June 3–9
John 13–17
“Continue Ye in My Love”
John 14–16
The Holy Ghost helps me fulfill my purpose as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
What do you learn about the roles of the Holy Ghost from the Savior’s words in the following verses?
John 14:16–17, 26
My Thoughts:
The Holy Ghost is saved for those that are worthy of Him. It will teach us it will guide us, it is truth. It is he who testifies and reveals the Lord Himself. That is what truth really is. Jesus prays to the Father for us and the Holy Ghost is the way we receive that help.
The Holy Ghost is saved for those that are worthy of Him. It will teach us it will guide us, it is truth. It is he who testifies and reveals the Lord Himself. That is what truth really is. Jesus prays to the Father for us and the Holy Ghost is the way we receive that help.
I find it interesting that verse 17 states that the world cannot receive or understand the Holy Ghost. How true is that when the world tries to understand a testimony of a simple child but fails to get it.
What Others Have Said:
Joseph Smith
"The other Comforter spoken of is a subject of great interest, and perhaps understood by few of this generation. After a person has faith in Christ, repents of his sins, and is baptized for the remission of his sins and receives the Holy Ghost, (by the laying on of hands), which is the first Comforter, then let him continue to humble himself before God, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, and living by every word of God, and the Lord will soon say unto him, Son, thou shalt be exalted. When the Lord has thoroughly proved him, and finds that the man is determined to serve Him at all hazards, then the man will find his calling and his election made sure, then it will be his privilege to receive the other Comforter, which the Lord hath promised the Saints, as is recorded in the testimony of St. John, in the 14th chapter, from the 12th to the 27th verses." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 150)
Joseph Fielding Smith
"It is pointed out in this discourse by the Prophet that the companionship of the Second Comforter cannot be obtained only by the most faithful adherence to every principle of righteousness. 'When the Lord has thoroughly proved him, and finds that the man is determined to serve him at all hazards, then the man will find his calling and election made sure, then it will be his privilege to receive the other Comforter, which the Lord has promised the saints, as is recorded in the testimony of St. John, in the 14th chapter, from the 12th to the 27 verses.' This great gift has been received by many of the prophets. Nephi and Jacob testify of this visitation. Abraham, Moses, Daniel, Elijah and many others anciently were so blessed. There have been some in our own dispensation besides the Prophet Joseph Smith who have realized the blessing of this promise." (Church History and Modern Revelation, 4: 35.)
Bruce R. McConkie
"...as spoken by Jesus, as recorded by the Beloved John, and as interpreted by the Prophet Joseph Smith, the verse (John 14:17) has application to Jesus himself. 'I am the Spirit of truth,' is his latter-day declaration (D. & C. 93:26)" (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3: 341.)
John 16:7–11
My Thoughts
In order for the Holy Ghost to come Christ had to leave. The disciples could not have the Holy Ghost help them while they were standing in the full sun.
What Others Have Said:
Robert L Millett
"...in the New Testament, the full powers and gifts of the Holy Ghost were not given in the Old World meridian Church until the day of Pentecost...While the Bridegroom was present with his disciples in the flesh, he was their Comforter, their Revelator, their Testator. He was their Life and Light, their source of power and might. 'Hence, as long as Jesus was with the disciples in person, there was not the full need for them to have the constant companionship of the Spirit that there would be after Jesus left.' But because of the vital role that Spirit would play thereafter in the growth, development, and expansion of the early Christian Church, Jesus said: 'It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you' (John 16:7)." (Selected Writings of Robert L. Millet: Gospel Scholars Series [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 2000], 194.)
Bruce R. McConkie
"When you receive the companionship of the Spirit, so that you speak forth what he reveals to you, then your teachings will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. The world will be convicted of sin for rejecting me, for not believing your Spirit-inspired testimony that I am the Son of God through whom salvation comes. They will be convicted for rejecting your testimony of my righteousness-for supposing I am a blasphemer, a deceiver, and an imposter-when in fact I have gone to my Father, a thing I could not do unless my works were true and righteous altogether. They will be convicted of false judgment for rejecting your testimony against the religions of the day, and for choosing instead to follow Satan, the prince of this world, who himself, with all his religious philosophies, will be judged and found wanting." (Doctrinal Commentary on the New Testament 1:754.)
John 16:12–15
My Thoughts:
Line upon line we are taught. This was the same for the 12 and others in Christ’s time as well. The Spirit will give to us as we earn it and learn ho to use what is given. The beauty of the Church is that each person can know that God will instruct them individually when needed and if we but ask and follow. Of course we must be worthy to have the Spirit with us.
What Others Have Said:
Hugh Nibley
"In each of these sayings (and there are many others) it is apparent that something is being withheld, and it is also apparent that it is being held back not arbitrarily but for a good reason, namely, that people are not ready to receive it. It is also apparent that people are to be given knowledge as they are able to receive it, so that the mysteries of the kingdom are imparted by degrees. There are, as it were, automatic safeguards built into the teaching to protect sacred things from common misunderstanding and to protect the unworthy from damaging themselves with them." (Since Cumorah, 2nd ed. [Salt Lake City and Provo: Deseret Book Co., Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1988], 94.)
Harold B. Lee
"Any Latter-day Saint who has been baptized and who has had hands laid upon him from those officiating, commanding him to receive the Holy Ghost, and who has not received a revelation of the spirit of the Holy Ghost, has not received the gift of the Holy Ghost to which he is entitled. Therein lies a very important matter. Let me refer to what the Prophet Joseph Smith said about revelation:
"A person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation. For instance, when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas so that by noticing it you may find it fulfilled the same day or soon. That is, those things that were presented into your minds by the Spirit of God will come to pass, and thus by learning the Spirit of God, and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of revelation until you become perfect in Christ Jesus.
"On what matters may you receive a revelation? Is it startling to you to hear that you-all members of the Church who have received the Holy Ghost-may receive revelation? Not for the president of the Church, not on how to look after the affairs pertaining to the ward, the stake, or the mission in which you live; but every individual within his own station has the right to receive revelation by the Holy Ghost.
