Day 10 August 19 - Luke 5-9

[pam]

Discussion

[KeithLBrown]

The Calling of the Twelve Apostles

Book of Mormon Refences to the Twelve Apostles

And I also saw and bear record that the Holy Ghost fell upon twelve others; and they were ordained of God, and chosen. - 1 Nephi 12:7

And he said unto me: Thou rememberest the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb? Behold they are they who shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel; wherefore, the twelve ministers of thy seed shall be judged of them; for ye are of the house of Israel. - 1 Nephi 12:9

Scripture Reference: Luke 6:13-16

13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;

14 Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,

15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes,

16 And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.

Guide to the Scriptures: Apostle

In Greek, Apostle means “one sent forth.” It was the title Jesus gave to the Twelve whom he chose and ordained to be his closest disciples and helpers during his ministry on earth (Luke 6: 13; John 15: 16). He sent them forth to represent him and to minister for him after his ascension into heaven. Both anciently and in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the restored Church today, an Apostle is a special witness of Jesus Christ in all the world to testify of his divinity and of his resurrection from the dead (Acts 1: 22; D&C 107: 23).

Christ’s church is built on the foundation of Apostles and prophets, Eph. 2: 20; 4: 11. Lehi and Nephi saw the twelve Apostles following Jesus, 1 Ne. 1: 10; 11: 34. Apostles are to judge the house of Israel, Morm. 3: 18. Those who do not heed the words of the prophets and Apostles shall be cut off, D&C 1: 14 (3 Ne. 12: 1). The calling and mission of the Twelve were revealed, D&C 18: 26-36. Joseph Smith was ordained an Apostle, D&C 20: 2; 21: 1. Apostles are special witnesses of Christ’s name and bear the keys of the ministry, D&C 27: 12 (D&C 112: 30-32). Twelve Apostles form a quorum equal in authority to the First Presidency, D&C 107: 23-24. The Twelve are a Traveling Presiding High Council, D&C 107: 33. Apostles hold the keys of missionary work, D&C 107: 35. Some of the duties of Apostles are described, D&C 107: 58. I say unto all the Twelve: follow me, and feed my sheep, D&C 112: 14-15. We believe in Apostles, A of F 1: 6.

Selection of Apostles: Apostles are chosen by the Lord (John 6: 70; 15: 16).

Of his disciples, Jesus chose twelve Apostles, Luke 6: 13-16. Matthias was chosen to be an Apostle, Acts 1: 21-26. Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer were commanded to search out the Twelve, D&C 18: 37-39.

Bible Dictionary: Apostle

The word means “one sent forth.” It was the title Jesus gave (Luke 6: 13) to the twelve whom he chose and ordained (John 15: 16) to be his closest disciples during his ministry on earth, and whom he sent forth to represent him after his ascension into heaven. The calling of an apostle is to be a special witness of the name of Jesus Christ in all the world, particularly of his divinity and of his bodily resurrection from the dead (Acts 1: 22; D&C 107: 23).

Twelve men with this high calling constitute an administrative council in the work of the ministry. When a vacancy occurred with the death of Judas Iscariot, Matthias was divinely appointed to that special office as a member of the council (Acts 1: 15-26). Today twelve men with this same divine calling and ordination constitute the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The title was also applied to others who, though not of the number of the original twelve, yet were called to serve as special witnesses of the Lord. Paul repeatedly spoke of himself as an apostle (Rom. 1: 1; 1 Cor. 1: 1; 1 Cor. 9: 1; Gal. 1: 1). He applied the titles to James, the Lord’s brother (Gal. 1: 19), and also to Barnabas (1 Cor. 9: 5-6; cf. Acts 14: 4, 14). The New Testament does not inform us whether these three brethren also served in the council of the Twelve as vacancies occurred therein, or whether they were apostles strictly in the sense of being special witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus is referred to as an apostle in Heb. 3: 1-2, a designation meaning that he is the personal and select representative of the Father.

