On the afternoon of the first Easter, two believers walked from Jerusalem to Emmaus, about 7.5 miles. A stranger joined them who seemed to know nothing about the events of the weekend in Jerusalem. When they shared their disillusionment at the death of Jesus and their bewilderment about reports that He was alive, the stranger... Continue Reading →
Acquainted with Grief
Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3, Mosiah 14:3) The word translated "sorrows" in this passage—makobot (מַכְאֹב֖וֹת)—means literally "pains," and the word translated "grief"—choli (חֱלִי)—means "sickness," so the passage is as much about physical suffering as it is about emotional anguish. Alma's reference to this passage... Continue Reading →
The Bitter Cup
King David described the agony of having no one to comfort you in your adversity: I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.Psalm 69:20-21 Jesus repeatedly spoke of a cup filled with bitter liquid... Continue Reading →
Forsaken
King David opens the 22nd psalm with a desperate cry: My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?Psalm 22:1 By the end of the psalm, he reaffirms his conviction that God doesn't forget His children, but at first, we just hear his poignant cry of anguish. O... Continue Reading →
The Passover
The tenth and final plague which afflicted the Egyptians and which resulted in the liberation of the Israelites was the death of the oldest child in each family. Israelite families were spared, but only if they followed Moses' instruction to kill a lamb and mark their doorposts with its blood. The lamb had to be... Continue Reading →
The Living Christ and the Book of Mormon
The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles is a proclamation published by leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 1 January 2000. The document speaks of the Savior's mission before birth, during His mortal ministry, and after His death and resurrection, including in our day. It also testifies that He... Continue Reading →
The Healer
During the Savior's mortal ministry, He was known as a miraculous healer. And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them:Matthew 15:30 Jesus also healed unseen wounds. To the man who was paralyzed, He first said,... Continue Reading →
Brokenhearted
The Greek word syntetrimmenous (συντετριμμένους) means crushed, shattered, or broken into tiny pieces. So when the Savior read Isaiah's prophecy, declaring that God had sent Him to "heal the brokenhearted" (iasasthai tous syntetrimmenous ten kardian) (Luke 4:18, see also Isaiah 61:1), he wasn't talking about a small injury or a minor bruise. He was talking... Continue Reading →
Babylon
Don't get attached to temporary things. That's the message I hear when I read about the destruction of Babylon. A center of commerce and the capital of the powerful Babylonian Empire, the city of Babylon was formidable. The apostle John conveyed the enormity of the city's economy with the following list of things bought and... Continue Reading →
Anointed
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;Isaiah 61:1 To anoint is to "smear or rub with oil, typically as part of a religious ceremony," and is often associated with a person taking on a significant... Continue Reading →
Book of Mormon Study Notes 