The Liahona this month features a striking comparison between the Good Samaritan and our Savior Jesus Christ in an article entitled, “ Finding Ourselves on the Road to Jericho .” This parallel was explored by John W. Welch in the Ensign in 2007 in an article entitled, “ The Good Samaritan: Forgotten Symbols .” Both of these articles are well worth your time to read and ponder as your study this...

In what is probably one of Alma’s most oft-repeated sermons, he compares the word to a seed and encourages us to plant it in our hearts (see Alma 32:28). About a century later, Jesus Christ would use this same comparison when he gives what is commonly known as the Parable of the Sower (see Matthew 13:1-9). He tells of a sower who casts the seeds on four types of soils. Only the seeds sown on the...

None of the actions taken against Jesus by the Chief Priests during his final week would have come as any surprise to Jesus. He knew the hearts, the desires, and the intentions of all the actors in this eternal drama. He had heard their questions and arguments many times before. Reentering Jerusalem on Monday morning, the day after his Triumphal entry, Jesus made a beeline directly to the temple...

The Parable of the Ten Virgins stands as a reminder to Christ’s covenant people that He will come again at any time, and so each must watch and prepare for whenever that day arrives. Just days before His mortal ministry would end with His ultimate sacrifice, Jesus saw the wickedness and ignorance of so many in Jerusalem who, despite spending their lives looking for a messiah, did not recognize or...

As Jesus’ time as the mortal Messiah drew to a close and his time as the final Passover Lamb rapidly approached, he taught more emphatically and lost all sense of pretense and patience with those who challenged him. Any need to be careful of what he said was now gone. He knew what he was here to do; he had come to Jerusalem at this Passover to die. It is interesting then to note his actions...

A young rich man came to Jesus and asked what more he could do to show his faith and come into the Kingdom of God. Christ challenged him to sell all his possessions, give the money to the poor, and join Him in the work of God. The young man walked away, discouraged at the high bar Jesus had given him. The Savior’s apostles, hearing this and noting that they had already done what Jesus asked of...

Few of the parables of Jesus are better known than the story of the prodigal son. Readers often focus on the son who went away, but as some have pointed out, it is in fact a story about two sons and a father who loves them both and wants them to experience a fullness of his fellowship and happiness. As John and Jeannie Welch observe, at its core, “the prodigal son is about repentance and joy.” 1...

Some of the Savior’s most memorable teachings, as recorded in the gospels, were given as parables. These simple stories were effective teaching tools because of how they made gospel principles relatable to first century Galilean farmers, and they remain beloved today, nearly 2000 years later, precisely because stories like the Prodigal Son or the Good Samaritan continue to resonate with the lived...

One of the most powerful and memorable parables of the Savior is that of the Prodigal Son. This beautiful parable teaches of the remarkable love our Heavenly Father has for each of us, and of the compassion and forgiveness awaiting all who return unto Him through the redemptive power of Jesus Christ. As Jesus sat teaching His disciples, we are told that several tax collectors and sinners gathered...

One of the most influential stories told by Jesus is the parable of the Good Samaritan. As a result of this scripture, people all over the world speak of being a Good Samaritan, of doing good for people who are in need. But as important as the parable’s ethical content obviously is, Jesus’ story may have more significance than most people ever imagine. An ancient but now almost forgotten...