"Listen to what President Joseph F. Smith said about that:
"I believe that every individual in the Church has just as much right to enjoy the spirit of revelation and the understanding from God which that spirit of revelation gives him, for his own good, as the bishop has to enable him to preside over his ward. (Conference Report, April 1912, pp. 9-10.)
"Every man has the privilege to exercise these gifts and these privileges in the conduct of his own affairs; in bringing up his children in the way they should go; in the management of his business, or whatever he does. It is his right to enjoy the spirit of revelation and of inspiration to do the right thing, to be wise and prudent, just and good, in everything that he does." (Stand Ye in Holy Places [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1974], 141-142.)
Elder Delbert L. Stapley
"Revelation is God's plan of instructing his people and guiding his work and kingdom upon earth. The Holy Ghost, as a personage of spirit, has the power and capacity of touching the spirit of man (spirit to spirit) and influencing him for good and righteousness if he is tuned to its spiritual wave length. The Holy Ghost has the power to quicken one's mind and increase one's understanding and comprehension of divine and temporal things. Without it there can be no faith, hope, nor personal assurance of eternal life.
"The Holy Ghost inspires, uplifts, and motivates a sincere person to love truth and pursue righteousness. This feeling and power does not come without effort. One must ask of God after study and meditation if a thing is right. If true, one's bosom shall burn within him; but if it is not right, an individual will have no such feelings but a stupor of thought shall prevail his being. (D&C 9:7-9.)" (Conference Report, October 1966, Third Day-Morning Meeting 113 - 114.)Why did the disciples need this kind of help from the Holy Ghost?
How has the Holy Ghost fulfilled these roles in your life?
How would your life be different if you invited the Holy Ghost to influence you more deeply?
John 15:1–8
As I abide in Christ, I will bring forth good fruit.
My Thoughts:
As we follow Christ we become like Him. He abide in us and we become better because of it. If we are true followers we will show things that Christ would. Much like a cherry tree has cherries on its branches since it comes from the trunk and not some other fruit.
What Others Have said:
Jeffery R Holland
Abide in me” is an understandable and beautiful enough concept in the elegant English of the King James Bible, but “abide” is not a word we use much anymore. So I gained even more appreciation for this admonition from the Lord when I was introduced to the translation of this passage in another language. In Spanish that familiar phrase is rendered “permaneced en mi.” Like the English verb “abide,” permanecer means “to remain, to stay,” but even gringos like me can hear the root cognate there of “permanence.” The sense of this then is “stay—but stay forever.” That is the call of the gospel message to Chileans and everyone else in the world. Come, but come to remain. Come with conviction and endurance. Come permanently, for your sake and the sake of all the generations who must follow you, and we will help each other be strong to the very end.April 2004 General Conference
James E. Talmage
"A grander analogy is not to be found in the world's literature. Those ordained servants of the Lord were as helpless and useless without Him as is a bough severed from the tree. As the branch is made fruitful only by virtue of the nourishing sap it receives from the rooted trunk, and if cut away or broken off withers, dries, and becomes utterly worthless except as fuel for the burning, so those men, though ordained to the Holy Apostleship, would find themselves strong and fruitful in good works, only as they remained in steadfast communion with the Lord. Without Christ what were they, but unschooled Galileans, some of them fishermen, one a publican, the rest of undistinguished attainments, and all of them weak mortals? As branches of the Vine they were at that hour clean and healthful, through the instructions and authoritative ordinances with which they had been blessed, and by the reverent obedience they had manifested." (Jesus the Christ, pp. 604-5.)
Elder David A. Smith
"How many of us belong to that branch which beareth good fruit? How many of us are in danger of being cut off because of our inactivity, because of our failure to take advantage of every opportunity that comes to us for service in this great work?
"May we be numbered among the branches that bear fruit; may God purge us that we may bring forth more fruit; may we always abide in him and may his words abide in us, that we may eventually be glorified with that glory which he has promised to those who are faithful in all things. May God help us to see the way; may we be guided by his Spirit that we may go forward and accomplish that which is required of us, doing it in faith and humility." (Conference Report, April 1926, Third Day-Morning Session 130.)
Spencer J. Condie
"For those of us who are unschooled in horticulture, it seems perfectly reasonable for the husbandman of the vineyard to prune and take away every branch 'that beareth not fruit.' What may not seem quite so reasonable is that he purges or prunes every branch that does bear fruit, so 'that it may bring forth more fruit.' Every fruit grower understands this principle well. If branches are left unpruned, a fruit tree can soon become a giant bush whose weak and flimsy limbs cannot support the large, succulent fruit the tree was intended to produce. Just as branches must be shortened to be strengthened, the fruit itself must often be thinned to allow one blossom to become one large apple instead of permitting four blossoms to produce tiny, insignificant fruit.
"The Savior's beautiful allegory is full of meaning as He reminds His disciples and us that He is the vine and we are the branches and that without Him, or detached from Him, 'ye can do nothing' (John 15:5). When we think we can 'go it alone,' it is then that we re-discover the truth of the Savior's statement: without Him we can do nothing. There are many times when we resist the pruning process, but the pruning process is a perpetually important part of the plan of eternal progression wherein we 'bring forth more fruit.'" (In Perfect Balance [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1993], 133.)
Harold B. Lee
"Listen to the Master's lesson in human horticulture-'Every branch that beareth fruit must be purged [or pruned] that it might bring forth more fruit' (see John 15:2). Remember it's the new wood following such pruning which brings the fruit.
"Rarely, if ever, is there a truly great soul except he has been tried and tested through tears, and adversity-seemingly pruned by the hand of a master gardener. By applying the knife and the pruning hook the branch is shaped and fashioned to God's omnipotent design, in order that its full fruitage may be realized.
"Every one of you must endure trials, and hardships, heartaches and discouragements. When in sorrow and in despair if you will remember, you will be comforted if you learn this lesson: 'For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth' (Hebrews 12:6)-and again: 'My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction: for whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth' (Proverbs 3:11-12)." (The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, edited by Clyde J. Williams [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1996], 191.)
