Revelations 20 and 21

Revelation 21

John sees the New Jerusalem, which is the City of Enoch, come down from Heaven and be established on earth. He compares it to jewels and other precious things in his attempt to describe it. One thing that is impressive is the size of the city. Each side is 1400 miles long, or the distance from Salt Lake to Minneapolis, and is 1400 miles high. The Savior will govern the city and visit it from time to time. The earth will be changed from a telestial state to a terrestial one. Parley P. Pratt said we can expect this world to be material with trees, rivers, vegetation, animals, temples, and food (I like that one), as well families who will eat, drink, play, and worship with. We will enjoy neighborhoods, cities and towns.

God the Father and his Son occupy the eternal throne and their love proceeds from it to the people. All of the posterity of Adam and Eve will partake of the fruit of the tree of life and enjoy wonderful promised blessings that are so worth working for. John says that God himself shall be with them and be their God. He will “wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Revelation 22

John’s writings, including Revelation, all have the underlying theme of love, the need for us to love each other and the love that Father and Son have for us. This is sometimes lost to some because of the actions of family and church members. But John teaches that while the love of people can fall short, God’s love never falters or fails.

Verses 18 and 19 are sometimes used by other religions to prove that there can be no additional scripture added to the Bible. They use the words “If any man shall add unto these things” and “if any man shall take away from the words of the book.” But in each of the verses it says “the prophecies of this book,” meaning the Book of Revelation. If it had meant the Bible, we would have to do away with the John’s gospel and 1st, 2nd and 3rd John which were written after Revelation. The Lord says the same thing in Deuteronomy 4:2. If what it says in Deuteronomy applied to more than just that book, all scripture after it would have to be done away with.

The Book of Revelation is both perplexing and wonderful. While some verses in the Book of Revelation are difficult to understand and some we do not know the meaning of, it still has much that can be understood and contains things that are not found anywhere else in scripture. A careful reading will reveal much that will increase our faith and understanding as well as our hope for many wonderful things that are yet to come. All other prophets who were given a vision of these things were commanded not to write about what they had seen. But the Lord gave specific instructions to John to share his vision with the saints. John’s challenge was to put into words the things that he saw. The difficulty is in describing heavenly things for which there are no earthly words.

Revelations 18, 19 and 20

Revelation 18
The righteous are called to come out of Babylon. None of those who stay can be saved because they would not change their life so they could be saved. Babylon represents the perversion of all that is good. Lust is substituted for joy, passion for happiness, security is sought in materialism. The attitude is "He that dies with the most toys, wins" is the rule. Babylon could easily be substituted for Las Vegas, New York, or other cities where the pursuit of wealth and pleasure are perverted and the people grow rich while the poor suffer through no fault of their own.

Revelation 19
The second coming of Christ is described here and in other parts of scripture as as marriage feast. I like the symbolism because marriage requires commitment, fidelity or being true to each other, and being long suffering. The fine white linen of the feast is symbolic of the purity of the saints. As it says in Isaiah, "put on thy beautiful garments, O daughter of Zion; and strengthen they stakes and enlarge thy borders forever."

Verse 10 says that "the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Moses once wished "that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them" meaning he wished that all of them had a testimony of the Savior. The essence of a prophet is his testimony of the Savior and his desire to bear testimony his atonement.

In Jerusalem, the Savior rode into the city on a donkey symbolizing humility and peace as well as royalty. At his second coming, he is portrayed as riding a white conquering horse. Unlike many pictures which show him wearing a white robe, he will be robed in red symbolizing the blood he shed in his atonement. The scriptures say "I have trodden the winepress alone." The pressure of the atonement caused him to bleed at every pore just as the juice is squeezed from the grapes in a wine vat. Now he comes to bring vengeance and death to billions of people who are wicked and deserve the justice of God.

Revelation 20
Satan and his followers will be bound for a thousand years. What will make him bound and powerless is the righteousness of the people. The faithful saints will be resurrected at the beginning of the Millennium during which they will continue their work to help in the redemption of all people. At the end of the Millennium will be the great and last battle of Gog and Magog. Satan will have been loosed for a brief time to tempt those who have been born and lived during the thousand years. Then Michael will once again lead the forces of good and defeat Satan for the final time. In the end, Satan and his followers are "cast into a lake of fire and brimstone." Brimstone is sulphur, a yellow-green and highly combustible substance found commonly along the shores of the dead sea. It is used to make matches and gun powder. When lit, it turns into a liquid and burns at a high temperature while producing a sharp and suffocating smoke. In those days, probably no worse fate could be imagined than someone being thrown into a lake burning with brimstone.

At the end of the Millennium will be a final judgment where all will be judged according to their works.

Revelations 16 and 17

In chapter 16, the previously mentioned seven plagues are poured out upon the earth upon the wicked which the verses say they are worthy of. Another translation is they get what they deserve. Evil spirits gather together to work great miracles and the place where they gather is Armageddon, which in Hebrew is Har Megiddo or the mound of Megiddo. Megiddo was a fortress city at the western end of the Jezreel Valley between Galilee and Samaria. Many ancient battles were fought there and its name is attached to the great last battle of this world. Today, Megiddo is a large mound that is being excavated by archeologists.

The seven plagues to be poured on the wicked are:

1. A grievous sore

2. Sea of blood

3. Rivers and fountains changed to blood

4. Scorching heat

5. Darkness and pain

6. Unclean spirits unleashed

7. Earthquake and hail

A last great earthquake (five are mentioned in the scriptures) will occur that will be the greatest the earth has seen. It will be so large that the tectonic plates of the earth will shift to the degree that the continents will come back together and unite as one land mass as they originally were. This is when islands and mountains will be no longer be as they were.

Revelation 17

John was shown the great whore of the earth, represented by a woman, which is the devil’s church or kingdom, or the combined forces of evil. 1 Nephi describes the kingdom of the devil as “all churches which are built up to get gain, and all those who are built up to get power over the flesh, and those who are built up to become popular in the eyes of the world, and those who seek the lusts of the flesh, and the things of the world, and to do all manner of iniquity.” (1 Nephi 22:22-23) The woman is wearing scarlet and purple, a color that represented royalty but also identified things that are evil and sinful. A scarlet robe was placed on the Savior when the Roman soldiers mocked him.

Revelations 14 and 15

The Savior will stand on Mount Zion (Missouri) with the 144,000 leaders who represent the 12 tribes of Israel. John sees angels who are prepared to reap judgment on the earth. Those who are evil will be destroyed and their misery after this life is depicted as being a torment that will last forever. He also sees angels ready to pour plagues upon the earth. One interesting note is that it says our works will follow us after this life. If we have lived righteously, only our righteous works will follow us because the atonement has taken care of those times when we have sinned. The wicked will have only their wicked acts follow them and their good acts will not be of any value or help to them. I believe that both the wicked and the righteous will be overwhelmed with the Savior's and God's love. This will cause the wicked to want to "shrink from his presence". But the righteous will stand in awe and sing praises to him because we will be so filled with love and gratitude. We all love a hero who can vanquish the bad people and make everything right. We long for justice, the right, and love to prevail. After this life, we will find out who our true hero has been all along.

Revelations 13

The beast that rises up out of the sea in this chapter could represent something in our time, but probably represents the Roman Empire in John's time. Another beast rises that is like unto the lamb. It is given great power, worships the dragon who is the devil, and is able to do many miracles. As was the custom of the day, slaves were marked in the palm of the hand or in the head to show their complete dedication and devotion to their masters. Those of this kingdom who follow Satan are marked in the same way with the number 666 which is short of the number 7. We do not know the significance of the 666 number. There is a marked division of the righteous and wicked in these chapters.

Revelations 12

This is a very revealing chapter. The woman symbolizes the church and the dragon symbolizes the Satan. The war in heaven is as clearly put forth as in any verses of the Bible. Michael, or Adam, and the hosts of heaven fight against Satan and the one third of the hosts of heaven who followed him. Satan and his hosts are defeated and cast down from heaven to the earth. What is interesting is how Satan was defeated. It also tells us the level of spiritual strength we had gained in the pre-mortal life. We were part of the hosts who fought with Michael and the way in which we overcame Satan was by the atonement, the strength of our testimonies, and our willingness to sacrifice all things. It says we "loved not [our] own lives unto death." And that is the way that we overcome him now. This chapter describes how Satan knows his time is short and how he is extremely angered and continues the war here. He is angered because he hates the Father, and because he will never have a body, a wife, a family, a posterity, and will never be exalted to any degree of glory. The last verse tells who Satan wars against. It is the members of the church, "those who keep the commandments of God and have a testimony of Jesus Christ."

