Day 4 August 13 - Matthew 19-24

[pam]

Discussion

[KeithLBrown]

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

Scriptural Reference: Matthew 24:3-14

3 ¶ And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

Elder Spencer V. Jones, "Messages from the Doctrine and Covenants: Finding Hope in the Second Coming," Ensign, Jun 2005, 58–60

The scriptural statement "if ye are prepared ye shall not fear" (D&C 38:30) is key to the Second Coming of Christ. Preparation creates a climate that is the opposite of fear: a spirit of assurance, peace, hope, confidence, and courage. To overcome fear, we must have our "feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace" (D&C 27:16). The gospel of Jesus Christ is the great preparer.

How do we prepare? How do we ensure that our feet are shod with the gospel? From the beginning, God has covenanted to gather His elect so that they may instruct and edify each other. The Lord has declared, "I give unto you a sign, that ye may know the time when these things shall be about to take place—that I shall gather in, from their long dispersion, my people, O house of Israel, and shall establish again among them my Zion" (3 Ne. 21:1).

The doctrine of gathering is eternal in nature and broad in scope. We shouted for joy while gathered in the Grand Council in the premortal life (see Job 38:7). Our prophets have wisely taught us to gather to the stakes of Zion in our homelands "for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth" (D&C 115:6). We gather in general and stake conferences to receive counsel from our prophets and leaders. We gather each Sunday to be taught, to testify, and to renew sacred covenants. We gather for auxiliary and leadership meetings to get organized and to enjoy the company of other Saints. We gather in holy temples to redeem the dead and remind ourselves of holy commitments.

But the home is the vital gathering spot. We find refuge in our homes as we gather each Monday night in uplifting family home evenings. There is safe haven as we gather daily in family scripture study and family prayer. We gather for bonding conversation at meals. Each day we find a few moments of peace and calm in a troubled world as we gather up our scriptures and immerse ourselves in them. Our feet are shod with the gospel at each gathering. Each gathering is a defense and a refuge from the world. Indeed, each gathering strengthens, purifies, and prepares us. Remember, "if ye are prepared ye shall not fear."

Elder LeGrand Richards, "The Second Coming of Christ," Ensign, May 1978, 74

This is the only church, I am sure, that believes in such a restitution of all the things that the holy prophets have spoken. Other churches believe in a reformation, but that is only man’s wisdom. Restitution comes from God the Eternal Father. And so we can’t look forward to the second coming of the Savior without there being a restitution of all things, and that’s the message of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I would like to refer now to the prophecies of just one of the holy prophets—there isn’t time to discuss more than that—and I choose for the text of my talk today the signs that are to precede his second coming according to the words of Malachi the prophet, the last prophet recorded in the Old Testament.

The Lord, speaking through Malachi, said that he would send his messenger to prepare the way for his coming, and he would come swiftly to his temple. But who could abide the day of his coming, because he would be as refiner’s fire and fullers’ soap? (See Mal. 3:1–2.) Now obviously that had no reference to his first coming. But we are told that when he comes in power and great glory, with all the holy angels, the wicked shall cry out to the rocks: "Fall on us, and hide us [from his presence]." (Rev. 6:16.)

And you will remember when Jesus told his disciples that the temple should be broken down and that there should not be one stone left upon another. They inquired: "Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming [that would be his second coming], and of the end of the world?" (Matt. 24:3.) Jesus told them of the wars, and rumors of wars, and pestilence, and earthquakes, and famines, and that nation should rise against nation, "and this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." (Matt. 24:14.)

Then he told them that as the days of Noah were, so should be the days of the coming of the Son of Man. They should be eating and drinking and making merry and would say that the Lord delayeth his coming, and then he would come as a thief in the night. And he said there would be two men upon the land; one would be taken and the other would be left. Two women would be grinding at the mill; one would be taken and the other would be left. (See Matt. 24:37–41.) All of that was what the Savior said to identify the signs that would precede his second coming.

Malachi saw the messenger that was to be sent—and incidentally, when the Lord sends a messenger, that messenger can be none other than a prophet. Jesus bore witness of John the Baptist, who was sent as a messenger to prepare the way for his coming in the meridian of time. He said that there was no prophet in Israel greater than John the Baptist. (See Luke 7:28.) The prophet Amos said: "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." (Amos 3:7.) How, then, could all things be restored, as Peter said, from all the holy prophets since the world began, unless there was a prophet to receive such restitution? And that prophet was none other than Joseph Smith, who, under the direction, divine guidance, and authority of the Father and the Son, organized this great church—The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The second thing that Malachi said relating to the preparation for the coming of the Savior in the latter days was that the whole house of Israel had departed from Him, and they wanted to know how. He indicated that it was in the paying of their tithes and offerings. He said: "Ye have robbed me, even this whole nation." Then he said: "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, … if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." (See Mal. 3:8–10.) What an invitation! The Lord extended to Israel in the latter days, as preparation for his coming, an invitation to return to him in the payment of their tithes and their offerings! Then he went a little further and said that he would rebuke the devourer for their sakes, that their crops should not fall before their time, and that all men should call them blessed. (See Mal. 3:11–12.)

