SECTION 4
THE THIRD YEAR OF JESUS’ PUBLIC MINISTRY

LESSONS

12. “I Am the Bread of Life”

13. That Which Defiles a Man

14. The Transfiguration of Christ

15. “I Am the Light of the World”

16. The Two Great Commandments

17. Where Much Is Given, Much Is Required

18. Rejoice with Me: For I Have Found the Lost

19. “What Lack I Yet?”

THE THREE YEARS OF THE SAVIOR’S MORTAL MINISTRY

A Brief Summary of the First Two Years of Jesus’ Ministry

You have now reviewed forty-five recorded events, each of which occurred during the first two years of Jesus’ ministry. In the first year of his public ministry you reviewed how he gradually revealed his messiahship to the Jews. This was principally done through the miracles he performed, which attested to his godhood. You have read of the mounting opposition by Jewish leaders against Jesus during the second year because his teachings challenged the time-honored traditions of rabbinical authority. Because of the opposition encountered in Jerusalem, Jesus moved into Galilee and concentrated his efforts there. During this period he chose and ordained twelve men, whom he designated as apostles.

As you look back on these two periods, you should see two simultaneous occurrences in our Lord’s ministry: first, his ascending popularity among the Jewish people primarily because of his miracles, and the resulting opposition brought against him, principally by the Pharisees and scribes, which caused Jesus to veil his message with parables; second, his quiet training of the Twelve as they came to understand the greatness of the authority which he conferred upon them. They sat at his feet, as it were, and received his teachings; then by his commission they went forth to teach and warn the inhabitants of Israel concerning the gospel message. This ended the second year.

An Overview of the Third Year

The third year commences with a dramatic miracle—the feeding of five thousand. Because of this miracle, many of the Jews seek to make Jesus their king, but he refuses. He later tells the people that they have followed him, not because of his miracles, but because he has fed them. That is, not because they wished to obey his teachings, but for selfish, physical reasons. Jesus then delivers to them his great discourse on the Bread of Life, announcing openly his messiahship. With the miracle of the feeding of five thousand, it appears that Jesus reaches the highest point of his popularity with the masses. Following the open declaration of his messiahship and his refusal to become a worldly king, his popularity ebbs and many disciples walk no more with him.

The training and preparation of the Twelve reaches its climax during this period. Jesus tells them of his impending death and resurrection; then he takes Peter, James, and John to a “high mountain apart,” where he is transfigured before them, and they are given the keys of the kingdom to administer the affairs of the church after Jesus’ departure. Later, all of the Twelve receive the keys.

This closes the great Galilean ministry. From Galilee Jesus moves down to Judea, where he further testifies of his messiahship. Later he crosses over the Jordan River into Perea, where he spends the last three months of his public ministry. Once again indisputable proof of his godhood is manifest before the Jewish nation as he restores Lazarus to life. Because of a fear that “all men will believe on [Jesus]; and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation,” the Jewish hierarchy determines that “Jesus should die for that nation.” (John 11:48, 51.) Jesus then goes into a brief retirement; and when he has determined that his time has come, he resumes his journey to Jerusalem, where he has prophesied that he should meet his inevitable death but come forth in a glorious resurrection.

Highlights of the Year of Jesus’ Third Public Ministry (Last Phase of the Galilean Ministry, and the Later Judean and Perean Ministry)

Some highlights of the last phase of the Galilean ministry are as follows:

1. The miracle of the feeding of five thousand, and Jesus’ great discourse on the Bread of Life.
2. Peter’s testimony of Jesus. Jesus’ prophecy of his own death and resurrection. The transfiguration of Jesus before Peter, James, and John. The keys of the priesthood given to Peter, James, and John and subsequently to all the Twelve.

Some highlights of the later Judean ministry are these:

1. Jesus’ testimony of himself before the Jews: “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12); “I am the Good Shepherd” (John 10:11).
2. The parable of the Good Samaritan. Other parables and instructions to the disciples.

Some highlights of the Perean ministry are these:

1. Parables that deal with the way a disciple ought to be.
2. The raising of Lazarus from the dead.
3. Other instructions to his disciples and the resuming of his trek to Jerusalem.

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This section treats the events of the third year of Jesus’ public ministry. You can see that this period extends from the third to the final Passover.

You will now begin to feel the impact of the gospel story by the crescendo of events during the last year of Jesus’ ministry. Seventy-two events are treated, signifying the emphasis that the gospel writers placed on this time of our Lord’s ministry.

12
“I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE”

THEME

Jesus is the bread of life to all who will accept him as their personal Savior.

INTERPRETIVE COMMENTARY

(12-1) Mark 6:37. What Is Meant by the Phrase “Two Hundred Pennyworth of Bread”?

As used in the New Testament, the words penny and pennyworth mean the same thing. The coinage in use was that of Rome, and the penny, or denarius, was the chief Roman silver coin. It was worth about fifteen to seventeen of our cents. Two hundred pennyworth of bread would have cost approximately thirty-two dollars. (See Smith, A Dictionary of the Bible, rev. ed., s.v. “Penny, Pennyworth.”)

(12-2) Matthew 14:25. What Is Meant by the “Fourth Watch of the Night”?

Probably because of the influence of their Mediterranean neighbors, the Greeks and the Romans, the Jews in New Testament times divided the night into military watches instead of hours. Each watch represented the length of time a given sentinel remained on duty. The first watch commenced at 6:00 P.M. and ended at 9:00 P.M.; the second went from 9:00 P.M. to 12:00 midnight; the third from 12:00 to 3:00 A.M.; and the fourth watch was from 3:00 A.M. to 6:00 A.M. (See Smith, Dictionary, s.v. “Watches of night.”)

(12-3) Matthew 14:30, 31. How Is Peter’s Experience of Walking on the Water like Our Own When Faith Wavers?

“The comparison the Lord makes between the wavering soul and the wave of the sea driven with the winds and tossed has touched the lives of many. Most of us have seen the calm seas, and at other times the damage caused when the winds become intense and the waves rise and become powerful, destructive forces. A parallel can be drawn to the buffetings of Satan. When we are serene and on the Lord’s side, Satan’s influence is not felt; but when we cross over and are deceived by the winds of false doctrine, by the waves of man-made philosophies and sophistries, we can be drenched, submerged, and even drowned in the depths of disbelief, and the Spirit of the Lord driven completely from our lives. These deceived and wavering souls cannot, because of their incontinence, expect to receive anything of the Lord.” (Delbert L. Stapley in CR, Apr. 1970, p. 74.)

(12-4) John 6:25. What Is a Rabbi?

The word rabbi, which literally means “my great one,” was a term of highest respect among the ancient Jews. The local rabbi in any given village was one of the most educated men in the area, generally a graduate of a recognized rabbinical school, and one designated to teach the people. Jesus’ followers appear to have felt that he was such a graduate, likely because he showed so much learning. A rabbi literally devoted himself to serving the common people by teaching them in their synagogues, by administering to their wants and needs by charitable means, and by continuing study and application of the law of Moses (Torah) as he understood it.

(12-5) John 6:31–32. What Is Manna?

During their forty-year sojourn in the wilderness, Moses and the children of Israel were fed with bread from heaven. A study of Old Testament passages indicates that manna came in the form of a small deposit found on the ground daily except on the Sabbath. According to the Lord’s provisions it had to be gathered early in the day, before the heat of the sun could melt it, and only enough was to be taken as would prove sufficient for the day. On the day before the Sabbath, double quantities were gathered so the people could eat on the Sabbath. Manna had a taste like that of fresh oil or like wafers made with honey, and was used by the Israelites to sustain a population of about two million people for forty years. It was prepared for eating by grinding and baking and was always regarded as a miraculous gift from God rather than as a product of nature. (See Smith, Dictionary, s.v. “Manna.”)

(12-6) John 6:14, 15. Why Did So Many of Jesus’ Followers Seek to Make Him Their King?

Many of the Jews of Jesus’ time were caught up in a feverish expectation for an imminent appearance of their long-awaited Messiah. The oppressive hand of Roman domination grew heavier day by day. It was only natural, therefore, that they thought they saw in Jesus the fulfillment of their earthly hopes and dreams. Did he not possess miraculous powers? Had he not changed ordinary water into wine, raised the dead, healed the sick, and turned a few loaves of bread and fish into sufficient food to feed more than five thousand people? Could he not turn those same powers against Rome and free the Jews from foreign subjugation?

