Jesus the Christ

Chapter 25.. Jesus Again in Jerusalem.

JESUS AGAIN IN JERUSALEM.

Departure from Galilee.--At the Feast of Tabernacles.--Another charge of Sabbath desecration.--Living water for the spiritually thirsty.--Plans to arrest Jesus.--Nicodemus protests.--Woman taken in adultery.--Christ the light of the world.--The truth shall make men free.--Christ's seniority over Abraham.--Sight restored on Sabbath day.--Physical and spiritual blindness.--Shepherd and sheep-herder.--Christ the Good Shepherd.--His inherent power over life and death.--Sheep of another fold

Chapter 26.. Our Lord's Ministry in Perea and Judea.

OUR LORD'S MINISTRY IN PEREA AND JUDEA.

Jesus rejected in Samaria.--James and John reproved for revengeful desire.--The Seventy charged and sent.--Their return.--A lawyer's question.--Parable of Good Samaritan.--Martha and Mary.--Ask and receive.--Parable of Friend at Midnight.--Criticism on Pharisees and lawyers.--Parable of Foolish Rich Man.--The unrepentant to perish.--Parable of Barren Fig Tree.--A woman healed on the Sabbath.--Many or few to be saved?--Jesus warned of Herod's design

Chapter 27.. Continuation of the Perean and Judean Ministry.

CONTINUATION OF THE PEREAN AND JUDEAN MINISTRY.

In the house of one of the chief Pharisees.--Parable of the Great Supper.--Counting the cost.--Salvation even for publicans and sinners.--Parable of the Lost Sheep repeated.--Of the Lost Coin.--Of the Prodigal Son.--Of the Unrighteous Steward.--Of the Rich Man and Lazarus.--Of the Unprofitable Servants.--Ten lepers healed.--Parable of the Pharisee and Publican.--On marriage and divorce.--Jesus and the little ones.--The rich young ruler.--First may be last and last first.--Parable of the Laborers

Chapter 28.. The Last Winter.

THE LAST WINTER.

At the Feast of Dedication.--Sheep know the Shepherd's Voice.--The Lord's retirement in Perea.--Lazarus raised from the dead.--Jewish hierarchy agitated over the miracle.--Prophecy by Caiaphas, the high priest.--Jesus in retirement at Ephraim

Chapter 29.. On to Jerusalem.

ON TO JERUSALEM.

Jesus again foretells His death and resurrection.--Aspiring request of James and John.--Sight restored near Jericho.--Zaccheus the chief publican.--Parable of the Pounds.--The supper in the house of Simon the leper.--Mary's tribute in anointing Jesus.--Iscariot's protest.-- Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem.--Certain Greeks seek interview with Jesus.--The Voice from heaven

Chapter 30.. Jesus Returns to the Temple Daily.

JESUS RETURNS TO THE TEMPLE DAILY.

A leafy but fruitless fig tree cursed.--Second clearing of the temple.--Children shout Hosanna.--Christ's authority challenged by the rulers.--Parable of the two sons. Of the Wicked Husbandmen.--The rejected Stone to be head of the corner.--Parable of the Royal Marriage Feast.--The wedding garment lacking

Chapter 31.. The Close of Our Lord's Public Ministry.

THE CLOSE OF OUR LORD'S PUBLIC MINISTRY.

Pharisees and Herodians in conspiracy.--Cæsar to have his due.--The image on the coin.--Sadducees and the resurrection.--Levirate marriages.--The great commandment.--Jesus turns questioner.--Scathing denunciation of scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!--Lamentation over Jerusalem.--The widow's mites.--Christ's final withdrawal from temple.--Destruction of temple predicted

Chapter 32.. Further Instruction to the Apostles.

FURTHER INSTRUCTION TO THE APOSTLES.

Prophecies relating to destruction of Jerusalem and the Lord's future advent.--Watch!--Parable of Ten Virgins.--Of the Entrusted Talents.--The inevitable judgment.--Another and specific prediction of the Lord's impending death

Chapter 33.. The Last Supper and the Betrayal.

THE LAST SUPPER AND THE BETRAYAL.

Judas Iscariot in conspiracy with the Jews.--Preparations for the Lord's last Passover.--The last supper of Jesus with the Twelve.--The traitor designated.--Ordinance of washing of feet.--Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.--The betrayer goes out into the night.--Discourse following the supper.--The High-Priestly Prayer.--The Lord's agony in Gethsemane.--The betrayal and the arrest

Chapter 34.. The Trial and Condemnation.

THE TRIAL AND CONDEMNATION.

The Jewish trial.--Christ before Annas and Caiaphas.--The illegal night court.--The morning session.--False witnesses and unrighteous conviction.--Peter's denial of his Lord.--Christ's first arraignment before Pilate.--Before Herod.--Second appearance before Pilate.--Pilate's surrender to Jewish clamor.--The sentence of crucifixion.--Suicide of Judas Iscariot

Chapter 35.. Death and Burial.

DEATH AND BURIAL.

On the way to Calvary.--The Lord's address to the daughters of Jerusalem.--The crucifixion.--Occurrences between the Lord's death and burial.--The burial.--The sepulchre guarded

Chapter 36.. In the Realm of Disembodied Spirits.

IN THE REALM OF DISEMBODIED SPIRITS.

Actuality of the Lord's death.--Condition of spirits between death and resurrection.--The Savior among the dead.--The gospel preached to the spirits in prison

Chapter 37.. The Resurrection and the Ascension.

THE RESURRECTION AND THE ASCENSION.

