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!

Let Virtue Garnish Thy Thoughts

On December 1, 1838, the Prophet Joseph Smith was incarcerated with five companions in Liberty, Missouri. The men described it as, "hell surrounded by demons." The filthy basement cell was cramped with very little light, the food was poisoned, odors hung in the frigid winter air, and guards and passers-by would harass the prisoners at every opportunity. The six men were held in this cell for four long months.

On March 20, 1839, the Prophet dictated a 29-page letter to the Saints. Some historians have noted that the letter is similar in diction and tone to Paul's letters to the Ephesians or Romans, which were also written from prison. Excerpts from the letter are now canonized as Doctrine and Covenants Sections 121, 122, and 123.

While much of the letter focuses on the trials of the Saints in Missouri, and we often use these verses to talk about our own trials, Joseph Smith also spoke these inspired words in that dingy cell at Liberty Jail: "Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men... and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven" (D&C 121:45). Additional promised blessings include exaltation and the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost.

That Joseph Smith could preach charity while he was unjustly imprisoned and the Saints were being oppressed, driven from their homes, and killed is a demonstration of divine meekness and the very charity he preached. President Nelson reminded us in his most recent address that we are also expected to be peacemakers even when those around us are hostile.

But what of virtue? Often, virtue is used to refer specifically to chastity or sexual purity, but this is too limited of a definition. When the woman with an issue of blood touched the hem of Christ's garment and He felt virtue gone out of him (Luke 8:46), He wasn't somehow losing chastity.

Virtue simply means strength. It refers to a cadre of characteristics, or virtues, that give a person strength or power as we make them part of who we are. So, chastity, yes, but also gratitude, faith, integrity, discipline, generosity, temperance, kindness, modesty, patience, humility, meekness, and love.

When Christ healed the woman with an issue of blood, He felt power go out of Him.

When Christ taught Joseph Smith that we should include virtue in our thoughts, He is teaching us that there is strength in not only chaste thoughts, but also in grateful thoughts, in patient thoughts, in humble thoughts, and in faithful thoughts.

When we are charitable to others and overlay our thoughts with virtue, or in other words, when we keep our covenant to always remember our Savior, Jesus Christ, God will keep His covenant to give us the Holy Ghost as our constant companion. Through the Holy Ghost, He will teach us all we need to know to receive exaltation and stand with confidence in the presence of God, even if some of those lessons come while we feel like we're in our own metaphorical cell at Liberty Jail.

President Nelson taught, "As we diligently seek to have charity and virtue fill our lives, our confidence in approaching God will increase... Then, as we go to our Heavenly Father with increasing confidence, we will be filled with more joy, and your faith in Jesus Christ will increase. We will begin to experience spiritual power that exceeds our greatest hopes."

Finding Swing

It is awesome, in the true sense of that word, to watch Olympic athletes compete in swimming, gymnastics, track, basketball, volleyball, and all of the other events. One of the events that I will watch a little closer this year is rowing.

Honestly, I wasn’t particularly interested in rowing until I read the book The Boys in the Boat that was recently made into a movie. That story follows the 1936 men’s rowing team from the University of Washington, which seemed to have every disadvantage. They were from working class families in small lumber and mining towns and didn’t have the resources of their competition. Many of the team were new to rowing and no one outside of the team believed they could win. Despite the disadvantages, Washington beat the elite teams at Navy and Cal to represent the United States at the Olympics in Germany.

Adolf Hitler saw the 1936 Olympics as an opportunity to prove Aryan supremacy and German dominance to the world. On the day of the final race, with Hitler looking on, German officials decided that the slowest qualifiers—Germany and Italy—should be in the most protected lanes. The American team would have the roughest water, some of the team members had become seriously ill, and the wind made it difficult to hear the coxswain who shouted instructions from the front of the boat. But during the race, something happened that rowers call “swing.” The book describes it this way:

There is a thing that sometimes happens that is hard to achieve and hard to define. It’s called “swing.” It happens only when all are rowing in such perfect unison that not a single action is out of sync.

Rowers must rein in their fierce independence and at the same time hold true to their individual capabilities. Races are not won by clones. Good crews are good blends—someone to lead the charge, someone to hold something in reserve, someone to fight the fight, someone to make peace. No rower is more valuable than another, all are assets to the boat, but if they are to row well together, each must adjust to the needs and capabilities of the others—the shorter-armed person reaching a little farther, the longer-armed person pulling in just a bit.

