May 20–26
Matthew 21–23; Mark 11; Luke 19–20; John 12
“Behold, Thy King Cometh”
Matthew 23; Luke
19:1–10; 20:45–47
Matt 23
My Thoughts
I truly think this is one of the main tools Satan uses to
push people away from the gospel. It is sad that our best tool to bring people
in is also the best tool used by Satan to keep people away…that of the people
in the Church. Talking to any non-member or someone who is no longer active it
seems that they each have examples of “Good Members” not behaving like Good
member should.
What Others Have
Said
Hypocrisy
Marlin K. Jensen
Another wonderful benefit of living according to standards
we have internalized is that we gradually eliminate hypocrisy from our thinking
and our behavior. The English word hypocrisy comes from a Greek word which
means playing a part upon a stage. Until standards become part of our basic
character, we sometimes play the role of a religious person without really
being one. As we search for our true identity, we may behave like chameleons,
frequently changing colors to blend with our surroundings.
We act one way at school, another at church.
To most people, however, nothing is more appealing than
someone who is “genuine” or “real,” and no one is more genuine or real than a
young Latter-day Saint whose behavior consistently matches his or her
standards. I know many young Latter-day Saints who live with this high degree
of personal integrity. I have met them all over the world, and regardless of
language or skin color or dress, they are similar in many ways. They are at
peace with God and themselves. They are quietly confident and generally content
with their natural abilities and endowments, even though they may not be among
the smartest or the most attractive or athletic. They have close and satisfying
relationships with God, family, and a variety of friends. Peer pressure really
isn’t a factor in their choices between right or wrong. By making God’s
standards their own, they have already decided how they will respond when
temptation beckons. They also realize that in doing right they are not alone
but are part of an ever-growing number of young Latter-day Saints the world
over who love God and uphold His standards. (“Making a Mighty Change,” New Era,
June 2001, 5)
Neal A. Maxwell
Do not be fully honest about the hypocrisy of those in the
Church who may pretend to be better than they are, or you will soon realize
that there is also another form of hypocrisy—appearing to be less committed
than one really is! Yes, brothers and
sisters, it is best to avoid all such things as these if you wish to continue
to delay deciding about Christ and his church. (“Why Not Now?” Ensign, Nov.
1974, 12)
Mark E. Petersen,
As God condemns immorality, so he denounces hypocrisy, which
is one of the worst forms of dishonesty. When he describes the hell of the
world to come, he specifies that dishonest persons will go there. As no unclean
thing can enter the presence of the Lord, so no liar nor cheat nor hypocrite
can abide in his kingdom.
(“Honesty, a Principle of Salvation,” Ensign, Dec. 1971, 72)
William R. Bradford
Greed, envy, covetousness, lust, rebellion, thievery,
idleness, lying, hypocrisy, backsliding, immorality, infidelity, pride,
arrogance, gluttony, and most other evils are the products of a selfish life.
If we place sin in the sunlight, it will cast the shadow of selfishness.
(“Selfishness vs. Selflessness,” Ensign, Apr. 1983, 49)
H. David Burton
Hypocrisy has never worked, and it will not work today. We
are required to lead out in righteousness and encourage our families to follow
our examples. Lead out in family home evening. Lead out in scripture study.
Provide priesthood blessings. Lead out in personal and family prayer. “Honoring the Priesthood,” Ensign, May 2000, 38)
Neal A. Maxwell
We have enablers in our society too. They allow themselves
to be stirred up against that which is good. They are not entitled to a free
pass any more than Lemuel. Like him, their comparative visibility is low, but
their hypocrisy is high! (“Lessons from Laman and Lemuel,” Ensign, Nov. 1999,
6)
Hugh Nibley
"The very people who should have accepted it are the
ones who have scorned it and rejected it and caused all the others to reject it
as well. How many times does he repeat here 'woe unto you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites'? In verse 15: 'Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites.' Verse 23: 'Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites.' Then
again in verses 27 and 29. So that's the refrain. The scribes are those who
study the scripture. He is talking to the people, and he says, 'They sit on Moses'
seat, and you hearken to what they say.' Because they preach the gospel, they
are the very people that should be most ready to welcome the Messiah. The
scribes (we mentioned the Soferim before) are those who study the scripture and
who teach it. And the Pharisees are the Parishi, 'those who are set apart.'
Parasha means 'to set apart.' Our word is part, parat, meaning 'consecrated,
chosen, sanctified.'"They regard themselves as especially pure. The scribes and the Pharisees are the ones who should lead. They should be the ones expecting the Messiah and the first to welcome him. They were the only ones who didn't. They would have absolutely nothing to do with him, and they turned the people away from him...So every time after this he refers to them as hypocrites. Hypocrite is simply the Greek word for actor, a person who is playing a role which is not his real role, who is pretending to be somebody he isn't. Every time he refers to them on those grounds. They play a good role; they talk good talk, but they are hypocritical about it. They do all these things simply for appearance." (Ancient Documents and the Pearl of Great Price, edited by Robert Smith and Robert Smythe, 2)
N. Eldon Tanner
"We are admonished to be true to the faith, and warned
against evil and hypocrisy. In fact, the Savior placed great emphasis on the
evils of hypocrisy. He was very severe in his condemnation of those who
professed one thing and practiced another. He said: 'Woe unto you scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! ... Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye
escape the damnation of hell?' (Matt. 23:29, 33. Italics added.)"I should like to refer to these and other charges of hypocrisy. As I do so, we might well look at ourselves to see how these apply to us. As we look at the conditions in the world today, I am sure we will find that hypocrisy and the violation of the principles of righteousness and decency have brought our national and individual affairs to the sorry state in which they are now. (quotes Matt. 23:4-6, 14, 23-25, 27-30.)
