June 10–16
Matthew 26; Mark 14; Luke 22; John 18
“Not as I Will, but as Thou Wilt”
Matthew 26:17–30; Mark 14:12–26; Luke 22:7–39
My Thoughts
Similar
to the triumphal entry Christ knew beforehand that the items He needed would be
ready and waiting for him. He knew the “good man” had a room all ready for
Passover and when that man’s servants would be in the city with a pitcher of
water.
If He
knew that those things would be ready beforehand does He also not know what we
need to have in place to accomplish what His design is for us?
During
the meal He states one will betray Him and all ask if it was they? This tells
me that even though they were with the Master and supported Him they never
doubted what He said and worried that it would be they that hurt Him.
What Others Have Said:
Orson
F. Whitney
"The [Last] Supper, like
the [Passover] Feast, pointed to the Atonement; but in the Passover the
pointing was forward to an event that had not yet occurred, while in the
Supper, for the reverse reason, the indication is backward. It is said that the
paschal lamb was offered in the Temple at Jerusalem about the same hour that
Christ died; the substance and the shadow thus corresponding. Thereafter the
Passover was obsolete, having fulfilled its purpose." (Saturday Night
Thoughts, 151.)
John Taylor
"'With desire I have
desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer.' To eat what with you?
The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. Thus He eat both, for the two ceremonies
centered in Him, He was the embodiment of both, He was the Being provided
before the foundation of the earth, and prophecied of by men of God throughout
all the preceding ages; and also on account of whom the sacrifices were offered
up by all the servants of the Lord, from the fall of Adam to that time; and all
the various atonements heretofore offered pointed to Him, for whom they were
all made and in whom they all centered." (Mediation and Atonement,
125.)
Bruce R. McConkie
"It is the time of the
Lord's Passover!
"Nay, more, it is the
Passover of Passovers. In Jehovah's House, in Jerusalem the Holy City, on this
very day-April 6, A.D. 30-calculating on the basis of one yearling lamb for
each ten persons, some two hundred and sixty thousand lambs will be slain. And
then on the Passover morrow the Lamb of God himself will be sacrificed; he in
whose name and honor countless lambs have had their blood sprinkled on the holy
altar will himself have his blood shed that its saving power may be sprinkled
upon believing souls forever." (The Mortal Messiah: From Bethlehem to
Calvary, 4: 19.)
Gordon B. Hinckley
"I like occasionally to
open the New Testament and read of the Last Supper. I think I can envision in
my mind the gathering together of the Twelve in the Upper Room. I think maybe
they came in very happily, very jauntily. They were all brethren and they
probably shook hands with one another and said, 'How are you doing, Peter?'
'How are things going, John?' and a few such things as that. But I think when
the Lord came in He was sober and quiet and thoughtful and sad. He knew what
was coming. They could not seem to understand it. But He knew what was coming,
that He would have to give His life in pain and terrible, unspeakable suffering
if He were to accomplish the mission outlined by His Father for the redemption
of mankind." (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, 561 - 562.)
Dieter F. Uchtdorf
It was our beloved Savior’s
final night in mortality, the evening before He would offer Himself a ransom
for all mankind. As He broke bread with His disciples, He said something that
must have filled their hearts with great alarm and deep sadness. “One of you
shall betray me,” He told them.
The disciples didn’t question
the truth of what He said. Nor did they look around, point to someone else, and
ask, “Is it him?”
Instead, “they were exceeding
sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?”1
I wonder what each of us
would do if we were asked that question by the Savior. Would we look at those
around us and say in our hearts, “He’s probably talking about Brother Johnson.
I’ve always wondered about him,” or “I’m glad Brother Brown is here. He really
needs to hear this message”? Or would we, like those disciples of old, look
inward and ask that penetrating question: “Is it I?”
In these simple words,
“Lord, is it I?” lies the beginning of wisdom and the pathway to personal
conversion and lasting change...
Brethren, we must put
aside our pride, see beyond our vanity, and in humility ask, “Lord, is it I?”
And if the Lord’s answer
happens to be “Yes, my son, there are things you must improve, things I can
help you to overcome,” I pray that we will accept this answer, humbly
acknowledge our sins and shortcomings, and then change our ways by becoming
better husbands, better fathers, better sons. (Ensign, Nov. 2014, 56,
58)
Boyd K. Packer
"I remind you that these
men were apostles. They were of apostolic stature. It has always been
interesting to me that they did not on that occasion, nudge
one another and say, 'I'll bet that its old Judas. He has surely been acting
queer lately.' It reflects something of their stature. Rather it is recorded
that: They were exceedingly sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto
him, Lord, is it I? (Matt. 26:22.)
"Would you, I plead,
overrule the tendency to disregard counsel and assume for just a moment
something apostolic in attitude at least, and ask yourself these questions: Do
I need to improve myself? Should I take this counsel to heart and act upon it?
If there is one weak or failing, unwilling to follow the brethren, Lord, is it
I?" (March 23, 1965, BYU Speeches of the Year, 1965, p.
3.)
Bruce R. McConkie
"No single account of the
institution of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, standing alone, contains
enough to let us know the reality and the glory and the wonder of what happened
in that upper room as the Paschal supper died and the sacramental supper was
born. Nor for that matter do all the biblical accounts taken together reveal
the glorious mystery of it all." (The Mortal Messiah: From Bethlehem to
Calvary, 4: 57.)
Gordon B. Hinckley
"We are a covenant people.
I have had the feeling that if we could just encourage our people to live by
three or four covenants everything else would take care of itself; we would not
have to have anything else except to go forward with our program.
"The first of these is the
covenant of the sacrament, in which we take upon ourselves the name of the
Savior and agree to keep His commandments with the promise in His covenant that
He will bless us with His spirit. If our people would go to sacrament meeting
every week and reflect as they partake of the sacrament on the meaning of the
prayers which are offered, . . . if they would listen to the language of those
prayers, which were given by revelation, and live by them, we would be a better
people, all of us would be. That is the importance of the sacrament meeting.
The speakers are incidental. The great thing is that we gather together and
partake of the sacrament together. . . ." (Teachings of Gordon B.
Hinckley, 146 - 147.)
David O. McKay
"There are three things
fundamentally important associated with the administration of the sacrament.
The first is self-discernment. It is introspection. 'This do in remembrance of
me,' but we should partake worthily, each one examining himself with respect to
his worthiness.
"Secondly, there is a
covenant made; a covenant even more than a promise...A covenant, a promise,
should be as sacred as life. That principle is involved every Sunday when we
partake of the sacrament.
"Thirdly, there is another
blessing, and that is a sense of close relationship with the Lord. There is an
opportunity to commune with oneself and to commune with the Lord. We meet in
the house that is dedicated to him; we have turned it over to him; we call it
his house. Well, you may rest assured that he will be there to inspire us if we
come in proper attune to meet him." (Conference Report, April 1946,
Afternoon Meeting 112.)
Joseph Fielding Smith
"The covenant made by
members of the Church each time they partake of the Sacrament, should
constantly be uppermost in their minds. Never should they eat the bread or
drink the water, without a full realization of just what they are doing and
what it means to them. The covenant made embraces the following:
"First, that through the
sanctified bread and water, we too, sanctify ourselves in partaking of it
before our Heavenly Father, and in the name of Jesus Christ.
"Second, that we eat in
remembrance of his broken body and of his blood which was shed for us.
"Third, that we are willing
to take upon us the name of the Son, and not be ashamed of him. We belong to
the Church of Jesus Christ, and if faithful have taken upon us his name.
"Fourth, we covenant that
we will always remember him. This embodies the willingness to love and honor
him.
"Fifth, that we will keep
his commandments which he has given us.
"These things we covenant
to do when we partake of these emblems; moreover, we renew the covenant each
week, if we perform our duty. The promise made to us, if we will do these
things, is that we shall always have his Spirit to be with us.
"No member of the Church
can fail to make this covenant and renew it week by week, and retain the Spirit
of the Lord. The Sacrament meeting of the Church is the most important meeting
which we have, and is sadly neglected by many members. We go to this service,
if we understand the purpose of it, not primarily to hear someone speak,
important though that may be, but first, and most important, to renew this
covenant with our Father in heaven in the name of Jesus Christ. Those who
persist in their absence from this service will eventually lose the Spirit and
if they do not repent will eventually find themselves denying the faith."
(Church History and Modern Revelation, 1: 123.)
