Israel to teach in this day.
John 4:43-46a. Going from Samaria northward into Galilee, Jesus traveled from Sychar to Cana, not directly to Nazareth (which lay between Sychar and Cana), because as he apparently commented to his disciples, "a prophet hath no honour in his own country."
Healings] Our Lord's healing ministry, though far from the most important part of his work, stands at least as one of his most dramatic and impressive undertakings. The chief purposes of his mortal ministry were: (1) To work out the infinite and eternal atonement, as a result of which all men gain immortality and those who believe and obey the fulness of his laws attain in addition eternal life in the Father's kingdom; (2) To restore the gospel and set up the Church and kingdom through which saving grace legally could be administered in the meridian of time; (3) To teach the doctrines, principles, and truths of salvation for the benefit of his own and all future ages; and (4) To set an example of perfect obedience and devotion after which all other men might pattern their lives. However, healing miracles whereby diseases are cured and physical and mental health is conferred by divine power were and are a vital and important part of the authoritative presentation of the gospel.
As performed by Jesus, healings followed this pattern: (1) They came because of the faith of the people among whom he ministered; (2) To the Jewish mind they were and should have been convincing evidence of the divine mission of the Lord of heaven who walked among them; (3) As acts of mercy and compassion, they were of inestimable benefit and blessing to the suffering and diseased of the day; and (4) Their occurrences came in accordance with the Messianic utterances of inspired men of former ages. To King Benjamin, for instance, a holy angel in telling of Jesus' mortal ministry had said, he "shall go forth amongst men, working mighty miracles, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and curing all manner of diseases." (Mosiah 3:5.)
Healings are of two kinds: (1) Those which confer physical and mental health to suffering mortals; and (2) Spiritual healings which cure those who are suffering from spiritual maladies and which awaken to spiritual life those who are dead to righteousness. Healing of the sick by the Master's touch is but symbolical of the greater and more important rejuvenation that must take place for all accountable persons if they are to be healed spiritually and thus become heirs of salvation. With reference to these spiritual healings, he who rose "from the dead, with healing in his wings" (2 Ne. 25:13), and with whose "stripes we are healed" (Isa. 53:5), issues this proclamation: "Return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you." (3 Ne. 9:13.)
John 4:46b-54. Though he was in Cana, Jesus gave the command and the nobleman's son, some twenty miles away in Capernaum, was healed. By the power of faith the sick are healed regardless of their geographical location. God is God of the universe; his power is everywhere manifest.
54. Second miracle] Not the second miracle performed by Jesus, but the second performed in Cana. He had worked miracles in Jerusalem at the passover (John 2:23-25); indeed, it was the reports of what had taken place at the passover which caused the nobleman to plead for help.
16-21. Isaiah's words were known by the Jews to be a Messianic utterance, and Jesus' application of them to himself, if untrue, would have been blasphemous. As here quoted by Jesus the words are not a literal but an interpreting translation of the original found in Isaiah 61:1-2.
18. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me] Jesus had the spirit of his calling, the spirit of his anointed Messiahship; he had the spirit of his own exalted ministry, the spirit prepared for the Holy One who should come in all the glory of his Father's kingdom -- and this was so because the Holy Ghost, who is the Spirit of the Lord, was his constant companion, giving him revelation and direction in all that he did.
He hath anointed me] Given me the endowment, the holy unction, the appointment, the mission, the power from on high, "to preach good tidings unto the meek." (Isa. 61:1.)
To preach deliverance to the captives] Isaiah says, "to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound." (Isa. 61:1.) Reference is here made, not to the freeing of mortal men from any imprisonment, but to the ministry of freedom and pardon which was prepared for the departed dead. Jesus' mission was not alone to those then living; he was also to carry the gospel, the glad tidings of salvation, to the spirits in prison. Those who had been "gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit," those who had been "shut up in the prison," were, "after many days," to be visited by him who held the key for their release. (Isa. 24:22.)
While his crucified body lay in the tomb, Jesus "went and preached unto the spirits in prison" (1 Pet. 3:18-20; 4:6), announcing in their hearing that through baptism for the dead and other vicarious ordinances he had provided the means "which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free." (D. & C. 128:19-25.)
Recovering of sight to the blind] Spiritual blindness. It is through acceptance of the gospel that "the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness." (Isa. 29:18.)
19. The acceptable year of the Lord] The proper, designated, approved, appointed, or accepted time, in the divine order of things, for a particular work to be done. Thus Isaiah, speaking of Messiah's coming, says that "in an acceptable time" he shall "say to the prisoners, Go forth." (Isa. 49:8-9.) Thus also Paul taught that his day was "a time accepted," a time when salvation had been made available to men. "Now is the accepted time," he wrote, "now is the day of salvation." (2 Cor. 6:2.) Accordingly, in using this expression, Jesus is saying, `This is the time and the day of Messiah's coming; this is the acceptable year; this is the time designated by the Father for his Only Begotten to minister among men, and I am he.'
21. That is, `This day you see and hear him who has come to fulfil this scripture, him who is the promised Messiah of whom Isaiah spoke.'
23. Physician, heal thyself] A common rabbinnical proverb, which as used here seems to mean: `You have performed miracles in Cana and Capernaum, but none here, and yet you are a native of Nazareth. Why can't we see a sign, some great exhibition of your purported power? Don't you know that charity begins at home, that unless the physician heals himself of his own diseases we cannot believe he has power to heal others?'
24. What prophet or great man ever found full acceptance in the eyes of petty neighbors, in the eyes of people whose penchant is always to magnify the supposed failings and foibles of their fellow mortals?
25. Elias] Elijah. 27. Eliseus] Elisha. How aptly Jesus chose his illustrations! Both of these ancient prophets, dishonored by their own, conferred great blessings upon foreigners. So it was with the Nazarenes; others, not they, had seen his great works.
30. Evidently our Lord's enemies were restrained in some unusual way from carrying out their murderous intentions.
Where did Jesus live? In Nazareth of Galilee prior to the time of his ministry and in Capernaum of Galilee thereafter, at least insofar as he then had a permanent abode in Galilee. Nazareth, located in the land assigned to the tribe of Zebulun, is west and slightly south of the Sea of Galilee; Capernaum is on the northwest shores of the Sea itself and though in the land of Naphtali proper it is near the borders of Zebulun. Thus, as Isaiah had foretold, it was upon the spiritually dead of both Zebulun and Naphtali that the light of his countenance shined. (Isa. 9:1-2.) The people of these areas were his neighbors, friends, and acquaintances.
Matt. 4:15. Galilee of the Gentiles] So called because of its position as a frontier province, one standing as a buffer state between Samaria, Perea, and Judea and the heathen kingdoms of the north. Many Gentiles inhabited the northern portions of Galilee. This association, coupled with their trade with outside nations, made the Galileans somewhat more independent than their southern neighbors. Even their language had its distinctive dialect so that it could be said of them, "Thy speech bewrayeth thee." (Matt. 26:73; Luke 22:54-60.)
From these abbreviated and fragmentary gospel accounts, it is difficult to reach a positive conclusion as to whether one or two calls are involved. Clearly Matthew and Mark are recording the same event, but Luke may have reference to a later and different occasion. Added details easily could harmonize the two seemingly different accounts and establish that they are records of one and the same event. Viewing the whole New Testament record as it now stands, however, it is not unreasonable to conclude that some of the disciples received as many as five separate calls to follow Jesus:
(1) In Judea, John, Andrew, Simon Peter, Philip, and Nathaneal, seek out Jesus, receive assurance of his Messiahship, forsake all, and follow him. (John 1:35-51; I. V. John 1:42.)
(2) In Galilee, Jesus walking, apparently alone, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, finds Peter and Andrew as they fished in their ship; he calls them to follow him and promises to make them fishers of men. Later and at a distance he finds James and John as they mend their nets in another ship and calls them. These four, in groups of two, forsake all and follow him. Such is the account of Matthew and Mark.
(3) At a seemingly later time, though also on the shores of the Sea of Galilee (as Luke records the account), Jesus finds two ships together; pressed by the multitude around him, he enters Simon's ship, preaches to the people, and performs the miracle of filling the net with fish; James and John come to Simon's assistance; Simon is told that his mission is to catch men; and again those involved forsake all and follow Jesus.
(4) Five of the disciples mentioned in these calls -- Peter, Andrew, James, John, Nathaneal (Bartholomew) -- are later called to the apostleship. (Matt. 10:1-4.)
(5) Even after his resurrection, Jesus is still calling some of these same followers back to their appointed ministries. (John 21.) Indeed, it is not until after the day of Pentecost, when the full enjoyment of the gift of the Holy Ghost has come upon them, that the disciples forsake all in the full sense of never returning again to their temporal pursuits.
Matt. 4:19. Fishers of men] Jesus here uses a familiar expression. Israel also is to be gathered in the last days, one of a city and two of a family by the Lord's fishers and hunters, by legal administrators sent out to "catch men." "Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them." (Jer. 16:13-21.)
I. V. Matt. 4:18. I am he of whom it is written by the prophets] `I am the promised Messiah of whom the prophets testified.'
Mark 1:20. Hired servants] Zebedee was not poor. That he and his sons engaged in manual labor was in keeping with the custom of the day. Even the sons of the wealthy were expected to learn trades.
Luke 5:1. Lake of Gennesaret] Sea of Galilee.
5. Toiled all the night] The usual time for fishing. (John 21:3.)
8. Peter's purpose was not to separate himself and his fortunes from those of his Lord. Rather, he was overwhelmed with the renewed realization that he was in Messiah's personal presence. It was as though he had said: `I am unworthy of this honor; a sinner such as I is not fit company for "the King, the Lord of hosts" (Isa. 6:5); depart from me that another more deserving may see thy countenance and behold thy person.'
Before we can understand the casting out of devils, we must have a knowledge of pre-existence and of the personal Fatherhood of God. As revealed in the gospel, God is an exalted and holy Man, a personal being in whose image man is created, a being for whom the family unit continues in the state of immortality. He is the personal Father of the spirits of all men; his spirit children began life as men and women whose bodies were composed of spirit rather than temporal element.
These spirit offspring of Deity, endowed with agency and subject to law, had every opportunity to advance, progress, and gain the privilege of undergoing the probationary experiences of mortality. Two-thirds of them passed the tests of the pre-existent sphere and are now in process of being born into this world as mortal beings. The other one-third, failing to keep their first estate, finally came out in open rebellion against God and his laws. As a result there was war in heaven, and the devil and his followers were cast down to earth. Those so rejected are denied, eternally, the right to have bodies of their own. In this dejected and damnable state they seek to house themselves unlawfully in the bodies of mortal men.
Manifestly, as in all things, there are laws and conditions under which devils have power to force entry into human bodies. And of course in the power and majesty of their priesthood, both Jesus and the legal administrators sent from him have cast these usurping and unclean spirits out of their stolen habitations. On the numerous occasions that our Lord exercised his power over devils, he was fulfilling the Messianic promise: "And he shall cast out devils, or the evil spirits which dwell in the hearts of the children of men." (Mosiah 3:6.)
Mark 1:23. He cried out] When a devil manages to enter the body of a mortal person, such person loses his free agency, and his acts then become and are those of the devil by whom he is possessed. Thus when the devil speaks it is by the mouth of the person whose tabernacle he has stolen.
24-25. Though Jesus was known to the devils because of his dealings with them in the pre-existent sphere, he consistently refused to permit them to bear record of his divinity. Converting testimony comes from God, not from Lucifer. Had Jesus let unclean spirits go unrebuked, or had he acquiesced in their testimony of him (though in fact it was true), the Jews would have claimed greater justification for their false charge against him, "He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?" (John 10:20.)
26. He came out of him] The evil spirit who had possessed the man stepped, literally, out of his body. Similarly, in April 1830, when Joseph Smith cast a devil out of Newell Knight, Brother Knight "saw the evil spirit leave him and vanish from his sight." (Joseph Fielding Smith, Essentials in Church History, pp. 95-96.)
27. What new doctrine is this?] Actually there was nothing new in any of the healing miracles of Jesus. Prophets before and since have cured diseases, cast out devils, and raised the dead. But as with modern healing miracles, they were new to the apostate people among whom they were performed. Unbelief always causes miracles to cease among a people. (Moro. 7:27-38.)
Luke 4:34. Art thou come to destroy us?] Not annihilation, for there is no such thing. The destruction of the souls of men or of devils, by definition, consists in such souls being cast down to hell to suffer spiritual ruin and death. (Mormon Doctrine, p. 175.)
Though others before and since have preached the gospel and healed the sick, yet none ever wrought so ably and effectively as the man Jesus. "Never man spake like this man" (John 7:46), and never was the healing power of faith so abundantly attested as in his ministry.
Perhaps these very Galilean multitudes were the ones Nephi saw in vision more than six hundred years before. "I beheld the Lamb of God going forth among the children of men," he recorded. "And I beheld multitudes of people who were sick, and who were afflicted with all manner of diseases, and with devils and unclean spirits; . . . And they were healed by the power of the Lamb of God; and the devils and the unclean spirits were cast out." (1 Ne. 11:31.)
Matt. 4:23. All Galilee] It would take several months for Jesus to travel, preach, and heal in the cities of Galilee.
I. V. Matt. 4:22. Which believed on his name] Healings were not showered upon people promiscuously; they were reserved solely and exclusively for those who had faith in Christ.
Matt. 4:25. Though miracles were performed for believers only, yet the fact of their performance attracted great multitudes to hear the Master's teachings. It was to such assembled hosts, for instance, that the Sermon on the Mount was delivered. And who knows what other great truths saluted the ears of the scores of thousands who came to see manifestations of his healing power? The synoptists condense whole months of preaching and teaching with the simple statement that he proclaimed "the gospel of the kingdom."
I. V. Mark 1:27; Luke 4:38. They besought him for her] Since administrations and healings follow the exercise of faith, and since the condition of the sick person sometimes precludes a personal request for the blessings of the priesthood, it is proper for friends and loved ones to make such requests and use their faith for the ailing person.
Matt. 8:2. A leper] Scarcely is there a more loathsome, defiling, and hopeless disease than leprosy. Even to this day it remains incurable except through divine intercession. Typical language describing the leprosy of Biblical times is cited in Jesus the Christ, pp. 199-201. For instance: "Leprosy was nothing short of a living death, a corrupting of all the humors, a poisoning of the very springs, of life; a dissolution, little by little, of the whole body, so that one limb after another actually decayed and fell away. Aaron exactly describes the appearance which the leper presented to the eyes of the beholders, when, pleading for Miriam, he says, `Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother's womb.' (Num. 12:12.) The disease, moreover, was incurable by the art and skill of man; not that the leper might not return to health; for, however rare, such cases are contemplated in the Levitical law." (Trench, Notes on the Miracles, pp. 165-168, cited, Talmage, pp. 200-201.)
Also: "The symptoms and the effects of this disease are very loathsome. There comes a white swelling or scab, with a change of the color of the hair .. . from its natural hue to yellow; then the appearance of a taint going deeper than the skin, or raw flesh appearing in the swelling. Then it spreads and attacks the cartilaginous portions of the body. The nails loosen and drop off, the gums are absorbed, and the teeth decay and fall out; the breath is a stench, the nose decays; fingers, hands, feet, may be lost, or the eyes eaten out. The human beauty has gone into corruption, and the patient feels that he is being eaten as by a fiend, who consumes him slowly in a long remorseless meal that will not end until he be destroyed. He is shut out from his fellows. As they approach he must cry, `Unclean! unclean!' that all humanity may be warned from his precincts. He must abandon wife and child. He must go to live with other lepers, in disheartening view of miseries similar to his own. He must dwell in dismantled houses or in the tombs." (Deems, Light of the Nations, p. 185, cited, Talmage, p. 199.)
If thou wilt] Possibly this is the first instance of healing by Jesus during his ministry of so lasting and dread a disease as leprosy, and yet the afflicted believer came to him with abundant faith. The question was not, `Can you heal me? but, Will you?'
I. V. Matt. 8:2. Worshipping him] The leper knew Jesus was the Messiah, and the worship here involved included the payment of divine honors to a Deity. Faith in Christ and proper worship of him are conditions precedent to the exercise of that faith which begets healing power.
Matt. 8:4. By sending the cleansed leper to the priests so that the detailed cleansing rituals of the Levitical law might be obeyed (Lev. 13; 14), Jesus recognized and made honorable that law he himself had given through Moses. Two reasons are apparent why this manifestation of healing should have been kept secret: (1) To enable the healed leper to obey the Levitical requirements for ceremonial cleanliness -- a thing which might have been difficult had the priests been aware that Jesus had performed the miracle involved; and (2) To avoid feeding the flames of persecution that already were igniting on every hand against the Master and his cause.
Rightly understood, this event in the life of our Lord was visible and irrefutable proof that he was the Messiah; and it was so recognized by those among whom he ministered. He had borne frequent verbal testimony that God was his Father and had supported that personal witness with an unparalleled ministry of preaching and healing. Now it was his purpose to announce that he had done what no one but God could do and to prove that he had done it by a further manifestation of his Father's power.
Both Jesus and the "doctors of the law" who were then present knew that none but God can forgive sins. Accordingly, as a pointed and dramatic witness that the power of God was resident in him, Jesus took (perhaps sought) this appropriate occasion to forgive sins. Being then called in question by the scripturalists who knew (and that rightly) that the false assumption of the power to forgive sins was blasphemy, Jesus did what no imposter could have done -- he proved his divine power by healing the forgiven man. To his query, `Does it require more power to forgive sins than to make the sick rise up and walk?' there could be only one answer! They are as one; he that can do the one, can do the other.
Matt. 9:2. Palsy] A form of paralysis.
Thy sins be forgiven thee] Forgiveness of sins comes only by compliance with that law of forgiveness which the Lord has ordained. That the paralytic here healed had complied with that law is evident; otherwise the Lord Jesus, whose law it is, would not have pronounced the heartening benedicition. "Thy sins be forgiven thee." Our Lord's ministry was in conformity, not in opposition, to his own laws.
For nonmembers of the Church, forgiveness is gained through repentance and baptism for the remission of sins under the hands of a legal administrator. Sins committed after baptism are forgiven through repentance and renewing the covenant made in the waters of baptism. Godly sorrow, abandonment of sin, confession, restitution, and renewed obedience are part of the process of cleansing oneself from sin. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 271-274.)
The overwhelming probability is that the paralytic here restored to health and vigor was a member of the Church who had already been baptized for the remission of sins. It is not logical to suppose that a man who believed in Jesus as the Christ, who had grown in faith to the point that he had power to rise from his bed of palsy at the Master's word, who had lived in Capernaum where for months Jesus and his disciples had been baptizing converts, it is not reasonable to believe that such a person would have remained outside the sheepfold of the Good Shepherd. If the man cured of palsy was a member of the Church, then the forgiving of his sins would have been comparable to the gracious cleansing extended to Joseph Smith and many of the early elders in this dispensation, a cleansing and forgiveness bestowed upon them by the Lord after their baptisms. (D. & C. 29:3; 36:1; 50:36; 60:7; 62:3; 64:3; 108:1; 110:5.) If, however, the subject of Jesus' healing power was not a baptized convert, then the forgiveness of sins here given must be understood to be predicated upon the subsequent keeping of the commandments of Jesus, including the direct and express command to repent and join the Church through the waters of baptism. Such would be the only way whereby the penitent nonmember of the kingdom could retain a remission of his sins.
Where members of the Church are concerned, there is a very close connection between manifestations of healing grace and the forgiveness of sins. When the elders administer to faithful saints, the promise is: "And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." (Jas. 5:15.) The very fact that a member of the kingdom has matured in the gospel to the point that he has power through faith in Christ to be healed, means that he also has so lived that he is entitled to have his sins remitted. Since all men repeatedly sin they must all gain successive remissions of their sins, otherwise none would eventually stand pure and spotless before the Lord and thus be worthy of a celestial inheritance.
I. V. Matt. 9:2. Sin no more] "Go your ways and sin no more; but unto that soul who sinneth shall the former sins return, saith the Lord your God." (D. & C. 82:7; Ezek. 18; 33:7-20.)
Matt. 9:3. This man blasphemeth] See John 10:33.
4. Knowing their thoughts] Jesus frequently exercised the prophetic gift of reading the thoughts of others. Except by revelation from the Spirit, the thoughts of men cannot be known to other men. (D. & C. 6:16; Jac. 2:5; Alma 10:17.)
Mark 2:1-12. Presumably the man sick with palsy was healed in Peter's home in Capernaum. Mark, writing primarily what he learned from Peter, includes a few detailed touches not preserved by Matthew or Luke.
2. He preached the word unto them] Jesus always, continuously, repeatedly, everlastingly, preached the word of salvation -- not just ethical principles, but the plan of salvation: faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring in righteousness to the end.
Luke 5:17. By this time in his ministry, Jesus was so prominent and his work was so well heralded through all the provinces of the Holy Land that doctors of the law and learned men from all regions assembled to hear him.
Matt. 9:11. Publicans and sinners] Publicans were tax collectors, representatives of an alien power which held the Jews in subjection, and as such they formed a hated, despised, and derided social group. No doubt it was particularly offensive to the Jews for one of their own race, such as Matthew, to accept such employment.
Publicans were customarily classed with and considered to be sinners. The rabbis ranked them as cutthroats and robbers, as social outcasts, as religiously half-excommunicated. They were forbidden to serve as judges or to give evidence, and it was common to say of them: "A religious man who becomes a publican, is to be driven out of the society of religion. It is not lawful to use the riches of such men, of whom it is presumed that all their wealth was gotten by rapine, and that all their business was the business of extortioners, such as publicans and robbers are." (Dummelow, p. 657.)
Matthew was one of these social outcasts; his friends and associates obviously belonged to the same group; and when he gave a feast (a sort of a reception) for Jesus, it was publicans and sinners who assembled to meet the Master.
12-13. This proverb, "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick," is a statement that proves the falsity and wickedness of infant baptism. A record of its true and perfect usage is found, not in this New Testament conversation, but in the epistle of Mormon to Moroni. To Mormon, Christ said: "Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power over them." Then Mormon wrote: "Wherefore, my beloved son, I know that it is solemn mockery before God, that ye should baptize little children." (Moro. 8:8-9.)
At Matthew's feast, however, Jesus speaks the proverb in irony, with a veiled sarcasm. It is as though he said: `You self-righteous Pharisees think you have no need of my healing doctrine, and so I go to these sick publicans and sinners to make them whole.' Actually, of course, no one needed a physician more than the spiritually sick Pharisees.
13. I will have mercy, and not sacrifice] A quotation from Hosea 6:6. Mercy, love, charity, the attributes of godliness, take precedence over sacrifices and ritualistic performances. The religion of the Pharisees was one of form, ceremony, rules, and sacrifices, a religion which held them aloof from publicans and sinners; if, on the other hand, they had possessed the pure love of God, they would have viewed all men with mercy and compassion.
I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance] There are no righteous in the Lord's eyes except those who accept him by receiving his gospel. (D. & C. 84:49-53.) All others, among accountable persons, are sinners, and the only way their sins can be remitted is by repentance and baptism. "And there are none that doeth good except those who are ready to receive the fulness of my gospel, which I have sent forth unto this generation." (D. & C. 35:12.)
"Repentance is the process whereby a mortal soul -- unclean and stained with the guilt of sin -- is enabled to cast off the burden of guilt, wash away the filth of iniquity, and become clean every whit, entirely free from the bondage of sin. (D. & C. 58:42-43; 64:3-13; Isa. 1:16-20; Ezek. 18:19-31; 33:7-20.)
"To gain forgiveness through repentance a person must have a conviction of guilt, a godly sorrow for sin, and a contrite spirit. He must desire to be relieved of the burden of sin, have a fixed determination to forsake his evil ways, be willing to confess his sins, and forgive those who have trespassed against him; he must accept the cleansing power of the blood of Christ as such is offered through the waters of baptism and the conferral of the Holy Ghost." (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 566-568.)
Matt. 9:14. John was in prison. His work of preparing the way before the Lord was almost over. He had introduced the Messiah to Israel, had taught that salvation was in Christ only, and had commanded all men to follow him. Yet some of John's disciples, now leaderless and encouraged in their doubts and uncertainties by the Pharisees, had failed to catch the full vision of the Baptist's direction to forsake him and follow Jesus. Knowing John's ascetic manner of living, and seeing Jesus feasting at Matthew's table, they were perturbed and perplexed.
15. Jesus aptly reminds John's disciples that it was John himself who had spoken of the Bridegroom. (John 3:25-26.) And who would expect the bridal party to fast at the wedding feast? But when the Bridegroom is taken from them, slain for the sins of the world, then shall the children of the bride chamber mourn and fast.
I. V. Matt. 9:18-21. At this point the Pharisees themselves take up the questioning, and the foundation is laid for an understanding of the enigmatic and parabolic statements about new cloth on old garments, new wine in old bottles, and the natural hesitancy of exchanging old wine for new.
Baptism in the power and authority of the Aaronic Priesthood was the accepted order among the Pharisees; from time immemorial they and their forbears had been immersed in water by legal administrators; and not only that, but from their ritualistic standpoint, they had kept the whole law of Moses. Why then should Jesus reject their baptisms and command them to be baptized again in his name by his disciples?
In reply, Jesus taught: `The old order changeth; the law is fulfilled; it is superceded by the gospel. Messiah has come; look to him for salvation. Your baptism, good and legal in former days, now "profiteth you nothing."'
An analogous situation arose in the early days of this dispensation. So-called Christian churches on every hand were going through the formality of baptism, and some persons who had previously been baptized desired to unite with the restored kingdom without a new baptism. Thereupon the Lord revealed: "Behold, I say unto you that all old covenants have I caused to be done away in this thing; and this is a new and an everlasting covenant, even that which was from the beginning. Wherefore, although a man should be baptized an hundred times it availeth him nothing, for you cannot enter in at the strait gate by the law of Moses, neither by your dead works. For it is because of your dead works that I have caused this last covenant and this church to be built up unto me, even as in days of old. Wherefore, enter ye in at the gate, as I have commanded, and seek not to counsel your God." (D. & C. 22.)
Both Jesus and Joseph Smith were restoring the gospel in their respective days. All organizations except the restored kingdom were false. And reformation is not restoration. Who ever heard of adding live branches to a dead tree?
18. We keep the whole law] It was with the Pharisees as it is with Christendom today; they thought their religion was true; they were amply supplied with ritualistic performances; they had a form of godliness, but denied the power thereof; outwardly they kept the law, but inwardly they were without the Spirit; pure religion and undefiled was not theirs.
19. I am he who gave the law] Again Jesus says plainly that he is the Messiah, the God of Israel, the Jehovah of the ancient prophets. (3 Ne. 15.)
Matt. 9:16-17. What, new baptism in an old church, new revelation in a dying kingdom, new doctrine in an apostate organization! Could Jesus add Christian ordinances, with their spirit and power, to the dead formalism and ritual of the Mosaic procedures? Could new wine be put in old bottles (animal skins used as containers) without breaking the bottles and losing both the old and the new?
Luke 5:39. Probably Jesus made some statement to John's disciples and clinched it in their minds by using this one sentence parable. The sense and meaning is: `In following John, who was sent of my Father to prepare the way before me, you have conformed to the law of Moses. Now, however, a greater than Moses is here, even the Messiah, and as John taught, you must now follow him, even though it is difficult for you to "straightway" turn from your old teachings and accept the new.'
Seemingly Jesus deliberately sought out a man worthy to be healed so that he might exercise his curative powers on the Sabbath day. The interest and animosity resulting from this Sabbath miracle were such that our Lord gained an attentive, though largely disbelieving congregation of hearers, for what is perhaps his greatest recorded sermon of the relationship of the Father and the Son.
John 5:1. A feast of the Jews] The Passover. (J. Reuben Clark, Jr., Our Lord of the Gospels, p. 221.) If, according to the traditional view, this was a Passover feast, then the active ministry of Jesus lasted three and a half years; if, as some scholars have speculated, it was the Feast of Purim, which takes place about a month before the Passover, then our Lord's ministry was a year less. (Dummelow, p. 783; Jamieson, p. 135.)
2-7. No doubt the pool of Bethesda was a mineral spring whose waters had some curative virtue. But any notion that an angel came down and troubled the waters, so that the first person thereafter entering them would be healed, was pure superstition. Healing miracles are not wrought in any such manner. If we had the account as John originally wrote it, it would probably contain an explanation that the part supposedly played by an angel was merely a superstitious legend comparable to some that have since been devised by some churches of Christendom.
8-16. Few things illustrate more pointedly the direful apostasy of the Jewish nation than their perverted concepts about Sabbath observance. What had once been a holy and sacred law, which stood as a sign identifying the Lord's own peculiar people, had been turned into a hollow mockery of the original divine intent.
"The Scribes had elaborated from the command of Moses, a vast array of prohibitions and injunctions, covering the whole of social, individual, and public life, and carried it to the extreme of ridiculous caricature. Lengthened rules were prescribed as to the kinds of knots which might legally be tied on the Sabbath. The camel-driver's knot and the sailor's were unlawful, and it was equally illegal to tie or to loose them. A knot which could be untied with one hand might be undone. A shoe or sandal, a woman's cup, a wine or oil-skin, or a flesh-pot might be tied. A pitcher at a spring might be tied to the body-sash, but not with a cord. . .
"To kindle or extinguish a fire on the Sabbath was a great desecration of the day, nor was even sickness allowed to violate Rabbinical rules. It was forbidden to give an emetic on the Sabbath -- to set a broken bone, or put back a dislocated joint, though some Rabbis, more liberal, held that whatever endangered life made the Sabbath law void, `for the commands were given to Israel only that they might live by them.' One who was buried under ruins on the Sabbath, might be dug for and taken out, if alive, but, if dead, he was to be left where he was, till the Sabbath was over." (Geike, Life and Words of Christ, chap. 38, cited, Talmage, pp. 215-216.)
Father] God the Eternal Father, the Almighty Elohim, is an exalted, perfected, glorified, resurrected personage. He is a personal being, an entity, an individual, a personage of tabernacle, who has a tangible body of flesh and bones. (D. & C. 130:22.) The fulness and perfection of all good things dwell in him independently. In his exalted state he has eternal increase and is the literal Father of the spirits of all men. His Firstborn spirit child was Jehovah; who came into mortality as his Only Begotten Son, as the promised Redeemer and Messiah.
The Father is the author of the plan of salvation. He ordained the laws whereby his spirit offspring might progress and become like him. (Teachings, p. 354.) Those laws are the plan of salvation, and they specify that all men must believe on his Son and obey the fulness of the gospel of the Son. Acting through the Son, the Father is the creator, preserver, and upholder of all things.
Son] Christ is the Son, the Firstborn in pre-existence, the Only Begotten in the flesh. As the Jehovah of old, he was more faithful, obedient, and diligent than any of the spirit hosts of heaven, and while yet in the pre-existent sphere, he attained that intelligence and power which made him a god; he became like the Father. Under the Father he became the creator of this world, of worlds without number, and of all things that in them are.
In that pre-existent world the Son was foreordained to be born into mortality as the literal Son of God, to work out the infinite and eternal atonement, to be the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. After the fall of Adam, he acted as mediator between man and the Father. All revelation came through him; he was the God of Israel, the promised Messiah, the Redeemer and Savior; through his atoning sacrifice all men gain immortality, and those who believe and obey his laws also inherit eternal life.
He was crucified, died, and rose again the third day with an exalted, perfected, glorified, and resurrected body like the Father's. In his exalted state Christ has attained all power both in heaven and on earth so that the fulness of the godhead dwells in him; he has been exalted to the right hand of the Father, from whence, in due course, he shall come to judge all men.
17. As pertaining to the Sabbath healing situation which called these words forth, they are an announcement that the works of the Father may be performed on the Sabbath; that is, the Lord's work may be performed on the Lord's day. True, man must rest from his temporal pursuits -- "ye shall do no servile work there in" (Lev. 23:8) -- but there is no rest where the work of salvation is concerned.
But in their broadest signification these words proclaim the eternal law of unending work. For the Father and the Son there is no end to their labors -- their creative and redemptive enterprises whereby they bring immortality and eternal life to innumerable hosts on worlds without number. (Moses 1:27-39.)
My Father] Not "our Father," not Father in any general sense, but "my Father" in a personal and unique sense; or, in other words, `I am the Son of God, the promised Messiah.'
18. God was his Father] There was no misunderstanding of Jesus' meaning. The Jews knew he was announcing his divine Sonship, repeating his oft heralded proclamation that he was their Messiah.
Equal with God] Though the Father is greater than the Son and takes precedence over him, yet the Son is equal with the Father in the sense that the Father has given all things into the hands of the Son, and that the Son has attained all power, all wisdom, all knowledge, all truth, and the fulness of all of the attributes of godliness.(D. & C. 93:6-26.) In this same sense, all men who gain exaltation shall "receive their inheritance and be made equal with" the Father and the Son. (D. & C. 88:107; 93:27-34.)
19-20. It would be difficult, perhaps impossible, to find two verses of scripture with deeper and more glorious meaning than these two. Jesus is the replica of his Father -- thinking, saying, doing, achieving, attaining, as the Father has done before.
"It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God," the Prophet said in the King Follett Sermon, "and to know that we may converse with him as one man converses with another, and that he was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ himself did; and I will show it from the Bible.
"What did Jesus say? ... The scriptures inform us that Jesus said, As the Father hath power in Himself, even so hath the Son power -- to do what? Why, what the Father did. The answer is obvious -- in a manner to lay down His body and take it up again. Jesus, what are you going to do? To lay down my life as my Father did, and take it up again. Do you believe it? If you do not believe it, you do not believe the Bible.
"What did Jesus do? Why; I do the things I saw my Father do when worlds came rolling into existence. My Father worked out his kingdom with fear and trembling, and I must do the same; and when I get my kingdom, I shall present it to my Father, so that he may obtain kingdom upon kingdom, and it will exalt him in glory. He will then take a higher exaltation, and I will take his place, and thereby become exalted myself. So that Jesus treads in the tracks of his Father, and inherits what God did before; and God is thus glorified and exalted in the salvation and exaltation of all his children. It is plain beyond disputation, and you thus learn some of the first principles of the Gospel, about which so much hath been said." (Teachings, pp. 345-348.)
19. The Son can do nothing of himself] Jesus is not independent of the Father, is not his rival, and does not act except in conformity with the Father's will. The Son has all power because the Father has bestowed it upon him. So it is with all righteous men; none ever act independent of Deity; rather, their power and authority comes from and is centered in the Almighty.
20. Sheweth him all things] There is nothing which the Father has done which has not been revealed to the Son.
He will shew him greater works] Meaning those thereafter to be performed, those pertaining to the atoning sacrifice, the resurrection, and the judgment, which works are referred to in the verses immediately following.
21. The resurrection comes because of the Son, through the power of the Father.
22. The Son, not the Father, is the Judge of the whole earth, but his judgment is made in accordance with the will of the Father and therefore is just. (V. 30.)
23. Two exalted personages, the Father and the Son, are one -- one in purpose, plan, and power; one as to character, perfections, and attributes; one in all things; and therefore one in the receipt of worship and honor. In the true sense no one can believe in or know the one without having the same belief and knowledge of the other; or can one be accepted and the other rejected. They are one.
24. `He who believes and obeys my words, who believeth in me and my Father, shall have exaltation and shall not be damned; yea, such already have passed from spiritual death to spiritual life, for they have been born again.'
"God is not the God of the dead, but of the living" (Matt. 22:32), for all live unto him; all are alive in his eyes, whether their spirits are temporarily housed in mortal tabernacles or imprisoned in the spirit sphere awaiting the day of the resurrection. And the salvation of all men -- living or dead (as men count death) -- is centered in and comes because of the Son.
Now he announces that the long promised hour has almost arrived when the Son of God shall go personally to the spirits in prison, preach the gospel to them, organize his kingdom among them, and send forth legal administrators to preach repentance and in all things prepare the way for the great work of salvation for the dead.
Enoch had foreseen that those who perished in the flood of Noah should remain in prison, in torment, until the Son ministered among the waiting spirits and opened the prison doors; now that ministry was at hand. (Moses 7:37-39.)
Isaiah had foretold that the dead, gathered as prisoners in a pit, should be visited after many days (Isa. 24:22), that to them the Messiah would come "to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound" (Isa. 61:1), that he would "bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house" (Isa. 42:7); now Jesus announced that he, as the Son of God, would soon undertake that work.
Abraham had received the promise that his literal seed should be heirs of salvation and eternal life through the gospel, whether they had opportunity to hear it in this life or not (Abra. 2:10-11); now the gospel was to be preached to the dead.
After millenniums of waiting, the hour had now almost come in which the Messiah, while his crucified body lay in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, would herald the glad tidings of salvation to the spirits in prison. (1 Pet. 3:18-21; 4:6.)
John 5:26. As an immortal, exalted, and resurrected being -- one whose body and spirit are inseparably connected, one who cannot die -- the Father has life in himself, life that is unending, eternal, everlasting. In him the power to live forever dwells independently. Because Jesus is literally his son, his offspring, the fruit of his body, he has inherited from his Father the power of immortality, the power to live forever, the power to unit body and spirit again in a resurrected state, he having voluntarily permitted them to be separated as an essential part of working out the infinite and eternal atonement.
27. Because Jesus is the Son of Man of Holiness he has been given the power to execute judgment, to sit in judgment at the great and last day, to call all men forth in immortality to stand before his bar.
28. "As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (1 Cor. 15:22.) There are no exceptions. Every living soul, both the righteous and the wicked, those who shall inherit eternal exaltation and those who shall be cast down to eternal hell to suffer forever as sons of perdition, all shall hear the voice of the Son, come forth in the resurrection, and stand before him at the day of judgment.
29. With the exception of the statement in James (Jas. 1:5) which led to the appearance of the Father and the Son to the Prophet, thus ushering in the dispensation of the fulness of times, this one verse has probably done more to open the door to the mysteries of salvation than any other single verse of scripture. It is the verse that paid off a thousand fold for all the struggle that ever went in to the preparation of the Inspired Version of the Bible, for it was meditation upon this verse that caused the Prophet to receive the vision of the degrees of glory.
"While we were doing the work of translation, which the Lord had appointed unto us," the Prophet wrote with reference to himself and Sidney Rigdon, "we came to the twenty-ninth verse of the fifth chapter of John, which was given unto us as follows: Speaking of the resurrection of the dead, concerning those who shall hear the voice of the Son of Man, and shall come forth -- They who have done good in the resurrection of the just, and they who have done evil in the resurrection of the unjust -- Now this caused us to marvel, for it was given unto us of the Spirit. And while we meditated upon these things, the Lord touched the eyes of our understandings and they were opened, and the glory of the Lord shone round about. And we beheld ..." (D. & C. 76:15-20.) Then follows what is generally accepted as the most glorious recorded vision ever received by mortal man.
I. V. John 5:29. Salvation grows automatically out of the resurrection, and the coming forth in the resurrection constitutes the receipt of whatever degree of salvation has been earned. By one degree of obedience or another, all men, in this life, develop either celestial, terrestrial, or telestial bodies (or in the case of those destined to be sons of perdition, bodies of a baser sort). In the resurrection all men receive back again "the same body which was a natural body," whether it be celestial, terrestrial, or what have you. That body is then quickened by the glory attending its particular type, and the person receiving the body then goes automatically, as it were, to the kingdom of glory where that degree of glory is found. (D. & C. 76; 88:16-33; 1 Cor. 15:35-58; Mormon Doctrine, pp. 573-579.)
It is from these revelations which recite that resurrected beings come forth with different kinds of bodies that we learn a few of the many revealed reasons why there is not and cannot be progression from one degree of glory to another after the resurrection.
Resurrection of the just] Resurrection of life, the first resurrection. Those coming forth in the morning of this resurrection do so with celestial bodies and shall inherit a celestial glory; these are they who are Christ's the firstfruits. Those coming forth in the afternoon of this resurrection do so with terrestrial bodies and consequently shall inherit that kingdom; they are described as being Christ's at this coming. All who have been resurrected so far have received celestial bodies; the coming forth of terrestrial beings does not commence until after the Second Coming. (D. & C. 76:50-80; 88:95-99.)
Resurrection of the unjust] Resurrection of damnation, the second resurrection. In this day of sorrow and remorse the bodies and spirits of the rest of mankind will be inseparably connected in immortality. At the end of the millennium, and in the morning of this second resurrection, those shall come forth who merit telestial bodies, and they shall be rewarded accordingly. Finally, in the afternoon of the second resurrection, those who "remain filthy still," those who having been raised in immortality are judged and found wholly wanting, those whom we call sons of perdition, shall be cast out with Lucifer and his angels to suffer the vengeance of eternal fire forever. (D. & C. 76:25-49, 81-113; 88:101-102; 2 Ne. 9:14-16.)
30. As I hear, I judge] That judgment which grows out of the fact of resurrection will be automatic, meaning that it will operate according to law, and all men will receive exactly what they merit, neither adding to nor diminishing from. Power of judgment will rest with the Son, but he will exercise it in accordance with the laws ordained by the Father; hence, "my judgment is just."
31. I can of mine own self do nothing] Independent action on the part of the Son is impossible; his power comes from the Father, according to the laws ordained by the Father. The Son has become and is a god because of obedience to the laws of the Father, and he is now so completely one with the Father that everything he thinks, says, and does is precisely what the Father would do under the same circumstances.
"Whenever the Lord reveals the gospel, confers priesthood or keys upon men, or sends a message to a people, he acts in accordance with the law of witnesses which he himself ordained. This law is: `In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.' (2 Cor. 13:1; Deut. 17:6; 19:15; Matt. 18:15-16; John 8:12-29.)
"Never does one man stand alone in carrying the burden of the Lord's message and warnings to the world. In every dispensation, from Adam to the present, two or more witnesses have always joined their testimonies, thus leaving their hearers without excuse in the day of judgment should the testimony be rejected." (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 398-399.)
This law was well known to and understood by the Jews. Here Jesus, in the course of his sermon, is showing them that he has conformed to it in fullest particular; and therefore they are bound, at the peril of losing their souls, to accept him as the promised Messiah.
Who bears testimony that Jesus is indeed the Christ?
(1) Jesus himself, repeatedly, bluntly, plainly, over and over again testified of his own divine Sonship;
(2) His Father, by his own voice out of heaven, by personally coming to earth to introduce the Son, and by sending the Holy Ghost to speak to the spirits of the contrite;
(3) The Holy Ghost, the Spirit member of the Godhead, whose mission is to bear record of the Father and the Son;
(4) The works performed by Jesus in his mortal ministry, including his miracles, teachings, resurrection, and atoning sacrifice which made immortality and eternal life a reality;
(5) Prophets and apostles of all ages -- Moses, John, Peter, Nephi, Joseph Smith, the elders of Israel, a great host which no man can number; and
(6) The scriptures and recorded revelations of the past and present.
"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!" (Isa. 52:7.)
John 5:31-32; I. V. John 5:32-33. Though worded differently, the meaning of these passages is virtually identical. If Jesus was the only witness testifying of his Messiahship, then according to the law of witnesses, his hearers would have been justified in rejecting his testimony.
John 5:32. Another that beareth witness] His Father. In the full and final sense no one but the Father could bear the conclusive and absolute testimony of the Son's Messiahship. Anyone else, as was the case with John the Baptist, would have to rely on revelation from the Father, and therefore in a sense would be repeating the witness of Deity.
John 5:33-37; I. V. John 5:35. John's testimony was binding; it was sufficient to damn those who rejected it. Among those born of woman there was not a greater prophet than John. Yet his testimony is not to be compared in binding power and force with the witness of the Father or with the works performed by Jesus.
John 5:37. Seen his shape] God the Father has a shape; he is a personal being in whose image man is created. He is not a congeries of laws, floating like a fog in the universe; he is not an immaterial, uncreated, spirit essence that is everywhere and nowhere in particular present. He is Man of Holiness, a holy man, whose body has shape, occupies space, travels from place to place, and is in but one place at one time, though his influence may be felt throughout the immensity of space.
38. No one can believe in the Father without first believing in the Son; and no one has the Father's word abiding in him who has not first accepted the Son.
John 5:39-40. "In the scriptures ye find your charter of eternal life; go search them then, and you will find that I am the great burden of their testimony; yet ye will not come to me for that life eternal which you profess to find there, and of which they tell you I am the appointed dispenser." (Jamieson, p. 137.)
39. Search the scriptures] Gospel scholarship is woefully lacking both in the Church and in the world. There is only a handful of people now living who have an intelligent and comprehensive, working knowledge of the recorded revelations. None know as much as they should. Many of the rising generation in the Church take the gospel and its truths for granted without ever coming to a personal knowledge of the basic doctrines of salvation.
Yet man's hope of gaining salvation is in direct proportion to his knowledge of God and the laws of salvation. No man can be saved in ignorance of Jesus Christ and the laws of the gospel. Man is saved no faster than he gains knowledge of God and the saving truths recorded in the scriptures. A fountain cannot rise above its source; a people cannot live laws of which they are ignorant, nor believe in a Christ about whom they know little or nothing. The Lord expects his people to learn the doctrines of salvation. "Search these commandments" (D. & C. 1:37), is a decree which applies in principle to all revelations of all ages.
40. Life] Spiritual life while here in mortality and eternal life in the celestial realms hereafter.
I. V. John 5:41. Lest ye should honour me] What petty jealousies keep men from receiving gospel blessings! They will not accept the prophets sent of God, lest in doing so they thereby certify to the greatness and honor of the prophet-servant sent to minister to them. They reject the Son himself, lest in hearkening to his voice, they should honor him in the eyes of the people. What does it detract from one person because another is honored? Rightly viewed, is there not enough honor and to spare in God's kingdom for all who will receive it?
John 5:41. I receive not honour from men] What honor could man bestow upon the Son? What college degree, honorary or otherwise, could be conferred; what political appointment made; what position of wealth or influence given, which would add to his position and stature? Similarly, what of eternal worth can prophets, apostles, and elders of Israel gain by seeking the honors of men?
44. Struggles for the honors of men keep men from believing in and centering their hearts upon Christ, and they therefore lose their salvation.
Honour that cometh from God] Among others: priesthood, revelation, visions, healing powers, that peace which the Spirit gives, the companionship of the Holy Ghost, eternal life itself.
45-47. Just as no one can believe in Christ without believing in his Father also, so no one can accept the Son without accepting the prophets who testify of him. "Believe in Christ and deny him not," Nephi said, "for by denying him ye also deny the prophets and the law." (2 Ne. 25:28.) Christ and his prophets are one.
45. One that accuseth you, even Moses] Though the Jews trusted in Moses, they were damned for rejecting the great law-giver's testimony concerning the Messiah. Similarly, though modern sectarians trust in Peter, falsely supposing they believe what that ancient apostle taught, they shall be damned for refusing to accept Peter's testimony about the restoration of all things in the last days. (Act 3:19-21.) In the same sense that Moses stands as the accuser of the Jews, so Peter, James, and John and the apostles of old will stand as the accusers of an apostate Christendom.
46. Had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me] Similarly, if men today believed in Christ and the apostles of old, they also would believe in Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and the restoration of the gospel. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 75-77.)
Matt. 12:1. Corn] Probably barley. No theft was involved here; this was a legal and authorized manner of satisfying one's hunger. (Deut. 23:25.)
2. Not lawful] Their act violated, not the Mosaic law forbidding servile work on the Sabbath, but the rabbinical interpretations prevailing in that darkened era. To rub ears of grain together in the hands was considered to be threshing, to blow away the chaff, winnowing. When the Lord revealed the law of Sabbath observance in this dispensation, he expressly authorized such servile work as was required to prepare necessary food. (D. & C. 59:13.)
3-5. To violate the law of the Sabbath is not naturally and inherently wrong; it is not an offense that is malum in se. Rather, Sabbath desecration is a sin because it breaks the divine decree made with reference to that particular day; it is an act that is malum prohibitum. Hence, even proper regulations with reference to it may be set aside when some overriding principle of temporal or spiritual well-being is involved. David's use of the shewbread illustrates this principle.
5. Certain servile work is necessary and proper even on the Sabbath. Sacrifices and other matters involving physical labor were performed by the priests on that day. It is true that nearly all work done on the Sabbath in this age cannot in any sense be justified; yet there are some things, such as providing electric power, which must continue on all days of the week.
6. One greater than the temple] Jesus himself is that one. It is as though he said: `Since the priests can legally break the Sabbath in their temple performances, think not that my disciples are bound by ritualistic restrictions when they are on the errand of one who is greater than the temple.' In this way Jesus laid the foundation for his next statement, one reaffirming his Messiahship.
7. See Matt. 9:13.
I. V. Mark 2:26. Sabbath observance is not wholly a negative thing; it does not consist entirely in simply resting from one's labors. The Sabbath is a day of worship, a day for man to "glorify God," to pay his devotions to the Most High. (D. & C. 59:9-17.)
27. By announcing himself to the Jews as the Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus was in effect saying: `I am the God of Israel, the great Jehovah, your Messiah, the one who made the Sabbath day, giving it to Moses on Sinai; therefore, I am Lord also of the Sabbath and can specify in my own name what constitutes proper Sabbath observance.'
By their religious forms and practices men reveal whether they have pure religion in their souls or not. These Jews bore record of their own apostasy by exhibiting their false and fanatical views about Sabbath observance. To them the Sabbath had become a day of restrictions and petty prohibitions. In large measure their very religion was the rabbinical interpretations surrounding it. The formalities of Sabbath observance had come to outweigh the basic virtues of revealed religion -- faith, charity, love, integrity, mercy, healings, and gifts of the Spirit.
But it is difficult to see how even these Jews could have construed this healing to be a Sabbath violation. Jesus had performed no physical labor, administered no medicine, and required no exertion on the part of the healed person, except that of stretching forth his hand. That Jesus totally discomfited his detractors but added to their hatred and madness.
From the account we gain a reaffirmation of the eternal truth that it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath, that as a day of worship it is one on which men lawfully and properly should glorify God by doing his work.
So great were the throngs pressing upon Jesus, desiring to be taught and healed, that for his own safety he had to teach from a small ship. Great multitudes were taught; many with diseases and plagues were healed; and unclean spirits were cast out. But what is of particular interest here is the lineage and nationalities of the hosts who came to hear him and, if possible, touch him, that they might be healed.
Mark makes special mention that in the multitudes were people from Tyre and Sidon, from beyond Jordan, and from Idumea -- all areas inhabited in part by Gentiles. Matthew takes occasion to say that Jesus' ministry to these specific hosts of investigators was in fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy that the Messiah would bring salvation to the Gentiles. It is clearly evident that there were many Gentiles among Jesus' hearers at this time, and quite likely some of them were among those healed by his miraculous powers. Gentile converts then made would have been the beginning of the great harvest yet to be reaped among those non-Israelitish peoples.
What happened on this occasion, however, was merely a sign and indication of a future day when the gospel would go to the Gentiles in full measure. As pertaining to his mortal ministry, Jesus was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. It took special pleading and abundant faith to prevail upon him to so much as heal a Gentile. (Matt. 15:21-28.) After the chosen seed were given the first opportunity to hear the gospel, it would go to the Gentiles through the ministry of the apostles, soon to be chosen.
In explaining to the Nephites that they were the "other sheep" who should hear the Master's voice and join his "one fold" (John 10:16), Jesus said with reference to the disciples in Jerusalem: "They understood me not, for they supposed it had been the Gentiles; for they understood not that the Gentiles should be converted through their preaching. And they understood me not that I said they shall hear my voice; and they understood me not that the Gentiles should not at any time hear my voice -- that I should not manifest myself unto them save it were by the Holy Ghost." (3 Ne. 15:22-23.)
Matt. 12:17-21. An interpreting translation of part of Isaiah's great Messianic prophecy promising the gospel to the Gentiles. (Isa. 42:1-4.)
18. My servant] The Messiah.
19. "He shall not court popularity." (Dummelow, p. 667.)
20. Bruised reed . . . smoking flax] Figurative expressions meaning persons weak and afflicted in body, whom Jesus healed, and those of little faith, who were strengthened in faith and testimony by his teachings. The indication is that Jesus is tender and compassionate toward the weaknesses of his fellow mortals. "Whereas one rough touch will break a bruised reed, and quench the flickering, smoking flax, His it should be, with matchless tenderness, love, and skill, to lift up the meek, to strengthen the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees, to comfort all that mourn, to say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not." (Jamieson, p. 40.)
Jesus' ordination of the Twelve is probably the major step in the formal organization of his earthly Church or kingdom. Those disciples then ordained apostles were chosen and commissioned to preach the gospel and to be especial witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world. In due course they would be given the keys of the kingdom so they could preside over and regulate all the affairs of the Church on earth.
As individuals they had been foreordained in the councils of eternity to serve with Christ in setting up his kingdom in the meridian of time. Both Lehi and Nephi, in vision, had seen their work as "apostles of the Lamb." (1 Ne. 1:9-10; 11:28-36.) Whether they were elders or held other offices in the Melchizedek Priesthood prior to their ordination as apostles is not known.
Anyone who knows by personal revelation that Jesus Christ is the Son of God is, in a general sense, an apostle, but those called to serve in the Twelve are in addition ordained to the apostolic office in the higher priesthood. In such a position they have not only apostolic insight and the call to serve as witnesses of the truth, but they are also given the administrative responsibility of regulating all of the Lord's affairs on earth.
Apostolic power has always been part of the greater priesthood; it has been in the Church from the days of Adam to the present. But whether any persons were ordained to the specific office of apostle prior to the meridian of time is not known. Priesthood offices have been given from time to time as the needs and circumstances of the ministry have required. But in addition to this quorum of apostles organized by Jesus, there was another though subordinate quorum organized among the Nephites, and the holy apostleship has been restored in this final dispensation in all its glory and perfection. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 44-45.)
From the accounts of the three synoptists, it is apparent that members of the original Twelve were: Simon Peter, James (son of Zebedee), John (his brother), Andrew (Peter's brother), Philip, Bartholomew (or Nathanael), Matthew (also called Levi), Thomas (or Didymus), James (son of Alpheus), Judas (also known as Lebbeus or Thaddeus), Simon Zelotes (called also Simon the Canaanite), and Judas Iscariot. Brief biographical comments about each are found in Jesus the Christ, by Elder James E. Talmage, pp. 218-226.
As vacancies occurred in this Twelve and in the one organized among the Nephites, other worthy brethren were selected to replace the missing apostles. Apostasy on both hemispheres brought an end to authoritative apostolic administration as given by Jesus. Indeed, the presence or absence of true apostles in any church is conclusive proof of the divinity or falsity of that ecclesiastical organization. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 47-48.)
Mark 3:20-21. So zealous and untiring was Jesus in his ministerial labors, not even stopping to eat or rest, that his friends were concerned over his physical well-being; driven by an unstopable compulsion, he seemed to them as one "beside himself."
One of the problems which sectarian gospel harmonists cannot resolve with certainty is whether Matthew's account of the Sermon on the Mount and Luke's version of the Sermon on the Plain are records of the same or of different sermons. It is clear that the Sermon on the Plain, as given by Luke, was delivered immediately following the selection and ordination of the Twelve. Those who maintain that two different sermons are involved assert that Matthew is recounting an occurrence prior to the call of the Twelve, and also that he is assembling from many different sermons some of Jesus' greatest ethical teachings, so that by presenting them as one continuous sermon a better concept of our Lord's teachings may be had.
Actually Matthew does not tell of the call and ordination of the Twelve. He merely names them when he records the instructions which Jesus gave at the time they were sent forth to preach and heal the sick. (Matt. 10.) Further, with some major additions, corrections, and improvements, the Sermon on the Mount as preserved by Matthew was given over again by Christ to the Nephites (3 Ne. 12; 13; 14), showing that the material recorded in Matt. 5; 6; 7 is all one continuous discourse. The Nephite version was given after the call of the Nephite Twelve, and portions of the sermon are addressed expressly to those apostolic ministers rather than to the multitude in general. (3 Ne. 13:25.) In Matthew's account, as found in the Inspired Version, the Prophet adds a considerable amount of material that applies to those called to the Twelve rather than to people in general. (I. V. Matt. 5:3-4; 6:25-27; 7:6-17.)
In view of the added knowledge revealed in the Book of Mormon account and that found in the Inspired Version, it seems clear that the whole account recorded by Matthew was delivered at one time and that the time of utterance followed the ordination of the Twelve. It follows that the Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon on the Plain are one and the same.
Latter-day Saints have four scripturally recorded versions of this sermon -- in Third Nephi, in Luke, in Matthew, and in the Inspired Version of Matthew. No material changes were made by the Prophet in Luke's rendition. All four of these versions follow the same general pattern, present the same general truths, and do it in the same sequence. But in certain particulars, there are radical variations between all versions. Undoubtedly all are accounts of the same sermon, but all are abridgements only, and the same truths were not abridged in every particular into each of the accounts. The most comprehensive and complete report is in the Matthew-Inspired Version record.
Beatitudes] Jesus' statements expressing the "blessedness" of those having certain special virtues are commonly so-called.
Luke 6:17. In the plain] On a level place. Probably a plateau well up in the mountains. (Matt. 5:1.)
I. V. Matt. 5:3-4; 3 Ne. 12:1-2. What a new perspective it gives to the Sermon on the Mount to learn that Jesus began it by announcing, in effect, `Blessed are they who believe in me, receive my gospel, repent of their sins, are baptized, and receive the Holy Ghost!" Truly his teachings were the gospel of the kingdom, not just ethical principles! And when properly understood the Beatitudes themselves are far more doctrinal than ethical in nature.
I. V. Matt. 5:5. Poor in spirit] Those who are humble and contrite, who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit, who are devoid of pride, self-righteousness, and self-conceit.
Who come unto me] Not just the poor in spirit in general, but those who accept Christ by accepting his gospel.
Theirs is the kingdom of heaven] They gain entrance to the Church or kingdom on earth and become heirs of the kingdom or celestial world in the realms of immortality.
3 Ne. 12:4. Mourners who believe the gospel and who gain an understanding of the part grief, sorrow, and death play in this mortal probation, shall -- in this life and through that knowledge gain comfort and peace from the Spirit; then, eventually, perfect comfort shall be theirs in that glorious day when "God shall wipe away all tears." (Rev. 7:17.)
Matt. 5:5. The meek] The godfearing and the righteous, those among the true saints who are living a celestial law. Shall inherit the earth] Not in this day when wickedness reigns, but in that coming day when the earth is sanctified, cleansed from all unrighteousness, and prepared for celestial glory. (D. & C. 88:16-32.)
I. V. Matt. 5:8. Those who hunger and thirst after truth and righteousness accept the gospel, join the Church, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, in consequence of which it is their right to "be filled with the Holy Ghost."
Matt. 5:7. Working out one's salvation consists in gaining and developing the attributes of godliness in this life so that those same attributes, in the exact measure earned by the laborer, may be restored to him in the state of immortality. Thus Alma said: "The meaning of the word restoration is to bring back again evil for evil, or carnal for carnal, or devilish for devilish -- good for that which is good; righteous for that which is righteous; just for that which is just; merciful for that which is merciful. Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again; and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again. For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored." (Alma 41:13-15.)
I. V. Matt. 5:10. This promise is to be understood literally. Every living soul who is pure in heart shall see God, literally and personally, in this life, to say nothing of the fact that he shall dwell with and see him frequently in the celestial world hereafter. (Ether 3:19-20, 26; D. & C. 67:10-14; Teachings, pp. 9, 149-151.) "Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am." (D. & C. 93:1.) 11. Peacemakers] In the full sense, only those who believe and spread the fulness of the gospel are peacemakers within the perfect meaning of this Beatitude. The gospel is the message of peace to all mankind. Children of God] Those who have been adopted into the family of God as a result of their devotion to the truth. By such a course they become heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. (Rom. 8:14-18; Gal. 3:26-29; 4:1-7.)
Matt. 5:10-12; I. V. Matt. 5:12, 14. Persecution for his name's sake is the heritage of the faithful; in it they rejoice, for it evidences that they have forsaken the world and come unto Christ, so as to be future inheritors of the fulness of his Father's kingdom. "And whoso layeth down his life in my cause, for my name's sake, shall find it again, even life eternal." (D. & C. 98:13.)
Luke 6:24-26. Opposite every blessing stands a curse; obedience brings the blessing, disobedience the curse. All men shall gain either the one or the other; there is no such thing as neutrality. Either men believe in Christ or they do not; either they obey his laws or they do not. All of the Beatitudes could be rewritten in negative form to show the woes that result from taking a course opposite to that counseled by Jesus.
Jesus does not mean all rich people, only those whose hearts are set upon wealth in preference to the things of the Spirit. It is not money, but the love of money that leads men to damnation. (1 Tim. 6:7-12.)
I. V. Matt. 5:15. Salt of the earth] Members of the Church have power to become the salt of the earth, that is "to be the seasoning, savoring, preserving influence in the world, the influence which would bring peace and blessings to all others." (Mormon Doctrine, p. 601.) "When men are called unto mine everlasting gospel, and covenant with an everlasting covenant," the Lord says, "they are accounted as the salt of the earth and the savor of men; They are called to be the savor of men; therefore, if that salt of the earth lose its savor, behold, it is thenceforth good for nothing only to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men." (D. & C. 101:39-40; 103:9-10.)
16-18. Light of the world] Even as Jesus himself is the light of the world, so he expects his saints to set perfect examples of righteousness so that they too shall shine forth as lights to their fellow men. "Behold I am the light; I have set an example for you," he says, and then commands: "Hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up -- that which ye have seen me do." (3 Ne. 18:16, 24.)
Matt. 17-18. For nearly a millennium and a half, Israel had been subject to the law of Moses, a law of ordinances and performances, a law of carnal commandments, a lesser law than the fulness of the gospel; for nearly fifteen hundred years they had been governed by the preparatory gospel, an order and system which was literally a schoolmaster to bring them to Christ and the fulness of the saving truths. Their ruling priesthood had been Aaronic or Levitical, not Melchizedek; only by special dispensation, as to the Nephites, had the higher order of things prevailed among any appreciable portion of the chosen race. And during all that long era, Israel's prophets had spoken of a day when the promised Messiah, the Elias who was to restore all things, would come to bring them the higher law of the gospel which had been enjoyed by the Lord's people from the days of Adam to Moses.
Now Jesus came to restore that gospel fulness which men had enjoyed before the day of Moses, before the time of the lesser order. Obviously he did not come to destroy what he himself had revealed to Moses anymore than a college professor destroys arithmetic by revealing the principles of integral calculus to his students. Jesus came to build on the foundation Moses laid. By restoring the fulness of the gospel he fulfilled the need for adherence to the terms and conditions of the preparatory gospel. No one any longer needed to walk by the light of the moon, for the sun had risen in all its splendor.
Concerning the law of Moses, Jesus, appearing as a resurrected being to the Nephites, taught: "Marvel not that I said unto you that old things had passed away, and that all things had become new. Behold, I say unto you that the law is fulfilled that was given unto Moses. 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. Behold, I do not destroy the prophets, for as many as have not been fulfilled in me, verily I say unto you, shall all be fulfilled. And because I said unto you that old things have passed away, I do not destroy that which hath been spoken concerning things which are to come. For behold, the covenant which I have made with my people is not all fulfilled; but the law which was given unto Moses hath an end in me. Behold, I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life. Behold, I have given unto you the commandments; therefore keep my commandments. And this is the law and the prophets, for they truly testified of me." (3 Ne. 15:2-10.)
18. Jot] Smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet. Tittle] A minute marking or stroke by which similar Hebrew letters are distinguished from each other.
I. V. Matt. 5:21; Matt. 5:19-20. As long as the Mosaic law remained in force salvation came only in and through obedience to its terms and conditions. The scribes and Pharisees by not walking in the light -- first of the law and then of the gospel fulness -- lost their salvation.
3 Ne. 12:19-20. When Jesus spoke to the Nephites the law had been fulfilled. Nothing but gospel law was then in force. As far as the Nephites were concerned, they were obligated to keep the commandments which Jesus then gave them, or they could in no case gain the celestial world. There was, for instance, no such thing as salvation for the dead for them; they had the opportunity then and there to obey the gospel; and for people who have such a chance in this life, there is no such thing as an opportunity to gain salvation through hearing the gospel preached in the spirit world. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 617-619.)
I. V. Matt. 5:23-24. Though murder is prohibited by both the Mosaic law and the gospel, yet the gospel does more than prohibit and punish. It seeks to remove the cause of murder so that men living by the higher standard will not harden themselves to the point of being able to take life.
24. Raca, or Rabcah, . . . Thou fool] Expressions current in Jesus' day which, according to the then common phraseology, were used to indicate unholy and contemptuous feelings. Profane and vulgar expressions vary from nation to nation and age to age, but the intent of this passage is to condemn any language which coveys improper feelings about another.
Matt. 5:22. Without a cause] Deleted from both the Inspired Version and the Book of Mormon accounts. According to the gospel standard, unrighteous anger is evil whether provocation precedes it or not.
I. V. Matt. 5:23-25; 3 Ne. 12:23-24. Members of the Church, and those who desire such affiliation, who have differences among themselves, or who bear grudges one toward another, have an affirmative obligation to resolve their difficulties, so that perfect peace, love, and charity will prevail in the kingdom.
I. V. Matt. 5:25. Thy brother hath aught against thee] Not a remembrance that you are angry with your brother, for it is assumed that the true saint will have overcome his own ill feelings, but a remembrance that your brother hath aught against you! The command: `Go to him; do not wait for him to come to you, simply because you are the one who has been wronged.' How often one person supposes he has been wronged, or imagines another is offended at him, when a simple brotherly explanation would remove the source of all possible ill feeling. Or, how often are actual cases of resentment and antagonism cleared up when the hand of fellowship, literally and verbally, is extended.
Matt. 5:25-26; 3 Ne. 12:25-26. Counsel to avoid law suits and entangling legal difficulties, lest fine and imprisonment result, is directed particularly to the apostles and missionaries as they go forth to carry the gospel message to a wicked world. It is more important that they suffer legal wrongs than that their ministries be hindered or halted by legal processes.
There are no grosser personal crimes than adultery, except murder and the commission of the unpardonable sin. (Alma 39:5-6.) Adulterous acts are committed mentally before the physical debauchery ever takes place, and sensual and evil thoughts are in themselves a debasing evil. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 23-24, 638-639.) "He that looketh on a woman to lust after her, or if any shall commit adultery in their hearts, they shall not have the Spirit, but shall deny the faith and shall fear." (D. & C. 63:16.)
In a figurative manner of speaking various organs of the body are said to commit sin when what is actually meant is that the person himself is guilty of the evil deed. We refer to someone as having a lying tongue, meaning he is a liar. We speak of "hands that shed innocent blood," hearts that devise "wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief" (Prov. 6:16-18), eyes guilty of lust (1 John 2:16), and so forth. And this is the type and kind of expression used by Jesus in his parable about destroying offending members of the body as a means of casting one's sins away.
`If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee -- that is, if a situation or circumstance exists which might lead to sin, avoid it, lest continued association therewith lead to sin. If thy neighbor's wife is unduly attractive to you, stay away from her. If you have an urge to gamble, don't associate with gamblers or go where gambling is found. If you love money and the riches of men, consecrate your properties to the Welfare Plan, and ask your bishop to recommend you for a mission. (Matt. 19:16-26.) If you have an urge to steal, lock yourself in your closet until it passes. If the smell of coffee is enticing, don't go where it is being prepared.'
`If thy right hand offend thee, cut it off and cast if from thee -- that is, get away from the environment of sin. Forsake the world, including father and mother, brothers and sisters, if need be. Do not let evil thoughts enter your mind, lest they become your master. Live a life of severe spiritual discipline. If it is more difficult for you to keep the commandments than it is for your neighbor, avoid the enticements which have no pulling power on him.'
I. V. Matt. 5:31. Take up your cross] Take up the cause of Christ, the standard of the gospel; bear the burdens placed on men because of their membership in the kingdom.
32. Hell] See Luke 16:23.
Matt. 5:31-32. See Matt. 19:3-12.
33-37. "In ancient dispensations, particularly the Mosaic, the taking of oaths was an approved and formal part of the religious lives of the people. These oaths were solemn appeals to Deity, or to some sacred object or thing, in attestation of the truth of a statement or of a sworn determination to keep a promise. These statements, usually made in the name of the Lord, by people who valued their religion and their word above their lives, could be and were relied upon with absolute assurance." (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 486-488.)
Beginning in the meridian of time, Jesus revealed a higher standard relative to truthfulness in conversation. It was simply that Yea meant Yea, and Nay meant Nay, and that no oath was required to establish the verity of any promise or thing. Every man's every word was to be as true and accurate as if it had been spoken with an oath.
33. Moses' law provided: "If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth." (Num. 30:2.) Under such a system there is always the possibility that man will not keep his promises unless they are accompanied by a sworn statement.
34. Christ's law assumes that man will keep his word without an oath. If every man were perfectly honest it would not be necessary to take oaths in court or to prepare affidavits and other sworn statements to prove controversial matters.
Matt. 5:38. As befitted her low and carnal state, Israel received from Jehovah strict laws for the punishment of crimes. "Thou shalt give," the Lord had commanded, "life for a life, Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe." (ex. 21:23-25; Lev. 24:17-22; Deut. 19:21.)
39. After nearly fifteen hundred years of suffering, schooling, and preparation under this law of fear, Jesus now announces that it is replaced by a law of love. No longer shall the penalties of the Mosaic code prevail. In an attempt to preserve in our modern legal codes the Christian rather than the Mosaic standard of punishment for crimes, cruel and unusual punishments are by law expressly forbidden.
39-42. "Christ taught that men should rather suffer than do evil, even to the extent of submission without resistance under certain implied conditions. His forceful illustrations -- that if one were smitten on one cheek he should turn the other to the smiter; that if a man took another's coat by process of law, the loser should allow his cloak to be taken also; that if one was pressed into service to carry another's burden a mile, he should willingly go two miles; that one should readily give or lend as asked -- are not to be construed as commanding abject subserviency to unjust demands, nor as an abrogation of the principal of self-protection. These instructions were directed primarily to the apostles, who would be professedly devoted to the work of the kingdom to the exclusion of all other interests. In their ministry it would be better to suffer material loss or personal indignity and imposition at the hands of wicked oppressors, than to bring about an impairment of efficiency and a hindrance in work through resistance and contention." (Talmage, pp. 235-236.)
I. V. Luke 6:29-30. Contention leads to bitterness and smallness of soul; persons who contend with each other shrivel up spiritually and are in danger of losing their salvation. So important is it to avoid this evil that Jesus expects his saints to suffer oppression and wrong rather than lose their inner peace and serenity through contention. "He that hath the spirit of contention is not of me," he told the Nephites, "but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another." (3 Ne. 11:29.)
Matt. 5:41. Compel thee to go a mile] Apparently Jesus had reference to the Roman law which authorized troops passing a district to commandeer the people and compel them to carry their luggage. To comply with this law often resulted in great inconvenience. The principle involved is that the saints should pay their taxes, abide by the laws of the land, and submit to those public burdens attendant upon citizenship.
42. Manifestly, charitable contributions and lending to others is to be done in conformity with principles of sound sense and judgment.
Matt. 5:43-44. Jesus is here restoring the perfect gospel law of love. To those subject to the Mosaic standard it was a new doctrine. Never before had they been required to love their foes; indeed, they had grown to look upon Israel's enemies as God's enemies. But now the gospel of love was to extend to all men, not just to those of the chosen seed.
45. That ye may be the children of your Father] Already, as are all men, they were the spirit offspring of their Father. Through obedience to the law of gospel love, they had power to attain the adoption of sonship, to be the Father's children in a special and exalting sense. See John 1:11-12.
Luke 6:32-34. True it is that rewards and blessings come from loving those who love you, from doing good to those who act similarly toward you, and from lending to those who give you something in return. But such blessings are not the special high honors reserved for those who live a celestial law, the law which requires men to love their enemies and do good to all. Until men serve their fellow men without expectancy of reward from other than the Father, they have not risen to the high standard required by the gospel law.
33. This verse was deleted from the Inspired Version, indicating that it is an unauthorized addition to Luke's record.
35. He is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil] The Father is kind to all men, both the righteous and the wicked, in the sense that he has given them life, and breath, and being; in the sense that he has created the earth and placed men in mortal bodies, so that through the redemptive sacrifice of his Son they all shall attain immortality; in the sense that he sends them sunshine and rain and enables them to garner the wealth of the world. But the unjust and unthankful shall not receive mercy or salvation in the day of judgment. Temporal blessings are bestowed upon all men in mortality, but eternal blessings are reserved for those who keep the commandments.
"Perfection is of two kinds -- finite or mortal, and infinite or eternal. Finite perfection may be gained by the righteous saints in this life. It consists in living a godfearing life of devotion to the truth, of walking in complete submission to the will of the Lord, and of putting first in one's life the things of the kingdom of God. Infinite perfection is reserved for those who overcome all things and inherit the fulness of the Father in the mansions hereafter. It consists in gaining eternal life, the kind of life which God has in the highest heaven within the celestial world." (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 512-514.)
It is of infinite and eternal perfection that Jesus here speaks. He is exhorting his followers to press forward in total obedience until they become like the Father -- like him in power, might, and dominion; like him in wisdom, knowledge, and truth; like him in love, charity, mercy, integrity, and in all holy attributes.
3 Ne. 12:48. After the resurrection, Jesus received all power in heaven and on earth (D. & C. 93:16-18; Matt. 28:18), and therefore he had become one with the Father in the full enjoyment of infinite perfection.
Luke 6:36. As the attainment of infinite perfection includes the acquisition of all of the attributes of godliness in their fulness, so a person who is perfect, as the Father is perfect, has also gained the same degree of mercy possessed by Deity. Similarly men are expected to be charitable, loving, honest, virtuous, upright, and clean, and to possess every godly attribute even as these are found in the being of the Father.
"Almsgiving is the contribution of free gifts to relieve the poor; the spirit that attends such a course is of God and finds its highest manifestation in the organized charitable enterprises of his earthly kingdom. . . . In modern times the major portion of the almsgiving of the saints is administered through the great Church Welfare Plan." (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 29-30.)
In every gospel dispensation the Lord has required his saints to care for the temporal well-being of the poor among them. Organized almsgathering was one of the accepted features of Jewish life in the days of Jesus. Much of the giving, however, was done in a spirit of ostentatious display, with the expectancy of gaining popularity and honor from men. Modern almsgivers often follow the same pattern, trumpeting their donations and contributions through the columns of the press, no doubt expecting to gain business or political rewards which will outweigh the cost of the contribution. Verily, they have their reward.
3 Ne. 13:1. Jesus expressly commands almsgiving. Indeed, it is so vital a part of true religion that the Lord will not give heed to the prayers of his saints who turn away the needy and refuse to impart of their substance to the poor. (Alma 34:28.)
Matt. 6:5-6. Among the Jews, when praying, it was the custom to stand, face Jerusalem, cover one's head, and cast one's eyes downward. Certain hours of the day were set aside for prayers, and those desiring to make an ostentatious show of piety would arrange to be in the streets and public places at these hours. Those desiring to make a show of devoutness would also say their own prayers out loud during the synagogue services. This type of conduct, symbolical of all hypocrisy in prayer, was what Jesus condemned.
7-8. Pagan and heathen peoples commonly pray by repetitiously chanting their petitions. (1 Kings 18:26-29; Acts 19:34.) Among some Christians, hypocrites (as the Inspired Version renders the passage) do the same. There are those worshipers who recite certain set prayers over and over again.
9-13. Lord's Prayer] This is not the final word in prayer, nor is it designed for verbatim repetition by the saints in their private or public prayers. Rather the disciples were receiving from Jesus instruction in prayer in the same way that revelation comes in all fields; it was coming line upon line, precept upon precept, with the assurance that greater understanding and direction would be given as rapidly as the spiritual progression of the saints permitted. The Lord's Prayer, for instance, does not conclude in the name of Christ, as all complete and proper prayers should. Later Jesus was to command his disciples to pray in his name (John 14:13-14; 15:16; 16:23), explaining that though they had "hitherto asked nothing" in his name, yet that should be the order from thenceforth. (John 16:24.)
But this prayer was given as a sample or illustration of how Deity might appropriately be addressed in prayer, of the praise and adoration that should be extended to him, and of the type and kind of petitions men should make to him. As far as it goes it is one of the most concise, expressive, and beautiful statements found in the scriptures. It does not, however, reach the heights of one of Jesus' later prayers among the Jews, the great Intercessory Prayer (John 17), nor does it compare with some of the prayers he uttered among the Nephites. (3 Ne. 19.)
9. Our Father which art in heaven] The common sectarian concept that none but a Christian who has put on Christ and been adopted as a son of God (Rom. 8: 14-17) can rightly use the Lord's Prayer is a fantastic heresy. (Dummelow, p. 646; Jamieson, pp. 25-26.) Rather, within the meaning of this prayer, all men are the children of Deity. God is literally the Father of the spirits of all men. He begat them in pre-existence, and he invites them all, Christian and pagan alike, to address him as their Father, to hallow his holy name, to come unto him, keep his commandments and receive of his Spirit.
Hallowed be thy name] Deity's name identifies him for what he is. To hallow and revere that name is to accept him as God and to worship him in spirit and in truth.
10. Thy kingdom come] Already the kingdom of God on earth, meaning the Church, had been set up by Jesus. This petition relative to the coming of a future kingdom has reference to the millennial or political kingdom which shall be established at the Second Coming. Similarly the ecclesiastical kingdom of God on earth, the Church, has been restored in this day, but the saints still pray for the coming of a future kingdom, the kingdom which shall prevail when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our God and of his Christ. (Rev. 11:15.)
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven] When that triumphant Messianic kingdom is finally set up in all its glory and perfection, then the will of Deity shall prevail in all things on earth. War, tumult, and dissension shall cease; wickedness, worldliness, and crime shall end; all things shall return to a state of perfect peace and harmony; and Christ shall reign personally upon the earth.
11. Give us this day our daily bread] Pray for temporal need -- over your crops and herds, for sufficient of this world's goods to meet your needs and have a surplus to use in doing good and in furthering the programs and interests of the Lord's earthly kingdom.
12. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors] Debts, sins, trespasses, offenses, evils, and the like, for which we are accountable, will upon our repentance, be forgiven us, provided we forgive our fellow men who have similarly offended us. Forgive and be forgiven; forgive not and the burdens of our own trespasses remain.
13. And lead' us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil] God does not lead men into temptation except in the sense that he has placed them here on earth where temptation is found so they can be tried and tested in accordance with the terms and provisions of the eternal plan of salvation. Rather, this is a plea to be able to avoid greater temptation than we can successfully withstand. It is a request to be delivered from enticements and seductions which are so great as to overcome the normal powers of resistance. Obviously it would be nothing short of hypocrisy to utter this prayer and then go out where sin and lust and evil are found. Implicit in the prayer to avoid being led into temptation is the promise on the petitioner's part to avoid the places where sin and evil are found.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever] These words, called the doxology, are erroneously believed by many scholars to have been added in later years to the prayer originally uttered by Jesus. That our Lord actually said them, however, is evident from the fact that they are in the Book of Mormon record, and that they were added, in substance, to Luke's account in the Inspired Version. The words themselves bear record of the glory, might, omnipotence, and eternal fulness that dwells in the Almighty.
Amen] So let it be; that is, with this single word the suppliant endorses, approves, and solemnly attests his agreement with the whole prayer.
Luke 11:15-8; I. V. Luke 11:5. From this parable we learn that the Father will give us whatever we ask of him in faith. Need we think that a loving Father will reject our pleas, when we know that a churlish and uncooperative friend will not do so?
"As the Church views it, fasting consists in the complete abstinence from food and drink. Fasting, with prayer as its companion, is designed to increase spirituality; to foster a spirit of devotion and love of God; to increase faith in the hearts of men, thus assuring divine favor; to encourage humility and contrition of soul; to aid in the acquirement of righteousness; to teach man his nothingness and dependence upon God; and to hasten those who properly comply with the law of fasting along the path to salvation." (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 256-257.)
Self-righteous zealots in Jesus' day made great outward display of their fasting. It is the showy display, not the fasting itself, which is to be shunned by the true saint. While engaged in fasting and prayer it is proper to go about one's normal and usual affairs, without attempting to advertise an assumed status of piety.
Matt. 6:19. Treasures upon earth] Temporal things, such as money, clothes, jewels, houses, lands, property, business enterprises, honors bestowed by men, social affiliations, and political positions. All these fade away when life ends. They are of the earth earthy; they have no inherent eternal value.
20. Treasures in heaven] While yet on earth men may lay up treasures in heaven. These treasures, earned here and now in mortality, are in effect deposited to our eternal bank account in heaven where eventually they will be reinherited again in immortality. Treasures in heaven are the character, perfections, and attributes which men acquire by obedience to law. Thus, those who gain such attributes of godliness as knowledge, faith, justice, judgment, mercy, and truth, will find these same attributes restored to them again in immortality. (Alma 41:13-15.) "Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection." (D. & C. 130:18.) The greatest treasure it is possible to inherit in heaven consists in gaining the continuation of the family unit in the highest heaven of the celestial world.
Luke 11:33. A light that is hidden, whose guiding rays are covered by a bushel, is of no value to one stumbling in darkness. Similarly, the true saints must let the gospel light shine forth from them to all men, lest the saints, as the hidden candle, fail to fulfill their purpose in life. Jesus in effect is saying: `No man accepts the gospel and then buries its light by continuing to walk in darkness; rather, he holds the light up before men so that they, emulating his good works, may also come to the Father.'
34-36. Through the natural eyes men see the light which guides them in their physical existence, through their spiritual eyes, the spiritual light which leads to eternal life. As long as the natural eyes are unimpaired, men can see and be guided by the light of day; and as long as the spiritual eyes are single to the glory of God -- that is, as long as they are undimmed by sin and are focused solely on righteousness -- men can view and understand the things of the Spirit. But if apostasy enters and the spiritual light turns to darkness, "how great is that darkness!"
Matt. 6:24. Ye cannot serve God and mammon] Mammon is an Aramaic word for riches. Thus Jesus is saying, `Ye cannot serve God and riches, or worldliness, which always results from the love of money.'
I. V. Luke 12:36. Provide not for yourselves bags which wax old] Do not put your trust in purses which wear out and from which earthly treasures will be lost.
This portion of the Sermon on the Mount was delivered to the apostles and such of the disciples as were called to forsake their temporal pursuits and carry the message of salvation to the world. There is not now and never has been a call to the saints generally to "sell that ye have" (Luke 12:33), give alms to the poor, and then to take no thought for the temporal needs of the present or future. Rather, as part of their mortal probation, the true followers of the Master are expected by him to provide for themselves and their families. (D. & C. 75.)
However, a special rule applies to those who are called to go into the world without purse or scrip and preach the gospel. For the time and season of their missionary service they are to have no concern about business enterprises or temporal pursuits. They are to be free of the encumbering obligations that always attend those who manage temporal affairs. Their whole attention and all of their strength and talents are to be centered on the work of the ministry, and they have the Father's promise that he will look after their daily needs.
I. V. Matt. 6:25-27, 30; 3 Ne. 13:25. Express instruction is here recorded showing that what is to follow applies to those engaged in missionary work and not to the Church generally.
3 Ne. 13:34. Sufficient is the day unto the evil thereof] Those on the Lord's errand will have their temporal needs supplied day by day without worrying about the future.
I. V. Luke 12:33. Even as the ox which labors to harvest the grain should be fed as he harvests, so those sent forth to harvest souls are worthy of their hire.
Matt. 6:33. Seek ye first the kingdom of God] It is common to quote this command as one directing men to seek, through righteousness, the things of the celestial world. Counsel so to do is never inappropriate. But, actually, as seen from the Inspired Version accounts of Matthew and Luke, Jesus is directing his ministers "to build up the kingdom of God" (I. V. Matt. 6:38), and to seek "to bring forth the kingdom of God" (I. V. Luke 12:34), meaning the Church of Jesus Christ, which is the kingdom of God on earth. They were being sent forth, as are the missionaries in this day, to preach the gospel so that converts might come into the Church or kingdom, thereby building it up in strength and power.
Luke 12:34. Compare D. & C. 6:34; 29:5; 35:27.
Matt. 7:1. This is not a prohibition against sitting in judgment either on one's fellowmen or upon principles of right and wrong, for the saints are commanded to do these very things. The sense and meaning of our Lord's utterance is, `Condemn not, that ye be not condemned.' It is, `Judge wisely and righteously, so that ye may be judged in like manner.'
Judgment is one of the attributes of godliness which the saints are commanded to seek. "Take heed," Mormon taught, "that ye do not judge that which is evil to be of God, or that which is good and of God to be of the devil. For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night. For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God. . . . And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgment which ye judge ye shall also be judged." (Moro. 7:14-18.)
2. In the day of judgment, "the Lord shall come to recompense unto every man according to his work, and measure to every man according to the measure which he has measured to his fellow man." (D. & C. 1: 10.)
3. Mote] A splinter, or a small dry twig or stalk, here used to mean a lesser fault as contrasted with a beam (a roof-beam, a piece of timber so large that it holds up the whole house), here used to signify a grievous offense.
I. V. Matt. 7:6-8. Erring leaders and teachers among the Jews judged and condemned the people for the slightest law infractions while they themselves, as "the children of corruption," were blinded by the beams in their own eyes.
I. V. Matt. 7:9-11. Jesus is sending his disciples out to teach the gospel to the world with the express stipulation that they leave the mysteries alone and confine their teachings to the basic, simple, fundamental doctrines of salvation. They are to refrain from presenting more of the truths of the gospel than their hearers are prepared to receive. At this early day, even the disciples are scarce able to bear the mysteries.
To his elders in this dispensation, our Lord gave the same counsel in these words: "Thou shalt declare glad tidings, yea, publish it upon the mountains, and upon every high place, and among every people that thou shalt be permitted to see ... And of tenets thou shalt not talk, but thou shalt declare repentance and faith on the Savior, and remission of sins by baptism and by fire, yea, even the Holy Ghost." (D. & C. 19:29-31.)
This same restriction on the proclamation of the gospel is superbly expressed by Alma, who said: "It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him." (Alma 12:9.)
In this day the message of the restoration which the elders carry to the world is: (1) That Jesus Christ is the Son of God who worked out the infinite and eternal atonement thereby making salvation available for all who will abide the gospel law; (2) That Joseph Smith is the prophet through whom the knowledge of Christ and of salvation has been restored again to earth; and (3) That the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the kingdom of God on earth, the only place where there are legal administrators to teach the truth and perform the ordinances of salvation so they will be binding on earth and in heaven.
It follows that missionaries ordinarily confine their teachings to such things as the nature and kind of being that God is, the atonement of our Lord, the apostasy from and restoration of the gospel, and the plan of salvation. After people are converted and have the gift of the Holy Ghost to enlighten their minds it is time enough for them to learn the deeper things pertaining to exaltation in the eternal worlds. The sacred teachings revealed in temple ordinances, for instance, are mysteries reserved for selected and faithful members of the kingdom who have attained sufficient stability and background to understand them.
9. The kingdom of heaven has come nigh unto you] `The Church of Jesus Christ (which is the kingdom of heaven on earth) has come nigh unto you, for we, the elders of the kingdom, have power to admit you to the kingdom by baptism if you will repent.'
I. V. Matt. 7:12; Matt. 7:7-11. How will those in the world be able to recognize the gospel and receive its truths? How can they learn the mysteries of the kingdom? Jesus answers: `Ask of God.' True conversion is not born of contention or debate. The things of God are known only by revelation from the Spirit of God. (1 Cor. 2:11.) To gain a knowledge of the truth men must abide the law which enables them to gain personal revelation from the Lord. They must desire to know of the divinity of the message, must learn what is being taught, must practice its principles, and must pray in faith for guidance and direction from on high.
I. V. Matt. 7:14-17. How similarly the spiritually closed mind operates in all ages! These Jewish attempts, to justify adherence to a false religion, sound as though they had been made by the ministers of modern Christendom. `We ourselves are righteous, and what can these Mormon Elders teach us. True it is that God spoke to prophets of old, but revelation has ceased; there is no modern communion with heaven. We have the Bible and are Christians, and that is sufficient for us.' But Jesus' counsel is: `Tell them to humble themselves, repent of their sins, and pray to the Father in mighty prayer so they may learn where the truth really lies.'
Matt. 7:12. The Golden Rule! Truly, never man spake as this man!
Matt. 7:13. Strait gate] Not straight, but s-t-r-a-i-t, meaning narrow, restricted, limited. By entering the strait gate men get on the path which is both strait and which leads to eternal reward hereafter. Baptism is the strait gate which puts men on the path leading to the celestial world; the new and everlasting covenant of marriage is the strait gate which starts men and women out in the direction of exaltation in the highest heaven of that world. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 694-695.)
14. Life] Eternal life, the kind of life that God lives. Those so attaining inherit all things including eternal lives or "a continuation of the seeds forever and ever. . . . For strait is the gate, and narrow the way that leadeth unto the exaltation and continuation of the lives, and few there be that find it." (D. & C. 132:19-22.)
Jesus here reannounces the eternal truth that true prophets of God did then and should thereafter minister among men. He did not say: `Beware of any who shall claim prophetic powers. Their claims will be false, for there shall be no more prophets.' Rather he taught: `There are now and shall yet be many on earth claiming to be prophets of God. Some will be true prophets whose teachings shall lead men to my Father's kingdom; others shall be false prophets whose doctrines shall damn those who heed them. Beware of false prophets, cleave unto the true. How shall the false and true be distinguished? By their fruits.'
Matt. 7:15. Prophets] "A prophet is a person who knows by personal revelation from the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Son of God, `for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.' (Rev. 19:10; Teachings, pp. 119, 312.) Accordingly, every prophet bears record of Christ. `To him give all the prophets witness' (Acts 10:43; Jac. 4:4), and if a professing minister of salvation is not a witness for Christ, he is not a prophet.
"Nothing more than the testimony of Jesus is needed to make a person a prophet; and if this revealed knowledge has notbeen received, a person is not a prophet, no matter how many other talents or gifts he may have. But when a person has received revelation from the Spirit certifying to the divinity of Christ, he is then in a position to press forward in righteousness and gain other revelations including those which foretell future events. On this basis, should the necessity arise, those who are prophets are in a position where they `could prophesy of all things.' (Mosiah 5:3.)
"The mission of prophets is not alone to foretell the future. Even more important is the witness they bear to the living of the divinity of Christ, the teachings they give of the plan of salvation, and the ordinances which they perform for their fellowmen. All of the great prophets are possessors of the Melchizedek Priesthood; as legal administrators some have possessed keys enabling them to administer the fulness of gospel ordinances." (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 544-547.)
False prophets] "When a man goes about prophesying, and commands men to obey his teachings," Joseph Smith taught, "he must either be a true or false prophet. False prophets always arise to oppose the true prophets, and they will prophesy so very near the truth that they will deceive almost the very chosen ones." (Teachings, p. 365.)
Joseph Smith also said: "If any person should ask me if I were a prophet, I should not deny it, as that would give me the lie; for, according to John, the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy; therefore, if I profess to be a witness or teacher, and have not the spirit of prophecy, which is the testimony of Jesus, I must be a false witness; but if I be a true teacher and witness, I must possess the spirit of prophecy, and that constitutes a prophet; and any man who says he is a teacher or preacher of righteousness, and denies the spirit of prophecy, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; and by this key false teachers and impostors may be detected." (Teachings, p. 269.)
20. By their works it shall be known whether professing ministers of religion are true or false prophets. Joseph Smith was a true prophet. What fruits did he leave? There is probably more evidence of his divine call and mission than of any other prophet who ever lived, Jesus himself only excepted. Joseph Smith has left us the Book of Mormon, and the revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price. He restored all of the basic doctrines of the gospel, perfected the organization of the Church, performed a host of miracles, saw God, was visited by angels, uttered hundreds of prophecies which have been literally fulfilled, and finally sealed his testimony with his own blood. (D. & C. 135.)
Matt. 7:21. Kingdom of heaven] Celestial kingdom.
He that doeth the will of my Father] "We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel." (Third Article of Faith.) Salvation does not come to those who merely confess Christ with their lips, or even to those who go about doing good works (as men generally view good works). It is reserved for those who do the very things which constitute the will of the Father, namely: (1) Accept and believe the true gospel, thus gaining faith in Christ, and thus believing in the prophets sent by Christ to reveal his truths, Joseph Smith being the greatest of these in this dispensation; (2) Repent; (3) Be baptized by a legal administrator who has power from God to bind on earth and seal in heaven; (4) Receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, also by the authorized act of a duly appointed priesthood bearer; and (5) Endure in righteousness and devotion to the truth, keeping every standard of personal righteousness that appertains to the gospel, until the end of one's mortal probation.