Elder L. Tom Perry, “What Is a Quorum?,” Ensign, Nov 2004, 23

One of the greatest blessings one can receive from being a bearer of the priesthood … is belonging to a priesthood quorum.

An Apostle today continues to be “one sent forth.” The conditions we face are different from those of the early Brethren as we make our journeys to fulfill our assignment. Our manner of travel to all corners of the earth is very different from that of the early Brethren. However, our assignment remains the same as that which was given by the Savior as He instructed His called Twelve to “go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:19–20).

President Stephen L Richards, many years ago, gave us some wonderful counsel on Church government. His statement is as follows:

“The genius of our Church government is government through councils. … I see the wisdom, God’s wisdom, in creating councils: to govern his Kingdom. In the spirit under which we labor, men can get together with seemingly divergent views and far different backgrounds, and under the operation of that spirit, by counseling together, they can arrive at an accord. … I have no hesitancy in giving you the assurance, if you will confer in council as you are expected to do, God will give you solutions to the problems that confront you” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1953, 86).

And what are the great benefits you will experience from belonging to a quorum? Again from Stephen L Richards. He said, “A quorum is three things: first, a class; second, a fraternity; and third, a service unit” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1938, 118).

I see this genius so manifestly apparent in the functions of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. We are a class as we study the doctrines of the kingdom together. Can you imagine what a special experience it would be to be in a quorum meeting and be taught gospel doctrine by Elders Ezra Taft Benson, Mark E. Petersen, LeGrand Richards, Howard W. Hunter, Bruce R. McConkie, David B. Haight, or Neal A. Maxwell? You will notice that I have used only those Brethren who have completed their earthly ministry in order not to be selective among our current Apostles. This same blessing can be yours in each of your quorums. The words of the Apostles, past and present, live in the scriptures, conference addresses, Church magazines, devotionals, and so forth. They are available to bring the power of the doctrine of the kingdom into your quorum’s class. Make of your quorum a class to increase your knowledge of the gospel of our Lord and Savior.

In our Quorum, we have a special brotherhood. We are there to lift, inspire, and bless each other with the spirit of our calling. When one is burdened, there are 11 others anxious to help lift and share that burden. At times we rejoice together in feelings of accomplishment. We weep together in times of sorrow. We never feel as if we are facing a problem alone! There is always the counsel, support, help, and encouragement of our Quorum members.

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Luke 5:4 Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught

Jeffrey R. Holland

“’Launch out into the deep,’ he counseled this fisherman one morning in Galilee, ‘and let down your nets for a draught.’ After an unsuccessful night of effort, Peter's judgment told him a final effort was useless. But this was a man of genuinely childlike faith, and he lowered the net. The number of fish taken in that single attempt strained the strings until they began to break, and filled two boats until they began to sink. In that small ship Peter, stunned, kneeled at the feet of the Master. Jesus said lovingly, ‘Henceforth thou shalt catch men.’

“Launch out into the deep! Peter could not have known the ever-widening circles that single command would make in the stream of his plain and simple life. He was launching out into the expanse of godliness, into the eternal possibilities of redeemed and celestial life. He would be learning the mysteries of the kingdom. He would be hearing unspeakable things. To launch out into that limitless sea of the gospel of Jesus Christ, Peter brought his craft to shore, turned his back on the most spectacular single catch ever taken from Galilee, ‘forsook all, and followed him.’ ("Luke 5:1"Luke 5:2"Luke 5:3"Luke 5:4"Luke 5:5"Luke 5:6"Luke 5:7"Luke 5:8"Luke 5:9"Luke 5:10"Luke 5:11Luke 5:1-11.)

“From that moment on, Jesus taught and trained Peter at every opportunity. He walked with him in the hills outside of Capernaum. He sat with him beside the sea they loved so much. He stayed in his home, ate at his table, gave blessings to his family and friends. Peter watched silently as the Son of God cast out devils, healed the sick, restored the blind. When Jesus sought some respite from the crowd, Peter appealed to him in their behalf. ‘All men seek for thee’ ("Mark 1:37Mark 1:37), he told the Master, and Jesus smiled a knowing smile. Peter did not know that very soon other men would seek Jesus—and not to receive a blessing at his hand. But Jesus knew, and he hastened the work.” (However Long and Hard the Road [salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1985], 92.)