"We might well ask ourselves if such fallacies are present in our own alleged Christianity. In those days, as is so common today, they had brotherhoods in which the law was strictly kept, but they ignored those on the outside by regarding all others with contempt and condemnation, thereby avoiding the heresy of form but committing the heresy of the spirit.
"How many of us are guilty of keeping the letter of the law and forgetting the spirit of the law in that we fail to show mercy and faith in our fellowmen? Do we place more stress on an external act to be seen of men than on a change of heart? The only way to cleanse the inside of the cup is to be pure in heart by being humble and turning from our evil ways and by living the gospel of Jesus Christ to the best of our ability. We may be able to deceive men, but we cannot deceive God.
"Is there danger that our whole civilization is like whitewashed tombs? We have marvelous machines, towering buildings, and thousands of signs of what we call progress; but within we have unrest, strife between men and nations, and unrelieved burden of the poor, and the dead men's bones of wholesale wars. Someone has said: 'Still we try to safeguard ourselves by calcimining the tomb.'" (Conference Report, October 1970, Afternoon Meeting 51.)
Carlos E. Asay
"A number of years ago, Elder Francis M. Lyman had this
to say about length of prayers: 'It is not necessary to offer very long and
tedious prayers, either at opening or closing. It is not only not pleasing to
the Lord for us to use excess of words, but also it is not pleasing to the
Latter-day Saints. Two minutes will open any kind of meeting, and a half minute
will close it. . . . Offer short prayers, and avoid vain repetitions. . . .'
(From an address delivered in MIA conference, June 5, 1892, and reprinted in
Improvement Era, April 1947, p. 245.)"It is expected that invocations are longer and fuller in expression. We normally invoke the Spirit of the Lord (not a portion of it) to be with us, and we attempt to set the spiritual tone of the gathering. On the other hand, dismissal prayers are short and to the point. Thanks may appropriately be expressed for the spiritual upliftment of the occasion and blessings sought upon the point of departure.
"I fear that in some of our meetings prayers have a tendency to be drawn out and full of trite or vain expressions. This tendency discourages participation in prayer, especially among the youth, and promotes clock-watching. How much better it would be if we prayed as the Nephites. It was said of them: '. . . and they did not multiply many words, for it was given unto them what they should pray, and they were filled with desire.' (3 Nephi 19:24.)" (Prayer [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1977], 40.)
Joseph B. Wirthlin
"If we practice guile in small matters, we soon find
ourselves entangled in an ever-increasing, unending spiral, because each lie or
other deception often requires a larger one to cover the first. Moreover, the
practice of guile often leads to hypocrisy, which is the false pretense of
virtue or righteousness and pretending to be something that we are not. If we
know what is right and profess to live by that knowledge but, in fact, do not,
we are hypocrites. The Savior denounced hypocrites in unmistakable language. He
declared: 'Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like
unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within
full of . . . all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto
men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.' (Matthew 23:27-28.)"To the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord revealed: 'Wo unto them that are deceivers and hypocrites, for, thus saith the Lord, I will bring them to judgment. . . . [They] shall be detected and shall be cut off, . . . and wo unto them who are cut off from my church, for the same are overcome of the world.' (D&C 50:6, 88)
"What are the Latter-day Saints to do? The answer is plain. We are to be absolutely without guile in every aspect of our lives: in our homes and families, Church callings, business dealings, and especially the private and personal areas of our lives into which only we and the Lord see.
"I suggest that we look into our hearts and see whether or not our motives and actions are pure and above reproach and if we are free of deceit and fraud." (Finding Peace in Our Lives, 184.)
What does Luke 19:1–10 reveal about
Zacchaeus’s heart?
My Thoughts
Zacchaeus showed several action words…Sought, Haste, Ran, Joyfully.
He wanted to please and serve the Lord. He did not argue with himself or anyone
else on what the Lord asked of him. He did not 2nd guess why the
Lord knew him or was going to be his guest. He heard and acted to fulfill what
was commanded. We need to be the same.
What Others Have
Said
Chieko Okazaki"I believe that Jesus was very conscious of time, but he was never in a hurry. He never said, 'Don't you get it? I've only got three years. Listen up! Pay attention! Get that multitude fed right now! Get a move on. Snap it up. We've got to get to the walls of Jerusalem before the owner of the colt moves it.' I think it's very interesting that the only time Jesus is recorded as saying, 'Hurry up' was when he walked under the sycamore tree where a short tax collector named Zacchaeus had climbed so he could see Jesus. According to Luke: 'And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.' (Luke 19:5.) I don't think Jesus told Zacchaeus to 'make haste' because Jesus was in a hurry but because he wanted Zacchaeus to act...Jesus wasn't in a hurry, but he wanted Zacchaeus to be in a hurry to hear the words he needed to understand so he could repent." (Aloha! [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1995], 57.)
Henry B Eyring
Walking with the Savior] will teach you to see [others]
through His eyes, which means seeing past an outward appearance and into the
heart (see 1 Samuel 16:7). ‑is is how the Savior was able to see Simon not as
an impulsive fisherman but as Peter, the rock-solid future leader of His Church
(see Luke 5:1–11). ‑is is how He was able to see Zacchaeus not as the corrupt
tax collector others saw but as an honest, upright son of Abraham (see Luke
19:1–9). If you walk with the Savior long enough, you will learn to see
everyone as a child of God with limitless potential, regardless of what his or
her past may have been. And if you continue walking with the Savior, you will
develop another gift He has—the ability to help people see that potential in themselves
and so repent” (April 2017 General Conference).
