Day 9 August 18 - Luke 1-4

[pam]

Discussion

[KeithLBrown]

". . . .and thou shalt call his name John."

Scripture Reference: Luke 1: 4-13

4 That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.

5 THERE was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.

8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,

9 According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

President Thomas S. Monson, "Preparing the Way," Ensign, Feb 2002, 2

As with the Master, Jesus Christ, so with the servant, John—precious little is recorded of their years of youth. A single sentence contains all that we know of John’s history for a space of 30 years—the entire period which elapsed between his birth and his walk into the wilderness to commence his public ministry: "The child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel."

His dress was that of the old prophets—a garment woven of camel’s hair. His food was such as the desert afforded—locusts and wild honey. His message was brief. He preached faith, repentance, baptism by immersion, and the bestowal of the Holy Ghost by an authority greater than possessed by himself.

"I am not the Christ," he told his band of faithful disciples, "but … I am sent before him." "I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh." "He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire."

Then there transpired the climactic scene of John’s mission—the baptism of Christ. Jesus came down from Galilee expressly "to be baptized" by John. Humbled of heart and contrite in spirit, John pleaded, "I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?" The Master’s reply: "It becometh us to fulfil all righteousness."

"And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

"And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

John’s testimony that Jesus was the Redeemer of the world was declared boldly. Without fear, and with courage, John taught, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."

Of John, the Savior later testified, "Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist."

John’s public ministry moved toward its close. He had, at the beginning of it, condemned the hypocrisy and worldliness of the Pharisees and Sadducees; and he now had occasion to denounce the lust of a king. The result is well known. A king’s weakness and a woman’s fury combined to bring about the death of John.

The tomb in which his body was placed could not contain that body. Nor could the act of murder still that voice. To the world we declare that at Harmony, Pennsylvania, on 15 May 1829, an angel "who announced himself as John, the same that is called John the Baptist in the New Testament" came as a resurrected personage to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. "The angel explained that he was acting under the direction of Peter, James, and John, the ancient apostles, who held the keys of the higher priesthood, which was called the Priesthood of Melchizedek." The Aaronic Priesthood was restored to the earth.

President Gordon B. Hinckley, "The Aaronic Priesthood—a Gift from God," Ensign, May 1988, 44

These are the words of an angel. They are the words of John the Baptist when he conferred the Aaronic Priesthood upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery on May 15, 1829:

"Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness." [D&C 13]

The Aaronic Priesthood is a gift from God.

Now, as a boy I knew from what I had learned in Sunday School that John the Baptist had been killed by a wicked ruler, that he had been beheaded to satisfy the lustful desire of an evil woman. And in 1829 it was this same John who had come and given the priesthood to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. He spoke to them. He placed his hands upon their heads. They heard his voice and they felt his hands. This meant that he had to have been resurrected. That was a wonderful thing and a very impressive thing to me. Here was living evidence of the reality of the Resurrection, which had come through the divine power of the Lord Jesus Christ—the same who earlier had been baptized by John in the river Jordan.

John told Joseph and Oliver that he was acting under the direction of Peter, James, and John, the Apostles who had been ordained by the Lord and who held what we call the Melchizedek, or the higher, Priesthood, as distinguished from the Aaronic, or the lesser, Priesthood.

Joseph Smith was then twenty-three and a half years of age. Oliver Cowdery was about the same. They were young men, and I thought when I was ordained a deacon what a wonderful thing it was that John the Baptist, who was a great man in the New Testament and who lived nearly two thousand years earlier, had come as a resurrected being and that he should address Joseph and Oliver as "my fellow servants."

Even though he came as a servant of God and acted under the direction of Peter, James, and John, he did not place himself above Joseph and Oliver. He put them on his same level when he addressed them as "my fellow servants." If they were his fellow servants, then perhaps I, as a twelve-year-old boy, could also be his fellow servant.

