The Events of Holy Week

Near the end of his mortal ministry, Jesus Christ went to Bethany, a suburb of Jerusalem, with his disciples. There he publicly raised his close friend, Lazarus, from the dead. 

Christ had performed many miracles during his ministry and raised at least two others from the dead, but this time was different. Most of his ministry had been private and focused on the individual. The others he had raised from the dead had died recently enough that word had not yet spread or Christ could claim they had just been sleeping. This time, Christ demonstrated his divine power in a public setting after Lazarus had been buried for several days. It was an undeniable witness that Christ had divine power, as He professed, and a fitting capstone to a ministry dedicated to inspiring faith in the Son of God and His ability, as the Messiah, to save us from sin and death.

Many of those who witnessed the raising of Lazarus believed in Christ, but some of them went to the Pharisees to report what they had seen. "Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation... Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death" (John 11:47-48, 53). The Pharisees would also try to kill Lazarus, who was walking evidence of Christ's miracle (John 12:9-11).

With the table set for his crucifixion, Christ went to the wilderness in Ephraim for a time. The Savior often retreated to the wilderness for spiritual preparation and revelation, and, though the scriptures do not specifically say it, we can expect that was again his purpose here. He knew that His time had come and so He turned to God in the face of trial for strength to do God's will.

We don't know how long Christ was in the wilderness. Some scholars speculate that it was about two weeks; others say more or less. What we do know is that his return to Jerusalem would start the events we now know as Holy Week.

Palm Sunday

When there was a temple in Jerusalem, faithful Jews would travel to the Holy City for Passover. This pilgrimage represented the Exodus from Egypt, or "the world" at lower elevations, up into the presence of God at the temple in Jerusalem. It also allowed Jews to participate in sacred rituals, including the sacrifice of the paschal lamb that would bring divine forgiveness and purification. It was on such a trip decades earlier that the twelve-year-old Christ was found teaching the priests in the temple.

After his time preparing in the wilderness, Christ began his journey to Jerusalem. He traveled on Sunday, the first day of the week after the traditional sabbath on Saturday. Before entering the city, Christ went around it and two miles beyond to visit Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha, in Bethany. As Martha served supper, and despite a protest from Judas Iscariot, Mary lovingly anointed Christ's feet with a costly ointment and wiped his feet with her hair (John 12:2-8). This, Christ explained, was something she had saved for the time of his burial.

After supper, Christ traveled the two miles back to Jerusalem. Near the Mount of Olives, just outside of the city, Christ turned to two of his disciples and told them to go to a nearby village and retrieve a young donkey, which they did with the owner's permission (Mark 11:1-6, Luke 19:28-34). Matthew, whose primary purpose in writing was to prove to the Jewish people that Christ fulfilled the prophecies of the Torah, zealously records that Christ rode both a donkey and a colt into the city, as prophesied by Zechariah (Matthew 21:1-5, Zechariah 9:9). Most likely, Zechariah was just being poetic and the donkey and the colt are the same animal.

The crowds of pilgrims at Jerusalem had heard about Lazarus being raised from the dead. Word spread quickly that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem and "all of the city was moved" to greet him. They spread their cloaks in the road as they would for a great king and took branches of palm leaves, symbolic for victory, triumph, peace, and eternal life. This must be the Messiah! This must be the man who would deliver them from Rome! As Christ passed, the multitude cried, "Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest." (Matthew 21:6-11, Mark 11:7-11, Luke 19:35-38, John 12:12-18).

Some of the Pharisees in the multitude were less pleased and asked Christ to rebuke the people. They were plotting to kill him, after all, and that would be more difficult if "the world is gone after him" (John 12:19). Christ testified, "I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out" (Luke 19:40). He was the promised Messiah; and even if the people were silenced, the earth itself would testify of its creator.

Yet, as he beheld the city, Christ wept for all the people did not see. The city would be destroyed, he prophesied, "because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation" (Luke 19:44). Their god had been among them, but they had been too skeptical, too preoccupied, or too proud to accept of all he could have shared with them.

Holy Monday

Christ was lodging in Bethany with Lazarus and his sisters, walking the two miles to and from Jerusalem each day. As he set out with his disciples on Monday, Jesus was hungry, "and seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon" (Mark 11:13). It was not yet the season for figs, but fig trees bear fruit before their leaves so the leaves on the tree were a sort of announcement that the tree was laden with fruit. It turned out to be a deception; there was no fruit on the tree.

"The symbol was perfect-- a tree professing fruits and having none standing in the very shadows of the temple where a corrupt priesthood professed righteousness and devotion to Israel's God as they plotted the death of his Son" (Joseph F. McConkie, Studies in Scripture, Vol. 5: The Gospels, ed. by Kent P. Jackson and Robert L. Millet, 376). Christ cursed the tree, which immediately withered, as a symbol or foreshadowing of the "heaviest of all cursings" he has promised for those, like the chief priests and Pharisess, who profess his authority and yet reject him (D&C 41:1).

Continuing on to the temple, Christ destroyed the marketplace he found inside and cast out those who were doing business there, "saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves" (Luke 19:46). With the temple cleansed, he began to teach and healed the blind and the lame who came unto him. "And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased"  (Matthew 21:15). As the Pharisees had done the previous day, these rulers looked to Christ to refute the people. Instead, Christ reminded them that King David had prophesied these events in the ministry of the Messiah (Matthew 21:16, Psalm 8:2). Hearing this, "the chief priests and the scribes... sought to destroy him, And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him" (Luke 19:47-48).

Holy Tuesday

On the walk into Jerusalem the following day, the disciples saw the withered fig tree and marveled. "Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive" (Matthew 21:21-22).

Returning to the temple to continue his teaching, Christ was confronted at the entrance by the chief priests, scribes, and elders who wanted to know by what authority he performed such marvelous acts. They had confronted him with the same question before, citing the "tradition of the elders" as the authority Christ and his disciples needed to follow (Mark 7:3; Matthew 15:2). During that earlier confrontation, Christ had refuted their tradition by showing how it contradicted the commandments and noting that "if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch" (Matthew 15:3-14).

This time, Jesus turned the entrapment back on the leaders by asking whether the baptism of John was ordained of heaven or men. The leaders saw themselves as the ultimate authority-- the keepers and enforcers of the tradition of the elders. They disapproved of John, but their positions were also political in nature and they feared the majority who believed John was a prophet. "And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things" (Mark 11:33).

Christ then taught the leaders three parables. In the first, a man had two sons: one who refused to work at first but eventually did, and another who said he would work but never did. In the second, the owner of a vineyard hired men to work in his vineyard, but they killed his messengers and eventually even the son of the vineyard owner. In the third, a king invited people off the street to the wedding of his son because those who had been invited killed the servants who invited them and were subsequently destroyed by the armies of the king. The leaders knew all three parables condemned them and their behavior, but Christ also said as much explicitly: "Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you" (Matthew 21:31). The leaders' violent desires toward Christ were restrained only by their love of power and fear of the people in the crowded temple.

Christ continued to teach both the leaders and the people who had gathered around them. He answered all of the leaders' entrapments about tribute, marriage and resurrection, the greatest commandment, and how he could be the son of David if David worshipped him. He denounced hypocrisy and taught his disciples about the widow's mite.

Leaving the temple, Christ mourned over Jerusalem a second time. When Andrew and Phillip came to tell him that there were Greek Jews wanting to meet him, he taught and testified to them and all the people around them that he was sent by God to do His will. At the Mount of Olives, Christ taught his disciples about the destruction of Jerusalem, signs of the second coming, and the parables of the ten virgins, the talents, and the sheep and the goats.