David B. Haight
"As deacons and teachers,
we sat on the first row, prepared to pass the sacrament...Everyone was expected
to sing the special sacrament hymn. Everyone did sing. Children were trained
not only to be reverent but also to know some of the words of the most familiar
sacrament songs...We were learning in our youth that in order to feel of the
Spirit, we must experience a change in our hearts, and in order to be in
harmony on this sacred occasion, we had to sing the sacrament hymn. As we sang
the words, our souls were better prepared to understand this sacred ordinance.
At the Last Supper the early apostles joined with the Savior in singing.
Matthew records, 'And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount
of Olives' ("Matt. 26:30Matthew 26:30). As we young boys would sing in
sacrament meeting, the message of the words would be impressed upon our hearts.
There comes to one's soul heavenly thoughts as he joins in heavenly expressions
coupled with heavenly melody." (A Light unto the World, 173.)
Howard W. Hunter
Finally, preparations for the
Passover meal were complete, in keeping with nearly fifteen hundred years of
tradition. Jesus sat down with his disciples and, after the eating of the
sacrificial lamb and of the bread and wine of this ancient feast, he taught
them a newer and holier meaning of that ancient blessing from God.
He took one of the flat, round
loaves of unleavened bread, said the blessing over it, and broke it into pieces
that he distributed to the Apostles, saying: "This is my body which is
given for you: this do in remembrance of me." (Luke 22:19.)
As the cup was being poured, he
took it and, giving thanks, invited them to drink of it, saying, "This cup
is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you." (Luke 22:20.)
Paul said of it: "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup,
ye do shew the Lord's death till he come." (1 Cor. 11:26.)
The bread and wine, rather than
the animals and herbs, would become emblems of the great Lamb's body and blood,
emblems to be eaten and drunk reverently and in remembrance of him forever.
In this simple but impressive
manner the Savior instituted the ordinance now known as the sacrament of the
Lord's Supper. With the suffering of Gethsemane, the sacrifice of Calvary, and
the resurrection from a garden tomb, Jesus fulfilled the ancient law and
ushered in a new dispensation based on a higher, holier understanding of the
law of sacrifice. No more would men be required to offer the firstborn lamb
from their flock, because the Firstborn of God had come to offer himself as an
"infinite and eternal sacrifice." ("Christ, Our Passover," Ensign,
May 1985, 18-19)
Bruce R. McConkie
Better for Judas if he had never
been born! Yea, and better for all those who knowingly and willfully reject the
truth and defy the Christ, better for them also if they had never been born!...
As to the sign by which the
traitor might be known-dipping with Jesus in the common bowl and the taking of
the sop from his hand-such was neither designed nor intended to identify Judas
with clarity and certainty, and it did not have such an effect. All who sat at
the table dipped their hands in the bowl, and all received a sop from Jesus'
hand as part of the Passover rituals, as we shall see shortly, though it would
appear that Judas was the first so served, or, perhaps, that he received an
additional sop. In any event Jesus then "dipped the sop" and gave it
to Judas, and then, and then only, did Judas ask, "Master, is it I?"
Jesus answered: "Thou hast said," apparently whispering the reply
only to Judas, without making the others aware in words who the traitor was. (The
Mortal Messiah: From Bethlehem to Calvary, 4 vols. [Salt Lake City: Deseret
Book Co., 1979-1981], 4: 44.)
Bruce R. McConkie
This was part of the prescribed
Passover procedure and would have been Psalms 115-118, which accompanied the
fourth Passover cup. (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [Salt
Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-1973], 1: 744.)
Jeffrey R. Holland
"Since that upper room
experience on the eve of Gethsemane and Golgotha, children of the promise have
been under covenant to remember Christ's sacrifice in this newer, higher, more
holy and personal way.
"With a crust of bread,
always broken, blessed, and offered first, we remember his bruised body and
broken heart, his physical suffering on the cross where he cried, 'I thirst,'
and finally, 'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?' (John 19:28; Matt.
27:46.)
"The Savior's physical
suffering guarantees that through his mercy and grace (see 2 Ne. 2:8) every
member of the human family shall be freed from the bonds of death and be
resurrected triumphantly from the grave. Of course the time of that
resurrection and the degree of exaltation it leads to are based upon our
faithfulness.
"With a small cup of water
we remember the shedding of Christ's blood and the depth of his spiritual
suffering, anguish which began in the Garden of Gethsemane. There he said, 'My
soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death' (Matt. 26:38). He was in agony
and 'prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood
falling down to the ground' (Luke 22:44).
"The Savior's spiritual
suffering and the shedding of his innocent blood, so lovingly and freely given,
paid the debt for what the scriptures call the 'original guilt' of Adam's
transgression (Moses 6:54). Furthermore, Christ suffered for the sins and
sorrows and pains of all the rest of the human family, providing remission for
all of our sins as well, upon conditions of obedience to the principles and
ordinances of the gospel he taught (see 2 Ne. 9:21-23). As the Apostle Paul
wrote, we were 'bought with a price' (1 Cor. 6:20). What an expensive price and
what a merciful purchase!" ("This Do in Remembrance of Me," Ensign,
Nov. 1995, 67)
Harold B. Lee
"The partaking of the
sacrament is a renewal, a refreshing of our recollection of what it meant to be
baptized as a member of the Church. We had the law of sacrifice before the
coming of the Savior, and we have the sacrament administered since the Savior's
death, repeatedly refreshing our minds of the covenant of the gospel of Jesus
Christ which all of us have entered into." (The Teachings of Harold B.
Lee, edited by Clyde J. Williams [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1996], 208.)
Spencer W. Kimball
"That is the real purpose
of the sacrament, to keep us from forgetting, to help us to remember. I suppose
there would never be an apostate, there would never be a crime, if people
remembered, really remembered, the things they had covenanted at the water's
edge or at the sacrament table and in the temple. I suppose that is the reason
the Lord asked Adam to offer sacrifices, for no other reason than that he and
his posterity would remember-remember the basic things that they had been
taught. I guess we as humans are prone to forget. It is easy to forget. Our
sorrows, our joys, our concerns, our great problems seem to wane to some extent
as time goes on, and there are many lessons that we learn which have a tendency
to slip from us. The Nephites forgot. They forgot the days when they felt good.
"I remember a young Navaho
boy returning from his mission who was supported largely by a seventies quorum
in the Bonneville Stake. I happened to be present the day he made his report
and as tears rolled down his face, he said, 'Oh, if I could only remember
always just how I feel now.'" (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, edited
by Edward L. Kimball [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1982], 113.)
Alexander B. Morrison
"It may seem difficult at
first to understand that Jesus, the very Savior of the world, the Lord God
Omnipotent, was tempted, even as we are. Indeed, the temptations of the
adversary during Jesus' lonely travail in the wilderness are archetypical of
all temptations. Satan attempted to seduce Jesus with appeals to physical
appetite, vanity and ego, and the love of power. (See Matthew 4.) Though Satan
was vanquished by Jesus' rejection of his diabolical plan, the adversary
continued his attempts to lead or seduce Jesus away from His divine mission.
Christ's victory in the desert thus was not a final success. His temptations
continued throughout His ministry (see Luke 22:28) up to and including the
agony of Gethsemane.
"As with Jesus, so it is
with us. We are not given the opportunity to overcome Satan in a single act of
combat. The struggle between flesh and spirit, between God and the devil, is a
constant battle throughout life. But, one may ask, was Jesus tempted as I am?
In the same way and with the same enticements? After all, He is God, and I am
but a weak and fallible mortal. The answer from the scriptures is clear: 'We
have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our
infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.'
(Hebrews 4:15; italics added.)" (Feed My Sheep: Leadership Ideas
for Latter-day Shepherds [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1992], 168.)
Bruce R. McConkie
"Satan wanted to harvest
the earth, to sift the saints as wheat, so that both wheat and tares would be
garnered into his bin. This he would find easier to do were Peter not there to
guide them. Hence, Jesus' special prayer that Peter's faith fail not; and hence
the continuing prayers of the saints, always and ever, for the apostles and
prophets who guide the Church." (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3
vols. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-1973], 1: 770.)
Spencer W. Kimball
"Lucifer desires all good
people. He even tempted the Savior on at least three recorded occasions. He had
designs upon Peter, who was soon to be the number one man in the world of
righteousness. The Lord warned Peter to be on his guard...Satan wants all men,
but especially is he anxious for the leading men who have influence. Perhaps he
might try much harder to claim men who are likely to be his greatest
opposition, men in high places who could persuade many others not to become
servants to Satan.
"It seems that missionaries
are special targets. The young man is going to spend two years exclusively in
the service of converting people from error to truth, of teaching men to leave
the employ of Lucifer and serve the Lord, of bringing people out of the dark
where they are most vulnerable into the light where there is a measure of
protection and where new strengths can be developed. Satan takes a special
interest in all such workers." (The Miracle of Forgiveness, chap.
