Matt. 28:1-20. 1 Cor. 15:5-7.
Mark 16:1-20. John 5:25.
Luke 23:56-24:53. 1 Peter 3:18-20.
John 20:1-21:25. 1 Peter 4:6.
Philip 2:9-11. Alma 40:6-14.
1. What was the nature of Christ's resurrection?
2. What evidence can you adduce to prove that Jesus was actually resurrected?
3. How can you prove that the resurrected body of Jesus was a tangible body of flesh and bones?
4. Where was the Spirit of Jesus while His body lay in the tomb?
5. What kind of place is paradise?
6. What Gospel privileges are extended to the dead?
7. What does the resurrection of Jesus mean to us?
THE GOOD SHEPHERD, Plockhorst
THE GOOD SHEPHERD, Plockhorst
OTHER SHEEP
The first commission to the twelve.
When Jesus called the twelve apostles and sent them out to preach His word, He gave them these instructions, "Go not in the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand." Evidently, then, the apostles were not to trouble to deliver the glad message of the Gospel to any who were not purely of the house of Israel. They were to "heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils;" but none of these good works were they to do amongst the Gentiles, nor in the land of the Samaritans. It seemed almost that Jesus did not want those not of Israel to enjoy the privileges and blessings of His great redemption.
The leaven of the Gospel.
But such an intention was only apparent; it was not real. All men, of whatever race or color, are the children of God; and the great atoning sacrifice was made for the Gentiles as well as for the Jews. Said Jesus once in a parable, "The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened." The whole world is to be leavened with the Gospel of Jesus Christ; indeed, the Savior's last charge to His apostles was that they should go into all the world, and preach the word of God. Only when the Gospel has been heard by every nation, tongue, and people, will the end come.
The kingdom to the Gentiles.
The apostles were slow, however, to understand this truth, though Jesus taught it to them plainly. It was right, of course, that they should minister first to the children of Israel. Israel constituted the chosen people. From them, and through them, had come to the world the knowledge of the one great God—the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob. From them, too, had come now the Messiah, by whom was to be wrought the salvation of the world. What the apostles did not appreciate, however, was that the Jews would prove themselves unworthy of their Savior. Yet, Jesus taught this, too; and in teaching this truth, He declared further that the Gospel would be given to others. To the woman of Samaria, Jesus declared, "Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him." No longer, after the ministry of Jesus, should Jerusalem be the center of divine worship. The world over, men should learn to worship God in spirit and in truth. Not only so; but Jesus asserted also that because of the unbelief of the Jews, the privileges of His Church should be taken away from them and given to others. "Did ye never read in the scriptures," Jesus asked of the Jews, "The stone which the builders rejected, the same has become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof." And, indeed, such a transfer of privilege and responsibility was almost necessary to fulfill the ancient prophecy, "Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon Him, and He shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. . . . And in His name shall the Gentiles trust."
The case of Cornelius.
When the apostles were left to themselves, however, they continued still to minister only to the Jews. It required a special revelation from heaven, to arouse them to the fact that the Gospel was for the Gentiles also. There lived in Caesarea a Roman centurion named Cornelius. Cornelius was a devout and God-fearing man, though a Gentile, and prayed much that he might learn what to do to gain eternal life. One day an angel appeared to him, and instructed him to send messengers to Joppa for one Simon, surnamed Peter, who should tell Cornelius what to do. Cornelius sent two of his men immediately to seek out Peter. Meanwhile, Peter, at Joppa, "went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: and he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, and saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him. Rise, Peter, kill and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I havenever eaten anything that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common." This vision appeared to Peter three times; and while he was pondering on the meaning of it the messengers of Cornelius arrived. Peter hurried to Caesarea to minister to Cornelius; and when he saw that God had blessed Cornelius, Peter understood the meaning of the vision. "Of a truth," said he, "I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him."
The preaching of Barnabas and Paul.
Thenceforth, the apostles preached to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews. Paul and Barnabas told the truth fearlessly to the Jews themselves. "It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldst be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life were saved."
"Other sheep."
Thus was the word of God carried to the Gentiles. But Jesus did not Himself minister to them during his earth-life. While yet ministering to those who followed Him in the Holy Land, however, Jesus uttered a strange declaration. He said, "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knowethme, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."
A puzzling question.
From the time that Jesus made this statement until the restoration of the Gospel in the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times, it has never been fully understood by men. That Jesus is the Good Shepherd is clear enough. He has earned the undisputed right to that title by the devoted sacrifice He made for His sheep. But what did He mean by "other sheep" not of the fold of Palestine, who must also hear His voice, that there might be one fold, as there was one shepherd? Where else did Jesus personally minister besides the Holy Land and Paradise? These questions have puzzled many; and because of failure to find any other adequate answer, the "other sheep" have been usually interpreted to mean, the Gentiles. But how the Gospel came to the Gentiles has been pointed out. They could not have been the "other sheep," who were to hear the voice of Jesus. Who, then, were the "other sheep."