22. Many will say] These fall into two categories: (1) False ministers, those who have professed to teach the gospel, but who have acted without authority from God. Included in this group are all teachers of religion -- whether pagan, Jewish, Christian, or of whatever classification -- who have not been "called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands, by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof." (Fifth Article of Faith.) Some of these are ministers who have so completely sold themselves to Satan that they have worked miracles by his power. (Matt. 24:24; 2 Thess. 2:9; Rev. 13:13-14; 16:13-14; 19:20.)
(2) Those of the elders of Israel who are true ministers and prophets; who have been on missions for the Church, for instance; who have healed the sick and performed great miracles; but who did not magnify their callings all their lives and thereby endure in righteousness to the end. Some miracles, as the casting out of devils, are performed only by the true ministers who actually hold the power and authority of the priesthood. (Matt. 12:24-30.)
23. I never knew you] I. V. Matt. 7:33. Ye never knew me] These two expressions convey substantially the same general thought. Jesus is saying: `I never knew you as true disciples, for you never received the fulness of my gospel and came into my Church, and hence, Ye never knew me'; Or, `Ye never knew me so fully as to be sealed up unto eternal life with your callings and elections made sure, and since you did not magnify your callings in the priesthood, you shall be cast out and be as though I never knew you.'
Matt. 7:24-27. These graphic statements are applicable to many situations. For instance: Those who build their houses of faith on the rock of revelation, rather than on the sands of sectarian delusion, shall have a spiritual structure able to withstand every temptation and turmoil. Or: Those who build celestial bodies by obedience to celestial law shall have a bodily structure that can abide the day, with all its tumultuous changes, in which this earth becomes a celestial sphere. (D. & C. 88:17-32.)
To raise the dead is to call back the spirit from the abode of departed spirits so that mortal life again continues for the person so raised. Men, in this sphere of their unending existence, are mortal beings, meaning that body and spirit are temporarily united. The natural or temporal death consists in the separation of body and spirit. That is, the life which is in the body departs, the body returns to the dust, and the spirit goes to a world of waiting spirits to await the day of resurrection. A resurrected personage is one for whom body and spirit are inseparably connected in immortality. A mortal person raised from the dead does not by that act gain immortality; rather, he becomes mortal a second time, must again die, and will finally be raised in immortality in the resurrection.
Various prophets have raised the dead, among them Elijah (1 Kings 17:17-24), Elisha (2 Kings 4:18-37), Peter (Acts 9:36-43), Paul (Acts 20:7-12), and Nephi, the disciple. (3 Ne. 7:18-20.) But none ever acted with such awesome majesty as the Lord Jesus, who, stopping the funeral cortege, said with simplicity: "Young man, I say unto thee, Arise."
Faith, righteousness, and the hope of eternal salvation are not confined to members of the chosen race. Manifesting faith greater than any theretofore exhibited to Jesus by Israel, this Gentile centurion prevailed upon the Master to heal a beloved servant without so much as having our Lord come to the sick bed.
The centurion's reasoning -- profound in logic, perfect in showing forth faith -- was to this effect: If I, a mere officer in the Roman army, must obey my superiors, and also have power myself to send others forth at my command, then surely the Lord of all needs but speak and his will shall be done.
No better setting could have been arranged to give our Lord opportunity to teach the eternal gospel truth that salvation is for the righteous of all nations, all of whom shall sit down with Abraham and his fellow prophets in the everlasting kingdom of the Father. See Luke 13:22-30.
Matt. 8:5. A centurion] "A Roman legionary officer commanding a century (i.e. from 50 to 100 men, the hundredth part of a legion), and occupying the social position of a modern sergeant or non-commissioned officer." (Dummelow, p. 653.)
12. Outer darkness] See Luke 16:19-31.
I. V. Matt. 8:12. Children of the wicked one] Not children of the kingdom, as the King James Version has it, but children or followers of the devil. All who do not follow Christ and keep his commandments are so classified. (Alma 5:38-40.) Children of the kingdom are faithful members of the Church who adhere to the standards of the kingdom. They are followers or disciples of the Master, having accepted the doctrines and obeyed the ordinances of the Church or kingdom.
Matt. 11:2-6; Luke 7:19-23. Why did John send two of his disciples to Jesus to ask if he were the promised Messiah? Any inference that the Baptist was uncertain or doubtful in his own mind, as to the identity and mission of the Master, is totally unwarranted. In reality, the imprisoned Elias and forerunner of our Lord was using this means to persuade his disciples to forsake him and follow Jesus.
John knew who Jesus was; the Baptist was not wavering as a reed in the wind. While in Herod's prison, angels sent by Jesus had ministered comfort and assurance to John (I. V. Matt. 4:11), and immediately after John's disciples left to report back to the Baptist, the Lord was to speak eloquently of the integrity and stability of the one who had baptized him. This act of sending his disciples to Jesus was in effect a final great testimony on John's part that Jesus was the Lamb of God, for the Baptist knew that his disciples, seeing the Master personally and hearing his teachings, could not help but follow the greater light.
Matt. 11:15. The dead are raised up] Apparently many dead were raised, not just the three mentioned in the gospels.
9. More than a prophet] There are greater callings than those which constitute men prophets of God. "A seer is greater than a prophet," for instance, for "a seer is a revelator and a prophet also; and a gift which is greater can no man have." (Mosiah 8:15-16.) John was a prophet and something more in addition. He was a prophet because he had the testimony of Jesus, meaning that he knew by personal revelation from the Holy Ghost that Jesus was the Christ. (Rev. 19:10.) But in addition to standing as a prophet, he performed the mighty work which enabled the Lord himself to come and restore the fulness of the gospel.
Luke 7:28. There is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist] There is not a prophet who has borne greater or more important testimony of Jesus than that which fell from John's lips. Joseph Smith gave three reasons why John was considered one of the greatest prophets. "First. He was entrusted with a divine mission of preparing the way before the face of the Lord. Whoever had such a trust committed to him before or since? No man.
"Secondly. He was entrusted with the important mission, and it was required at his hands, to baptize the Son of Man. Whoever had the honor of doing that? Whoever had so great a privilege and glory? Whoever led the Son of God into the waters of baptism, and had the privilege of beholding the Holy Ghost descend in the form of a dove, or rather in the sign of the dove, in witness of that administration? .
"Thirdly. John, at that time was the only legal administrator in the affairs of the kingdom there was then on earth. And holding the keys of power, the Jews had to obey his instructions or be damned, by their own law; and Christ himself fulfilled all righteousness in becoming obedient to the law which he had given to Moses on the mount, and thereby magnified it and made it honorable, instead of destroying it. The son of Zacharias wrested the keys, the kingdom, the power, the glory from the Jews, by the holy anointing and decree of heaven, and these three reasons constitute him the greatest prophet born of woman." (Teachings, pp. 275-276.)
He that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he] "Whom did Jesus have reference to as being the least?" Joseph Smith asked. "Jesus was looked upon as having the least claim in God's kingdom, and [seemingly] was least entitled to their credulity as a prophet; as though he had said, `He that is considered the least among you is greater than John -- that is I myself.'" (Teachings, p. 276.)
I. V. Matt. 11:12-14. Under the law of Moses a lower standard of personal conduct was required of members of the kingdom than became the case when the gospel fulness was restored. In the old kingdom violent and carnal men exercised undue influence, but in the new kingdom their power was diminished. But the millennium itself must arrive before "the violent shall have no power."
14. All of the prophets spoke of Christ and his day.
15. Elias] See John 1:19-28 John was the Elias who was to prepare all things, not the one who was to restore all things.
Luke 7:30. For those who would gain salvation, baptism in water is mandatory. No accountable person can be saved without it. Such is the counsel and command of God. To suppose that water baptism is merely an outward sign of some inward grace, or that baptism of the Spirit without prior immersion in water, is all that Deity requires is the purest sectarian delusion. The very baptism by immersion for the remission of sins which John performed (followed, of course, by the baptism of the Spirit which Jesus administered) is the thing which the Almighty has commanded.
Matt. 11:16-19; Luke 7:31-35. `What illustration can I choose to show how petty, peevish, and insincere are you unbelieving Jews? You are like fickle children playing games; when you hold a mock wedding, your playmates refuse to dance; when you change the game to a funeral procession, your playmates refuse to mourn. In like manner you are only playing at religion. As cross and capricious children you reject John because he came with the strictness of the Nazarites, and ye reject me because I display the warm human demeanor that makes for pleasant social intercourse.'
36. Sat down to meat] Reclined on a couch with his feet extending outward, as was the custom of the day.
37. A woman] Not Mary Magdalene and not Mary of Bethany (Matt. 26:6-13; John 12:2-8), both of whom were righteous women of good character. A sinner] Presumably an unvirtuous woman.
38. Banquets were held in open type houses; spectators or visitors often came in and viewed the proceedings.
46. Oil was cheap, ointment expensive.
47. In effect Jesus is saying: `Her sins were many, but she believed in me, has repented of her sins, was baptized by my disciples, and her sins were washed away in the waters of baptism. Now she has sought me out to exhibit the unbounded gratitude of one who was filthy, but is now clean. Her gratitude knows no bounds and her love is beyond measure, for she was forgiven of much. Had she been forgiven of but few sins, she would not have loved me so intensely.'
48. Jesus reaffirms the forgiveness previously gained through repentance and baptism. He is not forgiving sins contrary to the law which he himself has ordained, which law is that men must believe the gospel, repent, and be baptized for the remission of sins.
50. `Thy faith hath saved thee from thy sins so that thou art now clean and pure in the Father's sight. By enduring in righteousness to the end thou shalt have eternal salvation in the Father's kingdom.'
p Jesus apparently traveled without purse or scrip, devoted his entire time to the ministry, was not engaged in carpentry or other temporal pursuits, and gained his sustenance from disciples who contributed freely to his upkeep.
Luke 8:1. Glad tidings of the kingdom] Identically the same message which the latter-day elders carry to the world: The Church and kingdom is again set up; the gospel has been restored; salvation in its fulness is again available through faith, repentance, baptism, obtaining the Holy Ghost, and enduring in righteousness and truth to the end.
112. Mary called Magdalene] One of the most virtuous and righteous women ever to follow Jesus. So great was her faith and so extensive her good works that she was singled out to stand as the first mortal person to see our Lord after his resurrection. (Mark 16:9; John 20:11-18.) She is not to be confused with the unnamed though repentant sinner who anointed Jesus' feet in the home of Simon. (Luke 7:36-50.) It is one of the basest slanders of all history to suppose that Mary of Magdala was a fallen woman and therefore to use the term Magdalene as a appellation descriptive of reformed prostitutes. (Jesus the Christ, pp. 263-265.)
3. Ministered unto him of their substance] Our Lord obeyed his own law, which is, "They which preach the gospel should live of the gospel." (1 Cor. 9:14.)
By casting out devils Jesus offered conclusive and irrefutable proof that he was the promised Messiah. This conclusion is evident from the following reasoning:
(1) Devils are not cast out except by the power of faith and the authority of the priesthood. Lucifer's ministers exercise the power to perform many miracles in imitation of those done by the Lord's authorized servants. But no one, acting pursuant to a delegation of authority from the devil, ever casts one of his kindred spirits out of the mortal tenement such spirit has unlawfully inhabited. Satan is not divided against himself anymore than angelic ministrants of the Lord are rebelling against each other. Hence, the fact that Jesus did in reality cast out devils, as was evident to the Pharisees and all the people, establishes that he operated in harmony with "the Spirit of God," and that "the kingdom of God," which is the true Church, had come forth again among men.
(2) Jesus bore frequent testimony that he was the Son of God, which testimony he would not have borne, if it had been untrue, because he had the Spirit of God with him, as evidenced by the fact that he cast out devils. In other words, if his testimony had been untrue, he could not have enjoyed the Spirit, for the Spirit will attest and seal only that which is true, and without the Spirit our Lord would have been without the power to cast out devils. But the fact that he did cast out devils, because he had the Spirit, proves his harmony with the Father, through the Spirit, and therefore his witness of himself was true.
Matt. 12:22. One possessed with a devil] One of the fallen spirits subject to Lucifer had entered the body of a blind and dumb man.
23. `Is not this the Messiah?'
24. These Jews believed both in devils and in an organized kingdom of evil spirits which was presided over by the prince of devils. Beelzebub] One of the name-titles of the devil. It was also applied in ancient Israel to a heathen god. (2 Kings 1:3.)
26. Satan] Literally, adversary, a formal Hebrew name for the devil, which signifies that he wages open war with the truth and all who obey its principles.
27. By whom do your children cast them out?] Sectarian commentators, almost universally, have assumed that by exorcism, magic, or incantation of some sort the false religionists of Christ's day were able to cast out devils. With nothing but the King James Version before them it should be evident that this conclusion is absurd and illogical, for the whole tenor of this passage is that Satan cannot cast out Satan. But from the Inspired Version we learn that those others of the Jews who were casting out devils were persons who had gained the Spirit of God, that is they had been baptized, were members of the Church, held the priesthood, and were walking uprightly and faithfully before the Father. False ministers have not, do not, will not, and cannot cast out devils.
30. There are no neutrals where Christ is concerned. All men are either for him or against him. Those who are not for him, who do not take an affirmative stand in his behalf, by virtue of that fact standing alone are in reality against him. (Alma 5:34-39.)
In connection with his refutation of the false and evil charge that he cast out devils by the power of Beelzebub, and also because some of his disciples had been afraid to confess him before men, Jesus taught the people the law of eternal forgiveness, including the nature of the sin against the Holy Ghost.
Matt. 12:31-32; Mark 3:28-29; I. V. Luke 12:10-12. What is the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost? "Blasphemy consists in either or both of the following: 1. Speaking irreverently, evilly, abusively, or scurrilously against God or sacred things; or 2. Speaking profanely or falsely about Deity. . . . Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost -- which is falsely denying Christ after receiving a perfect revelation of him from the Holy Ghost -- is the unpardonable sin." (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 85-86.)
"Those in this life who gain a perfect knowledge of the divinity of the gospel cause, a knowledge that comes only by revelation from the Holy Ghost, and who then link themselves with Lucifer and come out in open rebellion, also become sons of perdition. Their destiny, following their resurrection, is to be cast out with the devil and his angels, to inherit the same kingdom in a state where `their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.' (D. & C. 76:32-49; 29:27-30; Heb. 6:4-8; 2 Pet. 2:20-22; 2 Ne. 9:14-16; Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, pp. 47-49; vol. 2, pp. 218-225.)
"Joseph Smith said: `All sins shall be forgiven, except the sin against the Holy Ghost; for Jesus will save all except the sons of perdition.' (Teachings, p. 358.)" (Mormon Doctrine, p. 674.)
"Our Lord told the Jews that eventually -- either in this world or in the world to come -- all sins would be forgiven except the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. (Matt. 12:31-32; Mark 3:28-30; Luke 12:10.) This sin or blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is thus the unpardonable sin.
"Particular note should be taken in this connection of the fact that forgiveness of sins does not thereby confer celestial salvation upon a person. `All will suffer until they obey Christ himself,' the Prophet said. (Teachings, p. 357.) The wicked and ungodly will suffer the vengeance of eternal fire in hell until they finally obey Christ, repent of their sins, and gain forgiveness therefrom. Then they shall obtain the resurrection and an inheritance in the telestial and not the celestial kingdom. (D. & C. 76:81-107.) Those who have committed the unpardonable sin, however, will not be redeemed from the devil, and instead, after their resurrection, will be cast out as sons of perdition to dwell with the devil and his angels in eternity. (D. & C. 76:30-49.)
"Commission of the unpardonable sin consists in crucifying unto oneself the Son of God afresh and putting him to open shame. (Heb. 6:4-8; D. & C. 76:34-35.) To commit this unpardonable crime a man must receive the gospel, gain from the Holy Ghost by revelation the absolute knowledge of the divinity of Christ, and then deny `the new and everlasting covenant by which he was sanctified, calling it an unholy thing, and doing despite to the Spirit of grace.' (Teachings, p. 128.) He thereby commits murder by assenting unto the Lord's death, that is, having a perfect knowledge of the truth he comes out in open rebellion and places himself in a position wherein he would have crucified Christ knowing perfectly the while that he was the Son of God. Christ is thus crucified afresh and put to open shame. (D. & C. 132:27.)
"`What must a man do to commit the unpardonable sin?' the Prophet asked. `He must receive the Holy Ghost, have the heavens opened unto him, and know God, and then sin against him. After a man has sinned against the Holy Ghost, there is no repentance for him. He has got to say that the sun does not shine while he sees it; he has got to deny Jesus Christ when the heavens have been opened unto him, and to deny the plan of salvation with his eyes open to the truth of it; and from that time he begins to be an enemy. This is the case with may apostates of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"`When a man begins to be an enemy to this work, he hunts me, he seeks to kill me, and never ceases to thirst for my blood. He gets the spirit of the devil -- the same spirit that they had who crucified the Lord of Life -- the same spirit that sins against the Holy Ghost. You cannot save such persons; you cannot bring them to repentance; they make open war, like the devil, and awful is the consequence.' (Teachings, p. 358.)
"Among other things, this statement from the Prophet, explodes forever the mythical fantasy that the sons of perdition are so few they can be numbered on the fingers of the hand." (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 739-740.)
Matt. 12:32. Son of man] See Matt. 16:13. Holy Ghost] See John 14:26. Forgiven him, . . . in the world to come] There is a difference between gaining forgiveness of sins and gaining salvation in the celestial kingdom. All men who do not commit the unpardonable sin will gain eventual pardon; that is, they will be forgiven of their sins; but those so forgiven, having been judged according to their works, will then be sent either to a telestial, terrestrial, or celestial kingdom, as they case may be. As a matter of fact, those destined to inherit kingdoms of glory will not be resurrected until they have repented and gained forgiveness of their sins. The telestial kingdom will be inhabited by those who have been tormented and buffeted in hell until they have gained forgiveness and become worthy to attain a resurrection.
Those who do not have opportunity in this life to receive the gospel, but who would have accepted its saving truths with all their hearts had the glad tiding been offered to them, will hear and accept it in the spirit world. They will then repent of their sins, gain forgiveness through baptism for the dead, and become heirs of the celestial kingdom itself. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 605-606.)
I. V. Mark 3:24. Shall inherit eternal damnation] They shall be sons of perdition, citizens of Lucifer's kingdom, in which realm they shall be damned to all eternity, for they have committed the unpardonable sin.
Matt. 12:33. `Be consistent, you Pharisees; make the tree good or bad; if it is good to cast out devils, and I cast them out, then my work is good, for a tree is known by its fruits; but if I am evil, as you say, then it must be a wicked thing to heal those possessed of evil spirits, for a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.'
34-37. Trapped by the inexorable logic of Jesus' rebuke, convicted within themselves by his cutting invective, it is as though the Pharisees were attempting to back away from their evil accusations that he cast out devils by the power of Beelzebub. They say: `Why get so excited about it; why make so much of it; we merely offered a supposition which might explain your miracles; if we are wrong, let's forget it. Are we to be damned forever because we made a little mistake in judgment?' Jesus replies: `It was not a little thing: you spoke falsely and with malice; your words manifest the evil and wickedness in your hearts, showing you up as a generation of vipers; and know this, also, even if they had been idle or insignificant, yet shall they stand against you in the day of judgment as a true manifestation of your real character.'
43-45; I. V. Matt. 12:37-39. Having already taught that every sin shall be forgiven except the sin against the Holy Ghost, Jesus now illustrates why. In effect he says: `If you gain a perfect knowledge of me and my mission, it must come by revelation from the Holy Ghost; that Holy Spirit must speak to the spirit within you; and then you shall know, nothing doubting. But to receive this knowledge and revelation, you must cleanse and perfect your own soul; that is, your house must be clean, swept, and garnished. Then if you deny me by speaking against the Holy Ghost who gave you your revelation of the truth, that is if you came out in open rebellion against the perfect light you have received, the Holy Ghost will depart, leaving you to yourself. Your house will now be available for other tenancy, and so the evil spirits and influences you had once conquered will return to plague you. Having completely lost the preserving power of the Spirit, you will then be worse off than if you had never received the truth; and many in this generation shall be so condemned.'
I. V. Matt. 12:37. Every sin shall be forgiven] In so quoting the scribes were referring to some passage of scripture available to them, but since lost from the knowledge of men.
Luke 11:16. A sign from heaven] They had already seen signs in such number and variety as had never before in all history been poured out upon a people. In their streets, houses, and synagogues, the lame leaped, the blind saw, the dumb spoke, paralytics walked and carried their beds, all manner of diseases were cured, devils were cast out, the dead raised -- all by the command of him whom they now tempted. Yet, in the face of all this, they now demanded something new and different, some heavenly portent which would prove that what they had already seen was from above and not from beneath.
Matt. 12:39. An evil and adulterous generation] Some sins cannot be separated; they are inseparably welded together. There never was a sign seeker who was not an adulterer, just as there never was an adulterer who was not also a liar. Once Lucifer gets a firm hold over one human weakness, he also applies his power to kindred weaknesses.
"When I was preaching in Philadelphia," the Prophet said, "a `Quaker called out for a sign. I told him to be still. After the sermon, he again asked for a sign. I told the congregation the man was an adulterer; that a wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and that the Lord had said to me in a revelation, that any man who wanted a sign was an adulterous person. `It is true,' cried one, `for I caught him in the very act,' which the man afterwards confessed when he was baptized." (Teachings, p. 278.) 39-41. Sign of Jonas] "Jonah's burial in and coming forth from the `great fish' (Jonah 1:15-17; 2) symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. . . . By repenting and believing Jonah, wicked Nineveh was saved; by repenting and believing Christ, the wicked Jews could have freed themselves from sin. And the miracle of the resurrection, symbolized by the sign of Jonas, stands as a witness against them that they rejected their God." (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 641-642.)
42. Queen of the south] Queen of Sheba, an area south of Judea, in Arabia, near the shores of the Red Sea.
I. V. Luke 11:32-33. Rise up in the day of judgment] Those who have acted wisely in their day, walking according to the light and truth available to them, shall come before the judgment bar and receive rich rewards, while those who had even greater light and truth offered to them, but who rejected it, shall be condemned in the day of judgment. It shall be as though heathen and Gentile nations, those without the law and the light which Israel had, shall rise up in judgment against the chosen seed, whose opportunities to do right were far greater. The heathens of Nineveh repented when a man preached to them, but God's covenant race, the chosen of the whole earth, refused to repent when the very Son of God came among them. As given in latter-day revelation, the principle of judgment here involved is: "Of him unto whom much is given much is required; and he who sins against the greater light shall receive the greater condemnations." (D. & C. 82:3.)
All men, Jesus included, are spirit children of the Father. They were born as his offspring in pre-existence. Both the righteous and the wicked are brethren in this literal sense. But by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel, the true disciples of Jesus are adopted as members of his family in a special and restricted sense. They become, here in mortality, his brothers, sisters, mothers, and children. This adoption takes place incident to the covenant of baptism. As King Benjamin expressed it, "Because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters." (Mosiah 5:7.)
Matt. 12:46. His brethren] Jesus had brothers and sisters who were the offspring of Joseph and Mary. False teachings about Mary and her supposed perpetual virginity have caused the Catholics and others to go to great lengths to make it appear that those specifically named as his brothers and sisters were cousins or kinsmen of some other degree. They hold it to be irreverent to think that Mary, the wife of Joseph, could have lived a normal life with him and been the mother of his children. In reality, of course, motherhood is the crowning glory of womanhood, and God himself has ordained the manner in which children shall be brought into the world.
In Mary's case, the plain meaning of a host of scriptures is that she bore Joseph's children, children who were the half-brothers and half-sisters of the Son of God. Jesus had more than one sister and at least four brothers -- James, Joses (Joseph), Simon, and Judas. (Matt. 13:55.) These children lived with Mary and were regarded by the people as members of her family. (John 2:12; 7:3.) They seem to have been jealous of Jesus and may not have believed in his divine Sonship until after the resurrection. (Mark 3:21; 6:3-4; John 7:5.) None of his brothers were included in the original Twelve, but they seem to have been converted after the resurrection by his appearance to James. (1 Cor. 15:7.) Thereafter they associated themselves with the disciples. (Acts 1:14; 1 Cor. 9:5.) One of them, James, was later called to the apostle -- ship. (Gal. 1:19.)
Luke 11:27-28. Apparently the message that his mother and his brethren sought audience with Jesus caused another woman (undoubtedly herself a mother) to speak these words of praise for Mary. With them Jesus agreed. But then he taught that it is not motherhood of itself, but obedience to the word of God, that brings blessings.
I. V. Matt. 13:44. Jesus here comments that Mary and his brothers are members of his literal earthly family, and he, as the eldest son, gives directions as to what the others should do in caring for their mother. The clear inference is that Joseph was dead and hence the sons of Mary were attending to her needs. Then he reminds them that though they have the same mother, yet God is his Father and that he must continue about his Father's business.
Parables are short stories which point up and illustrate spiritual truths. Those spoken by Jesus deal with real events, or, if fictitious, are so consistent and probable that they may be viewed as the commonplace experiences of many people.
When opposition to his message became bitter and intense, the master Teacher chose to present many of the truths of salvation in parables in order to hide his doctrine from those not prepared to receive it. It was not his purpose to cast pearls before swine. (Mormon Doctrine, p. 500.)
Parables seldom clarify a truth; rather, they obscure and hide the doctrine involved so that none but those already enlightened and informed, on the very point presented, are able to grasp the full meaning. Nowhere is this better illustrated than in the parable of the wheat and the tares. When Jesus first gave this parable, even the disciplec did not understand it. They asked for the interpretation, and he gave it, partially at least. And then with both the parable and the interpretation before the world, the Lord still had to give a special revelation in latter-days so that the full meaning of this marvelous parable might sink into the hearts of men. (D. & C. 86.)
The allegory of the tame and the wild olive tree, as given by Zenos, is in the same category. (Jacob 5.) Even in this day of spiritual enlightenment, there are parts of it which are hidden from the understanding of the saints. If the Lord had intended that people generally should know the full meaning of this allegory and of his various parables, he could have presented the truths involved in plain language, and there would have been no room for doubt or speculation.
But had Jesus taught all of his doctrine in plainness, such would have added to the condemnation of his hearers. (D. & C. 82:2-4). His use of parables to hide the full and deep import of portions of his message was an act of mercy on his part. Should any of his hearers later come to a knowledge of the truth, they would then remember his simple stories and gain from them the message he intended. On the other hand, those already spiritually enlightened receive recurring flashes of knowledge by recalling the stories involved. As they continue their temporal pursuits of sowing, planting, harvesting, fishing, and mixing bread, they are reminded continually of eternal gospel truths.
Matt. 13:11. Mysteries of the kingdom] Doctrines of the gospel, such as the atoning sacrifice of Christ, the plan of salvation, baptism, forgiveness, resurrection, and the gifts of the Spirit. Mysteries are doctrines that are beyond the comprehension of the spiritually untutored; when a person is enlightened by the Spirit so as to understand the doctrine, it is no longer a mystery to him. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 473-474.)
I. V. Matt. 13:10-11. "It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him. And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full. And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell." (Alma 12:9-11.)
Matt. 13:13-15. Isaiah foretold the darkened, benighted, and apostate condition of the Jews of Jesus' day. (Isa. 6:9-10.)
Mark 4:10-13. Only the disciples learned why Jesus taught in parables; only they heard the interpretation of the parable of the sower and of the wheat and tares.
33-34. Apparently the doctrine contained in all the parables given on this occasion was restated in plainness by Jesus to the disciples "when they were alone."
Jesus in this parable teaches that to reap the harvest of eternal life men must: (1) Plow, harrow, fertilize, and in all respects prepare the soil of their hearts to receive the word of God; and (2) Nurture, cultivate, and care for the sown seed so that the sprouting plant will mature and bring forth an hundred fold.
Our Lord's emphasis is not on the sower or the seed, but on the soil. The seed is the word of God, the gospel, the truths of salvation, and all these are ever the same. But whether the seed sprouts depends upon proper planting in prepared soil; whether it matures depends upon the continued care given the growing plant. Thus, in view of the message taught, this parable aptly may be considered as the Parable of the Four Kinds of Soil:
(1) If the seed falls on a wayside path, on ground trodden down and unprepared, it never sprouts. Similarly when the gospel is preached to men whose souls are hardened by rebellion against the Lord's servants; when it is presented to those who have hearkened to the whisperings of Satan rather than the promptings of the light of Christ; when its truths are offered to people who are prejudiced and bigoted, it falls on stony hearts and finds no place to take root. No conversion takes place and the hearers continue to walk in darkness.
Joseph Smith, in interpreting this part of the Parable of the Sower, said: "Men who have no principle of righteousness in themselves, and whose hearts are full of iniquity, and [who] have no desire for the principles of truth, do not understand the word of truth when they hear it. The devil taketh away the word of truth out of their hearts, because there is no desire for righteousness in them." (Teachings, p. 96.)
(2) If the seed falls upon stony places where there is only a small layer of good soil, though the seed readily sprouts, it soon dies, for the roots attain no strengthening depth. Likewise, those who gain testimonies of the truth, but who do not give their whole souls to Christ; those who gain only a superficial knowledge of the doctrines of salvation; those without sufficient strength of character to keep their enthusiasm alive in the face of obstacles; those who are only lukewarm -- the cause of righteousness; those whose testimonies are weakened because they discover other men have weaknesses -- all such are offended and fall away when persecutions arise and when they are called upon to make major sacrifices for the cause of Zion.
(3) If the seed falls among thorns, it is in good soil, as is evidenced by the growth of the undesirable plants. But the good plant is soon choked and dies because it cannot overcome the influence of the weeds and thistles. So it is with the members of the Church who know the gospel is true, but who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus, who are not affirmatively and courageously striving to further the interests of the Church. So it is of the saints who think more of the honors of men, the educational standards of the world, political preferment, or money and property, than they do of the gospel. They know the Lord's work has been established on earth, but they let the cares of the world choke the word. And instead of gaining eternal life, they shall be burned with the tares which overcame them.
(4) If the seed falls on productive, fertile soil, and if it is there -- after nurtured and cared for, it bringeth forth a harvest. But even here crops of equal value are not harvested by all the saints. There are many degrees of receptive belief; there are many gradations of effective cultivation. All men, the saints included, shall be judged according to their works; those who keep the whole gospel law shall bring forth an hundred fold and inherit the fulness of the Father's kingdom. Others shall gain lesser rewards in the mansions which are prepared.
Though Jesus used parables to hide the full meaning of his teachings from the Jews, yet those rebellious hearers could have understood if they had sought the light, and their failure to believe and understand rose to condemn them. Jesus here tells them, in effect, that gospel light does not burst upon men in full noonday splendor, but that it arises in their hearts gradually, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little. "He that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day." (D. & C. 50:24.) Eventually the faithful, having continued to grow in light and truth, shall have all things revealed to them and shall know all things. (D. & C. 76:5-10; 93:26-28; 101:32-34; 121:26-29.)
Matt. 13:9. Those who are capable of understanding shall understand. Those whose spiritual ears are open shall hear the whisperings of the Spirit.
Luke 8:16. `No man who is a true minister, when he brings gospel light, covereth it with mystery and confusion (as in the case, for instance, with the sectarian creeds describing God), but he holds forth as much light before men as they are able to bear.'
17. `For no parable, no teaching, no mystery, no hidden thing, is to be kept from the knowledge of the faithful; eventually all things shall be revealed, and the righteous shall know them.' "There is nothing which is secret save it shall be revealed; there is no work of darkness save it shall be made manifest in the light; and there is nothing which is sealed upon the earth save it shall be loosed. Wherefore, all things which have been revealed unto the children of men shall at that day be revealed." (2 Ne. 30:17-18; Ether 4:7-12.)
18. `But take heed how ye hear and accept gospel truth, for you shall be rewarded with new revelation only if you are prepared to receive it. The measure of attention you give to the truths a! -- ready revealed will dictate how much new truth shall be meted to you. If you continue to receive light and truth, and abide in them, eventually you shall be perfected in the truth and know all things. But if you do not continue to receive gospel light, and to walk in that light, from you shall be taken even that light which you once had, and you shall walk in darkness.'
This parable is addressed primarily to those called to carry the message of salvation to the world. Their obligation is to preach the gospel, to plant the seeds of truth in the hearts of men, and then to leave the event in the hands of Deity. Conversion cannot be forced upon a person anymore than man can require a seed to grow. The harvest of converted souls is not gained by the power of the minister who plants the seed. Paul plants, Apollos waters, but it is God who giveth the increase. (1 Cor. 3:6.)
True it is that the soil should be cultivated, that the planted seeds should be watered, fertilized, and given every opportunity for growth. But the ultimate sprouting and growth depends upon a power beyond that of the sower. The earth brings forth of herself; seeds grow by the power of God. And so the minister continues on the Lord's errand, preaching to others, planting more seeds, raising the warning voice, offering salvation to others of the Father's children, and later returns to thrust in his sickle and harvest the original field.
26. Kingdom of God] Church of Jesus Christ. A man] Any legal administrator sent to preach the gospel. Cast seed into the ground] Preach the gospel.
"We learn by this parable," Joseph Smith wrote, "not only the setting up of the kingdom in the days of the Savior (which is represented by the good seed which produced fruit), but also the corruptions of the Church (which are represented by the tares which were sown by the enemy), which his disciples would fain have plucked up, or cleansed the Church of, if their views had been favored by the Savior. But he, knowing all things, says, Not so. As much as to say, Your views are not correct; the Church is in its infancy, and if you take this rash step, you will destroy the wheat, or the Church, with the tares; therefore it is better to let them grow together until the harvest, or the end of the world, which means the destruction of the wicked, which is not yet fulfilled. . . .
"The harvest and the end of the world have an allusion directly to the human family in the last days. . . . As, therefore, the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so shall it be in the end of the world; that is, as the servants of God go forth warning the nations, both' priests and people, and as they harden their hearts and reject the light of truth -- these first being delivered over to the buffetings of Satan, and the law and the testimony being closed up, as it was in the case of the Jews -- they are left in darkness, and delivered over unto the day of burning. Thus, being bound up by their creeds, and their bands being made strong by their priests, [they] are prepared for the fulfillment of the saying of the Savior -- 'The Son of Man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.'
"We understand that the work of gathering together of the wheat into barns, or garners, is to take place while the tares are being bound over, and [incident to] preparing for the day of burning, [and] that after the day of burnings, the righteous shall shine forth like the sun, in the kingdom of their Father." (Teachings, pp. 97-98, 101.)
Matt. 13:24. Kingdom of heaven] The Church and kingdom of God on earth; the Church as formally set up and organized by the Lord Jesus in the meridian of time.
25. Tares] Literally, noxious weeds which resemble wheat. "`Bastard wheat': so much like true wheat, that until the corn is in the ear the two cannot be distinguished. Hence any attempt to root up the tares would result in rooting up the wheat also." (Dummelow, p. 673.) Traditionally, tares have been identified with the darnel weed, a species of beared rye-grass which closely resembles wheat in the early growth period and which is found in modern Palestine. This weed has a bitter taste; if eaten in any appreciable amount, either separately or when mixed with bread, it causes dizziness and often acts as a violent emetic.
36. Only the disciples received the interpretation; to the disbelieving and unbelieving the parable was and is a mystery.
38. Seed] Not the gospel or word of God, as is the case in the Parable of the Sower, but the children of the kingdom, those in whose hearts the gospel seed had grown to a ripe maturity.
39. End of the world] Destruction of the wicked -- with the consequent end of carnality, sensuality, and worldliness -- which will take place incident to the burning of the vineyard at the Second Coming of our Lord.
42. A furnace of fire] Hell.
43. `Then shall the righteous gain exaltation in the celestial kingdom.'
I. V. Matt. 13:40-42. Angels, and also mortals sent as messengers representing heaven, play a part in the great work to precede the end of the world and the day of burning. For instance, keys and sealing power are restored by angelic ministration, and then mortals holding these powers go forth on the Lord's errand and seal up the law and the testimony against the unbelieving and rebellious. (D. & C. 1:8-10.)
43. Both the Church and the earth shall be cleansed before the Son of Man returns; members of "his kingdom," which is the Church, shall be cast "out among the wicked" in the day of destruction preceding the personal reign of our Lord on earth.
44. Burned with fire] Literal fire. The vineyard will thereby be cleansed and prepared for its paradisiacal or millennial glory.
D. & C. 86:3. The apostate, the whore, even Babylon] The Church of the devil, the "great and abominable church," which fights the pure religion of Christ and his apostles. (Rev. 17; 18; 1 Ne. 13; 14.)
Drive the church into the wilderness] Satan, using his own Church to fight his battles, drove the true Church from among mortal men. (Rev 12:12-17.)
4-11. In giving the parable of the wheat and the tares, Jesus was actually summarizing the doctrines of the apostasy, the restoration of the gospel in the latter-days, the growth and development of the latter-day kingdom, the millennial cleansing of the earth, the glorious advent of the Son of Man, and the ultimate celestial exaltation of the faithful.
What is the interpretation of this parable? It has pointed and specific reference to the restoration of the gospel and the setting up of the kingdom of God on earth in the latter-days. After quoting the parable, Joseph Smith wrote: "Now we can discover plainly that this figure is given to represent the Church as it shall come forth in the last days. Behold, the kingdom of heaven is likened unto it. Now, what is like unto it?
"Let us take the Book of Mormon, which a man took and hid in his field, securing it by his faith, to spring up in the last days, or in due time; let us behold it coming forth out of the ground, which is indeed accounted the least of all seeds; but behold it branching forth, yea, even towering, with lofty branches, and Godlike majesty, until it, like the mustard seed, becomes the greatest of all herbs. And it is truth, and it has sprouted and come forth out of the earth, and(righteousness begins to look down from heaven, and God is sending down his powers, gifts, and angels, to lodge in the branches thereof.
"The kingdom of heaven is like unto a mustard seed. Behold, then is not this the kingdom of heaven that is raising its head in the last days in the majesty of God, even the Church of the Latter-day Saints. (Teachings, pp. 98-99.)
Among sectarians this parable is falsely assumed to teach that Christianity, with its small and insignificant beginning, has now grown into a great tree whose members comprise a third of the human race. The evident falsity of this interpretation is seen from the fact that the original, pure Christianity practiced by the primitive saints never did more than sprout its head above ground; within a relatively short time the original plant was trodden down, destroyed, and replaced by those noxious and thorny plants which make up the present churches of so-called Christendom. It is only in the dispensation of the fulness of times that the true Christian tree is to grow until it becomes "a great tree"; it is only in this final age that the true gospel message is to roll forth until the knowledge of God covers the earth as the waters cover the sea. (D. & C. 65; Isa. 11.)
Whereas the Parable of the Mustard Seed points to the growth and stability of the kingdom, as such is seen by viewing the outward organization of the Church, this Parable of the Leaven calls attention to the inward spiritual influence which make this growth possible. The leaven or yeast of eternal truth is "kneaded" into the souls of men; then its spreading, penetrating, life-giving effect enlarges the soul and "raises" sinners into saints.
Although the Parable of the Leaven applies in principle to the growth of faith and testimony in the hearts of men in any age, it also has an express application to the setting up of the latter-day kingdom. "It may be understood," the Prophet Joseph Smith explained, "that the Church of the Latter-day Saints has taken its rise from a little leaven that was put into three witnesses. Behold, how much this is like the parable! It is fast leavening the lump, and will soon leaven the whole." (Teachings, p. 100.)
Matt. 13:33. Three measures of meal] It is interesting to note that Biblical commentators in general offer no enlightening explanation as to why Jesus specified the exact number of measures of meal; from the Prophet's explanation it is evident the intent was to apply the teaching to the coming forth of the Book of Mormon with its three special witnesses.
By seeming accident a man sometimes discovers the gospel treasure. Unaware of the saving grace of our Lord, devoid of true religious understanding, overburdened with the cares of the world, hardened by sin, walking in an ungodly and carnal course -- he suddenly stumbles onto Christ and the pure Christianity found in his true Church. Immediately all else seems as dross. Temporal wealth becomes but glittering tinsel as compared to the eternal riches of Christ. Then worldly things are forsaken; then no sacrifice is too great for the new convert, as he seeks a valid title to the treasures of the kingdom.
In addition to showing the comparative worth of temporal and eternal treasures, this parable has an allusion to the gathering of Israel in the last days. "The saints work after this pattern," the Prophet said, after quoting the parable. "See the Church of the Latter-day Saints, selling all that they have, and gathering themselves together unto a place that they may purchase for an inheritance, that they may be together and bear each other's afflictions in the day of calamity." (Teachings, p. 101.)
Matt. 13:44. Kingdom of heaven] The Church of Jesus Christ with all its saving powers and graces. Treasure] Gospel of salvation. Selleth all that he hath] No set price tag is attached to the gospel; men cannot buy it for a fixed amount; it is not for sale on the bargain counter. Instead, it is available to all, rich and poor alike, all who are willing to sacrifice everything they have to gain it.
I. V. Matt. 13:46. Treasure which is hid] Though the formally organized Church and kingdom operates openly among men, and though the gifts of the Spirit and the fruits of the gospel are seen on every hand, all these things are hidden treasures to the spiritually illiterate. "The things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God." (1 Cor. 2:11.)
This parable is the story of the devout and devoted investigator. The treasure hidden in the field was found by chance; the finder suddenly had his eyes opened to the gospel which had been in plain view all along. But here we see the inquiring mind at work. The truth seeker finds the cherished pearl after long and diligent search; he has compared the conflicting claims of the various sects which are crying, Lo, here is Christ, Lo, there. Perhaps he joins one church and then another, but he is never quite satisfied with what the various branches of Christendom have to offer.
Finally he gives ear to the Elders of Israel, learns of Joseph Smith and the restoration, reads the Book of Mormon, prays to the Father in faith and with real intent to learn whether it is true, seeks to conform his life to the newly learned high gospel standards -- and Lo, the Lord reveals to him by the power of the Holy Ghost that the great latter-day kingdom has been set up on earth for the last time. Then he has found the pearl of great price, and as with the man who chanced upon the hidden treasure, he sells all that he has to obtain the blessings of the gospel.
46. Pearl of great price] Both the Church and the gospel may properly be so designated. A volume of latter-day revelation, accepted as one of the standard works of the Church, has also been given this expressive title.
Matt. 13:47-50. When those whom God hath chosen to be "fishers of men" (Matt. 4:19; Jer. 16:16) go forth preaching the gospel, they catch men of all sorts in the gospel net. Rich and poor, bond and free, Jew and Gentile, learned and ignorant, sincere and hypocritical, stable and wavering -- men of all races, cultures, and backgrounds accept the gospel and seek its blessings. But all who are caught in the gospel net are not saved in the celestial kingdom; church membership alone gives no unconditional assurance of eternal life. (2 Ne. 31:16-21.) Rather, there will be a day of judgment, a day of sorting and dividing, a day when the wicked shall be cast out of the Church, "out into the world to be burned." For those then living the Second Coming will be an initial day of burning, sorting, and judgment (Matt. 25:31-46; D. & C. 63:54); for all men of all ages the ultimate day of sorting and dividing will occur, after all men have been raised from the dead, at the final great day of judgment. (2 Ne. 9:15-16.)
Joseph Smith, in applying this parable to latter-day conditions, wrote: "Behold the seed of Joseph, spreading forth the gospel net upon the face of the earth, gathering of every kind, that the good may be saved in vessels prepared for that purpose, and the angels will take care of the bad. So shall it be at the end of the world -- the angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire, and there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." (Teachings, p. 102.)
51. True disciples, those attended by the spirit of revelation and interpretation, understand the parables. "These things are so plain and so glorious, that every saint in the last days must respond with a hearty Amen to them," the Prophet said. (Teachings, p. 102.)
52. Those who do understand them are called to bring forth out of the storehouses of their souls the eternal truths of the gospel and to teach them to their fellowmen. "It becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor." (D. & C. 88:81.) These treasures of truth, old yet ever new, are exemplified by "the Book of Mormon coming forth out of the treasure of the heart; also the covenants given to the Latter-day Saints; also the translation of the Bible -- thus bringing forth out of the heart things new and old." (Teachings, p. 102.)
Matt. 18:19-20. If Jesus' concern had been to allay persecution and gain worldly influence by forming a politically advantageous alliance, he certainly would have accepted this volunteer offer of ministerial service made by a prominent leader and teacher. But men do not call themselves to priesthood offices or to serve in administrative capacities in the Lord's true kingdom. It is a false sectarian heresy to believe that men are called to the ministry simply because a desire to serve arises in their hearts. Men do not choose to be ministers of Christ; rather, he selects whom he will to represent him. "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you," is the way he later explained this doctrine to the Twelve. (John 15:16.) Accordingly, though this scribe offered his services, Jesus, who knew the hearts of all men, declined the offer, pointing out as he did so, the sacrifice commonly required of those chosen as the Lord's agents. They must be ready to deny themselves the seeming security of worldly possessions, the association of loved ones, and the enjoyment and comfort of their homes, if the needs of the ministry demand.
20. Son of man] See Matt. 16:13. Hath not where to lay his head] During his formal ministry Jesus apparently was not a householder, but travelled and ministered without purse or script. Capernaum was then his home city, where it is presumed he frequently stayed with Peter. When in Jerusalem, Jesus probably abode with John, who appears to have had a house there. (John 19:26-27.)
Luke 9:59-60. When men are called of God by the spirit of revelation, called in the omnipotent wisdom of him who knoweth all things, those calls take precedence over all conflicting interests. Missionaries so sent forth habitually forsake all personal and family obligations. Loved ones may pass away, but missionaries remain at their posts, preaching the kingdom of God.
60. Let the dead bury their dead] Let those who are spiritually dead, who have not been born again, whose lives have not been consecrated to over-riding spiritual concerns, let them bury the dead and attend to all temporal matters.
62. `No man having joined the Church of Jesus Christ is fit for salvation in the celestial kingdom unless he endures to the end in keeping the commandments.'
From this miraculous stilling of a tempest on the Sea of Galilee we learn several lessons:
(1) During his mortal probation, Jesus was subject to the same laws of health and physical conduct that apply to all mankind. Being physically exhausted, he slept; by labor he became weary; without food he hungered; without drink he thirsted. Sleeping calmly amid the raging billows of a tempest that threatened to sink the ship is certainly evidence of an unimpaired nervous system. It is clear that the mortal Jesus lived a normal, healthy, balanced life.
(2) The disciples knew Jesus had divine powers and could save them even from the raging tempest. Because of their fear they were themselves devoid of that confidence and assurance which would have enabled them to still the storm; yet, almost instinctively, they knew their Master could do what they hesitated to attempt, and so -- as all men should when their own weak powers are ineffective -- they turned for help to the fountain from which perfect help flows.
(3) Jesus, the Lord of nature and Creator of all things, had and freely exercised power over the creature of his creating. By his word, as he acted in the power of his Father, heaven, earth, and sea had their beginning. Now he spoke and winds and water obeyed.
(4) Deity intervenes in temporal things, even controlling and moderating the elements for the faithful. True, he makes the sun to shine and sends his rains upon the just and the unjust (Matt. 5:45), for all men have come to earth to receive the experiences and undergo the vicissitudes of mortality. But he maintains special watch care over those who by obedience and righteousness become his especial friends. For them storms are stilled, barren soil be -- comes productive (Isa. 35), special needed rains fall and bounteous harvests mature (Lev. 26:3-5; Deut. 11:13-15; 28:11-12), vines do not cast off their ripened fruits untimely (Mal. 3:11), climatic conditions of whole regions are changed, mountains are moved, and rivers are turned out of their courses. (Moses 6:34; 7:13-14.)
(5) As with almost all men in their divers walks, greater faith should have been evidenced by the disciples as their ship struggled in the surging waves of the Galilean sea. "O ye of little faith," and "Where is your faith?" were the Master's mild but pointed expressions of reproof.
(6) Implicit in Jesus' reproof of the weak faith of the disciples is the assurance that by faith they also could have commanded the elements and had them obey. By faith all things are possible, and when the Lord's servants rise in the full majesty of their call they have "power to command the waters." (D. & C. 61:27.)
This particular instance of ejecting spirit beings from a stolen tenement is set forth in detail by the gospel authors to show:
(1) That evil spirits, actual beings from Lucifer's realm, gain literal entrance into mortal bodies;
(2) That they then have such power over those bodies as to control the physical acts performed, even to the framing of the very words spoken by the mouth of those so possessed;
(3) That persons possessed by evil spirits are subjected to the severest mental and physical sufferings and to the basest sort of degradation -- all symbolical of the eternal torment to be imposed upon those who fall under Satan's control in the world to come;
(4) That devils remember Jesus from pre-existence, recognize him as the One who was then foreordained to be the Redeemer, and know that he came into mortality as the Son of God;
(5) That the desire to gain bodies is so great among Lucifer's minions as to cause them, not only to steal the mortal tabernacles of men, but to enter the bodies of animals;
(6) That the devils know their eventual destiny is to be cast out into an eternal hell from whence there is no return;
(7) That rebellious and worldly people are not converted to the truth by observing miracles; and
(8) That those cleansed from evil spirits can then be used on the Lord's errand to testify of his grace and goodness so that receptive persons may be led to believe in him.
Matt. 8:29. Jesus, thou Son of God] Our Lord's true identity is known to unclean spirits. Mortal men may profess not to know of his divinity, but there is no doubt in the minds of the devils in hell. They remember him from their pre-existent association. They know he was foreordained to be the Redeemer, that he was born into the world as the literal offspring of the Father, and that their course in opposing him is one in open rebellion against Deity. (Moses 4:1-4; Abra. 3:26-28; Rev. 12; D. & C. 29:36-40; 76:25-29.)
Torment us before the time] There is a set time appointed when devils shall have no more power over mortal men and when they shall be cast out into that eternal hell prepared for them. This fact is known to them, in consequence of which they labor with inordinate zeal to overthrow the work of God during the "short time" allotted to them. (Rev. 12:12.)
I. V. Matt. 8:29-30. As both Mark and Luke correctly attest, there was only one man possessed of evil spirits, not two.
Mark 5:3-5. Evil spirits can completely transform a person physically and mentally. Here we see a demoniac whose mind is deranged and whose physical strength is such as to break chains and fetters at will. From all outward appearances he would be classed by doctors as violently insane.
7. Torment me not] Devils now suffer eternal torment because of the realization they cannot gain bodies. Even the momentary possession of stolen bodies seemingly gives them some satisfaction and lessens the sting of their torment. Eventually, following the day of final judgment, "the devil and his angels . . . shall go away into everlasting fire; prepared for them; and their torment is as a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever and has no end." (2 Ne. 9:16.)
9. My name is Legion] Names used by Gods, angels, and devils, have specific meanings which connote to the mind something about the personalities, attributes, or missions of the bearers. And what is more apt than for a host of evil spirits to be named Legion! Mortal man cannot calculate the total number of rebel spirits who followed Lucifer when one-third of the hosts of heaven assembled under his banner, but certainly their number and name is Legion. Some idea of their number may be seen by estimating how many people have and do live on earth and by speculating how many more will live before the final winding up scene. Presumably the earth's millennial population will so far exceed that of any past comparable age that there will be no comparison.
In this instance it is evident that a great host of spirits had taken up unlawful tenancy in the body of one man. Literally, a legion in the Roman army amounted to some six thousand men; figuratively, a legion is an indefinitely large number. The number here was so great as to cause some two thousand swine to careen crazily down a steep slope and drown themselves in the sea.
11-13. Skeptics criticize Jesus for the supposed wanton destruction of the property of others because he commanded or allowed the devils to enter the swine, thus, in effect causing their death.`How can we justify the destruction of the swine?' they ask, as though any of the acts of him whose very course of conduct identifies what is right and wrong need justifying! Jesus did it; therefore, it was right. As well might we condemn Deity for sending or permitting hailstorms to destroy our crops, or for sending drouths upon the earth, or for creating desert land where crops will not grow, as to question the right of the giver of all to take back all or part of what he has given.
In the instant case, if the swine were owned by Jews, they drove an illegal trade; if the hog farm belonged to Gentiles, its very existence was an insult to the national religion. In either event, even according to the local customs and laws, the destruction of the swine was justified.
14-17. Why did the whole city beseech Jesus to depart from their region? A dramatic miracle had come to their personal knowledge, and it created fear rather than faith in the hearts of the people. Why? Some few, perhaps, were fearful and angry because of the loss of their property. But the real reason was far more basic. These people, worldly and carnal by nature, actually preferred their way of life to that which they would have been obligated to pursue, had they accepted the gospel. Millions of people in the world today have a similar outlook. Such persons are not converted to the truth by miracles; they prefer to gratify their own sensual appetites rather than forsake the world. People whose whole hearts and desires are set on the things of the world would not accept the gospel, "though one rose from the dead" and taught it to them. (Luke 16:31.) Similarly they would not believe the Book of Mormon even if they had a view of the Gold Plates and the Urim and Thummim. (D. & C. 5:8-10.) Men, in the ultimate analysis, are controlled and governed by the desires of their hearts. When they desire and love darkness rather than light, neither miracles nor any thing else is sufficient to convert their benighted souls. Rather they rebel against the truth, reject the prophets, and pray Jesus "to depart out of their coasts."
18-20. Even people whose bodies have housed unclean spirits may be cleansed by the power of God, and may be called to serve as witnesses of his divine power. Frequently the great Healer commanded the recipients of his blessings to remain silent, lest their repeated recital of his goodness to them should bring persecution upon him. After each healing Jesus gave such instructions as applied to the particular case. No doubt this healed demoniac was commanded to testify in Decapolis, the region of ten cities, of his miraculous return to normality, because the bitterness against Jesus was not so great in that area, and some, perchance, hearing of the miracle would be led to investigate and believe the truth.
I. V. Mark 5:6. Jesus did not ask the devil to give his name; he commanded him to declare it.
Luke 8:31. Into the deep] Into outer darkness, "into the lake of fire" (Rev. 20:14-15), prepared for the devil and his angels in eternity.
Raising of dead is not resurrection] See Luke 7:11-17.
Matt. 9:23. Minstrels and the people making a noise] Oriental customs of public mourning and display at the time of death prevailed among the Jews of Jesus' day. Noise, tumult, weeping, screeching, screaming, flute playing, and the use of hired mourners -- all were part of the orthodox mourning rituals.
24. The maid is not dead, but sleepeth] True, she was dead as men view death, for her spirit had left her body. Yet in the kindly perspective of eternity, the dead are merely as those who are asleep; for a moment the body, without life, is unconscious to its surroundings; but soon -- as when the sleeping soul, following a night of repose, gains consciousness with the rising sun -- the body will awaken to a new life of resurrected immortality. How comforting to know that the dead are only sleeping and that those who rest in the Lord shall awake to everlasting life.
I. V. Matt. 9:24. Not dead but dying or at the point of death, as Mark and Luke also attest.
Mark 5:41. Talitha cumi] Mark, obviously having learned them from Peter, preserves the exact Aramaic words spoken by Jesus.
Luke 8:55. Her spirit came again] Her spirit -- the intelligent, sentient, living part of the human personality -- returned from the spirit world and entered the body again, thus causing the maid to live again as a mortal personage.
Matt. 9:21. It is unwarranted and false to suppose this woman was healed through a superstitious belief that some special virtue attached to the clothes worn by Jesus. Rather, as the Master affirmed, she had faith to be healed; and such faith is based on truth and knowledge, not superstition and fantasy. It is a perversion of the truth to suppose that special healing powers are attached to so called relics or items once owned or possessed by either real or presumed prophets and holy men. In this instance, it was as though the woman had said: `If I may have any contact at all with this great Healer, even if it be but to touch the hem of his garment, then I shall be healed.' Such a thought shows the greatness and perfection of her faith, not that she was a superstitious and ignorant person attempting to be healed of her plague by believing a false principle.
22. Thy faith hath made thee whole] "To some it is given to have faith to be healed" (D. & C. 46:19); such an endowment is one of the gifts of the Spirit.
Mark 5:29-34. Jesus deliberately publicized this healing miracle. Rather than permit a story to go forth, from which spiritually illiterate persons might falsely suppose that the woman was healed by some virtue attaching to his clothing, or even his own person, Jesus required the woman to tell what she had done, to testify of the blessing received, and to receive from his lips the assurance that the healing grace had come to her because of her faith.
Luke 8:46. Virtue is gone out of me] Giving blessings and performing priesthood ordinances is often the most physically taxing labor which the Lord's true ministers ever perform. There is nothing perfunctory or casual about the performance of these holy ordinances; great physical exertion and intense mental concentration are part of the struggle to get that spirit of revelation so essential in an inspired blessing or other performance.
Joseph Smith, under date of March 14, 1843, wrote in his journal: "Elder Jedediah M. Grant enquired of me the cause of my turning pale and losing strength last night while blessing children. I told him that I saw Lucifer would exert his influence to destroy the children that I was blessing, and I strove with all the faith and spirit that I had to seal upon them a blessing that would secure their lives upon the earth; and so much virtue went out of me into the children, that I became weak, from which I have not yet recovered; and I referred to the case of the woman touching the hem of the garment of Jesus. The virtue referred to is the spirit of life; and a man who exercises great faith in administering to the sick, blessing little children, or confirming, is liable to become weakened." (Teachings, pp. 280-281.)
Messianic prophecies foretold that Jesus would work mighty miracles, heal the sick, raise the dead, cause the lame to walk, "the blind to receive their sight," and the deaf to hear, and that he would cure all manner of diseases. (Mosiah 3:5.) Isaiah, speaking more particularly of the great millennial coming, but also in part of our Lord's first advent, said: "Your God will come. ... Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing." (Isa. 35:4-6.)
Matt. 9:27-31. Frequently in opening the eyes of the blind, Jesus, as here, coupled his spoken command with some physical act. On this and other occasions he touched the sightless eyes. (Matt. 20:30-34.) In healing the man in Jerusalem who was blind from birth, he anointed the man's eyes with clay made with spittle and then had the man wash in the Pool of Siloam. (John 9:6-7.) The blind man of Bethsaida was healed by application of saliva to his eyes. (Mark 8:22-26.) Similarly, in healing a deaf man with a speech impediment, Jesus both touched the man's tongue and put his own fingers into the man's ears. (Mark 7:32-37.)
None of these unusual and dissimiliar acts are essential to the exercise of healing power. Healing miracles are performed by the power of faith and in the authority of the priesthood. By doing these physical acts, however, the Master's apparent purpose was to strengthen the faith of the blind or deaf person, persons who were denied the ability to gain increased assurance and resultant faith by seeing his countenance or hearing his words.
27. Son of David] See Matt. 22:42.
29. According to your faith be it unto you] "He that hath faith in me to be healed, and is not appointed unto death, shall be healed. He who hath faith to see shall see. He who hath faith to hear shall hear. The lame who hath faith to leap shall leap." (D. & C. 42:48-51.)
34. See Matt. 12:22-30.
I. V. Matt. 9:36. Keep my commandments] Healed persons are obligated to repay Deity for his beneficent goodness to them, insofar as they can, by devoted service in his cause. They have no right to turn again to evil practices or former false beliefs. Such would make a mockery of the sacred power exercised in their behalf. Jesus was not going about healing people and leaving them free to continue in the ungodly practices and beliefs of the Jews. After being made whole by the Master Physician, the healed persons were obligated to keep the commandments, to join the Church of Jesus Christ, if they had not already done so, and to endure in righteousness to the end so that an eventual celestial inheritance would be assured.
Matt. 13:54. His own country] Nazareth of Galilee, where he had lived as a child and a young man, where he had learned a trade, where (in subjection to Joseph and Mary) he had gained the normal, wholesome experiences of mortality. Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?] These Nazarenes were witnesses against themselves. They had absolute knowledge that their fellow townsman excelled in wisdom and performed miraculous works beyond man's power; yet they rejected him.
55. His brethren] See Matt. 12:46-50.
57. See Luke 4:24.
Mark 6:3. The carpenter, the son of Mary] Jesus himself was a carpenter; he followed the trade of Joseph, his foster father. Among the Jews manual labor was honorable (as it should be among all men), and every male member of the Jewish community was expected to know a trade.
5. He could there do no mighty work] According to the eternal laws which Jesus himself ordained in eternity, miracles are the fruit of faith. Where there is faith, there will be signs, miracles, and gifts of the Spirit. Where there is no faith, these things cannot occur. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 242-248, 459-461.) The Master could not and would not violate his own law, and therefore most of his own townsmen were denied the blessings of his healing ministry. On the same basis men cannot be saved in their sins (Alma 11:37); the Lord has ordained the laws by which salvation and all good things come, and until obedience prepares the way, the promised blessings are withheld. (D. & C. 88:21-24; 130:20-21; 132:5.) Men can no more be saved without obedience than they can be healed without faith. All things operate by law; blessings result from obedience to law and are withheld when there is no obedience.
Matt. 9:35-38. Jesus was a missionary. He traveled among the people, teaching the doctrines of salvation and healing them both physically and spiritually. His ministry marked the course and set the pattern for the missionary labors of his servants of all succeeding ages. As the latter-day elders sing in the great missionary hymn, "Ye Elders of Israel":
We'll go to the poor, like our Captain of old, And visit the weary, the hungry, and cold; We'll cheer up their hearts with the news that he bore And point them to Zion and life evermore.
And as it was in his day, so it is in this -- the pressing need is for more laborers in the vineyard, more qualified elders to thrust in their sickles with their might and reap the harvest of waiting souls. "For there are many yet on the earth," the Prophet wrote, "among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it." (D. & C. 123:12.)
35. Preaching the gospel of the kingdom] See Matt. 4:17.
38. Lord of the harvest] The Father, he to whom prayers are addressed. "My Father is the husbandman." (John 15:1.)
Matt. 10:1. Twelve disciples] See Matt. 10:2-4.
5-6. In the providences of the Lord, the gospel, in the meridian of time, was offered first to the house of Israel and thereafter to the Gentiles. Jesus himself ministered primarily among his own kindred of the chosen seed. "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel," he said. (Matt. 15:24.) Missionaries sent forth during Jesus' mortal ministry were commanded to confine their labors to their wayward kindred of Jacob's lineage. Later, after our Lord's resurrection, they were to receive the commandment to carry the message of salvation to all men. (Mark 16:14-20.)
7. The kingdom of heaven is at hand] `The Church of Jesus Christ is here; it has been organized and established; it is the kingdom of God on earth; enter into it through the waters of baptism, and be ye saved.' Identically the same message is carried by the elders in this day: "Ye shall go forth baptizing with water, saying: Repent ye, repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (D. & C. 42:7; 33:9-11; 39:19-20.)
8. Freely ye have received, freely give] `Freely ye have received the gospel with all its attendant powers and graces, freely give them to all. Preaching for hire is an abomination. "Salvation is free" (2 Ne. 2:4) to all who will receive it. "Come, my brethren, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price."' (2 Ne. 9:50; Isa. 55:1.)
9-10. In keeping with the social customs of the day, Jesus sent his disciples out without purse or scrip. They were to dress modestly, carry no money, food, or extra clothing, have only one staff, and rely on the hospitality of the people for food, clothing, and shelter. Shoes (made in that day of soft leather) were forbidden as too luxurious; sandals (of more rugged construction) were approved. A purse was a girdle in which money was carried; scrip was a small bag or wallet used to carry provisions. Later Jesus revoked the requirement to rely on the hospitality of the people and commanded instead, "Now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip." (Luke 22:35-36.)
Similar but not wholly identical divine direction was given to missionaries in the early days of this dispensation. "Thou shalt take no purse nor scrip, neither staves, neither two coats," the Lord said, "for the church shall give unto thee in the very hour what thou needest for food and for raiment, and for shoes and for money, and for scrip." (D. & C. 24:18.) "It is expedient that I give unto you this commandment, that ye become even as my friends in days when I was with them, traveling to preach the gospel in my power; For I suffered them not to have purse or scrip, neither two coats. . . . Therefore, let no man among you, for this commandment is unto all the faithful who are called of God in the church unto the ministry, from this hour take purse or scrip, that goeth forth to proclaim this gospel of the kingdom." (D. & C. 84:77-78, 86.)
Acting through his duly appointed representatives on earth, the Lord has now withdrawn this requirement that all modern missionary work should be done by laborers who go forth without purse or scrip. Legal requirements, and different social, economic, and industrial circumstances, have made such a change necessary -- a fact which illustrates the need for continuous revelation so that the Lord's affairs on earth always may be conducted as befit the existing circumstances. Instead of relying for food, clothing, and shelter upon those to whom they are sent, missionaries are now expected to support themselves or be supported by their family or friends. There is, of course, no paid missionary force in the Lord's true Church.
11-15. The basic policies and procedures governing missionary work and the carrying of the message of salvation to the Father's other children are ever and always the same. By latter-day revelation the Lord has commanded: "In whatsoever place ye shall enter, and they receive you not in my name, ye shall leave a cursing instead of a blessing, by casting off the dust of your feet against them as a testimony, and cleansing your feet by the wayside." (D. & C. 24:15.)
"Let all those take their journey, as I have commanded them, going from house to house, and from village to village, and from city to city. And in whatsoever house ye enter, and they receive you, leave your blessing upon that house. And in whatsoever house ye enter, and they receive you not, ye shall depart speedily from that house, and shake off the dust of your feet as a testimony against them. And you shall be filled with joy and gladness; and know this, that in the day of judgment you shall be judges of that house, and condemn them; And it shall be more tolerable for the heathen in the day of judgment, than for that house; therefore, gird up your loins and be faithful, and ye shall overcome all things, and be lifted up at the last day." (D. & C. 75:18-22.)
"He that receiveth you not, go away from him alone by yourselves, and cleanse your feet even with water, pure water, whether in heat or in cold, and bear testimony of it unto your Father which is in heaven, and return not again unto that man. And in whatsoever village or city ye enter, do likewise. Nevertheless, search diligently and spare not; and wo unto that house, or that village or city that rejecteth you, or your words, or your testimony concerning me. Wo, I say again, unto that house, or that village or city that rejecteth you, or your words, or your testimony of me; For I, the Almighty, have laid my hands upon the nations, to scourge them for their wickedness." (D. & C. 84:92-96.)
10. The workman is worthy of his meat] See Luke 10:7.
13. Your peace] See Luke 10:5-6.
15. `It shall be more tolerable in the day of judgment, for heathen nations who had no opportunity to accept the gospel in this life, than for the more enlightened races who rejected the truths of salvation when such were offered to them.' "For of him unto whom much is given much is required; and he who sins against the greater light shall receive the greater condemnation." (D. & C. 82:3.)
Day of judgment] Day when all men shall be judged according to their works and awarded their place in the kingdoms which are prepared.
Mark 6:12. To preach repentance is to preach the gospel in its fulness, for it is through repentance that men accept the gospel, have their sins washed away, and get on the path leading to eternal life. The latter-day command, "Say nothing but repentance unto this generation" (D. & C. 6:9; 11:9), is tantamount to saying, `Preach my gospel to this generation.'
13. Anointed with oil] According to the revealed pattern, part of the ordinance of administering to the sick consists in anointing with consecrated oil. (Jas. 5:14-16; D. & C. 42:43-44; Mormon Doctrine, pp. 21-22.) In sending the apostles forth they were expressly commanded to conform to the proper form of the ordinance, as well as to exercise the faith needed for the successful performance of healings.
Luke 9:1. Gave them power and authority] Men become true ministers of Christ, not by their own choice, not because they desire to preach the gospel, not because they choose to go to a divinity school, but because they are called of God. "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you." (John 15:16.) Unless ministers receive power and authority from God, they do not have it; unless they receive the priesthood by the laying on of hands of those empowered so to act, they do not become legal administrators whose acts are binding on earth and in heaven.
"A man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands, by those who are in authority to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof." (Fifth Article of Faith.) To raise the dead, to cast out devils, to cure diseases, to heal the sick -- such things take the power of God. Among those who have the power of God these miracles are performed; and where they are not performed, there the power of God is not. Professing ministers without this power are false ministers.
Matt. 10:16. The Good Shepherd sends the lambs and sheep of his own fold out into the world to preach the gospel, out where evil men are as ravening wolves lying in wait to destroy them. Yet the sheep are not to court persecution or to seek martyrdom. They are, rather, to use every honorable device to avoid persecution, as Paul did when, to avoid scourging, he pleaded his Roman citizenship. (Acts 22.) As wise "servants" (I. V. Matt. 10:14), without giving cause for offense, the Lord's agents are to proceed, with his help, on his errand, carrying his message.
17. Scourge you in their synagogues] In Jesus' day the synagogues were literally houses of scourging. Three Jewish elders, sitting as a court, heard both secular and religious cases. Condemned persons were ofttimes scourged in the synagogue itself to the singing accompaniment of a Psalm. Thus, to be scourged in the synagogue is a figure of speech meaning to be persecuted by and at the instigation of false ministers of religion. Indeed, hypocritical priests, their satanic craft endangered by the spread of revealed truth, are at the root of nearly all persecution of the saints. Jesus and his apostles were scourged and slain at the instigation of Jewish priests whose corrupt beliefs they so vocally exposed. Sectarian ministers were and are the instigators and promoters of most of the mob violence against the saints in this day.
18. For a testimony against them] Though men may reject the teachings of the apostles and prophets concerning Jesus Christ and his gospel, yet those very teachings shall rise to condemn the unbelievers in the day of judgment. That is, the words of the apostles and prophets shall stand as a testimony against unbelievers at the judgment bar of Christ. (2 Ne. 33:10-14; Moro. 10:27-29, 34.) For instance, speaking of the divinity of the Book of Mormon, Moroni wrote: "And in the mouth of three witnesses shall these things be established; and the testimony of three, and this work, in the which shall be shown forth the power of God and also his word, of which the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost bear record -- and all this shall stand as a testimony against the world at the last day. . . . And now, if I have no authority for these things, judge ye; for ye shall know that I have authority when ye shall see me, and we shall stand before God at the last day." (Ether 5:4, 6.)
And the Gentiles] An intimation that in due course the apostles would carry the message of salvation to the Gentiles.
19. Take no thought how or what ye shall speak] Whether preaching the gospel while in bonds before kings and rulers, while in the congregations of the wicked, while assembled with the saints of God, or wherever the Lord's true ministers may be, they are subject to this decree: "Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man." (D. & C. 84:85.) One of the chief identifying characteristics of the Lord's true servants is that they speak forth divine truths "as they are moved upon by the Holy Ghost." (D. & C. 68:2-4.) False ministers, on the other hand, "teach with their learning, and deny the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance." (2 Ne. 28:4.)
21-22. Lucifer would slay every servant of God if he could. Accordingly, whenever he gains sufficient control over his mortal followers, he plants in their hearts the desire to slay the saints, even though this means that his followers shed the blood of their own kindred and family.
21. See Matt. 10:34-37.
22. He that endureth to the end shall be saved] Salvation is available to all men because of the atoning sacrifice of Christ. If he had not worked out the infinite and eternal atonement, men could gain neither immortality nor eternal life. Personal salvation results from "obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel." (Third Article of Faith.) To gain a celestial inheritance men must accept the gospel, have faith in Christ, repent of their sins, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and then endure in faith, devotion, and righteousness to the end of their lives. (D. & C. 20:29.) Belief alone, as so many of the sects of the day falsely suppose, is not enough. Nor does belief coupled with baptism and church membership suffice; these are the beginning, not the end, of the path leading to eternal life.
After baptism, as Nephi expressed it, "ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life. And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the Kingdom of God." (2 Ne. 31:20-21.)
23. So extensive is the labor of preaching the pure gospel that the Lord will come again to usher in the millennial reign before his servants have gone over the cities where the remnants of scattered Israel abide. When he comes, to complete the work, then "he shall send his angels before him with the great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together the remainder of his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." (Jos. Smith 1:37.)
Matt. 10:24-25a; Luke 6:40. The disciple who is as his master in enduring persecution for righteousness' sake (Matt. 10:24-25a) shall be as his Lord in eternity (Luke 6:40), that is, he shall be a joint-heir with Christ, receiving, inheriting, and possessing equally with him in the eternal family of the Father. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 238-240.)
Matt. 10:25b. Missionaries should expect hatred, persecution, revilings, opposition. If the Lord himself, whose every act manifested the power of God, was hated and reviled, what can his servants of lesser power and ability expect? Beelzebub] A name-title for the devil, this was one of the most opprobrious epithets the Jews could hurl at anyone.
26-28. Those who preach the gospel are to do so boldly, without timidity or trepidation, not fearing the face of man, but with the courage of their convictions and in the fervor of their testimonies. "Use boldness, but not overbearance," Alma said. (Alma 38:10-12.) Truths learned in the day of preparation and schooling are to be broadcast from the housetops, even though these teachings reveal the wickedness of the secret acts of men. "For verily the voice of the Lord is unto all men, and there is none to escape; and there is no eye that shall not see, neither ear that shall not hear, neither heart that shall not be penetrated. And the rebellious shall be pierced with much sorrow; for their iniquities shall be spoken upon the housetops, and their secret acts shall be revealed." (D. & C. 1:2-3; 88:108-110.)
28. True, some of the Lord's agents shall be slain for their testimonies, but even so, why fear the wicked? They can only kill the body, not the soul. "And whoso layeth down his life in my cause, for my name's sake, shall find it again, even life eternal. Therefore, be not afraid of your enemies, for I have decreed in my heart, saith the Lord, that I will prove you in all things, whether you will abide in my covenant, even unto death, that you may be found worthy." (D. & C. 98:13-14.)
Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell] Deity, not the devil. It is the Lord alone who has power to thrust men down to hell so that in the eternal sense their souls are destroyed.
Destroy] See Matt. 7:13-14.
30. The very hairs of your head are all numbered] Not a mere figurative expression, but a literal, actual fact. So scientific and accurate is the divine accounting that in the resurrection "even a hair of the head shall not be lost." (Alma 40:23.)
Those who accept the gospel and live its standards are blessed with peace in this life and eternal life in the world to come. They gain a personal, inner, spiritual peace -- "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding" (Philip. 4:7), the peace which is the unfailing inheritance of every righteous person. (D. & C. 59:23; John 14:27.) But as far as men generally are concerned, peace has been taken from the earth; Satan has gained dominion over the hearts of worldly men; and there shall be no permanent, enduring peace among nations and kindreds until the Prince of Peace establishes it as part of his millennial reign. (D. & C. 1:35; 63:32-35; John 16:33; Mormon Doctrine, pp. 507-508.)
When honest truth seekers accept the gospel, they forsake the world and gain its hatred. The sword of persecution, of domestic dissension, and of family bitterness is often unsheathed by their closest relatives. Thousands of devout converts, in this dispensation alone, have been driven from their homes and denied their temporal inheritances, for accepting Joseph Smith and the pure, primitive gospel restored through his instrumentality.
False churches have frequently sought to justify their ungodly courses by reference to our Lord's statement that he came not to bring peace, but a sword. It is, for instance, a wicked heresy to suppose such things as:
(1) That war is approved of God because only through war can lasting peace come
(2) That Deity, as a means of bringing to pass his purposes by force, approves so-called "holy wars" (as the crusades of the middle ages); and
(3) That the true gospel can be spread by the sword (as Cortez falsely supposed he was doing when he enforced Catholicism upon the natives of Mexico).
Luke 12:49. `I am come to send the flames of turmoil and persecution, the burning agony of family discord, wherever my gospel is preached in the world; and, lo, this fire is already kindled on every hand.'
50. `But do not be perturbed, for even I have a baptism of blood and death to be baptized with, for my own familiar friend shall lift up his hand against me, one of my own official church family shall betray me; and what a burdensome pressure and responsibility rests upon me until I have accomplished this very mission and ordeal for which I came into the world.'
Matt. 10:38. A criminal condemned to be crucified was forced to carry his cross to the site of crucifixion. By referring to this practice Jesus is indicating the kind of death he will die, as well as teaching his disciples that to be worthy of him, they must be willing to follow their Lord even to martyrdom. In a figurative sense men take up their cross and follow Christ when they shoulder any grievous burdens placed on their shoulders because of the cause of righteousness.
39. He who seeketh to escape persecution and thus save his life by rejecting Christ and his gospel shall lose life eternal, while he who is slain for righteousness' sake shall inherit eternal life. (D. & C. 98:13-14.)
40. Christ and his servants can no more be separated than can the Father and the Son. To accept one is to accept the other. No one can believe in Christ as the Son of God without also believing that Peter, James, and John were the apostles who bore record of him. Similarly, those who accept Christ in the full sense today must believe that Joseph Smith is his revealer and prophet for the final dispensation.
"They who receive this priesthood receive me, saith the Lord; For he that receiveth my servants receiveth me; And he that receiveth me receiveth my Father; And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father's kingdom." (D. & C. 84:35-38.) "Whosoever receiveth my word receiveth me, and whosoever receiveth me, receiveth those, the First Presidency, whom I have sent." (D. & C. 112:20.)
41. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet] He that receiveth a prophet for what he actually is, who receives him as a mouthpiece of Deity, one who teaches and commands in the name of his Master. Christ, the chief and greatest Prophet, for instance, must be received as the literal Son of God, not merely as a great moral teacher.
A prophet's reward, . . . a righteous man's reward] Exaltation in the highest heaven of the celestial world. By accepting prophets in the full sense, accepting them for what they are, accepting them by obeying their teachings, men are saved.
42. These little ones] An endearing designation for the apostles, or for any who are called out of the world and joined with the congregation of the Lord's own peculiar people. (D. & C. 121:19.) A cup of cold water] Even the smallest service rendered to one of the Lord's chosen one -- "because ye belong to Christ" -- shall not go unrewarded.
Sin begets sin, and often one evil act becomes father to another more wicked than the first. Even though Herod feared and respected John as a just and holy man, yet, bound by the chains of his own adulterous and incestuous relationship with Herodias, he was unable to resist the pressure leading to the arrest, imprisonment, and murder of the Lord's forerunner.
Even legal killings sometimes rank as murder. Though covered with the cloak of legality, they are morally and ethically indefensible; those who authorize them stand condemned before the eternal judgment bar. Whatever the legal pretext (and none is noted by the gospel authors as having been claimed), Herod's command to slay John classed the sin laden tyrant as a murder.
As for John, having been valiant in bearing testimony of his Lord, he now won for himself a martyr's crown. Sealing his testimony with his own blood, he went on to peace and rest in the paradise of God, while evil Antipas sank deeper in the mire of remorse and bitterness of soul.
And now John, raised in glorious immortality, has ministered again among mortals, conferring that holy Levitical Order of which he held the keys in time's meridian.
Matt. 14:6. Herod] Herod Antipas (tetrarch of Galilee and Perea), son of Herod the Great. Herodias] Niece of Herod Antipas and originally the wife of Herod Phillip, half-brother of Antipas, by whom she was persuaded to leave her first husband. Herod Antipas' subsequent marriage to Herodias was in flagrant violation of the Mosaic law which expressly provided, "If a man shall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing." (Lev. 20:21; 18:16.)
8. A charger] A dish.
1-2. Conscious smitten and superstitious by nature, and be -- ginning to suffer the remorse and torment of a damned soul, Herod was ready to believe any wild rumor, even that John the Baptist had risen from the dead and was performing mighty works.
Mark 6:23. Unto the half of my kingdom] A rhetorical expression not intended to be taken literally.
Why did Jesus feed the five thousand?
(1) For the obvious reason that they were hungry, fainting for want of temporal food, and there was none available for them. They had left their camps and villages to hear his word, and now it was his design to supply their temporal needs also. On this same basis, if the servants of God, while on the Lord's errand, have done all they can to supply their own wants, they are entitled, in faith, to expect their Lord to supply them manna from heaven or whatever else their straightened circumstances may require.
(2) As a testimony and witness that he was the Son of God, the promised Messiah, the Lord Omnipotent, the Creator of all things from the beginning. That the assembled hosts so understood his beneficent act is evidenced by their acclamation, "This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world." (John 6:14.) Because there is not and cannot be a natural explanation of this act of pure creation, this miracle not only bears record of our Lord's divinity, but is considered by many to be a miracle of transcendent significance. And so, perhaps, it is. But why should it be deemed a thing incredible that he whose words caused worlds to come rolling into existence should speak to the elements and cause loaves and fishes to multiply?
(3) Further, Jesus performed this miracle as a setting for one of his strongest and deepest recorded discourses -- the Sermon on the Bread of Life. The providing of temporal food to sustain mortal life was but prelude to teaching that men must eat spiritual bread to gain eternal life.
Mark 6:30-33. Jesus met the apostles, apparently in Capernaum; heard the reports of their ministries; learned of the death of John the Baptist; and then, in need of rest and leisure, traveled by boat across the northern part of the Sea of Galilee to a solitary area near Bethsaida, there to be met again by the journeying hosts enroute to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.
Luke 9:11. Spake unto them of the kingdom of God] Jesus taught them the gospel: he presented to them those laws and ordinances by conformity to which they could gain an inheritance in the celestial world.
Mark 6:39-40. There was nothing informal or unorganized about our Lord's planning or performance. The assembled hosts were seated in a systematic way by companies and in ranks. His beneficence was not promiscuous largess scattered to a mob. Rather he was providing necessary and otherwise unavailable food to an inquiring congregation of hearers. Then too, there was to be no question left in anyone's mind as to what actually took place. The apostles were to distribute the loaves and fishes in an orderly way, treating all with fairness and impartiality. Luke 9:16. Jesus blessed the loaves and fishes, not to cause them to multiply, but to set a pattern of thanksgiving for his disciples. (John 6:11.) In performing miracles it was not his wont to ask the Father to do the deed; rather, as evidence of his own power and divine Sonship, he spoke in his own name and heaven and earth obeyed his commands. In conformity with the pattern here set, it is proper for devout persons to give frequent thanks for their daily bread and to covenant to use the strength derived from it in righteous works.
John 6:12. Gather up the fragments, that nothing be lost] An object lesson in economy and the wise use of the temporal bounties so graciously bestowed by an omnipotent Deity. True the Incarnate Creator had but to speak and food and all needful things would be immediately at hand. But waste is sin. And his grace and compassion having been manifest, now the Twelve must make wise use of the excess food he had provided.
13. Twelve baskets] Traveling Jews, as part of their luggage, carried baskets, containers for their provisions. The dozen baskets here used presumably were part of the equipage of the Twelve.
Matt. 14:22-23. Apparently the disciples hesitated to leave him alone with the multitude, even as the multitude was reluctant to leave him and return to the camps and villages. Rather, valuing his power to supply their temporal wants above his ability to feed them spiritually and lead them to eternal life, they sought to make him king by force. (John 6:15.)
Mark 6:46. How often we find Jesus -- the Great Exemplar -- communing with his Father in secret prayer!
Why did Jesus walk on the water and then quell the storm?
(1) To reach the boat, keep a planned rendevous with the apostles, and save them in their hour of despair and physical exhaustion.
(2) To teach again by concrete means, under circumstances where no natural explanation could spiritualize the miracle away, that faith is a principle of power by which natural forces are controlled. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 242-248.)
(3) To bear testimony that he was indeed the promised Messiah, the Son of God, the Incarnate Word, who though made flesh to fulfil the Father's purposes, yet had resident in him the powers of divinity. Here in the boat with weak mortals was he "who hath gathered the wind in his fists, who hath bound the waters in a garment" (Prov. 30:4), he who "spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea." (Job 9:8.) And that the disciples knew him for what he was, and saw in this renewed manifestation of his power the proof of his eternal godhood, is evident from the fact that they then worshiped him and acclaimed, "Of a truth thou art the Son of God." (Matt. 14:33.)
John 6:16-17. Leaving the rural area near Bethsaida, where Jesus had fed five thousand and more with five loaves and two fishes, the apostles started by boat "toward Capernaum." Their plan was to meet Jesus again enroute, apparently at the city of Bethsaida (Mark 6:45), so that he also could continue the journey by boat. But a sudden and violent storm arose, kept the boat from shore, and would have prevented the scheduled meeting had not Jesus come to them walking on the water.
Matt. 14:25. In the fourth watch of the night] According to the Roman system, which the Jews had then adopted, the night was divided into four watches of three hours each, the first beginning at six p.m. Thus it was sometime between three and six a.m. when Jesus came to succor his weary followers.
John 6:19. They had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs] Unable to sail against the head wind, and knowing that any attempt to sail with it would have invited a disastrous wreck, the disciples had kept themselves afloat and traveled only some three and a half miles in eight or ten hours. A furlong is one hundred and twenty paces or an eighth of a mile.
Jesus walking on the sea] Literally on the surface of the raging waves, walking as easily and ably as he ever walked the streets of his own city of Capernaum.
Matt. 14:26. It is a spirit] See Luke 24:36-48.
27. Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid] How perfect this salutation! not alone for the weary and despairing disciples, but for all the storm tossed voyagers of life, all who toil in faith through the turbulent waters, all who need the steadying hand of the now unseen Master.
28-32. Peter also walked on the water. True, frightened by the boisterous wind, his confidence weakened, and he began to sink. But in faith he had walked forth amid the unruly waves, and reassured by the Master's hand, the chief apostle had returned to the boat walking on the sea.
John 6:21. They willingly received him into the ship] Supposing him to be a spirit, they at first had been terrified at his approach, but now, recognizing him as their Lord, they willingly, yea anxiously, received him into the ship.
Matt. 14:32. The wind ceased] "Peace, be still." (Mark 4:39.) Again by his miraculous power, Jesus stills a storm.
33. Thou are the Son of God] This is the first time in the Synoptic Gospels, as now recorded, that men apply this title to Jesus. Long before, as recorded by John, Nathaneal had made a similar affirmation. (John 1:49.)
Mark 6:51-52. Why were the hearts of the apostles hardened with unbelief, wonder, and amazement to see Jesus walk on the sea and again calm a raging storm? Had they not just seen five loaves and two fishes feed five thousand men besides women and children? The answer is found in the fact that the chosen disciples had not yet received the gift of the Holy Ghost. Though they were all pillars of spiritual strength and righteousness, save Judas only, yet "the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God." (1 Cor. 2:11.) Until the natural man becomes a new creature of the Holy Ghost, until man is born again, until his stony heart is touched by the Spirit of the living God, he cannot, by any power of his own, stand sure and steadfast in the cause of truth.
John 6:21. Immediately the ship was at the land whither they went] Contrasted with the laborious toil and slow progress of the night, it now seemed as though the boat hastened of itself. At the moment of their deepest peril, the Master had spoken peace to their troubled souls, and now their perils and fears had vanished and their destination was at hand.
Mark 6:53. They came into the land of Gennesaret] This region -- a rich, fertile, and productive plain -- extended southward along the western shore of the Sea of Galilee from Capernaum on the north to the region around Magdala and Tiberias. Though having set out for Capernaum, apparently because of the storm, Jesus and the apostles landed somewhat south of that city. It was while traveling northward to Capernaum that the sick and diseased from the cities, villages, and whole region of Gennesaret were brought to him to be healed. This day his grace and goodness were bounteously manifested. Truly but few of his healings and miracles find place in recorded writ.
Matt. 14:36. Touch the hem of his garment] Perhaps they had knowledge of the woman who, plagued for twelve years with an issue of blood, had been healed by touching the hem of his garment (Mark 5:25-34); perhaps they considered the garment fringe as holy because of the divine command that garments be bordered in blue so that all Israel might "look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them" (Num. 15:37-41); or perhaps, overpowered in the divine presence, they sought even the slightest and least physical contact with him. But in any event, so great was their faith that all partook of his infinite goodness and were healed.
John 6:22-24. On the day following the miracle of the loaves and fishes, the multitude (knowing the disciples had taken the only available boat and yet finding Jesus unaccountably absent) hailed other boats coming from Tiberias and thus made their way to Capernaum in search of him.
25-26. What a contrast between those in the land of Gennesaret who believed and were healed and those who, meeting Jesus in Capernaum, sought him merely because of the loaves and fishes! One group, through faith, accepted the gospel and came into his kingdom, as we may confidently suppose; the other, thinking chiefly of their hungry bellies, were fed once with temporal food and went ever thereafter spiritually hungry.
27. Metaphorical expressions of eating and drinking spiritual truths were as common among the Jews as they are today. We speak, for instance, of "devouring" a book, or of "drinking in" the words of a sermon. Everlasting life] See John 17:3. Son of man] See Matt. 16:13.
Him hath God the Father sealed] Him hath God the Father marked out or authenticated as his only Son; that is, he is the One, chosen, appointed, and openly approved (by unnumbered signs and evidences) to give the spiritual meat which endureth to everlasting life, for he is the Son of that holy Man who is the Father.
The sense and meaning of this abbreviated account of our Lord's great discourse and discussion on the Bread of Life is:
28. `Then said they unto him, You say that God is your Father, that he hath sealed you, that he hath openly and publicly presented you as the Messiah; well then, assuming such is the case (which, mind you, we do only for purposes of inquiry), what is it that you expect us to do about it? What shall we do to work the works of him who you say is your Father? If he is your Father (a claim we do not seriously countenance), then surely there is some special message he would have you deliver. Prove your claim of divine Sonship by delivering the message.'
29. `Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the message of the Father, this is what he would have all men do: Believe in me; believe that I am the Son of God; believe that I came forth from the Father; believe that I am the promised Messiah, the King of Israel, the Deliverer, your Redeemer, Lord, and Savior. Believe that the Father sent me to do his will, and show that you believe by obeying the laws and ordinances of my gospel.'
30-31. `They said therefore unto him, We cannot accept your claim of divine Sonship unless you show us some great sign. True, you fed five thousand and more of us yesterday near Bethsaida with five loaves and two fishes, but surely you won't claim that as proof of the exalted claim to divinity which you now make. Why Moses, who was a man and not a god, fed millions of our fathers daily for forty years with manna from heaven. His miracle far exceeded yours of yesterday. Surely, if you are the Son of God, as you say, you will do some great work so we may believe on thee. Yea, we challenge your claim of divinity by asking, What miraculous work dost thou do?'
32-33. `Then Jesus said unto them, With all force and solemnity, I tell you that ye do err. It was not Moses who gave you that bread from heaven; rather, it was I, the God of Israel; and further, that ancient manna, as used by your fathers, supplied only their temporal needs; they ate daily and hungered daily. But now my Father giveth you the enduring, spiritual bread from heaven, that bread of which men may eat and never hunger more. This bread which my Father giveth is his own Son who was with him in the beginning, who cometh down from heaven, and who offers eternal life to all men.'
34. `Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this spiritual bread, this bread which will feed not our bodies only but our souls also; yea, give us this bread of which we may eat and never hunger more, so that we may press forward and gain eternal life.'
35. `And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life; I am the living manna sent down by the Father; I am come to feed you spiritually. He that cometh to me, and obeyeth my gospel, shall be fed spiritually; yea, he shall never hunger more; and he that believeth that I am the Son of God, sent down from the Father, shall find in my gospel rivers of living water from which to drink and quench his spiritual thirst; yea, he shall drink and never thirst more.'
36. `And now, why say ye, Evermore give us this spiritual food and drink, for I have already offered it unto you, and you received it not; yea, though ye have heard my words and even seen my miracles, yet ye have not believed that I am he through whom salvation cometh.'
37. `Nevertheless, all those among you who believe in me and my words, and who obey my law, have been given to me by my Father; and such shall come unto me and be fed spiritually; yea, the invitation is to all, and none are denied: if men will come unto me, they shall in no wise be cast out.' (2 Ne. 26:33.)
38. `For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of my Father who sent me.' (3 Ne. 27:13-16.)
39. `And this is the Father's will who hath sent me, that I should work out the infinite and eternal atonement, so that all men shall be raised in immortality at the last day; yea, it is his will that all should come forth from the grave and that none should be lost.'
40. `And this also is the will of the Father who sent me, that everyone who receiveth me as the Son of God, and who believeth that I am the Christ, and who obeyeth the laws and ordinances of my gospel, enduring in righteousness to the end, shall have everlasting life; yea, it is his will that all such shall come forth in the resurrection of the just, raised in immortality and unto eternal life.' (D. & C. 29:43-44.)
From the continuation of the account of Jesus' conversations with the Jews relative to the Bread of Life, we gain the following in sense and meaning:
41. `The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the living bread, the bread which came down from heaven, even the Son of God who was in heaven with the Father, but who is now come down to feed men spiritually.'