“The multitude, now fed and filled, gave some consideration to the miracle. In Jesus, by whom so great a work had been wrought, they recognized One having superhuman powers. ‘This is of a truth the prophet that should come into the world,’ said they—the Prophet whose coming had been foretold by Moses and who should be like unto himself. Even as Israel had been miraculously fed during the time of Moses, so now was bread provided in the desert by this new Prophet. In their enthusiasm the people proposed to proclaim Him king, and forcibly compel Him to become their leader. Such was their gross conception of Messianic supremacy.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 335.)

(12-7) John 6:66. Why Did So Many of Jesus’ Disciples Turn from Him Following the Sermon on the Bread of Life?

Consider these words from President David O. McKay as they apply to all who would be disciples of our Savior:

“[The sermon on the Bread of Life as recorded by John] is highly spiritual, and contains references about Christ as the ‘Bread of Life,’ which His followers could not believe. They could not comprehend what He was saying, and many of them walked away. . . .

“. . . the twelve . . . slightly glimpsed the spiritual significance of that sermon. . . .

“. . . Those apostles had that day the power and privilege of making a choice—whether they would walk with those who were impressed only with the physical favors, advantages, which nature could give, or whether their gifts heed to the spiritual in man. . . .

“. . . Such a decision may determine whether one responds to the call of one’s soul to rise, or yields to the tendency to grovel. . . .

“. . . the disciples of Jesus glimpsed a light that would enlighten their souls spiritually as the sun replaces darkness with beams of light. But there are few persons who see that Light or even believe in the fuller life, and often after glimpsing it, they turn away to the grosser and more sordid things.” (“Whither Shall We Go?,” Speeches of the Year, 1961, pp. 2–4. Italics added.)

POINTS TO PONDER

JESUS PROCLAIMED HIS MESSIAHSHIP IN THE BREAD OF LIFE SERMON

(12-8) The Jews, like Many Today, Lacked Spiritual Understanding of Christ’s Mission

“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.” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:359.)

JESUS BECOMES THE BREAD OF LIFE TO ALL WHO ACCEPT HIM AS THEIR REDEEMER

(12-9) We Partake of the Sacrament to Satisfy Our Spiritual Hunger

“I have always looked upon this blessed privilege as the means of spiritual growth, and there is none other quite so fruitful in the achievement of that end as the partaking, worthily, of the sacrament of the Lord’s supper. We eat food to stimulate our physical bodies. Without the partaking of food we would become weak and sickly, and fail physically. It is just as necessary, for our spiritual body, that we should partake of this sacrament and by it obtain spiritual food for our souls.

“We must come, however, to the sacrament table hungry. If we should repair to a banquet where the finest of earth’s providing may be had, without hunger, without appetite, the food would not be tempting, nor do us any good. If we repair to the sacrament table, we must come hungering and thirsting for righteousness, for spiritual growth.

“How can we have spiritual hunger? Who is there among us that does not wound his spirit by word, thought, or deed, from Sabbath to Sabbath? We do things for which we are sorry and desire to be forgiven, or we have erred against someone and given injury. If there is a feeling in our hearts that we are sorry for what we have done, if there is a feeling in our souls that we would like to be forgiven, then the method to obtain forgiveness is not through rebaptism; it is not to make confession to man; but it is to repent of our sins, to go to those against whom we have sinned or transgressed and obtain their forgiveness and then repair to the sacrament table where, if we have sincerely repented and put ourselves in proper condition, we shall be forgiven, and spiritual healing will come to our souls. It will really enter into our being. You have felt it.

“I am a witness that there is a spirit attending the administration of the sacrament that warms the soul from head to foot; you feel the wounds of the spirit being healed, and the load being lifted. Comfort and happiness come to the soul that is worthy and truly desirous of partaking of this spiritual food.” (Ballard, Melvin J. Ballard . . . Crusader for Righteousness, pp. 132–33.)

HOW CAN THE SACRAMENT HELP YOU TO MORE FULLY ACCEPT THE LORD AS YOUR SAVIOR?

13
THAT WHICH DEFILES A MAN

THEME

The pure in heart have faith to draw on the powers of heaven.

INTERPRETIVE COMMENTARY

(13-1) Matthew 14:34–36. Those Whose Hearts Are Pure Can Draw Down the Powers of Heaven

The Savior and his disciples came into the land of Gennesaret, where “all that were diseased” were brought to the Lord “that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.”

“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.” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:350–51.)

(13-2) Matthew 15:1–20. Those Whose Hearts Are Impure Are Offended by Spiritual Truth

The scribes and Pharisees, in their attempt to discredit the disciples of Jesus, asked him why his disciples transgressed the “tradition of the elders” by failing to wash their hands before they ate. Jesus in turn rebuked the Pharisees and scribes with the words, “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me” (Matthew 15:7, 8), because they abolished and made void the law of Moses by their traditions. In this rebuke, Jesus cut down an entrenched system of commentary and custom. Into oblivion were consigned the many legends and rules, the rabbinic wisdom, legalistic regulations, and what was at best an external religion. After shattering the basis of their external religion, he discredited the authority of the Pharisees and scribes with the people by calling the multitude to him and by speaking these powerful words: “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.” (Matthew 15:11.)

For his denunciation of their tradition, the Pharisees were offended. Especially were they offended by this one saying, for herein the Lord destroyed the allegiance of the masses for that which is merely ceremonial and without eternal spiritual significance. (See Farrar, The Life of Christ, pp. 337–41.)

(13-3) Mark 7:1. Who Were the Scribes?

A foremost actor in a New Testament list of characters is the scribe. He is found in Jerusalem, Judea, and Galilee and is not new to Jewish life and culture. Present in Babylon and also throughout the dispersion, he is spokesman of the people; he is the sage; he is the man of wisdom, the rabbi who received his ordination by the laying on of hands. His ability to cross-examine and to question is renowned. Dignified and important, he is an aristocrat among the common people who have no knowledge of the law. Regarding faith and religious practice, he is the authority and the last word; and as a teacher of the law, as a judge in ecclesiastical courts, is the learned one who must be respected, whose judgment is infallible. He travels in the company of the Pharisees, yet he is not necessarily a member of this religious party. He holds office and has status. His worth is beyond that of all the common folk and they must honor him, for he is to be praised by God and by angels in heaven. In fact, so revered are his words regarding law and practice that he must be believed though his statements contradict all common sense, or though he pronounce that the sun does not shine at noon day when in fact it is visible to the naked eye. (See Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, 1:93–94.)

(13-4) Matthew 15:2. What Were the Numerous Washings Required by Jewish Custom?

“The numerous washings required by Jewish custom in the time of Christ were admittedly incident to rabbinism and ‘the tradition of the elders’ and not in compliance with the Mosaic law. Under certain conditions, successive washings were prescribed, in connection with which we find mention of ‘first,’ ‘second’ and ‘other’ waters, the ‘second water’ being necessary to wash away the ‘first water,’ which had become defiled by contact with the ‘common’ hands; and so further with the later waters. Sometimes the hands had to be dipped or immersed; at other times they were to be cleansed by pouring, it being necessary that the water be allowed to run to the wrist or the elbow according to the degree of supposed defilement; then again, as the disciples of Rabbi Shammai held, only the finger tips, or the fingers up to the knuckles, needed to be wetted under particular circumstances. Rules for the cleansing of vessels and furniture were detailed and exacting; distinct methods applied respectively to vessels of clay, wood, and metal. Fear of unwittingly defiling the hands led to many extreme precautions. It being known that the Roll of the Law, the Roll of the Prophets, and other scriptures, when laid away were sometimes touched, scratched, or even gnawed by mice, there was issued a rabbinical decree, that the Holy Scriptures, or any part thereof comprising as many as eighty-five letters (the shortest section in the law having just that number), defiled the hands by mere contact. Thus the hands had to be ceremonially cleansed after touching a copy of the scriptures, or even a written passage therefrom.

“Emancipation from these and ‘many such like things’ must have been relief indeed.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 366; see also Mark 7:1–23.)

(13-5) Mark 7:11. What Was “Corban”?

