Lesson 4: “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord” – Scriptures and Quotes

Lesson 4: “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord” – Scriptures and Quotes

Joseph Smith Translation Matthew 3:24-26 – Page 802 of scriptures

Reading 1 - 1 Nephi 10:7–10

Joseph Smith taught: "...the spirit of Elias was a going before to prepare the way for the greater, which was the case with John the Baptist.... The spirit of Elias is to prepare the way for a greater revelation of God, which is the Priesthood of Elias, or the Priesthood that Aaron was ordained unto. And when God sends a man into the world to prepare for a greater work, ...it was called the doctrine of Elias, even from the early ages of the world." (TPJS, p335)

Reading 2 – Matthew 3:1-6

Reading 3 – Luke 7:28

Reading 4 – Brother Robert J. Matthew’s has written: [John the Baptist's] mission was to be the living embodiment of the law of Moses which was part of the “preparatory gospel” functioning under the Aaronic Priesthood. John was to do as a man what the law of Moses was to do as a statute—to prepare the way for the Lord by teaching the first principles of the gospel and performing baptisms as called for in the law of Moses. John was the finest example of the powers and purposes of the priesthood of Aaron and the law of Moses. He was the right person to be the final representative of the law of Moses in its capacity as a schoolmaster to bring men to Christ. He bridged two dispensations by being the last legal representative of the law of Moses and, at the same time, being the one preappointed to introduce and prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. (Robert J. Matthews, "“There Is Not a Greater Prophet”: The Ministry of John the Baptist", Ensign, Jan. 1991, 13)

Reading 5 – Matthew 3:11-17

 President Marion G. Romney taught, “One is born again by actually receiving and experiencing the light and power inherent in the gift of the Holy Ghost.”  This is exemplified in the baptism of Adam: “And it came to pass, when the Lord had spoken with Adam, our father, that Adam cried unto the Lord, and he was caught away by the Spirit of the Lord, and was carried down into the water, and was laid under the water, and was brought forth out of the water.  And thus he was baptized, and the Spirit of God descended upon him, and thus he was born of the Spirit, and became quickened [Old English for “made alive”] in the inner man” (Moses 6:64-65)

Reading 6 - President Joseph Fielding Smith taught when one receives the gift of the Holy Ghost, “We are back in the presence of God.  The question might naturally be raised: How do we come back into the presence of God if we do not see him?  We do not see him now, but are we not in his presence when we have the gift of the Holy Ghost, one of the members of the Godhead, to lead and direct us in righteousness?  We are back in his presence, if we keep the commandments and do not longer live in sin; then we are in spiritual life.  That is an important thing in connection with baptism not generally understood.” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation: Sermons and Writings of Joseph Fielding Smith (3 Vols., Bruce R. McConkie [Ed.], Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954-56), 2:328)

Reading 7 – Matthew 4:1-11

Elder Bruce R. McConkie: "When man is communing with his Maker, he is not subject to temptation; when angels are ministering to him and he is under the spell of their angelic influence, he is not subject to temptation; when the Holy Spirit rests mightily upon him and the visions of eternity are open to his view, he is not subject to temptation.... As the period of edification and spiritual enlightenment drew to its close, as the visions and spiritual experiences ceased...and as Jesus prepared to go back into the normal mortal way of life, with angels no longer at his side and his eyes not open to the unending visions of eternity, then the devil came to entice, to trap, to tempt." (Mortal Messiah, p410)

Reading 8 - President Howard W. Hunter wrote: "Satan may have lost Jesus, but he does not believe he has lost us. He continues to tempt, taunt, and plead for our loyalty. We should take strength for this battle from the fact that Christ was victorious not as a God but as a man." (That We Might Have Joy, p35)

Reading 9: John 1:35-39

John 1:40-42