Come
Follow Me Individual Lesson 4
John 1
Who was John?
The
Testimony of St. John
Taken from https://www.gospeldoctrine.com/new-testament/john/john-1
The
more one reads the Gospel of John, the more one is impressed with how different
this record is from the synoptic gospels. You can almost imagine John, the last
surviving apostle, reviewing the records of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and then
concluding that there were many precious morsels left out. This romantic
notion-that John was trying to fill in precious gaps in the scriptural
history-is not just speculation. Robert L. Millet wrote:
"One
ancient tradition states that after Mark and Luke had published their Gospels,
John 'admitted them, giving his testimony to their truth.' John, however,
recognizing the fact that 'the other three evangelists only wrote the deeds of
our Lord for one year after the imprisonment of John the Baptist,' set out to
fill in those historical gaps of the synoptic Gospels. 'John, it is said, being
entreated to undertake it, wrote the account of the time not recorded by the
former evangelists, and the deeds done by our Savior, which they have passed
by.' It is reasonable to suppose that John collected and drew upon available
sources beyond his own personal records (such as the record of John the
Baptist). If indeed John's Gospel was written last, it may well be-in those few
areas where his Gospel follows the course of the synoptics-that he would have
been acquainted with, had before him, and thus utilized in a discerning manner
details from the other three Gospels." (Selected Writings of Robert L.
Millet: Gospel Scholars Series [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 2000],
21.)
Consider
what a great tragedy it would have been if John had not written his gospel. We
would be missing: Christ turning the water into wine (Jn. 2), the interaction
between Jesus and Nicodemus (Jn. 3), the passage 'For God so loved the world'
(Jn 3:16), the Bread of Life sermon (Jn. 6), the story of the adulterous woman
(Jn. 8), the passage 'other sheep I have, which are not of this fold' (Jn.
10:16), the raising of Lazarus from the dead (Jn. 11), the washing of the
apostles' feet (Jn. 13), precious doctrines taught during the last supper (Jn.
13-16), the intercessory prayer (Jn. 17), and the conversation of the
resurrected Lord with Peter and John (Jn. 21). Furthermore, the tone, style,
and content of John's writings are unique and truly sublime.
"In
the first four lines we sense already a quality unique to the Gospel of John.
It is the same Savior that we knew in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, but now we see
him in a new light, with new dimensions of greatness and godhood unfolding
before our understanding. This is not just the Messiah of the Jews; this is
'the light' of the whole world, the creator of 'all things.' He 'was with God.'
He 'was God.' But he was a God who 'was made flesh and dwelt among us' (John
1:14), and so was known to men-to some only at a distance, to some secondhand.
But to a few he was known closely, intimately. And it is the voice of one of
those intimates that speaks to us in this Gospel. John, the beloved apostle,
had not only heard the words of the living Lord, he had 'leaned on his breast
at supper.' (John 21:20.) He not only knew the teachings of Jesus, he knew, in
a way we can hardly appreciate, the stirrings of that divine heart. It is the
profound depths of that heart and the infinite heights of that divine glory
that John presents for us in his Gospel.
"No
other single piece fuses so remarkably the mortal and the immortal, the finite
and the infinite: a draught of water from a well becomes a metaphor for the
living water of the gospel; the bread to feed five thousand becomes a lesser
symbol for the more significant bread of life after partaking of which there
will be no hunger. The sheep and their shepherd, the vine and its branches, the
very stuff of human existence is shown to have meaning and significance far
beyond what our own dull senses have suggested." (Neal E. Lambert and
Richard H. Cracroft, "The Powerful Voices of the Gospels," New Era,
Jan. 1973, 42)
Gordon
B. Hinckley
"I
like to read the Gospel of John. Over sixty years ago my missionary companion
and I started reading the Gospel of John which begins with that great opening
statement, 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God.' Our reading of the Gospel of John did something to me. And I
still love to read the Gospel of John.
'For
God so loved the world, that he sent his only begotten son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life' (John 3:16).
'Peace
I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I
unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid' (John 14:27).
"Those
are great and marvelous statements that I learned to love in the Gospel of
John. We need to do more reading in the scriptures and more dwelling on the
Lord Jesus Christ." (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley [Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book Co., 1997], 279.)