John Taylor
"Just so with this people. When they [the saints] are doing their part-when they are magnifying their calling, living their religion, and walking in obedience to the Spirit of the Lord, they have a portion of his Spirit given to them to profit withal. And while they are humble, faithful, diligent, and observe the laws and commandments of God, they stand in their proper position on the tree: they are flourishing; the buds, blossoms, leaves, and everything about them are all right, and they form a part and parcel of the tree. ...
"Just as that little twig is indebted for its life and vigour to the tree, so are you indebted entirely to the Lord for the light and intelligence you have received on every subject. You are indebted to the Spirit of God for your wisdom and intelligence, as much as the little twig is indebted to the tree for its vitality, leaves, buds, and fragrance." (Journal of Discourses, vol. 6, pp. 108, 110.)
Heber C. Kimball
"If we are in the vine of Christ, we shall bring forth the fruits of righteousness... Supposing we compare this Church to a tree, and suppose that one-fourth of the limbs are dead, what use are they to the tree? They are lifeless; and, consequently, the sooner they are taken away the better for the health of the tree. Is there anything lost by lopping off those lifeless limbs? No; for the power and strength that was formerly in the whole tree will enter into that part which is left...Upon the same principle, this Church has to be proven...If we do not abide in the vine, we shall be cast out; and all the inhabitants of the earth that do not connect themselves to the true vine, Jesus Christ, will become as stubble, and they will be burnt up, and become ashes under the soles of the feet of the Saints that will come upon the earth to trim it, adorn it, and make it like the garden of Eden, that they may dwell upon it forever." (Journal of Discourses, 8:329, 9:127-128.)
What might it mean to “abide in [Christ]”?
What “fruit” shows that you are attached to the vine, which represents Jesus Christ?
Every action we do reflects on if we are Christ’s or not. Even those that can’t be seen.
John 17:11, 21–23
How are Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father one?
Brigham Young
"The Saviour sought continually to impress upon the minds of his disciples that a perfect oneness reigned among all celestial beings-that the Father and the Son and their minister, the Holy Ghost, were one in their administration in heaven and among the people pertaining to this earth. Between them and all the heavenly hosts there can be no disunion, no discord, no wavering on a suggestion, on a thought or reflection, on a feeling or manifestation; for such a principle would differ widely from the character of Him who dictates them, who makes his throne the habitation of justice, mercy, equity, and truth. If the heavenly hosts were not one, they would be entirely unfit to dwell in eternal burnings with the Father and Ruler of the universe.
"A perfect oneness will save a people, because intelligent beings cannot become perfectly one only by acting upon principles that pertain to eternal life. Wicked men may be partially united in evil; but, in the very nature of things, such a union is of short duration. The very principle upon which they are partially united will itself breed contention and disunion to destroy the temporary compact. Only the line of truth and righteousness can secure to any kingdom or people, either of earthly or heavenly existence, an eternal continuation of perfect union; for only truth and those who are sanctified by it can dwell in celestial glory." (Journal of Discourses, 7: 277-8.)
Harold B. Lee
"'Be one; and if ye are not one, ye are not mine' (D&C 38:27). If we are not united, we are not His. Here unity is the test of divine ownership as thus expressed. If we would be united in love and fellowship and harmony, this church would convert the world, who would see in us the shining example of these qualities which evidence that divine ownership." (The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, edited by Clyde J. Williams [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1996], 388.)
Vaughn J. Featherstone
"This great truth about unity was of such consequence that it was one of the major things for which Christ prayed in His intercessory prayer. We do not yet comprehend the power and the spiritual strength that will come to the Church when we are totally united in truth and have become sanctified. A power surge would come from this Church that would startle the world and reach into every nation, state, community, village, and home, as it did in the days of Enoch and as it will yet happen during the millennial reign." (The Incomparable Christ: Our Master and Model [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1995], 28.)
Brigham Young
"Are we one, as the Savior prayed that his disciples might be? If we are, then are we a happy people; if we are, then are we a powerful and influential people. Jesus had power to do many miracles so-called; he changed water into wine, fed thousands upon a few loaves and fishes, and raised the dead.
"If we were one, we should then prove to heaven, to God our Father, to Jesus Christ our elder brother, to the angels, to the good upon the earth, and to all mankind that we are the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. If we are not one, we are not in the true sense of the word the disciples of the Lord Jesus." (Journal of Discourses, 11: 274.)
James E. Talmage
"The Godhead is a type of unity in the attributes, powers, and purposes of its members. Jesus, while on earth and in manifesting Himself to His Nephite servants, (See 3 Ne. 11:27,36; 28:10) repeatedly testified of the unity existing between Himself and the Father, and between them both and the Holy Ghost. This cannot rationally be construed to mean that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are one in substance and in person, nor that the names represent the same individual under different aspects. A single reference to prove the error of any such view may suffice: Immediately before His betrayal, Christ prayed for His disciples, the Twelve, and other converts, that they should be preserved in unity, 'that they all may be one' as the Father and the Son are one. We cannot assume that Christ prayed that His followers lose their individuality and become one person, even if a change so directly opposed to nature were possible. Christ desired that all should be united in heart, spirit, and purpose; for such is the unity between His Father and Himself, and between them and the Holy Ghost.
"Godhead/This unity is a type of completeness; the mind of any one member of the Trinity is the mind of the others; seeing as each of them does with the eye of perfection, they see and understand alike. Under any given conditions each would act in the same way, guided by the same principles of unerring justice and equity. The one-ness of the Godhead, to which the scriptures so abundantly testify, implies no mystical union of substance, nor any unnatural and therefore impossible blending of personality. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are as distinct in their persons and individualities as are any three personages in mortality. Yet their unity of purpose and operation is such as to make their edicts one, and their will the will of God." (The Articles of Faith, 36-37)
Brigham Young
"The Father and I are one, you disciples and I are one; it is quite a curiosity, but it is as true as it is curious. It is nothing more than a key-word to exaltation, glory, power, and excellency, by which principalities, kingdoms, dominions, and eternal lives will surround us." (Journal of Discourses, 1: 272.)