12)
Sterling W. Sill
"Peter may have been a bit
offended. He probably thought that he was already converted. But what happened
at the trial a little later, when he denied the Lord three times, may have
indicated that even he wasn't converted." (February 9, 1965, BYU
Speeches of the Year, 1965, p. 8)
Marion G. Romney
"From some of the Savior's
sayings it would seem that there might even be people in high places whose
conversion is not complete; for example, conversing with his apostles at his
last supper, he said to Peter, 'Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to
have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 'But I have prayed for thee, that thy
faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.' (Luke
22:31-32.) From this it would appear that membership in the Church and
conversion are not necessarily synonymous. Being converted, as we are here
using the term, and having a testimony are not necessarily the same thing
either. A testimony comes when the Holy Ghost gives the earnest seeker a
witness of the truth. A moving testimony vitalizes faith; that is, it induces
repentance and obedience to the commandments. Conversion, on the other hand, is
the fruit of, or the reward for, repentance and obedience. (Of course one's
testimony continues to increase as he is converted.)
"Conversion is effected by
divine forgiveness, which remits sins. The sequence is something like this. An
honest seeker hears the message. He asks the Lord in prayer if it is true. The
Holy Spirit gives him a witness. This is a testimony. If one's testimony is
strong enough, he repents and obeys the commandments. By such obedience he
receives divine forgiveness which remits sin. Thus he is converted to a newness
of life. His spirit is healed." (Conference Report, October 1963,
Afternoon Meeting 24.)
Ezra Taft Benson
"Conversion to Jesus Christ
and His gospel is more than testimony; it is to be healed spiritually." (The
Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1988], 311 -
312.)
Bruce R. McConkie
"Peter [said], 'We believe
and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.' (John
6:69.) Peter knew, and his knowledge came by revelation.
"But Peter was not
converted, because he had not become a new creature of the Holy Ghost. Rather,
long after Peter had gained a testimony, and on the very night Jesus was
arrested, he said to Peter: 'When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.'
(Luke 22:32.) Immediately thereafter, and regardless of his testimony, Peter
denied that he knew Christ. (Luke 22:54-62.) After the crucifixion, Peter went
fishing, only to be called back to the ministry by the risen Lord. (John
21:1-17.) Finally on the day of Pentecost the promised spiritual endowment was
received; Peter and all the faithful disciples became new creatures of the Holy
Ghost; they were truly converted; and their subsequent achievements manifest
the fixity of their conversions. (Acts 3; 4.)
"It is interesting to note
also that the Latter-day Twelve, long after they had testimonies of the gospel,
and more than two years after their calls to the apostleship, were promised that
if they would be faithful they would yet be converted. (D. & C
112:12-13.)" (Mormon Doctrine, 2d ed. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft,
1966], 163.)
Gordon B. Hinckley
"Declared Paul, 'We then
that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak.' And then he adds,
'and not to please ourselves' (Romans 15:1).
"It is a responsibility
divinely laid upon us to bear one another's burdens, to strengthen one another,
to encourage one another, to lift one another, to look for the good in one
another, and to emphasize that good." (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley
[Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1997], 46.)
M. Russell Ballard
"If we are obedient to the
Savior's command given to Peter, we will focus our attention on the spiritual
growth and development of those for whom we are responsible. Feeding the Lord's
sheep requires each of us to awaken our interest in others. The duty to invite
others to partake of the gospel feast does not rest only on the shoulders of
the missionaries. That sober and significant duty belongs to each member of the
Church, for 'it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor.'
"Today our prophet is
calling for enthusiastic and dynamic love for our Heavenly Father's children.
He asks us to see the spiritual hunger around us and to respond by willingly
sharing our abundance. No power on earth can accomplish as much as one
righteous man or woman or boy or girl." ("Feasting at the Lord's
Table," Ensign, May 1996, 81)
Spencer W. Kimball
"May I say the same to each
of you: When you are converted, please strengthen your brethren and sisters.
There are so many who hunger, sometimes without knowing the cause of their
hunger. There are spiritual truths and principles that can be as bedrock to their
lives, safety to their souls, peace to their hearts and minds if we would but
turn our prayers and active concern to them." ("Helping Others Obtain
the Promises of the Lord," Ensign, June 1983, 3)
Joseph B. Wirthlin
"Imagine for a moment that
you are Peter. Three years ago a holy stranger invited you to set aside your
fishing boat and nets, your means of support for yourself and your family, and
then asked you to follow him. You did so without hesitation, and for three
years you have continued to follow and to love and support and sustain him. You
have seen him confound the wise, comfort the weary and the afflicted, heal the
sick, and raise the dead to life. You have seen him conquer evil spirits and
calm the troubled seas; and for a few minutes, at least, you even walked on the
water toward him. You were at his side when Moses and Elias appeared to him;
you saw him transfigured before your very eyes. You have committed your entire
life to him. And now he questions you by instructing you to strengthen your
brethren-'when thou art converted.'
"Peter was surprised. He
assured the Lord, 'I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.'
(Luke 22:33.) But Jesus knew and understood. He was not condemning Peter for a
lack of conviction; Peter demonstrated his conviction during the Lord's arrest.
Rather, the Savior was telling Peter what he needed to do when his testimony
became more secure.
"As he knew Peter, the Lord
understands us today when our testimonies may not be the brightly burning
bonfire we may think they are or want them to be. Perhaps in some cases, that
testimony is constructed unwisely, built on a social foundation of programs and
personalities instead of the sure rock of personal revelation. Or perhaps we
have allowed our testimony to flicker gradually through disuse and spiritual
complacency. Regardless of the reason, the Savior lovingly urges us to come
unto him and become strengthened in him. Said he to Moroni: 'If men come unto
me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may
be humble; . . . for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me,
then will I make weak things become strong unto them.' (Ether 12:27.)" (Finding
Peace in Our Lives [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1995], 125.)
David O. McKay
"'Think not that I come to
send peace on earth; I came not to send peace but a sword.' (Matthew 10:34)
They who would quote this saying as indicating that Jesus approves of war
surely put a strained interpretation on its true meaning, which refers most
clearly to the incompatibility between truth and error. It clearly refers to
the necessity of a choice, which has been made by thousands, between accepting
the gospel or continuing in ease and comfort with relatives. There is not in
that quotation any justification for one Christian nation's declaring war upon
another.
"Nor, again, would I try to
justify my seeming inconsistency by referring to what He said on another
occasion as follows: 'But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and
likewise his scrip; and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy
one ....And they said, Lord, behold here are two swords, And he said unto them,
it is enough.' (Luke 22:36 and 38)
"Without reading into the
text something which is not intended or even implied, the most that one can get
from this admonition is that henceforth the disciples going forth into an
antagonistic world might supply themselves with necessary support and the usual
means of defense.
"None of these sayings of
the Savior's can be taken to prove that He justifies war." (Conference
Report, April 1942, Church of the Air Broadcast 72.)
The sacrament is an opportunity to remember
the Savior.
My Thoughts:
The sacrament is the
most revenant time we each have each week. It is not only a renewal of promise
we have made but a time to review how we have behaved and how we are living up
to our covenants.
It is special yet I
fear most member miss it. Phones, talking, playing games etc all occur during
this most special time. Families rushing in late to find seats is a
distraction. We all need to do better in how we treat this special time that
has been given us.
What Others Have Said
Sacrament
Gordon B Hinckley
The sacrament and the partaking of these emblems
is the very heart of our Sabbath worship. It includes a renewal of covenants
with God. It carries with it a promise of His Holy Spirit to be with us. As we
partake of the sacrament we can all stand on a level plane before the Lord in
that magnificent and beautiful and simple ordinance of the gospel which carries
with it such tremendous meaning.
Gordon B Hinckley “Stand a Little Taller”
Melvin J Ballard
No man goes away from this Church and becomes
an apostate in a week, nor in a month. It is a slow process. The one thing that
would make for the safety of every man and woman would be to appear at the
sacrament table every Sabbath day. We would not get very far away in one
week—not so far that, by the process of self-investigation, we could not rectify
the wrongs we may have done. If we should refrain from partaking of the
sacrament, condemned by ourselves as unworthy to receive these emblems, we
could not endure that long, and we would soon, I am sure, have the spirit of
repentance. The road to the sacrament table is the path of safety for the
Latter- Day Saint.