We are a blessed people. The Lord has blessed us. After our pioneers were driven a thousand miles from civilization and transportation, they landed here in this wilderness. Isaiah saw that the Lord would cause the wilderness to blossom as the rose. (See Isa. 35:1.) He saw the rivers flow in the desert and flow down from the high places to make this land productive. (See Isa. 41:18.) And why? So that the Saints, when they were gathered here, could fulfill his promises. For if this gospel that Jesus referred to was to be preached in all the world, it had to be done by his children. And hundreds of thousands of Latter-day Saint missionaries since that time have been all over the world—some 25,000 of them at the present time—to declare the restoration of the gospel as one of the steps in the preparation for the return of the Savior, for he so indicated that it must be preached in all the world.

[pam]

Matt 19:9 Whosoever shall put away his wife

“Twentieth-century Church leaders speak of divorce as a threat to the family. In the April 1969 General Conference, President David O. McKay declared, ‘Christ's ideal pertaining to marriage is the unbroken home, and conditions that cause divorce are violations of his divine teachings. Except in cases of infidelity or other extreme conditions, the Church frowns upon divorce’ (IE 72 [June 1969]:2-5). President Spencer W. Kimball said that relatively few divorces are justifiable. He also told members that divorce frequently results from selfishness and other sins of one or both spouses (Kimball, 1975, p. 6). Other Church leaders also emphasize selfishness and mention additional causes of divorce, such as poor choice of a marriage partner, infidelity, lack of understanding of the divine nature of marriage, poor financial management, and lack of continued marital enrichment. ‘The current philosophy-get a divorce if it doesn't work out-handicaps a marriage from the beginning’ (Haight, p. 12).

“Church leaders urge members to prepare for marriage, marry within the faith, marry in the temple, live righteously and nurture their marriage relationships, pray for guidance, and counsel with each other and with priesthood leaders to resolve differences and deter divorce.” (Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 1-4 vols., edited by Daniel H. Ludlow, 392.)

Harold B. Lee

“The sacred nature of this partnership is nowhere better explained than by President David O. McKay, who said, ‘Love is the highest attribute of the human soul, and fidelity is love's noblest offspring.’ Most, if not all, of the virtues are the natural fruit of genuine love… The curse of infidelity was also plainly set forth by President McKay. He said:

‘As teachers, we are to let the people know, and warn these men—and this is not imagination—who, after having lived with their wives and brought into this world four or five children, get tired of them and seek a divorce, that they are on the road to hell.

‘It is unfair to a woman to leave her that way, merely because the man happens to fall in love with some younger woman and feels that the wife is not so beautiful or attractive as she used to be. Warn him! Nothing but unhappiness for him and injustice to those children can result. (Ibid., pp 63-64.)

“Sometimes, as we travel throughout the Church, a husband and wife will come to us and ask if, because they are not compatible in their marriage—they having had a temple marriage—it wouldn't be better if they were to free themselves from each other and then seek more congenial partners. To all such we say, whenever a couple who have been married in the temple say they are tiring of each other, it is an evidence that either one or both are not true to their temple covenants. Any couple married in the temple who are true to their covenants will grow dearer to each other, and love will find a deeper meaning on their golden wedding anniversary than on the day they were married in the house of the Lord. Don't you mistake that.” (Ye Are the Light of the World: Selected Sermons and Writings of Harold B. Lee, Chap 37.)

Joseph Fielding Smith

“There never could be a divorce in this Church if the husband and wife were keeping the commandments of God.

“Within the week, my attention was called to a case where a man and a woman, married in the temple for time and all eternity, have tired of each other. They have reared a family. Now he wants to go his way, and she wants to go her way. But they want to be friends! There are no hard feelings between them. They have just got tired. They want a change.

“Do they have the spirit of the gospel in their hearts? I say to you, no, or they would not be tired of each other. That could not follow. They got tired of living the principles of eternal truth. A man would not get tired of his wife, if he had the love of God in his heart. A woman would not get tired of her husband, if she had in her heart the love of God, that first of all commandments. They could not do it!