Gordon B. Hinckley
"I believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
"I was baptized in the name of these three. I was married in the name of these three. I have no question concerning their reality and their individuality. That individuality was made apparent when Jesus was baptized by John in Jordan. There in the water stood the Son of God. His Father's voice was heard declaring His divine Sonship, and the Holy Ghost was manifest in the form of a dove (see Matt. 3:16-17).
"I am aware that Jesus said that they who had seen Him had seen the Father. Could not the same be said by many a son who resembles his parent?
"When Jesus prayed to the Father, certainly He was not praying to Himself!" ("The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost," Ensign, Nov. 1986, 51)
Neal A. Maxwell
"The submission of one's will is placing on God's altar the only uniquely personal thing one has to place there. The many other things we 'give' are actually the things He has already given or loaned to us. However, when we finally submit ourselves by letting our individual wills be swallowed up in God's will, we will really be giving something to Him! It is the only possession which is truly ours to give. Consecration thus constitutes the only unconditional surrender which is also a total victory." (If Thou Endure It Well [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1996], 54.)
Marion G. Romney
"The way to unity is for us to learn the will of the Lord and then to do it. Until this basic principle is understood and observed, there will be no unity and peace on the earth. The power of the Church for good in the world depends upon the extent to which we, the members thereof, observe this principle.
"The major reason for the world's troubles today is that men are not seeking to know the will of the Lord and then to do it. Rather do they seek to solve their problems in their own wisdom and in their own way." ("Unity," Ensign, May 1983, 17-18)
Lorenzo Snow
"We must conform to the will of God. In order for us to effect the purposes of God, we shall have to do as Jesus did-conform our individual will to the will of God, not only in one thing, but in all things, and to live so that the will of God shall be in us. We have the same priesthood that Jesus had, and we have got to do as He did, to make sacrifice of our own desires and feelings as He did; perhaps not to die martyrs as He did, but we have got to make sacrifices in order to carry out the purposes of God, or we shall not be worthy of this holy priesthood, and be saviors of the world." (Journal of Discourses, 23:341-42.)
Joseph Smith
"All these sayings put together give as clear an account of the state of the glorified saints as language could give...What language can be plainer than this? The Saviour surely intended to be understood by his disciples, and he so spake that they might understand him; for he declares to his Father, in language not to be easily mistaken, that he wanted his disciples, even all of them, to be as himself and the Father, for as he and the Father were one so they might be one with them. And what is said in the 22nd verse is calculated to more firmly establish this belief, if it needs anything to establish it. He says: 'And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.' As much as to say that unless they have the glory which the Father had given him they could not be one with them; for he says he had given them the glory that the Father had given him that they might be one; or, in other words, to make them one.
"This fills up the measure of information on this subject, and shows most clearly that the Saviour wished his disciples to understand that they were to be partakers with him in all things, not even his glory excepted.
"It is scarcely necessary here to observe what we have previously noticed, that the glory which the Father and the Son have is because they are just and holy beings; and that if they were lacking in one attribute or perfection which they have, the glory which they have never could be enjoyed by them, for it requires them to be precisely what they are in order to enjoy it; and if the Saviour gives this glory to any others, he must do it in the very way set forth in his prayer to his Father-by making them one with him as he and the Father are one. In so doing he would give them the glory which the Father has given him; and when his disciples are made one with the Father and Son, as the Father and the Son are one, who cannot see the propriety of the Saviour's saying-'The works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.' (John 14:12)
"These teachings of the Saviour most clearly show unto us the nature of salvation, and what he proposed unto the human family when he proposed to save them-that he proposed to make them like unto himself, and he was like the Father, the great prototype of all saved beings; and for any portion of the human family to be assimilated into their likeness is to be saved; and to be unlike them is to be destroyed; and on this hinge turns the door of salvation." (Lectures on Faith, 7:14-16)
John 13:1–17
Bruce R. McConkie
"Washing of feet is a gospel ordinance; it is a holy and sacred rite, one performed by the saints in the seclusion of their temple sanctuaries. It is not done before the world or for worldly people. For his day and dispensation Jesus instituted it in the upper room at the time of the Last Supper.
"...December 27, 1832, this command was given to 'the first laborers in this last kingdom': 'Sanctify yourselves; yea, purify your hearts, and cleanse your hands and your feet before me, that I may make you clean; That I may testify unto your Father, and your God, and my God, that you are clean from the blood of this wicked generation.' (D&C 88:74-75.) On that same occasion the command came to organize the school of the prophets, with the express stipulation that 'ye shall not receive any among you into this school save he is clean from the blood of this generation; And he shall be received by the ordinance of the washing of feet, for unto this end was the ordinance of the washing of feet instituted.' (D&C 88:127-141.)
"In the case of this school the ordinance is to be performed by the President of the Church. In compliance with this revelation the Prophet on January 23, 1833, washed the feet of the members of the school of the prophets. 'By the power of the Holy Ghost I pronounced them all clean from the blood of this generation,' he recorded." (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-1973], 1: 708-709.)
Joseph Smith
"On the 23rd of January (1833), we again assembled in conference; when, after much speaking, singing, praying, and praising God, all in tongues, we proceeded to the washing of feet (according to the practice recorded in the 13th chapter of John's Gospel), as commanded of the Lord. Each Elder washed his own feet first, after which I girded myself with a towel and washed the feet of all of them, wiping them with the towel with which I was girded... I then said to the Elders, As I have done so do ye; wash ye, therefore, one another's feet; and by the power of the Holy Ghost I pronounced them all clean from the blood of this generation; but if any of them should sin wilfully after they were thus cleansed, and sealed up unto eternal life, they should be given over unto the buffetings of Satan until the day of redemption." (History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7 Vols. 1:323-24)
Joseph Smith
"...we must attend to the ordinance of washing of feet. It was never intended for any but official members. It is calculated to unite our hearts, that we may be one in feeling and sentiment, and that our faith may be strong, so that Satan cannot overthrow us, nor have any power over us here." (History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7 Vols. 2:308-9)
Vaughn J. Featherstone
"The Savior's ministry was one of compassion and service. It is beyond my ability to comprehend how any of us today could conceive of the tidal wave of emotions that would come to anyone whose feet would be washed by the very Son of God. No wonder Peter in complete reverence asked, 'Lord, dost thou wash my feet?'...Some things seem to violate every foundation principle we have used to guide our lives. To have him who was the center of all Peter held precious and dear wash his feet was beyond consideration. Peter would have done the same for the Savior, undoubtedly would have crawled on cut glass to him, but to have the Master serve him in this way was too much. Peter said, 'Thou shalt never wash my feet.' (John 13:8.) Each of us would probably have felt as Peter, and thought as he did.