Melvin
J Ballard Improvement Era Oct 1919
Melvin J Ballard
It is at the sacrament meeting, when you see
the emblems of the broken body and the spilled blood being prepared, that is
the time for every man and woman to go into secret conference with himself of
herself and discover, whether or not they are in sin and transgression, whether
they have yielded to the tempter, whether there are things they need to repent
of, and if so, to cleanse themselves and purify their souls
Melvin J. Ballard Yesterday, Today, and
Forever pg 48
Quentin L Cook
“If we are to be His disciples and to be
committed members of His Church, we must remember and reverence the sacrament.
It allows each of us to express with broken hearts and contrite spirits our
willingness to follow the Savior, to repent, and to become a Saint through the
Atonement of Christ.”
Elder Quentin L.
Cook “We
Follow Jesus Christ,” Ensign, May 2010, 84
David B Haight
Since the administration of President Heber J.
Grant, the First Presidency has emphasized the precaution through the General
Handbook of Instructions to avoid and set form, or uniformity in procedures.
These instructions apply to the dress of Aaronic Priesthood youth who pass the sacrament.
Boys should be neat and clean, but they are not required to all dress alike. It
also refers to any practice, such as Aaronic Priesthood young men walking with
one arm behind their back, or standing with arms folded, or priests raising
their arm to the square when blessing the sacrament.
(David B. Haight, "Understanding the Lord’s Sacrament," Tambuli, Mar. 1989, 9)
(David B. Haight, "Understanding the Lord’s Sacrament," Tambuli, Mar. 1989, 9)
Joseph F Smith
"It was instituted by the Savior in the
place of the law of sacrifice which was given to Adam, and which continued with
his children down to the days of Christ, but which was fulfilled in his death,
he being the great sacrifice for sin, of which the sacrifices enjoined in the
law given to Adam were a similitude" (Joseph F. Smith Gospel Doctrine, 5th
ed. [1939], 202).
L Tom Perry
With the partaking of the sacrament, we accept
Jesus as our Lord and Savior and obligate ourselves to keep his commandments by
covenant. This makes the partaking of the sacrament a renewal of the covenants
we made at the time of baptism into the Church. Thus, by the sacrament, we
declare repeatedly, ordinarily weekly, our allegiance to the plan of salvation
and its obligations and blessings. (L. Tom Perry, "Sacrament of the Lord’s
Supper," Ensign, May 1996, 53)
Brigham Young
"Its observance is as necessary to our
salvation as any other of the ordinances and commandments that have been
instituted in order that … people may be sanctified" (Discourses of
Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe [1941], 171).
David O McKay
My brethren and sisters, do we always stop to
think, on that sacred Sabbath day when we meet together to partake of the
sacrament, that we witness, promise, obligate ourselves, in the presence of one
another, and in the presence of God, that we will do certain things? Note them.
"The first: We are willing to take upon ourselves the name of the Son. In so doing we choose him as our leader and our ideal; and he is the one perfect character in all the world.
"Second: That we will always remember him. Not just on Sunday, but on Monday [and the other days of the week], in our daily acts, in our self-control. …
"The third: We promise to ‘… keep his commandments which he has given …’—tithing, fast offerings, the Word of Wisdom, kindness, forgiveness, love. The obligation of a member of the Church of Jesus Christ is great, but it is as glorious as it is great, because obedience to these principles gives life, eternal life. …
"Order, reverence, attention to divine promises—the promise to enter into the fold of Christ, to cherish virtues mentioned in the gospel of Christ, to keep them ever in mind, to love the Lord wholeheartedly, and to labor, even at the sacrifice of self, for the brotherhood of man—these and all kindred virtues are associated with the partaking of the sacrament. It is good to meet together and especially to renew our covenants with God in that holy sacrament" (David O McKay Gospel Ideals [1954], 146-47).
"The first: We are willing to take upon ourselves the name of the Son. In so doing we choose him as our leader and our ideal; and he is the one perfect character in all the world.
"Second: That we will always remember him. Not just on Sunday, but on Monday [and the other days of the week], in our daily acts, in our self-control. …
"The third: We promise to ‘… keep his commandments which he has given …’—tithing, fast offerings, the Word of Wisdom, kindness, forgiveness, love. The obligation of a member of the Church of Jesus Christ is great, but it is as glorious as it is great, because obedience to these principles gives life, eternal life. …
"Order, reverence, attention to divine promises—the promise to enter into the fold of Christ, to cherish virtues mentioned in the gospel of Christ, to keep them ever in mind, to love the Lord wholeheartedly, and to labor, even at the sacrifice of self, for the brotherhood of man—these and all kindred virtues are associated with the partaking of the sacrament. It is good to meet together and especially to renew our covenants with God in that holy sacrament" (David O McKay Gospel Ideals [1954], 146-47).
What do you do to remember people who have
been important in your life?
We seem to remember the
good things not the pain we received from those who are important to us. We use
simple items to remind us of good memories the same should be with the Savior.
When the Savior introduced the sacrament to
His disciples, He said, “This do in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19; see also 3
Nephi 18:7).
How do
the bread, water, and other elements of this ordinance help you remember Him
and His suffering?
Matthew 26:36–46; Mark 14:32–42; Luke 22:40–46
My Thoughts:
Gethsemane is
special to me. I truly believe that everything the Savior did was one to one
including the atonement. I am not sure how it worked but I feel that we each
had a “moment” where we stood with the Savior and knew that the pain He
suffered just then was for us.
I believe it was the
hardest time in His life that he had to face. I believe the Father was close by
as was Satan. Elder Talmage made the statement (see below)that Satan threw
everything he had at Jesus to try to make Him give up, yet He did not. I truly
feel sorry for the drops of blood that were spilt for me.
What Others Have Said:
Dallin H. Oaks
"Here we see the Savior's
absolute faith and trust in the Father. 'Nevertheless,' he said, 'not my will,
but thine be done.' The Father's answer was to deny the plea of his Only
Begotten Son. The Atonement had to be worked out by that lamb without blemish. But
though the Son's request was denied, his prayer was answered. The scripture
records: 'And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him'
(JST, Luke 22:43)." ("Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ," Ensign,
May 1994, 100)
Joseph Fielding Smith
"The Savior never committed
any sin...He was not under the necessity of repenting as you and I are; but in
some way that I cannot understand, he carried the weight of my transgressions
and yours and the transgressions of every soul who comes into this Church from
the days of Adam to our present time and to the end of time. He came and
offered himself as a sacrifice to pay the debt for each of us who is willing to
repent of his sins and return to him and keep his commandments. Think of it, if
you can. The Savior carried that burden in some way beyond our comprehension. I
know that, because I accept his word. He tells us of the torment he went
through the torment was so great that he pled with his Father that if it were
possible he might not drink the bitter cup and shrink: '. . . nevertheless not
my will but thine, be done.' (Luke 22:42.) The answer he got from his Father
was, 'You have to drink it.'
"Can I help loving him? No,
I cannot. Do you love him? Then keep his commandments. If you do not, you will
have to answer for them yourselves." (Conference Report, April 1967,
Afternoon Meeting 122.)
Thomas S. Monson
"Can we, in part,
appreciate the suffering of God the Eternal Father... Is there a father or a
mother who could not be moved to complete compassion if he or she heard a son
cry out in his own Garden of Gethsemane, 'Father, if thou be willing, remove
this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done'? (Luke 22:42.)
"All of us love the
beautiful account from the Holy Bible of Abraham and Isaac. How exceedingly
difficult it must have been for Abraham, in obedience to God's command, to take
his beloved Isaac into the land of Moriah there to present him as a burnt
offering. Can you imagine the heaviness of his heart as he gathered the wood for
the fire and journeyed to the appointed place? Surely pain must have racked his
body and tortured his mind as he bound Isaac and laid him on the altar upon the
wood and stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
"...As God witnessed the suffering
of Jesus, his Only Begotten Son in the flesh, and beheld his agony, there was
no voice from heaven to spare the life of Jesus. There was no ram in the
thicket to be offered as a substitute sacrifice. 'For God so loved the world
that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life.' (John 3:16.)" (Conference Report,
October 1965, Afternoon Meeting 142.)
Neal A. Maxwell
"Our great Example showed
us the pattern by His life, and then in his most desperate hour (Luke 22:41-43)
summed up in five words for all time the way of both the Master and His
disciple." (Not My Will, But Thine [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft,
1998], 144.)
