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The Messiah Series #4
The Mortal Messiah: from Bethlehem to Calvary: Book 4
Volume Four of this four volume serious of the life an ministry of Jesus Christ. "Come learn of me," the Savior invites. "Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me. I am Jesus Christ; I came by the will of the Father, and I do his will." These words, spoken by the Savior in ancient and modern times, provide the challenge with which Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the Council of the Twelve Apostles, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, begins this four-volume work on the mortal life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. Who was Jesus of Nazareth? What was his mission? What do we know of his birth, his early life, and his ministry? Who were his disciples? What were the conditions in Palestine in the Meridian of Time, when he walked the earth and mingled with men? In his earlier work, The Promised Messiah, Elder McConkie discussed the prophecies concerning the Messiah.
447 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
6 people are currently reading
292 people want to read
About the author
Bruce R. McConkie
123 books65 followersBruce Redd McConkie was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
McConkie served in the First Council of the Seventy of the LDS Church from 1946 until his calling to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1972, where he served until his death in 1985.
During his service as a general authority, he published several doctrinal books and articles and wrote the chapter headings of the LDS standard works.
McConkie received a Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor from the University of Utah. He spent his childhood between Monticello, Utah; Salt Lake City; and Ann Arbor, Michigan. He married Amelia Smith (1916 - 2005), daughter of Joseph Fielding Smith.
McConkie served in the First Council of the Seventy of the LDS Church from 1946 until his calling to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1972, where he served until his death in 1985.
During his service as a general authority, he published several doctrinal books and articles and wrote the chapter headings of the LDS standard works.
McConkie received a Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor from the University of Utah. He spent his childhood between Monticello, Utah; Salt Lake City; and Ann Arbor, Michigan. He married Amelia Smith (1916 - 2005), daughter of Joseph Fielding Smith.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 18, 2020
McConkie's scholorship is wonderful. He is a bit wordy for me but I have certainly learned a lot. This was the 5th book in his Messiah Series and the first one that I found something that I wish he was still alive so I could ask him about what he said. One more the Millennial Messiah and I will be done. I figure it will take me until near the end of 2021 as it is over 700 pages long.
August 12, 2019
This is a great book covering the last few days of Jesus' mortal life, the Last Supper, the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus' trials, Calvary, the Garden Tomb, the Resurrection, the beginning of the apostles' ministry, as well as Jesus' ministry among the Nephites, and those in the spirit world. It based on scripture and includes other insights as well. It is one of my favorites in this series because of the key events and hope included here--the atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ!
Here are a few of my favorite quotes:
"Judas was no different from thousands and millions of sinners who preceded him and the billions who have come after. Why does any traitor betray his friends (p. 9)?"
"Born in the humblest of circumstances, he was prepared to remain in them all his days (p. 13)."
"The goodman of the house took Peter and John to 'a large upper room,' 'perhaps the very room where three days afterwards...the sorrow-striken Apostles first saw their risen Saviour--perhaps the very room where, amid the sound of a rushing mighty wind, each meek brow was first mitrred with Pentecostal flame (p. 13).'"
"The two apostles, rather than the homeowner or some other person, were required to and did attend the temple services for the formal slaying and preparation of the lamb.... two of the chief apostles, for themselves and on behalf of their Lord and their brethren, were complying to the full to the letter of the law on the last day on which its provisions were in force. When, on the morrow, the true Paschal Lamb was slain, the old order would be over and the new covenant only would have binding and efficacy and force (p. 14)."
"All things had happened as Jesus foretold (p. 15)."
"This is the one Paschal supper over which Jesus presided, and...therefore, he offered the last symbolic sacrifice preparatory to his offering of the only real sacrifice which would free men from their sins.... Two of the ordinances given of God to his people, without which accountable men cannot be saved, are baptism and the sacrament of the Lord's Supper; and with one Jesus commenced, and with the other he concluded his ministry. Both ordinances bear record of his death, burial, and resurrection (p. 16)."
"There is, in reality, only one sacrifice--the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ (p. 17)."
"John alone records such portions of what transpired relative to the foot-washing ordinance (p. 20)."
"The two ordinances about to be revealed--those of the washing of the feet and of the partaking of the emblems of his flesh and blood--these two become an eternal manifestation of the grace and goodness and love of the Lord for the Twelve and for all who believe and obey his gospel, thereby making themselves worthy to receive each of these ordinances (p. 21)."
"'If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me (p. 21).'"
"The Jews also had sacred ordinances performed in their temple, a knowledge of which has not been preserved (p. 22)."
"Those who have been washed in the waters of baptism, who have been freed from sin and evil through the waters of regeneration, who have come forth thereby in a newness of life, and who then press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, keeping the commandments and walking in paths of truth and righteousness, qualify to have an eternal seal places on their godly conduct. They are thus ready to be endowed with power from on high. Then, in holy places, they cleanse their hands and their feet...they receive anointings and washings and conversations and statutes and judgments (p. 22)."
"If true disciples are to wash each other's feet, where among the sects of Christendom is this done?... Who would know all that is involved unless God revealed it? Is not this holy ordinance one of the many signs of the true Church (p. 23)?"
"The blessed Twelve, their feet washed in an holy ordinance, their whole bodies being thereby cleansed fro the blood and sins of that evil and adulterous generation in which they lived (p. 23)."