42. `And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he be the Son of God when as all men know he was born of Mary, and Joseph is his father? How is it then that he claims to have come down from heaven and to be the Son of God?'
43. `Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves, and seek not to justify your unbelief in me as the Son of God by the claim that my Father is a mortal person.' 44. `But rather know this: No man can come unto me, and receive me as the Son of God, except he doeth the will of my Father who hath sent me; and ye do not the will of the Father for ye neither keep his commandments nor believe my sayings. And this is the will of the Father who hath sent me, that ye receive the Son as the living bread which came down from heaven, that ye believe his gospel, join his Church, and abide in the truths which he teacheth. And the Father beareth record of the Son, by his own voice out of heaven, and by the Comforter who shall dwell in the hearts of the faithful; and he who receiveth the testimony, and doeth the will of the Father who sent me, I will raise up in the resurrection of the just, and he shall have eternal life in that kingdom where my Father and I reign.'
45. `But ye receive not my Father, and shall not be found in his kingdom, for no man can receive the Father except he first receive the Son whom the Father hath sent. And ye shall be condemned by your own prophets, for they have written of the righteous, And they shall all be taught by God. Now ye are not taught by God, neither do ye know him, nor his truths, nor his laws, for ye receive not him whom the Father hath sent into the world. Every man therefore that heareth and believeth the words of the Son shall thereby come unto the Father also, and such shall be taught by the Holy Spirit sent forth from God to bear record of the Father and the Son.'
46. `Think not because the prophets have written of the righteous, And they shall all be taught of God, that ye shall see him or be taught by him, except ye repent and believe in the Son. For no man shall see the Father except the Son and he to whom the Son shall reveal him; yea, only those who are born of God shall see the Father, for no others can enter his presence.'
47. `Solemnly and soberly I say unto you, He that believeth in me as the very Son of God, and who receiveth my gospel, obeying all the laws and ordinances thereof, and who endureth in righteousness and truth unto the end, behold, he shall have everlasting life, which is exaltation in my Father's kingdom.'
48-51. `I am the bread of everlasting life, even that spiritual bread of which men must eat to gain everlasting life. This spiritual bread is that which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof and not die spiritually, which spiritual death is to be cast out of the presence of the Lord and to die as pertaining to things of righteousness. True, your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, but they are dead, for this manna satisfied their temporal hunger only; it was not that spiritual bread of which men may eat and gain spiritual or eternal life. But I am the living bread, even the Son of God who came down from the Father in heaven. If any man shall eat of this spiritual bread, he shall live forever in that, being born again, he shall be spiritually alive in this world and inherit eternal life, which is spiritual life in the presence of the Father, in the world to come. And to eat the living bread is to accept me as the Son of God and to obey my commandments. And this living bread, which I shall give unto all who believe in me and obey my law, is my own flesh, in that it shall be because of my atoning sacrifice and temporal death that men shall have power to eat of the living bread and gain eternal life. Therefore say I unto you, I will give my flesh for the life of the world.'
How do men eat the Lord's flesh and drink his blood? Is this literal or figurative? Does it have reference to the sacrament of the Lord's Supper or to something else?
In these words about eating his flesh and drinking his blood, Jesus reaches the climax of his great discourse on the Bread of Life. Since he is the Bread of Life (meaning the Son of God), which came down from the Father, and since men must eat this spiritual bread in order to gain salvation, it follows that eternal life is gained only by eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of God, or in other words, eternal life is gained only by accepting Jesus as the Christ and keeping his commandments.
To eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of God is, first, to accept him in the most literal and full sense, with no reservation whatever, as the personal offspring in the flesh of the Eternal Father; and, secondly, it is to keep the commandments of the Son by accepting his gospel, joining his Church, and enduring in obedience and righteousness unto the end. Those who by this course eat his flesh and drink his blood shall have eternal life, meaning exaltation in the highest heaven of the celestial world. Speaking of ancient Israel, for instance, Paul says: They "did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." (1 Cor. 10:3-4.)
In the waters of baptism the saints take upon themselves the name of Christ (that is, they accept him fully and completely as the Son of God and the Savior of men), and they then covenant to keep his commandments and obey his laws. (Mosiah 18:7-10.) To keep his saints in constant remembrance of their obligation to accept and obey him -- or in other words, to eat his flesh and drink his blood -- the Lord has given them the sacramental ordinance. This ordinance, performed in remembrance of his broken flesh and spilled blood, is the means provided for men, formally and repeatedly, to assert their belief in the divinity of Christ, and to affirm their determination to serve him and keep his commandments; or, in other words, in this ordinance -- in a spiritual, but not a literal sense -- men eat his flesh and drink his blood. Hence, after instituting the sacramental ordinance among the Nephites, Jesus commanded: "Ye shall not suffer any one knowingly to partake of my flesh and blood unworthily, when ye shall minister it; For whoso eateth and drinketh my flesh and blood unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to his soul; therefore if ye know that a man is unworthy to eat and drink of my flesh and blood ye shall forbid him." (3 Ne. 18:25-29.)
52. How can this man give us his flesh to eat?] This querulous, unbelieving attitude on the part of the Jews was, not only wholly unwarranted, but from Jewish lips it bordered on absurdity. Probably no people in all history understood better or had made more extensive use of symbolical and figurative language than they had. Further, Jesus had just taught them the doctrine of the Bread of Life. For them to pretend not to know that eating the flesh of Jesus meant accepting him as the Son of God and obeying his words could only mean that they were wilfully closing their eyes to the truth. Their lack of spiritual understanding was comparable to that of modern sectarians who profess to find in our Lord's statements, about eating and drinking his own flesh and blood, justification for the false doctrine of transubstantiation.
In substance and effect Jesus then said to the Jews:
53. `Solemnly and soberly I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of God, and drink his blood, by accepting me and my mission and obeying my gospel, ye have no spiritual life in you, but rather are spiritually dead and are not born again.'
54. `Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood -- by accepting me, keeping my commandments, and enduring unto the end -- shall have eternal life; and I will raise him up in the resurrection of the just to an inheritance of exaltation in my Father's kingdom.'
55. `For my flesh is spiritual meat indeed, and my blood is spiritual drink indeed.'
56. `He that spiritually eateth my flesh by accepting me as the Son of God, and spiritually drinketh my blood by keeping all my commandments, by the power of the Holy Spirit, he shall dwell in me and I in him; yea, we shall then be one, in that we are perfectly united in character, perfections, and attributes; we shall then have the same mind and the same judgment in all things.' (1 Cor. 1:10; 2:16.)
57. `As the living Father, who himself hath spiritual and eternal life, hath sent me; and as I have spiritual life and shall have eternal life because I keep my Father's commandments; so he that spiritually eateth me by keeping my commandments, even he shall gain spiritual life and eternal life because of me and my atoning sacrifice.'
58. `These things which I have told you are the true doctrine of the Bread of Life, that bread which came down from heaven. This true bread from heaven is not, as you falsely supposed, that manna which your fathers (who are dead) ate to sustain themselves temporally, for he that eateth of this true bread from heaven shall have spiritual and eternal life forever.'
By the simple expedient of teaching strong doctrine to the hosts who followed him, Jesus was able to separate the chaff from the wheat and choose out those who were worthy of membership in his earthly kingdom. Before entering the synagogue in Capernaum to preach his great discourse on the Bread of Life, Jesus was at the height of his popularity. Great multitudes of the common people followed him gladly; more than five thousand sympathizers had just sought to take him by force and make him king. For some two and a half years he had traveled, preached, and taught through -- out all Palestine. At his command disciples had gone forth teaching his doctrine and testifying that he was the promised Messiah. All men knew of his message and miracles; his doctrine was discussed in every synagogue; his gospel was heralded from the housetops. The seeds, so profusely planted, had sprouted and grown; and now the time had arrived to begin to separate the chaff from the wheat, to test the faith of his disciples, to learn who, following him at all hazards, were worthy of him. Unable to believe and accept his strong and plain assertions about eating his flesh and drinking his blood, even many classified as disciples fell away. And this process of sifting, trial, and testing was to continue with increasing intensity for the final climactic year of his mortal ministry.
This testing and shifting process has ever been part of the Lord's system. Men have been placed on earth to be tried and tested, "to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them." (Abra. 3:25.) After they accept the gospel and join the Church, this testing process continues, indeed, is often intensified. "I have decreed in my heart, saith the Lord, that I will prove you in all things, whether you will abide in my covenant, even unto death, that you may be found worthy. For if ye will not abide in my covenant ye are not worthy of me." (D. & C. 98:14-15.)
In this dispensation, the promulgation of the law of plural marriage had an effect similar to the presentation of the doctrine of the Bread of Life in the meridian dispensation. Opposition from without the Church increased, while some unstable members of the kingdom itself found themselves unable to accept the fulness of the revealed program of the Lord. There were many important reasons why the Lord revealed the doctrine of plurality of wives. But if plural marriage had served no other purpose than to sift the chaff from the wheat, than to keep the unstable and semi-faithful people from the fulness of gospel blessings, it would have been more than justified.
After his discourse on the Bread of Life, Jesus and his disciples had the following discussion, in substance and effect:
60. `Many therefore of his disciples, who believed in him and had been baptized into his kingdom, when they heard this sermon on the Bread of Life said, This is too much for us to believe. True, we have seen your miracles and believed that God hath chosen you as a great prophet, even as he chose Moses. But now thou makest thyself greater than Moses and all the prophets; thou settest thyself up as the living manna of which men must eat to gain salvation. This is an hard saying; who can hear it?'
61-65. `When Jesus heard that his disciples murmured and manifest unbelief at his doctrine, he said unto them, Doth this plain statement of my position as the Son of God offend you? If ye cannot accept this testimony of my divinity and mission, what would ye think if I should show you my ascension to the Father? for there are some who shall see the Son of God ascend up where he was before. But know this: All these things which I have spoken unto you are spiritual and lead to eternal life, and they can only be understood by those who are spiritually enlightened. The Spirit must quicken your understanding if you are to comprehend the things of God. No man by his own intellect and reason can understand the things of the Spirit; the wisdom of the world, standing alone, profiteth nothing in comprehending the things of God. And there are some among you who rely on your own wisdom rather than the whisperings of the Spirit, and as a consequence some of you believe not my words. (For Jesus had spiritual insight and revelation and knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and also who should betray him.) And he said, It was for this reason that I said unto you, that no man can come unto me, except he doeth the will of my Father who hath sent me, for only those who do the will of my Father by keeping the commandments can receive the Spirit which shall bear record to them that all things which I have said about myself are true.'
68. To whom shall we go?] Not only did Peter bear inspired testimony as to the divinity of his Master, but with perfect logic he showed the utter futility of leaving the true spiritual bread to eat at other tables. It is the absolute right of every accountable person who will do the will of the Father to gain by personal revelation a testimony of the divinity of the Lord's work on earth. Those who gain such testimonies, and who then leave the Church, never again find peace of mind. Apostates never prosper spiritually. The Spirit of the Lord withdraws from them, and they sink into spiritual oblivion where there is no light and revelation, no guidance from on high, and where none of the gifts of the Spirit are made manifest.
70-71. Peter professed to speak for all of the Twelve, but Jesus knew that one of them was a traitor who had sold himself to Lucifer, thereby becoming "a devil" himself, as it were.
Mark 7:1. Because "the Jews sought to kill him" (John 7:1), Jesus did not go to Jerusalem to the third Passover occuring during the period of his ministry. Hence we find the rulers of the Jews sending a delegation of Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem to Capernaum to watch and find fault with him.
3. Tradition of the elders] Rabbinical ordinances and interpretations were added to the Mosaic law by the scribes and teachers over the years. These traditions were actually and formally deemed to be more important and have greater binding force than the law itself. Among them, as supposed guards against ceremonial uncleanness, were the ritualistic washings which Jesus and his disciples had ignored.
This same process of transforming truth into traditions -- of changing the law of God into "the doctrines and commandments of men" (I. V. Mark 7:7), by the interpretations and additions of uninspired teachers -- is precisely what took place in the great apostasy of the Christian Era. To the pure and simple doctrines of Christ, the scribes and priests of early Christendom added such things as: selling indulgences, which freed the wicked from past sins and authorized them to commit future crimes without divine penalty; forgiving sins (supposedly) through repeated and perfunctory confessions; praying departed persons out of purgatory; burning candles for the dead; praying to Mary or other so-called saints, rather than to the Lord; worshiping of images; turning of sacramental emblems into the literal flesh and blood of Jesus (transubstantiation); laying up a reservoir of good works in heaven which the so-called Church can sell to those who need them (supererogation); sacrificing Jesus over again in the mass; forbidding priests and other church officials to marry; doing penance to gain forgiveness of sins; adorning houses of worship with costly materials; wearing of expensive robes and costumes by priests and other church officers; using elaborate ministerial titles; augmenting the Church treasury by gambling; and so forth.
All these, and many other like traditions, are counted of more importance by some than the law of God as originally given by the Master. Indeed, the so-called Christian Church today is founded in large part on the traditions of the "elders" rather than on the revelations of heaven.
11. It is Corban] God had commanded Israel, "Honour thy father and thy mother" (Ex. 20:12), which included caring for their temporal needs, but according to the rabbinical teachings, a wealthy son could say to destitute parents, "It is Corban," and thus be free of his obligation to support them. Originally this had meant, in effect, `My property is Corban or has been pledged or given to God, and therefore it cannot be used to support you in your poverty.' Then the selfish son could continue to use his property as long as he lived. But by Jesus' day the practice and teaching was so corrupt that Corban meant merely to take a vow; and so by saying, "It is Corban," the son meant, `I have vowed not to support you'; and so he was free of the command to honor his parents, for according to "the tradition of the elders," it was more important to keep his vow than obey God and honor his parents.
Matt. 15:7-9. This quotation from Isaiah (Isa. 29:13), describing perfectly as it did the apostate condition of the Jews, was also the one used by Lord Jesus when he appeared in glory with his Father, to Joseph Smith in the Spring of 1820, to usher in the dispensation of the fulness of times. (Jos. Smith 2:19.) Isaiah's prophecy, though applicable to the Jews, was spoken with particular and specific reference to the latter-day conditions which were to precede the final restoration of the gospel. As with so many ancient prophecies, these words of Isaiah are subject to the law of dual fulfillment. In both instances our Lord gave a substance rather than a verbatim quotation.
9. In vain they do worship me] There is no salvation in worship as such, even though it be directed to the true God; worship based on false principles is in vain. Men may worship Deity their whole life long, according to their traditions and rituals, and never gain true faith, forgiveness of sin, or sanctifying grace. Worship leads to salvation only when it conforms to the revealed, divine pattern, only when it is based on the rock foundation of eternal truth. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." (Matt. 7:21.) There is no salvation in false worship.
I. V. Mark 7:10-11. By professing to believe in the prophets, while in practice rejecting their teachings, the Jews were in reality rejecting the prophets. Thus, those Jews were placing themselves in the same position which their fathers occupied when those fathers slew the prophets; and so the blood of the prophets would be required at the hands of the Jews and their fathers, for both rejected them. Similarly, some today, by rejecting the teachings of the ancient apostles and prophets, are classifying themselves as people who would have slain the holy men of old, and so the blood of the true martyrs of religion shall be upon them.
Matt. 15:12-13. It is as though Jesus had said: `If these false ministers are offended because I preach the truth, let them take offense. I have more important things to do than worry about their feelings. They are corrupt and apostate, and in due course shall be rooted out by the very truths which I now declare.'
14. Let them alone] There is no profit in debating or quarreling with false ministers who are steeped in tradition, whose deeds are evil, and who are affirmatively trying to prevent the spread of gospel truth.
Mark 7:19. Purging all meats] Or, as per the marginal reading, "This he said, making all meats clean." In other words, Peter -- who received the divine command to eat meat which had been unclean according to Mosaic standards (Acts 10) -- speaking through Mark, his scribe, is showing that Jesus here revealed that the old prohibitions as to eating certain meats was ended.
22. An evil eye] "The lust of the eyes." (1 John 2:16.) That is, evils or lusts of any sort which are born or fostered by what is seen with the eye. For instance, "Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." (Matt. 5:28. )
I. V. Mark 7:22. In search of rest and seclusion, and desiring respite from the increasing persecution of the Jews, Jesus and his disciples left Capernaum and traveled north to Syrophenicia, to the coastal area and villages around the Gentile cities of Tyre and Sidon.
23. He had compassion on all men] Acting through Mark, his scribe, Peter -- who, as President of the Church and the mouthpiece of God on earth, received the revelation sending the gospel to all nations (Acts 10) -- inserts this editorial comment to show the infinite mercy, tenderness, and pity of the Master, a compassion not limited to any one nation or kindred.
Mark 7:26. A Greek, a Syrophenician by nation] A Gentile, not a Jew, who spoke Greek, but was by race a Syrian who dwelt in Phoenicia.
Matt. 15:22. A woman of Canaan] A Canaanitish woman -- a member of a pagan-heathen nation despised and hated by the Jews. The Phoenicians were of Canaanite descent. Though a Gentile, this Canaanitish woman believed in the ancient prophets, recognized the Jews as the chosen race, and accepted Jesus as the promised Messiah.
23. Send her away; for she crieth after us] That is, `Grant her petition, let her daughter be healed,' as is evident from the Master's reply that he was sent only to Israel.
24. See Matt. 10:5-6. I. V. Mark 7:26. Let the children of the kingdom first be filled] This is a clear statement that gospel blessings should go first to the chosen seed and later to others. In a manner of speaking, this principle applies today also. That is, the children of the kingdom -- those who belong to the Church, those who love the Lord and are seeking to keep his commandments -- are the ones who are entitled to the healing power of the priesthood; while those who are without and who have not yet covenanted in the waters of baptism to devote themselves to righteousness, are entitled to healing graces only on conditions of unusual faith and desire, a faith and desire which should lead them to join the Church when their petitions are granted.
26. Dogs] Literally, little dogs, household pets, who begged for the surplus morsels from the table; figuratively, according to Jewish usage, the Gentiles were so designated.
28. O woman, great is thy faith] Why did Jesus delay the granting of this Gentile woman's petition? For the very reason apparently, that she was a Gentile and not a Jew, for the gospel (with all its healing powers and graces) was to be offered to the Jews before it went to the Gentiles. Jesus' mortal ministry was with Israel, not with other nations. His healing of this or any Gentile person came by special dispensation because of great faith. Previously he had commanded the apostles to go only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and not to preach the message of salvation to the Gentiles. (Matt. 10:5-6.) Certainly the course he followed in this instance was instructive to his disciples, tested the faith of the Gentile woman, taught that persistence and importunity in prayer will bring reward, and showed that greater faith is sometimes found among heathens than in the chosen lineage of Israel.
Mark 7:31. Decapolis] Literally, ten cities, an area south and east of the Sea of Galilee, into which Jesus and his apostles came when they left the coast of Tyre and Sidon.
Matt. 15:30-31. How manifold the mercies of our God! Here we find Jesus healing unnumbered hosts, among whom, presumptively (since Decapolis was, partially, at least, a Gentile region), were both Jews and Gentiles.
31. They glorified the God of Israel] The implication is that these Gentile peoples who hitherto had served other gods, now saw in the Son of David the divinity which caused them to forsake their own national deities and turn unto the true Lord. Christ himself, of course, is the God of Israel. (3 Ne. 11:14.)
Mark 7:32-37. See Matt. 9:27-31. In this account of the healing of a deaf person whose speech also was impaired, we find Jesus adapting his procedures to the needs of the individual. As in some other cases, the need existed to strengthen the faith of the physically handicapped person. With the same purpose in mind, Jesus had once asked an impotent man, "Wilt thou be made whole" (John 5:6); before opening the eyes of two blind men, he had engendered faith in their souls by asking, "Believe ye that I am able to do this?" (Matt. 9:28); and to two other blind men, on a coming occasion, he would ask, "What will ye that I shall do unto you?" (Matt. 20:32.)
But now the Lord is dealing with a believing soul who cannot hear his words or give fluent answer to them. And so what is more natural than to make use of common signs, known to and understood by the deaf and speech inhibited man, to indicate what the Master could and would do in accordance with the law of faith? Thus we find Jesus putting his own fingers in the man's ears, to indicate that by faith the hearing obstruction would be pierced; we find the Master spitting and placing his own saliva on the man's tongue (a practice commonly believed by the rabbis and Jews to be one having healing virtue), to indicate that the tongue would be loosed and gain fluency; and finally, our Lord, looking up to heaven, spoke the divine command, "Ephphatha, that is, Be opened," to signify to the man that the power of God was opening his ears and loosing his tongue.
36-37. On some occasions a knowledge of healing miracles may engender faith, on others it fosters unbelief and persecution. Accordingly, Jesus sought either to advertise or keep secret his miraculous healings, depending upon the needs of the ministry at the particular time and place. On a previous occasion, when he was leaving this very region, he had commanded the man out of whom a legion of devils was cast to publish the miracle through all Decapolis. (Mark 5:19-20.) But now, sojourning, for a season in the area, the Master Healer sought to keep secret the dramatic nature of this particular miracle.
This miraculous feeding of the four thousand is not a mere duplication or repetition of the feeding of the five thousand which took place a short time before near Bethsaida. Then our Lord was mingling with his own kindred of Israel; now he is teaching other hosts who in substantial part, being inhabitants of Decapolis, are presumed to be Gentile. Then he was laying the foundation for his incomparable sermon on the Bread of Life; now he is prefiguring the future presentation of the living bread to the Gentile nations. And significantly, this mixed multitude from the east of the Jordan were more receptive, and took a more sane and sound view of the matchless miracle of feeding thousands by use of the creative powers resident in him, than did the members of the chosen seed.
Mark 8:1-10. See Matt. 14:13-23a.
2. They have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat] It is difficult to overestimate the transcendent appeal Jesus had for multitudes of the common people. Here we find four thousand men, plus an uncounted host of women and children, staying with him in a solitary area, without food or other necessities for three days; they are now faint from fasting and weary for want of beds and other normal home conveniences, yet they remain to hear every spoken word and rejoice in every gracious healing. Would they so have acted except for the inward assurance that here indeed, as they themselves had frankly avowed, was "the God of Israel"? (Matt. 15:31.)
4. From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?] Those speaking were the apostles who had participated in the feeding of the five thousand. They knew full well the miraculous creative powers of the Master whom they followed. The question as here put is rather an expression of their own inability to feed such a multitude with the scanty provisions at hand. We may suppose also that in their subservient position as followers of him who exceeds all men in power and might, they modestly and properly left to their Lord the decision as to what should be done. It is evident that Jesus did not deem it necessary to test their faith, as he had done before, by saying, "They need not depart; give ye them to eat" (Matt. 14:16); this time he simply asked what provisions were at hand and gave directions as to their distribution.
10. The parts of Dalmanutha] Matthew says, "the coasts [region] of Magdala [Magadan] " -- presumably an area on the west of the Sea of Galilee, which cannot now be located with certainty.
Matt. 16:1-4. See Matt. 12:38-42.
1. Strange bedfellows these -- Sadducees and Pharisees, bitter religious enemies of each other, now uniting in an unholy alliance to fight Jesus and his doctrines. But such is ever the case with the various branches of the devil's Church. One thing always unites warring sects of religionists -- their common fear and hatred of the pure truths of salvation. Sects of modern Christendom fight each other on nearly all fronts save onion that they unite to oppose Joseph Smith and the gospel restored through his instrumentality. (Jos. Smith 2:20-23.)
3. Signs of the times] Those events and wonders -- prophetically foretold and then occurring -- which identified Jesus as the Messiah. Similarly, "the signs of the times for our age or dispensation are the marvelous events -- differing in kind, extent, or magnitude from events of past times -- which identify the dispensation of the fulness of times and presage the Second Advent of our Lord." (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 645-663.)
Luke 12:57. By natural inheritance, as a free gift from God, every accountable person is enlightened by "the Spirit of Jesus Christ." By hearkening to the promptings of this Spirit or light of Christ men are led to believe in Christ and accept him as the Son of God. (D. & C. 84:44-48.) Thus Jesus is here saying: `Even if you cannot read the signs of the times, yet if ye would hearken to the light of Christ, to the light of reason and conscience, ye would know that I am he who should come.'
Matt. 16:5-12. Literally, leaven is a substance that produces fermentation, as for instance yeast which causes bread to rise. Figuratively, leaven is any element which, by its fermenting, spreading influence, affects groups of people so that they believe and act in particular ways. Thus to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees is to shun their false doctrines, their concept that the Messiah must prove his claim to divinity by signs, for instance. Similarly, today, the warning is to beware of the leaven of any group whose false doctrines and antichrist philosophies work to keep men from accepting the truths of the restored gospel.
See Matt. 9:27-31. This miracle is unique; it is the only recorded instance in which Jesus healed a person by stages. It may be that our Lord followed this course to strengthen the weak but growing faith of the blind man. It would appear that the successive instances of physical contact with Jesus had the effect of adding hope, assurance, and faith to the sightless one. Jesus personally (1) led the blind man by the hand out of the town, (2) applied his own saliva to the eyes of the sightless one, (3) performed the ordinance of laying on of hands, and (4) put his hands a second time upon the man's eyes.
Certainly the manner in which this healing took place teaches that men should seek the Lord's healing grace with all their strength and faith, though such is sufficient for a partial cure only, following the receipt of which, however, they may then gain the added assurance and faith to be made whole and well every whit. Men also are often healed of their spiritual maladies by degrees, step by step as they get their lives in harmony with the plans and purposes of Deity.
Matt. 16:13. Coasts of Caesarea Philippi] Not a coastal but an inland area, located some distance north of the Sea of Galilee, near Mount Hermon and the source of the Jordan River. Coasts frequently means territory or region according to the usage of the King James translators. Mark designates the area as "the towns of Caesarea Philippi." (Mark 8:27.)
Luke 9:18. Luke alone, though his whole account is the briefest of any of the Synoptists, preserves for us the fact that Jesus and the disciples were alone praying when the Master asked the question which elicited Peter's dramatic testimony.
Matt. 16:13. Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?] That is, `Who do men say that I the Son of God am?' The name-titles Son of God and Son of Man are synonymous; they are as identical in meaning as two phrases containing different words can be. In the pure Adamic language, the name of Elohim, the Father, is Man of Holiness (signifying that God is a Holy Man), and the name of Christ, the Son, is Son of Man of Holiness or Son of Man. (Mormon Doctrine, p. 671; Moses 6:57.)
14. Some say that thou art John the Baptist] Apparently others shared the superstitious views of Herod Antipas that the martyred John had been raised from the dead. (Matt. 14:1-2.)
Elias] Elijah, who as was well known among the Jews, was to return to earth and perform a mighty work before the ushering in of the final Messianic Era. (Mal. 4:5-6; D. & C. 110:13-16.)
Jeremias] Jeremiah. According to Jewish legends, Jeremiah as well as Elijah, was to return to prepare the way before the Messiah. Jeremiah "was said to have hidden the ark when Jerusalem was captured by the Babylonians, and to have called Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses from their tombs to assist him in mourning for the destruction of the Temple. In the days of the Messiah it was said that he and Elijah would dig up the ark from the cave on Mt. Nebo in which it was concealed, and replace it in the Holy of Holies." (Dummelow, p. 680.)
16. Thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God] Peter spoke as the Holy Ghost gave him utterance, bearing his own personal testimony and acting as mouth for his brethren of the Twelve. But great and majestic as Peter's confession was, it brought forth no new or novel doctrine; it was not forthcoming as the climax of a long period of training and schooling which convinced the apostles that their Master was the Messiah, as some have falsely supposed. Rather, it was the spoken averment of what had long been in the hearts of each of them; it was a plain and inspired restatement of the same testimony the true disciples had been bearing from the very time of Jesus' birth.
Shepherds to whom his birth was announced (Luke 2:7-20), Simon and Anna in the temple (Luke 2:25-39), wise men from the east (Matt. 2:1-12), John the Baptist (John 1:1-36; 3:22-36; Matt. 3), Elizabeth (Luke 1:41-45), Andrew (John 1:37-42), Phillip (John 1:43-45), Nathaneal (John 1:46-51), the Samaritan woman (John 4:28-29, 39), the apostles as a group (Matt. 14:33), mortal men possessed with devils (Luke 4:33-37), the people generally (Matt. 9:27; 12:23; 15:22) -- all these on previous occasions, using language having exactly the same sense and meaning as Peter's, had born testimony of our Lord's divine Sonship. And for that matter, he himself had taken frequent opportunity, both in plain language and by symbols which were clearly understood by his Jewish hearers, to bear testimony of his own divinity. (Luke 2:41-50; 4:16-32; John 2:13-22; 3:13-21; 4:4-45; 5:17-47; Matt. 12:1-8.)
17-19. See Matthew 18:18. Jesus here promises to give Peter, at a future time, the keys of the kingdom by which he shall have power to bind, seal, and loose on earth and in heaven. These keys, and the sealing power which is inherent in them, have been held by righteous men in all gospel dispensations.
When Christ, some twenty or more years before his birth into mortality, conferred these same keys upon Nephi the son of Helaman, he described the power and magnitude of them in these words: "Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments. And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will. Behold, thou art Nephi, and I am God. Behold, I declare it unto thee in the presence of mine angels, that ye shall have power over this people, and shall smite the earth with famine, and with pestilence, and destruction, according to the wickedness of this people. Behold, I give unto you power, that whatsoever ye shall seal on earth shall be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven; and thus shall ye have power among this people. And thus, if ye shall say unto this temple it shall be rent in twain, it shall be done. And if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou cast down and become smooth, it shall be done. And behold, if ye shall say that God shall smite this people, it shall come to pass. And now behold, I command you, that ye shall go and declare unto this people, that thus saith the Lord God, who is the Almighty: Except ye repent ye shall be smitten, even unto destruction." (Hela. 10:4-11.)
Because of his own unwearying devotion to the Master's cause, and so that he might preside over all the affairs of the kingdom of God on earth, Peter was soon to receive and exercise these same keys and powers, as was to be the case also with all of his brethren of the Twelve. (Matt. 18:18.)
17. Simon Bar-jona] Literally, Simon son of Jonah (John 1:42), a formal name of Peter, here aptly used to contrast Peter's mortal paternity with Jesus' birth as the literal Son of an immortal Father.
Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven] Mortal man was not the source of Peter's knowledge that Jesus was "the Christ, the Son of the living God." He hid learned it by personal revelation from the Father who hid sent the Holy Ghost to Peter to testify of the Son. The Holy Ghost is a Revelator; one of his chief assigned missions is to bear testimony to receptive mortals that Jesus is the Christ. Peter had received such a revelation on previous occasions (John 6:69), and here we find the Holy Ghost speaking to him again, certifying anew of the divinity of his Lord.
It is a false notion to suppose that the apostles and other righteous men did not receive revelation from the Holy Ghost while Christ was with them in the flesh. It is true that (with the apparent exception of John the Baptist) they did not enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost, meaning the constant companionship of that member of the Godhead, until after the day of Pentecost. But they did receive flashes of revelation from time to time from the Holy Ghost, as Peter did in this instance. Simeon's testimony, for instance, "was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost." (Luke 2:26); and so it was with the testimonies of all the disciples. John the Baptist, however -- because of his position as the Lord's forerunner, and possibly because he did not enjoy the close personal relationship with Jesus that the other disciples had -- was "filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother's womb." (D. & C. 84:27.) Jesus himself, of course, had the Holy Ghost with him at all times and operated in all that he did in conformity with that member of the Godhead.
18. Thou art Peter] That is, `Thou art a mortal man; Jonah is thy father. I, thy Lord, though I dwell in mortality, am the Son of God in the same sense that thou, Simon, art the son of Jonah; as thou hast testified of my parentage, so I also, by way of contrast, certify of thine. And now, though I have inherited because of my birth the powers of immortality, which sets me apart from thee, yet because of faith and obedience thou shalt receive and exercise the powers and keys which I hold, and in my name thou shalt bind and loose, seal and unseal, both on earth and in heaven. Though thou art mortal, for thou art Peter, the son of Jonah, yet thy power shall prevail in the immortal sphere where I, who have the power of immortality, for God is my Father, reign forever and ever.'
This same vivid contrast between the powers of mortality and the powers of immortality was made by Christ when he said to Nephi the son of Helaman, "Behold, thou art Nephi, and I am God" (Hela. 10:6), and then continued, in effect, to say to Nephi that though he was a man as contrasted with Deity, yet Nephi should exercise the power of God himself, binding and sealing in heaven as on earth, smiting the earth with famine and pestilence, moving mountains and the like.
Upon this rock I will build my church] "What rock? Revelation!" (Teachings, p. 274.) What church? The Church of Jesus Christ of the Meridian of Time, or of Latter-day Saints, or of whatever dispensation is involved. That is, `Upon revelation, a rock of secure foundation, I will continue to build up my Church, for that Church which I have already organized among you is not yet perfected, but it shall be perfected in due course, for I will continue to give you revelation after I have ascended unto my Father.'
This whole passage, containing our Lord's questions and promises and Peter's great confession, is one that has engendered endless wrangling in Christendom. Catholics virtually rest their whole claim to being the true Church upon the contention that Jesus here promised to build the Church upon Peter as an individual. Protestant apologists point out -- and their contention is true that the position of Peter in the primitive Church was entirely unlike that of a modern pope and that in fact Peter received no power and no keys that were not held jointly and equally by all of the Twelve, as though proving this would show the divinity of their lost cause.
But when the passage is considered, as all properly interpreted scripture must be in its context and historical setting, and in its proper perspective and relationship to all of the revealed word -- its intent and meaning is so clear that no intelligent person is justified in misunderstanding it. God's work does not rest on individuals, but upon doctrines and principles. The Lord Jesus, himself, standing alone, separate from all other men, is the sole person, under God, in whom faith is or properly can be centered. Peter had his agency; he could have fallen from grace, fought the truth, and become a son of perdition; so could each of the Twelve. There is no compulsion in the gospel of our Lord. Peter was the greatest man of his day, just as Joseph Smith ranks pre-eminent above all others in this dispensation. But neither of them was Christ, and neither of them was God. The work of Deity rests not on the arm of flesh, but upon the eternal principles that he ordained before the world was and in conformity to which he has operated in all dispensations.
What then is the principle upon which the Lord has built up his Church and established his kingdom in all ages? Always, invariably, eternally, exclusively, Deity has and does operate upon the principle of revelation. By revelation his mind and will is made known and his kingdom established; without it he becomes an unknown God, an immaterial nothing; without it men substitute their own creeds and theories for his plans and purposes. Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, the Brother of Jared, Nephi, Joseph Smith, and every prophet through whom the God of heaven set up his earthly kingdom, received their commission and direction by revelation. Where there is revelation, there is the kingdom of God on earth; where there is no revelation, there the kingdom of God is not.
Thus, by viewing this passage in harmony with the whole body of revealed truth -- and any other course will result in a distorted and perverted understanding of it -- it is plain beyond question that our Lord is saying to Peter: `Blessed art thou Peter, for thy unwearying devotion to my cause and for the testimony which thou hast borne of my divine Sonship; and this testimony was not revealed to thee by mortal man, but it came by revelation from my Father, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And now Peter, my chief apostle, know this: It is upon this very rock of revelation that I have built up my Church in all ages past, and upon which I will build and perfect it in this your day; for after I have ascended to my Father, ye and your brethren and all the worthy saints shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, so that you may receive revelation from me and learn all things that are expedient for you to know concerning the building up and rolling forth of my kingdom.'
It is fruitless for uninspired scriptural exegetes to argue and debate about this passage in an attempt to sustain the particular leanings with which they chance to have encumbered themselves. What does it matter that the name Peter in Greek happens to mean a rock or a stone? What difference does it make that Peter was promised the gift of seership, or anything else for that matter? And what bearing does it have on the problem to show that all of the Twelve held all of the keys of the kingdom? None of these things establish the divinity of any false church.
But suppose it were true that the wholly untenable apostate view were correct, and that the Lord had set up his kingdom with Peter as the rock, still any church claiming to trace its authority back to Peter would be a false church unless it believed in and operated on the principles of modern revelation. Why? Simply because conditions are so different in the world today that a church without daily revelation cannot make the change necessary to meet those new conditions. How would the modern church know what stand to take with reference to the use of tobacco, or coffee, or the atomic bomb, or motion pictures, or television, or a thousand things that were not so much as known to men in Peter's day?
Clearly it is only by revelation that the Lord establishes his work among men. In the final analysis, no person can have conclusive knowledge as to the true meaning of this passage without revelation from that God who is no respecter of persons and who giveth wisdom liberally to all who ask of him in faith. And how can those who deny the very existence of revelation for this age, and who deliberately refrain from seeking such for themselves, how can they, in their uninspired state, ever come to a sure knowledge of this or any other eternal, spiritual truth?
I will build my church] This is not a promise to organize the Church of Christ in a future day. Our Lord had already set up this Church among men; it was the very kingdom of God on earth, the doctrines of which kingdom he and his apostles had been preaching on every hand. Converts baptized by him and his disciples were already members of the Church; persons ordained to offices in the Melchizedek Priesthood, including the apostles themselves, were operating in church offices. By speaking in the future tense, Jesus is conveying the thought that his Church will be amplified and perfected by the apostles after he ascends to his Father. In building up the kingdom both doctrines and matters of organization come line upon line, precept upon precept, as the needs of the growing, spreading kingdom require. It was the same in this day; the Church itself was formally organized on the sixth of April, 1830, but it was still to be built up on earth, as added growth and changing circumstances necessitated the revelation of new doctrines and the addition of new organizations and officers.
My Church] There is and can be only one true Church, even as there is only one true science of mathematics or chemistry. Two different churches, teaching conflicting doctrines, cannot both be true. If one group of religionists affirms that God is a personal being in whose image man is created, and that he has a body of flesh and bones which is as tangible as man's; and if another assembly of so-called believers professes to think that Deity is a spirit essence which fills the immensity of space, an immaterial nothingness that is everywhere and nowhere in particular present, a spirit that is incorporeal, uncreated, immaterial and unknowable (all of which is found in the false creeds of Christendom) -- then both of these concepts cannot be true. Two and two cannot be four and also three.
Christ's Church is the one true Church. In this dispensation it is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth." (D. & C. 1:30.) And since truth is eternal, this one true Church, founded as it is upon the rock of revelation, has every key, power, priesthood, grace, and authority, that was enjoyed by the saints of God in any past age. Further, such of the doctrines and principles of salvation as have been revealed in this age are identical with and constitute the same concepts and views that were revealed anciently to men of faith and devotion.
The gates of hell shall not prevail against it] The gates of hell are the entrances to the benighted realms of the damned where the wicked go to await the day when they shall come forth in the resurrection of damnation. Those beckoning gates prevail against all who pass through them. But those who obey the laws and ordinances of the gospel have the promise that the gates of hell shall not prevail against them. (D. & C. 10:69; 17:8; 21:4-6; 98:22.) In this instance] Jesus is telling Peter that the gates of hell shall never prevail against the rock of revelation; that is, as long as the saints are living in righteousness so as to receive revelation from heaven, they will avoid the gates of hell and the Church itself will remain pure, undefiled, and secure against every evil. But when, because of iniquity, revelation ceases, then the gates of hell prevail against the people and also against the organization of which they are members.
Similarly, the Lord, by revelation, has said in our day: "Open your mouths and they shall be filled, saying: Repent, repent, and prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand; Yea, repent and be baptized, every one of you, for a remission of your sins; yea, be baptized even by water, and then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost. Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel; and remember that they shall have faith in me or they can in no -- wise be saved; And upon this rock I will build my church; yea, upon this rock ye are built, and if ye continue, the gates of hell shall not prevail against you,' (D. & C. 33:10-13.)
Hell] See Luke 16:23.
19. The keys of the kingdom of heaven] See Matthew 18:18. "Keys are the right of presidency, the directing, controlling, governing power. The keys of the kingdom are the power, right, and authority to preside over the kingdom of God on earth (which is the Church) and to direct all of its affairs." (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 377-379.) These keys include the sealing power, that is, the power to bind and seal on earth, in the Lord's name and by his authorization, and to have the act ratified in heaven. Thus if Peter performed a baptism by the authority of the sealing power here promised him, that ordinance would be of full force and validity when the person for whom it was performed went into the eternal worlds, and it would then admit him to the celestial heaven. Again, if Peter used these sealing keys to perform a marriage, then those so united in eternal marriage would continue as husband and wife forever. When they attained their future heaven, they would find themselves bound together in the family unit the same as they were on earth. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 615-616.)
20. For the time being, to avoid persecution and because the available hearers were not prepared to heed their witness, the apostles were restrained from bearing witness of the divine Sonship of their Master.
On previous occasions Jesus had spoken of the Bridegroom being taken from the children of the bride chamber (Matt. 9:15); of the Son of Man spending three days in the earth, as Jonah spent a like period in the whale's belly (Matt. 12:40); of raising up the temple of his body after three days (John 2:19); of the Son of Man being lifted up, even as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness (John 3:14); and of the need to eat his flesh as the living bread in order to inherit eternal life (John 6:50-57) -- all referring to his atoning sacrifice, death, burial, and resurrection. But now, openly and in plainness, in language devoid of symbolism or figurative expression, he told his apostles of these things.
Thereupon Peter, who but moments before had been blessed for his faith and devotion and had been promised the keys of the kingdom, deigned to rebuke his Lord, with the chief apostle in turn receiving one of the severest reprimands ever to fall from divine lips. If the Church had been founded on mortal man, how insecure the foundation would have been!
Matt. 16:22. In accordance with the in varying divine pattern, the truths of the plan of salvation were being revealed piecemeal to the disciples. These followers of the Master were being taught from time to time what they were able to bear, but no more. It is apparent that even Peter at this time did not comprehend the full significance of the fact that Christ came into the world for the express purpose of dying upon the cross for the sins of the world. (3 Ne. 27:13-14.)
23. Get thee behind me, Satan] These very words, here used figuratively with reference to Peter, constituted the adjuration spoken by Jesus when he was tempted by the devil. (Luke 4:8.) Peter had done what mortal men, even those who are wise and experienced in the things of the Spirit, frequently do; he had appealed to the human element in Christ's nature; he had proposed that the things of the world be given preference to the things of the Spirit, a proposal always deserving vigorous rejection by the Lord's agents. Mark 8:33. Apparently Peter's spoken entreaty was in the mind of all of the apostles, for Jesus, though naming Peter in his rebuke, in effect addressed himself to the entire group.
What value is to be placed on a human soul? How can we determine its worth? Two things will give some indication of the priceless value of the souls of men: (1) What these souls have cost up to this point -- the labor, material, and struggle that has gone into their creation and development; and (2) The effective use to which they can be put -- the benefits that result when souls fill the full measure of their creation and take their rightful place in the eternal scheme of things.
To use these standards of judgment it is necessary to view human souls in their relationship to the eternal plan of creation, progression, and salvation. Souls had their beginning, as conscious identities, when they were born as the spirit offspring of Deity. There then followed an infinitely long period of training, schooling, and preparation, so that these spirits might go on and attain their exaltation. "God himself," as the Prophet Joseph Smith expressed it, "finding he was in the midst of spirits and glory, because he was more intelligent, saw proper to institute laws whereby the rest could have a privilege to advance like himself." (Teachings, p. 354.)
As part of this schooling process this earth was created; spirits were given temporal bodies; gospel dispensations were vouchsafed to men; prophets were sent forth to labor and preach; oftentimes they were persecuted, tormented, and slain; and even the Son of God taught and served among mortals, climaxing his ministry by suffering beyond mortal endurance in working out the infinite and eternal atonement. All this is included in the price already paid toward the purchase of human souls.
Such of these souls as keep all the commandments shall attain eternal life. They shall go on to exaltation and glory in all things, becoming like the Father, begetting spirit offspring, creating worlds without number, and forever and endlessly rolling forth the eternal purposes of the Infinite God.
How much is a human soul worth? No man can say, no tongue can tell, no mind can comprehend it. How apt, then, is Jesus' illustration. If a man -- even if such a thing were possible -- should gain the whole world, and lose his soul in the process, the acquired wealth would be slight indeed as compared to the value of his own soul.
It is because of their understanding of this doctrine of the worth of souls that our Lord's ministers go forth with all the energy and capacity they have to labor in the vineyard, pleading with men to repent and save their souls, that they may have eventual eternal joy in the Father's kingdom. (D. & C. 18:10-16.)
I. V. Matt. 16:27. Better a martyr's crown, attained as a consequence of obedience to Jesus' commandments, than to escape death and lose one's own soul because of disobedience! And how many of the disciples, then present and hearing this teaching, accepted martyrdom rather than violate their Master's charge!
28. Eternal life is the martyr's reward. (D. & C. 98:13-14.)
29. Forsake the world] See John 15:18-19.
I. V. Luke 9:24. Willing to lose his life] Martyrdom is not an essential condition precedent to the attainment of eternal life. Men are judged according to their desires and the intents of their hearts as well as their works. Even though the dispensation of the meridian of time was one of martyrdom and slaughter of the saints, there were many who were able to escape these things. Through obedience to the gospel standards, their guarantee of attaining eternal life is equal to that of those who laid down their lives, because those who escaped the sword would have submitted to it rather than deny or forsake the gospel cause. In this latter-day dispensation relatively few have been called upon to lay down their lives in the gospel cause, but all saints are expected to be willing to do so if the necessity is laid upon them.
25. Receive him . . . whom God hath ordained] Jesus, the one person who men of all ages and dispensations must receive in order to gain salvation.
Matt. 16:27. Our Lord's Second Coming -- his return in power and glory to reign personally upon the earth for a thousand years (Tenth Article of Faith) -- shall be a day of judgment; aday when he shall gather all nations before him and separate the sheep from the goats, sending the wicked "away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal" (Matt. 25:31-46); a day when he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of the righteous, but stand as "a swift witness" against every wicked person (Mal. 3; 4); a day when his apostles and other holy men shall sit with him upon thrones to judge their fellowmen (Matt. 19:28; Rev. 20:4-5; D. & C. 29:9-13); a day when the Judge of all the earth "shall reward every man according to his works." At that day every wicked person living in mortality shall be burned as stubble (Mal. 4:1; D. & C. 101:23-25); the righteous dead shall come forth in the morning of the resurrection of the just (D. & C. 88:95-98); and a decree of judgment shall be issued, leaving sinners in their graves until their appointed resurrection. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 367-370; D. & C. 43:18; 88:99-102.)
28. See John 21:20-24.
I. V. Mark 8:40-41. To gain salvation men must, among other things: (1) Deny themselves of all worldly lusts, and (2) Not be ashamed of Christ, of his gospel, and of his laws. Those who do not keep the commandments, because to do so would bring upon them the ridicule of the world, are by their course of disobedience signifying they are ashamed of Christ. A Latter-day Saint, for instance, who uses liquor or tobacco rather than face the jeers and contumely of associates is ashamed of Christ.
42. That resurrection when he cometh] The morning of the first resurrection, or resurrection of the just, or of life. At the Second Coming of our Lord the graves of those meriting a celestial kingdom "shall be opened; and they also shall be caught up to meet him in the midst of the pillar of heaven -- They are Christ's, the first fruits." Thereafter those destined to inherit a terrestrial kingdom shall come forth, and finally, after the millennium, those entitled to a telestial inheritance and those who shall be cast out as sons of perdition shall come forth from their graves. (D. & C. 88:95-102.)
43. Gospel martyrs shall gain exaltation. (D. & C. 98:13.)
44. Again] It is apparent that on a previous occasion, of which we have no present scriptural record, Jesus taught his disciples the truths about the doctrine of translation and promised that some of them would continue to live on earth until his Second Coming. John the Beloved is the only known one of those disciples who has continued to live without tasting death. (John 21:20-24.) Until the identity of any others is revealed, we have no way of knowing who they are or what mission they have been able to perform because of their translation.
Until men attain a higher status of spiritual understanding than they now enjoy, they can learn only in part what took place upon the Mount of Transfiguration. From the New Testament accounts and from the added light revealed through Joseph Smith it appears evident that:
(1) Jesus singled out Peter, James, and John from the rest of the Twelve; took them upon an unnamed mountain; there he was transfigured before them, and they beheld his glory. Testifying later, John said, "We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only be -- gotten of the Father" (John 1:14); and Peter, speaking of the same event, said they "were eyewitnesses of his majesty." (2 Pet. 1:16.)
(2) Peter, James, and John, were themselves "transfigured before him" (Teachings, p. 158), even as Moses, the Three Nephites, Joseph Smith, and many prophets of all ages have been transfigured, thus enabling them to entertain angels, see visions and comprehend the things of God. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 725-726.)
(3) Moses and Elijah -- two ancient prophets who were translated and taken to heaven without tasting death, so they could return with tangible bodies on this very occasion, an occasion preceding the day of resurrection -- appeared on the mountain; and they and Jesus gave the keys of the kingdom to Peter, James, and John. (Teachings, p. 158.)
(4) John the Baptist, previously beheaded by Herod, apparently was also present. It may well be that other unnamed prophets, either coming as translated beings or as spirits from paradise, were also present.
(5) Peter, James, and John saw in vision the transfiguration of the earth, that is, they saw it renewed and returned to its paradisiacal state -- an event that is to take place at the Second Coming when the millennial era is ushered in. (D. & C. 63:20-21; Mormon Doctrine, pp. 718-719.)
(6) It appears that Peter, James, and John received their own endowments while on the mountain. (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 2, p. 165.) Peter says that while there, they "received from God the Father honour and glory," seemingly bearing out this conclusion. It also appears that it was while on the mount that they received the more sure word of prophecy, it then being revealed to them that they were sealed up unto eternal life. (2 Pet. 1:16-19; D. & C. 131:5.)
(7) Apparently Jesus himself was strengthened and encouraged by Moses and Elijah so as to be prepared for the infinite sufferings and agony ahead of him in connection with working out the infinite and eternal atonement. (Jesus the Christ, p. 373.) Similar comfort had been given him by angelic visitants following his forty-day fast and its attendant temptations (Matt. 4:11), and an angel from heaven was yet to strengthen him when he would sweat great drops of blood in the Garden of Gethsemane. (Luke 22:42-44.)
(8) Certainly the three chosen apostles were taught in plainness "of his death and also his resurrection" (I. V. Luke 9:31), teachings which would be of inestimable value to them in the trying days ahead.
(9) It should also have been apparent to them that the old dispensations of the past had faded away, that the law (of which Moses was the symbol) and the prophets (of whom Elijah was the typifying representative) were subject to Him whom they were now commanded to hear.
(10) Apparently God the Father, overshadowed and hidden by a cloud, was present on the mountain, although our Lord's three associates, as far as the record stipulates, heard only his voice and did not see his form.
Matt. 17:1. After six days] Mark agrees that it was six days; Luke says it was eight. In other words, one week elapsed between Jesus' promise to Peter, to give him the keys of the kingdom, and that glorious day of transfiguration when the keys were actually conferred upon Peter and his two associates. Two of the synoptists are excluding the two terminal days from their count, the other is including them.
Peter, James, and John] Why were these three repeatedly singled out and given special blessings and privileges? They alone witnessed the raising of Jairus' daughter from the dead. (Mark 5:22-24, 35-43.) They alone beheld the glory and majesty of the transfigured Jesus; they alone received from him, and from Moses and Elijah the keys of the kingdom, being prohibited from so much as telling the others of the Twelve of these transcendent events until after our Lord's resurrection. They alone were taken to a spot in Gethsemane where they could behold his agony as he took upon himself the sins of the world. (Mark 14:32-42.) They were the ones who came to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in this dispensation to confer priesthood and keys. (D. & C. 27:12-13; 125:20.)
Why always these three and not various ones or even all of the Twelve? The plain fact is that Peter, James, and John were the First Presidency of the Church in their day. From the fragmentary New Testament accounts we have no way of knowing whether they served as a quorum distinct from the Twelve or whether they continued to serve both in the Presidency and in the Twelve. But by latter-day revelation we know that they held and restored "the keys of the kingdom, which belong always unto the Presidency of the High Priesthood" (D. & C. 81:2), or in other words, they were the First Presidency in their day.
An high mountain] Long held by tradition to have been Mt. Tabor, a less then eighteen hundred foot plateau in southern Galilee, which in that day was capped by a fortress and upon which, in the sixth century, three churches were erected, presumably to commemorate Peter's desire to erect three tabernacles. Later a monastery was built on Mt. Tabor. But more probably the site of the transfiguration was Mt. Hermon, a nine thousand foot emminence north of Caesarea Philippi, where Jesus had been the week before. Mt. Hermon is north of Galilee, and the record shows that after Jesus departed from the mount he then went through Galilee. (Mark 9: 30.)
2. Transfigured] As a host of scriptures attest, many prophets in all ages have been transfigured, but none more majestic -- ally and dramatically than the Chief of all prophets on this occasion on the mount. "Transfiguration is a special change in appearance and nature which is wrought upon a person or thing by the power of God. This divine transformation is from a lower to a higher state; it results in a more exalted, impressive, and glorious condition." (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 725-726.)
3. Moses and Elias] Moses, the great prophet-statesman whose name symbolized the law, and Elijah the Tishbite, a prophet of so great fame that his name had come to typify and symbolize the collective wisdom and insight of all the prophets. Moses held the keys of the gathering of Israel and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north; Elijah, the keys of the sealing - power. These are the keys which they conferred upon Peter, James, and John upon the mount, and which they also conferred upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple nearly two thousand years later. (D. & C. 110:11-16.) Both of them were translated beings and had bodies of flesh and bones, a status they apparently enjoyed so that they could confer keys upon mortal men. We have a detailed scriptural account of Elijah's translation (2 Kings 2) and a number of scriptural references concerning Moses which can only be interpreted to mean that he too was taken to heaven without tasting death. (Alma 45:18-19; Mormon Doctrine, pp. 726-730; Doctrines of Salvation, vol 2, pp. 107-111.) When these two holy men appeared in this dispensation to restore again their keys and powers, they came as resurrected personages. (D. & C. 133:55.)
4. Let us make here three tabernacles] These words appear to have been spoken in response to some unrecorded statements of Moses and Elijah. Since the record is so fragmentary it is not possible to tell their exact meaning. In this connection, it should be noted that at the annual feast of Tabernacles, it was customary for worshipers to erect small booths in which they retired for private devotions.
5. A bright cloud overshadowed them] Not a watery cloud, but what the Jews called the Shekinah or Dwelling cloud, the cloud which manifested the presence and glory of God. This cloud had rested upon the tabernacle in the wilderness (Num. 9:15-22), had covered Jehovah when he visited his people (Ex. 33:9-11; Num. 11:25), and is the one which enveloped Jesus, after his resurrection, when he ascended to his Father. (Acts 1:9.)
Hear ye him] Not Moses, whose very name symbolized the law to which Israel had been subject for fifteen hundred years; not Elijah, the one prophet whose name stood for all the prophets of all ages; not holy men who had come, as it were, from heaven above; not the prophecies and laws of the past; not all that the Jews held as holy and sacred! but "my beloved Son" -- Hear ye him! Salvation centers in Christ; turn to him; believe him; follow him; obey him!
9. Vision] Moses and Elijah were personally present on the mount, even as they were actual visitants in the Kirtland Temple in April, 1836. (D. & C. 110.) Their appearance in each instance constituted a vision, meaning that, by the power of the Holy Ghost, those who beheld them saw within the veil. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 745-747.) Visions are vouchsafed to men, not by the natural, but by the spiritual eyes. (Moses 1:11.)
No man] Not even their fellow apostles were to know as yet of the vision; even they were not yet prepared to receive the glorious truths revealed on the holy mount.
Mark 9:10. Although Jesus had spoken frequently of his coming death and resurrection, and although Peter, James, and John had heard Moses and Elijah discuss the same thing -- giving as it were a heavenly approval of those portentous events ahead -- yet even the chief ministers of Christ's kingdom had not yet caught the full vision of what was ahead for their Lord.
I. V. Mark 9:1. Many questions] How profitable it would be to know the questions asked, the answers given, the truths revealed.
3. John the Baptist] It is not to be understood that John the Baptist was the Elias who appeared with Moses to confer keys and authority upon those who then held the Melchizedek Priesthood, which higher priesthood already embraced and included all of the authority and power John had held and exercised during his ministry. Rather, for some reason that remains unknown -- because of the partial record of the proceedings -- John played some other part in the glorious manifestations then vouchsafed to mortals. Perhaps he was there, as the last legal administrator under the Old Covenant, to symbolize that the law was fulfilled and all old things were done away, thus contrasting his position with that of Peter, James, and John who were then becoming the "first" legal administrators of the New Kingdom.
Luke 9:28. To pray] How often it is that visions and revelations and the opening of the heavens grow out of fervent and devout prayer.
32. Heavy with sleep] Apparently Jesus and his three associates spent the night in the mountain, and the glorious theophanies there manifest were shown during the hours of darkness. The next day they returned to the other disciples and the multitude. (Luke 9: 37.)
In the Inspired Version account of John 1:19-28, it is revealed that John the Baptist came as an Elias to prepare the way before Christ, who then, himself, came as the Elias who was to restore all things as far as the meridian dispensation was concerned. John was the Elias of preparation, Jesus the Elias of restoration.
Then in this conversation, had as Peter, James, and John left the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus confirmed John the Baptist's prior announcement that he, John, was an Elias; then our Lord revealed the further truth that in the dispensation of the fulness of times, Elias shall restore all things, as the prophets have foretold.
Peter, James, and John knew, as Malachi had written, that Elijah the prophet was to come before the great and dreadful day of the Lord. (Mal. 4:5-6.) Apparently also they, and all the Jews, knew of some other ancient prophecies (since lost and now unknown to us) which specified that before Christ came, Elias should first come and restore all things. What troubled the three apostles was that Jesus, whom they knew to be the Christ, had come and been ministering for nearly three years, after all of which Elijah (of which Elias is the Greek rendition) had come. How was it, they pondered, that the scriptures promised that Elias would precede the coming of the Son of Man, and would restore all things by way of preparation for that transcendent event, when in fact he had come after?
In answer, Jesus explains: `Yes, it is truly written in the prophets that Elias shall first come and restore all things, and it is also written that Elijah shall return before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come. But both of these comings are yet future. Elijah and Elias shall both return in the last days as part of the restitution of all things spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets. Then Elijah shall restore again the keys of the sealing power, and Elias shall bring to pass the restoration of all things. All this is yet future; it is not for your day. But as pertaining to this dispensation, that Elias who is John the Baptist has already come; he it is who prepared the way before my face; he it is who taught what the prophets had foretold about me; and as was also foretold concerning him, he was rejected and slain.'
Elijah the prophet, the same person who appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration, came to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery on April 3, 1836, and conferred upon them the keys of the sealing power. (D. & C. 110:13-16.) Elias, a name-title used to signify the combined ministries of all the ancient prophets who came to restore keys and authority in modern times, has also performed his assigned ministry. Between May 15, 1829, when the resurrected John the Baptist returned to confer keys and priesthood, and September 6, 1842 -- when Joseph Smith, writing by way of revelation, recorded the list of ancient prophets who, each in turn, had returned bringing their "dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories" (D. & C. 128:18-21) -- the work of Elias of the restoration was accomplished. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 203-206.)
I. V. Matt. 17:10. As the prophets have written] Prophets of all ages told of the final great age of restoration, and apparently some of them specified that the keys and authorities incident to this restoration would be conferred by Elias.
I. V. Mark 9:11. As it is written of him] Some ancient and now unknown prophecies foretold that John the Baptist, acting as the Lord's Elias, would be rejected and slain by the Jews.
By faith all things are possible; nothing is too hard for the Lord. No sickness is too severe, no disease too disabling, no plague too destructive to be cured by the power that is faith. Whether in life or in death nothing is withheld from those who abide the law of faith which entitles them to receive it. But in practice, even among the most righteous mortals, faith or power is enjoyed in varying degrees, and some maladies require the exercise of greater healing power than others. "If a man has not faith enough to do one thing, he may have faith to do another: if he cannot remove a mountain, he may heal the sick," the Prophet Joseph Smith said. (History of the Church, vol. 5, p. 355.)
Matt. 17:20. Faith as a grain of mustard seed] "The comparison between effective faith and a grain of mustard seed is one of quality rather than of quantity; it connotes living, virile faith, like unto the seed, however small, from which a great plant may spring, in contrast with a lifeless, artificial imitation, however prominent or demonstrative." (Jesus the Christ, p. 381.)
Mountain, Remove hence] Not a mere rhetorical expression, but a promise capable of literal fulfilment. By faith both Enoch and the Brother of Jared removed mountains -- literally. (Moses 7:13; Ether 12: 30.)
21. Prayer and fasting] See Matt. 5:16-18.
Mark 9:15. Why were all the people greatly amazed when Jesus made his appearance? Obviously his coming was dramatic and striking in nature. Many have supposed, and it could well be, that some of the glory, which but a few hours before had shown forth from him on the Mount of Transfiguration, was still manifest. We know that such was the case with Moses, when that ancient prophet returned to Israel after communing with Deity for forty days upon the mountain. Indeed, "the skin of Moses' face shone" with such brilliance that he wore a veil while talking to the children of Israel. (Ex. 34:28-35.)
With only a few months of his mortal ministry remaining, our Lord's attention and teachings seem to center more and more upon the circumstances which are to attend the infinite and eternal atonement soon to be worked out. A week before, while in the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he had spoken plainly of his coming death and resurrection. (Matt. 16:21-23.) Then on the Mount of Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah had discussed the same subject with him in the hearing of Peter, James, and John. (Luke 9:30-31.) Now as he journeyed from the Mount to Capernaum, he travelled privately through Galilee so as to have opportunity to teach his disciples more relative to his coming sacrificial ordeal. Yet with it all, even the apostles failed to comprehend the full significance of those transcendent happenings that were soon to be.
Matt. 17:24. Tribute money] This was not a civil, but an ecclesiastical tax. It consisted of an annual payment of a half shekel or didrachma and was levied upon all males twenty years of age and older for the maintenance of the temple. As originally announced by Moses, it was an offering whereby men made an atonement for their sins; that is, the payment was in the nature of a sacrifice designed to accompany prayers beseeching forgiveness from personal sins. (Ex. 30:11-16.) Jesus, of course, was without sin and needed to offer no such supplication. Indeed, in his days, rabbis and priests generally claimed exemption from this tax.
25. The house] Probably Peter's own home in Capernaum, where Jesus was wont to stay when in that city.
I. V. Matt. 17:24. Rebuked him] Peter had erred; Jesus was not obligated to pay the atonement money. As Jesus then explained, even earthly princes were free from capitation taxes; why then should it be supposed that the Son of God was obligated to pay for the upkeep of the house of his Father?
Matt. 17:27. A piece of money] A stater, a coin equal to the exact amount of the tax for two persons. Why did Jesus pay this tax? As the King's Son he need not have done so. But such a course would have offended the Jews unnecessarily, perhaps hindering the conversion of some of them. Why was the money provided in a miraculous way? If our Lord had paid the levy from available funds, or from money earned by catching and selling fish, he would have thus submitted to the tax as though he were a man in the same class as Peter and the others. But by providing the money through the use of knowledge which no mortal man possessed, he dramatized both the voluntary nature of his submission to the law and the exalted nature of his position as the King's Son.
Me and thee] It is significant that Jesus did not say us but me and thee. Such careful choice of words was in keeping with his in varying custom of maintaining a distinction between himself and other men. He was the Son of God, literally; other men had mortal fathers. Thus, for instance, he was careful to say. "I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God and your God" (John 20:17), not unto our Father and our God.
"Contrary to the wicked heresies prevailing in an apostate Christendom, little children are saved through the atonement of Christ, without any act on their part or on the part of any other person for them. `Every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning,' the Lord says, meaning that in the morning of pre-existence, in the day of their spirit birth, before some began to use their agency to break divine law, all the spirit offspring of the Father were innocent, pure, untainted with sin. Then the Lord adds: `And God having redeemed man from the fall, men became again, in their infant state, innocent before God.' (D. & C. 93:38.) That is, because of the grace of God, manifested through the atoning sacrifice of our Lord, all spirits begin their mortal life in a state of innocence and purity without sin or taint of any sort attaching to them.
"`Little children are redeemed from the foundation of the world through mine Only Begotten,' the Lord has revealed. `Where -- fore, they cannot sin, for power is not given unto Satan to tempt little children, until they begin to become accountable before me,' (D. & C. 29:46-47.) Children, as spirits, are in the presence of God before birth, and since they begin their mortal life innocent and free from sin, it follows that if they die before they arrive at the years of accountability, they are still in the state of purity and innocence which entitles them to go back into the presence of God and have salvation." (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 606-607.)
Since God is no respecter of persons and deals fairly and impartially with every person, it follows that if an adult is to gain salvation, he must cleanse himself and become "as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." (Mosiah 3:19.)
Matt. 18:1. Kingdom of heaven] The Church or kingdom which the promised Messiah was to set up on earth when he came. The apostles had been contending about precedence in the earthly kingdom of their Lord. Peter, James, and John had been singled out for special blessings, among them those given just before on the Mount of Transfiguration. But who of them all should be the greatest? Who should be the prime minister? The chief judge? And so forth. Or, as is sometimes wondered in the Church today, who will be chosen as the new bishop, or stake president, or apostle?
2. A little child] As this discussion apparently took place in Capernaum in the home of Peter, it is not unlikely that this was one of Peter's young children.
3. Be converted] See Luke 22:32. As little children] Childlike, not childish. "Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men." (1 Cor. 14:20.) Enter into the kingdom of heaven] Jesus is here saying in so many words that little children shall enter into the celestial kingdom of heaven in the eternal worlds.
4. True greatness in the Lord's earthly kingdom is measured, not by positions held, not by pre-eminence attained, not by honors bestowed by mortals, but by intrinsic merit and goodness. Those who become as little children and acquire the attributes of godliness for themselves, regardless of the capacity in which they may be called to serve, are the "greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
Mark 9:35. Those who seek personal honors and glory rather than the welfare of Zion, and the triumph of the Lord's own purposes, are not chosen of God to be first, but by him they are cast out and made last and least of all. But those who put themselves last, and become the servants of all for the sake of Christ and the gospel, shall be accounted by him as the first, and they shall gain eternal life.
I. V. Mark 9:34. Those who receive Christ in humility of heart and contrition of soul are to be received into his Church by baptism. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that receiveth my gospel receiveth me; and he that receiveth not my gospel receiveth not me. And this is my gospel -- repentance and baptism by water, and then cometh the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, even the Comforter, which showeth all things, and teacheth the peaceable things of the kingdom." (D. & C. 39:5-6.)
35. "He that receiveth me receiveth my Father; And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father's kingdom." (D. & C. 84:37-38.)
On a previous occasion, Jesus taught that neither Satan nor his false ministers can cast out devils, for "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; . . . And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself." (Matt. 12:25-30.) Now he adds in plainness what was necessarily implied in his previous discourse that only those who follow him and are legal administrators in his kingdom can perform the miracle of casting out devils in his name.
Mark 9:38. He followeth not us] He was not one of the Twelve to whom the express power had been given to cast out devils (Matt. 10:8); he was not one of the inner circle of disciples who traveled, ate, slept, and communed continually with the Master. Luke has it: "He followeth not with us"; that is, he is not one of our traveling companions. But from our Lord's reply it is evident that he was a member of the kingdom, a legal administrator who was acting in the authority of the priesthood and the power of faith. Either he was unknown to John who therefore erroneously supposed him to be without authority or else John falsely supposed that the power to cast out devils was limited to the Twelve and did not extend to all faithful priesthood holders. It is quite possible that the one casting out devils was a seventy. There is no New Testament record of the calling of the first quorum of seventy, but when Jesus (at a later day) called a second quorum of seventy into the ministry, he expressly gave them the power to cast out devils. (Luke 10:1-20.)
39. Only righteous men who are members of the Church, who hold the priesthood, and who are keeping the commandments, have power to perform miracles. "There was not any man who could do a miracle in the name of Jesus save he were cleansed every whit from his iniquity." (3 Ne. 8:1.)
40. On our part] One of us, a true disciple, a member of the Church.
I. V. Luke 9:50. Forbid not any] Our Lord had many faithful followers who had power by faith to cast out devils.
Iniquity within the Church and kingdom of God on earth cannot be condoned; unrepentant members of the Church must be cast out, even though their severance from the body of the saints is as grievous an operation as cutting off a hand or foot or plucking out an eye. False doctrines and evil practices originating with those outside the Church are easily identified, both because of their nature and their source. But the same doctrines and practices when espoused and promulgated by those within the fold of Christ, who are presumed to be in harmony with the truth, may more easily lead the unwary astray. Indeed, one of the major factors contributing to the great apostasy in the early part of the Christian Era was the failure to cut off the dead, decaying, and corrupt branches of the gospel tree.
Members of the Church are obligated to forgive each other their trespasses. But this does not include retaining evil and unrepentant persons in full fellowship in the kingdom. "Him that repenteth not of his sins, and confesseth them not," the Lord revealed in this day, "ye shall bring before the church, and do with him as the scripture saith unto you, either by commandment or by revelation. And this ye shall do that God may be glorified -- not because ye forgive not, having not compassion, but that ye may be justified in the eyes of the law, that ye may not offend him who is your lawgiver." (D. & C. 64:12-13.)
Matt. 18:6. Few crimes are as gross and wicked as that of teaching false doctrine and leading souls away from God and Salvation. "And all those who preach false doctrines, and all those who commit whoredoms, and pervert the right way of the Lord, wo, wo, wo be unto them, saith the Lord God Almighty, for they shall be thrust down to hell!" (2 Ne. 28:15.) If eternal joy is the reward given those who teach the truth and bring souls to salvation, shall not those who teach false doctrines and lead souls to damnation receive as their reward eternal remorse? (D. & C. 18:10-16.)
Offend] Cause to stumble so as to block the progress being made along the path leading to salvation. Little ones] Children who have not yet arrived at the years of accountability. (I. V. Matt. 18:11.) Also, in principle, adults who through repentance and conformity to the gospel have become as little children and who are thus themselves also heirs of salvation. Drowned in the depth of the sea] It is better to die and be denied the blessings of continued mortal existence than to live and lead souls from the truth, thereby gaining eternal damnation for oneself.
7. Offenses, trials, tribulations, temptations, opposition -- all these are a necessary part of the probationary experiences of mortality. "It must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things." (2 Ne. 2:11.) But such in no sense lessens the penalties justly imposed upon those who rise up in opposition to the truth.
I. V. Mark 9:40. Thy hand] "Thy brother." 41. Cast into hell; into the fire] See Luke 16:23. 42. Thy foot] "Thy standard," or a leader in the family or Church.
44-45. Place your faith in principles, not in people. Believe the gospel because it is true, not because some compelling or dynamic person accepts it. People fail; gospel principles triumph. Seek the Father, rather than trusting solely in men. 46. Thine eye] "Him that is appointed to watch over thee," that is, thy leader in the family or Church who should guide you in paths of righteousness.
49-50. Every member of the Church shall be tested and tried in all things, to see whether he will abide in the covenant "even unto death" (D. & C. 98:14), regardless of the course taken by the other members of his family or of the Church. To gain salvation men must stand on their own feet in the gospel cause and be independent of the spiritual support of others. If some of the saints, who are themselves the salt of the earth, shall fall away, still all who inherit eternal life must remain true, having salt in themselves and enjoying peace one with another.
Matt. 18:10. Their angels] Their spirits, prior to entering the mortal body. This is a clear allusion to the doctrine of preexistence. Because of the atoning sacrifice of Christ all children are born into the world free from sin, innocent, clean, pure, without any taint whatever attaching to them. They remain in this state until they "begin to become accountable." (D. & C. 29:46-50; 68:25 -- 27; 93:38-39.) Should they die before arriving at the years of accountability, their angels or spirits, being pure and clean, are qualified to return to the presence of the Father, that is, they are saved in the celestial kingdom of heaven. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 606-607.)
Perfect unity and love should prevail in the Church and kingdom of God on earth. Every member of the great brotherhood of Christ is expected to fellowship every other member of the Church as a true brother or sister. "Let every man esteem his brother as himself," the Lord said in our day. "I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine. "(D. & C. 38: 24-27.)
Should one of the saints trespass against another, however, he is to be dealt with as the Master here directed. (D. & C. 20:80.) The procedures here outlined are perfectly designed to restore peace, harmony, and unity among brethren. They have also been revealed as part of the law of the Church in this dispensation (D. & C. 42:88-89), and the Lord has also applied them in principle to instances in which their enemies transgress against the saints. (D. & C. 98:39-48.)
Also in this dispensation, the Lord has revealed: "My disciples, in days of old, sought occasion against one another and forgave not one another in their hearts; and for this evil they were afflicted and sorely chastened. Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for their remaineth in him the greater sin. I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men. And ye ought to say in your hearts -- let God judge between me and thee, and reward thee according to thy deeds." (D. & C. 64:8-11.)
Matt. 18:15. It is not the sinner, the trespasser, the offender, who is to take the initiative in restoring peace and unity among brethren. If perchance he should do so, well and good. But the Lord commands the innocent person, the one without fault, the one who has been offended, to search out his brother and seek to repair the breach. Thus: `If thy brother trespass against thee, wait not for him to repent and make restitution; he is, already somewhat hardened in spirit because of the trespass itself; rather, go to him, extend the hand of fellowship, shower him with love, and perchance "thou hast gained thy brother."'
16. Witnesses] See John 5:31-38. 17. Tell it unto the church] Not the congregation in general, for such would spread the knowledge of sin and might create gossip, but tell it unto the church officers who are appointed to handle such matters. "And if thy brother or sister offend thee, thou shalt take him or her between him or her and thee alone; and if he or she confess thou shalt be reconciled. And if he or she confess not thou shalt deliver him or her up unto the church, not to the members, but to the elders. And it shall be done in a meeting, and that not before the world." (D. & C. 42:88-89.)
The Church] "Our Lord's true Church is the formal, official organization of believers who have taken upon themselves the name of Christ by baptism, thus covenanting to serve God and keep his commandments. (D. & C. 10:67-69; 18:20-25.) It is literally the kingdom of God on earth (D. & C. 65; 84:34; 136:41), and as such its affairs are administered by apostles, prophets, and other legal administrators appointed by Christ the King. (1 Cor. 12:27-29.) It is the congregation or assembly of saints who have forsaken the world by accepting the gospel, a formal society of converted persons and not the unorganized spiritual vagary termed the Christian Church by apostate sectarianism." (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 124-126.)
Let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican] Let him be excommunicated, cast out of the Church, dropped from fellowship in the brotherhood of Christ. (D. & C. 64:12-14.)
21:22. There is no limit to the number of times that brethren should forgive each other their personal trespasses upon conditions of true repentance. This, however, is not intended to mean that the Church itself shall continue times without end to forgive and fellowship its erring members. There are instances in which sinners must be cast out of the kingdom no matter how sorry they may be for their unrighteous acts. (D. & C. 42:24-26.)
See Matthew 16:13-20. After Peter uttered his great testimony while in the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus promised to give his chief apostle the keys of the kingdom of heaven. These keys include the power and authority to bind and loose on earth and in heaven. (Matt. 16:19.) Thereafter, while on the Mount of Transfiguration, assisted by Moses and Ellas, the Master conferred these keys upon Peter and also upon James and John. (Matt. 17:1-3; Teachings, p. 158.)
Now we find our Lord announcing that all of the Twelve possessed these same sealing powers and keys; either the remaining nine apostles had received them sometime between the Transfiguration and the occasion of this sermon or they received them at this time. After his resurrection, we shall find Jesus again specifying that all of the Twelve held these keys. (John 20:21-23.)
"Keys are the right of presidency, the directing, controlling, governing Power. The keys of the kingdom are the power, right, and authority to preside over the kingdom of God on earth (which is the Church) and to direct all of its affairs." (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 377-379.) When the ordinances of salvation and exaltation are performed by or at the direction of those holding these keys, such rites and performances are of full force and validity in this life and in the life to come, that is, they are binding on earth and in heaven.
It should be noted that Peter's position in the primitive Church bore no resemblance to that of a modern pope. No key, power, grace, or authority was conferred upon Peter that was not enjoyed by each of his associates in the apostolic quorum. (Matt. 19:28; Rev. 21:14.) True, as the senior apostle of God on earth, Peter presided over the other members of his quorum so long as he lived. But the priesthood, keys, powers, graces, and prerogatives with which he was endowed were identically the same as those vested in each member of the supreme apostolic quorum. Accordingly, after Peter and James had departed this life, the beloved John, not the Bishop of Rome or of any other locality, served as the presiding officer of the Lord's earthly kingdom, using the same keys and sealing powers which Peter himself had exercised in the days of his presidency.
In the meridian of time, the Church was built, not upon Peter or upon any special powers given him, nor for that matter upon any one or even all of the Twelve, or any special powers given them, but upon the rock of revelation. Since all of the Twelve -- as prophets, seers, and revelators to the Church -- held the keys whereby revelation comes from God to man, it follows that any of them could have presided over the Church had the occasion required. Because they, as apostles and prophets, following in the footsteps of their Master, were the agents appointed to receive revelation for the Church, thus keeping the kingdom in the course charted by the Lord himself, Paul properly concluded that the Church was "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone." (Eph. 2:20.)
Since keys include the right of presidency, and there can never be two equal heads at the same time, it follows that the keys of the kingdom can be exercised in their fulness only by one man at a time on earth. (D. & C. 132:7.) Thus, as far as their full and unlimited exercise was concerned, the keys lay dormant in each of the Twelve as long as Peter lived. Peter's pre-eminence lay in the fact that as the senior apostle who presided over all others, he could direct all of the affairs of the kingdom including the labors of his fellow special witnesses of the Lord.
In the dispensation of the fulness of times, the keys of the kingdom were restored in much the same way as was the case in primitive times. First Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery received them from various angelic ministrants sent by Deity. (D. & C. 13; 27:5-14; 128:18-21; 132:46-47.) Then in the Nauvoo Temple these keys were given to all of the modern Twelve, after which the prophet said: "I have sealed upon your heads all of the keys of the kingdom of God. I have sealed upon you every key, power, principle, that the God of heaven has revealed to me. . .. Ye apostles of the Lamb of God, my brethren, upon your shoulders this kingdom rests; now you have got to round up your shoulders and bear off the kingdom." (G. Homer Durham, Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, p. 72.)
From that day to this, every man who has been ordained an apostle and set apart as a member of the Council of the Twelve has received all of the keys of the kingdom (including the sealing power), and such of these brethren as have attained the seniority to serve as presidents of the Church have been able to exercise the keys so held in their fulness.
These sealing keys and powers have been exercised by righteous men in all dispensations from Adam to the present time. They "belong always unto the Presidency of the High Priesthood." (D. & C. 81:2.) Indeed, there can be no true Church and kingdom of God on earth unless the keys of the kingdom are held and exercised by its presiding officers. Where the keys of the kingdom are found, there is the true Church; if these keys are not found, there is no divine Church among men.
Matt. 18:19. Two of you] Two of the Twelve, those special ministers chosen to direct the Lord's earthly affairs. In the next verse the promise is expanded to include all of the disciples, all of those who have made covenant in the waters of baptism to serve the Lord and who have, as a consequence, been promised the guidance of the Holy Ghost. Such great blessings as are here promised are not given automatically or promiscuously; they are reserved for those who through faith and obedience are conforming their lives to the divine standard.
Agree] Join in perfect harmony, accord, and unity of thought, intent, desire, and purpose. United prayers carry greater weight.
Anything that they shall ask] By faith all of the righteous desires of the saints can be gained. There are no limits to the power of faith; nothing is too hard for the Lord. Prayer is the mode of communication by which the petitions of the saints are presented to their Eternal Father. "Ye must always pray unto the Father in my name," Jesus said to the Nephites, "And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you." (3 Ne. 18:19-20; Moro. 7:26.)
My Father] Not your Father, though such he is, but my Father; that is, Jesus is again affirming his own divine Sonship.
I. V. Matt. 18:19. That they may not ask amiss] There is no promise that even the most sincere and devout prayers will be answered unless they are in harmony with the will of Deity. Petitions which are "amiss" are denied, for no one can "exercise faith contrary to the plan of heaven." (Teachings, p. 58.) As James expressed it, "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." (Jas. 4:3.)
On the other hand, "If ye are purified and cleansed from all sin, ye shall ask whatsoever you will in the name of Jesus and it shall be done. But know this, it shall be given you what you shall ask." (D. & C. 50:29-30.) That is, the Spirit will manifest what petitions should be made. Such will be the case during the millennium, for "in that day whatsoever any man shall ask, it shall be given unto him." (D. & C. 101:27.)
Matt. 18:20. There am I in the midst of them] Not literally but by the power of the Spirit. Speaking similarly, Paul said to the members of the Church, "Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates." (2 Cor. 13:5.) In other words, the saints have the gift of the Holy Ghost which reveals to them "the mind of Christ" (1 Cor. 2:9-16), so that Christ in effect dwells in each righteous member of the Church and reigns in the midst of their congregations.
This parable -- spoken following our Lord's statement to Peter that brethren should forgive each other "seventy times seven" offenses -- teaches that as Deity forgives men the immeasurable debt they owe to him, so men should forgive their fellowmen the relatively slight debts incurred when brethren sin against each other.
Men are indebted to God for all that they have and are -- for life itself, for the probationary experiences of mortality (including some measure of food, clothing, and shelter), for redemption from death, and for the hope of eternal life in his presence. These and all other debts owed to Deity are listed on an account that shall never be marked paid. As King Benjamin expressed it, "In the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him. And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever." (Mosiah 2:23-24.)
From this parable we also see an illustration of the true order for dispensing mercy. Though the unmerciful debtor did not come voluntarily, but was brought before the king, yet the servant's entreaties gained for him a merciful cancellation of the debt. Then he in turn having dealt mercilessly with his fellow servant, the sovereign revoked the original pardon, changed his merciful intent, and inflicted a dire and deserved penalty. Why? Not because the debtor had defaulted in his payments, but for lack of mercy after having received so abundantly himself of that precious commodity.
And so it is in the dealings of the Eternal King with his servants. Sooner or later all face an enforced rendering of accounts, all are subjected to temptation, trials, and impending death, and all are rewarded with mercy or justice as their situations merit. Mercy is for the merciful; justice, retribution, and punishment fall upon those who have dealt harshly with their fellow servants. "With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." (Matt. 7:2.) "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." (Matt. 6:12.)
Matt. 18:23. Kingdom of heaven] The Church of Jesus Christ, which is the kingdom of God on earth. A certain king] Deity. His servants] Members of his Church or kingdom.
24. Ten thousand talents] 28. An hundred pence] These sums present a contrast of striking proportion. Their use shows the great disparity between the infinite debt owed by man to his Maker and the insignificant sums which men, because of obligations incurred, owe each other. Talents as such carried different values. The Attic silver talent was worth about $1200, the Hebrew talent nearly twice that much, and a gold talent some 25 times as much. A pence was valued at some 17 cents. Thus, in effect, the king was saying: `I have cancelled your million dollar obligation to me and yet you demand from your fellow servant the one thin dime he owes you.'
25. Attempts to find in this verse any approval of slavery or serfdom are wholly unwarranted. Our Lord's statement is merely an admission or recognition that such systems did exist in the then prevailing social order. The gospel itself is "the perfect law of liberty" (Jas. 1:25), and one of its eternal principles is, "It is not right that any man should be in bondage one to another." (D. & C. 101:79.) But where the laws of men permit slavery or involuntary servitude, the gospel law requires conformity to the law of the land, rather than rebellion against it, even though the civil requirement does not meet the divine standard. (Eph. 6:5; Col. 3:22; 1 Tim. 6:1-3; 1 Pet. 2:18.)
31. It is mete and proper that the saints should importune at the throne of grace for the well-being of their fellow servants.
34. Pay all that was due] If men repent and obey the gospel law, they are forgiven of their sins; they inherit mercy from the Lord's hands, Christ himself through the infinite and eternal atonement bearing their burdens and paying the penalty for their transgressions. But if men do not repent and keep the commandments, if they continue to transgress against their brethren and to walk after the manner of the world, they are denied the full mercies of the atonement and instead are required to pay the penalty for their own sins. (D. & C. 19:4-20.)
This call and commission to the seventies parallels the prior selection and sending forth of the Twelve; and well it should, for seventies also are especial witnesses of the Lord's name, chosen elders charged with the obligation to carry the message of salvation to the world. Like the Twelve, they hold the Melchizedek Priesthood and are ordained to be "traveling ministers," who "preach the gospel, ... in all the world." (D. & C. 107:25, 97.)
"The seventies are called to be assistants to the Twelve Apostles," President Joseph F. Smith said. "Indeed, they are apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, subject to the direction of the Twelve, and it is their duty to respond to the call of the Twelve, under the direction of the First Presidency of the Church, to preach the gospel to every creature, to every tongue and people under the heavens, to whom they may be sent." (Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed., p. 183.)
"They are called to an apostolic calling," President Smith also said. "They are required to be special witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is expected of this body of men that they will have burning in their souls the testimony of Jesus Christ, which is the spirit of prophecy; that they will be full of light and of the knowledge of the truth; that they will be enthusiastic in their calling, and in the cause of Zion, and that they will be ready at any moment, when required, to go out into the world, or anywhere throughout the Church and bear testimony of the truth, preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, and set examples before the world of purity, love, honesty, uprightness, and integrity to the truth." (Conf. Rep., Oct., 1904, p. 3.)
"It appears from the Old Testament account that at least from the days of Moses the elders of Israel have been ordained seventies and given special priesthood blessings and obligations. It was `seventy of the elders of Israel' who went up with Moses, Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu and `saw the God of Israel,' thus certainly becoming especial witnesses of his name. (Ex. 24:1-11.) And when the Lord gave Moses additional administrative help to aid in bearing the burdens of the multitudes of Israel, it was the seventy whom he chose. `I will come down and talk with thee,' the Lord said to Moses, `and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.' Those seventy became mighty prophets in Israel. (Num. 11.)" (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 637-638.)
It is worthy of particular note that the presence of living apostles and living seventies in a church is one of the great evidences of the divinity of that organization. Where these officers are found serving as actual legal administrators, with power and authority from on high, there the kingdom of God on earth is found; where they are absent, there the kingdom of God is not. As is well known, the generality of professing Christian churches do not so much as claim to have modern apostles and seventies.
Luke 10:1-11. See Matt. 9:35-38; 10:1, 5-15.
1. Other seventy also] There is no scriptural account of the organization of the first quorum of seventy in the meridian dispensation, but it is clear that Jesus was here organizing an additional quorum. The language is the same as that used by the Lord in directing the organization of quorums subsequent to the first in this dispensation. (D. & C. 107:96.)
2. See Matt. 9:38.
4. Neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes] See Matt. 10:9-10. Salute no man by the way] `Do not stop by the way to make or renew personal friendships; your message is urgent; be about your Father's business.'
5-6. That is: `Pray that the spirit of peace, light, and discernment may rest upon those who hear your message. If they are receptive to the gospel of peace, then peace will well up in their hearts; otherwise, you will feel that your invocation on their behalf was void.' Son of peace] A Hebrew idiom meaning, one inclined to peace.
7. The labourer is worthy of his hire] Those who give their full time to the ministry, who spend all their time serving the Church and their fellow men, must still eat, wear clothing, and find shelter from the elements. Such are entitled to be supported by those they serve. Similarly, when missionaries serve without purse or scrip, they are entitled to receive assistance from those among whom they minister. "Behold, I send you out to prove the world," the Lord says of them, "and the laborer is worthy of his hire. . . . Whoso receiveth you receiveth me; and the same will feed you, and clothe you, and give you money. And he who feeds you, or clothes you, or gives you money, shall in nowise lose his reward." (D. & C. 84:79, 89-90.)
Go not from house to house] There is nothing mechanical or routine about proselyting procedures; it is not a matter of knocking on every door, but of seeking out the honest in heart; missionaries must have the Spirit to guide them in where they go so that receptive vessels may be found and filled with living water.
8. Further, those traveling without purse or scrip are seeking souls to save, not houses where they may be banqueted and coddled. They are to join with the family in partaking of whatever sustenance is commonly available.
9. Heal the sick] See Luke 9:1. The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you] See Matt. 10:7.
10-11. See Matt. 10:11-15.
16. See Matt. 10:38-42; 11:1.
Fearful and eternal consequences attend the rejection of the gospel message. Men are obligated to hearken to the voice of the Lord and also of his servants. If they do not do so, they are damned. Celestial salvation is available only for those who believe and obey the gospel law. (D. & C. 84:74.)
Even the merciful doctrine of salvation for the dead contains no provision that men will have a second chance to gain salvation by repenting in the spirit world. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 617-619.) Those who have opportunity to accept the gospel in this life must do so or forfeit the hope of salvation. (Alma 34:31-36.) Even if such persons do repent in the spirit world, the highest reward they can ever attain is the terrestrial kingdom. (D. & C. 76:71-74.) There is no escaping the awful consequences attendant upon the rejection of the Lord or of his legal administrators who carry his message to the world.
In modern times the Lord revealed the same truths which underlie the condemnations heaped upon those who had rejected him and his servants anciently. He told the latter-day elders to go "from house to house, and from village to village, and from city to city," declaring the message of salvation, blessing those who received them, shaking off the dust of the feet against those who rejected them, having this assurance: "That in the day of judgment you shall be judges of that house, and condemn them; And it shall be more tolerable for the heathen in the day of judgment, than for that house." (D. & C. 75:18-22.)
Matt. 11:20-24. See Matt. 10:15.
20. The cities wherein most of his mighty works were done] How little we know of the mortal ministry of Jesus! True, Capernaum was "his own city" (Matt. 9:1), the headquarters from which he conducted his ministry, the place where he lived, apparently with Peter (Mark 9:33), and in it he taught extensively and worked many miracles. (Matt. 8:5-17; Mark 2:1-12; John 4:46-54.) But as to Bethsaida, we know only that he healed a blind man there (Mark 8:22-26), and that he healed the sick and fed the five thousand in a desert place not far distant from that city. (Mark 6:30-46; Luke 9:10-17.) There is no record at all of any ministry in Chorazin.
21. Chorazin] Supposed to have been located on the Sea of Galilee some two miles north of Capernaum. Bethsaida] Probably located astride the Jordan River where it flows into the Sea of Galilee from the north. It is the native city of Peter, Andrew, and Philip. (John 1:44; 12:21.) Tyre and Sidon] Famous Phoenician seaports with long histories of commercial wealth and moral degeneracy. Sackcloth and ashes] Symbols of sorrow and mourning.
22. Day of judgment] That dreadful and awesome day when all men shall stand before the bar of Deity to be judged according to their works and be given their places in the mansions and realms which have been prepared.
23. Capernaum] One of the chief cities in which Jesus ministered; located on the west shore of the Sea of Galilee. Sodom] One of five cities whose wickedness was so debasing that God reigned fire and brimstone upon them to slay all their inhabitants. The others were Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Zoar. (Gen. 14:2; 19; Deut. 29:23.) Ever since the day of Abraham, Sodom has been referred to as the symbol of all that is evil and degenerate in the world. (Gen. 13:13; Isa. 3:9.)
I. V. Luke 10:13. People . . . who received him not] These damning woes were pronounced only upon the unbelievers in the wicked cities named. Those persons living in them who forsook the world, and came unto Christ and his gospel, thereby saved themselves from the condemnations which are to burden the ungodly in the day of judgment.
A testimony of the divinity of Christ and of the saving power of his gospel is not bestowed automatically because of family relationship. It comes only by personal obedience to those eternal laws upon which its receipt is predicted. In nearly all ages there have been prophets and righteous men whose sons and daughters have forsaken the faith of their fathers and have chosen to walk after the manner of the world.
Frequent special reference is made to the sons of Joseph and Mary as the "brethren" of Jesus, though in fact they were his half-brothers. (Matt. 12:46; 13:55; John 2:12; Acts 1:14; 1 Cor. 9:5.) Though they were reared in the same household and came under the benign influence of Joseph and Mary, though they were aware of the teachings, ministry, and miracles of Jesus himself, yet these his close relatives had not so far accepted him as the Messiah. However, all of them, apparently, were converted later (Acts 1:14); one of them, identified by Paul as "James the Lord's brother" (Gal. 1:19), was to minister in the holy apostleship; and yet another, Judas, who calls himself, "Jude, the . . . brother of James" (Jude 1), wrote the epistle of Jude.