Neal A. Maxwell
"We [need to] develop our
submissiveness to God's will, so that amid our lesser but genuinely vexing
moments we too can say, 'Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done' (Luke
22:42). When heartfelt, this expression of obedience constitutes real petition
followed by real submission. It is much more than polite deference. Rather, it
is a deep yielding in which one's momentary uncertainty gives way to the
certainty of Father's rescuing love and mercy, attributes which drench His plan
of salvation." ("Apply the Atoning Blood of Christ," Ensign,
Nov. 1997, 23)
Spencer W. Kimball
"It would not hurt us . . .
if we paused at the end of our prayers to do some intense listening-even for a
moment or two-always praying, as the Savior did, 'not my will, but thine, be
done' (Luke 22:42)." (Russell M. Nelson, Perfection Pending, and Other
Favorite Discourses [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1998], 49.)
Marion G. Romney
"What a difference it would
make in conditions of the world today if all leaders of nations and all peoples
were seeking to know and do the Father's will! What peace would come into the
world and what peace does come into the hearts of individuals as they acquire
such a state of mind and act upon it! The happiest and most successful people
on the earth are those who, knowing the will of the Father, are living in
harmony therewith. On the other hand, the most contentious, distressed, and
miserable people on the earth are those who know his will and do not live in
harmony with it." (Learning for the Eternities [Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book Co., 1977], 105.)
Bruce R McConkie
"An angel, sent from the
courts of glory, came to strengthen the God of Creation in his hour of greatest
need. What an assignment! What an honor! 'If we might indulge in speculation,
'we would suggest that the angel who came into this second Eden was the same
person who dwelt in the first Eden. At least Adam, who is Michael, the
archangel-the head of the whole heavenly hierarchy of angelic ministrants-seems
the logical one to give aid and comfort to his Lord on such a solemn occasion.
Adam fell, and Christ redeemed men from the fall; theirs was a joint
enterprise, both parts of which were essential for the salvation of the
Father's children.'" (Kent P. Jackson and Robert L. Millet, eds., Studies
in Scripture, Vol. 5: The Gospels [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1986],
433 - 434.)
James E. Talmage
"Christ's agony in the
garden is unfathomable by the finite mind, both as to intensity and cause. The
thought that He suffered through fear of death is untenable... He struggled and
groaned under a burden such as no other being who has lived on earth might even
conceive as possible. It was not physical pain, nor mental anguish alone, that
caused Him to suffer such torture as to produce an extrusion of blood from
every pore; but a spiritual agony of soul such as only God was capable of
experiencing. No other man, however great his powers of physical or mental
endurance, could have suffered so; for his human organism would have succumbed,
and syncope would have produced unconsciousness and welcome oblivion. In that
hour of anguish Christ met and overcame all the horrors that Satan, 'the prince
of this world' could inflict. The frightful struggle incident to the
temptations immediately following the Lord's baptism was surpassed and
overshadowed by this supreme contest with the powers of evil.
"In some manner, actual and
terribly real though to man incomprehensible, the Savior took upon Himself the
burden of the sins of mankind from Adam to the end of the world." (Jesus
The Christ, p. 613.)
Neal A. Maxwell
"The angel who appeared
(around 124 B.C.) to King Benjamin movingly and prophetically described the
coming of Jesus and the performing of His mortal ministry, His miracles and His
work among the children of men, and then the glorious but awful Atonement: 'And
lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue,
even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood
cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and
the abominations of his people.' (Mosiah 3:7)" (Plain and Precious
Things [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1983], 11 - 12.)
Neal A. Maxwell
"Jesus, Creator and
Jehovah, surely had known for a long time what He must do. Nevertheless, He had
never known, personally, the exquisite and exacting process of an atonement
before. And it was so much worse than even He with His unique intellect had
ever imagined. No wonder an angel appeared to strengthen Him! (See Luke 22:43.)
"No wonder He began to be
'very heavy' or, also in the Greek rendition, very 'dejected' and 'depressed'
and filled with anguish. The cumulative weight of all mortal sins, somehow,
past, present, and future, pressed upon that perfect, sinless, and sensitive
soul! All infirmities and sicknesses were part, too, of the awful arithmetic of
the Atonement." ("The New Testament-A Matchless Portrait of the
Savior," Ensign, Dec. 1986, 26)
Lorenzo Snow
"It was difficult for Jesus
to accomplish the Atonement. Jesus, the Son of God, was sent into the world to
make it possible for you and me to receive these extraordinary blessings. He
had to make a great sacrifice. It required all the power that He had and all
the faith that He could summon for Him to accomplish that which the Father
required of Him. Had He fallen in the moment of temptation, what do you suppose
would have become of us?... But He did not fail, though the trial was so severe
that He sweat great drops of blood. When He knelt there in the Garden of
Gethsemane, what agony He must have experienced in contemplating His sufferings
on the cross! His feelings must have been inexpressible. He tells us Himself,
as you will find recorded in section 19 of the book of Doctrine and Covenants,
that His suffering was so great that it caused even Him 'to tremble because of
pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit-and would
that [He] might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink.' But He had in His heart
continually to say, 'Father, not my will, but Thine be done.' It was a dark
hour for Him; and every man and woman who serves the Lord, no matter how
faithful they may be, have their dark hours; but if they have lived faithfully,
light will burst upon them and relief will be furnished." (The
Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, edited by Clyde J. Williams [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft,
1984], 98.)
Orson F. Whitney
"One night I dreamed-if
dream it may be called-that I was in the Garden of Gethsemane, a witness of the
Savior's agony. I saw Him as plainly as I see this congregation. I stood behind
a tree in the foreground, where I could see without being seen. Jesus, with
Peter, James and John, came through a little wicket gate at my right. Leaving
the three Apostles there, after telling them to kneel and pray, he passed over
to the other side, where he also knelt and prayed. It was the same prayer with
which we are all familiar: 'O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass
from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt' (Matt. 26:36-44; Mark
14:32-41; Luke 22:42).
"As he prayed the tears
streamed down his face, which was toward me. I was so moved at the sight that I
wept also, out of pure sympathy with his great sorrow. My whole heart went out
to him, I loved him with all my soul, and longed to be with him as I longed for
nothing else." ("The Divinity of Jesus Christ," Improvement
Era, Vol. Xxix. January, 1926, No. 3)
Russell M. Nelson
"The word Gethsemane comes
from two Hebrew roots: gath, meaning "press," and shemen,
meaning "oil," especially that of the olive.
"There olives had been
pressed under the weight of great stone wheels to squeeze precious oil from the
olives. So the Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane was literally pressed under
the weight of the sins of the world. He sweated great drops of blood-his life's
'oil'-which issued from every pore." ("Why This Holy Land?" Ensign,
Dec. 1989, 17-18)
John Taylor
"...the Son of God ... bore
the weight, the responsibility, and the burden of the sins of all men, which,
to us, is incomprehensible ... Groaning beneath this concentrated load, this
intense, incomprehensible pressure, this terrible exaction of Divine justice,
from which feeble humanity shrank, and through the agony thus experienced
sweating great drops of blood, He was led to exclaim, 'Father, if it be possible,
let this cup pass from me.' He had wrestled with the superincumbent load in the
wilderness, He had struggled against the powers of darkness that had been let
loose upon him there; placed below all things, His mind surcharged with agony
and pain, lonely and apparently helpless and forsaken, in his agony the blood
oozed from His pores." (Mediation and Atonement [Salt Lake City:
Deseret News, 1882], 151.)
James E. Faust
"One cannot help wondering
how many of those drops of precious blood each of us may be responsible
for." ("The Supernal Gift of the Atonement," Ensign, Nov.
1988, 13)
Marion G. Romney
"This was the awful price
demanded by the justice of God and paid by Jesus to put into effect the plan of
mercy-that is, the gospel plan of redemption through which men may escape from
spiritual death. In this manner Jesus literally bought us with his blood. Paul
twice says, 'Ye are bought with a price' (1 Cor. 6:20; 7:23)...His blood was
drawn from him in blood sweat, the most torturous manner in which it could be
spilt. From every beneficiary of the plan of redemption, Jesus merits
everlasting praise, honor, and gratitude." (Look to God and Live [Salt
Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1971], 96 - 97.)
Brigham Young
"The Father withdrew His
Spirit from His Son, at the time he was to be crucified. Jesus had been with
his Father, talked with Him, dwelt in His bosom, and knew all about heaven,
about making the earth, about the transgression of man, and what would redeem
the people, and that he was the character to redeem the sons of earth, and the
earth itself from all sin that had come upon it. The light, knowledge, power,
and glory with which he was clothed were far above, or exceeded that of all
others who had been upon the earth after the fall, consequently at the very
moment, at the hour when the crisis came for him to offer up his life, the
Father withdrew Himself, withdrew His Spirit. . . . That is what made him sweat
blood. If he had had the power of God upon him, he would not have sweat
blood." (Kent P. Jackson and Robert L. Millet, eds., Studies in
Scripture, Vol. 5: The Gospels [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1986],
434 - 435.)
prising to Himself, for we read
that He 'began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy.'" (Jesus the
Christ, 566)
Neal A. Maxwell
"We read how in Gethsemane
Jesus began to be 'sore amazed,' or, according to the Greek, 'astonished'!