Differences can be turned to advantage instead of disadvantage. Only then will it feel as if the boat is moving on its own. Only then does pain entirely give way to exultation. Good “swing” feels like poetry. 

The members of that team describe those moments of “swing” as a holy experience that meant even more than winning Olympic Gold. That lingering feeling stayed with them all of their lives.

There are at least four ways the Lord has invited us to have swing in our lives. We are to be one with ourselves, one with our spouses, one with God, and one with our fellowman.

Elder Packer once told of a severe winter in Utah when deep snow had driven the deer very low into some of the valleys. Seeing that the deer were out of their natural habitat, some well-meaning agencies tried to respond by bringing in hay for the deer to eat. Unfortunately, many of the deer were later found dead. Those who handled the animals afterward said that the deer had starved to death with stomachs full of hay. The deer had been fed, but they had not been nourished and the hay they could not digest left no room for the nutrition they needed to survive.

In a similar way, there are influences all around us that try to fill us with messages that can starve our souls and distract us from those things that would bring genuine physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. We are encouraged to incur debt to “live our best life” and appear more prosperous than we really are. There is an abundance of food that is more harmful than helpful to our bodies. Tribalized news is on every channel to feed our individual and collective confirmation biases and maintain a constant sense of righteous indignation. There is an endless supply of games and other virtual experiences that give us fake successes and a hollow kind of confidence as imaginary sports superstars, army snipers, farm managers, and even city managers. We hear of people who look for love and connection online only to learn their affections were based on false representations. Despite the volume, there is little nourishment in these offerings. They are literally unbelievable.

“The Lord knows who we really are, what we really think, what we really do, and who we are really becoming” (Bednar, Things as They Really Are, June 2010).  As spirit sons and daughters of God, the Family proclamation says we “accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize [our] divine destiny as heirs of eternal life.”

The scriptures and living prophets have taught us that we will experience greater joy in our lives when there is high fidelity between who we really are and the person we are being on the outside. Being one with ourselves includes focusing on what is real—real opportunities to share a hug or serve a neighbor, real achievements as we strive toward personal and family goals, real food including vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, real prosperity through self-reliance, and the reality of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the redemptive and enabling power it can bring into our lives. We should be the same person alone, at home, at work, online, with friends, and in public. Having swing in our lives requires us to spend time with ourselves, evaluate how we are doing from time to time, see how we have changed, and make plans and goals to help us grow into our full and divine potential.

Steven Covey wrote in his popular 7 Habits book about a cycle of maturity that we all experience. As children, we are dependent on others for everything. As teenagers and young adults, we become independent and able to provide for our own needs. When we then surrender our independence to become interdependent with another person, the results are consistently greater than the sum of the parts.

The City of Enoch experienced interdependence on a societal scale. As they lived the law of consecration, they were able to completely eliminate all poverty from their community. Spiritual interdependence facilitated such righteousness, such harmony and “swing,” that the entire city was taken from the earth and promoted, as it were, to a terrestrial world.

Our marriages are intended to be interdependent, exalting relationships like the City of Enoch. Elder Bednar has taught:

By divine design, men and women are intended to progress together toward perfection and a fulness of glory. Because of their distinctive temperaments and capacities, males and females each bring to a marriage relationship unique perspectives and experiences. The man and the woman contribute differently but equally to a oneness and a unity that can be achieved in no other way. The man completes and perfects the woman and the woman completes and perfects the man as they learn from and mutually strengthen and bless each other. “Neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord" (1 Cor. 11:11; emphasis added).

Our First Parents provided an example of the full partnership God intends every marriage to be. After being driven from the Garden of Eden, and the free rent and food provided there, Adam, “began to till the earth... and to eat his bread by the sweat of his brow... And Eve... did labor with him” (Moses 5:1).

Elder Marion G. Romney referenced this passage when he said, “The word with... is very significant. It means more than physical labor. It connotates a common purpose, understanding, cooperation and love… In Latter-day Saint families the husband and wife must be one.”

Despite our different roles at times, husbands and wives can enjoy full partnership with their spouse when they take care to work with each other rather than merely working near each other. The Family Proclamation counsels couples to pray together, respect each other, forgive one another, have fun together, and help one another as equal partners.

When Tara and I were married, she had already graduated from BYU and was teaching at a nearby elementary school. She had a newer car, a rented duplex, and minimal debt. I, on the other hand, was sleeping on a buddy’s couch with no car and a growing collection of student loans.