He spoke in the name of Messiah, or, as we would say it, "in the name of Jesus Christ." He set the pattern, and since then, the ordinances which we perform are administered in the name of Jesus Christ. This is something we should never forget, and never overlook, for in the exercise of our priesthood, we are acting in behalf of God our Eternal Father and Jesus Christ, His Son.

[pam]

The Testimony of St Luke

Introduction

“Luke offers his readers a polished literary account of the ministry of Jesus, presenting Jesus as the universal Savior of both Jews and gentiles. He dwells extensively on Jesus’ teachings and his doings. Luke is favorable toward the gentiles and also gives more stories involving women than do the other records.” (Bible Dictionary, “Gospels”)

“[Luke] was born at Antioch in Syria, and was taught the science of medicine…He was not born a Jew, for he is not reckoned among those ‘of the circumcision’ by St. Paul.” (William Smith, Dictionary of the Bible, “Luke, Gospel of”) “Luke was Paul’s fellow-traveler. He was born of gentile parents, and practiced medicine. He may have become a believer before our Lord’s ascension, but there is no evidence of this. The identification of him with one of the disciples to whom our Lord appeared on the way to Emmaus is picturesque but historically unsupported. The first information about him is when he joined Paul at Troas (Acts 16:10)…It is uncertain when or where the Gospel was written; it was specially intended for gentile readers. The Acts was a continuation of the gospel, and deals mainly with the growth of the gentile churches. History tells us nothing of Luke’s later years, but tradition says he died a martyr.” (Bible Dictionary, “Luke”)

“Through the eyes of Luke, we see the Savior, but we see aspects of His life and ministry that would have been lost to us without this Gospel. Luke teaches us that the gospel is for all persons, be they Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free, men or women, shepherds or kings. Nobody is left out. Israel continues to be special in its relationship to God, but the Church draws Gentiles into Israel, as well as others who may have been considered to be outside the pale of God’s chosen, or elect, people. We also learn that the gospel is built upon the eyewitness reports of people who saw all that Jesus did and heard all that He said. Thus, they were true witnesses for Him, people who told what they had experienced and knew. And finally Luke teaches us, through Jesus’ own example, about the essential nature of prayer and the critical role of the Holy Ghost.

“What beauty would have been lost had Luke been left out of the scriptures! A diamond truly sparkles when all of its facets can be seen. How much brighter the gospel of Jesus Christ shines because of the insights of Luke the beloved physician.” (Roger R. Keller, “Luke: One Facet of a Diamond,” Ensign, Feb. 1999, 35)

[pam]

Luke 1:1 many haven taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration

“Luke’s method of writing was to gather the oral testimony of eyewitness accounts and create a narrative ‘of all things…accurately from the first.’ He would have had Matthew’s account as well as other written accounts including interviews with the mother of Jesus and others… His purpose was to present Jesus as the Son of God to an educated Gentile audience as ‘a messenger of Jesus Christ’ (JST Luke 1:3, Luke 1:103)” (Church News, Jan. 9, 1993 as taken from Latter-day Commentary on the New Testament: The Four Gospels, by Pinegar, Bassett, and Earl, p. 1)

Bruce R. McConkie

“Many of the early saints recorded their testimonies or gospels, bearing eyewitness accounts of the divinity of our Lord and of his ministry among men, just as many with personal knowledge of Joseph Smith and his work of restoration have written journals, letters, and histories delineating what took place in the ushering in of this dispensation. Luke had access to many of these ancient gospels.” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1:69)

Matthias F. Cowley

“As proof that writings of the disciples of Jesus have been lost to the world, I would call special attention to several passages of the Scripture. The writings of the New Testament are from eight authors-Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul, James and Jude. Luke says: ‘Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of these things which are most surely believed among us.’ (Luke 1:1) While there is no definite proof in this statement as to how many had written their testimonies concerning the Messiah, it is evident they were not few, but many. That there was opportunity and material upon which to write respecting this glorious subject, the life and ministry of Jesus, is very apparent from the last verse of the twenty-first chapter of St. John, as follows: ‘And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written, every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.’ With such a statement, it is to be wondered at that the world who believed in the Redeemer should rest contented with the narrow view that we have all that is important.” (Cowley's Talks on Doctrine [Chattanooga: Ben. E. Rich, 1902], 88.)