Holy Wednesday

The scriptures don't specifically say what Christ did on the second day before Passover. Perhaps he continued to teach in the temple or around Jerusalem. Perhaps he retreated into the wilderness for rest and further preparation for the days ahead. He continued to lodge in Bethany, which protected him from the schemes of the Jewish leaders. Some Christians call this day "Silent Wednesday," suggesting a time for quiet contemplation and reflection.

Maundy Thursday

Joseph ben Caiaphas was the high priest in Israel, appointed by Rome, and among Jerusalem's elite aristocracy. With Roman support, he had held his position for more than fifteen years. In the aftermath of Lazarus being raised from the dead, the leaders of Israel had gathered at his palace and he had prophesied "not of himself... that Jesus should die for that nation; And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad" (John 11:51-52). Now the same leaders were gathered in his palace again, having been unsuccessful in all of their entrapments, to conceive a new plot to kill Christ. They knew it would cause an uproar if they acted on the day of the Passover feast-- they needed to be more subtle-- but they didn't have a plan until the appearance of an unlikely ally.

"Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver" (Matthew 26:14-15). Christ had recently prophesied that he would be betrayed and crucified (Matthew 26:1-2) and Zechariah had prophesied the sale for thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12-13). Although it amounts to less than five hundred dollars in modern currency, it was the standard price for a slave in ancient Israel. It was also the amount named in a popular idiom, carried over from Sumerian culture, that something of trivial value was "a mere thirty shekels." Judas had trivialized Christ, an action he would deeply regret later, and agreed to help the leaders of Israel find a private opportunity to arrest the Savior.

Meanwhile, this was also the first day of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread and the disciples asked where they might prepare to eat the Passover. Christ told the disciples where they could find a room and there they made the necessary preparations.

As the Last Supper began, Christ identified Judas as his betrayer, warned him of the consequences of that betrayal, then conceded to the choice Judas had already made. "That thou doest," he said, "do quickly" (John 13:27).

The word "maundy" in "Maundy Thursday" refers to a mandate or a command. As the apostles ate with Christ for the last time, he commanded them to love one another, taught them about servant leadership, and encouraged them to follow his example. He instituted the sacrament and taught them about the Holy Ghost.

After supper, Christ began to wash the disciples' feet. This was a beautiful act of service, but it was also necessary to continue teaching the apostles all that Christ had to share with them. Cleansing rituals were common in Israel and a more thorough ritual was done when entering the temple; but if a person left the temple and returned the same day, they washed only their feet upon reentry. As the apostles sat in an upper room chosen by Christ, having been in the temple earlier that day, Christ reintroduced them into a temple environment. When Peter did not understand and objected, Christ taught, "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me" (John 13:8). Peter then consented and we are left to understand that Christ taught his apostles about temple ordinances under the Melchizedek Priesthood.

The temple experience ended with a hymn and Christ and his disciples left for the Mount of Olives. Christ warned the disciples that they would be offended because of him that night, that Peter would deny him three times, and that they would be hated by the world. He again taught them to love one another, to turn to him as the true vine, and that he would send the Comforter. He taught them again about his Atonement and he prayed for them. Then he asked his First Presidency-- Peter, James, and John-- to continue with him a little farther while the rest of his disciples stayed where they were.

It must have been late into the evening when Christ, Peter, James, and John entered the Garden of Gethsemane. A traditional supper would have started around 6:00 p.m. and they had since received a great deal of instruction, including their temple experience. It was well after sundown and so, by the Jewish reckoning of time, it was already Friday.

Feeling sorrow "unto death," Christ asked Peter, James, and John to pray and watch. "And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt" (Mark 14:34-36). "And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground" (Luke 22:43-44).

Twice the Savior returned to Peter, James, and John, and woke them from their sleep and asked them again to watch and pray. When he returned the third time, he told them to rise.

He had scarcely done so when Judas arrived with a body of temple guards and a band of Roman soldiers. This opportunity was unique: normally, Christ was surrounded by people or staying the night in Bethany, but now he had only his apostles in the dark seclusion of Gethsemane.

Judas greeted Christ, saying, "Hail, master," and kissing his face. It was a common greeting, but Christ knew it meant something more to the ecclesiastical and military forces that Judas had brought. "Friend, wherefore art thou come?" he asked. Then the rebuke, "Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?" (Matthew 26:47-50, Luke 22:47-48).

Turning to the officers who were sent to arrest him, Christ asked, "Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he... As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground" (John 18:4-6). If we take the biblical description literally, there could have been 300 - 600 soldiers present, yet, as Elder James E. Talmage observed, "Christ's presence proved more potent than strong arms and weapons of violence."

Christ asked again and identified himself again, asking this time for his apostles to be allowed to leave. Peter attempted to defend Christ with the sword, but Jesus rebuked him and healed the ear of Malchus that had been damaged by Peter's rash stroke. Submitting to the officials there to arrest him, Christ called out his oppressors for their cowardice. He had been in the temple every day and could have been arrested there, yet they chose to do their evil deed in the dark. As Christ was led away, the apostles fled except for Peter, who followed at a distance.

Good Friday

The soldiers illegally took Christ first to the house of Annas, the father-in-law to Caiaphas who had been the high priest two decades earlier. Annas asked Christ about his disciples and doctrine. Jewish law required that a hearing on a capital charge could only be held in the official courtroom of the Sanhedrin, that charges must be announced from the outset, and that the accused should be protected from testifying against themselves. Annas was violating all three of these laws, so Christ responded with a legal defense and invited Annas to ask those he taught. As he said this, one of the soldiers slapped him across the face. "Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?" (John 18:19-24).

Annas sent Christ to Caiaphas, the high priest, who assembled in his palace an informal and illegal meeting of the Sanhedrin, the governing council of Jewish leaders. Like Annas, these self-proclaimed devotees and upholders of the law searched, outside of the legal process, for any possible excuse for a death sentence.

Caiaphas first attempted to use false witnesses to convict Christ, but witnesses were hard to find in the middle of the night and the stories of those who could be roused conflicted. Caiaphas next tried to get Christ to react to the witnesses he had heard, but Christ did not respond. Finally, Caiaphas asked directly, "Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am" (Mark 14:55-62). At this Caiaphas tore his clothes as a sign of his outrage and proclaimed Christ guilty of blasphemy. The council of leaders agreed, condemned Christ to death, and began to spit on him, humiliate him, and strike him repeatedly. The soldiers joined in, blindfolding Christ and asking him to prophesy who had struck his face (Luke 22:63-65).

When morning came, Christ was led to the official courtroom of the Sanhedrin and the facade of formal proceedings began. Informed by their illicit meeting held in the early morning hours, and continuing to ignore Jewish laws against self-incrimination, the council led off with the question they were sure would settle the matter. "Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe: And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go" (Luke 22:66-68). The council asked again, "Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am" (Luke 22:70). This was enough to pronounce a guilty verdict. Impossibly, Jehovah had blasphemed against Jehovah and was delivered to the Roman governor for questioning.

Pontius Pilate lived in Caesarea, on the coast, but he was in Jerusalem at that time because of the large numbers of people expected to be gathered there. The Roman judgement chamber was part of Pilate's house, so the Sanhedrin delivered Christ to the door but refused to go in lest they be defiled by the proximity of leaven and thereby become unworthy to partake of the paschal lamb later that day.