“And then think of the children. Here you have a broken home. These people get a divorce, and then they want to get cancellation, perhaps, of their sealing. They want to marry somebody else. And there you have a broken home. What is going to become of the parents? What is going to become of the children? Haven't the children any rights?

“The parents become separated. Each goes a different way, but they want to be friends! And then they expect to marry again for time and all eternity and enter into the celestial kingdom of God to receive all the blessings of exaltation! Are they entitled to do it? Not as I read the scriptures-they are not entitled to do it.” (Doctrines of Salvation, 2: 81-82.)

[pam]

Matt 20:1-15 Applications of the parable of the laborers in the vineyard

While most parables have only one correct interpretation, they may have many different applications. The parable of the laborers is an example. The theme of all these applications is the justice of God in giving rewards to his servants. By mortal standards, it seems unfair that the last laborers received the same reward as the first laborers. Certainly, if there is one thing we are most keenly aware of, it is when we are treated unfairly. However, this is truly a 3-year-old mentality, since a 3-year-old will always complain when his sibling receives one more piece of candy. Can we then complain about the unfairness of God? At the judgment will we be able to say to Him, I deserve more because I had to bare ‘the burden and heat of the day’?

Interpretation

The disciples are being taught that their aspirations for position and reward in the life hereafter need to be put into perspective. There will be others—called later—who will receive the same if not a greater reward. Think of Paul who admitted, ‘I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God…but I laboured more abundantly than they all…For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles’ (1 Cor 15:9-10; 2 Cor. 11:5). What reward does he deserve? Would the original Twelve have reason to murmur that Paul was given the same reward as they were?

Application #1

The laborers in the vineyard represent laborers from different dispensations. The laborers of the eleventh hour (v. 9) represent the servants of the latter-days. Bruce R. McConkie said,

“One application of this parable is that those called to Christ's service in the latter-days will inherit equally with Adam and Abraham though those ancient prophets have long since gone to their exaltation. ("D&C 132:29"D&C 132:30"D&C 132:31"D&C 132:32"D&C 132:33"D&C 132:34"D&C 132:35"D&C 132:36"D&C 132:37D. & C. 132:29-37;"D&C 133:54"D&C 133:55"D&C 133:56 133:54-56.) In sending forth his ministers in this dispensation the Lord said: ‘It is the eleventh hour, and the last time that I shall call laborers into my vineyard.’ ("D&C 33:3D. & C. 33:3.)” (Mormon Doctrine, 2d ed., 219.)

Application #2

The parable could be applied to different members of the Church. Some are born into the Church and endure to the end. Others are converted in middle age, while others are not baptized until they are very old. All of these saints can receive the same reward. The lifelong saint will not be justified if he complains to the Lord, “I went to more sacrament meetings, paid more tithing, did more home teaching, and kept the commandments for a longer time. Therefore, I deserve a greater reward.” Elder Dallin H. Oaks teaches us that it is not how long we serve, but who we become that matters (see quote below).

Application #3

The parable can be loosely applied to another principle—that of rewards given to those of different positions in the Church. Will the Stake President be justified in expecting a greater reward than the Bishop, Elders Quorum President, or Primary worker? Will he be able to say to the Lord, “Don’t you think that my mansion should be bigger since I faithfully served over such an important stewardship”? As Bruce R. McConkie stated, “Mark 10 35Mark 10 36Mark 10 37Mark 10 38Mark 10 39Mark 10 40Mark 10 41Mark 10 42Mark 10 43Mark 10 44Mark 10 45SCMatt 20 20Matt 20 21Matt 20 22Matt 20 23Matt 20 24Matt 20 25Matt 20 26Matt 20 27Matt 20 28What does it matter whether a man is a ward teacher, priesthood quorum president, bishop, stake president, or general authority? It is not where a man serves, but how. There is as great personal satisfaction through faithful service in one position as another. And, as Jesus had before explained, the final reward of exaltation is the same for all who obtain it. It is eternal increase, the fulness of the kingdom of the Father, all power in heaven and on earth; it is all that the Father hath.” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1: 566.)

Dallin H. Oaks

“As we seek to determine whether we have become true Latter-day Saints—inwardly as well as outwardly—it soon becomes apparent that the critical element is progress, not longevity. The question is not how much time we have logged, but how far we have progressed toward perfection. As Elder Neal A. Maxwell has said, ‘Life is not lineal, but experiential, not chronological, but developmental’ (Ensign, December 1986, p. 23). The issue is not what we have done but what we have become. And what we have become is the result of more than our actions. It is also the result of our attitudes, our motives, and our desires. Each of these is an ingredient of the pure heart.