[pam]

Luke 1:35 The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee

Ezra Taft Benson

“The most fundamental doctrine of true Christianity is the divine birth of the child Jesus. This doctrine is not generally comprehended by the world. The paternity of Jesus Christ is one of the ‘mysteries of godliness’ comprehended only by the spiritually-minded.

“The apostle Matthew recorded: ‘Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.’ ("Matt. 1:18Matthew 1:18.)

“Luke rendered a plainer meaning to the divine conception. He quoted the angel Gabriel's words to Mary: ‘The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy [being] which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.’ ("Luke 1:35Luke 1:35; italics added.)

“Some six hundred years before Jesus was born, an ancient prophet had a vision. He saw Mary and described her as ‘a virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.’ He then saw her ‘carried away in the Spirit . . . for the space of a time.’ When she returned, she was ‘bearing a child in her arms . . . even the Son of the Eternal Father.’ (Book of Mormon, "1 Ne. 11:151 Nephi 11:15, "1 Ne. 11:19"1 Ne. 11:20"1 Ne. 11:2119-21.)

“Thus the testimonies of appointed witnesses leave no question as to the paternity of Jesus Christ. God was the Father of Jesus' mortal tabernacle, and Mary, a mortal woman, was His mother. He is therefore the only person born who rightfully deserves the title ‘the Only Begotten Son of God.’

“From the time of Christ's heaven-heralded birth, heresies have crept into Christianity intended to dilute or undermine the pure doctrines of the gospel. These heresies, by and large, are sponsored by the philosophies of men and, in many instances, advocated by so-called Christian scholars. Their intent is to make Christianity more palatable, more reasonable, and so they attempt to humanize Jesus and give natural explanations to those things which are divine.

“An example is Jesus' birth. The so-called scholars seek to convince us that the divine birth of Christ as proclaimed in the New Testament was not divine at all and that Mary was not a virgin at the time of Jesus' conception. They would have us believe that Joseph, the foster-father of Jesus, was His physical father, and that therefore Jesus was human in all attributes and characteristics. They appear generous in their praise of Him when they say that He was a great moral philosopher, perhaps even the greatest. But the import of their effort is to repudiate the divine Sonship of Jesus, for on that doctrine rest all other claims of Christianity.

“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints proclaims that Jesus Christ is the Son of God in the most literal sense. The body in which He performed His mission in the flesh was sired by that same Holy Being we worship as God, our Eternal Father. Jesus was not the son of Joseph, nor was He begotten by the Holy Ghost. He is the Son of the Eternal Father!” (Come unto Christ [salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1983], 2-4.)

Elder Eldred G. Smith

“Jesus Christ was the literal Son of God the Father by his spirit body and also by his physical body. The difference between Christ and us is that he had the same Father for his spirit body that he had for his physical body. But He had a mortal mother on earth. The scriptures say that she was overshadowed by the Holy Ghost. (See Luke 1:35Luke 1:35.) Of course there had to be some means of making this possible while she was still in mortality. Further details are not necessary, but Christ himself declared all his life that he was the Son of God, and he meant it. That is the reason He had power to break the bonds of death and bring about the resurrection. It was not because He was crucified on the cross. Many people have been crucified on a cross. There were two crucified on crosses at the sides of him, but they did not have the power to be resurrected. But Christ had the power to be resurrected.” (March 10, 1964, BYU Speeches of the Year, 1964, p. 8)

[pam]

Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men

David O. McKay

“How simple these words! How deep, how comprehensive their significance! At Christmas we celebrate his birth in whose mission on earth (1) God is glorified; (2) the earth is promised peace; (3) all men are given the assurance of God's goodwill toward them.

