Blogging Through the Book of Mormon

Interestingly, Jesus quotes Esaias saying, “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in can they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Jesus quotes the Jehovah of the Old Testament, and infers that he is this same Jehovah. This must be a new concept to me because I’m just now picking up on these types of references. Jesus turns away from the Pharisees and addresses the people saying, as given by the JST, “There is nothing from without, that entering into a man, can defile him, which is food; but the things which come out of him; those are they that defile the man, that proceedeth forth out of the heart.” This must have been a new teaching, because we know that Jews are forbidden to eat pork  The JST version of this teaching is important because it clarifies a few points. First, it differentia...

The doctrine that Jesus is preaching is becoming more and more controversial, and become even more offensive to the Pharisees, particularly one that came from Jerusalem to question Him, “and when they saw some of this disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashed, hands, they found fault… Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?” It is important here to point out that the washing referred to was not the kind that we use today with soap and water, but a ceremonial washing. Forsaking the ritualistic washing didn’t mean that their hands were dirty because eating with hands free from dirt was very important for health. The Pharisees are asking why Jesus allowed his disciples to eat without making them first participate in a ceremonial cleansing of the hands. Jesus’ response must have come across as quite the rebuke, “why do ye also t...

 It’s interesting that these people who are rejecting Jesus loved him when he was giving them free food, but now that he’s asking them to trade in the fulfilled law of Moses for his higher law of spirituality, they aren’t interested. The only like him when he can do something for them, but not when they can do something for him, that’s a very superficial relationship. We find that after Jesus teaches the people without food, “many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.” Jesus turns to the twelve and asks, “Will ye also go away?” And Peter gives an answer that has echoed through centuries and still speaks to me today. He says, “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life?” This is so powerful to me because of all of it’s implications. If I were to leave the church, where would I go? It really comes down to is there a God or isn’t there? Do I choose religion or atheism? The w...

Ironically, the people whom Jesus just miraculously fed the night before are demanding a sign from him before they will believe what he’s saying, and Jesus tells them, “Ye also have seen me, and believe not.” They’ve already seen the signs and miracles, but if those weren’t enough to convince them of Jesus’ divinity, then nothing else will, because again, miracles don’t convert. I feel like there are many parts of this discourse that don’t flow together, so I’m going to try to make it so that the whole thing makes sense in my mind, maybe at the end, I’ll do a recap in my own words. Jesus continues, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, ...

After the storm is calmed when Jesus reaches the boat, He continues traveling on with his disciples toward Gennesaret, which is near Capernaum, where most of the disciples live, and where Jesus has adopted to be his home. When the little group lands and the people there realized who He was, “they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased; And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.” I find it interesting that the people were so excited to see Jesus, that they went and got their sick for him to heal. It wasn’t just that they were interested in Him healing the people they loved, but these people also wanted Jesus to heal everyone who was sick. There was definitely a sense of community among many of these people, and the healing touch of Jesus was felt by more people because of their neighbors concern for their well being. I just thought about myself in...

The thousands of people who were miraculously fed by Jesus were not oblivious to the significance of the event. John records them as saying, “Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, this is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take them by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.” It is really an interesting concept to think that you can capture and then force someone to rule over you, that doesn’t make any sense, but the IM gives us some context saying, “Following the feeding of the five thousand, the Savior was perhaps at the height of His public popularity. John recorded that some sought to ‘take him by force, to make him a king.’ What was it at that time that elevated Him in the eyes of the people? Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained that Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of a long-cherished tradition: ‘Th...

Like we discussed yesterday, the placement of the death of John the Baptist wasn’t done chronologically, but more as commentary on Herod’s reaction to Jesus, who he believed was John back from the dead. Mark records Herod’s reaction between the sending of the Apostles on missions and when they return, which the IM indicates is not by accident. The IM says, “Mark 6 presents contrasting accounts of two very different feasts” the self-indulgent and licentious birthday feast of Herod Antipus, which resulted in the death of John the Baptist, and the Savior’s miraculous feeding of a multitude of five thousand. Thus a worldly king brought death, while the King of kings sustained life.” I hadn’t considered that the placement of this account was important and wouldn’t have connected it to Herod’s feast as a comparison. The Apostles return from their missions and “gathered themselves together  unto Jesus, and told him all th...

The account of the death of John the Baptist is sandwiched in between the departing and returning of the 12 Apostles from their missions. The IM says, “In the Gospel of Mark, John the Baptist’s death is given more emphasis than his ministry. Mark recounted John’s death between accounts of the sending forth of the Twelve Apostles and their return- another ‘interrupted narrative’ like the account of the healing of Jarius’s daughter. The effect is to underscore the potential cost of being a servant of God. Since John the Baptist was the forerunner of the Messiah, his death at the hands of wicked men foreshadowed the Savior’s own impending suffering and death and illustrated the persecution and violence many of the disciples of Jesus Christ would eventually face.” We aren’t told so much about John’s imprisonment and death, as much as we are told about Herod’s being haunted by John’s murder and fearing that Jesus was i...

Matthew chapter 10 gives us the rest of the charge that Jesus gives to the disciples before sending them on their missions. The Savior tells them “provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.” The IM says, “The Savior instructed His Apostles that they were not to worry about food, clothing, lodging, or other temporal needs; they were to rely on the Lord and the mercies of others for their sustenance. This was I harmony with the hospitality and social customs of the day. Later, in Luke 22:35-36, Jesus revoked this command to rely on the hospitality of the people, perhaps because the Apostles would soon carry the gospel to Gentile nations that did not have the same standards of hospitality and because they would face opposition from the Jews as they went out into the world.” This was probably a little off putting at first because ever...

 It’s not clear to me, though it probably to someone else, if Jesus goes to Nazareth a second time before he sends his disciples out on missions, or after, with them or alone. But Jesus goes back to Nazareth to give the people there, the people that he grew up with and loved, his family, another chance to accept the gospel and be happy. He has done much work between now and when he was there preaching for the first time, maybe some have changed their minds, maybe some hearts had been softened. JTC comments, “He returned to the town of His youth, and again raised His voice in the synagog, thus mercifully affording the people another opportunity to learn and accept the truth.” He was again, not received kindly, “and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? And what wisdom is that which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?” I just want to point out here that the only miracle the...

 Jesus leaves Jairus’ house and is approached by two blind men who ask to be healed. Jesus asks them, “Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.” This is much different than the gentile man who Jesus cast out the legion of demons. After the blind men were healed, “they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb speak: and the multitudes marveled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel… And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd...