Ideas for sharing the gospel

Hey there. Today's blog is short and a little out of the ordinary. It's not about the scriptures at all. I just ran into this site that shares ideas about how to do missionary work online. I thought it had some good ideas. Here's the site: http://www.moregoodfoundation.org/

Incidentally, I'd just like to bear my testimony. As much as I talk about the interesting subtleties and literary qualities of the scriptures, that's not why I study them. I study them because I know they're true. I feel the Holy Ghost as I read them, and they bring peace and joy into my life. I know that God lives and that He loves us. Jesus is the Christ, and He is the Savior of all men. I have felt His forgiveness and His healing power in my life. I further know because of the witness of the Holy Spirit that God has called prophets in our day and restored His church in its entirety and fullness. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that church, and the apostles and prophets who lead it are truly called of God.

Another Temple Thought

Okay, so I just had another thought immediately after that last post. If our bodies are temples for the Holy Spirit (and in a different way for our spirits--that is they are the houses in which or spirits dwell), then Jesus' comment of John 2 is extremely apt. When asked by the Jews for a sign of His authority, Jesus responds "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19). The Jews get angry because they spent forty six years building their temple and Jesus has just claimed that He could do it in three days. However, John points out that Jesus is actually talking about something else altogether: "But he spake of the temple of his body" (John 2:21).

If our bodies can in any way be considered temples, then certainly Jesus' was. Our bodies house our eternal spirits, and when we are worthy they can house the Holy Spirit (When we're unworthy, we provide a dwelling place for a very different sort of spirit (Matt 12: 43-5)). But Christ's body didn't just house any spirit, it housed the Great Spirit, the Spirit of Jehovah. It was to this same Jehovah that the Jews built their temple as a house for His unembodied spirit. No wonder Jesus called His body a temple. In many ways, it was a truer temple than the House which the Jews had built, but which had begun to fall into apostasy. Jesus' words proved prophetic. The Jews did destroy the temple of His body, and He did raise it up in three days. It is interesting to note that not long after the Jews rejected and destroyed the temple of Jesus' body, the temple at Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans. Rejection of the Lord's earthly tabernacle and the Spirit that dwelt therein prefigured the destruction and "desolation" (Luke 13:35) of what once had been the House of the Lord, but which had merely become the temple of the Jews.

Temples and bodies

So, we talked about Temples in church today during Priesthood. I've also been doing some reading in a Hugh Nibley book ("Temple and Cosmos"). These things got me started thinking.

We can learn something about what the Temple is by its etymology. Our English word "Temple" comes from the Latin "Templum" and is related to another English word, "template." In many ways, the Temple acts as a template for Latter-day Saints. It's something that tells us where we come from and where we're going, something that lays down the moral laws that we are expected to follow. It's a template for our lives and our worldview.

The Latin word "Templum" itself derives from the Greek word, "Temno," which means "to cut off." Ancient Greek temples were places that were cut off from the regular world (or as we might say, "set apart") and devoted to deity. Similarly, modern temples are edifices, physical buildings that lie on land that has been consecrated out of the world and reserved for the worship of the Lord.

Although the word temple in its primary meaning denotes a physical building, the Scriptures sometimes use the word in symbolic and metaphorical ways. For example, Paul uses the temple as a metaphor for the church. In his 1st Epistle to the Corinthians, he writes, "Ye are God's building" (3:9). Later, he writes "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you" (3:16)? The grammar of this section suggests that Paul is talking about the church as a whole being a Temple, rather than the individual members. Although Paul uses the plural "ye" to address his audience, he does not say, "ye are temples," but rather "ye are the temple." Similarly, the footnote in the LDS version of the scriptures notes that the word translated "in" in the KJV can also be translated "within" or "among."

Thus, the church is a great symbolic temple, and we are parts of it. When we act righteously and have strong bonds of love and devotion binding us to our fellow church members, the Spirit of God can dwell among us. But if we are uncharitable and contentious, then the Spirit of the Lord won't be able to dwell among us. In this way, if we mistreat each other, if we fail to truly love each other, we are "defiling the temple of God," and Paul foretells grave consequences for this: "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are" (1 Cor 3:17)

Incidentally, I believe it is in this way that we are to understand the metaphor of being built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone (Eph 2:20). When God uses architectural metaphors to describe the church, it seems likely to me that the building he's describing is a temple.

Paul makes the temple a metaphor for something else besides the church, though. According to Paul, the human body is a temple. After his injunction to "flee fornication," Paul gives his reasons why: "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you" (1 Cor 6:19). As members of the Church, we have been commanded (in a physical ordinance) to "receive the Holy Ghost." We are further told in the sacramental prayers that the Holy Ghost can "always be with us." In this way, our bodies are to be a house for the Holy Ghost, just as the Temple is the House of the Lord.

Interestingly, Paul points out that our bodies are not our own. We have them "of God, and ye are not your own" (1 Cor 6:19). In the creation, Christ formed our bodies. In the atonement, He paid for them and redeemed them from death. In baptism, we pledge ourselves to Him. In just as real a way as consecrated Temples are the Lord's, so also our bodies are His: set apart, "cut off" from the world, intended for something higher, holier and more beautiful.

Deeper symbolism in the Parable of the Good Samaritan

Here's another fantastic article on the symbolism of the scriptures. John Welch of BYU puts forward intriguing interpretation of the Parable of the Good Samaritan that apparently was extant in the early church. Once again, I got the talk from lds.org.