“If every man born into the world would have as the beacon of his life these three glorious ideals, how much sweeter and happier life would be! With such an aim, everyone would seek all that is pure, just, honorable, virtuous, and true—all that leads to perfection; for these virtues he would glorify whoever seeks to glorify God. He would eschew that which is impure, dishonorable, or vile. If every man desired to show goodwill toward men and strove to express that desire in a thousand kind ways and little deeds that would reflect unselfishness and self-sacrifice, what a contribution each would make toward universal peace on earth and the happiness of mankind.

“For nineteen hundred years and more Jesus Christ has been an inspiration to countless millions of men and women. His has been the influence that has fired the imagination of poets; his the influence that has guided the artists' touch that has given imperishable beauty to the world; his the influence that has put new harmony into musicians' souls, and sent vibrating through the ages songs of praise and thanksgiving; his the power that has supported through centuries the humble laborers whose only comfort through unrequited toil and oppression sprang from the realization that One was standing at the end of life's journey saying, ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest’ ("Matt. 11:28Matt. 11:28); his the influence that has given every good thing to the world today; his the life that was sacrificed to bring peace and goodwill and eternal salvation to all mankind.” (Peace and Goodwill by President David O. Mckay, Improvement Era, 1955, Vol. Lviii. December, 1955. No. 12.)

David O. McKay

“Good old St. Nicholas has long since gone the way of all mortals, but the joy he experienced in doing kindly deeds is now shared by millions who are learning that true happiness comes only by making others happy—the practical application of the Savior's doctrine of losing one's life to gain it. In short, the Christmas spirit is the Christ spirit, that makes our hearts glow in brotherly love and friendship and prompts us to kind deeds of service.

“Christmasa-McKay, David O.TPIt is the spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ, obedience to which will bring ‘peace on earth,’ because it means—good will toward all men.” (Gospel Ideals: Selections from the Discourses of David O. McKay [salt Lake City: Improvement Era, 1953], 551.)

David O. McKay

“Peace is the message that came when the Savior was born a Babe in Bethlehem. It was heralded by the angel choir, singing, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’ (Luke 2:14.)

“’Peace,’ he said to his disciples toward the close of his ministry, ‘These things I have spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33.)

“After his resurrection, when the doors were closed and the ten disciples were in session, as he greeted them, his first salutation was, ‘Peace be unto you.’ (Ibid., 20:21.) And eight days later, when the eleven were there, the same salutation, ‘Peace.’ (See Ibid., 20:26.)

“What a glorious thing it is, brethren and sisters, and this is my message: Peace cannot be found in external things. Peace comes from within. ‘There is no peace except by the triumph of principles,’ said the wise Emerson. Peace is within the individual soul. There is no peace when one's conscience is seared or when one is conscious of having committed some untoward act.” (Conference Report, October 1953, Afternoon Meeting 133.)

[pam]

Luke 2:37 she was a widow of about fourscore and four years

Assuming that Anna married at the age of 13, this would make her age 104. She was truly ‘of great age.’ But this poorly known prophetess is truly a scriptural heroine. Today, there are so many like her. These widows have not wasted their time wallowing in self-pity but have refined their spiritual sensitivities by serving ‘God with fastings and prayers night and day.’ They are those who have used their time in performing the work of the Lord in his holy temples. Their work is done so quietly, their demeanor so unassuming, as to be noticed by almost no one. But their devotion does not go unnoticed by the all-piercing eye of God. After years of faithful service, they, like Anna of old, will behold the face of God. Such is the reward of those who are pure in heart.

Spencer W. Kimball

“Now, the General Authorities are very much aware of the fact that many of our sisters are widows…We want all such sisters to understand that when we speak of family life, it is not done to make them feel sad or unappreciated. The leaders of the Church have said often, and clearly, that women in such circumstances include some of the most noble spirits of our Father in heaven. Those who make the best of what life has given to them will be rewarded for all that they have done in the service of our Heavenly Father and their fellowman.