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Luke 5:8 he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man

“Sometimes we assume that everyone else is doing better than we are. We think that other people are not sinners, that they keep all the commandments all of the time, and we loathe ourselves because we cannot do the same thing. As a result, many of us, often the best among us, despair at what we see as an unbridgeable gap between what God demands and what we do. Thus even the great fisherman, Peter the Rock, said when first confronted by the Master's power, ‘Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’ (Luke 5:8)

“Once he saw the power of Jesus Christ and knew that He was genuinely sent from God, Peter could come to only one conclusion—‘I'm not worthy. You shouldn't be here with me. If you knew how rotten I am, you'd realize it's hopeless. I'm not like you—I'm sinful. So don't waste your time here on me; go find someone righteous and religious, someone who can be saved. One as holy as you deserves a much better disciple than a poor wretch like me.’ No one knew better than Peter the vast chasm between the demands of God and the ability of unaided humans to meet those demands. And before he learned the good news, even the great fisherman apparently could see no hope, no way out of the Great Dilemma.” (Stephen E. Robinson, Believing Christ: The Parable of the Bicycle and Other Good News [salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1992], 3.)

Ronald E. Poelman

“Each one of us, at times, may feel like Peter, conscious of our failings and uncomfortable at the thought of approaching the Lord. Transgression causes us to feel estranged from our Father in heaven, and we feel unworthy of his love and fearful of his disapproval. Yet, having transgressed his laws or disobeyed his commandments, we need the strengthening influence of our Father to help us overcome our weakness, to help us repent and become reconciled with him. Unrepented sin tends to become habitual and is frequently accompanied by a deepening sense of guilt, which may make repentance increasingly difficult. This feeling of estrangement from the Lord becomes an impediment to repentance and reconciliation with him.

“Knowing we have offended our Father in heaven, we are afraid to ask his help, feeling that we don't deserve it. Paradoxically, when we are most in need of the Lord's influence, we deserve it least. Nevertheless, in such circumstances he says to us, as Jesus said to the trembling Peter, ‘Fear not.’ (Luke 5:10) “(Love [salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1986], 89 - 90.)

Spencer J. Condie

“Despite all of the human frailties of the great Apostle Peter, it is well to remember the circumstances surrounding his calling to the holy apostleship…After catching a great multitude of fish, Peter, instead of boasting of his prowess as a fisherman, humbly acknowledged the Savior's power by falling to his knees and saying: ‘Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’ But the Savior looked beyond the current sins of this humble sinner, proclaiming: ‘Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.’ (Luke 5:1-10.) A calling in the kingdom is not necessarily so much a confirmation of our personal worthiness as it is an invitation to improve our lives.

“The Savior called men like Peter and Paul and Alma, not because of what they had done, but because of what they would be able to do with His help, and they remembered the source of their spiritual guidance. By contrast, King Saul had to be reminded by the prophet Samuel of the time ‘when thou wast little in thine own sight’ (Sam. 15:17), and King Solomon forgot the time he prayed: ‘I am but a little child’ (1 Kgs. 3:7). The challenge is to grow in confidence while still retaining humility, and increasing in boldness without losing meekness.” (In Perfect Balance [salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1993], 190.)

Edited August 24, 2009 by pam

[pam]

Luke 6:26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you!

Harold B. Lee

“President Joseph F. Smith, speaking of this same subject, said, ‘There are at least three dangers that threaten the Church within, and the authorities need to awaken to the fact that the people should be warned unceasingly against them. As I see these, they are the flattery of the prominent men in the world, false educational ideas, and sexual impurities.’

“I heard President Heber J. Grant say many times, ‘When certain men start to praise me or applaud me or speak well of me, I say to myself: Heber Grant, you must not be doing your duty or such men would not praise you.’

“Sometimes it is the mark of distinction to have men of ill repute not say good things about you.