John W. Welch, “The Good Samaritan: Forgotten Symbols,” Ensign, Feb 2007, 40–47

One of the most influential stories told by Jesus Christ is the parable of the good Samaritan. Jesus recounted this parable to a man who had asked, “Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus responded by asking, “What is written in the law?”

The man answered, referring to Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart … and thy neighbour as thyself.”

When Jesus promised, “This do, and thou shalt live,” the man challengingly replied, “And who is my neighbour?” In answer to this man’s questions, Jesus told the parable of the good Samaritan. (See Luke 10:25–35.)

Deeper Levels of Meaning

The Savior spoke often in parables because each has a deeper meaning understood only by those who have “ears to hear” (Matthew 13:9). The Prophet Joseph Smith affirmed that unbelievers did not understand the Savior’s parables. “Yet unto His disciples [the Lord] expounded [the parables] plainly,” and we can understand the parables, taught the Prophet, “if we will but open our eyes, and read with candor.”1 Knowing this principle invites reflection on the symbolic message of the good Samaritan. In light of the gospel of Jesus Christ, this masterful story brilliantly encapsulates the plan of salvation in ways few modern readers may have noticed.

This parable’s content is clearly practical and dramatic in its obvious meaning, but a time-honored Christian tradition also saw the parable as an impressive allegory of the Fall and Redemption of mankind. This early Christian understanding of the good Samaritan is depicted in a famous eleventh-century cathedral in Chartres, France. One of its beautiful stained-glass windows portrays the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden at the top of the window, and, in parallel, the parable of the good Samaritan at the bottom. This illustrates “a symbolic interpretation of Christ’s parable that was popular in the Middle Ages.”2 Seeing this window led me to wonder: what does the Fall of Adam and Eve have to do with the parable of the good Samaritan?

I soon discovered the answer.3 The roots of this allegorical interpretation reach deep into early Christianity. In the second century A.D., Irenaeus in France and Clement of Alexandria both saw the good Samaritan as symbolizing Christ Himself saving the fallen victim, wounded with sin. A few years later, Clement’s pupil Origen stated that this interpretation came down to him from earlier Christians, who had described the allegory as follows:

“The man who was going down is Adam. Jerusalem is paradise, and Jericho is the world. The robbers are hostile powers. The priest is the Law, the Levite is the prophets, and the Samaritan is Christ. The wounds are disobedience, the beast is the Lord’s body, the [inn], which accepts all who wish to enter, is the Church. … The manager of the [inn] is the head of the Church, to whom its care has been entrusted. And the fact that the Samaritan promises he will return represents the Savior’s second coming.”4

This allegorical reading was taught not only by ancient followers of Jesus, but it was virtually universal throughout early Christianity, being advocated by Irenaeus, Clement, and Origen, and in the fourth and fifth centuries by Chrysostom in Constantinople, Ambrose in Milan, and Augustine in North Africa. This interpretation is found most completely in two other medieval stained-glass windows, in the French cathedrals at Bourges and Sens.

A Type and Shadow of the Plan of Salvation

Readers gain much by pondering the scriptures, especially as these writings testify of Jesus Christ (see John 5:39). The parable of the good Samaritan testifies of Christ. It teaches of the plan of salvation, the Savior’s atoning love, and our journey toward inheriting eternal life. It can be read as a story not only about a man who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, but also about all who come down from the presence of God to live on earth. This meaning becomes most visible in the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ restored through His latter-day prophets.

Let us examine the story, starting in Luke 10:30.

“A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves …”

A certain man. Early Christians compared this man to Adam. This connection may have been more obvious in ancient languages than in modern translations. In Hebrew, the word adam means “man, mankind,” “the plural of men,” as well as “Adam” as a proper name.5 Thus, Clement of Alexandria rightly saw the victim in this allegory as representing “all of us.” Indeed, we all have come down as Adams and Eves, subject to the risks and vicissitudes of mortality: “For as in Adam all die …” (1 Corinthians 15:22).

Went down. The early Christian writer Chrysostom saw in this phrase the descent of Adam from the garden into this world—from glory to the mundane, from immortality to mortality. The story in Luke 10 implies that the man went down intentionally, knowing the risks that would be involved in the journey. No one forced him to go down to Jericho. He apparently felt that the journey was worth the well-known risks of such travel on the poorly maintained roads in Jesus’s day.6

From Jerusalem. Jesus depicts the person as going down not from any ordinary place but from Jerusalem. Because of the sanctity of the holy temple-city, early Christians readily saw in this element the idea that this person had come down from the presence of God.

To Jericho. Jericho was readily identified with this world. At more than 825 feet (250 m) below sea level, Jericho is the lowest city on earth. Its mild winter climate made it a hedonistic resort area where Herod had built a sumptuous vacation palace. Yet one should note that the traveler in the parable had not yet arrived in Jericho when the robbers attacked. That person was on the steep way down to Jericho, but he had not yet reached bottom.

Fell. It is easy to see here an allusion to the fallen mortal state and to the plight of individual sinfulness: “Yea, all are fallen and are lost” (Alma 34:9).

Among thieves. The early Christian writers variously saw the thieves (or robbers) as the devil and his satanic forces, evil spirits, or false teachers. The Greek word for “robbers” used by Luke implies that these thieves were not casual operators. The traveler was assailed by a band of pernicious highwaymen in a scheming, organized society that acted with deliberate and concerted intent.

“… which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.”

Stripped him of his raiment. Early Christians sensed that Jesus spoke of something important here. Origen and Augustine saw the loss of the traveler’s garment as a symbol for mankind’s loss of immortality and incorruptibility. Chrysostom spoke of the loss of “his robe of immortality” or “robe of obedience.” Ambrose spoke of the traveler being “stripped of the covering of spiritual grace which we [all] received [from God].”

The attackers apparently wanted the traveler’s clothing, for no mention is made of any wealth or commodities he might be carrying. For some reason, the robbers seem interested in his garment, something brought down from the holy place and something they envy and want to take away.

Wounded. This term was seen as a similitude of the pains of life, travails of the soul, and afflictions due to diverse sins and vices. Indeed, the enemies of the soul leave wounds (see Jacob 2:8–9). Transgression has real effects (see Alma 41:10).

Half dead. The robbers departed, leaving the person precisely “half dead.” We may see in this detail an allusion to the first and second deaths. The person had fallen, had become subject to sin, and had suffered the first death, becoming mortal. But the second death, the permanent separation from God, could still be averted (see Alma 12:32–36).

“And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.”

By chance. The arrival of the Jewish priest was “by chance,” not the result of a conscious search. His presence there was not by anyone’s plan.

A certain priest … and likewise a Levite. The early Christian commentators all saw the priest as symbolizing the law of Moses. In their minds the problem was not that bearers of the Old Testament priesthood did not want to help fallen man, but that the law of Moses did not have the power to save him. Indeed, the law of Moses was only a type and shadow of the Atonement that was yet to come, not its full efficacy (see Mosiah 3:15–17).

The Levite was seen as representing the Old Testament prophets, whose words the Lord came to fulfill (see Matthew 5:17; 3 Nephi 15:2–5). A lesser class of priests, the Levites did chores in the temple. At least this Levite came close to helping; he “came” and saw. He may have wanted to help, but perhaps he viewed himself as too lowly to help; he also lacked the power to save the dying person.

“But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine …”

Samaritan. The early Christian writers unanimously saw the good Samaritan as a representation of Christ. Chrysostom suggests that a Samaritan is an apt depiction of Christ because “as a Samaritan is not from Judea, so Christ is not of this world.”

Jesus’s audience in Jerusalem may well have recognized here a reference by the Savior to Himself. Some Jews in Jerusalem rejected Jesus with the insult, “Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan?” (John 8:48). Because Nazareth is across the valley north of Samaria, these two locations could easily be lumped together. And just as the Samaritans were viewed as the least of all humanity, so it was prophesied that the Messiah would be “despised and rejected of men” and “esteemed not” (see Isaiah 53:3).

As he journeyed. It would appear that the Samaritan (representing Christ) was purposely looking for people in need of help. The text does not say that he arrived by happenstance. Origen noted that “he went down intending to rescue and care for the dying man.” The Savior came purposefully with oil and bandages “to bring redemption unto the world” (3 Nephi 9:21).

Compassion. This important word speaks of the pure love of Christ. The Greek word says that the Samaritan’s bowels were moved with deep, inner sympathy. This word is used in the New Testament only when authors wish to describe God’s divine emotions of mercy. It appears prominently in the parables of the unmerciful servant, in which the Lord (representing God) “was moved with compassion” (Matthew 18:27), and of the prodigal son, in which the father (again representing God) saw his son returning and “had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him” (Luke 15:20). Likewise, the Samaritan represents the divinely compassionate Christ, who suffered so “that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people” (Alma 7:12).

Bound up his wounds. Some early Christians said that the bandages represented love, faith, and hope, “ligatures of salvation which cannot be undone.” Others saw the bands as Christ’s teachings, which bind us to righteousness. Latter-day Saints would add that the rescued person is bound to the Lord through covenants (see D&C 35:24; 43:9).

Oil. An olive oil lotion would have been very soothing. While most of the early Christian writers saw here a symbol of Christ’s words of consolation, Chrysostom saw this as a “holy anointing”—which may refer to several priesthood ordinances, the healing of the sick (see James 5:14), the gift of the Holy Ghost (often symbolized by olive oil), or the anointing of a king or a queen.

Wine. The Samaritan also poured wine onto the open wound to cleanse it. Late Christian writers saw this wine as the word of God—something that stings—but the earlier Christian interpretation associated the wine with the blood of Christ, symbolized by the sacrament (see Matthew 26:27–29; 3 Nephi 18:8–11). This wine, the atoning blood, washes away sin and purifies the soul, allowing God’s Spirit to be with us. In addition to rendering physical help, a truly good Samaritan administers the saving principles and ordinances of the gospel as well. The atoning wine may sting at first, but its effects soon bring healing peace.

“… and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.”

Set him on his own beast. Christ, fulfilling prophecy, bears our infirmities (see Isaiah 53:4; Alma 7:11). The Samaritan’s beast was thought to symbolize Christ’s body. Being placed on his beast is to believe that God became flesh, bore our sins, and suffered for us.

Inn. For the early Christians this element readily symbolized the Church. An “inn” was “a public house open to all.” A public shelter is comparable to the Church of Christ in several ways. A wayside inn is not the heavenly destination but a necessary aid in helping travelers reach their eternal home.

Took care of him. The Samaritan stayed with the injured person and cared for him personally the first night. He did not turn the injured person over too quickly to the innkeeper but stayed with him through the dark hours. As Origen commented, Jesus cares for the wounded “not only during the day, but also at night. He devotes all his attention and activity to him.”

