The Good Samaritan

The Good Samaritan



One of the most influential stories told by Jesus Christ is the parable of the good Samaritan.  The Savior spoke often in parables because each has a deeper meaning understood only by those who have “ears to hear” (Matthew 13:9). 
In the second century A.D., Irenaeus in France and Clement of Alexandria both saw the good Samaritan as symbolizing Christ Himself saving the fallen victim, wounded with sin. A few years later, Clement’s pupil Origen stated that this interpretation came down to him from earlier Christians, who had described the allegory as follows:

“The man who was going down is Adam. Jerusalem is paradise, and Jericho is the world. The robbers are hostile powers. The priest is the Law, the Levite is the prophets, and the Samaritan is Christ. The wounds are disobedience, the beast is the Lord’s body, the [inn], which accepts all who wish to enter, is the Church. … The manager of the [inn] is the head of the Church, to whom its care has been entrusted. And the fact that the Samaritan promises he will return represents the Savior’s second coming.” ^*

Symbols from the Parable of the Good Samaritan

Symbol	An Early Christian Interpretation
Good Samaritan	Jesus Christ
Victim	Man wounded with sin
Jerusalem	Paradise
Jericho	World
Priest	Law of Moses
Levite	Prophets
Beast	Christ’s body
Inn	Church
Manager of the inn	Head of the Church

 

There are many different ways that this parable can be interpreted.  The parable of the Good Samaritan can help us to understand the greatest two commandments, the plan of salvation, or a number of other principles.  We need to 'liken' all the scriptures 'for our profit and learning' so we can understand and apply them better.(1 Nephi 19:23) As we do these things we will come closer to God.

resource: http://lds.org/liahona/2007/02/the-good-samaritan-forgotten-symbols?lang=eng&query=good+samaritan

Moments that Matter Most

"If life and its rushed pace and many stresses have made it difficult for you to feel like rejoicing, then perhaps now is a good time to refocus on what matters most."  -President Uchtdorf

 

Often our lives become super complicated as we try to do and be everywhere at the same time.  President Uchtdorf's message focuses on the basics of our lives.  As we focus on the basics and enjoy the pure gospel, we become aware of just how rich our lives actually are.

 

Stop to smell the roses and read more of President Uchtdorf's testimony:

Of Things that Matter Most

The Nature of God

There are three separate persons in the Godhead: God, the Eternal Father; his Son, Jesus Christ; and the Holy Ghost. We believe in each of them (A of F 1:1). From latter-day revelation we learn that the Father and the Son have tangible bodies of flesh and bone and that the Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit, without flesh and bone (D&C 130:22–23). These three persons are one in perfect unity and harmony of purpose and doctrine (John 17:21–23; 2 Ne. 31:21; 3 Ne. 11:27, 36).

God the Father

It is generally the Father, or Elohim, who is referred to by the title God. He is called the Father because he is the father of our spirits (Mal. 2:10; Num. 16:22; 27:16; Matt. 6:9; Eph. 4:6; Heb. 12:9). God the Father is the supreme ruler of the universe. He is all powerful (Gen. 18:14; Alma 26:35; D&C 19:1–3), all knowing (Matt. 6:8; 2 Ne. 2:24), and everywhere present through his Spirit (Ps. 139:7–12; D&C 88:7–13, 41). Mankind has a special relationship to God that sets man apart from all other created things: men and women are God’s spirit children (Ps. 82:6; 1 Jn. 3:1–3; D&C 20:17–18).  There are few recorded instances of God the Father appearing to or speaking to man. The scriptures say that he spoke to Adam and Eve (Moses 4:14–31) and introduced Jesus Christ on several occasions (Matt. 3:17; 17:5; John 12:28–29; 3 Ne. 11:3–7). He appeared to Stephen (Acts 7:55–56) and Joseph Smith (JS—H 1:17). Later he appeared to both Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon (D&C 76:20, 23). To those who love God and purify themselves before him, God sometimes grants the privilege of seeing and knowing for themselves that he is God (Matt. 5:8; 3 Ne. 12:8; D&C 76:116–118; 93:1).

God the Son

The God known as Jehovah is the Son, Jesus Christ (Isa. 12:2; 43:11; 49:26; 1 Cor. 10:1–4; 1 Tim. 1:1; Rev. 1:8; 2 Ne. 22:2). Jesus works under the direction of the Father and is in complete harmony with him. All mankind are his brothers and sisters, for he is the eldest of the spirit children of Elohim. Some scripture references refer to him by the word God. For example, the scripture says that “God created the heaven and the earth” (Gen. 1:1), but it was actually Jesus who was the Creator under the direction of God the Father (John 1:1–3, 10, 14; Heb. 1:1–2).

God the Holy Ghost

The Holy Ghost is also a God and is called the Holy Spirit, the Spirit, and the Spirit of God, among other similar names and titles. With the aid of the Holy Ghost, man can know the will of God the Father and know that Jesus is the Christ (1 Cor. 12:3).

For more scriptural references, see: lds.org

The Fellowship of the Unashamed

I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The dye has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made; I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tinted visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals. I no longer need pre-eminence, positions, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk with patience, am lifted up in prayer, and labor with power. My face is set, my goal is heaven. My road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, divided or delayed, will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table with the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won't give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, and paid up for the case of Christ. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me and when He returns for His own He will have no problem recognizing me. 

- Elder Henry B. Eyring

The Falcon, Prophet, and Holy Ghost

There once was a mighty king who enjoyed hunting more than anything. He had a trusted friend, a falcon, whom he would take on his hunting trips. The falcon had been trained to fly high above the hunters and alert them to where the game was.
  One day the king took his trusted men and his prized falcon out to hunt. After a day of traversing the land the hunters became disoriented and lost their way. They were tired and thirsty, so when they heard the sound of rushing water
they were overjoyed. They discovered a
pool of clear water with a steady stream of water splashing into it. The king took his goblet from  the servant's pack and bent to catch the clear, cool water and once more the falcon swooped down and knocked it from his hand. By know the king was extremely angry and asked for his gun. The bird that he considered his friend had spilled his water for the second time. The king wondered why the falcon had turned on him.
  The king attempted to fill his cup a third time, but the bird again knocked it from his hand. The king lifted his rifle to shoot the falcon, yet just as he was about to pull the trigger his servant called for him to come and look. The king walked up the hill and behind some trees, above where he was to have taken the drink. In the river was the decaying carcass of an elk. The water that had looked so fresh and inviting could have easily killed him. The falcon could see farther than the king, and had warned him of the danger.

  This is the same with a prophet. Things may look good to us, but in actuality can be harmful. The prophet is who is going to warn us.

  This story can also be related to the Holy Ghost.  While the falcon did warn the king of the danger that he could not see, a lot of the time the prophet is not there to help us make decisions.  The falcon can be symbolic of the Holy Ghost as well because of it's immediate promptings.

My testimony is that we have both working in our lives today.  The prophet gives us the knowledge we need to make right choices, while the Holy Ghost confirms everything that he tells us.  I know that if we follow both of these heavenly influences that we will be protected as we go through this dangerous world.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Christmas Spirit

Christ Centered Christmas


Today for my studies about Jesus Christ I looked up the different references in the Topical Guide under Jesus Christ, Mission of.  It caught my eye, because I'm on a mission and I thought about how my mission and the Savior's mission are similar in ways.  Some of the parts of the Savior's mission include that he was to:
-Swallow up death in victory(Isaiah 25:8).
-Save His people from their sins(Matthew 1:21).
-Fulfill all righteousness(Matthew 3:15).
-Reign over the House of Jacob(Luke 1:33).
-Heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, recover sight, set at liberty them that are bruised. And to preach the acceptable year of the Lord(Luke 4:18).
-Save the world(John 12:47).
-Publish Peace(Mosiah 12:21).
-Redeem His people(Mosiah 15:1).
-Satisfy... justice(Mosiah 15:9).
-Atoneth for the sins of the world(Alma 42:15).
-Bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man(Moses 1:39).

I am so grateful for the life and mission of our Savior Jesus Christ.  I am also thankful to be one of His representatives at this time and helping Him fulfill His purpose.  Each of us has own mission and plan for our lives.  Each one is different, but equally important in God's eyes.  I bear you my testimony that Jesus is our Redeemer and only through Him we can have eternal life.

http://mormon.org/jesus-christ

A Christ-Centered Christmas

Our mission president has recently asked us to study the over 18 pages of references to our Saviour Jesus Christ in anticipation of our upcoming zone conference.  It has been great to have time to study about the Redeemer of the world as we approach this Christmas season.  Most recently I have looked up the different verses that talk about the coming of Christ and there are a lot of them.  Here is what I have found:

-Jesus Christ is the bread of life and this was shown as early as in the days of Moses with the Manna that was fed to the Children of Israel.  This is found in Exodus 16:11-15 as well as in John 6:48-58.

-Jesus Christ is the Rock of our Salvation as well as the living water.  When Moses smote the rock in the wilderness this was symbolic of when Christ was beaten.  Jesus also provides us of the living water that "springs up into everlasting life."  This is found in Exodus 17:5-6 as well as in 1 Corinthians 10:1-4.

-Just as Moses lifted up the brazen serpent, Jesus Christ was to be lifted up on the cross to bear the sins of the world.  This is one of the most symbolic references and is applied in a lot of scriptures and other church material.  In this month's (December 2010: Modern-day Fiery Serpents) issue of the Ensign it talks about the modern day serpents that plague our world.  All we have to do is look to Christ in these perilous times to find the answer to our concerns.  Having faith in Christ and his Atonement and truly repenting of our sins is the only way we are able to overcome spiritual death.  I also like how this is referenced in John 3:14-17 as I had never made that connection before.  

I am so blessed in my life to have the knowledge of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.  This knowledge has given me hope in my life as well as a willingness to always improve myself so that I can one day return with honor to live with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ as well as my family.  I love the work that I am involved in and love the people of Montana and Wyoming.