“What the Lord meant when He counseled His disciples to ‘beware’ when all men shall speak well of them is suggested by another statement: ‘Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues.’ (Matt. 10:16-17.)

“Truly our worst enemies are they of our own household. When flatterers meet, someone said, ‘the devil goes to dinner.’ Cooper said it this way: ‘The lie that flatters, I abhor the most.’ Someone else stated: ‘The only benefit of flatterers is that by hearing what we are not, we may be instructed in what we ought to be.’

“One of our brethren told me of an incident that occurred once when he and his family were eating in a restaurant. A family in a stake where he had been the visiting authority came over to shake hands with him, and they used superlatives to say that he was the most wonderful, the greatest, the most powerful, and so on. After they had left, he made some comment about these statements, and his sweet daughter said, ‘That's all right, Daddy, if you don't begin to believe it yourself.’ Beware when men shall speak well of you.” (Ye Are the Light of the World: Selected Sermons and Writings of Harold B. Lee [salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1974], chap. 2)

Ezra Taft Benson

“The Master warned, ‘Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.’ (Luke 6:26.)

“As Latter-day Saints we have been driven, mobbed, misunderstood, and maligned. We have been a peculiar people. Now we are faced with world applause. It has been a welcome change but can we stand acceptance? Can we meet the danger of applause? In the hour of a man's success, applause can be his greatest danger.

“There is, of course, nothing wrong with being honored by men if one is being honored for a good thing, if one comes to these honors through righteous living, and if, while holding these honors, one lives honorably. One should strive to have wide influence for good.

“However, virtue is not the only basis for being singled out and promoted. As the world gets more wicked, a possible way to attain worldly success may be to join the wicked. The time is fast approaching when it will require great courage for Latter-day Saints to stand up for their peculiar standards and doctrine—all of their doctrine, including the more weighty principles such as the principle of freedom.” (God, Family, Country: Our Three Great Loyalties [salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1974], 234.)

Harold B. Lee

“While it becomes us to seek the good will of righteous men and women everywhere, it is well for us to remember that when the lewd, the immoral, and the corrupt begin to compliment us and to curry favor with us, that we had better begin to examine ourselves to see if we are doing our full duty. The Apostle Peter said to the Saints in his day: ‘But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.’ (I Peter 2:9.)

“Our failure to be a ‘peculiar’ people in maintaining our standards, despite the jeers and the criticisms of the crowd, will be our failure to be chosen for that calling to which we are called.

“The Lord has told us, ‘Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen.’ (D&C 121:34)

“And then in the same revelation points out two reasons why men fail of their blessings. The first reason he gives is that their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and the second is that they aspire so much to the honors of men. So then as Church members let us beware lest we set our hearts upon the things of this world and lest we aspire so much to the honors of men that we compromise our standards. If we do so, we will be cut off in the day of judgment and will lose our blessings. Our reward for daring to live the gospel despite the oppositions from the outside world will be to have blessings added upon our heads forever and forever.” (Conference Report, October 1945, Afternoon Meeting 48.)

Edited August 24, 2009 by pam

[pam]

Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over

Chieko Okazaki

“One of my favorite scriptures is in the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus tells his disciples, ‘Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over’ (Luke 6:38). It's a wonderful thing to know that this is how the Savior longs to give us his peace and mercy and love: not a skimpy and hastily filled measure but a container that is overflowing—one that has been pressed down, shaken down, with more and more poured in until it overflows.

“I have a visual aid that I love to use when I'm talking about this concept. You'll just have to imagine it here as I describe it. Picture a quart canning jar. Let's say that I'm filling it with walnuts. I pour in as many as I can, and it's as full of walnuts as it can get, but there are still spaces around the nuts.

“So next I pour in some popcorn kernels. The amazing thing is that I can actually get a full cup of popcorn into a jar that's already ‘full.’ I can press in as many kernels as I can by hand, but what does Jesus say? He says, ‘pressed down and shaken together.’ So when I shake the jar, I can make room for even more popcorn!