Pilate asked what the charges were against Christ. Caiaphas answered, in essence, "Trust us. He's a problem." Unsatisfied, Pilate told them to judge Christ themselves, but they reminded him that only the Romans could put a man to death (John 18:29-31). The Sanhedrin continued to fear that if they killed Christ by stoning, even with Roman approval, the people might revolt. "And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King. And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it" (Luke 23:2-3). Like "Ye say that I am," "Thou sayest it" is a a confirmation as clear in that time as a simple "yes" would be in ours.

After Pilate interviewed Christ, he returned to the Sanhedrin with a verdict. Christ was not guilty. "And they were more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place... And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at the time" (Luke 23:5, 7).

Herod, who had ordered the death of John the Baptist a few years earlier, was referred to as a king, though the Romans did not recognize him in that way. He was initially happy to see Christ because he had heard so many awe-inspiring things about him. Herod hoped that Christ would perform some great miracle for his amusement. Yet, as the interrogation began, Christ, out of mistrust or distain or simply a sound legal defense, did not answer. Instead of seeing something extraordinary, Herod is the only accuser who never heard the Savior's voice. Unable to pass a conviction, Herod and his soldiers mocked the Savior instead, dressing him in a gorgeous robe and sending him back to Pilate.

Pilate had already tried Christ and found him innocent of all wrongdoing. Neither Herod nor Annas had passed a conviction. Pilate recognized the jealous motives of Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin, which was hardly a reason for capital punishment. Pilate's wife had also warned him, as a result of a dream, that he should not harm Jesus.

All of this weighed on his mind as the Jewish leaders, and those they brought with them, gathered. Pilate offered a compromise: he would allow Jesus to be scourged, despite his innocence, but then he would be released. The multitude was not pacified and instead demanded that Christ be crucified. Unsure of how to proceed, and perhaps feeling overwhelmed, powerless, frustrated and vulnerable in the face of an irrational mob, Pilate conceded, washed his hands, and declared, "I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it" (Matthew 27:24).

Christ was mocked, scourged, and crucified on Golgatha. "And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. Pilate answered, What I have written I have written" (John 19:19-22). This was the first of many testimonies from the Gentiles to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.

As Christ had suffered on the cross, darkness had covered the land. His death caused a terrible earthquake that ripped the veil of the temple and opened the Holy of Holies, previously reserved for the high priest, for all to see. A centurion standing near the cross during the earthquake, who had heard Christ forgive his oppressors and die of his own volition, added his testimony that Christ was "a righteous man" and "truly... the Son of God" (Luke 23:47; Mark 15:39).

It was late afternoon now and the Jewish officials who had not hesitated to demand the crucifixion of Christ to preserve their political influence began to worry that the burial of those crucified might infringe on the Sabbath and defile the land. With their pleading, Pilate consented to allow the legs of the crucified to be broken to hasten their deaths. Finding Christ already dead, a soldier pierced his side and water and blood rushed out. Like the paschal lamb, he was killed for the people without a bone of his body being broken.

With permission from Pilate, Joseph of Arimathea took the body of Christ, wrapped it in linen, and put it in his own sepluchre. Nicodemus, a Pharisee who had come to Christ early in his ministry, brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes as a traditional sign of respect, honor, and devotion. Matthew records that many women followed Christ through his trials and ministered unto him, including Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses (likely the sister of his mother, also named Mary), and Salome (Matthew 27:55-56). Now Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary" followed behind and watched the burial. A large stone was rolled to the opening to close the door before the sun had set.

Black Saturday

The Sanhedrin returned to Pilate the next morning. It was the Sabbath, but they had another request. They had remembered that Christ said he would rise again after three days and they wanted to secure his burial place so that apostles could not steal the body and fake a resurrection. Pilate was tired of their requests and tells them, with a degree of annoyance, that they should secure it themselves. "So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch" (Matthew 27:66).

Beyond the veil of death, the scriptures record that there was a crowd of the just gathered in the world of spirits full of joy and gladness. There "the Son of God appeared, declaring liberty to the captives who had been faithful; And there he preached to them the everlasting gospel, the doctrine of the resurrection and the redemption of mankind from the fall, and from individual sins on conditions of repentance... And the saints rejoiced in their redemption, and bowed the knee and acknowledged the Son of God as their Redeemer and Deliverer from death and the chains of hell. Their countenances shone, and the radiance from the presence of the Lord rested upon them, and they sang praises unto his holy name" (D&C 138:18-19, 23-24).

Christ organized the faithful departed and assigned them to teach the dead who had not been faithful. He instructed and prepared them for their missions, including many of the great prophets, and gave them power to be resurrected after he had been resurrected. Then he departed.

Resurrection Sunday

As the Sabbath concluded in the early morning hours of the next day, the earth began to shake and two angels descended in glory. The guards at the scene fainted at first and then, when they had recovered, fled their post in fear as the angels rolled back the stone of the sepluchre.

When dawn came, the two Marys who had witnessed the closing of the sepluchre, with Salome and "certain others," took spices to the tomb to anoint the body of Christ as Nicodemus had done at the time of burial. As they walked, they considered whether any of them would be strong enough to roll away the stone at the door.

The group of women arrived to find an open sepulchre and walked into the dark tomb to find it empty with the grave clothes folded neatly. Perplexed and likely concerned, one can imagine the confused conversation that then commenced. Suddenly, the two angels appeared and the women bowed themselves to the earth. One of the angels spoke: "Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen" (Luke 24:5-6). He reminded them that Christ had prophesied of his resurrection and told them to go share the good news with the apostles. Filled with joy, the women ran to to tell the apostles and "all the rest."

Mary Magdalene went to Peter and John, who came running and saw the empty tomb. John notes that the apostles still did not know that Christ would be resurrected, but that he entered the sepluchre and believed.

After the apostles returned home, but Mary Magdalene, who had returned with them, lingered at the sepluchre and wept. Christ was gone and neither Mary nor the apostles understood where or why. Still weeping, she stooped and looked into the sepluchre and saw the two angels there as before.

"And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou has laid him, and I will take him away" (John 20:13-16).

Mary had not yet seen the resurrected Christ, who was standing outside of her field of vision. But when he called her by name, she recognized his voice and turned with joy toward him, returning the salutation, "Rabboni; which is to say, Master" (John 20:16). Stopping short of an embrace at his direction, Mary obeyed Christ's direction to return to the apostles and testify of what she had seen. Christ then appeared to the other women who had come to the tomb and gave them a similar charge.

Even as many other faithful saints were resurrected and began to appear to the people in Jerusalem, the Sanhedrin gathered in council to discuss the news brought to them by the guards of the sepluchre. With hard hearts and a persistent lust for power, they completely ignored and dismissed the miracle of the resurrection. Knowing that the guards could be executed for abandoning their post, the Sanhedrin bribed the guards with money and their lives to say that the body was stolen by the disciples.

Meanwhile, Christ appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus who rushed back to Jerusalem to join the apostles there. Then the resurrected Christ came to his apostles, who had gathered in a secure place to hide from the retaliation of the Jewish leaders. He admonished them for their lack of faith and then showed them his hands and his side. It was true! He had suffered and died on the cross; and now he had risen. He was the great Jehovah, the promised Messiah, their Lord and their God, and he had completed his Atonement for all mankind. As he had promised, Christ gave them the gift of the Holy Ghost and power to do his work. Over the next forty days he continued to teach them, to endow them with power from on high, and to command them to preach the gospel to all nations.