Revelations 10 and 11

Chapter 10 is a pause in the events John is seeing. John is going to be given a mission and an angel appears with a small book which John is told to internalize by eating. The book tastes sweet but is bitter which must mean that the mission is important but will be difficult to experience. Ezekiel was also given a book to eat in the Old Testament. Seven angels recite (thunder) seven periods in the earths history and John is told his future mission is to gather the 12 tribes.

Chapter 11
A second "woe" is announced and this is the slaying of two prophets in the streets of Jerusalem. The Holy City is to be overrun by the gentiles for 42 months or 1260 days which are representative of the apostasy. This number may be symbolic or literal. The prophets are given great powers that are similar to the powers that were given to Moses and Elijah. The ministry of the prophets lasts for 42 months and then they are slain and their bodies are left in the streets for three and a half days. The three and a half months and three and a half days are half of the number seven which represents perfection. Maybe this means there mission was cut short. With the death of the prophets, the people celebrate that they are no longer tormented by the prophets. But when the propehets are resurrected on the spot and seen by the people ascending into heaven, they are filled with fear. Great fear comes upon them and then a third "woe" begins with an earthquake that destroys much of the city. Verse 15 has the words Handel used in the Hallelujah Chorus of the Messiah, "And he shall reign for ever and ever." John learns that Christ's government will replace all governments on earth.

Revelations 8 and 9

Starting with chapter 8, the focus is on events that occur in the seventh of the thousand year periods. The events in this chapter and the next cover events before the second coming. There are a series of woes that are going to happen prior to the second coming and the beginning of the millennium, sometime after this thousand year period begins. The millennium actually begins when the Lord commences his rule on the earth. His reign could actually begin prior to the second coming in Adam Ondi Ahman when Adam returns with all of the previous prophets and they give back the keys that the Savioir gave them.

There are a series of woes that must happen first and because of them, the Lord's second coming is delayed. So we are at the beginning of the seventh period, but many things must occur before the second coming. One of the signs is silence in heaven for a half-hour. Reckoning by the Lord's time of a day equals a thousand years, this could be 21 days. We don't know what this signifies. But in the Book of Mormon, there was silence for many hours after the destruction that followed the Lord's crucifixion. Seven trumpets signal the pouring out of judgments or woes. There will be an earthquake of major proportions and it appears there will be a worldwide devastating war. I personally think that the fires refer to nuclear war.

The description of the war includes the last battle called Armageddon where an innumerable host of armies and weapons will appear. They are symbolized as locusts that will devour the earth for five months. Five months is the actual lifespan of a locust. The destructive forces are lead by Satan and the wicked, one third of the world's population, will be destroyed. Like the Book of Mormon, in spite of all that is happening, the wicked still will not change and repent. The righteous, those marked in the head, will be saved. I relate this to the temple ordinances. Some wonder if some of the descriptions given by John are attempts to describe modern weapons and things such as missiles, jets, etc., that would be incomprehensible to him.

Revelations 6 and 7

These chapters go together and in them each of the seven seals are opened. Each seal represents a thousand years of the earth's existence.

The first seal represents the time of Adam and Enoch. It is symbolized by a white horse representing the triumph of righteousness over evil. It is in that time that Enoch and the people reached a level of righteousness that enabled them to walk with God and their whole city was taken up to heaven.

The second thousand years is the time of Noah and the flood destroying nearly all life. It is symbolized by a red horse of death.

The third thousand years is the time of Abraham. It is the time that Israel were slaves to Egypt until they were able to flee Egypt. It is a time of many famines and is symbolized by a black horse of famine.

The fourth represents the time of the great empires such as the Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek and Roman. It is when the ten tribes of Israel were scattered and is symbolized by a pale horse of death.

The fifth thousand years is the time of the Savior's life, crucifixion and resurrection, and the destruction of Jerusalem. John sees his brethren, the apostles, who were martyred because of their testimonies of the Savior.

With the sixth thousand years, the restoration of the gospel occurs in preparation for the second coming. The signs of the second coming are seen such as a great earthquake and other catastrophic events that will occur.

The seventh thousand years represents the millennium where all of the righteous are gathered and the earth is able to rest. The 144,000 are servants who have their calling and election made sure (sealed by God in their foreheads). All of the other righteous are clothed in white robes and carry palms that represent their triumph over the world and John sees them standing before God and this throne. The last verses of this chapter describe these people overcome all things through their righteousness. "These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the lamb." These wonderful promises are given to them, "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them into living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."

Revelations 4 and 5

Revelations 4
Chapter 4 begins John's vision of the history of the earth. Chapters 4 and 5 are the introduction. It is in these chapters that symbolism becomes difficult and strange. It reminds me of how the temple ordinances seem different and strange the first times we go. But gradually, we learn and understand something each time we go and the symbols become more meaningful and sacred. These chapters show that in creating the earth, God knew the end from the beginning He created all things and organized the earth's existence placing everything and everyone upon it at appropriate times. While he knew what each person would do, he did not interfere with their agency. In this chapter, 24 elders are mentioned and these are leaders of the seven churches. The earth is seen as a sanctified sea of glass and celestial animals surround the throne of the Savior.

Revelations 5
John sees that the earth will receive salvation, not by a lion but by a lamb. Only John referred to the Savior as the lamb of God. John sees the Savior symbolically as a lamb with 12 horns and 12 eyes. The horns are symbolic of his omnipotence and the eyes are symbolic of his omniscience and he learns that only Christ could make an infinite atonement. Incense is symbolically seen as the prayers of the saints rising to heaven and he sees that kings and priests will rule on a celestialized earth. A book is shown to John that is sealed with seven seals, each seal representing a thousand years of the earth's history. John weeps because no one is found worthy to open the book to initiate the Lord's plan to open earth life and then redeem the people who will populate it. There is rejoicing in heaven when the Savior is shown to be the one worthy to do that. John also sees millions of saved beasts from millions of earths.

Revelation 3

The last three of the seven churches are addressed. The church at Laodicea is spoken to the most harshly. Because they are neither hot or cold, the Lord says he will spew them out of his mouth. The Greek word for spew is vomit. Hot and cold does not refer to being cool to the gospel or strongly converted. There is no evidence that the words cold and hot were used metaphorically the way we use them. There were two types of water in Laodicea. Cool waters came from springs and hot mineral waters that were healing in nature were also available because this area was near hot springs fed by an earthquake fault. Both waters were piped into the city and both the cool and hot water were useful and refreshing. The other type of water around Laodicea was a tepid water that caused vomiting if it was drunk. This reference to the waters would have been very meaningful to the Laodiceans. They are not the good cold and hot waters, but their works are sick and the Lord will have no part of them.

In contrast, the blessings promised to the righteous of the three cities are nearly all temple related. They will be clothed in white raiment and will walk with the Lord in white. Their names will never be blotted out of the Book of Life and the Savior will confess them before the Father. They will be from temptation. They will become a pillar in the temple. The pillar represents stability and safety. Philadelphia was subject to severe earthquakes and had suffered a devastating one as recently as 17 A.D. The promise of strength and stability would have been meaningful to them. The righteous will be called in the name of God and given a new name. Their eyes will be anointed so that they see.

Finally, the Lord says that he is continually calling to us. He is at the door knocking, asking us to open our hearts and lives to him. If we do, he will come in and be with us and he will eat with us at our tables. He will invite us to come to his throne and sit down with him.

Revelation 2

Chapter 2 begins individual messages from Christ to each of the seven churches. The seven churches are representative of all churches. Each of the churches addressed in this chapter are commended for their faithfulness, but also warned. One warning to Ephesus and the other churches is to beware of the Nicolaitans who are amongst them. These are evidently people who teach a compromise between Christianity and pagan clubs and societies. They put Christ and Caesar Augustus on equal footing. They are warned against false prophets and apostles and immoral behavior. To all seven churches promises are made to every person who "overcometh." The verb "overcometh" comes from the Greek work Nike which means victory. All of the promises relate to temple worship: the tree of life, the crown of life, the hidden manna and the new name, the morning star, the white raiment, the pillar in the temple, the feast, the marriage supper of the Lamb. The promises include the receiving of "a white stone on which a new name is written, which no man knoweth saying he that receiveth it. As explained in D&"C 93:49, this is a Urim and Thumin that is given to all of those who enter the celestial kingdom.

It's amazing to me how much the warnings then are similar to what the prophets teach today. In the times of Roman rule, the people were commanded to worship Caesar and call him savior. Immorality wasn't just condoned but was a part of religious worship, it was a major part of their entertainment, and marriage and the family were disintegrating. Homosexuality was not only condoned but glorified. The "great" teachers preached rationalization and intellectualism that mocked Christian beliefs. In another one hundred years, the Roman empire, the greatest empire the world had ever seen, would collapse. I think it is naive to not see the parallels between history and our society today, and not realize that we are headed down the same path and will experience the same results. We have our own false prophets and teachers, many of whom are our government leaders. If we are wise, we will stand back and see things are they really are. We can't be like the Nicolaitans and have one foot in religion and one foot in the world.