“Those of you who do not now experience the traditional woman's role, not by choice, but for reasons beyond control, can still do so much to help others. Your talents and time must not be misused simply because not all of the preferred ways of sharing and giving are open to you presently.” (My Beloved Sisters [salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1979], 11.)

[pam]

Luke 2:49 How is it that ye sought me?

Jesus Christ was born with a veil of forgetfulness just as all men are. He did not receive ‘of the fullness at the first, but received grace for grace’ (DC 93:12). How remarkable, then, that Jesus understood his mortal mission by the tender age of 12! For many of the rest of us, we don’t understand the nature of our individual missions until our mortal experience is almost over—certainly not by the age of 12! While Christ’s early years were punctuated by a gradual increase in wisdom, advancing from grace to grace, some of the rest of us spent those same tender years proceeding instead from disgrace to disgrace. How great is the contrast between us and Him!

James E. Talmage

“In such simplicity is the normal, natural development of the Boy Jesus made clear. He came among men to experience all the natural conditions of mortality; He was born as truly a dependent, helpless babe as is any other child; His infancy was in all common features as the infancy of others; His boyhood was actual boyhood, His development was as necessary and as real as that of all children. Over His mind had fallen the veil of forgetfulness common to all who are born to earth, by which the remembrance of primeval existence is shut off. The Child grew, and with growth there came to Him expansion of mind, development of faculties, and progression in power and understanding. His advancement was from one grace to another, not from gracelessness to grace; from good to greater good, not from evil to good, from favor with God to greater favor, not from estrangement because of sin to reconciliation through repentance and propitiation.” (Jesus the Christ¸ 105)

Henry D. Taylor

“For mortal man, with all his limitations and weaknesses, to achieve perfection might seem impossible, but the Savior's admonition, given on several different occasions, would indicate that such a worthy goal is attainable.

“We recognize that the Savior achieved perfection. However, it was a gradual and continuing process, extending from childhood to maturity. John, the beloved apostle, attests to this natural development in these words: ‘And I, John, saw that he received not of the fulness at the first, but received grace for grace . . . until he received a fulness.’ (D&C 93:12-13.)

“When he was but 12 years of age, Jesus realized that he was the son of a divine father. When Joseph and Mary, his mother, found him conversing with the wise men in the temple and mildly chided him because of their concern, he replied: ‘. . . wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?’ (Luke 2:49.) Yet the full comprehension of the purpose of his earthly mission developed within him only as he progressed step by step in unfolding experience and wisdom.

“Perfection came to Jesus through many experiences, which involved trials and sorrows. Although begotten of an immortal father, he was born of a mortal mother, through whom he inherited the capacity to be tempted, to suffer, and to die. The apostle Paul testified: ‘Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

11295And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.’ (Heb. 5:8-9.)

“With the Lord Jesus as an example, we should desire and attempt to pattern our lives after his and follow his teachings in our quest for perfection.” (Conference Report, October 1967, Afternoon Meeting 140.)

Edited August 23, 2009 by pam

[pam]

Luke 3:5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low

Understanding Isaiah was not meant to be easy except to those with the spirit of prophecy (2 Ne. 25:4). Luke’s quotation of Isaiah 40:3-5 shows a common element of Old Testament prophesies concerning the Christ. Almost uniformly, these prophecies refer to events of his first coming and his second coming without any clear separation between the two. For example, ‘unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder…Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David’ (Isa. 9:6-7). Similarly, Isaiah prophesies of the mission of John the Baptist and then immediately follows with a prophecy of events to attend Christ’s Second Coming. He doesn’t say, “Christ must be crucified, resurrected, ascend into heaven and then return again on the earth when ‘Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low’.” But Isaiah knew such would be the case.

The Jews were given prophecy which was difficult to interpret because they wanted it that way, ‘the Jews were a stiffnecked people; and they despised the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and sought for things that they could not understand. Wherefore…God hath taken away his plainness from them, and delivered unto them many things which they cannot understand, because they desired it’ (Jacob 4:14). In order to provide the Jews with a greater witness, John the Baptist taught them in plainness as the Joseph Smith Translation makes clear.