A few weeks before, Lazarus had emerged from his tomb and put away the grave clothes that he would need again. "And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection. But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ. He is the light and life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death" (Mosiah 16:7-9).

Happy Easter! He is Risen!

Mary's Example of Faithful Discipleship

Madonna and Child by Giovanni Battista Salvi de Sassoferrato

Hundreds of years before her birth, prophets foretold of “a precious and chosen vessel” (Alma 7:10), “most beautiful and fair” (1 Nephi 11:15), who would be “the mother of the Son of God, after the flesh” (1 Nephi 11:18) and she would “be called Mary” (Mosiah 3:8). Mary, the mother of Jesus, is one of only a handful of women mentioned in the scriptures. Though we get only brief glimpses into her life, those insights provide an example of faithful discipleship that we can learn from and follow today.

Mary was from Nazareth, a small town with less than 500 people located on a low hill about 65 miles north of Jerusalem. You can imagine the village surrounded by modest fields and grazing livestock that the locals used to eek out a living. Mary was a descendant of King David, but there were no riches here and no royal privileges under the Roman occupation (Strathern).

Nazareth didn't have fortifications, monuments, or luxurious architecture with marble and mosaics. The roads were not paved and most of the homes were two-room dwellings with thatched roofs. Later, when word of Jesus Christ of Nazareth spread, Nathaniel would wonder aloud what many must have thought more privately, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46).

We don't know anything about Mary's parents or her upbringing, but most likely she would have seemed like an ordinary peasant girl raised in an insignificant, rural Jewish town. “Even as a young girl, she would have worked beside her mother and the other women of the village, weaving cloth, cooking, gathering firewood, collecting water from the household cisterns or village wells, and working in the fields—all to help her family survive from day to day” (Strathern).

The first thing we learn about Mary is that she is engaged to be married to Joseph, a fact that would have been widely known in a small town like Nazareth. We do not know how old Mary was at the time, but she was most likely a teenager. Marriage contracts in ancient Israel could sometimes be arranged even before puberty.

It was to these humble circumstances that an angel was sent to fulfill a prophecy and issue a call to serve. The angel was Gabriel, who was the Old Testament prophet Noah in his mortal life. Joseph Smith taught that “Noah, who is Gabriel… stands next in authority to Adam in the Priesthood,” like a first counselor in a First Presidency to govern all the earth.

Gabriel is also sometimes known as Elias. Elias means forerunner or preparer of the way. In that role, he has been given “the keys of bringing to pass the restoration of all things spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets since the world began” (D&C 27:6).

It is important to note that Noah, or Gabriel, is not the only Elias in scripture, but he is the one sent to Zacharias in the temple to proclaim the birth of John the Baptist. Zacharias doubted that his wife, Elizabeth, could bear a son at her age and was struck dumb as a result. Yet, Elizabeth, who was Mary's cousin, did conceive.

Six months later, that same Elias came to Mary, “and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be” (Luke 1:28-29).

Can you imagine the questions Mary must have had in this moment? Why was this angel saluting her, a seemingly ordinary young woman in an insignificant village far from Jerusalem? How was she ‘blessed among women’-- and what does that even mean? She listened as the angel continued.

“And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:30-33).

Mary's response echoes the faith of Nephi, who proclaimed in his youth that he knew the Lord would provide a way to accomplish all of his commandments (1 Nephi 3:7). 

“Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” (Luke 1:34). Zacharias had asked a similar question, “Whereby shall I know [that Elizabeth would bear a son]?” (Luke 1:18), but Mary's question sought clarification rather than expressing skepticism. She already believed what Gabriel had declared and she had already resolved in her heart, likely long before this conversation, that she would do God’s will. “Questions are inevitable when God’s invitations challenge disciples to raise the bar and move out of their comfort zones, and inspired questions lead to revelation” (Strathern).

Gabriel revealed the answer to Mary's question and then shared the news that Mary's cousin, Elizabeth, would also miraculously bear a child. “For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37). 

In the Garden of Gethsemane, our Savior and Redeemer appealed to our Heavenly Father to provide another option before submitting, “nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done” (Luke 22:42). Mary did not know everything she was being asked to do. She did not know that this calling would make her a refugee in Egypt or that she would frantically search for her twelve-year-old son and find him teaching in the temple or that she would watch him be tortured and killed on a cruel cross. She didn't know how Joseph would react to the news or whether she would end up facing public embarrassment for a pregnancy no one else could understand or believe. Simeon would later prophecy to her that “a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also” (Luke 2:35), but all Mary knew in that moment was that God had asked her to be the mother of the promised Messiah, a calling that would last a lifetime and beyond, and that she was willing to do God’s will, just as her son would be willing as he suffered in Gethsemane.

 “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her” (Luke 1:38).

Just as Eve led Adam to the Fall, whereby they could bring children into the world, Mary led Joseph to raising the child who would save the world from the effects of the Fall. Joseph was also visited by the angel Gabriel, Adam's right hand man, and Joseph, like Adam, had the wisdom to support and follow the example of his wife.

Mary, meanwhile, was required to walk by faith. She received some evidences and confirmations, including the visit from Gabriel and the testimony of her cousin, Elizabeth, whom she visited after learning they both would be mothers by miraculous means. She knew she became pregnant and bore a son, as the angel had prophesied.

But in the midst of the experience, Mary still sought to better understand the calling that had been given to her. When shepherds came on the night of Christ's birth and told her of angels singing praises to her newborn son, Mary “kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). When Simeon held the infant Christ child and prophesied he would be a light to the Gentiles and the salvation of all people, Mary and Joseph marveled (Luke 2:25-33). More than a decade after her meeting with Gabriel, Mary found twelve-year-old Jesus teaching in the temple and did not understand what he meant when he said he “must be about [his] father's business,” but “kept all these sayings in her heart” (Luke 2:42-51).

Despite not having a perfect knowledge, Mary did not allow her questions to prevent her from fulfilling the mission she had been given with all her heart, mind, and strength. As a young mother, she fled with her family to Egypt to save her son from a jealous king. Joseph and Mary abandoned plans to settle in the comparatively more prosperous land of Judea because of another king who was a threat to Jesus. They returned instead to Nazareth, where Joseph likely walked four miles to work in Sepphoris six days of the week and then walked four miles home at the end of each day. 

At least at the time Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph were poor and offered the turtledoves or pigeons at the temple expected of those who could not afford a lamb. As many as 4 of every 10 children born at the time did not survive childhood and Mary likely grieved the premature deaths of multiple children. When Jesus was about thirteen years old, Jewish tradition holds that Joseph was killed in a construction accident in Sepphora, leaving Mary on her own with at least seven kids under thirteen years old. Despite her convictions, her four sons who grew up with Jesus did not believe in his divine identity or, by extension, her mission as his mother, until years later in adulthood.

In the midst of challenge, Mary also became the first disciple of the living Christ. In the home of Elizabeth, with the words of Gabriel still ringing in her ears and heart, Mary exclaimed in testimony, “My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour” (Luke 1:46-47). Her simple faith was tested and expanded with hundreds of small and simple daily experiences that are not recorded, and a few major challenges that are, until it became a firm foundation anchored to her Savior, and her son, Jesus Christ.

Before Christ had performed any public miracle, Mary had complete faith in him. There was a wedding in Cana and Mary was responsible for the wine, which was running out. She turned immediately to Jesus, who even objected a little bit, and then directed the servants, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it” (John 2:5).