With our marriage, we became a family unit. In the spirit of consecration, each of us gave what we had to our newly-formed family. I became a proud co-owner of a little white Hyundai and the folks at the student loan office were suddenly very interested in Tara’s contact information.

A similar thing happens to us on the day we step into the waters of baptism. When we are baptized, we covenant with the Lord that we will always be willing to keep his commandments, remember him and take his name upon ourselves like a bride takes the name of her groom. In other words, we covenant that we are willing to be one entity with our Savior in the eyes of eternal law.

In the spirit of consecration, we give our debt of sin and imperfection to the newly-formed entity. At the same time, the Lord offers up his wealth of grace available through his infinite Atonement. Imagining for a moment that we could measure our sin with a number, the principles of mathematics tell us that it does not matter whether that number is negative six or negative six hundred trillion. Both of these numbers are equally imperfect and yet, when added to a perfect and infinite Atonement, both numbers are completely wiped out. Negative six plus infinity is infinity. Negative six hundred trillion plus infinity is infinity. In this way, though we are not perfect, each of us can be declared perfect as a consequence of our unity with our perfect Savior, made possible through a covenant or contract that is valid in the sight of eternal law, making us joint-heirs with Christ of all the Father has (Romans 8:17).

Our covenant agreement with the Lord requires us to work with Him in the same way that Eve worked with Adam. With an eye single to the glory of God, we must rein in our fierce independence, and the natural man, and at the same time hold true to our individual capabilities to do good and accomplish the mission the Lord has in store for us.

Elder Uchtdorf has taught:

Our relationship with God is most sacred and vital. We are His spirit children. He is our Father. He desires our happiness. As we seek Him, as we learn of His Son, Jesus Christ, as we open our hearts to the influence of the Holy Spirit, our lives become more stable and secure. We experience greater peace, joy, and fulfillment as we give our best to live according to God's eternal plan and keep his commandments.

We improve our relationship with our Heavenly Father by learning of Him, by communing with Him, by repenting of our sins, and by actively following Jesus Christ... To strengthen our relationship with God, we need some meaningful alone time with Him. Quietly focusing on daily personal prayer and scripture study, always aiming to be worthy of a current temple recommend-- these will be some wise investments of our time and efforts to draw closer to our Heavenly Father.

The kind of prayer that builds unity with God comes from the depths of our souls. It requires self-reflection and studying our thoughts, desires, and decisions before we approach the Lord. Elder Porter once taught that “God knows our innermost thoughts and feelings even better than we do, but as we learn to share them with Him, we make it possible for His Spirit to enter our souls and teach us more about our own selves and about the nature of God. By making ourselves totally honest, open, and submissive before God, our hearts become more receptive to His counsel and His will.”  In other words, as we spend time in heartfelt prayer, we can become one in purpose with our Heavenly Father.

As we open our hearts to the will of God, and strive to become one with Him, He will teach us about two gospels. The first is a preparatory gospel that focuses on learning obedience and receiving the blessings promised for our faithfulness. The preparatory gospel builds the foundation for our testimony with checklists and formulas to guide our obedient lives, deal with perceived scarcity, and do our duty.

In the Aaronic or Preparatory Priesthood, for example, prayers for the sacrament and baptism are provided verbatim. The Law of Tithing is a preparatory law that prescribes an amount to give back to the Lord-- no more, no less-- and is often associated with specific blessings for our obedience. In Primary we learn formulas that help us know how to say a prayer and how to repent of our sins. The former Boy Scouts and Young Women Personal Progress programs outlined specific actions that, if completed, earned merit badges or medallions or other external recognitions that were indicative of our progress and development. Prior home and visiting teaching efforts were also somewhat scripted with a monthly message in the Ensign and a leader calling at the end of each month to see if you had made the visits you were assigned.

Parallel to the preparatory gospel is a second phase of learning and development we might call the "higher law" or the "fullness of the gospel". The principles of the gospel in this phase build upon and are inseparably connected with those of the preparatory gospel, yet here our discipleship is no longer transactional. We still obey the commandments with all of our hearts, but we do so because we love the Lord more than we expect a blessing. We learn to give without expecting anything in return because we love God's children and want to bless their lives (see John 13:34-35).