What are the desires
of your heart?
To be one with the Lord and Spirit so I can do His bidding
and lead my family with the protection and help of the Lord.
What are you doing to
seek the Savior, as Zacchaeus did?
Study, prayer pondering
What are you inspired
to do differently because of the Savior’s teachings?
Study more, pray more intently, and ponder more deeply, act
when the spirit directs.
Matthew 21:1–11; Mark 11:1–11; Luke 19:29–44; John 12:12–16
My Thoughts
It must have been hard for the Lord to see the joy and
rejoicing of the people and knowing that in a few days the cries would turn
from glory and praise to those of crucify him.He made sure that He fulfilled all the prophesies about Him. He let the people rejoice in His entrance.
I do think He found joy in this brief moment.
"While descending from the Mount of Olives Jesus had a magnificent view of the city. He was stirred, no doubt, by nostalgic boyhood memories of this city and of the temple in which he as a youth had astonished the doctors with his understanding answers. But a vision of the future dispelled the vivid and joyous memory of the past, for he beheld the dark and melancholy fate of his beloved Jerusalem and of his Father's house. 'For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side.
"'And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.' (Luke 19:43-44.) Forty years later the armies of Titus unwittingly made sure that every word of his prophecy was fulfilled as they, in search for treasure, leveled the temple stone by stone.
"As they descended toward the city, the crowd which accompanied him was swept by the rapture of what seemed to be his hour of triumph. Bursting with hope and adoration they shouted hosannas to the Son of David. His disciples, who had been warned that this was to be the beginning of the end, were, for the moment, carried by the tide of enthusiasm.
"Jesus did not join in this jubilation, for he knew the week would end in the tragedy of crucifixion; but he kept these thoughts of death in his own heart." (The Eternal Quest, 391.)
Joseph F. McConkie
"We must not suppose that the honor thus paid to Jesus
in this moment of triumph was born of ignorance. The testimony of this
multitude of believers would stand as a witness against the city of Jerusalem
over which Christ now wept. Luke alone records the event: 'When he was come
near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even
thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! But now
they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine
enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee
in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children
within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because
thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.' (Luke 19:41-44.)" (Joseph F.
McConkie, Studies in Scripture, Vol. 5: The Gospels, ed. by Kent P. Jackson and
Robert L. Millet, 372-373.)
Neal A. Maxwell
"'Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh
unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.'
(Matthew 21:5.) Being meek and lowly stresses the humility of the Sovereign.
Our King is unconcerned with either the trappings of power or the assertion of
His immense and incomparable prestige, for He 'made himself of no reputation,
and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.'
(Philippians 2:7.)"Jesus' willingness to become a person of 'no reputation,' though He was actually the Creator of this world-with the earth being His footstool-provides one of the great ironies in human history. This individual of 'no reputation' mortally will one day be He before whom every knee will bow and whose name every tongue will confess. (Philippians 2:10-11.) He stayed the course!" (Meek and Lowly, 14.)
Sperry Symposium
"The entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on an animal of
peace and meekness posed no threat to the Romans, who would have expected any
claimant to power to have arrived on a horse, the symbol of war and power. But
Jesus' mount proclaimed kingship to the Jews, in part because of two particular
Old Testament prophecies. The first is a portion of Jacob's blessing upon Judah:
'The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet,
until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Binding
his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine' (Genesis
49:10-11). In John 15:1, the Savior declared: 'I am the true vine.' The
references to sceptre and Shiloh and the choice vine being bound to an ass's
colt all come together as the Savior made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem
astride an ass's colt, days before his being crowned with thorns as 'The King
of the Jews.' That supernal moment, as he entered the city in glory, also
fulfilled in perfect detail the prophecy of Zechariah: 'Rejoice greatly, O
daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee:
he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a
colt the foal of an ass' (Zechariah 9:9)." (Bruce A. Van Orden and Brent
L. Top, eds., The Lord of the Gospels: The 1990 Sperry Symposium on the New
Testament [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1991], 134.)
Hugh B. Brown
"Agents of the scribes and Pharisees who were lurking
in the crowd were disturbed and scandalized as the jubilant multitude shouted
in harmony: 'Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord,. . .glory
in the highest.' (Luke 19:38.) To their learned ears and suspicious hearts such
words of adulation to an impostor were bordering on blasphemy, and they
admonished Jesus to rebuke his disciples, but instead he justified their
enthusiasm by saying: 'I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the
stones would immediately cry out.' (Luke 19:40.) This was an assertion of his
right to be called the Christ. All who read the story must be moved by the
matchless, majestic courage of the man. He could have turned back to the home
of Lazarus and Mary and Martha, his usual abiding place in Bethany. But he
voluntarily chose to do his Father's will to bring to pass the immortality and
eternal life of man...And so began the most eventful week in history." (The
Eternal Quest [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1956], 392.)
David O. McKay
"According to tradition, when these words (Luke
19:41-42) were spoken, Jesus stood on the Mount of Olives, opposite a point in
the walls surrounding Jerusalem a few yards south of the Gate Beautiful. From
this spot one may behold a beautiful view of that historic city."It is wonderfully picturesque, with its quaint, flat-roofed houses, church towers, and mosque domes covering the four hills on which Jerusalem is built. The view is impressive even now; it must have been inspiring when Jesus beheld it in all its Herodian splendor.