Forty days.
You will remember that after His resurrection Jesus appeared at ten different times to His disciples in Palestine. It seems, however, that between the resurrection and the ascension there elapsed a period of about forty days. What did Jesus do during those forty days? Of course, we cannot hope to be able ever to account for all those days, nor would it help us much perhaps to do so.But it was during that interesting but shrouded period of forty days that Jesus visited the other sheep.
In the land of the Nephites.
Far over the waters, in another and then unknown land, lived the Nephites. They had been taught to look forward to the coming of the Lord. When He was born a babe in Bethlehem, the star of promise shone brilliantly in the land of the Nephites. For three days there was light, and no darkness at all. Again, after thirty-three years, the land of the Nephites became shrouded in darkness when the Lord was crucified. The earth was shaken and torn asunder. Cities were sunk into the sea, and places that had been sea were made dry land. Mountains were levelled and valleys were upheaved. And countless numbers of the wicked were destroyed. When the terrible convulsions and the darkness had passed, there was a multitude of the people of Nephi assembled near the temple in the land Bountiful. Suddenly, a voice spoke to them out of heaven. It was the voice of God declaring, "Behold my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name: hear ye Him." The people cast their eyes upward; and lo! they saw a man clothed in a white robe descending out of heaven.
The appearance of Jesus to the Nephites.
It was Jesus. He came and stood in the midst of His people, the Nephites; and He showed them the prints in His hands and in His feet, and the wound in His side. Then He proceeded to teach them as He had taught His disciples in Palestine, and to choose twelve apostles, and to organize His church, so that the people might enjoy the privileges of the priesthood and of aholy worship. Jesus appeared to these people more than once; and on one occasion, He said, "Ye are my disciples; and ye are a light unto this people, who are a remnant of the house of Joseph. And behold, this is the land of your inheritance; and the Father hath given it unto you. And not at any time hath the Father given me commandment that I should tell it unto your brethren at Jerusalem; Neither at any time hath the Father given me commandment, that I should tell unto them concerning the other tribes of the house of Israel, whom the Father hath led away out of the land. This much did the Father command me, that I should tell unto them. That other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. And now because of stiffneckedness and unbelief, they understood not my word: therefore I was commanded to say no more of the Father concerning this thing unto them. But, verily, I say unto you, that the Father hath commanded me, and I tell it unto you, that ye were separated from among them because of their iniquity; therefore it is because of their iniquity, that they know not of you. And verily, I say unto you again, that the other tribes hath the Father separated from them; and it is because of their iniquity, that they know not of them. And verily, I say unto you, that ye are they of whom I said, other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."
In the unselfish ministry of Jesus Christ there is no one forgotten. All the children of Israel are ministeredto; the dead hear the voice of Jesus; and the Gentiles have the Gospel preached to them. The Jewish Scriptures are united with the Nephite Scriptures in the personal ministry of Jesus to His "other sheep."
A promise to us.
"I am in your midst," said Jesus to the Prophet Joseph Smith, "and I am the good Shepherd, and the Stone of Israel. He that buildeth upon this rock shall never fall, and the day cometh that you shall hear my voice and see me, and know that I am, watch, therefore, that ye may be ready."
Matt. 10:5-7. Acts 10:1-48.
Matt. 13:23. Acts 13:44-49.
John 4:21-23. John 10:14-16.
Matt. 21:41-44. 3 Nephi 15:12-21.
Matt. 12:14-21. Doc. and Cov. 50:44-46.
1. What was the nature of the first commission to the twelve apostles?
2. What is the meaning of the parable of the leaven?
3. What did Jesus teach concerning the kingdom of God and the Gentiles?
4. What do we learn from the case of Cornelius?
5. What did Jesus say about "other sheep"?
6. What did the Nephites know about the coming of Jesus?
8. What promise has Jesus made to us?
7. What did Jesus tell the Nephites?
COME UNTO ME ALL YE THAT LABOR, Bloch
COME UNTO ME ALL YE THAT LABOR, Bloch
OUR ADVOCATE WITH THE FATHER
The house-holder and the husbandmen.
A parable Jesus related to the chief priests and elders of the Jews while He was yet with them in the flesh: "There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. But, last of all, he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? They say unto him. He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons."
God the great householder, Jesus the Son.
Just so is it with the kingdom of God; for just as the wicked husbandmen did with the servants and with the son of householder, so did the stiff-necked children of Israel with the prophets, and with the Son of God.Therefore was the kingdom taken from them, as we have already learned, and given to the Gentiles. And therefore will the Great Householder miserably destroy the wicked who persecute His servants, kill His prophets, and reject His Only Begotten Son. But the righteous will He bless, and all those who serve Him; and even though we should fall into error, yet need we not despair. For if we repent, God will forgive our sins, so only we do not as did the wicked husbandmen of the vineyard. "My little children," wrote the Beloved John in a letter to the saints, "these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
The exaltation of Jesus.
It is, indeed, a joyful thought that, even though Jesus was slain by the husbandmen. He was not and Mark assures us that when He ascended into heaven, Jesus assumed the place of honor at the right hand of the Father. "So then after the Lord had spoken unto them. He was received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God." There Stephen was privileged to see Him in vision some time later. Stephen is described as a man full of faith and power, who did great wonders and miracles among the people. Stephen preached fearlessly to the Jews the fact that Christ had risen. The Jews became enraged, and stoned him; but before his death, Stephen, "being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God,and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God." To Jesus had come the deserved glory for which He had wrought. In His exaltation was fulfilled literally the sayings He had taught to His disciples, "Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." "Whosoever would be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many."
Our advocate with the Father.
Now, it is perfectly plain that the great mission of Jesus was not entirely finished during His sojourn upon the earth. That for which He came was accomplished, it is true. But just as we needed a Savior—one who would unselfishly lay down His own sinless life for the sins of others—so we need even now, when that sacrifice has been made, a mediator, an advocate, to intercede for us with the Father. For we are all sinful at the best; weaknesses of various kinds beset us, and if we were to be rewarded strictly according to our merits, many of us would get but little in the way of blessing. Jesus continues then to be our Redeemer, pleading our cause before the Father. "Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them." So did Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, express to the Hebrews his faith in the mediating power of Jesus; and to the Romans he wrote, "Who is He that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that isrisen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." Jesus continues, then, His great redeeming labor, bringing salvation and exaltation to those who accept Him and diligently seek Him.
Many mansions in the Father's house.
And He prepares a place also for His own, that they may be appropriately received when they shall go to their eternal reward. One day when Jesus was talking to the apostles about His coming sacrifice, and the apostles were sorrowful because they thought that He intended to go away, He said to them, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you; I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself: that where I am, there ye may be also." Even as He promised His disciples that He would prepare a place for them, so is there a place prepared for each one of us. For in many respects the future life will be ordered like the present. In this life we are generally able to achieve such advancement as we work for. If we honestly and conscientiously make the most of the opportunities that lie about us; if we strive to make the most of what we have, never hiding the God-given talent in the earth—we are bound to progress and to succeed. But there are in the world many degrees of diligence, and therefore many degrees of success. So will it be in the kingdom of God. There, there are many mansions; and such a one will be prepared for us as will satisfy fully the degree of diligence withwhich we have served. The risen Christ is not only our advocate with the Father, but also our judge.
Lord of lords and Kings of kings.
To this judge all power is given. So declared Jesus Himself when He appeared after His resurrection to the apostles and the five hundred brethren who had assembled on a mountain in Galilee. "Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." Moreover, Jesus, to whom all power is given, is the sole mediator between man and God. Said Paul to Timothy, his own son in faith, "There is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Jesus; who gave Himself a ransom for all." And in this exalted position as Lord of lords, and King of kings, Jesus shall reign forever. "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever."
Jesus to come again.
You see, then, what a wonderful hope is prepared for those who serve Jesus. This earth is to come to an end. It is to be purified and sanctified; then there will appear a new earth as an abode for the blessed. But before that time shall come Jesus, Himself, is to come again to minister to His people upon the earth. When the apostles stood gazing up into heaven, whither Jesus had ascended, there appeared before them suddenly two men in white apparel. These men said, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven." This truth Jesus Himself declared inthe trial before the high priest. When the perjured witnesses testified against Him, Jesus made no reply. Then, "the high priest asked Him, and said unto Him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." When this wonderful occurrence shall take place, no one knows; it has never been revealed, but is known to the Father alone. But it appears that it is to take place at a time when the earth is troubled, and the end is not far off. "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." If we are to be worthy of the ministry of Jesus when He shall come again, we must learn to know Him, and to live according to His teachings; for He has declared that He will be ashamed at His coming of those who are ashamed of Him. "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He cometh in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."
The nearness of Jesus.
Even in His coming He will be our advocate and our judge. How close then Jesus stands to us. He came into the world to enlighten the world, that they might learn to know God and Jesus Christwhom God sent; He laid down His life as a voluntary sacrifice to redeem the world from the original sin; now He sits at the right hand of God the Father and intercedes for those who believe in Him; and ere long He shall come again in clouds of glory, again to minister to men, that they may have the better chance to gain eternal life. The love and anxious sympathy of Jesus know no bounds.
"Listen to Him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before Him, saying, Father, behold the sufferings and death of Him who did no sin, in whom Thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of the Son which was shed—the blood of Him whom Thou gavest that Thyself might be glorified; wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe in my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life."
Matt. 21:33-41. 1 Tim. 2:5, 6.
1 John 2:1.2. Rev. 11:15.
Mark 16:19. John 14:1-3.
Acts 7:56. Acts 1:11.
Heb. 7:25. Mark 14:62.
Rev. 8:34. Matt. 24:29,30.
Mark 28:18. Mark 8:38.
Doc. and Cov. 45:3-5.
1. Interpret the parable of the householder and the wicked husbandmen.
2. What is the position of Jesus in heaven?
3. In what sense is Jesus our advocate with the Father?
4. What did Jesus mean by many mansions in His Father's house?
5. What power is given to Jesus?
6. How do we know that Jesus is to come again?
7. What is to happen when Jesus comes again?
8. In what way may we sense the nearness of Jesus?
THE ASCENSION, Biermann
THE ASCENSION, Biermann
THE LIVING CHRIST
Jesus the living Christ.
From what we have learned in the preceding lesson, it is plain that Jesus, the son of Mary of Nazareth, is in truth the Living Christ. Jesus was from before the beginning of this world, and will continue in power and glory throughout the endless eternities. In the great council in heaven, He volunteered to become the Christ and to save the children of God without force. He fulfilled His noble but agony-filled mission without faltering. He gave up His life with a prayer on His lips for those who brutally persecuted Him and killed Him. He was approved of the Father, and exalted to sit on the right hand of the throne of power. He is worshipped by untold millions, to whom He has brought consolation, hope, and love. And it is not only on the so-called common people of the earth that Jesus has made so wonderful an impression that He is worshipped as the very Son of God, but also over the greatest intellects in the world has He wielded so powerful an influence that they bow in admiring adoration. Poets, artists, philosophers, scientists, and statesmen alike acknowledge Jesus, the Living Christ and Advocate with the Father.
The testimony of Napoleon.
As we learned at the beginning of this book, Napoleon avowed his admiration of Jesus, while living an exile on the island of St. Helena. Napoleon's further testimony is interesting. "Superficial minds see a resemblance," saidNapoleon, "between Christ and the founders of empires and the gods of other religions. That resemblance does not exist. There is between Christianity and other religions the distance of infinity. Everything in Christ astonishes me. Here I see nothing human. The nearer I approach everything is above me. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne and myself founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ alone founded His empire upon love, and at this hour millions of men would die for Him. Christ proved that He was the Son of the Eternal."
The conviction of an English philosopher.
Other great men, too, have been as profoundly impressed by the divinity of Jesus as was Napoleon. The great English philosopher, John Locke, expressed his convictions in these words: "Before our Savior's time, the doctrine of a future state, though it were not wholly hid, yet it was not clearly known in the world? He brought life and immortality to light. And that not only in the clear revelation of it and in instances shown of men raised from the dead; but He has given an unquestionable assurance and pledge of it, in His own resurrection and ascension into heaven. How has this one truth changed the nature of things? The philosophers, indeed show the beauty of nature, but leaving her unendowed, very few are willing to espouse her. It has another relish and efficiency to persuade men that if they live well here, they shall be happy hereafter. Upon this foundation, and upon this only, morality stands firm; and this is the gospel Jesus Christ has delivered to us."
Declarations of Emerson and Webster.
Two notable Americans may be here cited also to show the influence of the work of Jesus upon men of great intellect. Ralph Waldo Emerson, philosopher and poet, wrote, "Jesus is the most perfect of all men that have yet appeared. The unique impressions of Jesus upon mankind are not so much written as ploughed into the history of this world. He saw with open eye the mystery of the soul. Alone in all history, He estimated the greatness of man." And Daniel Webster declared in his argument in the Girard Will Case, "I believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God. The miracles which He wrought establish in my mind His personal authority and render it proper for me to believe what He asserts."
Additional testimony.