“And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.”

On the morrow. Early commentators saw here the idea that Jesus would rise on Resurrection morning. Christ ministered in person to His disciples for a short time. After His Ascension, He left the traveler to be cared for by the Church.

The host. Accordingly, early commentators saw the host, or innkeeper, as Paul or the other Apostles and their successors. If the inn refers to the Church in general, however, the innkeeper and his staff can represent all Church leaders and workers who are entrusted by the Lord to nurture and care for any rescued soul who seeks healing.

When I come again. The Christ-figure openly promises to come again, a ready allusion to the Second Coming of Christ. The Greek word translated “to come again” appears only one other time in the New Testament, in Luke 19:15, referring to the parable of the Lord who would return to judge what the people had done with the money they had been given. That linkage markedly strengthens this allusion to the Second Coming.

Repay or reward. Finally, the innkeeper is promised that all his costs will be covered: “I will reward you for whatsoever you expend.” Perhaps more than any other element in the story, this promise—in effect giving the innkeeper a blank check—has troubled modern commentators who understand this story simply as a real-life event. Who in his right mind would make such an open-ended commitment to a strange innkeeper? But when the story is understood allegorically, this promise makes sense, for the Samaritan (Christ) and his innkeeper already know and trust each other before this promise is given.

An Eternal Imperative

Because of our difficulty in comprehending His infinite nature and divine fulness, God speaks to us in similitudes (see Moses 5:7). Symbols draw our finite minds to sacred truths that are embedded in the mystery of Christ’s incomparable gospel, and an allegorical understanding of the parable of the good Samaritan adds eternal perspectives to its moral imperatives.

In His parables, Jesus taught the essentials of the Father’s plan of salvation. As a type and shadow of this plan, the good Samaritan places our deeds of neighborly kindness here in mortality within the eternal context of where we have come down from, how we have fallen into our present plight, and how the binding ordinances and healing love of the promised Redeemer and the nurture of His Church can rescue us from our present situation, as we serve and live worthy of reward at His Second Coming.

Seeing the parable in this light invites readers to identify with virtually every character in the story. At one level, people can see themselves as the good Samaritan, acting as physical rescuers and as saviors on Mount Zion, aiding in the all-important cause of rescuing lost souls. Jesus told the Pharisee, “Go, and do thou likewise” (Luke 10:37). By doing as the Samaritan, we join with Him in helping to bring to pass the salvation and eternal life of mankind.

Disciples will also want to think of themselves as innkeepers who have been commissioned by Jesus Christ to facilitate the long-term spiritual recovery of injured travelers.

Or again, readers may see themselves as the traveler. As the parable begins, everyone sympathizes and identifies with the lone and weary traveler. We all need to be saved. As the story ends, all travelers can feel safe, having learned that, according to this interpretation, He who “was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves” (Luke 10:36) is none other than the merciful Christ. He is the most exemplary Neighbor.

This realization answers the lawyer’s second question, “And who is my neighbour?” At the same time, it also answers the first, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Eternal life comes by loving God “with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind” (Luke 10:27) and by loving His Son (thy neighbor) as thyself. And that is done by going and doing as the Savior did, in loving our fellow beings, for when we serve them we are only in the service of our God (see Mosiah 2:17).

Symbols from the Parable of the Good Samaritan

Symbol	An Early Christian Interpretation
Good Samaritan	Jesus Christ
Victim	Man wounded with sin
Jerusalem	Paradise
Jericho	World
Priest	Law of Moses
Levite	Prophets
Beast	Christ’s body
Inn	Church
Manager of the inn	Head of the Church

Notes

1. History of the Church, 2:266.

2. Malcolm Miller, Chartres Cathedral (1985), 68.

3. For a full discussion of and sources for the quotations in this article, see John W. Welch, “The Good Samaritan: A Type and Shadow of the Plan of Salvation,” Brigham Young University Studies, spring 1999, 51–115. Other Latter-day Saints, including Hugh Nibley, Stephen Robinson, Lisle Brown, and Jill Major, have interpreted parts of the parable of the good Samaritan in similar ways.

4. Origen, Homily 34.3, Joseph T. Lienhard, trans., Origen: Homilies on Luke, Fragments on Luke (1996), 138.

5. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, eds., Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (1980), “adam,” 1:10.

6. See Anchor Bible Dictionary (1992), “Travel and Communication,” 6:644–46. Because of the high risk of being attacked by robbers while traveling in the ancient world, people would rarely travel alone, as the characters in the parable do, which is another clue that the account is well understood as a similitude.

Old Testament feast days and their symbolism

I don't know about the rest of you, but the Old Testament confuses me, so I love to find talks that can shed some light on things. Here's a great one I found on lds.org. It suggests how the Jewish feast days described in the Old Testament testify of Christ.

Lenet H. Read, “Symbols of the Harvest: Old Testament Holy Days and the Lord’s Ministry,” Ensign, Jan 1975, 32

Editor’s Note: This is an interesting approach to Old Testament scholarship which the editors thought Latter-day Saints might want to read.

“Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ; for, for this end hath the law of Moses been given; and all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him.” (2 Ne. 11:4.)

Although we tend to study the Old and New Testaments separately, doing so deprives us of much of their richest meaning. To what extent the New Testament is a fulfillment of the Old Testament is not completely known. But there are students of the Bible from all periods who have seen fascinating parallels in Old and New Testament events.

