New Testament Blog Post #14 - Peter

For this post, I was asked to review a talk given by President Kimball about the Apostle Peter and to write an essay about what I learned while reading the talk.

            President Kimball began his talk by saying that he was listening to a minister speak badly of Peter, which offended him, as he felt some kinship with him. He said that there is a prevailing attitude about Peter that belittles and condemns him. To be honest, this was the first thing I learned from the essay. The idea that Peter was not up to snuff is new to me. There are certainly moments during the course of his being taught by and following Christ in which he wavers, but don’t we all waver? There are moments in which he sins in ignorance, but don’t we all do the same? There is a moment when Peter denies knowing Christ personally, but haven’t we all made mistakes? I agree with President Kimball that Peter isn’t worthy of condemnation. He was a good man with good intentions, and he did a lot of good things.

            There was a lot of discussion in the talk particularly on Peter’s denial of Christ. I think that this is where people get hung up the most when it comes to Peter. They feel that he did something very wrong and cowardly. But in my recent readings of the New Testament, I think it’s possible that Peter was not acting in cowardice, but in obedience. This isn’t discussed in the talk, but some people have speculated that when Christ tells Peter about denying him, he is commanding him to deny him. There is also a scripture in one of the gospels near where Christ is taken from the garden of Gethsemane in which Christ asks the mob to take him, but to leave his disciples alone, that a prophecy might be fulfilled that says that Christ will not lose one of them which his Father gave him. Maybe it was Christ’s intention to keep all his disciples form the fate of death so that they could perform their ministry after he died. Certainly it was important for them to be alive and free if they were going to spread his message. I just thought that might be something worthy of mentioning. I don’t know if it’s true or not—it may indeed be that Peter sinned in his denial of Christ—but I think it’s also possible that he was obeying a command.

            Peter, although some disregard him as being sinful or imperfect, did have some very positive traits. He had conviction when it came to his relationship with Christ. He told Christ that he was willing to follow him to prison and to death.” And when Christ was about to be taken from the garden of Gethsemane to the Sanhedrin, Peter fought for him, drawing a sword and smiting off the ear of one of the guards that was there. As Spencer W. Kimball pointed out, that is by no means cowardice. That is bravery and disregard for self. So certainly that is one of his positive qualities. President Kimball also mentioned that Peter was a miracle worker, and that even by being in his presence people were healed. However, he also pointed out that Peter was quick to give all credit for these miracles to God, recognizing that he didn’t perform them in his own power. I think these two facts show that Peter is full of both spiritual understanding and humility. Though it can’t be corroborated by anything we consider in the Church to be canonical, according to tradition, Peter was martyred by crucifixion, and at his request, the crucifixion was performed upside-down, because he felt he was not worthy to die in the same way that Christ did. That is a very deep type of humility. I think some of Peter’s other positive qualities include a willingness to be obedient to the Lord. Even when his objections seemed righteous, like when he told the Lord that he would not be crucified, when he was corrected, he made changes.

            One of the other requirements for this assignment was that I pick one of Peter’s positive traits that I would like to develop and outline what I will do to gain it. I think the most important trait he had was his closeness to the Savior. As we live in a world with a lot of temptation and confusion, and as most of us have not seen the Savior, belief in Christ can get a little hard sometimes. But I think that a knowledge of the existence and characteristics of Christ are among the most, if not the most, valuable pieces of knowledge a person can have. If you know that Christ lives, and you know that he is omnipotent and omniscient, and you have a relationship with the Holy Ghost, then there’s no reason to ever disobey the Lord’s commands through the Holy Ghost. You can respond to temptation with conviction, knowing that your cause is just and your effort is worthwhile. The question, however, becomes “How can I know Christ,” considering I did not, like Peter, have the advantage of being physical with him and hearing him speak and watching him perform miracles. I suppose the best way to get closer to him is to try to communicate with him and let him communicate with me, by praying, fasting, and reading the scriptures. I can also ask him for a testimony of himself. And I think that’s what I will do. Tomorrow is fast Sunday. I will fast that I might know for a surety that he lives, and I will continue to perform other acts of diligence to help myself come closer to him.

New Testament Blog Post 13 – Gethsemane

I had a number of tasks to do concerning the Atonement, and the results are as follows:

A list of words that describe the Savior’s suffering:

Sorrowful, heavy, exceeding sorrowful—even unto death, distressed, troubled, deeply grieved, agony, blood, sweat

Additional insights about the Savior’s suffering from additional resources:

He suffered temptations, pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue. His suffering was more than man can suffer unless man suffers so much that he dies. He had so much anguish for the wickedness and abominations of his people that blood came from every pore. He suffered pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind. It was prophesied that would take upon him the pains and sicknesses of his people. He took upon himself death. He took upon himself our infirmities. He did this so that his bowels could be filled with mercy according to the flesh and so that he could know how to succor his people according to their infirmities. The Spirit knows all things, so he could have known what he needed to do by the spirit, but he suffered to blot out our transgressions. He suffered what he did for everyone, bearing the sins of all men. Christ’s suffering caused him to tremble because of pain and bleed at every pore and wish that he would not suffer it. If we do not repent, we must suffer even as Christ suffered. The Savior was alone in his suffering, the Father having withdrawn the support of his immediate presence. The Savior said, “It is finished,” knowing his atoning sacrifice had been accepted by the Father. The Savior provides an example for us because even when his agony increased, he prayed with increased faith. “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.” The weight of the Atonement was the weight and agony of ages and generations. He suffered the consequences of an eternal law of God broken by men. His pain was in submission to “the requirements of an inexorable law. Powers of darkness were let loosed upon him during the course of his Atonement. We cannot understand the intensity or the cause of the pain Christ felt (in other words, we don’t know where that pain came from or how it meant that we could be conditionally freed from the consequences of sin). He felt physical pain and mental anguish as well as “a spiritual agony of soul such as only God was capable of experiencing.” Christ met and overcame all the horrors that Satan could inflict.

On the name “Gethsemane”:

Gethsemane means, “oil press.” This has evident symbolic significance—Christ’s pain and agony are also described as a weight. Weight is, of course, used to press and flatten and grind things. If the purpose of a press is to extract oil, it crushes something like an olive and collects the liquid that comes from it. Christ’s agony was such that he bled at every pore. So one could say that he was pressed upon with a great weight, and that that weight was so great that it pushed his blood out of him. The idea of being crushed by a gigantic rock lends understanding to what Christ might have felt in those moments. Perhaps he felt trapped or alone or in despair or in such pain that death would be mercy. Perhaps he felt all of those things. That is a possible interpretation of the metaphorical significance of the name, “Gethsemane.”

Answer the following questions:

What were the Savior’s disciples doing while He was praying?

At first, they were probably watching, as he had told them, but by the time he had returned, they were sleeping.

What had the Lord taught the Apostles in Matthew 26:41?

Two things: that watching and praying can keep one from entering into temptation and that there can be a difference between physical ability and willingness to do something.

What does His example teach about how to be obedient even when “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak?”

Well, he obeyed the Father, even when he asked him to take the cup of the Atonement away from him. So he showed us that even if we do want something, in the end we must display obedience and submit to the will of the Father, understanding that he understands the significance of our actions better than we do.

How does Doctrine and Covenants 10:5 apply to this verse?

It teaches that continual prayer can lead to our conquering over Satan and escaping the hands of his servants. So it sort of teaches the same thing that the verse in Matthew does.

Read Mosiah 15:7; 3 Nephi 11:11; Doctrine and Covenants 19:19. Write the phrases from these verses that describe what motivated the Savior to “drink the bitter cup.”

He wanted to follow the will of the Father and to give glory to the Father.

Write your thoughts about the Savior’s use of the word nevertheless in Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42.