Jesus Christ was “in the beginning with
God.”
My Thoughts:
We know that Christ was the God of the Old Testament. He created this earth
under the direction on the Father. These verses help me to understand just how
much Christ is involed and cares about me. He has been there as my friend and
advocate since the very start
What Others have Said:
Bruce R McConkie
From latter-day revelation we learn
that the material in the forepart of the gospel of John (the Apostle,
Revelator, and Beloved Disciple) was written originally by John the Baptist. By
revelation the Lord restored to Joseph Smith part of what John the Baptist had
written and promised to reveal the balance when men became sufficiently
faithful to warrant receiving it. (D. & C. 93: 6-18.) Verse 15 of this
passage is the key to the identity of the particular John spoken of. This verse
should be compared with Matt. 3:16-17 to learn the identity of the writer.
Even without revelation, however, it
should be evident that John the Baptist had something to do with the recording
of events in the forepart of John's gospel, for some of the occurrences include
his conversations with the Jews and a record of what he saw when our Lord was
baptized-all of which matters would have been unknown to John the Apostle whose
ministry began somewhat later than that of the Baptist's. There is little doubt
but that the Beloved Disciple had before him the Baptist's account when he
wrote his gospel. The latter John either copied or paraphrased[…]”Doctrinal New
Testament Commentary
“Though many of the Jews in the
meridian of time were in a state of direful and awful apostasy, such darkness
of mind and spirit was not universal. It did not envelope the whole nation.
Elizabeth and Zacharias were righteous saints. Both were lineal descendants of
Aaron, and Zacharias held the office of priest in the Aaronic Priesthood.
(Teachings, pp. 272-273.) This lesser priesthood had continued in direct
descent, without a break in the line, from Aaron to Zacharias and his son John
the Baptist. (D. & C. 84:26-28.)”Doctrinal New Testament Commentary
Joseph Fielding Smith
"[These
verses] teach that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that he was in the
beginning with the Father, and by him the world was created, and all things
were made (organized) by him.
"Our
learned enemies of the Gospel and the divine mission of Jesus Christ, in their
overwhelming conceit, will not have it so. They have rejected Jesus Christ as
the Son of God. They have rejected him as the Redeemer of the world and the
Savior of men. They have denied his Godhood and his resurrection, while they
condescendingly permit him to be a merciful and moral teacher of mankind. In
fact they think they have learned through their study of science that God could
not possibly be an exalted man. He could not be the Father of Jesus Christ in
the literal sense as being the Father of his body, for to them God is a force,
an influence, a mystery which no man can solve. They have universally ridiculed
the idea that there can be an Eternal Father, who could create man in his own
image, in the likeness of his body, for their god has no body, he is too great,
too mighty, to be confined in a body limited to the dimensions of a man." (Man,
His Origin and Destiny [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1954], 61.)
Gordon B. Hinckley
"When
I think of the Savior, I think of the words of Matthew, Mark, and Luke but
particularly the words of John:
"Here
is something spoken of more than a babe in a manger; here is declared the
Creator of all that is good and beautiful. I have looked at majestic mountains
rising against a blue sky and thought of Jesus, the Creator of heaven and
earth. I have stood on a spit of sand in the Pacific and watched the dawn rise
like thunder-a ball of gold surrounded by clouds of pink and white and
purple-and thought of Jesus, the Word by whom all things were made and without
whom was not anything made that was made. I have seen a beautiful child-many of
them-bright-eyed, innocent, clean, and trusting, and marveled at the majesty
and miracle of creation. What then shall you do with Jesus that is called
Christ?
"This
earth is his creation. When we make it ugly, we offend him." ("God So
Loved the World," New Era, Apr. 1983, 48)
Howard W. Hunter
"The
message of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that there is but
one guiding hand in the universe, only one truly infallible light, one
unfailing beacon to the world. That light is Jesus Christ, the light and life
of the world, the light which one Book of Mormon prophet described as 'a light
that is endless, that can never be darkened' (Mosiah 16:9).
"As
we search for the shore of safety and peace, whether we be individual women and
men, families, communities, or nations, Christ is the only beacon on which we
can ultimately rely." (The Teachings of Howard W. Hunter, edited
by Clyde J. Williams [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1997], 42.)
