A GOD YET A BOY

 

Elder Bruce R. McConkie has said that “the Gospels are not biographies of Jesus; they are a collection of faith-promoting accounts from the Saviour’s ministry that, if believed, will induce receptive souls to come unto Christ and partake of His goodness” (The Mortal Messiah Book 1, 371).

The story of the boy Jesus attending the Passover in Jerusalem when twelve years of age would have to be proof of that truth. This is the first and only event of His childhood recorded in holy writ; it would have to be counted as an event of His ministry when we consider Him teaching the doctors of the law in the temple (JST Luke 2:46); and it was the first noted declaration of His Sonship when He told Joseph and Mary that He was about His ‘Father’s business’ (Luke 2:49).

President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., the greatest LDS scholar pertaining to the life of Jesus, wrote a small booklet detailing Jesus’ Passover trip to Jerusalem, titled “Wist Ye Not That I Must Be About My Father’s Business”.

In his booklet, President Clark describes in great detail the sacrifices in the temple; of the slaying of the Paschal lamb; of the eating of the Passover meal; of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and of Jesus’ participation in the sacrificial and festive setting of the Passover, probably for the first time in His life.

At twelve years of age, Jesus was legally ‘a son of the law’ and attending the temple at Passover could very well have been His first time to do so as a rite of passage. If so, He could have had His biggest awakening as to His greatness and true identity as He witnessed for the first time the rites and performances of sacrifices and feasts in similitude of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God that He was.

Imagine how dazzled a youth of twelve would be coming to a crowded Jerusalem with throngs of men bearing their pascal lambs on their shoulders for temple sacrifice. We can only imagine what thoughts would have sailed through His mind as He saw the sacrifices performed. He knew who He was, no doubt due to the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost who whispered such truths to Him, but did He understand what that really meant at such a tender age?

In the words of President Clark: “Did the Youth see and know, on this pre-anniversary of a day yet to come, the grief He was to suffer, the spiritual and physical agony He was to endure, the death that was to come to Him, as He was sacrificed as the Lamb of God?”

If such a vision came into the mind of any twelve-year old, it would be a nightmare that would drive the fear into him forever. The Youth Jesus did not shirk from such an awakening. Not at twelve years of age, not at thirty-three.

With the knowledge of His divine destiny, ‘the son of the law’ who could now be legally heard, advanced in confidence to converse with the doctors of the law within the courts of the temple, who ‘were hearing Him and asking Him questions’ (JST Luke 2:46)…..because ‘He could not be taught, for He needed not that any man should teach him’ (JST Matthew 3:25).

For three days Jesus remained in the Temple alone, bearing witness of His Father “making some of the most profound declarations ever to fall from mortal lips” (Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah Book 1, p 378). 

Perhaps because now more than ever He knew He was the Lamb of God.

 

Did You see me Father

Giving glory to Thy name?

My words of Thee

Flowing from my tongue

Like a holy flame.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Return From The Temple by Rose Datoc Dal)

WHISPERS FROM HOME

 

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that as a boy, Jesus Christ possessed superior intelligence to all mortals: “When still a boy He had all the intelligence necessary to enable Him to rule and govern the kingdom of the Jews, and could reason with the wisest and most profound doctors of law and divinity, and make their theories and practice to appear like folly compared with the wisdom He possessed.” (in History of the Church, 6:608)

And here is the key: “In his study, and in the learning process, He was guided from on high in a way that none other has ever been. Being without sin – being clean and pure and spotless – he was entitled to the constant companionship of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit that will not dwell in an unclean tabernacle, the Spirit that, conversely, always and everlastingly dwells with the righteous…..He enjoyed, at all times, the fulness of that light and guidance and power which comes by the power of the Holy Ghost to the faithful.

“He laboured and studied and struggled; he treasured up words of light and truth; he pondered the scriptures – all under the influence of the Holy Spirit of God, which came to him without measure and without limit, because He was clean and pure and upright.”

-        Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah Book 1, 369-371

It is evident that by the age of 12 the Saviour knew who He was. When He was found in the temple teaching the doctors of the law who ‘were hearing Him and asking Him questions’ (JST Luke 2:46), He confirmed as much telling Joseph and Mary that He was about His ‘Father’s business’ (Luke 2:49). He knew, because He was taught from on high.  