2. Feast of tabernacles] Three great annual, week-long feasts or "holy convocations" characterized the religious devotions of ancient Israel: (1) The Passover or Feast of Unleavened Bread, which commemorated Israel's deliverance from Egyptian bondage; (2) Pentecost, also known as the Feast of Weeks, or of Harvest, or of First Fruits, which commenced fifty days after the beginning of the Passover and was an agricultural festival; and (3) The Feast of Tabernacles, or of Booths, or of Ingathering, a feast marking the completion of the harvest of fruit, oil, and wine. During this last named holy convocation the people lived in booths for eight days in memory of their wanderings in the wilderness following their Egyptian deliverance. (Ex. 23:14-19; 34:21-26; Lev. 23; Num. 28:16-31; Deut. 16:1-17.)
These feasts -- comparable in purpose to conferences in latter-day Israel -- were occasions of worship, of offering sacrifices, and of paying one's devotions to the God of Israel. The entire male population was obligated to assemble at the temple or other appointed sanctuaries to participate in the solemn and sacred services. Aside from their social and recreational values, these holy convocations, as periods of rest from temporal pursuits, of assembling together in a common purpose, and of worshiping in harmony with the revealed pattern, had the effect of uniting Israel religiously and politically through the ages.
3-8. Jesus' unbelieving kinsmen are apparently chiding him for remaining in Galilee to avoid those in Jerusalem who "sought to kill him." (v. 1.) Their argument: `If you are what you claim to be, then all men should see your miracles and hear your message. Why then do you hide out here in Galilee, when you could go to Jerusalem where all Israel will be assembled to keep the Feast of Tabernacles?'
Spurning their presumptuous attempt to interfere in the affairs of his ministry, Jesus replied that he would govern the locale of that ministry and go to Jerusalem at a time of his own choosing. They could go any time for there was no organized campaign of hatred against them; they were of the world, and the world receives its own; but he had testified of the evil in the world, and now he had to arrange his travels in the face of the fierce opposition which that testimony had brought upon him.
3. His brethren] See Matt. 12:46-50.
7. World] See John 17:14.
Luke 9:51. When the time was come that he should be received up] Nearly three years have passed since our Lord's baptism and the commencement of his formal ministry; in another six months he will eat his last Passover with his disciples, be crucified, and received up into eternal glory with his Father. The final hours of his ministry before his final assumption into heaven are at hand.
He stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem] Jesus was leaving Galilee forever; his great Galilean ministry was ended. In Judea and Perea his voice would yet be heard, his mighty works seen. But the course of his life was toward the cross, and he was steadfast and immovable in his determination to follow this very course, one laid out for him by his Father. He had said of himself through the mouth of Isaiah, "I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed." (Isa. 50:7.) Clearly, there was to be no turning back.
52-53. How easy it is to reject the truth, including the Son of God himself, when prejudice and false religious views darken the mind! In the early days of his ministry (as he traveled away from Jerusalem), many Samaritans had received Jesus gladly, hailing him as the promised Messiah (John 4:1-42), but now (as he was steadfastly determined to minister and worship in Jerusalem), they refused even to let him eat and sleep in their village. If he were truly the Messiah, they reasoned, he would go to Mount Gerizim to worship, not to Jerusalem.
54. Though inharmonious with the true Spirit of Christ, this offer of James and John is neither so harsh or vindictive, nor so scripturally unrealistic, as it might seem. They knew that the God of Israel -- the same Jesus in whose presence they then stood -- had sent fire from heaven at Elijah's word to consume the enemies of that ancient prophet. (2 Kings 1.) They knew also that the same merciful God would destroy the wicked by fire at his Second Coming. (Mal. 4:1.) What they had yet to learn was that for their dispensation, under the conditions which then existed (and they are comparable today), the gospel message was to go forth with charity, patience, forbearance, and long-suffering. However, their offer to compensate for the rebuff suffered by their Master was a manifestation of rather majestic faith. Who but those thoroughly converted to the righteousness and ultimate triumph of their cause would expect Deity to send fire from heaven to defend and vindicate them?
55. Even devout and good men are sometimes swayed by the influence and spirit of Satan rather than by the Spirit of the Lord. Though they were unaware of its source, James and John were here influenced in their proposal by a spirit from beneath rather than a Spirit from above.
56. Blessings not cursings, salvation not damnation, life not death, hope not despair -- all such exemplify the true spirit of the gospel. (John 3:17.) Another village] Here Jesus followed his own counsel, being rejected in one community, he fled to another. (Matt. 10:23.)
John 7:10. Not openly, but as it were in secret] He did not travel with the general caravan, as his brethren had, but went quietly, with his intimate disciples, perhaps on some less travelled route.
11. The feast] Feast of Tabernacles. See John 7:2.
12. It was ever thus; whenever the gospel of salvation has been taught it has created division, not unity, among the people. (Luke 12:49-53.)
13. How bitter and intense the hatred against Jesus must have been; even his friends dared not openly espouse his cause.
14. Midst of the feast] Perhaps on the fourth or fifth of the eight-day festival.
15. Jesus never attended a theological seminary; he never graduated from a divinity school; he was not trained for the ministry in the traditional sense; his religious learning was not born of the wisdom of men -- and such also was true of the fishermen and others whom he called to hold the keys of his earthly Kingdom. None of them would have qualified as sectarian ministers or as Jewish rabbis. But all of them were called of God, held his authority, received revelation from him, and taught and spoke as the Holy Ghost gave utterance.
16. The Father, not the Son, is the Author of the plan of salvation. This plan embodies the Father's doctrine, the Father's laws, the Father's gospel. He ordained and announced the whole plan of creation, redemption, salvation, and exaltation, and he chose one of his spirit offspring to be born into the world as his Son to work out the infinite and eternal atonement -- all in accordance with his will. The laws which must be obeyed to gain salvation are spoken of as the gospel of Jesus Christ because our Lord himself conformed to them perfectly, adopted them as his own, taught them in the power of his Father, and worked out the atoning sacrifice, by means of which they gained full force and validity.
17. Every living soul is entitled to personal revelation as to the divinity of the Lord's work. Such comes as a result of obedience to that law upon which its receipt is predicated. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." (Jas. 1:5.) "By the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." (Moro. 10:5.)
This colloquy between Jesus and his detractors is a perfect illustration of the damning power of false doctrine. Here we find an account of the Jews rejecting their Messiah, spurning his gospel, and even conspiring to slay him -- all because his ministerial acts ran counter to their false traditions. They had circumscribed the law of sabbath observance with a host of ritualistic restrictions; Jesus violated these; therefore, he could not be the Messiah.
Nor is it any different with professing religionists today. Their false traditions say that revelation and prophecy ceased with the death of the ancient apostles; Joseph Smith comes among them wearing the prophetic mantle, thus running counter to all their preconceived notions; therefore, he could not be a prophet.
John 7:19-24. `Ye claim to keep the law of Moses which saith: "Thou shalt not kill" (Ex. 20:13), but your claim is false, for ye are even now conspiring to kill me. True, I healed an impotent man on the Sabbath (John 5:1-16), which act of mercy is contrary to your false traditions. But that some labors may be performed on the Sabbath even ye should know, for in accordance with the law of Moses ye yourselves perform circumcisions on that day.'
21. One work] Eighteen months before, at the second Passover of his ministry, Jesus had healed an impotent man on the Sabbath at the pool of Bethesda. (John 5:1-16.) Ye all marvel] This miracle still perturbed them. Should they believe in him because of it or reject him for violating their Sabbath?
22. Circumcision] See Luke 1:59.
p 27. Apparently two divergent views prevailed as to the place from which the Messiah would come: (1) That as Micah had foretold he would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2-4; Matt. 2); and (2) That his coming would be so hidden in mystery that none could specify the place of his origin. Adhering to this second view and knowing that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee as an ostensible member of the family of Joseph and Mary, these Jews concluded that he could not be the Messiah.
28-29. `Ye know that I am Jesus of Nazareth, that Mary is my mother, that Joseph is supposed to be my father. But know this also, I did not come to you to declare my parentage and origin of my own will, but because my true Father sent me. He is that God whom you know not. But I know him, for as his Son I came forth from him, and he hath sent me to testify unto you.'
30. Viewing our Lord's claim to divine Sonship as false, he was, in the Jewish mind, guilty of blasphemy -- a fact which led to an immediate attempt to arrest him.
31. Sympathetic persons began to reason: `If this man is not the Christ, what can Christ do when he cometh which will equal the words and deeds of this man?' That is, `This man must he the Christ, for how could Christ do better than he has done?'
32-34. Jesus declines to be taken by the officers sent to arrest him, saying rather: `Your desire to take me is premature; I am to remain with you until the appointed time. Then I shall return to my Father, and we shall part company forever. Though ye then seek me, ye shall not find me, for no unclean thing can come into my Father's kingdom.' Later he would tell his repentant and faithful disciples that where he went they could come also. (John 14:1-6.)
35-36. Apparently in a mocking attitude the Jews scoff: `What! Will he leave us to go to the scattered remnant of Israel among the Greeks? Will he leave us, the assembled and chosen people, to preach to Gentiles?'
In the majesty of his own eternal might, the Lord Jehovah had proclaimed to ancient Israel: "I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring." (Isa. 44:3.) "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters." (Isa. 55: 1.)
Now the same Eternal One, tabernacled in the flesh, ministering as the Lord Jesus unto the seed and offspring of them of old, proclaimed his willingness to give the Holy Ghost to men so that floods of living water might be poured out upon them. His solemn invitation, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink," was a plain and open claim of Messiahship. In making it he identified himself as the very Jehovah who had promised drink to the thirst through an outpouring of the Spirit. After such a pronouncement his hearers were faced with two choices: Either he was a blasphemer worthy of death, or he was in fact the God of Israel.
For the publicizing of such a sobering and transcendent doctrine Jesus chose one of the most solemn and dramatic moments of Jewish worship. On each of the eight days of the feast of Tabernacles, as most authorities agree, it was the custom, for the priest as part of the temple service, to take water in golden vessels from the stream of Siloam, which flowed under the temple-mountain, and pour it upon the altar. Then the words of Isaiah were sung: "With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation." (Isa. 12:3.) And it was at this very moment of religious climax that Jesus stepped forth and offered draughts of living refreshment which would satisfy the deepest spiritual cravings of the thirsty soul.
John 7:37. That great day] The eighth and crowning day of the feast.
38. He that believeth on me] `He that believeth that I am the Lord Jehovah who told your fathers that by the power of my Spirit I would pour out living waters upon their seed.'
As the scripture saith] There is no single Old Testament passage which promises that living waters shall flow from the disciples to others. Jesus is either quoting a prophecy which has not been preserved for us or he is combining such statements as those found in Isaiah 44:3, 55:1, and 58:11, in such a way as to give an interpretive rendition of them.
Out of his belly] A Hebraism meaning out of his inmost soul. That is, from the true believers, from those actually enjoying the gift of the Holy Ghost, the living waters of salvation were to flow to others.
Living water] See John 4:10-15.
39. The Holy Ghost is a Personage of Spirit, the third member of the Godhead. The gilt of the Holy Ghost is the right to receive the constant companionship of this Holy Personage on conditions of personal worthiness, that is to receive revelation and guidance from him and to be subject to his sanctifying power. Sometimes the scriptures speak simply of the Holy Ghost when from the context it is clear that what is meant is the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 286-288, 328-329.)
In this instance John is explaining two things about the Holy Ghost: (1) That it is by the power of the Holy Ghost that rivers of living water flow forth from the true disciples to all who will drink of them; and (2) That the actual enjoyment of the gift of the Holy Ghost by the disciples is yet future; the promise has been made that they shall have the coveted companionship; but the fulfilment of the promise is not to be realized until after Jesus returns to the Father in resurrected glory. The fact that the enjoyment of the gift or companionship of the Holy Ghost was yet future did not mean that the disciples had not on occasions and from time to time received revelation and guidance from that member of the Godhead. The testimonies previously borne by them were born of the Spirit. (See Matt. 16:17.)
Was this Jesus indeed the Christ? On this point the Jews attending the Feast of Tabernacles were sharply divided. That throughout some four days of teaching in the temple he had repeatedly affirmed his claim to divine Sonship was apparent to all. Even from the fragmentary accounts preserved to us, it is clear that he was now openly and plainly telling all men that he was indeed the Messiah. He said pointedly that God was his Father; that he spoke not of himself, but taught only the doctrine of his Father; that he came among them not of his own will, but because his Father sent him; that he was the Lord Jehovah who had of old promised to give living water to them -- all of which teachings were clearly understood and must have been heralded from mouth to mouth as the hosts of Israel devoted themselves to religious matters during the feast. Neither before nor since had ever man spake like this!
41. The Prophet] See John 1:19-28. One of the great Messianic prophecies foretold that when Christ was raised up, he would come as a prophet like unto Moses. (Deut. 18:15-19; Acts 3:22-23; Jos. Smith 2:40; 3 Ne. 20:23.) The Prophet was to be the Christ. But in their darkened spiritual state some of the Jews attending the feast had come to view this prophet as a forerunner of the Messiah rather than as the Messiah himself.
41-43. Earlier at this same feast some had rejected Jesus' claim to divine Sonship on the ground that he came from Galilee; according to their fake beliefs his place of origin should have been mysterious and unknown. (John 7:27.) Now others reject him for being of Galilean origin when, as the seed of David, he should have come from Bethlehem. One wonders -- in the midst of all the miracles and inquiry into his claimed Messiahship -- why these religionists did not search out the fact that our Lord was both a Galilean and a Judean, that he came both from Nazareth and Bethlehem. But such a failure to investigate and learn the facts is ever the child of prejudice. In a similar sense one wonders why professing modern Christians -- seeing the fruits of the ministry of Joseph Smith -- do not make attentive and intelligent inquiry into the claims surrounding his divine mission.
45-49. What class of people pay attention most readily to the words of the prophets? Perhaps attentive inquiry is not limited to any particular groups. But how often the truth reaches the rabble ahead of their rabbis, is seen by the multitudes before it is comprehended by their ministers, is accepted by the people in advance of their priests!
50-51. How right Nicodemus was, as his fellow San Hedrinists well knew, for their whole system of jurisprudence was built around the revealed injunctions: (1) That men should not raise a false report, nor join with the wicked as unrighteous witnesses (Ex. 23:1); (2) That the judges in Israel were to hear the causes of the people before deciding them, and then they were to judge righteously (Deut. 1:16); (3) That issues could be decided only upon the prior, formal testimony of two or three competent witnesses. (Deut. 19:15.)
52. Art thou also of Galilee?] `Art thou one of his disciples?' Out of Galilee ariseth no prophet] No? What of Jonah, Nahum, Hosea, and Elijah? All these were said to have been from that belittled area. But even suppose no prophet had come from Galilee, does this mean no prophet can come from there? Or, are the rulers, overwhelmed by Nicodemus' logic, turning now to a personal attack upon him?
In ancient Israel, death by stoning was the penalty imposed upon betrothed or married persons found guilty of sex immorality. The official witnesses, two or more, upon whose testimony the conviction rested, were obligated to cast the first stone. (Ex. 20:14; Lev. 20:10; Deut. 13:9-10; 17:2-7; 22:13-21; Ezek. 16:35-43.)
By the time of Jesus, however, it was no longer the practice to impose the death penalty for adultery. Indeed, no penalty of death could be imposed without the sanction and approval of the Roman overlords, and in case of adultery the law of Rome did not prescribe death.
In bringing this adulteress to Jesus, the scribes and Pharisees were laying this trap for the Master: (1) If he agreed with Moses that she should be stoned, he would both (a) arouse the ire of the people generally by seeming to advocate the reinstitution of a penalty which did not have popular support, and (b) run counter to the prevailing civil law by prescribing what Rome proscribed. (2) If he disagreed with Moses and advocated anything less than death by stoning, he would be accused of perverting the law, and of advocating disrespect of and departure from the hallowed practices of the past.
John 8:7. He that is without sin] No man is without sin in the sense of having completely avoided the commission of evil acts. (1 John 1:5-10.) All men are sinners to some degree. Yet these very sinners, who themselves stood as the witnesses against convicted adulterers in ancient Israel, were obligated to cast the first stone when the death penalty was imposed by the judges. Jesus, therefore, could not have meant that penalties are to be imposed only by persons who are themselves wholly free from sin. Rather, he was here dealing with men who themselves were guilty, either actually or in their sin-laden hearts, of the same offense charged against the woman; that is, they were in effect adulterers worthy of death according to the terms of the very law they now sought to invoke against the woman. (Matt. 5:28.)
11. Neither do I condemn thee] This is not in any sense a pardon, nor is our Lord condoning an adulterous act. He does not say, `Go in peace, thy sins are forgiven thee.' He merely declines to act as a magistrate, judge, witness, or participant of any kind in a case that legally and properly should come before an official tribunal of which he is not a member.
Go, and sin no more] Could this woman gain forgiveness of so gross a crime as adultery? Certainly. Through faith, repentance, baptism, and continued obedience, it was within her power to become clean and spotless before the Lord and a worthy candidate for his celestial presence. Repentant persons have power to cleanse themselves even from so evil a thing as sex immorality. (1 Cor. 6:9-11; 3 Ne. 30.) That such seemingly was the course taken by this woman is inferred from the Inspired Version statement that she believed in Christ and glorified God from that very hour.
12. It appears to have been our Lord's deliberate design to dramatize the great truths relative to himself by associating them with the religious and social practices then prevailing. It was, for instance, while drinking at Jacob's well with the woman of Samaria (John 4:6-15), and again while the priests carried water in golden vessels from the pool of Siloam during the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:37-39), that he chose to speak of living water. It was after miraculously providing loaves and fishes for the hungering thousands, that he proclaimed himself as the living bread sent down from heaven. (John 6.) And so now, apparently while the great golden lamp-stands in the temple were blazing forth their light as part of the festivities of the Feast of Tabernacles, he took occasion to associate himself with the Messianic prophecies by announcing, "I am the light of the world."
His hearers well knew that their Messiah should stand as a light to all men; that is, they knew that he as the very source of light and truth, would stand forth as a light, an example, a dispenser of truth; they knew that his would be the mission to mark the course and light the way which all men should travel. (3 Ne. 15:9; 18:16, 24.) Messianic prophecies given to their fathers promised that he would be "a light to the Gentiles" (Isa. 49:6), a light piercing the darkness of error and unbelief. (Isa. 60:1-3.) Jesus' application of these prophecies to his own person was a clear proclamation of his own Messiahship and was so understood by his hearers.
13-20. See John 5:31-38.
15-16. `In rejecting me as the Light of the World, ye are showing a lack of spiritual discernment; your judgment is warped by carnal and worldly things. But I am not like you; I do not have the spirit of murder and bitterness in my heart, nor am I judging you on the basis of hate or envy or unbelief -- for all these things pertain to the lusts of the flesh. Yet if I should judge you at this time (as I shall at the judgment bar) my judgment would be true and just, for I would judge on the basis of true principles given me by the Father who sent me and whose Son I am.'
19. Where is thy Father?] A scornful and derisive challenge, meaning: `If God is your Father, prove it by telling us where he is. Show that you know him. When did you last see him?' Jesus answered: `Ye profess to know that God who is my Father, but ye are wholly ignorant of the deep literal and spiritual significance of my relationship to him. Ye do not know that I am his Son, and therefore ye cannot in fact know him as my Father. If ye knew me for what I am, ye would know him for what he is.'
p 21. See John 7:32-34.
22. Will he kill himself?] A derisive, mocking query, meaning: `Will he commit suicide? If so, gehenna is his destiny, and certainly we shall neither seek him, find him, nor go where he is, for we are the chosen seed and heaven is our destiny.'
23. This world] See John 17:14.
24. If ye believe not that I am he] The Savior, Redeemer, Deliverer, the one through whom redemption, salvation, and remission of sins would come; their Messiah, the Christ, the God of Israel made flesh among them.
Ye shall die in your sins] Remission of sins before death (and the consequent status of cleanliness and purity which assures the sin-free person of eventual salvation) comes to accountable men in one way and one way only. By conformity to the following eternal principles sins are remitted: (1) Men must believe in Christ as the very Son of God, the actual Redeemer and Savior through whose atoning sacrifice the whole plan of redemption and salvation is made operative; (2) Then being moved upon by a godly sorrow for sin they must forsake evil, turn to righteousness, and repent of their wrongdoings with all their hearts; (3) Thereafter they must be baptized in water for the remission of sins, under the hands of a legal administrator; and (4) Following this, also under the hands of a legal administrator, they must receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Those who take these steps and who endure in righteousness thereafter are saved; all others are damned. Thus by rejecting their King-Messiah these Jews would inevitably and surely die in their sins and be precluded from going to that eternal kingdom where the Eternal King reigns forever. And what was true for them applies in principle to men of all ages.
25. Who art thou?] Again and again and again, frequently, emphatically, in language which they understood, Jesus had claimed divine Sonship, told them that God was his Father, that he was the very Christ. True, they did not and would not believe his witness. Why then do they ask for a further self-identifying assertion? Obviously they were seeking a statement from Jesus in which he would say the very words, "I am the Messiah." Such a plain statement would further inflame the multitudes against him, and would be more concrete and specific evidence to use in any trial for blasphemy.
25b-26. `From the beginning of my ministry I have told you I was the Messiah. There are also other truths I must tell you, and you shall be judged by them. But know this, him whom ye say is your God, who also is the Father who sent me, he is the source of my teachings, and I speak only those things which I have received from him.'
27. They understood not] Those who were trying to ensnare him and who thirsted for his blood, those in spiritual darkness who had closed their minds to light and truth; not those spiritually receptive persons who but a moment later would be classed with those who believed our Lord's testimony of himself. (V. 30.)
28-29. Here Jesus identifies his murderers and foretells the mode of his death: `When ye have caused my death on the cross, and when it shall be made known unto you that I have risen again from the dead, meaning in that day when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ, then shall ye know that I am the Messiah and that the message I taught you came from the Father. But for the present, suffice it to say that the Father is with me and I do nothing of myself alone. Whatever you may think, know this also that what I do pleases him.'
31. To those Jews who were beginning to believe, Jesus said: `If ye continue to believe and obey my words, ye shall establish yourselves as my true followers; ye shall become saints in very deed.'
32. Truth] See John 18:38. Ye shall know the truth] How will this knowledge of spiritual truth come? By heeding the words of Christ; by seeking to live in conformity to every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God, "for the word of the Lord is truth" (D. & C. 84: 44-45); by devout, personal desire; by sincere scriptural study; and by fervent personal prayer.
Spiritual truths are known only by revelation. "The things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God." (1 Cor. 2:11.) "When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth." (John 16:13.) "By the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." (Moro. 10:5.)
Christ himself set the pattern; he progressed from grace to grace until "He received a fulness of truth, yea, even of all truth; And no man receiveth a fulness unless he keepeth his commandments. He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things." (D. & C. 93:26-28.)
The truth shall make you free] Free from the damning power of false doctrine; free from the bondage of appetite and lust; free from the shackles of sin; free from every evil and corrupt influence and from every restraining and curtailing power; free to go on to the unlimited freedom enjoyed in its fulness only by exalted beings.
33. This reply, obviously spoken by unbelievers in the multitude, can not rationally be interpreted as presenting a claim that the Jews had never been subject to temporal bondage. At that very time, they were vassals of Rome, and between that day and the time of Father Abraham, as a nation of slaves, they had bowed in toil through centuries of Egyptian bondage, and had been unrooted and carried bodily into Babylonian captivity.
Rather, Jesus' unbelieving respondents were saying: `We are the chosen seed, and as such we have the truth; never have our minds been darkened by error; our fathers had the truth, and we have it. Why at this late date do you think to reveal to us the truths which will give us that spiritual freedom which we already have?'
Abraham's seed] See John 8:37-50.
34-36. What masterful analogy, what infallible logic Jesus here uses. As there are restrictions and limitations in temporal matters, so there are also in the spiritual realm. Temporally speaking, only members of the family abide permanently in the house; servants come and go in their menial ministrations; they cannot abide forever in the house unless freed from their station as bondsmen; they remain outside the inner circle unless adopted as members of the family, thus being made legal heirs of all its privileges.
Similarly in spiritual things, only the family members, the freemen, the sons and daughters of God, shall abide forever in his kingdom; the servants, those bound by the chains of sin, shall minister in their assigned spheres; they cannot abide in the Father's house unless freed from sin through the cleansing power of the Son. To gain an inheritance in the spiritual kingdom, they must be spiritually begotten of the Father, adopted into his family as joint-heirs with the Son.
Thus Jesus is saying: `You may belong to the household of Abraham now in mortality, but it may not be so always. Only those who believe in me as the Son of God shall abide in the household of faithful Abraham in the eternal worlds. If ye forsake sin, and believe in the Son, he shall make you free from spiritual bondage, and only the free shall be Abraham's seed hereafter.'
For nearly 2,000 years all Israel had clung tenaciously to God's promise to Abraham: "I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to `be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee." (Gen. 17:7.) Also: "And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." (Gen. 22:18.) Now these unbelieving Jews, a remnant of the seed of faithful Abraham, glorying in their Abrahamic descent, contended with Jesus about their assumed preferential status as the "seed" of that ancient patriarch.
To understand this discussion between Jesus and his Jewish detractors, it must be remembered that men are born in various families, nations, and races as a direct result of their pre-existent life. (Deut. 32:7-8; Acts 17:26.) Many choice spirits from preexistence are sent in selected families. This enables them to undergo their mortal probations under circumstances where the gospel and its blessings will be more readily available to them.
Abraham gained the promise from the Lord that his descendants, his "literal seed, ... the seed of the body," would be natural heirs to all of "the blessings of the Gospel." (Abra. 2:11.) His seed were to be "lawful heirs, according to the flesh," because of their "lineage." (D. & C. 86:8-11.) Accordingly, since Abraham's day, the Lord has sent a host of righteous spirits through that favored lineage.
Further, Abraham also gained the divine assurance that all those who thereafter received the gospel, no matter what their literal lineage, should be "accounted" his seed and should rise up and bless him as their father. (Abra. 2:10.) By adoption such converts would "become... the seed of Abraham." (D. & C. 84:34.) Conversely, and in this spiritual sense, such of the literal seed of Abraham as rejected the gospel light would be cut off from the house of their fathers and be denied an eternal inheritance with Israel and Abraham. "For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel," as Paul explained it. "Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: . . . That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed." (Rom. 9:6-8.)
Thus there are two distinct meanings of the expression, "seed of Abraham": (1) There are his literal descendants who have sprung from his loins and who by virtue of their favored family status are natural heirs of the same blessings which Abraham himself enjoyed; and (2) There are those (including adopted members of the family) who become the "seed of Abraham" in the full spiritual sense by conformity to the same gospel principles which Abraham obeyed. In this spiritual sense, the disobedient literal descendants of Abraham, being "children of the flesh," are not "accounted" as Abraham's seed, but are cut off from the blessings of the gospel.
37-40. Though these Jews were Abraham's seed literally, they were not his children spiritually. As his offspring in mortality, they claimed a temporal inheritance with the chosen people. But only by conformity to the same law which Abraham lived could they attain an inheritance as children of Abraham in eternity.
This course of obedience involves acceptance of the gospel and living the law of eternal marriage. To Joseph Smith the Lord said: "Abraham received promises concerning his seed, and of the fruit of his loins -- from whose loins ye are, namely, my servant Joseph -- which were to continue so long as they were in the world; and as touching Abraham and his seed, out of the world they should continue; both in the world and out of the world should they continue as innumerable as the stars; or, if ye were to count the sand upon the seashore ye could not number them." (D. & C. 132:30.)
John 8:37. Ye are Abraham's seed] 39. If ye were Abraham's children] Abraham's seed, Yes; his children, No. That they had descended from Abraham, in the literal sense, was true; that they were his children in gospel righteousness, in spiritual things, was as far removed from the truth as is light from darkness.
37. My word] "My word. . . is my law." (D. & C. 132:12.) Over and over again, in almost every discourse, Jesus announces his claim to divinity, either in direct words or by necessary implication. Prophets speak of the word of the Lord coming to them or of the Lord's word abiding in the faithful; but not so with Jesus. He being Lord of all, and his own words being those which the prophets speak when given utterance by the Spirit, he speaks simply of, My Word, thus making himself God.
38. My Father] Not the Father or our Father (in the sense that he is the Parent of all spirits), but My Father, him who begat me in the flesh and who is also my spiritual progenitor because I keep his laws: Your Father] See John 8:44.
39. Salvation is not inherited because of lineage. Descendants of apostles and prophets must work out their own salvation the same as anyone else. For instance: To those who glory in their literal descent from the great prophet of this dispensation, it might well be said: `If ye were Joseph Smith's children, ye would do the works of Joseph Smith' -- including celestial marriage and temple work.
41. `Ye are apostates who walk in the way of wickedness, being led by the devil whom ye have adopted as your father.' They reply: `The devil is not our father; we are not spiritually illegitimate; we are the children of Abraham and have the true religion, and hence God is our Father.'
42. `If ye had the true religion, thus making God your Father, ye would accept me, for God sent me to lead men to him.' Paul explained this same principle in this way: "They which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. ... Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. . . . And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Gal. 3:7, 26, 29.)
44. Your father the devil] See Luke 10:18. Just as surely as the obedient "receive the adoption of sons" (Gal. 4:5), becoming "children of God" (Rom. 8:14-17), so the disobedient are adopted into the Church or kingdom of the devil, thus becoming children of the devil.
He was a murderer from the beginning] The same thing is said of Cain (Ether 8:15) -- who along with Satan is also known as Perdition (D. & C. 76:25-27; Moses 5:18-25) -- the meaning being that each of them murdered "against the light and know -- ledge of God." (Alma 39:6.)
There is no truth in him] Satan neither originates nor sponsors truth. He may use truth interlarded with error for his own destructive purposes, but in the long perspective his purpose is to blot out the light and enshroud the world in darkness. "tight and truth forsake that evil one." (D. & C. 93:37.)
45. A follower of the devil will not believe the truth when he hears it.
46. `I am without sin; my course of life is perfect. Since none of you can find any sin in me, it should be apparent that my life and teachings are in perfect harmony with the truth, and consequently what I tell you is true. Why then do ye not believe me?'
47. `If ye had the truths of salvation so as to be the children of God, ye would accept the word of God which I now deliver unto you. But the very fact you do not accept my words shows you are not of God and do not have the true religion which is of God.'
48. Thou. . . hast a devil] His works were seen and known on every hand; they could not be spiritualized away. In utter desperation these rebellious Jews had no recourse other than to accept the works or attribute them to an evil power.
49-50. `I am not possessed of a devil. If I were, my teachings and works would not honor and glorify my Father as they do. But ye dishonor me because I am of God and ye are not. I seek not mine own glory, as do those who are of the devil; but there is one, even God, who seeketh it for me, and he will judge those who dishonor me.'
51-53. Jesus had repeatedly used language which these Jews, trained as they were in the mysteries of their decadent theology, understood to mean that he was the Messiah. As such, according to their own teachings, he would come bringing salvation, having life in himself, ransoming and redeeming his people both temporally and spiritually. In other words, as they knew, he would come bringing those truths by which men are born again, enjoy spiritual life, and avoid spiritual death.
That is, these Jews knew that those who believed and obeyed the words of the true Messiah would never see spiritual death. Accordingly, their attempt to make it appear that belief in Jesus' words had no such life giving effect was their way, in this instance, of denying his Messiahship. `Whom makest thou thyself? Art thou in fact the Messiah,' they say to him.
54-55. `If I make myself the Messiah, my claim to divinity is of no validity; but it is God my Father who honors me with divine Sonship. My honor comes from him whom ye say is your God, but who in truth ye have not known. Nevertheless I know him for I am his Son, and if I should say that I know him not and am therefore not the Messiah, I would be a liar like unto you. But that I do know him and am the Messiah is shown by the fact that I keep his sayings perfectly, as only his Son could.'
56. Abraham, whose mortal life antedated that of Jesus by nearly two millenniums, saw in vision the ministry of Christ and rejoiced in the knowledge that salvation and redemption would come in and through our Lord's atoning sacrifice. Undoubtedly this was recorded in some ancient scripture now lost to the knowledge of men. From the writings of Paul we know that Abraham had the gospel (Gal. 3:8), and from the account in the Book of Abraham we learn that Jehovah appeared to Abraham and gave him both gospel and priesthood promises. (Abra. 2:6-11.)
57. Jesus did not say he had seen Abraham, but rather that Abraham had seen him and his day, thus making himself greater than the foremost patriarch of the Jewish nation. But the Jews, in an apparent attempt to substract honor from him in whose presence they then stood, twisted our Lord's statement to mean that he had looked back and seen the day of Abraham.
58. This is as blunt and pointed an affirmation of divinity as any person has or could make. `Before Abraham was I Jehovah.' That is, `I am God Almighty, the Great I AM. I am the self-existent, Eternal One. I am the God of your fathers. My name is: I AM THAT I AM.'
To Moses the Lord Jehovah had appeared, identified himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and said: "I AM THAT I AM: ... Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. ... This is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations." (Ex. 3:1-15.)
Of a later manifestation, the King James Version has Deity say: "I am the Lord: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them." (Ex. 6:2-3.) From latter -- day revelation we know that one of our Lord's great pronouncements to Abraham was: "I am the Lord thy God; . . . My name is Jehovah" (Abra. 2:7-8), and accordingly we find the Inspired Version account reading: "I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob. I am the Lord God Almighty; the Lord JEHOVAH. And was not my name known unto them?" (I. V. Ex. 6:3.)
59. That the Jews understood Jesus' plainly stated claim to Messiahship is evident from their belligerent attempt to stone him -- death by stoning being the penalty for blasphemy, a crime of which our Lord would have been guilty had not his assertions as to divinity been true. But Jesus, evidently exercising divine powers, passed unknown out of their midst.
Luke 10:17. Seventy] See Luke 10:1-11, 16.
18. Satan] Satan is a spirit son of God. As such he dwelt in preexistence, was endowed with agency, disobeyed Deity's decrees, sought the privilege of being born in mortality as the Son of God, desired to dethrone God himself, was a liar from the beginning, rebelled against light and truth, and waged open war when his offer to become the Redeemer was rejected. Together with the spirits who followed him, he was cast out of heaven onto the earth where his hosts, all of whom are denied mortal bodies, seek to destroy the souls of men. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 178-181.)
19. By faith the Lord's agents have power over every worldly and evil thing. Such power is shown forth in the signs which "follow them that believe." (Mark 16:16-20.)
20. Names are written in heaven] Records are kept in heaven as well as on earth, and the faithful saints who have gained the promise of eternal life have their names recorded in the Lamb's Book of Life. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 91-92.)
Three great truths are propounded in this solemn affirmation of our Lord:
(1) Spiritual realities, gospel truths, the doctrines and principles of salvation, come only by revelation; they are only known to and understood by the spiritually literate, those who so live as to attune their souls to the spirit of revelation; they are withheld from and remain unknown to the worldly wise and those who trust in the arm of flesh.
(2) All things which the Father hath are committed unto the Son. See Luke 10:22.
(3) The Father and the Son, perfectly united as one in the eternal Godhead, reveal and manifest each other to those prepared by righteousness to know God. And only those so qualified do or can see or know the Gods of heaven.
The entire passage as found in Matthew, following as it does Jesus' upbraiding of the wicked cities of Palestine, seems misplaced. Luke's placement of it after the report of the seventies is logical and seemingly correct. The insertion found in the Inspired Version of the fact that it was made in answer to a message spoken to Jesus from heaven makes the whole presentation coherent and sensible. Without this addition, the passage leaves the impression that our Lord is answering a question which was never asked.
Matt. 11:25-26; Luke 10:21. Paul wrote at length, contrasting the lack of saving virtue in worldly knowledge with the redeeming power of revealed truths as these are made known to the penitent saints. (1 Cor. 1:17-31; 2; 3:18-20.) Jacob wrote similarly, explaining that "the wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches," are despised of the Lord, and that "save they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility," they cannot attain salvation. (2 Ne. 9:41-43.)
Matt. 11:27. Two principles are here taught: (1) Without revelation from the Father by means of the Holy Ghost no man can know the Son; and (2) No man can know the Father unless the Son reveals him. This latter truth is inherent in the general law of intercession which provides that since the fall of Adam all the dealings of God with man have been through the Son rather than coming directly from the Father.
I. V. Luke 10:28. They shall see the Father also] See John 14:23.
I. V. Luke 10:23. `The Son is the Father, and the Father is the Son] Not two personages, but one; not two beings in the express image of each other, but one being only who is both the Father and the Son. That is, Christ himself is the Father. "Behold, the mystery of godliness, how great is it!" (D. & C. 19:10.)
This doctrine that Christ is the Father, though seldom so well stated in the Bible, is abundantly and expressly taught in latter-day revelation. Many of the explanatory passages setting forth the doctrine are quoted or cited in the now famous document entitled, "The Father and The Son: A Doctrinal Exposition by The First Presidency and the Twelve," published in full, among other places, on pages 465 to 473 of the Articles of Faith by Elder James E. Talmage.
In the usual manner of speaking, the Father and the Son are two separate personages who are united as one in purpose and plan and in character and attributes. Christ is the Firstborn spirit offspring of the Father in pre-existence, the Only Begotten in the flesh. But there are three specific scriptural senses in which Christ is spoken of and known as the Father:
(1) He is the Father in the sense of being the Creator and is thus referred to as "the Father of the heavens and of the earth, and all things that in them are." (Ether 4:7.)
(2) He is the Father of those who abide in his gospel. Faithful saints who receive him have power given them to become his sons. (D. & C. 39:4.) Those who are "spiritually begotten... are born of him"; they become "the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters." (Mosiah 5:7.)
(3) He is the Father by divine investiture of authority. That is, the Father places his own name, power, authority, and Godship on the Son, and empowers him to act and speak in the first person as though he were the Father so that his words and acts become and are those of the Father. All things are truly delivered to him by his Father.
This solemn pronouncement by Jesus should be considered from two aspects: (1) The doctrine, teaching, and message it contains; and (2) The authoritative manner in which the message is presented.
As to the message: It is a call to repentance, to forsake the world, to come unto Christ, to believe his gospel, to conform to his teachings -- with the sure promise that in such a course will be found spiritual rest and peace.
As to the mode of expression chosen: It is one that in its nature affirms the divine status and Sonship of Jesus. He did not say, "Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him" (Moro. 10:32), as Moroni did; nor did he follow Isaiah's pattern: "Seek ye the Lord, . . . return unto the Lord, . . . and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." (Isa. 55:6-7.) His language was not that of a prophet speaking for Deity; rather, as Diety, he was speaking for himself. He did not say, `Come unto God and find salvation,' but instead, `Come unto me and find salvation, for I am God, the very Messiah in whom salvation centers.'
Matt. 11:28. Though men labor to gain spiritual blessings, they remain laden with sin and never find rest of soul until they come unto Christ and accept him as their Savior.
29. Rest unto your souls] Faithful members of the Church find perfect peace and rest to their souls; they enter into what is called the rest of the Lord. (Moro. 7:3; Heb. 3:7-19; 4:1-11; D. & C. 84:17-25.) Attainment of this status includes the gaining of a perfect knowledge of the divinity of the Lord's earthly kingdom. "It means entering into the knowledge and love of God," President Joseph F. Smith said, "having faith in his purpose and in his plan, to such an extent that we know we are right, and that we are not hunting for something else; we are not disturbed by every wind of doctrine, or by the cunning and craftiness of men who lie in wait to deceive." It is rest "from the cry that is going forth, here and there -- lo, here is Christ; lo, there is Christ." (Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed., pp. 58, 125-126.)
30. To those who love God, "his commandments are not grievous." (1 John 5:3.)
Who is my neighbor? To the Jews among whom Jesus ministered, this was one of the most important and yet difficult questions. They had been commanded by Moses to love God with all the strength and power their whole souls possessed (Deut. 6:4-5) and also to love their neighbors as themselves. (Lev. 19:18.)
Since they worshiped one God only, no problem of misplacing their love arose where Deity was concerned. But who among earth's teeming hosts were their neighbors? Traditionally they had loved their neighboring kindred in Israel and hated the pagan Gentiles, with whom they also frequently found themselves engaged in armed conflicts.
Foreigners and Samaritans were not neighbors according to rabbinical teachings. "The rabbis said, `He excepts all Gentiles when he saith His neighbour.' `An Israelite killing a stranger-inhabitant doth not die for it by the Sanhedrin, because it is said, If any one lifts up himself against his neighbour.' `We are not to contrive the death of the Gentiles, but if they are in any danger of death we are not bound to deliver them, e.g. if any of them fall into the sea you need not take him out, for such a one is not thy neighbour.'" (Dummelow, p. 751.)
But Jesus in this parable drew from one trained in the spirit -- killing letter of the Jewish law the instinct-born gospel truth that all of our Father's children with whom we have contact are our neighbors. The parable presupposes that God "hath made of one blood all nations of men" (Acts 17:26); it teaches the lesson that each member of this great brotherhood of man should exhibit an active benevolence toward every other one of his Father's children.
From the standpoint of weaving a plausible account of common happenings into a story that teaches a great spiritual truth, this is a perfect parable. The Jews esteemed themselves as a chosen race, superior to the religiously degenerate Samaritans whom they hated, whom they classified as foreigners, and whom they expressly refused to accept as neighbors. Between Jerusalem and Jericho lay a thief-infested highway that was often bathed in blood. Jericho itself was a city of priests and Levites. Wine, to cleanse wounds, and oil, as a salve to assuage their smarting, were the common remedies of the day. The two pence equaled two days' wages for a laborer and would have kept the injured man for several days. Indeed, so realistic is the story that it well may be a recitation of an actual happening well known to Jesus' hearers.
Luke 10:25. Eternal life] See John 17:3.
27. See Matt. 22:34-40.
31. A priest] A literal descendant of Aaron who held the office of priest in the Aaronic Priesthood and served as a minister among the people.
32. A Levite] One of the tribe of Levi who was ordained to office in the Aaronic Priesthood and was called to be a minister and light to the people.
33. Samaritan] See John 4:9.
Mary and Martha were both faithful, devoted disciples of Jesus. Both knew he was the Son of God, Martha, in particular, so testifying when he raised their brother Lazarus from the dead. (John 11.) It appears that these sisters were on friendly, even intimate, terms with Jesus, that he visited them in Bethany from time to time, and that it was the privilege of Martha, at least to offer him the hospitality of her home.
Here we see Jesus dining in Martha's home. According to the social amenities of the day, Mary should have been assisting her sister in the serving and other details of the meal; instead, she sat at Jesus' feet feasting herself on the spiritual food which fell from his lips. From Martha's housewifely complaint and Jesus' mild reproof, we learn the principle that, though temporal food is essential to life, once a reasonable amount has been acquired, then spiritual matters should take precedence. Bread is essential to life, but man is not to live by bread alone. Food, clothing, and shelter are essential to mortal existence, but once these have been gained in reasonable degree, there is only "one thing" needful -- and that is to partake of the spiritual food spread on the gospel table.
How often, in one dramatic way after another, do we find Him who had not where to lay his head, teaching that worldly wealth is of little eternal worth; that men should lay up for themselves treasures, not on earth, but in heaven; that they should seek first the kingdom of God and let the things of this world take a position of secondary importance; that one thing above all others is needful -- to love and serve God and the Son whom he hath sent!
In this conversation with a covetous, worldy-minded man, and in the resultant parable of the rich fool which grew out of it, our Lord teaches that those whose hearts are set on the things of this world shall lose their souls. The parable itself condemns worldly -- mindedness, reminds men that death and judgment are inevitable, and teaches that they should seek eternal riches rather than those things which moth and rust corrupt and which thieves break through and steal.
Luke 12:14. Though he is the Eternal Judge of all things, Jesus refrains from intervening in cases for which there are legally appointed tribunals. Any other course would have been outside the field of his assigned mission and would have entangled him in difficulties with the petty bureaucrats whose functions he might have assumed.
15. Man is an eternal being. A pre-existent life of near infinite duration preceded this one; the life hereafter will be one of unending continuance. Why should anyone assume that the wealth and property acquired during this brief moment of mortality is of any particular moment in the eternal scheme of things?
20. Thou fool] God himself here says that a man who sets his heart on wealth and the worldly ease that accompanies it is a fool and shall lose his soul.
21. Rich toward God] Rich in the currency negotiable in the courts above; rich in eternal things; rich in the knowledge of the truth, in the possession of intelligence, in obedience to gospel law, in the possession of the characteristics and attributes of Deity, in all of the things which will continue to be enjoyed in eternity.
Does God send accidents, violent death, and other calamities upon individual men to punish them for their sins? Apparently there were those among Jesus' hearers who thought so. Accordingly, we find the Master expressly saying that those subject to the misfortunes here involved were not greater sinners than their fellows whose lives were spared.
True it is, as a general principle, that God sends disasters, calamities, plagues, and suffering upon the rebellious, and that he preserves and protects those who love and serve him. Such in -- deed were the very promises given to Israel -- obedience would net them the preserving and protecting care of the Lord, disobedience would bring death, destruction, desolation, disaster, war, and a host of evils upon them. (Deut. 28; 30.)
But to say that particular individuals slain in war, killed in accidents, smitten with disease, stricken by plagues, or shorn of their property by natural calamities, have been singled out from among their fellows as especially deserving of such supposed retribution is wholly unwarranted. It is not man's prerogative to conclude in individual cases of suffering or accident that such has befallen a person as a just retribution for an ungodly course.
This was the error into which Job's friends fell when they assumed his misfortunes were born of wickedness, whereas the Lord had other purposes in mind in Job's case. For that matter, the Lord brings difficulties upon the most righteous of his saints to test and try them; persecution and its concomitants is the heritage of the faithful.
The real lesson to be learned from Jesus' conclusion, "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish," is that there was no difference in righteousness between the slain and the living, and that unless the living repent they would perish with the dead. For those who heard this judgment pronounced upon them, it probably was fulfilled in the soon-to-be destruction of Jerusalem itself.
In a broader sense the thought is that as these have perished temporally so shall all perish spiritually unless they repent. In effect the lord said the same thing in latter-day revelation when he announced that "every man must repent or suffer," and that only those who did repent would escape the same excruciating pain and anguish which he himself suffered in Gethsemane. (D. & C. 19.) Two alternatives face all men -- repent or perish.
A certain husbandman (God) had a fig tree (the Jewish remnant of Israel) planted in his vineyard (the world); and he came (in the meridian of time) and sought fruit thereon (faith, righteousness, good works, gilts of the Spirit), and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard (the Son of God), Behold, these three years (the period of Jesus' ministry) I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down (destroy the Jewish nation as an organized kingdom); why cumbereth it the ground (why should it prevent the conversion of the world by occupying the ground and pre-empting the time of my servants)? And he (the Son of God) answering said unto him (God, the husbandman), Lord, let it alone this year also till I shall dig about it, and dung it (preach the gospel, raise the warning voice, show forth signs and wonders, organize the Church, and offer every opportunity for the conversion of the Jewish nation). And if it bear fruit, the tree is saved (the Jewish nation shall be preserved as such and its members gain salvation), and if not, after that thou shalt cut it down (destroy the Jews as a nation, make them a hiss and a byword, and scatter them among all nations).
By this act of giving sight to a blind beggar Jesus, in a dramatic and irrefutable manner, proclaimed himself as: (1) The Light of the World; and (2) The very Son of God. Incident to its performance he also: Confirmed the disciples' belief in pre-existence; rejected the belief of some that physical handicaps result from ante-mortal sin; taught that his own work was assigned him by the Father; reaffirmed that he stands in judgment upon the world; and taught that rejection of light and truth bring condemnation.
John 9:1-2. Apparently the Jews had some understanding of the doctrine of pre-existence. Among their righteous forbears it had been taught plainly as a basic gospel truth. (Moses 3:4-9; 4:1-4; 6:51; Abra. 3:22-28.) Such scriptures as were then available to them however, contained only passing allusions to it. (Num. 16:22; Isa. 14:12-20; Jer. 1:5.) But it was a doctrine implicit in the whole plan of salvation as such was known to and understood by them. They had, for instance, no more occasion to prove the ante-mortal existence of spirits than they did to prove God was a personal Being. Both truths were assumed; concepts to the contrary were heresies which gained prevalence in later ages.
Jesus' disciples -- probably as a direct result of his teachings -- knew and believed that men were the spirit children of God in pre-existence and that in such prior estate they were subject to law and endowed with agency. Otherwise they never would have asked nor would there have been any sense or reason to a question which is predicated upon the assumption that men can sin before they are born into mortality.
3. Men are not born with physical deformities as a punishment for sins committed in pre-existence. Parents may bequeath physical ills to their offspring as a result of sins committed during mortality, as when children are born blind because of venereal disease suffered by the mother. Or physical deformities may result from conditions wholly beyond the control of any individual, as when children are born with imperfections due to atomic radiation. Or yet again, the handicap may be one allowed, as here, to fulfil the Lord's own peculiar purposes.
4. Jesus, the great Exemplar, came: (1) Because his Father sent him; (2) To do exactly what his Father directed; and (3) To perform these labors on the divine schedule and at the appointed hour.
The night cometh, when no man can work] There is a time appointed for the performance of every righteous work. Time lost can never be recaptured; it is gone forever. Perhaps the most awesome illustration of this principle is the doctrine which denies men a second chance to gain celestial salvation. Of those who have opportunity to believe and obey the gospel in this life and who neglect or refuse to do so, Amulek said: "After this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed." (Alma 34:33.)
5. Light of the world] See John 8:12-20. Before opening the eyes of the blind, physically, Jesus reminded his hearers of his previous pronouncement, "I am the light of the world," as though to teach: `Whenever you remember that I opened the blind eyes, physically, remember also that I came to bring light to eyes, spiritually.'
6-7. See Matt. 9:27-31.
14. The sabbath day] See John 5:1-16.
22. Put out of the synagogue] Excommunicated.
29-33. From age to age disbelieving persons fall back on the same shaky notions to justify themselves for rejecting light and truth. In modern times they say, in effect, `We know that God spake unto Jesus, and unto Peter, James and John; but as for this Joseph Smith, we know not from whence he is.' To which one whose eyes have been opened spiritually might aptly reply: `Why herein is a marvelous thing, that ye know not whether Joseph Smith was sent of God, and yet he hath communed with God, received revelation upon revelation, translated the Book of Mormon, performed many miracles, set up again the kingdom of God on earth, and organized a Church which is fast becoming a world power and to which hundreds of thousands of the elect are gathering from all parts of the earth. Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any be a worshiper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. Since the world began was it not heard that any man could do the mighty works performed in this dispensation unless God was with him. If Joseph Smith were not of God, his fraudulent claims would have been uncovered long ago and his work come to naught.'
34. Born in sins] Here the Jews themselves seem to indicate a knowledge of the doctrine of pre-existence.
35-38. Both the logic and the testimony here presented by Jesus are perfect. He has just performed, openly and boldly, a miracle which all but the most spiritually darkened viewers must acknowledge could be done only by the power of God. (3 Ne. 8:1.) Then having shown himself to be the agent of Deity through the use of divine power, he says plainly: `I am the Son of God.' Accordingly, his hearers are faced with this problem: Either he is the Son of God, as he says, or lie is a blasphemous sinner worthy of death. If he is a blasphemer, how could he work a miracle that requires the approval and power of God?
39. `I am come into the world to sit in judgment upon all men, to divide them into two camps by their acceptance or rejection of my word. Those who are spiritually blind have their eyes opened through obedience to my gospel and shall see the things of the Spirit. Those who think they can see in the spiritual realm, but who do not accept me and my gospel shall remain in darkness and be made blind to the true spiritual realities.'
40-41. "He who sins against the greater light shall receive the greater condemnation." (D. & C. 82:3.) "Where there is no law. . . there is no condemnation." (2 Ne. 9:25.) Modern sectarians, to whom the message of the restoration is presented, are in this same state of blindness and sin. They have the scriptures before them; they study the gospel doctrines contained in them; they are concerned about religion in general; and then they hear the latter-day elders, speaking as those having authority, present the message of salvation -- and yet they choose to remain in the churches of the day rather than accept the fulness of revealed truth. If they were blind, knowing none of these things, they would be under no condemnation for rejecting the light; but when the truth is offered to them and they reject it, claiming to have the light already, they are under condemnation, for their sin remaineth.
Among the pastoral people of Palestine, service as a pastor or shepherd was one of the most honorable and respected vocations. Accordingly, many of the prophets had used the shepherd's vocation as a basis for teaching great spiritual truths and as a means of foretelling the coming of the Messiah who would be the Good Shepherd. By means of this allegory of the shepherd and the sheepfold Jesus bears record of his own divinity and specifies how his true shepherds should deal in the spiritual pastures of the gospel.
John 10:1-5. "To understand the imagery, it must be remembered that Eastern folds are large open enclosures into which several flocks are driven at the approach of night. There is only one door, which a single shepherd guards, while the others go home to rest. In the morning the shepherds return, are recognized by the doorkeeper, call their flocks round them, and lead them forth to pasture." (Dummelow, p. 791.)
1. `A minister who comes to labor in the gospel fold, without an actual call from Christ who keeps the door, is a thief and a robber.'
2. `But a true pastor who is called to service by Him who is the Door is the approved shepherd of the sheep.'
3-5. To the elders of the Church, Peter gave this direction: "Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." (I Pet. 5:1-4.)
6-13. "Never has been written or spoken a stronger arraignment of false pastors, unauthorized teachers, self-seeking hirelings who teach for pelf and divine for dollars, deceivers who pose as shepherds yet avoid the door and climb over `some other way,' prophets in the devil's employ, who to achieve their master's purpose, hesitate not to robe themselves in the garments of assumed sanctity, and appear in sheep's clothing, while inwardly they are ravening wolves." (Talmage, pp. 417-418.)
7, 9. I am the door] Christ is the door, both on earth and in heaven. By his word both shepherds and sheep enter the fold of the kingdom here and hereafter. "The keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name." (2 Ne. 9:41.)
I. V. 8. Who testified not of me] "To him give all the prophets witness." (Acts 10:43.) There never was a prophet of Godin any age who did not testily of Christ and his mission. Any professing prophet, teacher, pastor, shepherd, minister, or priest, in any age, who is not in fact called of God and who does not bear witness of Christ is a false prophet, or as Jesus here says a thief and a robber.
John 10:9-11. These verses are Messianic pronouncements. Jesus is saying that salvation comes by him; that he came into the world to work out the infinite and eternal atonement by which immortality and eternal life come; and that he is the very Messiah who shall voluntarily give his life for the sheep.
10. Life itself is immortality; the abundant life is eternal life. Immortality is a free gift to all through the atonement; eternal life is that high state of exaltation reserved for those who live the fulness of gospel laws. Certainly life is more abundant for those who inherit all things, who enjoy the fulness of the glory of the Father, and who are rewarded with a "continuation of the seeds forever and ever." (D. & C. 76:54-60; 93:16-28; 131; 132:19-24.)
11. I am the good shepherd] `I am the Messiah, the Redeemer, the Son of God.' All Israel knew their Messiah would be the great Shepherd, the Teacher, who as the Lord God incarnate, would make his sheep to lie down in green pastures, would lead them beside the still waters, would restore their souls and lead them in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake, and who in the end would cause them to dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Ps. 23.)
All Israel knew also that Isaiah had prophesied: "Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young." (Isa. 40:10-11.)
And now One ministered among them who said: `I am he!' The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep] See John 10: 15b, 17-21.
14-15a. `I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and mine own know me, even as the Father knoweth me and I know the Father.'
15b, 17-21. These statements of our Lord explain why he was born into the world as the Son of God on the one hand and the Son of Mary on the other. They reveal the reason Jesus had power to work out the infinite and eternal atonement, and they place the doctrine of the divine Sonship in its true relationship to the eternal plan of redemption.
According to his own eternal purposes, the Father created man as his spirit child; gave him laws and agency; organized this earth as a place for his mortal abode; and ordained a system whereunder man would be redeemed, temporally and spiritually, through an atonement. Having announced and presented his plan to his spirit children, the Father then asked, in effect: `Whom shall I send to be my Son, to be the Messiah, Redeemer, an Savior, to work out the infinite and eternal atoning sacrifice?' Christ, the Firstborn, replied in effect: `Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy Son. And Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.' (Moses 4:1-4; Abra. 3:22-28.) Then it was that Christ was chosen and foreordained to be "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." (Rev. 13:8; 1 Pet. 1:19-20.)
To play his part in this eternal plan of the Father, the chosen sacrificial Lamb needed a dual inheritance -- an inheritance of the power of mortality and the power of immortality. The power universally present in all cases of mortality is the power to die, to separate body and spirit in what is called the natural death; the power of immortality in all cases is the power to live, to keep body and spirit from separating, or, having allowed death to take place, the power to reunite body and spirit inseparably in enduring immortality.
Mary, a mortal woman, was our Lord's mother, and God, an Immortal Man, was his Father. Thus he inherited from Mary the power and ability to die and from God the power and ability to live. As the Only Begotten of the Father, he was the only person ever born into the world who could make a personal choice as to whether he should live or die, and having voluntarily elected to die, the only one who could voluntarily choose to live again as a resurrected being. Lehi expressed this gospel principle by saying that the Messiah "layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise." (2 Ne. 2:8.)
Our Lord's atoning sacrifice is the most basic and important doctrine of the gospel; it is the most transcendent event that has ever occurred in the world. Immortality for all men and eternal life for the obedient come because of it. And the atonement itself is based upon and made possible because of the divine Sonship of Jesus.
This doctrine of the atonement cannot be understood unless it is known that God is a personal being in whose image man is created. If religionists suppose that Deity is a spirit essence which fills the immensity of space and is everywhere and nowhere in particular present, they cannot believe that he is an Immortal Man who sired a Son and that he bequeathed to that Son the power of immortality which is the power over death. Hence, their false concepts about God preclude a true belief in the divine Sonship and in the atoning sacrifice which grows out of it.
19-21. Jesus' miracles, which could have been performed only by the power of God, stands as a witness that his claim to divine Sonship is true.
p During his ministry in the meridian of time, Jesus was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, not to the Gentiles. (Matt. 15:24.) Initially this same restriction applied to the apostles (Matt. 10: 5-6), although they were later commanded to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. (Mark 16:14-18.)
Obviously the "other sheep" spoken of here must also be members of the house of Israel. And thus it is that we find the resurrected Lord, ministering among the Nephites, "who are a remnant of the house of Joseph," and saying: "Ye are they of whom I said: Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. And they understood me not, for they supposed it had been the Gentiles; for they understood not that the Gentiles should be converted through their preaching. And they understood me not that I said they shall hear my voice; and they understood me not that the Gentiles should not at any time hear my voice -- that I should not manifest myself unto them save it were by the Holy Ghost. But behold, ye have both heard my voice, and seen me; and ye are my sheep, and ye are numbered among those whom the Father hath given me." (3 Ne. 15:11-24.) Then Jesus explained to the Nephites that he had yet other sheep to be visited who were the lost tribes of Israel. (3 Ne. 16:1-4.)
Eventually, all who believe the gospel, Jew and Gentile alike, shall be gathered into the fold of Christ, "for there is one God and one Shepherd over all the earth." (1 Ne. 13:41; 22:25.)
22. Feast of the dedication] Celebrated over two months after the feast of tabernacles, this feast, instituted by Judas Maccabeus in 163 B. C., commemorated the rededication of the temple, following its profanation by Antiochus Epiphanes, a pagan Syrian king.
23. Solomon's porch] A portico on the east side of the temple, said by Josephus to have been part of the original structure built by Solomon.
24. If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly] Merely to ask such a question testified of the agitated and uncertain state of the public pulse. It was an admission that his mighty works, known to all, were worthy of no less a person than the Messiah.
25. But Jesus had told them, over and over again, plainly, figuratively, and by necessary implication that he was the Christ. He knew this, and they knew it; and his spoken testimony they had rejected. Now he challenged them to explain away his mighty works which none but one having divine power could perform.
27. My sheep hear my voice] Why do some persons believe in Christ and his saving truths while others do not? Why is it easier for some to believe all of the gospel truths than for others? There is only one rational explanation why selected sheep hearken more readily to the Master's voice; it is the fact that men developed different talents in pre-existence. Spirits sent to inhabit some mortal bodies developed talents for spirituality, for recognizing the truth, for believing spiritual realities while yet in pre-existence; others did not. Many of the offspring of Deity, having excelled in spiritual attainments in pre-existence, are born as members of the house of Israel in this life. (Deut. 32:7-9.)
28-30. Those who believe in Christ and obey his laws are his sheep; they shall inherit eternal life, and no power can prevent it. "You are of them that my Father hath given me," the Lord said to the Church in this day, "And none of them that my Father hath given me shall be lost. And the Father and I are one. I am in the Father and the Father in me; and inasmuch as ye have received me, ye are in me and I in you." (D. & C. 50:41-43.)
29. My Father . . . is greater than all] The Father is greater than the Son.
30. See John 17:20-26.
31-33. "Blasphemy consists in either or both of the following: 1. Speaking irreverently, evilly, abusively, or scurrilously against God or sacred things; or 2. Speaking profanely or falsely about Deity." (Mormon Doctrine, p. 85.) In its most criminal and corrupt form it consists in claiming falsely to be God or the Son of God. Thus Jesus would have been guilty of the most terrible of all blasphemous crimes if his claim to divine Sonship had been false. Death by stoning was the penalty of blasphemy in ancient Israel. (Lev. 24:16.)
34-36. Though "there is none other God but one" for men on this earth to worship, yet "there be gods many, and lords many" throughout the infinite expanse of eternity. (1 Cor. 8:4-7.) That is, there are many exalted, perfected, glorified personages who reign as gods over their own dominions. John saw 144,000 of them standing with Christ upon Mount Zion, all "having his Father's name written in their foreheads" (Rev. 14-1), which is to say that they were gods and were so identified by wearing crowns so stating. Indeed, to each person who overcomes and gains exaltation, Christ has promised: "I will write upon him the name of my God," and he shall "sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." (Rev. 3:12, 21.)
Joseph Smith said: "Every man who reigns in celestial glory is a god to his dominions." (Teachings, p. 374.) All exalted persons "are gods, even the sons of God." (D. & C. 76:58.) Through obedience to the whole gospel law, including celestial marriage, they attain the "fulness of the glory of the Father" (D. & C. 93:6-28) and "a continuation of the seeds forever and ever. Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them." (D. & C. 132:19-20.)
But to us there is but one God, who is Elohim, and one Lord, who is the Lord Jehovah; the Holy Ghost acts as their minister; and these three are one Godhead, or as it is more graphically expressed, one God. Thus we find the Psalmist, whom Jesus quoted, saying: "God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods. . . . I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High." (Ps. 82:1, 6.)
This, then, in effect, is our Lord's argument: `Why accuse me of blasphemy for testifying that I was sanctified and sent into the world by the Father? Does it offend you to hear me say that I am the Son of God? Do you not know that every righteous person to whom the word of God comes, and who then obeys the fulness of that law, shall become like the Father and be a god himself?'
36. I am the Son of God] Could any statement be plainer? How, as so many modernists affirm, could Jesus be a great moral teacher only and not the Son of God? Is a man a great moral teacher who builds his life on a lie and centers all his teachings around something that is false?
37-38. This is the same sort of logic that Nephi uses to establish the truth of the Book of Mormon. "Believe in Christ," he says to those who read that book, "and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good." (2 Ne. 33:10.)
Similarly, and in effect, Jesus said: `Ye say ye do not believe in me; very well, then believe in the works which I do, for ye cannot deny they have come by divine power; and if ye accept the works, then ye shall believe in me also, for I could not do the works alone; they came by the power of the Father.'
38. The Father is in me, and I in him] See John 17:20-26.
This particular healing is recorded in detail, not because of its miraculous nature, for many others equalled or surpassed it in this respect, but because it took place on the Sabbath day. See John 5:1-16. Out of the occurrences surrounding it we learn:
(1) For 18 years the woman had been bound by Satan with "a spirit of infirmity," presumably meaning that some mental or spiritual affliction attended her physical illness. Though Satan may rejoice in the afflictions -- whether physical, mental, or spiritual -- which befall mortal men, it is not to be assumed that he has power to impose them, except in isolated instances where people have complied with laws which permit such an imposition; otherwise, Satan would shackle all men with ills so drastic as to destroy them.
(2) Jesus appears to have sought out this woman and performed the miracle on his own initiate on the Sabbath to teach the principle that it is lawful to do good and work righteousness on that holy day.
(3) Though it was not always his habit so to do, in this instance he performed the healing by the laying on of hands, a physical performance which helps faith increase in the hearts of afflicted persons.
(4) Fake beliefs -- as those relative to sabbath observance lead to bigotry and place their adherents in a position where they deny and reject the pure mercies of God and become hypocrites.
(5) Every soul is honorable and deserving of dignified respect in the eyes of Deity. This woman, though decrepit and infirm, though shackled with atrophied muscles and seemingly afflicted mentally and spiritually as well, was hailed by Jesus as a daughter of Abraham, a soul worthy of the blessings and mercies of Abraham's God.
Will few or many attain eternal life in the celestial kingdom? The answer, of great concern to all who seek salvation, depends upon what is meant by few. Few of what group? Of all persons born into the world? Of the portion of mankind who grow to a sufficient maturity to become accountable for their own sins? Or of the members of the Church who have covenanted in the waters of baptism to serve God and keep his commandments in return for the promise of eternal salvation hereafter?
There are, of course, three kingdoms of glory to which resurrected persons will go -- the celestial, terrestrial, and telestial. (1 Cor. 15:39-42; D. & C. 76.) Of these three, only the celestial is the kingdom of God; it is the kingdom reserved for the saints who obey the laws and ordinances of the gospel. Great hosts of persons will go to the other kingdoms and hence will not attain salvation in the full gospel sense.
From the spirit and letter of the Prophet's vision on the degrees of glory, it appears that the great majority of accountable persons in the world will go to the telestial kingdom. He recorded in the revelation that the inhabitants of that lowest kingdom would be "as innumerable as the stars in the firmament of heaven, or as the sand upon the seashore." (D. & C. 76:109.)
On the other hand, speaking to accountable persons and of attainment of the celestial kingdom, Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount: "Few there be that find it." (Matt. 7:14.) In other words, proportionately few of the earth's total accountable inhabitants will gain salvation. The overwhelming majority of them will go to lesser kingdoms and receive lower rewards.
Yet the total number who will gain salvation will be great and not small. John on one occasion saw in vision a group of exalted persons who exceeded 100,000,000 in number (Rev. 5:9-11) and or, another occasion he beheld a group of saved persons which formed such a great multitude that "no man could number' them. (Rev. 7:9.)
Included among the celestial inhabitants will be all the children who die before they arrive at the years of accountability. (Teachings, p. 107.) Of this group President John Taylor said: "Without Adam's transgression those children could not have existed. Through the atonement they are placed in a state of salvation without any act of their own. These would embrace, according to the opinion of statisticians, more than one-half of the human family who can attribute their salvation only to the mediation and atonement of the Savior." (John Taylor, Gospel Kingdom, p. 119.)
As to members of the Church, many will gain salvation, many will not. For accountable persons to receive a celestial inheritance baptism coupled with personal righteousness is essential. For such persons to inherit eternal life in the celestial world, celestial marriage plus conformity to gospel law is required. Those members of the Church who act accordingly, will gain the rewards indicated; those who do not abide the laws involved will go to lesser inheritances in lower kingdoms and will not gain full salvation.
Luke 13:24. Strait gate] See Matt. 7:13-14.
I. V. Luke 13:24. The Lord shall not always strive with man] Except during the brief hour of his personal ministry among men, the strivings of the Lord with men, to get them to believe, repent, and obey, are performed through his Spirit -- the Spirit of Jesus Christ or Light of Christ. This is the Spirit that enlightens and guides all men and that leads them in paths of light and truth as long as they hearken to its voice. (D. & C. 84:44-48; 88:6-13; Moro. 7.) But when men rebel against truth and light, the Spirit withdraws its benign influence, "for my Spirit shall not always strive with man, saith the Lord of Hosts." (D. & C. 1:33.)
25. Ye know not from whence ye are] It is not the Lord of the kingdom who is in darkness, unable to discern from whence those seeking entrance to his kingdom have come, as the King James Version has it, but it is the people with whom the Spirit has ceased to strive who are without the light.
28. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob "have entered into their exaltation, according to the promises, and sit upon thrones, and are not angels but are gods," they having attained such glory and perfection in and through the new and everlasting covenant of marriage. (D. & C. 132:29-37.)
29. The ransomed of the Lord shall come from "all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues." (Rev. 7:9.)
30. `There are those Gentiles in all nations to whom the gospel is offered last who shall be saved ahead of you Jews to whom the word of God came first, and there are those among you who first had opportunity to hear the truth who shall be last as to honor, preference, and salvation hereafter.' (1 Ne. 13:42.)
Luke 13:31-33. Jesus had done, was then doing, and would thereafter continue to do his assigned work with calmness and deliberation, unhurried by threats, regardless of plots against his life, but rather with serenity and in the dignity and majesty of his high calling.
32. I shall be perfected] Jesus was then perfect in the sense that he was without sin and was completely obedient to his Father's commands. But there was yet an eternal perfection for him to attain, the perfection spoken of in the command: "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." (Matt. 5:48.) This future perfection, which would make him like his Father, was available to him only following his resurrection in connection with his receipt of "all power . . . in heaven and in earth." (Matt. 28:18; D. & C. 93:2-22.)
33. It cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem] What pointed irony is this! `I shall not be killed by Herod here in Perea, for my work is not yet finished. But I shall go to Jerusalem, that great spiritual capital of the world, that city wherein ye think all religious light is centered. There, enveloped in the light that has become darkness, I shall be slain, not by pagan Herod, but by my own people.'
I. V. Luke 13:34a. Jesus knew of his forthcoming death and atoning sacrifice, and by repeated references to it, he was attempting to open the minds of his disciples so they would see it as the crowning event of his ministry.
See John 5:1-16; Matt. 12:1-8, 9-15a.
Why did Jesus, again and again and again, seek occasion to exercise his healing powers on the Sabbath? Apparently this was one of his ways of keeping in the headlines. He was teaching the truths of salvation and inviting men to believe in him as the Son of God so that they might become heirs of eternal salvation. His miracles testified of his divine mission, and miraculous works wrought on the Sabbath would be known to more people, discussed in more synagogues, investigated by more truth seekers than those performed at any other time.
In this Parable of the Wedding Guests, we find the Master Teacher taking the wisdom of the past and breathing new life into it by applying it to the customs and needs of the present.
In olden times, Solomon in his wisdom had said: "Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men: For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen." (Prov. 25:6-7.)
Now, Jesus, speaking with his own proverbial terseness; using language beautiful for its simplicity; centering his teaching around one of the most delightful of social events, a wedding feast; and adding a moral so aptly stated that it has been a Christian proverb ever since -- restates this common truth as only he could.
Luke 14:11. In a sense, Jesus here summarizes the whole plan and purpose of this mortal probation. It is to test men and see whether they will seek for worldly things -- wealth, learning, honors, power -- or whether they will flee from pride, humble themselves before God, and walk before him with an eye single to his glory. Without this basic Christian virtue of humility there is neither spiritual progression here nor eternal life hereafter. With it men are able to gain every godly attribute in this life and to qualify for full salvation in the mansions on high. "Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers." (D. & C. 112:10.)
Luke 14:12-14. To entertain those who entertain you is good. But to invite to your feasts the poor and needy who cannot recompense in kind is better. Such acts of kindness shall be rewarded at the judgment bar.
14. Resurrection of the just] See John 5:26-30.
15. Eat bread in the kingdom of God] Attend the Marriage Supper of the Lamb at the Second Coming of the Lord.
16-24. Compare Matt. 22:1-14.
According to the prevailing social custom, invitations to the feast had been issued and accepted in advance. Then on the day appointed the servant had gone forth to remind the guests who had already agreed to come. These then broke their promises and found excuses to stay away because they did not want to come.
"The covenant people, Israel, were the specially invited guests. They had been bidden long enough aforetime, and by their own profession as the Lord's own had agreed to be partakers of the feast. When all was ready, on the appointed day, they were sever -- ally summoned by the Messenger who had been sent by the Father; he was even then in their midst. But the cares of riches, the allurement of material things, and the pleasures of social and domestic life had engrossed them; and they prayed to be excused or irreverently declared they could not or would not come.
"Then the gladsome invitation was to be carried to the Gentiles, who were looked upon as spiritually poor, maimed, halt, and blind. And later, even the pagans beyond the walls, strangers in the gates of the holy city, would be bidden to the supper. These, surprised at the unexpected summons, would hesitate, until by gentle urging and effective assurance that they were really included among the bidden guests, they would feel themselves constrained or compelled to come. The possibility of some of the discourteous ones arriving later, after they had attended to their more absorbing affairs, is indicated in the Lord's closing words: `For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.'" (Talmage, p. 452.)
I. V. Luke 14:26. A true disciple, if called upon to do so, forsakes all -- riches, home, friends, family, even his own life -- in the Master's Cause. "And whoso is not willing to lay down his life for my sake is not my disciple." (D. & C. 103:28.)
If any man. .. hate not his father] Not hate in the sense of intense aversion or abhorence; such is contrary to the whole spirit and tenor of the gospel. Men are to love even their enemies, to say nothing of their own flesh and blood. (Matt. 5:43-48.) Bather, the sense and meaning of Jesus' present instruction is that true disciples have a duty toward God which takes precedence over any family or personal obligation. It is in thought content similar to the message previously given the Twelve: "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." (Matt. 10:37.) See Matt. 19:27, 29.
I. V. Luke 14:29-31 -- Parable of the Rash Builder; Luke 14:31-32 -- Parable of the Rash King. These two parables teach that converts should count the cost before joining the Church; that they should come into the kingdom only if they are prepared to make the sacrifices required; that they should go the whole way in the gospel cause, or stay out entirely; that they should "not follow him, unless" they are "able to continue" in his word, to "do the things" which he teaches and commands.
Lukewarm saints are damned; unless they repent and become zealous the Lord promised to spue them out of his mouth. (Rev. 3:14-19.) Only the valiant gain celestial salvation; those saints "who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus" can ascend no higher than the terrestrial world. (D. & C. 76:79.)
Those who are not able and determined to keep the commandments are better off outside the Church, "For of him unto whom much is given much is required; and he who sins against the greater light shall receive the greater condemnation." (D. & C. 82:3.)
Luke 14:33. This law of sacrifice is summarized by the Prophet in these words: "For a man to lay down his all, his character and reputation, his honor, and applause, his good name among men, his houses, his lands, his brothers and sisters, his wife and children, and even his own life also -- counting all things but filth and dross for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ -- requires more than mere belief or supposition that he is doing the will of God; but actual knowledge, realizing that, when these sufferings are ended, he will enter into eternal rest, and be a partaker of the glory of God....
"A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary [to lead] unto life and salvation; for, from the first existence of man, the faith necessary unto the enjoyment of life and salvation never could be obtained without the sacrifice of all earthly things. It was through this sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained that men should enjoy eternal life; and it is through the medium of the sacrifice of all earthly things that men do actually know that they are doing the things that are well pleasing in the sight of God. When a man has offered in sacrifice all that he has for the truth's sake, not even withholding his life, and believing before God that he has been called to make this sacrifice because he seeks to do his will, he does know, most assuredly, that God does and will accept his sacrifice and offering, and that he has not, or will not seek his face in vain. Under these circumstances, then, he can obtain the faith necessary for him to lay hold on eternal life.
"It is vain for persons to fancy to themselves that they are heirs with those, or can be heirs with them, who have offered their all in sacrifice, and by this means obtained faith in God and favor with him so as to obtain eternal life, unless they, in like manner, offer unto him the same sacrifice, and through that offering obtain the knowledge that they are accepted of him. .
"From the days of righteous Abel to the present time, the knowledge that men have that they are accepted in the sight of God is obtained by offering sacrifice. .
"Those, then, who make the sacrifice, will have the testimony that their course is pleasing in the sight of God; and those who have this testimony will have faith to lay hold on eternal life; and will be enabled, through faith, to endure unto the end, and receive the crown that is laid up for them that love the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who do not make the sacrifice cannot enjoy this faith, because men are dependent upon this sacrifice in order to obtain this faith: therefore, they cannot lay hold upon eternal life, because the revelations of God do not guarantee unto them the authority so to do, and without this guarantee faith could not exist." (Lectures on Faith, pp. 58-60.)
For nearly 1500 years righteous Israelites had sought salvation through conformity to the laws and ordinances revealed by Moses and the prophets. Now those among whom Jesus ministered erroneously assumed that the preaching of the ancients and the powers of past prophets were sufficient to give them a hope of eternal life. Hence they asked what was to them an obvious question: `Since we have the truths of salvation as revealed by Moses and the prophets, what need have we to hearken to you and your teachings about spiritual things?'
In reply, Jesus said in effect:
(1) `Ye do err, for ye neither know nor understand the teachings of Moses or the prophets. If ye understood their teachings, ye would believe in me, for all their teachings were given to prepare men for my coming and the salvation which I would bring.'
(2) `Further, even assuming that ye believe Moses and the prophets, yet ye must turn to me, for "salvation doth not come by the law alone" (Mosiah 13:28), for it is only in and through my atoning sacrifice that life and salvation come.'
(3) `And now that I have come, the law of Moses has lost such saving power as it had; it has become as salt that has lost its savor and it cannot be seasoned again; yea, the law is dead in me, and from henceforth it is not fit for anything except to be cast out. He who hath ears to hear, let him hear.'
I. V. Luke 14:35. Similarly modern religionists might argue: `We have Jesus, Peter, James and John, Paul, and the prophets and apostles of old, surely we can gain eternal life if we follow their teachings.'
36. To this the reply would be: `Ye neither know nor understand the teachings of the apostles and prophets of old. If ye did, ye would know that Joseph Smith and the modern prophets have the same gospel, priesthood, power, and authority held by them of old, and that the ancients repeatedly foretold the coming forth of the gospel in this final dispensation.'
37-38. In continuing this analogy, this conclusion might be drawn: `This matter of men looking back to the teachings of dead prophets for light and guidance in spiritual matters, while rejecting the living oracles, may be likened unto salt which is good. But if the good salt, which is primitive Christianity, has lost its savor through apostasy, wherewith shall it be seasoned? Are not the churches that have lost their saving power now fit for nothing, not even the dunghill?' Surely such an indictment is no more scathing or sweeping than that hurled by Jesus at the equally false churches of his day.
p This parable was given twice. Indeed, it may be that all of the parables were given numerous times to different groups of hearers and with differing purposes and applications.
As recorded by Matthew, the Parable of the Lost Sheep was given in Capernaum of Galilee in response to claims of pre-eminence by those who wanted to be first in the kingdom of God. In it Jesus is the Shepherd who has come to save the "little ones" who otherwise would be lost. The emphasis is on keeping the sheep from getting lost, on showing how precious the sheep are, and on how reluctant the Shepherd is to lose even one.
Luke's account tells what happened more than a year later in Perea. There the parable was given in response to the murmurings of the Pharisees and scribes that Jesus ate with sinners. This time the Master Teacher places the emphasis on finding that which is lost; he shows the length the Shepherd will go to find the sheep and the rejoicing that takes place when the lost is found. This time, in applying the parable, the complaining religious leaders, who considered themselves as just men needing no repentance, become the shepherds who should have been doing what the Chief Shepherd was doing -- seeking to find and save that which was lost.
In further interpretation of Luke's account, the Prophet said: "The hundred sheep represent one hundred Sadducees and Pharisees, as though Jesus had said, `If you Sadducees and Pharisees, are in the sheepfold, I have no mission for you; I am sent to look up sheep that are lost; and when I have found them, I will back them up and make joy in heaven.' This represents hunting after a few individuals, or one poor publican, which the Pharisees and Sadducees despised." (Teachings, p. 277.)
I. V. Matt. 18:11. See Matt. 19:13-15.
Our Lord's earthly ministers, mortal and weak as they are, sometimes lose precious members of their flocks through inattention, carelessness, failure to follow the programs of the Church, or because of some other weakness of the flesh This Parable of the Lost Coin speaks of the renewed application to duty whereby the lost are found and tells of the rejoicing in the celestial realms when erring members of the kingdom repent and pursue again the course leading to eternal salvation.
"The woman who by lack of care lost the precious piece may be taken to represent the theocracy of the time, and the Church as an institution in any dispensational period; then the pieces of silver, every one a genuine coin of the realm, bearing the image of the great King, are the souls committed to the care of the Church; and the lost piece symbolizes the souls that are neglected and, for a time at least, lost sight of, by the authorized ministers of the gospel of Christ." (Talmage, p. 456.)
This parable repeats the teaching of the Parable of the Lost Sheep and the Parable of the Lost Coin. All three are part of Jesus' answer to the Pharisees and scribes who murmured because be mingled and ate with publicans and sinners. They all show what joy there is in heaven when straying souls repent.
In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the Father is God who endows all his children with talents, capacities, powers, and agency -- all according to their needs and situations, all subject to the divine decree that they shall keep his commandments and use their inheritances wisely.
One son is faithful and true to every covenant, obligation, and trust put upon him. He keeps the commandments, labors diligently in his Father's field, and lays up a rich spiritual harvest for himself and his Father. The other offspring is overcome by the world, squanders his inheritance in gratifying the lusts of the flesh, and soon finds himself in a state of degenerate despondency. Finally, humbled by adversity, remembering that even his Father's hired servants fare better than he, the wayward son manifests penitence, turns to God, and seeks such surcease from suffering and sorrow as a just and merciful Father can bestow.
That the faithful son, being yet mortal and not knowing all the designs and purposes of God, should feel impulsive jealousy and anger at the seeming inequity of the honor heaped on the prodigal, is not difficult to understand. But then comes the explanation: `Thy brother has returned to serve me in such capacity as he is able. Be glad that he is no longer wholly lost. But as for thee: Thou art my heir. Thou hast been faithful over a few things and I will make thee ruler over many. Thou hast overcome an shall "sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." (Rev. 3:21.) "Ye shall be even as I am, and I am even as the Father; and the Father and I are one." (3 Ne. 28:10.) "Thou are ever with me, and all that I have is thine."' (D. & C. 84:38.)
We may suppose that the elder son, accustomed as he was to obeying the will of his father, then went in to the feast, welcomed his wayward brother in a compassionate manner, and rejoiced along with the father because the spiritually dead was born again, because he who was lost to the kingdom had been reclaimed.
But we need not suppose that the two sons were thereafter equal in power, honor, or dominion. The inheritance of one was already wasted. As President Joseph Fielding Smith has written, "There is rejoicing in heaven over every sinner who repents; but those who are faithful and transgress not any of the commandments, shall inherit `all that the father hath,' while those who might be sons, but through thee `riotous living' waste their inheritance, may come back through repentance to salvation to be servants, not to inherit exaltation as sons." (Joseph Fielding Smith, The Way to Perfection, pp. 21-22.)
As to the immediate application of the parable, we may suppose that the Pharisees and scribes saw themselves as the elder son, laboriously attending to the affairs of the kingdom and refusing to fellowship a repentant publican or a returned sinner. Actually, of course, the murmuring religionists were far from that course of good works entitling them to the high status of sons in the Father's eternal household.
Properly understood, the Parable of the Unjust Steward is not an endorsement of the fraudulent course pursued by an unrighteous servant, but a forceful explanation of how the saints should use their own money and property to lay up eternal treasures for themselves in heaven.
First it should be noted that the parable is addressed to the disciples, to the members of the Church and kingdom of God on earth, to those who already know and understand the gospel plan and to whom it should never so much as occur that Jesus would speak with approval of a course of deceit and fraud on the part of a hired servant. To them it should be clear that the Master Teacher is:
(1) In the parable itself -- pointing out the diligence and foresight with which worldly persons make provision for the only future that concerns them, such being an illustration of how the saints should apply themselves in preparing for their eternal heavenly future; and
(2) In the exposition following the parable -- teaching the proper use of wealth on the part of members of the Church, showing that it should not be squandered on selfish, worldly pleasures, but used for the furtherance of the Lord's work on earth, for the building up of his kingdom, and for the advancement of the cause of Zion so that the saints will have, in effect, a bank account awaiting them in heaven.
"Our Lord's purpose," Elder James E. Talmage has written in analyzing the parable, "was to show the contrast between the care, thoughtfulness, and devotion of men engaged in the moneymaking affairs of earth, and the halfhearted ways of many who are professedly striving after spiritual riches. Worldly-minded men do not neglect provision for their future years, and often are sinfully eager to amass plenty; while the `children of light,' or those who believe spiritual wealth to be above all earthly possessions, are less energetic, prudent, or wise."
As to the proper use of wealth, Elder Talmage writes that Jesus is saying in effect: "Make such use of your wealth as shall insure you friends hereafter. Be diligent; for the day in which you can use your earthly riches will soon pass. Take a lesson from even the dishonest and the evil; if they are so prudent as to provide for the only future they think of, how much more should you, who believe in an eternal future, provide therefor!" (Talmage, pp. 463-464.)
8. By his master the dishonest servant is commended, not for his malfeasance in office, but for the effective way in which he made provision for his own future. Then Jesus draws this conclusion: The children of this world (worldly people) are in their generation (in the time and season of their deceitful and carnal dealings with other worldly people) wiser (exhibit greater prudence and foresight, as pertaining to temporal things) than the children of light (those who have received the gospel, as pertaining to spiritual things).
9. In the Revised Version this verse reads: "And I say unto you, Make to yourself friends by means of the mammon of unrighteousness, that, when it shall fail, they may receive you into the eternal tabernacles." The sense and meaning is: `Ye saints of God, be as wise and prudent in spiritual things as the unjust steward was in worldly things. Use the things of this world -- which are God's and with reference to which you are stewards -- to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and heal the sick, always remembering that when ye do any of these things unto the least of one of these my brethren, ye do it unto me. By such a course, when your money is gone and your life is past, your friends in heaven will welcome you into eternal mansions of bliss.'
Mammon of unrighteousness] Mammon is an Aramaic word for riches; as here used the connotation indicates deceitful wealth, wealth that is fleeting and will not of itself endure in the eternal worlds.
10-11. `If you earthly stewards are not faithful in handling the wealth of the world which the Lord has entrusted to you, using it for the furtherance of his purposes, why do you think he will commit to you kingdoms and thrones and eternal riches hereafter. For he that is faithful over an earthly stewardship will be faithful over kingdoms and dominions in the world to come, but he that is unjust and does not use his wealth aright here, would be unjust in administering eternal riches.'
12. "If you do not spend your money rightly, you will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. Money is here called that which is another's, because Christians are to regard it not as their own, but as a trust for which they must one day give account. That which is your own is the joy of heaven, `the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.'" (Dummelow, p. 760.) To illustrate: If the earthly stewards, having covenanted to do so in the waters of baptism, do not return to their Lord as tithing one -- tenth of their interest annually, how can they expect to be found worthy to handle the true riches of a celestial inheritance?
13. See Matt. 6:24. In the properly adjusted life, wealth is a servant, not a master.
Luke 16:14. Jesus has just taught his disciples that unless they use their earthly wealth in accordance with gospel standards they cannot attain the kingdom of heaven. Having overheard his teachings, and being unable to answer them, the Pharisees begin to ridicule the Teacher. As rendered in the Revised Version, this verse reads: "And the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things; and they scoffed at him."
15. "Our Lord's reply to their words of derision was a further condemnation. They knew all the tricks of the business world, and could outdo the righteous steward in crafty manipulation; and yet so successfully could they justify themselves before man as to be outwardly honest and straightforward; furthermore, they made ostentatious display of a certain type of simplicity, plainness, and self-denial, in which external observances they asserted superiority over the luxury loving Sadducees; they had grown arrogantly proud of their humility, but God knew their hearts, and the traits and practices they most esteemed were an abomination in his sight." (Talmage, p. 465.)
I. V. Luke 16:16-18, 20. All of the divine teachings, revelations, visions, prophecies, miracles, and wonders of the past were considered by the Jews to have come through and because of the law and the prophets. Beginning with Adam, their father, the first man, the Lord God had sent prophets, at frequent and recurring intervals, to warn, teach, and guide his people. The whole body of their prophecies and inspired writings were known as the prophets. From the day of Moses, Israel had been under the law -- the set of divine requirements and regulations which governed the chosen people in both temporal and spiritual matters.
With all this -- the whole body of revealed knowledge about God and salvation and all things incident thereto -- why, the Pharisees reasoned, was there a need for this Jesus and his teachings; what right did he have to rule and judge in Israel.
The answer -- 'The law and the prophets testify of me. Yea, the whole purpose of the law was to teach Israel that I would come to redeem my people; all its requirements and performances were types and shadows of things to come; it was a schoolmaster to prepare Israel to receive me and my gospel. And as to the prophets, all "who have prophesied ever since the world began" have testified of me, of my coming in the flesh, and of the redemption I would make for my people. (Mosiah 13:27-35.) Further: I am he who gave the law and in me it shall be fulfilled; not one tittle shall fail, but it shall all be fulfilled in me. (3 Ne. 12:17-19; 15:2-10.) Why do ye pretend to teach the law when ye condemn him whom the Father hath sent to fulfil it and to redeem you?'
21-22. Lucifer's agents follow the same pattern in all ages. How like the ancient Pharisees are those who persecute the modern saints, including the fact that persecutions are stirred up by ministers of religion and are carried out by adulterous persons. In Missouri and Nauvoo the mobs were often led by ministers; throughout the whole era when plural marriage was made the pretext for persecution, those who caused the earthly kingdom to suffer violence, who sought to destroy it, who took the children of the kingdom by force, were themselves the most immoral and adulterous of men.
23. See Matt. 19:1-12.
Wealth can save or damn men. In the Parable of the Unjust Steward, Jesus taught that unless men use their money wisely and in accordance with true principles, they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God. He now continues the same theme in the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man and, also, adds a flood of light relative to the state of the souls of men between death and the resurrection.
Riches as such will not send a man to hell, nor will poverty, without accompanying righteousness, assure him of the rest and peace of paradise. Jesus here describes a man of wealth and influence who was callous and indifferent to the known suffering of one of his fellow beings. Implicit in the account is the fact that Lazarus was poor in spirit, patient in suffering, had faith in God, and lived righteously. The rich man reveled in luxury, worldliness, selfishness, and unbelief; Lazarus found comfort in a life that would make him a companion of faithful Abraham.
The same doctrine, relative to riches and poverty, which the money-loving Pharisees were taught in a parable, was given by the Lord to the saints in modern times in plain words. "Wo unto you rich men, that will not give your substance to the poor," he said, "for your riches will canker your souls; and this shall be your lamentation in the day of visitation, and of judgment, and of indignation: The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and my soul is not saved!
"Wo unto you poor men, whose hearts are not broken, whose spirits are not contrite, and whose bellies are not satisfied, and whose hands are not stayed from laying hold upon other men's goods, whose eyes are full of greediness, and who will not labor with your own hands!
"But blessed are the poor who are pure in heart, whose hearts are broken, and whose spirits are contrite, for they shall see the kingdom of God coming in power and great glory unto their deliverance; for the fatness of the earth shall be theirs.
"For behold, the Lord shall come, and his recompense shall be with him, and he shall reward every man, and the poor shall rejoice; And their generations shall inherit the earth from generation to generation, forever and ever." (D. & C. 56:16-20.)
Also: "For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea, I prepared all things, and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto themselves. Therefore, if any man shall take of the abundance which I have made, and impart not his portion, according to the law of my gospel, unto the poor and the needy, he shall, with the wicked, lift up his eyes in hell, being in torment." (D.& C. 104:17-15.)
As to the matter of going either to hell or to paradise at death, Alma gave the following inspired explanation: "Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection -- Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life." When men die, they do not go immediately into the presence of Deity, but are taken home to God in a figurative sense, meaning that they step into the unseen realm of spiritual things and are no longer living as mortal beings.
"And then shall it come to pass," Alma continues, "that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.
"And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil -- for behold, they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for behold, they chose evil works rather than good; therefore the spirit of the devil did enter into them, and take possession of their house -- and these shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity, being led captive by the will of the devil.
"Now this is the state of the souls of the wicked, yea, in darkness, and a state of awful, fearful looking for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them; thus they remain in this state, as well as the righteous in paradise, until the time of their resurrection." (Alma 40:11-14.)
Luke 16:22. Abraham's bosom] Paradise, the temporary abode of righteous Abraham as he awaited the day of his resurrection; all righteous disembodied spirits are received into this spirit realm where they rest from the turmoils and physical toils of mortality, but continue their labors as intelligent, sentient souls as they await their resurrections.