The word Corban means a gift, or sacrifice, to God. Its use permitted a man to take a vow to avoid or accept any obligation. Thus, a man would say, “I take a vow to God, or rather, Corban to me is, to abstain from wine for a certain length of time.” He might say, “Corban to me is this or that man’s hospitality.” He could decline to assist his parents by saying, “Corban to me for a time is to not assist my parents.” (See Dummelow, A Commentary on the Holy Bible, p. 678; see also Matthew 15:3–6.) In this way the intent of such laws as “honor thy father and thy mother” was frustrated. The Savior recognized this and chastised the Pharisees and scribes for avoiding legitimate obligations in this manner.

(13-6) Matthew 15:13. Who Are the “Plants” That “Shall Be Rooted Up”?

False ministers who are offended by the truth “are corrupt and apostate, and in due course shall be rooted out” by the truths which the Lord and his prophets declare. (See McConkie, DNTC, 1:368.)

(13-7) Matthew 15:22. What Is Meant by “a Woman of Canaan”?

Read Mark 7:26.

“A woman, hearing of His presence within her own land, came asking a boon. Mark tells us she was a Greek, or more literally a Gentile who spoke Greek, and by nationality a Syro-Phoenician; Matthew says she was ‘a woman of Canaan’; these statements are in harmony, since the Phoenicians were of Canaanite descent. The Gospel historians make clear the fact that this woman was of pagan or heathen birth; and we know that among the peoples so classed the Canaanites were held in particular disrepute by the Jews.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 354.)

(13-8) Matthew 15:24. Who Were the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel?

In this instance, Jesus is referring to the Jews. The gospel “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.” (See McConkie, DNTC, 1:371.)

(13-9) What Are the “Dogs” Spoken of in Matthew 15:26?

The Greek word which is translated as “dogs” here is kunariois which is the diminutive of the word and is better translated as “little dogs.” One commentator notes the significance of this.

“The rabbis often spoke of the Gentiles as dogs. . . .

“. . . [Jesus] says not ‘dogs,’ but ‘little dogs,’ i.e. household, favourite dogs, and the woman cleverly catches at the expression, arguing that if the Gentiles are household dogs, then it is only right that they should be fed with the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” (Dummelow, Commentary, pp. 678–79.)

POINTS TO PONDER

THE PURE IN HEART HAVE FAITH TO DRAW ON THE POWERS OF HEAVEN

14
THE TRANSFIGURATION OF CHRIST

THEME

On the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter, James, and John beheld the glory of Jesus Christ and received keys of the priesthood through holy visitations. These keys still reside in the Church.

INTERPRETIVE COMMENTARY

(14-1) Matthew 16:17, 18. What Is the Solid Rock upon Which the True Church Stands?

“It is fruitless for uninspired scriptural exegesists 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?” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:387.)

(14-2) Matthew 16:19. What Are the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven?

“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 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. 615–16.)” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:389–90.)

(14-3) Matthew 16:19. Is There a Special Significance to Jesus’ Statement That Peter Would Receive the Keys of the Kingdom?

“In other words, Peter, holding the keys of the kingdom, was as much the president of the High Priesthood in his day as Joseph Smith and his successors, to whom also these ‘keys’ were given in our day, are the presidents of the High Priesthood, and the earthly heads of the Church and kingdom of God on the earth.” (Harold B. Lee in CR, Oct. 1953, p. 25.)

(14-4) Matthew 16:24. “Take Up [Your] Cross and Follow Me”

The Inspired Version of the Bible says that “for a man to take up his cross, is to deny himself all ungodliness, and every worldly lust, and keep my commandments.” (Matthew 16:26, Inspired Version.)

(14-5) Matthew 17:1–9. Why Were Peter, James, and John Singled Out to Receive Special Privileges, Keys, and Blessings?

“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; 128:20.)

“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. . . . 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. (McConkie, DNTC, 1:401–2.)

“In the days of Christ’s ministry he called the first apostles who were ever ordained to that office so far as we have any knowledge. He conferred upon them all the power and authority of the priesthood. He also appointed three of these Twelve to take the keys of presidency. Peter, James, and John, acted as the First Presidency of the Church in their day.” (Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 3:152. See also D&C 7:7; 27:12, 13.)

(14-6) Matthew 17:3, 4. What Was Important About the Appearance of Moses and Elijah?

“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.)” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:402–3.)

(14-7) Matthew 18:15–17, 21–35. Are There Limits to Forgiveness? If So, How Is This Principle Applied to the Teachings of Jesus?

Regarding limitations placed on us to forgive our fellowmen, read these scriptures:

Matthew 18:21, 22; D&C 98:23–48; D&C 64:7–11.

(14-8) Matthew 18:6. What Is Meant by the Statement “Whoso Shall Offend One of These Little Ones”?

Little ones are children and those who have become as little children by conforming to the principles of the gospel. To “offend one of these little ones,” to cause to stumble or falter because of false example or doctrine, is a grievous sin indeed. The Savior taught that in some cases it would have been better for a person never to have been born than for him to have blocked the eternal progress of another. (See McConkie, DNTC, 1:420.)

(14-9) Matthew 18:17. Is It Necessary to Discuss One’s Transgression with Church Leaders?

“The function of proper Church leaders in the matter of forgiveness is twofold: (1) to exact proper penalty—for example, to initiate official action in regard to the sinner in cases which warrant either disfellowshipment or excommunication; (2) to waive penalties and extend the hand of fellowship to the one in transgression. Whichever of the two steps is taken, either forgiveness or Church disciplinary action, it must be done in the light of all the facts and the inspiration which can come to those making the decision. Hence the importance of the repentant transgressor making full confession to the appropriate authority.” (Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, pp. 325–26.)

POINTS TO PONDER

(14-10) THE IMPORTANCE OF PRIESTHOOD KEYS

Various priesthood keys were held by Adam, Noah, the heads of gospel dispensations, and other mighty prophets. President Wilford Woodruff said that Joseph Smith told the Twelve Apostles that he had sealed upon them all keys, rights, authorities, and sealing powers. (See Durham, Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, pp. 71–73.)

At the time of his ordination as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, each apostle is blessed with all of the keys of the priesthood which are currently available to man on the earth. Although each holds the keys, only the presiding officer of the Church can exercise them fully. Upon the dissolution of the First Presidency, the senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve, having been called and sustained prior to all other living members of the Twelve, may then exercise these keys in their fulness.

Read and mark D&C 132:7.

(Keys of the sealing powers of the priesthood: the power to bind on earth and seal eternally in the heavens)

(Keys of the kingdom: all rights and powers of presidency)

Peter	James	John	John the Baptist

(Peter, James, and John were ordained by the Savior [Mark 3:14; Matthew 16:19].)

Joseph Smith (Ordained under the hands of Peter, James, and John in 1829.)

Brigham Young (Ordained an apostle by the Three Witnesses, who were acting under the authority of Joseph Smith, February 14, 1835.)
	George Q. Cannon (Brigham Young ordained George Q. Cannon an apostle on August 26, 1860.)
		Heber J. Grant (George Q. Cannon ordained Heber J. Grant an apostle on October 16, 1882.)
			Spencer W. Kimball (Heber J. Grant ordained Spencer W. Kimball an apostle on October 7, 1943.)

(14-11) SUMMARY

All things were done in proper order during the Savior’s ministry. The experience on the Mount of Transfiguration marked, among other things, the granting of important revelation and keys to those who would soon preside over Christ’s church of the meridian dispensation.

15
“I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD”

THEME

The light of Christ enables mankind to clearly choose between the kingdom of God or spiritual darkness.

INTERPRETIVE COMMENTARY

(15-1) John 7:2. What Was the Feast of Tabernacles?

“. . . the fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord.” (Leviticus 23:34.) The Feast of Tabernacles was a time to rejoice and to express gratitude to the Lord for the rich harvest of the fertile lands of Palestine. Fields and vineyards were often some distance from Israelite villages, so families would build temporary living quarters for the harvest season and week-long celebration. These dwellings were decorated with fruits and garlands which represented the bountiful harvest received from the Lord. They also served to remind the occupants of the forty years their ancestors spent in the wilderness, encamped in makeshift tents of whatever materials that could be found. The Jews were never to forget that God redeemed their people from captivity and bondage.

The special animal sacrifices of rams, lambs, and bullocks were offered daily. The people also participated in a ceremony in which they waved branches of palm, myrtle, willow, and citron trees up and down toward the cardinal points of the compass, symbolizing the presence of God throughout the universe.

The eighth day, the Feast of Conclusion, was a time of solemn assembly—a day of prayer for rain, and a day commemorated in memory of the dead. (See Exodus 23:16, 17; Leviticus 23:39–43; Numbers 29:12–38; Deuteronomy 16:13–15; 31:10–13.)

(15-2) John 7:16, 17. What Test Did Jesus Prescribe to Know the Truthfulness of His Doctrine?

“In searching the record as it is given to us by men who associated daily with the Lord, we find that upon one occasion men who were listening to him cried out against him. They opposed his works, as men today oppose him. And one voice cried out and said in effect, ‘How do we know that what you tell us is true? How do we know that your profession of being the Son of God is true.’ And Jesus answered him in just a simple way (and note the test): ‘If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.’ (John 7:17. Italics added.)

“That test is most sound. It is most philosophical. It is the most simple test to give knowledge to an individual of which the human mind can conceive. Doing a thing, introducing it into your very being, will convince you whether it is good or whether it is bad. You may not be able to convince me of that which you know, but you know it because you have lived it. That is the test that the Savior gave to those men when they asked him how they should know whether the doctrine was of God or whether it was of man.” (David O. McKay in CR, Oct. 1966, p. 136.)

(15-3) John 8:1–11. The Woman Taken in Adultery

“Did the Lord forgive the woman? Could he forgive her? There seems to be no evidence of forgiveness. His command to her was, ‘Go, and sin no more.’ He was directing the sinful woman to go her way, abandon her evil life, commit no more sin, transform her life. He was saying, Go, woman, and start your repentance; and he was indicating to her the beginning step—to abandon her transgressions.” (Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 165.)

(15-4) John 8:31, 32. “The Truth Shall Make You Free”

Elder Bruce R. McConkie has interpreted the foregoing expression to mean that we shall be made “free from the damning power of false doctrine; free from the bondage of appetite and lust; free from the shackles of sin; 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.” (DNTC, 1:456–57.)

(15-5) John 8:56–59. What Did Jesus Mean, “Before Abraham Was, I Am”?

“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. 2:1–15.)

“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.)

“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.” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:464.)

(15-6) John 10:1–15. The Symbolism of the “Good Shepherd”

“The shepherd in Palestine lived a lonely life and was noted for his faithfulness and protection to his sheep. At night the sheep would be brought into an enclosure called a sheep-fold which had high walls to keep anything or anyone from getting in. At the top of the walls were placed thorns which prevented wolves from leaping into the enclosure. Proper entrance was at the door only. (John 10:1.)

“Often several flocks were brought into one fold and one shepherd, called a porter, would stand guard at the door during the night while the others would go home to rest. When they would return in the morning, they would be recognized by the doorkeeper, allowed to enter, and each call his own flock and lead them forth to pasture. (John 10:2–3.) The shepherd provided the food for the sheep.

“The shepherd walked ahead of his sheep and led them. The sheep knew the shepherd and trusted in him and would not follow a stranger. (John 10:4–5.) He generally had a name for each sheep and each knew its own name and would come when called. If a stranger called, the sheep became nervous and startled and would not obey the voice of the stranger, for they knew their master’s voice. (John 10:3–4, 27.)

“The true shepherd, the owner of the sheep, was willing to give his life for the sheep if need be. Sometimes a leopard or panther, when driven by hunger, would leap over the walls of the fold and into the midst of the frightened sheep. Then was the time when the nerve and heart of the shepherd was tried. A hireling, one who did not own the sheep, might at such a crisis flee from the danger and shrink from the duties of the shepherd. (John 10:11–13.) Unwatched, the hireling might not put the welfare of the sheep foremost in his life. Hirelings had been known to sell sheep and then pocket the money and account for the loss by saying that wolves came and destroyed the sheep. When this is applied to the gospel, it is seen what a ‘hireling’ might do with the care of human souls. But the true shepherd’s chief concern was the welfare of the sheep. (John 21:15–17.)

“Even the shepherd’s clothing was designed to aid him in his care of the sheep. The shepherd’s coat generally had a large pocket inside, suitable for carrying a weak or wounded lamb to safety. Isaiah made reference to this pocket when he ascribed to Christ the role of shepherd. (Isaiah 40:10–11.)

“Jesus’ station as the Good Shepherd is complete in every detail. He is the door of the fold, by which we must enter. There is none other. (John 10:9.) He is not a hireling but is the true shepherd of human souls, and ‘we are not our own’ (1 Corinthians 6:19–20), but he has purchased us with his precious blood. (1 Corinthians 7:23; 1 Peter 1:18–19; 2 Peter 2:1; Acts 20:28.) The shepherd provided the pasture on which the sheep feed. Jesus has given us his word. We are warned against the doctrines of men. Only the ‘pasture’ that the Lord provides is proper food for his sheep, and no man can be saved in ignorance of his word or without his revelations. The true sheep know his voice. The true Shepherd knows and owns his sheep and he calls them. We thus take upon us the name of Christ, for he owns us; we are his sheep; and, if we have his name, we can enter ‘by the door.’” (Matthews, The Parables of Jesus, pp. 75–76.)

(15-7) John 10:17, 18. [See also John 5:26, 27.] Why Is It That No Man Could Take Jesus’ Life from Him?

“Jesus had no father of the flesh, that is who was mortal and subject to death. Our Eternal Father to whom we pray is the Father of the body of Jesus Christ and from his Father he inherited life and death was always subject to him. He had the power to lay down his life, because he was the Son of Mary who was like us, mortal, and he had the power to take his life up again for that power was in him. In his teachings to the Jews and his disciples he frequently told them of this power and of his mission.” (Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 1:33.)

POINTS TO PONDER

(15-8) I Am the Light of the World

The celebration known as the Feast of Tabernacles was marked by a brilliant display of light which emanated from great golden candlesticks set up within the temple complex. Jesus apparently took advantage of the situation to declare, “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.” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:452–53.)

(15-9) The Light of Truth Is the Light of Christ

The Prophet Joseph Smith received a profound revelation in which he was given some of the most powerful truths ever revealed concerning the nature and mission of Jesus Christ as the light of the world.

Read D&C 88:6–13.

One can scarcely begin to comprehend the depth and breadth of the majestic mission of our Lord and Savior to the earth and its inhabitants. But we can be certain of the following fact:

“Christ is the light to humanity. In that light man sees his way clearly. When it is rejected, the soul of man stumbles in darkness. No person, no group, no nation can achieve true success without following Him who said:

“‘I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12)” (David O. McKay in CR, Apr. 1940, p. 115.)

16
THE TWO GREAT COMMANDMENTS

THEME

The Savior taught the singular importance of developing pure love, first for God and then for all others.

INTERPRETIVE COMMENTARY

(16-1) Luke 10:17. The Significance of the Calling of the Seventy

“The order of the Seventy is a special calling of Elders for the preaching of the Gospel in all the world, under the direction of the Twelve Apostles. A quorum consists of seventy members, of which seven are chosen as presidents. The difference between the Seventies and the Elders is that the former are ‘traveling ministers’ and the latter are ‘standing ministers’ to the Church.” (Widtsoe, comp., Priesthood and Church Government, p. 115; see also D&C 107:25.)

(16-2) Luke 10:21. Who Are the “Babes” to Whom the Father Gives Revelation?

“Compared with the learned men of the time, such as the rabbis and scribes, whose knowledge served but to harden their hearts against the truth, these devoted servants were as babes in humility, trust, and faith. Such children were and are among the nobles of the kingdom.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 428.)

(16-3) Luke 10:27, 29, 36. How Did Many Jewish Leaders in the Day of Jesus Interpret the Term Neighbor?

Among the sacred laws left on record by Moses was the command to “love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Leviticus 19:18.) Centuries later, in laying down for the people narrow and uninspired interpretations of this command, the rabbis wrote:

“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, A Commentary on the Holy Bible, p. 751.)