Even though the Saviour had a special mission to perform, the light and knowledge He was receiving in mortality was not limited to only Him. If we will sanctify ourselves by purging ourselves of all iniquity (D&C 43:11), the Holy Ghost will be our constant companion and He will speak the truths of eternity to our hearts and our minds and we will, like Christ, know who we truly are and who we have always been. And more than that, we will understand more fully out eternal destiny.

Our awareness of our eternal selves will outweigh and outshine every doubt and negative feeling we have about ourselves. We will then come forward to be a house set on a hill. We will be an ensign to the world of the truth we bear in our hearts and the testimonies we have of the Son of God who bears the scepter of salvation, the salvation which can be ours if we but make ourselves worthy of His sacrifice.

ODE TO THE HOLY GHOST:

You are the flaming fire

That burns with sacred might;

I surrender my sins

And grant you entrance

To my heart.

 

You enlighten my path

To the knowledge I have always known

Forgotten and hidden

But whispers from home.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Outpouring of the Spirit by Danny Hahlbohm)

LIGHT OF KNOWLEDGE

 

The eight article of faith states: “We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly” (Article of Faith 1:8)

The most significant revelation given to Joseph Smith in relation to this Article of Faith is found in 2 Timothy which reads: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”. The JST corrects this scripture to read: “And all scripture given by inspiration of God, is profitable….” (2 Timothy 3:16). It’s a matter of one very small word that should not be there that makes all the difference. Joseph Smith described his textual translation of passages in the King James Version of the Bible as a “branch of my calling” (History of the Church, 1:238)…..and I will forever be grateful for that. His translation of many passages has aided greatly my understanding of the Bible.

The most significant light of knowledge regarding Christ has come to me through the JST of the Garden of Gethsemane. The King James Version states that the Saviour took with him Peter, James and John to the Garden and ‘began to be sore amazed’ (Mark 14:33). I have heard much speculation regarding the suffering of Christ and how the intensity of it amazed even Him. The speculation is that Jesus knew cognitively what He was going to do but not experientially until He was faced with the ordeal. I fully believed this also but here is where the JST restored my belief that there is nothing that Jehovah, a God, does not understand, know or cannot do. The JST states: “And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane, which was a garden; and the DISCIPLES began to be sore amazed….” (JST Mark 14:36-38).

This is how I know that the Saviour understood fully, with His unique intellect, the process of the Atonement and was never amazed at the severity of it:

-        At twelve years of age Jesus was found in the Temple with doctors of religion who were ‘hearing Him and asking Him questions’ (JST Luke 2:46, note c). The KJV of the Bible says that He was ‘hearing’ and ‘asking’  THEM questions. Here is what Joseph Smith had to say about that: “When still a boy He had all the intelligence necessary to enable Him to rule and govern the kingdom of the Jews, and could reason with the wisest and most profound doctors of law and divinity, and make their theories and practice to appear like folly compared with the wisdom He possessed…..” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p 392)

-        Jesus went into the wilderness following His baptism to commune with God and not to be tempted of the devil as the KJV of the Bible suggests (Matthew 4:1, note b; 4:2, note c; Mark 1:12, note a). Enoch was ‘lifted up’ and saw marvelous visions beyond anything that the mind can conceive (Moses 6 and 7); Brother Of Jared learned wonders of eternity when he talked with the Lord for three hours, which are so far beyond our mortal comprehension that the Lord has not permitted them to be translated in our day (Ether 2-4); Paul was caught up into the third heaven and saw wondrous things, and heard unspeakable words which are not lawful for a man to utter (2 Corinthians 12:1-4); Joseph Smith saw the Father and the Son and the vision of the degrees of glory (JS-H 1: D&C 76:137) (see Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah Book 1, p 401).  Imagine the light of knowledge and truth and instruction the Son of God was given during His 40 days of communion with the Father. In my mind, He knew and understood the process of the Atonement inside and out and He was never ‘sore amazed’.

I am grateful for a God who understood and accepted and fulfilled His promise to save my soul. All He said of His suffering is that ‘He trembled because of pain and bled at every pore, nevertheless, He partook and finished His preparations unto the children of men’ (D&C 19:16-19). This is the God of integrity, strength and might that I imagine Him to be……the God of Heaven and Earth, the King of Glory, forever and ever……

(I give credit to Jay M. Todd’s article, “Our New Light on Jesus’ Mortal Life and Teachings”, for my understanding of the importance of the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible)

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: AI Generated)