“Some persons achieve great progress toward perfection with just a few of life's experiences. Others seem to pass through the same experiences again and again and yet remain relatively unchanged by them. The contrast is suggestive of the difference between the status of one person with four years' experience and another person with one year's experience repeated twenty times. The question is not longevity but growth. Growth is not measured by a clock or an odometer but by what has happened in the heart.

“These truths provide an insight into the parable of the laborers in the vineyard (see "matt. 20:1Matthew 20)…When the day was over, the householder instructed his steward to pay every man the same wage. Those that were hired at the eleventh hour received the same as those who had worked all day. When the all-day workers murmured, complaining that those who had worked but one hour were paid the same as those who had ‘borne the burden and heat of the day’ ("matt. 20:12Matthew 20:12), the house-holder reminded them that all had been paid the agreed amount and therefore none had any cause for complaint.

“This parable teaches us that the rewards we will receive in the judgment will not be computed according to the duration of our service. Exaltation, the ultimate reward of the Father, is available to all who qualify. Eternal life is ‘the greatest of all the gifts of God’ ("D&C 14:7D&C 14:7). None can receive more than this.

“By reason of their willingness and their loyalty to their master, by the end of the day the laborers hired in the eleventh hour had become as much—had qualified as completely—as those who had served the entire period. The master's rewards were not given for the time served or for any other external measure. His rewards were for the ultimate and comprehensive internal measure—what the workers had become within themselves as a result of their service.” (Pure in Heart, 138.)

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Matt 21:22 all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive

Neal A. Maxwell

“’I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another. And when the two nations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also. ‘ ("2 ne. 29:82 Nephi 29:8.)…Notwithstanding modern printing and binding formats of our standard works, then, the growing together has reference not to paper and pages but to the key doctrines in all the books of scripture. For example, the following scriptures concerning the nature of petitionary prayer, when clustered together, provide so much more critically needed candlepower than when considered apart:

‘And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive’ ("matt. 21:22Matthew 21:22).

‘Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts’ ("james 4:3James 4:3).

‘Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss.’ ("2 ne. 4:352 Nephi 4:35.)

‘And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you’ ("3 ne. 18:203 Nephi 18:20).

‘And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another’ ("mosiah 4:21Mosiah 4:21).

‘Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered’ ("rom. 8:26Romans 8:26).

‘He that asketh in the Spirit asketh according to the will of God; wherefore it is done even as he asketh’ ("D&C 46:30D&C 46:30).

”Prayer is petitioning, but it also involves tutoring.” (But for a Small Moment, 43.)

Marion G. Romney

“This principle we learned in our home through a rather impressive experience. During the early years of our married life, my wife and I intensely desired what we considered to be a particular blessing. We set about through fasting and prayer to obtain it. We considered many of the scriptures which seemed to make a blanket promise that ‘whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive’ (Matt. 21:22Matt. 21:22). We asked, we believed, we thought we had faith, but though we fasted often and prayed fervently, the years rolled by without bringing us the desired answer to our prayers. Finally we concluded that we had not fully understood; that we were not giving proper consideration to the will of the Lord. Rather, we were concentrating our faith and prayers upon receiving the particular thing which by predetermination we had set our hearts upon. We had to reconsider the conditions of the promise. We found that Jesus had stated them in full to the Nephites as follows: ‘whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you’ (3 Ne. 18:203 Ne. 18:20), and to this generation thus, ‘Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given to you, that is expedient for you’(D&C 88:64D&C 88:64). We had to learn to be as earnest in praying ‘if it be thy will’ as we were when presenting our personal appeals.

“…The time will come when we shall know the will of God before we ask. Then everything for which we pray will be ‘expedient.’ Everything for which we ask will be ‘right.’ That will be when, as a result of righteous living, we shall so enjoy the companionship of the Spirit that he will dictate what we ask. On this point the Lord has said, ‘He that asketh in the Spirit asketh according to the will of God; wherefore it is done even as he asketh’ (D&C 46:30D&C 46:30), and again, ‘And if ye are purified and cleansed from all sin, ye shall ask whatsoever you will in the name of Jesus and it shall be done. But know this, it shall be given you what you shall ask’ (D&C 50:29D&C 50:29, D&C 50:30 30).” (Look to God and Live, 202-4.)

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Matthew 22:37 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart

Howard W. Hunter

“This clear, concise, unmistakable restatement of the Decalogue reduces the ten laws, the ‘thou shalt nots,’ as they are often called, to two simple admonitions containing the element of love—love the Lord and love thy neighbor.