“Well, you might think that the jar is completely full now, but it's not so. I can pour sugar into the jar—and almost two cups will fit around the walnuts and the popcorn!

“You know, Jesus says that he doesn't stop there. He runs the measure over…Jesus doesn't stop when it's full. He presses. He shakes down. And then he overflows.

“Let's back up and look at the context in which Jesus explains this principle to his disciples. He says:

‘Love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over. . . . For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.’ (Luke 6:35-38)

“In other words, if we measure out our love to others in teaspoons, God will use teaspoons to measure love to us. If we use a bushel basket to give mercy to others, God will be merciful to us in the same measure. But if we judge and condemn others by the bucketful, so will God judge us. There's no question in my mind which measure I want God to use with me, so I think I need to find ways to increase the measure of my love and mercy and generosity to others.” (Disciples [salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1998], 117-118.)

Hartman Rector, Jr.

“When the Master said, ‘Give, and it shall be given unto you,’ this means if you want to receive, you must first give. That’s different from paying tithing where you receive and then give back ten percent. Here, the Master tells us to give first; then we shall receive. ‘Well, how much am I going to get?’ (That’s always the question, isn’t it?) The Lord tells us how much. His words: ‘good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over. …’ Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? He continues, ‘… shall men give into your bosom.’ Men? I thought you said it was the Lord. Yes, it is the Lord, but he always uses men. If you pray for a revelation from the Lord, he will probably send you your bishop with the answer. You really don’t need a visit from an angel so long as you have a bishop. The Lord continues, ‘For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.’

“If you would have a blessing from the Lord, put something upon the altar. Make the sacrifice.” (“Following Christ to Victory,” Ensign, May 1979, 30)

Carlos E. Asay

“Many years ago, I delayed my formal education, gave up a promising sports career, and interrupted my marriage to serve a full-time mission for the Church. At the time I felt that I was placing my all upon the altar of God, making a significant personal sacrifice. Some well-meaning people added to my feelings of self-pity by saying I was giving away my future; others said I was forfeiting the best years of my life. Yes, I was led to presume that by serving the mission, I would place the Lord deeply in my debt.

“How very wrong I was! Even before my mission ended, the blessings came flowing upon me. And, that stream of goodness from heaven has continued over the years and seems to be never ending. What little I gave to the Lord has been returned to me in ‘good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over’ (Luke 6:38). No, the mission was not a sacrifice; it was a simple test of my faith and a time for God to verify his promise, which is, ‘Seek not the things of this world, but seek ye first to build up the Kingdom of God, and to establish his righteousness; . . . and all these things shall be added unto you’ (JST Matthew 6:38).” (In the Lord's Service: A Guide to Spiritual Development [salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1990], 162.)

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Luke 7:13 he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not

Vaughn J. Featherstone

“The widowed mother was grief stricken. The large crowd that attended the funeral procession was probably an indication of the sympathy which the people of the city felt for this widow's loss of her only son. I imagine that, as she followed those carrying the bier, she walked with her head bowed, suffering a grief that was beyond description.

“The Master approached her and ‘had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.’ She must have looked up to see who thus addressed her. I can visualize her swollen, tired eyes looking into his, and the words she had heard seeming to be spoken by one who truly did care and who could feel every bit of her suffering. This brief confrontation with the widow and what transpired as he looked into her soul and said, ‘Weep not,’ can only be imagined. Then ‘he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered the boy to his mother.’ (Luke 7:11-17.)

“I think as Jesus performed this miracle his heart must have been full, for he knew in an incomprehensible way the joy that would come to the widowed mother in the next few moments. Had we been there, we probably would have seen him shed tears of love. I wonder if he didn't stand there for just a moment or two, feeling, as none of us can, the overflowing joy of a widow's heart as she clung fiercely to her son.

“I love Jesus for his love. I love him for his gentleness, his mercy, his forgiving heart. I love him for his long-suffering, for his absolute purity and his charity. I love him as my Savior and Redeemer, the great I Am, the King of kings. And I worship him because he is literally the Son of God.” (Commitment [salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1982], 99)

Thomas S. Monson

“[speaking of this miracle] What power, what tenderness, what compassion did our Master thus demonstrate! We, too, can bless if we but follow His noble example. Opportunities are everywhere. Needed are eyes to see the pitiable plight and ears to hear the silent pleadings of a broken heart. Yes, and a soul filled with compassion, that we might communicate not only eye to eye or voice to ear, but, in the majestic style of the Savior, even heart to heart.’” (Courage in Meeting Life's Challenges , LDS Church News, 1993, 10/09/93

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Luke 8:43-44 a woman having an issue of blood twelve years…touched the border of his garment

Vaughn J. Featherstone

“A woman had had an issue of blood for twelve years. I think of this story often because of the tenderness of the situation. (Luke 8:43-48.) Imagine any human soul having a constant fountain of bleeding. Consider the physical limitations this would place on the one so afflicted, the draining of her energy and health day after day, year after year. The woman must have been weak, pale, and anemic. She had been to various physicians over the years, none of whom had brought relief. She had spent all of her money and undoubtedly was nearly destitute.

“She may well have come near losing all hope. When hope dies, we die. Hope is essential to life's continuance. In our mind's eye we may catch a glimpse of her in her home. We see her desperate, heartsick, weak, and ill. Even she must have questioned why she had to go on living.

“Somehow in this final state of hopelessness, she heard about one Jesus of Nazareth who was healing the sick, causing the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the leprous to be cleansed. A fountain of hope must have sprung up inside her heart. She learned of His being nearby. Surely, she put on the best of her poverty-governed wardrobe and hurried to where He was supposed to be. At last, she saw Him amid the throngs of people. The disciples were near Him, and everyone was jostling, pushing, trying to get closer. Some were curious; others loved Him and followed out of reverence; still others hoped for a blessing.

“This woman, seeing the Master, thought, ‘If I but touch the hem of His garment, I will be healed.’ How it was that she mustered the strength to push through the crowd to get close enough to touch Him, we may never know. Drawing close, she reached out and was able to do no more than touch His garment. Immediately the blood was stanched. We picture the woman, sinking back into the crowd and perhaps even dropping to her knees in gratitude. The Savior halted and said, ‘Who touched me?’ Everywhere people were pressing and pushing, brushing against him constantly, and so the disciples responded that many people had touched Him, for they were pressing on all sides. However, only one had really touched Him. He turned and saw the woman, who must have known He was questioning after her. I suppose the suddenness of the blood being stanched, the Master's stopping, the crowd quieting down to hear what He was saying, and the full attention being drawn to this woman would have been more than she could bear. She must have felt as if she were spotlighted on center stage. Rapt attention of all the crowd focused on her. She may even have felt guilty.

“Luke's record of the event states, ‘Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.’ (Luke 8:46.) Again we consider Jesus' sensitivity to know and feel a ‘healing’ virtue leave Him. He knew that someone had, through faith, drawn healing from the well of His soul and had more than brushed against Him.

“’And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.’ (Verse 47.)” (The Incomparable Christ: Our Master and Model [salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1995], 135.)

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Luke 9:26 whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed

Stephen L. Richards

“Why should men be ashamed of the gospel of Christ? It is conceivable that many may not be converted and have faith sufficient to accept the divinity of the Lord Jesus and the efficacy of his gospel, but having once had assurance of his reality and the blessings which flow therefrom, why are they so hesitant in the acknowledgment of his goodness and merciful consideration for them? …

“Undoubtedly one of the factors is pride…There are some who may regard the acknowledgment of spiritual power as a stigma of weakness, that the humility which is essential to the acceptance of divine a power is incompatible with strength of manhood and self-determination…There are some who seem to feel that their liberties are circumscribed by the acceptance and acknowledgment of spiritual forces and that they are much freer and better off to make no profession of faith whatever…Then there are those, constituting perhaps the largest portion of that group within the Church who seem ashamed of the gospel of Christ, who are just too weak to stand up under all circumstances and conditions for the right and the truth as they know it to be. Some of these are our so-called intellectuals, who persuade themselves that they suffer something of a loss of caste in the sophisticated world in which they move by plain, unequivocal acknowledgment of the Lord's supremacy and our dependence on him. How they come to persuade themselves that a lesser order of intelligence is required to comprehend and acquire the eternal and transcendently beautiful and vital truths and concepts of life, human behavior and destiny coming through revelation, than the findings of science, I do not understand. Both are important, all a part of God's wise provision for humanity. Why disparage either? ...

“Now while I may not have pointed out all of the factors and circumstances which give rise to this state of being ashamed of the gospel, I should like to pass to the more important and positive aspects of my theme by asking the comprehensive question, ‘What is there about the gospel of Christ to be ashamed of?’

“The gospel of Christ is revelation…Why be ashamed of it? … Why should any Christian wish to do that? … if he is a Christian, how can he be ashamed of revelation?

“Priesthood is an essential component of the gospel plan. Why should men be ashamed of the priesthood? In granting the priesthood to man, the Lord has dignified and honored him as perhaps he could have done in no other way…my brethren and sisters in the Church and kingdom of our Lord, I make this solemn declaration: If you are never ashamed of the gospel of Christ, if you will always pray to him and never defame his sacred name, if you will never make light of the Holy Priesthood and the ceremonies and ordinances of the gospel, a spirit of rebellion will never come into your hearts.

“Your confidence in the leadership of the Church will grow and increase. Your relationships with your brethren and sisters will become more tender and sweet. You will grow in faith and in good works, and when your life's mission has been completed and you go hence to your reward, the Savior will greet you, as he has promised, with those glorious words, ‘I am not ashamed of you.’

“May that be our lot, I humbly pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.” (Conference Report, April 1954, Morning Session 31-35.)

Hyrum M. Smith

“Why should we be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Are we ashamed of the Redeemer of the world, who suffered as we will never be able or expected to suffer, for the truth? Ashamed of the truth? ashamed of uprightness? ashamed of honesty? of integrity? of obedience to God and to righteous laws? ashamed of all that is good and true? Why indeed should a man be ashamed of these things? And no man with the courage of his convictions and with this knowledge in his heart will ever deny this truth to escape the persecution, the hatred, the contempt, and the revilings of the world. No; we follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd, who has declared, ‘For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.’ He has said further, ‘Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father, which is in heaven.’ Who among the Latter-day Saints, entitled to all privileges of the knowledge of the Gospel of Christ for himself, will deny Jesus Christ, and by so doing place himself in a position to be denied of the Savior before God the eternal Father? Not the young men of the Latter-day Saints, let me assure you; and let me assure the world, too, that it will not be the young men of this Church who will deny Jesus Christ, and with even greater assurance can I say that it will not be the old men. It will not be any Latter-day Saint who has the knowledge of the truth and in whose bosom burns the testimony thereof revealed from Almighty God, in spite of every effort put forth by the adversary and his emissaries to persuade or to enforce us to do so. I am proud myself to feel that I have been permitted to be born in the light of truth, and to walk in the path marked out by Christ and well followed by the servants of God. As my brethren have said, I am only too proud to be permitted to be numbered with the Latter-day Saints.” (Conference Report, April 1904, Afternoon Session 97.)

[pam]

Luke 9:62 No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God

“My husband and I recently returned from the California San Jose Mission. It was with some anxiety and concern that we accepted the call, as we were both nearing our 70s and had some health problems. I also had other considerations, such as leaving my 93-year-old father, our printing business and our home. I was rather discouraged and was ‘dragging my heels.’ One night, unable to sleep, I was contemplating and was overcome with anxiety at the prospect of going on a mission. After praying and struggling with such negative feelings, a scripture came to mind, something about a man putting his hand to the plow.

“After looking up the scripture (Luke 9:62) and committing the last part to memory, it became my guide and my goal throughout our mission. Having grown up on a ranch, and since gardening is my favorite hobby, the metaphor of the plow used by the Savior appealed to me.

“Our mission proved to be a wonderfully rewarding experience, and I found that I was able to put concerns at home behind me. I didn't even get homesick, though naturally I missed loved ones. Things at home went very well in our absence; even my gardens thrived. Our families benefited from opportunities to help ‘Grandma and Grandpa’ serve their mission. My special scripture, and others, have sustained me in the occasionally difficult times, and I know that the Lord blesses those who put their trust in Him when they have put their hand to the plow.” (Mildred Mansfield, LDS Church News, 1988, 06/25/88)

“[in the classic case of Lot’s wife] her feet were traveling the path away from Sodom and Gomorrah, [but] her heart must have remained attached to the images she left there. By looking back, she lost everything. (See Gen. 19:1–26.) On one occasion Jesus said to a disciple: ‘No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’ (Luke 9:62; emphasis added.) We cannot serve God and graven images at the same time. James described the results of trying: ‘A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ (James 1:8.) Embracing the gospel requires singleness of purpose. It means that we reach for the fruit of the tree of life without making secret reservations in the great and spacious building across the way. (See 1 Ne. 8, 11.)” (Dennis Largey, “Refusing to Worship Today’s Graven Images,” Ensign, Feb. 1994, 12)

Howard W. Hunter

“The Master made it clear that the work of the kingdom was to take precedence over all other things…the third man stepped forward and said: ‘Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.’ (Ibid., 9:61.)

“Not one of the three was willing to follow him without first returning to their worldly affairs. The answer of Jesus is one of the great aphorisms of biblical literature. ‘No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’ (Ibid., 9:62.)

“In his teachings the Master used homely figures of speech, those having familiar, everyday character. The words ‘his hand to the plough,’ unfolds a picture before us with which we are all familiar—a strong man with sinewy arms and a firm step, guiding the blade straight and true, his eyes intent upon the plough, looking ahead to the furrow to be cut. Hour after hour he toils, never looking backward except to see that the furrow is straight.

“…Of all the work of the field, plow-work is the heaviest labor. It is primary and fundamental—it is pioneer toil. A seed may be dropped anywhere, and there is no resistance, but put the blade of the plow into the ground and a thousand forces join to oppose the change. To disturb the conventional to overturn the traditional, or to attempt to make changes in the deep-rooted way of doing things in the lives of individuals, requires toil and sweat. The heaviest work in the kingdom of God is to turn the hard surface of the earth which has been baked in the sun or covered by the growth of nature. What a great change comes over land which has been cleared and plowed,—row after row of evenly spaced furrows, the subsurface loosened and exposed to the sun and air and the rains from heaven, ready to be broken up and planted to seed. The wilderness is conquered and subdued.

“Those who become disciples of the Master and put their hands to the plow without turning back prove themselves to be worthy plowmen. By turning over the old surfaces of tradition, they prepared the fields for the introduction and the spread of Christianity into the world.

“We do not need to go back to the time of Christ, however, to find fields to plow. Fields exist today all over the world, and missionaries have been called and have put their hands to the plow. Nearly 15,000 stake and full-time missionaries are now in the fields. Furrows are being cut and seeds planted and every day we see the results of the harvest.” (Conference Report, April 1961, First Day—Morning Meeting 16-17.)

Howard W. Hunter

“There is danger in looking backward. One must keep his eyes ahead in order to cut a straight furrow. When the plowman commences to look backward, he cuts a crooked furrow, and his work is spoiled. We cannot continue to walk forward when at the same time we are looking backward. It makes no difference what object or occasion causes us to look backward, the backward glance commences the backward turning, and may be the beginning of our disendowment in the kingdom of God.

“As plowing requires an eye intent on the furrow to be made and is marred when one looks backward, so will they come short of exaltation who prosecute the work of God with a distracted attention or a divided heart. We may not see clearly the end of the furrow, but we dare not look back. Eternity stretches on ahead, challenging us to be faithful.” (The Teachings of Howard W. Hunter, edited by Clyde J. Williams [salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1997], 49.)