He expresses his own will, but then allows his will to be negated and submits to the will of his Father, basically saying, “This is what I want, but I will do what you ask me to.”

In each of these accounts, what did the Savior initially ask for?

That the cup be removed from him—in other words, that he not have to perform the Atonement.

What did He say next, using the word nevertheless?

“Not as I will, but as thou wilt,” or by other accounts, “Not my will, but thine, be done.”

What does it require to submit one’s will to the Father in this way, no matter how painful or difficult the outcome might be?

I think it requires an understanding that the Father knows everything (far, far, far more than we do), loves us perfectly, and wants the best for us. If you know those three things for sure, and you are keeping them in mind when you are being given direction by the Spirit, then it will not make sense for you to do anything but follow its directions—those directions will lead you to happiness and satisfaction. That being said, when you’re faced with something very difficult and frightening, it’s hard to summon the willingness to obey.

When have you followed the “nevertheless” pattern the Savior exemplified in these verses by submitting to Heavenly Father’s will even though it was very difficult?

I think there have been little moments in my life where I’ve felt like I wanted to one thing, but knew it was the right thing to do something else. I don’t know that I’ve had to do anything huge yet.

According to Luke 22:44, as the Savior’s agony became more intense, how did His prayer change?

He prayed more earnestly.

Do you feel more like praying or less like praying when you are suffering?

I think it depends on the suffering. If I’ve caused myself a small amount of physical pain, I don’t pray about it. I just kind of deal with it. But maybe I should pray about it. Anyway, if I’m feeling spiritual or mental hurt or extreme physical pain, I think that’s when I start turning toward prayer. But if mental pain is mingled with anger at the Lord, then I think I’m less likely to pray.

When has it made a difference in your suffering to have turned to the Lord with more earnest prayer?

I remember one point in my life where I was in a little jam and not feeling very well and I pleaded in prayer to be let out of it, and I was. I’d prefer not to go into details, because I feel like it’s nothing huge and I might get sort of ridiculed, but my prayer was answered.

Reflect on what you have learned about the Savior’s suffering in Gethsemane. Write a paragraph about lessons you can apply to your own life from the example of the Savior in Gethsemane.

I think that I can learn to rely more upon the Atonement and remember that someone else has suffered the very hardest things that I have suffered and ask him for help with that pain. Because the Savior suffered for everyone. I can also be inclusive to people, remembering that there is room for every person in the Atonement. I think another thing I can do is consider that the Savior was willing to do the hardest thing anyone has ever done because he trusted in the Father’s will, and I can try to receive that trust—I can pray for it and ask that it be given me, and I can try to obtain it myself.

New Testament Blog Post #12 - The Holy Ghost

As you study the following verses, make a list of what the Savior taught about (1) what the Holy Ghost does, and (2) what disciples must do to receive the Holy Ghost.

I was asked to study some verses in John 14, 15, and 16, to make a list of things the Savior taught about what the Holy Ghost does and what disciples must do to receive it. Then I was asked to add to that list from other resources from the Church. The list I created is as follows:

The Holy Ghost is a comforter, and can abide in us forever.

He can teach us all things and bring all things to our remembrance that we have been taught by the Savior.

He can give us peace.

He can testify of Christ.

He can reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.

He can guide us into all truth.

He can show us things to come.

He can glorify Christ, and be a vessel for the Savior to give things (truth, I would presume) to us.

It can “quicken all the intellectual faculties.”

It “increases, enlarges, expands, and purifies all the natural passions and affections and adapts them, by the gift of wisdom, to their lawful use.”

“It inspires, develops, cultivates, and measures all the fine-toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings and affections of our nature.”

“It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness, and charity.”

“It develops beauty of person, form and features.”

“It tends to health, vigor, animation and social feeling.”

“It invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man.”

“It strengthens, and gives tone to the nerves.”

“It is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being.”

He instructs and enlightens “the minds of those who, through their faithfulness, have obeyed the commandments of the Father and the Son.”