Revelation 1

Revelation 1
The Book of Revelation was written by John while he was banished to the island of Patmos, an island that is 6 by 10 miles in size and about 60 miles southwest of Ephesus. It was used a prison. One account written about 100 A.D. says that John was lowered into boiling oil but came out unharmed so since he couldn't be killed he was banished. The book is full of symbols so that only those who had the Spirit would be able to understand what John was saying. It also jumps back and forth from one time frame to another making it hard to follow. The Book of Revelation is the vision given to John. It is a vision of the "big picture" similar to those given to other prophets. The difference is, those prophets were commanded to seal it up and not speak of it. John protects it by using symbols that are hard for those not in the Spirit to understand.

John hears the voice of Christ and turns and sees him. There are seven candle sticks and these are the seven churches this is being written to. They are symbolized as candle sticks because from these seven churches the light of the gospel is to be taken. Also with the Savior is a two-edged sword. One edge is to cut the wicked to their very core, the other edge is to pierce the hearts of the righteous with the truth by the power of the Spirit. The number seven is used 54 times in Revelation. It represents completeness. In this chapter seven angels (also called stars) are mentioned. Joseph Smith substituted the word servants for angels meaning servants or leaders of the seven churches.

Another important change in the JST occurs in verse 7 where it is describing the second coming the Savior. Rather than all people shall wail at his coming, the JST says that all of the wicked will wail, especially those who crucified him. I believe that this isn't just referring to those who crucified the Savior at the time he was on the earth, but those who crucify him anew, as it's described in the scriptures, through their denial of him and persecution of those who do believe.

2 and 3 John

2 & 3 John
John refers to himself as "the elder" and in 2 John he is writing to an "elect lady." This could be the church, but more likely is a woman, possibly a member of his family, maybe even his wife. Joseph Smith referred to Emma as an "elect lady." Gaius, who John addresses 3 John to, is a very common name for a Roman man. He was probably a local leader. John writes briefly to both of these people saying he will speak more when he sees them in person. The message of both epistles is to love others and to not follow those who would deceive and deny the reality of Christ, who he was and what he did. Like Korihor and others in the Book of Mormon, these people deny living prophets, revelation, and ecclesiastical authority. They twist the scriptures to their own purposes promoting doubt and skepticism. Usually they do this for power and material gain.

Jude
Jude was another half-brother of Jesus. His actual name is Judas, but is called to Jude to differentiate him from Judas Iscariot. We do not know what his calling in the church was, but what he teaches is a strong witness to the doctrines of the restored gospel. Jude first confirms the apostasy that is taking place and being caused by wicked men who have entered into the leadership of the church. In verse 6, he refers to the premortal life and what happened to those who chose to follow Satan there and their eventual fate of being consigned to outer darkness. Jude speaks of how Satan contended with Michael, the archangel over the body of Moses. Jude appears to be quoting from an apocryphal work called "The Assumption of Moses" where Satan contends that he being lord of the material world, has the right of seeing after Moses' body. Michael overrules Satan and charges him with tempting Eve in the garden. Jude also talks about the second coming of Christ in terms different than what is found in the Bible. He also points out that the danger to the church comes more from within than without.

1 John 3,4, and 5

1 John 3
Verse 2 tells us that we can become like God. We cannot see that potential right now. But when the day of resurrection comes and we are in his presence, we will see him in his resurrected glory and see that we are resurrected in the same manner he is with all of the divine potential that children of God have to become like their heavenly parents.

Verse 4 gives a succinct definition of sin. It is the transgression of law. I think it helps to look at the laws of God in the same manner we look at other laws such as the law of gravity or other physical laws that govern the universe. We can use those laws to better our lives, or we can transgress them to our detriment. The laws of God are no different. We can use them to better our lives or we can transgress them which will bring negative consequences. The consequences are that we stunt our ability to grow and mature into what we were created to be. In a sense we are like plants who control their own growth. We can nourish the plant with nutrients and sunlight or neglect to feed it and stunt its growth so that it never reaches it full stature and blooms in it's full glory.

The JST makes an important correction in verses 6-9. Rather than saying that people who have been born again "cannot sin," Joseph Smith used "continue in sin" which makes much more sense. Verse 11 is always the message of John. You can see why he was called the beloved.

1 John 4
This is one of my favorite chapters and one of the most beautiful in all of scripture. It explains the relationship between loving each other and loving God. To highlight what he says:

God is love and if we love others, God can dwell in us and the way we know if He dwells in us is through the Holy Ghost.

If we do not love, we cannot know Him. And in loving God, we come to realize how much He loved us to begin with.

Love is of God; through our love we are born of God, and if we love God and are born of Him, we can know Him.

The greatest manifestation of His love for us was His sending his Son.

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear. And as it says in the beginning of Chapter 5, if we love him, it is natural for us to want to keep the commandments.

1 John 5
The words "and these three are one" were not in the original Greek manuscripts but added later by the translators. The Father, Son and Holy Ghost are one in purpose, but are distinctly separate members of the Godhead.

Water, blood and the Spirit are the three elements of our physical birth into our families of this world, and they are the three elements of our spiritual birth into God's family. With our physical birth, it is necessary to have the water of the womb, the issue of blood, and our spirits entering our bodies at some point prior. With our spiritual birth, we come forth in the same manner, out of the waters of baptism, the blood of Christ cleanses us from sin, and the Spirit confirms and ratifies the act.

John tells us he has written what he has so we can believe and know the Savior, that there is eternal life, that God hears us and will answer our prayers. Then he closes this epistle by saying he knows that "the Son of God is come, and hath given us understanding, and that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his son Jesus Christ."

1 John 1 and 2

1 John 1
John is the apostle that Jesus had a special love for. His gospel is one of the most popular gospels and these three epistles show him to be kind, tender and loving. More than any other gospel author, John talks of love and light. In this chapter he bears witness of the Father and the Son. Of the resurrected Savior he says we heard him, , we saw him with our own eyes, and felt him with our hands. There is no doubt in what he says.

There is an interesting relationship between light and sin in this chapter. If we walk in the light there will be no darkness in us. We will see clearly. And one of the things we will see clearly is that we are not without sin. "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." But the great promise to each one of us is, if we walk in the light, the Savior's blood cleanses us from our sin. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Not from some our sin, but all.

1 John 2
Since all of us sin, John wants us to know two or three important things. "If any man sin and repent, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." We can know he is the Savior, John says, if we keep his commandments. Plus, "whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected." This is one of the great reasons he says in verses 15-17 that we not love the lustful ways of the world. "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." In verse 2, he tells us for whose sins he suffered. He didn't suffer for only a few, only for the elect, but for the whole world. If he suffered for the sins of every person, that tells me he wants to save every person. So to enact a plan of salvation for just a few doesn't make sense. If suffered for all, he loves all, and provides a way for all to eventually have the opportunity to be saved.

In this epistle, John is writing to all ages. He speaks to those who are parents, to those who are young adults, and to children. He is writing in reaction to gnostics who have left the church and are teaching apostate doctrines. Gnostics believe that anything to do with the body is sin and everything to do with the spirit is righteousness. To speak of a resurrected, glorified body goes against everything spiritual so they deny Christ because of his resurrection. I find that similar to many of the Christian teachings today to deny the resurrected body of Christ which Paul says he will never lay down again. The physical resurrection is one of the great gifts of the atonement and the promise of our bodily resurrection is throughout scripture. John teaches that they do not need to be confused about these teachings because they have an unction, or anointing, which teaches them all things. Some interpret this to be the Holy Ghost. Others teach it is the anointing given in the temple. I tend to think it is the Holy Ghost.

2 Peter 3

Peter warns the saints in our day to not let those who scoff about the second coming cause doubts in their minds. The second coming is imminent, but it will happen according to the Lord's time. He warns that these people are ignorant of the scriptures. They do not understand that by not knowing of what the scriptures actually say, they twist them to their own destruction. The wicked would have great reason to fear regarding the second coming if they knew the truth concerning it. The righteous have no need to fear if they are prepared. But of one thing we should have no doubt. There will be a second coming and never have the signs given in the scriptures been more exact than in our day.

2 Peter 1 and 2

2 Peter 1
I think this chapter is one of the great chapters of the New Testament. Joseph Smith often quoted this chapter. In verses 13-14, Peter writes that he knows he will die soon and knows he is going to be crucified like the Savior was. Eventually, he will say he is unworthy to be crucified like the Savior and will ask to be crucified upside down. The three chapters in this epistle are most likely the last words he ever wrote to the saints. Knowing this, he obviously these words to be important for us.