In the higher law, we abandon the checklists and formulas that sometimes lead to unrighteous judgements of others or assumptions that only a few of God's children will be saved. In their place, we learn to follow promptings of the spirit and act on the circumstances of the moment. We come to know the abundance of the Lord: that He who multiplied the loaves and fishes has blessings and salvation for "all the works of his hands" (D&C 76:43) and He has asked us to return to Him in groups.

Just as obedience is the appropriate focus of the preparatory gospel, with 613 commandments in the Law of Moses to practice that obedience, the fullness of the gospel, the Law of Christ, highlights only two: to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40). When two holders of the Melchizedek Priesthood lay their hands on someone's head to give them a blessing, demonstrating this love for God and their fellow man, the spirit guides their words accordingly. We are all likewise called to practice loving others and following the resulting promptings of the spirit as we gather together at church and as families, minister to one another, set goals with our children and youth, and begin to live the law of consecration with our time, talents, and resources.

Ultimately, we cannot be one with God without also striving to be of one heart and one mind with those around us. If God loves His children, and I testify that he does, than one way to be one with him is to strive to love those same children of our Heavenly Father. 

As he introduced the transition from home and visiting teaching to ministering, Elder Holland said:

Brothers and sisters, we have a heaven-sent opportunity as an entire Church to demonstrate ‘pure religion … undefiled before God’—'to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light’ and to ‘comfort those that stand in need of comfort,’ to minister to the widows and the fatherless, the married and the single, the strong and the distraught, the downtrodden and the robust, the happy and the sad—in short, all of us, every one of us, because we all need to feel the warm hand of friendship and hear the firm declaration of faith… As [we do so,] we lift our spiritual eyes toward living the law of love more universally."]

Can you imagine a society where each of us was one with ourselves, one with our spouses, one with God, and one with our fellowman? A society where we all brought our talents and experiences into perfect swing? I feel like I can only start to glimpse what that might be like and it is awesome in the truest sense of that word.

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.

The Lord Provides Abundantly When We Act

As a boy, I delighted in making my parents feel old. It got such a good reaction every time. I teased them about gray hairs and new wrinkles and the aches and pains that come with age. These were beyond the horizon of my own future and didn’t seem like anything I would ever need to worry about, but I had a lot of fun asking my parents if they remembered when the pyramids were built or if they knew anyone that fought in the Civil War.

Now I can testify of Alma’s words when he said, “that which ye do send out shall return unto you again” (Alma 41:15). As I continue to age, my kids have carefully observed all of the signs of my mortality and make sure I don’t forget about them. They used shocked voices to exclaim that I was “born in the 1900s” or that something I like is more than thirty years old. All of this is a just restoration of the judgements I once made of my parents.

What I did not anticipate is that my doctor would some day join the fray. I was chagrined recently when I complained about a few things I was experiencing and all he said was, “yeah, that happens.” As we talked, he reminded me of a few basic pillars of health that help all of us enjoy a better quality of life: We need to eat real food, get enough sleep each night, drink plenty of water, and be sure to exercise.

It is insightful to me to realize that none of these are things we can make happen on our own. We can plant seeds in fertile soil, but it is the Lord that makes nutritious grains, fruits, and vegetables grow. We can have a relaxing bedtime routine, but the Lord gives us the gift of sleep. We can dig a well, but the Lord sends the rain and snow to recharge the aquifers we use. We can go for a walk or a hike, but the Lord’s consecrated creation is what makes the right neurons fire or hormones flow so that exercise is a benefit our bodies.

King Benjamin taught that we depend on the Lord to provide our every breath and preserve our lives from moment to moment (Mosiah 2:21). Thankfully, the Lord who created the sands of the sea and the stars in the sky desires to bless us with his abundance.

King David declared:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever (Psalm 23).

Perhaps this is why the Lord taught the earliest missionaries that they should take “no thought for the morrow, for what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, or wherewithal ye shall be clothed… For your Father, who is in heaven, knoweth that you have need of all these things.” 

The Lord continued, “Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man" (D&C 84:80-85).

At the end of his fourteen-year mission to the Lamanites, Ammon confirmed that missionary success is a gift from God and not necessarily something that we earn on our own. “Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing—unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed; yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance” (Alma 26:22, emphasis added).

We have to plant the seed, but the Lord is the one that makes it grow. We have to dig the well, but the Lord is the one that makes the water flow. We have to enter the covenants of baptism and confirmation, but He is the one who blesses us with His spirit to be with us. We have to share our testimony with others, but the Lord carries it to their hearts and helps them know it is true. We have to go to the temple, but He is the one who reveals truth to our minds and hearts and unites our families for eternity.