What is the JST?
Joseph
Smith’s Inspired Translation of the New Testament (Ensign Dec 1986)
Speaking
of the Lord’s plans for the “doctrinal restoration,” Elder Bruce R. McConkie
stated: “It was his design and purpose to bring forth the Book of Mormon as a
new and added witness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then he would endow his
prophets with keys and power and give them direct revelation as to how and in
what manner his earthly kingdom should be established anew among men.
“After
this—as a crowning achievement—he would begin the perfection of the Bible, a
work destined to be greater and have more significance than any of us have yet
realized.”
Continuing,
Elder McConkie observed: “Thus, the doctrinal restoration is destined to come
to pass, first, through the Book of Mormon, second, by direct revelation—a
re-revelation—of the doctrines known anciently, and third, by the restoration,
by revelation, of [parts of] the Bible, which in spite of its faults has been
the most stabilizing force on earth since the day it came into being.” (As
quoted in The Joseph Smith Translation: The Restoration of Plain and Precious
Things, ed. Monte S. Nyman and Robert L. Millet, Provo, Utah: Religious Studies
Center, 1985, pp. 10, 12.)
The
work of biblical revision was a mission appointed to the Prophet Joseph Smith
(see D&C 76:15); it was an integral “branch of [his] calling.” (History of
the Church, 1:238.) The Latter-day Saints came to rejoice in the fact that the
Bible was “undergoing the purifying touch by a revelation of Jesus Christ.”
(The Latter-day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate, Dec. 1835, p. 229.)
On page
one of New Testament Manuscript #1 is the following inscription: “A Translation
of the New Testament translated by the power of God.” (See Robert J. Matthews,
“A Plainer Translation”: Joseph Smith’s Translation of the Bible, A History and
Commentary, Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Press, 1975, p. 267.) Working
under the influence of the spirit of revelation, the Prophet altered some 2,096
verses in the King James text of the New Testament—in addition to his work on
the Old Testament. It isn’t possible to discuss here all of the changes. But
let’s look at some important doctrinal contributions from the JST of the New
Testament.
The
early years of Christ. In the infancy narrative, we note a reference in the JST
which refers to Jesus as the Messiah, as well as the king. The wise men from
the east, seeking to behold and participate in the marvelous event at hand,
asked, “Where is the child that is born, the Messiah of the Jews?” (JST, Matt.
2:2; italics added.)
In a
passage that does not occur in the King James Version, the JST gives us a
remarkable insight into the childhood and early preparation of Christ:
“And it
came to pass that Jesus grew up with his brethren, and waxed strong, and waited
upon the Lord for the time of his ministry to come.
“And he
served under his father, and he spake not as other men, neither could he be
taught; for he needed not that any man should teach him.
“And
after many years, the hour of his ministry drew nigh.
“And in
those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea.” (JST,
Matt. 3:24–26; Matt. 3:1.)
These
verses supply an excellent transition between Christ’s infancy and the beginning
of John’s ministry.(Note the lack of transition in the KJV from Matt. 2:23 to
Matt. 3:1.) They also explain that the Lord received instructions from the
heavens. This suggests one of the reasons Jesus, at age twelve, was spiritually
adept and insightful enough to be found in the temple teaching the doctors of
the law.(See JST, Luke 2:46–47.)
The
ministry of John the Baptist. Jesus taught that “among those that are born of
women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist.” (Luke 7:28.) Joseph
Smith explained that John’s greatness consisted largely of his critically
important mission to prepare the way for the Son of Man and then baptize the
Lord by proper authority. (See Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp.
275–76.) John “came into the world for a witness, to bear witness of the light,
to bear record of the gospel through the Son, unto all, that through him men
might believe.” (JST, John 1:7; italics added.)
The JST
provides a clearer rendition of John’s preaching and baptism than that
contained in other translations. Note the following:
KJV,
Matt. 3:11–12
“I indeed baptize you with water unto
repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am
not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:
“Whose fan is in his hand.”
JST,
Matt. 3:38–39
“I
indeed baptize you with water, upon your repentance; and when he of whom I bear
record cometh, who is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear, (or
whose place I am not able to fill,) as I said, I indeed baptize you before he
cometh, that when he cometh he may baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire.
“And it
is he of whom I shall bear record, whose fan shall be in his hand.” (Italics
added.)
John
was a prophet who spoke with power. His message not only touched the hearts of
the common people, but also stirred both fear and respect in some of the
leaders of the Jews. For example, “Herod feared John, knowing that he was a
just man, and a holy man, and one who feared God and observed to worship him;
and when he heard him he did many things for him, and heard him gladly.” (JST,
Mark 6:21; italics added.)
Further,
John the Baptist’s message included more than announcing the coming Messiah. In
the JST, specific doctrines preached by John are given—doctrines that are
absent from the King James Bible and that provide a crucial bridge between the
events of the Savior’s first and second comings.
“And he
[John] came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of
repentance for the remission of sins.
“As it
is written in the book of the prophet Esaias; and these are the words, saying,
The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, and
make his paths straight.
“For
behold, and lo, he shall come, as it is written in the book of the prophets, to
take away the sins of the world, and to bring salvation unto the heathen
nations, to gather together those who are lost, who are of the sheepfold of
Israel;
“Yea,
even the dispersed and afflicted; and also to prepare the way, and make
possible the preaching of the gospel unto the Gentiles;
“And to
be a light unto all who sit in darkness, unto the uttermost parts of the earth;
to bring to pass the resurrection from the dead, and to ascend up on high, to
dwell on the right hand of the Father,
“Until
the fulness of time, and the law and the testimony shall be sealed, and the
keys of the kingdom shall be delivered up again unto the Father;
“To
administer justice unto all; to come down in judgment upon all, and to convince
all the ungodly of their ungodly deeds, which they have committed; and all this
in the day that he shall come;
“For it
is a day of power; yea, every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and
hill shall be brought low; the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough
ways made smooth;
“And
all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” (JST, Luke 3:3–11.)
Jesus
and the Jews. The leaders of the Jews in the first century had perverted the
law of Moses through confusing tokens with covenants, ritual with religion,
means with ends. Jesus came as the pure fulfillment of the Law and sought to
heal the spiritual blindness that had come from “looking beyond the mark.”
(Jacob 4:14.) The JST is even more clear than the KJV, revealing Jesus’
challenge to the Jewish intellectuals of his day in the form of a call to a
higher righteousness. He questioned their authority, their right to teach and
guide the masses in accordance with their narrow interpretation of the Law. The
Jewish leaders were deeply schooled in commentary upon the Torah, but lacked
the animation that comes with the Spirit of God. Jesus was different; he
“taught them as one having authority from God, and not as having authority from
the Scribes.” (JST, Matt. 7:37; italics added.)
Some of
the most important alterations made by the Prophet Joseph Smith are in the
Sermon on the Mount. For one thing, the JST witnesses that this sermon was
predominantly for the purpose of apostlic preparation. Note that the following
section on judging righteously (chapter seven) is followed in the JST by a
scathing denunciation: “And Jesus said unto his disciples, Beholdest thou the
Scribes, and the Pharisees, and the Priests, and the Levites? They teach in
their synagogues, but do not observe the law, nor the commandments; and all
have gone out of the way, and are under sin.
“Go
thou and say unto them, Why teach ye men the law and the commandments, when ye
yourselves are the children of corruption?
“Say
unto them, Ye hypocrites, [note here who it is that the Lord calls a
hypocrite], first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou
see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” (JST, Matt. 7:6–8.)
Many of
the Jews of Christ’s day had reached a state of sterile self-sufficiency
wherein they trusted alone in the Law. “We ourselves are righteous,” they were
prone to say, “and need not that any man should teach us.” (JST, Matt. 7:14.)
Because some had “taken away the key of knowledge, the fulness of the
scriptures” (JST, Luke 11:53), people stumbled in spiritual matters. Many of
the leaders of the Jews no longer trusted in the efficacy of personal prayer
and the spirit of revelation; others had come to doubt the very existence of
God. (See JST, Luke 16:19–21.) Those in the meridian of time who were earnest
in their hearts partook of the living fruit from the living tree of life
offered by Christ and his appointed servants; those who rejected the fruit denied
themselves access to God’s new covenant with Israel and spurned fellowship with
the Mediator of that covenant.
