Today, May 15, is John the Baptist Day, the day on which he appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in 1829 and restored the Aaronic Priesthood. On that morning, Joseph had reached 3 Nephi 11 in the rapid process of translating the Book of Mormon. It was in that chapter that Jesus gave his twelve disciples in Bountiful the authority to baptize. Realizing that they themselves needed to be...

As we prepare this weekend to honor mothers on Mother’s Day, we can also reflect on the mothers in the scriptures. In the genealogy of Christ, we learn of five such mothers whose lives leave a legacy and example for us to follow. One of these mothers is the most revered and respected by those in many religions, Mary, the literal mother of Jesus. Daniel Smith, the creator of the YouTube channel...

For reflection especially on the day remembered among Christians as “Maundy Thursday,” the day of the Last Supper and when Jesus was arrested, I invite you to consider some of the perspectives that Latter-day Saint insights add to our understanding of the complex question: Why was Jesus killed? The Need for Humility Latter-day Saints in particular, but all people as well, know the importance of...

People have long wondered, What happened to Jesus after he was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane? What kinds of procedures followed, before Caiaphas, members of the Sanhedrin, Pilate, and even Herod Antipas? Were these procedures property conducted under either Jewish or Roman law? And of what could Jesus, an innocent man, be accused and convicted? Was he put to death by Romans under Roman law...

The last week of Jesus’s mortal life was a time filled with completions. As His time drew near, He knew that many parts of His mission needed to be drawn fully to conclusion. And by the time that week ended, He had in fact finished all that He had been sent to do and all that was necessary to allow the eternal plan of His Father to succeed. Prophecies needed to be fulfilled. The week began with...

As discussed in our December 10th Come, Follow Me blog post by Jasmin Gimenez, the Book of Mormon prophet Nephi recorded a panoramic vision of future events ( 1 Nephi 11–14 ). However, Nephi was instructed to not record the conclusion of his vision. This is because, according to his angelic guide, this portion of the vision would later be written by John, one of the “apostles of the...

More than two thousand years ago, angels appeared to startled shepherds to announce the birth of the Son of God. “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be unto all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” ( Luke 2:10 ; emphasis added). At this season, when we celebrate...

The Revelation of John presents modern readers with a dizzying array of animals, characters, kingdoms, and symbols that can be hard to decipher. Thankfully, the Book of Mormon can help guide us through some of the Gospel truths found in this important New Testament revelation. In a sense, Lehi’s and Nephi’s vision of the Tree of Life serves as an introduction to the Revelation of John. The...

As King Benjamin concluded his speech, his people said, “we are willing to enter into a covenant with our God to do his will, and to be obedient to his commandments in all things that he shall command us, all the remainder of our days” ( Mosiah 5:5 ). Benjamin then informed, “because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for...

The epistles of 1 and 2 Peter may be comparatively short, but they are significant for Latter-day Saints in that they anchor some of the more unique Restoration teachings to the New Testament. For instance, President Joseph F. Smith’s vision of Jesus Christ preaching his gospel to the dead was prompted, in part, by his reading of 1 Peter 3:18–20 and 1 Peter 4:6 . 1 Peter 3:18–20 1 Peter 4:6 For...