Among the most interesting parallels are those found in the holy days of ancient Israel and the dramatic events pertinent to Christianity. So strong are the parallels, there is good evidence that the ancient holy days were prophetic of events fulfilled by Christ.

It is important to remember that the ancient holy days were specifically established by God (see Lev. 23), and their observance was part of the Mosaic Law. In addition to the Sabbath, ancient Israelites were to consider holy the periods later known as Passover, the Omer, the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles.
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These holy days appear to have meaning on three levels. First, each commemorated special events in God’s dealings with ancient Israel. Second, and very significantly, each falls at a major period of harvest and is closely related to the harvest. Third, each teaches of events in the ministry of the Savior. In fact, the Jews themselves believed these holy periods had prophetic implications of the Messiah. (See Robert W. Fraser, Moriah: or Sketches of the Sacred Rites of Ancient Israel, Philadelphia, Presbyterian Board of Publication, p. 227.)

The observance of Passover was instituted to commemorate the time when destruction passed by those Israelites whose door was marked with the blood of a lamb and Israel was freed from bondage. Prophetically, each Passover lamb had to be a young male, firstborn, without blemish, slain at a specified time of day and month, unbroken in bone, roasted with fire, eaten with bitter herbs, and ultimately consumed so that nothing remained. There are those who see every detail fulfilled, believing these commandments were not whimsical, but purposeful.

Christ was the Son, Firstborn, spotless above all. He was slain at the prophesied time, possibly the same hours when the traditional Passover lambs were being slain at the temple in Jerusalem. Bitterness surrounded every aspect of his death—the crown of thorns, the mocking, the vinegar given when he thirsted. His bones were not broken, though those of the thieves who hung with him were. As in the Passover, through the shedding of blood, death was overcome and men were freed from bondage. Even the command, “And ye shall let nothing of it remain …” (Ex. 12:10) seems to have meaning. Christ’s body was placed within the tomb. Those who loved him fully expected that it would remain there. Yet a great and marvelous miracle occurred, and when the tomb was opened, “nothing remained.”

There is good reason to believe that the commandments regarding unleavened bread also foreshadowed Christ. Israelites were commanded to eat unleavened bread for seven days at Passover time. Indeed, they were to remove from their houses every bit of leavening. When so many other aspects attached to Passover had prophetic implications, was this one without significance?

Our only clue may be Christ’s use of pure leaven as a symbol. He likened the kingdom of God to leaven hid by a woman in three measures of meal, which then leavened the whole. In this parable Christ taught of himself, as he did in most parables. He is the true leavening agent who was “hid” in the world, and through his power to lift himself, or be resurrected, he “lifted” up or “leavened” the whole.

This understanding gives beautiful meaning to the puzzling aspects of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The imagery of Israel casting out and destroying all leaven from their houses at the time the Passover lamb is slain seems to be subtle witness that the majority of Judah would cast out the one who had the power to “lift them up.”

The need to eat unleavened bread, “the bread of affliction,” for seven days, coincides with fulfilled prophecy that the Jews would know a long period of affliction after Christ’s death until Christ would make a second effort to redeem them. “… And Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” (Luke 21:24.) Christ himself used the image of a house made void of that which is essential to its well-being when he said so poignantly before his death:

“Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

“For, I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” (Matt. 23:38–39.) Israel’s affliction and desolation were now a surety, for it was the eve of the time they would cast from them their true leaven.

As the lamb of the Passover and unleavened bread witnessed of the death of Christ, the offering of the Omer, or the firstfruits of barley, taught of his resurrection. Its beginnings were again by command of God:

“And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:

“And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.” (Lev. 23:9–11.)

Through the centuries, in obedience to that commandment, a firstfruits offering was symbolically “lifted up” to the Lord at the time of the harvest of the first winter grains, which was also at the time of Passover. The appointed time was not on the usual holy day of the Sabbath, however, but on “the morrow after the sabbath,” a day which seemingly would have little significance to the Israelites.

But perhaps the Lord knew it would someday have meaning. After Christ’s death, his body was taken down from the cross and laid to rest in the tomb. At sunset shortly thereafter, the first sheaf of the standing barley was ceremoniously “cut down” and laid to rest in the temple. On the “morrow after the sabbath,” the firstfruits sheaf that had prophesied so long of Christ was once again lifted up, in beautiful harmony now with its fulfillment. For it was that same morning that Christ arose in the resurrection, “the firstfruits of them that slept.” (1 Cor. 15:20.)

How completely Christ fulfilled all elements in this period of Jewish worship can be best illustrated by the accompanying chart, even though there is disagreement as to the exact timing of some events.

There is some scriptural evidence that Christ was slain at the same time the Passover lambs were prepared and slain. But other scriptures indicate the Last Supper was the Passover meal when the slain lambs were eaten. Various theories reconciling these discrepancies exist. One belief is that the increasingly large number of lambs to be slain necessitated that the sacrifices be performed on two consecutive days. All these uncertainties should not obscure the greater truth that Christ did fulfill the prophecies inherent in the Passover season. (For a broader review of theories reconciling the discrepancies, see James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, pp. 617–19.)