“10765He loves the Lord with all his heart who loves nothing in comparison of him, and nothing but in reference to him, who is ready to give up, do, or suffer anything in order to please and glorify him. He loves God with all his soul, or rather with all his life, who is ready to give up life for his sake and to be deprived of the comforts of the world to glorify him. He loves God with all his strength who exerts all the powers of his body and soul in the service of God. He loves God with all his mind who applies himself only to know God and his will, who sees God in all things and acknowledges him in all ways.” (Conference Report, April 1965, Second Day—Morning Meeting 58.)

Heber J. Grant

“The longer I live, the more I study the gospel, the more I come in contact with men, the more forcibly am I impressed with the truth of the sayings of our Savior in the words that I have just read to you. If we did in every deed love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our mind, with all our soul, there would be no need of urging from time to time upon the people the necessity of keeping the commandments of the Lord. It would be a pleasure to them to serve God and keep His commandments. We are told that where a man's treasure is, there will his heart be also, and if we loved the Lord with all our heart and mind and soul, serving Him would be the great object of our lives, and the treasure we would work to gain would be His love. If we followed that second commandment, to love our neighbor as ourself, there would be no need of bishop's or High Council trials; our difficulties would all be settled amicably, if we really and truly loved our neighbor. It would be almost a waste of time to appeal to the people for donations, to urge them to be liberal, to be generous, to strive for the benefit and welfare of their fellows.

“1007While we as a people do not fully come up to the requirements of the first great commandment, nor completely meet the requirements of the second, yet, I bear my testimony to you here today, I believe that of all people upon the face of the earth, there is no other people who love the Lord their God as do the Latter-day Saints. There is no other people upon the face of the earth who give such absolute evidence of their love of God by their acts, by the sacrifices they make, by the labors they perform, by the diligence with which they strive to serve God and keep His commandments. I believe there is no other people to be found on the earth that compare to the Latter-day Saints in these respects.” (Conference Report, October 1911, Afternoon Session. 21.)

Thomas S. Monson

“If you or I were there, we might then have asked, ‘Master, how might we best show our love?’ Perhaps we would have heard the words, ‘He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me.’ ("John 14:21John 14:21.) Or, ‘If ye love me, keep my commandments.’ ("John 14:15John 14:15.)

“Another question: ‘How might I best show my love for my fellowmen?’ And the words of King Benjamin could well apply: ‘When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.’ ("Mosiah 2:17Mosiah 2:17.) Service is the best measuring stick of love.” (Be Your Best Self, 193-194.)

Neal A. Maxwell

“When these two rigorous requirements receive more deep reflection than is usually given to them, one observes that there is a significant difference in the breathtaking wording of the first great commandment compared with that of the second commandment. We are to love God with all our heart, all our mind, all our soul, and all our strength. But we are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. ("Matt. 22:36"Matt. 22:37"Matt. 22:38"Matt. 22:39"Matt. 22:40Matthew 22:36-40; "Mark 12:29"Mark 12:30"Mark 12:31"Mark 12:32"Mark 12:33"Mark 12:34Mark 12:29-34; "Luke 10:25"Luke 10:26"Luke 10:27"Luke 10:28Luke 10:25-28.)

“The first commandment does not read, ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God as thyself.’ This would be both too little and the wrong kind of love. Nor does the second commandment read, ‘Thou shalt love they neighbor with all thy heart, mind, soul, and strength.’ This would be neighbor worship.

“Whereas our Perfect Father can be trusted with our bestowal of all our devotion of heart, mind, soul, and strength, we cannot. Nor can our neighbor. Moreover, only when proper love of God comes first can our love of self and neighbor be safely shaped and nurtured.” (Notwithstanding My Weakness, 24 - 25.)

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Matthew 22:42 What think ye of Christ?

Ezra Taft Benson

“Several years ago, a number of prominent theologians were asked the question, What do you think of Jesus? Their replies startled many professed Christians.

“One asserted that a ‘true Christian’ must reject the resurrection. Another admitted that New Testament scholars were so divided on the question that one cannot say anything certain about the historical Jesus. Another scholar and teacher of Jesuit priests explained, ‘It is difficult to say in our age what the divinity of Jesus can mean. We are groping now for a way to express it—we just don't know.’ ("Easter 1966—A Quest for the True Jesus," Newsweek, April 11, 1966, p. 72.)

“In a public opinion poll conducted by George Gallup, Jr., seven in ten adult American respondents said they believed in the divinity of Christ. But 90 percent of these said that Jesus is divine only in the sense that He embodies the best that is in all men. (Church News, October 23, 1983.)