"But it was the inhabitants of the city, not the beautiful buildings or the commanding view that the Savior saw through tear bedimmed eyes when he cried: 'If thou hadst known . . . the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.' (Luke 19:42.) He saw the people divided into conflicting and contending sects, each professing more holiness and righteousness than the other and all closing their eyes to the truth." (Conference Report, October 1944, Afternoon Meeting 78.)
James E. Talmage
"The warning to all to flee from Jerusalem and Judea to
the mountains when the armies would begin to surround the city was so generally
heeded by members of the Church, that according to the early Church writers not
one Christian perished in the awful siege (see Eusebius, Eccles. Hist., book
iii, ch. 5)...As to the unprecedented horrors of the siege, which culminated in
the utter destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, see Josephus, Wars vi,
chaps. 3 and 4. That historian estimates the number slain in Jerusalem alone as
1,100,000 and in other cities and rural parts a third as many more. For details
see Josephus, Wars ii, chaps. 18, 20; iii, 2, 7, 8, 9; iv, 1, 2, 7, 8, 9; vii,
6, 9, 11. Many tens of thousands were taken captive, to be afterward sold into
slavery, or to be slain by wild beasts, or in gladiatorial combat in the arena
for the amusement of Roman spectators."In the course of the siege, a wall was constructed about the entire city, thus fulfilling the Lord's prediction (Luke 19:43), 'thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee,' in which, by the admittedly better translation, 'bank,' or 'palisade' should appear instead of 'trench.' In September A.D. 70 the city fell into the hands of the Romans; and its destruction was afterward made so thorough that its site was plowed up. Jerusalem was 'trodden down of the Gentiles,' and ever since has been under Gentile dominion, and so shall continue to be 'until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.' (Luke 21:24.)" (Jesus the Christ, 545)
Matthew 22:34–40
Lynn G. Robbins
Trying to please others before pleasing God is inverting the
first and second great commandments (see Matthew 22:37–39). It is forgetting
which way we face. And yet, we have all made that mistake because of the fear
of men.In Isaiah the Lord warns us, “Fear ye not the reproach of men” (Isaiah 51:7; see also 2 Nephi 8:7). In Lehi’s dream, this fear was triggered by the finger of scorn pointed from the great and spacious building, causing many to forget which way they faced and to leave the tree “ashamed” (see 1 Nephi 8:25–28).
“This peer pressure tries to change a person’s attitudes, if not behavior, by making one feel guilty for giving offense. We seek respectful coexistence with those who point fingers, but when this fear of men tempts us to condone sin, it becomes a “snare” according to the book of Proverbs (see Proverbs 29:25). ‑The snare may be cleverly baited to appeal to our compassionate side to tolerate or even approve of something that has been condemned by God. For the weak of faith, it can be a major stumbling block. ... “When people try to save face with men, they can unwittingly lose face with God. ‑inking one can please God and at the same time condone the disobedience of men isn’t neutrality but duplicity, or being two-faced or trying to “serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24; 3 Nephi 13:24).
“While it certainly takes courage to face perils, the true
badge of courage is overcoming the fear of men” (Elder Lynn G. Robbins, October
2014 General Conference).
"He loves the Lord with all his heart who loves nothing in comparison of him, and nothing but in reference to him, who is ready to give up, do, or suffer anything in order to please and glorify him. He loves God with all his soul, or rather with all his life, who is ready to give up life for his sake and to be deprived of the comforts of the world to glorify him. He loves God with all his strength who exerts all the powers of his body and soul in the service of God. He loves God with all his mind who applies himself only to know God and his will, who sees God in all things and acknowledges him in all ways." (Conference Report, April 1965, Second Day-Morning Meeting 58.)
Heber J. Grant
"The longer I live, the more I study the gospel, the
more I come in contact with men, the more forcibly am I impressed with the
truth of the sayings of our Savior in the words that I have just read to you.
If we did in every deed love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our
mind, with all our soul, there would be no need of urging from time to time
upon the people the necessity of keeping the commandments of the Lord. It would
be a pleasure to them to serve God and keep His commandments. We are told that
where a man's treasure is, there will his heart be also, and if we loved the
Lord with all our heart and mind and soul, serving Him would be the great
object of our lives, and the treasure we would work to gain would be His love.
If we followed that second commandment, to love our neighbor as ourself, there
would be no need of bishop's or High Council trials; our difficulties would all
be settled amicably, if we really and truly loved our neighbor. It would be
almost a waste of time to appeal to the people for donations, to urge them to
be liberal, to be generous, to strive for the benefit and welfare of their
fellows."While we as a people do not fully come up to the requirements of the first great commandment, nor completely meet the requirements of the second, yet, I bear my testimony to you here today, I believe that of all people upon the face of the earth, there is no other people who love the Lord their God as do the Latter-day Saints. There is no other people upon the face of the earth who give such absolute evidence of their love of God by their acts, by the sacrifices they make, by the labors they perform, by the diligence with which they strive to serve God and keep His commandments. I believe there is no other people to be found on the earth that compare to the Latter-day Saints in these respects." (Conference Report, October 1911, Afternoon Session. 21.)
Thomas S. Monson
"If you or I were there, we might then have asked,
'Master, how might we best show our love?' Perhaps we would have heard the
words, 'He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth
me.' (John 14:21.) Or, 'If ye love me, keep my commandments.' (John 14:15.)"Another question: 'How might I best show my love for my fellowmen?' And the words of King Benjamin could well apply: 'When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.' (Mosiah 2:17.) Service is the best measuring stick of love." (Be Your Best Self, 193-194.)