Following the commandments to observe Passover and the Omer, the Lord commands the observance of the Feast of Weeks. Israel is commanded to count seven full weeks of seven days from the time of the offering of the Omer. The morning after that (the 50th day) was to be considered holy with many offerings made. In contrast with the unleavened bread so attached to the Passover, two loaves of leavened bread are to be offered. “… They are the firstfruits unto the Lord.” (Lev. 23:17. Italics added. Leavened bread would be appropriate now. Christ was resurrected and the way to eternal life was opened to all who would accept him.)

Was this holy day also prophetic?

After Christ’s resurrection, he spent 40 days teaching the apostles and preparing them for their ministry. By that time he considered them nearly ready for the great work that lay before them. But there was one very important step remaining.

“And, being assembled together with them, [Jesus] commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.

“For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:4–5, 8.)

When was this special promise of baptism by the Holy Ghost fulfilled? It occurred on the day of Pentecost, the Greek name for the “50th day” or the Jewish holy day of the Feast of Weeks.

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

“And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

“And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

“And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. …” (Acts 2:1–4.)

The first sheaf of barley offered 50 days earlier was symbolic of Christ as the very first fruit of the harvest from the dead. But on this day, the time of the wheat harvest, the firstfruits obtained through the witness of the Spirit began to be gathered in.

“Then they that gladly received his [Peter’s] word were baptized; and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” (Acts 2:41.)

This was the beginning of the harvesting of souls in the meridian of time—the first harvest of the church of Jesus Christ. It was also the beginning of the harvest of all nations. For the conversions were made of Jews from many lands who had gathered to Jerusalem to observe the Feast of Weeks.

If the first three holy days commanded by God taught of Christ’s first coming and were subsequently fulfilled by that coming, what of the remaining three holy days? The nature of these days and the time of their observance, the seventh month and the time of the final harvest, suggest that they point to Christ’s second coming and the completion of his harvest. (The frequent repetition of periods of seven—seven days forming a week, seven weeks preceding the Feast of Weeks, seven times seven years preceding the hallowed year of Jubilee, seven dispensations—suggests that the period of seven represents a completed cycle.)

The Lord commands Israel:

“… In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.” (Lev. 23:24.)

Eventually this holy day came to be known as the Feast of the Trumpets, or Rosh Hashannah, the Jewish New Year of today, usually occurring around the latter part of September. (Jewish tradition uses the lunar calendar, which is variable because a 13th month is sometimes added to make the year come out even with the earth’s journey around the sun.)

On this holy day, many important things in Old Testament history have occurred. The Feast of Trumpets commemorated the time of the first stop after fleeing Egyptian bondage, a time when Israel was at last free and was gathered so they could renew true worship. Later, when Cyrus, king of Persia, felt directed by God to help rebuild the temple in Jerusalem and to begin to return the scattered Judeans that they might do so, this holy day became the scene of another important renewal after exile.

“And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man in Jerusalem.

“[And they] … builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.

“From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the Lord. …” (Ezra 3:1–2, 6.)

The book of Nehemiah records the further revival of Israel with the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls and a reawakening to God’s words:

“And all the people gathered themselves together as one man. …

“And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation … upon the first day of the seventh month.

“So they [Ezra and other priests] read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading. …

“And all the people went their way … to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.” (Neh. 8:1–2, 8, 12. Italics added.)

This holy day symbolizes, then, with its imagery of the blowing of trumpets, a call to regather and reawaken Israel. It is a time of renewal of true worship with new understanding.

Christ and his prophets teach of a latter-day awakening and gathering of Israel—the beginning of their second and final harvest. And there are those who see Rosh Hashannah as prophetic of this event, though most of them see it only as prophecy of the gathering and renewal of Judah. Latter-day Saints believe in a larger gathering: the Jews to Israel and all of Israel to the gospel. Both gatherings have already begun. Coincidence or not, the gold plates, which in their translated form (the Book of Mormon) have spread throughout the world to begin to awaken and gather Israel, were delivered into the hands of Joseph Smith in the latter part of September, a time closely approximate to the beginning of the seventh month of the Jewish calendar. Coincidence or not, a statue of Moroni, their keeper and deliverer, now stands on temple spires, trumpet to his mouth, proclaiming to all Israel that it is time to awaken and gather.

Christ also taught that at the time of his coming in power and glory, “[God] … shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” (Matt. 24:31.)

This great and final gathering to full worship will also be ushered in with the blowing of trumpets.

The fifth and holiest of all Israelite holy days is the Day of Atonement, known today as Yom Kippur, which is full of witnesses of the Savior. It was also given by commandment.

“Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement … and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord.” (Lev. 23:27.)

Anciently, it was on this day that the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies and there give an offering of blood that would atone for the sins of Israel, reuniting Israel with God. It was on this day that the ritual of the scapegoat was performed, where Aaron symbolically transferred all the sins of Israel upon the head of a goat.

Christ performed the act of atonement in the meridian of time. But the majority of Judah rejected the atonement. We know that in the last days there will be a refining by affliction of all mankind, with the nation of Israel a central figure in that refinement preparatory to their acceptance of Christ’s atoning work. Christ gives this description of those days:

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

“And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved.” (Matt. 24:21–22.)

It has been suggested that the apex of this affliction may be the “affliction of soul,” which will come when Judah beholds the Savior and comprehends the meaning of his wounded hands and feet.

As a simple matter of interest, the most recent Arab-Israeli war began on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. If nothing else, this demonstrates how strikingly easy it would be for the time of Israel’s final redemption to be directly connected with the Day of Atonement, a day set aside for affliction, sacrifice, and the reuniting of God with estranged man.

The Feast of Tabernacles or Booths is the final feast and with joy proclaims that the harvest is complete. It, too, has much significance:

“Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruits of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days. …

“And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees … and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.” (Lev. 23:39–40.)

This feast commemorates the fact that as the Israelites wandered in the wilderness they dwelt under booths covered over with boughs of trees. But it also relates to the harvest. Even to this day, at the appointed time, Jews set up booths at home or near synagogues with roofs of boughs and decorate them with the fruits gleaned from the harvest. There are many who have come to believe this feast symbolizes the millennium.

Zechariah may have been the first to make such a connection. He proclaims that after the Lord has come to reign as King upon the earth, “… every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.” (Zech. 14:16.)

Since the Feast of Tabernacles is rejoicing in the completed harvest, would not the completion of Christ’s harvest be the cause for rejoicing at this time? Since the Feast of Tabernacles is “dwelling under boughs of goodly trees,” would not our “goodly dwelling” be Christ’s presence at such a time? The Psalms use the images of “shelter,” “dwelling place,” and “shade” all as descriptive of the Lord’s role unto his people. Nor can we ignore the former use of palm boughs to herald Christ’s entry into Jerusalem, acknowledging his kingship, or the reference in Revelation that describes heavenly worship and acknowledgment of Christ’s kingship with palm boughs. (See Rev. 7:9–10.)

So the time may come when we will all keep the Feast of Tabernacles. But our rejoicing will be in the spiritual harvest, and our dwelling will be in the presence of the Savior, not under the boughs that have so long symbolized him.

The Lord commanded Israel to observe six holy periods of time. They are part of the Law of Moses, the law that the Lord testified he came not to destroy but to fulfill. To this day many Jews continue to observe the holy days commanded by God centuries ago. What a great and marvelous revelation it will be when all that they have done so patiently and obediently through the years is shown to be a witness over and over of Jesus the Christ!

Paul explains:

“Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.” (2 Cor. 3:12–14.)

Behind the veil put over the Old Testament may be many beautiful and touching witnesses of the Savior and his works.

1 Corinthians 12

1 Corinthians 12

1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.

Okay, so we’re supposed to understand spiritual gifts. What are they? Gifts given to us through the Holy Spirit. Question: are they confined to members of the church? Question: how do they differ from the other gifts God gives us?

2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.

3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost

Paul wants to explain spiritual gifts because he’s speaking to a formerly pagan audience. They don’t understand the gospel yet entirely, and so they can be led away. He reminds them of how they were led in their pagan past to worship dumb idols. So, what does Paul say about spiritual gifts? This verse (3) seems to say that their purpose is to bear testimony of and serve Christ. No matter how powerful the spiritual manifestation may seem to be, if it takes you away from Christ, then it is not a gift of the Holy Spirit, but of an Unholy spirit.

Also, one of the gifts of the spirit is testimony. No man can know that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit (cf. DC 46:13) “To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world.”

4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit

5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord

6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

The gifts of the Spirit are varied. There are different things, different talents and experiences that each person has. However, it is the same Lord who does it all; we don’t believe in a sort of system of muses who inspire different people differently. All comes from God. Paul may be trying to fight against their pagan backgrounds here and point to the unity of the church. And if there isn’t unity, then the Spirits in question might not be the correct one.

7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

This is the purpose of the gifts of the Spirit. It is to profit the individual member and the church as a whole. Compare D&C 46:9: “For verily I say unto you, they are given for the benefit of those who love me and keep all my commandments, and him that seeketh so to do; that all may be benefited that seek or that ask of me.” They are given as a benefit for those who love God and seek to keep his commandments. Note also that there is an admonition to ask for them.

So, spiritual gifts are meant as something to bless the faithful, not as a wow factor sort of affair (which explains why our current manifestations of the gift of tongues are frequently more subtle than the Day of Pentecost sort. We mostly can have missionaries learn languages, and so God helps them learn instead of having flashy miracles. Peter and the other apostles didn’t have the luxury of an MTC. The crowd was there right then, and they needed t o talk to them. So it happened.)

8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit.

Lds.org defines the gift of the word of wisdom as “the ability to use knowledge in righteous ways”

9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues and interpretations of tongues:

11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many are one body, so also is Christ.

So, here the church is the body of Christ. The different spiritual gifts (and perhaps also natural gifts) that each member enjoys are necessary.

13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.

Is this sacramental imagery here? We drink the Spirit? Or is this another continuation of the baptismal imagery?

14 For the body is not one member, but many.

So as we join the church, we do not lose who we are. We still retain our selfhood. But we are made part of something bigger and better. And just as a foot or a hand would die if it were severed from the body, so we also cannot survive spiritually without Him. As parts of the Body of Christ, we we are nourished by the blood of Christ. This reminds me of John 15, where Christ is the vine and we are his branches. Interesting that the word here is vine, which has a common root with our word for wine, and is most probably a grape-vine. Thus, the vine becomes another connection to the sacrament. Jesus picked his images more carefully than we frequently assume.

15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

Interesting that here, Paul isn’t saying, “don’t exclude the people that you don’t think fit in the church,” good point though that is. Rather, he’s saying, “don’t exclude yourself because you don’t think you fit in.” Don’t worry if you’re different. Don’t worry if you don’t feel like you have particular spiritual gifts. Don’t worry if you feel like you’re an inferior part of the church. You still belong. You are still welcome.