Peter says that all things needed for this life and the way we should live it have been given to us by God's divine power. We have been given great and precious promises, he says, that will enable us to be partakers of God's divine nature and to escape all of the corruption of the world that comes from lust. If we diligently seek to add to virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity to our faith. I personally think these are put in a step by step order because it is logical that we first must obtain faith, and then the demonstration of our faith is a virtuous life. Then we are in a place where we can receive divine knowledge, and so on. If we obtain these traits in our life, he promises we will not be unprofitable or lacking in our knowledge of the Savior. If we fail to follow this path, he says we're like a blind person with no vision for our life or its future. But if we pursue that path, our calling and election will be made sure (this is the Savior's guarantee of exaltation which is given through the second endowment), and we will never fail. Those are great promises.

Peter bears testimony of his own divine knowledge and how he obtained it. He bears testimony that he heard the voice of the Father say "This is my beloved Son" on the Mount of Transfiguration, that he hasn't been following fables but was an eye witness to the Savior's resurrection. He bears witness that he has a sure knowledge of the prophecies and that if we heed these things, it will be like a light shining in a dark place and eventually the day star will arise in our hearts. The words "day star" are full of symbolism. They can mean the Savior. They can represent the light of knowledge of his divinity that can arise in our hearts.

Peter then tells us that underlying his knowledge is the principle that no prophecy, no scripture, is of private interpretation, but must come from those who are holy men of God who speak as they are moved by the Holy Ghost. The word "private" is interpreted from the Greek word "idios" which means "his own." In other words, no scripture or prophecy of the scripture can be put into one's own interpretation. Only those who have been called and ordained in the same manner that Peter was can do this. It is, as Peter says, the apostles and prophets, holy men, who have the "more sure word of prophecy."

2 Peter 2
Peter then warns of false prophets and teachers among the people. He delivers a scathing condemnation of those who teach falsely, especially those who teach and promote that freedom really comes by not being bound by commandments of righteousness and by uninhibited self expression through sexual sins. These people, he says, feast on others, have eyes full of adultery, and cannot cease from their own sins. He says they are wells without water; they entice with their swelling words and lusts for sex, but the liberty they promise is false because they are prisoners of their own sin and corruption. These are members of the church who aving once been faithful, now their fate is worse than had they not known of the Lord and the gospel. They are like the dog who turns and eats his own vomit, and the pig, who having been washed, returns to wallow in the mud. The dog and the pig are symbolic of those who are cleansed of all that is spiritually sick in them, but having been cleansed, they return to the very thing they once desired to be cleansed of.

1 Peter 3 through 5

1 Peter 3
Peter gives similar counsel to Paul's about the relationship of wives and husbands. Peter also counsels women who are married to men who are inactive to be patient and through their example they may be able to win them over. Verses 18-20 are difficult for other churches to explain, but with the restored gospel these verses are very logical and easy to understand. The Savior, after his death, went and preached to the spirits in prison, specifically those who had been disobedient in Noah's time. There are other writings such as those of Hermas, whose brother was a bishop in Rome that talk about preaching to those who have died. Hermas' writings say that after the death of the apostles, they went and preached to those who had fallen asleep before them.

1 Peter 4
Verse 6, which is related to 3:18-20), tells why the gospel is preached to the dead, "so they might be judged according to men in the flesh (be judged for their works while alive), but live according to God in the spirit." This makes it plain that there is yet hope after this life. A loving Heavenly Father understands that there are circumstances that make it virtually impossible for some to come to know how they can return to him. It is a loving and merciful God who will seek the salvation of all his children. His mercy and love are infinite, not limited. He will not suffer his children to be lost to Satan until he has done everything possible to save them.

Verses 12-19 remind us of how dangerous it was to be a Christian at this time. Like Paul, Peter urges the saints to not be fearful of the things they are going to suffer. There was a devastating fire that burned about a third of Rome. Nero blamed the Christians for the fire and began an intense wave of persecution and terror on the Saints. At the same time, the church is going into apostasy and Peter is urging them to not embrace ungodliness. He says an interesting thing, that God's judgement will begin with the House of Israel first, and then it will be upon the ungodly. Then he asks a sobering question, "If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" Or, as he says in the previous verse, "if it first begins at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

1 Peter 5
Peter must be a fairly old man at this time. If he was an established fisherman when he first followed Christ, he could easily be in his fifties, sixties or even older, especially for average age of death for their time. One thing interesting in this chapter is how he describes Satan and his efforts. The devil, he says, is like a roaring lion, walking about seeking whoever he can devour. I have never felt there is any reason to fear Satan. But we should have a healthy respect for how strong his efforts are. He knows that eventually he can not win. But how he does win is in the number of people he can separate and estrange f

1 Peter 1 and 2

1 Peter 1
Peter wrote this epistle from Rome around 65 A.D. While the New Testament does not call him a president of the church, Acts and the other epistles of the church make it clear that he the presiding leader of the church. Joseph Smith said that "Peter penned the most sublime language of any of the apostles."

With the resources of the restored gospel, the writings of Peter (and the other apostles) give the scriptures a far greater depth and breadth than what was previously understood. We get a greater view of the plan of salvation. We see how far reaching the mercy of Christ is, how the atonement wasn't just infinite in the direction of the future, but moved infinitely into the past to save souls who lived prior to the atonement. Terms such as "elect," "salvation," and "foreordained" are clearer and provide us with a better understanding of our relationship to the Father, his Son and the Holy Ghost.

In chapter 1, Peter explains how the natural course of the life of a saint takes us through afflictions and sufferings that will eventually lead to far greater glories if we endure them in the right way. And the right way is to be obedient, to "gird up our loins" (which to us means "roll up your sleeves and get to work"), and to be holy since our Father and the Savior are holy. Peter says that the trials of our faith are more precious than gold. The sufferings, temptations, and trials of this life are like grass that withers and dies, but the word of the Lord, his promises, and his salvation will endure forever. And unlike the things of this world, we can count on his word. The illusion to grass would have been meaningful to those in the middle east. In Israel, the grasses of spring come forth green and thick. But when the east wind comes, they dry, wither and die, sometimes this can happen the very next day.

1 Peter 2
The imagery in this chapter is beautiful. The use of stones would have been particularly meaningful to the saints. Everything was built of stone. So to say that Christ is the cornerstone is to say he is the stone that gives strength to the whole building. The focus of of all other stones in the building is pointed towards him. Like a well place stone, it can be a support or stumbling block when someone tries to kick against it.

Peter tells the members they are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and a peculiar people. The Hebrew and Greek translations for peculiar are similar and mean "valued property" or "special treasure."

Verses 21-25 are particularly beautiful. They point to how Christ was sinless, how he bore his sufferings with dignity. I think of how dignified he was when he was in the presence of Pilate.

James 1 through 5

James 1
There are three James in New Testament that were leaders in the church. James, the brother of John was a member of the 1st Presidency and was stoned by the Sanhedrin around 44 A.D. Another apostle named James is sometimes referred to as James the less. And the third James, who wrote this epistle, was the oldest of the brothers of Jesus. He was not a believer of Christ when the Savior was alive and even taunted him. But when the Savior appeared to James following his resurrection, he converted and Paul later calls him one of the pillars of the church. This epistle is one of the general epistles of the Bible because is is meant for all of the church, not just specific members in a specific city like Paul's letters were.

Verse 5 has to be one of the most important verses in scripture. Certainly those that make promises of the Savior and his atonement are of utmost importance, but I can think of no other verse that has had a greater affect on the salvation of man than this one. Because of the chain of events started by this one verse, millions and billions of people can now have a correct understanding of the nature of God and their relationship to him, they can receive the saving ordinances and the promises of exaltation, and they can have a correct understanding of the atonement and the great blessings associated with it.

Other verses I think important are verses 9-11 that tell us that riches and position will pass away just like grass withers in the summer sun. In an old movie, one man says, "You have sought for glory all of your life, the only thing important to me is money." To which the other man replied, "The difference is, my glory will continue with me." Verses 12-14 that tell us if we resist temptation, we are blessed and we will receive a crown of glory. God does not and will not tempt us with evil. Satan and evil aspects of the world will, but God will not. He tries us, but he doesn't tempt us. Verse 22 should be known by everyone in the church. It is not enough to hear and know, but we must act on what we believe and know to be true. Verse 28 reminds us that pure religion is to keep ourselves clean and care for those around us, especially the orphans and widows.

James 2
This chapter clearly shows that to profess Christ is not enough. Belief must be partnered with works if a person is to be saved and exalted. Faith without works is dead. Faith is made perfect through works. Our works not only exemplify our faith, but they justify us in the presence of the Lord. You can not have faith without works.