The Lord provides for his faithful children even in the most difficult of circumstances. He provided the escape for the Israelites through the Red Sea and then made manna fall from heaven and water splurge from a rock to support them through the desert. Nephi wrote that, while his people endured many hardships in the wilderness, they were able to have children and “so great were the blessings of the Lord upon us, that while we did live upon raw meat in the wilderness, our women did give plenty of suck for their children, and were strong, yea, even like unto the men” (1 Nephi 17:2).

Nephi continued with his testimony that “thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness” (1 Nephi 17:3).

The Lord invites us to come partake of his abundance, to yoke ourselves to him so he can carry our burdens, and to ask, seek, and knock so that we might receive, find, and have His door opened unto us. But we must come, we must yoke ourselves to him, we must ask, seek, and knock, or at least we must give our best effort with faith that he will make up for any shortfalls we may have.

Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is not for the faint of heart. He expects that we will be tired sometimes, sacrifice some of our time and priorities, get a few grey hairs and experience some aches and pains as we strive, however imperfectly, to follow in his footsteps and do His work.

The secret, which I have only learned in what my children would call my “ripe old age,” is that it is not about us. The Lord has declared that He can do His own work. None of us could stop the work from progressing any more than we could stick our puny arm into the Mississippi River and change its course.

Yet, it is all about us. We are His Work and His Glory. He wants to provide us with strong testimonies and the protection of sacred covenants. He wants us to experience the thrill of revelation and the joy of helping someone change. He wants to provide the temporal things we need and teach us about service, sacrifice, and consecration. He wants to bless us with knowledge of the mysteries of His kingdom and inspiration that will help us better understand the world around us. He wants to provide all of this and more, ultimately, because He is our father and He, in his perfect love for us, wants us to not only return to live with him but to be exalted above the stars and enjoy the kind of life that He lives.

Living that kind of life, eternal life in the celestial kingdom of God, means we must first learn to make the choices that will lead us to exaltation. So He invites us to plant the seeds, make the covenants, share our burdens, and lose ourselves in coming to Him. He promises that, if we give our best effort and strive to keep the commandments, He will take it from there. He will provide. If we have been merciful, we will have mercy restored to us again. If we have been just, we will have justice restored to us again. If we have been good, we will have goodness as our reward. “For that which ye do send out shall return to you again, and be restored” (Alma 41:14-15).

For the record, I don’t remember when the pyramids were built and I have never met anyone who fought in the Civil War. But I have lived long enough to know by my own experience that God lives, that Jesus Christ is my Savior, that they want to bless us with greater abundance than we now enjoy, and that we can receive of that abundance as we make acting with greater faith and focus on our Savior a priority in our lives.

The Lord Will Deliver Us

"Nephi Bound" by Jeremy Windborg

There were many Sundays growing up when my family would gather on the couch to watch Charlton Heston play the part of Moses in The Ten Commandments. We watched a lot of westerns, so we knew Yul Brynner, who played the part of Ramses, was a formidable opponent. Though the movie doesn’t follow the scriptural account perfectly, we were always impressed by Joshua’s courage, disgusted with Dathan’s lack of values, disappointed in the hardness of the Pharoah’s heart, and amazed by the miracles the Lord used to deliver his people from Egypt.

Because we knew the story of Moses well, it became a standard for the faith we should have in our family. When difficult challenges came along, a parent or a sibling might say something like, “If the Lord could deliver the Israelites, don’t you think He can help you with the challenge you have now?”

Nephi gave the same encouragement to his murmuring brothers. They had left their home and all their precious things behind. Now, near the same Red Sea that the Lord parted to deliver the Israelites, they were commanded to return for the brass plates. Laman and Lemuel did not believe they could succeed, but Nephi urged them to have faith in the Lord. “Therefore let us go up;” he said, “let us be strong like unto Moses; for he truly spake unto the waters of the Red Sea and they divided hither and thither, and our fathers came through, out of captivity, on dry ground… Now behold ye know that this is true… wherefore can ye doubt? Let us go up; the Lord is able to deliver us, even as our fathers, and to destroy Laban, even as the Egyptians” (1 Nephi 4:2-3).