Mary followed the Savior's travels at least on some occasions and stood at the foot of his cross as he suffered and died a painful death at the hand of an enemy many believed he was there to defeat. Like the disciples, Mary probably did not understand the victory of that moment as she watched her son pay our debts for sin and overcome all the world. Perhaps it seemed like all was lost or that the plan of God, the plan in which she played a crucial role and for which she had sacrificed so much, had now somehow been frustrated.

There is no biblical record, but it makes sense to me that the resurrected Christ would have appeared at some point to his mother. She was the first witness, a chosen vessel, the handmaiden of the Lord who did the Father’s will so that her son, the Creator of heaven and earth, could descend below all things and then be lifted up as a ruler and a judge over all things. She had prevailed in her mission to bring the Son of God to the world so that he, by love, could save the world.

Even if Christ did not appear to his mother in the flesh after his resurrection, surely their reunion after her death must have been special. Mary’s life didn’t get any easier as her remaining sons were converted to and then also became martyrs for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Surely the Savior was there to greet his mother as she passed through the veil and then, as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and as a son who loved and reverenced his mother and her womanhood throughout his ministry, must have said to her, as to the wise virgins in his parable, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34).

Source: Strathern, Gaye. Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Ensign. January 2019.

Heroic Lessons on Longevity, Truth, and Opposition

Credit: David Green

Recently, I had some time on a long flight to watch a National Geographic series with Chris Hemsworth, the actor known for his role as Thor in the Marvel comic movies. Over six episodes, the on-screen hero completed several extreme challenges in real life that were designed to test his limits and help him learn the key principles for a long and healthy life.

In the first episode, Hemsworth, who is afraid of heights, trained to walk on a crane perched high above a thirty-story building. As he trained, he learned about intentional breathing, positive self-talk, mindfulness and other practices that could help him control his anxiety and overcome his body’s natural stress response. After a rough start on the crane, he was able to use the principles he had practiced to calm his heart rate and even stop to take in the view.

In the following episodes, Hemsworth swam 250 meters in an ice-cold Norwegian sea, fasted for four days, climbed an 100-foot rope dangling from a cable car that was suspended over a large canyon, and navigated two days across an unfamiliar wilderness from memory. Along the way, he learned that exposing our bodies to extreme temperatures, like in a sauna, or something as simple as turning the water to cold for the last thirty seconds of a shower, can encourage our body to upgrade its defenses and power up repair systems in ways that can reduce the risk of disease and add years to our lives.

Fasting on a regular basis can clean out old and damaged cells from our bodies, sharpen our focus, and heighten our senses and perception. When we exercise, every flex of our muscles releases chemicals that prevent buildup of unwanted fat, suppress certain cancers, strengthen our minds against Alzheimer’s and dementia, and stimulate the immune system to work better and longer.

Ditching our cell phones and other screens to navigate to a new place without GPS, spend time in nature or adopt a healthier bedtime routine can build memory, problem-solving, and concentration. It reduces stress, improves sleep, and helps remove toxins from our brains.

Understanding the principles that govern physical longevity can help famous actors, and each of us, make better decisions and live longer and healthier lives. In a similar way, we can enjoy greater peace in our lives, the fruits of greater wisdom, and deeper and more meaningful relationships with God and one another as we learn the principles that govern spiritual, intellectual, and social/emotional health and prosperity. All of these principles are known to our Heavenly Father and can be revealed to us as we seek to learn by study and by faith.

One of the principles that inspired a feeling of gratitude as I watched the show on the plane is that there are absolute, eternal laws that govern the universe and the way the world works. This is to say that true principles are true regardless of how many people believe them or even if no one does.

Elder Andersen has taught, “Caught it today’s confusion, it is no wonder that so many consign themselves to the words spoken 2,500 years ago by Protagoras to the young Socrates: ‘What is true for you,’ he said, ‘is true for you, and what is true for me, is true for me.’”

“Blessed with the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, we humbly declare that there are some things that are completely and absolutely true. These eternal truths are the same for every son and daughter of God” (The Eye of Faith, April 2019).

Because eternal laws govern the universe independent of what you or I understand or believe, I don’t have to know exactly how exercise benefits my body, or perceive its effects working within me, to receive the benefits or blessings of going for a walk. And if I make a habit of going for a walk each day, those seemingly small blessings compound into a significant benefit to my health.

Likewise, we don’t have to understand exactly how prayer works or everything the prophets have taught or every bend along the covenant path to benefit from a sincere prayer, faithfully following the living prophet, and taking the next step in the plan for our salvation. If we make a habit of simple acts of faith, including daily scripture study and prayer, even when we may not perceive their effects in the moment, seemingly small blessings will compound into a firm foundation built upon the Lord Jesus Christ.

Another principle that impressed me as I watched the National Geographic series is the role of opposition in our lives. Lehi taught that “it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things… Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other” (2 Nephi 2:11, 16).

We correctly understand that Lehi meant we would be enticed by righteousness or wickedness, happiness or misery, life or death, law or anarchy, good or bad. Chris Hemsworth faced a similar question in his study of a long and healthy life: would he be enticed to stay where he was comfortable or try to achieve something difficult and uncomfortable that would bless his life?

Popular opinion tells us that we should all aspire to a life of ease and comfort with lots of money and little work. If we can do this on a picturesque tropical island where it is always 72 degrees or sleep in every day or never be inconvenienced along the way, all the better.

Our own bodies would teach us something different. The life of ease, it turns out, clogs our arteries, dulls our decision-making, and makes us more susceptible to disease and death. It is the uncomfortable things—the stress, extreme temperatures, hunger, effort, and unfamiliar terrain—that renew our minds and bodies and develop our capacity to live longer, healthier lives.

In other words, the principle of opposition invites us to be enticed by opposition itself. We should not seek for trouble, but we can welcome opportunities to learn, to serve, to improve, and to be uncomfortable. In the same chapter Lehi taught about opposition, he teaches that “men [and women] are that they might have joy” (2 Nephi 2:25). Joy is not reserved for some heaven or paradise after we die and it does not come from a life without challenges. Rather, joy is a fruit of the spirit for those who are worthy, a consequence of our sacrifice and obedient effort, and natural to the challenging and often uncomfortable process of coming closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Sister Becky Craven asked in 2019, “There is a careful way and a casual way to do everything, including living the gospel. As we consider our commitment to the Savior, are we careful or casual?” Are we enticed by the life of a disciple or another, more casual lifestyle?

Finally, I found both reassurance and warning in the observation that few of the benefits highlighted in the National Geographic series had anything to do with what we have done in the past. Chris Hemsworth got no extra credit for being strong already. The benefits of fasting or the sauna could only be realized in real time as he endured a hunger pang or began to sweat.

Thankfully, we don’t have to take on extreme challenges to learn that there are certain eternal truths that govern our physical, mental, spiritual, and social health and longevity; that we can be enticed by the benefits obtained through the opposition in our lives; and that we benefit more from what we do now than the state of being we have previously obtained. Perhaps then we, like Thor, can choose to run towards our problems and not away from them—because that’s what heroes do.

No Unhallowed Hand

Joseph Smith once declared that "no unhallowed hand can stop [God's] work from progressing". While that hasn't stopped some people from trying, it is instructive to note that opposing efforts often contribute more to the progress of God's work than they ever detract from it.

A classic example can be found in the people of Amulon. Amulon and his followers had lived lavish, idolatrous lives as priests supported by the burdensome taxes imposed by King Noah. When their country was invaded, they abandoned their families to preserve their own lives and then later kidnapped some women from a rival nation to be their new wives. Given the opportunity to oversee a righteous people, Amulon  and his followers oppressed the righteous severely and forbid prayer and religious worship. It is easy to think that nothing good could have come from Amulon.