Testimonies of this kind might be added upon without limit. Of course, there may be found also many men who reject the testimony of Jesus. But the interesting fact about the influence of Jesus is that the farther we become removed from the time of His earth-ministry, the more strongly is His influence felt, and the closer does the world really come to Him. In spite of the war that Satan has waged in the world against Him, Jesus is dearer to men today than He has ever been before. Even the great world war now raging is turning the hearts of men to Jesus; and many more men of learning and leadership are expressing their faith in the teachings of Jesus the Christ. It is to be hoped that all men will soon come to the conviction of the great German philosopher, Kant: "In the life and the divine doctrine of Christ, example and precept conspire to call men to the regular discharge of every moral duty for its ownsake. Christ is the founder of the first true Church; that is, that Church which exhibits the moral kingdom of God upon earth."
Reasons for strong testimonies in the Church.
Now, if the men of the world can get such testimonies and can feel so strongly that Jesus is indeed the Son of God, surely the children of the Latter-day Saints ought easily to learn to know this sublime truth. Jesus came to earth, as He Himself declared, when He was twelve years old, to attend to His Father's business. That business, we learned, is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. And we have learned also that it is life eternal to know God and Jesus Christ whom He sent. Jesus devoted His life to expounding the principles of eternal life. He showed in His own person what kind of being God is. He explained His own relationship to God the Father. He revealed the nature and the office of the Holy Ghost. He taught the essential principles of the Gospel, which Paul called the power of God unto salvation. He emphasized the necessity of divine authority in order to act officially in the things of God. He explained by parable and by teaching the duties that man owes to God. He made perfectly clear, too, the duties that man owes to his fellowmen. He established by His wonderful life and work His own divinity as the Son of God. He overcame death, the barrier between God and man, by laying down His own life. He proved the actuality of the resurrection and the life after death by arising Himself from the tomb. He continues as the Living Christ, interceding with the Father for us. All this the children of the Latter-day Saints have had taught to them as clearly as it has beentaught to the children of the world. In addition, the children of the Latter-day Saints have membership in the true Church of Jesus Christ. The Holy Priesthood is here established. The Gospel in its fulness has been restored. The Church believes in continual revelation, and is favored with the living word of God. These are the marks of the Church of Christ. The inspiration of the Holy Ghost ought, therefore, to cause the testimony of Jesus to burn brightly in the bosom of every Latterday Saint. To us also Jesus has revealed the means of salvation, by His teaching, by His personal example and influence, by His death and resurrection. And to us He has delivered the keys of the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times.
Evidences of testimony in the Church.
The members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. They recognize the fact that the object of Christ's life-work was to reveal God, to teach men to know God as their Father, to persuade them to live lives of righteousness, and to redeem them from the sin of the garden of Eden. And as intellectual, men of the world have avowed their conviction that Jesus is the Christ, so also have the leaders of "Mormon" thought and life. Almost every meeting held in the Church is a meeting of declaration of faith in Jesus. The monthly testimony meetings, particularly, are filled with assurances of faith in Him. The Presidency of the Church, the twelve apostles, and all the members of the quorums of general authority, devote their lives as special witnesses of Jesus to the testifying to His divine Sonship. And of all the testimonies of Jesus as the true and living Christ,the ever present and ever active advocate with the Father, there is no other so strong and effective as that of the Prophet, Joseph Smith, and his associate Sidney Rigdon.
"The testimony last of all."
"We, Joseph Smith, Jr., and Sidney Rigdon, being in the Spirit on the sixteenth of February, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-two. By the power of the Spirit our eyes were opened and our understandings were enlightened, so as to see and understand the things of God—Even those things which were from the beginning before the world was, which were ordained of the Father, through His Only Begotten Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, even from the beginning, of whom we bear record, and the record which we bear is the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, who is the Son, whom we saw and with whom we conversed in the heavenly vision.
"For while we were doing the work of translation, which the Lord had appointed unto us, we came to the twenty-ninth verse of the fifth chapter of John, which was given unto us as follows. Speaking of the resurrection of the dead, concerning those who shall hear the voice of the Son of Man, and shall come forth; They who have done good in the resurrection of the just, and they who have done evil in the resurrection of the unjust. Now this caused us to marvel, for it was given unto us of the Spirit; and while we meditated upon these things, the Lord touched the eyes of our understandings and they were opened, and the glory of the Lord shone round about; and we beheld the glory of the Son, on the right hand of the Father, and received ofHis fullness; and saw the holy angels, and they who are sanctified before His throne, worshipping God, and the Lamb, who worship Him for ever and ever. And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of Him, this is the testimony last of all, which we give of Him, that He lives; for we saw Him, even on the right hand of God, and we heard the voice bearing record that He is the Only Begotten of the Father—That by Him and through Him, and of Him the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God."
To us, then, removed nearly two thousand years from the time of the birth of Jesus, comes with a new significance the chorus of the angels. "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord . . . . Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
Doc. and Cov. 76:11-24. Luke 2:10, 11, 14.