As readers of Nephi’s ancient record, we are promised in the introductory first chapter that Nephi would show us “that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance” (1 Nephi 1:20). We then learn that not only did the Lord deliver Nephi and his brothers from Laban through Nephi’s faithful action, but Nephi’s family was delivered from Jerusalem before it was destroyed because of the faith of his father, Zoram was delivered from servitude because of his faith in what Nephi taught him, Nephi was faithfully delivered from his brothers’ frequent persecutions, and future Gentiles, including many of our ancestors, would act on the promptings of the spirit to be delivered from captivity and cross the sea from Europe to the Americas.

In one of my favorite stories, Nephi, who says he was large in stature, is bound with cords. With his physical strength neutralized, Nephi’s strong faith won’t allow him to lose hope. He simply knows the Lord will deliver him, though he doesn’t seem to know exactly how, so he prays, “O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me the strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound” (1 Nephi 7:17).

Like Nephi, and maybe a lot of other guys, there are times when the only way I can see out of a dilemma is if I were to turn into some kind of superhero with the incredible strength of Superman or the Hulk. Nephi knew the Lord could do it; and undoubtedly the Lord could have answered Nephi’s prayer in this way. Instead, the Lord, whose ways are higher and often more subtle than our ways, answered Nephi’s prayer for deliverance by loosening the cords that held him captive.

Through Nephi’s life, the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt, other stories in the Book of Mormon, and often in our own lives, we can observe at least seven different ways the Lord delivers us. We are delivered when our own hearts are softened, as Nephi’s heart was softened to believe the words of his father (1 Nephi 2:16). Sometimes others’ hearts are softened, like the Pharoah’s daughter who retrieved Moses from the river and was moved to raise him as her own (Exodus 2:1-10).

The Lord can deliver us with strength to bear our physical, mental and emotional burdens, like the women in Nephi’s family who were able to bear, nurse and raise their children in the wilderness. The Lord can also give us a way to escape, especially when we pray to escape temptation, even if it means parting a metaphorical Red Sea to help us keep His commandments.

We can be delivered through inspiration to find a solution, as Nephi’s family was delivered from hunger when he learned how to craft a new bow. Or we may be delivered by someone else’s inspiration to help us, as Jethro was inspired to help Moses learn to delegate authority or Laman and Lemuel were inspired to help Nephi build a ship.

Finally, the Lord can deliver us from uncertainty, worry and fear through His miraculous power. The Lord blessed the Israelites with manna from heaven and water from the rock. He sent an angel to deliver Nephi from his abusive brothers. President Nelson has promised that “as [we] choose to let God prevail in [our] lives, [we] will experience for [ourselves] that our God is ‘a God of miracles’ (Mormon 9:11).”

Nephi also wrote so that we could find another kind of deliverance: “For the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved” (1 Nephi 6). In this purpose, Nephi is joined by all of the prophets who wrote upon the pages that became the Book of Mormon.

Mormon himself testified that the Book of Mormon was written to persuade those in our day “that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God,” that the biblical record of Christ’s ministry and Atonement are true, and that we should “repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and lay hold upon the gospel of Christ” (Mormon 5:14-15, 7:7-9). If we do this, we can be delivered from death and hell and “it shall be well with [us] in the day of judgment” (Moroni 7:10).

Nephi had experience with this kind of deliverance. He lamented that, “Notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities. I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me. And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins” (2 Nephi 4:17-19).

“Nevertheless,” he continues, “I know in whom I have trusted. My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep. He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh. He hath confounded mine enemies, unto the causing of them to quake before me. Behold, he hath heard my cry by day, and he hath given me knowledge by visions in the night-time” (2 Nephi 4:19-23).

Perhaps Nephi is the first author in the Book of Mormon so that we will know his story well and his faith can become a standard for the faith we should have in our lives. Like Nephi, our hearts have groaned because of our sins and we have struggled with some of the challenges that come into our lives. Nevertheless, as we let God prevail in our lives, He will deliver us as He delivered the children of Israel and as He delivered Nephi. He will deliver us from our own hard hearts and from others’ harmful intentions. He will calm our anxieties and help us escape temptation. He will deliver us from our unbelief and ignorance, our sin, and our regret. He will help us to have the courage of Joshua and to overcome even the most formidable of the opponents to our salvation.