Doctrinal
teachings of Paul. We will here consider segments of two of the Apostle Paul’s
epistles—doctrinal areas which have been misunderstood for centuries. Again,
through the clarifying lenses provided by the JST, matters which seemed obscure
or foreign are made plain and inspiring.
Chapter
seven of Romans might well be labeled “Paul: Before and After.” It might also
be classified as an explanation of how the power of Christ can change men’s
lives. In the King James Version, Paul sounds very much like a helpless and
largely depraved individual who has little power to choose good and live
according to the things of God. Paul is “carnal, sold under sin.” (Rom. 7:14.)
Further, those things which he knows he should do, he does not do; that which
he should not do, he does. “Now then it is no more I that do it,” he adds, “but
sin that dwelleth in me.” (Rom. 7:17.) It is not difficult to understand how
many, from Augustine to Luther to Bible students in our own day, could conclude
from Romans 7 that man is basically a depraved creature, incapable of moving in
wisdom’s paths.
Through
the Prophet’s inspired translation, we come to discern more clearly the
character of Paul the Apostle. The JST stresses man’s inabilities to effect
righteousness without Christ:
“For we
know that the commandment is spiritual; but when I was under the law, I was yet
carnal, sold under sin.
“But
now I am spiritual; for that which I am commanded to do, I do; and that which I
am commanded not to allow, I allow not.
“For
what I know is not right I would not do; for that which is sin, I hate.”
Continuing,
Paul stated: “Now then, it is no more I that do sin; but I seek to subdue that
sin which dwelleth in me.
“For I
know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing; for to will is
present with me, but to perform that which is good I find not, only in Christ.”
(JST, Rom. 7:14–16, 18–19; italics added.)
Secondly,
some Latter-day Saints have concluded that Paul’s discussion of marriage in 1
Corinthians 7 is inconsistent with the other teachings of the restored gospel.
In the King James Version of this chapter, we find the following: “Now
concerning virgins. … I suppose therefore that this [the unmarried state] is
good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be. …
“But
this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have
wives be as though they had none.” (1 Cor. 7:25–26, 29.) Now note the same
verses from the JST: “Now concerning virgins. … I suppose therefore that this
is good for the present distress, for a man so to remain that he may do greater
good. …
“But I
speak unto you who are called unto the ministry. For this I say, brethren, the
time that remaineth is but short, that ye shall be sent forth unto the
ministry. Even they who have wives, shall be as though they had none; for ye
are called and chosen to do the Lord’s work.” (JST, 1 Cor. 7:25–26, 29; italics
added.)
The JST
restores the needful insight that Paul was addressing himself to members of the
Church who had been called as missionaries, those for whom the postponement of
marriage would be most appropriate. Of this contribution from the JST, Robert
J. Matthews has written: “Paul’s counsel is similar to that given in the Church
today, as established in the mission field and as obeyed by the young elders
and sisters. Many have had the experience of listening to a mission president
counsel the elders and sisters to remain at arm’s length while on the mission
assignment and then preach marriage to the people of the mission. (As Paul does
in 1 Cor. 11:11; Heb. 13:4.) If all we knew was the instruction given to the
missionaries, we would have an incomplete sampling of the teachings of the
Church, and consequently an incorrect notion. In like manner, 1 Corinthians 7
is not a true picture of Paul’s whole concept of marriage, but is directed to a
temporary situation in the lives of those called into the ministry. There is no
contradiction, simply a change in situation.” (“A Plainer Translation,” p.
358.)
Conclusion
Latter-day
revelation sheds a brilliant light upon the Bible and allows those who seek to
read by that light to become more acquainted with the doings and doctrines of
prophets and seers who preceded us by many centuries. In particular, the Book
of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Joseph Smith Translation of the
scriptures provide a treasure-house of knowledge concerning the Lord Jesus
Christ and the former-day Saints. Another entire area of study (beyond the
scope of this article) is the Prophet Joseph Smith’s sermons and addresses,
many of which contain the Prophet’s explanation and discussion of biblical
passages. (See Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith. See also The Words of
Joseph Smith, ed. Andrew F. Ehat and Lyndon W. Cook, Provo, Utah: Religious
Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1980.)