Neal A. Maxwell
"When these two rigorous requirements receive more deep
reflection than is usually given to them, one observes that there is a
significant difference in the breathtaking wording of the first great
commandment compared with that of the second commandment. We are to love God
with all our heart, all our mind, all our soul, and all our strength. But we
are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. (Matthew 22:36-40; Mark
12:29-34; Luke 10:25-28.)"The first commandment does not read, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God as thyself.' This would be both too little and the wrong kind of love. Nor does the second commandment read, 'Thou shalt love they neighbor with all thy heart, mind, soul, and strength.' This would be neighbor worship.
"Whereas our Perfect Father can be trusted with our bestowal of all our devotion of heart, mind, soul, and strength, we cannot. Nor can our neighbor. Moreover, only when proper love of God comes first can our love of self and neighbor be safely shaped and nurtured." (Notwithstanding My Weakness, 24 - 25.)
Richard L. Evans
"I read into this something, or would like to read into
it today, something which is not always read into it: I think this implies not
only that we should love our neighbors, but in a very sincere and real and
unselfish way we should also love ourselves. I think the Lord God must have
intended that we should have a high regard and respect for ourselves as well as
a high regard and respect for other men." (Conference Report, April 1959,
Afternoon Meeting 114 - 115.)
Elder Heber C. Iverson
"'If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother
(mark the strong language employed), he is a liar; for he that loveth not his
brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?' (1Jn.
4:20) Hypocrisy, the spirit of the Pharisee, was most contemptible in the
estimation of the Master, and brought forth such strong condemnation in such
forceful language as he was not wont to use. Again he said, 'A new commandment
I give unto you, that ye shall love one another; and hereby shall all men know
that ye are my disciples, because ye love one another.'" (Conference
Report, October 1920, First Overflow Meeting 102)
Boyd K. Packer
"The Lord might have answered, love your neighbor as
you love your husband or your wife, or love your neighbor as you love your
parents or your best friends. But He knew something. He knew that while there
are many exceptions to any rule as to who loves whom, there is virtually no one
who does not love himself. In this we are all alike." (Teach Ye
Diligently, 125.)
Eldred G. Smith
"These two commandments are inseparable. It is
impossible to fulfil the first without fulfilling the second. We cannot love
our Father in heaven without loving our fellow men and loving our
neighbor." (Conference Report, April 1961, Afternoon Meeting 69.)
Joseph Fielding Smith
"If we will observe this first law, the second
naturally will follow, and in fact, as the Savior has pointed it out, we will
not be guilty of a breach of the law and the prophets in anything else."
(Conference Report, October 1947, Afternoon Meeting 145.)
Neal A. Maxwell
"Since all the laws and the prophets hang upon the
first and second commandments (see Matthew 22:35-40), our keeping of those two
great commandments is the biggest and most constant challenge. If, however,
after all they have done for us, we do not have enough faith to love the Father
and Jesus, or if we deny the divinity of the Lord who so agonizingly ransomed
us, whatever else in life we honorably accomplish it will not qualify us for
eternal association with them." (Lord, Increase Our Faith, 28.)
Gene R. Cook
"That great summary statement of the Lord is so
inclusive: all of the scriptures in the Savior's day centered upon those two
great commandments. What they do is tie an individual or family to the Lord.
And when the Lord is part of something, it will not fail." (Raising Up a
Family to the Lord, 74.)
Gordon B. Hinckley
"This must be the foundation of our instruction: love
of God and love for and service to others-neighbors, family, and all with whom
we have association. That which we teach must be constantly gauged against
these two standards established by the Lord. If we shall do so, this work will
continue to roll forward." ("He Slumbers Not, nor Sleeps,"
Ensign, May 1983, p. 8.)
Neal A. Maxwell
"Like His Father, Jesus is perfect in love, knowledge,
power, justice, judgment, kindness, mercy, patience, and truth."Reflecting upon those eternal attributes with which we are to be seriously and constantly concerned in our lives, we see that the capacity to love is at the very center of the two great commandments. Indeed, the other commandments that follow the two great commandments seem by comparison more like helpful and needed guardrails to keep us on the straight and narrow path! Surely the primacy of love is demonstrated by its recurring appearance in the cluster of commandments." (Even As I Am, 38.)
Brigham Young
"When we can keep these two commandments, do you not
think that the law of God will be written in our hearts? Yes, and it will never
be erased. When I have a manifestation, through the brethren that speak, that
the love of God is planted in their souls, that God rules and reigns in their
affections, I care not what language they make use of to express their ideas,
there is joy, peace, and solid satisfaction in listening to the words of their
mouths." (Journal of Discourse, 9: 292.)
The two great
commandments are to love God and love others as myself.
Isn’t this what ministering is all about now? Are we not to
look past the numbers but truly care for our neighbors and Ward Members? I
think another thing to add to this is that we should try to love others as we
know God loves us.“Why did God put the first commandment first? Because He knew that if we truly loved Him we would want to keep all of His other commandments. …“When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities.... “We bless our fellowmen the most when we put the first commandment first” (April 1988 General Conference).