(Mark 14:33.) 'Astonished,' mind you. And this reaction from Him Who, among
Father's spirit children, was and is 'more intelligent than they all.' (Abraham
3:19.) The Savior, with His unsurpassed brilliance, began to be 'very heavy,'
or, again according to the Greek, 'dejected' or 'in anguish.' (Mark 14:33.)
Here we read of the Creator of this and other worlds, Who knew well beforehand
what He must do. Nevertheless, Jesus had never before known personally the
process of atonement. And it was much worse than even He in His brilliance had
ever imagined!" (We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ [Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book Co., 1984], 44.)
Neal A. Maxwell
"Jesus' being 'very heavy'
or 'depressed' ensured His perfect empathy-born of actual experience-for all of
us when we feel overwhelmed or depressed (see Mark 14:33; Psalm 69:20). Christ
'descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things' (D&C 88:6;
see also 122:8).
"His suffering thereby
permitted Jesus to 'be filled with mercy,' because He knows 'according to the
flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities' (Alma 7:12; see
also Hebrews 5:8; Matthew 8:17). Alma and Paul agreed: Jesus' capacity to help
was fully perfected through His supernal obedience. Jesus thus understands the
full range of human suffering personally and perfectly." (Lord,
Increase Our Faith [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1994], 14.)
B. H. Roberts
"Had he been a mere man,
His knowledge of the sufferings before Him could not have been sufficient to
cause such sorrow. The human fear of death will not explain it...The conflict,
therefore, was a specific agony of itself. He felt the whole burden and mystery
of the world's sin, and encountered the fiercest assaults of Satan...His sorrow
did not spring from His own life, His memory or His fears, but from the
vicarious nature of the conflict. The agony was a bearing of the weight and
sorrow of our sins, in loneliness, in anguish of soul threatening to crush His
body, yet borne triumphantly, because in submission to His Father's will."
(Seventy's Course in Theology [Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1907-1912],
2: 127 - 128.)
Neal A. Maxwell
"When suffering and
burdened Jesus entered Gethsemane, He 'fell on the ground' (Mark 14:35). He did
not merely kneel down, pray intensely and briefly, and leave. His agonies were
so great that He began to bleed at every one of thousands of His pores (see
D&C 19:18)." ("Enduring Well," Ensign, Apr. 1997, 10)
Russell M. Nelson
"The word Abba is
significant. Ab means 'father'; Abba is an endearing and tender
form of that term. The nearest English equivalent might be Daddy."
(Perfection Pending, and Other Favorite Discourses [Salt Lake City: Deseret
Book Co., 1998], 171, footnote 38.)
Jeffrey R. Holland
"In that most burdensome
moment of all human history, with blood appearing at every pore and an
anguished cry upon His lips, Christ sought Him whom He had always sought-His
Father. 'Abba,' He cried, 'Papa,' or from the lips of a younger child, 'Daddy.'
"This is such a personal
moment it almost seems a sacrilege to cite it. A Son in unrelieved pain, a
Father His only true source of strength, both of them staying the course,
making it through the night-together." ("The Hands of the Fathers,"
Ensign, May 1999, 16)
Neal A. Maxwell
"'And he said, Abba,
Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me.' (Mark
14:36.) It was the cry of a Child, in deep distress, for His Father.
"As Jehovah, Jesus had said
to Abraham: 'Is any thing too hard for the Lord?' (Gen. 18:14.) Jesus had
taught this very truth about what was feasible for believers in His mortal
ministry. Had not an angel told a perplexed Mary about her own impending
miracle, saying, 'For with God nothing shall be impossible'? (Luke 1:37.) And
so in His anguish, Jesus actually pled that the hour and cup might pass from
Him. In His anguish, He even quoted back to the Father those special,
significant words-'All things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from
me.' (See Matt. 16:26; 26:39.) This was not theater-this was shuddering
reality! Did the Lamb, in this extremity, hope for a ram in the thicket? I do
not know, but the suffering was enormously multiplied by infinity. His
soul-cries are understandable." ("The New Testament-A Matchless
Portrait of the Savior," Ensign, Dec. 1986, 26)
Joseph Fielding Smith
"Can you imagine the
suffering, the extent of the anguish of soul that our Savior passed through-He
who is the Son of God-in order that we might receive the resurrection, and
resurrection, and that we might receive the remission of our sins through
obedience to the principles of the Gospel, and an exaltation in the presence of
the Father and the Son? Do we realize what all of that means?
"I think it is understood
by many that the great suffering of Jesus Christ came through the driving of
nails in His hands and in His feet, and in being suspended upon a cross, until
death mercifully released Him. That is not the case. As excruciating, as severe
as was that punishment, coming from the driving of nails through His hands and
through His feet, and being suspended, until relieved by death, yet still
greater was the suffering which He endured in carrying the burden of the sins
of the world-my sins, and your sins, and the sins of every living creature.
This suffering came before He ever got to the cross, and it caused the blood to
come forth from the pores of his body, so great was that anguish of His soul,
the torment of His spirit that He was called upon to undergo.
"Are we not indebted? Yes.
Are we ungrateful? Yes, unless we are willing to abide by every word that comes
from the mouth of God, unless we are obedient, unless our hearts are broken, in
the scriptural sense, unless our spirits are contrite, unless within our soul
is the spirit of humility and faith and obedience." (Conference Report,
April 1944, Afternoon Meeting 49)
Neal A. Maxwell
"The atonement was a most
wondrous and glorious moment. In fact, it was the central act in all of human
history!" ("The New Testament-A Matchless Portrait of the
Savior," Ensign, Dec. 1986, 26)
Neal A. Maxwell
"So it is that
discipleship, far from being ascetic, is to choose joy over pleasure. It is to
opt for the things of eternity over the trendy and appealing things of the
moment. Eventually, we become readied for the final moment of consecration,
when, gladly and completely, we let our wills be swallowed up in the will of
the Father. Jesus did this in Gethsemane, where he said, 'Not my will, but
thine, be done' (Luke 22:42). What was God's will? That Jesus complete the
Atonement. Even so, Jesus prayed, 'Take away this cup from me' (Mark 14:36);
and still later he cried out, 'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?'
(Matt. 27:46). Yet Jesus yielded." ("Becoming a Disciple," Ensign,
June 1996, 16)
James E. Talmage
"Christ's agony in the
garden is unfathomable by the finite mind, both as to intensity and cause. The
thought that He suffered through fear of death is untenable. Death to Him was
preliminary to resurrection and triumphal return to the Father from whom He had
come, and to a state of glory even beyond what He had before possessed; and,
moreover, it was within His power to lay down His life voluntarily.
"He struggled and groaned
under a burden such as no other being who has lived on earth might even
conceive as possible. It was not physical pain, nor mental anguish alone, that
caused Him to suffer such torture as to produce an extrusion of blood from
every pore; but a spiritual agony of soul such as only God was capable of
experiencing.
"No other man, however
great his powers of physical or mental endurance, could have suffered so; for
his human organism would have succumbed, and syncope would have produced
unconsciousness and welcome oblivion.
"In that hour of anguish
Christ met and overcame all the horrors that Satan, 'the prince of this world'
could inflict...In some manner, actual and terribly real though to man
incomprehensible, the Savior took upon Himself the burden of the sins of
mankind from Adam to the end of the world. Modern revelation assists us to
partial understanding of the awful experience.
"In March 1830, the
glorified Lord, Jesus Christ, thus spake: 'For behold, I, God, have suffered
these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent, but if
they would not repent, they must suffer even as I, which suffering caused
myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed
at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit: and would that I might not
drink the bitter cup and shrink-nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I
partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.' (DC 19:16-19)
"From the terrible conflict
in Gethsemane, Christ emerged a victor. Though in the dark tribulation of that
fearful hour He had pleaded that the bitter cup be removed from His lips, the
request, however oft repeated, was always conditional; the accomplishment of
the Father's will was never lost sight of as the object of the Son's supreme
desire." (Jesus the Christ, pp. 613-14.)
Glenn L. Pace
"As a loving Father in
Heaven viewed His Beloved Son suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, the Savior
cried out, 'O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me:
nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.' (Matthew 26:39.)