Yet, we read that the righteous oppressed by Amulon actually grew in faith until they were eventually delivered from Amulon's rule altogether (Mosiah 24:12-16). Meanwhile, Amulon and his followers taught the language of the Nephites in every land of the Lamanites, paving the way for Ammon and his brothers to have missionary successes only a few years later (Mosiah 24:4).

When Joseph Smith knelt to pray, he was "siezed upon by some power which entirely overcame [him], and had such an astonishing influence over [him] as to bind [his] tongue so that [he] could not speak." Yet, this attack only led Joseph to exert all his energy to calling upon God and led to not only his deliverance, but his calling as a prophet and the beginning of the restoration of Christ's church and gospel (Joseph Smith-History 1:15-20).

Subsequent offenses from apostates, politicians and mobs had similar results, leading Brigham Young to declare, "Every time you kick [the Church] you kick it upstairs; you never kick it downstairs. The Lord Almighty so orders it" (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A Widtsoe, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1941, p. 351).

The greatest opposition was reserved for the Savior himself. Though he "went about doing good" (Acts 10:38), he was hated by the leaders that claimed to be seeking him and betrayed by one of his own disciples. The people sought to kill him on several occasions and by several means, even setting traps to facilitate his demise, and finally delivered him to the Romans to be crucified. Though the governor could find no fault with him, Christ was nailed to a cross and left to die.

If any act could be perceived to hinder the work of God, killing His chosen son would seem to be it. Yet, even this advanced, rather than hindered, the gospel of Jesus Christ. Isaiah prophesied of Christ:

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised with our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:3-5).

Through the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ, we can be forgiven of our sins, redeemed from death and empowered to act in faith beyond our own ability. As the Lord taught Joseph Smith in the Liberty Jail, no matter the obstacle or the odds, "if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good" (D&C 122:7).

Perhaps some of that experience was reflected in Joseph Smith's letter to Mr. John Wentworth, editor and proprietor of the Chicago Democrat, written three years after his inhumane treatment in Liberty. Declared the prophet:

The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear; till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.

Prospering by Degrees

After being captured by the Lamanites, the people of Limhi sought for deliverance. Three times they lashed out in armed conflict against their oppressors; and three times they were soundly defeated and suffered great losses. Finally, they turned to the Lord, but their prayers were answered in a way they perhaps did not expect.

The scriptures record that the people of Limhi "did humble themselves even in the depths of humility; and they did cry mightily to God; yea, even all the day long did they cry unto their God that he would deliver them out of their afflictions" (Mosiah 21:14). Perhaps their prayers were like many of ours, hoping for the Lord to grant a quick and complete relief from the burdens and afflictions they were forced to bear. Perhaps some of them were disappointed or began to waver when they woke up, day after day, with Lamanite guards still surrounding their city.

Although the desired outcome was not immediate, "the Lord did hear their cries, and began to soften the hearts of the Lamanites that they began to ease their burdens... [and] they began to prosper by degrees in the land, and began to raise grain more abundantly, and flocks, and herds, that they did not suffer with hunger" (Mosiah 21:15-16).

Relative prosperity allowed Limhi to send a group of men to find the Nephites. They were unsuccessful in their mission, but on their journey they discovered a record of a people who had become extinct. Thinking they had returned empty handed, the hearts of the people turned to the Lord and began to desire that they could be baptized and serve Him with all of their hearts.

Finally, Ammon and his men found the people of Limhi and helped them devise a plan to escape from their Lamanite captors. Mosiah, the Nephite king and a seer, translated the record and found it to be an insightful account and scripture in its own right. Though their prayers were not answered as quickly or in the way the people of Limhi had perhaps hoped, they were delivered from oppression in their bondage, strengthened in their faith, and then delivered from bondage as different people than they were when they were lashing out with wars against the Lamanites.

While we are promised that the Lord's grace is sufficient for us, sometimes we miss the blessings He grants in our lives because we are looking for grand and spectacular splashes of divine intervention. We want singing angels and the division of the Red Sea. While those things happen, we must learn that they are the exception rather than the rule. The Lord is usually more subtle.

Behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise. And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls" (Alma 37:6-7).

When we feel like lashing out against our oppressors, or that our faithful prayers are not being answered, we will often find that our faithful actions are being prospered by degrees. Maybe our clothes or our car or our employment is lasting longer or providing better than they otherwise should. Sometimes we will feel peace or patience or joy when others are panicked and distraught. Maybe we're learning foundational principles or building our relationship with God in ways that will enrich the rest of our lives.

However the Lord chooses to bless us, we can find confidence in his unbreakable promises:

The Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith. Nevertheless-- whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day (Mosiah 23:21-22).

"But behold, Zion hath said: The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me-- but he will show that he hath not. For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. They children shall make haste against thy destroyers; and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee" (1 Nephi 21:14-17).

Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day (Alma 37:37).

That They Might Have Joy

The world is increasingly in commotion. There are political upheavals, wars and rumors of wars, personal tragedies, attacks on family values and all kinds of economic woes. One report to the United Nations confirmed that "weather-related disasters such as floods and heatwaves have occurred almost daily in the past decade, almost twice as often as two decades ago... Predictions of more extreme weather in the future almost certainly mean that we will witness a continued upward trend in weather-related disasters in the decades ahead" (Miles, Tom. Article linked).

While nightly news reports increasingly align with Biblical descriptions of "perilous times" when "nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places" (2 Timothy 3:1, Matthew 24:7), there are more personal disasters too. Nearly half of all marriages end in divorce; one in five Americans suffers from mental illness; almost a million people declare bankruptcy each year; we are afflicted by debilitating and life-threatening diseases and the suffering of those we love; and more people than ever are having crises of faith that eventually lead to having no faith at all.

President Boyd K. Packer summarized in 2004:

I know of nothing in the history of the Church or in the history of the world to compare with our present circumstances. Nothing happened in Sodom and Gomorrah which exceeds in wickedness and depravity that which surrounds us now.

Words of profanity, vulgarity, and blasphemy are heard everywhere. Unspeakable wickedness and perversion were once hidden in dark places; now they are in the open, even accorded legal protection.

At Sodom and Gomorrah these things were localized. Now they are spread across the world, and they are among us ("One Pure Defense", Feb 6, 2004).

Amid a world of stress, fear, chaos and wickedness, it is easy to become discouraged, worried or hopeless. Yet, the Lord has said that we can experience greater hope and peace in our lives as the prophecies that precede the Second Coming of Christ are fulfilled (Matthew 24:6; D&C 45:35). What's more, he has promised that the righteous in our times will be gathered while "singing with songs of everlasting joy" (D&;C 45:71). How can this be, when our lives are filled with so much suffering, confusion, oppression and difficulty?

The prophet Nephi experienced some of the conditions that are common to our day. As a young man, his father left a life of prosperity to take his family into the wilderness prior to the destruction of Jerusalem. On at least one occasion, the family nearly starved to death. Nephi's rebellious older brothers led wicked lives that led to a great deal of suffering for their family. They frequently fought with Nephi and tried to kill him and their father many times. As his posterity grew, Nephi's people separated into a new nation that took up arms to defend their liberties and their families from the descendants of Nephi's brothers that sought to enslave and destroy them.

Given all he experienced, we could easily expect Nephi to be a mess of a person with myriad mental afflictions worthy of our pity. Instead, Nephi writes that he and his people "lived after the manner of happiness" (2 Nephi 5:27). So what can we learn from Nephi's experience that will help us sing songs of everlasting joy despite the commotion all around us and even, at times, within us?