"Many things could have been said to Peter to get him to change his mind. The Savior in a sentence struck at the great nerve center of Peter's loyalty, love, and very life. 'If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.' Peter's firm stance then collapsed to total submission: 'Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.' (John 13:8-9.) The Master was teaching servant leadership." (More Purity Give Me [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1991], 16.)
Carlos E. Asay
"The significance of Christ washing the feet of his disciples is beyond the understanding of most people...However, all of us, even the gospel novice, can appreciate Peter's desires to place everything on the altar of God, including his hands, head, and feet." (The Seven M's of Missionary Service: Proclaiming the Gospel as a Member or Full-time Missionary [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1996], epilogue)
Ezra Taft Benson
"Do we find it a burden to give of our time to others? Did Christ not heal all those who were brought to Him, even though many a day and a night it seemed the whole city was gathered around Him? Are we sometimes asked to do for others what may seem to be beneath us, or what is tiresome and monotonous? Was not the Son of God born in a stable? Did He not make Himself a servant, even to washing the feet of His disciples, saying to them, 'The servant is not greater than his Lord?' (John 13:16.) Love one another. Serve your fellowman. The example has been given you." (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1988], 448.)
Hartman Rector Jr.
"We must not be misled. The only real joy and happiness we can know here upon this earth, as well as in the eternities, will come through obedience to the Lord's commandments. Alma's statement that 'wickedness never was happiness' (Alma 41:10) is still valid. Again he has said, 'If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.' (John 13:17.) He did not say, but could have said, 'Unhappy are ye if you don't.'" ("Success-A Journey or a Destination?" Ensign, July 1973, 58)
John 13:34–35; 15:9–14
Vaughn J. Featherstone
"How often have we read the words 'a new commandment I give unto you'? The Ten Commandments had sounded down through the millennia since Moses' time, and now an additional commandment came from the Master: 'That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.' (John 13:34.)
"Only those who are true possessors of charity can measure up to the full stature of this new commandment. This is the commandment that lifts us to the more noble and virtuous life. We cannot nor ever will love one another as He has loved us until we exercise in our own lives the full dimensions of charity. Those who practice charity may not always receive the promised benefits and ultimate successes. Ours is a different time schedule, but by and by we will all learn and know that 'charity never faileth.' (Corinthians 13:8.) The pure love of Christ will eventually triumph over all the evils, including power, pride, boasting, worldly acclaim, cruelty, wars, perversion, sadness, and heartache. The Lord through His servants has promised that charity will never fail. One day charity, the pure love of Christ, will triumph over all the world. Those who are possessors of charity will triumph over all evil and will dwell with the author of this 'new commandment' forever and forever." (The Incomparable Christ: Our Master and Model [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1995], 78-79.)
Gordon B. Hinckley
"Love is the only force that can erase the differences between people, that can bridge chasms of bitterness. I recall these lines by Edwin Markham:
Hate drew a circle that shut me out-
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But Love and I had the wit to win:
We drew a circle that took him in.
"He who most beautifully taught this everlasting truth was the Son of God, the one perfect exemplar and teacher of love...To all of us who would be his disciples, he has given the great commandment, 'A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.' (John 13:34.)
"If the world is to be improved, the process of love must make a change in the hearts of mankind. It can do so when we look beyond self to give our love to God and others, and do so with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind.
"The Lord has declared in modern revelation, 'If your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you.' (D&C 88:67.)
"As we look with love and gratitude to God, as we serve him with an eye single to his glory, there goes from us the darkness of sin, the darkness of selfishness, the darkness of pride. There will come an increased love for our Eternal Father and for his Beloved Son, our Savior and our Redeemer. There will come a greater sense of service toward our fellowmen, less of thinking of self and more of reaching out to others. This principle of love is the basic essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Without love of God and love of neighbor there is little else to commend the gospel to us as a way of life." (Faith: The Essence of True Religion [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1989], 48-49.)
Joseph B. Wirthlin
"Imagine for a moment the result if everyone were to love one another as Jesus loves his disciples. We would have no bickering, quarreling, strife, or contention in our homes. We would not offend or insult one another either verbally or in any other way. We would not have unnecessary litigation over small matters. War would be impossible, especially war waged in the name of religion." (Finding Peace in Our Lives [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1995], 28.)
Elder John Longden
"The English statesman, William Gladstone, said: 'We look forward to the time when the power of love will replace the love of power; then will our world know the blessing of peace.' What a difference the placing of words makes. The love of power or the power of love-worlds apart!
"It is essential to love God, love his Son Jesus Christ, and love our neighbor as ourselves...Do you think a teacher who drove some twenty miles in a battered old car whenever there was a meeting to pick up just one little girl who lived in a remote area of the stake had a love of God for her fellow men? I doubt that anyone really knew what she was doing. I just happened to hear about it.
"Oh, may God give us the faith and the desire to put this commandment of the Lord into effect. '. . . love one another; as I have loved you, that ye shall also love one another.' (Ibid., 13:24.) Then the world may know that we are true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ." (Conference Report, October 1963, Afternoon Meeting 31.)
Joseph Smith
"It is a time-honored adage that love begets love. Let us pour forth love-show forth everlasting increase; cast our bread upon the waters and we shall receive it after many days, increased to a hundredfold. Friendship is like Brother Turley in his blacksmith shop welding iron to iron; it unites the human family with its happy influence." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 316).
