Life of Christ

Gabriel appears to Zacharias in the temple and announces that his wife Elisabeth, barren and advanced in years, will bear a son — John the Baptist. Zacharias is struck mute until the child is named.

Six months later, Gabriel appears to the virgin Mary in Nazareth: "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee." Mary responds: "Be it unto me according to thy word."

The unborn John leaps in Elisabeth's womb at Mary's greeting. Mary sings the Magnificat — "My soul doth magnify the Lord."

Elisabeth bears a son. Zacharias recovers his speech and prophesies the Benedictus — "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people."

Minded to put Mary away privately, Joseph is reassured by an angel in a dream: "That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost." Joseph takes Mary as his wife.

A decree from Caesar Augustus brings Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem. With no room at the inn, Mary lays her newborn son in a manger. The long-promised Messiah is born.

"Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy." A multitude of the heavenly host announces the Savior's birth to shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem.

Forty days after His birth, Jesus is presented at the temple. Simeon takes Him in his arms and proclaims "a light to lighten the Gentiles." The prophetess Anna gives thanks.

Wise men from the east follow a star to Bethlehem. They present gold (kingship), frankincense (divinity), and myrrh (death). Warned in a dream, they depart another way.

An angel warns Joseph to flee. The holy family escapes to Egypt, where they remain until Herod's death — fulfilling Hosea 11:1, "Out of Egypt have I called my son."

Herod orders the slaughter of all male infants in Bethlehem two years old and under. "In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping."

After Herod's death, Joseph returns with Mary and Jesus to Nazareth in Galilee. The hidden years of childhood begin. "He shall be called a Nazarene."

At twelve, Jesus remains behind in Jerusalem after Passover. His parents find Him in the temple astounding the doctors with His understanding. "Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?"

John begins his ministry: 'Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Clothed in camel's hair, eating locusts and wild honey, he baptizes multitudes in the Jordan.

Jesus comes to the Jordan and, despite John's protests, is baptized to "fulfil all righteousness." The heavens open, the Spirit descends as a dove, the Father declares: "This is my beloved Son."

Led by the Spirit, Jesus fasts forty days. Satan tempts Him three times — stones to bread, casting down from the pinnacle, the kingdoms of the world. Jesus answers each with scripture.

At the Jordan, John the Baptist points Jesus out: "Behold the Lamb of God." Andrew and John follow. Andrew brings Simon; Jesus names him Cephas (Peter). Philip and Nathanael soon join.

Jesus turns water into wine at a wedding feast — the first of His signs. "His glory is manifested; and his disciples believe on him."

At Passover in Jerusalem, Jesus drives out the money-changers. "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" — spoken of His body.

A Pharisee and ruler of the Jews seeks Jesus by night. "Ye must be born again." The discourse contains John 3:16 — "For God so loved the world."

At Jacob's well in Samaria, Jesus asks a Samaritan woman for water. He offers her living water, reveals her past, and declares: "I that speak unto thee am he" — the Messiah. Many Samaritans believe.

In the synagogue of His hometown, Jesus reads Isaiah 61 and declares: "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." The people try to cast Him off a cliff; He passes through their midst.

By the Sea of Galilee Jesus calls Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John from their nets: "I will make you fishers of men." A miraculous draught of fish fills two boats.

Jesus calls Matthew (Levi) from the tax collector's booth. He dines with publicans and sinners, scandalizing the Pharisees: "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick."

After a night of prayer on the mountain, Jesus formally chooses twelve from His disciples: Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon Zealot, Judas Iscariot.

The great foundational sermon. Beatitudes, salt and light, the new law ("Ye have heard that it was said... but I say unto you"), the Lord's Prayer, and the two ways.

A Roman centurion in Capernaum sends for Jesus to heal his servant. "Speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed." Jesus marvels: "I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel."

At the gate of Nain, Jesus meets a funeral procession. He touches the bier: "Young man, I say unto thee, Arise." The dead youth sits up and speaks. The crowd glorifies God.

Crossing the Sea of Galilee, a great tempest arises. Jesus sleeps in the stern. Awakened by the terrified disciples, He rebukes wind and waves: "Peace, be still." The sea is calm.

On the far shore, Jesus casts a legion of devils out of a man dwelling in the tombs. The spirits enter a herd of swine which run down the steep place and drown. The man is found clothed and in his right mind.

A synagogue ruler entreats Jesus for his dying daughter. Enroute, a woman with an issue of blood touches His hem and is healed. Arriving, Jesus takes the dead girl's hand: "Talitha cumi — maid, arise."

Jesus sends the Twelve to the lost sheep of Israel with authority over unclean spirits, taking nothing for their journey — staff only. They preach repentance, cast out devils, and anoint the sick.

At Herod Antipas's birthday feast, Salome dances and demands John's head at her mother Herodias's urging. The forerunner's ministry ends.

With five loaves and two fish from a boy's lunch, Jesus feeds a multitude of 5,000 men (plus women and children). Twelve baskets of fragments remain. The only miracle recorded in all four Gospels.

In the fourth watch of the night Jesus comes to the disciples walking on the water. Peter steps out, walks briefly, then doubts and begins to sink. Jesus catches him: "O thou of little faith."

In the synagogue at Capernaum: "I am the bread of life... except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." Many disciples turn away. Peter declares: "To whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life."

"Whom say ye that I am?" Peter answers: "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus declares: "Upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail."

From that time forth Jesus begins to tell His disciples He must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things, be killed, and rise on the third day. Peter rebukes Him; Jesus rebukes Peter: "Get thee behind me, Satan."

On a high mountain, Jesus is transfigured before Peter, James, and John. His face shines like the sun; His raiment becomes white as light. Moses and Elijah appear and converse with Him. Keys of the priesthood are conferred.