A further study of Nephi's resilience reveals that at least one source of strength was his unwavering focus on his purpose. The Lord has clearly declared his own mission relative to his children on the earth: "For behold, this is my work and my glory-- to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39). Our purpose within God's larger plan may seem less clear.

Leadership guru Ben Zander has observed that the reason for much of what we do is simply to "make our eyes shine". Shining eyes, he explains, reveal our joy in the journey and our hope for the future. Most of us tend to do things that we think will awaken opportunity in us and those around us.

Nephi said it this way: "Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy" (2 Nephi 2:25). This is the purpose of our lives on earth: to have joy. Every commandment the Lord has given leads to this outcome. Joy is the reason for multiplying and replenishing the earth and joy is the reason for keeping the Sabbath Day holy. As we learn to better live by the laws that God has given us, we will discover a greater measure of joy in our daily lives.

That, of course, does not mean we'll always be happy. Consider Paul's counsel to the members of the ancient church in Hebrews 12:

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God...

Ye have not resisted unto blood, striving against sin... despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou are rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth...

Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby" (Hebrews 12:1, 2, 4, 6, 11).

None of us would suppose that the Savior was happy to be tortured and killed on the cross at Calvary, yet Paul explicitly states that Christ did so for the joy it brought him. Few of us take pleasure in the difficult challenges we encounter in life or in the humility of correction, but through the exercise of our trials we often grow in wisdom and find the peace that precedes the deepest joy.

Ultimately, like all else that is good in life, true joy is a gift from God predicated upon our ability to have his spirit to be with us. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, [and] temperance" (Galatians 5:22-23). And, like all other gifts from God, he is anxious to share it with us if we will allow it: "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" (Matthew 7:11).

Painting by Greg Olson

The Lord illustrated how we can share in his joy in a vision given to Nephi's father, Lehi, and later to Nephi also. In the vision, Lehi was led to a glorious tree filled with the most delicious fruit he had ever tasted. He stated that the fruit was "desirable to make one happy" and that it "filled [his] soul with incredibly great joy" as he ate. The fruit was available to all, but many chose not to approach or left in shame after they had begun to eat.

The Lord explains later that the fruit Lehi saw was symbolic for the Love of God. Elder David A. Bednar has taught, "The greatest manifestation of God's love for His children is the mortal ministry, atoning sacrifice, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The fruit on the tree can be considered a symbol for the blessings of the Savior's Atonement."

Because of the Savior's Atonement, each of us can receive joy as we exercise faith in Him, repent of our sins, make and keep sacred covenants including baptism and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost in our daily lives. Interestingly, and unsurprisingly, as we accomplish our purpose of having joy in this life, we are also attaining God's purpose to bring about the immortality and eternal life of man.

Modern scripture expounds upon the testimony of ancient prophets with prophecies of thunderings, lightnings, tempests, and "the waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds" (D&C 88:88-90). It continues, "And all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men's hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people" (D&C 88:91). Yet, the Lord has promised that we need not be troubled when we see these things going on around us.

Ben Zander has suggested that if we are not finding joy in the goals and activities of our lives, we need only to "move the goalposts". As we turn to the Lord and strive to better live the gospel outlined in the Holy Scriptures-- that is, as we live after the manner of happiness-- our eyes can shine and we can sing the heartfelt songs of everlasting joy even in the darkness and chaos that sometimes surrounds us. This is our purpose here on the earth: that we might have joy.

Walking on Water

All of us have heard the story about the time that Christ, and for a short time, Peter, walked on water. We know that the wind was blowing and that Peter took a few steps on the choppy sea before he began to doubt and sink. We’ve talked at church and at home about the importance of keeping our focus on Christ and how Christ will help us when we falter. We know this stuff, and it is important, but we also miss a lot when we examine this experience as an isolated incident. Consider for a moment the many lessons available for us in the context of this story:

Less than 24 hours before Christ traversed the surface of the stormy sea, he learned that his cousin, friend and predecessor, John the Baptist, had been killed unjustly to satisfy a young woman who had danced for the king. The news was a heavy blow and Christ soon boarded a ship across the Sea of Galilee to the wilderness where he could be alone to grieve.

When he reached the opposite coast however, Christ found that thousands of people had walked the several miles around the sea to be with him when he arrived. Rather than sending them away or being frustrated that he couldn’t get a moment for himself, Christ spent the rest of the day preaching and healing the sick.

When evening came and there was no food, Christ could have very easily dismissed the crowd with no ill will. Surely after the loss of John and a full day of ministering to the multitude, he would have been justified in doing so. But the scriptures say that he was moved with compassion and instead performed a miracle to feed the multitude.

Finally, sometime after dinnertime, Christ told the disciples to take the boat and head home. He stayed with the crowd a little longer and then sent them to their homes as well. It had been a full day. Christ was probably physically and emotionally exhausted, but he was finally alone. Still seeking solace himself, he climbed a nearby mountain to pray.

Hours later, the disciples were struggling to get home. The five-mile journey that might normally take about two hours had stretched into a very difficult nine or more hours of rowing in a choppy sea against a blasting wind. What physical strength they had was likely exhausted. Different personalities in the boat may have been upset or annoyed or even a little incredulous that they had battled through the entire night and were still stuck out in the middle of the sea. Some might have been scared that they weren’t going to make it across at all.

Then, sometime between three and six in the morning, the disciples saw a mysterious figure out on the water. Christ had seen them struggling from the temple-mountain where he had been praying and had walked the five or more miles to where they were. He was unrecognizable in the dark of night and the disciples cried out in fear of what they thought may be an evil spirit. Christ responded, “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.”

Peter recognized the voice of the Lord and answered, “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.” Peter’s qualifying statement, “if it be thou”, indicates that Christ was probably still at least partially hidden by the darkness. Christ told Peter to come to him.

Most of us recognize that it is a bit irrational under normal circumstances to get out of a boat that is nowhere near land. By this logic, it is then completely irrational to do so at night amid high wind and waves when you are completely exhausted from a full day of service and a full night of rowing and your peers are terrified of what they see outside the boat. Peter knew this, but Peter got out of the boat.

In utter contradiction to everything he knew to be possible, Peter then walked on the water. He took a few obedient steps before suddenly becoming aware again that he was in the middle of the storm and that what he was doing was impossible. As he sensed himself beginning to falter, he called out, “Lord, save me.” Immediately, the Savior stretched forth his hand and caught Peter. When both men had reached to boat, the storm ceased. The rest of the disciples then recognized the Lord and worshipped him.

The boat made landfall in early morning and again Christ was met by crowds of people seeking healing for themselves and their loved ones. Despite all that had happened and now more than 24 hours without sleep, Christ spent the day ministering unto the people, healing their sick, contending with the Pharisees, and performing another miracle to feed the multitudes.

In the 24 verses adjacent to the story of Christ walking on the water in Matthew 14, we find a rich context with filled with insightful details and instructive gospel lessons. In these verses we learn that Christ always has time for us and is always ready to provide help and healing. We learn that when we serve others even when we are grieved or sad, we are following the example of our Savior. We learn that we can find solace in the temple and in prayer, just as the Savior did.

The context prepares our heart and mind to learn that even though God might not always spare us from the storms of life, he is aware of us and will come to our aid; that we get credit for trying; and that if we will try to come to him he will catch us when we start to sink. It helps us see the power of love and the deceit of fear.