23. Hell] Hades (Greek), sheol (Hebrew), spirit prison, outer darkness, the temporary abode of wicked disembodied spirits, as they await their ultimate destiny in the resurrection of the unjust. When death and hell deliver up the dead which are in them, these spirits will receive an inheritance in the telestial kingdom or will be cast out into that eternal hell reserved for the devil and his angels, who are sons of perdition. (Rev. 20:13-15; D. &. C. 76:105-106; 88:31-32.) Thus, except for the sons of perdition, hell is a temporary abiding place and shall have an end. Passages in which the word hell is a translation of gehenna (Hebrew) have reference to the anguish, torment, and remorse of conscience suffered by those in hell, gehenna being the name of the valley near Jerusalem where eternal fires burned the garbage and refuse of the city.
23-24. Paradise and hell -- each a division in that world of spirits where the souls of men await their resurrection -- are both upon this earth. (Brigham Young, Discourses, new ed., pp. 376-381.) Joseph Smith said: "The spirits of the just . . . are not far from us." (Teachings, p. 326.)
26. There was no intermingling by the spirits in paradise and hell until after Christ bridged the "great gulf" between these two spirit abodes. (Alma 40:11-14.) This he did while his body by in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea and his own disembodied spirit continued to minister to men in their spirit prison. (1 Pet. 3:18-21; 4:6; Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed., pp. 472-476.) "Until that day" the prisoners remained bound and the gospel was not preached to them. (Moses 7:37-39.) The hope of salvation for the dead was yet future.
But now, since our Lord has proclaimed "liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound" (Isa. 61:1), the gospel is preached in all parts of the spirit world, repentance is granted to those who seek it, vicarious ordinances are administered in earthly temples, and there is a hope of salvation for the spirits of those men who would have received the gospel with all their hearts in this life had the opportunity come to them. (Teachings, p. 107.) At this time, as Joseph Smith explained it, "Hades, sheol, paradise, spirits in prison, are all one: it is a world of spirits." (Teachings, p. 310.)
27-31. Two great and eternal truths are here taught:
(1) Deity chooses and sends his own agents and witnesses to mortal men to cry repentance and preach the gospel of salvation; unless men heed their message they are damned; and
(2) Those who refuse to hear the living oracles sent to them in their day, and to believe the recorded teachings of the ancient prophets, would not be converted by a display of miracles that even included the raising of the dead.
Lazarus rose from the dead at Jesus' command and mingled again among men as a mortal being. Instead of being converted, many of the rebellious Jews sought to put him to death to prevent receptive persons from believing in Jesus and his divine power. (John 11:1-52; 12:10-11.) Our Lord himself rose from the dead in glorious immortality, appeared to many, and sent witnesses into all the world to testify of his resurrection, and yet men did not believe.
In modern times many resurrected persons have ministered to mortal men; sober testimony to their visitations is borne, and yet disbelief continues. Joseph Smith was told by revelation that "this unbelieving and stiffnecked generation" would not believe his word even if he showed them the gold plates, the Urim and Thummim, and all things divinely committed to him. Instead, the Lord decreed: "This generation shall have my word through you." (D. & C. 5:7-10.) Such is the Lord's system for sending forth his saving truths.
`If they hear not Joseph Smith, the living oracles, and the Book of Mormon, all sent to proclaim the gospel in this day, neither will they be persuaded though Moroni, risen from the dead, come and minister personally unto them.'
Joseph Smith, in the Lectures on Faith, considered the subject of faith under three headings: (1) "Faith itself -- what it is"; (2) "The object on which it rests"; and (3) "The effects which flow from it."
By way of definition, he taught that faith is "the first principle in revealed religion, and the foundation of all righteousness"; that it is "the assurance which men have of the existence of things which they have not seen, and the principle of action in all intelligent beings"; that it is "the moving cause of all action in . . . intelligent beings"; that it is also a principle of power; that it "is the first great governing principle which has power, dominion, and authority over all things; by it they exist, by it they are upheld, by it they are changed, or by it they remain, agreeable to the will of God." (Lectures on Faith, pp. 1-8.)
Alma's definition is that faith is a hope in that which is not seen which is true. (Alma 32:21; Ether 12:6.) Faith is, of course, based on truth and preceded by knowledge. Unless a person gains a knowledge of the truth, he can have no faith.
Deity is the object upon which faith unto life and salvation rests. Such faith is centered in Christ. "Three things are necessary," the Prophet says, "in order that any rational and intelligent being may exercise faith in God unto life and salvation." These he named as (1) "The idea that he actually exists"; (2) "A correct idea of his character, perfections, and attributes"; and (3) "An actual knowledge that the course of life which he is pursuing is according to his will." (Lectures on Faith, p. 33.)
Thus in order to gain faith men must gain a knowledge of God; they must know that he is a personal being in whose image man is created, and that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost -- though one Godhead: one in character, perfections, and attributes -- are separate and distinct personalities.
Then they must gain a correct understanding of both the character and attributes of Deity. As listed by the Prophet, his attributes are: Knowledge, Faith or Power, Justice, Judgment, Mercy, and Truth; and his character is summarized under these headings: (1) "He was God before the world was created, and the same God that he was after it was created"; (2) "He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abundant in goodness, and . . . he was so from everlasting, and will be so to everlasting"; (3) "He changes not, neither is there variableness with him, and . . . his course is one eternal round"; (4) "He is a God of truth, and cannot lie"; (5) "He is no respecter of persons"; and (6) "He is love." (Lectures on Faith, pp 39, 42-49.)
Relative to the perfections of God, the record says: "What we mean by perfections is, the perfections which belong to all the attributes of his nature." (Lectures on Faith, p. 50.) For instance, the perfection of God consists in his possession of all knowledge, all power, and all truth. It follows that if a person believes that God is progressing and gaining new knowledge, or that he does not yet have all power, or that there are new truths for him to learn, that person cannot attain perfect faith. Or, as the Prophet expressed it: "If it were not for the idea existing in the minds of men that God had all knowledge it would be impossible for them to exercise faith in him." (Lectures on Faith, p. 44.)
Finally, in obtaining or increasing faith, the great governing principle is personal righteousness. A man's faith cannot exceed his righteousness and obedience. The greater the adherence to the truth, the greater is the faith of an individual. "An actual knowledge to any person, that the course of life which he pursues is according to the will of God, is essentially necessary to enable him to have that confidence in God without which no person can obtain eternal life." (Lectures on Faith, p. 57.)
Such then is the course by which the apostles of old, or the saints in any age, have power to gain faith, to increase such faith as they may have, and to gain favor with the Lord. And since faith is a principle of power, when men do gain it, they have power to perform miracles, heal the sick, raise the dead, move mountains, or command a sycamore tree to be plucked up and planted in the sea. Signs, miracles, and gilts are the effects which flow from faith; where these are, there is faith; where these are not, there is no faith.
"When faith comes," the Prophet said, "it brings its train of attendants with it -- apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, gifts, wisdom, knowledge, miracles, healings, tongues, interpretation of tongues, etc. All these appear when faith appears on the earth, and disappear when it disappears from the earth; for these are the effects of faith, and always have, and always will, attend it. For where faith is, there will the knowledge of God be also, with all things which pertain thereto -- revelations, visions, and dreams, as well as every necessary thing, in order that the possessors of faith may be perfected, and obtain salvation." (Lectures on Faith, pp. 70-71; Mormon Doctrine, pp. 242-248.)
"Lord, increase our faith," the disciples pleaded. As part of his reply, Jesus gave the Parable of the Unprofitable Servant, which teaches that the saints grow in faith by obedience and service in the kingdom.
"Faith comes," the Prophet said, "by hearing the word of God, through the testimony of the servants of God; that testimony is always attended by the spirit of prophecy and revelation." (Teachings, p. 148.) Then, when the seeds of faith have begun to sprout, when the word of God has taken root in the soul, it grows, is nurtured, strengthened, and increased as a result of obedience and devotion to the gospel cause. Through this course of progression and advancement the saints of God finally attain the state where through faith in Christ they "cleave unto every good thing." (Moro. 7:28.)
Alma taught that if men "can do no more than desire to believe," and can accept only "a portion" of the truth, yet such a course, diligently pursued, will lead first to faith and then to perfect knowledge. He compares the word of God to a seed planted in the heart from which the tree of faith will grow.
But the tree will not grow unless it receives proper care. "Behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold, if ye nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit. But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out." (Alma 32:21-43.)
This parable also teaches that Deity has a claim upon the services of his saints, and that even though they serve him with all their hearts, mights, mind, and strength, yet they are unprofitable servants. King Benjamin summarized this doctrine to the saints in his day in these words: "If ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another -- I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.
"And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you.
"And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him. And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?" (Mosiah 2:21-24.)
At least twice before Jesus had raised the dead, but neither time under such dramatic circumstances or with such a display of divine power as was evidenced in the case of Lazarus. The daughter of Jairus had been called back to mortality in a matter of hours and before her body had been prepared for burial (Luke 8:41-42, 49-56), and the widow's son in Nain had lived and breathed again after most of the burial preparations were complete and while the corpse was being carried to the grave. (Luke 7:11-17.) In neither of these instances had Jesus courted any especial publicity, and in the case of Jairus' daughter he had even enjoined secrecy on the part of those who witnessed the miracle.
But with "our friend Lazarus" it was different. Jesus with full knowledge of Lazarus' sickness, did nothing to prevent his death; allowed his body to be prepared for burial; waited until the funeral was over and the entombment accomplished; permitted four days to pass so that the processes of decomposition would be well under way; tested the faith of Mary and Martha to the utmost; came to the rock-barred tomb under circumstances which attracted many sceptics and unbelievers; conducted himself in every respect as though he were courting publicity; and then -- using the prerogative of Deity to give life or death according to his own will -- commanded: "Lazarus, come forth."
Why this studied buildup, this centering of attention upon one of the mightiest miracles of his ministry? Two reasons in particular stand out. (1) As our Lord neared the climax of his mortal ministry, he was again bearing testimony, in a way that could not be refuted, of his Messiahship, of his divine Sonship, of the fact that he was in very deed the literal Son of God; and (2) He was setting the stage, so as to dramatize for all time, one of his greatest teachings: That he was the resurrection and the life, that immortality and eternal life came by him, and that those who believed and obeyed his words should never die spiritually.
John 11:2. See Matt. 26:6-13.
4. That the Son of God might be glorified] Again Jesus bears blunt record of his divine Sonship. `Lazarus shall die, but only for a short time. Then at my command he shall return to mortality to stand as a witness to all generations that I am the Son of God and have power over life and death.'
6. Jesus and his intimate disciples were in Perea, at least twenty-five miles from Bethany. During the two days, before starting for Bethany, it appears that the Master performed a sabbath healing (Luke 14:1-6), discoursed on sacrifice (Luke 14:25-33), taught that the law and the prophets bore record of him (Luke 16:14-18), talked of faith (Luke 17:5-6), and gave a series of parables -- the Parable of the Wedding Guests (Luke 14:7-11), of the Great Supper (Luke 14:12-24), of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:3-7), of the Lost Coin (Luke 15:8-10), of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), of the Unjust Steward (Luke 16:1-13), of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31), and of the Unprofitable Servant (Luke 17:1-10).
9-10. Certainly Jesus would go to Judea in spite of the threats of death that faced him there. `Though it be the eleventh hour of my life, yet there are twelve hours in the day, and during that designated period, I shall do the work appointed me without stumbling or faltering. This is the time given me to do my work. I cannot wait for the night when perchance the opposition will die down. He that shirks his responsibilities and puts off his labors until the night shall stumble in the darkness and fail in his work.'
16. Thomas is so often remembered as the apostle who would not believe that Jesus had been resurrected until he saw and felt the wound marks in our Lord's risen body. (John 20:24-29.) This picture of one of the ancient Twelve should certainly be tempered by the fact that his faith and devotion, as here exhibited, made him willing to die with his Lord.
18-19. Less than two miles separated Bethany and Jerusalem, thus making it convenient for many to come from the large city to mourn with Mary and Martha.
22, 32. Miracles are the fruit of faith. Both Martha and Mary knew that Jesus had and could raise the dead; and their faith was not to go unrewarded.
24. The resurrection] See John 5:26-30.
25-26. "Behold, this is my work and my glory," saith the Father, "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39.) To accomplish this work the Father gave his Only Begotten Son and empowered him to work out the infinite and eternal atonement so that men "might be raised in immortality unto eternal life, even as many as would believe." (D. & C. 29:43.) As a consequence, Christ "hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." (2 Tim. 1:10.)
To be resurrected is to gain immortality, and to have eternal life is to be exalted in the celestial kingdom. Spiritual life is to live in the presence of God in the sense that, while here in mortality, one has the companionship of the Holy Ghost and is thereby in the presence of God; eternal life is to live in the personal presence of God in a state of glory and dominion in the world to come.
Thus Jesus, in effect, is saying to Martha: `I am he through whom immortality and eternal life come. He that believes in me and obeys my gospel, though he die the natural death, yet through me he shall gain both immortality and eternal life. And whosoever is spiritually alive, having been born again so as to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost, and who thereafter endures in righteousness to the end, shall never die; that is, he shall have spiritual life in this world and eternal life in the world to come.'
27. Women as well as men have testimonies, receive revelation from the Spirit, and know of themselves of the Lord's divinity. Martha's testimony of Christ's divine Sonship is as plain, positive and sure as was the same testimony born by Peter. (Matt. 16:13-20.)
33. He groaned in the spirit] 38. Again groaning in himself] These phrases as given in the revised version say that he "was moved with indignation in the spirit" and "being moved with indignation in himself." Apparently Jesus was expressing sorrowful indignation, in the first instance because of the shallow and ritualistic weeping of the Jews and in the second case at the baseless criticism poured upon him for failure to come and heal Lazarus prior to his death.
35. Jesus wept] What a scene this is -- the Son of God in tears! And yet God and man are of the same race, endowed in greater or lesser degree with the same characteristics and attributes; why then should not even Deity weep? (Moses 7:28-37.) Moreover, the man Jesus, Mary's Son, the great Exemplar, while he dwelt in the flesh, was subject to every normal mortal feeling and desire. He suffered temptations, pain, hunger, thirst, and fatigue. (Mosiah 3:7.) He rejoiced with his friends, wept with the mourners, loved those who kept his commandments, satisfied his hunger with food, and in all things set a proper example for his fellow beings to follow.
37-38. `We know this man gets credit for giving sight to a man born blind, but that miracle must have some other explanation. At least his purported power is limited and of uncertain or capricious operation, for now he has failed to heal one he loved from an ordinary sickness.' Is it any wonder that their attitude caused Jesus to groan within himself?
39-46. In the divine economy, the Lord never does for men that which they can do for themselves. Here we see him call the dead back to life (a miracle almost without parallel), but not roll the stone from the cave's entrance, or remove the napkin from the face, or unwind the burial wrappings from the reanimated Lazarus.
39. By this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days] Decomposition was well under way; death had long since been established as an absolute certainty; the spirit had already enjoyed an appreciable period of rejoicing and reunion with righteous friends and relatives in paradise. To the Jews the term of four days had special significance; it was the popular belief among them that by the fourth day the spirit had finally and irrevocably departed from the vicinity of the corpse so that decomposition could go on apace.
41-42. Four days before while in Perea, Jesus had prayed that Lazarus might be raised. Now, for the benefit of those present at the tomb, he is thanking his Father for hearing that prayer.
43. Lazarus, come forth] Not to resurrected immortality, for Jesus himself was yet to be the first fruits of the resurrection, but come forth as a mortal person, one who yet again shall die and have his body put back in the cave.
John 11:47-48. What a testimony this is to the effect and verity of our Lord's miracles. None could explain them away. None could escape the very evident conclusion that they were performed by the power of God. None could justifiably attribute unrighteousness to him who performed them, for even the most spiritually untutored knew "that God heareth not sinners." (John 9:31.)
The miracles proved Jesus' claim to divine Sonship. Either they must cease or this Galilean must be accepted as the Messiah. To these sin-saturated souls who comprised the Sanhedrin, there was but one solution: Stop the miracles by slaying him who performed them. Such a course, they rationalized, was proper and justified, for it would avoid that tumult among the people which would bring on them further Roman restrictions.
49-52. Under these circumstances Caiaphas began to speak, apparently intending to advocate the death of Jesus as a means of avoiding the supposed ruin that would come upon their nation through his teachings. The high priest's reasoning seemingly was, "It is better that one man should perish" (1 Ne. 4:13) than that the Jewish nation with all its philosophies and beliefs should be restricted further by Rome through further tumultuous conditions.
But Deity decreed that Caiaphas affirm his Son's divinity. Departing from his almost in varying practice of using only righteous persons to give his word to men, God sent the spirit of prophecy to Caiaphas, who was thereby led to say: `Ye are ignorant of the divine will where this man is concerned. He has come to work out the infinite and eternal atonement, to be sacrificed for the sins of the world. He shall die for us and for all the people of our nation, and not only for us and our nation, but for all men everywhere. Because of his death and by the preaching of his gospel, he shall gather together into one fold all the obedient among the children of God in all nations, for salvation is by and in and of and through him.'
49. Caiaphas] See Matt. 26:3. High priest that same year] Seemingly a slur at the repeated changing of the high priests by Roman interference. Caiaphas in fact served eleven years in the office.
53. Heedless of the high priest's prophetic utterance setting forth the divine call resting upon him who had called Lazarus forth, members of the Sanhedrin sought from that time forth to put him to death.
12. Lepers, which stood afar off] Jesus had no direct, personal contact with the ten. The law required them to "dwell alone" and not mingle with other people. (Lev. 13:45-46.)
13. All ten had faith in Christ and believed that he could heal them.
14. Each instance of a healing by Jesus is unique; each stands alone by itself in the lesson taught and the work wrought. Here, as with Naaman the Syrian who was required by Elisha to bathe seven times in the Jordan before losing his leprosy (2 Kings 5), these ten lepers were not healed immediately, but were told to go and show themselves to the priests. Their faith being thus tested, they were all healed enroute. They were, of course, required to gain priestly approval that they were clean before beginning again to mingle with people generally.
17. This is an illustration of the gift of seership. The other nine had not been cleansed in the presence of the Master, yet he was fully aware of what occurred at some other place.
18. This stranger] Prayers of thanksgiving are as important as prayer petitioning divine favor. It is here worthy of note that the cleansed Jewish lepers went on their way and that only a lone Samaritan returned to Pour out his gratitude to the Master Healer. Perhaps this exhibition of gratitude by a Samaritan was another evidence to the apostles that all men are acceptable to the Lord and that the Jewish claim to exclusive superiority as a chosen race was soon to be replaced with a command to take the gospel of peace to all races.
19. Thy faith hath made thee whole] There are greater blessings than to be healed physically. And after a person has exercised the faith to gain physical well-being, if he is to continue in grace, he must manifest the added faith to receive spiritual blessings. Here all of the ten were cleansed of their physical affliction, but it is evident that the one grateful recipient of our Lord's favor was blessed in a special manner, perhaps being made whole spiritually also.
"1. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as it is now constituted is the kingdom of God on earth. Nothing more needs to be done to establish the kingdom. (D. & C. 35:27; 38:9, 15; 50:35; 62:9; 65; 136:41.) The kingdom is here, and it is the same kingdom which Daniel said would be set up in the last days. (Dan. 2:44-45.) This same kingdom has been set up in past ages whenever the gospel has been on earth, for the plan of salvation is the gospel of the kingdom. The Church and kingdom are one and the same.
"Joseph Smith taught: `Some say the kingdom of God was not set up on the earth until the day of Pentecost, and that John did not preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; but I say, in the name of the Lord, that the kingdom of God was set up on the earth from the days of Adam to the present time. Whenever there has been a righteous man on earth unto whom God revealed his word and gave power and authority to administer in his name, and where there is a priest of God -- a minister who has power and authority from God to administer in the ordinances of the gospel and officiate in the priesthood of God, there is the kingdom of God....
"`Where there is no kingdom of God there is no salvation. What constitutes the kingdom of God? Where there is a prophet, a priest, or a righteous man unto whom God gives his oracles, there is the kingdom of God; and where the oracles of God are not, there the kingdom of God is not. .
"`Whenever men can find out the will of God and find an administrator legally authorized from God, there is the kingdom of God; but where these are not, the kingdom of God is not. All the ordinances, systems, and administrations on the earth are of no use to the children of men, unless they are ordained and authorized of God; for nothing will save a man but a legal administrator; for none others will be acknowledged either by God or angels.' (Teachings, pp. 271-274.)
"The Church (or kingdom) is not a democracy -- legislation is not enacted by the body of people composing the organization; they do not make the laws governing themselves. The Church is a kingdom. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Eternal King, and the President of the Church, the mouthpiece of God on earth, is the earthly king. All things come to the Church from the King of the kingdom in heaven, through the king of the kingdom on earth. There is, of course, the democratic principle of common consent whereunder the people may accept or reject what the Lord offers to them. Acceptance brings salvation; rejection leads to damnation.
"2. During the millennium the kingdom of God will continue on earth, but in that day it will be both an ecclesiastical and a political kingdom. That is, the Church (which is the kingdom) will have the rule and government of the world given to it. When in -- spired teachers speak of the future setting up of the' kingdom of God on earth, they have reference to the millennial day when `The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.' (Rev. 11:15.) Daniel also saw the day when `the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.' (Dan. 7:18, 22, 27.) The Prophet prayed that the present ecclesiastical kingdom of God on earth might roll forth that the future political and millennial kingdom of God on earth might come. (D. & C. 65; Doctrines of Salvation, vol 1, pp. 229-246.)
"3. In the eternal worlds, the celestial kingdom is the kingdom of God, and that kingdom does not reach down to include either a terrestrial kingdom or a telestial kingdom. (D. & C. 20:29; Moses 6:57; 2 Ne. 9:18, 23; Luke 13:28-29; John 3:3-5.) The gospel is designed to prepare men for an inheritance in the celestial kingdom of God; persons can gain admittance to the lower kingdoms without obedience to the law of Christ. (D. & C. 88:16-29.)" (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 380-381.)
Luke 17:20. Prophecies foretelling the events incident to the first and second comings of the Messiah were confused in the minds of the Jews. They falsely assumed that at his first coming he would come with an outward display of power which would overthrow and destroy all earthly kingdoms. Accordingly, basing their inquiry on a false premise, and with some apparent sarcasm, they demand an answer to this mocking question: `If thou art the promised Messiah, as you have repeatedly claimed to be, when will thy power be manifest, when will the Roman yoke be broken, when will the kingdom of God actually come?'
21. Jesus' reply is perfect. He simply goes back to basic principles, corrects their false unders ding of the doctrine involved, and announces what the fact is. You do err. This is my first appearance among men, and I came to work out the atoning sacrifice by which redemption comes. This time the kingdom of God cometh not with observation; there will be no great display of power and destruction. Men will not be able to say, Lo here! or, lo there! for all this is reserved for the Second Coming of the Son of Man. But as for this day and generation, the kingdom of God is my Church and it has already been organized and set up in your midst; it has already come unto you.'
The kingdom of God is within you] One of the heresies which prevails in a large part of modern Christendom is the concept that Jesus did not organize a Church or set up a formal kingdom through which salvation might be offered to men. This poorly translated verse is one of those used to support the erroneous concept that the kingdom of God is wholly spiritual; that it is made up of those who confess Jesus with their lips, regardless of what church affiliation they may have; that the kingdom of God is within every person in the sense that all have the potential of attaining the highest spiritual goals; and that baptism, the laying on of hands, celestial marriage, and other ordinances and laws are not essential to the attainment of salvation.
It is true that men have the inherent capacity to gain salvation in the celestial world; in a sense this power is within them; and so it might be said that the kingdom of God is within a person, if it is understood that such expression means that a person can gain that eternal world by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel. But it is also true that Jesus did organize his Church and did give the keys of such kingdom to legal administrators on earth. (Matt. 16:13-19.)
Even the marginal reading in the King James Version changes the language here involved to read, "The kingdom of God is in the midst of you," meaning `The Church is now organized in the midst of your society.' The Prophet's rendering of Jesus' thought, as such is recorded in the Inspired Version, is of course the best of all. Its essential meaning is: `The Church and kingdom has already been organized; it is here; it has come unto you; now enter the kingdom, obey its laws and be saved.'
What a lesson on prayer is taught in this Parable of the Unjust Judge, otherwise known as the Parable of the Importunate Widow!
Prayers are answered and proper petitions granted whenever sufficient faith is exercised. (3 Ne. 18:20; Moro. 7:26.) Faith is the power which brings answers to prayers, and prayers are effective only when offered in faith. The mere recitation of words in prayers means little unless such are uttered with real intent and are accompanied by an honest, heartfelt, sincere desire and hope that the blessings sought shall be granted. (Moro. 7:6-9.) And faith itself -- the power which brings answers to prayers -- is increased through the spiritual communion that attends true prayer.
To gain blessings from the Lord, man is commanded: "Ask, and it shall be given you." (Matt. 7:7.) But the command also is: "Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord." (Jas. 1:6-7.)
Accordingly, in this parable we find Jesus teaching the saints that when their cause is just, the Lord expects them to continue in importunate, determined, and persevering prayer -- day after day, year after year, as long as they live. By such a course they strengthen their own faith and so attain the desired blessings.
Luke 18:4-7. In comparing Deity to an unjust judge the purpose is to contrast the perfection of God's judgment with that of a wicked and unjust earthly jurist. The thought is: `If an unjust earthly judge will finally dispense justice because of the repeated importunities of the widow, how much more shall the God of all the earth, who is the embodiment of perfect justice and impartiality, grant the just petitions of his faithful saints.'
I. V. Luke 18:8. "`Yet ere the Son of Man comes to redress the wrongs of his Church, so low will the hope of relief sink, through the length of the delay, that one will be fain to ask, Will he find any faith of a coming avenger left on the earth?' From this we learn: (1) That the primary and historical reference to this parable is to the Church in its widowed, desolate, oppressed, defenseless condition during the present absence of her Lord in the heavens; (2) That in these circumstances importunate, persevering prayer for deliverance is the Church's fitting exercise; (3) That notwithstanding every encouragement to this, so long will the answer be delayed, while the need of relief continues the same, and all hope of deliverance will have nearly died out, and `faith' of Christ's coming scarcely be found." (Jamieson, p. 118.)
D. & C. 101:81-92. In modern times the Lord again applied the principles taught in the parable to "the Church in its widowed, desolate, oppressed, defenseless condition." In petitioning for redress of their just grievances the "children of Zion" importuned at the feet of the judge, governor, and president, only to be rebuffed with the politically expedient statement that their cause was just but these officials could do nothing for them. As a consequence, the promised judgments have and will attend.
Jesus in this parable contrasts the damning curse of self-righteousness with the blessed virtue of humility. The Pharisee and publican are types of men. Both are extremists and neither follows a perfect path of personal conduct or of church service. But in choosing between personal humility and a pride born of conforming to approved religious patterns, one is justified and the other condemned.
Pharisees and publicans are found in every religious group. As here described, the Pharisees are self-styled Christians who work in the Church in order to be admired for their religious achievements. They flaunt their charitable contributions, boast of their good works, publicize their strict compliance with this or that law, and rejoice in their supposed spiritual superiority over ordinary men. Publicans are those who are so reticent and self-effacing that, though possessed of a proper spirit of humility, they are too timid to serve in positions of leadership in the church organizations.
If members of the Church could do the works of the Pharisee and have the spirit of the publican, they would be sound, balanced, useful saints.
9. This parable was not addressed to the Pharisees or publicans but to "certain" disciples who had a self-righteous attitude and despised those who did not keep the law as well as they did.
10-11. As a class the publicans -- who were the tax collectors for Rome and who frequently dealt in extortion -- were no more righteous than the Pharisees.
11. Prayed thus with himself] Not with God, but with himself. Prayers offered in unrighteousness do not result in spiritual communion with Deity; the Pharisee used the words and went through the ritual of prayer, but it takes the spirit of prayer to carry the message to the throne of grace.
12. There is an element of the false doctrine of supererogation in this Pharisaic boast. That is, he was claiming an excess of merit, of doing more than the law required, and therefore of being more righteous than it is necessary to be in order to gain salvation.
13. God be merciful to me a sinner] This should be the daily, heartfelt plea of every Christian. But having so prayed, men should seek to keep the commandments and go, not back to their homes, but out among their fellowmen, out in fields of labor and service.
14. See Luke 14:11.
As here recorded, our Lord's teachings about marriage and divorce are fragmentary and incomplete. They can only be understood when considered in connection with the law of celestial marriage as such has been revealed anew in modern times. These same general principles governing eternal marriage were known to and understood by the disciples in Jesus' day and also, in part at least, by the Pharisees. But the accounts here preserved by both Matthew and Mark of the Master's discussion on marriage and divorce are so condensed and abbreviated that they do not give a clear picture of the problem. Modern scriptural exegetes need the same background and knowledge possessed by those who engaged in the original discussion.
To have a correct understanding of the part marriage and divorce play in the divine scheme of things, at least the following principles must be known:
(1) Marriage and the family unit are the central part of the plan of progression and exaltation. All things center in and around the family unit in the eternal perspective. Exaltation consists in the continuation of the family unit in eternity. Those for whom the family unit continues have eternal life; all others have a lesser degree of salvation in the mansions that are prepared.
(2) There was an eternal family in heaven to which all men belonged even before the creation of this earth. God himself, a personal being in whose image man is created, was and is the Eternal Father. All men are his spirit children and lived with him in the pre-existent first estate.
(3) Celestial or eternal marriage is the gate to exaltation. To fill the full measure of his creation and obtain eternal life a man must enter into this order of matrimony and keep all of the covenants and obligations that go with it. If a couple is so sealed, the two persons become husband and wife in this life and continue in the same relationship in the world to come. (D. & C. 131:1-4; 132.)
(4) There are also lesser orders of marriage. Only the very elect qualify for celestial marriage. Others, even in the Church, are married by civil authority for the duration of their mortal lives only.
(5) Divorce is not part of the gospel plan no matter what kind of marriage is involved. But because men in practice do not always live in harmony with gospel standards, the Lord permits divorce for one reason or another, depending upon the spiritual stability of the people involved. In ancient Israel men had power to divorce their wives for relatively insignificant reasons. (Deut. 24:1-4.) Under the most perfect conditions there would be no divorce permitted except where sex sin was involved. In this day divorces are permitted in accordance with civil statutes, and the divorced persons are permitted by the Church to marry again without the stain of immorality which under a higher system would attend such a course.
I. V. Matt. 19:2. Faith came first, healings second. Miracles were just routine occurrences; they grew out of the faith of the people.
Matt. 19:3. Legal justification for divorce today varies from almost the mere whim of the parties on the one hand to adultery on the other, depending upon the laws of the state or nation involved. This same divergence of opinion existed among the Jews, and Jesus was being asked to decide one of the burning issues of the day.
"Among the questions of the day fiercely debated between the great rival schools of Hillel and Shammai, no one was more so than that of divorce. The school of Hillel contended that a man had a right to divorce his wife for any cause he might assign, if it were no more than his having ceased to love her, or his having seen one he liked better, or her having cooked a dinner badly. The school of Schammai, on the contrary, held that divorce could be issued only for the crime of adultery, and offences against chastity. If it were possible to get Jesus to pronounce in favor of either school, the hostility of the other would be roused, and, hence, it seemed a favorable chance for compromising him." (Geikie, vol. 2, pp. 347-348, cited, Talmage, p. 484.)
4-6. As he so often did in answering their questions, Jesus simply went back to basic principles. He referred them to the marriage of Adam and Eve which occurred before death entered the world and while the first man and the first woman were still in the Garden of Eden. He cited the divine decree itself, thus making this first marriage a pattern for all others and said that God himself had joined the parties together, and that man, therefore, did not have power to tear them asunder. In other words, Jesus is here preaching a sermon on celestial or eternal marriage, marriage that is to last forever, in this life and in the next, marriage that does not countenance divorce, except, as he then amplified, when sex sin occurs.
Matt. 19:9-11; Mark 10:10-12. This strict law governing divorce was not given to the Pharisees, nor to the world in general, but to the disciples only, "in the house," at a later time as Mark explains. Further, Jesus expressly limited its application. All men could not live such a high standard; it applied only to those "to whom it is given."
Earlier in his ministry the Master had given it to some of his Jewish disciples (Matt. 5:31-32), and after his resurrection he would yet give it to the Nephites. (3 Ne. 12:31-32.) Presumably it prevailed among them during the near two-hundred-year period following his ministry on the American continent. We can suppose it prevailed in the City of Enoch and that it will be the law during the millennium. It may have been in force at various times and among various people, but the Church is not bound by it today. At this time divorces are permitted in the Church for a number of reasons other than sex immorality, and divorced persons are permitted to marry again and enjoy all of the blessings of the gospel. If every divorced person who remarried were guilty of adultery, the Church would be obligated to expel such from membership and to deny them the blessings of the gospel and the temple.
12. Some added background and additional information is needed to understand fully what is meant by this teaching about eunuchs. In the true Church and among normal people, there is no place for the practice of celibacy. "Apparently those who made themselves eunuchs were men who in false pagan worship had deliberately mutilated themselves in the apostate notion that such would further their salvation. It is clear that such was not a true gospel requirement of any sort. There is no such thing in the gospel as wilful emasculation; such a notion violates every true principle of procreation and celestial marriage." (Mormon Doctrine, p. 223.)
Those churches in modern Christendom which practice infant baptism do so because of the false notion that all children who die are eternally damned unless they have been baptized. Since baptism is known to be "for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38), and since little children have committed no personal sins, the theory adopted by these churches is that infant baptism removes the taint of original sin; that is, it removes the sin of Adam, which they reason has been passed on to all men.
This whole philosophy of infant baptism, original sin, and the damning of unbaptized children is false, contrary to a host of scriptures, and makes a mockery of the most important, and fundamental doctrine of the gospel, that of the atoning sacrifice of Christ. The fact is that little children are saved through the atonement without any act on their part or on the part of any person for them. (D. & C. 29:46-47; 93:38; Moro. 8.) In the very first gospel dispensation this great truth was summarized in these words: "The Son of God hath atoned for original guilt, wherein the sins of the parents cannot be answered upon the heads of the children for they are whole from the foundation of the world." (Moses 6:54.)
In recording a vision of the celestial kingdom, received January 21, 1836, Joseph Smith wrote: "And I also beheld that all children who die before they arrive at the years of accountability, are saved in the celestial kingdom of heaven." (Teachings, p. 107; Mormon Doctrine, pp. 606-607.) By revelation the Lord has set the age of accountability at eight years. (D. & C. 68:25-27.)
I. V. Matt. 19:13. Jesus hath said, Such shall be saved] When did he say it? Nowhere is it recorded in the gospels as we have them, and it was even lost from this passage until restored by the spirit of inspiration. If it had been preserved, what a blow it would strike against the heresies of infant baptism and original sin. One wonders how many other lost statements would overthrow other fake doctrines. What would happen to the creeds of the day if it were sometime discovered that Paul wrote such a sentence as this, `God is an exalted Man'? How little we have, comparatively speaking, of the teachings of Jesus!
Mark 10:15; Luke 18:17. "Behold I say unto you that this thing shall ye teach -- repentance and baptism unto those who are accountable and capable of committing sin; yea, teach parents that they must repent and be baptized, and humble themselves as their little children, and they shall all be saved with their little children. And their little children need no repentance, neither baptism." (Moro. 8:10-11.)
Mark 10:16. It appears that Jesus is here setting the pattern for the blessing and naming of children as such procedure is found in the regular church program today.
To gain eternal life a man must do five things:
(1) Have faith in Christ, a true and living faith, a faith based on knowledge, a faith that accepts him as the Son of God and recognizes that God his Father is a personal being in whose image man was created.
(2) Repent and forsake the world.
(3) Submit to baptism under the hands of a legal administrator.
(4) Receive the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands by one having authority so to act. This gift is the right to the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, a gift which if actually enjoyed enables a person to warn in paths of righteousness at all times.
(5) Endure in faith, devotion, and obedience to the whole gospel law to the end of life. Included in this requirement is entrance into the order of celestial marriage and conformity to the whole program of the Church. Special acts of sacrifice and devotion may be involved in particular instances, depending upon the special circumstances which face various individuals. The rich young ruler was commanded to forsake his worldly possessions, the early Latter -- day Saints their homes, those called on missions to devote themselves to that work for the time and season involved, and so forth.
After explaining that men get on the straight and narrow path leading to eternal life through faith, repentance, baptism, and the receipt of the Holy Ghost, Nephi asks: "After ye have gotten into this straight and narrow path, I would ask if all is done?"
His answer: "I say unto you, Nay. ... Ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life." (2 Ne. 31:19-20.)
Whether the rich young ruler who came to Jesus was already a faithful member of the Church does not appear from the record. If he was, there remained, in Jesus' language, but one thing to do: "Keep the commandments." If he was not a baptized convert, the course was the same, for men are commanded to repent and be baptized and then to endure to the end.
It would appear that the inquiring rich man had lived in strict conformity to the laws known to him, that he saw in Jesus a teacher who could direct him to the fulness of reward in the mansions on high, and that he erroneously supposed he would receive direction to conform to some ritualistic requirement of the law. He had not learned that the Lord requires the whole soul and that those who gain salvation must love and serve God with an eye single to his glory. Rather, good as he was, his heart was still set on the things of this world in preference to the riches of eternity.
Matt. 19:16. Eternal life] See John 17:3.
17. Here we have an example of a statement which if read by itself, without reference to other related passages, could easily give a wrong impression. Jesus was sinless, perfect, and good. (John 8:46; 10:30; 14:30; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15; 1 Pet. 2:22; 1 John 3:5.) True, he was in process of working out his own salvation by going from grace to grace, and he would attain ultimate and eternal perfection, of the sort enjoyed by his Father, only after his own resurrection, when all power would be given him in heaven and on earth. (D. & C. 93:6-17.) But the fact remains that he was "good" while yet in mortality, and there was no fault to be found with him.
Why then did our Lord reject the young man's description of him as "good"? "According to some he refused it, because in the sense in which it was offered, it was unequal to his merits and his claims. The young man, they think, called him good, in the sense in which he would have called any eminent Rabbi good, whereupon our Lord pointedly remarked that only God is good, meaning, `If you call me good in the same sense in which God is good, I am willing to accept it, but if you call me good in a merely human sense I reject it as insufficient.'" (Dummelow, p. 730.)
It should be noted that Jesus does not say that he is not good. He merely asks why he is being so designated when it is Deity that is known to be good. Perhaps the meaning is this: `Why callest thou me good without accepting me as the Son of God, for none is good but God; and if I am good, as thou sayest, then I am God and should be accepted as such.'
Keep the commandments] "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." (Eccles. 12:13.)
21. There is no blanket instruction which applies to all men that they should sell their property and use the money for the poor. This was a specific instruction needed by a particular person who was covetous by nature. His personal inclinations and desires were such that he needed the spiritual testing that such a course would require.
If thou wilt be perfect] "Perfection is of two kinds -- finite or mortal, and infinite or eternal. Finite perfection may be gained by the righteous saints in this life. It consists in living a god-fearing life of devotion to the truth, of walking in complete submission to the will of the Lord, and of putting first in one's life the things of the kingdom of God. Infinite perfection is reserved for those who overcome all things and inherit the fulness of the Father in the mansions hereafter. It consists in gaining eternal life, the kind of life which God has in the highest heaven within the celestial world." (Mormon Doctrine, p. 512.)
24. A number of explanations have been made of this verse. Probably Jesus was simply using common proverbial language to teach that it is difficult but not impossible for a rich man to be saved. Some think that the "needle's eye" was a small door alongside the great gates in the city walls and that in order for a camel to pass through such an opening, all its load of goods would have to be removed. Others suggest that the change of one letter in one word would alter the passage to read that it is a rope and not a camel that must go through the eye of a needle. In any event it is clear that riches add to the difficulty of gaining salvation.
I. V. Matt. 19:26; I. V. Mark 10:26; I. V. Luke 18:27. Rich men who are otherwise worthy can be saved provided: (1) They forsake or are willing to forsake their riches in the cause of Christ; and (2) Their love of wealth does not cause them to trust in riches.
See Luke 14:25-33. In the eternal perspective there is no such thing as sacrifice for the gospel cause. Men may forsake what seemingly is of great worldly worth here, but they will be rewarded with eternal riches hereafter. They forsake friends, families, and possessions for the gospel's sake, but they gain these same things again in far greater measure in the mansions on high.
And yet from man's viewpoint, the forsaking of all things "for my sake, and the gospel's" is a sacrifice. Many converts in this dispensation have forsaken families, lands, and possessions. But even they in coming to Zion have received back again an hundredfold, through fellowship with the saints, brothers and sisters, families, lands, and temporal blessings. The Lord is a bounteous paymaster; he rewards those who sacrifice in his cause both in this life and the life to come.
Because the Prophet Joseph Smith laid his all on the altar, the Lord by revelation said of him: "I will bless him and multiply him and give unto him an hundred-fold in this world, of fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, houses and lands, wives and children, and crowns of eternal lives in the eternal worlds." (D. & C. 132:55.)
I. V. Mark 10:30-31a. The saints should not boast of their sacrifices for the gospel. Though Peter had forsaken all and was assured of rewards beyond measure as a consequence, yet Jesus rebuked him for putting himself forth as an example of one who had made sacrifices for the building up of the kingdom.
Christ is the great judge of all the earth. "The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son." (John 5:22.) In due course, every living soul shall stand before his judgment bar, be judged according to his own works, and awarded a place in the mansions that are prepared. (Morm. 3:20.)
Under Christ a great hierarchy of judges will operate, each functioning in his assigned sphere. John saw many judges sitting upon thrones. (Rev. 20:4.) Paul said the saints would judge both the world and angels. (1 Cor. 6:2-3.) The elders are to sit in judgment on those who reject them. (D. & C. 75:21-22; Matt. 10:14-15.) Daniel saw that judgment would be given to the saints. (Dan. 7:22.) The Nephite Twelve will be judged by the Twelve from Jerusalem and then in turn will judge the Nephite nation. (1 Ne. 12:9-10; 3 Ne. 27:27; Morm. 3:19.) And the Twelve who served with our Lord in his ministry shall judge the whole house of Israel. (D. & C. 29:12.) No doubt there will be many others of many dispensations who will sit in judgment upon the peoples of their days and generations -- all judging according to the judgment which Christ shall give them, "which shall be just." (3 Ne. 27:27.)
Matt. 19:28. The regeneration] "Peter spoke of the times of refreshing which should come from the presence of the Lord at the Second Coming of Christ. (Acts 3:19-21.) His statement has the same meaning as the one in the Tenth Article of Faith which records that `the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.' This occurrence is `the regeneration' which shall take place `when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory.' (Matt. 19:28.) It is also `the day of transfiguration . . . When the earth shall be transfigured.' (D. & C. 63:20-21.)
"This earth was created in a new or paradisiacal state; then, incident to Adam's transgression, it fell to its present telestial state. At the Second Coming of our Lord, it will be renewed, regenerated, refreshed, transfigured, become again a new earth, a paradisiacal earth. Its millennial status will be a return to its pristine state of beauty and glory, the state that existed before the fall." (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 718-719.)
"This difficult parable is closely linked with what goes before, and can only be understood in connection with it. It rebukes the spirit of Peter's enquiry (Matt. 19:27), `We have left all and followed thee; what shall we have?' The Twelve through Peter had demanded a superlatively great reward, because they had been called first and had labored longest. Such a reward had been promised them, should they prove worthy of it (Matt. 19:28), though at the same time it was darkly hinted, that some outside the apostolic circle would prove in the end more worthy than some of the apostles. (Matt. 19:30.)
"Then follows the parable. It is a sermon on the text, `But many shall be last that are first, and first that are last,' which opens (Matt. 19:30) and closes it. (Matt. 20:16.) It is addressed primarily to the apostles. It teaches them that great as their merit and their reward undoubtedly are, there will perhaps be others whose merit and reward will be equal or even greater. Thus St. Stephen (not an apostle) was the first to gain the martyr's crown, St. Paul labored `more abundantly than they all,' Barnabas and James the Lord's brother ranked with the leading apostles. ...
"The apostles are warned not to be jealous of the attainments and rewards of other followers of Christ, but to do their own work single-heartedly, and to leave the recompense to God. Another important lesson is taught by the identity of the recompense paid to the various groups of laborers. They all receive the same coin, a denarius, which at this time was regarded as a liberal, but not unusual day's pay." (Dummelow, p. 690.)
In principle the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard applies to all who are called into the ministry of the Master. When the Melchizedek Priesthood is conferred upon them and they are ordained to offices therein, they make a covenant with the Lord to magnify their callings in the priesthood. On his part the Lord promises that if they do magnify their callings, he will give them "all that my Father hath" which, of course, is exaltation in the kingdom of God. (D. & C. 84:33-41.)
This promise is to all; all are promised the same wages. The bargaining spirit has no place in the gospel. If every elder who magnifies his calling is assured of that eternal life which consists in attaining all that the Father hath, how can any receive more than the "penny" appointed? For those who gain exaltation the promise is: "And he makes them equal in power, and in might, and in dominion." (D. & C. 76:95; 88:107.) And though the laborers may not comprehend the full significance of all this while they are yet laboring in the vineyard, yet trusting in the Lord they know that "whatsoever is right" shall be given them.
Matt. 20:16. Many be called, but few chosen] Many are called to the ministry to labor in the vineyard, but few of them shall be chosen for exaltation in the kingdom of God. "And why are they not chosen? Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson -- That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness. That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man. Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God. We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion. Hence many are called, but few are chosen." (D. & C. 121:34-40.)
Twice before (as far as the record shows) Jesus had spoken to his apostles about his coming death and resurrection. One of the predictions, spoken shortly before the Transfiguration, brought forth the objection from Peter which caused the Lord to rebuke his chief apostle severely. (Matt. 16:21-23; Mark 8:31-33.) The other prediction was made shortly thereafter in Galilee. (Matt. 17:22-23; Mark 9:30-32; Luke 9:43-45.)
Neither of the prior averments was given in as great detail as the present one, and on none of the occasions did the apostles understand the full import of our Lord's words. On the occasion here involved, Jesus was enroute with his apostles to Jerusalem for the last time and for the very purpose of offering himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. A very evident spirit of deep solemnity pervaded the group of travelers, so much so that the apostles were amazed and fearful. This time Jesus gave the added information that his death would be by crucifixion at the hands of the Gentiles.
Luke 18:31. Written by the prophets concerning the Son of man] Jesus fully accepted the Messianic prophecies, applied them to himself, and testified of their verity. All that Isaiah and the others foretold about his birth, ministry, and death was fulfilled in minutest detail.
34. Obviously the apostles knew what the words spoken meant, but with their as yet limited knowledge of the full purposes of Deity, they could not bring themselves to believe their accepted King would be crucified by sinful men. This inability to catch the vision of the atoning sacrifice until after the resurrection of Jesus stands out in pointed contrast to the fervent testimonies later born, a contrast which adds strength to the witness they were then to carry to the world.
In spite of the rebuke but shortly before given Peter, that "there are many who make themselves first, that shall be last, and the last first" (I. V. Mark 10:30); and in apparent open disregard of the teaching just given in the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard, that all servants worthy of exaltation would be rewarded alike, each receiving his "penny" appointed -- James and John, aided by their mother, now entreat Jesus for a promise that they will rank next to him in his eternal kingdom.
Tolerant of their human weaknesses, for they as yet have not gained the full and glorious vision of the gospel, Jesus thereupon teaches them how greatness in God's kingdom is gained. It is not the position occupied, but the service rendered; not the office held, but the call magnified; not the rank enjoyed, but the labors performed; not the pre-eminent station attained, but the spiritual diligence exhibited; not where one sits with reference to the King, but the love and obedience shown forth to him.
What does it matter whether a man is a ward teacher, priesthood quorum president, bishop, stake president, or general authority? It is not where a man serves, but how. There is as great personal satisfaction through faithful service in one position as another. And, as Jesus had before explained, the final reward of exaltation is the same for all who obtain it. It is eternal increase, the fulness of the kingdom of the Father, all power in heaven and on earth; it is all that the Father hath.
Matt. 20:22. Ye know not what ye ask] `If you understood the gospel plan, you would not ask such a thing; the mere fact that you do ask shows you have not caught the vision of the message.'
To drink of the cup] A metaphorical expression meaning, `To do the things which my lot in life requires of me.' To be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with] `To follow my course, suffer persecution, be rejected of men, and finally be slain for the truth's sake.'
Mark 10:39. In due course James and John and all the apostles, save Judas, drank of the Lord's cup and underwent his baptism -- all suffered persecution and possibly even martyrdom, with the exception of John who was translated. Zebedee's son James was slain at Herod's command. (Acts 12:1-2.)
40. Not mine to give] Certainly it is Christ's to give, for he has all power (Matt. 28:18) and all judgment is committed to the Son. (John 5:22.) Rather: `It is not mine to give as a matter of favoritism; it can be given only in accordance with justice. To sit on my right hand or on my left is not mine to give, except to them for whom it is prepared according to the Father's will, and the Father and I are one.'
45. To give his life a ransom for many] Through his atoning sacrifice, Christ exercised his ransoming power in two ways: (1) All men are ransomed from the natural death in that they are resurrected and become immortal; and (2) "Many" are ransomed from spiritual death and are returned to the presence of God because they believe and obey the gospel law. (D. & C. 29:42-45.)
As he has done before, Jesus again opens the eyes of the blind who have faith. Minor conflicts in the details of the story (all of which no doubt would be clarified if we had more information) attest to the independent authorship of the synoptic gospels. Matthew says there were two blind men; Mark and Luke mention only one, Mark naming him as Bartimeus, Luke designating him as "a certain blind man." Enroute to Jerusalem, Jesus passed through Jericho. Luke says the healing took place as our Lord's party approached the city; Matthew and Mark acclaim that it occurred as the group departed on their way. Matthew says Jesus touched the eyes of the blind; Mark and Luke record only that he gave a spoken command.
Matt. 20:30-34. See Matt. 9:27-34.
30. Son of David] See Matt. 22:42.
Mark 10:46-52. Bartimeus had faith to be healed. His repeated calls to the "Son of David" constituted an averment that he believed in Jesus as Lord and Messiah; and that his faith was active and abundant was affirmed by the Master when he commanded the sightless eyes to see.
Ever and always our Lord sought to bring sinners to repentance, to save the lost, to bring the sanctifying power of his gospel to those bound by the chains of sin. Were they despised publicans whose extortions at the customs gate made them odious in the public eye? No matter; through repentance salvation was available to all. Such is the message of his visit in the house of Zaccheus the wealthy Jewish-publican.
Luke 19:5. I must abide at thy house] No waiting for an invitation here; the Royal Visitor invited himself. `Come and care for my needs, for the laborer is worthy of his hire.'
8. Restitution for sin is part of true repentance. Zaccheus vowed to right the wrongs of the past and make due amends for all his transgressions. "By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins -- behold, he will confess them and forsake them." (D. & C. 58: 43.)
9. Salvation come to this house] The gospel message has been received and repentance has taken place. Now by making the covenant of salvation in the waters of baptism, and by continuing in the avowed course of righteousness, the new convert shall gain eternal salvation.
A son of Abraham] Literally, by birth; spiritually, by virtue of conversion and doing some at least of the works of Abraham.
Jesus was enroute to Jerusalem for the last time. In about ten days he would die upon the cross, and to the Jews generally it would appear that he had failed to set up the promised Messianic kingdom. To correct the false concept that "the kingdom of God" -- meaning the political kingdom, the kingdom which should rule all nations with King Messiah at its head, the millennia] kingdom -- "should immediately appear," Jesus gave the Parable of the Pounds. Compare: Parable of the Talents. (Matt. 25:14-30.)
Luke 19:12-14. Christ is the nobleman; the far off country is heaven; the kingdom there to be given him is "all power... in heaven and in earth" (Matt. 28-18); and his promised return is the glorious Second Coming, when the literal and visible kingdom shall be set up on earth. The ten servants are the members of the Church to whom he has given physical, mental, and spiritual capacities (pounds) to be used in his service. Those designated as "citizens" are the other people in the world, those who are subject to him because he is the God of the whole earth, but who have not accepted his gospel and come into his fold as servants. The servants are commanded to labor in the vineyard on their Lord's errand until he returns.
I. V. Luke 19:14. Sent a messenger after him] "`A nobleman going into a far country to receive a kingdom' would be utterly unintelligible, had we not fortunately known that this was done both by Archelaus and by Antipas. And in the case of Archelaus the Jews had actually sent to Augustus a deputation of fifty, to recount his cruelties and oppose his claims, which, though it failed at the time, was subsequently successful. Philipus defended the property of Archelaus, during his absence, from the encroachments of the Proconsul Sabinus. The magnificent palace which Archelaus had built at Jericho would naturally recall these circumstances to the mind of Jesus, and the parable is another striking example of the manner in which he utilized the most ordinary circumstances around him, and made them the bases of his highest teachings. It is also another unsuspected indication of the authenticity and truthfulness of the Gospels." (Farrar, p. 493, note, cited by Talmage, p. 522.)
We will not have this man to reign over us] How literally this prophetic part of the parable was fulfilled! But a few days hence and the Jews would be proclaiming, "We have no king but Caesar," and "Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews." (John 19:15, 21.) Then after the Nobleman's ascension to heaven these same "citizens" would continue to exhibit violent hostility against his infant Church.
Luke 19:15-24. When the nobleman returns to judge the world, he will reward his servants in accordance with their works. All shall not receive the same status in the mansions which are prepared; there are degrees of glory. Some will rule ten cities, others five, and those who were slothful shall be disinherited entirely.
26. Unused faculties are lost; rightly used abilities can be increased until perfection is attained. `Unto every servant who is diligent shall be given great reward; and from him who is slothful shall be taken away even the light, abilities, and faculties which he had.'
27. Those who reject the Nobleman, who refuse to have him reign over them, who find no place in their hearts for his gospel, will, at his return, be cast into outer darkness where there is weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth.
What religious and spiritual anarchy ravaged Jerusalem as the last Passover of our Lord's ministry approached! The whole Jewish nation was in an uproar. Was this man who raised the dead and opened the blind eyes the promised Messiah? Many of the common people so believed, but among "the chief priests and the Pharisees" in particular, there were those who thirsted for his blood. Satan had great hold on many hearts: hatred, persecution, and the desire to shed innocent blood were seen on every hand. In the face of all this, would Jesus dare show himself openly at the feast? And this Lazarus -- surely he must be put to death, lest more people believe on Jesus because of him!
John 11:55. Passover] See Matt. 26:17-20. Purify themselves] Ceremonial cleansings preceded the celebration of the Passover. (2 Chron. 30:15-20.)
Debate raged in all Jewry. Was Jesus of Nazareth, the prophet of Galilee, indeed the Messiah? Had he in truth done the works and taught the doctrines of Israel's promised Deliverer? Should the people follow him or wait for another?
In the midst of all this uncertainty, at the time of the Passover, when the question on every lip was, `Will he come to the feast and make further claim of his divinity?' Jesus, as though to place the capstone on all the testimony of Messiahship which he had previously borne, arranged to fulfil in detail one of the great Messianic prophecies.
As was known and understood among the people, Zechariah had prophesied: "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass." (Zech. 9:9.) Now as we see our Lord's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, amid waving palm branches, riding over the careful placed clothing of the people, and accepting their acclamations of praise and divinity, it is as though Zechariah had viewed the scene and written, not prophecy, but history.
Every detail of this unique episode joined in testifying of the identity of the central figure in the picture. It was as though Jesus had said: `Many times I have told you in plain words and by necessary implication that I am the Messiah. My disciples also bear the same witness. Now I come unto you as the King of Israel in the very way that the prophet of old said I would; and your participation in this event is itself a witness that I am he who should come to redeem my people.'
Matt. 21:1. Bethphage] The district outside the walls of Jerusalem on the east which extended to the Mount of Olivet; there also probably was a village by this name.
2-3. Jesus here manifests the gift of seership by describing in detail the exact events which shall transpire; that is, as a seer (one who sees) he is describing what he foresees as though he saw it then.
I. V. Matt. 21:2. A colt tied; loose it] There were not two animals brought to our Lord, but one. This Inspired Version correction of Matthew's account brings it in harmony with the accounts of Mark, Luke, and John.
Luke 19:33. The owners] Since the owners, learning that Jesus had need of their colt, readily permitted the two brethren to take him, it is assumed they also were disciples.
Matt. 21:8. Spread their garments] Only kings and conquerors received such an extraordinary token of respect as this. (2 Kings 9:13.) In every part of this triumphal entry to Jerusalem, Jesus seems not only to permit but to court the adulation and homage normally reserved for kings and great rulers.
John 12:13. Branches of palm trees] Amid shouts of praise and pleas for salvation and deliverance, we see the disciples strewing our Lord's course with palm branches in token of victory and triumph. This whole dramatic scene prefigures that yet future assembly when "a great multitude," which no man can number, "of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues," shall stand "before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands," crying with a loud voice, "Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." (Rev. 7:9-10.)
Matt. 21:9; Mark 11:9-10; Luke 19:37-38; John 12:13. No other man ever lived to whom such inspired acclamations of adulation, reverence, and worship have been or could properly be made. Here we see great multitudes bearing testimony of our Lord's divine Sonship. In plain language they are hailing Jesus as the Son of David, the Deliverer of Israel, their Savior and Redeemer, the promised Messiah, the Son of God. And they are doing it wit tingly, deliberately using the sacred expression, Hosanna, and quoting from the Messianic prophecy which ascribes salvation and triumph to the promised Son of David.
Hosanna means literally, save now, or save we pray, or save we beseech thee, and is taken from the Messianic prophecy which foretold that such would be the entreaty of Israel to their Messiah in the day of his coming. For more than a thousand years the Jewish people had studied and considered the inspired utterance that the promised Lord of Israel would be "the stone which the builders refused," that he would "become the head stone of the corner," and that the cries of the people to him would include the expressions, "Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord." (Psalm 118:22-26.) What more could the people have said to testify of their belief that Jesus was the Christ than to go back to this famous Messianic utterance and announce that it was fulfilled in him!
I. V. Mark 11:13. Blessed the disciples] Only Luke preserves for us the account of Jesus weeping over doomed Jerusalem. (Luke 19:41-44.) Mark says simply that he "looked round about upon all things." But then Mark says, as we learn from this more perfect account in the Inspired Version, that Jesus blessed the disciples. And what an enlightening addition this is to the scriptural account. Though Jerusalem, as a whole, was to be desolated and scourged as few cities have ever been, yet the faithful within her walls were to be saved, preserved, and blessed.
Luke 19:39. Rebuke thy disciples] Those acclaiming Jesus as Lord and God were disciples, believers, persons who had heard and understood the gospel message. In accepting and encouraging their reverential salutations, Jesus fulfilled the scripture and left a witness of his own divinity that would live in the hearts of true disciples ever after.
John 12:16. The full significance of the memorable events of this day could only be understood by the power of the Spirit. Thus it was not until the gift of the Holy Ghost came on the day of Pentecost that the deep meaning of King Messiah's triumphal entry into the capital-for-the-moment of his earthly kingdom became apparent.
See Matt. 23:37-39. Amid the joyous shouts of Hosanna and praise that attended his triumphal entry into the city of the Great King, Jesus interjected a note of gloom and sorrow. Weeping at what his seeric vision beheld, he foretold the direful fate that soon would fall upon Jerusalem for rejecting him and his message in the day of his personal "visitation."
Literal fulfillment of our Lord's prophecy came less than four decades later. In 70 A. D. Titus and his Roman legions laid siege to the city, destroyed and scattered the people, left not one stone upon another in the desecrated temple, and spread such terror and devastation as has seldom if ever been equalled on earth.
43. Thine enemies] The Romans. Shall cast a trench about thee] Literally, shall build a palisade or rampart. This the Romans did in the siege, making it first of wood, which the Jews burned, and then of stone. So determined were the Romans in their assault that the stone rampart, though four miles in length, was completed in three days, and by it all hope of escape for the Jews remaining in the city was cut off.
44. The time of thy visitation] `The time when thou wast visited by them whose warning voice, if heeded, would have saved you from the decreed destruction.' Whenever the gospel is offered to a people, it is a day of visitation, a day when they are visited by legal administrators whose message of peace offers temporal and spiritual salvation.
Why did Jesus curse the fruitless fig tree? Unique among our Lord's miracles, this manifestation of divine power teaches a number of great truths:
(1) By exercising his power over nature, Jesus was testifying in language written in the earth itself that be was Lord of all. As the Lord Jehovah he had in times past created all things in heaven and on earth; now, though tabernacled in mortal clay, he possessed the same eternal powers over life, death, and the forces of nature. By using these powers -- as he had before done in calming the tempest, multiplying loaves and fishes, walking on the water, healing multitudes, and raising the dead -- he was leaving a visible and tangible witness of his own divine Sonship.
(2) Though Jesus had come to bless and save, yet he had the power to smite, destroy, and curse. "It must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things" (2 Ne. 2:11); if blessings are born of righteousness, their opposite, curses, must come from wickedness. True gospel ministers seek always to bless, yet curses attend rejection of their message. "Whomsoever you bless I will bless, and whomsoever you curse I will curse, saith the Lord." (D. & C. 132:47.) It is fitting that Jesus should leave a manifestation of his power to curse, and the fact that he chose, not a person, but a tree, is an evident act of mercy.
(3) Withering and dying at Jesus' command, the fruitless fig tree stands as a type and a shadow of what shall befall hypocrites. On fig trees the fruit grows first and then the leaves. But here was a precocious tree, holding itself out as bearing fruit because its leaves were now grown, but in fact being deceptively barren. "Were it reasonable to regard the tree as possessed of moral agency, we would have to pronounce it a hypocrite; its utter barrenness coupled with its abundance of foliage made of it a type of human hypocrisy. " (Talmage, p. 527.)
(4) Also: "The leafy, fruitless tree was a symbol of Judaism, which loudly proclaimed itself as the only true religion of the age, and condescendingly invited all the world to come and partake of its rich ripe fruit; when in truth it was but an unnatural growth of leaves, with no fruit of the season, nor even an edible bulb held over from earlier years, for such as it had of former fruitage was dried to worthlessness and made repulsive in its worm-eaten decay. The religion of Israel had degenerated into an artificial religionism, which in pretentious show and empty profession outclassed the abominations of heathendom." (Talmage, p. 527.)
(5) Perhaps the most obvious lessons to be drawn from this unusual display of divine power are that by faith all things are possible and that faith is a principle of power which operates in the temporal as well as the spiritual realm.
Matt. 21:21. See Matt. 17:14-21.
22. "And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you." (3 Ne. 18:20; Morm. 9:21; Moro. 7:26.)
See John 2:13-17. Near the beginning of his public ministry, at the time of the Passover, Jesus had gained general attention by driving from the temple those who made merchandise in his Father's house. Now, during the last week of his mortal ministry, quoting what he himself as the Lord Jehovah had said through Isaiah (Isa. 56:7), "Mine house shall be called an house of prayer," he again exercised his divine prerogative to cleanse that which was both his and his Father's.
Then, having with physical force driven the wicked from the holy sanctuary, he remained to heal, teach, and receive again from believing disciples a renewal of the same acclaim, hosannas, and vocal acceptance of his divine Sonship, as he previously accepted while entering Jerusalem in triumph.
I. V. Matt. 21:13. Children of the kingdom] Not children in the sense of infants as the King James Version has it, but disciples, members of the Church, those who had testimonies of Jesus' divinity.
14. From these adult "children of the kingdom," these members of the Church who through repentance and baptism had become "newborn babes" in Christ (1 Pet. 2:2), came "perfected praise." How could such come from any except those who had knowledge and who were subject to the dictates of the Holy Spirit? Mark 11:18-19. During the day, when the people thronged around him, Jesus taught openly in the temple, and his enemies feared to arrest him. At night, when the people returned to their homes, Jesus retired quietly to Bethany to avoid the plots of those who thirsted for his blood.
What of authority in the ministry? Can a man assume the prerogative to preach the gospel? Or must he be called of God to carry Deity's message of salvation to the world?
Jesus "taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel." A delegation from the Sanhedrin, apparently having consulted during the night as to how they might ensnare the Master in a violation of their laws and traditions, demanded: `By what authority do you preach and teach since you have not been trained and appointed as a rabbi?' Even these spiritually darkened scribes and priests knew that a man must be called of God to preach the gospel and administer in its ordinances.
It is noteworthy that his Jewish antagonists did not ask for a sign to prove that Jesus had authority. Such is the course they had followed when he cleansed the temple near the beginning of his ministry. (John 2:13-18.) Since then his whole ministry was a witness that he did have authority, and even the day before, having again cleansed the temple, he had caused the lame to walk and the blind to see. (Matt. 21:12-14.) The present inquiry was not to determine if Jesus had authority, for none could longer dispute that; rather, it was to show that he had not received a rabbinical commission as such, thus giving the Jews an excuse to accuse him of violating their laws and standards.
But Jesus -- whose teachings and works, without more, bore record that his authority came from Him whom he repeatedly claimed as his personal Father -- deftly avoided their trap and left them powerless to lay against him a false charge of preaching by assumed authority.
Matt. 21:23. By what authority?] There is no substitute for divine authority. Either a professing minister has authority or he does not. If he has been called of God, his preaching and performances are binding on earth and in heaven; if he has assumed ministerial prerogatives without prior divine approval, his ministrations have no saving virtue. "A man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands, by those who are in authority to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof." (Fifth Article of Faith.) Every person exercising ministerial powers would do well to ask himself: `By what authority do I do these things?' Unless God's hand is in the performances, it will be a matter of the blind leading the blind.
These things] Luke says, `Teaching and preaching the gospel,' though it would appear from the entire context that the inquiring Sanhedrinists also had in mind the cleansing of the temple and the subsequent performing of miracles therein.
25. The baptism of John] Not just the ordinance of baptism itself, but the whole mission and ministry of the Baptist which was symbolized in the public mind by that ordinance. Why did ye not then believe him?] `If John was a prophet, why did ye not believe him when he testified of me, saying, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1:29.) If John was a prophet, I am the Messiah, for he testified of me.'
Luke 20:1. Preached the gospel] How often the gospel authors remind us that Jesus was not just teaching ethical principles such as love, honesty, and charity. Rather, he preached the gospel, which means that he commanded men to accept God as their Father, believe in Christ as the Son, manifest faith in the atoning sacrifice of the Son, repent of their sins, be baptized by immersion for the remission of sins, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and then (after all this!) endure to the end by keeping all the commandments, including the practice of love, honesty, charity, and every true ethical principle.
Our Lord's Parable of the Two Sons grows out of his discussion with the chief priests, scribes, and elders on the question of authority in the ministry. In an attempt to entangle him in some violation of rabbinical law, they had propounded a wholly insincere question relative to Jesus' authority to preach and minister among them. To avoid their trap he had asked them by what authority John the Baptist acted, a question which under the circumstances dramatized their own hypocrisy.
Now as a rebuke to his questioners and to give his own answer relative to the Baptist's authority, Jesus speaks the Parable of the Two Sons. In it the Father of the sons is God himself who offers employment in his earthly vineyard to all his children. The first son, who initially refused to labor in his Father's vineyard but later repented and served him, is symbolical of the publicans and harlots who repented of their early sins and became faithful servants in their Father's cause. Such was the case with many such who had flocked to the shores of Jordan to hear the Baptist and inquire: "Master, what shall we do?" (Luke 3:12.)
The second son, who willingly accepted an assignment in the vineyard but then failed to render the appointed labors, is symbolical of the Jewish leaders who professed to be about their Father's business but were in fact letting the vineyard degenerate into a fruitless wilderness. Publicans and sinners had repented and accepted John's baptism, but these leaders who claimed to have the light already "rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him." (Luke 7:29-30.)
Matt. 21:31. The publicans and harlots go into the kingdom of God before you] In this statement Jesus does two things: (1) He testifies that the ministry of John was of God, that the Baptist was a legal administrator whose teachings and priestly performances did in fact prepare men for salvation in the kingdom of God; and (2) He teaches in forceful and plain language that repentance is a living, abiding principle which actually works. "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." (1 Tim. 1:15.) What, publicans and harlots in the kingdom of God! Yes, and even the chief priests, scribes, and elders -- if they also repent and keep the commandments.
32. In the way of righteousness] `John was a prophet, a preacher of righteousness, one who taught men what they must do to gain salvation, one who pointed out the path or way of righteousness which leads to the kingdom of God.'
I. V. Matt. 21:32-34a. Christ and his prophets cannot be separated from each other. Men cannot believe in one and not the other. John was a true prophet who bore record that Jesus was the Messiah. Accordingly no one could accept John as a prophet without believing in Christ; and conversely, no one could believe in the divine Sonship of Jesus without accepting the Baptist as his forerunner and witness.
Similarly, Joseph Smith is the prophet through whom the divinity of Christ is revealed to the modern world. Accordingly, for this day, a belief in the divine mission of either presupposes an acceptance of the legality and divinity of the ministry of the other.
Deity's dealings with men from the creation of Adam down to the Second Coming of the Son of Man are summarized in the Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen.
God himself is the householder; his vineyard is the earth and its inhabitants; and the husbandmen appointed to work in the vineyard are the spiritual overseers of the people. Those who are stoned, beaten, persecuted, and killed are the prophets and seers sent to minister among men; and the Son and Heir, slain and cast out of the vineyard at the instigation of the wicked husband -- men, is of course Jesus.
For rejecting the Stone of Israel, the Church and kingdom was to be taken from the Jews and given to the Gentiles. Those Jews who rejected and slew the Heir were to be destroyed, as was also later to be the case with the Gentiles in the day of their apostasy and rejection of the "head of the corner." Finally, "in the last days," the vineyard was to be let out to other husband -- men preparatory to the return of the Lord to "reign in his vineyard."
Matt. 21-33. Jesus here chooses language designed to tie this parable into one recorded by Isaiah, which also condemned Israel for rebellion and disobedience. Through the mouth of Isaiah, Jehovah had said: "My well beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes." (Isa. 5:1-2.)
A far country] Having prepared and planted his vineyard, Deity returns to a far distant heaven, leaving his earthly affairs in the hands of husbandmen appointed to till and farm the vineyard.
34-36. Throughout her whole history, Israel's prophets were tortured, mocked, scourged, imprisoned, stoned, sawn asunder, and slain. (Heb. 11:35-38.) For instance: Jeremiah was beaten and imprisoned (Jer. 37:15-21; 38:6); Zechariah the son of Jehoiada was stoned (2 Chron. 24:18-22); Urijah the son of Shemaiah was slain (Jer. 26:20-24), as were other prophets (Neh. 9:26); and according to tradition, Isaiah was sawn asunder.
36. Other servants] Prophet after prophet came, all raising the same warning voice. (2 Kings 17:13; 2 Chron. 36:15-16.)
39. Here again Jesus predicts his own death.
41. In 70 A. D. Jerusalem and her wicked inhabitants were destroyed under circumstances so ruinous as to be scripturally designated "the abomination of desolation." (Matt. 24:15.)
42-44. By quoting, in the way here done, the Messianic prophecy about the stone which the builders rejected becoming the head of the corner (Ps. 118:22-23), Jesus was announcing himself as the promised Messiah.
43. In the meridian of time, the gospel, the Church, and the earthly kingdom were offered to the Jews first. When they, as a people, rejected their King and spurned his teachings, the message of salvation was taken to the Gentiles.
I. V. Matt. 21:51. I am the stone] `I am the Messiah.'
52. I am the head of the corner] `I am the most important part in the whole scheme of salvation. The Church and kingdom rest on me. I am the cornerstone on which the whole structure of spiritual things rest. If it were not for me and my atoning sacrifice the whole plan of salvation would be void and of no worth.' (Isa. 28:16; Acts 4:11-12.)
The Church and kingdom "are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone." (Eph. 2:20.)
These Jews shall fall upon me, and shall be broken] `As the promised Messiah, I am "a stone of stumbling and . . . a rock of offence. . . . And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken." (Isa. 8:14-15.) Those who stumble and fall because of me and my words shall be broken spiritually and shall not inherit the kingdom of my Father.' (Rom. 9:32-33; 1 Pet. 2:6-8.)
54. Those who stumble and fall because of Christ may rise again by repentance, but those who remain disobedient to the end shall lose their souls and figuratively be ground to powder.
55-56. After the kingdom has been taken from the Jews and given to the Gentiles, they too shall lose it through apostasy and shall also be destroyed for their disobedience. Then "in the last days" the gospel shall be restored "unto other husbandmen" preparatory to the day "when the Lord shall descend out of heaven to reign in his vineyard."
In this Parable of the Marriage of the King's Son, sometimes called the Parable of the Royal Marriage Feast, Jesus teaches these truths: (1) His own divine Sonship; (2) the impending destruction of Jerusalem; (3) the rejection of the Jewish remnant of the covenant race; (4) the gospel call to the Gentiles; and (5) that those who answer the gospel call will not be chosen for salvation unless they put on (the robes of righteousness. `Compare Luke 14:16-24.
Deity himself is the king in the parable; Jesus, his offspring and heir, is the king's son; and those first invited to "the marriage of the Lamb" (D. & C. 58:11) are the chosen and favored hosts of Israel to whom the gospel had been offered in ages past. "The remnant" who rejected the later invitation with violence and murder were Jewish descendants of ancient Israel; and it was their city, Jerusalem, which was violently destroyed.
Matt. 22:2. A marriage for his son] This glorious event, still future, has reference to the ushering in of Messiah's millennial reign, the day when he shall reign in triumph and glory over all the earth. By their preaching in this present dispensation, the "servants" of the King are inviting guests to come to the marriage supper of the Lamb. "For this cause I have sent you," the Lord says to his modern missionaries, "that a feast of fat things might be prepared for the poor; yea, a feast of fat things, of wine on the lees well refined, that the earth may know that the mouths of the prophets shall not fail; Yea, a supper of the house of the Lord, well prepared, unto which all nations shall be invited. First, the rich and the learned, the wise and the noble; And after that cometh the day of my power; then shall the poor, the lame, and the blind, and the deaf, come in unto the marriage of the Lamb, and partake of the supper of the Lord, prepared for the great day to come." (D. & C. 58:6-11; 65:3.)
That a royal marriage feast would signal the beginning of the Messiah's triumphant reign had been revealed to the prophets of old. (Zeph. 1:7-8.) Among the Jews of Jesus' day, however, the doctrine had been diluted and distorted. According to rabbinical tradition, only the seed of Abraham would be invited while the Gentile peoples would remain hungry and unfed.
3. His servants] 4. Other servants] Legal administrators sent forth with power from on high to preach the gospel and administer its saving ordinances. Such were Moses and the prophets of old; such was John the Baptist, who had been sent to those very Jews; such were the apostles of Jesus' day; and such are those today who -- tracing their priestly commissions in a few steps to modern heavenly visitants -- are continuing to invite all to the feast of righteousness found in the restored gospel.
5-6. All who reject the gospel are not damned to the same degree. Those who simply turn to their farms and merchandise, thereby putting temporal things ahead of spiritual, are denied the filling satisfaction of the feast, while those who persecute and murder the King's servants are by him condemned to an awful destruction.
7. How literally was this promise fulfilled! In the lives of most of those then living, Jerusalem -- "the city of the great King" (Ps. 48:2) -- was to be destroyed with brutality and vengeance by the armies of hated Rome. See Luke 19:41-44.
9. `Leave the cities of the Jews. Take the highways into the country. Get out among the Gentiles. "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."' (Mark 16:15.)
10. Gathered . . . both good and bad] See Matt. 13:47-53.
11. Had not on a wedding garment] He had accepted the invitation (the gospel); joined with the true worshipers (come into the true Church); but had not put on the robes of righteousness (that is, had not worked out his salvation after baptism).
In using this figure Jesus was harking back to what Zephaniah had said about the Second Coming: "Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God: for the day of the Lord is at hand: for the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests. And it shall come to pass in the day of the Lord's sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel." (Zeph. 1:7-8.)
Similar imagery was used by the angelic ministrant who, speaking in the Lord's name, told the Revelator, John, of these same events: "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb." (Rev. 19:7-9.)
13. Outer darkness] See Luke 16:19-31.
I. V. Matt. 22:14. `Many are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb, to the Church and kingdom of God on earth, but few are chosen for salvation in the kingdom of God in heaven, because they do not keep the commandments.' See Matt. 20:16.
How better could the Master Teacher proclaim his doctrine of separation of church and state than he did here in avoiding the trap of the Pharisees and Herodians?
These scheming and hypocritical "spies" offered Jesus these two alternatives as possible answers to their diabolically clever question: (1) Say, `Yes, pay the hated poll tax to Rome as the law already requires,' which answer would cause the Pharisees to inflame the people against him. Or: (2) Say, as the sect of Zealots taught, `No, Israel is a theocracy; God only is her King; pay no tribute to a foreign power,' in which event the Herodians would have delivered him "unto the power and authority of the governor," charging him with sedition and rebellion.
But from his lips instead came the decree: `Render unto God and Caesar their own.' That is, in this present world where wicked men will not repent and come unto the fulness of the Lord's perfect order of government, there must be two separate powers -- ecclesiastical and civil -- the one supreme in spiritual matters, the other in temporal. Neither power can dictate to the other. And men are subject to them both.)
Inspired authors, ancient and modern, have reaffirmed this basic Christian principle of government, teaching the saints both to love and serve God and to obey the properly ordained civil law. (D. & C. 58:21-22; 98:4-10; Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Tim. 2:1-3; Titus 3:1; 1 Pet. 2:13-17.) The sad record of history is that nations and churches have not conformed to these true principles. Wherever one dominant church has controlled a government, or a government (as in communistic nations) has dictated or proscribed systems of worship, men have been denied that agency without which they cannot work out their salvation.
In this final dispensation two official pronouncements make plain the relationship that should exist between God and Caesar, between church and state. One is the Twelfth Article of Faith: "We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law." The other is, "A Declaration of Belief regarding Governments and Laws in General," in which such averments as the following are found:
"We believe that no government can exist in peace, except such laws are framed and held inviolate as will secure to each individual the free exercise of conscience, the right and control of property, and the protection of life. ...
"We believe that religion is instituted of God; and that men are amenable to him, and to him only, for the exercise of it, unless their religious opinions prompt them to infringe upon the rights and liberties of others; but we do not believe that human law has a right to interfere in prescribing rules of worship to bind the consciences of men, nor dictate forms for public or private devotion; that the civil magistrate should restrain crime, but never control conscience; should punish guilt, but never suppress the freedom of the soul.
"We believe that all men are bound to sustain and uphold the respective governments in which they reside, while protected in their inherent and inalienable rights by the laws of such governments. .
"We do not believe it just to mingle religious influence with civil government, whereby one religious society is fostered and another proscribed in its spiritual privileges, and the individual rights of its members, as citizens, denied." (D. & C. 134.)
Matt. 22:21. And unto God the things that are God's] "Every human soul is stamped with the image and superscription of God, however blurred and indistinct the lines may have become through the corrosion or attrition of sin; and as unto Caesar should be rendered the coins upon which his effigy appeared, so unto God should be given the souls that bear his image. Render unto the world the stamped pieces that are made legally current by the insignia of worldly powers, and give unto God and his service, yourselves the divine mintage of his eternal realm." (Talmage, pp. 546-547.)
This colloquy between Jesus and his Sadducean detractors does not question or throw doubt, in proper cases, on the eternal verity that the family unit continues in the resurrection. Jesus had previously taught the eternal nature of the marriage union. "What therefore God [not man!] hath joined together, let not man put asunder." That is, when a marriage is performed by God's authority -- not man's! -- it is eternal. See Matt. 19:1-12. "Whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever." (Eccles. 3:14.)
Indeed, almost the whole Jewish nation believed that marriage was eternal, and that parents would beget children in the resurrection. Those few who did not believe that marriage continued after death and among such were the Sadducees, who could not so believe because they denied the resurrection itself -- were nonetheless fully aware that such was the prevailing religious view of the people generally. Without doubt Jesus, the apostles, the seventies, and the disciples generally had discussed this doctrine.
The Sadducean effort here is based on the assumption that Jesus and the Jews generally believe in marriage in heaven. They are using this commonly accepted concept to ridicule and belittle the fact of the resurrection itself. They are saying: `How absurd to believe in a resurrection (and therefore in the fact that there is marriage in heaven) when everybody knows that a woman who has had seven husbands could not have them all at once in the life to come.'
A most instructive passage showing that the Jews believed there should be marriage in heaven is found in Dummelow. "There was some division of opinion among the rabbis as to whether resurrection would be to a natural or to a supernatural (spiritual) life," he says. "A few took the spiritual view, e.g. Rabbi Raf is reported to have often said, `In the world to come they shall neither eat, nor drink, nor beget children, nor trade. There is neither envy nor strife, but the just shall sit with crowns on their heads, and shall enjoy the splendor of the Divine Majesty.' But the majority inclined to a materialistic view of the resurrection. The pre-Christian book of Enoch says that the righteous after the resurrection shall live so long that they shall beget thousands. The received doctrine is laid down by Rabbi Saadia, who says, `As the son of the widow of Sarepton, and the son of the Shunamite, ate and drank, and doubtless married wives, so shall it be in the resurrection'; and by Maimonides, who says, `Men after the resurrection will use meat and drink, and will beget children, because since the Wise Architect makes nothing in vain, it follows of necessity that the members of the body are not useless, but fulfill their functions.' The point raised by the Sadducees was often debated by the Jewish doctors, who decided that `a woman who married two husbands in this world is restored to the first in the next.'" (Dummelow, p. 698.)
How much nearer the truth were these Jews, on this point, than are the modern professors of religion who suppose that family love, felicity, and unity cease simply because the spirit steps out of the body in what men call death!
What then is the Master Teacher affirming by saying, "in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven"?
He is not denying but limiting the prevailing concept that there will be marrying and giving in marriage in heaven. He is saying that as far as "they" (the Sadducees) are concerned, that as far as "they" ("the children of this world") are concerned, the family unit does not and will not continue in the resurrection. Because he does not choose to cast his pearls before swine, and because the point at issue is not marriage but resurrection anyway, Jesus does not here amplify his teaching to explain that there is marrying and giving of marriage in heaven only for those who live the fulness of gospel law -- a requirement which excludes worldly people.
In his reply Jesus is approaching the problem much as he did in revealing the same eternal principles to Joseph Smith in modern times. He first told the Prophet that all blessings come to men as a result of obedience; that all eternal covenants, marriage included, must be performed with his authority and approved by his Spirit; and that only those things continue "after the resurrection" which conform to his law.
"Therefore," that is, in the light of these principles, he said, "if a man marry him a wife in the world, and he marry her not by me nor by my word, and he covenant with her so long as he is in the world and she with him, their covenant and marriage are not of force when they are dead, and when they are out of the world; therefore, they are not bound by any law when they are out of the world."
What is this but marriage until death do us part? And who are the participating parties but the Sadducees, "the children of this world," the people who do not overcome the world by accepting and living the gospel?
"Therefore, when they [those who will not, do not, or cannot live the law of eternal marriage] are out of the world they neither marry nor or given in marriage."
That is, there is neither marrying nor giving in marriage in heaven for those to whom Jesus was speaking; for those who do not even believe in a resurrection, let alone all the other saving truths; for those who are unrighteous and ungodly; for those who live after the manner of the world; for the great masses of unrepentant mankind. All of these will fall short of gaining the fulness of reward hereafter.
What then is their state? They will not be "gods" and thus have exaltation; their inheritance will be in a lesser degree of glory. As Jesus said to the Sadducees, they "are as the angels of God in heaven," "for they are equal unto the angels." As he said, in more detail and with greater plainness to Joseph Smith, they "are appointed angels in heaven; which angels are ministering servants, to minister for those who are worthy of a far more, and an exceeding, and an eternal weight of glory. For these angels did not abide my law; therefore, they cannot be enlarged, but remain separately and singly, without exaltation, in their saved condition, to all eternity; and from henceforth are not gods, but are angels of God forever and ever." (D. & C. 132:5-17.)
Thus, in the resurrection, the unmarried remain everlastingly as angels or servants, but the married gain exaltation and godhood. This latter group consists of those who enter into that "order of the priesthood" named "the new and everlasting covenant of marriage," and who then keep the terms and conditions of that eternal covenant. (D. & C. 131:1-4.) It consists also of those who lived on earth under circumstances which prevented them from making the covenant for themselves personally, but who would have done so had the opportunity been afforded. For all such, on the just and equitable principles of salvation and exaltation for the dead, the ordinances will be performed vicariously in the temples of God, so that no blessing will ever be denied to any worthy person. And for that matter, there is no revelation, either ancient or modern, which says there is neither marrying nor giving in marriage in heaven itself for righteous people. All that the revelations set forth is that such is denied to the Sadducees and other worldly and ungodly people.
Matt. 22:23. Sadducees] See Matt. 3:7.
24. In ancient Israel a man was obliged to marry his brother's widow if she was childless. The "firstborn" then succeeded "in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel." Such a law could operate only in a period when plural marriage was authorized by Deity. Provision was made in the law for someone else to marry the widow in certain circumstances. (Deut. 5:4-10.) Interestingly, it was this law of marriage that enabled Boaz and Ruth, progenitors of our Lord, to become man and wife. (Ruth 4.)
29. "They did not understand the principle of sealing for time and for all eternity; that what God hath joined together neither man nor death can put asunder. (Matt. 19:6.) They had wandered from that principle. It had fallen into disuse among them; they had ceased to understand it; and consequently they did not comprehend the truth; but Christ did. She could only be the wife in eternity of the man to whom she was united by the power of God for eternity, as well as for time; and Christ understood the principle, but he did not cast his pearls before the swine that tempted him." (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed., p. 280.)
31-32. `You say Jehovah is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and at the same time claim there is no resurrection. But you know that God is not the God of the dead but of the living, and therefore Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob live and will rise in the resurrection; hence, your doctrine that life ceases with death is false.' Or: `You believe there is a God; you deny there is a resurrection. Is God the God only of the dead? Is he a failure? Is there no purpose in creation? Or could it be that you have erred and that there is in reality a resurrection?'
I. V. Mark 12:32. For he raiseth them up out of their graves] Luke 20:38. For all live unto him] How can there be a God unless there is a resurrection? Why would God create men and then let them vanish into nothingness? To be God he must be the God of something, and the dead are nothing; hence, there are no dead, "for all live unto him," "for he raiseth them up out of their graves."
One eternal command! -- supreme above all others; comprehending all lesser requirements; embracing the whole law of the whole gospel; blazing forth like the sun with a brilliance beyond compare -- one divine decree! `Thou shalt love thy God and thy neighbor.'
In every age the counsel of God has been to worship, love, and serve the living God and to feel after the welfare of one's fellowmen with solicitude and charity. (Moses 6:33; Luke 4:8.) When Jesus here selected the chief commands of importance to man, he was but quoting, first, what Moses had said as the climax of his restatement of the law to Israel (Deut. 6:4-5), and, then, what he himself as the Lord Jehovah had said to that same people. (Lev. 19:18.) The genius of his generalization lay in the insight with which he picked out from among all the revelations the two requirements which exceed in importance all others.
Perhaps the best recorded rendition we now have of "the first and great commandment," and of the second which is "like unto it," is the one revealed to Joseph Smith: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy might, mind, and strength; and in the name of Jesus Christ thou shalt serve him. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." (D. & C. 59:5-6.)
Love of God and of one's fellowmen is measured in terms of service and devotion, and the love of the one cannot be separated from the like feeling for the other. "If thou lovest me thou shalt serve me and keep all my commandments." (D. & C. 42:29; John 14:15.) "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also." (1 John 4:20-21; Mormon Doctrine, pp. 419-420.)
Matt. 22:35. Tempting him] Testing, not entraping, as indicated by his subsequent reasonable response to Jesus' answer.
37. Thou shalt love] It is the law; it is required; it is mandatory; we are bound to do it -- if we are to gain full salvation.
The Lord thy God] The Lord Jehovah or Elohim his Father, as the case may be. The sense and meaning in either instance is the same. To love and serve one is to do likewise for the other, for they are "one" in character, perfections, attributes, purpose, and plan.
All thy heart] With perfect sincerity and uprightness, not dividing one's devotion, but having it centered totally in Deity.
All thy soul] With utmost fervor. Also: The soul is the spirit, the living, sentient, intelligent part of the human personality. Thus love is to come from the whole being, from the inner man as well as the temporal being.
All thy mind] With intelligence and sense as distinguished from blind and unthinking devotion; with enlightened reason as distinguished from mystical and incomprehensible worship.
39. Thy neighbour] See Luke 10:25-37.
Mark 12:30. All thy strength] With might, power, and intensity; with all the energy of one's being.
34. Thou art not far from the kingdom of God] `Thou art approaching conversion. Thou art near to joining the Church'
Jesus' common practice had been to court queries as to his Messiahship, thus affording him opportunity to testify, again and again and again, of his divine Sonship. But now, as his ministry drew to its end and climax, his detractors having been so often silenced, no man dares ask: "Who art thou?"
Hence, on his own initiative he becomes the interrogator, applies one of the great Messianic prophecies to himself, and leaves his hearers to ponder how their concept of a mere temporal Messiah squared with David's inspired declaration that his Messiah-Son was also his Messiah-Lord.
David's Messianic utterance, "The Lord said unto my Lord" (Ps. 110:1), is here interpreted by Jesus to mean: One God said to another, that is, the Father said to the Son, that, as Paul was later to express it, the "Son" should sit "down on the right hand of the Majesty on high." (Heb. 1:1-4.)
Matt. 22:42. What think ye of Christ] What a text this is! Is he the Savior and Redeemer whose atoning blood ransoms men from the temporal and spiritual effects of the fall? Is he the literal Son of that Eternal Father in whose image man is made? Is he the Lord Omnipotent, the Great I AM, the Almighty Jehovah, the God of Israel, him "whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting"? (Mic. 5:2.)
Such is the revealed testimony, such is the witness which must come into the heart of every candidate for salvation.
The son of David] David himself had become to Jewish Israel a symbol of might, of power among the nations, of freedom from alien domination. Their concept of the Messianic Son of David called for an earthly king who would slay the Goliaths of Rome, cast the alien Philistines from the soil given by Jehovah to Abraham and his seed, and return world-wide dominion and power to the remnant of once glorious Israel. In their darkened state they no longer knew that, though a descendant of David through Mary his mother, the promised Messiah was also the Son of their Creator. Thus the designation, `Thou Son of David,' in the true sense, means, `Thou Son of God,' or `Thou Holy Messiah.'
43-45. Messianic prophecies came by the power of the Holy Ghost and can be understood only by that same enlightening power.
How scathingly Jesus condemns false teachers, apostate ministers, priestly administrators devoid of divine authority -- all who teach anything except revealed truth. The scribes and rabbis of his day are but types and shadows of the blind guides of any age. Religious leaders must teach the truth or face for themselves the same excoriating and damning condemnation as that heaped by an indignant Lord upon the blind guides of his day.
Matt. 23:2. Sit in Moses' seat] Until the coming of John the Baptist, who was the last legal administrator of the old dispensation, these scribes and rabbis, legally and literally, had exercised, a portion at least, of the divine authority held by Moses. (Teachings, pp. 272-273, 318-319.) And they were now continuing to assume, though without divine right, their longstanding judicial and teaching prerogatives; as the Inspired Version records Jesus' statement: "They make themselves your judges." (V. 2.)
Authority in the ministry was highly prized in Jewish-Israel, and the religious leaders of the day were continuing to follow the ritualistic pattern by which it is received. "The scribes (who were ordained with the laying on of hands) claimed to have received their authority through an unbroken succession from Moses." (Dummelow, p. 699.) Though the kingdom had in fact been taken from them, they at least had a better claim to divine authority than do those priests and ministers of modern Christendom who simply assume religious leadership because they feel a call so to do.
4-5. `They impose, with heartless rigor, an intricate, irksome, onerous system of religion upon their disciples, one which they themselves do not follow. But through outward displays of piety; they seek the plaudits and applause of men.'
5. Phylacteries] To aid in keeping constantly before them certain of the Lord's laws, ancient Israel was commanded to bind them, as it were, upon their hands and to wear them as frontlets between their eyes. (Ex. 13:9, 16; Deut. 6:8; 11:18.) It accordingly became the custom to write selected portions of the law on phylacteries which were then worn during prayers.