Matthew 23:5
James E. Talmage"Through a traditional interpretation of Ex. 13:9 and Deut. 6:8, the Hebrews adopted the custom of wearing phylacteries, which consisted essentially of strips of parchment on which were inscribed in whole or in part the following texts: Ex. 13:2-10 and 11-17; Deut. 6:4-9, and 11:13-21. Phylacteries were worn on the head and arm. The parchment strips for the head were four, on each of which one of the texts cited above was written. These were placed in a cubical box of leather measuring from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches along the edge; the box was divided into four compartments and one of the little parchment rolls was placed in each. Thongs held the box in place on the forehead between the eyes of the wearer. The arm phylactery comprised but a single roll of parchment on which the four prescribed texts were written; this was placed in a little box which was bound by thongs to the inside of the left arm so as to be brought close to the heart when the hands were placed together in the attitude of devotion. The Pharisees wore the arm phylactery above the elbow, while their rivals, the Sadducees, fastened it to the palm of the hand (see Ex. 13:9). The common people wore phylacteries only at prayer time; but the Pharisees were said to display them throughout the day. Our Lord's reference to the Pharisees' custom of making broad their phylacteries had reference to the enlarging of the containing box, particularly the frontlet. The size of the parchment strips was fixed by rigid rule.
"The Lord had required of Israel through Moses (Num. 15:38) that the people attach to the border of their garment a fringe with a ribbon of blue. In ostentatious display of assumed piety, the scribes and Pharisees delighted to wear enlarged borders to attract public attention. It was another manifestation of hypocritical sanctimoniousness." (Jesus the Christ, 526.)
James E. Talmage
"To anoint the head of a guest with ordinary oil was to do him honor; to anoint his feet also was to show unusual and signal regard; but the anointing of head and feet with spikenard, and in such abundance, was an act of reverential homage rarely rendered even to kings. Mary's act was an expression of adoration; it was the fragrant outwelling of a heart overflowing with worship and affection." (Jesus the Christ, p. 512.)
David O. McKay
"The dishonest man brings only misery into the world.
Look what Judas brought upon himself by not being true! He associated with his
Lord and heard the divine truths from his Master's lips. It may be that once he
felt in his heart the truth, but he let outside influences come upon him. He
let his appetite for greed lead him into dishonesty.
"Following that prompting, he opposed the work of the
Master, found fault with conditions around him. Six days before the passover,
Mary, out of the great love in her heart, anointed Jesus with costly oils. Who
was it that found fault? Not the honest man in whose heart was the truth; but
Judas. And even in his faultfinding, you detect the lie: 'Why was not this
ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?' (John 12:5.)
"What a dissembler! What a hypocrite! He did not want
the money for the poor, 'but,' says one of his companions, 'because he was a
thief, and had the bag. . . .' (John 12:6.) He sat at meat with his Lord, near
his Master's side, there in the presence of the Divine Man, pretending to be one
with him-not only in friendship, but in discipleship; not only that, but a
disciple in whom had been placed trust. There at the table eating bread by the
side of the Master, he was still untrue and had already bargained to betray his
Lord into the hands of his enemies." (Man May Know for Himself: Teachings
of President David O. McKay, compiled by Clare Middlemiss [Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book Co., 1967], 272.)
Gordon B. Hinckley
"We must take care of the poor. Said the Lord, 'The
poor ye have with you always.' (Mark 14:7;John 12:8.) There have always been
poor and I guess there always will be poor until the Millennium. We must take
care of them and we must have the facilities to do so. But we must be very
careful not to overinstitutionalize that care. We must not shift the burden
that we ought to carry in our own hearts of spreading kindness and love and
help to others, to the institution, which at best, is impersonal."I do not want you to get any idea that I am saying we should not have the welfare program. We must have it. It is a part of the Lord's plan and the good it does is vast and incalculable. But I think there is a tendency among us to say, 'Oh, the Church will take care of that. I pay my fast offering. Let the Church take care of that.' We need as individuals, I think, to reach down and extend a helping hand without notice, without thanks, without expectation of anything in return, to give of that with which the Lord has so generously blessed us. (General Authority Training Meeting, April 2, 1996.)" (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1997], 459.)
How did Mary show her love for the Savior? How do we show our love for Him?
John 12:42–43
Neal A. Maxwell"...will we be like those who were decent but who lacked the courage to declare openly for Jesus and who were afraid of losing their places in the synagogue? (John 12:42-43.) There are so many equivalent situations today, and some Church members are reluctant to risk losing their places! Each day we decide the degree of our discipleship. Each day we answer the question, 'Who's on the Lord's side? Who?'" ("My Servant Joseph," Ensign, May 1992, 39)
Neal A. Maxwell
"...we cannot say to the Lord that we are willing to
surrender but only on our terms. There are no conditions in unconditional
surrender!"Even with all of its interior consistency, however, the plan cannot bring true happiness to anyone whose life is grossly inconsistent with its standards. It cannot fully enfold him who is too worried about being taken in. It has no place of honor for one too concerned with losing his place in the secular synagogue. (See John 12:42-43.)" ("The Great Plan of the Eternal God," Ensign, May 1984, 22)
Neal A. Maxwell
"What sort of individuals will receive eternal life?
Among others, the few rich who sought the kingdom first and wanted riches only
in order to do good (see Jacob 2:18-19); those few who learned not to cease
hearkening to the counsels of God (see 2 Nephi 9:29); those few whose hearts
were not set upon the praise and things of this world; those few who did not
abuse power and authority...Missing from that glorious scene will be those who
remained too concerned with keeping their places in the society's
establishments and with receiving the honors and praise of men; those who
neglected the poor and needy; those who gained the world but lost their souls
in the process." (A Wonderful Flood of Light [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft,
1990], 58.)