George Q. Cannon
"It is evident that the Savior designed that the spirit of oneness and of love and union should characterize His disciples and those who obeyed His commandments...They were to be distinguished as His disciples by their love one for another. If this characteristic should be absent, there would be nothing, according to these words, to distinguish His disciples from those who were not His disciples...where this love and this union, which He so beautifully describes, are absent, then there is evidence that His commandments are not being kept and that those who are in that condition are not His disciples.
"In these words that I have read we have the means of testing His Gospel and of proving who are His disciples. When men say they want some evidence concerning the truth of the Gospel, they have in these characteristics the tests by which they can ascertain for themselves whether those who profess to be the disciples of the Lord are such in reality. (Nov. 14, 1897, MS 60:146)" (Gospel Truth: Discourses and Writings of President George Q. Cannon, 160.)
David B. Haight
"The two commandments-to love God and to love man-had been taught separately by Jewish teachers, but Jesus brought them together and made the second like the first. By the example of his own life, he made love of God and love of mankind the heart of the gospel. 'By this,' he said, 'shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another' (John 13:35).
"Besides loving God, we are commanded to follow what to many is a more difficult commandment: to love all, even enemies, and to go beyond the barriers of race or class or family relationships. It is easy, of course, to be kind to those who are kind to us-the usual standard of friendly reciprocity. But we are commanded to cultivate genuine fellowship and even a kinship with every human being on earth. Whom should we bar from our circle? We might deny ourselves a nearness to our Savior because of our prejudices of neighborhood or possession or race-attitudes that Christ would surely condemn. Love has no boundary, no limitation of good will." (A Light unto the World [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1997], 124.)
Elder Carl B. Pratt
"We are reminded of the Savior's words, 'By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another' (John 13:35). Will nonmembers, new converts, and visitors to our chapels recognize us as His disciples by the warmth of our greeting, by the ease of our smiles, by the kindness and genuine concern that shine in our eyes?
"Let us pay more attention to those who are new to our congregations. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught: 'For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? ... And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others?' (Matt. 5:46-47).
"In building the kingdom of God, every positive act, every friendly greeting, every warm smile, every thoughtful, kind note contributes to the strength of the whole. It is my prayer that we may be open and outgoing, friendly, and helpful to all who come among us. But let us give special care and concern for the new converts to the Church. When we detect a halting step or a stumble as they begin their journey on the gospel path, let us be there to lift and support with words of kindness and concern; let us be available to give gentle, loving counsel that will strengthen and sustain. Let us conscientiously look for occasions to show that love which the Savior admonished us to have when He said, 'A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another' (John 13:34)." ("Care for New Converts," Ensign, Nov. 1997, 12)
LeGrand Richards
"'These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.' (John 15:11.) Now that is where we get a fullness of joy: when we learn the things of God, the reason for all this creation, and when we make our lives conform therewith.
"Whenever you do good, you get the compensation, and the records are being kept-and you are going to have to face those records, ultimately, good or bad. Now, just like you get joy when you do good, then you just get the opposite when you do evil.
"In the mission field one missionary said, 'I would not take a million dollars for the experience of my mission.' Another missionary, who had played on the BYU basketball team which won the intermountain championship, said, 'The boys literally carried us around on their shoulders, the biggest day of my life-until I came into the mission field. But I wouldn't trade one night like this, bearing witness of the truth, for all the basketball games I have ever played.'
"I took a young man out and let him baptize some people in the North Sea Canal in Holland. On the way back he came up and put his arms around me and said, 'Brother Richards, I have never been so happy in my life.' He said, 'When I was at home I earned good money, my parents didn't ask me to pay board and I could go to any show or any party whenever I wanted, but I wouldn't trade a night like this for all the parties I have ever been to!'" (December 6, 1961, BYU Speeches of the Year, 1961, 8.)
Joseph Smith
"Happiness is the object and design of our existence, and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 255.)
M. Russell Ballard
"How critical it is that all who serve together in God's kingdom do so from a foundation of love: love for the Lord, love for the work, and love for each other. No matter how intense our effort or how carefully we follow the handbooks and guidelines, if we don't truly love each other we can't possibly hope to convey the full power of the gospel of love. And I can't help but believe that members are more likely to seek counsel from leaders from whom they feel sincere love emanating. Miracles seem to follow after Church leaders who are motivated by a keen feeling of loving devotion to those over whom they preside." (Counseling with Our Councils: Learning to Minister Together in the Church and in the Family [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1997], 35.)
Stephen L. Richards
"It is inconceivable that he should extend the friendship he so beautifully described to any others than those who were believers. We know of his compassion, his mercy, and concern for all our Father's children, but it should never be forgotten that he set forth in unequivocal language the eligibility of those admitted to the circle of his friendship. 'Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.'" (Conference Report, April 1955, Afternoon Meeting 38.)
John 15:17–27; 16:1–7
LeGrand Richards
"One of the fine men of the community, through the efforts of our stake missionaries, had recently joined the Church. He was happy in his membership in the Church. It brought a change in his life, a change in his thoughts, a change in his habits, a change in his desires and interest in his fellow men. He had a neighbor with whom he had been very friendly. They lent each other equipment from their farms, but as soon as this man joined the Church his neighbor turned against him.
"The new convert ran for a position on the school board, and his neighbor went out and gathered people from far and near to bring them into the polls to defeat this former friend and neighbor. After the election was over, the new convert went to his neighbor. He said, 'What have I done that would change your attitude toward me as it has been changed?' The answer was, 'I do not like the Mormons.'
"If he had been living in the days of the Savior, his answer would have been, 'I do not like the Christians,' and I think of the words of the Savior when he said: 'If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.'" (Conference Report, April 1957, First Day-Morning Meeting 14.)
George Q. Cannon
"If we would be like the rest of the world, we would have no opposition from the world. Jesus said to His disciples, 'If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.' (John 15:19.)