"Can you imagine the tears
in the eyes of the Father when He had to deny His Son's request? Can you
comprehend the sacred tears shed by the Father when He had to abandon the
Savior on the cross and hear Him say, 'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken
me?' (Mark 15:34.) And yet, even as God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ
wept, sinners laughed." (Spiritual Plateaus, 90.)
Neal A. Maxwell
"Will we, too, trust the
Lord amid a perplexing trial for which we have no easy explanation? Do we
understand-really comprehend-that Jesus knows and understands when we are
stressed and perplexed? The complete consecration which effected the Atonement
ensured Jesus' perfect empathy; He felt our very pains and afflictions before
we did and knows how to succor us (see Alma 7:11-12; 2 Nephi 9:21). Since the
most innocent one suffered the most, our own cries of 'Why?' cannot match His.
But we can utter the same, submissive word: 'Nevertheless . . .' (Matthew
26:39)." (If Thou Endure It Well, 52.)
Neal A. Maxwell
"There are no Christlike
prayers, however, that do not include, as did the Lord's Prayer, deep
expressions of gratitude and appreciation to our Father in heaven along with a
submittal to Him.
"So very much of pure
prayer seems to be the process of first discovering, rather than requesting,
the will of our Father in heaven and then aligning ourselves therewith. The
'Thy will be done' example in the Lord's Prayer reached its zenith in the
Savior's later prayer in Gethsemane and in His still later submittal on the
cross: 'Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.' (Matthew 26:39.)
"When we do conform to His
will, God will pour forth special blessings from heaven upon us." (All
These Things Shall Give Thee Experience, 94.)
Neal A. Maxwell
"Such love of the Lord
requires that we become trustingly patient as experiences come to us that God
deems are for our good. We must, on this side of the veil, wait out the
inexplicable things, maintaining serenity as the storms beat upon us and as the
winds of derision howl. We must be willing to submit ourselves 'to all things
which the Lord seeth fit to inflict' upon us. (Mosiah 3:19.) This is the
unconditional submittal of the soul that lies at the very center of the first
great commandment; there can be no holding back. Only as we thus come close to
the living Lord can we honestly say, in the midst of the fiery trials of life,
'Not as I will, but as thou wilt.' (Matthew 26:39.)" (Notwithstanding
My Weakness, 39.)
Spencer W. Kimball
"That brings to my thought,
am I asleep; are you asleep? Are you taking for granted all of the joys and
blessings of this world without thinking of the eternities that are to come
beyond? Are we asleep? Are we his disciples called by him to serve and to teach
and to train, and are we asleep? That question always reaches into my heart.
'Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is
willing, but the flesh is weak.'" (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball,
edited by Edward L. Kimball, 152.)
Spencer W. Kimball
"In the first prayer he
still seemed to have a glimmer of hope that something could be done about it,
but in the latter it seemed to have been definitely settled in his mind that no
adjustment could be made, and in order that the purposes of God might not fail
he must drink the bitter cup." (Conference Report, April 1945,
Afternoon Meeting 59.)
Why was the Savior’s Atonement necessary? (See
2 Nephi 2:5–10, 17–26; 9:5–26; Alma 34:8–16; 42:9–26.)
Simply put…no
unclean thing can dwell in the presence of God. A mere Mortal would not be able
to pay justice the price required for cleaning of our souls.
What did the Savior experience as He suffered?
(See Isaiah 53:3–5; Mosiah 3:7; Alma 7:11–13; D&C 19:16–19.)
He came to know
everything that any of us will go through. He knew the struggles we all go
through, this is why the atonement is not just for repentance but also help
with the day to day struggles we all must face.
How does Christ’s suffering affect my life?
(See John 10:10–11; Hebrews 4:14–16; 1 John 1:7; Alma 34:31; Moroni 10:32–33;
Dallin H. Oaks, “Strengthened by the Atonement of Jesus Christ,” Ensign or
Liahona, Nov. 2015, 61–64.)
Bruce Hafen
"The Lord ultimately seeks
our self-fulfillment, not our self-denial. Yet our self-denial in the short run
enables our self-fulfillment in the long run. God is the author of our
passions. If we bridle them by the bounds he has set, our passions can
be fulfilled. We submit ourselves to divinely ordered limits in order to
find-not to deny-the abundant life." (Bruce C. Hafen and Marie K. Hafen, The
Belonging: The Atonement and Relationships with God and Family Heart [Salt
Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1994], 304.)
Spencer W. Kimball
"The abundant life, of
course, has little to do with the acquisition of material things, though there
are many wonderful individuals who have been blessed materially and who use
their wealth to help their fellowmen-and this is most commendable. The abundant
life noted in the scriptures is the spiritual sum that is arrived at by the
multiplying of our service to others and by investing our talents in service to
God and to man.
"If you can, just live on a
little farm and get out and plow and raise your crops and think of your family
and wish and pray for them as you plow and plant and harvest...Sometimes we get
wrong notions, we think we have to be in a luxurious house, in a large city,
with a new car in order to be happy. Happiness isn't there. Happiness isn't in
a new car, it isn't in a new and luxurious apartment. Happiness isn't in banks
and stocks. Happiness is where you make it, it's up to you. It comes from
within, it doesn't come from things." (The Teachings of Spencer W.
Kimball, edited by Edward L. Kimball [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1982],
380.)
Alexander B. Morrison
"To the pastoral peoples of
ancient times, those of the flock and field, Jesus' remarks struck a responsive
chord. The shepherd was a familiar sight to them. He stayed with his flock both
day and night (Luke 2:8), led the flock to fresh pastures each morning (John
10:3-4), carefully and tenderly watched over each member during the day, and
ensured that all were safely within the sheepfold when evening came. Equipped
with a curved staff for guiding the sheep, a rod used as a weapon, and a sling
(Psalm 23:4; 1 Samuel 17:40), he was prepared to defend the flock against
predators such as bears or lions (1 Samuel 17:34-35; John 10:11-13), to give
his life, if need be, to protect those in his charge. Yet he willingly left the
ninety and nine to go out into the wilderness, seeking the one that was lost.
(Luke 15:4-6.) The shepherd was an honored figure.
"The symbolism of Christ as
Shepherd is referred to repeatedly in the scriptures. The psalmist sang, 'He is
our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.'
(Psalm 95:7.) Using the same powerful symbolism, Isaiah wrote, 'He shall feed his
flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them
in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.' (Isaiah 40:11.)
Said faithful Nephi, 'He gathereth his children from the four quarters of the
earth; and he numbereth his sheep, and they know him; and there shall be one
fold and one shepherd; and he shall feed his sheep, and in him they shall find
pasture.' (1 Nephi 22:25.) Successful leaders in the Lord's Church look upon
themselves as His undershepherds, blessed to help Him care for the flock of
Christ, sharing the responsibility to watch over every member." (Feed
My Sheep: Leadership Ideas for Latter-day Shepherds [Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book Co., 1992], 26.)
Ezra Taft Benson
"The symbolism of the Good
Shepherd is not without parallel in the Church today. The sheep need to be led
by watchful shepherds. Too many are wandering. Some are being enticed away by
momentary distractions. Others have become completely lost. We realize, as in
times past, that some of the sheep will rebel and are 'as a wild flock which
fleeth from the shepherd.' (Mosiah 8:21.) But most of our problems stem from
lack of loving and attentive shepherding, and more shepherds must be developed.
"With a shepherd's care,
our new members, those newly born into the gospel, must be nurtured by
attentive fellowshipping as they increase in gospel knowledge and begin living
new standards. Such attention will help to ensure that they will not return to
old habits. With a shepherd's loving care, our young people, our young lambs,
will not be as inclined to wander. And if they do, the crook of the shepherd's
staff, a loving arm and an understanding heart, will help to retrieve them.
With a shepherd's care, many of those who are now independent of the flock can
still be reclaimed. Many who have married outside the Church and have assumed
the lifestyles of the world may respond to an invitation to return to the
fold." (LDS Church News, 04/15/95)
Elder John R. Lasater
"My dear brothers and
sisters, there are great lessons to be learned from these stirring words of the
Master Shepherd. Into our hands, as members of this great Church, has been
given responsibility to be the true shepherds unto the flocks of Israel. Do we
understand the personal nature of the shepherd's call? Whether we go as home
teachers or visiting teachers, whether we serve as auxiliary leaders or
teachers, or priesthood leaders at whatever level, we have received a divine
injunction from God, through a living prophet, to become personal shepherds and
ministers. No, it is not a new call; it has always been so.