"The phylacteries themselves were cubical boxes (size from 1/2 in. to 1 1/2 in.), made of the skin of a clean animal, and attached to a broad strip of material, by which they were bound to the body at prayer time. Two were worn. The head-phylactery was so fastened to the brow that the prayer box came between the eyes. This was the one which the Pharisees made broad, i.e. as large and conspicuous as possible. The arm-phylactery was tied round the left arm on the inside, so as to be near the heart, and during use was invisible, being covered by the sleeve. The head-phylactery was divided into four compartments, containing on little rolls these four portions of scripture: Ex. 13:1-10; Ex. 13:11-16; Deut. 6:4-9; Deut. 11:13-21." (Dummelow, P. 699.)
There is some reason to believe that the practice of wearing phylacteries prevailed among the Nephite portion of Israel. More than a century and a half ago, Mr. Boudinot published an account of the archeological unearthing of an ancient phylactery in the eastern United States. His account, as quoted approvingly by Elder Parley P. Pratt in the Voice of Warning, includes the following:
"Joseph Merrick, Esq., a highly respected character in Pittsfield, Mass., gave the following account: That in 1815, he was leveling some ground under and near an old woodshed standing on a place of his, situated on Indian Hill. He ploughed and conveyed away old chips and earth to some depth. After the work was done, walking over the place, he discovered, near where the earth had been dug the deepest, a black strap, as it appeared about six inches in length, and one and a half in breadth, and about the thickness of a leather trace to a harness. .
"In attempting to cut it, [he] found it as hard as a bone; he succeeded, however, in getting it open, and found it was formed of two pieces of thick rawhide, sewed and made watertight with the sinews of some animal, and gummed over, and in the fold was contained four folded pieces of parchment. They were of a dark yellow hue, and contained some kind of writing. The neighbors, coming in to see the strange discovery, tore one of the pieces to atoms, in the true Hun and Vandal style. The other three pieces Mr. Merrick saved, and sent them to Cambridge, where they were examined, and discovered to have been written with a pen, in Hebrew, plain and legible. The writings on the three remaining pieces of parchment were quotations from the Old Testament." (Parley P. Pratt, voice of Warning, p. 80.) The three preserved parchments contained three of the four passages normally contained in phylacteries, namely, Deut. 6:4-9; Deut. 11:13-21; and Ex. 13:11-16. Obviously the destroyed parchment must have contained Ex. 13:1-10.
7-10. Such titles of respect as Brother, Elder, Bishop, or Rabbi, are appropriate and proper when used discreetly and with respect for the office or status involved. What Jesus here condemns is not the use of titles as such, but the vainglory and presumptuous self-adulation which called forth their excessive and patronizing use. Indeed, it would appear from I. V. Matt. 22:6 that these religious leaders were so wrapped up in their own conceit that they ranked themselves along with Deity in importance. "The rabbis really did put themselves in the place of God, and almost on an equality with him. Their traditions were more binding than the Law, and were regarded as in a sense binding upon God." (Dummelow, p. 700.)
12. See Luke 14:11.
15. To make one proselyte] `To baptize one proselyte' is the way the Ethiopic version reads, a rendition which is particularly appropriate as it confirms the fact that baptism was practised and accepted among the Jews prior to John and Jesus.
16-22. Jesus had already abolished the law of oaths. See Matt. 5:31-37. Here he is denouncing the wickedness of those who, out of the abundance of their evil hearts, had created a system of swearing by oaths which invited and encouraged dishonesty, the bearing of false witness, and premeditated lying. Their system offered ways of avoiding the most solemn sworn attestations. By using specially prescribed language in one oath, it could be annulled, while another which did not conform to their morally corrupt code remained binding.
To tithe is to pay one tenth of one's annual interest or increase into the tithing account of the earthly kingdom of God. (D. & C. 119.) Charitable contributions for other worthy causes, whether ecclesiastical or otherwise, are commendable and soul enlarging, but tithing is a payment of a tenth as tithing and for tithing purposes. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 719-721.)
Observance of the law of tithing is one of the essential identifying characteristics of the true Church. Where the true Church is, there the law of tithing will be preached and practiced. Where such a course is not pursued, there the true Church is not found.
According to Mosaic requirements, flocks and herds, fruits and grains, all should be tithed. (Lev. 27:30-34; Deut. 14:22-28.) Here we find Jesus endorsing such a course, even as it applied to the herbs and small items grown in the garden.
The sin of those false religious leaders lay in their ostentatious display of paying tithing on every grain of sand and blade of grass, as it were, while they transgressed the "whole law."
Self-righteous religionists might also learn from the passage that it is easier to pay an honest tithing than to manifest in one's soul the godly attributes of justice, mercy, and faith; the one, comparatively speaking, is lesser in importance; the others are "the weightier matters of the law."
On the two occasions here recounted, Jesus excoriates Pharisaic hypocrisy with a severity which exacts from language itself the utmost extreme in the use of deserved invective. A facade of outward cleanliness covered their inward corruption. Outward piety served as a shield to hide inward wickedness. What greater hypocrisy is there than this?
Matt. 23:25. "Cups and platters though cleansed to perfection were filthy before the Lord if their contents had been bought by the gold of extortion, or were to be used in pandering to gluttony, drunkenness or other excess." (Talmage, p. 558.)
27. How spiritually diseased is the soul whose depraved and degenerate state compares to the stink and stench, to the filth and decay, of rotting corpses.
Luke 11:37-41. Being invited to dine in the home of a Pharisee, Jesus chose to ignore the usual ritualistic washing of hands so as to dramatize his teachings about inward and outward cleanliness. His objective -- to show that inner cleanness comes by obedience to his teachings.
`Dead prophets, Yes; living prophets, No!' Such is the pious feeling of sanctimonious though worldly religionists in every age. Almost all men, Christians and Jews alike, revere dead prophets; almost none cleave unto the Lord's living representatives. Today men build houses of worship to Peter and Paul while they persecute and kill Joseph Smith and the living oracles. There seems to be a conscience soothing comfort in acclaiming a dead prophet while slaying a living one.
Samuel the Lamanite, sent by God to a rebellious Nephite nation said: "When ye talk, ye say: If our days had been in the days of our fathers of old, we would not have slain the prophets; we would not have stoned them, and cast them out. Behold ye are worse than they; for as the Lord liveth, if a prophet come among you and declareth unto you the word of the Lord, which testifieth of your sins and iniquities, ye are angry with him, and cast him out and seek all manner of ways to destroy him; yea, you will say that he is a false prophet, and that he is a sinner, and of the devil, because he testifieth that your deeds are evil." (Hela. 13:25-26.)
There is, of course, no salvation in believing in a dead prophet and stopping there. A living prophet must be found, first, to interpret God's word in terms of today, and, then, to serve as the legal administrator who can perform God's ordinances so as to make them binding on earth and in heaven.
Nothing ever happens on earth as important as the sending of prophets among men. Their messages involve the very purpose of life and creation. And there is nothing more important in the lives of mortals than to determine whether those claiming to represent Deity do in fact hold divine authority and have a legal commission to speak for him.
What pure, unadulterated hypocrisy it is for those who reject the living prophets to say: `If we had lived in former days, we would have accepted the prophets whom others rejected.' Prophets are prophets, truth is truth, and rebellion is rebellion. The spirit which leads men to fight God in one age is the same that operates in every age. Those who reject the Lord's anointed today would have done so anciently. Compare Luke 16:27-31.
What a doctrine Jesus here expounds! He himself sends to the Jews of that day apostles and prophets with the gospel message. These Jews reject the message of salvation which is thus offered to them and slay some of the legal administrators who preach it. As a consequence they become accountable for all the righteous blood shed on earth from the day of the first man to that hour. What a doctrine, indeed! It is no wonder that uninspired exegetists stumble in seeking the true purport of our Lord's teachings.
How is it that such a thing can be? What great condemnation awaited Jewish-Israel for rejecting their Messiah and the message of salvation preached by him and those he sent? For answer we turn to the heaven-inspired words of a prophet.
"When speaking about the blessings pertaining to the gospel, and the consequences connected with disobedience to the requirements," Joseph Smith says, "we are frequently asked the question, what has become of our fathers? Will they all be damned for not obeying the gospel, when they never heard it? Certainly not. But they will possess the same privilege that we here enjoy, through the medium of the everlasting priesthood, which not only administers on earth, but also in heaven."
Then the Prophet speaks of the preaching of the gospel in the spirit world, and of baptism for the dead, and says: "Hence it was that so great a responsibility rested upon the generation in which our Savior lived." At this point he quotes Matt. 23:35 and explains: "Hence as they possessed greater privileges than any other generation, not only pertaining to themselves, but to their dead, their sin was greater, as they not only neglected their own salvation but that of their progenitors, and hence their blood [that of the progenitors] was required at their hands." (Teachings, pp. 221-223.)
Thus the gospel light was offered to these Jews with greater clarity and brilliance than had been the case with many of their ancestors. Had they accepted it these Jews would have saved their own souls and also been able to perform vicariously the ordinances of salvation for their worthy ancestors. By their rebellion they were, thus, doubly damned.
Matt. 23:34. I send unto you prophets] `I Jesus do it.' In Luke it is, `I the wisdom of God do it.' That is, `I Jesus who am God send prophets and apostles among you.' It is not, `The Lord does it,' but, `I do it, for I am the Lord God of Israel dwelling in mortal flesh.'
35. Zacharias son of Barachias] Commentators generally feel that the person here named was Zechariah son of Jehoiada who was martyred in the temple in the days of Joash the king. (2 Chron. 24:15-24.) Jesus' language, however, seems to indicate that the named person was slain by those of his day, which would make it an event of which we have no other knowledge.
The devil wages war against the scriptures. He hates them, perverts their plain meanings, and destroys them when he can. He entices those who heed his temptings to delete and discard, to change and corrupt, to alter and amend, thus taking away the key which will aid in making men "wise unto salvation." (2 Tim. 3:15-17.)
Accordingly, Jesus is here heaping wo upon those who have contaminated and destroyed scriptures which would have guided and enlightened the Jews. Nephi forsaw that the same treatment would be given to the writings of the apostles of Jesus. (1 Ne. 13.) A comparison of the fore part of Genesis with the perfected version of the same material found in the Book of Moses illustrates what men have done to what God has said. Another comparison is Matt. 24 as found in the King James Version and in the Pearl of Great Price. The restored Book of Abraham, with its wealth of knowledge and gospel interpretation, is a sample of scripture that was wholly lost to the world. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 413-415.)
Jerusalem -- the holy city!
Jerusalem -- city of depravity, "which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt"! (Rev. 11:8.)
Jerusalem -- doomed spiritually and soon to be desolated temporally. See Luke 19:41-44.
Jerusalem -- site of the temple; home of the prophets; city of our Lord's ministry.
Jerusalem -- city where the Son of God was crucified, crucified by "the more wicked part of the world," for "there is none other nation on earth that would crucify their God." (2 Ne. 10:3.)
Jerusalem -- future world capital and center from which "the word of the Lord" shall go unto all people. (Isa. 2:3.)
Truly Jerusalem's history is like that of no other place; and truly Jesus with cause, wept because of the rebellion of her children.
Matt. 23:37. How often would I have gathered thy children] It is Jesus, the Lord, who speaks; again he is certifying of his divine Sonship. A similar lament has come from his lips in modern times. "O, ye nations of the earth," his solemn voice intones, "how often would I have gathered you together as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, but ye would not!" (D. & C. 43:24.)
38. Your house is left unto you desolate] Perhaps referring to the temple which crowned the city; perhaps to the city itself; or perhaps to both.
I. V. Matt. 23:39. I am he of whom it is written by the prophets] Lest any of his hearers be left in darkness, how repeatedly and often Jesus proclaims: `I am the promised Messiah. I am the Son of God.'
The widow's mite, how large it is on the ledgers of heaven!
Out of their surplus, without sacrifice, often with selfish motives, frequently amid the blare of trumpets, rich men are sometimes wont to give to worthy causes. Meanwhile, the poor, out of their penury, unknown to their fellowmen, but because their hearts are right, sometimes give unheralded "mites" to like worthy causes.
Surely the rich who give part of their surplus are not rewarded along with the widows who give even that which is needed for their sustenance. Gift giving, whether to the Lord and his work, to worthy civic or other causes, or to individuals -- as far as blessings to donors are concerned -- must be measured in terms of capacity to give. The widow who cast in less than a half cent in American coinage, proportionately gave more than all the rich whose surpluses crammed the coffers in the temple court. See Luke 14:25-33.
This episode in Jewish life -- and Jesus deliberately took occasion to call attention to it that it's lesson might be preserved -- teaches that the giver is greater than the gift; that sacrifice of all, though such be small in amount, is greater than the largess of kings who neither miss nor need that which they give away; and that it is the intent of the heart, not the value of the gift, which counts on the eternal ledgers."For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not." (2 Cor. 8:12.)
King David dramatized the high standard expected of those who contribute to the Lord's Cause when he offered sacrifice to stay a plague in Israel. Out of respect to David's kingship, Araunah offered his own threshingfloor as a place for an altar, his harvesting equipment to use as wood for the fire, and his oxen for the sacrifice. But David, seeking the blessing of giving, said: "I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing." (2 Sam. 24:15-25.)
20. Certain Greeks] Gentile proselytes to Judaism attending the Passover to worship. Presumably Jesus granted them audience, thus foreshadowing the taking of the gospel to the Gentiles.
23. Son of man] See Matt. 16:13-20.
24. `I alone have the power of immortality and except I die and rise again this power shall not pass to other men.' Out of death is to come life; from the one seed that dies shall come a new life for many.
25. See Matt. 10:38-42; 16:24-26.
26. Where I am, there shall also my servant be] This is the doctrine of exaltation. Christ our Lord overcame all things and ascended into heaven to sit on the throne of his Father. (Rev. 3:21.) Those who are to be with Christ must of necessity inherit the same glory and kingdom and indeed become "like him." (1 John 3:2.) "Ye shall sit down in the kingdom of my Father; and ye shall be even as I am, and I am even as the Father; and the Father and I are one." (3 Ne. 28:10.) What greater honor could the Father bestow upon anyone than this?
My Father] Again -- as was his repeated wont -- Jesus teaches the doctrine of his divine Sonship. It is not `Our Father,' or `Your Father,' but `My Father.'
27. See Matt. 26:36-46. For this cause came I unto this hour] Jesus came to die; his mission was to give his life for the world. Miraculous as was his birth; incomparable as were his teachings; inspiring as were his miracles; and perfect as was his life -- yet, with it all, he came into the world to die, to atone, to redeem, to save, to bring to pass the immortality and possible eternal life of man.
28-30. Suppose the voice of God should speak from heaven today; suppose that voice should say in the ears of all living: `I have restored my gospel through Joseph Smith. I command all men everywhere to repent and join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.' How would men respond? Would they differ from those who heard the Almighty proclaim the divine Son -- ship of Jesus? Would some say it was a new type of radio broadcast? Or would they say it thundered, or an angel spoke? Whatever their response, we may rest assured that people are now as they were then, and that the voice of God himself, thundered from the heavens, would no more convince them of divine truth now than that very voice did then.
31. Now is the judgment of this world] `Now is the world to be judged by its acceptance or rejection of me.' Now shall the prince of this world be cast out] Satan shall be doomed. It is his world which is judged and found wanting. Because of the atonement a better world awaits.
32. To the Nephites, Jesus gave utterance to this same thought in these words: "My Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil -- And for this cause have I been lifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their works." (3 Ne. 27:14-15.)
33. Prophets in Israel foretold in plainness of the death of the Messiah. "The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, yieldeth himself, according to the words of the angel, as a man, into the hands of wicked men, to be lifted up, according to the words of Zenock, and to be crucified, according to the words of Neum, and to be buried in a sepulchre, according to the words of Zenos." (1 Ne. 19:10.)
34. Of course the scriptures said Christ and his kingdom should abide forever (Isa. 9:7; Ezek. 37:25; and Dan. 7:14, among many others); and so shall it be commencing in the millennial day when "the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever." (Rev. 11:15.)
But the scriptures also said that King-Messiah "was wounded for our transgressions, . . . bruised for our iniquities," "brought as a lamb to the slaughter," and "cut off out of the land of the living." They said, "he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death" (Isa. 53); that he, "the Lord Jehovah" would "swallow up death in victory," and bring to pass the resurrection of all men. Indeed, it was the great Jehovah himself who had said to their fathers: "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise." (Isa. 25:8; 26:4, 19.)
There was no occasion for Jesus' captious critics either to have or to feign ignorance of the true mortal ministry of their Messiah.
35-36. See John 8:12-20.
37. Are there those today who think: `Had I seen the miracles of Jesus, I would have believed in him?' What causes men to believe? Do miracles create faith?
All things operate according to law. (D. & C. 88:13, 36.) Blessings flow from obedience, curses from disobedience. (D. & C. 130:20-21; 132:5.) The law of faith provides that if men do certain things, they will gain faith; otherwise, they will not. See Luke 17:5-6.
One of the terms and conditions of the law of faith is: If there is faith, there will be miracles. "These signs shall follow them that believe." (Mark 16:17.) "He that hath faith in me to be healed, and is not appointed unto death, shall be healed. He who hath faith to see shall see. He who hath faith to hear shall hear. The lame who hath faith to leap shall leap." (D. & C. 42:48-51.)
But the converse is not true. There is no provision in the law of faith that miracles will create faith. Signs follow; they do not precede. It is true that someone who has seen a sign may thereafter do the things which will enable him to gain faith, but it is not the miracle as such which begets the faith; it is obedience to that law upon which its receipt is predicated. Thus Moroni writes: "Ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith. . . . For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them; wherefore he showed not himself until after their faith.... And neither at any time hath any wrought miracles until after their faith; wherefore they first believed in the Son of God." (Ether 12:6-18.)
38. Who hath believed our report?] Truly it is ever thus. Notwithstanding the teachings, testimony, and miracles -- all of which bore such powerful witness of Jesus' Messiahship -- how few believed! How few saw the "arm of the Lord" in his message and ministry. (Isa. 53:1.) And so today, in nearly all the nations of the earth, how few believe the message of restoration and salvation sent by the same Lord through his servant Joseph Smith.
40-41. John's use of this Messianic prophecy is an announcement that Jesus is "the King, the Lord of hosts," the great Jehovah seen by Isaiah in vision. (Isa. 6.) Doctrinally, the inspired utterance teaches that all men are not prepared spiritually to receive the exalting truths of pure religion. Before the light of heaven can infuse a soul, a man must open his eyes, soften his heart, and desire to be converted.
As Jesus nears the end of his mortal ministry, he summarizes again some of the great eternal truths concerning himself and his Father, truths which lay the foundation for accepting his gospel and gaining salvation in his kingdom.
44. `He who believes I am the Son of God, believes not only in my divine mission, but also in my Father who sent me.' This pronouncement is both simple logic and revealed truth. It is not possible to believe that Christ is the Son of God without believing that God is the Father of Christ. There cannot be a Father without a Son, nor a Son without a Father. Thus Jesus says, "He that receiveth me receiveth my Father" (D. & C. 84:37); the two cannot be separated. They are both divine and holy beings, or neither is.
45. `As his Son I am in the express image of my Father, and he is through me revealing himself to the world.' See John 14:7-11.
46. `I came to bring the light of the gospel to the world, and all who believe in me shall come out of spiritual darkness into the light of my gospel.'
47-48. `If a man who hears the gospel message does not receive it, I as a teacher will not condemn him; for as a missionary I came to save and not to damn, and perhaps he will later repent and believe. But if that man does not repent, and finally rejects me and my gospel, he will be judged and condemned by my words at the day of judgment.'
49-50. `Think not, however, that ye can reject my teachings with impunity, for I have not spoken of myself alone. I am sent by God who is my Father; he commanded me to say what I have said, and my words are his words. He is God; obedience to his commandments leads to salvation; and I have spoken only what he told me to say.'
Temples are more than ornate and costly buildings, more than houses of worship, more than sacred sanctuaries where exalting ordinances are performed. They are literally houses of the Lord; through them God is revealed to the people; from them comes the voice of God to direct his people; and because of them men are saved and exalted in heavenly mansions. Temples identify the Lord's covenant people. Where there are true temples, there is the Church and kingdom of God on earth; and where temples, built and used according to the pattern of heaven, are not found, there the Lord's people are not. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 704-706.)
Twice cleansed by a wrathful Jesus (John 2:13-17; Matt. 21:12-17), this temple in Jerusalem, though desecrated by evil men, was still "my Father's house." (John 2:16.) It was still the symbol and center to which the dying religion of ancient Israel clung. As long as it remained some degree of divine favor rested upon Jewish-Israel.
But John had come "to overthrow the kingdom of the Jews, to prepare them for the coming of the Lord." (D. & C. 84:28.) And now the Lord himself ministered among them. And he it was who promised a visible seal for the words of John by announcing that their house would be left unto them desolate. (Matt. 23:38.) And when the disciples marvelled at the promised desolation of the very building which held Israel together as a nation, Jesus particularized by saying that not one stone should be left upon another, a promise literally fulfilled when the predicted abomination of desolation swept the doomed city. See Matt. 24:15-22.
The prophetic announcement of the desolation and destruction of the temple was thus more than the death knell of a building, even of a sacred building that was the "Father's house." It was in fact a prediction of gloom and doom upon a nation. It was the announcement of the final end of a dispensation, the end of a kingdom, the end of the Lord's people as a distinct nation.
With the passing of the temple the Jews, as a distinct nation, also ceased. Without the symbol of all that was sacred to them, without the holy of holies where God was found, there was no longer a rallying point for them as a nation. They were ready for and in fact were scattered among all nations. This correlation between the presence of the temple and the preservation of the people, between the destruction of the temple and the scattering of the Jewish people, is shown particularly in the modernly revealed account of the conversations which took place upon the Mount of Olives. (D. & C. 45.)
And so it is that the Jews shall remain scattered, as far as be -- coming a nation again in the full and ancient sense, until the house of the Lord is again established in the mountains of the Lord in Jerusalem. (D. & C. 133:13; Ezek. 37:21-28.)
Matt. 24:2. How aptly Jesus chooses his illustrations. To those who saw the stones, to say that not one should be left upon another, symbolized the destruction of a once stable and securely built nation. Some single stones were about 67 1/2 feet long, 7 1/2 feet high, and 9 feet broad; the pillars supporting the porches, all one stone, were some 37 1/2 feet tall. It is said that when the Romans destroyed and ploughed Jerusalem, six days battering of the walls failed to dislodge these mighty stones. The temple was, of course, finally leveled to the ground, and as the stones were rooted out and scattered elsewhere so was a once secure and great nation.
Matt. 24:3. Two questions are asked by the disciples: (1) `Tell us concerning the destruction of the temple and the scattering of the Jews'; and (2) `Tell us of the signs of thy Second Coming and of the end of the world.'
Apparently the disciples thought these two events would be closely related in time. In reply Jesus will speak of events and not of time, and the key to understanding the whole discourse is to know which statements of our Lord pertain to the day of the ancient apostles and which to those ages following their ministries.
The end of the world] See John 17:14. Not the end of the earth but the end of the world, that is of the social conditions prevailing among worldly people. "The end of the world is the end of unrighteousness or of worldliness as we know it, and this will be brought about by `the destruction of the wicked.' (Jos. Smith 1:4.) When our world ends and the millennial era begins, there will be a new heaven and a new earth. (Isa. 65:17-25; D. & C. 101:23-24.) Lust, carnality, and sensuousness of every sort will cease, for it will be the end of the world." (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 767-768.)
4-5. All Jewish-Israel was looking for the promised Messiah. Jesus' own miracles and ministry had fanned the flames of hope and expectancy until the cry on every lip was: `Who is he and when shall he come.' What is more natural, then, than to find Satan sending false Christs among the Jews; the chance to delude and damn by such a strategy had never been greater; and so historians speak of false Christs coming among the Jews of that day -- Simon Magus, Menander, Dositheus, and others.
9-10. If ever there was a dispensation of persecution, it was the apostolic era of old. Volumes tell of the hate and venom, of the scourgings and slayings, of the betrayals and court trials, of the murders and martyrdom, that began in Jerusalem and continued in the gladitorial arenas of Rome, until pure Christianity was no longer found among men.
11. False prophets] See Matt. 7:15-20. With so many apostolic and prophetic witnesses of the truth testifying among the people, what was more natural, at this time of all times, than to expect the Adversary and Destroyer to send false teachers and prophets to beguile and deceive. 12. Jesus is here speaking to and of the saints. Because of sin their love of God (which is shown by service in his Cause) will fade away; there will be apostasy from the Church.
13. Saved] Saved temporally and saved spiritually; saved when destruction shall slay and scatter all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and saved spiritually in the kingdom of heaven.
Mark 13:11. See Matt. 10:19.
Luke 21:18. Fulfillment of this promise is reserved for eternity. The disciples were to be tormented and slain in this life, but raised to peace and glorious immortality in the next. The literal nature of the promise is confirmed by Alma who expressed the same assurance in these words: "The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost." (Alma 40:23.)
19. "And seek the face of the Lord always, that in patience ye may possess your souls, and ye shall have eternal life." (D. & C. 101:38.)
Inexorably and with dreadful finality the wickedness of man is punished, and those who devise devilish deeds pay the penalty for their sins. Jerusalem had waged, against truth and light, the greatest war of all the ages. Loving darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil, a nation had crucified their God. (2 Ne. 10:2.) Their Maker and Creator, he by whose hand all things are, had been slain by sinful men who cried: "His blood be on us, and on our children." (Matt. 27:25.)
And now the ax was laid at the root of the rotted tree. Jerusalem was to pay the price. Daniel had foretold this hour when desolation, born of abomination and wickedness, would sweep the city. (Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11.) Moses had said the siege would be so severe women would eat their own children. (Deut. 28.) Jesus specified the destruction would come in the days of the disciples.
And come it did, in vengeance, without restraint. Hunger exceeded human endurance; blood flowed in the streets; destruction made desolate the temple; 1,100,000 Jews were slaughtered; Jerusalem was ploughed as a field; and a remnant of a once mighty nation was scattered to the ends of the earth. The Jewish nation died, impaled on Roman spears, at the hands of Gentile overlords.
But what of the saints who dwelt in Jerusalem in that gloomy day? They heeded Jesus' warning and fled in haste. Guided by revelation, as true saints always are, they fled to Pella in Perea and were spared.
Matt. 24:16-20. Speedy flight is enjoined. `Flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop take the outside staircase, or go over the roofs of the houses. Let him who is in the field go in his work clothes. Abandon your property. Pray that your flight will not be impeded by the cold of winter or the shut gates and travel restrictions of the Sabbath.'
I. V. Matt. 24:18. Tribulation . . . sent upon Israel, of God] God does it; the merciful Lord is also a God of justice. The penalty for sin must be paid. Similarly, it was the loving Christ who himself sent death and destruction to the Nephite cities to cleanse them before he came to minister personally to the ancient inhabitants of America. (3 Ne. 9.)
Luke 17:32. `Look not back to Sodom and the wealth and luxury you are leaving. Stay not in the burning house, in the hope of salvaging your treasures, lest the flame destroy you; but flee, flee to the mountains.'
33. `Seek temporal things and lose eternal life; sacrifice the things of this life and gain eternal life.'
Having ended his prophetic utterances about the destruction of Jerusalem and the scattering of the Jews, Jesus now begins to discuss the events connected with his Second Coming and the end of the world.
Matt. 24:23. After the destruction of Jerusalem and the scattering of the Jews, and after the establishment of the primitive Church, an era of false religions is to commence, an era of division, disunity, discord and disagreement, an era of change and apostasy, so that among those who profess to follow Christ, some will advocate one doctrine of salvation and some another. Perfect Christianity will be lost; and Jesus' warning is to beware of all false and conflicting claims made in his name.
A perfect illustration of this religious turmoil is found in the religious revival which swept the frontier areas of America in the Prophet's day. "It commenced with the Methodists," he said, "but soon became general among all the sects in that region of country. Indeed, the whole district of country seemed affected by it, and great multitudes united themselves to the different religious parties, which created no small stir and division amongst the people, some crying, `Lo, here!' and others, `Lo, there!' Some were contending for the Methodist faith, some for the Presbyterian, and some for the Baptist." (Jos. Smith 2:5.)
24. Again false Christs and false prophets shall arise. This time -- perhaps with isolated exceptions when some deluded and demented person supposes himself to have divine powers -- these false Christs will be the false religious systems of the world, and the false prophets will be the teachers and expounders of those systems. So profound and learned will be their doctrines, so great and marvelous their works -- with in some instances false miracles being done by them through the power of the devil -- that the very elect will almost be deceived.
26. `If these false religious systems with their false teachers invite you to the desert to find Christ in a life of asceticism, go not forth, he is not there; if they call you to the secret chambers of monastic seclusion to find him, believe them not, he is not there.'
27. `For when, in this age of apostasy and discord, the true religion of Christ comes again, it will be as the light of the morning, dawning gradually and increasing in brilliance until the millennial day when it shall cover the whole earth. Then shall the Son of Man come to reign personally upon the earth.'
By inserting this epigramatic parable in his discourse on the Second Coming of the Son of Man, Jesus endorses the teachings and hopes of nearly all the prophets of ancient Israel. These inspired teachers had seen with seeric vision that the Lord's elect, the chosen of Israel, would first be scattered among all nations, and, then, before the ushering in of the millennial era, be gathered again to the lands of their inheritance. (Isa. 2:1-5; 5:26-30; 11:10-16; 29; Jer. 3:12-18; 16:11-21; 23:1-8; 31:6-14; Ezek. 11:16-20; 20:33 -- 42; 37.)
In the parable, as here given, the carcass is the body of the Church to which the eagles, who are Israel, shall fly to find nourishment. "The gathering of Israel is first spiritual and second temporal. It is spiritual in that the lost sheep of Israel are first `restored to the true church and fold of God,' meaning that they come to a true knowledge of the God of Israel, accept the gospel which he has restored in latter-days, and join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is temporal in that these converts are then `gathered home to the lands of their inheritance, and... established in all their lands of promise.' (2 Ne. 9:2; 25:15-18; Jer. 16:14-21), meaning that the house of Joseph will be established in America, the house of Judah in Palestine, and that the Lost Tribes will come to Ephraim in America to receive their blessings in due course. (D. & C. 133.)" (Mormon Doctrine, p. 280.)
Knowing the ancient prophetic utterances, and also that Jesus had approved and endorsed the hope of national glory and triumph for Israel, the apostles were later to ask: "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" and were to be told in reply that such was for an era future from theirs. (Acts 1:1-12.)
Jesus is here announcing the restoration of the gospel in the last days. "This gospel of the kingdom" was to be preached "again" among men before the Second Coming of the Son of Man. After the great apostasy -- the era during which "darkness covereth the earth, and gross darkness the minds of the people" (D. &. C. 112:23) -- a gracious God was to restore the glorious gospel anew.
This latter-day restoration of the same gospel taught by Jesus and his apostles is the most important of all the signs of the times. It is the greatest of all the events destined to occur before the end of the world, and of it many prophets have borne record. Peter said Jesus "must" remain in "heaven" until the great era of restoration -- an age in which God would reveal anew "all things spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." (Acts 3:19-21.) Paul said that in this final "dispensation" God would "gather together in one all things in Christ." (Eph. 1:10.) John recorded that the restoration would come to pass through angelic ministration; that "the everlasting gospel" so restored would be preached to all the inhabitants of the earth; and that all this would transpire just before the Second Coming. (Rev. 14:6-8.)
The promised restoration began in the Spring of 1820 with the appearance of the Father and the Son to Joseph Smith. Thereafter the Book of Mormon was revealed (which contains the fulness of the everlasting gospel); the priesthood was restored; and a command was given to organize again on earth -- with apostles and prophets at the head -- the same kingdom had by the primitive saints.
By the simple expedient of comparing and contrasting the primitive Church, the various churches of sectarian Christendom, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it becomes evident to the spiritual truth seeker that the restored gospel is the same as the one had by Jesus and his associates. For instance:
The New Testament Church possessed the power and authority of God, meaning the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods -- where are these today?
Apostles and prophets headed the primitive Church; in it were found seventies, evangelists, elders and so forth -- where is this same organization now?
In the Church of Jesus and Paul, baptism was performed by immersion for the remission of sins; hands were laid on the heads of new converts and they were given the gift of the Holy Ghost; saints were baptized for their dead ancestors; elders were called in to administer to and heal the sick; the true worshipers partook of the sacrament "in remembrance" of the spilled blood and broken flesh of the Lord -- where are these ordinances performed in modern times?
And what of the doctrines accepted by the saints of old? Who believes today in a personal God in whose image man is created? In an atoning sacrifice which assures immortality for all men and offers eternal life to those who believe and obey the gospel law? In a plan of salvation that requires men to have faith, repent, accept baptism under the hands of a legal administrator, receive the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, and then endure in good works to the end? Who believes that Israel is to be gathered in a day subsequent to New Testament times? That there was to be a complete falling away from the truth after the day of the ancient apostles? Who knows about the doctrine of salvation for the dead? Of degrees of glory in the eternal worlds? Of modern revelation, and so on? Where are the doctrines of the primitive Church?
And the gifts of the Spirit, what of them? Did not Jesus himself say that miracles and signs "shall follow them that believe" (Mark 16:17), thus assuring that where his gospel was found there would be healings, visions, revelations, tongues, and wonderous works without end? Where are these signs which identify the true Church?
I. V. Matt. 24:32. The end ... the destruction of the wicked] See Matt. 24:3.
Ever and always there have been wars and desolations, famines and plagues, earthquakes and disasters, among the worldly and godless inhabitants of the earth. Seemingly these have been poured out in direct proportion to the wickedness of men. There is no record of plagues or natural disasters among Enoch and his people or among the Nephites during their golden era of righteousness. Profane history preserves a record of many wars, famines, and earthquakes in the day of the primitive saints and apostles, and Jesus here foretells the severity and intensity of these calamities in the last days.
"Many revelations summarize the signs and world conditions, the wars, perils, and commotions of the last days. Preceding our Lord's return, the prophetic word tells of plagues, pestilence, famine, and disease such as the world has never before seen; of scourges, tribulation, calamities, and disasters without parallel; of strife, wars, rumors of wars, blood, carnage, and desolation which overshadow anything of past ages; of the elements being in commotion with resultant floods, storms, fires, whirlwinds, earthquakes -- all of a proportion and intensity unknown to men of former days; of evil, iniquity, wickedness, turmoil, rapine, murder, crime, and commotion among men almost beyond comprehension. (Matt. 24; Luke 21; D. & C. 29; 43; 45; 86; 87; 88:86-98; 133; Jos. Smith 1; Mal. 3; 4.)" (Mormon Doctrine, p. 623.)
On April 6, 1843, Joseph Smith said: "The coming of the Son of Man never will be -- never can be till the judgments spoken of for this hour are poured out: which judgments are commenced." (Teachings, p. 286.)
On July 2, 1839, the Prophet said: "I will prophesy that the signs of the coming of the Son of Man are already commenced. One pestilence will desolate after another. We shall soon have war and bloodshed. The moon will be turned into blood. I testify of these things, and that the coming of the Son of Man is nigh, even at your doors. If our souls and our bodies are not looking forth for the coming of the Son of Man; and after we are dead, if we are not looking forth, we shall be among those who are calling for the rocks to fall upon them." (Teachings, p. 160.)
Since that day these judgments have increased as few could have dreamed. The iniquity, the wars, and the projected destructions of this atomic age either do or will surpass that of any past age, climaxing in the destruction of all the wicked when the Son of Man himself returns.
Matt. 24:8. How sobering it is to realize that the wars and desolations which precede our Lord's return are but "the beginning of sorrows." World wars, with their attendant evils; communistic conspiracy, reminiscent of Gadianton and his band; earthquakes and pestilences which desolate whole regions -- all these are but "the beginning." The sorrows incident to Jesus' actual return in "the day of vengeance" (D. & C. 133:51) shall surpass them all.
I. V. Matt. 24:29. I speak unto you for mine elect's sake] Only the saints, the elect of God, those who warn in light and truth, can read the signs of the times; it is to them, not the world, that Jesus speaks when telling the events which shall precede his return. Worldly people will suppose that the wars and desolations of the last days are simply the normal and continuing course of history. They will fail to see in them the promised but destructive prelude to that millennial peace which will be possible only through the personal reign of the Prince of Peace.
Luke 21:24b. Times of the Gentiles] This present era, which is named, the times of the Gentiles, shall come to an end before our Lord returns in power and glory. Then, with his return, the times of the Jews shall begin; that is the era will commence in which the Jews shall accept the gospel and be blessed spiritually in an abundant way.
Within the meaning of these terms, all men are either Jews or Gentiles. The Jews are that portion of the house of Israel who inhabited Jerusalem and who were the remnant of the kingdom of Judah. (2 Ne. 30:4; 33:8.) All others were Gentiles, including the portion of Israel scattered among the Gentiles proper. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 359-360, 651.)
"Taking the dispensation of the meridian of time as a starting point, the gospel was preached first to the Jews and thereafter to the Gentiles. Then dropping down to the dispensation of the fulness of times we find the gospel message going first to the Gentiles, with a promise that it will hereafter go to the Jews. Thus the first shall be last and the last first. (1 Ne. 13:42.) ...
"Obviously the fulfilling of the times of the Gentiles will not come at a specified moment; it will involve a period of time. We are living in that transition period. Our Lord told his disciples, speaking of the signs of his Second Coming, that `Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.' (Luke 21:24; D. & C. 45:24-30; Inspired Version, Luke 21:24-32.) In December, 1917, General Allenby of Great Britain captured Jerusalem almost without opposition, and for the first time in 1900 years that city came out from under infidel or Gentile domination and was made available for the return of the Jews." (Mormon Doctrine, p. 651.)
Luke 21:25-28; I. V. Luke 21:25. Visible signs in the heavens, and physical upheavals and transformations on earth, shall precede the return of the Son of Man -- all to occur "in the generation in which the times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled."
Luke 21:25. Distress of nations, with perplexity] Could more apt language be chosen to describe the world today -- a world of war and wickedness, of conspiracy and confusion? Truly the dealings of nations with each other stand as a sobering sign of the soon-to-be Second Coming.
D. & C. 45:22-35. Section 45 of the Doctrine and Covenants contains a revealed account of many things said by Jesus to his disciples as they sat together on the Mount of Olives nearly two thousand years ago.
22. The heavens and the earth shall pass away] This planet and the atmospheric heavens which surround it shall cease to exist in their present state. "The earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory." (Tenth Article of Faith.) The Lord will "create new heavens and a new earth." (Isa. 65:17.) The very "element shall melt with fervent heat; and all things shall become new." (D. & C. 101:25.) Such is the millennial destiny of this globe, a status which will commence when Jesus the King comes again to dwell among men.
24-25. Paul wrote "that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in." (Rom. 11:25.) In this era of restoration, however, scattered Israel is beginning to gather to the gospel standard and receive spiritual sight again. In one of the great latter-day hymns -- "The Morning Breaks; the Shadows Flee," by Elder Parley P. Pratt -- we sing of this glorious restoration as it affects the scattered remnant of Judah in these words:
"The morning breaks; the shadows flee; Lo, Zion's standard is unfurled! The dawning of a brighter day, Majestic rises on the world. ...
"The Gentile fulness now comes in, And Israel's blessings are at hand. Lo, Judah's remnant, cleansed from sin, Shall in their promised Canaan stand."
A remnant . . . shall remain until] Only in isolated instances were the Jews to believe in their Messiah during the times of the Gentiles. As that era draws to a close, however, the promise is that they shall "begin to believe in Christ" (2 Ne. 30:7), with their mass conversion to come after he returns.
26-27, 31-33. See Matt. 24:6-8.
28-30. The latter-day restoration of the gospel was destined to take place during the era of time named, "the times of the Gentiles"; the Gentiles, in general, would then reject the gospel light; and in "that generation," that is, in the age both of restoration and of rejection, the Gentile era itself would come to an end, or in other words, "the times of the Gentiles" would "be fulfilled."
I. V. Matt. 24:33. Again shall the abomination of desolation be fulfilled] See Matt. 24:15-22. All the desolation and waste which attended the former destruction of Jerusalem is but prelude to the coming siege. Titus and his legions slaughtered 1,100,000 Jews, destroyed the temple, and ploughed the city. In the coming reenactment of this "abomination of desolation," the whole world will be at war, Jerusalem will be the center of the conflict, every modern weapon will be used, and in the midst of the siege the Son of Man shall come, setting his foot upon the mount of Olives and fighting the battle of his saints. (Zech. 12:1-9.)
Speaking of these final battles which shall accompany his return, the Lord says: "I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city." However, the final end of the conflict shall be different this time than it was anciently. "Then shall the Lord go forth," the prophetic record says, "and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, . .. and the Lord shall be king over all the earth." (Zech. 14.)
Matt. 24:29. The signs here named, as the Inspired Version account shows, are to be shown forth after the abomination of desolation has swept Jerusalem for the second time. See D. & C. 45:39-42, "Signs and Wonders Precede Second Coming," page 677.
I. V. Luke 21:32. All the signs promised in connection with our Lord's glorious return shall come to pass before or during the generation when the times of the Gentiles is fulfilled.
Matt. 24:30. The sign of the Son of man] In discoursing on the Second Coming of Christ at the April Conference of the Church in 1843, Joseph Smith said: "There will be wars and rumors of wars, signs in the heavens above and on the earth beneath, the sun turned into darkness and the moon to blood, earthquakes in divers places, the seas heaving beyond their bounds; then will appear one grand sign of the Son of Man in heaven. But what will the world do? They will say it is a planet, a comet, etc. But the Son of Man will come as the sign of the coming of the Son of Man, which will be as the light of the morning cometh out of the east." (Teachings, pp. 286-287.)
They shall see the Son of man] Jesus came once, almost in secret; only a few mortals knew of his birth. At his Second Advent the whole of mankind shall know of his return. This time he will come, not as "a man travelling on the earth" (D. & C. 49:22), but in all the glory of his Father's kingdom. "Prepare for the revelation which is to come," he says, "when . . . all flesh shall see me together." (D. & C. 101:23.)
With power and great glory] No opposing force can stay the hand of the returning Lord. Having received "all power . . . in heaven and in earth" (Matt. 28:18), he will come in celestial splendor to take vengeance on the ungodly and bestow comfort on his saints. (D. & C. 133:50-52.) How aptly the poetic words of Elder Parley P. Pratt contrast the meridian and millennial ministries of Jesus:
"Jesus, once of humble birth, Now in glory comes to earth. Once he suffered grief and pain; Now he comes on earth to reign.
"Once a meek and lowly Lamb, Now the Lord, the great I Am; Once upon the cross he bowed, Now his chariot is the cloud.
"Once he groaned in blood and tears; Now in glory he appears; Once rejected by his own, Now their King he shall be known.
"Once forsaken, left alone, Now exalted to a throne; Once all things he meekly bore, But he now will bear no more."
I. V. Matt. 24:39. Not read, not study, not search, but treasure up the Lord's word. Possess it, own it, make it yours by both believing it and living it. For instance: the voice of the Lord says that if men have faith, repent, and are baptized, they shall receive the Holy Ghost. It is not sufficient merely to know what the scripture says. One must treasure it up, meaning take it into his possession so affirmatively that it becomes a part of his very being; as a consequence, in the illustration given, one actually receives the companionship of the Spirit. Obviously such persons will not be deceived where the signs of the times and the Second Coming of the Messiah are concerned.
40 Gather . . . remainder of his elect] Today the gathering is directed by fallible mortals; some who should come into the kingdom and assemble with the saints are overlooked. Hence, when he comes whose judgment and insight is perfect, he shall send his angels to assemble the remainder of his elect. No worthy person will ever fail to gain the deserved blessing, when the final accounting is made.
In giving the Parable of the Fig Tree, Jesus both reveals and keeps hidden the time of his coming. The parable is perfect for his purposes. It announces that he will most assuredly return in the "season" when the promised signs are shown. But it refrains from specifying the day or the hour when the figs will be harvested, thus leaving men in a state of expectant hope, ever keeping themselves ready for the coming harvest.
I. V. Matt. 24:42. Mine elect . . . shall know] Not the world, not people in general, not scriptural exegetes who hold church services on the radio to "reveal" the signs of the times to their followers, not anyone except the saints who have the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Luke 21:31. The kingdom of God] The millennial kingdom.
D. & C. 45:36. When the light shall begin to break forth] This parable pertains to the latter-days. The restoration of the gospel, with the light that thereby breaks forth in darkness, is the beginning of the shooting forth of the leaves of the fig tree.
Matt. 24:36. Question: Does or will anyone know when the Lord will come? Answer: As to the day and hour, No; as to the generation, Yes.
Question: Who shall know the generation? Answer: The saints, the children of light, those who can read the signs of the times, those who treasure up the Lord's word so they will not be deceived.
Paul told the Thessalonians that "the coming of the Lord" would be "as travail upon a woman with child"; that where people of the world are concerned Jesus would come "as a thief in the night," that is unexpectedly and without warning; but that where "the children of light" are concerned, the Lord would not come as "a thief in the night," for they are aware of the "times and seasons" connected with his return. (1 Thess. 4:13-18; 5:1-7.) Thus, though the saints do not know the day, they are aware of the season. As a woman in travail feels the pains of the approaching birth, so the saints read the signs of the times; neither knows the exact moment of the anticipated happening, but both know the approximate time.
"`I was once praying very earnestly to know the time of the coming of the Son of Man,' the Prophet Joseph Smith recorded on April 2, 1843, `when I heard a voice repeat the following: Joseph, my son, if thou livest until thou art eighty-five years old, thou shalt see the face of the Son of Man; therefore let this suffice, and trouble me no more on this matter.
"`I was left thus, without being able to decide whether this coming referred to the beginning of the millennium or to some previous appearing, or whether I should die and thus see his face. I believe the coming of the Son of Man will not be any sooner than that time.' (D. & C. 130:14-17.)
"Four days later, April 6, 1843, at the General Conference of the Church, while the Spirit rested upon him, the Prophet said: `Were I going to prophesy, I would say the end would not come in 1844, 5, or 6, or in forty years. There are those of the rising generation who shall not taste death till Christ comes.
"The rising generation is the one that has just begun. Thus, technically, children born on April 6, 1843, would be the first members of the rising generation, and all children born, however many years later, to the same parents would still be members of that same rising generation. It is not unreasonable to suppose that many young men had babies at the time of this prophecy and also had other children as much as 50 or 75 years later, assuming for instance that they were married again to younger women. This very probable assumption would bring the date up to, say, the 2nd decade in the 20th century -- and the children so born would be members of that same rising generation of which the Prophet spoke. Now if these children lived to the normal age of men generally, they would be alive well past the year 2000 A. D.
"This reasoning takes on added significance when considered in connection with the revelation which states categorically that Christ will come `in the beginning of the seventh thousand years' of the earth's temporal continuance. (D. & C. 77:6, 12.) We, of course, do not know exactly how many years elapsed between Adam and the birth of Christ, but suppose it to have been 4004; nor can we be certain, from historical sources, how many years have passed since. But reading these inspired statements in connection with the signs of the times which we can interpret, it is plain that the day of the coming of the Son of Man is not far distant." (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 623-624.)
Mark 13:32. Neither the Son] These words are deleted from the Inspired Version; Jesus, of course, since he knows all things, knows the exact time of his return.
Matt. 24:37-39; Luke 17:26-28. The coming of the flood of Noah, and with it the "end of the world" for the carnal civilization of that day, is a perfect type of the coming of the Lord, and the end of the world for the wicked of the latter-days. In both days all the normal activities of life continue until Deity intervenes to stay the mounting mass of iniquity.
Luke 17:28-30. By using "the days of Lot" to typify his return, Jesus teaches the dreadful and destructive nature of that awful hour. It will be with the wicked as with those in Sodom. See Matt. 24:40-41.
Malachi, speaking of the Second Coming, posed these questions to Israel: "Who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth?" (Mal. 3:2.) In saying that two persons shall be together and one shall be taken and the other left, Jesus is inviting solemn attention to the same awesome truth. When the Lord returns some will be taken and others left, some will abide the day and others will not.
The key to this seeming mystery is the revealed truth relative to the creation, fall, the coming renewal, and the eventual celestializing of the earth. From the inspired accounts we learn that this earth, when first created temporally, was in a paradisiacal, edenic, or terrestrial state. Then came the fall of man, of the earth, and of all life thereon, to their present telestial state. When the millennium comes the earth will be renewed and receive again its paradisiacal glory. It's final destiny is, of course, to become a celestial globe where gods and angels dwell.
According to the divine program, as long as the earth remains in its telestial or fallen state, men who are living a telestial law -- the law of wickedness and carnality -- can dwell on its surface. When the earth becomes a terrestrial or millennial globe, then none can remain on its surface unless they conform to at least a terrestrial law. And finally, as a celestial sphere, all its inhabitants must and shall abide a celestial law. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 194-195.)
Thus those who shall abide the day, who shall remain on the earth when it is transfigured (D. & C. 63:20-21), are those who are honest and upright and who are living at least that law which would take them to a terrestrial kingdom of glory in the resurrection. Anyone living by telestial standards can no longer remain on earth and so cannot abide the day.
Hence we find Malachi listing among those who shall not abide the day the following: sorcerers; adulterers; false swearers; those who oppress the hireling, the widow, and the fatherless in their wages; those who lead men away from the truth; those who do not fear God; members of the true Church who do not pay an honest tithing; they that work wickedness; and the proud. All these, he says, shall be as stubble when the day comes that shall burn as an oven. (Mal. 3; 4; D. & C. 64:23-25.)
Paul preached similarly by saying: "When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire," then he will take "vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." (2 Thess. 1:7-9.)
And in modern times the Lord said: "And every corruptible thing, both of man, or of the beasts of the field, or of the fowls of the heavens, or of the fish of the sea, that dwells upon all the face of the earth, shall be consumed; And also that of element shall melt with fervent heat; and all things shall become new, that my knowledge and glory may dwell upon all the earth." (D. & C. 101:24-25.)
Also: "The day soon cometh that ye shall see me, and know that I am; for the veil of darkness shall soon be rent, and he that is not purified shall not abide the day." (D. & C. 38:8.)
I. V. Luke 21:36-40. In the day when every corruptible thing shall be consumed, so "there shall be no unclean thing" remaining, then the remainder of the elect shall be gathered with the saints. In this sense, the one who is taken, of the two laboring side by side, is the righteous one, the one to be gathered with the saints. He is taken to the body of the Church. But in the broader sense, he is the one who shall remain on earth, for he shall abide the day; and the wicked shall be taken, in the eternal sense, for he is not able to abide the day.
One of the great incentives which encourages and entices men to live lives of personal righteousness, is the doctrine of the Second Coming of the Messiah. Many revelations speak of the signs which shall precede our Lord's return; others tell of the tragic yet glorious events which shall attend and accompany his return to earth; and still others recite the good and ill which shall befall the living and the dead at that time. All this is preserved in holy writ so that men will be led to prepare themselves for the day of the Lord, the day when he shall take vengeance upon the ungodly and pour forth blessings upon those who love his appearing. (D. & C. 133:50-52; 2 Thess. 1:7-10.)
Deliberately and advisedly the actual time of his coming has been left uncertain and unspecified, so that men of each succeeding age shall be led to prepare for it as though it would be in their mortal lives. And for those who pass on before the promised day, none of their preparation will be wasted, for both the living and the dead, speaking in the eternal sense, must prepare to abide the day.
Matt. 24:42-44. See Matt. 24:36-39.
Matt. 24:45-51. Jesus speaks here of his ministers, his servants, the holders of his holy priesthood. They are the ones whom he has made rulers in the household of God to teach and perfect his saints. Theirs is the responsibility to be so engaged when the Master returns. If they are so serving when the Lord comes, he will give them exaltation. But if the rulers in the Lord's house think the Second Coming is far distant, if they forget their charge, contend with their fellow ministers, and begin to live after the manner of the world, then the vengeance of their rejected Lord shall, in justice, fall upon them when he comes again.
I. V. Matt. 24:56. See Matt. 24:40-41.
Mark 13:33. Watch and pray] Luke 21:36. Pray always] Be awake and alert in the cause of righteousness, awaiting the day with prayerful anticipation. Be on guard against evil, praying for power to abide the day and for the privilege to greet the Lord at his coming.
Mark 13:36. Sleeping] Inactive in the Church; not attending to one's duties; sluggish spiritually.
Luke 21:34. Surfeiting] Intemperate indulgence in food and drink, symbolical of setting one's heart and interests on carnal rather than spiritual things. Cares of this life] Temporal pursuits, business dealings, civil and political positions, educational attain ments -- anything that detracts from putting first in one's life the things of God's kingdom.
Luke 12:35-36. "A little parable peculiar to Luke, warning the apostles to be ready for Christ's Second Coming, which will be sudden. The apostles are compared to slaves left to watch the house (the Church) while the master (Christ) goes to a wedding feast (i.e. ascends into heaven). Their loins are girded because they have housework to do (preaching the gospel and ruling the Church), and they have lighted lamps, because their task is to enlighten a dark and sinful world by their shining example. Christ's return from the marriage feast is his Second Advent, or it may mean his judgment of each individual soul at death. The `marriage feast' here is not the final joy of the blessed, as in the parable of the Ten Virgins, but Christ's session at the right hand of God between the Ascension and Second Advent."
37-38. "These verses continue the parable. Those whom Christ shall find watching at his Second Coming, he will invite to share in the final feast (the joy of heaven); when he himself will serve them, supplying them with all blessedness, and wiping away all tears from their eyes." (Dummelow, pp. 754-755.)
I. V. Luke 12:41-45. Inserted in the Inspired Version by revelation, these sayings of Jesus give a new and added concept to the teaching that men should watch, pray, and be ready for the Second Coming; they outline a concept which is not elsewhere set forth with the clarity and plainness here recorded. Interestingly, Dummelow came close to the very truth Jesus is here teaching when he speculated, as above quoted, that "Christ's return from the marriage feast . . . may mean his judgment of each individual soul at death."
All of the Lord's ministers, all of the members of his Church, and for that matter all men everywhere (`What I say unto one, I say unto all'), are counseled to await with righteous readiness the coming of the Lord. However, most men will die before he comes, and only those then living will rejoice or tremble, as the case may be, at his personal presence. But all who did prepare will be rewarded as though they had lived when he came, while the wicked will be "cut asunder" and appointed their "portion with the hypocrites" as surely as though they lived in the very day of dread and vengeance.
Thus, in effect, the Lord comes in every watch of the night, on every occasion when men are called to face death and judgment. The phrase, "He hath already come, as it is written of him," pointedly inserted in verse 42, is a witness that even then he ministered among mortal men and that they were judged by their acceptance or rejection of him.
48-49. Strictly speaking the parable itself is given to those in positions of leadership in the Church.
54. How true it is that the disobedient servants are the ones who criticize the Church and find fault with the Lord's program!
56-57. Men are judged according to the light and knowledge they have, according to the opportunities they have to hear, believe, and obey the gospel law. "For of him unto whom much is given much is required; and he who sins against the greater light shall receive the greater condemnation." (D. & C. 82:3.)
These statements found in latter-day revelation continue Jesus' great discourse delivered on the mount of Olives.
39. The Second Coming is not a doctrine to be treated lightly, nor an eventuality to be viewed without concern. Deity well knows that his earthly children need both promised rewards to encourage the works of righteousness and promised penalties to create a dread of doing evil. What doctrine better dramatizes the rewards and penalties awaiting the righteous and the wicked than the doctrine of the Second Coming of the Son of Man? In effect the Lord's saints can be identified by the fact that they are looking forward with understanding "for the great day of the Lord to come."
40-41. To understand the nature of the signs and wonders here promised, it is helpful to try and put one's self in the position of the ancient apostles to whom the words were originally spoken. They lived under what we would consider to be comparatively primitive conditions. Travel was at donkey-speed; wars were fought with swords and spears; and the speediest communication was pigeon-slow.
From their standpoint surely railroads and airplanes, radio and television, and satelites orbiting the earth, were signs and wonders on earth and in heaven. Vapors of smoke remind one of atomic explosions; blood and fire mean war and desolation, all on a scale beyond the imagination of people two thousand years ago. Seemingly, also, the earth itself, and both the atmospheric and sidereal heavens which surround it, are now giving forth more unusual displays of wonderous things than was the case anciently.
42. From the Inspired Version we learn that the signs promised in Matt. 24:29 are to occur after the abomination of desolation sweeps Jerusalem for the second time. They will thus come almost at the very hour of the Second Coming. From other scriptural accounts of these same signs we learn that "the earth shall tremble and reel to and fro as a drunken man" (D. & C. 88:87), and "shall remove out of her place" (Isa. 13:10-13); that "the islands shall become one land" (D. & C. 133:23); and that "the stars shall be hurled from their places." (D. & C. 133:49.) Thus it would seem, when the Lord makes his appearance and the earth is restored to its paradisiacal state, that there will be great physical changes. When the continents become one land and the earth reels to and fro, with all that then occurs, it will surely appear unto men as though the very stars of heaven were being hurled from their places, and so they will be as far as their relationship to the earth is concerned. That there may be other heavenly bodies, having the appearance of stars, that shall fall on the earth may also well be. Truly the scriptures testify of many signs and wonders in the heavens above. (D. & C. 29:14; Joel 2:31; Rev. 6:12-17.)
A remnant of the Jews, the people who were dwelling in Jerusalem when it was destroyed in the original apostolic era, shall be converted to Christ and his gospel and shall be gathered back to Jerusalem before the Lord returns.
This gathering is far more than the physical assembling of people of Jewish ancestry to Jerusalem, as has been going on since Palestine was opened up by General Allenby of Great Britain in 1917. The remnant spoken of must "lock for me." That is, they will have accepted the truth and be numbered among the children of light who are in the Church.
Joseph Smith said: "Judah must return, Jerusalem must be rebuilt, and the temple . . . It will take some time to rebuild the walls of the city and the temple, etc.; and all this must be done before the Son of Man will make his appearance." (Teachings, p. 286.)
Temple building falls in the unique and exclusive province of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are the ones who shall fulfill Ezekiel's prophecy that gathered Judah, having accepted the "everlasting covenant," which is the gospel, will then have the Lord's sanctuary in their midst. (Ezek. 37:24-28.) And it is the Latter-day Saints who, in the Lord's name, make this proclamation: "Let them who be of Judah flee unto Jerusalem, unto the mountains of the Lord's house" (D. & C. 133:13), that is, unto the mountains where the temple of God shall be built, in Jerusalem for Judah, before the Second Coming of their Savior.
When the Lord comes the righteous dead shall come forth from their graves in celestial splendor and be caught up to meet him; and the righteous living, also, shall be caught up to meet him, and shall return to live and reign with him a thousand years. (1 Thess. 4:13-17.)
"The face of the Lord shall be unveiled; And the saints that are upon the earth, who are alive, shall be quickened and be caught up to meet him. And they who have slept in their graves shall come forth, for their graves shall be opened; and they also shall be caught up to meet him in the midst of the pillar of heaven -- They are Christ's, the first fruits, they who shall descend with him first, and they who are on the earth and in their graves, who are first caught up to meet him." (D. & C. 88:95-98; 29:13; 133:56.)
47. Jesus will return at the very moment when all nations are engaged in a war centered at Jerusalem. (Zech. 12:2-3; 14:1-2.) "And it shall come to pass in that day," the Lords says, "that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem." (Zech. 12:9.) And again: "Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle." (Zech. 14:3.)
48. "And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. . . . And the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee." (Zech. 14:4-5.)
49. Lo! What calamity hath befallen when all men mourn!
50. The scorner shall be consumed] See Matt. 24:40-41. Not a pleasant prospect for those who deride the saints and mock the truth.
They that have watched for iniquity] Wicked people. On the one hand there are those who watch for the coming of the Lord and as a consequence do the works of righteousness so as to be ready to participate in his righteousness. On the other hand, those who watch for iniquity are looking forward to wickedness; they are planning to participate in those evil deeds which will lead them to destruction.
51-52. This conversation, foretold by Zechariah, is to take place when Jesus returns. "And one shall say unto him," Zechariah prophesied, "What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends." (Zech. 13:6.)
Although a remnant shall believe in Christ and shall have assembled in Jerusalem before the Second Coming, the Jews in general -- including even those who can abide the day and who remain to face their returning Messiah -- will not accept him as their King and Lawgiver until after his return.
53. Speaking of the day when the Jews as a nation would be converted, the Lord said through Zechariah: "I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn, every family apart." (Zech. 12:10-14.) This mourning, of the Jews as a nation, will be because their fathers rejected and crucified their King, thus sealing their own spiritual doom.
54. And then] After Jesus' return. Heathen nations] Non-Christians, Mohammedans, Buddhists, and the like; those considered by Christians as heathens because they do not profess to believe in the Messiah. Be redeemed] Be rescued from the fallen and benighted state of darkness in which they worship false gods; be brought to a knowledge that Jesus is the Christ.
Part in the first resurrection] Those who are "Christ's, the first fruits" shall come forth from their graves and be caught up to meet him. Theirs is a celestial inheritance; they come forth in the morning of the first resurrection. "Then cometh the redemption of those who are Christ's at his coming; who have received their part in that prison which is prepared for them, that they might receive the gospel, and be judged according to men in the flesh." (D. & C. 88:96-99.) Theirs is a terrestrial inheritance; they come forth, as it were, in the afternoon of the first resurrection. Tolerable for them] Their inheritance is neither celestial nor telestial; they do not inherit eternal life, nor are they thrust down to hell to suffer the vengeance of eternal fire until the day of the second resurrection. (D. & C. 76:105-106.) Rather, they are moderately rewarded in a terrestrial world where their status will be tolerable as contrasted with those in a state of torment.
55. "And because of the righteousness of his people, Satan has no power; wherefore, he cannot be loosed for the space of many years; for he hath no power over the hearts of the people, for they dwell in righteousness, and the Holy One of Israel reigneth." (1 Ne. 22:26.)
Jewish wedding customs of Jesus' day called for the bridegroom and his friends, in processional array, to call for the bride and to take her to the wedding feast at the home of the bridegroom. As the procession returned, friends of the bride, in groups, would join the party and go in to the wedding feast. As weddings were celebrated at night, those awaiting the return of the bridegroom and his festal party would carry lamps.
In the Parable of the Ten Virgins, Jesus himself is the Bridegroom; the marriage feast is to be celebrated when he returns to take the Church as his bride (Rev. 21:2, 9; 22:17); the ten virgins represent those church members who are looking for the Bridegroom to come; and the oil-filled lamps are symbolic of the Holy Spirit which lights the way before the saints.
Taking a slightly different view, as is often appropriate in interpreting parables, "The virgins typify those who profess a belief in Christ, and who, therefore, confidently expect to be included among the blessed participants at the feast. The lighted lamp, which each of the maidens carried, is the outward profession of Christian belief and practice; and in the oil reserves of the wiser ones we may see the spiritual strength and abundance which diligence and devotion in God's service alone can insure." (Talmage, pp. 578-579.)
I. V. Matt. 25:1. This precious parable pertains to the last days; it is now beginning to be fulfilled and will be finally consummated when the Bridegroom comes. Already the invitations have been issued to the marriage feast (meaning, the gospel is being preached), and the cry is going forth inviting men to come and meet the Bridegroom.
Early in this dispensation the Lord said to Joseph Smith: "Yea, let the cry go forth among all people: Awake and arise and go forth to meet the Bridegroom; behold and lo, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord." (D. & C. 133:10.) "And at that day, when I shall come in my glory," the Lord said in another revelation, "shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins." (D. & C. 45:56.)
Matt. 25:1. Kingdom of heaven] The Church and kingdom of God on earth. Ten virgins] Not all church members but rather those who are pure and clean, those who are active and faithful, those who are looking for the coming of the Bridegroom.
2. Wise . . . foolish] Not good and bad, not righteous and wicked, but wise and foolish. That is, all of them have accepted the invitation to meet the Bridegroom; all are members of the Church; the contrast is not between the wicked and the worthy. Instead, five are zealous and devoted, while five are inactive and lukewarm; ten have the testimony of Jesus, but only five are valiant therein. Hence, five shall enter into the house where Jesus is and five shall remain without -- all of which raises the question: What portion of the Church shall be saved? Surely this parable is not intended to divide half the saints into one group and half into another. But it does teach, pointedly and plainly, that there are foolish saints who shall fail to gain the promised rewards.
5. The bridegroom tarried] He delayed his coming; it was more distant than the early saints supposed; from evening to midnight there was no direct word from the bridal party.
6. At midnight, the most unlikely of all hours for a joyous celebration to begin, the cry goes forth to a sleeping world: `Awake and arise; he cometh!'
10. They that were ready] "For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived -- verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day. And the earth shall be given unto them for an inheritance; and they shall multiply and wax strong, and their children shall grow up without sin unto salvation. For the Lord shall be in their midst, and his glory shall be upon them, and he will be their king and their lawgiver." (D. & C. 45:57-59.)
Here in the Parable of the Talents we find the Lord Jesus counseling his apostles, his ministers, those called into his divine service, to use every talent, ability, strength, energy, and capacity in the Master's service. "O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength." (D. & C. 4:2.) In the similar, though distinct, Parable of the Pounds (Luke 19:11-28), Jesus taught the multitudes that men will be judged according to their works and rewarded with much or little in eternity. Here, however, the emphasis is on using the diverse and varying endowments which all men have, with the assurance that all who work and minister according to their own abilities and capacities will be rewarded eternally. Even those with lesser talents, if they use them to the full, are to become rulers in the Master's house.
Matt. 25:14. A man traveling into a far country] Jesus himself who is soon to ascend to his Father, there to dwell "until the times of restitution of all things." (Acts 3:21.) His own servants] The apostles in particular and all his ministers in general. Delivered unto them his goods] Gave them a stewardship over the affairs of his earthly kingdom.
15. To every man according to his several ability] Men are not born equal. Each person in this life is endowed with those talents and capacities which his pre-earth life entitle him to receive. Some by obedience to law acquired one talent and some another in pre-existence, and all bring with them into mortality the talents and capacities acquired there. (Abra. 3:22-23.)
21-23. Glories promised the faithful saints hereafter are described in terms of kingdoms and thrones, of principalities and powers, of being rulers in God's house, of ascending the throne of eternal power -- all such heights being beyond even the comprehension of finite men. In this mortal sphere those called to the Lord's ministry labor in limited spheres only -- as quorum presidents, as bishops, as apostles (for it was they to whom this parable was more particularly directed), or in other capacities. How gratifying it is to learn, therefore, the eternal principle that those servants who are faithful over a few things shall be made rulers over many in the realms to be. (D. & C. 52:13; 117:10; 124:113.)
24. "The unfaithful servant prefaced his report with a grumbling excuse, which involved the imputation of unrighteousness in the Master. The honest, diligent, faithful servants saw and reverenced in their Lord the perfection of the good qualities which they possessed in measured degree; the lazy and unprofitable serf, afflicted by distorted vision, professed to see in the Master his own base defects. The story in this particular, as in the other features relating to human acts and tendencies, is psychologically true; in a peculiar sense men are prone to conceive of the attributes of God as comprising in augmented degree the dominant traits of their own nature." (Talmage, p. 582.)
26. `Since you claim to believe that I am an hard man who reaps where I have not sowed, and who gathers where I have not scattered, it is all the more reason why you should have used your one talent wisely.'
27. Every man must use such talents as he may have or they will be lost. If a man cannot compose music, perhaps he can sing in the choir; if he cannot write books, at least he can read them; if he cannot paint pictures, he can learn to appreciate the artistry of others; if he cannot achieve preeminence in one specific field, so be it, he still can succeed in his own field; for each man has some talent, and he will be judged on the basis of how he uses what he has.
29. It is an eternal law of life that men either progress or retrogress; they either increase their talents and abilities, or those they have wither and die. No one stands still; there is no such thing as pure neutrality.
30. Outer darkness] Hell.
Jesus here speaks of sitting in judgment on the saints, on those who have known his law and who are under covenant to divide their substance with the poor, to visit the sick and afflicted, and "to bear one another's burdens, that they may light." He is telling how the members of his earthly kingdom will be treated when he comes again, for they are the ones who have promised in the waters of baptism "to mourn with those that mourn," and to "comfort those that stand in need of comfort." (Mosiah 18:8-9.)
All men, Christian and pagan alike, by instinct, are expected to be charitable, benevolent, and cooperative toward their fellowmen; and all will be judged according to their works. But the saints, with the light of the gospel to guide them, have an added and especial obligation to manifest Christian virtues. "Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith," is the revealed counsel to members of the Lord's Church. (D. & C. 121:45.)
That the words here spoken by Jesus are directed to the Church and not to all men is implicit in the whole conversation. Those in the account, who are being judged by the King, are people who believed in Christ, who professed to know him and his laws, and who therefore were expected to recognize him whether he appeared in person or manifest himself through his lowly and suffering mortal brethren. The reward of eternal life, meted out to the charitable ones, is a reward which comes only to those who are first baptized and who thereafter do the works of righteousness. (2 Ne. 31:17-21.) The latter-day revelations which deal with the same subject all speak in terms of members of the Church and not of the world in general. In this connection it is also interesting to note that the Inspired Version account says "the twelve apostles" will be with Jesus in rendering judgment at the day indicated. In latter-day revelation the Lord tells us that when the Twelve sit in judgment with him at the last day they will "judge the whole house of Israel, even as many as have loved me and kept my commandments, and none else." (D. & C. 29:12.) There can, thus, be no question as to who is being judged in this dramatic account; it is the saints, the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Many revelations direct members of the Lord's earthly kingdom to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, house the homeless, care for the destitute, visit the sick, heal the wounded, and do good to all men. To the Nephite saints Jacob gave this counsel: "Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you. But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God. And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted." (Jacob 2:17-19.)
King Benjamin expressed similar views in these words: "And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; ... And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish. Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just -- But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God. For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?... And now, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you -- that is, for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God -- I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants." (Mosiah 4:14-19, 26.)
Through Joseph Smith the Lord gave this direction: "Behold, thus saith the Lord unto my people... Wo unto you rich men, that will not give your substance to the poor, for your riches will canker your souls; and this shall be your lamentation in the day of visitation, and of judgment, and of indignation: The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and my soul is not saved!" (D. & C. 56:14, 16.)
Also: "It is wisdom in me; therefore, a commandment I give unto you, that ye shall organize yourselves and appoint every man his stewardship; That every man may give an account unto me of the stewardship which is appointed unto him. For it is expedient that I, the Lord, should make every man accountable, as a steward over earthly blessings, which I have made and prepared for my creatures. I, the Lord, stretched out the heavens, and built the earth, my very handiwork; and all things therein are mine. And it is my purpose to provide for my saints, for all things are mine. But it must needs be done in mine own way; and behold this is the way that I, the Lord, have decreed to provide for my saints, that the poor shall be exalted, in that the rich are made low. For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea, I prepared all things, and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto themselves. Therefore, if any man shall take of the abundance which I have made, and impart not his portion, according to the law of my gospel, unto the poor and the needy, he shall, with the wicked, lift up his eyes in hell, being in torment." (D. & C. 104:11-18.)
Paul, also directing his words to the saints, gave this direction: "If any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." (1 Tim. 5:8.)
Compliance with the counsel contained in these revelations is so important that it is made a test of true discipleship. "And remember in all things the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted," the Lord says, "for he that doeth not these things, the same is not my disciple." (D. & C. 52:40.) In this dispensation these commands to care for the temporal and physical well-being of our fellowmen are discharged in large measure through the Welfare Plan. Thus the Welfare Plan becomes and is one of the great evidences of the divinity of the Lord's latter-day work, for how can a church be the Lord's kingdom unless it makes provision to do the charitable works required of the Lord's people?
Probably no one in this dispensation has more perfectly manifest in his life the charitable works of pure Christianity than did the Prophet Joseph Smith. In Carthage Jail, awaiting a martyr's death, and as though it were to be a benediction on his life, the Prophet requested an associate to sing the hymn, "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief," which memorializes in song the message Jesus gave to his Jewish brethren in their despensation. These are the words:
"A poor wayfaring Man of grief Hath often crossed me on my way, Who sued so humbly for relief That I could never answer, Nay. I had not power to ask his name, Whereto he went, or whence he came; Yet there was something in his eye That won my love; I knew not why.
"Once, when my scanty meal was spread, He entered, not a word he spake; Just perishing for want of bread, I gave him all; he blessed it, brake, And ate, but gave me part again; Mine was an angel's portion then, For while I fed with eager haste, The crust was manna to my taste.
"I spied him where a fountain burst Clear from the rock; his strength was gone; The heedless water mocked his thirst; He heard it, saw it, hurrying on. I ran and raised the sufferer up; Thrice from the stream he drained my cup, Dipped and returned it running o'er; I drank and never thirsted more.
"`Twas night; the floods were out; It blew a winter hurricane aloof; I heard his voice abroad and flew To bid him welcome to my roof. I warmed and clothed and cheered my guest And laid him on my couch to rest, Then made the earth my bed, and seemed In Eden's garden while I dreamed.
"Stript, wounded, beaten nigh to death, I found him by the highway side; I roused his pulse, brought back his breath, Revived his spirit, and supplied Wine, oil, refreshment -- he was healed; I had myself a wound concealed, But from that hour forgot the smart, And peace bound up my broken heart.
"In prison I saw him next, condemned To meet a traitor's doom at morn; The tide of lying tongues I stemmed, And honored him `mid shame and scorn. My friendship's utmost zeal to try, He asked if I for him would die; The flesh was weak; my blood ran chill; But the free spirit cried, `I will!'
"Then in a moment to my view The stranger started from disguise; The tokens in his hands I knew; The Savior stood before mine eyes. He spake, and my poor name he named, `Of me thou hast not been ashamed; These deeds shall thy memorial be, Fear not, thou didst them unto me."
Matt. 25:31-33. See Matt. 16:27-28.
Matt. 26:1-2. Speaking with seeric foresight the Savior tells his disciples of his coming betrayal and crucifixion. And it is to be during the coming feast! The time is at hand; the hour is known; Jesus is going to his death -- knowingly, willingly, obediently -- to conform in all things to the will of the Father.
Feast of the passover] See Matt. 26:17-20.
3-4. What awful iniquity is wrought when the wicked rule! It was the spiritual leaders of the people, the very ones who should have been teaching them to follow their God-sent Messiah, who now, with murder in their hearts, plotted and conspired to slay him. And how often it is thus, that those arrayed in priestly robes, lest their iniquities be uncovered and their doctrines debased, plan the persecutions and then incite the mobs which slay the saints.
Caiaphas] Rule in God's earthly kingdom is by legal administrators appointed by the Lord. Church officers are chosen by other church officers as the Holy Spirit directs. One of the many sure signs of total apostasy is the appointment of religious leaders by civil authorities, as often has been and now is the case among branches and sects of Christendom. This, also, was the fallen spiritual state into which the once divinely approved Jewish religion had slipped. Accordingly, Joseph Caiaphas, son-in-law of Annas, appointed high priest by the Roman procurator Valerius Gratus (Pilate's predecessor), found himself in the priestly office at this dread time in history when the Creator of men was to be taken by sinful men and hung on the cross. Under the Jewish law the presiding priest in the Aaronic Priesthood was called the high priest; it was, to them, a position of administration and spiritual supremacy.
5. How often the people stand higher than their leaders in spiritual Might. Among the 2,000,000 people crowded into Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, many sympathized with Jesus; some believed his doctrines and espoused his cause; others from Galilee, with provincial pride, would have taken his side should a demonstration or outbreak occur. All this restrained Caiaphas and his conspirators.
Matt. 26:6. House of Simon the leper] This means of identifying the place of the feast gives rise to many interesting speculations. Who was Simon? If living and present he was obviously no longer afflicted with leprosy. Was he, then, one who had been healed by Jesus? And since Martha served and Lazarus sat at the table, while Mary anointed the Master, was this also their Bethany home? Was Simon their father? The gospel authors seem to have drawn a reverent curtain over many of the details of Jesus' private life and friendships, revealing only those things needed to give proper testimony of his ministry and mission.
Matt. 26:7. Poured it on his head] John 12:3. Anointed the feet of Jesus] To understand this solemn scene one must both know and feel the religious significance of Mary's act. Here sat the Lord of Heaven, in the house of his friends, as the hour of his greatest trials approached, with those who loved him knowing he was soon to face betrayal and crucifixion. What act of love, of devotion, of adoration, of worship, could a mere mortal perform for him who is eternal? Could a loved one do more than David had said the Good Shepherd himself would do in conferring honor and blessing upon another, that is: "Thou anointest my head with oil"? (Ps. 23:5.)
"To anoint the head of a guest with ordinary oil was to do him honor; to anoint his feet also was to show unusual and signal regard; but the anointing of head and feet with spikenard, and in such abundance, was an act of reverential homage rarely rendered even to kings. Mary's act was an expression of adoration; it was the fragrant outwelling of a heart overflowing with worship and affection." (Talmage, p. 512.)
Matt. 26:8. To what purpose is this waste?] Was it waste? True, the costly oil was used and gone. But the bounties of nature are created for more purposes than to fill the bellies of the hungry and to cover the bare backs of the naked. "The fulness of the earth is yours," the Lord says to his children. And to what use shall earth's bounties be put? "All things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart; Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul." (D. & C. 59:16-19.)
Mark 14:7. Ye have the poor with you always] "For the poor shall never cease out of the land." (Deut. 15:11.) And whensoever ye will ye may do them good] A cutting rebuke to Judas, who, as a thief, never intended to give alms to the poor; a mild rebuke to those other disciples who were led astray by the unsound contention of him who soon would betray his Lord.
Matt. 26:12. She did it for my burial] Again Jesus announces that the Lord Jehovah shall die (Isa. 53:9), and in doing so lets us know that Mary, at least, foreknew and realized what her beloved Lord would soon face.
Matt. 26:13. Who but the Lord who knows all things could announce, with surety of fulfillment, that Mary's reverent act of worship would be memorialized forever after among those who have his gospel?
Luke 22:3. Satan entered into Judas] Is this to be taken literally? Perhaps, for Satan is a spirit man, a being who was born the offspring of God in pre-existence, and who was cast out of heaven for rebellion. He and his spirit followers have power in some cases to enter the bodies of men; they are, also, sometimes cast out of these illegally entered habitations by the power of the priesthood. See Mark 1:21-28.
But if the body of Judas was not possessed literally by Satan, still this traitorous member of the Twelve was totally submissive to the will of the devil. "Before Judas sold Christ to the Jews, he had sold himself to the devil; he had become Satan's serf, and did his master's bidding." (Talmage, p. 592.)
All things are governed by law. Through obedience and righteousness men are able to receive revelation from the Holy Spirit; through disobedience and wickedness (which course constitutes conformity to the laws which govern in this field) men are able to receive impressions, guidance, and even revelation from the Evil Spirit. Judas was in this latter category; he had descended to that depth of spiritual depravity where he consorted with and was subject to the will of evil spirits. There is no curtailment of agency in either of these courses; both are pursued by deliberate choice.
Matt. 26:14-15. Judas took the initiative. He sought out the chief priests; he chose to betray his Lord; he asked for the money. It was a wilful, deliberate, premeditated act; and it is useless to speculate (as so many commentators do) as to why he did it. Such speculation usually seeks to excuse Judas for an act which the scriptural account in no way mitigates. The revealed record lays the onus for the deed on Judas and stops there.
Chief priests] These are they who incited the people against Jesus. Their teachings, their religious interpretations, their prejudices, their hatred, caused the spiritually illiterate multitudes to reject their King. What dire fate must await religious leaders who keep others from coming to a knowledge of the truth!
What will ye give me?] They could have said one piece of silver or a thousand. Judas had not come to haggle but to betray. What amount, then, should they set? With devilish cunning they chose that sum which in their law was the fixed price of a slave. "Thirty shekels of silver" would recompense an owner for the death of "a manservant or a maidservant." (Ex. 21:28-32.)
Thirty pieces of silver! Such would they pay for the life of their God -- no more and no less. And by so doing all men ever after would know that they esteemed him as the basest of men. And thus, also, even their attempts to debase and insult would fulfil, in literal detail, the Messianic prophecy of Zechariah which had foretold their evil conspiracy. "If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear," the Lord says of the sum for which he will be sold. "So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver." (Zech. 11:12.)
16. The betrayal must be secret, away from sympathetic groups; to avoid Roman vengeance there must be no "uproar among the people." (Matt. 26:5.)
Ancient Israel, in the day of Moses, was freed from temporal bondage in Egypt by the Lord Jehovah. To commemorate this deliverance, they were commanded to keep the Feast of the Passover. This feast was designed to bring two things to their remembrance: (1) That the angel of death passed over the houses and flocks of Israel, while slaying the firstborn among the men and beasts of the Egyptians; and (2) That Jehovah was their Deliverer, the same holy being who in due course would come into the world as King-Messiah to work out the infinite and eternal atonement.
All of the symbolisms of the feast centered around these two events. The feast (more so in the days of its inception than in the time of Jesus) was eaten in haste as though preparatory to flight; the sacrificial lamb was one without blemish, whose blood was shed, but whose bones were not broken; blood was sprinkled on the houses to be spared -- all of which provided types and symbols for Messiah's coming mortal sacrifice. (Ex. 12.)
And now nearly a millennium and a half after Jehovah gave the Passover to Israel, he himself, tabernacled among men, was preparing to celebrate the feast, to fulfil the law given to Moses, to become the Paschal Lamb, a lamb without spot and blemish whose shed blood would offer to all men spiritual freedom and deliverance from the bondage of sin.
Arrangements for this final Passover of our Lord's ministry, a Passover to be known ever after to the Church as the Last Supper, were made by Peter and John as directed by the seeric vision of Jesus. The Supper itself must have been in the home of a disciple, for the two apostles had but to mention the Master's desires and the upper room was made available.
This was the final approved Passover. Following the sacrifice of Christ as a Paschal Lamb this old ordinance was to cease and other symbols (those shown forth in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper) were to find approved usage among the Lord's people. Now the only proper celebration of the Passover is in the spiritual sense of which Paul speaks: "For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." (1 Cor. 5:7-8.)
Considering the prior teachings of Jesus and his long association with the Twelve, it seems a little strange that these favored few, who so measurably knew their Lord's will, would be contending about precedence at this late date. On an earlier occasion Jesus had resolved this issue for them; here he but paraphrases his prior teaching. Compare Matt. 20:20-25.
It may be, as Elder James E. Talmage suggests, that the muttering dispute among them was over "the order in which they should take their places at the table, over which triviality scribes and Pharisees as well as the Gentiles often quarreled." (Talmage, p. 595.) In any event, out of it came again the pointed teaching that Christ and his ministers come to serve and not to receive adulation and honor from men.
Luke 22:24. Accounted the greatest] What is true greatness? Does it consist of those enduring and eternal endowments which ennoble man here and exalt him hereafter, or in the fleeting honors of men which today are and tomorrow have vanished into nothingness? Who was greater, mighty Herod whose ax slew the Baptist, or the imprisoned John of whom Jesus said: "Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist." (Luke 7:28.)
President Joseph F. Smith said: "To do well those things which God ordained to be the common lot of all mankind is the truest greatness. To be a successful father or a successful mother is greater than to be a successful general or a successful statesman. One is universal and eternal greatness, the other is ephemeral. It is true that such secondary greatness may be added to that which we style commonplace; but when such secondary greatness is not added to that which is fundamental, it is merely an empty honor, and fades away from the common and universal good in life, even though it may find a place in the desultory pages of history." (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed., p. 285.)
28-29. `Strive not for petty honors and distinctions in this life, for such are of no real worth. Instead, because you have been faithful, standing with me in all my trials, I shall give you honors and exaltations in my Father's kingdom, the same honors that my Father has given me.'
30. See Matt. 19:28.
Washing of feet is a gospel ordinance; it is a holy and sacred rite, one performed by the saints in the seclusion of their temple sanctuaries. It is not done before the world or for worldly people. For his day and dispensation Jesus instituted it in the upper room at the time of the Last Supper.
"Our Lord did two things in the performance of this ordinance: 1. He fulfilled the old law given to Moses; and 2. He instituted a sacred ordinance which should be performed by legal administrators among his true disciples from that day forward.
"As part of the restoration of all things, the ordinance of washing of feet has been restored in the dispensation of the fulness of times. In keeping with the standard pattern of revealing principles and practices line upon line and precept upon precept, the Lord revealed his will concerning the washing of feet little by little until the full knowledge of the endowment and all temple ordinances had been given.
"December 27, 1832, this command was given to `the first laborers in this last kingdom': `Sanctify yourselves; yea, purify your hearts, and cleanse your hands and your feet before me, that I may make you clean; That I may testify unto your Father, and your God, and my God, that you are clean from the blood of this wicked generation.' (D. & C. 88:74-75.) On that same occasion the command came to organize the school of the prophets, with the express stipulation that `ye shall not receive any among you into this school save he is clean from the blood of this generation; And he shall be received by the ordinance of the washing of feet, for unto this end was the ordinance of the washing of feet instituted.' (D. & C. 88:127-141.)
"In the case of this school the ordinance is to be performed by the President of the Church. In compliance with this revelation the Prophet on January 23, 1833, washed the feet of the members of the school of the prophets. `By the power of the Holy Ghost I pronounced them all clean from the blood of this generation,' he recorded. (History of the Church, vol. 1, pp. 322-324; vol. 2, p. 287.)
"Later apostles were called and ordained, and on November 12, 1835, the Prophet addressed them, as pertaining to the washing of feet where they were concerned: `The item to which I wish the more particularly to call your attention tonight is the ordinance of washing of feet. This we [meaning the Twelve] have not done as yet, but it is necessary now, as much as it was in the days of the Savior; and we must have a place prepared, that we may attend to this ordinance aside from the world.
"`We have not desired as much from the hand of the Lord through faith and obedience, as we ought to have done, yet we have enjoyed great blessings, and we are not so sensible of this as we should be. . . . We must have all things prepared, and call our solemn assembly as the Lord has commanded us, that we may be able to accomplish his great work, and it must be done in God's own way. The house of the Lord must be prepared, and the solemn assembly called and organized in it, according to the order of the house of God; and in it we must attend to the ordinance of washing of feet. It was never intended for any but official members. It is calculated to unite our hearts, that we may be one in feeling and sentiment, and that our faith may be strong, so that Satan cannot overthrow us, nor have any power over us here.
"`The endowment you are so anxious about, you cannot comprehend now, nor could Gabriel explain it to the understanding of your dark minds; but strive to be prepared in your hearts, be faithful in all things, that when we meet in the solemn assembly, that is, when such as God shall name out of all the official members shall meet, we must be clean every whit. ... The order of the house of God has been, and ever will be, the same, even after Christ comes; and after the termination of the thousand years it will be the same; and we shall finally enter into the celestial kingdom of God, and enjoy it forever.' (History of the Church, vol. 2, pp. 308-309.)
"On Sunday, March 27, 1836, as part of the dedicatory services of the Kirtland Temple, the congregation sang that glorious hymn, `The Spirit of God Like a Fire is Burning!' One verse, as then sung, was:
"`We'll wash and be washed, and with oil be anointed, Withal not omitting the washing of feet; For he that receiveth his penny appointed Must surely be clean at the harvest of wheat.'
On March 29 and 30, 1836, the leading brethren, including the First Presidency, Council of the Twelve, bishoprics, and presidents of quorums, participated in the ordinance of washing of feet. (History of the Church, vol. 2, pp. 426, 430-431.)
"It should be remembered that the endowment given in the Kirtland Temple was only a partial endowment, and that the full endowment was not performed until the saints had established themselves in Nauvoo. (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 2, pp. 241-242.) The full endowment -- referred to in the revelation dated January 19, 1841 (D. & C. 124: 36-41) -- including washings and anointings, except under unusual circumstances, is designed to be administered in the temples of the Lord.
"Thus the knowledge relative to the washing of feet has been revealed step by step in this day until a full knowledge is now incorporated in the revealed ordinances of the Lord's house. Obviously the apostate peoples of the world, being without revelation to guide them, cannot comply with our Lord's command given on the occasion of the last supper." (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 751-753.)
John 13:1. Our Lord walked in the light of revelation; he knew who he was, why he had come to earth, and the imminent trials and cruel death that awaited him. And amid it all, he was thinking, not of himself, but of his disciples whom he loved "unto the end."
2. See Matt. 26:14-16.
3. Jesus was God and he knew it. God was his Father and he knew it. And the Father -- speaking of things to come as though they were already her -- had given him all power, all knowledge, all judgment, all things.
16. See Luke 6:40.
20. See Matt. 10:38-42.
Matt. 26:22, 25. Is it I?] In their innocence, not even deigning to impute so dastardly a deed to another, eleven of the Twelve ask: "Is it I?" Judas, however -- already the greedy possessor of thirty pieces of silver (the price of a slave!), and knowing his own evil heart -- waited till last; then, lest his silence be construed as confession, he too is forced to ask the fateful query: "Is it I?"
Matt. 26:24. Woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed!] What of Judas? Is he more than a traitor? Is he, perchance, the king of traitors? Surely there are degrees of depravity, varying depths to which even traitors will descend. And Judas fell lower than all his fellows, for he betrayed the Son of God. During three and a half years he had eaten at the Master's table, witnessed his miracles, listened to his teachings; and now he was choosing to turn his back on the Light and go out into the night.
But evil as was the deed, sad as is his fallen state, was he destined to be a son of perdition, to die eternally the second death? To this it would seem, the answer is, No. President Joseph F. Smith analyzed the problem in this way: "If Judas really had known God's power, and had partaken thereof, and did actually `deny the truth' and `defy' that power, `having denied the Holy Spirit after he had received it,' and also `denied the Only Begotten,' after God had `revealed him' unto him, then there can be no doubt that he `will die the second death.' (D. & C. 76:30-49.)
"That Judas did partake of all this knowledge -- that these great truths had been revealed to him -- that he had received the Holy Spirit by the gift of God, and was therefore qualified to commit the unpardonable sin, is not at all clear to me. To my mind it strongly appears that not one of the disciples possessed sufficient light, knowledge nor wisdom, at the time of the crucifixion, for either exaltation or condemnation; for it was afterward that their minds were opened to understand the scriptures, and that they were endowed with power from on high; without which they were only children in knowledge, in comparison to what they afterwards became under the influence of the Spirit. . . .
"No man can sin against light until he has it; nor against the Holy Ghost, until after he has received it by the gift of God through the appointed channel or way. To sin against the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Truth, the Comforter, the Witness of the Father and the Son, wilfully denying him and defying him, after having received him, constitutes this sin. Did Judas possess this light, this witness, this Comforter, this baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, this endowment from on high? It he did, he received it before the betrayal, and therefore before the other eleven apostles. And if this be so, you may say, `he is a son of perdition without hope.' But if he was destitute of this glorious gift and outpouring of the Spirit, by which the witness came to the eleven, and their minds were opened to see and know the truth, and they were able to testify of him, then what constituted the unpardonable sin of this poor, erring creature, who rose no higher in the scale of intelligence, honor or ambition than to betray the Lord of glory for thirty pieces of silver?
"But not knowing that Judas did commit the unpardonable sin; nor that he was a `son of perdition without hope' who will die the second death, nor what knowledge he possessed by which he was able to commit so great a sin, I prefer, until I know better, to take the merciful view that he may be numbered among those for whom the blessed Master prayed, `Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.'" (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed., pp. 433-435.)
It had been good for that man if he had not been born] This statement, which should be taken literally, can be understood only in the light of pre-existence. All men earned the right to pass by birth from a pre-existent first estate into this life, to come from the personal presence of God into a life where trials and tests await. Those who fail the tests of mortality go eventually to a telestial sphere of which the revealed word says: "Where God and Christ dwell they cannot come, worlds without end." (D. & C. 76:112.)
Thus, in the sense here spoken, they would have been better off never to have been born, never to have left their pre-existent home, the home where the Eternal Father presides in glorious immortality. The Book of Mormon presentation of this doctrine is in these words: "And wo be unto him that will not hearken unto the words of Jesus, and also to them whom he hath chosen and sent among them; for whoso receiveth not the words of Jesus and the words of those whom he hath sent receiveth not him; and therefore he will not receive them at the last day; And it would be better for them if they had not been born. For do ye suppose that ye can get rid of the justice of an offended God, who hath been trampled under feet of men, that thereby salvation might be?" (3 Ne. 28:34-35.)