1. In what sense is Jesus the Living Christ?
2. To what does Napoleon testify?
3. Upon what is John Locke's conviction based?
4. What did Emerson and Webster say of Jesus?
5. What truth does Kant derive from the life of Jesus?
6. Why should the Latter-day Saints have exceptional testimonies of Jesus?
7. How can you show that the Latter-day Saints do have exceptionally strong testimonies of Jesus?
8. What is the powerful "Testimony last of all"?
9. What do the teachings of Jesus mean to us?
10. Explain what it means to know God and Jesus Christ.
ANGEL MORONI
ANGEL MORONI
A RELIGION WORTH WHILE
The feeding of the five thousand.
In a desert place in Galilee, Jesus performed one of the most impressive and awe inspiring miracles recorded in His whole career. A multitude of the five of approximately five thousand people had gathered to hear Him teach. All the day He had instructed them, and explained to them the law of the Gospel of salvation. Then the evening drew near. The people were tired and hungry; but there was no adequate supply of food available. The apostles would have had Jesus send the multitude away. But He asked how much bread was to be found amongst them. The apostles reported five loaves and two fishes. Jesus took the five loaves and the two fishes, "looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided He among them all. And they did eat and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes. And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men."
The meat that endures unto everlasting life.
This wonder-rousing miracle Jesus performed just before He left Galilee forever, and while His popularity was at its height. One can easily imagine how the people marvelled at what Jesus had done. And yet, a miracle of feeding, more wonderful even than this, has Jesus performed in turning the hearts of men toward Him. It is really not so very strange that this Man, who could change water into wine, and open the eyes of the blind, and cast out devils, and still thetempest, and raise the dead to life again, should be able also to multiply five loaves and two fishes so as to feed a multitude of men. He who is endowed with infinite power might easily be able thus to collect the elements and to increase the quantity of available food. This was a miracle of the physical world, calling into action some natural law with which we are not yet acquainted. But in His ministry and death and resurrection, Jesus has performed a spiritual miracle more wonderful even than this. Jesus Himself considered the spiritual conversion much more significant than the physical achievement. John records the fact that the people sought Jesus again after this great miracle; and when they found Him, He said to them, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you: for Him hath God the Father sealed. . . . I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." It may be said now that the whole world has heard of Jesus, and that most of it has learned to look to Him as its Savior. New life and spiritual light has Jesus given to the world. But while the world has learned to recognize Jesus, the teachers of the world have perverted His doctrine so much that the people hardly know which way to turn. They hunger still, and they thirst for the true teachings of Jesus; they are looking still for the true Church of Christ, with a religion worth while.
What Jesus taught.
The history of the growth and spread of Christianity in the world reads almost like fiction. Jesus Himself established His Church upon the earth. We have learned that He called and ordained twelve apostles, and others whom He called "seventy." He taught the fundamental principles of the Gospel—faith, repentance, baptism, the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, and the many duties that devolve upon faithful Church membership. Jesus revealed in His own person the personality of God the Father, and taught clearly the true relationship existing between the Father and His children. Jesus taught plainly, too, the duties that men owe both to the heavenly Father and to their fellowmen. In short, Jesus revealed and taught to His apostles, and to the peoples of the Holy Land, all the principles of the Gospel necessary for a life of righteousness upon the earth. And when He ascended to heaven, He left with the apostles the authority of the Holy Priesthood, an organized church, and the Gospel, the plan of salvation. The Church of the apostles possessed the three essential marks of the true Church of Christ.
The acts of the apostles.
After the departure of Jesus, the apostles began strenuous missionary labors. On the day of Pentecost the Holy Ghost came upon them, and through their testimony of Christ risen, many who heard them believed and were baptized. From that day forth, the apostles traveled and preached and baptized and confirmed. Many miracles, too, did these apostles perform, in literal fulfillment of the promise of Jesus that they should beable to do the works that He had done. And everywhere in their missionary travels, the apostles organized branches of the Church—or Churches as they were called. To carry on the work of the churches the apostles ordained high priests, seventies, elders, bishops, priests, teachers, deacons,—the regular officers of the priesthood—and left these officers in charge of the local ministry while they themselves continued their larger service. But it must not be imagined that the apostles met with no opposition. On the contrary, wherever they went, the apostles found enemies, and were maligned and persecuted. Often they were haled before magistrates and governors, and not infrequently they were imprisoned. But they persisted in preaching, and in bearing their profound testimonies. Finally most of the apostles were done to death by their enemies. Peter, it is said, was crucified at Rome. James was beheaded. John was banished to the isle of Patmos. Andrew was bound to a cross and thus slain. Philip was crucified. Bartholomew was flayed alive. Thomas was pierced by a lance, Matthew was killed with a battleax. James, the Less, was beaten to death. Thaddeus was shot to death with arrows. Simon was crucified. Mark was dragged to death in the streets of Alexandria. Paul was beheaded by order of Nero. Barnabas was stoned to death by the Jews. Thus the apostles and the chief leaders of the apostolic church were all tortured to death—save one—and sealed their testimonies with their life's blood. The various churches scattered here and there in the land were left with only their local leaders.