(16-4) Luke 10:38–42. The Devotion of Mary and Martha

“There was no reproof of Martha’s desire to provide well; nor any sanction of possible neglect on Mary’s part. We must suppose that Mary had been a willing helper before the master’s arrival; but now that He had come, she chose to remain with Him. Had she been culpably neglectful of her duty, Jesus would not have commended her course. He desired not well-served meals and material comforts only, but the company of the sisters, and above all their receptive attention to what He had to say. He had more to give them than they could possibly provide for Him. Jesus loved the two sisters and their brother as well. Both these women were devoted to Jesus, and each expressed herself in her own way. Martha was of a practical turn, concerned in material service; she was by nature hospitable and self-denying. Mary, contemplative and more spiritually inclined, showed her devotion through the service of companionship and appreciation.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 433.)

(16-5) Luke 11:1–4. “Teach Us to Pray”

No doubt the apostles, being faithful Jews, were themselves men of prayer; yet as they watched Jesus in prayer, they were so humbled and impressed as to ask, when he had finished, “Lord, teach us to pray.”

Here he gave them a simple pattern, the same as had been given in the Sermon on the Mount. It taught them “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.)” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:235.)

Perhaps even more helpful than the short sample itself were the pertinent guidelines and counsel he then gave them. (See Luke 11:5–13.)

(16-6) Compare Luke 11:4 with Matthew 6:12. A Lost Sentence in Luke

As you have noticed, the Lord’s prayer as rendered in Luke is missing these great sanctifying words: “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., explained:

“The prayer as given in Luke has been considerably tampered with.

“Scholars affirm the changes . . . stem from the pen of Marcion, the heretic of almost 1800 years ago. (CR, Apr. 1954, p. 42.)

It is noteworthy that in the Inspired Version, the Luke account includes the expression of reverence and humility that is missing in the King James Version.

(16-7) Luke 11:5–13. The Parable of the Friend at Midnight

“The parable is regarded by some as a difficult one to apply, since it deals with the selfish and comfort-loving element of human nature, and apparently uses this to symbolize God’s deliberate delay. The explanation, however, is clear when the context is duly considered. The Lord’s lesson was, that if man, with all his selfishness and disinclination to give, will nevertheless grant what his neighbor with proper purpose asks and continues to ask in spite of objection and temporary refusal, with assured certainty will God grant what is persistently asked in faith and with righteous intent. No parallelism lies between man’s selfish refusal and God’s wise and beneficent waiting. There must be a consciousness of real need for prayer, and real trust in God, to make prayer effective; and in mercy the Father sometimes delays the granting that the asking may be more fervent. But in the words of Jesus: ‘If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?’” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 435.)

(16-8) Luke 11:24–26. “The Last State of That Man Is Worse than the First”

“Does this mean that the man who has quit smoking or drinking or had sex pollutions finds life empty for a time? The things which engaged him and caught his fancy and occupied his thoughts are gone, and better substitutions have not yet filled the void. This is Satan’s opportunity. The man makes a start but may find the loss of the yesterday’s habits so great that he is enticed to return to his evil ways, and his lot thus becomes infinitely worsened.” (Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 172.)

(16-9) Luke 11:32. The Men of Nineveh Shall Rise Up in Judgment and Condemn This Generation

“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.” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:278.)

(16-10) Luke 11:47–49. Are There Modern-Day Sepulchre Builders?

“. . . do you also build sepulchres for the dead prophets and tombs for those who have passed away long ago and disregard the living ones?” (Spencer W. Kimball in CR, Oct. 1949, p. 123.)

“Even in the Church many are prone to garnish the sepulchres of yesterday’s prophets and mentally stone the living ones.” (Spencer W. Kimball, Instructor, Aug. 1960, p. 257.)

(16-11) Luke 11:52. Jesus Decries the Loss of the Fulness of the Scriptures

What did Jesus mean by the “key to knowledge”? The Prophet Joseph Smith gives this clarification:

‘‘Woe unto you, lawyers! For ye have taken away the key of knowledge, the fulness of the scriptures; ye enter not in yourselves into the kingdom; and those who were entering in, ye hindered.” (Luke 11:53, Inspired Version. Italics added.)

“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. . . .

“Accordingly, Jesus is here heaping wo upon those who have contaminated and destroyed scriptures which would have guided and enlightened the Jews.” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:624–25.)

Do This and Thou Shalt Live

(16-12) Putting the First Commandments First

As you have seen, the Ten Commandments place devotion to the Lord at the top of the list. We find this same devotion first on other important lists as well. For example:

“We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in his Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.” (First Article of Faith. Italics added.)

Blessed are the poor in spirit, who come unto me, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (First of the Beatitudes as recorded in the Book of Mormon [3 Nephi 12:3]. Italics added.)

“We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ [first principle of the gospel]. . . .” (Fourth Article of Faith. Italics added.)

With this idea in mind, you will begin to notice, if you have not already done so, that the primary message of the scriptures is that we should love the Lord with all our hearts. Elder Ezra Taft Benson, speaking of this greatest of all blessings and responsibilities, pointed out:

“The world largely ignores the first and great commandment—to love God—but talks a lot about loving their brother. . . .

“. . . But only those who know and love God can best love and serve his children, for only God fully understands his children and knows what is best for their welfare. Therefore, one needs to be in tune with God to best help his children. . . .

“Therefore, if you desire to help your fellowmen the most, then you must put the first commandment first.

“When we fail to put the love of God first, we are easily deceived by crafty men who profess a great love of humanity. . . . (CR, Oct. 1967, p. 35.)

17
WHERE MUCH IS GIVEN, MUCH IS REQUIRED

THEME

True discipleship requires a willingness to sacrifice one’s personal desires in order to be true to the teachings of the Master.

INTERPRETIVE COMMENTARY

(17-1) Luke 12:49–53. What Did Jesus Mean When He Said, “I am Come to Send Fire on the Earth”?

“When honest truth seekers accept the gospel, they forsake the world and gain its hatred. The sword of persecution, of domestic dissention, 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.” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:335.)

(17-2) Luke 13:6–9. What Does the Parable of the Fig Tree Mean?

“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, gifts 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 preempting 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).” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:477.)

(17-3) John 10:22. What Was the Feast of Dedication, and Why Was It Held?

Nearly two hundred years before the public ministry of Jesus began, Antiochus Epiphanes, a Selucidian king who controlled Palestine, attempted to destroy Judaism by compelling his subjects to accept the Greek culture. In a show of utter contempt for the Jewish faith, Antiochus sacrificed a pig (the filthiest of animals, according to the Jews) upon a small Greek altar built for the occasion within the temple confines. Following this, Antiochus prohibited all religious ordinances enjoined by the law of Moses and ordered the burning of all known copies of the Jewish law. Finally, he ordered that heathen altars be constructed throughout Palestine and that the Jews worship the heathen gods or suffer death. This suppression of the Jewish religion precipitated what is known as the Maccabean revolution.

Judas Maccabaeus, together with his four brothers, gathered about him a number of devout Jews who refused to honor the demands of Antiochus. They formed a guerilla army and waged relentless war against the troops employed by Antiochus to enforce his religious policies. Eventually, the Maccabees seized control of Jerusalem. Judas then proceeded to purify the temple (which for three years had been used to make offerings to Zeus) and restore the worship of Jehovah. The Feast of Dedication, sometimes called the Feast of Lights, or Hanukkah, was inaugurated to celebrate the recovery and rededication of the Jewish temple. The feast takes place in the month of Chislev, corresponding to portions of our months of November and December, and lasts for eight days. It is marked by elaborate meals, special synagogue services, and extra illumination in all homes. Hence its title, “Feast of Lights.” (See Harper’s Bible Dictionary, pp. 133, 406–7.)

(17-4) John 10:22–38. What Is the Significance of Jesus’ Appearance at the Feast of Dedication?

The Feast of Dedication, occurring some two months following the Feast of Tabernacles, gave Jesus another opportunity to declare his messiahship openly. The Jews, haughty in their challenges, were anxious to have Jesus declare plainly that he was the Christ. Jesus replied to their entreaties, “I told you, and ye believed not.” (John 10:25.) He told the Jews that the reason they did not accept his words was that they were not his sheep. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27.) (Note the similarity of his testimony here to that given earlier at the Feast of the Tabernacles [John 10:14–16].) Jesus then concluded his declaration of messiahship by referring to his power to give men eternal life and by announcing his relationship with his Father: “I and my Father are one.” (John 10:30.)