Latter-day
revelation both confirms and clarifies many of the vital verities contained in
the biblical record. We are deeply indebted to the Prophet Joseph Smith and
other living oracles of this dispensation for receiving the revelations,
collecting the revelations, printing and publishing the revelations, and thus
making available to the Saints plain and precious principles once had by
earlier peoples. May the Lord grant us the wisdom to walk in the light of those
great beacons of understanding which he has revealed in our day.
“Thou
Shalt Bring Forth a Son,” by Harry Anderson. © Pacific Press Publishing
Association; used by permission.
“Prepare
Ye the Way,” by Harry Anderson. © Pacific Press Publishing Association; used by
permission.
“Rise
and Walk,” by Harry Anderson. © Pacific Press Publishing Association; used by
permission.
“For
the Great Millennium Shall Come,” by Harry Anderson. © Review and Herald
Publishing Association; used by permission.
Show
References
Robert
L. Millet, a member of the General Church Curriculum Committee, is an assistant
professor of ancient scripture at BYU.
John 1:12
What does it mean to “become the sons
of God”?
My Thoughts:
No matter what else we might accomplish or not in this life, no one can take
away the title Child of God. We need to remember this as we are beat upon by
life. We have a royal, God like pedigree.
John 1:18
Has
anyone seen God?
My Thoughts:
The manual covers what I think. God the Father deals with us through His Son.
Christ is our advocate or representative with the Father.
The world at large and Satan would love nothing more
than Gods children to believe they do not have access to Him or His love.
Bruce R. McConkie
"What concerns us above all else as to the coming
of John...is that he came with power and authority. He first received his
errand from the Lord. His was no ordinary message, and he was no unauthorized
witness. He was called of God and sent by him, and he represented Deity in the
words that he spoke and the baptisms he performed...Luke says: 'The word of God
came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.' Later John is to say:
'He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me,' such and such
things. (John 1:33.) Who sent him we do not know. We do know that 'he was
baptized while he was yet in his childhood [meaning, when he was eight years of
age], and was ordained by the angel of God at the time he was eight days old unto
this power [note it well, not to the Aaronic Priesthood, but] to overthrow the
kingdom of the Jews, and to make straight the way of the Lord before the face
of his people, to prepare them for the coming of the Lord, in whose hand is
given all power.' (D&C 84:24.)" (The Mortal Messiah: From Bethlehem to
Calvary, 4 vols. [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1979-1981], 1: 384.)
What Others have said:
David O. McKay
"One of the two disciples who heard this
testimony is named; he was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. (See ibid.,
1:40.) The other is not named. Indeed throughout the entire book, which,
undoubtedly, was written by John himself, the name of John, son of Zebedee, is
never once written. In the account of the Last Supper, we read of a 'disciple
whom Jesus loved,' who sat so near the Lord that his head could rest on Jesus'
bosom.
"These two instances, and others that might be
named, indicate to us a prominent trait in John's character; viz., an unassumed
modesty that won him the respect and love of all who knew him." (Gospel
Ideals: Selections from the Discourses of David O. McKay [Salt Lake City:
Improvement Era, 1953], 238.)
Bruce R. McConkie
"Now, Jesus' ministry lasted three and a half
years and Peter was with him virtually all that time. Initially, apparently, he
did not spend his full time at it; he went off with his partners James and John
into the fishing enterprise that they ran...when the time came for the call of
the Twelve and for him to come and devote his full time to the ministry, Jesus
met him and his two partners on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and said:
'Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men' (Mark
1:17)." (Sermons and Writings of Bruce R. McConkie [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft,
1998], 129.)
David O. McKay
"Accepting the invitation of Jesus to go with Him
to the place where He stayed, these two men remained with Him, listening to His
words all the rest of the day. When they left, they believed that Jesus was the
King of Israel, the Savior of the world. Thus they became, in that day the
first two, beside John the Baptist, to believe in Jesus.
"Whenever we have anything which is really good,
we always desire to share it with one we love. It was so with these two
brothers. They no sooner felt the divine influence that radiated from the
Savior than they were filled with a desire to bring those whom they loved under
that same influence." (Ancient Apostles [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co.,
1964], 13.)
John 1:45–51
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