Christ is risen.--The women at the sepulchre.--Angelic communications.--The risen Lord seen by Mary Magdalene.--And by other women.--A priestly conspiracy of falsehood.--The Lord and two disciples on the Emmaus road.--He appears to disciples in Jerusalem and eats in their presence.--Doubting Thomas.--The Lord appears to the apostles at the sea of Tiberias.--Other manifestations in Galilee.--Final commission to the apostles.--The ascension

Chapter 38.. The Apostolic Ministry.

THE APOSTOLIC MINISTRY.

Matthias ordained to the apostleship.--Bestowal of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost.--The apostles' preaching.--Imprisoned and delivered.-- Gamaliel's advice to the council.--Stephen the martyr.--Saul of Tarsus, his conversion.--Becomes Paul the apostle.--The record by John the Revelator.--Close of the apostolic ministry

Chapter 39.. Ministry of the Resurrected Christ on the Western Hemisphere.

MINISTRY OF THE RESURRECTED CHRIST ON THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE.

The Lord's death signalized by great calamities on western continent.--The Voice of the Lord Jesus Christ heard.--His visitations to the Nephites.--The Nephite Twelve.--Baptism among Nephites.--The Mosaic law fulfilled.--Address to Nephites compared with Sermon on the Mount.--Sacrament of bread and wine instituted among Nephites.--Name of Christ's Church.--The Three Nephites.--Growth of the Church.--Final apostasy of Nephite nation

Chapter 40.. The Long Night of Apostasy.

THE LONG NIGHT OF APOSTASY.

The great falling away as predicted.--Individual apostasy from the Church.--Apostasy of the Church.--Constantine makes Christianity the religion of state.--Papal claims to secular authority.--Churchly tyranny.--The Dark Ages.--The inevitable revolt.--The Reformation.--Rise of Church of England.--Catholicism and Protestantism.--The apostasy affirmed.--Mission of Columbus and the Pilgrim Fathers predicted in ancient scripture.--Fulfilment of the prophecies.--Establishment of American nation provided for

Chapter 41.

PERSONAL MANIFESTATIONS OF GOD THE ETERNAL FATHER AND OF HIS SON JESUS CHRIST IN MODERN TIMES.

A new dispensation.--Joseph Smith's perplexity over sectarian strife.--The Eternal Father and His Son Jesus Christ appear to and personally instruct Joseph Smith.--Visitation of Moroni.--The Book of Mormon.--Aaronic Priesthood restored by John the Baptist.--Melchizedek Priesthood restored by Peter, James, and John.--The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.--Divine manifestations in Kirtland Temple.--The Lord Jesus Christ appears.--Specific authority of olden dispensations conferred by Moses, Elias, and Elijah.--The Holy Priesthood now operative on earth

Chapter 42.. Jesus the Christ to Return.

JESUS THE CHRIST TO RETURN.

Ancient predictions of the Lord's second advent.--Modern revelation affirms the same.--Today and tomorrow.--The great and dreadful day near at hand.--Kingdom of God and Kingdom of Heaven.--The Millennium.--The celestial consummation

Index

CHAPTER 1.. Introduction.

INTRODUCTION.

It is a matter of history that, at or near the beginning of what has since come to be known as the Christian era, the Man Jesus, surnamed the Christ, was born in Bethlehem of Judea. The principal data as to His birth, life, and death are so well attested as to be reasonably indisputable; they are facts of record, and are accepted as essentially authentic by the civilized world at large. True, there are diversities of deduction based on alleged discrepancies in the records of the past as to circumstantial details; but such differences are of strictly minor importance, for none of them nor all taken together cast a shadow of rational doubt upon the historicity of the earthly existence of the Man known in literature as Jesus of Nazareth.

As to who and what He was there are dissensions of grave moment dividing the opinions of men; and this divergence of conception and belief is most pronounced upon those matters to which the greatest importance attaches. The solemn testimonies of millions dead and of millions living unite in proclaiming Him as divine, the Son of the Living God, the Redeemer and Savior of the human race, the Eternal Judge of the souls of men, the Chosen and Anointed of the Father--in short, the Christ. Others there are who deny His Godhood while extolling the transcendent qualities of His unparalleled and unapproachable Manhood.

To the student of history this Man among men stands first, foremost, and alone, as a directing personality in the world's progression. Mankind has never produced a leader to rank with Him. Regarded solely as a historic personage He is unique. Judged by the standard of human estimation, Jesus of Nazareth is supreme among men by reason of the excellence of His personal character, the simplicity, beauty, and genuine worth of His precepts, and the influence of His example and doctrines in the advancement of the race. To these distinguishing characteristics of surpassing greatness the devout Christian soul adds an attribute that far exceeds the sum of all the others--the divinity of Christ's origin and the eternal reality of His status as Lord and God.

Christian and unbeliever alike acknowledge His supremacy as a Man, and respect the epoch-making significance of His birth. Christ was born in the meridian of time; and His life on earth marked at once the culmination of the past and the inauguration of an era distinctive in human hope, endeavor, and achievement. His advent determined a new order in the reckoning of the years; and by common consent the centuries antedating His birth have been counted backward from the pivotal event and are designated accordingly. The rise and fall of dynasties, the birth and dissolution of nations, all the cycles of history as to war and peace, as to prosperity and adversity, as to health and pestilence, seasons of plenty and of famine, the awful happenings of earthquake and storm, the triumphs of invention and discovery, the epochs of man's development in godliness and the long periods of his dwindling in unbelief--all the occurrences that make history--are chronicled throughout Christendom by reference to the year before or after the birth of Jesus Christ.

His earthly life covered a period of thirty-three years; and of these but three were spent by Him as an acknowledged Teacher openly engaged in the activities of public ministry. He was brought to a violent death before He had attained what we now regard as the age of manhood's prime. As an individual He was personally known to but few; and His fame as a world character became general only after His death.

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