"It is just the same today. If we were like the world, the world would love us; but because God has chosen us out of the world, therefore the world hates us; and we shall be hated as long as we preserve these virtues and contend for them, as long as we refuse to partake of the cup of fornications which the mother of abominations holds out to us; as long as we refuse to have the mark of the beast upon us, so long shall we have this opposition to contend with, until Babylon is overthrown and destroyed from the face of the earth-a consummation that is not very far distant." (Gospel Truth: Discourses and Writings of President George Q. Cannon, selected, arranged, and edited by Jerreld L. Newquist [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1987], 307.)
Joseph F. Smith
"The followers of Jesus were his chosen people, and because they were chosen by him, the world hated them...Contempt is the heritage of a chosen people. Ought we therefore to court the contempt of the world? By no means. On the other hand, we should not be discouraged because it comes to us unsought. Some of our friends-mostly in the Church, some few out of it-would lift us out of the contempt of the world, and keep us out of it, if we would simply be governed by their counsels. The truth is, we are not strangers to hatred; and the contempt of the world has been our lot so much that we have no reason to be discouraged when it comes, even in violent forms. The danger lies not so much in our own peculiarity as in the disposition of many of our people to court popularity at all costs, as if it were something devoutly to be wished for." (Gospel Doctrine: Selections from the Sermons and Writings of Joseph F. Smith, compiled by John A. Widtsoe [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1939], 340.)
Joseph Smith
"The trials [the Saints] have had to pass through shall work together for their good and prepare them for the society of those who have come up out of great tribulation, washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Marvel not then if you are persecuted, but remember the words of the Savior, 'The servant is not above his Lord; if they have persecuted me, they will persecute you also,' and that all the afflictions through which the Saints have to pass are in fulfillment of the words of the prophets which have spoken since the world began. . . . Afflictions, persecutions, imprisonments, and deaths we must expect according to the scriptures" (Kent P. Jackson, comp. and ed., Joseph Smith's Commentary on the Bible [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1994], 139.)
John 16:33
Howard W. Hunter
"Peace can come to an individual only by an unconditional surrender to him who is the Prince of peace and who has the power to confer peace.
"One may live in beautiful and peaceful surroundings, yet, because of inner dissension and discord, be in a state of constant turmoil. On the other hand, one may be in the midst of utter destruction and the bloodshed of war, yet have the serenity of unspeakable peace. If we look to the ways of the world, we will find turmoil and confusion. If we will but turn to God, we will find peace for the restless soul. This was made clear by these words of the Savior: 'In the world ye shall have tribulation' (John 16:33); and in his bequest to the Twelve and to all mankind: 'Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth.' (John 14:27.)
"We can find such peace in a world of conflict if we will but accept his great gift and his further invitation: 'Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.' (Matt. 11:28-29.)
"This peace shelters us from the worldly turmoil. The knowledge that God lives, that we are his children, and that he loves us soothes the troubled heart. The answer to the quest lies in faith in God and in his Son, Jesus Christ. This will bring peace to us now and in the eternity to follow." (That We Might Have Joy [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1994], 30.)
Harold B. Lee
"To the extent that we can overcome these things that are worldly around us, to that degree we are going to have peace. We can be in the midst of turmoil; we can be a soldier in battle with the imminence of death all about us-the gunfire, atomic threats, and all the rest-and yet if we have overcome the world, we are not concerned whether our time is today, tomorrow, next week, or next month. If we die in Him, we die unto the Lord; if we live in Him, we live unto the Lord, and those who have lived unto the Lord shall not taste of death, for it shall be sweet unto them (D&C 42:46)." (The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, edited by Clyde J. Williams [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1996], 370.)
David O. McKay
"Jesus said, '. . . In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.' (John 16:33.)
"On the same occasion, he said, 'Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth give I unto you. . . .' (Ibid., 14:27.) All through his life peace was on his lips and in his heart, and when he came forth from the tomb and appeared unto his disciples, his first greeting was, 'Peace be unto you. . . .' (Ibid., 20:21.)
"Peace as taught by the Savior is exemption from individual troubles, from family broils, from national riots and difficulties. Such peace refers to the person just as much as it does to communities. That man is not at peace who is untrue to the whisperings of Christ-the promptings of his conscience. He cannot be at peace when he is untrue to his better self, when he transgresses the law of righteousness, either in dealing with himself by indulging in passions or appetites, in yielding to the temptations of the flesh, or whether he is untrue to trust in transgressing the law.
"Peace does not come to the transgressor of law, Peace comes by obedience to law, and it is that message which Jesus would have us establish among men-peace to the individual that he may be at peace with his God; perfect harmony existing between his Creator and himself, perfect harmony existing between himself and law, the righteous laws to which he is subject and from which he never can escape peace in the home, families living at peace with each other and with their neighbors." (Conference Report, October 1965, First Day-Morning Meeting 10.)
Neal A. Maxwell
"As in all things, Jesus is also our attitudinal Exemplar as to cheerfulness.
"When, just prior to the great intercessory prayer in Gethsemane, Jesus told Peter, James, and John to 'be of good cheer,' such an attitude was certainly not justified because of immediate circumstances. Instead, it was possible because Jesus had 'overcome the world.' Contemplate, however, the grim experiences that then lay immediately ahead, scarcely justifying an attitude of cheerfulness. Gethsemane was imminent. So were Judas's betrayal; the capturing of Jesus, who was Peter, James, and John's beloved leader; Peter's disheartening disavowal; and Jesus' unjust trial. The populace's chilling preference for Barabbas rather than Jesus would soon echo in the air. The Shepherd would be smitten and the sheep scattered. Then there would be those awful, final moments on Calvary.
"Therefore, what, pray tell, was there to be cheerful about? Yet in the face of all of this, Jesus told them to 'be of good cheer'!
"The glorious, irrevocable, and long-awaited Atonement was about to be accomplished. The adversary had failed to stop it. The resurrection was assured. Death was soon to be done away. Christ had overcome the world-not the reverse. These irrepressible realities, both then and now, give rise to gospel gladness, permitting us to be of good cheer even in the midst of tactical tribulation." (Even As I Am [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1982], 99.)