Beyond the Twelve, Jesus appoints seventy others and sends them two by two into every city where He Himself would come. They return rejoicing: "Even the devils are subject unto us through thy name."

A lawyer asks, "Who is my neighbour?" Jesus answers with the parable of the man beaten on the Jericho road, passed by a priest and a Levite, and rescued by a despised Samaritan. "Go, and do thou likewise."

At Bethany, Martha is cumbered with much serving; Mary sits at Jesus' feet. "Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful."

The three parables of Luke 15 — the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son. "This thy brother was dead, and is alive again; was lost, and is found."

Ten lepers cry out from a distance; Jesus heals them all as they go to show themselves to the priests. Only one returns to give thanks — a Samaritan. "Where are the nine?"

"What lack I yet?" — "Sell all that thou hast... come, follow me." The young man goes away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle..."

At Jericho, blind Bartimaeus cries out: "Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus heals him. Bartimaeus follows Him on the road.

A chief tax collector climbs a sycamore tree to see Jesus passing through Jericho. "Zaccheus, make haste, and come down." Jesus dines with him; Zaccheus restores fourfold. "The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."

Four days in the tomb; Mary and Martha weep. Jesus declares: "I am the resurrection, and the life." Then, with a loud voice: "Lazarus, come forth." The dead man emerges bound in graveclothes. The Sanhedrin begins plotting His death.

Six days before Passover, Mary of Bethany pours costly spikenard on Jesus' feet and wipes them with her hair. Judas protests the waste. "Against the day of my burying hath she kept this."

Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a colt fulfilling Zechariah 9:9. Crowds spread palm branches and cry "Hosanna to the son of David!" He weeps over the city, prophesying its destruction.

Jesus overturns the tables of the money-changers and drives out those who bought and sold: "My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves."

Jesus curses a barren fig tree — a parabolic judgment on fruitless Israel. "No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever." By morning it has withered from the roots.

Questions from Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes: authority, paying tribute to Caesar, marriage in the resurrection, the great commandment. Jesus silences them all.

On the Mount of Olives, Jesus prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem, the signs of His second coming, and the parables of the virgins and the talents. "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour."

Judas Iscariot goes to the chief priests: "What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you?" They covenant with him for thirty pieces of silver.

The Passover meal in the upper room. Jesus washes the disciples' feet, identifies Judas as the betrayer, institutes the sacrament (bread and wine), and delivers the farewell discourse and great high-priestly prayer.

"Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." Jesus sweats great drops of blood from every pore, bearing the weight of the atonement. An angel strengthens Him.

Judas approaches with a band of soldiers and officers. His kiss is the signal. Peter draws a sword and cuts off the ear of Malchus — Jesus heals it and surrenders. "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?"

Three religious trials (Annas, Caiaphas, the Sanhedrin at dawn) and three civil trials (Pilate, Herod Antipas, back to Pilate). Peter denies Him thrice; the cock crows. Pilate washes his hands of innocent blood.

At the third hour He is crucified between two thieves. "Father, forgive them; they know not what they do." At the ninth hour: "It is finished." The temple veil rends from top to bottom; the earth quakes; the centurion confesses, "Truly this was the Son of God."

Joseph of Arimathea requests the body. With Nicodemus, he wraps Jesus in linen with a hundred pound weight of myrrh and aloes and lays Him in a new tomb hewn from rock. A great stone is rolled against the door.

The body of Jesus lies in the tomb. His spirit ministers to the righteous dead in paradise and organizes missionary work to those in spirit prison (1 Peter 3:18–20; D&C 138).

Early the first day of the week Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome come to the tomb with spices. The stone is rolled away. An angel sits upon it: "He is not here, for he is risen, as he said."

Mary weeps outside the tomb. Thinking Him the gardener, she turns when He speaks her name: "Mary." She answers, "Rabboni." She is the first witness of the Resurrection.

Two disciples walking to Emmaus are joined by a stranger who expounds the scriptures concerning Himself from Moses to the prophets. Their hearts burn within them. At the breaking of bread, they recognize Him — and He vanishes.

Jesus appears through locked doors to the gathered disciples: "Peace be unto you." He shows them His hands and side and breathes on them: "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." Thomas is absent.

Eight days later, with Thomas present, Jesus appears again: "Reach hither thy finger... and be not faithless, but believing." Thomas cries, "My Lord and my God!"

After a fruitless night's fishing, the disciples cast the net on the right side at a stranger's word and take 153 fish. John recognizes: "It is the Lord." Jesus prepares breakfast on the shore. Peter is restored with the threefold charge: "Feed my sheep."

On a mountain in Galilee: "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost... and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."

After forty days of appearances and instruction, Jesus leads the disciples out to Bethany. He blesses them and ascends into heaven. Two angels promise: "This same Jesus... shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go."

On the American continent, at the hour of Christ's crucifixion, tempests, earthquakes, whirlwinds, and three days of darkness destroy the wicked. A voice declares the Father's grief over the fallen cities.

A multitude is gathered around the temple in Bountiful. A voice is heard from heaven three times. Then, descending in a white robe, the resurrected Christ comes down. Each of the 2,500 gathered comes forward, feels the prints in His hands and feet, and knows for themselves.

Jesus calls twelve disciples from among the Nephites — Nephi, Timothy, Jonas, Mathoni, Mathonihah, Kumen, Kumenonhi, Jeremiah, Shemnon, Jonas, Zedekiah, and Isaiah. He gives them authority to baptize.

Christ delivers a sermon paralleling the Sermon on the Mount, adapted for the Nephites. The Beatitudes, the new law, and the Lord's Prayer are given anew to this branch of Israel.

Three of the twelve Nephite disciples are granted the desire of John the Revelator: to remain on earth until Christ's second coming, to minister unseen to nations and peoples.