James 3
Chapter 3 is all about controlling our tongues and living a life of integrity. James uses examples that would have been meaningful to the people of his day. A great forest fire can be started by the smallest spark and an uncontrollable series of events can be started by the smallest amount of words. With integrity, he says we cannot say one thing and live another. A spring doesn't put forth sweet and bitter waters at the same time. It is what it is. And what we say, does not change who we are. Someone once said there are two kinds of sinners in the church: those who repent and then speak, and those who speak but never repent.

James 4
At some point, we learn that we have to choose between the world's way and God's way. James teaches that to be a friend of the world, especially the evil aspects of the world, is to be an enemy to God. He promises us that if we resist Satan, he will flee from us. On the other hand, if we draw close to God, he will draw close to us. As James points out, life is like a vapor of steam in the air. It appears and then it's vanishes quickly. So it is with the ways of the world. What we think is important one day is soon forgotten and when we leave this life, it will be meaningless. The question is, what are we becoming in the meantime? If we following those things that are meaningful and lasting, the unimportant things will not influence us to the point that our lives become misdirected and unfulfilled. So James teaches that "to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. But, if we know the good and do it, we'll be richly blessed.

James 5
Two things stand out among others to me as I read this chapter. One is: "The effectual fervant prayer of a righteous man availeth much." How often I take my prayers too lightly and fail to realize how powerful an influence they can be for good. There is something about the power of prayer that we do not understand. I don't really know how electricity does what it does. But I know we can harness its power for our own blessing. I'm not sure how prayer works, but I know it does and too often I fail to harness its power which is far greater than something like electricity.

Hebrews 12 and 13

Hebrews 12 & 13

There are a number of things wonderful simple statements of guidance in these chapters. Here are the ones that I noticed:

“Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us.” Sin is the greatest burden in life.

“Let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” Sometimes life is much easier if we accept those things that we cannot change, and look at things we must do as our duty in life.

“Jesus… endured the cross, despising the shame.” Crucifixion was the most shameful way a person could die. Early non-believers scoffed at the idea that a person who had been crucified should be worshipped. Crucifixion was one of the ways the Savior “descended below all things.”

“Despise not thou the chastening of the Lord… For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth… For what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?” Our trials are the very things that help us to grow and become more like our Heavenly Father if we endure them well.

“Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits and live?” We were born into a pre-mortal life as spirit children of a Heavenly Father. The fact that he is a personable, approachable, and loving God, does not make him less of a God, but more so.

“Lift up the hands that hang down, and the feeble knees.” The best way we can care for ourselves is to care for others.

“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” We should be kind to all, regardless of appearance, or physical or emotional condition, for we never know who they really are, or who they were prior to this life.

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever. Be not carried away with divers and strange doctrines.” His truths will always stand the test of time. The interpretations of men will always fall by the wayside.

“Obey them that rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account.” Our church leaders care deeply for us and know they are accountable before God for how they lead us. They will not lead us astray.

“Now the God of peace… make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ.” God can do so much more with our lives than we can.

Hebrews 10 and 11

Hebrews 10

Paul continues his teaching that Christ, by virtue of the atonement, is the great high priest of the church and only his singular sacrifice can be bring the forgiveness of sins. Repetitive sacrifice in the temple is of no affect. Two important verses are 16 and 17. The Lord will put his law in our hearts and minds and when sins are repented of, he says he will remember them no more. And knowing that are sins are remitted, it gives every person the confidence to enter the Holy of holies, or his presence.

Hebrews 11

This is the greatest chapter on faith in the Bible. Verse one defines what faith is, the assurance that enables us to move forward and actively work towards something we hope to obtain even though there may not be any evidence of our accomplishing it. Paul then gives examples throughout the scriptures of great prophets and women who obtained miraculous and/or marvelous accomplishments because of their faith. Notice how Isaac is called the only begotten son. The only other person referred to that way in the scriptures is Christ. At the end of the chapter, Paul does not name specific people but talks of what others accomplished or suffered. Each of these things can be related to a specific person in the Bible. For example, with sawn asunder, Paul is most likely referring to the way in which Isaiah was killed by King Mannaseh of Judah.

Two verses particularly impress me. In speaking of Moses, Paul mentions how when Moses became of age, he chose to be with his people rather than stay in the house of the Pharaoh where he would have had position and wealth. Paul says he did this because he esteemed the reproach of Christ greater than the treasures of Egypt. Obviously, Moses knew of and chose to follow Christ. And to most, this doesn’t make sense because nothing in the Old Testament mentions he has this knowledge unless you understand that Jehovah is Christ.

The other verse that I think important is verse 6. “Without faith, it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” We cannot find God if we do not seek him. And the amazing thing is, if any person will do three things, and they are not hard, they will gain an assurance, gain the faith, that he exists and knows them personally. One is to live righteously, just do what is right. Two is to read some scripture every day. And three is to consistently pray every day. If you do this, like Alma promises, this seed of effort will eventually grow into a strong tree of belief, faith and knowledge.

Hebrews 8 and 9

Hebrews 6

This chapter begins with incorrect wording that many translations have corrected including the JST. “Leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ” doesn’t sound like good counsel. The JST says, “Not leaving” and a rendering of the Greek is more like “leaving the beginning doctrines.” Two ways to look at is to not build the foundation all over again, or it’s time to move on from the milk to the meat. I believe that verses 4-6 refer to those who have had their calling and election made sure. The Savior has appeared to them, they have perfect knowledge of his existence, and yet they still fall away, do evil and deny him. Joseph Smith said that these people stand outside in the noon sun and say it doesn’t exist. President Kimball said that in the end, the number of people who do this will be very few. In scripture they are referred to as sons of perdition.

Hebrews 7

We learn a little about the greatness of Melchizedek in this chapter. His name means “King of righteousness.” He was king of the city of Salem. Ancient tablets give the name of the city as Uru-Salem, which is easily identified as Jerusalem, meaning in Hebrew “the city peace” and this was about 2000 b.c. The JST also helps verse 3 to have more sense, “For this Melchizedek was ordained a priest after the order of the Son of God, which order was without father, without mother…” It wouldn’t make sense for Abraham to be born without father or mother. Verses 11-12 make clear reference to two priesthoods, the Aaronic and the Melchizedek. Perfection could and cannot be achieved through the lesser or Aaronic. As Paul states, if it could, there would be no need for the higher or Melchizedek priesthood. This was important for Paul because he didn’t act by the authority of the Aaronic Priesthood which the Jews held at the time of Christ, but by the authority of the higher priesthood. For the Jews, there had now come a change in priesthood, and as a result, a change in the law. As Paul says, the former laws were disannulled because they were unprofitable for salvation. The Aaronic was given through lineage of the tribe of Levi. The Melchizedek was given by oath and covenant. Christ is the great high priest of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 6 and 7

Hebrews 6

This chapter begins with incorrect wording that many translations have corrected including the JST. “Leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ” doesn’t sound like good counsel. The JST says, “Not leaving” and a rendering of the Greek is more like “leaving the beginning doctrines.” Two ways to look at is to not build the foundation all over again, or it’s time to move on from the milk to the meat. I believe that verses 4-6 refer to those who have had their calling and election made sure. The Savior has appeared to them, they have perfect knowledge of his existence, and yet they still fall away, do evil and deny him. Joseph Smith said that these people stand outside in the noon sun and say it doesn’t exist. President Kimball said that in the end, the number of people who do this will be very few. In scripture they are referred to as sons of perdition.

Hebrews 7

We learn a little about the greatness of Melchizedek in this chapter. His name means “King of righteousness.” He was king of the city of Salem. Ancient tablets give the name of the city as Uru-Salem, which is easily identified as Jerusalem, meaning in Hebrew “the city peace” and this was about 2000 b.c. The JST also helps verse 3 to have more sense, “For this Melchizedek was ordained a priest after the order of the Son of God, which order was without father, without mother…” It wouldn’t make sense for Abraham to be born without father or mother. Verses 11-12 make clear reference to two priesthoods, the Aaronic and the Melchizedek. Perfection could and cannot be achieved through the lesser or Aaronic. As Paul states, if it could, there would be no need for the higher or Melchizedek priesthood. This was important for Paul because he didn’t act by the authority of the Aaronic Priesthood which the Jews held at the time of Christ, but by the authority of the higher priesthood. For the Jews, there had now come a change in priesthood, and as a result, a change in the law. As Paul says, the former laws were disannulled because they were unprofitable for salvation. The Aaronic was given through lineage of the tribe of Levi. The Melchizedek was given by oath and covenant. Christ is the great high priest of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 4 and 5

Hebrews 4

Paul teaches how, because of their unrighteousness, ancient Israel forfeited the blessing of entering into the Lord’s rest or glory. Had they been righteous, they would have become sanctified. He promises the saints (and us) that if we are wiser and more obedient than they were, the promises still stand. We will still be tempted to not live righteously. Righteous living doesn’t protect us from being tempted. But it does give us the strength to avoid giving into it. The greatest help we can gain is found in verse 16. Just as D&C 121:45 promises, virtuous living increases our confidence in being in the presence of the Lord. When we have that confidence, we can approach him without fear and receive the help that God knows is best for us.