“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consents to no such ambiguity in relation to our position regarding Jesus Christ.” (Come unto Christ, 2.)

Elder John M. Knight

“One thing that impresses me is this thought, the Latter-day Saints must be forever the champions of the divinity of Christ's mission, and ever be his chief defender in the world. I have little patience with agnostic Christians, who accept a salary for preaching to please their congregations, and who do not believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ's mission, and who are doing all in their power to eradicate belief in him from the minds and hearts of the people who look to them for guidance. You go among them and propound the same question that Jesus of Nazareth asked of the Jews in his day, ‘What think ye of Christ? Whose Son is he?’ and I am sure that you will be astounded at the number and the uncertainty of the answers that you will receive from them. One will say to you, ‘He is a prophet sent of God.’ Another will say, ‘He is the ideally perfect character.’ Another will tell you that he is the greatest of all moral teachers. But you press them for something more definite; ask them, ‘Is he divine? Was he God Is he God?’ and they will tell you, some of them, ‘We do not know,’ ‘We cannot tell,’ ‘We cannot concern ourselves with difficult theological questions.’ Some of them more honest than the rest will tell you outright, ‘No he is not God; he is not the Son of God, and he never claimed to be, in any of his well attested sayings.’ They will tell you that he was a man in every sense of the word, with not only a human body but with human intellect and will, and that he bore the same relationship to the human family that you and I bear to that family.” (Conference Report, October 1924, Third Day—Morning Session 120.)

Harold B. Lee

“What think ye of Christ? Today we should ask ourselves the question, in answer to what the Master asked of those in His day, ’What think ye of Christ?’ ("#matt. 22:42Matthew 22:42.) We ought to ask as we would say it today, ‘What think we of Christ?’ and then make it a little more personal and ask, ‘What think I of Christ?’ Do I think of Him as the Redeemer of my soul? Do I think of Him with no doubt in my mind as the one who appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith? Do I believe that He established this church upon the earth? Do I accept Him as the Savior of this world? Am I true to my covenants, which in the waters of baptism, if I understood, meant that I would stand as a witness of Him at all times, and in all things, and in all places, wherever I would be, even until death? (See "#mosiah 18:9Mosiah 18:9.)” (The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, edited by Clyde J. Williams, 8.)

David O. McKay

“'What think ye of Christ?' . . . To the Church, and to the world, I repeat this question as being the most vital, the most far-reaching query in this unsettled, distracted world.” (Gospel Ideals, Improvement Era, 1953, p. 1.)

Neal A. Maxwell

“My friends and neighbors, brothers and sisters all, the most important question in human history is one which will not go away. It echoes down through the corridors of time. And ‘Jesus asked them,…What think ye of Christ?’ (Matt 22:42) Sooner or later, this is the vital question for all mortals, including you, my friends. And a failure to answer this question is an answer.” (Investigator Fireside, Jan. 5, 1984)

Neal A. Maxwell

“For many moderns, sad to say, the query ‘What think ye of Christ?’ ("Matt. 22:42Matthew 22:42) would be answered, ‘I really don't think of Him at all’!” (If Thou Endure It Well, 50.)

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Matt 23:8 be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren

One of the greatest examples of this principle is seen in the life of Joseph Smith. Joseph was a prophet, an Apostle, and an Elder. His titles included President of the High Priesthood, Mayor, General, President of the Church, etc. History makes clear that none of these titles does justice to the majesty of the man. Indeed, he was greater than any manmade appellation, yet, Joseph was not commonly referred to as “Apostle,” “Prophet,” or “President.” To the saints, he was “Brother Joseph.” The same example was set by “Brother Brigham.”

In the Church, titles are often used, sometimes to excess. We need to remember the dignity of the offices of the Priesthood and give them due respect. But when an “Elder,” “Bishop,” or “President” begins to enjoy the sound of their title, even looking forward to such ‘greetings in the markets,’ (v. 7) they are dangerously close to Pharisaical hypocrisy.

The First Presidency

“The Scribes and Pharisees of old sought to be esteemed as great above their fellows, and loved to be greeted with distinction in the markets and upon the streets, and to be called by titles of honor; ‘but,’ said our Lord addressing His disciples, ‘be not ye called Rabbi; for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.’ (See "matt. 23:1"matt. 23:2"matt. 23:3"matt. 23:4"matt. 23:5"matt. 23:6"matt. 23:7"matt. 23:8Matt 23:1-8)

“In our custom of using the expressive term of address, ‘Brother,’ and the corresponding form ‘Sister,’ there is afforded suggestive emphasis of our common family membership in the household of the Lord. We are all brethren and sisters, not some of us masters and others underlings. Nevertheless those who are chosen, ordained, and sustained in offices of responsibility and authority are to be respected, and their official acts and counsels are to be heeded, in all things pertaining to their special ministry, for they act not of themselves but as representatives of the authority of God.” (Joseph F. Smith, Anthon H. Lund, Charles W. Penrose, Messages of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 4: 304.)

