The last week of Jesus’s mortal life was a time filled with completions. As His time drew near, He knew that many parts of His mission needed to be drawn fully to conclusion. And by the time that week ended, He had in fact finished all that He had been sent to do and all that was necessary to allow the eternal plan of His Father to succeed. Prophecies needed to be fulfilled. The week began with...

Reading 2 Nephi means encountering a lot of Isaiah, and Jacob’s speech is no exception. Jacob, as the newly installed high priest, gave a speech to the Nephites ( 2 Nephi 6–10 ) and quoted extensively from Isaiah 49–52 . Jacob explained that Nephi specifically asked him to preach on these passages from Isaiah ( 2 Nephi 6:4 ), meaning that Nephi felt strongly that these specific chapters...

More than two thousand years ago, angels appeared to startled shepherds to announce the birth of the Son of God. “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be unto all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” ( Luke 2:10 ; emphasis added). At this season, when we celebrate...

The epistles of 1 and 2 Peter may be comparatively short, but they are significant for Latter-day Saints in that they anchor some of the more unique Restoration teachings to the New Testament. For instance, President Joseph F. Smith’s vision of Jesus Christ preaching his gospel to the dead was prompted, in part, by his reading of 1 Peter 3:18–20 and 1 Peter 4:6 . 1 Peter 3:18–20 1 Peter 4:6 For...

As readers study the Epistle of James in the New Testament, they may be surprised to learn that James, often called the “Just” and the First Bishop of Jerusalem, references Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount no less than twelve times in his letter. 1 It may not seem so surprising when they consider the fact that this James is understood to be Jesus’s half-brother ( Matthew 13:55 ; Galatians 1:19 ) and...

The writer of Hebrews taught how Jesus Christ, the Son of God, by whom the Father created the worlds, and spoke to the ancient prophets, became subject to mortality in order to redeem, sanctify, and glorify those who will receive Him. He suffered, died, and was “crowned with glory and honor” in order to bring “many sons unto glory” ( Hebrews 2:10 ). He was willing to do this because we all share...

The Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur, is the most holy and solemn day of the Jewish calendar. It is the only day when the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies, the most sacred place within the Tabernacle and ancient temples. It was the only day when the high priest reconciled Israel with God and symbolically brought them back into the presence of the Lord. No other day, and no other ancient...

The Apostle Paul faced some serious challenges in his ministry to the Saints in Corinth which are reflected in his second letter to the saints of that city. Some of the saints were being negatively influenced by charismatic individuals who were attempting to undermine the influence of Paul’s teachings and authority. Some even disparaged his physical limitations, saying what Paul wrote could be “...

The good news that Jesus is risen from the dead is a message of light and joy for a dark and weary world. The testimony of New Testament witnesses confirms that he He lives and because He lives we may also have eternal life if we will follow Him. He was seen of Mary at the tomb, and angels declared His resurrection to other righteous women of faith (Mark 16:1–7; Luke 24:1–10; John 20:11–18). He...

The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the most central doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Latter-day Saints believe that all mankind can be saved through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and that He can empathize with all the sufferings, infirmities, and pain inherent to mortality. Throughout the history of Christ’s restored Church, its leaders and members have put sacred...