Hebrews 5

There is an order in the way that God conducts his business. Paul teaches an important principle in this chapter concerning the authority to act in God’s name. This authority, or the priesthood, is not something that man can take upon himself. It is not something that simply comes through a prompting to the heart and mind. Conversion doesn’t give one authority. A college or seminary degree can’t give a person God’s authority to act in his name. As Paul says, “No man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.” If you go to Exodus chapter 28, you can see how Aaron was called of God. God spoke to Moses, one who had previously been ordained by God, and instructed Moses, to ordain Aaron. That is the procedure that God requires.

The same procedure was followed in the New Testament. Christ chose and ordained his apostles. He said, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you.” Christ set the example. Verse 5 states that he didn’t take it upon himself “to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.” In other words, it was the Father who ordained Christ, who is our great high priest.

The 11 apostles ordained Matthias to replace Judas. Paul received his call directly from the Lord, but he didn’t just go and start preaching. He was sent to Damascus to be healed and taught by Ananias and the disciples. It is only logical that before Paul began his preaching, he was ordained by those same disciples who had the authority to do so. At some later point, he had to have been ordained an apostle to be an apostle, just as all of the apostles were before him.

You will remember that Simon offered to give Peter and the apostles money to have priesthood power and authority and he was condemned because they thought that it could be obtained that way. A man must be called and ordained by the laying on of hands by those are in authority. That is the way it was done anciently. It is the way that it was done in New Testament times. And it is the same today.

Hebrews 2 and 3

Hebrews 2

The Savior took upon himself a mortal body and one of the reasons he did this is so that he would suffer and be tempted in the same way we are. In chapter 3 of Hebrews it tells us that he was tempted in all things as we are. Between his life and atonement, he suffered all things that it is possible for mankind to suffer. In the Book of Mormon, King Benjamin taught, “… he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue.” Alma taught, “And he shall [suffer] pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people… and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.”

The Savior knows perfectly how anyone at any time feels because he himself descended below all things. He knows every physical pain, every mental and emotional pain, and suffered it more deeply than it is possible for any person to suffer. And he did this because of the love and mercy he has for each of his children. He is not a detached God who silently observes us from his throne. But he is very much involved in our lives. He cares about what we are suffering and nurses us through it. He does not usually remove it because he would remove one of life’s greatest teachers. But he understands perfectly and cares perfectly and will help us through whatever it is that we enduring.

Hebrews 3

The Jews seem to have spent more time honoring Moses more than God. Paul tries to teach them that Jehovah is Christ and he is the God of the Old Testament and they should honor him more than Moses. In first Corinthians it says that the children of Israel in Moses’ time “did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of the spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” He is the creator of all things. While the Jews venerated Moses, Paul points out that he who built the house, in this case the house of Israel, is greater than the house. Moses was faithful, but was a servant in the house. Later in Hebrews, it says that Moses regarded the reproach of Christ greater than all the riches of Egypt. In verses 7-11, he quotes Christ who says that the children of Israel tempted him, proved him and saw his works for forty years. But they hardened their hearts against him, they were wrong in their hearts and as a result did not know his ways.

Philemon and Hebrews 1

Philemon

The book of Philemon does not teach any doctrine but tells us more about the personality of Paul. Philemon was evidently a rich member of the church in Colossae and Onesimus was his slave. Onesimus ran away and evidently stole from Philemon in the process. Sometime after, Onesimus converted to Christianity and is now helping Paul while Paul is a prisoner in Rome. Paul writes to Philemon and says that he is sending Onesimus back, which Paul is legally bound to do, and asks Philemon to accept him, not as a slave, but as a brother in the gospel. Paul promises to pay Philemon anything that he has lost. This would be probably be the cost of a slave plus what was stolen.

Hebrews 1

Bible scholars have debated over who wrote the book of Hebrews. Joseph Smith stated that it was Paul. In chapter one, there is a wonderful abundance of evidence that the Father and Son are separate beings, that Christ is the creator of heaven and earth, that God the Father has a body of flesh and bones, and that Christ now sits as a God, like his Father, on a throne at his Father’s right hand. Here are some of the verses and what I feel they teach:

Verses 1-2: God has always spoken through his Son to prophets until Christ came to earth and spoke himself. Following Christ’s death, he spoke through his apostles who were chosen by him to be his spokesmen on earth. (see Acts 1). It is Christ who is the creator of our universe.

Verse 3: Christ is in “the express image of his person.” This cannot be more said more plainly in explaining that Christ is the Son, and the Father and the Son are persons. They have bodies and they look alike. They do not meld into one being that is an indefinable spiritual essence, but Christ sits (how does a bodiless essence sit?) at his right hand (and how does a bodiless, indefinable spiritual essence have a physical right hand?)

Verses 4-8: Here it is said explicitly that the Father and the Son are separate beings. One is the father who sires a son. They speak as separate individuals to each other. Christ has received an inheritance above the angels, and the Father says to Christ, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.” The Father calls Christ a God. Being a called a God does not place Christ above the Father, but the Father gives him the status of a God. The other religions will differ with us on this and that is fine. But that is the difference between a religion that is based on the interpretations of men and one that is to revealed by Christ to men who are apostles and prophets, who have seen the Lord, been taught by him, and continue to receive revelation from him. The Old Testament testified of Christ, but when he came, the Jews could not accept him because he did not fit into their interpretations of the Messiah of the scriptures they had at that time. In the Old Testament, prophets were continually killed because they did not fit with the teachings of that time. But Christ was the Messiah, he did have apostles and prophets who he chose and ordained. In our time, he has come again. And in preparation for his second coming, he has once again called apostles and prophets who like all those of old are rejected for the same reason that apostles and prophets were rejected in the past. Religion is once again revealed by God to man. It is up to man to accept it or reject it. I add my witness, as revealed to me by the Holy Ghost, which I cannot deny, to millions of others that these things are true.

Titus 2 and 3

The theme of chapters 2 and 3 are very closely related. In these chapters, Paul gives guidelines on how to live our lives. What impresses me about these is that they are not guidelines that apply just to the LDS or Christians. These are qualities of life that are observed by all good people. Any person that we admire, who affects are lives in a positive way, whether they be someone we are acquainted with, or a teacher or leader of some sort, if we look into their lives, they will possess these qualities. The are people who see as being mature, possessing self-control and sense of being grounded in life. They know who they are and where they are going. They know that if they want to be happy, if they want success, if they want quality relationships, they must live lives that have these attributes.

One of the practices of Benjamin Franklin was “To speak evil of no man.” He felt our country was besieged by peopled who were critical and condemning of each other (He should see us now). Paul says, “For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient…” No person is perfect, and had need to change something in their life. Change comes easier when we recognize that these principles are based on eternal laws just as our physical world is based on eternal laws, and conforming to them is what gies our life substance and purpose. Disobeying the law of gravity will always have consequences, especially if we are anywhere above the ground! Stop breathing, and there will be a natural result. It is no different with disobeying the law of chastity. It will bring consequences. But when we learn to harness these laws, we can obtain great things. We have learned to harness electricity and it brings us blessings of comfort in many ways in our lives. So it is with these teachings. Harness the principles and they will bring power to our lives. It is a wise, happy, and successful person who can recognize on what side of life, what side of the these principles they are living and have the maturity to change accordingly.

2 Timothy 4 and Titus 1

2 Timothy 4

These are the last words of Paul. He again tells how the church will fall into apostasy, not because of forces from without the church, but from within. He knows he is going to die but also knows that he did his best and completed all that he was supposed to do, something we all hope we can say at the end of our life. You can sense the contradiction of feelings in what he writes, his frustration with those who do not stay faithful, and his exulting in the gospel and those who stay true. Timothy is evidently coming to Rome to be with Paul and Paul asks him to bring the scriptures and/or his own writings. Nero, who had already begun what would become a savage persecution of Christians, had Paul beheaded and a short time later crucified Peter who requests to be upside down on the cross because he felt unworthy to be crucified as the Savior was.

Titus 1

Verse 2 is obviously a clear reference to a pre-mortal life. Paul says that we were given a promise of eternal life before the world began. There are many references to the premortal life of our spirits in the Bible. One of my favorites is in Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament. Speaking of our death it says, “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return to God who gave it.” You can’t return to somewhere you haven’t been. President Harold B. Lee once said that our greatest death was in our mortal birth because of the veil. Leaving our pre-mortal life, we were not only separated from Heavenly Father and the Savior, but we said goodbye to prophets, apostles, great men and women, and friends, and because of the veil we would lose all memory of them. President Lee then talked about death being our greatest birth because the veil is removed and we are reunited with family and friends into a far better life.