17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?

18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

God has given you the spiritual gifts that He pleases. He wishes for you to seek for more, but He created you, and He created you with good inside you, and with potential for good.

19 And if all were one member, where were the body?

You can’t very well have a body be all composed of one part. There’s no way that would work. So, God specializes His church as He specialized the parts of our body. He gives different gifts to different people and asks them to work together to achieve his goals. He brings in people from different backgrounds and social classes and asks them to work together and love one another. And when we agree to do it, when the parts of the body work together, then the body is beautiful and works well, and love grows in the church.

One of the most dangerous things in medicine seems to be when the different parts of the body don’t work together. For example, auto-immune diseases seem to be one of the hardest to cure and most deadly sorts of disorders. And these happen when one part of the body doesn’t accept another. It treats it as foreign and sets about trying to destroy it. A cold that could ordinarily be fought off easily is suddenly a major deal and can completely destroy a person if they have auto-immune disorders. Isn’t it the same way with the church? Nothing from without can destroy us. There can be scandals and persecutions, but what ultimately can rip us apart is ourselves. If we stand together we are strong. But if we bicker and backbite, then we’re sure to fall away. The early church didn’t disappear because of outside persecution. Rather, it fell apart because the individual members fell away from God and from each other and from priesthood authority.

20 But now are they many members, yet one body.

21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

The Doctrine and Covenants makes it clearer: “the body hath need of every member, that all may be edified together” (DC 84:110). The church needs every member. Maybe this is why we try so hard to fellowship and reactivate people. We need them. The Lord goes even further and states why we need them: “that the system may be kept perfect.” Perfect is a pretty strong word, and it doesn’t show up all that often in the scriptures. But that’s what the church is, when it has all its members.

22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:

I think about the brain here. The Egyptians thought it was worthless. When they mummified people, they pulled out all of the organs they thought were important and kept them in jars. But they didn’t know what the brain did, so they just threw it away. We would probably consider the brain the most important organ from our current (and we flatter ourselves, “true”) perspective. Couldn’t it be that eventually we’ll realize how important the people in the church we dislike or look down on are?

Also, I think about the stomach lining. What could seem more feeble and worthless than that? All it is, as far as I understand it, is a layer of mucous. Pretty unglamorous, and even kind of gross. But without it, our stomach acid would start to dissolve and “eat” the rest of our body. This is what happens when people get ulcers—the stomach lining weakens, and some of the acid gets through. All sorts of “feeble” and gross things are necessary in the body: bile, blood, phlegm, scar tissue. Even places like the rectum are necessary, and we’d be in trouble if we didn’t have one! So, if you don’t like someone in the church, get used to them. They’re a part of your body, and you’re commanded to love them, and to be one with them.

23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour, and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:

25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that all the members should have the same care for one another.

26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

I find in this an echo of Alma’s words to the people when he was baptizing at the waters of Mormon (spoken, suitably, to people about to enter the church): “Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort” (Mosiah 18:10). This statement by Paul contains an element that Alma doesn’t include, though: that of rejoicing together. It is a good thing to bear each others’ burdens, to comfort those that suffer. It is also a good thing, though, to rejoice with those who have been blessed. We all know we’re supposed to take dinner to the member in our ward who is sick. Sometimes, though, when good things happen to others, instead of rejoicing with them, we get jealous.

27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular

28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

These are some of the specific gifts that God has given to the church. We have apostles, prophets and teachers. We have gifts of healing, of help. We have the gift of tongues. We have government, or an orderly system of administration, within the church. These are signs of the true church.

29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles?

30 Have all the gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?

31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

Just as people’s natural abilities and personalities are different, their spiritual gifts and callings differ as well. Not everyone is called to be an apostle. Not everyone’s a prophet. At different times, we are called upon to teach in the gospel, but sometimes we’re the gospel doctrine teacher, and sometimes we’re the student. The gift of healing is present to some extent in just about every priesthood holder, but that gift is subject to the timing and the will of the Lord. Not all are miracle workers in the kingdom. In fact, John the Baptist, of whom Christ stated, “Among them that are born of women there hath not risen [one] greater” (Matt 11:11) “did no miracle” (John 10:41). We don’t get to decide exactly what role we play in the kingdom. Our responsibility is to be worthy and willing to serve wherever we are called, with the knowledge that God will bless us and make us equal to whatever task He assigns us. In life, as in the eternities, we are supported by “grace . . . after all we can do” (2 Ne. 25:23).

However, in verse 31, Paul does counsel us to seek after spiritual gifts. A number of excellent talks on the proper use and seeking of Spiritual gifts can be found here under the link of “Church Magazine Articles”: http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?index=19&locale=0&sourceId=3d8ef73c28d98010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=bbd508f54922d010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

Verse 31 is also Paul’s segue into his famous discussion of charity in 1 Corinthians 13. Thus, the “more excellent way” is the pursuit of what some have called the three cardinal virtues: faith, hope and charity. These are, in a very real sense, the best gifts. Mormon suggests that charity is a gift which God gives: “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love” (Moroni 7:48). Similarly, hope is a gift which an outside influence bestows on us: the "Comforter filleth with hope” (Moroni 8:26). Elder Bruce R. McConkie argued that faith is a gift: “Faith is a gift of God bestowed as a reward for personal righteousness” (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. [1966], 264). These are certainly among the gifts which we are supposed to seek, and as Paul points out in chapter 13, they endure forever.