John 10

Chapter 10

The parable of the good shepherd teaches how much the Savior wants to protect and care for us. A shepherd's fold is an enclosing with walls. At night, a shepherd leads the sheep through the fold's door where they are protected from wolves and other predators. The shepherd remains at the door so that nothing can go in and no sheep stray out while the sheep are in the fold. This metaphor works really well and when he says he has sheep that are not of this fold, then that means there are other folds and he will speak to and lead the sheep of these other folds. Eventually, gather them all into one and that is what is happening now with the restoration. In third Nephi, the Savior tells the Nephites that when he said to the people in Jerusalem that he had other sheep in other folds, he was speaking of them and the other tribes of Israel.

As you probably know, shepherds in the middle east have a name for each of their sheep. The sheep know the shepherd's voice and will follow him wherever he leads them. That's different from this country where the sheep are driven. A hireling is someone who is paid to watch the sheep take the place of the shepherd when he can't be there. Good shepherds don't hire someone else to watch their sheep because the sheep won't know the hireling; they don't recognize his voice and sill not follow him. And if danger arose, the hireling would protect himself first and flee leaving the sheep unprotected because he doesn't care about the sheep. But a good shepherd loves his sheep and will lay down his life for them if he has to.

The Savior says he knows each of his sheep and his sheep know his voice and follow him. He says that he is the good shepherd and he will lay down his life for his sheep. The Jews seem to get tired of hearing things in parable and they essentially say, "Look, just tell us in plain language. Are you the Christ or not?" The Savior tells them if they were his sheep, they would recognize his voice and follow him. These Jews don't believe so they are not of his sheep.

When we read the scriptures prayerfully, when we listen with open ears to the prophets and apostles, the Savior's truth will ring true in our hearts. That is recognizing the voice of the good shepherd. We can feel that it is right and true.

Many churches use verse 30 as proof of the doctrine of the trinity. But if you cross reference that verse with John 14:20-21, you can see what the Savior means by being "one."