2 Timothy 2 and 3

2 Timothy 2

Paul tells Timothy that the Lord knows his children. The shepherd knows his sheep. And if those who know the Lord will turn from all iniquity, they will “be a vessel of honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” To me that means that I will be able to accomplish more of the important things in life, the things that really matter and will be meaningful, making a difference that lasts. The way that we do this, he says, is to flee youthful lusts, live righteously, seek faith, charity, peace, and be gentle, patient, and teach with meekness.

2 Timothy 3

Paul gives more signs of the last days. These are not only telling of our day, but of the apostasy in his day also. Each of the signs that he lists is evident today. One the particularly sticks out to me is, “Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof.” There are so ministers, leaders, politicians, teachers, who would seem to be, or set themselves up to be possessed of great wisdom. They will hop on the popular issues and have the answers. But without the inspiration of God, man’s wisdom will always be short sighted. There are many verses in the scriptures that differentiate between the wisdom that is based on man’s reasoning and wisdom that is based on inspiration. For example, Isaiah warns that the wisdom of our wise men will perish. King Benjamin says that the Spirit will guide us in wisdom’s path. I believe any honest seeker of truth can be inspired with true wisdom. Those that have true wisdom will have a form of godliness and the power of inspiration. They will display the qualities of a true leader Paul speaks of and will exude faith, peace, and meekness. Their answers will not always be the easy answers, but the ones that cause us to stretch and learn and be better in more meaningful ways.

1 Timothy 6 and 2 Timothy 1

1 Timothy 6

Verses 2-5 teach something that I think is very true. In fact, the verses in this chapter are as applicable today as they were then. In the early verses, Paul says that if a person cannot accept the words of Christ, it is because of pride. And often there are those who are steeped in pride who, while professing knowledge and having the ability to ask the “right questions,” an argue the good argument, are in reality destitute of the truth and rather than creating peace and enlightenment, they create envy, strife and suspicion.

Two other verses I think are very important for our times. One is verse 6 where he says godliness with contentment is a great gain or blessing. The other is one that we are all very familiar with, “The love of money is the root of all evil.” There is so much pressure in our day to have the latest technology, the best fashions, the nicest cars. I contrast that to when Susan and I were first married. We had practically no furniture, little income, Susan made most of her clothes. Undoubtedly, those were some of the very best and happiest days of our marriage. We had each other and that was all that mattered.



2 Timothy 1

Paul’s second letter to Timothy is the last epistle that Paul probably wrote. It was written about 68 A.D., shortly before his death, and while he was imprisoned by Nero the second time in Rome. Looking at this chapter in reverse order, I am impressed with Onesiphorus who Paul says was not ashamed of his prison chains and ministered to him while he was a prisoner in Rome.

Paul says that all of the church in Asia has now apostatized showing how general the apostasy has become. Paul must sense his impending death and says these wonderful words, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” Fear doesn’t come from God. Fear is born out of our own weaknesses or from Satan, or both. The opposite of fear is faith and love. The scriptures say, “Perfect love casteth out all fear.” I know that to be true.

Finally, I’m impressed with how much Paul loves Timothy who he says was taught the gospel by his mother and grandmother, converts of Paul’s, probably from his first mission. Timothy is the first bishop in Ephesus.

1 Timothy 4 and 5

Paul prophecies about some of the things that will happen in the latter days, our time, that will affect not only those in the church, but all people. He speaks of the people falling away because they give heed to things that aren’t true. Of the things he prophesys, one that stands out to me is the forbidding of marriage. Today, a relationship is the preferred arrangement by many. I think relationships are preferred because they offer an easy out. They don’t require a commitment that is binding. Most often they are based on the physical which is mistakenly called love. The physical expression of love is important, but is woefully short of the true expression of love that comes from years of commitment and sacrifice. President Kimball once taught that he saw true love expressed He didn’t see expressed between a young couple newly fallen in love, but between an elderly man and his wife as he watched his friend take care of his invalid wife, bathing her, feeding her, and combing her hair for the twenty years before she died.

The earth was created for the express purpose of establishing families. The family is the most marvelous of all of God’s creations. A family is the one place where you belong without qualifications. It is the place where you are loved regardless of your shortcomings and failures. It is the one group of people that you can count on above all others. No one does everything right in a family. Sometime selfishness replaces love. Parents sometimes mess up some things raising their children. Children don’t always live up to the standards their parents hope they have instilled in them. A million and one things can go wrong in a family. But in the end, they still have each other. And in God’s end, the atonement will heal and make right what was wrong, and exalt those families in a union that is sealed together for eternity.

1 Timothy 5

Nearly a whole chapter is dedicated to taking care of the widows in their midst. It is so important that we revere and care for the elderly. Also important in this chapter is Paul’s counsel that a man must provide for his family otherwise he’s denying the faith. I have always had a difficult time with men who could never seem to find work and relied on their wives to bring in the income. Working at McDonalds would be better than nothing at all.

1 Timothy 3

In this chapter, Paul lays out the qualifications of a priesthood holder and especially the office of bishop. His qualifications go along with what is said in D&C 121. What he says that isn't in the D&C is that wife of an office holder should be honorable and righteous. It is not unusual in the church that when a man is considered for a demanding or important calling such as bishop, it is the wife that is considered first. If she isn't dedicated and supportive, it would be very difficult for the man. A wife must be willing to sacrifice a great deal for her husband to hold such callings since he will be given extra burdens of responsibility and required to be gone many hours during the week. There are great blessings that come from this, but isn't easy for the wife. The Lord knew what he was doing, because if the roles were reversed, I'm not sure how well some men would do.

1 Timothy 2

I noticed three things in this chapter as I read this time. One is, Christ desires all men to be saved. Not a few. All men. Evangelicals will tell you that a person is condemned to hell if they do not, in this life, confess Jesus as their Savior. This means that the vast majority of God’s children will end up in hell under the domination of Satan. That would make God a failure and Satan a success. I cannot accept that. It doesn’t make sense spiritually and it doesn’t make sense logically.

Second, Paul says there is “one God and one mediator between God and men… Jesus Christ.” Two separate beings. Not one.

Third, men are to be prayerful at all times. Women are, according to the Greek, to be modest and not dress in an immodest fashion. They should dress (adorn) themselves with godlike works. I will always maintain that the most spiritual members of the church, the ones who do the most important work and are the most godlike, are the women. The priesthood provides the administration and the ordinances, the women minister to the needs. Men tend to seek position and authority. Women tend to seek out those in need of help.

1 Timothy 1

Paul wrote this epistle to Timothy after his release from his first imprisonment between 63 and 66 A.D. 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus are called the pastoral epistles because they were written to pastors or shepherds of flock. Timothy and Titus were leaders. Timothy had the authority to call bishops and must have been something similar to what we now call an area authority. Paul obviously has a great love for Timothy who he calls his true son in the gospel.

Everyone who has ever sinned needs to take heart from Paul’s example. Once again, Paul marvels how even though he was a “blasphemer,” a “persecutor,” and an “injurious” (violent) person towards the members of the church, Christ granted him mercy and grace to become an example of the faith and a leader. Christ came to save sinners, which means he came to save all of us if we are willing to accept him.

2 Thessalonians 3

When Paul tells the Thessalonians that they are not to associate with people who do not believe. I believe he is talking about apostates, people who have left the church and teach false things about it to lead others away. Apostates are more often than not, people who have not repented of sin. Rather than repent, the leave the church in bitterness, blaming it for their unhappiness. But because they are still unhappy, they can’t leave the church alone. If the church wasn’t true, there would be no reason to fight against it and spend your life trying to draw others out of it.

He also admonishes the people to not be idle, but work. Elder McConkie makes an interesting point about this, “Man cannot be saved in idleness. It is not enough simply to believe the great spiritual realities. We could do that in the [pre-mortal life].” The Lord expects more of us and we should expect more of ourselves. I think this is true for those in the church and it’s true for our jobs and occupations.

2 Thessalonians 2

Chapter 2 confirms two things very strongly. One, there had to be an apostasy before the second coming. The words falling away were translated from the Greek apostasia which means apostasy, revolt, to break away. The English word apostasy means the renunciation of religious belief. The second thing is how Christ allows this to happen so that people are responsible for their choices. Wrong choices allow Satan to do his work. He opposes everything that is good, makes the false seem true and the truth appear to be false. He is the master deceiver and is extremely good after thousands of years of practice. By destroying the free agency of individuals and gaining power over them, he exalts himself to a position of god and sits on his throne thinking he is god. When Christ comes, the brightness of his glory will expose Satan and his nothingness. There will be no darkness, no doubt between what is good and evil. Satan's influence will be destroyed. All untruth, all lies, all evil, all of his secret work will be revealed. The scriptures say that when Satan is revealed, we will marvel that such weakling had so much power over the world.