John 13:18. I know whom I have chosen] Judas was a spiritual pygmy from the beginning; as an unrepentant thief, he did not at any time possess apostolic stature. Yet he had his agency; he was free to choose his own course. "All mankind," and there are no exceptions, "may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel." (Third Article of Faith.) Judas was no different in this respect than any other man. He could have chosen the course of righteousness; he had sufficient spiritual capacity to work out his salvation with fear and trembling before the Lord. And Jesus knew both the spiritual nothingness of Judas and the elections which that poor soul would make where his own salvation was concerned.
A comparable case is Cain. That son of Adam, though a friend of Lucifer in pre-existence, did manage to gain mortal birth. He could have hearkened to his Father Adam and walked in the strait and narrow path. But instead he chose to follow a course which he had already charted, in a very real sense, in his first estate, an estate where he had been known as Perdition. Coming from this background, Cain elected to use his agency to fight the truth in this life, and in his case he became a son of perdition. (Moses 5:16-59.)
He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me] King David, whose throne the Son of David inherited, while engaged in civil war in Israel, wrote the Forty-first Psalm. In it he declaimed his betrayal by the traitor Ahithopel in these words: "Mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me." (Ps. 41:9.) Interestingly, when Absalom failed to follow Ahithopel's counsel, that traitor, as though his name were Judas, went and hanged himself. (2 Sam. 15:10-12; 17.)
Now we find Jesus quoting David's words and ascribing to them Messianic import, a meaning which was of course intended from the beginning. These words thus become a classical illustration of how Messianic prophecies were often given and of why they can be interpreted only by the power of the Holy Ghost.
19. `I tell you now that Judas, mine own familiar friend, shall betray me as David foretold, so that when it comes to pass you will know that I am the Christ of whom David in his great Messianic prophecy spoke.'
23. One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved] John the Beloved, who, as author of the account, out of modesty did not name himself.
26. Jesus must have spoken these words in a whisper, for the rest of the Twelve did not know at that time that Judas was being singled out as the traitor, a conclusion born out by the following verses. The dipping of the sop was a common practice and would have attracted no unusual attention.
27. Satan entered into him] See Matt. 26:14-16.
30. And it was night] Both naturally and spiritually it was night. Out into the night, his soul darkened by sin, Judas went, bent on putting out the Light that for a brief ministry had shown forth among men. Truly at this hour, it was night!
Beginning with the first man and continuing for four thousand long years, the God of Heaven directed his people to offer sacrifices in similitude of the future atoning sacrifice of his Son. All of the patriarchs, prophets, and saints of four millenniums offered the firstlings of their flocks on their sacrificial altars, beasts which were without spot or blemish. These sacrifices signified that the Lamb of God, by the shedding of blood and through his own vicarious sacrifice, would atone for the sins of the world.
One of the first great spiritual experiences received by Adam after he became mortal was associated with the law of sacrifice. Of our first parents the scriptural account says that the Lord "gave unto them commandments, that they should worship the Lord their God, and should offer the firstlings of their flocks, for an offering unto the Lord. And Adam was obedient unto the commandments of the Lord. And after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me. And then the angel spake, saying: This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth. Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore." (Moses 5:5-8.)
And now as Jesus and his apostles celebrated the Feast of the Passover, which itself was part of the ancient sacrificial system, a new ordinance was in the making. The paschal lambs were testifying for the last time that the Lamb of God should be sacrificed for the sins of the world. The hour had come for the great and last sacrifice, and once the Son of God had been lifted upon the altar of the cross there would be no further need for an ordinance looking forward to that day.
Amulek expounded the principles here involved in this way: "Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it. For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or eke all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish expect it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made. For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice; but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice. Now there is not any man that can sacrifice his own blood which will atone for the sins of another. Now, if a man murdereth, behold will our law, which is just, take the life of his brother? I say unto you, Nay. But the law requireth the life of him who hath murdered; therefore there can be nothing which is short of an infinite atonement which will suffice for the sins of the world. Therefore, it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; and then shall there be, or it is expedient there should be, a stop to the shedding of blood; then shall the law of Moses be fulfilled; yea, it shall be all fulfilled, every jot and tittle, and none shall have passed away. And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal." (Alma 34:8-14.)
That the offering of animal sacrifices was done away after the great and last sacrifice of the Eternal One was taught in plainness by the resurrected Lord to the Nephites. "Behold, by me redemption cometh, and in me is the law of Moses fulfilled," he said. "And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings. And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost." (3 Ne. 9:17, 19-20.)
As sacrifice was thus to cease with the occurrence of the great event toward which it pointed, there must needs be a new ordinance to replace it, an ordinance which also would center the attention of the saints on the infinite and eternal atonement. And so Jesus, celebrating the Feast of the Passover, thus dignifying and fulfilling the law to the full, initiated the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. Sacrifice stopped and sacrament started. It was the end of the old era, the beginning of the new. Sacrifice looked forward to the shed blood and bruised flesh of the Lamb of God. The sacrament was to be in remembrance of his spilt blood and broken flesh, the emblems, bread and wine, typifying such as completely as had the shedding of the blood of animals in their days.
Thus Jesus, as he and his apostolic witnesses ate the paschal lamb, took bread, brake and blessed it, and blessed also the cup of wine, passing each of them in turn to his disciples.
Rituals and performances followed in celebrating the Passover were a perfect setting for the introduction of the new gospel ordinance of the sacrament. The Passover formalities, omitting a few details, are summarized by Dummelow as follows:
"(1) The first cup was blessed and drunk. (2) The hands were washed while a blessing was said. (3) Bitter herbs, emblematic of the sojourn in Egypt, were partaken of, dipped in sour broth made of vinegar and bruised fruit. (4) The son of the house asked his father to explain the origin of the observance. (5) The lamb and the flesh of the thank offerings (chagigah) were placed on the table, and the first part of the Hallel sung (Psalms 113, 114). (6) The second cup was blessed and drunk. (7) Unleavened bread was blessed and broken, a fragment of it was eaten, then a fragment of the thank offerings, then a fragment of the lamb. (8) Preliminaries being thus ended, the feast proceeded at leisure till all was consumed. (9) The lamb being quite finished, the third cup, the cup of blessing, was blessed and drunk. (10) The fourth cup was drunk, and meanwhile the second part of the Hallel (1'salms 115-118) was sung.
"Those who partook of the Passover were required to be ceremonially clean, and to have been fasting from the time of the evening sacrifice, which on this day was offered early, about 1:30 p.m. All male Israelites above the age of fourteen were required to partake of it."
Each of the synoptists records that as they were eating the Passover meal, Jesus took bread and brake and blessed it. Of this Dummelow says: "This may correspond with No. 7, but it seems more probable that both the bread and the wine were consecrated together at the close of the meal, the bread when it was almost, and the cup when it was quite, finished.
"The Jewish ritual of breaking the Passover bread was as follows: `Then washing his hands, and taking two loaves, he breaks one, and lays the broken loaf upon the whole one, saying `"Blessed be he who causeth bread to grow out of the earth."' Then, putting a piece of bread and some bitter herbs together, he dips them in the sour broth, saying this blessing: `"Blessed be Thou, O Lord God, our eternal King, he who hath sanctified us by his precepts, and commanded us to eat."' Then he eats the unleavened bread and bitter herbs together.' But it is unlikely that Jesus, who was founding a new rite, followed the Jewish ritual in every detail."
Of "the cup" which Jesus blessed and passed among them, Dummelow comments: "Since it was taken after supper (St. Luke and St. Paul), and is expressly called by the latter the `cup of blessing' (1 Cor. 10:16), it was clearly the third cup of the paschal supper, called by the rabbis the `cup of blessing' (No. 9). The ritual was as follows: (1) It was washed and cleansed; (2) the wine in it was mingled with water, and it was blessed; (3) it was crowned, i.e. the worshippers stood round it in a ring; (4) the householder veiled his head and sat down; (5) he drank it, holding it with both hands.
"That the cup of the Christian sacrament was also mingled with water, was indicated by Jesus himself, when he called it `this fruit of the vine.' The Talmud says, `The rabbis have a tradition. Over wine which hath not water mingled with it they do not say the blessing, `"Blessed be he that created the fruit of the vine,"' but, `"Blessed be he that created the fruit of the tree."' And it is added, `The wise agree with Rabbi Eleazar, that one ought not to bless over the cup of blessing till water be mingled with it.'" (Dummelow, p. 710.)
By comparing the Passover procedures with the accounts of what Jesus did as he started the sacrament, it appears that the one ordinance grew naturally and easily out of the other. The symbolisms were similar, the purposes alike. The ancient ordinance was suited to the pastoral civilizations of early days and the new ritual to the metropolitan circumstances in which the people of God increasingly thereafter would find themselves.
As Jesus charted this new course for true believers, what explanations did he make to his disciples? What teachings accompanied their participation in the sacramental ordinance? Surely, in substance at least, he would have told them what he was shortly to tell the Nephites, as he introduced the same new ordinance to them:
"And when the disciples had come with bread and wine, he took of the bread and brake and blessed it; and he gave unto the disciples and commanded that they should eat. And when they had eaten and were filled, he commanded that they should give unto the multitude. And when the multitude had eaten and were filled, he said unto the disciples: Behold there shall one be ordained among you, and to him will I give power that he shall break bread and bless it and give it unto the people of my church, unto all those who shall believe and be baptized in my name. And this shall ye always observe to do, even as I have done, even as I have broken bread and blessed it and given it unto you. And this shall ye do in remembrance of my body, which I have shown unto you. And it shall be a testimony unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you.
"And it came to pass that when he said these words, he commanded his disciples that they should take of the wine of the cup and drink of it, and that they should also give unto the multitude that they might drink of it. And it came to pass that they did so, and did drink of it and were filled; and they gave unto the multitude, and they did drink, and they were filled. And when the disciples had done this, Jesus said unto them: Blessed are ye for this thing which ye have done, for this is fulfilling my commandments, and this doth witness unto the Father that ye are willing to do that which I have commanded you. And this shall ye always do to those who repent and are baptized in my name; and ye shall do it in remembrance of my blood, which I have shed for you, that ye may witness unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you." (3 Ne. 18:3-11.)
In the Passover proceedings blessings were said over the broken bread and again over the cup of wine, blessings which perhaps foreshadowed the highly spiritual ones destined to be offered in administering the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. These blessings are not recorded in the New Testament, nor for that matter in that part of the Nephite record where the new ordinance is being introduced. They were, however, given to the Nephites and were inserted in the Book of Mormon account centuries later by Moroni. (Moro. 4 and 5.) Obviously they were given also to the disciples in Jerusalem and to the old world saints. These blessings -- more commonly called prayers by us -- as revealed in modern times are as follows:
"O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them; that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen." (D. & C. 20:77.)
"O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this wine to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them; that they may witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they do always remember him, that they may have his Spirit to be with them. Amen." (D. & C. 20:79.)
"By partaking of the sacrament, worthy saints renew the covenant previously made by them in the waters of baptism (Mosiah 18:7-10); unbaptized children, being without sin, are entitled and expected to partake of the sacrament to prefigure the covenant they will take upon themselves when they arrive at the years of accountability. Worthy partakers of the sacrament put themselves in perfect harmony with the Lord. (3 Ne. 18.) As indicated by our Lord's statement they gain `the remission of their sins.' (Inspired Version, Matt. 26:24.)
"Those who partake of the sacrament worthily thereby put themselves under covenant with the Lord: 1. To always remember the broken body and spilled blood of Him who was crucified for the sins of the world; 2. To take upon themselves the name of Christ and always remember him; and 3. To keep the commandments of God, that is, to `live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God.' (D. & C. 84:44.)
"As his part of the contract, the Lord covenants: 1. That such worthy saints shall have his Spirit to be with them; and 2. That in due course they shall inherit eternal life. (D. & C. 20:75-79; Moro. 4; 5.) `Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.' (John 6:54.) In the light of these covenants, promises, and blessings, is it any wonder that the Lord commanded: `It is expedient that the church meet together often to partake of bread and wine in the remembrance of the Lord Jesus.' (D. & C. 20:75; Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 2, pp. 338-350.) " (Mormon Doctrine, p. 594.)
Gross perversion and distortion of the true sacramental ordinance is found among the sects of Christendom. Some have gone so far as to suppose that each time they partake of the blessed emblems they literally are eating the body and drinking the blood of Christ. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 730-731.) Scriptural mistranslations and deliberate misrendering of gospel texts encourage this false conclusion. After setting forth the pure and perfect system of sacramental administration, Jesus said to the Nephites:
"And I give unto you a commandment that ye shall do these things. And if ye shall always do these things blessed are ye, for ye are built upon my rock. But whoso among you shall do more or less than these are not built upon my rock, but are built upon a sandy foundation; and when the rain descends, and the floods come, and the winds blow, and beat upon them, they shall fall, and the gates of hell are ready open to receive them." (3 Ne. 18:12-13.)
Matt. 26:28. Jesus continues to bear personal testimony of his divine Sonship. His is the blood of the new testament (the new covenant) which shall make remission of sins available to all men on conditions of repentance. He is the Savior and Redeemer -- and he says it plainly.
29. Jesus promises, at his Second Coming, to again partake of the sacrament with the Twelve, or rather the eleven, for without doubt Judas had already fled into the darkness of the night. This same promise was expanded by modern revelation to include Joseph Smith and the worthy modern day saints, as also Moroni, Elias, John the Baptist, Elijah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph who was sold into Egypt, Adam and by necessary implication the righteous of all ages. (D. & C. 27:1-12.)
31. Now is the Son of man glorified] Jesus speaks as though the suffering in Gethsemane and the agony on the cross were past; "now," meaning as the climax of his few remaining mortal hours, Jesus shall be glorified by the Father.
God is glorified in him] Jesus adds to the glory of the Father! True the Father already has all glory in the sense of possessing the fulness of power and might, but even he receives added glory as new kingdoms and dominions become part of his eternal domains. Joseph Smith said: "What did Jesus do? Why; I do the things I saw my Father do when worlds came rolling into existence. My Father worked out his kingdom with fear and trembling, and I must do the same; and when I get my kingdom, I shall present it to my Father, so that he may obtain kingdom upon kingdom, and it will exalt him in glory. He will then take a higher exaltation, and I will take his place, and thereby become exalted myself. So that Jesus treads in the tracks of his Father, and inherits what God did before; and God is thus glorified and exalted in the salvation and exaltation of all his children." (Teachings, pp. 347-348.)
This same eternal truth was also revealed to the Prophet in connection with the new and everlasting covenant of marriage. After telling how Abraham had entered into his exaltation and become a possessor of eternal increase, the Lord said: "This promise is yours also, because ye are of Abraham, and the promise was made unto Abraham; and by this law is the continuation of the works of my Father, wherein he glorifieth himself." (D. & C. 132:29-31.)
32. `If the Father is glorified and exalted to a higher station because of the works and triumphs of the Son, then the Father will further reward the Son with the Father -- and the hour for all this is at hand; it shall straightway take place.'
33. `My loved ones, I will only be with you a few more hours and then I go to my Father. Ye shall seek me, but ye cannot now come to me; your work here is not yet finished.'
34. A new commandment] Yes, and an old commandment too; a commandment both old and new, a commandment that commences now and yet is everlasting; a commandment that is new each time it is revealed, but is old because it has always been in force. John, who here preserves this saying of our Savior, amplified and explained it in his own writings. Speaking of "the love of God," he said: "Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment, which ye had from the beginning." And then speaking also of the same thing he says: "Again, a new commandment I write unto you." (1 John 2:1-8.)
This gospel manner of naming the same thing as being both new and old is nowhere better illustrated than in the designation, "the new and everlasting covenant." The gospel is the everlasting covenant, the covenant of salvation which God always has and always will make with men, but it is a new covenant each time it is revealed. The gospel we have today is new to the world for this era; it is old because it was had anciently; it is everlasting because it is the same from age to age and from eternity to eternity.
35. They already were his disciples; they became such in the waters of baptism. Loving one another would not turn them into disciples unless they also accepted his gospel. But through the gospel they would have power to increase their love for each other; and that manifestation of love would be a visible sign to all men that they were in fact his disciples. This statement, tying love and discipleship together, is an ideal illustration of the fact that the gospel changes men's lives. When people join the Church and begin to live the gospel, they become new creatures; changes of character of such magnitude occur in their lives that these differences are visible to all men.
John 14:1. Let not your heart be troubled] Why should the saints be in mental turmoil or be upset spiritually; why should they bow to anxiety, uncertainty, or doubt? The gospel assures the faithful of a quiet, serene peace -- a peace born of inner conviction.
Ye believe in God, believe also in me] How easy it is: all men, almost by instinct, believe in God; why then should they not believe in his Son? If there is a Father surely there is a Son also; and since belief in one is a matter of faith, how easy it is by the same means to believe in the other. Further: Knowledge of the Father and the Son comes by revelation and is heralded to the world by testimony. The same revelation manifests them both, and the same testimony bears record of each of them. It is, therefore, as easy to accept Christ as to believe in God.
2. In my Father's house are many mansions] No one in mortality can ever know whether there is a heaven or a hell; whether there are degrees of glory hereafter; whether some men will be exalted to thrones of greatness, while others receive lesser rewards -- except by revelation. The heavenly heights, if such there be, and the hellish depths, if such exist, are not found in fields of scientific search; they are not in the sphere of mortality; and hence a knowledge of them can come only from God.
Joseph Smith said the meaning of Jesus' statement is: "In my Father's kingdom are many kingdoms." (Teachings, p. 366.) All of the prophets have spoken of the heavenly bliss found in the highest kingdom, and have proclaimed to their fellowmen the laws and ordinances by conformity to which such a desired status might be attained. Paul taught that in the resurrection men would be placed in kingdoms whose respective glories were likened to the sun, the moon, and the varying brilliance of the stars. (1 Cor. 15:39-42.) Joseph Smith and Sydney Rigdon saw these kingdoms in vision, described the glory of each, and recorded in the revealed word the kinds of people who would go to each of them.
To the celestial kingdom will go the saints of the Most High; those who have believed and obeyed the gospel law; those who have been cleansed from sin by baptism and who' thereafter have endured in righteousness to the end; those who have overcome the world and been sanctified by the Spirit. The terrestrial and telestial kingdoms and there are as many varying mansions or degrees within the telestial as there are stars in the firmament -- shall house all the rest of the saved beings of the earth. (D. & C. 76.) Truly there are many mansions.
If it were not so, I would have told you] Since the whole gospel system teaches that men will be judged according to their works, it follows that there are degrees of glory hereafter. "From sundry revelations which had been received," Joseph Smith said, "it was apparent that many important points touching the salvation of man had been taken from the Bible, or lost before it was compiled. It appeared self-evident from what truths were left, that if God rewarded every one according to the deeds done in the body, the term heaven, as intended for the saints' eternal home, must include more kingdoms than one." (Teachings, pp. 9-11.)
Strange indeed is the sectarian concept of a heaven for the righteous and a hell for the wicked, two extremes into which men of differing works and varying degrees of righteousness shall be placed. "I do not believe the Methodist doctrine of sending honest men and noble-minded men to hell, along with the murderer and the adulterer," the Prophet said. "I have an order of things to save the poor fellows.... There are mansions for those who obey a celestial law, and there are other mansions for those who come short of the law, every man in his own order." (Teachings, p. 366.) Indeed, some things are so obvious that right thinking people should accept and believe them by instinct. Among such is the doctrine of degrees of glory in the eternal worlds.
I go to prepare a place for you] `I go to prepare a place of exaltation for you, a place with me in the highest heaven of the celestial world (D. & C. 131:1-4), for "the disciple" shall "be as his master, and the servant as his lord." (Matt. 10:25.) "Ye shall be even as I am, and I am even as the Father."' (3 Ne. 28:10.)
4-5. `I go to the Father, and the way for you to go to the Father is to follow me.'
6. I am the way] Christ is the way. He charts the course. Through him salvation comes. To gain the presence of the Father men must come to him and walk in his paths. He is the Redeemer and Exemplar whose cry to all men is: `"Follow thou me" (2 Ne. 31:10), for I am the way.'
I am . . . the truth] He is the embodiment and the personification of truth. His word is truth. (John 17:17.) He knows all things and has all truth. (D. & C. 93:26.) All his acts conform to the truth -- the truth that makes men free, the truth by which progression comes, the truth that saves, the truth that leads to the Father. Christ is the truth.
I am ... the life] "In him was life; and the life was the light of men." (John 1:4.) He is the Creator and life exists because of him. He is the Redeemer and men are saved from temporal and spiritual death because of him. All men gain immortal life and the saints inherit eternal life through him. He is truly the life.
No man cometh unto the Father but by me] No man who has ever lived -- neither Jew nor Gentile, pagan nor Christian, saint nor sinner -- can come unto the Father (and thereby be saved) until he accepts Christ, believes and obeys his laws, and walks in the way he has appointed. He is the Savior of all men; unto him every knee shall bow and every tongue confess; his is the only name whereby salvation comes; and his laws apply to all, both in and out of the Christian community. "I am the Lord thy God; and I give unto you this commandment -- that no man shall come unto the Father but by me or by my word, which is my law, saith the Lord." (D. & C. 132:12.)
Three personages comprise the eternal Godhead -- the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also." (D. & C. 130:22.) "I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name, and said, pointing to the other -- This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!" (Jos. Smith 2:17.)
The resurrected Lord Jesus -- having a tangible body of flesh and bones, a body which was felt and handled by the apostles in the upper room, a body that ate and digested food (Luke 24:36-43) -- is in "the express image" of his Father's "person." (Heb. 1:3.)
So the Son appears and is in all respects like his Father; and conversely, the Father looks and acts and is in all respects like the Son. Their physical appearance is the same, both possess the attributes of godliness in their fulness and perfection; each would do and say precisely the same thing under the same circumstances. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 294-295.) Hence the enigmatic and epigramatic statement: "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father."
Thus, God was in Christ manifesting himself to the world -- a gracious and condescending thing for the Eternal Father to do, for thereby men could come to know him and to gain that eternal life which such knowledge brings.
7. `If ye had known that as the Son of God, I am in the express image of his person, and that I possess his character, perfections, and attributes, then ye would have known the Father, for he is manifesting himself to you through me; and you may now, therefore, say that ye know him, for he is in all respects as I am; and since ye have seen me, it is as though you had been him.'
8. `Philip saith unto him, Lord, Show us the Father himself so we may say we have seen him as well as his Prototype, and then we will be satisfied.'
9. `Jesus saith unto him, Philip, after all your association with me, have you not come to know that I am the Son of God, and that the Father is manifesting himself to the world through me? Surely by this time you should know that he who hath seen me hath seen the Father, as it were, for I am so fully and completely like him. Why, then, do you ask for that which you are not now ready to receive, by saying, Show us the Father also?'
10-11. See John 17-20-26. 11. `If your soul does not respond to my testimony that I am the Son of God, so that you believe it without more, then believe in me because of the work itself, a work which none but God could do.
12. By faith all things are possible, and nothing is too hard for the Lord. See Matt. 18:19-20; also, Luke 17:5-6. But are we to understand that the disciples shall surpass even the miracles and mighty works of their Lord? Are they to quell storms, walk on the water, curse fig trees, turn water into wine, provide food for thousands, raise the dead, heal the sick, preach the gospel -- all in greater measure than their Master? Obviously their ministries did not, and were not designed and intended, to excel his. What, then, is the meaning of the promise that they shall do greater works than they had seen him do?
Joseph Smith answers this question with inspiring insight. First he points to the scriptures which say that when the Lord shall appear the saints shall be like him (1 John 3:1-3), that the saints are to be holy as God is holy (Lev. 19:2; 1 Pet. 1:15-16), and that men are commanded to be perfect as their Father in heaven is perfect. (Matt. 5:48.) Then he refers to the petitions of Jesus, made in his great Intercessory Prayer, in which he asks the Father to make the disciples one with the two of them, one in perfection, power, and glory. (John 17:20-24.)
"All these sayings put together give as clear an account of the state of the glorified saints as language could give -- the works that Jesus had done they were to do, and greater works than those which he had done among them should they do, and that because he went to the Father. He does not say that they should do these works in time; but they should do greater works, because he went to the Father. He says in the 24th verse [of the 17th chapter of John]: `Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory.' These sayings, taken in connection, make it very plain that the greater works which those that believed on his name were to do were to be done in eternity, where he was going and where they should behold his glory." (Lectures on Faith, pp. 64-66.)
He that believeth on me] "In nearly every instance, the scriptures use belief as a synonym for faith. The two terms are interchangeable; they mean the same thing, are gained in the same way, and the same effects flow from them. The Prophet adopted this usage in the Lectures on Faith; and accordingly, no one has faith in Christ who does not believe that he is the Son of God, nor does a person believe in Christ in the full sense without having faith in him. Faith is belief, and belief is faith. To illustrate: Two blind men besought Jesus to restore their sight. `Believe ye that I am able to do this?' he asked; and receiving an affirmative, `Yea, Lord,' in reply `Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened.' (Matt. 9:27-31; Rom. 10:13-17.)" (Mormon Doctrine, p. 75.)
13-14. "And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you." (3 Ne. 18:20.) "Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you." (Moro. 7:26.)
In my name] As our Lord nears the close of his ministry he is completing and perfecting his teaching, teaching that has come line upon line and precept upon precept as rapidly as his disciples were able to receive it. Now he announces, twice, that petitions to the Father are to be in his name, and in so doing he is renewing the same instruction that has always been in force among people who had the fulness of the gospel. "Thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son," an angel told Adam, "and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the son forevermore." (Moses 5:8.)
"Jesus Christ is the name given of the Father whereby salvation and all things incident thereto may be attained. (Acts 4:12; Mosiah 3:17.) It is the name the saints take upon them in the waters of baptism (D. & C. 18:21-25; 20:37); the name by which they are called (Alma 5:37-38; 3 Ne. 27:3-10), in which they worship (D. & C. 20:29), and which they use to seal their prayers (D. & C. 50: 31); it is the name in which the saints serve God (D. & C. 59:5), work miracles (D. & C. 84:66-73), speak prophecies (D. & C. 130: 12), and do all things. (D. & C. 46: 31.)
"Use of the name of Christ centers one's faith in him and constitutes a solemn affirmation as to where all power and authority lies. For God the Father `hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.' (Philip. 2:9-11.)" (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 475-476.)
These statements about the two Comforters climax and crown the teachings of the Son of God. We have no record of anything he ever said which can so completely withdraw the curtain of eternity and open to the faithful a vision of the glories of God. Based on love, born of obedience, Jesus promises the saints that they can have, here and now in this life, the following:
(1) The gift and constant companionship of the Holy Ghost; the comfort and peace which it is the function of that Holy Spirit to bestow; the revelation and the sanctifying power which alone will prepare men for the companionship of gods and angels here -- after;
(2) Personal visitations from the Second Comforter, the Lord Jesus Christ himself, the resurrected and perfected being who dwells with his Father in the mansions on high; and
(3) God the Father -- mark it well Phillip! -- shall visit man in person, take up his abode with him, as it were, and reveal to him all the hidden mysteries of his kingdom.
Joseph Smith, as the Holy Ghost poured light and revelation into his soul, said this about the two Comforters: "There are two Comforters spoken of. One is the Holy Ghost, the same as given on the day of Pentecost, and that all Saints receive after faith, repentance, and baptism. This first Comforter or Holy Ghost has no other effect than pure intelligence. It is more powerful in expanding the mind, enlightening the understanding, and storing the intellect with present knowledge, of a man who is of the literal seed of Abraham, than one that is a Gentile, though it may not have half as much visible effect upon the body; for as the Holy Ghost falls upon one of the literal seed of Abraham, it is calm and serene; and his whole soul and body are only exercised by the pure spirit of intelligence; while the effect of the Holy Ghost upon a Gentile, is to purge out the old blood, and make him actually of the seed of Abraham. That man that has none of the blood of Abraham (naturally) must have a new creation by the Holy Ghost. In such a case, there may be more of a powerful effect upon the body, and visible to the eye, than upon an Israelite, while the Israelite at first might be far before the Gentile in pure intelligence.
"The other Comforter spoken of is a subject of great interest, and perhaps understood by few of this generation. After a person has faith in Christ, repents of his sins, and is baptized for the remission of his sins and receives the Holy Ghost (by the laying on of hands), which is the first Comforter, then let him continue to humble himself before God, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, and living by every word of God, and the Lord will soon say unto him, Son, thou shalt be exalted. When the Lord has thoroughly proved him, and finds that the man is determined to serve him at all hazards, then the man will find his calling and his election made sure, then it will be his privilege to receive the other Comforter, which the Lord hath promised the saints, as is recorded in the testimony of St. John, in the 14th chapter, from the 12th to the 27th verses. Note the 16, 17, 18, 21, 23 verses. .
"Now what is this other Comforter. It is no more nor less than the Lord Jesus Christ himself; and this is the sum and substance of the whole matter; that when any man obtains this last Comforter, he will have the personage of Jesus Christ to attend him, or appear unto him from time to time, and even he will manifest the Father unto him, and they will take up their abode with him, and the visions of the heavens will be opened unto him, and the Lord will teach him face to face, and he may have a perfect knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God; and this is the state and place the ancient saints arrived at when they had such glorious visions Isaiah, Ezekiel, John upon the Isle of Patmos, St. Paul in the three heavens, and all the saints who held communion with the general assembly and Church of the First Born." (Teachings, pp. 149-151.)
15. "The highest manifestation of love on man's part is seen in his devotion to God (Deut. 6:4-9); the next, in his attitude toward his fellow men. (Matt. 22:34-40.) But love of God is found only among those who love their fellow men. `If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.' (1 John 4:20-21.)
"Love is always associated with and manifest through service. `Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy might, mind, and strength; and in the name of Jesus Christ thou shalt serve him. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.' (D. & C. 59:5-6.) `If thou lovest me thou shalt serve me and keep my commandments.' (D. & C. 42:29; John 14:15.)" (Mormon Doctrine, p. 419.)
Love of God is thus measured in terms of service and obedience. Jesus says: "Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day." (3 Ne. 27:20.) Consider in this connection those who cry, Lord, Lord, professing their love for him with their lips, while remaining outside his Church -- do such really love him?
He commands his saints to pay their tithes and offerings, to seek the attributes of godliness, to keep themselves morally clean, to serve in the kingdom and testify of the divinity of his great latter-day work. How great is the love of those who fail or who fall short?
16. Up to this time Jesus has been with them. He has been their Comforter. But his earthly ministry must needs end; he is leaving soon to be with his Father. Accordingly, he will ask the Father to send them "another Comforter," even the Holy Ghost, to abide with them forever.
17. Spirit of truth] Both Christ and the Holy Ghost bear this title. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 681-682.) In this case the Holy Ghost is the one designated.
Whom the world cannot receive] The world cannot receive the Holy Ghost, meaning the gift of the Holy Ghost, possession of which gift enables that member of the Godhead, as Jesus here says, to dwell with and be in a person. This companionship is reserved for the saints. People in the world who are seeking to know where true religion is found -- as illustrated by their search to know if the Book of Mormon is true -- can receive a flash of revelation from the Holy Ghost, giving them the desired knowledge. (Moro. 10:4-5.) But to gain the companionship of that member of the Godhead they must forsake the world, come into the Church, and receive the bestowal of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands.
And shall be in you] "The Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us. A man may receive the Holy Ghost, and it may descend upon him and not tarry with him." (D. & C. 130:22-23.) The Holy Ghost as a personage does not inhabit the bodies of mortal men, but that member of the Godhead dwells in a man in the sense that his promptings, the whisperings of the Spirit, find lodgment in the human soul. When the Holy Spirit speaks to the spirit in man, the Holy Ghost is thereby dwelling in man, for the truths that man then gives forth are those which have come from the Holy Ghost. "Therefore it is given to abide in you; the record of heaven; the Comforter; the peaceable things of immortal glory; the truth of all things; that which quickeneth all things, which maketh alive all things; that which knoweth all things, and hath all power according to wisdom, mercy, truth, justice, and judgment." (Moses 6:61.)
18. The Lord Jesus Christ himself, the Second Comforter, will appear personally to the faithful. Mortal men have power while in this life to see God. "Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am." (D. & C. 93:1.) The Brother of Jared, among others, is one who complied with this law and thereby saw the Lord. "Because of the knowledge of this man," the record says, "he could not be kept from beholding within the veil; and he saw the finger of Jesus, which, when he saw, he fell with fear; for he knew, that it was the finger of the Lord; and he had faith no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting. Wherefore, having this perfect knowledge of God, he could not be kept from within the veil; therefore he saw Jesus; and he did minister unto him." (Ether 3:19-20.)
19. But ye see me] Jesus will appear to the disciples after his resurrection; and, also, all future disciples shall have power to see him if faithful in all things.
Because I live, ye shall live also] `My resurrection bringeth to pass the resurrection of all men; my attainment of eternal life makes possible the same high status for you; because I live, temporally and spiritually, ye shall be heirs of these same types of life.'
20. See John 17:20-26.
21. God and Christ reciprocate man's love, and because those who love Christ are the ones who keep his commandments, they thereby become the ones who shall receive the Second Comforter.
22. The questioner, and for that matter all of the disciples, did not comprehend the teachings Jesus was giving, nor would they until after his ascent into heaven and the promised descent of the Holy Ghost, whose mission would be to guide them into all all truth. (John 16:13.)
23. Jesus here announces the supreme earthly reward for personal righteousness -- a personal visitation to man of the Father and the Son. "John 14:23 -- The appearing of the Father and the Son, in that verse, is a personal appearance; and the idea that the Father and the Son dwell in a man's heart is an old sectarian notion, and is false." (D. & C. 130:3.)
24. People in the world do not love the Lord, for they do not keep his sayings. Jesus said, `Repent and be baptized.' He said, `Believe and accept the teachings of my servants the prophets.' He said, `Come follow me and do the things I do.' Until men do these things they do not love him.
The word which ye hear is not mine] `It did not originate with me; it is the word of the Father, and has become mine only by adoption.'
26. The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost] "1. The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead. He is a Personage of Spirit, a Spirit Person, a Spirit Man, a Spirit Entity. He can be in only one place at one time, and he does not and cannot transform himself into any other form or image than that of the Man whom he is, though his power and influence can be manifest at one and the same time through all immensity. (D. & C. 130:22-23; Teachings, p. 190, 275-276; Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed., pp. 59-62.)
"He is the Comforter, Testator, Revelator, Sanctifier, Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit of Promise, Spirit of Truth, Spirit of the Lord, and Messenger of the Father and the Son, and his companionship is the greatest gift that mortal man can enjoy. His mission is to perform all of the functions appertaining to the various name-titles which he bears. Because he is a Spirit Personage, he has power -- according to the eternal laws ordained by the Father -- to perform essential and unique functions for men. In this dispensation, at least, nothing has been revealed as to his origin or destiny; expressions on these matters are both speculative and fruitless.
"2. Sometimes the designation Holy Ghost is used to mean, not the Individual or Person who is a member of the Godhead, but the power or gift of that Personage. After Philip had baptized some converts in Samaria, Peter and John were sent unto them, `Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.' (Acts 8:12-17.) Similarly Paul found some converts in Ephesus who supposed they had been baptized by a legal administrator. To them Paul said, `Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?' Finding they were misinformed as to their church status, Paul arranged for a proper baptism. Then `when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.' (Acts 19:1-7.) In both of these instances the scriptures speak of receiving the Holy Ghost, meaning the receipt and enjoyment following baptism of the gift and power of the Holy Ghost. Nephi spoke similarly when he said that the Holy Ghost `is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him, as well in times of old as in the time that he should manifest himself unto the children of men.' (1 Ne. 10:17.)" (Mormon Doctrine, p. 329.)
Whom the Father will send in my name] The Holy Ghost acts in the place and stead of Christ, saying what the Son would say, revealing what he would reveal, strengthening whom he would strengthen, enlightening whom he would enlighten. His words are the words of Christ, and when men or angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost, they speak the words of Christ. (2 Ne. 32:2-3.) Indeed, so completely and wholly does this Spirit member of the Godhead represent Christ that he can with propriety speak in the first person as though he were the Son. "And in that day the Holy Ghost fell upon Adam, which beareth record of the Father and the Son, saying: I am the Only Begotten of the Father from the be ginning, henceforth and forever, that as thou hast fallen thou mayest be redeemed, and all mankind, even as many as will." (Moses 5:9.)
He shall teach you all things] All things? Yes, all things; and all things means all things. "And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." (Moro. 10:5.) The revealed word says God knows all things and has all truth, which means there is nothing he does not know and no truth he does not possess. Consequently, now or hereafter, in time or eternity, the Holy Ghost shall teach all things to deserving and eligible students.
And bring all things to your remembrance] By this means came the gospel accounts of Jesus' ministry. No man, of himself can remember and record, with accuracy and perfection, conversations had or sermons heard in former days or years. But where Jesus and his ministry are concerned, these things were brought back to the remembrance of the authoring disciples, which means in effect they were receiving revelation at the time the gospels were recorded by them.
John 14:27. My peace] Christ is "The Prince of Peace" (Isa. 9:6), the revealer and dispenser of inner spiritual peace, that "peace of God, which passeth all understanding" (Philip. 4:7), that peace which is a gift of God to the obedient. "Those who gain this peace in this life shall die in peace (D. & C. 45:46), continue in peace in the paradise of God (Alma 40:12), and then rise in the resurrection to inherit eternal peace in the kingdom of God. `Learn that he who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come.' (D. & C. 59:23.)" (Mormon Doctrine, p. 508.)
Not as the world giveth] Not the salutation, "Peace be with you," which was common among the Jews; not merely the absence of war; not an enforced or voluntary armistice between armed belligerents; not worldly peace. Rather, an inner peace born of the sure conviction of the divinity of the Lord's earthly kingdom; a peace which carries an assurance of a better world to come; a peace that dwells in the souls of men though they may be in the midst of war and turmoil.
Let not your heart be troubled] See John 14:1.
28. Ye would rejoice] Jesus and his intimate friends are to part company for a time. In the very nature of things dear friends sorrow at separation. When our loved ones die we weep. And yet because Jesus goes back to the Father, he will be crowned with glory and exaltation. In connection with his death, resurrection, and return to his eternal throne, he will do the things which will bring blessings and rewards to all men. Surely the disciples, from the eternal perspective, should have rejoiced at this; and in a similar sense we too should rejoice when righteous loved ones go on to their abodes in the realms of glory.
My Father is greater than I] Are they not one? Do they not both possess all power, all wisdom, all knowledge, all truth? Have they not both gained all godly attributes in their fulness and perfection? Verily, yes, for the revelations so announce and the Prophet so taught. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 492-493.) And yet our Lord's Father is greater than he, greater in kingdoms and dominions, greater in principalities and exaltations. One does and shall rule over the other everlastingly. Though Jesus is himself God, he is also the Son of God, and as such the Father is his God as he is ours. "I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God" (John 20:17), he is soon to say.
Joseph Smith, with inspired insight, tells how Jesus is God's heir; how he receives and possesses all that the Father hath, and is therefore (as Paul said) "equal with God" (Philip. 2:6), and yet at the same time is subject to and less than the Father. These are his words: "What did Jesus do? Why; I do the things I saw my Father do when worlds came rolling into existence. My Father worked out his kingdom with fear and trembling, and I must do the same; and when I get my kingdom, I shall present it to my Father, so that he may obtain kingdom upon kingdom, and it will exalt him in glory. He will then take a higher exaltation, and I will take his place, and thereby become exalted myself. So that Jesus treads in the tracks of his Father, and inherits what God did before; and God is thus glorified and exalted in the salvation and exaltation of all his children." (Teachings, pp. 347-348.)
29. `And now I have told you in advance that I shall die and be resurrected; that I shall then return to my Father; that later I shall come again -- all to strengthen your faith in me when these things do take place.'
30. Prince of this world] Lucifer, "the prince of darkness, who is of this world." (I. V. verse 30.)
I. V. John 14:30. Hath no power over me, but he hath power over you] `I have overcome the world, so that the prince of darkness, who is of this world, has no power over me, but he still has power over you because you have not as yet overcome the world.'
31. I love the Father] Why? Because he kept the Father's commandments; because he did all things as directed by his Holy Parent.
Matt. 26:30. Sung an hymn] This was part of the prescribed Passover procedure and would have been Psalms 115-118, which accompanied the fourth Passover cup. See Matt. 26:26-29.
Christ and his prophets are one. They cannot be separated from each other. He is the Vine; they are the branches. Salvation is available because of them both, not because of one or the other alone. The fruit of eternal life can only be picked from a live branch, a branch growing out of the true Vine. Without a living Vine there would be neither a living branch nor living fruit.
Salvation comes because of Christ. He is the living Vine who worked out the infinite and eternal atoning sacrifice. But the message of salvation is carried to men by Christ's prophets. They are living branches who carry the life-giving truths to other men, to men who can then pick the fruit of eternal life from the branches. Both vine and branches are required to produce fruit, and both Christ and his ministers are required to make salvation available to mankind.
Hence, the gospel can only be preached with saving effect when there are legal administrators to carry the Lord's saving truths to men, ministers who are called, commissioned, and empowered by him. In other words, unless God has apostles and prophets on earth, who as legal administrators are tied in to the true Vine, the message of salvation cannot be taught with that life -- giving power which will enable men to enjoy the fruit of salvation.
1. I am the true vine] `I am the Messiah and have life in myself; because of me there is life in you.' My Father is the husbandman] `I am the Son of God. My Father is the husbandman; he planted me in his vineyard to give life to you so that his work could go forth.'
2. `Every apostle, prophet, and legal administrator whom I have commissioned to offer the fruit of eternal life to men shall be cut off by my Father unless he carries forward my work; and every minister who is faithful in my service shall be pruned of dead foliage (divested of worldly distractions) and given power to bring forth more fruit.'
Fruit] The words of eternal life in this world and eternal life itself in the world to come. "I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy. And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen. And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceeding great joy." (1 Ne. 8:10-12.)
3-6. "In superb allegory the Lord thus proceeded to illustrate the vital relationship between the apostles and himself, and be -- tween himself and the Father, by the figure of a vinegrower, a vine, and its branches. . . . A grander analogy is not to be found in the world's literature. Those ordained servants of the Lord were as helpless and useless without him as is a bough severed from the tree. As the branch is made fruitful only by virtue of the nourishing sap it receives from the rooted trunk, and if cut away or broken off withers, dries, and becomes utterly worthless except as fuel for the burning, so those men, though ordained to the Holy Apostleship, would find themselves strong and fruitful in good works, only as they remained in steadfast communion with the Lord. Without Christ what were they, but unschooled Galileans, some of them fishermen, one a publican, the rest of undistinguished attainments, and all of them weak mortals? As branches of the Vine they were at that hour clean and healthful, through the instructions and authoritative ordinances with which they had been blessed, and by the reverent obedience they had manifested." (Talmage, pp. 604-606.)
7. See Matt. 18:19-20; Luke 17:5-6; John 14:12-14.
8. See John 13:31-35.
9-10. Which is greater and more to be desired, to love God or be loved by him? In his providences the one grows out of the other, for Deity reciprocates in full and abundant measure the love his children confer upon him. And Jesus here speaks, not of the divine decree that men should love God, but of the special and preferential love bestowed by the Lord upon those who love and serve him. Such are singled out by Deity to receive special grace and goodness because they are in process of becoming one with him.
11. Your joy might be full] Jesus amplified, to three of the Nephite Twelve, the promise here given to his Old World special witnesses: "Ye have desired that ye might bring the souls of men unto me, while the world shall stand," he said unto them. "And for this cause ye shall have fulness of joy; and ye shall sit down in the kingdom of my Father; yea, your joy shall be full, even as the Father hath given me fulness of joy; and ye shall be even as I am, and I am even as the Father; and the Father and I are one." (3 Ne. 28:9-10.)
This promise, in principle, is available to all saints, for "Men are, that they might have joy" (2 Ne. 2:25), and that God who is no respecter of persons desires to reward all his children with the choicest blessings of time and eternity. "Obtaining exaltation consists in gaining a fulness of joy; it is to enter into the joy of the Lord. (D. & C. 51:19.) The saints are to `reap eternal joy' for all their sufferings (D. & C. 109:76), though their joy is not to be full in this life. (D. & C. 101:36.) A fulness of joy is found only among resurrected, exalted beings. (D. & C. 93:33.) `Those who have died in Jesus Christ may expect to enter into all that fruition of joy when they come forth, which they possessed or anticipated here.' (Teachings, p. 295.) Christ himself endured all things, including the cross, `for the joy that was set before him' (Heb. 12:2), and he has obtained a fulness of joy. (3 Ne. 17:20; 28:10.)" (Mormon Doctrine, p. 364.)
12-13. As with all goodly graces and godly attributes, love comes in varying degrees and amounts; and also, as with all these, love was perfected in the person and life of the great Exemplar.
14-15. Friends of the Lord, what a salutation this is! Our Lord's friends are those who, having overcome all things, having kept his commandments to the full, having made their callings and elections sure, are the ones he will call to dwell and associate with him in glorious exaltation.
This same gladsome salutation has been given to men in this dispensation also. To selected elders of his latter-day kingdom came these words from his mouth: "As I said unto mine apostles, even so I say unto you, for you are mine apostles, even God's high priests; ye are they whom my Father hath given me; ye are my friends, . . . for from henceforth I shall call you friends." (D. & C. 84:63, 77.) Also: "Verily, I say unto my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., or in other words, I will call you friends, for you are my friends, and ye shall have an inheritance with me -- I called you servants for the world's sake, and ye are their servants for my sake." (D. & C. 93:45-46.)
15. All things that I have heard of my Father I have made known to you] This statement, undoubtedly part of a digested and summarized account of Jesus' statements to his friends, must be interpreted and understood along with the statement he was shortly to make about saying many additional things to them. (John 16:12-15.) The meaning is: `I have told you and will tell you all things I have heard from my Father which you are able to bear at this time. When you receive the enlightening power of the Holy Ghost, then, through him as my revealer and witness, I shall have many more things to teach you.'
16. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you] Christ chooses his own ministers. Men can no more choose to serve as apostles, prophets, elders, or ministers of spiritual concerns, than they can appoint themselves kings, presidents, rulers or magistrates in civil affairs. True ministers of revealed religion become such, not because of some feeling (falsely considered to be a "call") that comes into their hearts, but because the Almighty by revelation selects them for his service, by his own voice, through the ministering of angels, or by the power of the Holy Ghost operating upon prophets previously called.
Ordained you] God's ministers are ordained. They have the holy priesthood conferred upon them and are ordained by the laying on of hands to officiate in specific offices and callings. Priesthood is the power and authority of God delegated to man on earth to actin all things for the salvation of men; it is divided into two orders -- Aaronic and Melchizedek. These apostles had been chosen by revelation and ordained by Jesus to their high and holy ministry in the Melchizedek Order. And as it is with them, so it is with all true representatives of the Lord, for Paul said: "No man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron." (Heb. 5:4.) Unless the Lord's ministers actually have this authority from the Lord they cannot cast out devils, heal the sick, confer the Holy Ghost, perform a baptism that will be recognized in heaven, or do any of the host of things reserved for performance by legal administrators in the Lord's earthly kingdom. See Luke 9:1-6.
There was war in heaven, war in the presence of God, war against God, war between the forces of light and darkness. Michael and the righteous spirits fought against the dragon and his evil followers. Satan and his rebels were then cast down to earth where he now reigns as the God of this World and where he and all his angels continue the war begun in pre-existence. (Rev. 12:7-17.) Those who lead the Lord's hosts here are the apostles and prophets, the saints of God, those who have forsaken the world, choosing instead to live by gospel standards. Their warfare is against the world with all the carnality and evil which comprise it.
Thus the opposition of the world is one of the chief identifying characteristics of true religion. Worldly people always resent and resist the higher way of life manifest through the gospel. "Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like" are of the world. (Gal. 5:19-21.) Those who live after the manner of the world follow after these things. When true Christians seek to ban alcoholic beverages, to prohibit gambling, to curtail recreation and commercialism on the Sabbath, to prevent the publication of lewd and pornographic materials, to abolish war, or to do any of a host of things which run counter to the appetites and passions of carnal people, then the battles break out anew.
John 15:18. The world] Not the earth or planet upon which we live, but "The social conditions created by such of the inhabitants of the earth as live carnal, sensuous, lustful lives, and who have not put off the natural man by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel. . .
"All mortals who arrive at the years of accountability are of the world unless they put off the natural man, become new creatures of the Holy Ghost, and gain the rebirth of the Spirit. Alma taught that since the fall of Adam all mankind has `become carnal, sensual, and devilish, by nature.' (Alma 42:10.)
"The angelic ministrant to King Benjamin said: `The natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fail of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord.' (Mosiah 3:19.)
"Members of the Church have the goal of overcoming the world. `Love not the world,' John said, `neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.' (1 John 2:15-17.)
"James wrote: `Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is emnity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.' (Jas. 4:4.)
"The end of the world is the end of unrighteousness or of worldliness as we know it, and this will be brought about by `the destruction of the wicked.' (Jos. Smith 1:4.) When our world ends and the millennial era begins, there will be a new heaven and a new earth. (Isa. 65:17-25; D. & C. 101:23-24.) Lust, carnality, and sensuousness of every sort will cease, for it will be the end of the world." (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 767-768.)
20-21. As with the Master, so with the servant: persecution is always the heritage of the faithful. The Lord's ministers in all dispensations have suffered for his name's sake. For instance, speaking to Joseph Smith of his sufferings and persecutions the Lord said: "If thou art called to pass through tribulation; if thou art in perils among false brethren; if thou art in perils among robbers; if thou art in perils by land or by sea; If thou art accused with all manner of false accusations; if thine enemies fall upon thee; if they tear thee from the society of thy father and mother and brethren and sisters; and if with a drawn sword thine enemies tear thee from the bosom of thy wife, and of thine offspring, and thine elder son, although but six years of age, shall cling to thy garments, and shall say, My father, my father, why can't you stay with us? O, my father, what are the men going to do with you? and if then he shall be thrust from thee by the sword, and thou be dragged to prison, and thine enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb; And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?" (D. & C. 122:5-8.)
22-25. See John 9:40-41. Men "become transgressors" when they reject added light and truth. (D. & C. 82:3-4.) If Jesus had not taught and ministered among the Jews, they would not have been condemned for rejecting him. As it was they now were convicted of hating the Father because they hated the Son.
25. They hated me without a cause] In the original, David seemingly said it of himself (Ps. 69:4), but Jesus here gives it a Messianic meaning by applying it to himself, thus illustrating again how Messianic prophecies are to be interpreted. See John 13:18.
26. See John 16:5-15. 27. See Luke 24:48.
John 16:2. Whosoever killeth you will thing that he doeth God service] Sincerity has almost nothing to do with gaining salvation. Men who slay the saints can be just as sincere as those who thus become martyrs. Men can believe so devoutly in falsehood that they will even lay down their own lives for it. What does it matter that those who killed the prophets, either ancient or modern, thought they did God service? The thing that counts is truth, pure God-given truth.
5-6. Jesus is going away, going to be with his Father. Already he has told this to the Jews. (John 8:21-23.) Earlier in this same discourse he has spoken of it to the disciples; has answered Peter's query, "Whither goest thou?" by telling where and why; and has invited them all to follow him to the same place. (John 13:33, 36; 14:2-6.) Now it is as though he were gently chiding them for not seeking to know more about his departure.
`Instead of being sorrowful and silent because I said I am going to the Father, why don't you ask me more about it and learn the great gospel truths which are involved.'
7. Just as Jesus and the Father are so much alike in appearance, and so completely united in doctrine and in all the attributes of godliness, that he who has seen one has in effect seen the other, so there is a similar unity between Jesus and the Holy Ghost. They are one in that they both would say and do the same thing under the same circumstances. Hence, as long as Jesus was with the disciples in person, there was not the full need for them to have the constant companionship of the Spirit that there would be after Jesus left. The disciples had on occasions felt the promptings of the Spirit. Peter, for one, had received a revelation from the Father, given by the power of the Holy Ghost, certifying that Jesus was "the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matt. 16:16.) But the enjoyment of the gift of the Holy Ghost, that is the actual and continuing companionship of that holy being, was yet future.
I will send him unto you] Earlier Jesus had said he would ask the Father to send the Holy Ghost. (John 14:16, 26.) Now he says he will do it himself. Both statements are descriptive of the fact. The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead and as such does the bidding of both the Father and the Son.
8. Reprove] The Greek word means to prove a person in the wrong, hence to convict.
9-11. These are difficult verses which have come to us in such a condensed and abridged form as to make interpretation difficult. The seeming meaning is: `When you receive the companionship of the Spirit, so that you speak forth what he reveals to you, then your teachings will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. The world will be convicted of sin for rejecting me, for not believing your Spirit-inspired testimony that I am the Son of God through whom salvation comes. They will be convicted for rejecting your testimony of my righteousness -- for supposing I am a blasphemer, a deceiver, and an imposter -- when in fact I have gone to my Father, a thing I could not do unless my works were true and righteous altogether. They will be convicted of false judgment for rejecting your testimony against the religions of the day, and for choosing instead to follow Satan, the prince of this world, who himself, with all his religious philosophies, will be judged and found wanting.'
12. Ye cannot bear them now] The things of God can only be understood by the power of the Spirit. (1 Cor. 2:11-16.) Until the disciples received that Spirit, they would not be able to "bear" or understand all the mysteries of the kingdom.
13. The Spirit of truth] See John 14:17. He will guide you into all truth] This promise is made to the saints, not to the world. Jesus had just told them that the world could not receive the Holy Ghost, meaning the gift or the companionship of that member of the Godhead. (John 14:17.) Now our Lord is saying that the saints can have that companionship, and through it can come to a knowledge of all things. People outside the Church can and do receive revelation from the Holy Ghost telling them of the divinity of the Lord's work. It is in this way that sincere investigators get to know that the Book of Mormon is true, for instance. And if they, then, come into the Church and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, they have made available to them the constant companionship of the Holy Spirit. Then the promise of Moroni can be fulfilled: "And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." (Moro. 10:4-5.)
Joseph Smith said: "No man can receive the Holy Ghost without receiving revelations. The Holy Ghost is a revelator." (Teachings, p. 328.) Also: "A person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance, when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas, so that by noticing it, you may find it fulfilled the same day or soon; that is, those things that were presented unto your minds by the Spirit of God, will come to pass; and thus by learning [to recognize] the Spirit of God and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of revelation, until you become perfect in Christ Jesus." (Teachings, p. 151.)
"I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart. Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation." (D. & C. 8:2-3.)
He shall not speak of himself] The Father knows all things, the Son also. Jesus "received a fulness of truth, yea, even of all truth," and was "glorified in truth" and knew "all things." (D. & C. 93:26-28.) As their minister, the Holy Ghost speaks for the Father and the Son, revealing what they know, which is "all things," and "all truth."
He will shew you things to come] "And to them will I reveal all mysteries, yea, all the hidden mysteries of my kingdom from days of old, and for ages to come, will I make known unto them the good pleasure of my will concerning all things pertaining to my kingdom. Yea, even the wonders of eternity shall they know, and things to come will I show them, even the things of many generations. And their wisdom shall be great, and their understanding reach to heaven; and before them the wisdom of the wise shall perish, and the understanding of the prudent shall come to naught. For by my Spirit will I enlighten them, and by my power will I make known unto them the secrets of my will -- yea, even those things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the heart of man." (D. & C. 76:7-10.)
He shall testify of me (John 14:26)] Salvation centers in Christ. The Holy Ghost is Christ's revelator to bear witness of his divine Sonship and of the saving truths of his gospel. "The Holy Ghost," Nephi said, "witnesses of the Father and the Son." (2 Ne. 31:18.) In Abraham's record this third member of the Godhead was called "God the third, the witness or Testator." (Teachings, p. 190.) As a Spirit personage, the Holy Spirit, by laws which are ordained, has power to speak to the spirit within man and to convey truth with absolute certainty. This revealed knowledge becomes a personal testimony to the recipient. By definition a testimony of the gospel is to know by personal revelation from the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ through whom salvation comes; that Joseph Smith is the prophet who revealed anew to the world the saving truths of the gospel; and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the kingdom of God on earth.
14. He shall glorify me] The Father and the Son, through their ministries, as Jesus has just announced, glorify each other. (John 13:31-32; 14:13.) Now Jesus says the Holy Ghost shall glorify the Son -- a thing which comes to pass because men believe the testimony of the Holy Ghost, so live as to gain exaltation, and thereby add dominions and kingdoms to the endless domains of the Father and the Son. See John 13:31-35.
15. All things that the Father hath are mine] This is true of Christ and of all exalted beings; it is the doctrine of joint-heirship. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 361-362.) Each person who magnifies his calling in the Melchizedek Priesthood receives this promise: "All that my Father hath shall be given unto him." (D. & C. 84:38.)
During these closing hours of his mortal life, Jesus gently and with increasing plainness renews his teachings that he shall die and be resurrected. He is approaching the high point of his ministry, the hour when he shall take upon himself the sins of the world, when he shall suffer himself to be crucified, when he shall come forth in glorious immortality to minister briefly among mortal men, and shall ascend to everlasting exaltation at the right hand of his Father.
Jesus' coming separation from his beloved disciples is to be brief. They shall witness his death; place his body in the tomb; be absent while he visits the spirits in paradise; and then the third day he shall rise again to appear and minister once more to them. They shall sorrow because of the separation, rejoice at the reunion; they shall lament at his death, feel exultation at his resurrection -- all of which is a type and shadow of how, for all men, the sorrow and separation of death is swallowed up in the joy of the resurrection.
John 16:24. Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name] See John 14:13-14. Since the divine law in all ages called for men to pray to the Father in the name of Christ, why had Jesus awaited this hour to institute the age-old system among his disciples? Perhaps it is a situation similar to that which is involved in receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost; as long as Jesus was with the disciples they did not enjoy the full manifestations of the Holy Ghost. (John 16:7.) Perhaps as long as Jesus was personally with them many of their petitions were addressed directly to him rather than to the Father. Such was the course followed by the Nephites when the resurrected and glorified Lord ministered among them. They prayed directly to him and not to the Father. "When they had all knelt down upon the earth," the record says, Jesus "commanded his disciples that they should pray. And behold, they began to pray; and they did pray unto Jesus, calling him their Lord and their God." Then Jesus, in a prayer of his own to the Father, said, "They pray unto me because I am with them." (3 Ne. 19:17-18, 22.) Perhaps, also, there was a matter of propriety which would keep prayers from being said in Jesus' name as long as he was present and going "from grace to grace" (D. & C. 93:13) in working out his own salvation. In any event, prayers in his name were to commence "at that day" (v. 26), meaning after his resurrection.
25. In proverbs] See Matt. 13:1-3a, 10-17, 34-35.
26-27. `You have direct access to the Father; he loves you because you love me and believe that I came from him; you, therefore, are to pray to him, in my name, and it is not necessary for me to refer your petitions to him.' And if men should pray directly to the Father and not to Christ, how much more should they pray to the Father and not to so-called saints who are then expected to intercede with the Lord for them.
28. From the Father . . . to the Father] It offends all sense and reason, and is an irrational wrenching of the plain meaning of words, to suppose that these repeated references to the Father and the Son as distinct individuals can be harmonized with the trinitarian creeds of modern churches. How the Father and the Son can be two manifestations of the same thing when they travel back and forth to each other is more than common logic can conceive.
30. Needest not that any man should ask thee] Jesus had read their thoughts and answered their unspoken questions, thus strengthening their faith in him.
32. See Matt. 26:31-35. 33. In me ye might have peace] See John 14:27. Be of good cheer] A perfect Christian salutation! The gospel banishes doubt and gloom. Hope and joy fill the hearts of those who follow Him who overcame the world.
1. These words] The words of the Intercessory Prayer, so named because of the intercessory pleadings Jesus makes for his disciples and for all who believe on his name; called also the High Priestly Prayer, meaning a prayer by the great "High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus" (Heb. 3:1), who is about to perform his supreme priestly function by sacrificing himself for the sins of the world.
The prayer itself is one of the greatest ever recorded and is perhaps exceeded only by those which it is beyond the ability of the written word to preserve. Many of its petitions and statements were repeated by Jesus when he prayed for the Nephite disciples. Because of the greater faith of those ancient American inhabitants, the sacred account has this to say of additional prayers Jesus offered in their behalf: "And it came to pass that he went again a little way off and prayed unto the Father; And tongue cannot speak the words which he prayed, neither can be written by man the words which he prayed. And the multitude did hear and do bear record; and their hearts were open and they did understand in their hearts the words which he prayed. Nevertheless, so great and marvelous were the words which he prayed that they cannot be written, neither can they be uttered by man." (3 Ne. 19:31-34) Earlier in his Nephite ministry our Lord had also prayed with this same overpowering effect. (3 Ne. 17:14-18.)
The hour is come] Jesus had come into the world to suffer the trials of the approaching hour, the hour when he would work out the infinite and eternal atoning sacrifice and fulfil the will of the Father in all things. Glorify thy Son] Jesus prays for himself. He asks for exaltation in the Father's kingdom, thus setting a pattern for prayer which all men should follow.
2. Power over all flesh] All things are subject to Jesus. He is the Creator and Redeemer. He judges all men. (John 5:22.) He is "the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth, who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity." (Mosiah 3:5.) He should give eternal life] Christ rewards men; the Father has placed all things in his hands. Salvation comes because of the Son. "There is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah." (2 Ne. 2:8.)
3. Life eternal] Also called everlasting life. "As used in the scriptures, eternal life is the name given to the kind of life that our Eternal Father lives. The word eternal, as used in the name eternal life, is a noun and not an adjective. It is one of the formal names of Deity (Moses 1:3; 7:35; D. & C. 19:11) and has been chosen by him as the particular name to identify the kind of life that he lives. He being God, the life he lives is God's life; and his name (in the noun sense) being Eternal, the kind of life he lives is eternal life. Thus: God's life is eternal life; eternal life is God's life -- the expressions are synonymous.
"Accordingly, eternal life is not a name that has reference only to the unending duration of a future life; immortality is to live forever in the resurrected state, and by the grace of God all men will gain this unending continuance of life. But only those who obey the fulness of the gospel law will inherit eternal life. (D. & C. 29:43-44.) It is `the greatest of all the gifts of God' (D. & C. 14:7), for it is the kind, status, type, and quality of life that God himself enjoys. Thus those who gain eternal life receive exaltation; they are sons of God, joint-heirs with Christ, members of the Church of the Firstborn; they overcome all things, have all power, and receive the fulness of the Father. They are gods." (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 219-220.)
Included within eternal life is eternal lives meaning "a continuation of the seeds," or a "continuation of the lives" forever. (D. & C. 132:19, 22.) In speaking of having spirit progeny forever, which is a natural outgrowth of the doctrine of eternal marriage, the Lord taught the truth involved by paraphrasing the language of his Intercessory Prayer in this way: "This is eternal lives -- to know the only wise and true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent." (D. & C. 132:24.)
Know thee the only true God] It is one thing to know about God and another to know him. We know about him when we learn that he is a personal being in whose image man is created; when we learn that the Son is in the express image of his Father's person; when we learn that both the Father and the Son possess certain specified attributes and powers. But we know them, in the sense of gaining eternal life, when we enjoy and experience the same things they do. To know God is to think what he thinks, to feel what he feels, to have the power he possesses, to comprehend the truths he understands, and to do what he does. Those who know God become like him, and have his kind of life, which is eternal life.
4-5. Jesus "was like unto God" (Abra. 3:24) before the world was; he had glory and dominion then; and he then became, under the direction of the Father, the Creator of this earth and of worlds without number. (Moses 1:31-33.) At the appointed time he came to this particular earth to work out both his own salvation and the atonement which would make salvation available to all men.
In this prayer, speaking as though the atoning sacrifice had already been made, Jesus is certifying to the Father that the Son has done the appointed work, and asks that as a consequence he be given again the state of dignity and honor he once held. That he was required to work out his own salvation, and did in fact do so, is set forth by John in these words: "And he bore record, saying: I saw his glory, that he was in the beginning, before the world was; . . . And I, John, bear record that I beheld his glory, as the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, even the Spirit of truth, which came and dwelt in the flesh, and dwelt among us. And I, John, saw that he received not of the fulness at the first, but received grace for grace; And he received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness; And thus he was called the Son of God, because he received not of the fulness at the first. ... And I, John, bear record that he received a fulness of the glory of the Father; And he received all power, both in heaven and on earth, and the glory of the Father was with him, for he dwelt in him." (D. & C. 93:7, 11-14, 16-17.)
Jesus is the great Mediator, Advocate, and Intercessor. His mission is to plead the cause of his saints in the courts above. He makes intercession for them, advocates their causes, and performs the divine service of mediation which reconciles them to God. "There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Tim. 2:5.) "He shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved. And because of the intercession for all, all men come unto God; wherefore, they stand in the presence of him, to be judged of him according to the truth and holiness which is in him." (2 Ne. 2:9-10.)
"Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him -- Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified; Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life." (D. & C. 45:3-5.)
6-8. For his Nephite disciples Jesus prayed to the Father with these words: "Father, I thank thee that thou hast given the Holy Ghost unto these whom I have chosen; and it is because of their belief in me that I have chosen them out of the world. Father, I pray thee that thou wilt give the Holy Ghost unto all them that shall believe in their words. Father, thou hast given them the Holy Ghost because they believe in me; and thou seest that they believe in me because thou hearest them, and they pray unto me; and they pray unto me because I am with them." (3 Ne. 19:20-22.)
9-10. "Father, I thank thee that thou hast purified those whom I have chosen, because of their faith, and I pray for them, and also for them who shall believe on their words, that they may be purified in me, through faith on their words, even as they are purified in me. Father, I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me out of the world, because of their faith, that they may be purified in me, that I may be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one, that I may be glorified in them." (3 Ne. 19:28-29.)
9. I pray not for the world] Though some prayers may be offered for the world, Jesus' intercessory pleadings are reserved for those who believe in him and who keep his commandments; they are not for the world. (D. & C. 45:5.) Man is reconciled to God on conditions of faith and repentance. Jesus petitions the Father to give eternal life to those who believe in him. If those in the world repent, then they are blessed because of Christ's entreaties for them. He makes intercession for all men in the sense that it is available if men believe and obey his law.
11. That they may be one, as we are] See John 17:20-26. 12. The son of perdition] Judas, who was probably not a son of perdition in the sense of one who is damned forever, but in the sense that he was a son or follower of Satan in this life. See Matt. 26:21-25.
14. Thy word] The gospel; the plan of salvation; the announcement that salvation comes because of the Son; the message that men must have faith in Christ, repent of their sins, be baptized, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and endure in righteousness to the end, if they are to be saved in his kingdom. The world] See John 15:18.
15. To take the saints out of the world before they have passed the assigned tests of mortality would defeat the purposes of earth life. Men are here to be tried and tested, to gain experience, to overcome the world. It is by resisting evil and living by a higher standard than the world has that men fill the full measure of their mortal creation.
17. Thy word is truth] See John 18:38.
`Be one!' Such is God's eternal command to his people. "Be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine." (D. & C. 38:27.) If and when perfect unity exists among the saints, they accomplish the Lord's purposes on earth and gain their own exaltation in the life to come.
`Be one!' To keep this command ever before his people the Lord thunders it into their ears by using himself and the eternal Godhead as the illustration of what unity is and how it operates. `Be one, even as I and my Father are one; unite together as the Gods of heaven unite. Do not go your separate ways; rally round one standard. Believe the same doctrines; teach the same truths; testify of the same God; walk in the same paths; live the same laws; hold the same priesthood; marry in the same celestial order; become one with me. Be one!'
Is it any wonder then that the revelations say: "The Lord our God is one Lord." (Deut. 6:4.) "This is . . . the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end." (2 Ne. 31:21.) "And the honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, which is one God." (Testimony of the Three Witnesses.) "I and my Father are one." (John 10:30.)
Using himself as the perfect example, Deity is teaching unity to his people. Three mortal high priests comprise the First Presidency of the Church. Their goal is to be one as the three separate members of the eternal Godhead are one. Millions of weak and struggling mortals belong to the Church; Deity expects them all to be one as the Gods of heaven are one.
Since those who are one think and believe and act alike, they thus possess the same characteristics and attributes, or in other words the same spirit dwells in them. Hence, in a figurative sense they are in each other, or they dwell in each other, even as God and Christ dwell in each other for the same reason.
To pretend to believe that the Father and the Son are one in some mysterious and incomprehensible way so that the two designations are simply different manifestations of the same thing, is to wrest the scriptures, mangle the plain language they contain, and do away with some of the best symbolism and most perfect teaching known to man. Three Gods are one as endless millions of men should be one -- and in no other sense.
Those who live the perfect law of unity "become the sons of God, even one in me as I am one in the Father, as the Father is one in me, that we may be one." (D. & C. 35:2.) To Adam the Lord said: "Behold, thou art one in me, a son of God; and thus may all become my sons."(Moses 6:68.)
20-21. "And now Father, I pray unto thee for them, and also for all those who shall believe on their words, that they may believe in me, that I may be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one." (3 Ne. 19:23.)
21, 23. That the world may believe (know) that thou hast sent me] Unity among the saints stands as a witness of the divinity of the Church and therefore of the divine Sonship of him whose Church it is.
Luke and John record this conversation as occurring in the Upper Room where Jesus and his disciples were celebrating the Feast of the Passover; Matthew and Mark put it at the Mount of Olives after the select group had left their paschal celebrations. What matters, however, is that all four gospel authors preserved it so we might: (1) View the weakness of man before he is strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit; (2) Know Jesus' concept of true conversion; (3) Gain a better knowledge of the earlier command to go forth without purse or scrip; and (4) Receive a renewed announcement of the coming death of Jesus.
Matt. 26:31. What a dreadful thing it is to call for a sword against God; and yet it is part of the plan. Jesus is to die; the Shepherd is to be slain; the sheep are to be scattered. And Zechariah had foretold it all in these Messianic words: "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones." (Zech. 13:7.)
32. Jesus' purpose in calling attention to Zechariah's Messianic prophecy was to strengthen the apostles. Though he was smitten and they were scattered, yet he would come forth in the triumph of the resurrection, and they must rally together, gather in the scattered sheep, and do the work assigned them.
John 13:36-37. Peter offers to be with Jesus in his death and is told, "Thou shalt follow me afterwards," which gives a prophetic glimpse of the death he should die. See John 21:18-19.
Matt. 26:33-35. To rise above the pressure of the world man must have God's help. However sincerely'Peter felt he would stand valiantly in defense of his Master (and the others had like feelings), yet the weakness of the flesh forecast failure, because he (and they) were not yet endowed with the Holy Ghost.
Luke 22:31-32. Satan wanted to tempt Peter beyond his power to resist; he wanted Peter, the chief apostle, to fall. Satan wanted to harvest the earth, to sift the saints as wheat, so that both wheat and tares would be garnered into his bin. This he would find easier to do were Peter not there to guide them. Hence, Jesus' special prayer that Peter's faith fail not; and hence the continuing prayers of the saints, always and ever, for the apostles and prophets who guide the Church.
32. When thou art converted] "Conversion is more -- far more -- than merely changing one's belief from that which is false to that which is true; it is more than the acceptance of the verity of gospel truths, than the acquirement of a testimony. To convert is to change from one status to another, and gospel conversion consists in the transformation of man from his fallen and carnal state to a state of saintliness.
"A convert is one who has put off the natural man, yielded to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and become `a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord.' Such a person has become `as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.' (Mosiah 3:19.) He has become a new creature of the Holy Ghost: the old creature has been converted or changed into a new one. He has been born again: where once he was spiritually dead, he has been regenerated to a state of spiritual life. (Mosiah 27:24-29.) In real conversion, which is essential to salvation (Matt. 18:3), the convert not only changes his beliefs, casting off the false traditions of the past and accepting the beauties of revealed religion, but he changes his whole way of life, and the nature and structure of his very being is quickened and changed by the power of the Holy Ghost.
"Peter is the classic example of how the power of conversion works on receptive souls. During our Lord's mortal ministry, Peter had a testimony, born of the Spirit, of the divinity of Christ and of the great plan of salvation which was in Christ. `Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,' he said, as the Holy Ghost gave him utterance. (Matt. 16:13-19.) When others fell away, Peter stood forth with the apostolic assurance, `We believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.' (John 6:69.) Peter knew, and his knowledge came by revelation.
"But Peter was not converted, because he had not become a new creature of the Holy Ghost. Rather, long after Peter had gained a testimony, and on the very night Jesus was arrested, he said to Peter: `When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.' (Luke 22:32.) Immediately thereafter, and regardless of his testimony, Peter denied that he knew Christ. (Luke 22:54-62.) After the crucifixion, Peter went fishing, only to be called back to the ministry by the risen Lord. (John 21:1-17.) Finally on the day of Pentecost the promised spiritual endowment was received; Peter and all the faithful disciples became new creatures of the Holy Ghost; they were truly converted; and their subsequent achievements manifest the fixity of their conversions. (Acts 3; 4.)" (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 150-151.)
Matt. 26:34. Thou shalt deny me] See Matt. 26:69-75.
Luke 22:35-36. See Matt. 10:9-10. Jesus here revokes the command previously given to go forth without purse or scrip. Conditions have changed; what was once required is no longer expedient all of which shows the need of continuing revelation so the Lord's people will always know how to act in the circumstances confronting them at any given moment.
When faced with persecution, do the Lord's ministers turn the other cheek or raise the sword in their own defense? Do they go forth supplying their own needs or do they rely for their daily wants upon the generosity of those among whom they minister? Who but God can answer such questions, for the answers depend on a full knowledge both of present conditions and of the future. Jesus counseled one course at one time and the opposite at another. There is, thus, no sure guide for the Lord's people except present day revelation.
37. Isaiah prophecied that when the Messiah should `pour out his soul unto death,' he would then be "numbered with the transgressors" (Isa. 53:12), referring to the two thieves who would be crucified with him. With the end at hand, Jesus again announces his coming death and identifies himself as the Messiah of Isaiah's prophecy.
38. Jesus had authorized the disciples to defend themselves in the days of turmoil ahead. Not fully understanding they here offer two swords to defend him. He, however, has made the election to die and so dismisses their offer with an, `Enough-of-this-kind-of-talk' statement.
Where and under what circumstances was the atoning sacrifice of the Son of God made? Was it on the Cross of Calvary or in the Garden of Gethsemane? It is to the Cross of Christ that most Christians look when centering their attention upon the infinite and eternal atonement. And certainly the sacrifice of our Lord was completed when he was lifted up by men; also, that part of his life and suffering is more dramatic and, perhaps, more soul stirring. But in reality the pain and suffering, the triumph and grandeur, of the atonement took place primarily in Gethsemane.
It was there Jesus took upon himself the sins of the world on conditions of repentance. It was there he suffered beyond human power to endure. It was there he sweat great drops of blood from every pore. It was there his anguish was so great he fain would have let the bitter cup pass. It was there he made the final choice to follow the will of the Father. It was there that an angel from heaven came to strengthen him in his greatest trial. Many have been crucified and the torment and pain is extreme. But only one, and he the Man who had God as his Father, has bowed beneath the burden of grief and sorrow that lay upon him in that awful night, that night in which he descended below all things as he prepared himself to rise above them all.
Mark 14:32. Gethsemane] Leaving the Upper Room, Jesus and his friends crossed the deep and precipitous ravine on the east of Jerusalem, "the brook Cedron," and came to a garden of olive trees on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives. It was there, in Gethsemane, a name meaning "oil-press," that they were accustomed to resort to find seclusion. And of all the spots on this rugged globe, Gethesmane was thus chosen as the one for the atoning ordeal in which the Lord "suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him." (D. & C. 18:11.)
I. V. Mark 14:36-38. Even at this late hour, because they had not yet received the gift of the Holy Ghost, the disciples wondered if Jesus was really the Messiah. Flashes of revelation had come in times past so certifying, but as yet they could not have available the constant companionship of that Holy Ghost whose mission it is to bear record of the Son. How important it is that men receive and enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost!
Mark 14:34. Sorrowful unto death] "A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: . . . Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows." (Isa. 53:3-4.) And here, at this moment, while he prayed in this garden, was to be centered in him the agony and sorrow of the whole world. Sorrow is the child of sin, and as he took upon himself the sins of the world, he thereby bore the weight of the world's sorrows.
Luke 22:42. Not my will, but thine, be done] The Beloved Son charted his course in pre-existence; "Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever," were his words in that council when he was chosen to be the Redeemer. (Moses 4:1-4.) Now at the climax of his mortal ministry he continues to walk in the path of his primeval choice. Soon, as a resurrected being, he will look back on this hour and be able to say: "I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning." (3 Ne. 11:11.)
44. He prayed more earnestly] How perfect the example is! Though he were the Son of God, yet even he, having been strengthened by an angelic ministrant, prays with increased faith; even he grows in grace and ascends to higher heights of spiritual unity with the Father. How well Paul wrote of this hour: "In the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him." (Heb. 5:7-9.)
His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground] What agony is involved in this no mortal man can know. An angel had foretold it to King Benjamin a century and more before: "He shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people." (Mosiah 3:7.)
"Christ's agony in the garden is unfathomable by the finite mind, both as to intensity and cause. ... He struggled and groaned under a burden such as no other being who has lived on earth might even conceive as possible. It was not physical pain, nor mental anguish alone, that caused him to suffer such torture as to produce an extrusion of blood from every pore; but a spiritual agony of soul such as only God was capable of experiencing. No other man, however great his powers of physical or mental endurance, could have suffered so; for his human organism would have succumbed, and syncope would have produced unconsciousness and welcome oblivion. .
"In some manner, actual and terribly real though to man incomprehensible, the Savior took upon himself the burden of the sins of mankind from Adam to the end of the world. Modern revelation assists us to a partial understanding of the awful experience. In March 1830, the glorified Lord, Jesus Christ, thus spake: `For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent, but if they would not repent, they must suffer even as I, which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit: and would that I might not drink the bitter cup and shrink -- nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.'
"From the terrible conflict in Gethsemane, Christ emerged a victor. Though in the dark tribulation of that fearful hour he had pleaded that the bitter cup be removed from his lips, the request, however oft repeated, was always conditional; the accomplishment of the Father's will was never lost sight of as the object of the Son's supreme desire. The further tragedy of the night, and the cruel inflictions that awaited him on the morrow, to culminate in the frightful tortures of the cross, could not exceed the bitter anguish through which he had successfully passed." (Talmage, pp. 613-614.)
In the accounts of the betrayal, arrest, and trial of Jesus we see the value of four authors recording the same events. Each recitation is inspired, but each tells only part of the happenings; one account is written to appeal to one group of readers and another to a different group; taken together they recount in a better way than one author alone could do the series of events which took Jesus to that death out of which came life.
As to his betrayal and arrest, Matthew recites that Judas came with "a great multitude" sent by the chief priests and elders; Mark adds the scribes to the list of senders; John says the Pharisees also were involved and adds that Judas was guiding "a band of men and officers." Matthew and Mark say the arresting multitude carried swords and staves; Luke is silent as to any armaments involved, while John says they carried weapons and also lanterns and torches.
Matthew and Mark reveal that Judas had agreed beforehand to plant the traitor's kiss. Matthew says Judas' instructions were, "hold him fast," while Mark records them as, "Take him, and lead him away safely." Each of the three synoptists recounts that Judas planted the kiss, while John does not mention a kiss in any connection.
After the traitor's kiss, Jesus said, according to Matthew, "Friend, wherefore art thou come?" Mark is silent as to any response, and Luke quotes the Lord as saying, "Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?" Following the betrayal, John alone has Jesus step forth and ask, "Whom seek ye?" and then admit freely that he was Jesus of Nazareth whom they sought. John, also, is the sole recorder of the fact that the multitude went backward and fell to the ground, apparently unable to exercise power over Jesus unless permitted to do so. Thereupon, as John alone recounts, Jesus again asked, "Whom seek ye?" He was again told and again identified himself. He then invited the soldiers to take him, asking them to let his disciples go, that, as John alone editorializes, "The saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none."
At this point Matthew and Mark tell of the actual arrest, and Luke alone records that the apostles asked, "Lord, shall we smite with the sword?" Matthew and Mark note that one of the disciples drew the sword and smote off the ear of the servant of the high priest. From Luke and John we learn it was the right ear, while John only names the impulsive defender as Peter and the servant as Malchus.
Matthew then records Jesus statement: "Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword," but makes no mention (nor does Mark) of any healing of the wounded servant. Matthew is the sole preserver of Jesus' declaration: "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?" John, however, preserves a different part of Jesus' response to Peter, "Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?" and Luke only tells of the restoration of the severed ear.
At this point John's account ceases, but Mark and Luke record, as seemingly occurring at this point, Jesus' objection to the illegality of his arrest. They preserve his taunting statement to the arresting officers for not taking him when he taught openly in the temple. Mark has Jesus explain that his arrest was arranged to fulfill the scriptures, while Luke records his somewhat ironical conclusion, "This is your hour, and the power of darkness." Matthew, however, seems to place Jesus' comments about his arrest somewhat later, "In that same hour," apparently after the multitude increased; and he too preserves the comment about fulfilling the scriptures. Matthew and Mark then recite that the disciples forsook Jesus and fled, and Mark alone adds an illustration showing the necessity of such flight. An unnamed young man (perhaps Mark himself) escaped arrest by leaving the linen cloth that covered him and fleeing naked into the night.
John 18:3. Judas guided a small army well supplied with weapons. A band consisted of some six hundred Roman soldiers with a tribune at their head. The Roman overlords were taking no chance on an uproar during the week of the Passover. Accompanying the soldiers was a "great multitude," perhaps thousands in number. This was no secret arrest, no private kidnapping; all Jerusalem would be aware of the taking into custody of the city's most noted inhabitant. Probably Judas would have led the entire "army" to the site of the Upper Room and not finding Jesus and the disciples would have guided them on to Gethsemane, for "Judas knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples." (John 18:2.)
Luke 22:48. Betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?] A more traitorous token could not have been chosen. Among the prophets of old, among the saints of that day, and even among the Jews, a kiss was a symbol of that love and fellowship which existed where pure religion was or should have been found. When the Lord sent Aaron to meet Moses, he found him "in the mount of God, and kissed him." (Ex. 4:27.) When Simon the Pharisee invited Jesus to a banquet but withheld the courtesy and respect due his guest, our Lord condemned him by saying, "Thou gavest me no kiss." (Luke 7:45.) Paul's counsel to the early brethren was, "Salute one another with an holy kiss." (Rom. 16:16.) Judas, thus, could have chosen no baser means of identifying Jesus than to plant on his face a traitor's kiss. Such act not only singled out his intended victim, but by the means chosen, desecrated every principle of true fellowship and brotherhood.
Matt. 26:52. They that take the sword shall perish with the sword] Not every person who wages war is killed; war has its victors as well as its vanquished. Rather, `They who foment and cause war have decreed their own spiritual death; they shall perish everlastingly because they loosed the sword of evil among their fellows.'
I. V. Mark 14:53. Healed the servant of the high priest] Facing a frenzied mob, in the presence of a Roman band, and without reference to the faith of Malchus, Jesus restores to that servant his ear. Jesus was being arrested for "falsely" claiming to possess the power of God. Here, as in the past, however, he manifests that very power before them. One wonders what outpouring of divine power it would take to impress their sin-saturated souls with his divine status.
John, and he only, tells us that Jesus was taken before Annas, who then sent him to Caiaphas. Whether the questioning and smiting, of which John speaks, took place before the one or the other is not entirely clear. Elder James E. Talmage takes the view that the events occurred before Caiaphas and that "No details of the interview with Annas are of record," a conclusion he qualifies later by saying it "is a matter of inference" as to which Jewish functionary was involved. Edersheim also concludes that Caiaphas was the high priest involved. (Talmage, pp. 621-622; 643-644.) President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., on the other hand, places the episode before Annas (J. Reuben Clark, Jr., Our Lord of the Gospels, pp. 416-417), as do also both Dummelow and Jamieson.
Two reasons are offered for concluding that the events here involved occurred before Caiaphas. (1) After reciting what took place John says, "Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest." (V. 24.) Both Dummelow and Jamieson, however, explain that the correct translation is, "Annas, therefore, sent him bound unto Caiaphas," thus making it a happening which took place after the interrogation rather than before. (Dummelow, p. 805; Jamieson, p. 91.) (2) Edersheim's argument is: "For as, according to the three synoptic Gospels, the palace of the high priest Caiaphas was the scene of Peter's denial, the account of it in the fourth Gospel must refer to the same locality, and not to the palace of Annas." (Edersheim, cited, Talmage, pp. 643-644.) Both Dummelow and Jamieson answer this by explaining that Annas and Caiaphas lived in different parts of the same building and that the same court served them both. (Jamieson, p. 162; Dummelow, p. 805.) Thus the great probability is that Jesus was in fact examined and smitten in the presence of Annas before he was taken to Caiaphas. There would seem to be no other reason for John to make special mention that Jesus was taken before Annas unless something there occurred which was important to his narrative.
12. This was a formal, organized arrest, one where ample force was available to overcome any uprising among the people.
13. Annas] "No figure is better known in contemporary Jewish history than that of Annas; no person deemed more fortunate or successful, but also none more generally execrated than the late high priest. He had held the pontificate for only six or seven years; but it was filled by not fewer than five of his sons, by his son-in-law Caiaphas, and by a grandson. And in those days it was, at least for one of Annas' disposition, much better to have been than to be high priest. He enjoyed all the dignity of the office, and all its influence also, since he was able to promote to it those most closely connected with him. And while they acted publicly, he really directed affairs, without either the responsibility or the restraints which the office imposed. His influence with the Romans he owed to the religious views which he professed, to his open partisanship of the foreigner, and to his enormous wealth. .. . We have seen what immense revenues the family of Annas must have derived from the Temple booths, and how nefarious and unpopular was the traffic. The names of those bold, licentious, unscrupulous, degenerate sons of Aaron were spoken with whispered curses. Without referring to Christ's interference with that Temple-traffic, which, if his authority had prevailed, would of course have been fatal to it, we can understand how antithetic in every respect a Messiah, and such a Messiah as Jesus, must have been to Annas." (Edersheim, Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, vol. 2, pp. 547-548, cited, Talmage, p. 643.)
14. See John 11:47-54. 19-21. Annas knew the conspirators were seeking excuses to put Jesus to death. (Matt. 26:59.) This line of questioning was a search for self-incriminating testimony. Further: this "preliminary inquiry was utterly unlawful; for the Hebrew code provided that the accusing witnesses in any cause before the court should define their charge against the accused, and that the latter should be protected from any effort to make him testify against himself." (Talmage, p. 622.)
20. In secret have I said nothing] `I have never said anything in secret which is different in nature from my public utterances. In public and in private my doctrine is the same.'
22-23. "That Jesus maintained his equanimity and submissiveness even under the provocation of a blow dealt by a brutish underling in the presence of the high priest, is confirmatory of our Lord's affirmation that he had `overcome the world' (John 16:33). One cannot read the passage without comparing, perhaps involuntarily, the divine submissiveness of Jesus on this occasion, with the wholly natural and human indignation of Paul under somewhat similar conditions at a later time (Acts 23:1-5). The high priest Ananias, displeased at Paul's remarks, ordered someone who stood by to smite him on the mouth. Paul broke forth in angry protest: `God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?' Afterward he apologized, saying that he knew not that it was the high priest who had given the command that he be smitten." (Talmage, p. 644.)
The vile and demeaning indignities heaped upon the Son of God this night were planned in the courts of hell and executed by human demons who had surrendered their wills to Satan. Betrayed with a traitor's kiss, arrested and bound by an armed mob, he was taken first before Annas, a former high priest who dominated Caiaphas and the Jewish political scene. There can be no claim of legality or justice in arraigning Christ as it were before a private citizen; the act, designed to create inquisatorial opportunities, merely gratified the pride and dramatized the power of that evil conspirator.
Annas sent Jesus to Caiaphas, the official high priest, with whom were assembled the chief priests, elders, and scribes. Annas himself was probably present also, and included in the mob-type group were enough at least of the Sanhedrin to form a quorum. Through long hours they questioned, smote, and spit upon their King. How much of this inquisition was part of the formal trial before the Sanhedrin is not clear. But when the morning came that body of Jewish jurists took formal action against Jesus and sent him to Pilate to have their death decree ratified.
Many volumes have been written about the illegalities of the trial of Jesus. In The Trial of Jesus from a Lawyer's Standpoint by Walter M. Chandler this conclusion is reached: "The pages of human history present no stronger case of judicial murder than the trial and crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth, for the simple reason that all forms of law were outraged and trampled under foot in the proceedings instituted against him." Chandler's Brief lists the following illegalities:
"Point 1: The Arrest of Jesus was illegal, since it was effected by night, and through the treachery of Judas, an accomplice, both of which features were expressly forbidden in the Jewish law of that day.
"Point 2: The private examination of Jesus before Annas or Caiaphas was illegal; for (1) it was made by night; (2) the hearing of any cause by a `sole judge' was expressly forbidden; (3) as quoted from Salvador, `A principle perpetually reproduced in the Hebrew scriptures relates to the two conditions of publicity and liberty.'
"Point 3: The indictment against Jesus was, in form, illegal. `The entire criminal procedure of the Mosaic code rests upon four rules: certainty in the indictment; publicity in the discussion; full freedom granted to the accused; and assurance against all dangers or errors of testimony' -- Salvador, p. 365. `The Sanhedrin did not and could not originate charges; it only investigated those brought before it.' -- Edersheim, vol. 1, p. 309. `The evidence of the leading witnesses constituted the charge. There was no other charge; no more formal indictment. Until they spoke and spoke in the public assembly, the prisoner was scarcely an accused man.' -- Innes, p. 41. `The only prosecutors known to Talmudic criminal jurisprudence are the witnesses to the crime. Their duty is to bring the matter to the cognizance of the court, and to bear witness against the criminal. In capital cases they are the legal executioners also. Of an official accuser or prosecutor there is nowhere any trace in the laws of the ancient Hebrews.' -- Mendelsohn, p. 110.
"Point 4: `The proceedings of the Sanhedrin against Jesus were illegal because they were conducted at night. `Let a capital offense be tried during the day, but suspend it at night.' -- Mishna, Sanhedrin 4:1. `Criminal cases can be acted upon by the various courts during daytime only, by the Lesser Sanhedrins from the close of the morning service till noon, and by the Great Sanhedrin till evening.' -- Mendelsohn, p. 112.
"Point 5: The proceedings of the Sanhedrin against Jesus were illegal because the court convened before the offering of the morning sacrifice. `The Sanhedrin sat from the close of the morning sacrifice to the time of the evening sacrifice.' -- Talmud, Jer. San. 1:19. `No session of the court could take place before the offering of the morning sacrifice.' -- MM. Lemann, p. 109. `Since the morning sacrifice was offered at the dawn of day, it was hardly possible for the Sanhedrin to assemble until the hour after that time.' -- Mishna, Tamid, ch. 3.
"Point 6: The proceedings against Jesus were illegal because they were conducted on the day preceding a Jewish Sabbath; also on the first day of unleavened bread and the eve of the Passover. `They shall not judge on the eve of the Sabbath nor on that of any festival.' -- Mishna, San. 4:1. `No court of justice in Israel was permitted to hold sessions on the Sabbath or any of the seven Biblical holidays. In cases of capital crime, no trial could be commenced on Friday or the day previous to any holiday, because it was not lawful either to adjourn such cases longer than over night, or to continue them on the Sabbath or holiday.' -- Rabbi Wise, `Martyrdom of Jesus,' p. 67.
"Point 7: The trial of Jesus was illegal because it was concluded within one day. `A criminal case resulting in the acquittal of the accused may terminate the same day on which the trial began. But if a sentence of death is to be pronounced, it cannot be concluded before the following day.' -- Mishna, San. 4:1.
"Point 8: The sentence of condemnation pronounced against Jesus by the Sanhedrin was illegal because it was founded upon His uncorroborated confession. `We have it as a fundamental principle of our jurisprudence that no one can bring an accusation against himself. Should a man make confession of guilt before a legally constituted tribunal, such confession is not to be used against him unless properly attested by two other witnesses.' -- Maimonides, 4:2. `Not only is self-condemnation never extorted from the defendant by means of torture, but no attempt is ever made to lead him on to self-incrimination. Moreover, a voluntary confession on his part is not admitted in evidence, and therefore not competent to convict him, unless a legal number of witnesses minutely corroborate his self-accusation.' -- Mendelsohn, p. 133.