‘…Prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight.

For behold, and lo, he shall come, as it is written in the book of the prophets, to take away the sins of the world, and to bring salvation unto the heathen nations, to gather together those who are lost, who are of the sheepfold of Israel;

luke 3:6 Yea, even the dispersed and afflicted; and also to prepare the way, and make possible the preaching of the gospel unto the Gentiles;

luke 3:7 And to be a light unto all who sit in darkness, unto the uttermost parts of the earth; to bring to pass the resurrection from the dead, and to ascend up on high, to dwell on the right hand of the Father,

luke 3:8 Until the fullness of time, and the law and the testimony shall be sealed, and the keys of the kingdom shall be delivered up again unto the Father;

luke 3:9 To administer justice unto all; to come down in judgment upon all, and to convince all the ungodly of their ungodly deeds, which they have committed; and all this in the day that he shall come;

luke 3:5 For it is a day of power; yea, every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth;

luke 3:6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ (JST Luke 3:4-11)

“Not only does the above passage attest to John's wide knowledge of the gospel but also it clearly shows that John understood the difference between certain events that would occur in the meridian of time and those of the fulness of time. The day of judgment, the day of power, bringing low the mountains and the valleys being filled, was to occur at the time of Jesus' second coming. The way these verses are presented in all other Bibles makes it appear that John thought those events were for his time. The Joseph Smith Translation clarifies this matter and at the same time gives a glimpse of John's extensive knowledge.”(Robert J. Matthews, Behold the Messiah [salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1994], 46.)

Bruce R. McConkie

“There are two great prophecies about the messengers who shall prepare the way before the face of the Lord. One is by Isaiah, the other comes from Malachi. Each of them refers both to the meridian and to the millennial advents, but more especially to the latter. By the mouth of Malachi the Lord said: ‘Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.’ ("Mal. 3:1Mal. 3:1.) What follows speaks solely and exclusively of the Second Coming and the day of judgment and burning that will accompany it.

“…These two prophetic pronouncements are applied to John the Baptist by the New Testament writers, and truly he came to prepare the way for our Lord's mortal ministry. But each of the inspired accounts has an infinitely greater and grander fulfillment in the last days. John came to prepare the way for the atoning ministry, the ministry of reconciliation, as Paul calls it, the ministry that brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Joseph Smith came to prepare the way for the triumphal coming, the coming in power and glory with all the hosts of heaven, the coming when the vineyard will be burned and the wicked destroyed, the coming when righteousness and peace shall be established among those who abide the day.” (Bruce R. McConkie, The Millennial Messiah: The Second Coming of the Son of Man [salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1982], 336-337.)

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Luke 3:38 Adam, which was the son of God

Who was Adam’s father? Obviously, it was God. Otherwise we must consider Adam an orphan. However, there is an important distinction between Adam, the son of God, and Jesus, the Son of God, for Adam was not begotten of the flesh but of the dust of the earth. Hence, there is only one Only Begotten ‘Son of God, after the manner of the flesh’ (1 Ne. 11:18).

Mark E. Petersen

“The genealogy of the Savior as provided in Luke calls Adam a son of God. (Luke 3:38Luke 3:38.) So does the revelation given to Joseph Smith: ‘And this is the genealogy of the sons of Adam, who was the son of God, with whom God, himself, conversed. And they were preachers of righteousness, and spake and prophesied, and called upon all men, everywhere, to repent; and faith was taught unto the children of men.’ (Moses 6:22Moses 6:23Moses 6:22-23.)

“We need to understand the true concept of the first man, Adam. He was next to Christ in authority in the creation; he still is. He directs all dispensations of the gospel ever given to mankind, as the Prophet Joseph Smith taught.” (Adam: Who Is He? [salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1976], 60.)