"Do we know our sheep, each
one, by name? Do they know our voice, or must they hearken unto the voices of
strangers? Do they know us as true shepherds who love them, who willingly and
freely give time and attention to their needs, and, in that marvelous process,
instill the confidence and security so greatly needed in God's children today?
Are we then able to lead them into full activity in the Church and onward to
immortality and eternal life? Do we go before them, constantly reassuring and
building confidence because they know our voice?
"Or are we strangers unto
many? I promise you that you will not be a stranger, that you cannot be if you
come to know the voice of the Master Shepherd, for that voice will confirm what
a prophet has declared, and the Spirit will direct your efforts. And then, and
only then, you will become a true shepherd in Israel." ("Shepherds of
Israel," Ensign, May 1988, 75)
Mark 14:27–31, 66–72; Luke 22:31–32
Conversion is an ongoing process.
Bruce R. McConkie
This was part of the prescribed
Passover procedure and would have been Psalms 115-118, which accompanied the
fourth Passover cup. (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [Salt
Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-1973], 1: 744.)
Neal A. Maxwell
"Peter's temporary denial
of his friendship with Jesus occurred because of the fear of men, who had
actually done nothing to him at that time but clearly might have (see Mark
14:66-72). Mere 'fear of persecution' causes some to falter (see D&C 40:2).
Brigham Young so observed: 'People suffer more in the anticipation of
death, than in death itself. There is more suffering in what I call borrowed
trouble, than in the trouble itself.'" (Lord, Increase Our Faith [Salt
Lake City: Bookcraft, 1994], 86.)
Hugh B. Brown
"Shortly after Peter said
that, Christ came out of that chamber. Peter, crouching in a corner, saw Christ
go by, and Christ looked at Peter. I hope none of us will ever have to endure
that look because of faithlessness. But Christ loved Peter, and He knew his
weakness, and the beauty of it is, my brethren and sisters, He forgave him. He
did not condemn him. What a great character Peter became afterwards." (The
Abundant Life [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965], 296.)
Thomas S. Monson
"Jesus changed men. He
changed their habits, their opinions, their ambitions. He changed their
tempers, their dispositions, their natures. He changed men's hearts...Where was
Peter, who had promised to die with Him and never to deny Him? The sacred
record reveals, 'And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the
high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire.'
(Mark 14:54) That was the night when Peter, in fulfillment of the Master's
prophecy, did indeed deny Him thrice. Amidst the pushing, the jeers, and the
blows, the Lord, in the agony of His humiliation, in the majesty of His
silence, turned and looked upon Peter.
"As one chronicler
described the change, 'It was enough. Peter knew no more danger, he feared no
more death. He rushed into the night to meet the morning dawn. This
broken-hearted penitent stood before the tribunal of his own conscience, and
there his old life, his old shame, his old weakness, his old self was doomed to
that death of godly sorrow which was to issue in a new and a nobler birth.'
(Frederic W. Farrar, The Life of Christ, Portland, Oregon: Farrar
Publications, 1964, p. 604.)" (Be Your Best Self [Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book Co., 1979], 113.)
Bruce R. McConkie
"Satan wanted to harvest
the earth, to sift the saints as wheat, so that both wheat and tares would be
garnered into his bin. This he would find easier to do were Peter not there to
guide them. Hence, Jesus' special prayer that Peter's faith fail not; and hence
the continuing prayers of the saints, always and ever, for the apostles and
prophets who guide the Church." (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3
vols. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-1973], 1: 770.)
Spencer W. Kimball
"Lucifer desires all good
people. He even tempted the Savior on at least three recorded occasions. He had
designs upon Peter, who was soon to be the number one man in the world of
righteousness. The Lord warned Peter to be on his guard...Satan wants all men,
but especially is he anxious for the leading men who have influence. Perhaps he
might try much harder to claim men who are likely to be his greatest
opposition, men in high places who could persuade many others not to become
servants to Satan.
"It seems that missionaries
are special targets. The young man is going to spend two years exclusively in
the service of converting people from error to truth, of teaching men to leave
the employ of Lucifer and serve the Lord, of bringing people out of the dark
where they are most vulnerable into the light where there is a measure of
protection and where new strengths can be developed. Satan takes a special
interest in all such workers." (The Miracle of Forgiveness, chap.
12)
Sterling W. Sill
"Peter may have been a bit
offended. He probably thought that he was already converted. But what happened
at the trial a little later, when he denied the Lord three times, may have
indicated that even he wasn't converted." (February 9, 1965, BYU
Speeches of the Year, 1965, p. 8)
Marion G. Romney
"From some of the Savior's
sayings it would seem that there might even be people in high places whose
conversion is not complete; for example, conversing with his apostles at his
last supper, he said to Peter, 'Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to
have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 'But I have prayed for thee, that thy
faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.' (Luke
22:31-32.) From this it would appear that membership in the Church and
conversion are not necessarily synonymous. Being converted, as we are here
using the term, and having a testimony are not necessarily the same thing
either. A testimony comes when the Holy Ghost gives the earnest seeker a
witness of the truth. A moving testimony vitalizes faith; that is, it induces
repentance and obedience to the commandments. Conversion, on the other hand, is
the fruit of, or the reward for, repentance and obedience. (Of course one's
testimony continues to increase as he is converted.)
"Conversion is effected by
divine forgiveness, which remits sins. The sequence is something like this. An
honest seeker hears the message. He asks the Lord in prayer if it is true. The
Holy Spirit gives him a witness. This is a testimony. If one's testimony is
strong enough, he repents and obeys the commandments. By such obedience he
receives divine forgiveness which remits sin. Thus he is converted to a newness
of life. His spirit is healed." (Conference Report, October 1963,
Afternoon Meeting 24.)
Ezra Taft Benson
"Conversion to Jesus Christ
and His gospel is more than testimony; it is to be healed spiritually." (The
Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1988], 311 -
312.)
Bruce R. McConkie
"Peter [said], 'We believe
and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.' (John
6:69.) Peter knew, and his knowledge came by revelation.
"But Peter was not
converted, because he had not become a new creature of the Holy Ghost. Rather,
long after Peter had gained a testimony, and on the very night Jesus was
arrested, he said to Peter: 'When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.'
(Luke 22:32.) Immediately thereafter, and regardless of his testimony, Peter
denied that he knew Christ. (Luke 22:54-62.) After the crucifixion, Peter went
fishing, only to be called back to the ministry by the risen Lord. (John
21:1-17.) Finally on the day of Pentecost the promised spiritual endowment was
received; Peter and all the faithful disciples became new creatures of the Holy
Ghost; they were truly converted; and their subsequent achievements manifest
the fixity of their conversions. (Acts 3; 4.)
"It is interesting to note
also that the Latter-day Twelve, long after they had testimonies of the gospel,
and more than two years after their calls to the apostleship, were promised
that if they would be faithful they would yet be converted. (D. & C
112:12-13.)" (Mormon Doctrine, 2d ed. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft,
1966], 163.)
Gordon B. Hinckley
"Declared Paul, 'We then
that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak.' And then he adds,
'and not to please ourselves' (Romans 15:1).
"It is a responsibility
divinely laid upon us to bear one another's burdens, to strengthen one another,
to encourage one another, to lift one another, to look for the good in one
another, and to emphasize that good." (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley
[Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1997], 46.)
M. Russell Ballard
"If we are obedient to the
Savior's command given to Peter, we will focus our attention on the spiritual
growth and development of those for whom we are responsible. Feeding the Lord's
sheep requires each of us to awaken our interest in others. The duty to invite
others to partake of the gospel feast does not rest only on the shoulders of
the missionaries. That sober and significant duty belongs to each member of the
Church, for 'it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor.'
"Today our prophet is
calling for enthusiastic and dynamic love for our Heavenly Father's children.
He asks us to see the spiritual hunger around us and to respond by willingly
sharing our abundance. No power on earth can accomplish as much as one
righteous man or woman or boy or girl." ("Feasting at the Lord's
Table," Ensign, May 1996, 81)
Spencer W. Kimball
"May I say the same to each
of you: When you are converted, please strengthen your brethren and sisters.
There are so many who hunger, sometimes without knowing the cause of their
hunger. There are spiritual truths and principles that can be as bedrock to their
lives, safety to their souls, peace to their hearts and minds if we would but
turn our prayers and active concern to them." ("Helping Others Obtain
the Promises of the Lord," Ensign, June 1983, 3)
What lessons can you learn from Peter?
As you
continue reading the New Testament, what evidence do you find of Peter’s
conversion and of his efforts to strengthen others?
What effect did receiving the gift of the Holy
Ghost have on his conversion? (see John 15:26–27; Acts 1:8; 2:1–4).