The great apostasy.
After the passing of the apostles, troubles arose among the local churches, and it was not long before a complete apostasy had taken place. Strangely enough, while the apostles organized all the local churches in full, they did not perpetuate the quorum of apostles. Dissension therefore arose among the churches themselves as to which one was the chief and leader of all. Then, after some years of unpopularity and persecution, the Christian church was suddenly raised to favor by an edict of Constantine the Great. To satisfy now the desires of the heathens, many pagan customs were taken into the Christian service. The doctrines of the church were corrupted; the ordinances and ceremonies were perverted; the church organization was distorted. In a relatively short time, the accepted Christian church of the world was no longer like the church that Jesus Himself had instituted. It lacked all three marks of the true church. It denied continual revelation. It had lost the authority of the priesthood. It preached a corrupted Gospel.
The restoration of the Gospel.
After many years of spiritual darkness and of strife, the Lord again revealed His will to man. A boy was chosen to become an inspired prophet, an authorized leader, and a divinely instructed teacher. To Joseph Smith appeared the risen Redeemer as He had appeared nearly two thousand years before to the apostles at Jerusalem. To Joseph Smith were revealed anew all the sublime teachings that Jesus had presented during His own ministry upon the earth. Upon Joseph Smith was conferred the Holy Priesthood, with all its keysand authorities, and through him was established anew the Church of Jesus Christ. It is founded upon the doctrine of revelation; it is fortified and directed by the complete organization of the priesthood of God; it is guided by what Jesus Himself taught—by the Gospel in its fulness, omitting not a single detail that Jesus made a part of the God-shaped plan. To us is given the religion worth while, the bread of life.
A religion that satisfies.
And the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ—commonly called Mormonism—is destined to conquer the world, for it meets and satisfies all the needs of human kind. In the first place, Mormonism is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the perfect presentation of what Jesus taught. We have learned in the preceding lessons many of the truths that He gave to His followers. The world has considered these truths, too, but has not comprehended them. This truth, however, nearly the whole world has learned to accept: Jesus is the Christ, the bread of life. His teachings are true. Any religion that would aspire to conquer the world must, then, be based at least upon what Jesus taught. But Mormonism is that very truth itself, restored with power and authority, and favored with the living presence of "the bread of God . . . . which . . . . giveth life unto the world."
A comprehensive religion.
Then, Mormonism is comprehensive; it accepts and includes all truth, no matter whence the knowledge of that truth may come. It renews the teachings of Jesus concerning right living and right thinking. Itemphasizes the necessity of acquiring a full knowledge of truth—the necessity of reading and studying, and of gaining intellectual power. It outlines what Jesus taught of man's duties in life—his duties toward God: his duties toward his fellowmen; his duties to himself. It prescribes anew man's obligations and responsibilities in the family, in the state, and in the Church. In short, Mormonism meets every need in physical life, in mental life, in economic life, in social life, in spiritual life. You have heard people speak of a one-day religion—of a religion remembered on Sunday and forgotten on the other six days of the week. Mormonism is not such a religion, for the doctrine of Jesus is not such a doctrine. Mormonism—or what Jesus taught—is a practical religion that enters into the work of every day—into every calling and profession no matter how humble or exalted that calling or profession may be. It teaches that every day should be a Christ-like day. It teaches that we should partake freely every day of the bread and water of life everlasting, and take less thought of the loaves and fishes that fill but satisfy not. Mormonism is both a system of religion and a system of ethics; for so are the teachings of Jesus. The whole man must be saved. Mormonism—or what Jesus taught—holds forth such ideals and such standards of life—physical and spiritual—that the noble, unselfish aim of Jesus may be accomplished. Only a religion thus enwarped and enwoofed in what Jesus Himself has taught, can hope to conquer the world.
A Church of authority.
It is the duty of everyone to learn to know God, and His Son, Jesus Christ. To teach men to knowGod was in part the mission of Jesus to this earth. But such knowledge will not come through the mere satisfying of the bodily appetites. That religion is not worth while which feeds only loaves and fishes. The hunger which must be satisfied is the hunger of the spirit. That religion only is worth while which guides and directs in temporal life, and affords complete satisfaction and contentment in the intellectual and spiritual life. Mormonism does this; for it is what Jesus taught. In no other church than the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may one find today the uncorrupted teachings of Jesus and the authority of His priesthood. Mormonism is distinctly, then, the religion worth while.