"Point 9: The condemnation of Jesus was illegal because the verdict of the Sanhedrin was unanimous. `A simultaneous and unanimous verdict of guilt rendered on the day of the trial has the effect of an acquittal.' -- Mendelsohn, p. 141. `If none of the judges defend the culprit, i. e., all pronounce him guilty, having no defender in the court, the verdict of guilty was invalid and the sentence of death could not be executed.' -- Rabbi Wise, `Martyrdom of Jesus,' p. 74.
"Point 10: The proceedings against Jesus were illegal in that: (1) The sentence of condemnation was pronounced in a place forbidden by law; (2) The high priest rent his clothes; (3) The balloting was irregular. `After leaving the hall Gazith no sentence of death can be passed upon any one soever.' -- Talmud, Bab. `Of Idolatry' 1:8. `A sentence of death can be pronounced only so long as the Sanhedrin holds its sessions in the appointed place.' -- Maimonides, 14. See further Levit. 21:10; compare 10:6. `Let the judges each in his turn absolve or condemn.' -- Mishna, San. 15:5. `The members of the Sanhedrin were seated in the form of a semicircle, at the extremity of which a secretary was placed, whose business it was to record the votes. One of these secretaries recorded the votes in favor of the accused, the other those against him.' -- Mishna, San. 4:3. `In ordinary cases the judges voted according to seniority, the oldest commencing; in a capital case the reverse order was followed.' -- Benny, p. 73.
"Point 11: The members of the Great Sanhedrin were legally disqualified to try Jesus. `Nor must there be on the judicial bench either a relation or a particular friend, or an enemy of either the accused or of the accuser.' -- Mendelsohn, p. 108. `Nor under any circumstances was a man known to be at enmity with the accused person permitted to occupy a position among the judges.' -- Benny, p. 37.
"Point 12: The condemnation of Jesus was illegal because the merits of the defense were not considered. `Then shalt thou enquire, and make search, and ask diligently.' Deut. 13:14. `The judges shall weigh the matter in the sincerity of their conscience.' -- Mishna, San. 4:5. `The primary object of the Hebrew judicial system was to render the conviction of an innocent person impossible. All the ingenuity of the Jewish legists was directed to the attainment of this end.' -- Benny, p. 56." (Walter M. Chandler, The Trial of Jesus from a Lawyer's Standpoint, Vol. 1, The Hebrew Trial, quoted, Talmage, pp. 645-648.)
Mark 14:54. Palace of the high priest] A central court or quadrangle around which the house was built and in which, on this night, a fire was burning, perhaps in a brazier.
Matt. 26:59. All the council] Either all who were available or enough to form a quorum, as Nicodemus, for one, probably was absent. The Sanhedrin was composed of seventy-two men, with twenty-three forming a quorum.
Sought for false witnesses] What kind of impartial justice might a prisoner expect if the Supreme Court left its chambers, joined an armed mob in the dark of night, and sought openly and frankly for false witnesses who would accept bribes and commit perjury?
59-61. The nearest even false witnesses could come to testifying against Jesus was to hark back some three and a half years to his statement: `Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." (John 2:19.) That the chief priests and scribes knew be meant the temple of his body and not "the temple of God," as the false witnesses testified, is evident from their own subsequent statement to Pilate about Jesus rising again the third day. (Matt. 27:62-66.) Thus, despite all their search for at least two liars and perjurers who would agree on some one point, they found none; their verdict of guilty was to be left without even a false witness to support it.
62. Answerest thou nothing] They had failed to produce testimony against him; now they sought to wrench from him some statement they could interpret as being incriminating.
63. I adjure thee by the living God] Only when the high priest used the voice of adjuration did Jesus deign to answer; such a formal demand was understood to require response. (Lev. 5:1.) 64. Thou hast said] `I am the Christ, the Son of God.' 65. He hath spoken blasphemy] Sedition had been the charge; now it was blasphemy. See Luke 22:66-71.
John 18:24. See John 18:12-14, 19-23.
Earlier this same night Peter and all the apostles had affirmed loyalty to their Lord, and Peter had been told that before the cock crew he would thrice deny that he knew Jesus. (Matt. 26:31-36.) Now the fateful prophecy is fulfilled, and the record of Peter's failure is left as a warning to all men not to boast in their own strength, but rather to walk humbly with their god.
Peter was no coward; he alone drew his sword when Jesus was arrested; of all the apostles only he and John dared to mingle with the frenzied mob which sought the blood of their Master. Neither was his vehement, "I do not know the man," a denial of the divine Sonship of his Lord; nor did his act leave a scar of sin on his soul; nor is it an excuse for others who fail to stand valiantly in defense of truth and righteousness.
Peter failed on this occasion to testify as becometh one who is a special witness of the Lord, but so in effect had all the disciples, for they all forsook him and fled. But Peter was not yet the man he was to be, for about fifty days hence, at Pentecost, he and all the saints were to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Perhaps, then, the great lesson to be learned from this experience of the chief apostle is this: if men are to resist and overcome the world; if they are to stand valiantly in the Cause of Christ; if they are to be faithful and true in all things -- they must have the gift of the Holy Ghost.
After Peter received this gift he was arrested by those who thirsted for his blood as they had for the blood of his Master. No longer did he react with an, "I do not know the man," but rather he accused the murders of Jesus, to their face, of crucifying the God of Israel, and testified to them that Christ's was the only name given under heaven whereby salvation came. (Acts 2; 3; 4.)
Matt. 26:72. I do not know the man] Peter had a testimony and knew that Jesus was the Son of God (Matt. 16:13-17; John 6:66-69), but he was not yet converted in the full sense, (Luke 22:32), and he was yet to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Luke 24:49; Acts 2.) Hence, his statement of not knowing Christ has no reference whatever to the matter of denying Christ in the sense of being damned. (Heb. 6:1-8; D. & C. 76:30-49.)
74. To curse] Not profanity, not vulgar words, but to "anathematize, or wish himself accursed if what he was now to say was not true." To swear] `To take a solemn oath.' (Jamieson, p. 93.)
Matt. 15:1. When the morning was come] During the night Jesus was examined and smitten before Annas, examined again and maltreated before Caiaphas, with the chief priests, scribes, and elders, including the members of the Sanhedrin, being present on both occasions. Now it is morning, and in an apparent attempt to comply with the law forbidding night trials though they had in effect been holding a trial upon their pre-condemned Prisoner during all the long night hours -- the same group of persecutors go through the ritual of a formal trial and condemnation.
Mark 15:1. A consultation with . . . the whole council] This is the formal Sanhedrin trial. "The following account of the judicial procedure of the Sanhedrin in capital cases is abridged from Schurer, who follows the Mishna. The members of the court sat in a semi-circle. A quorum of 23 was required. In front of them stood the two clerks of the court, of whom the one on the right hand recorded the votes for acquittal, and the one on the left hand the votes for condemnation. The `disciples of the wise' (pupils of the scribes) occupied three additional rows in front. It was required to hear the reasons for acquittal first (a regulation violated in the case of Jesus) and afterwards the reasons for condemnation. The `disciples of the wise' could speak, but only in favor of the prisoner. Acquittal could be pronounced on the day of the trial, but condemnation not till the following day (this regulation also was violated, though some suppose that there were two meetings, one on Thursday night, the other on Friday morning to render the proceedings technically legal). Each member stood to give his vote, and voting began with the youngest member. For acquittal a simple majority sufficed; for condemnation a majority of two was necessary." (Dummelow, p. 713.)
Luke 22:67. If I tell you, ye will not believe] How sad and how true! Gospel truth is taught by testimony: the spiritually alive, believe; the spiritually sick, question; the spiritually dead, deny and reject. And here stands the Lord Omnipotent, the being by whose hands all things are, the being through whom salvation comes, ready to testify again of his divine Sonship with full knowledge that his testimony will avail his hearers nothing.
70. Ye say that I am] `I am the Son of God.' 71. "Jehovah was convicted of blasphemy against Jehovah. The only mortal Being to whom the awful crime of blasphemy, claiming divine attributes and powers, was impossible, stood before the judges of Israel condemned as a blasphemer." (Talmage, p. 629.)
Matt. 27:3. Judas] See Matt. 26:21-25. Thirty pieces of silver] See Matt. 26:14-16.
4. I have betrayed the innocent blood] Even Judas bears a testimony of Jesus. After three years of close and intimate association, this devil-filled disciple, who would have grasped at any real or seeming fault to justify his own Lucifer-led course, can do naught but exclaim: `He is innocent.'
I. V. Matt. 27:5. Thy sins be upon thee] How neatly a sin-saturated soul sidesteps personal responsibility for sin. Knowing that Judas, the traitor, had betrayed innocent blood, yet their response was simply that of one criminal to another: `Begone, your lacerations of conscience are nothing to us; we have our victim.'
6. How did Judas die? Matthew says he hanged himself; Peter says that "falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowles gushed out." (Acts 1:18.) From this Inspired Version we learn he did both.
Matt. 27:5-10. Blood money stains both hands and soul. However desirable the thirty pieces of silver seemed before the deed, their ill-gotten weight became a crushing burden on the soul now. In his frenzy Judas discards them so as to fulfill in literal detail the remainder of Zechariah's Messianic utterance about them: "And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord." (Zech. 11:13-14.)
9. Jeremy] Jeremiah. But why not Zechariah in whose writings the prophecy is found? Perhaps it was once found also in Jeremiah; perhaps some early transcriber, thinking of Jeremiah 18:2 merely erred in copying the name; perhaps it was an oral or traditional utterance ascribed to Jeremiah.
John 18:28. Hall of judgment] Official residence of Pilate. Roman trials were open to the public. Lest they should be defiled] To enter a Gentile home during the Passover, because unleavened bread would be found therein, would render them ceremonially unclean according to their tradition -- a horrible prospect for people with murder in their hearts! That they might eat the pass -- over] But the Passover meal was past; it was eaten Thursday evening, according to the synoptists. This, then, if accurately recorded, must refer, not to the Passover proper, but to the additional sacrifices required on the morning following the paschal meal.
29. Pilate] Roman governor or procurator of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea, he resided normally at Caesarea on the Mediterranean seashore, but had come to Jerusalem during the Passover to help keep order. Appointed in 26 A. D. he served for ten years. "He was then summoned to Rome to answer certain charges made against him, and was banished to Vienna in Gaul, where he is said to have committed suicide." (Dummelow, p. 715.)
John 18:29-32; Luke 23:2. Jesus had been convicted of blasphemy by the Sanhedrin, a Jewish but not a Roman crime. So when Pilate asked, `What is the charge against this man?' their designs were temporarily thwarted. They were seeking a Roman execution for a Jewish death sentence, a thing Pilate could have approved. But now it appeared Pilate was taking original jurisdiction and wanted to try the case over again. They replied, probably through Caiaphas as spokesman: `We have already tried him; he is guilty; we come to you to endorse our sentence and order the execution.' Pilate replies: `If it is a Jewish crime and not a Roman, judge him according to your law.' Their answer: `We cannot put a man to death; you must do that.' This was not true; they could have executed Jesus by stoning if Pilate had approved their death sentence. But such an execution would have caused a riot among the people; Jesus had many followers in Jerusalem; and their conspiracy called for a Roman execution, one that could not be questioned by the people. The effect of their plan would be, as John says, to fulfill Jesus' saying that he would be crucified. The Jews stoned their victims to death; Rome crucified hers; and both Divine Providence and Satan's mortal helpers were now combining to assure the decreed type of death.
Knowing now that they have failed to gain a Roman crucifixion for the Jewish capital offense of blasphemy, they immediately change their charge to high treason, with three counts in their indictment: He is guilty of sedition by stirring up the whole nation; of forbidding to give tribute to Caesar; and of assuming the royal title.
John 18:33-38. With divine dignity Jesus made no answer to the Jews, though they accused him of "many things." So majestic was the Man that even Pilate "marvelled greatly." But when Pilate spoke alone with him, Jesus responded freely. Pilate asks, `Art thou the king of the Jews?' Jesus replies with a question, `Are you asking if I am a religious or a political king?'
It would be nothing to Pilate that Jesus claimed religious overlordship; such a political claim, however, might be considered high treason. Pilate responds, `I do not meddle in Jewish affairs, and since the charges of your countrymen are garbled, you tell me what you have done to cause your arrest.' To this Jesus does not reply, but speaks further of the spiritual nature of his kingdom, causing Pilate to ask again, `Art thou a king then?' Now the answer comes; having made it clear that no political or earthly kingdom is involved, Jesus says plainly, `I am a King,' adding that he had come into the world to bear witness of the truth.
37. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice] Powerful doctrine this: `My sheep hear my voice.' Some people have the native and instinctive ability to recognize and accept truth; others are less gifted. See John 10:27.
38. What is truth?] The issue is not so much what-is-truth in the sense of separating truth from error, and thereby being able to know with finality that any specific doctrine or principle is an eternal reality. Hence we find the revealed definition of truth saying: "And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come." (D. & C. 93:24.)
Truth, thus, in a purely abstract sense is the thing which actually is. But truth, in the sense of separating it from error or untruth, is the knowledge which men have of what actually is. To illustrate, the fact that there is a God is a truth in the abstract sense because it is a verity that actually is. But the knowledge that God is a personal being in whose image man is created, and not a congeries of laws operating throughout the universe, is the ultimate and specific answer to the question what-is-truth where Deity is concerned. (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 733-735.)
I find in him no fault at all] Up to this point in the judicial travesty destined to take our Lord to the cross, Pilate is maintaining admirable impartiality and is seeking to dispense justice with a fair hand.
Herod heard the Jewish accusations -- presumably charges of treason and blasphemy, for Herod himself was a Jew -- and found Jesus had done "nothing worthy of death." (Luke 23:15.) In justice, Jesus should have been released; but for fear of the chief priests and the mob-multitude, and because Herod's evil intents were akin to theirs, Jesus was sent back to Pilate for further trial and final condemnation.
7. Herod] "Herod Antipas, the degenerate son of his infamous sire, Herod the Great, was at this time tetrarch of Galilee and Perea, and by popular usage, though without imperial sanction was flatteringly called king. He it was who, in fulfillment of an unholy vow inspired by a woman's voluptuous blandishments, had ordered the murder of John the Baptist. He ruled as a Roman vassal, and professed to be orthodox in the observance of Judaism. He had come up to Jerusalem, in state, to keep the feast of the Passover. .
"Herod is the only character in history to whom Jesus is known to have applied a personal epithet of contempt. `Go ye and tell that fox' he once said to certain Pharisees who had come to him with the story that Herod intended to kill him." (Talmage, pp. 635-636.)
9. He answered him nothing] "As far as we know, Herod is further distinguished as the only being who saw Christ face to face and spoke to him, yet never heard his voice. For penitent sinners, weeping women, prattling children, for the scribes, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the rabbis, for the perjured high priest and his obsequious and insolent underling, and for Pilate the pagan, Christ had words -- of comfort or instruction, of warning or rebuke, of protest or denunciation -- yet for Herod the fox he had but disdainful and kingly silence." (Talmage, p. 636.)
Jesus is now back before Pilate, who with a rude sense of justice is desirous of releasing him. The attempt to transfer jurisdiction and responsibility to Herod has failed. Calling together the chief priests and rulers, Pilate announces again that Jesus is innocent and tells them that Herod also confirms this finding. But to appease the Jews, Pilate offers to do two things: (1) To chastise Jesus for crimes he did not commit; and (2) To pardon him for offenses of which he was not convicted.
According to custom, Pilate could release at Passover time a convicted criminal. If, he reasoned, Jesus could be chosen as the culprit to free, such an act would have the effect of approving the conviction and death sentence imposed by the Sanhedrin, but of superseding it with an official pardon. Hence, Pilate asks, `Shall I pardon Jesus who has done nothing worthy of death anyway, or shall I release this insurrectionist Barabbas, who is also a robber and a murderer?'
Mingling with the mob-multitude are those friendly to the Master's Cause; they see the practical wisdom of Pilate's suggestions and so call for Jesus' release. But the chief priests spue forth their poisonous venom and persuade the multitude to ask for the life of Barabbas and the death of Jesus. The chorus chanted by the multitude becomes one of, `Crucify him. Crucify him.'
And so it was to be -- Christ crucified, Barabbas freed; and how often is the scene repeated wherever mob rule is found. Justice is crucified on a cross of hate; evil is freed to canker the souls of hate-filled persons.
Matt. 27:19. His wife] "In tradition her name is given as Procla, or Claudia Procula, and she is said to have been inclined to Judaism, or even to have been a proselyte, and afterwards to have become a Christian. In the Greek Church she is canonized." (Dummelow, p. 716.)
Matt. 27:19. In a dream. I. V. Matt. 27:20. In a vision] She must have seen something signifying Jesus' innocence and showing the fate of those who had part in his death.
Matt. 27:26. Scourged Jesus] This brutal practice, a preliminary to crucifixion, consisted of stripping the victim of clothes, strapping him to a pillar or frame, and beating him with a scourge made of leather straps weighted with sharp pieces of lead and bone. It left the tortured sufferer bleeding, weak, and sometimes dead. Pilate tried in vain to create compassion for Jesus as a result of the scourging. Teaching the need to bear chastisement, Paul, looking back on the scene, wrote: "Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." (Heb. 12:6.)
27-30. While Pilate watches, his cohort of six hundred soldiers mock and deride the Son of God. The scarlet robe, the crown of thorns, the reed in our Lord's hand, the mocking obeisance, the cynical hailing of him as King -- all devil-inspired substitutes of the respect rightfully his -- plus the foul spittle and the smitting blows, all paint a picture of gross human debasement. The Roman soldiers have partaken of the spirit of the Jewish mob.
John 19:4. I find no fault in him] Jesus is innocent. Pilate knew it; Herod knew it; Caiaphas knew it; the Sanhedrin knew it; the mob-multitude knew it -- and Satan knew it. Yet he is to be pronounced guilty and sentenced to death.
5. Behold the man!] "Pilate seems to have counted on the pitiful sight of the scourged and bleeding Christ to soften the hearts of the maddened Jews. But the effect failed. Think of the awful fact -- a heathen, a pagan, who knew not God, pleading with the priests and people of Israel for the life of their Lord and King!" (Talmage, p. 639.)
6. Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him] Pilate gave the order; no one else had the power. Pilate sentenced an innocent Man to be crucified -- and he knew it! Is there a better example in all history of judicial murder?
7-11. Jesus' sentence by the Sanhedrin was for blasphemy, a Jewish crime; Pilate's sentence was for sedition, a Roman offense. Now that our Lord's death has been ordered, the Jews seek to make it appear that Pilate had endorsed their Jewish death decree. Their mention of "the Son of God" increases Pilate's fears for having ordered an unjust execution. He asks, `Are you a man or a demigod?' Jesus disdains to answer. Pilate is piqued and boasts of his power to save or destroy Jesus. Then our Lord becomes the Judge and places Pilate before the judgment bar: `Against me you have only such power as Divine Providence permits; your sentence is unjust, but Caiaphas who delivered me to thee has the greater sin for as a Jew he knows of my divine origin.'
12. Pilate sought to release him] Sought the consent of the chief priests and scribes to release him, for the Procurator had the power, if he chose to use it, to either save or destroy.
If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend] This clinched the matter. Any complaint to Caesar that Pontius Pilate was anything but ruthless in destroying claimants to kingly office was the last thing the Roman procurator wanted. The Jews had given Pilate a selfish interest in the death of the Man whose life they sought. Pilate was prepared, reluctantly, to let his prior death decree be enforced.
15. We have no king but Caesar] "With this cry Judaism was, in the person of its representatives, guilty of denial of God, of blasphemy, of apostasy. It committed suicide; and ever since has its dead body been carried in show from land to land, and from century to century, to be dead and to remain dead, till he come a second time, who is the resurrection and the life." (Edersheim, vol. 2, p. 581, cited, Talmage, p. 648.)
Matt. 27:24. At this point (or perhaps earlier, as the Inspired Version account indicates) Pilate, following the Jewish practice in such cases (Deut. 21:1-9), performed the ritualistic ceremony designed to free him from responsibility for Jesus' death.
25. "The Mishna tells us that, after the solemn washing of hands of the elders and their disclaimer of guilt, priests responded with this prayer: `Forgive it to thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, O Lord, and lay not innocent blood upon thy people Israel.' But here, in answer to Pilate's words, came back that deep, hoarse cry: `His blood be upon us,' and -- God help us! -- `on our children.' Some thirty years later, and on that very spot, was judgment pronounced against some of the best in Jerusalem; and among the 3,600 victims of the governor's fury, of whom not a few were scourged and crucified right over against the Pretorium, were many of the noblest of the citizens of Jerusalem. (Josephus, Wars, xiv, chap. 8:9) A few years more, and hundreds of crosses bore Jewish mangled bodies within sight of Jerusalem. And still have these wanderers seemed to bear, from century to century, and from land to land, that burden of blood; and still does it seem to weigh `on us and on our children'." (Edersheim, vol. 2, p. 578, cited, Talmage, p. 648.)
John 19:16. "Pilate knew what was right but lacked the moral courage to do it. He was afraid of the Jews, and more afraid of hostile influence at Rome. He was afraid of his conscience, but more afraid of losing his official position. It was the policy of Rome to be gracious and conciliatory in dealing with the religions and social customs of conquered nations. Pontius Pilate had violated this liberal policy from the early days of his procuratorship. In utter disregard of the Hebrew antipathy against images and heathen insignia, he had the legionaries enter Jerusalem at night, carrying their eagles and standards decorated with the effigy of the emperor. To the Jews this act was a defilement of the Holy City. In vast multitudes they gathered at Caesarea, and petitioned the procurator that the standards and other images be removed from Jerusalem. For five days the people demanded and Pilate refused. He threatened a general slaughter, and was amazed to see the people offer themselves as victims of the sword rather than relinquish their demands. Pilate had to yield. (Josephus, Ant. xviii, Chap. 3:1; also Wars, ii, Chap. 9:2, 3). Again he gave offense in forcibly appropriating the Corban, or sacred funds of the temple, to the construction of an aqueduct for supplying Jerusalem with water from the pools of Solomon. Anticipating the public protest of the people, he had caused Roman soldiers to disguise themselves as Jews; and with weapons concealed to mingle with the crowds. At a given signal these assassins plied their weapons and great numbers of defenceless Jews were killed or wounded (Josephus, Ant. xvi,,, chap. 3:2; and Wars, ii, chap. 9:3, 4). On another occasion, Pilate had grossly offended the people by setting up in his official residence at Jerusalem, shields that had been dedicated to Tiberius, and this `less for the honor of Tiberius than for annoyance of the Jewish people.' A petition signed by the ecclesiastical officials of the nation, and by others of influence, including four Herodian princes, was sent to the emperor, who reprimanded Pilate and directed that the shields be removed from Jerusalem to Caesarea. (Philo. De Legatione ad Caium; sec. 38).
"These outrages on national feeling, and many minor acts of violence, extortion and cruelty, the Jews held against the procurator. He realized that his tenure was insecure, and he dreaded exposure. Such wrongs had he wrought that when he would have done good, he was deterred through cowardly fear of the accusing past." (Talmage, pp. 648-649.)
John 19:17. He bearing his cross] Jesus bore his own cross from the hall of judgment to the city gate. Matt. 27:32. As they came out] As they left the city. Executions were not performed within the city walls. (Num. 15:35; 1 Kings 21:13; Acts 7:58.)
Luke 23:26. Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country] From Mark's reference (Mark 15:21), and the possible reference of Paul (Rom. 16:13), to others of Simon's family, it is assumed that he was then or later became a Christian. The indication is he was born in Cyrene, North Africa, as part of the Jewish colony there. On this memorable day, apparently he had been working in the fields and was returning to the city. Matt. 27:31. Him they compelled] He did not volunteer; everything associated with a crucifixion was considered to be degrading.
32. Cross] "The cross was regarded as the most horrible and most degrading form of punishment, fit only for slaves. `It is an outrage for a Roman citizen to be bound; a crime for him to be scourged. It is almost parricide to have him put to death. What can I call having him crucified? No word can be found adequate to describe so monstrous a proceeding' (Circero). Crucifixion was not a Jewish punishment. It originated among the Phonicians, from whom it passed to the Greeks and Romans. Alexander the Great once crucified 2,000 Tyrians. After the death of Herod the Great, Varus crucified 2,000 rioters. The crucifixion of Jesus was unconsciously avenged by the Romans, who, after the fall of Jerusalem, crucified so many Jews that there was neither wood for the crosses nor room to set them up.
"The cross consisted of two parts, a strong stake or pole 8 or 9 ft. high, which was fixed in the ground, and a movable cross-piece (patibulum), which was carried by the criminal to the place of execution. Sometimes the patibulum was a single beam of wood, but more often it consisted of two parallel beams fastened together, between which the neck of the criminal was inserted. Before him went a herald bearing a tablet on which the offense was inscribed, or the criminal himself bore it suspended by a cord round his neck. At the place of execution the criminal was stripped and laid on his back, and his hands were nailed to the patibulum. The patibulum, with the criminal hanging from it, was then hoisted into position and fastened by nails or ropes to the upright pole. The victim's body was supported not only by the nails through the hands, but by a small piece of wood projecting at right angles (sedile), on which he sat as on a saddle. Sometimes there was also a support for the feet, to which the feet were nailed. The protracted agony of crucifixion sometimes lasted for days, death being caused by pain, hunger, and thirst." (Dummelow, pp. 716-717.)
Crucifixion "was unanimously considered the most horrible form of death. Among the Romans the degradation was also a part of the infliction, and the punishment if applied to freemen was only used in the case of the vilest criminals. The one to be crucified was stripped naked of all his clothes, and then followed the most awful moment of all. He was laid down upon the implement of torture. His arms were stretched along the cross-beams, and at the center of the open palms the point of a huge iron nail was placed, which, by the blow of a mallet, was driven home into the wood. Then through either foot separately, or possibly through both together, as they were placed one over the other, another huge nail tore its way through the quivering flesh. Whether the sufferer was also bound to the cross we do not know; but, to prevent the hands and feet being torn away by the weight of the body, which could not `rest upon nothing but four great wounds,' there was, about the center of the cross, a wooden projection strong enough to support, at least in part, a human body, which soon became a weight of agony. Then the `accursed tree' with its living human burden was slowly heaved up and the end fixed firmly in a hole in the ground. The feet were but a little raised above the earth. The victim was in full reach of every hand that might choose to strike.
"A death by crucifixion seems to include all that pain and death can have of the horrible and ghastly -- dizziness, cramp, thirst, starvation, sleeplessness, traumatic fever, tetanus, publicity of shame, long continuance of torment, horror of anticipation, mortification of untended wounds, all intensified just up to the point at which they can be endured at all, but all stopping just short of the point which would give to the sufferer the relief of unconsciousness. The unnatural position made every movement painful; the lacerated veins and crushed tendons throbbed with incessant anguish; the wounds, inflamed by exposure, gradually gangrened; the arteries, especially of the head and stomach, became swollen and oppressed with surcharged blood; and, while each variety of misery went on gradually increasing, there was added to them the intolerable pang of a burning and raging thirst. Such was the death to which Christ was doomed. -- Farrar's `Life of Christ.'
"The crucified was watched, according to custom, by a party of four soldiers (John 19:23), with their centurion (Matt. 27:54), whose express office was to prevent the stealing of the body. This was necessary from the lingering character of the death, which sometimes did not supervene even for three days, and was at last the result of gradual benumbing and starvation. But for this guard, the persons might have been taken down and recovered, as was actually done in the case of a friend of Josephus. Fracture of the legs was especially adopted by the Jews to hasten death. (John 19:31.) In most cases the body was suffered to rot on the cross by the action of sun and rain, or to be devoured by birds and beasts. Sepulture was generally therefore forbidden; but in consequence of Deut. 21:22, 23, an express national exception was made in favor of the Jews. (Matt. 27:58.) This accursed and awful mode of punishment was happily abolished by Constantine." (Peloubet's Bible Dictionary, pp. 130-131.)
Luke 23:27-31. "The time would come, when the Old Testament curse of barrenness (Hosea 9:14) would be coveted as a blessing. To show the fulfilment of this prophetic lament of Jesus it is not necessary to recall the harrowing details recorded by Josephus (Wars, vi, 3:4), when a frenzied mother roasted her own child, and in the mockery of desperateness reserved the half of the horrible meal for those murderers who daily broke in upon her to rob her of what scanty food had been left her; nor yet other of those incidents, too revolting for needless repetition, which the historian of the last siege of Jerusalem chronicles. But how often, these many centuries, must Israel's women have felt that terrible longing for childlessness, and how often must the prayer of despair for the quick death of falling mountains and burying hills rather than prolonged torture (Hosea 10:8), have risen to the lips of Israel's sufferers! And yet, even so, these words were also prophetic of a still more terrible future. (Rev. 6:10.) For, if Israel had put such flame to its `green tree' how terribly would the divine judgment burn among the dry wood of an apostate and rebellious people, that had so delivered up its Divine King, and pronounced sentence upon itself by pronouncing it upon Him!" (Edersheim, vol. 2, p. 588, cited, Talmage, pp. 666-667.)
31. A green tree] Christ himself was the Green Tree. "If Israel's oppressors could do what was then in process of doing to the `Green Tree,' who bore the leafage of freedom and truth and offered the priceless fruit of life eternal, what would the powers of evil not do to the withered branches and dried trunk of apostate Judaism?" (Talmage, p. 654.) The same inspired figure was used in announcing the martyrdom of the Prophet and Patriarch of this dispensation: "If the fire can scathe a green tree for the glory of God, how easy it will burn up the dry trees to purify the vineyard of corruption." (D. & C. 135:6.)
Matt. 27:34. They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall] Apparently those women, "which also bewailed and lamented him" (Luke 23:27), with the merciful intent of deadening his senses to pain, offered him a drugged cup. Jesus tasted but did not drink; he chose to suffer and die with his mind clear and his senses unimpaired. Their intended kindness fulfilled the Messianic utterance: "They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink." (Psalm 69:21.)
John 19:19-22. In Hebrew, Greek, and Latin -- as though to symbolize the tact that here was a message for all nations and tongues - Pilate bore a written testimony of the divine Sonship of our Lord, a testimony which he obdurately refused to change, a testimony which is true and so stands everlastingly.
Mark 15:27-28. To degrade and debase, to prove as it were guilt by association, Rome chose to crucify Christ between two thieves, thereby fulfilling Isaiah's Messianic prophecy: "And he was numbered with the transgressors." (Isa. 53:12.)
Seven "words" or utterances were made from the cross:
(1) "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34.)
(2) "Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43.)
(3) "Woman, behold thy son! . . . Behold thy mother!" (John 19:26-27.)
(4) "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:46; Psalm 22:1.)
(5) "I thirst." John (19:28.)
(6) "It is finished." (John 19:30.)
(7) "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." (Luke 23:46; Psalm 31:5.)
This first "word" from the cross is equally as important for what it does not say as for what it does. It is not an utterance whereby anyone's sins are forgiven, but it is a petition asking for forgiveness in a particular and limited sense of the word. Jesus was the Son of God; as such he had power to forgive sins, a power which he had freely exercised in proper cases. See Matt. 9:2-8.
But no such power is exercised here. He does not say, `Thy sins be forgiven thee,' as had been his wont on other occasion. Nor does he ask the Father to forgive the sins of those involved, in the sense of cleansing them from sin so as to qualify them for church membership or celestial inheritance. The law whereby such forgiveness is gained requires repentance and baptism. But he says, rather, `Father lay not this sin to their charge, for they are acting under orders, and those upon whom the full and real guilt rests are their rulers and the Jewish conspirators who caused me to be condemned. It is Caiaphas and Pilate who know I am innocent; these soldiers are just carrying out their orders.'
Jesus did not, it should be noted, pray for Judas who betrayed him; for Caiaphas and the chief priests who conspired against him; for the false witnesses who perjured their souls before the Sanhedrin and in the judgment halls of Rome; for Pilate and Herod, either of whom could have freed him; nor for Lucifer whose power and persuasive ability underlay the whole wicked procedure. All these are left in the hands of Eternal Justice to be dealt with according to their works. Mercy cannot rob justice; the guilty do not go free simply because the righteous bring no railing accusation against them.
Here on the cross Jesus is simply complying with his own command to forgive your enemies and to bless those who curse you. President Joseph F. Smith, who himself was the victim of much vicious and intemperate reviling and Gentile hatred, expressed the same general principle in these words: "I feel in my heart to forgive all men in the broad sense that God requires of me to forgive all men, and I desire to love my neighbor as myself; and to this extent I bear no malice toward any of the children of my Father. But there are enemies to the work of the Lord, as there were enemies to the Son of God. There are those who speak only evil of the Latter-day Saints. There are those -- and they abound largely in our midst -- who will shut their eyes to every virtue and to every good thing connected with this latter-day work, and will pour out floods of falsehood and misrepresentation against the people of God. I forgive them for this. I leave them in the hands of the just Judge. Let him deal with them as seemeth him good, but they are not and cannot become my bosom companions. I cannot condescend to that. While I would not harm a hair of their heads, while I would not throw a straw in their path, to hinder them from turning from the error of their way to the light of truth; I would as soon think of taking a centipede or a scorpion, or any poisonous reptile, and putting it into my bosom, as I would think of becoming a companion or an associate of such men." (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed., p. 337.)
The Messianic prophecy -- "They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon by vesture" (Psalm 22:18) -- contains two parts: (1) His garments are to be divided among them; and (2) For his vesture or robe they are to cast lots.
Jewish men wore five articles of clothing: A head-dress, shoes, an inner garment, an outer garment, and a girdle. These items, according to Roman custom, became the property of the soldiers who performed the crucifixion. There were four soldiers and each took one article of clothing. In the case of Jesus, the robe, woven of a single piece of cloth, apparently was of excellent workmanship, and for this the soldiers elected to cast lots.
How marvelous it is to view the fulfillment of prophecy. More than a thousand years before, David, by the power of the Holy Ghost, had foretold in minute detail what these Gentile soldiers would do on this dread occasion as they acted without help or guidance from either the friends or enemies of Jesus.
With evil intent and purpose, as he hung in agony on the cross, Jesus was mocked and derided by the spectator-multitude, whose members were pleased to see him die; by the chief priests, who caused his death; by the Roman soldiers, to whom slaughter and death were common occurrences; and by one of the thieves, who was crucified with him. (Luke 23:39-43.) And out of it all came added testimony of his divine Sonship.
(1) The railings of the multitude fulfilled the Messianic prophecy: "All they that see me laugh me to scorn: . . . They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion." (Psalm 22:7, 13.)
(2) Again the people are reminded of his promise to raise the temple of his body after three days.
(3) From the chief priests, scribes, and elders came the testimony that he saved others; that is, they knew and are certifying that Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead.
(4) With their words of scorn these same chief priests, scribes, and elders also fulfil the Messianic prophecy which foretold the very words of ridicule they would use as he hung before them: "He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him." (Psalm 22:8.)
(5) This very admission that Jesus trusted in God is itself a pronouncement that his enemies knew he had lived a righteous life and had walked in a pious path.
(6) They also certify that they knew and understood his claim to divine Sonship, and that his express teaching had been that he was the Son of God.
Matt. 27:40. If thou be the Son of God] Whose words are these? They fell from the lips of mocking mortals, but their source was Satan. He had used them personally in tempting Jesus at the beginning of Jesus' mortal ministry. (Luke 4:3, 9.) Their use here dramatizes the fact that mortal men can be inspired from beneath so as to speak forth what the devil wants them to say.
42. We will believe him] This is pure Satanic sophistry. To the spiritually illiterate it may seem logical to suppose that some great miracle will cause men to believe in Christ. But conversion does not come in this way; rather, it is the result of spiritual impressions received by the power of the Holy Ghost. Did the Jews believe when Jesus called Lazarus forth from the tomb? Is there any more reason to suppose they would accept his divinity had he come down from the cross in power? "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." (Luke 16:31.)
One of the malefactors partook of the spirit of the enemies of Jesus and joined in their mockery and railing; the other had in his heart the seeds of faith and repentance, and sufficient moral courage to decry injustice, to defend innocence, and to seek salvation. This much is clear from the plain wording of the scriptures, particularly when the additions found in the Inspired Version are considered.
But the great doctrinal problem growing out of this episode is concerned with death-bed repentance. Can men, after a life of wickedness, as they stand at death's door, confess the Lord Jesus with their lips and thereby gain salvation in his kingdom? Many who do not have the light that has come with the restored gospel suppose this to be the case. That there is no such doctrine in the true gospel of Christ, however, is clear from the tenor and meaning of the whole body of revealed writing and also from specific revelations which deal with the express point.
Speaking to people who had knowledge of the saving truths of the gospel, and who therefore were in a more favored position than the penitent malefactor, the prophet Amulek said: "Do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed. Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world. For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance even until death, behold, ye have become subjected to the spirit of the devil, and he doth seal you his." (Alma 34:33-35.)
On the other hand, people who die without a knowledge of the gospel, but who would have repented and obeyed the truth if the opportunity had been afforded them, shall have the opportunity to hear the gospel in the spirit world and become heirs of salvation. Such an one was the penitent malefactor. See John 5:25.
Paradise is the abode of the spirits of the just pending the day of their resurrection. (Alma 40:11-14.) Paradise is not heaven; it is not the ultimate home of the saints; it is not the abode of saved beings. See Luke 16:19-31.
"I will say something about the spirits in prison," Joseph Smith said. "There has been much said by modern divines about the words of Jesus (when on the cross) to the thief, saying, `This day shalt thou be with me in paradise.' King James' translators make it out to say paradise. But what is paradise? It is a modern word: it does not answer at all to the original word that Jesus made use of. Find the original of the word paradise. . . . There is nothing in the original word in Greek from which this was taken that signifies paradise; but it was -- This day thou shalt be with me in the world of spirits: then I will teach you all about it and answer your inquiries." (Teachings, p. 309.)
Luke 23:41. This man hath done nothing amiss] How universal the testimony is; from the living and the dying, from the lips of honest men everywhere comes the same eternal verity -- `This man is innocent!'
We see here an illustration of true Christian concern for the temporal well-being of members of the kingdom. According to the Lord's law: "Women have claim on their husbands for their maintenance, until their husbands are taken," and then "widows and orphans shall be provided for," if their needs and circumstances require, through the facilities of the Church. (D. & C. 83.)
25. There stood by the cross of Jesus his mother] When her Infant Son had been presented in the temple, Simeon had prophesied to Mary: "A sword shall pierce through thy own soul also." (Luke 2:35.) This promise is now fulfilled in full measure. In this sad scene, Mary -- the preeminent daughter of God, the one chosen by him from all the hosts in pre-existence to be the mortal mother of his Son -- stands as it were with the promised sword piercing her soul.
27. Behold thy mother!] With supreme solicitude, and though he himself was in agony on the cross, Jesus places his mother in the care and keeping of John. From the choice of John to perform this Christian service, we may infer several things:
(1) Mary, probably now about sixty years of age, needed a home and temporal sustenance. While Jesus had been among them, he would have been watchful to see that his mother had what she needed temporally and spiritually; with his leaving John was to assume this responsibility.
(2) Joseph, her husband is obviously dead and her other sons, not yet converted to the Church, would not have provided the household of faith in which to care for the tender feelings of one who had conversed with Gabriel, borne God's Son in her womb, and seen him crucified by wicked men.
(3) John, beloved and chosen among the disciples, had the facilities and means to care for her. From his acquaintance with the high priest (John 18:15), and his detailed knowledge of Jesus' ministry in Jerusalem, it appears John had a home there. Such could have been the place where Jesus himself stayed when in that city.
Matt. 27:45. Darkness over all the land] Jesus was crucified at about 9 a.m.; the darkness lasted from about noon to 3 p.m.; for it there is no known scientific explanation. That it was not a solar eclipse is shown from the fact that the Passover occurs when the moon is full; indeed the first full moon after the spring equinox is what determines the time of the Passover. The three synoptists say the darkness began "the sixth hour"; John's account, into which error apparently has crept, places it some hours later. (John 19:14.)
A comparable but more extended sign was given on the Western Hemisphere. Zenos and Samuel the Lamanite both prophesied, not of three hours, but of three days of darkness, darkness which was to last while the crucified Lord's body lay in the tomb. (1 Ne. 19:10; Hela. 14:20.) The nature of this darkness, which may have been similar to that in Palestine, is thus described: "There was thick darkness upon all the face of the land, insomuch that the inhabitants thereof who had not fallen could feel the vapor of darkness; And there could be no light, because of the darkness, neither candles, neither torches; neither could there be fire kindled with their fine and exceedingly dry wood, so that there could not be any light at all; And there was not any light seen, neither fire, nor glimmer, neither the sun, nor the moon, nor the stars, for so great were the mists of darkness which were upon the face of the land. And it came to pass that it did last for the space of three days that there was no light seen." (3 Ne. 8:20-23.)
Why should darkness attend the crucifixion? In answer, we might ask: In what more fitting manner could the very earth itself manifest gloom at the death of its Creator? It is as though the forces of nature were dramatizing the depths to which men had sunk.
46. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?] These are the exact words of the Messianic prophecy found in Psalm 22:1. "What mind of man can fathom the significance of that awful cry? It seems, that in addition to the fearful suffering incident to crucifixion, the agony of Gethsemane had recurred, intensified beyond human power to endure. In that bitterest hour the dying Christ was alone, alone in most terrible reality. That the supreme sacrifice of the Son might be consummated in all its fulness, the Father seems to have withdrawn the support of his immediate Presence, leaving to the Savior of men the glory of complete victory over the forces of sin and death." (Talmage, p. 661.)
47. This man calleth for Elias] This was said in mockery, there being a Jewish tradition that Elijah often had appeared to save those in peril.
John 19:28. I thirst] Jesus so spoke to fulfil to the full yet another of the many detailed Messianic prophecies: "They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink." (Psalm 69:21.)
I. V. Matt. 27:54. Father, it is finished, thy will is done] Jesus' mortal work was done; he had paid the price for the sins of the world; man was ransomed from the spiritual and temporal death brought upon him by the fall; the infinite and eternal atoning sacrifice had been made -- all according to the will of the Father.
Matt. 27:51. The veil of the temple was rent] Once each year in ancient Israel the high priest passed through the veil of the temple into the Holy of Holies. This solemn act was part of the sacrificial rites performed in similitude of the coming sacrifice of the Son of God, and these rites were performed for the remission of sins. (Lev. 16.) "For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord." (Lev. 16:30.)
But Christ is now sacrificed; the law is fulfilled; the Mosaic dispensation is dead; the fulness of the gospel has come with all its light and power; and so -- to dramatize, in a way which all Jewry would recognize, that the kingdom had been taken from them and given to others -- Deity rent the veil of the temple "from the top to the bottom." The Holy of Holies is now open to all, and all, through the atoning blood of the Lamb, can now enter into the highest and holiest of all places, that kingdom where eternal life is found. Paul, in expressive language (Heb. 9 and 10), shows how the ordinances performed through the veil of the ancient temple were in similitude of what Christ was to do, which he now having done, all men become eligible to pass through the veil into the presence of the Lord to inherit full exaltation.
Luke 23:46. Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit] A perfect benediction for a perfect life, a benediction promised and foretold in a Messianic prophecy of olden time: "Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou has redeemed me, O Lord God of truth." (Psalm 31:5.)
He gave up the ghost] Not he died; not he was slain, or crucified; not that his life was taken; but he "gave up" his spirit; the act was voluntary; he could have chosen to live. "I lay down my life. ... No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself." (John 10:17-18.)
Matt. 27:51. The earth did quake, and the rocks rent] These scenes were foreseen by Enoch; he "beheld the Son of Man lifted up on the cross, after the manner of men; And he heard a loud voice; and the heavens were veiled; and all the creations of God mourned; and the earth groaned; and the rocks were rent." (Moses 7:55-56.)
Samuel the Lamanite also, speaking particularly of the earthquakes and destructions which would occur on the American continent, prophesied of these things. "At the time that he shall yield up the ghost there shall be thunderings and lightnings for the space of many hours, and the earth shall shake and tremble; and the rocks which are upon the face of this earth, which are both above the earth and beneath, which ye know at this time are solid, or the more part of it is one solid mass, shall be broken up; Yea, they shall be rent in twain, and shall ever after be found in seams and in cracks, and in broken fragments upon the face of the whole earth, yea, both above the earth and beneath. And behold, there shall be great tempests, and there shall be many mountains laid low, like unto a valley, and there shall be many places which are now called valleys which shall become mountains, whose height is great." (Hela. 14:21-23.) Nephi and Zenos also foresaw these scenes. (1 Ne. 12:4; 19:12.)
As with all prophecies, the fulfillment came with total and unerring certainty. The Book of Mormon account, for the year 34 A. D., recites: "Behold, the rocks were rent in twain; they were broken up upon the face of the whole earth, insomuch that they were found in broken fragments, and in seams and in cracks, upon all the face of the land. And it came to pass that when the thunderings and the lightnings, and the storm, and the tempest, and the quakings of the earth did cease -- for behold, they did last for about the space of three hours; and it was said by some that the time was greater; nevertheless, all these great and terrible things were done in about the space of three hours -- and then behold, there was darkness upon the face of the land." (3 Ne. 8:18-19; 10:9.)
Because of the earthquake, the rending of the rocks, and the kingly demeanor of Christ as he voluntarily gave up his life, the centurion and others glorified God and were forced to testify that Jesus could not be other than the Son of God. Their recognition of his divine status was in effect forced upon them by outward circumstances, particularly by those things which caused the heavens and the earth to speak forth in anguish.
What shall we say, then, of a testimony wrenched from human lips because outward circumstances make it nearly impossible to avoid accepting and certifying to the truth? Perhaps the answer is found in Alma's comments to some who were led in his day to believe in Christ because of outward forces.
"Because ye are compelled to be humble blessed are ye," Alma said, "for a man sometimes, if he is compelled to be humble, seeketh repentance; and now surely, whosoever repenteth shall find mercy; and he that findeth mercy and endureth to the end the same shall be saved. And now, as I said unto you, that because ye were compelled to be humble ye were blessed, do ye not suppose that they are more blessed who truly humble themselves because of the word? Yea, he that truly humbleth himself, and repenteth of his sins, and endureth to the end, the same shall be blessed -- yea, much more blessed than they who are compelled to be humble because of their exceeding poverty. Therefore, blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble; or rather, in other words, blessed is he that believeth in the word of God, and is baptized without stubbornness of heart, yea, without being brought to know the word, or even compelled to know, before they will believe." (Alma 32:12-16.)
"Thou shalt live together in love, insomuch that thou shalt weep for the loss of them that die." (D. & C. 42:45.)
Matt. 27:55. Many women... which followed Jesus] Though the apostles and mighty missionaries of Jesus' day are the ones of whom the New Testament makes particular mention, it should be noted that there were many great and faithful women who followed our Lord and who, for their faith and righteousness, shall be exalted to thrones of glory along with the more renown male members of the kingdom.
Luke 23:49. And all his acquaintance] Jesus' friends were there. No mention is made of any of the apostles save John to whom Jesus gave the care of Mary. But who can feel that any were absent, save Judas whose soul was already with Satan?
31. Romans left the bodies of their crucified victims to rot upon their crosses; Jewish law required burial of executed persons before night "that thy land be not defiled." (Deut. 21:22-23.) It is now Friday afternoon; both the Sabbath and a holy paschal day are about to commence; death and burial must take place before sunset.
Their legs might be broken] At this point, to slay the suffering victims with a sword would have been an act of mercy. But compassion was no part of crucifixion; death must come in the most agonizing and painful way. The Jews sought not only to kill but to torture their victim.
34. Forthwith came there out blood and water] Why does John, as though he were recording some great miracle, tell us that both blood and water flowed from Christ's pierced side, and then add his solemn certification that he spoke the truth in so stating? It appears that the Beloved Disciple was showing how one of the great doctrines of revealed religion, that of being born again, rests upon and is efficacious because of the atonement. As the inspired record recites, men are "born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit" thereby becoming mortal souls. To gain salvation they must thereafter "be born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood," meaning the blood of Christ. (Moses 6:59.) Thus when men see birth into this world, they are reminded of what is required for birth into the kingdom of heaven.
Since this spiritual rebirth and consequent salvation in the kingdom of heaven are available because of the atonement, how fitting it is that the elements present in that infinite sacrifice are also water, blood, and spirit. Accordingly, when men think of the crucifixion of Christ, they are reminded of what they must do to be born again and gain that full salvation which comes because of his atonement.
John, who was eye witness to the water and blood gushing from Jesus' side after his spirit had left his body, later wrote of being "born of God" through the atonement in these words: "Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world. . . . Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. . . . And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood." (1 John 5:1-8.)
36. A bone of him shall not be broken] For nearly fifteen hundred years Israel sacrificed paschal lambs, taking care not to "break a bone thereof" (Ex. 12:46), all looking forward to this time, the time when the Lamb of God would be sacrificed without a broken bone. "He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken," the Psalmist wrote. (Ps. 34:20.)
37. They shall look on him whom they pierced] In speaking of his Second Coming, Christ said through the mouth of Zechariah, "They shall look upon me whom they have pierced." (Zech. 12:10.) This Messianic utterance shall find fulfillment in the appearance of the resurrected Lord to the descendants of his ancient covenant people when he returns in glory. They will then say: "What are these wounds in thine hands and in thy feet?" His reply: "These wounds are the wounds with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. I am he who was lifted up. I am Jesus that was crucified. I am the Son of God." (D. & C. 45:51-52; Zech. 13:6.)
That the spear wound was of major proportion, one that would have slain him had he not already voluntarily given up his life, is evident from his statement made to the Nephites after his resurrection, "Thrust your hands into my side." (3 Ne. 11:14.)
In life and in death, Jesus fulfilled all that had aforetime been written of him. Isaiah's prophecy of the death and burial of Jehovah specifies that he would be "with the rich in his death." (Isa. 53:9.) And now cometh one Joseph of Arimathea, "a rich man," a man of power and influence, "who also himself was Jesus' disciple," who owned a new and elaborate tomb, which then became the sepulchre for the Son of God. And now cometh also Nicodemus, he too being a man of means and position, who brought great quantities of costly ointments and spices to anoint and embalm as befitted a King and as only the wealthy could do.
It is worthy of note that before Pilate would release the body, he was assured of the reality of death (a fact which must precede the coming resurrection); that a "great stone" sealed the sepulchre (lest the body be stolen); and that faithful women continued their vigil of sorrow and adoration to the last.
62. Next day] From sunset Thursday to sunset Friday was the day of preparation for the Sabbath; "the next day that followed" was the Sabbath and it began with sunset Friday. Hence by personally arranging for the watch and sealing the tomb, the chief priests and Pharisees, according to their own tradition, suffered defilement.
63. After three days I will rise again] Jesus' doctrines and claims were known to the people. He had spoken openly of his resurrection after three days (Matt. 12:40 John 2:19), and had also announced the doctrine to his disciples (Matt. 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:18-19), from whom it would have been taught to others.
I. V. Matt. 28:2. Angels of the Lord] Angels are ministers of Christ. They might be resurrected personages, as was Moroni when he came to Joseph Smith (Jos. Smith 2:30-47); or translated beings, as were Moses and Elijah when they appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration to confer keys of the priesthood upon Peter, James, and John (Matt. 17:1-13); or "the spirits of just men made perfect, they who are not resurrected, but inherit the same glory" (D. & C. 129:3); or spirits from pre-existence, as in the case of the angel who visited Adam in a day when no one had as yet died, been translated, or resurrected. (Moses 5:6-8.)
The work of angels is to represent the Lord and do his bidding in the realms of spirits and of immortal souls, even as the Lord's mortal ministers are called to act for Deity in their sphere.
3. Their countenance was like lightning, and their raiment white as snow] The most detailed scriptural description of an angelic ministrant is that given of Moroni by Joseph Smith: "A personage appeared at my bedside," he said, "standing in the air, for his feet did not touch the floor. He had on a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness. It was a whiteness beyond anything earthly I had ever seen; nor do I believe that any earthly thing could be made to appear so exceedingly white and brilliant. His hands were naked, and his arms also, a little above the wrist; so, also were his feet naked, as were his legs, a little above the ankles. His head and neck were also bare. I could discover that he had no other clothing on but his robe, as it was open, so that I could see his bosom. Not only was his robe exceedingly white, but his whole person was glorious beyond description, and his countenance truly like lightning. The room was exceedingly light, but not so very bright as immediately around his person." (Jos. Smith 2:30-32.)
John 20:1. First day of the week] Sunday, the Lord's day. God's plan for mortal man calls for six days of labor, and one of rest. In the wisdom of the great Creator, such a schedule provides needed physical refreshment. This day of rest from servile work, also in the wisdom of Deity, is appointed as a day for spiritual feasting, a holy day, a Sabbath.
From Adam to Moses the decree was: Work six days and rest on Saturday, the seventh day; do it in commemoration of the fact that "in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day." (Ex. 20:8-11.)
From Moses to this resurrection morning the decree was: Work six days and rest one day, in commemoration of the deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage. (Deut. 5:11-15.) Since Israel was freed from bondage on a specific day of the year, it follows that the commanded Sabbath fell on a different day each year, just as Christmas day does. In order to make the schedule come out provision was made in the Mosaic Law for a forty-eight hour Sabbath once each year. (Samuel Walter Gamble, Sunday the True Sabbath of God.)
Because Jesus came forth from the grave on the first day of the week, to commemorate that day and to keep in remembrance the glorious reality of the resurrection, the ancient apostles, as guided by the Spirit, changed the Sabbath to Sunday. That this change had divine approval we know from latter-day revelation, in which Deity speaks of "the Lord's day" as such and sets forth what should and should not be done on that day. (D. & C. 59:9-17.)
2. They have taken away the Lord] The empty tomb! Glorious thing! Christ is risen! A reality soon to burst with heart -- cheering reality upon this Mary of Magdala! See John 20:11-18.
3-10. What a picture John has left us of this unique moment in history. Fear fills the hearts of Peter and John; wicked men must have stolen the body of their Lord. They race to the tomb. John, younger and more fleet, arrives first, stoops down, looks in, but does not enter, hesitating as it were to desecrate the sacred spot even by his presence. But Peter, impetuous, bold, a dynamic leader, an apostle who wielded the sword against Malchus and stood as mouthpiece for them all in bearing testimony, rushes in. John follows. Together they view the grave-clothes-linen strips that have not been unwrapped, but through which a resurrected body has passed. And then, upon John, reflective and mystic by nature, the reality dawns first. It is true! They had not known before; now they do. It is the third day! Christ is risen! "Death is swallowed up in victory." (1 Cor. 15:54.)
How much there is incident to the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord which ennobles and exalts faithful women. They wept at the cross, sought to care for his wounded and lifeless body, and came to his tomb to weep and worship for their friend and Master. And so it is not strange that we find a woman, Mary of Magdala, chosen and singled out from all the disciples, even including the apostles, to be the first mortal to see and bow in the presence of a resurrected being. Mary, who had been healed of much and who loved much, saw the risen Christ!
What is resurrection? It is not returning from death to life as did Lazarus; it is not ascending to heaven without tasting death as did Elijah; it is not continuing to live on earth for thousands of years as do John and the three Nephites. Lazarus lived again as a mortal man, to die at some future time; Elijah was translated, and so remained until he was "with Christ in his resurrection" (D. & C. 133:55); and John and the three Nephites will yet be changed "from mortality to immortality." (3 Ne. 28:8.)
Resurrection is to rise from mortality to immortality, from corruption to incorruption, to change a natural body for a spiritual body. (1 Cor. 15:42-58; D. & C. 88:27-32.) It is to have body and spirit reunite with an inseparable connection so that never again can they be torn apart. Resurrected beings live forever and have powers not available to mortals. Their bodies are made of flesh and bones so organized as to be eternal in nature. See Luke 24:13-35.
Jesus, the first fruits of the resurrection, who appeared first unto Mary Magdalene, is the great Exemplar. As he came forth from the grave so shall all men. "As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (1 Cor. 15:223.
Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene and then to other women. To Mary the mother of Joses, to Joanna, to Salome the mother of James and John, and to other unnamed women, the two angels announced the resurrection, and sent them to tell Peter and the other disciples. As they went, Jesus appeared and greeted them with the familiar "All hail." And so again it was women who were honored with a visitation from their friend the resurrected Lord.
"One may wonder why Jesus had forbidden Mary Magdalene to touch him, and then, so soon after, had permitted other women to hold him by the feet as they bowed in reverence. We may assume that Mary's emotional approach had been prompted more by a feeling of personal yet holy affection than by an impulse of devotional worship such as the other women evinced. Though the resurrected Christ, manifested the same friendly and intimate regard as he had shown in the mortal state toward those with whom he had been closely associated, he was no longer one of them in the literal sense. There was about him a divine dignity that forbade close personal familiarity. To Mary Magdalene Christ had said: `Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father.' If the second clause was spoken in explanation of the first, we have to infer that no human hand was to be permitted to touch the Lord's resurrected and immortalized body until after he had presented himself to the Father. It appears reasonable and probable that between Mary's impulsive attempt to touch the Lord, and the action of the other women who held him by the feet as they bowed in worshipful reverence, Christ did ascend to the Father, and that later he returned to earth to continue his ministry in the resurrected state." (Talmage, p. 682.)
To us the first resurrection shall commence when Christ comes again, and the second resurrection shall start at the end of the millennium. But for those who lived prior to the time of the resurrection of Christ, the first resurrection, itself a resurrection of the just, was the one which accompanied the coming forth of the Son of God from the grave.
Enoch and Samuel the Lamanite both spoke specifically of the resurrection that would take place when Jesus took up his body again. (Moses 7:55-56; Hela. 14:25; 3 Ne. 23:7-13.) Isaiah recorded these words spoken by the Lord Jehovah: "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. . . And the earth shall cast out the dead." (Isa. 26:19.) Abinadi explained the doctrine involved and told who would come forth in this resurrection, which is the one of which Matthew wrote. "Behold, the bands of death shall be broken, and the Son reigneth, and hath power over the dead; therefore, he bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead. And there cometh a resurrection, even a first resurrection; yea, even a resurrection of those that have been, and who are, and who shall be, even until the resurrection of Christ for so shall he be called. And now, the resurrection of all the prophets, and all those that have believed in their words, or all those that have kept the commandments of God, shall come forth in the first resurrection; therefore, they are the first resurrection. They are raised to dwell with God who has redeemed them; thus they have eternal life through Christ, who has broken the bands of death. And these are those who have part in the first resurrection; and these are they that have died before Christ came, in their ignorance, not having salvation declared unto them. And thus the Lord bringeth about the restoration of these; and they have a part in the first resurrection, or have eternal life, being redeemed by the Lord." (Mosiah 15:20-24.)
Pilate had placed soldiers at the disposal of the chief priests to use in guarding the tomb. (Matt. 27:62-66.) These now reported to those under whose temporary command they served what had happened, thus bearing testimony that Jesus had risen from the dead. The resultant scheme to claim the body was stolen while they slept, aside from the affirmative evidence to the contrary, is absurd on its face, for they could not have known what transpired while they slept.
Thus to those who loved and served him, the Lord appeared, and they saw and knew of his risen status. But to those who hated and slew him, word of his resurrection came by way of Gentile overlords who themselves neither believed nor understood the strange events of which they were witnesses.
Why did the risen Lord take this means of appearing to Cleopas and his companion (perhaps Luke, since it is he who records the account)? Was it to quote and interpret the Messianic prophecies "beginning at Moses and all the prophets"? Such could have been done under more effective circumstances, and for that matter, Luke does not even record the explanations given. Why did Jesus keep his identity hidden? Why walk and talk, perhaps for hours, along the dusty lanes of Palestine?
Obviously it was to show what a resurrected being is like. He was teaching the gospel as only he could, teaching a living sermon, a sermon that was to be climaxed shortly in an upper room in the presence of his apostles. See Luke 24:36-44.
Jesus walked down a Judean lane, walked for hours and taught the truths of the gospel, exactly as he had during three and a half years of his mortal ministry. So much did he seem like any other wayfaring teacher, in demeanor, in dress, in speech, in physical appearance, in conversation, that they did not recognize him as the Jesus whom they assumed was dead. `Abide with us,' they said, as they would have done to Peter or John. `Come in and eat and sleep; you must be tired and hungry.' They thought he was a mortal man. Could anyone devise a more perfect way to teach what a resurrected being is like when his glory is retained within him? Men are men whether mortal or immortal, and there need be no spiritualizing away of the reality of the resurrection, not after this Emmaus road episode. See Mark 16:9-11.
Peter was to direct the building up and rolling forth of the Lord's work in that apostolic dispensation, and he was thus singled out for a special appearance of the resurrected Lord. What reunion and revelation was involved we can only guess. There is no account by any gospel author of this appearance, nor does Peter mention it in his epistles. Paul, however, states simply that the risen Lord "was seen of Cephas." (1 Cor. 15:5.)
On the Emmaus road Jesus walked, talked, and appeared as a mortal man. Now he comes through the walls or roof of an enclosed room, thus showing another power and capacity of a resurrected body. Standing before his terrified and frightened disciples -- and the group included the apostles, plus others (Luke 24:33) -- he continued his `living sermon' on the resurrection by demonstrating further what a resurrected body was and how it operated.
The apostles and other disciples thought he was "a spirit," a misconception which, however, reveals what a spirit is. As Jesus stood before them he seemed in every respect to be a man. In other words a spirit is a man, an entity, a personage, not an ineffable nothingness pervading immensity. A spirit is what the Brother of Jared saw on the mountain when the yet unembodied Lord appeared and said: "This body, which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit; . . . and even as I appear unto thee to be in the spirit will I appear unto my people in the flesh." (Ether 3:16.)
Jesus then confirmed the disciples' belief that a spirit is a personage by showing how a resurrected body differs from a spirit body. He announced that his body was made of "flesh and bones" and invited all present to handle, feel, and learn of its corporeal nature. Then lest any feel later that their senses had been deceived, he asked for food and ate it before them, not to satisfy hunger, but to demonstrate that resurrected beings are tangible and can eat and digest food. See Luke 24:13-35.
When Paul adds to what is here revealed that the risen Lord is in "the express image of his" Father's "person" (Heb. 1:3), we have perfect Biblical confirmation of the revealed truth that "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also." (D. & C. 130:22.)
John 20:21. As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you] These holy men had power to preach and minister because they were called, ordained, and sent by the Lord Jesus Christ. Can any man assume like prerogatives without a like call? There is no substitute for God's authority; with it a man is a true minister; without it he is only a poor imitation whose ordinances and teachings will not be binding on earth and sealed in heaven.
45. This special spiritual endowment was a temporary gift. Scriptures are given and understood only by the power of the Holy Ghost. (2 Pet. 1:20-21.) The disciples would receive the ability to understand the scriptures in the full and continuing sense only after they gained the gift of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost.
A similar thing to this happened also in the case of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. Following their baptism at the direction of John the Baptist, and before the Melchizedek Priesthood was restored so they could receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, the inspired account says: "We were filled with the Holy Ghost, and rejoiced in the God of our salvation. Our minds being now enlightened, we began to have the scriptures laid open to our understandings, and the true meaning and intention of their more mysterious passages revealed unto us in a manner which we never could attain to previously, nor ever before had thought of." (Jos. Smith 2:73-74.) But both the ancient and the modern disciples, in order to continue to enjoy the full guidance and endowment of the Spirit had to receive, in due course, the gift of the Holy Ghost. To a degree every sincere investigator begins to have his mind opened to the scriptures, as he seeks the truth even before baptism, but the great flood of enlightenment comes after the receipt of the companionship of the Holy Ghost.
46-47. Because of the atonement of Christ, all men are raised in immortality and those who believe and obey his laws gain also an inheritance of eternal life. (D. & C. 29:43.) "We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel." (Third Article of Faith.)
The Lord wants men to have faith in him, to repent of their sins, to be baptized under the hands of a legal administrator, to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and then to endure in righteousness to the end, so as to qualify for salvation in his kingdom. Here he tells his ancient disciples that these things are available because of his atonement. In effect he is saying that because he suffered and died men can repent and gain salvation through baptism. This same revealed truth was given anew on the day the Church was organized in this dispensation. "The Almighty God gave his Only Begotten Son, as it is written in those scriptures which have been given of him. He suffered temptations but gave no heed unto them. He was crucified, died, and rose again the third day; And ascended into heaven, to sit down on the right hand of the Father, to reign with almighty power according to the will of the Father; That as many as would believe and be baptized in his holy name, and endure in faith to the end, should be saved -- Not only those who believed after he came in the meridian of time, in the flesh, but all those from the beginning, even as many as were before he came, who believed in the words of the holy prophets, who spake as they were inspired by the gift of the Holy Ghost, who truly testified of him in all things, should have eternal life, As well as those who should come after, who should believe in the gifts and callings of God by the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of the Father and of the Son." (D. & C. 20:21-27.)
48. Ye are witnesses] The apostles of old were sent out to teach, testify, and baptize. They were to teach by the Spirit, testify of the truth, and baptize the repentant souls. They were witnesses. A witness testifies; he has a testimony to bear; he tells what he knows. The gospel is not carried to the world by the teaching process only. Any minister or professor of religion can teach; whether his conclusions are true or false, he can present them and make them seem appealing to some. But only one who knows by personal revelation that certain things are true can testify with converting power.
These apostles were to teach the truths of salvation and then testify that by personal revelation they knew whereof they spoke. They were both teachers and witnesses. For instance, they were to teach that the scriptures said Christ should come and die for the sins of the world; but then they were to bear witness that this man Jesus was the Christ, that he had risen from the dead and that they, his witnesses, had felt the nail marks in his hands and feet, had handled his resurrected body, had walked with him on the Emmaus road, had seem him eat fish and an honeycomb, and that they knew by the power of the Holy Ghost that he was the Son of God. They were witnesses.
This system of teaching and testifying is eternal in nature; it has operated in all dispensations. Alma said, "I am commanded to stand and testify unto this people the things which have been spoken by our fathers"; that is, he was going to quote the scriptures of old and tell the people what they meant; he was going to teach the truths of the gospel. But, he continued, "this is not all. Do ye not suppose that I know of these things myself? Behold, I testify unto you that I do know that these things whereof I have spoken are true." That is, in addition to the teachings found in the scriptures, which teachings were the testimony of those of old, Alma, as a living witness, was now bearing a personal testimony. As to the gaining of such a personal testimony, by means of which he became a personal witness, he said: "And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety? Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me." (Alma 5:44-46.)
To the missionaries of this final gospel dispensation the Lord has said: "I sent you out to testify and warn the people." (D. & C. 88:81.) Everlastingly and always it is the same; the gospel is taught by witnesses who bear testimony of what God has revealed to them. Nothing will touch the hearts of honest truth seekers like a personal witness of the divinity of the Lord's work.
Baptism divides into two parts -- immersion in water, and immersion in the Spirit. "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance," proclaimed John, the Lord's forerunner, "but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire." (Matt. 3:11.)
From the time of John to this hour when the resurrected Lord stood before his apostolic witnesses, the only legally performed baptisms had been in water, with the promise in each instance of a future baptism of fire. Now the time was at hand to perform the ordinance which would entitle the saints to receive the baptism of fire. And so Jesus "breathed on them," which probably means that he laid his hands upon them as he uttered the decree: 'Receive the Holy Ghost.'
They thus received, but did not at that moment actually enjoy, the gift of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is a personage of Spirit, a Spirit Man, a holy being, the third member of the Godhead. (D. & C. 130:22-23.) The gift of the Holy Ghost is the right, based on faithfulness, to receive the constant companionship of this member of the Godhead; and this gift is conferred by the laying on of hands following baptism. This gift offers certain blessings provided there is full compliance with the law involved; everyone upon whom the gift is bestowed does not in fact enjoy or possess the offered gift. In the case of the apostles the actual enjoyment of the gift was delayed until the day of Pentecost. (Acts 2.) This actual enjoyment of the promised gift causes a person to receive revelation, guidance, and instruction from the Spirit.
The saints in this day go through the ordinance of the laying on of hands which gives them the gift, which by definition is the right to receive the companionship of the Spirit. If and when they are worthy, they are then immersed in the Spirit, as it were, thus actually enjoying the gift. In practice the Holy Ghost gives inspiration and guidance from time to time to those who have the gift and whose right it thereby is to gain this direction. The goal toward which the faithful work is to have this inspiration constantly, that is, actually to enjoy the constant companionship of the Spirit. (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 8th ed., pp. 60-62)
God only can forgive sins; Jesus exercised this power during his ministry to show he was God. Priesthood is the power and authority of God delegated to man on earth to act in all things for the salvation of men. And so we now find Jesus authorizing the apostles to use their priesthood, which is the power of God, to remain and remit sins. Obviously they cannot do so except in those cases where Christ himself would have so acted had he been present performing this ministerial service.
Revelation from the Lord is always required to retain or remit sins. Since God is the one who must cleanse and purify a human soul, the use of his priestly powers to do so must be authorized and approved by him, and this approval comes by revelation from his Holy Spirit. In many cases in this dispensation the Lord by revelation announced that the sins of certain persons were forgiven. (D. & C. 60:7; 61:2; 62:3; 64:3.) Accordingly, if by revelation he should tell his apostles to act for him, using his power which is priesthood, and to thus retain or remit sins, they would do so, and their acts would in effect be his. See Matt. 16:13-20; 17:1-9; 18:18.
This same apostolic power is always found in the true Church, and hence we find the Lord saying to Joseph Smith: "I have conferred upon you the keys and power of the priesthood, and whosesoever sins you remit on earth shall be remitted eternally in the heavens; and whosesoever sins you retain on earth shall be retained in heaven." (D. & C. 132:45-46.) There is another sense in which the apostles and all of the elders of the Church have power to remit or retain sins. These legal administrators have been authorized to baptize for the remission of sins. Thus if a man repents and qualifies for the remission of sins, and is baptized by a legal administrator who has power to perform the ordinance so that it will be binding on earth and sealed eternally in the heavens, such repentant person has his sins remitted. If, however, he refuses to heed the warning voice and does not repent and be baptized, his sins are retained, and he does not become pure and spotless so he can qualify to go where God and Christ are.
Forgiveness of sins committed after baptism comes also by following the established order of the Church, which includes full repentance and the renewal through the sacramental ordinance of the covenants made in the waters of baptism. See Matt. 10:32-33 and the related scriptures considered under the heading, "How Forgiveness and Pardoning Grace Operate."
It is common in Christendom to suppose that Jesus here commanded his apostles to tarry in Jerusalem until the promised gift of the Holy Ghost was received, which gift would constitute an endowment of power from on high. Perhaps the statement can be so used, for certainly the disciples were marvelously and powerfully endowed when the Holy Spirit came into their lives on the day of Pentecost. (Acts 2.)
But from latter-day revelation we learn that the Lord had something more in mind in issuing this instruction. In this dispensation, after the elders had received the gift of the Holy Ghost and as early as January, 1831, the Lord began to reveal unto them that he had an endowment in store for the faithful (D. & C. 38:22; 43:16), "a blessing such as is not known among the children of men." (D. & C. 39:15.) In June, 1833, he said: "I gave unto you a commandment that you should build a house, in the which house I design to endow those whom I have chosen with power from on high; For this is the promise of the Father unto you; therefore I command you to tarry, even as mine apostles at Jerusalem." (D. & C. 95:8-9; 105:11-12, 18, 33.)
Thus the apostles -- or any ministers or missionaries in any age -- are not fully qualified to go forth, preach the gospel, and build up the kingdom, unless they have the gift of the Holy Ghost and also are endowed with power from on high, meaning have received certain knowledge, powers, and special blessings, normally given only in the Lord's Temple.
Thomas apparently did not understand or believe that Jesus had come forth with a literal, tangible body of flesh and bones, one that could be felt and handled, one that bore the nail marks and carried the spear wound, one that ate food and outwardly was almost akin to a mortal body. Obviously he had heard the testimony of Mary Magdalene and the other women, of Peter, and of all the apostles. It is not to be supposed that he doubted the resurrection as such, but rather the literal and corporeal nature of it. Hence his rash assertion about feeling the nail prints and thrusting his hand into the Lord's side.
His skepticism is almost the perfect pattern for even the religiously inclined of modern Christendom, people who profess belief in Christ's resurrection and yet suppose he has become some kind of a spiritual person or essence who does not continue to live as a corporeal entity. The case of Thomas shows why the Lord went to such great lengths on the Emmaus road and in the upper room to show beyond peradventure of doubt exactly what his body was Like. And so rather than point the finger of scorn at Thomas we might do well to look carefully at the modern disbelief in that holy being who with his Father reigns as a Holy Man in the heavens above.
This appearance of the resurrected Jesus, as far as the record shows, seems to have been made to issue the final ministerial call to the apostles and to instruct them in their duties. Probably he ate again and the fact that he stood on the seashore unrecognized, apparently as though he were a mortal man, again testifies of the nature of resurrected beings.
1. Sea of Tiberias] Sea of Galilee. 2. Seven of the Twelve were present.
3. I go a fishing] Not yet fully knowing what was expected of them, not yet having received the great commission to evangelize the world, and perhaps needing sustenance, the apostles turn to a temporal pursuit.
7. John, reflective by nature, first recognizes Jesus; Peter, impulsive, swims ashore to greet him.
14. The third time] This is the third time they have seen him as a group. It is his seventh, perhaps eighth, known appearance. He came first to Mary Magdalene; then to the other women; then to Cleopas and his companion on the Emmaus road; thereafter to Peter alone; perhaps somewhere during this time to James, his brother; and twice to the apostles in the upper room. He has yet to appear on the Mount in Galilee, which probably is the occasion when he came to "above five hundred brethren at once" (1 Cor. 15:5-7); he has yet to spend the balance of the first forty days of his resurrected life ministering to and teaching them (Acts 1:3); and finally in their presence he has yet to ascend to eternal glory. And of course there may have been appearances without number of which there is no New Testament record. He of course ministered among the Nephites on the American continent and among the Lost Tribes of Israel in an unspecified land. (3 Ne.)
A man called Peter -- one of the noblest of all our Father's children -- rose to heights of spiritual greatness, in part at least, because of the trials and testings he overcame. Shortly before this seaside scene, Jesus had said to him: "When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." To this Peter replied, "Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison,' and to death," which brought forth this rejoinder from Jesus: "Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me." (Luke 22:32-34.)
Now Peter, still not fully converted, for such must await the Spirit's descent on Pentecost, is called upon to erase the three averral' that he knew not the Man, by thrice asserting his love for the risen Lord. That lie was singled out from the seven apostles there assembled is an added evidence that he was chief among them. The question, "Lovest thou me more than these?" was one of deep import, for Peter, the senior apostle of God on earth, had gone fishing; that is, instead of devoting himself, with all his means and energy to the ministry, he had gone off after temporal things. Our Lord now calls him back and asks: `Lovest thou me more than these one hundred and fifty-three fish, more than the things of this world?' And the commands, "Feed my lambs. . . . Feed my sheep," are announced as tests for Peter and for all Christ's ministers, tests which measure how much the elders of the kingdom love their Lord.
"Thou shalt follow me," our Lord said to Peter on that recent day when the chief apostle pledged, "I will lay down my life for thy sake." (John 13:36-38.) How literally the Master then spoke, and how fully Peter is to do as he offered, he now learns. He is to be crucified, a thing which John in this passage assumes to be known to his readers. Peter's arms are to be stretched forth upon the cross, the executioner shall gird him with the loin-cloth which criminals wear when crucified, and he shall be carried where he would not, that is to his execution. (2 Pet. 1:14-15.)
"There be some standing here," Jesus said about the time Peter gave his famous testimony of our Lord's divine Sonship, "which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." (Matt. 16:28.) John is the only one of these of whom we have any knowledge. On this present occasion, Peter having learned of his own future martyrdom, desires to know what awaits John. The answer: `He is to tarry in the flesh until I come in my glory at the end of the world.'
John's own account of his translation was revealed anew in this day in these words: "And the Lord said unto me: John, my beloved, what desirest thou? For if you shall ask what you will, it shall be granted unto you. And I said unto him: Lord, give unto me power over death, that I may live and bring souls unto thee. And the Lord said unto me: Verily, verily, I say unto thee, because thou desirest this thou shalt tarry until I come in my glory, and shalt prophesy before nations, kindreds, tongues and people. And for this cause the Lord said unto Peter: If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? For he desired of me that he might bring souls unto me, but thou desiredst that thou mightest speedily come unto me in my kingdom. I say unto thee, Peter, this was a good desire; but my beloved has desired that he might do more, or a greater work yet among men than what he has before done. Yea, he has undertaken a greater work; therefore I will make him as flaming fire and a ministering angel; he shall minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation who dwell on the earth. And I will make thee to minister for him and for thy brother James; and unto you three I will give this power and the keys of this ministry until I come. Verily I say unto you, ye shall both have according to your desires, for ye both joy in that which ye have desired." (D. & C. 7:1-8.)
It is interesting to note that in the gospel account John specifies that he was promised that he should tarry until the Second Coming and not that he should escape death. From the account of the translation of the Three Nephite disciples we learn that this is exactly what takes place. A change is wrought in their bodies so they cannot die at this time, but when the Lord comes again they "shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye from mortality to immortality," and thus they "shall never taste of death." (3 Ne. 28:1-10, 36-40.) They will be like a person who lives during the millennium. Of such the revelation says: "It is appointed to him to die at the age of man. Wherefore, children shall grow up until they become old; old men shall die; but they shall not sleep in the dust, but they shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye." (D. & C. 63:50-51.) Thus they shall die, in the sense indicated, but they shall not "taste of death." In this respect it is profitable to note the language used by the Lord with reference to the death of the righteous: "And it shall come to pass that those that die in me shall not taste of death, for it shall be sweet unto them." (D. & C. 42:46.)
Matt. 28:16. Of all the recorded appearances of the risen Christ to his disciples in Palestine, this one is paramount; and yet of it the present Bible preserves only a most fragmentary account. This was an appearance by appointment, by pre-arrangement, to which probably a great multitude of disciples was invited. It is likely the occasion of which, as Paul wrote later, "he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once." (1 Cor. 15:6.) If so, the seventies and leading brethren of the Church would have been present, as also perhaps the faithful women who are inheritors of like rewards with obedient priesthood holders.
We do not know when Jesus specified the location of the meeting, but on the night of his betrayal and arrest, he gave this promise: "After I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee." (Matt. 26:32.) Then the angels at the tomb, as part of their announcement to the women that "he is risen," commanded them to tell his disciples: "He goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him." (Matt. 28:7; Mark 16:7.) And then to confirm again their previously made appointment, and in so doing to reemphasize its importance, the risen Jesus himself said to the women, as they held him by the feet, and worshipped him: "Go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me." (Matt. 28:9-10.)
We may suppose that great preparation preceded this meeting; that it dealt with many things, perhaps being similar to his resurrected ministry to multitudes of Nephites; and that from it, by the months of many witnesses, the sure testimony of his divine Sonship went forth to the world.
17. Some doubted] Not the apostles; they as a group, including Thomas had come to know of the actual corporeity of his body. But others present, though they recognized him as the risen Lord, had yet (meaning, no doubt, only when he first appeared) to learn that he had a literal and tangible body which ate food and could be handled and felt. These who at first doubted the literal nature of the resurrection would, like Thomas, have soon believed and acclaimed, each speaking from the depths of a grateful soul: "My Lord and my God." (John 20:28.)
Matt. 28:18. Christ was God before the world was. There was no limit to the power he then exercised. He was the Lord Omnipotent. (Mosiah 3:5.) He was "like unto God." (Abra. 3:24.) As a spirit being he exercised the power of his Father in the creation of all things. "Worlds without number have I created; . . . and by the Son I created them, which is my Only Begotten." (Moses 1:33.)
But as with all the spirit children of the Eternal Father, he came to earth to be "added upon" (Abra. 3:26), to be tried and tested under worldly circumstances, and to receive an eternal body of flesh and bones. As he passed through mortality he served as the great Prototype and Exemplar for all men, showing how men can keep the commandments, go from grace to grace, and eventually ascend the throne of eternal power. Though he, as a God, exercised the fulness of his Father's creative powers in pre-existence, yet with his attained body of flesh and bones his status now becomes as that of his Father; and so he here announces that he has received, in this added sense, all power in heaven and on earth.
John explained how Christ was God in pre-existence, exercising the fulness of his Father's creative powers; how he then came to earth to undergo a mortal probation, in which he gained experience and went from grace to grace; and how, after the resurrection, he received, as a consequence, all power in heaven and on earth. These are his words: "I saw his glory, that he was in the beginning, before the world was; Therefore, in the beginning the Word was, for he was the Word, even the messenger of salvation -- The light and the Redeemer of the world; the Spirit of truth, who came into the world, because the world was made by him, and in him was the life of men and the light of men. The worlds were made by him; men were made by him; all things were made by him, and through him, and of him. And I, John, bear record that I beheld his glory, as the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, even the Spirit of truth, which came and dwelt in the flesh, and dwelt among us. And I, John, saw that he received not of the fulness at the first, but received grace for grace; And he received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness; And thus he was called the Son of God, because he received not of the fulness at the first. And I, John, bear record, and lo, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove, and sat upon him, and there came a voice out of heaven saying: This is my beloved Son. And I, John, bear record that he received a fulness of the glory of the Father; And he received all power, both in heaven and on earth, and the glory of the Father was with him, for he dwelt in him." (D. & C. 93:7-17.)
Matt. 28:19. Teach all nations; Mark 16:15] This command was given to the apostles then standing in the presence of the Lord, not to other people in other places, not to men who should live in other ages. The apostles held the keys of the kingdom. It was part of their commission to evangelize the world, and that they did the work appointed to them, none can deny. If any other people in any other place or age are to perform a similar work, they must have the same priesthood, the same keys, and the same commission. Without revelation no man or set of men can take unto themselves the honor of building up God's kingdom.
In the true Church, the Church where revelation is found, the same authorizations had of old have been given anew in these words: "Go ye into all the world; and unto whatsoever place ye cannot go ye shall send, that the testimony may go from you into all the world unto every creature. And as I said unto mine apostles, even so I say unto you, for you are mine apostles, even God's high priests; ye are they whom my Father hath given me; ye are my friends; Therefore, as I said unto mine apostles I say unto you again, that every soul who believeth on your words, and is baptized by water for the remission of sins, shall receive the Holy Ghost." (D. & C. 84:62-64.)
In the meridian dispensation, by express decree, the apostles were first restricted in their teachings and ministrations to the house of Israel. (Matt. 10:5-6.) But now the commission is expanded to include all nations; they are now to go into all the world; the gospel, in due course and according to the prescribed priorities, is to be offered to every creature. That the apostles did not comprehend fully the magnitude of the new commission is seen from the fact that the Lord later had to give Peter an express command to go to the Gentiles. (Acts 10.)
Mark 16:16. Both belief and baptism are essential to salvation; one without the other does not suffice. It is not enough to confess the Lord Jesus with the lips and stop there; nor does it suffice to be baptized, unless also there is resident in one's heart that sure knowledge that Jesus is Lord of all.
The salvation here involved is an inheritance in the celestial kingdom. As Nephi taught, Christ "commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God." (2 Ne. 9:23.) To be damned is to be denied entrance to that glorious realm where God and Christ are. Baptism pertains to the celestial kingdom and to no other. Joseph Smith said: "A man may be saved, after the judgment, in the terrestrial kingdom, or in the telestial kingdom, but he can never see the celestial kingdom of God, without being born of water and the Spirit." (Teachings, p. 12.)
These same eternal truths have been known to and taught by the Lord's people in all ages. For instance, when Jesus ministered among the Nephites he said: "Whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God. And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned." (3 Ne. 11:33-34.) And with special reference to the condemnation of those who fail to believe and be baptized, the Lord has said by revelation to the elders of his Church in this day: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, they who believe not on your words, and are not baptized in water in my name, for the remission of their sins, that they may receive the Holy Ghost, shall be damned, and shall not come into my Father's kingdom where my Father and I am." (D. & C. 84:74.)
Matt. 28:19. All things pertaining to salvation in the kingdom of God are done in the name of Christ. Two ordinances, however -- baptism, the gate to salvation in the celestial kingdom, and celestial marriage, the gate to exaltation in the highest heaven of that world -- are performed, not in his name alone, but "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," thus signifying how everlastingly important each of these ordinances is in the eternal scheme of things.
Observe all things] Is a man saved through belief and baptism alone? Does membership in the Church, without more, guarantee a celestial inheritance? To suppose such is to build on a shaky foundation. After baptism must come obedience and righteousness, the period of testing when the new born babe in Christ must learn to observe and do all things which the gospel requires, the period when he must "work out" his `own salvation with fear and trembling." (Philip. 2:12.) Nephi taught what is involved in these words: "For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost. And then are ye in this straight and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate. . . . And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this straight and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save. Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye have eternal life." (2 Ne. 31:17-20.)
Mark 16:17. These signs shall follow then, that believe] This is an eternal, immutable, everlasting decree: Signs shall follow them that believe. When men believe the same gospel taught by Jesus and his apostles, signs and miracles follow; when they depart from this original, pure, and perfect Christianity, to some other system of religion, the promised signs are no longer found. Thus the presence or absence of signs becomes a means of identifying the true gospel, the same gospel had of old.
Aware that signs are no longer shown forth in the religions of the world, this plain statement of Jesus is explained away by such reasoning as this: "The gift of miracles was given in order to assist the diffusion of the gospel at the very first. When Christianity was firmly planted, the gift of miracles was withdrawn." (Dummelow, p. 733.)
The Prophet Mormon, foreseeing this modern day of unbelief, was led by the Spirit to bear this testimony to the world: "Has the day of miracles ceased? Or have angels ceased to appear unto the children of men? Or has he withheld the power of the Holy Ghost from them? Or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man upon the face thereof to be saved? Behold I say unto you, Nay; for it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men; wherefore, if these things have ceased wo be unto the children of men, for it is because of unbelief, and all is vain. For no man can be saved, according to the words of Christ, save they shall have faith in his name; wherefore, if these things have ceased, then has faith ceased also; and awful is the state of man, for they are as though there had been no redemption made." (Moro. 7:35-38.)
Matt. 28:20. Lo, I am with you alway] Jesus here promises to be with the apostles always, which he thereafter was by the power of his Spirit. In principle this promise applies to all of the saints, and hence it is a promise to the Church, that the Lord's protective care will be over it. Implicit in the divine assurance here given is that the apostles, the saints, the Church itself, must be in harmony with Christ. If any of the apostles had chosen to follow Judas, they could have done so, and Jesus no longer would have been with them. Or, if the Church itself, as later was to be the case, should fall away from the truth, the promise of divine protection and guidance would be withdrawn. "I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." (D. & C. 82:10.)
When Jesus gave to the Nephite Twelve the command to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, with the promise that signs would follow them that believed, he also gave this promise of continued divine protection. But he used different language, language that is in effect an interpreting analysis of what he had said to his similarly empowered representatives in Palestine: "And whosoever shall believe in my name, doubting nothing, unto him will I confirm all my words, even unto the ends of the earth." (Morm. 9:25.)
Christ's Ascension is literal in the fullest and most complete sense of the word. He was a resurrected man, a personage of tabernacle who, though immortal, walked and talked and ate with his earthly friends. His Father has the same kind of a body, and the same character, perfections, and attributes. Heaven is a specific place, a planet where God dwells. The resurrected Lord ascended from the earth and went to the place where his Father is. As our latter-day revelation expresses it: He "ascended into heaven, to sit down on the right hand of the Father, to reign with almighty power according to the will of the Father." (D. & C. 20:24.)
As he went up, two angels stood by and said: "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." (Acts 1:11.)
This, then, is the message of the Ascension -- that he who left shall come again; that the Lord who ascended "himself shall descend from heaven" (1 Thess. 4:16); and that when he comes, it shall be in the most literal sense of the word. He shall return as a man; the same glorified and exalted personage who took leave from his former day disciples at Bethany shall come again to his latter-day friends on Mount Zion, to be with them to "reign personally upon the earth" for a thousand years. (Tenth Article of Faith.)
"Even so, come, Lord Jesus." (Rev. 22:20.)
And so endeth the gospels --
Those sacred scriptures which tell of the birth, ministry, mission, atoning sacrifice, resurrection, and ascension of the Son of God;
Those revealed records which teach with power and conviction the eternal truths which men must believe to gain salvation in God's kingdom;
Those true histories of the life of Christ which lead men to love the Lord and to keep his commandments;
Those sacred and solemn testimonies which open the door to the receipt of peace in this life and eternal life in the world to come.
In this holy writ, in these gospel accounts, in these testimonies of the life of our Lord --
We see Jesus the Almighty, the Creator of all things from the beginning -- receiving a tabernacle of clay in the womb of Mary.
We stand by an Infant in a manger and hear heavenly voices hail his birth.
We observe him teaching in the temple and confounding the worldly wise when but twelve years of age.
We watch him in Jordan, immersed under the hands of John, while the heavens open and the personage of the Holy Ghost descends like a dove; and we hear the voice of the Father speak approving words.
We go with him into a wilderness place apart and behold the devil come, tempting, enticing, seeking to lead him from God -- directed paths.
We view in wonder and amazement his miracles: He speaks and the blind see; at his touch the deaf hear; he commands and the lame leap, paralytics rise from their beds, lepers are cleansed, and devils desert their ill-gotten abodes.
We rejoice at the miracle of sin-crippled souls being made whole, of disciples who forsake all to follow him, of saints who are born again.
We stand in awe as the elements obey his voice: He walks on the water; at his word storms cease; he curses the fig tree and it withers; water becomes wine when he wills it; a few small fish and a little bread feed thousands because of his word.
We sit with the Lord of life, as a man, in the intimacy of a family circle in Bethany; we weep with him at Lazarus' tomb; we fast and pray at his side when he communes with his Father; we eat and sleep and walk with him down the lanes and in the villages of Palestine; we see him hungry, thirsty, weary, and marvel that a God should seek such mortal experiences.
We drink deeply of his teachings; we hear parables such as never man spake before; we learn what it means to hear one with authority announce his Father's doctrine.
We see him:
In sorrow -- weeping for his friends, lamenting over doomed Jerusalem;
In compassion forgiving sins, caring for his mother, making men whole spiritually and physically;
In anger -- cleansing his Father's house, blazing forth with righteous indignation at its desecration;
In triumph -- entering Jerusalem amid shouts of Hosanna to the Son of David, transfigured before his disciples on the mount, standing in resurrected glory on a mountain in Galilee.
We recline with him in an upper room, apart from the world, and hear some of the greatest sermons of all time as we partake of the emblems of his flesh and blood.
We pray with him in Gethsemane and tremble under the weight of the burden he bore as great drops of blood come from every pore; we bow our heads in shame as Judas plants the traitor's kiss.
We stand at his side before Annas and again before Caiaphas; we go with him to Pilate and to Herod and back to Pilate; we partake of the pain, feel the insults, shudder at the mocking, and are revolted at the gross injustice and mass hysteria which hurl him inescapably toward the cross.
We sorrow with his mother and others at Golgotha as Roman soldiers drive nails into his hands and feet; we shudder as the spear pierces his side, and live with him the moment when he voluntarily gives up his life.
We are in the garden when the angels roll back the stone, when he comes forth in glorious immortality; we walk with him on the Emmaus road; we kneel in the upper room, feel the nail marks in his hands and feet and thrust our hands into his side; and with Thomas we exclaim: "My Lord and my God!"
We walk to Bethany and there behold, as angels attend, his ascension to be with his Father; and our joy is full for we have seen God with man.
We see God in him -- for we know that God was in Christ manifesting himself to the world so that all men could know those holy beings whom to know is eternal life.
And now what shall we say more of Christ? Whose Son is he? What works hath he wrought? Who today can testify of these things?
Let it now be written once again -- and it is the testimony of all the prophets of all the ages -- that he is the Son of God, the Only Begotten of the Father, the promised Messiah, the Lord God of Israel, our Redeemer and Savior; that he came into the world to manifest the Father, to reveal anew the gospel, to be the great Exemplar, to work out the infinite and eternal atonement; and that not many days hence he shall come again to reign personally upon the earth and to save and redeem those who love and serve him.
And now let it also be written, both on earth and in heaven, that this disciple, who has prepared this work, does himself also know of the truth of those things of which the prophets have testified. For these things have been revealed unto him by the Holy Spirit of God, and he therefore testifies that Jesus is Lord of all, the Son of God, through whose name salvation comes.