“He bears witness of the truth.”

“He quickens the minds of those who have made covenants and reveals to them the mysteries of the kingdom of God.”

He carries out the will of the Father and the Son, and is a special messenger from them.

He is manifested to men in two forms, as the power of the Holy Ghost and as the gift of the Holy Ghost. The power of the Holy Ghost can come before baptism and provide witness of the truthfulness of the gospel. Consequently, it can provide people with testimonies of the truthfulness of the gospel.

The gift of the Holy Ghost comes after proper and authorized baptism. It acts as a cleansing agent to purify and sanctify those who receive it from sin.

The manifestation of the gift of the Holy Ghost came on the Twelve Apostles to prepare them for their ministries to the world.

Words spoken by the power of the Holy Ghost can carry a conviction of the truth to the hearts of those who hear.

The Holy Ghost can lead a person to know of future events.

Then I was asked to write responses to the following tasks:

Describe how the Holy Ghost helped the Apostles fulfill their missions after the Savior’s death and resurrection.

Well, from looking at the list, there are a lot of ways the Holy Ghost could potentially help the Apostles in their mission. I would sort of have to look at each of their ministries to know for sure. But I think that the power of the Holy Ghost would be helpful in helping their words touch the hearts of those they preached to. The Holy Ghost’s ability to testify of Christ would do the same,  as would a number of its other abilities, including glorifying Christ and bearing witness of the truth. Certainly the gift of the Holy Ghost would be a comfort to the Apostles and give them peace in those situations when they were in mortal danger or imprisoned, and I would guess the Holy Ghost’s ability to quicken the intellect would help them if they ever got into a public contention with someone, like how Abinadi contended with the priests of Noah and the Savior contended with the Pharisees. The Holy Ghost probably also cleansed and purified the Apostles, like it is meant to do to all of us. And possibly, it helped the Apostles to know about important future events.

Write a paragraph about a time when the Holy Ghost blessed you in one of the ways you listed above. Give an example of how the Holy Ghost has inspired you.

I think the most significant and memorable moments like this in my life have been about the Holy Ghost testifying of truth. If you’re reading this post, and you do not share my beliefs, you’re may be scoffing right now at the audacious suggestion that anyone could presume to know anything by way of such a nebulous idea as “the Holy Ghost.” And I know where you’re coming from. It’s been hard for me to reach the point that I could believe that there’s something that I cannot see or hear, but that I can feel, that testifies of truth. I haven’t ever seen an angel or a deceased religious figure as a spirit or anything like that, and I haven’t had the experience of hearing a voice. But I have on occasion felt something good as people have given testimony of principles of the gospel. And that feeling appears to me to be pretty consistent in each experience. For instance, when I was working on a tech crew at the Nauvoo Pageant (a play put on by my Church in Nauvoo, IL that reenacts some of the experiences of the Church’s early founders there), I worked in a light tower, using a spotlight. I remember particularly one night that I heard a few lines being delivered near the end of the pageant,

“So on a night like this, when moonlight streams in through your open window—”

“Or you hear the whistle of a riverboat, far, far away—”

“You feel—you know—that there’s more to life than what we see.”
“…and someplace yet to go.”
“…beyond where we have been.”
Those last two lines struck me deeply, and I felt something inside me sort of swell, like a part of me knew that those words were true—that there is a life after this one. And I have had similar experiences with other teachings of the gospel. And those experiences match Alma’s description of the word being like a seed in The Book of Mormon, which leads me to believe that what I am experiencing in those moments is true and real.

New Testament Blog Post #11 - Sacrament

What was the relationship between the Passover and the Atonement of Jesus Christ?

During the Passover, at least the original Passover, the children of God in Egypt were told to sacrifice a lamb, dip a brush in its blood, and cover the doorposts and lintels of the entrances of their homes with that blood, because that night, the destroying angel was going to come to Egypt and kill every person and animal that was the firstborn—but if that symbol was on the door, the angel would not enter it.