2 Thessalonians 1

The Thessalonian members of the church had received Paul’s first epistle and evidently were trying to do all that he had counseled them. They were still being persecuted for their beliefs and still had questions about the second coming of the Christ and when it would be. Paul attempted to put this at rest by teaching them that there has to be an apostasy before the second coming and this is the theme of this epistle.

One sentence, a half sentence really, jumps out at me. “And to you who are troubled, rest with us…” There are times when our responsibilities, our trials, whatever combination of burdens it may be, weigh down on us heavily. We are left with no choice but to see it through. The promise is there will come a time of rest, of peace, of release from all that makes life difficult to bear. If we keep that hope, we can endure it. Without that hope, life would seem unbearable. Moroni asked, “How is it that ye can obtain faith, save ye shall have hope?” The two go together, but I think hope leads to faith. We hope it’s true, we hope we’ll be able to endure, and as we hope, our faith increases and the Lord gives us the strength we need. But in the end, there will be peace and rest and the satisfaction that we did what at times seemed absolutely impossible.

Thessalonians 5

Living in this world where life is fairly routine, it’s sometimes hard to keep in mind that the second coming of Christ is real, it’s near and will come unexpectedly. If we are as Paul says, children of the light, if we don’t hinder the Spirit, we will be aware of the signs and know to prepare and be ready if it should happen in our lifetime. But Paul didn’t know when it would come. I think he knew it wouldn’t be anytime soon because of all the signs that had to be fulfilled. On the other hand, he’s telling the Thessalonians to be ready. Joseph Smith didn’t know and didn’t think it would be in his lifetime. We do know in general when he will come, just not the hour or day. In another place, Paul compares it to a woman who gives birth. She knows about when it will be, but not the exact hour or minute. Paul’s instructions are to be “awake” and not asleep on the watch.

In closing this epistle, he gives the Thessalonians some counsel, rules which are good for all of us on how to live, and at the same time will keep us prepared for the Savior’s second coming.

1. Comfort and teach each other
2. Know and esteem your leaders
3. Be at peace with each other
4. Comfort the despondent
5. Support those that are weak
6. Do give evil for evil
7. Always rejoice
8. Pray without ceasing
9. Give thanks for everything
10. Don’t hinder the Spirit
11. Prove all things and hold fast to what is good
12. Abstain from all evil

Thessalonians 4

In Chapter 4, Paul talks of sanctification or becoming holy. For some, holiness has taken on the connotation of being “holier than thou.” But what it means is to rid ourselves of any impure or unclean habits or thoughts. The more we gain self-control, not only do we become stronger and more self-disciplined, we gain more power in directing our lives towards those things that matter most. Every day, we take a shower or bath and clean ourselves in preparation for the work we have to do. The clean feeling we get after a shower always feels good and invigorating. You feel more ready to take on the day. Some times, it washes all the stress out and helps us to feel free of all the burdens that we have been feeling. Some days, we work hard and get extra dirty and it feels extra good to get rid the dirt and grime. Each week when we take the sacrament, it is our spiritual shower. When we strive to keep our lives morally clean, it is as if we are baptized and cleansed again. Each week, the degree or level of our sanctification can increase. I think it is a gradual process. Perhaps that is why so many elderly people seem so pure and full of love. Through this process, we see and feel more clearly. We feel renewed and strengthened. The Holy Ghost isn’t hindered from influencing, teaching, guiding and protecting us, often times without our being aware of his presence.

Sanctification increases our ability to love. That is why being “holier than thou” is actually the antithesis of it. Notice that Paul says to live a quiet life, to mind our own business and to do the work required of us. There is no process of comparison with other people in this. The only comparison is between who we have been and who we are now. So I believe that a sanctified person is able to love more easily and as a result, get along with all people regardless of their beliefs and life styles. President Hinckley was a prime example of this. He never sacrificed his values, but used them to bless others. People were drawn to him, felt better for having been around him. And he never caused a person to feel less because of the type of person he was.

Thessalonians 3

I'm so impressed with Paul. I have to think he was an intense person, the kind that you sit back and wonder how he does it all. But what impresses me in these chapters is his humility and love. He sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to see how the saints were doing and Timonthy returns and reports that they are wonderful, enduring a lot of tribulation, but staying strong and faithful. For this success, Paul doesn't take any credit but gives the credit to God and thanks Him for this great blessing. He says, "For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy where with we joy for you sakes...?" Then he tells the Thessalonians how he prays they will love each other and become perfect in their faith. This is the hope of every missionary whoever baptized someone, that the person they taught and brought into the church will stay strong. And like Paul, every missionary knows that it was not them, but the Lord who touched the convert's heart and made the conversion possible.

Thessalonians 1

This is Paul's first epistle, probably written around 52 A.D. Greece was divided by Rome into two provinces, Macedonia and Achaia. Thessalonica, named after the sister of Alexander the Great around 350 B.C., was the capital of Macedonia. During Paul's second mission, he had been driven from Thessalonica by Jews but the church took hold and Paul later sent Timothy and Silvanus (Silas) back to see how the saints were. They found that the members of the church were being persecuted but remaining faithful. Evidently, the saints in Thessalonica were a model for all believers throughout all of Greece. So Paul praises them in this first chapter.

Verse 5 teaches a very important principle. Anyone can have the word of the gospel. It can come in the form of words spoken or from books. But the gospel must come in power also and power can only come to man from God. Without power, there is no scripture given, no new revelation. Without power, there are no saving ordinances making salvation possible. The Savior gave is apostles and prophets sealing power to bind in earth and in heaven. If there are no sealing powers, there are no eternal families. Anyone can claim to have the gospel in an intellectual sense, and even have spiritual confirmation as to their belief. But the fulness of the gospel can only exist where the power of God has been given.

Thessalonians 2
The first verses in this chapter describe how the gospel was brought to the people by Paul and his associates. They were gentle, affectionate, fair, holy and upright. As Elder McConkie points out, this is quite a contrast to the way the gospel was taken by force during the apostasy. It was taken through civil war in England, through the Inquisition in Spain, through the sale of indulgences in Europe, through the swords of Cortez in Mexico. Crusaders killed non-believers and burned their villages. Christians were kept in darkness and were refused access to the scriptures. It was against the law to read them. But Paul's efforts were similar to the words in D&C 12:8 where the Lord says, "No one can assist in this work except he shall be humble, and full of love, having faith, hope, and charity, being temperate in all things, whatsoever shall be entrusted to his care."

Paul talks of how the saints in Thessalonica are their hope, their joy, their glory and crown of rejoicing. Elder McConkie says this; "No man can conceive how great is the worth of souls. One soul saved which would have been lost means added kingdoms and worlds, added spirit children born to exalted beings, added hosts of intelligent beings going forward everlastingly in eternal progression."

Colossians 4

Colossians 4
I like the way Paul instructs the Colossians to always speak with grace, seasoned with salt, so they know how to converse with every person. I think he is telling them (and us) to always speak with kindness and thoughtfulness. Salt was the symbol of the covenant. If you consider that and salt being a seasoning, I think he saying that we should the kind of person that enhances or improves the quality of a conversation.

Verse 10 refers to another epistle to the Colossians and verse 16 mentions an epistle to the Laodicians. These are writings of the apostles we do not have. Other scriptures mentioned in the Bible that we do not have are:

book of the covenant
book of the wars of the Lord
book of Jasher
a book of Samuel
the book of Gad the seer
the prophecy of Ahijah
the visions of Iddo the seer
the book of the acts of Solomon
book of Samuel the seer
book of Nathan the prophet
book of Shemmaiah
Acts of Abijah
book of Jehu
the sayings of the seers
the acts of Uzziah written Isaiah
the book where it says Christ shall be called a Nazarene
writings of Enoch
another epistle of Paul to the Corinthians
possibly an earlier epistle to the Ephesians

These books are written off by other churches by saying if the Lord wanted us to have them, they would be in the Bible. If they were to appear, I wonder if they would accept them if they were verified to be those mentioned in the Bible, but contradicted with their doctrine. I do not believe they would contradict truth. And I don't think our scriptures will ever be complete and they shouldn't be. Revelation came to prophets and they wrote it for the instruction and help of the people at that time. More than any other time in history, we need revelation and guidance to face the complexity and number of problems our world faces. I'm so grateful for prophets and revelation. It gives us something firm to stand on in a world that is a very slippery slope.