The bread of life.
The stone which the builders rejected has become the Christ, the Savior of the world. He is the Keystone, of our salvation. He is our Master, our Teacher, our Friend. He has restored His Gospel to us with all its blessings and privileges. Him will we follow, and His commandments will we keep; for it was He Himself who said, "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."
Mark 6:30-44. John 6:22-35.
1. What is the bread that endures unto everlasting life?
2. What did Jesus leave with the apostles?
3. How did the apostles carry on the work of Jesus?
4. What happened to the Church after the apostles had passed away?
5. How was the Gospel of Jesus Christ restored to the earth?
6. Why will Mormonism ultimately conquer the world?
7. In what sense is Mormonism a comprehensive religion?
8. Show that Mormonism is what Jesus taught.
Abel, occupation,197; offering accepted,198; slain by Cain,199.
Abou Ben Adhem,221.
Abram, Abraham,21; strove to find God,21; seized by idolatrous priests,21; God delivered and spoke to him,21; learns to know God; father of Isaac and grandfather of Jacob who served God; from them sprang the Children of Israel,22; wavered not,101.
Adam was like us,23; taught by an angel,24.
Aesop, fable of,227.
Alms should be given in secret,85.
Anger, fruits of,199-200.
Apostasy,323.
Apostles sent to preach,291; slow to understand that the Gospel was for all mankind,292; their acts,321; their deaths,322;
Architect, figure of, illustrating Church of Christ,153-4;161; plans and specifications of,161; necessary,162.
Articles of Faith,129.
Ascension,283.
Atonement of Jesus not understood by His disciples,271; necessary,272; theories regarding,274; true theory,275; Nephite explanation of,276.
Authority, divine, test of true Church,153; Jesus bowed to His Father's; must be conferred, cannot be assumed,155.
Baldwin, Matthias, an illustration of faith,113-5; a liberal man,175.
Baptism of Jesus,41; essential; taught by Jesus to Nicodemus; a rebirth,130; necessity for it; case of Naaman; proof of obedience and humility,131-2; illustrated by chemical experiment,132; Jesus taught baptism and its proper mode; immersion,133; purpose of; should follow repentance; baptism of infants wrong,134; summary of Jesus's teachings regarding,135; baptism of the Spirit,137.
Beatitudes; high ideal of life,192; great beatitude,193.Beelzebub, Jesus's miracles attributed to,263.
Book of heaven,163.
Bread of Life,326.
Brother of Jared cut sixteen small stones; asked God to touch them and make them shine; saw the finger of the Lord; struck with fear,45; the Lord commends him for his faith; sees the Lord who was in the form of a man; saw the body of God's spirit,48.
Cain, story of,197; offering not accepted; angry,198; controlled by Satan, slew Abel,199.
Centurion's servant healed,256-7.
Church organization necessary,145-6; shown by parable of wheat and tares,146-7; meaning of the parable,147; Church and Kingdom of God,148; Church to be built on rock of revelation,148-9; Church officers,149; Jesus architect of His Church,154; one test of true Church is principle of revelation,154; another is divine authority,156; two priesthoods,156; architect's plans and specifications,161; a third test is presence and practice of the Gospel,161; the three marks,163; membership in the Church a supreme privilege,167; conditions of membership,168; what it teaches,233; established anew through the Prophet Joseph Smith,323-4; Church of authority,326.
Comforter promised,39; is the Spirit of truth,39,42; is the Holy Ghost, a member of the Godhead,42; came to disciples on day of Pentecost,43.
Commandment, great,191.
Communities must exist,228; must be organized,228-9.
Cornelius, case of,293.
Darkness covers the earth,160.
Dead, gospel preached to,285.
Defile, things that,194.
Devil, power of evil; who is he? Lucifer the Lightbringer; volunteered to be a Savior,57; his plan rejected; he rebelled and became Satan, the father of lies; a murderer from the beginning,58; tempts Jesus,61-2; entered into Judas Iscariot,63; necessary that the devil should tempt men,65.
Dickens, comment on parable of the prodigal son,78.
Disciples learned about God,31; overwhelmed when Jesus was crucified,38; received Holy Ghost on day of Pentecost,43; knew they were sons of God,72; why they could not cast out a devil,108; regarded Jesus as earthly King; could not understand atonement,271; told by Him of his coming death,271-2.
Divorce, Jesus's teachings on,230.
Duty to the state,231; the Church,232.