In a way, this is an analogy for our circumstances in mortality. We are surrounded by influences that have the potential to be spiritually hazardous to us. There are “destroyers” all around. But Christ has performed the Atonement so that we can be safe from these things. He chose to be the sacrificial lamb in this situation, and our use of his Atonement is sort of like marking the lintel and doorposts with his blood. When we use the Savior’s Atonement to repent of our past sins—when we use it to constant effect in an effort to improve ourselves and become more like Christ, we become more and more protected from the influences around us that would harm us spiritually. That’s my take on the relationship between these two events, anyway.

What is the relationship between the Sacrament and the Atonement of Jesus Christ?

The bread and the water are symbols for the body and blood of Christ, which were given during the Atonement. He gave his body, letting the mob take his life, so that he could then take it up again and be resurrected, breaking the bonds of death and opening the way for all of God’s children to be resurrected. And earlier, he sweat as it were great drops of blood while he took upon him the sins and pains of the world. In other words, he gave his blood.
There are at least two purposes of the Atonement, if we consider the Atonement to begin at the Garden of Gethsemane and to end with Christ’s resurrection. They are parallel: to help everyone to overcome physical, temporal death (through resurrection), and to help everyone overcome spiritual death. I would submit that the Sacrament pertains most directly to that second purpose. We do not, I think, any of us, understand how it worked, but we do understand that it did. Christ experienced all the suffering from sin and pain that anyone has ever felt, and by doing so, allowed us to become clean through repentance. He also told us, “Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect,” and that is the goal of the Atonement and of our repentance. Therein lies the relation, in my mind, to the Sacrament. Through baptism, we have promised to take upon us Christ’s name and keep his commandments and always remember him. The Sacrament is meant to renew those covenants when we make mistakes.

How do John 4:13-14 and John 6:48-53 add to an understanding of the symbolism of bread and water?

The Savior elaborates on the symbolism in the Sacrament by saying that he is the bread of life and that the water he gives, once drunk by someone, becomes a well in them, springing up unto everlasting life. Each symbol is related to life in those verses, and that is what the Atonement gives: spiritual life.

Considering the Savior’s instructions in Luke 22:19 and 3 Nephi 18:7, why do you think we are commanded to partake of the Sacrament weekly? How does Mosiah 5:13 apply to this idea?

We are meant to partake of the Sacrament in remembrance of the Savior, according to these verses. To me, that's important, because as mortal people, we are prone to forgetfulness. And it’s particularly hard for us to focus on something continually. So it’s nice to have a reminder every week. That relates to the verse in Mosiah because it suggests that we cannot know Christ unless we keep him present in our minds.

Carefully look at the additions and corrections in the Joseph Smith Translation of Matthew 26:26, 28 (see Matthew 26:26 footnote b, and Matthew 26:28 footnote a). Write responses to the following questions and tasks:

What important truths do we gain from these verses of the Joseph Smith Translation?

That Christ brake the bread first, then blessed it, which is how we perform the ordinance in the Church.
That the bread and water are symbols only—they are not literally the body and blood of Christ.

That Christ gave his body as a ransom.
That Christ’s blood was shed for as many as will believe on his name (it has infinite potential—there is no limit to how many people it can cover)

That Christ commanded us to do as he did, and to bear record of him “to the end.”

What does ransom mean? How does properly participating in the ordinance of the Sacrament ransom us? (See JST, Matthew 26:26)

A ransom is a price that is paid for a captive. When we take the Sacrament, we uphold our end of the bargain, aiming to become like Christ and believe on his name so that his Atonement can apply to us.

Make a list of what you want to remember about the Savior the next time you partake of the Sacrament?

His Atonement applies to all.
He ransoms us, meaning we are captive.

We are to take upon us his name, which could be interpreted as meaning that we are to bear record of him, and that commandment is one that we are meant to observe until the ends of our lives.