James E. Faust
"There are those who are bystanders. They come to a
certain persuasion in their hearts and minds, but for social, family, economic,
or political fears they cannot hold the ring of truth. Festus accused Paul of
having so much learning that 'much learning doth make thee mad.' Paul's
response was, 'For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak
freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for
this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets?
I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul [some of the saddest
words in all recorded sacred history], Almost thou persuadest me to be a
Christian.' (Acts 26:24-28.)"Almost. What a heartbreaking sound the word almost has. Almost some of our good members keep the Word of Wisdom; almost some go to priesthood meeting and sacrament meeting; almost some hold family home evening. Some of us almost, but not quite, pay our tithing.
"Since the time of the Savior, there have been those who have believed, but who for social pressures have been fearful of standing up and being counted as believers. John speaks of the chief rulers who were afraid of the social stigma: 'Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.' (John 12:42-43.)" (To Reach Even unto You [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1980], 124.)
N. Eldon Tanner
"I wonder how many of us are guilty of this or any of
these, and if so, are we ready tonight to change our ways, and repent, and try
to be worthy of the praise of God and his blessings rather than forget who we
are and try to be popular? How important it is that we remember who we are,
servants of the Lord, and then act accordingly."...How sad it is to see one who would rather be popular than do what he knows is right. I have in mind and remember so well a good member of the Church who was elected to the legislature but who wanted to be a good fellow, popular with everyone. He, wanting to be popular, let down his standards and took one drink at a social and then another. It happened again and again. He began drinking with the fellows at lunch and at dinner. And then, unintentionally I am sure, and contrary to his greatest desire, he became an alcoholic and lost the support of his constituency and the respect of his friends and family who loved him and sorrowed for him. He died an early death as an alcoholic. What a sad situation-all because he sought the praise of men more than the praise of God.
"...Someone said to me the other day when we were talking about this that those who constantly love the praise of men more than the praise of God are faint reflections of another-meaning Satan, of course-who in the preexistence wanted to save all mankind, but with one condition attached-that the honor and glory go to him, not to God. He was more concerned with credit than with results; glory and praise were the end in themselves. My friend went on to say that on the crucial issues, if individuals are more concerned with pleasing men than pleasing God, then they suffer from the same virus Satan had, for there are many situations where seeking the praise of men will clearly result in their hurting, not helping, mankind for they will do expedient and temporary things instead of those which are lasting and beneficial.
"How much more satisfying it is when we receive the praise of God, knowing that it is fully justified and that his love and respect for us will persist, when usually the praise of men is fleeting and most disappointing." ("For They Loved the Praise of Men More Than the Praise of God," Ensign, Nov. 1975, 75-76)
How can we show respect to others as they express or defend their religious
beliefs?
What social consequences sometimes
discourage us from expressing or defending our belief in Christ?
Joseph Smith
"It was the design of the councils of heaven before the world was, that the principles and laws of the priesthood should be predicated upon the gathering of the people in every age of the world. Jesus did everything to gather the people, and they would not be gathered. . . .
"The main object [of gathering] was to build unto the Lord a house whereby He could reveal unto His people the ordinances of His house and the glories of His kingdom, and teach the people the way of salvation; for there are certain ordinances and principles that, when they are taught and practiced, must be done in a place or house built for that purpose." (Truman G. Madsen, ed., The Temple in Antiquity: Ancient Records and Modern Perspectives, 16.)
Bruce R. McConkie
"As Jesus entered the outer courts of the temple,
during the first Passover of his ministry, he beheld what he was to call three
years later on a similar occasion, 'a den of thieves.' (Matt. 21:13.) Before
him were stalls of oxen, pens of sheep, cages of doves and pigeons, with greedy
hucksters offering them at exorbitant prices for sacrificial purposes. Crowded
on every hand were the tables of the money-changers who, for a profit, changed
the Roman and other coins into temple coins so that sacrificial animals could
be purchased and the half shekel poll tax required at this season of the year
might be paid. In righteous anger and with physical force he drove the apostate
priesthood from their unhallowed merchandising enterprises."This dramatic episode in the life of our Lord has been preserved to bear record:
(1) That the meek and lowly Nazarene was a man of action; a dynamic forceful character; a man of courage and physical strength; one whose soul filled with righteous indignation upon seeing the desecration of sacred things; one who responded zealously and vigorously in the cause of righteousness, though all men opposed him;
(2) That God was his Father; and
(3) That the temple was still his Father's house, though virtually all who worshiped there were walking in dark and direful apostasy." (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1: 138.)
Russell M. Nelson
"...on Mount Moriah...Jesus attended the remodeled
second temple. Initially He called it 'my Father's house.' (Jn 2:16) There He
accomplished the first cleansing of the temple by driving out the
money-changers."At the time of the second cleansing, He called it 'my house'. And He said unto them, 'It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.' (Matt 21:13)
"Finally and sadly, He called it 'your house' when He said in desperation, 'Behold, your house is left unto you desolate,' (Lu 13:35) and predicted the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, of which one stone would not be left upon the other." (Perfection Pending, and Other Favorite Discourses, 179.)
How do we show our reverence and respect for the temple?
What can we “cast out” of our lives that keeps us from experiencing the temple
as a “house of prayer” (Matthew 21:12–13) and a place of spiritual healing?
Matthew 21:28–32
Hugh B. Brown"President John Taylor said on one occasion, speaking to the brethren of the Priesthood: 'If you do not magnify your callings, God will hold you responsible for those you might have saved, had you done your duty.'