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Mark 4:39 Peace, be still

Howard W. Hunter

“Peace was on the lips and in the heart of the Savior no matter how fiercely the tempest was raging. May it so be with us.” (Latter-day Commentary on the New Testament: The Four Gospels, by Pinegar, Bassett, and Earl, p. 162)

David O. McKay

“The greatest need of this old world today is peace. The turbulent storms of hate, of enmity, of distrust, and of sin are threatening to wreck humanity. It is time for men—true men—to dedicate their lives to God, and to cry with the spirit and power of the Christ, ‘Peace, be still. ... ‘ ("#Mark 4:39Mark 4:39.)” (Gospel Ideals: Selections from the Discourses of David O. McKay [salt Lake City: Improvement Era, 1953], 295.)

Joseph B. Wirthlin

“Despite dismal conditions in the world and the personal challenges that come into every life, peace within can be a reality. We can be calm and serene regardless of the swirling turmoil all about us. Attaining harmony within ourselves depends upon our relationship with our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, and our willingness to emulate him by living the principles he has given us…The phrase ‘Peace, be still’ (Mark 4:39), that the Savior uttered when he calmed the storm-tossed sea, can have the same calming influence upon us when we are buffeted by life’s storms.” (“Peace Within,” Ensign, May 1991, 37)

Jeffrey R. Holland

“I know some of you do truly feel at sea, in the most frightening sense of that term. Out in troubled waters, you may even now be crying with the poet:

It darkens. I have lost the ford.

There is a change on all things made.

The rocks have evil faces, Lord,

And I am [sore] afraid.

“No, it is not without a recognition of life’s tempests but fully and directly because of them that I testify of God’s love and the Savior’s power to calm the storm. Always remember in that biblical story that He was out there on the water also, that He faced the worst of it right along with the newest and youngest and most fearful. Only one who has fought against those ominous waves is justified in telling us—as well as the sea—to ‘be still.’ Only one who has taken the full brunt of such adversity could ever be justified in telling us in such times to ‘be of good cheer.’ Such counsel is not a jaunty pep talk about the power of positive thinking, though positive thinking is much needed in the world. No, Christ knows better than all others that the trials of life can be very deep and we are not shallow people if we struggle with them. But even as the Lord avoids sugary rhetoric, He rebukes faithlessness and He deplores pessimism. He expects us to believe!” (“An High Priest of Good Things to Come,” Ensign, Nov. 1999, 36–37)

[pam]

Mark 4:40 Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith

Howard W. Hunter

“All of us have seen some sudden storms in our lives. A few of them, though temporary like these on the Sea of Galilee, can be violent and frightening and potentially destructive. As individuals, as families, as communities, as nations, even as a church, we have had sudden squalls arise which have made us ask one way or another, ‘Master, carest thou not that we perish?’ And one way or another we always hear in the stillness after the storm, ‘Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?’

“None of us would like to think we have no faith, but I suppose the Lord’s gentle rebuke here is largely deserved. This great Jehovah, in whom we say we trust and whose name we have taken upon us, is he who said, ‘Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.’ (Gen. 1:6.) And he is also the one who said, ‘Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear.’ (Gen. 1:9.) Furthermore, it was he who parted the Red Sea, allowing the Israelites to pass through on dry ground. (See Ex. 14:21–22.) Certainly it should be no surprise that he could command a few elements acting up on the Sea of Galilee. And our faith should remind us that he can calm the troubled waters of our lives.” (“Master, the Tempest Is Raging,” Ensign, Nov. 1984, 33)

[pam]

Mark 4:41 What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

Boyd K. Packer

“I heard President Kimball say on one occasion, as other Presidents of the Church have said, that, while he holds all of the keys that are held upon the earth, there are keys that he does not hold. There are keys that have not been given to him as President of the Church, because they are reserved to higher power and authority. For instance, he said that he does not hold the keys of the resurrection. The Lord holds them, but He has not delegated them-neither anciently, nor to modern prophets. President Kimball mentioned also the authority to command the elements, to walk on the water. The Lord has this power, but He has not given it to mortals, although there are times when righteous men have been inspired to command the forces of nature and have been obeyed.” (The Holy Temple [salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1980], 151.)