As on a similar occasion (John 8:58, 59), Jesus’ plain statement of identification with God angered the Jews, and they took up stones to throw at him. But Jesus simply replied, “Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?” (John 10:32.) They replied that they were not stoning him for righteous works but because, as they said, “Thou, being a man, makest thyself God.” (John 10:33.) Plainly the Jews understood whom Jesus claimed to be.

(17-5) John 10:39, 40. Where Did Jesus Go Following His Encounter with the Jews at the Feast of Dedication?

Once again the Jews sought to take Jesus by force but did not succeed, because the time for his death and atoning sacrifice had not yet arrived. Instead, Jesus “went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode.” (John 10:40.) This area beyond Jordan was known as Perea, a word which literally means “the land beyond.” Elder Talmage writes:

“The duration of this sojourn in Perea is nowhere recorded in our scriptures. It could not have lasted more than a few weeks at most. Possibly some of the discourses, instructions, and parables already treated as following the Lord’s departure from Jerusalem after the Feast of Tabernacles in the preceding autumn, may chronologically belong to this interval. From this retreat of comparative quiet, Jesus returned to Judea in response to an earnest appeal from some whom He loved. He left the Bethany of Perea for the Judean Bethany, where dwelt Martha and Mary.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 490.)

POINTS TO PONDER

(17-6) Must a True Disciple Make a Choice Between the Kingdom of God and the World?

Running like a thread through our mortal probations is the element of personal choice. While none may compel us to choose one way in preference to another, we cannot escape decision making. True disciples of Jesus Christ place the kingdom of God before all else. As one prominent church leader has expressed it, “The kingdom of God or nothing!” (John Taylor in JD, 6:19.)

There are several reasons why this is so. The first is suggested by the following scriptural passages: Luke 12:48; D&C 82:3.

When we place other things ahead of the kingdom of God, we run the risk of losing that which we have been given. This, then, becomes the basis for one’s eternal judgment. Here is the principle and how it works: Matthew 25:29; 2 Nephi 28:30.

Finally, when we seek first the things of the world, as the foolish rich man did, we place that which matters most at the mercy of that which matters least. We may die possessed of great temporal riches but still be poor toward God.

Concerning the need to choose, Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the First Quorum of the Seventy, has written the following:

“There is a special sense of urgency infusing itself into many Church members everywhere that says, quietly, but insistently—this is the time for us to choose! It is not just that God will insist that we choose for our own sake, but that those who depend upon us, or use us as a reference point, need and deserve to know which way we are going. It is no good posing as a lifeguard if one is a non-swimmer. It is no good being a guide if one leaves his post and wanders with the multitude in search of another way, ‘for there is none other way,’ especially at a time when there is a sharper and sharper divergence in the way of the world and the straight and narrow way. The disciple must not only stand in ‘holy places’ but on holy issues and ‘not be moved.’

“In short, the events of our time and spiritual decay in the world have produced for us the equivalent situation faced by many of the disciples who followed Jesus. They followed him until he began to preach the ‘hard sayings’—the doctrines that really demand not only belief, but performance; doctrines which would distinguish them from their contemporary society. The Lord wants us to put some distance—behaviorally—between ourselves and the world, not because we love mankind less, but precisely because we do love men. It is for the world’s sake that we must sanctify ourselves. When Jesus’ followers faced their moment of truth, John records, ‘From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.’ Jesus turned to the remainder and queried them, ‘Will ye also go away?’ (John 6:66–67.)” (A Time to Choose, pp. 39–40.)

18
“REJOICE WITH ME; FOR I HAVE FOUND THE . . . LOST”

THEME

Disciples of Jesus Christ should have a constant love and concern for their fellowman.

INTERPRETIVE COMMENTARY

(18-1) Luke 14:12–24. What Is the Meaning of the Parable of the Great Supper?

“Explication of the parable was left to the learned men to whom the story was addressed. Surely some of them would fathom its meaning, in part at least. 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 severally 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, Jesus the Christ, p. 452. Italics added.)

(18-2) Luke 14:28–30. “Which of You, Intending to Build a Tower, Sitteth Not Down First, and Counteth the Cost?”

“. . . converts should count the cost before joining the Church; . . . they should come into the kingdom only if they are prepared to make the sacrifices required; . . . they should go the whole way in the gospel cause, or stay out entirely; . . . 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.)” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:504.)

(18-3) Luke 15:11–32. Some Comments on the Parable of the Prodigal Son

“I think it is significant that the Lord made it clear in the parable that the younger son had lost much by his wayward course, but in a measure, at least, he paid for it, with his suffering and degradation. Justice requires that. But when the penalty had been exacted, the fond father’s heart was gladdened by the repentance and the return of his son. What an encouragement for repentance! How good to know of the mercy and forgiveness of the Father! Better not to have transgressed, but wonderful to be taken back!” (Stephen L Richards in CR, Apr. 1956, p. 93.)

(18-4) Luke 15:11–32. What Are Some of the Consequences of Sin?

“I have always felt that the Savior intended the father in the parable to typify the Eternal Father of all of us. He knew the rigidity of the Jewish law. He knew what a terrible offense it was to renounce one’s patrimony—an unforgivable offense, I assume, in the Jewish household. So he had this wayward son come back to his father, not to be rejected, but to be received and loved. He did not have the younger son restored to all the privileges he had forfeited. The older, more dutiful son, complained of the feast that had been made on the return of his younger brother, but the father consoled him with the statement: ‘Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.’ And then he repeated to his older boy the words he had said to the younger: ‘It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad; for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.’ (Luke 15:31–32.)

“Every choice one makes either expands or contracts the area in which he can make and implement future decisions. When one makes a choice, he irrevocably binds himself to accept the consequences of that choice.

“Jesus, in his Prodigal Son parable, gives a classic illustration of this truth. You will remember that in it a young man, exercising his inherent right of choice, makes a decision to take his portion of his father’s estate and go and see the world. This he does, whereupon nature follows its uniform course. When the prodigal’s substance is squandered, he makes another choice, which takes him back home where he meets ‘the ring, and the robe, and the fatted calf.’ His felicitous father gives him a welcome. But the consequence of his earlier decision ‘is following him up, for the farm is gone. The “father” himself cannot undo the effect of the foregone choice.’ (Collins, Such Is Life, pp. 85–88.)” (Marion G. Romney in CR, Oct. 1968, p. 65.)

(18-5) Luke 16:8. “The Children of This World Are in Their Generation Wiser Than the Children of Light”

On first reading, the parable of the Unjust Steward would seem to be an endorsement for malfeasance in office. Careful study will show, however, that it was given to teach the care with which the saints of God should approach the task of preparing for their eternal future. Knowing that he had but a short time left in his appointed post, the steward wisely tried to secure his future by winning some friends.

“It was not the steward’s dishonesty that was extolled; his prudence and foresight were commended, however; for while he misapplied his master’s substance, he gave relief to the debtors; and in so doing he did not exceed his legal powers, for he was still steward though he was morally guilty of malfeasance. The lesson may be summed up in this wise: 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, Jesus the Christ, p. 464.)

(18-6) Luke 16:19–31. What Do We Learn About the Spirit from the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus?

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In the famous parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus we are exposed to two different conditions in the postmortal world: “Abraham’s bosom” and “hell.” The former is depicted as a place of rest, the latter a place of torment. Between the two “is a great gulf fixed” which prevents social interchange between the two. Such was the condition prior to Christ’s visit to the spirit world between the time of his death and his resurrection:

What is hell? Read Alma 40:13, 14 and 2 Nephi 9:12.

The Savior’s visit to the spirit world bridged the gulf between paradise (Abraham’s bosom) and hell, making it possible for the spirits in prison to receive the message of the gospel by authorized ministers.

“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 lay in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea 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.” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:521.)

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The Savior’s visit to the spirits in prison was but the fulfillment of his own words. (See Luke 4:18.)

“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.)” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:521–22.)

(18-7) Luke 16:31. “If They Hear Not Moses and the Prophets, Neither Will They Be Persuaded, Though One Rose from the Dead”

“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.” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:522.)