Neal A. Maxwell
"Two of the basic things over which we are to be justifiably of good cheer are the transcendent blessings that our sins are forgiven and that Jesus has overcome the world. Additionally, we are assured that He is in our midst, He will lead us along, and He will stand by us. (John 16:33; Matthew 9:2; D&C 61:36; D&C 88:6, D&C 78:18.) Therefore, knowing that these major and everlasting things are in place, we can better endure such mundane trials as a frustrating traffic jam. And at those times we can be calm enough to ask ourselves how it can rain on the just and the unjust alike ("matt. 5:45Matthew 5:45) without occasionally raining on our parade." (A Wonderful Flood of Light [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1990], 66.)
Neal A. Maxwell
"For the faithful, there is short-term tribulation but long-term joy." (Even As I Am [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1982], 91.)
Marvin J. Ashton
"Being of good cheer makes it possible for us to turn all of our sunsets into sunrises. With good cheer, carrying our cross can be our ladder to happiness. When Jesus comes into our lives, cheer lights the way. How powerful and comforting is the Savior's declaration. 'In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.' (John 16:33.)
"He promises to stand by us. He invites us to bear record and witness of Him. What a joy and honor it is for me to declare in good cheer and without fear that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God, that He was the Only Begotten of the Father, that He is, and that He will yet come again in God's name. I thank God for the Savior's life, His cheerful love, and His example. 'There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear.' (John 4:18.)" (Be of Good Cheer [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1987], 7)
Bruce R. McConkie
"The struggle which we face is whether we will overcome the world or whether we will be overcome by the world. All men forsake the world when they come into the Church; they then overcome the world if they continue in righteousness and in diligence in keeping the commandments of God.
"No one has overcome the world, the world of carnality and corruption, until he has given his heart to Christ, until he uses all his talents, abilities, and strength in keeping the commandments of God, and in causing this great work to roll forth.
"The Lord has given us the agency, the talent, and the ability to achieve in this field. He sent his Son into the world to be the great Exemplar, to be a Pattern, to mark the way whereby we, like him, might attain glory and eternal reward.
"It was Christ who said: 'I have overcome the world,' (John 16:33) and it was also Christ who promised, 'To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.' (Revelation 3:21.)" (Conference Report, April 1955, Afternoon Meeting 115.)
John 17:21–23
Gordon B. Hinckley
"I believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
"I was baptized in the name of these three. I was married in the name of these three. I have no question concerning their reality and their individuality. That individuality was made apparent when Jesus was baptized by John in Jordan. There in the water stood the Son of God. His Father's voice was heard declaring His divine Sonship, and the Holy Ghost was manifest in the form of a dove (see Matt. 3:16-17).
"I am aware that Jesus said that they who had seen Him had seen the Father. Could not the same be said by many a son who resembles his parent?
"When Jesus prayed to the Father, certainly He was not praying to Himself!" ("The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost," Ensign, Nov. 1986, 51)
Neal A. Maxwell
"The submission of one's will is placing on God's altar the only uniquely personal thing one has to place there. The many other things we 'give' are actually the things He has already given or loaned to us. However, when we finally submit ourselves by letting our individual wills be swallowed up in God's will, we will really be giving something to Him! It is the only possession which is truly ours to give. Consecration thus constitutes the only unconditional surrender which is also a total victory." (If Thou Endure It Well [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1996], 54.)
Marion G. Romney
"The way to unity is for us to learn the will of the Lord and then to do it. Until this basic principle is understood and observed, there will be no unity and peace on the earth. The power of the Church for good in the world depends upon the extent to which we, the members thereof, observe this principle.
"The major reason for the world's troubles today is that men are not seeking to know the will of the Lord and then to do it. Rather do they seek to solve their problems in their own wisdom and in their own way." ("Unity," Ensign, May 1983, 17-18)
Lorenzo Snow
"We must conform to the will of God. In order for us to effect the purposes of God, we shall have to do as Jesus did-conform our individual will to the will of God, not only in one thing, but in all things, and to live so that the will of God shall be in us. We have the same priesthood that Jesus had, and we have got to do as He did, to make sacrifice of our own desires and feelings as He did; perhaps not to die martyrs as He did, but we have got to make sacrifices in order to carry out the purposes of God, or we shall not be worthy of this holy priesthood, and be saviors of the world." (Journal of Discourses, 23:341-42.)
Joseph Smith
"All these sayings put together give as clear an account of the state of the glorified saints as language could give...What language can be plainer than this? The Saviour surely intended to be understood by his disciples, and he so spake that they might understand him; for he declares to his Father, in language not to be easily mistaken, that he wanted his disciples, even all of them, to be as himself and the Father, for as he and the Father were one so they might be one with them. And what is said in the 22nd verse is calculated to more firmly establish this belief, if it needs anything to establish it. He says: 'And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.' As much as to say that unless they have the glory which the Father had given him they could not be one with them; for he says he had given them the glory that the Father had given him that they might be one; or, in other words, to make them one.
"This fills up the measure of information on this subject, and shows most clearly that the Saviour wished his disciples to understand that they were to be partakers with him in all things, not even his glory excepted.
"It is scarcely necessary here to observe what we have previously noticed, that the glory which the Father and the Son have is because they are just and holy beings; and that if they were lacking in one attribute or perfection which they have, the glory which they have never could be enjoyed by them, for it requires them to be precisely what they are in order to enjoy it; and if the Saviour gives this glory to any others, he must do it in the very way set forth in his prayer to his Father-by making them one with him as he and the Father are one. In so doing he would give them the glory which the Father has given him; and when his disciples are made one with the Father and Son, as the Father and the Son are one, who cannot see the propriety of the Saviour's saying-'The works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.' (John 14:12)
"These teachings of the Saviour most clearly show unto us the nature of salvation, and what he proposed unto the human family when he proposed to save them-that he proposed to make them like unto himself, and he was like the Father, the great prototype of all saved beings; and for any portion of the human family to be assimilated into their likeness is to be saved; and to be unlike them is to be destroyed; and on this hinge turns the door of salvation." (Lectures on Faith, 7:14-16)