"This is a challenging statement. If I by reason of sins of commission or omission lose what I might have had in the hereafter, I myself must suffer and, doubtless, my loved ones with me. But if I fail in my assignment as a bishop, a stake president, a mission president, or one of the General Authorities of the Church-if any of us fail to teach, lead, direct, and help to save those under our direction and within our jurisdiction, then the Lord will hold us responsible if they are lost as a result of our failure.
"I read again the other day from Matthew what Jesus said about the two sons and their father: (quotes Matt 21:28-31)
"This is, I think, one of the greatest challenges to the men holding the Priesthood. The Lord has said to all of us, 'Go and serve in my vineyard,' and every one who has been ordained to the Priesthood and set apart for his calling has said, 'I go,' but some go not, and others weary when the day is yet young.
"Our challenge tonight then, in support of what has already been said, is that in every ward and stake, mission and branch, in every part of the Church, in all the auxiliaries, we join unitedly and enthusiastically to make the labors of these brethren and those associated with them successful in this great continuing movement for instructing and saving the members of the Church. We are doing a lot in the mission fields, but there is a lot to be done here at home." (The Abundant Life, 37-38.)
What lessons from the parable
of the man with two sons might help your family
"The question was maliciously framed so as to require an answer of 'yes' or 'no,' either of which would give them the basis to destroy him. If he had said, 'Yes, pay the tax,' he would have been called a traitor. It would have driven a wedge between him and his followers and created rebellion. If his answer had been, 'No, it is not lawful to pay the tax,' they would have delivered him into the hands of Rome on the charge of treason.
"His adversaries intended that Jesus would be gored on whichever horn of dilemma he might choose. The interesting thing about his answer is that he did not evade the question, but he answered it clearly and positively without being caught on either horn." (Conference Report, April 1968, Second Day-Morning Meeting 65.)
James E. Talmage
"One may draw a lesson if he will, from the association
of our Lord's words with the occurrence of Caesar's image on the coin. It was
that effigy with its accompanying superscription that gave special point to His
memorable instruction, 'Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are
Caesar's.' This was followed by the further injunction: 'and unto God the
things that are God's.' Every human soul is stamped with the image and
superscription of God, however blurred and indistinct the line may have become
through the corrosion or attrition of sin; and as unto Caesar should be
rendered the coins upon which his effigy appeared, so unto God should be given
the souls that bear His image. Render unto the world the stamped pieces that
are made legally current by the insignia of worldly powers, and give unto God
and His service, yourselves-the divine mintage of His eternal realm."
(Jesus the Christ, 506)
Neal A. Maxwell
"Yes, to Caesar we owe taxes. But to God, in whose
image we are minted, we owe ourselves!' ("Answer Me," Ensign, Nov.
1988, 31)
Bruce R McConkie
"Subjection to secular power does not constitute a
divine approval of the system of government involved. . . . The Lord's counsel
. . . is obedience and subjection. . . . Rebellion would bring civil penalties
that well might preclude true worship itself. . . ."Paul is of one mind with his fellow apostle in counseling the saints 'to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, to speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.' (Titus 3:1-2.) . . . He exhorts that 'supplications, prayers, intercession, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority.' Why? 'That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.' That is, so that we may be free to live our religion and work out our salvation. 'For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour.' (1 Timothy 2:1-3.)" (Kay P. Edwards, Studies in Scripture, Vol. 7: 1 Nephi to Alma 29, ed. by Kent P. Jackson, 279-280.)
Dallin H. Oaks
"The apostle Peter taught the early Saints to submit
themselves to civil authority. (1 Pet. 2:13-17.) These teachings recognize that
the saints of that day were subject to two different authorities-the laws of
man and the laws of God."Whenever the laws of God are given and administered by one authority and the laws of man are given and administered by other authorities, some who are subject to these two different laws and authorities can become confused. Some may not understand which laws apply to a particular circumstance...Such misunderstandings occur in our own day. Some Latter-day Saints are confused over the content, purposes, and procedures of the two kinds of laws that apply to them, the laws of God and the laws of man.
"The divinely directed pattern in this dispensation is clear. It is one of dual jurisdiction. The children of God in every nation are subject to one authority that establishes and administers the laws of God and to another group of authorities who establish and administer the laws of man." (The Lord's Way, 210.)
Howard W. Hunter
"The wisdom of this answer defines the limitations of
dual sovereigns and defines the jurisdiction of the two empires of heaven and
earth. The image of monarchs stamped on coins denotes that temporal things
belong to the temporal sovereign. The image of God stamped on the heart and
soul of a man denotes that all its facilities and powers belong to God and
should be employed in his service."The lesson taught by the Master is so clear that elaboration is not necessary, nor will I labor the point. The test to be applied in weighing allegiance to sovereignty, where dual sovereigns are involved, is a matter of wisdom. I submit that there is no real conflict which creates a serious question as to allegiance.
"In the present day of unrest, the question might appropriately be asked, what do we owe to Caesar? To the country in which we live? We owe allegiance, respect, and honor. Laws enacted to promote the welfare of the whole and suppress evil doing are to be strictly obeyed. We must pay tribute to sustain the government in the necessary expense incurred in the protection of life, liberty, property, and in promoting the welfare of all persons." (Conference Report, April 1968, Second Day-Morning Meeting 66.)
Hyrum M. Smith
"The very image of God is impressed upon the children
of men. They belong to him; He owns them, and he will never rest until he has
brought them into a condition where they gladly and voluntarily render unto God
that which belongs to God." (Conference Report, October 1916, Second
Day-Morning Session 42.)
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