From Peter we learn that sometimes we cannot overcome our trials on our own or even with the support of friends and family; but that doesn’t mean our trials cannot be overcome. We learn the importance of recognizing the voice of the Lord and trusting his voice above the fearful voices of the world or even our own logic. We do not have to see Christ to know he is there. And though it may not always be rational or even possible to obey his voice, the Lord will help us do the impossible if we will just get out of the boat. Indeed, the boat is often our biggest obstacle.

The story of Christ walking on the water is one of the best-known Bible stories worldwide. Its richness is enhanced when we understand the emotions, symbols and other details surrounding it. And best of all, it is true and so are the principles we learn from it. Jesus Christ is the Creator of heaven and Earth. He is our Savior. He loves us. He wants each of us to come to him. He wants each of us to walk on water.

Sequoiadendron Giganteum

High in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California is an organism unlike any other in the world. At well over 200 feet tall and sometimes more than 35 feet wide, the Sequoiadendron Giganteum, better known as Giant Sequoia trees, are the largest living things on earth.

They're also one of the oldest. Some of the Giant Sequoias standing today have held their ground for more than 3,500 years. They have tasted of the same winds that filled the sails of fishing boats during China's first dynasty. Perhaps they heard when Babylon fell, the singing of the Israelites being led out of Egypt, or the clanging of swords and shields as the Jaredites battled to their own extinction. Only the Bristlecone Pines of the Great Basin and Chile's Alerce trees have lived longer.

Over last three millennia, while Sequoias have stood tall, literally hundreds of forests have been eliminated due to fires, insects, droughts and other natural phenomenon. Others have been cut down to build homes, weapons, canoes and books. Some forests have regrown; some have struggled because of poor soil quality, harsh environmental conditions, or the prevalence of nut-eating animals that devoured their potential before it ever had a chance to take root. Surely Sequoias are among the luckiest species on earth to have avoided all of that.

Except, of course, that Sequoias haven't avoided those things at all. Sequoia trees grow at high elevations where life-sustaining air and water are both in short supply. Their trunks are so large and so soft (you can punch them without hurting your hand) that it is physically impossible for the trees to push sufficient water from the roots to the branches basking in the sun high above the ground. As they grow, Sequoias provide shade for other plants that soon begin to crowd the trees and suffocate their roots. Worst of all are the disasters.

In the mountains of central California, it is not uncommon for naturally occurring fires to burn hundreds of thousands of acres on an annual basis. Drought conditions can persist for several years and every twenty years or so there will be a winter with no snow at all. When most trees don't have enough moisture to produce sap, the insects invade and wipe them out. All of these and more-- like the earthquakes for which California has become infamous-- happen regularly in and around the groves of Sequoia trees. Really, Sequoias are set up for miserable failure. So how are they still here? How have they endured when nothing else has?

One meaningful way we can answer those questions is by looking for true principles in a similar situation set in a different environment. This will help us discern eternal truths from circumstantial evidence.

After the Saints were driven from Jackson County, Missouri, in 1833, the Lord commanded the Prophet Joseph Smith to lead a group of men from Ohio to help their fellow church members. Roughly 200 men were gathered for what many at that time thought would be a military mission to reclaim property and push back against the mobs that were persecuting the Saints. The group, originally known as the Camp of Israel but better known today as Zion's Camp, was entirely self-funded with some members consecrating as much as $170 (valued at more than $5,000 today), at a time when most Americans made less than a dollar a day. It would also prove to be an extremely difficult and soul-searching experience for its participants, who would walk as much as 40 miles each day through dehydration, hunger, sickness, humidity and heat.

Ultimately, the Lord would disband Zion's Camp before it had fought a single battle. Some of the men were angry at this outcome and apostatized from the church. Others were disappointed or supposed the camp to have been a miserable failure. Joseph Smith, who had contracted cholera and suffered a great deal himself while marching from Ohio to Missouri, would later explain to the Saints, "God did not want you to fight. He could not organize his kingdom with twelve men to open the gospel door to the nations of the earth, and with seventy men under their direction to follow in their tracks, unless he took them from a body of men who had offered their lives, and who had made as great a sacrifice as did Abraham" (History of the Church, 2:182n). Through incredible opposition, the Lord unlocked even greater potential.

The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the First Quorum of Seventy were founded in February 1835. Nine of the original Twelve and all members of the Seventy had marched with Zion's Camp. These men would go on to baptize thousands. They would organize the wagon trains across the plains and establish communities throughout the mountain west. In short order, and with faith in the Lord's blessings, they would make the desert blossom as a rose and build both the temporal assets and spiritual legacy that are a great strength to the Church even today.

The prophet Lehi taught that "it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, ... righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad" (2 Nephi 2:11; see also verse 15). This was true even in our pre-mortal existence, when Lucifer sought to destroy the Father's plan and capture His glory. Cast out of heaven, Lucifer and his followers roam the earth tempting and seeking to deceive those who were loyal to God. Yet, as Elder Oaks has pointed out, "that the evil one, who opposed and sought to destroy the Father's plan, actually facilitated it, because it is the opposition that enables choice... that leads to the growth that is the purpose of the Father's plan" (Opposition in All Things, April 2016).

Sequoia trees are no different: their adversity is their strength. Their height protects their cones from many of that animals that would use their cones for food and ensures the trees get the sunlight they need. Their soft trunks, useless to mankind for wood, store moisture and are naturally fire-resistant. Though insects may penetrate their bark, Sequoias are not dependent on their trunks to push water to the rest of the tree. The grace of an occasional fog provides moisture to the branches, preventing the trees from dying, and allows the tree to grow back where insects may have burrowed.

Then, every so often, the stress of drought and crowding underbrush reaches fever pitch and a bolt of lightning sets the forest on fire. What would be the end of most trees is a glorious beginning for the deep-rooted Sequoias as the fire's heat begins to expand the otherwise tightly sealed Sequoia cones. As the cones are opened, each tree releases up to 400,000 winged seeds onto the freshly fertilized ground below. Because the trees are so tall, seeds can float hundreds of feet away to find an open patch of ground. Through incredible opposition, even greater potential is unlocked.

As seeds turn into seedlings and seedlings turn into trees, Sequoias create an additional barrier around their groves. Where there are Sequoia trees, it will be difficult for other trees to grow; and where few other trees grow, fatal forest fires are reduced to brush fires that cause temporary pain and scarring but also fertilize the ground so the Giant Sequoias can grow stronger and establish a generation to last another three thousand years.

One thing that distinguishes us all from Sequoia trees is ability to choose. Sequoia trees are what they were created to be and they fulfill their role in God's plan. Each of us has been created as child of God with a divine and glorious potential. Our role is to learn to be like our Heavenly Father through faith in Christ and his Atonement, repentance, making and keeping covenants, relying on the Holy Ghost and enduring all things; but unlike Sequoia trees, we are allowed to choose whether the opposition inherent to this life will unlock our potential or weaken our ability to resist the dangerous fires of worldly philosophies and temptations. We can plant the seed of our testimony on fertile ground and become the faithful builders of an eternal Zion; or we can harden our hearts and become like the destructive apostates that are swept away when times get tough.

We get to choose what kind of a tree we will be in the forest of God's creations, but the choice we make will determine our destiny. If we will choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, using opposition to build the strength of our faith rather than deplete it, offering all we have and are as Abraham did, the Lord will send us his tender mercies as the fog to strengthen us now and expand our souls until they are more glorious than even the Giant Sequoias.