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Matthew 23:23 Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye…have omitted the weightier matters of the law

James E. Faust

“The Mosaic injunctions of Sabbath day observance contained many detailed do's and don'ts. This may have been necessary to teach obedience to those who had been in captivity and had long been denied individual freedom of choice. Thereafter, these Mosaic instructions were carried to many unwarranted extremes which the Savior condemned. In that day the technicalities of Sabbath day observance outweighed the ‘weightier matters of the law’ (Matt. 23:23Matt. 23:23) such as faith, charity, and the gifts of the Spirit.

“In our time God has recognized our intelligence by not requiring endless restrictions. Perhaps this was done with a hope that we would catch more of the spirit of Sabbath worship rather than the letter thereof. In our day, however, this pendulum of Sabbath day desecration has swung very far indeed. We stand in jeopardy of losing great blessings promised. After all, it is a test by which the Lord seeks to ‘prove you in all things’ (D&C 98:14D&C 98:14) to see if your devotion is complete.

“Where is the line as to what is acceptable and unacceptable on the Sabbath? Within the guidelines, each of us must answer this question for ourselves.” (In the Strength of the Lord: The Life and Teachings of James E. Faust, 412.)

Carlos E. Asay

“There are some who would welcome a detailed dress code answering every conceivable question about the wearing of the temple garment. They would have priesthood leaders legislate lengths, specify conditions of when and how it should and should not be worn, and impose penalties upon those who missed the mark by a fraction of an inch. Such individuals would have Church members strain at a thread and omit the weightier matters of the gospel of Jesus Christ (see Matt. 23:23-26).

“Most Latter-day Saints, however, rejoice over the moral agency extended them by a loving Father in Heaven. They prize highly the trust placed in them by the Lord and Church leaders—a trust implied in this statement made by the Prophet Joseph Smith: ‘I teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves.’ (“The Temple Garment: ‘An Outward Expression of an Inward Commitment,’ ” Ensign, Aug. 1997, 19)

James E. Faust

“I fear that some of our greatest sins are sins of omission. These are some of the weightier matters of the law the Savior said we should not leave undone. (Matt. 23:23Matt. 23:23.) These are the thoughtful, caring deeds we fail to do, and feel so guilty for having neglected them.” (In the Strength of the Lord: The Life and Teachings of James E. Faust, 434.)

Bruce R. McConkie

“Our tendency—it is an almost universal practice among most Church members—is to get so involved with the operation of the institutional Church that we never gain faith like the ancients, simply because we do not involve ourselves in the basic gospel matters that were the center of their lives.

“We are so wound up in programs and statistics and trends, in properties, lands, and mammon, and in achieving goals that will highlight the excellence of our work, that we ‘have omitted the weightier matters of the law.’ And as Jesus would have said: ‘These [weightier things] ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.’ (Matt. 23:23.)

“Let us be reminded of the great basic verities upon which all Church programs and all Church organization rest.

“We are not saved by Church programs as such, by Church organizations alone, or even by the Church itself. It is the gospel that saves. The gospel is ‘the power of God unto salvation’ (Rom. 1:16).” (Sermons and Writings of Bruce R. McConkie, 237.)

Neal A. Maxwell

“Clearly, the perspective particularly achieved by those who endure it well includes learning how to distinguish between what is big and what is small. The eminent historian Will Durant wrote of that human yearning for the perspective ‘to know that the little things are little, and the big things big, before it is too late; we want to see things now as they will seem forever—in the light of eternity.’ Thus, without passing through mortality, how else will we learn to discern successfully what the ‘weightier matters of the law’ really are ("Matt. 23:23Matthew 23:23)? How else, too, will we get the practical and needed experience showing us that ‘the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life’ ("2 Cor. 3:62 Corinthians 3:6)?” (If Thou Endure it Well, 8.)