(18-8) John 11:1–46. What Is the Significance of the Death and Restoration to Life of Lazarus?

When Jesus received word that Lazarus was ill, he did not depart immediately for Bethany as Mary and Martha had hoped. Instead, “he abode two days still in the same place where he was.” (John 11:6.) Jesus had a purpose in permitting Lazarus to die. Read John 11:4, 11, 15. When Jesus and his apostles arrived, Lazarus’ body had already lain in the tomb four days. The Jews entertained the common belief that the spirit of the deceased lingered around the body for three days, hoping to be able to enter it once again. After that decay began to set in, and the spirit departed forever. (See McConkie, DNTC, 1:533.) Jesus may have had this belief in mind in waiting four days to restore Lazarus to life. According to the scriptural record, Jesus had twice before raised the dead, in both instances soon after the body and spirit had separated. On these occasions Jesus shunned any publicity for what he had done. (See Luke 7:11–17; 8:41, 42, 49–56.)

“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 skeptics 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.” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:530–31.)

In this manner our Savior left his Jewish unbelievers without excuse for rejecting him as the Son of God. He had clearly and effectively demonstrated his divinity in a manner which could not be controverted.

“No question as to the actual death of Lazarus could be raised, for his demise had been witnessed, his body had been prepared and buried in the usual way, and he had lain in the grave four days. At the tomb, when he was called forth, there were many witnesses, some of them prominent Jews, many of whom were unfriendly to Jesus and who would have readily denied the miracle had they been able. God was glorified and the divinity of the Son of Man was vindicated in the result.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 496.)

POINTS TO PONDER

BY THE USE OF THREE PARABLES, JESUS TAUGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF HIS DISCIPLES’ BEING CONCERNED ABOUT THE SALVATION OF THEIR FELLOWMEN

(18-9) The Lost Sheep: It Strayed Without Intending To

Sheep go where grass is. It seems apparent that the sheep in the parable was not lost through willful disobedience or careless neglect; it simply strayed away in search of greener pastures and soon was lost.

“I ask you tonight, how did that sheep get lost? He was not rebellious. If you follow the comparison, the lamb was seeking its livelihood in a perfectly legitimate manner, but either stupidly, perhaps unconsciously, it followed the enticement of the field, the prospect of better grass until it got out beyond the fold and was lost.

“So we have those in the Church, young men and young women, who wander away from the fold in perfectly legitimate ways. They are seeking success, success in business, success in their professions, and before long they become disinterested in Church and finally disconnected from the fold; they have lost track of what true success is, perhaps stupidly, perhaps unconsciously, in some cases, perhaps willingly. They are blind to what constitutes true success.” (David O. McKay in CR, Apr. 1945, p. 120.)

(18-10) The Lost Coin: It Was Lost Through the Carelessness and Neglect of Another

“In this case the thing lost was not in itself responsible. The one who had been trusted with that coin had, through carelessness or neglect, mislaid it or dropped it. There is a difference, and this is the one-third, which I think applies to us tonight. Our charge is not only coins, but living souls of children, youth, and adults. They are our charges. . . . Someone may be wandering because of the careless remark of a girl of her age in Mutual (and I have in mind a case), and the president of the Mutual lets her go, fails to follow her next Tuesday night and invite her to come. Another may be lost because of the inactivity of the Sunday School teacher, or the indifference of the Sunday School teacher who is satisfied with the fifteen people there that morning, instead of thinking of the fifteen who are wandering because of neglect.” (David O. McKay in CR, Apr. 1945, pp. 121–22.)

(18-11) The Lost Son: He Was Lost Through His Own Willful Disobedience and Self-Concern

“The third parable is the prodigal son, the ‘younger son, we are told, so he was immature in his judgment. He was irking under the restraint, and he rather resented the father’s careful guiding eye. He evidently longed for so-called freedom, wanted, so to speak, to try his wings. So he said, ‘Father, give me my portion, and I will go.’ The father gave him his portion, and out the lad went.

“Here is a case of volition, here is choice, deliberate choice. Here is, in a way, rebellion against authority. And what did he do? He spent his means in riotous living, he wasted his portion with harlots. That is the way they are lost.

“Youth who start out to indulge their appetites and passions are on the downward road to apostasy as sure as the sun rises in the east. I do not confine it to youth; any man or woman who starts out on that road of intemperance, of dissolute living will separate himself or herself from the fold as inevitably as darkness follows the day.

“‘My spirit shall not always strive with man’ (Gen. 6:3), says the Lord. ‘My spirit will not dwell in an unclean tabernacle.’ He who tries to live a double life, who does live a double life in violation of his covenants, to quote one author, ‘is either a knave or a fool.’ Often he is both, because he himself is using his free agency to gratify his passions, to waste his substance in riotous living, to violate the covenants that he has made in the house of God.

“In such cases there is little we can do but warn and plead until the recreant, as the prodigal son, at last ‘comes to himself.’” (David O. McKay in CR, Apr. 1945, pp. 122–23.)

THE DISCIPLES OF JESUS TODAY ARE TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR “LOST” BROTHERS AND SISTERS

(18-12) We Are Commissioned to Remember the Worth of Souls

“Perhaps we don’t all of us understand and apply this principle effectively, but there are those who do.

“Recently a stake president told of his visit, with others, to a Junior Sunday School class. When the visitors entered they were made welcome, and the teacher, seeking to impress the significance of the experience for the youngsters, said to a little child on the front row, ‘How many important people are here today?’ The child rose and began counting out loud, reaching a total of seventeen, including every person in the room. There were seventeen very important persons there that day, children and visitors!

“That is how Christ feels, and so should we.” (Marion D. Hanks in CR, Oct. 1972, p. 167.

19
“WHAT LACK I YET?”

THEME

A willingness to place all on the altar in the service of the Master is critical in the process of perfection.

INTERPRETIVE COMMENTARY

(19-1) Luke 17:14. Why Were the Ten Lepers to Show Themselves to the Priests?

For a leper, “in the day of his cleansing,” the prescribed means of obtaining permission to reenter society required him to show himself to the priests of the people. (Read Leviticus 14:2, 3.)

Jesus also told the lepers to show themselves to the priests as a test of their faith. When all ten believed and complied with the terms of the cure, all were healed “as they went” to visit the priests. (See McConkie, DNTC, 1:536.)

(19-2) Luke 17:17, 18. “Were There Not Ten Cleansed?”

The one who returned to give thanks was a Samaritan, and “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.” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:537.)

(19-3) Luke 17:20. Why Did Jesus Say “The Kingdom of God Cometh Not with Observation”?

“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?’” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:539.)

(19-4) Luke 17:21. What Is Meant by “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.’” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:540.)

“Neither shall they say, Lo, here! or Lo, there! For, behold, the kingdom of God has already come unto you.” (Luke 17:21, Inspired Version.)

(19-5) Luke 18:1–8. Why Did the Lord Give the Parable of the Unjust Judge?

“The judge was of wicked character; he denied justice to the widow, who could obtain redress from none other. He was moved to action by the desire to escape the woman’s importunity. Let us beware of the error of comparing his selfish action with the ways of God. Jesus did not indicate that as the wicked judge finally yielded to supplication so would God do; but He pointed out that if even such a being as this judge, who ‘feared not God, neither regarded man,’ would at last hear and grant the widow’s plea, no one should doubt that God, the Just and Merciful, will hear and answer. The judge’s obduracy, though wholly wicked on his part, may have been ultimately advantageous to the widow. Had she easily obtained redress she might have become again unwary, and perchance a worse adversary than the first might have oppressed her. The Lord’s purpose in giving the parable is specifically stated; it was ‘to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.’” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 436; read also D&C 101:81–92.)

(19-6) Luke 18:9–14. Why Did the Lord Give the Parable of the Pharisee and Publican?

“We are expressly told that this parable was given for the benefit of certain ones who trusted in their self-righteousness as an assurance of justification before God. It was not addressed to the Pharisees nor to the publicans specifically. The two characters are types of widely separated classes. There may have been much of the Pharisaic spirit of self-complacency among the disciples and some of it even among the Twelve. . . . The parable is applicable to all men; its moral was summed up in a repetition of our Lord’s words spoken in the house of the chief Pharisee. . . .” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, pp. 472–73; read also Luke 18:14.)

