Easter is the most important holiday of the year. While Christmas often gets a lot of focus, Christmas is only the beginning of the story of Jesus Christ. The final week of Jesus Christ's life, often referred to as “Holy Week,” is the pinnacle of the ministry of Jesus Christ and the climax of the entire Plan of Salvation. Easter is the perfect time of year for Latter-day Saints and Christians all...

During His mortal and post-mortal ministries, Jesus fed large multitudes on several occasions. Understanding these miraculous stories can increase our appreciation of Christ’s Atonement and His power to provide physical and spiritual nourishment each day of our lives. After hearing the tragic news of the death of John the Baptist, Jesus went into a mountain to be alone ( Matthew 14:12–13 ). The...

One of the notable aspects of Jesus’ ministry is that He frequently taught using parables, or short religiously instructive stories “that make use of characters, situations, and customs familiar to their audience.” 1 In fact, Jesus used nearly 50 parables and other metaphors during his ministry as recorded in the New Testament Gospels. John W. Welch and Greg Welch, " Parables and Metaphors of...

Jesus famously promised “rest” to all those “that labour and are heavy laden.” He directed them to “[t]ake my yoke upon you,” assuring them that “my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” ( Matthew 11:28–30 ). What did Jesus mean when he said that His “yoke” is easy? How does turning to Him make our own burdens light? As many readers are probably aware, a yoke is a type of harness, usually with a...

The miracles of the New Testament symbolize different aspects of the Savior’s divinity, power, and love. One thing to note about these miracles, is how Jesus often used physical touch to heal. Jesus ministered to the one and cared individually for His followers, as is demonstrated by His personal touch in New Testament healing stories. He visited Jairus ’ daughter in her home and took her by...

When Jesus gave his Sermon at the Temple in 3 Nephi, he taught his Nephite audience, “when ye pray, use not vain repetitions” ( 3 Nephi 13:7 ), just as he had taught his disciples in the Old World ( Matthew 6:7 ). In light of this teaching, it should come as no surprise that there are differences in each version of the Lord’s Prayer recorded in scripture ( Matthew 6:9–13 ; 3 Nephi 13:9–13 ; Luke...

Recorded in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, the Sermon on the Mount has made a big impact on both Christian faith as well as broader Western culture. Even non-Christians are familiar with, and often use, language and concepts from Jesus’ sermon. Phrases such as “the salt of the earth,” “the light of the world,” “a city on a hill,” “love your enemies,” and other expressions have become part of...

Have you been born again? This question is pretty common in the Christian world today. And yet there is quite a bit of confusion about what it actually means. A number of New Testament scriptures teach about being born again, but it is most famously discussed in John 3:3 . Speaking to a Jewish Pharisee named Nicodemus, Jesus declared, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again,...

Many Christians are aware that Jesus was tempted by the devil when He was in the wilderness for 40 days. However, the Bible can only get us so far in understanding what was really going on while Jesus secluded Himself in the desert. Additional scriptures from the Restoration can go a long way in helping unveil some of the mysterious things in this story. The Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great...

The baptism of Jesus Christ is full of rich symbolism and meaning. It’s a significant event in the New Testament because His baptism marks the beginning of his ministry and is a sign that He is the Father’s “beloved son” (Matthew 3:17). However, many readers have asked why Jesus had to be baptized at all, and why it was in the River Jordan. While the New Testament provides some clues about the...