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Matt 24:14 this gospel…shall be preached in all the world…then shall the end come

What is one of the single most important signs of the times? That the gospel is preached to all nations. The Lord says once that happens, then shall the end come, or the destruction of the wicked. To what degree must the gospel be preached? It must be preached such that the nation has received a witness. This is different than prophecies which state that every ear will hear the gospel, ‘that every man shall hear the fullness of the gospel in his own tongue, and in his own language’ (DC 90:11, see also DC 88:104). This degree of missionary work will take place during the Millennium and not before. For our purposes, we must watch and see when all the nations of the earth have received a witness, for ‘after your testimony cometh wrath and indignation upon the people. For after your testimony cometh the testimony of earthquakes…And also cometh the testimony of the voice of thunderings, and the voice of lightnings, and the voice of temptests, and the voice of the waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds’ (DC 88:88-90)

Joseph Smith

“…so shall it be in the end of the world; that is, as the servants of God go forth warning the nations, both priests and people, and as they harden their hearts and reject the light of truth, these first being delivered over to the buffetings of Satan, and the law and the testimony being closed up, as it was in the case of the Jews, they are left in darkness, and delivered over unto the day of burning; thus being bound up by their creeds, and their bands being made strong by their priests, are prepared for the fulfillment of the saying of the Savior—'The Son of Man shall send forth His angels, and gather out of His Kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire, there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.'” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 100-101)

Gordon B. Hinckley

“Looking to the future, the challenges we see facing the Church are immense. The Lord himself has declared that this work will roll forth to fill the whole earth, in preparation for the coming of the Savior to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. Much has been done, but much more remains to be done. All of the work of the past is but prelude to the work of the future. In lands where the gospel has been taught for a century and more, the numbers of the Saints are still relatively small. And in the earth's most populated nations the doors are presently closed. But somehow, under the power of the Almighty, they will in his time be opened, for this gospel ‘shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations’ before the end shall come. ("Matt. 24:14Matthew 24:14.) There must be much more dedication, devotion, consecration. There must be a great expansion and a great acceleration.” (Be Thou an Example, 116.)

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Matthew 24:24 if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect

Many shall be deceived by the false prophets of the last days, but the elect will not be deceived. The scripture says, ‘if it were possible,’ but it is not. Latter-day prophets tell us that the elect cannot be deceived.

Elder Jedediah M. Grant

“The Priesthood is a power we should respect, reverence, and obey, no matter in whose hands it is. Let Lucifer mix in truths with error, and work great signs and wonders to deceive the very elect, but it is not possible. Why? Because they have learned the Priesthood, and they possess the power thereof that cannot be shaken. Let the Rappers go ahead, then, for it is not possible for them to deceive the elect of God; and let the witch of Endor, and all other witches and wizards, with the prince and power of the air at their head, do their best, if we keep the commandments of God we shall continually soar far above their power and influence.” (Journal of Discourses, 2: 16.)

Joseph Smith

“Until we have perfect love, we are liable to fall. And when we have a testimony that our names are sealed in the Lamb's book of life, we have perfect love, and then it is impossible for false Christs to deceive us.”

“JS-M 1 22Matt 24 24When a man goes about prophesying and commands men to obey his teachings, he must be either a true or false prophet. False prophets always arise to oppose the true prophets, and they will prophesy so very near the truth that they will deceive almost the very chosen ones.” Joseph Smith’s Commentary on the Bible, ed. by Kent P. Jackson, 108)

Marion G. Romney

“This is a day of great conflict between truth and error. Satan is having a field day with the souls of men. Anti-christs stalk the earth in all lands, including our own. False philosophies and doctrines emanating from the prince of darkness are being presented in such appealing manner as almost to deceive the very elect. There is only one sure way to divine the truth from the error. That is to learn what the mind and will of the Father is on these matters, and then do it. You will find it declared on many issues in the messages of the First Presidency given in the general conferences.”(Conference Report, April 1945, Afternoon Meeting 90 - 91.)

Ezra Taft Benson

“There is a conspiracy of evil. The source of it all is Satan and his hosts. He has a great power over men to ‘lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken’ to the voice of the Lord ("#moses 4:4Moses 4:4). His evil influence may be manifest through governments; through false educational, political, economic, religious, and social philosophies; through secret societies and organizations; and through myriads of other forms. His power and influence are so great that, if possible, he would deceive the very elect (see "#matt. 24:24Matthew 24:24). As the second coming of the Lord approaches, Satan's work will intensify through numerous insidious deceptions. (CR April 1978, Ensign 8 [May 1978]: 33.)

“Deceptiona-Benson, Ezra TaftTPWe know that Satan has great power to deceive, and because of this, we must be aware. The safeguard against his sophistry and deception has been specified by revelation. We are to give heed to the words of eternal life. In other words, we must understand and live by the revelations the Lord has granted to His prophets. These are contained in the four standard works and the written and public declarations of our current prophet. ("Three Imperative Responsibilities," London England Area Conference, 19-20 June 1976.)” (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, 404-405.)