Wooden Shoes and the Abundance of Christ

"Living Water" by Simon Dewey

Every year at Christmas, my family reads about the Miracleof the Wooden Shoes. The story takes place many years ago in Germany, where a boy named Walter grappled with the responsibilities of manhood after his father fell ill. He knew from his mother’s whispered conversations with the doctor that his father was dying and Walter wanted to help his family however he could. He began hoarding candle stubs that were discarded at school, digging for forgotten carrots and turnips in the frozen ground of the garden until his fingers were bloody, and searching for hours for a few dry sticks to heat his home. It was not enough; the house was still cold and their stomachs were empty. With so little, Walter was grown up enough to know that there would be no Christmas.

When December 5^th rolled around, Walter’s mother reminded him to set out his shoes for St. Nicholas Day. In Germany, St. Nicholas traditionally comes on December 6^th and fills the children’s shoes with candy. Walter didn’t want to upset his mother, so he made some noise to hide his rebellion and went to bed.

Early the next morning, Walter’s mother called him from the kitchen. “Schnell!” She called. “Quick! Come and see your wooden shoes.” He found them on the doorstep full of enough candles to help his mother finish her sewing at night. There were enough candles for a proper Advent wreath. With the candles was a scroll, tied with a festive red ribbon, which quoted John 8:12, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

Walter and his mother were astonished. Neither of them knew who had filled the shoes. It was a miracle.

The next morning, Walter woke first. He put on his coat and reached for his shoes so he could go find a few sticks for the stove, but his shoes were gone. He could not find them anywhere. Cautiously, he opened the front door and found them again on the doorstep, this time overflowing with sticks. More wood was stacked nearby. In one of his shoes was a scroll, tied with a festive red ribbon, which quoted Jeremiah 20:9, “His word was in mine heart as a burning fire.”

For the second time, Walter and his mother were surprised and grateful for the miracle they had received. Walter was able to build a fire hot enough to heat the whole house, even his father’s bed in the back room.

Walter’s shoes were on the front step the next morning, too. This time they were filled with bread, rolls, and lebkuchen. A pail of milk and a basket of fruits and vegetables stood behind the shoes. This time, the scroll quoted John 6:35, “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

As Walter went to bed on the third day he set out his shoes and hoped for another miracle, but when he awoke the shoes were empty. Walter’s father was getting worse, even with the warmth and the food in the house. They had enough to last a little while, but then what would they do?

That same day there was a knock on the door. On the porch were two missionaries. Walter had seen them in town. When they looked longingly at the warm fire, Walter knew he should let them in. One of the missionaries reached into his satchel and pulled out a small scroll tied with a festive red ribbon. Walter and his mother looked at each other in surprise as the missionary began to read a verse from John 11: “I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.”

Walter jumped to his feet and pointed at the scroll. “It was you!” he exclaimed. “You are the one who filled my shoes. You gave us the three scrolls.” The missionary shook his head in confusion. “I don’t know what you mean,” he replied. “I found this scroll in my shoes this morning with a note to visit your family today. I don’t know where it came from.”

Walter and his mother decided to listen to the missionaries as they taught them about a prophet named Joseph Smith who had restored Christ’s true church to the earth, including the keys of the priesthood. They gave Walter’s father a priesthood blessing and returned many more times to teach Walter and his family.

Walter’s father soon recovered and the family embraced the gospel message. One more scroll appeared on Christmas morning. Walter’s shoes were filled with chocolates and candy. The scroll read, “Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life” (2 Nephi 31:20).

Like Walter and his family, we all have five basic needs to sustain our lives: light, water, air, shelter, and food. Without one or more of these, we will not survive; and even when we have them today, we have no guarantees that we will have what we need to thrive tomorrow. Any of us could be affected by an illness, a turn in the economy, a wildfire, flood or drought, or some other change to our circumstances.

In a world of scarcity, where everything we need is consumable and fleeting, the Savior promises us eternal abundance and invites us to share that abundance with others.

Abinadi taught that “[Jesus Christ] 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 16:9). Joseph Smith wrote that Christ is, “the light and Redeemer of the world; the spirit of truth, … and in him was the life of men and the light of men” (D&C 93:9). “Therefore,” the Savior invites us to, “hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold, I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do” (3 Nephi 18:24).

At Jacob’s Well, the Savior taught that “Whosoever drinketh of this [well] shall thirst again, But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:9-15). He explained that “unto him that keepeth my commandments will I give the mysteries [or covenants] of my kingdom, and the same shall be in him a well of living water, springing up unto everlasting life” (D&C 63:23).

We are invited to follow the iron rod of His Word to “the fountain of living waters” (1 Nephi 11:25), where we may covenant to keep his commandments in the waters of baptism. He promises that “if [we] will come, [we] may, and partake of the waters of life freely” (D&C 10:66). As we do so, he also requires us to, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).

The Lord testified that He, “formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Moses 3:7). Jesus Christ is our Creator and “in him [is] life” (John 1:4). He preserves and sustains all living things by lending them breath from day to day and moment to moment (Genesis 7:22, Mosiah 2:21, Acts 17:25).

Yet, His work and His glory is the immortality and eternal life of each of us (Moses 1:39). He invites us to have unshaken faith in Him and “do the things which… your Lord and your Redeemer should do… For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost. And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life…” (2 Nephi 31:17-18). When we are converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ and steadfastly walking the covenant path, “having a perfect brightness of hope and a love of God and of all men” (1 Nephi 31:20), the Lord admonishes us to “strengthen [our] brethren” (Luke 22:32).

Our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, is “a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall” (Helaman 5:12). He testified, “I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward” (Genesis 15:1). He is the founder of the house of Israel, and of Zion, and he will gather us, “as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and return unto me will full purpose of heart” (3 Nephi 10:6).

In the shelter of His holy temples, we can rest from the cares of the world and enjoy peace, like a river, unto our souls (Isaiah 48:18, D&C 121:7). We can extend that peace to our families and others we have never met through vicarious ordinances. He promises that “in my Father’s house are many mansions” (John 14:2) and that one day, if we are faithful, we will be “received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where [we] shall rest from all [our] troubles and from all care and sorrow” (Alma 40:12) and return to a kingdom of eternal glory (D&C 76, Revelation 7:14-17).

Finally, the Lord testified that He is the bread of life (John 6:35). “Yea, he saith: Come unto me and ye shall partake of the fruit of the tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink of the bread and the waters of life freely; Yea, come unto me and bring forth works of righteousness” (Alma 5:34-35).

He invites us to feast of his abundance: to “feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do” (2 Nephi 32:3); to “lift up your heads and receive the pleasing word of God, and feast upon his love” (Jacob 3:2); and to “feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness” (2 Nephi 9:51).

When we have tasted of the bread of life, like manna from heaven, that fills our soul with “exceedingly great joy” (1 Nephi 8:11-12), we are also invited to bring forth works of righteousness in service to Him. “For the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye make walk guiltless before God,” King Benjamin advised, “I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants” (Mosiah 4:26). For “inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren,” the Savior taught, “ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40).

To His servant, Simon Peter, Christ taught that if we love him, we will feed his lambs and feed his sheep (John 21:15-17). To us, Peter echoed that we should, “feed the flock of God which is among you,” not by constraint, but by persuasion and by our own examples (1 Peter 5:2-3).

Without our Savior, Jesus Christ, we are like Walter and his family. We can figuratively dig in the frozen ground for forgotten carrots and search the forest for a few sticks, but the relative scarcity of even our best and most successful efforts cannot save us and our families from physical death nor the separation from God imposed by our own sinful behavior.

We need the abundance our Savior offers us through His servants. We need the light of his example, the unwilted strength of his covenants, the life his breath sustains, the shelter of His gospel, and the nutrition of his word. He offers everything we need to live, temporally and spiritually—everything we need to overcome sin and death—in such abundance that, if we are faithful, “there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10).

Jesus Christ is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), but is he the way we have chosen, the truth we believe, and the center of the life we live? Do we recognize the miracles in our lives? When he stands knocking at the figurative door of our lives (Revelation 3:20), do we let him in and allow him to teach us how to change? Do we study and live His gospel with scarcity, maybe on Sundays or certain holidays, or do we strive to consecrate all that we have throughout the year and during each day to taste of His fruit, hold up His light, and feed His lambs?

Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life, the light of the world, the living water, the breath of life, a sure foundation and shelter from the storm, and the bread of life. Because He lives, there is healing for our sicknesses and heartaches. Because He lives, we can be forgiven for our sins and strengthened in our shortcomings. Because He lives, His church is restored with covenants and ordinances to unite our families with His love. Because He lives, we can live eternally in the presence and glory of God. Because of a sacred, silent night in Bethlehem, there will be a Christmas this year and we can live each day in the abundance provided by our Savior, Jesus Christ.