(19-7) Matthew 19:6. “What Therefore God Hath Joined Together, Let Not Man Put Asunder”

“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:

“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. . . .

“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.) . . .

“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 the 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.” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:546–47.)

(19-8) Matthew 19:27. “Behold, We Have Forsaken All, and Followed Thee; What Shall We Have Therefore?”

“The sorrowful departure of the rich young ruler, whose great possessions were so much a part of his life that he could not give them up at the time, though we may hope that he afterward did, brought forth from Peter an abrupt question, which revealed the course of his thoughts and aspirations: ‘Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?’ Whether he spoke for himself alone, or by his use of the plural ‘we’ meant to include all the Twelve, is uncertain and unimportant. He was thinking of the home and family he had left, and a longing for them was pardonable; he was thinking also of boats and nets, hooks and lines, and the lucrative business for which such things stood. All these he had forsaken; what was to be his reward? Jesus answered: ‘Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.’ It is doubtful that Peter or any other of the Twelve had ever conceived of so great a distinction. The day of regeneration, when the Son of Man shall sit on the throne of His glory, as Judge and King, is even yet future; but in that day, those of the Lord’s Twelve who endured to the end shall be enthroned as judges in Israel. The further assurance was given that ‘every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.’ Rewards of such transcendent worth could scarcely be reckoned or their meaning comprehended. Lest those to whom they were promised might count too surely upon successful attainment, to the neglect of effort, and become proud withal, the Lord added this profound precept of caution: ‘But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.’” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 478–79.)

(19-9) Luke 19:11–28. Why Did Jesus Give the Parable of the Pounds?

“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 millennial kingdom—‘should immediately appear,’ Jesus gave the Parable of the Pounds. Compare: Parable of the Talents. (Matt. 25:14–30.)” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:571.)

(19-10) Matthew 26:6. How Far Was Bethany from Jerusalem?

Bethany was 15 furlongs, or about 2 miles, from Jerusalem, beyond the Mount of Olives. (See John 11:18 and Mark 11:1.)

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(19-11) Matthew 26:6–13; John 12:2–8. What of the Anointing of Jesus with Spikenard?

“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, Jesus the Christ, p. 512.)

POINTS TO PONDER

TO FOLLOW THE SAVIOR, “WHAT LACK I YET?”

(19-12) Matthew 19:16–20. “What Good Thing Shall I Do, That I May Have Eternal Life?”

“There came to Jesus, on a certain occasion, a rich young man who asked: ‘What good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?’

“Our Lord’s answer was the obvious one, the one given by all the prophets of all the ages. It was: ‘If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.’

“The next question was: ‘Which commandments?’

“Jesus listed them: ‘Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honor thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.’

“Then came this response and query—for the young man was a good man, a faithful man, one who sought righteousness: ‘All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?’

“We might well ask, ‘Isn’t it enough to keep the commandments? What more is expected of us than to be true and faithful to every trust? Is there more than the law of obedience?’

“In the case of our rich young friend there was more. He was expected to live the law of consecration, to sacrifice his earthly possessions, for the answer of Jesus was: ‘If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

“As you know, the young man went away sorrowful, ‘for he had great possessions.’ (Matt. 19:16–22.) And we are left to wonder what intimacies he might have shared with the Son of God, what fellowship he might have enjoyed with the apostles, what revelations and visions he might have received, if he had been able to live the law of a celestial kingdom. As it is he remains nameless; as it might have been, his name could have been had in honorable remembrance among the saints forever.

“Now I think it is perfectly clear that the Lord expects far more of us than we sometimes render in response. We are not as other men. We are the saints of God and have the revelations of heaven. Where much is given much is expected. We are to put first in our lives the things of his kingdom.” (Bruce R. McConkie in CR, Apr. 1975, pp. 75–76.)

The following diagram indicates the significance of the question “What lack I yet?” as applied in our lives. It points out the steps we must take if we are to follow the Master. [click for scalable version]

(19-13) “The Lord Wants You to Give the Balance of Your Life to the Church”

“We were in Canada. I was . . . an attorney for an oil company and a manager of it. We were drilling wells and making money. I was at the moment up in the Canadian Rockies, way back from the highways. We were drilling there. Everything looked very prosperous. I woke very early one morning before daylight. I was troubled in my mind, and I didn’t know the source or the reason for the trouble. And I began to pray, but didn’t seem to get an answer. And I remembered that the Savior was wont to go into the mountain tops frequently. You remember, his life was punctuated by mountain peaks. There is the mountain peak of the temptation, there is the mountain peak of the transfiguration, there is the mountain peak of the Beatitudes, there is the mountain peak from which he took flight into heaven. So thinking about this, I arose before daylight and went back up into the hills where I knew no one would be near. And when I got up on an advantageous point, I began to talk out loud. I was talking to God! Now, I do not mean that he was standing there listening to me or replying to me. But I mean from the center of my heart I was calling to him.

“Now my family were all in good health, all quite prosperous, and it looked as for myself that within a few days I would be a multimillionaire. And yet, I was depressed. And up there on that mountain peak I said to him, ‘O God, if what it seems is about to happen will happen, and if it is not to be for the best good of myself and my family and my friends, don’t let it happen. Take it from me.’ I said, ‘Don’t let it happen unless in your wisdom it is good for me.’ Well, I left the mountains and came down to the camp. I got into my car and drove to the city of Edmonton. It was a Friday, and while I was driving I was thinking of what had happened. And I felt that there was something impending that I couldn’t understand. When I arrived home, and after a bite to eat, I said to Sister Brown, ‘I think I’ll occupy the back bedroom because I’m afraid I’m not going to sleep.’ Now I went in the bedroom alone and there, through the night, I had the most terrible battle with the powers of the adversary. I wanted to destroy myself. Not in the sense of suicide; but something within me was impelling me to wish that I could cease to be. . . . It was terrible. The blackness was so thick you could feel it.

“Sister Brown came in later in the night, toward morning in fact, wanting to know what was the matter. And when she closed the door, she said, ‘What’s in this room?’ And I said, ‘Nothing but the power of the devil is in this room.’ And we knelt together by the bedside and prayed for release. We spent the night together, the balance of it. And in the morning I went down to my office. It was Saturday now and there was no one at the office. And in going into the office, I knelt by a cot and asked God for deliverance from the darkness that had enveloped me. And coming from somewhere there was an element of peace, the kind of peace that rests on the souls of men when they make contact with God. And I called her and said, ‘Everything is all right, or is going to be!’

“That night at 10:00 o’clock, October 1953—the telephone rang. Sister Brown answered. She called me and said, ‘Salt Lake’s calling,’ and I wondered who could be calling me from that far away. I took the phone and said, ‘Hello.’ ‘This is David O. McKay calling. The Lord wants you to give the balance of your life to Him and His Church. We are in a conference of the Church. The concluding session will be tomorrow afternoon. Can you get here?’

“I told him I couldn’t get there because there were no planes flying, but I would get there as soon as possible. I knew that a call had come. And the call came after this awful conflict with the adversary. And when he said, ‘The Lord wants you to give the balance of your life to the Church,’ I knew that it meant giving up the money; it meant that I’d turn everything over to someone else and go to Salt Lake without monetary remuneration.

“Since that time, I’ve been happier than ever before in my life. The men with whom I was associated have made millions. And yet, when one of them was in my office not long ago in Salt Lake, he said, ‘I am worth at least seven million dollars. I would gladly give every dollar of it to you if you could give me what you have. I can’t buy it with money, but I’d like to have what you have. What you have is peace of soul, and I cannot buy that with money.’” (Hugh B. Brown, “Eternal Progression,” Address to the student body, Church College of Hawaii, 16 Oct. 1964, pp. 8–10.)

(19-14) Going On to Perfection

The gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16), but that power can be fully released only for the perfection of the individual as he is willing to sacrifice all earthly things in the service of the Master. Elder Bruce R. McConkie concludes:

“It is our privilege to consecrate our time, talents, and means to build up his kingdom. We are called upon to sacrifice, in one degree or another, for the furtherance of his work. Obedience is essential to salvation; so, also, is service; and so, also, are consecration and sacrifice.” (CR, Apr. 1975, p. 76.)