"All ordinances must be sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise, else they are not binding on earth and sealed everlastingly in the heavens (p. 23)!"
"Jesus and the Twelve are about to end the old similitudes of the past and institute the new symbolism of the future (p. 29)."
"First--the Passover! They must eat it together, for they will not do so again...until the Messianic prophecies concerning his death are fulfilled; until, in resurrected glory, they keep the feast in the kingdom of God (p. 30)."
"The Son of Man will soon depart; he will be separated from them for a season; they shall follow him at another time (p. 42)."
"Salvation is in Christ! The plan of salvation is the gospel of God; it is the system ordained by the Father to enable his spirit children, Christ included, to advance and progress and become like him (p. 43)."
"'If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him (p. 43).'"
"This night Jesus designs to reveal to his disciples some of the mysteries of his kingdom, some of the deep and hidden doctrines, some things that can be understood only by the power of he Spirit (p. 44)."
"Through this whole night--a night of blessing and of agony--the Blessed Lord, whose coming agony will redeem his brethren, repeatedly centers the hearts of his disciples on the rock foundation of love (p. 45)."
"As long as Jesus has been with them, he has been their Comforter; he has spoken peace to their souls... Now he is leaving, but he will send another Comforter--the Holy Ghost--to abide with the faithful forever. For all men except those few who heard his voice in mortality, the Holy Ghost is the first Comforter. This member of the Godhead speaks peace to the souls of the righteous in all ages. The Holy Ghost 'is the gift of God unto those who diligently seek him (p. 45).'"
"'When the Lord has thoroughly proved him, and finds that the man is determined to serve Him at all hazards, then the man will find his calling and his election made sure, then it will be his privilege to receive the other Comforter, which the Lord hath promised the Saints (p. 46).'"
"'Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another (p. 51).'"
"'As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love (p. 53).'"
"Love is a commandment! Thou shalt love the Lord thy God; thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself; thou shalt love thy wife and family; thou shalt love one another. Christ is the Prototype; as he loved us, so we must love one another (p. 54)."
"Only those called by God, by his own voice, or by angelic ministrations, or by the gift of the Holy Ghost--such only are true apostles and true ministers (p. 55)."
"'Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God (p. 55)?'"
"How awful and fearful it is to reject light and truth (p. 56)!"
"After all that he has said, through three and a half years of ministerial service, what can he now do better than to speak of the gift of the Holy Ghost and of the atonement which assures the saints that they may receive that divine and heavenly gift (p. 60)?"
"The greatest gift known to and enjoyed by mortals is the gift of the Holy Ghost (p. 60)."
"After the receipt of the gift of the Holy Ghost, then their days of learning would really begin (p. 61)."
"'He shall not speak of himself.' Rather, he is Christ's minister; his commission is to bear record of the Father and the Son; he is appointed to reveal the truths of eternity to receptive souls (p. 61)."
"'He will shew you things to come.' He is a revelator (p. 62)."
"Sorrow is for a moment; joy is eternal (p. 63)."
"Eternal life is God's life; it is the name of the kind of life he lives (p. 69)."
"Eternal life thus comes only to those who know the Father and the Son, and who know them in the sense of doing and experiencing what it is their eternal lot to do and experience (p. 69)."
"The God of heave is no respecter of persons, and the gifts of the Spirit are available for the faithful on all continents and in all worlds (p. 70)."
"Jesus pleads the cause of the Twelve--and all the saints--in the courts above. He is their Mediator, Advocate, and Intercessor. He makes intercession for them, because they have forsaken the world and come unto him (p. 71)."
"Whatever lay ahead for the disciples, however--whether they were to be preserved by Divine Providence or means of their own wise planning and defense, as the varying situations might require--they must not overlook the great reality that their Lord was about to leave them in death. They must not take his passing upon the cross as a sign of defeat (p. 79)."
"There is no mystery to compare with the mystery of redemption, not even the mystery of creation. Finite minds can no more comprehend how matter came into being, or how Gods began to be (p. 80)."
"They 'sought false witness' (p. 94)!"
"Through all this 'Jesus listened in silence while His disunited enemies hopelessly confuted each other's testimony... But that majestic silence troubled, thwarted confounded, maddened them (p. 95)."
"Jesus who is called Christ--the same whom all Israel had for ages worshipped as the Lord Jehovah, the one Holy Being who was incapable of falsely ascribing divinity to himself--has now been convicted by the Great Sanhedrin of that very blasphemous offense, and by them condemned, according to Jewish law, to pay the supreme penalty (p. 107)."
"The Roman soldiers have done their cruel deed and done it well. While Jesus hangs in agony they have naught to do but keep the peace and protect the cross, lest any of his friends steal the body of the Suffering One (p. 137)."
"In some way, incomprehensible to us, Gethsemane, the cross, and the empty tomb join into one grand and eternal drama, in the course of which Jesus abolishes death, and out of which comes immortality for all and eternal life for the righteous (p. 141)."
"Our Pattern, our Prototype, our Exemplar marked the path for all men. He endured to the end. Would God that it may be so far all of us (p. 143)!"
"It is a voluntary act; no man taketh his life from him; he lays it down of himself; he has power to lay it down and power to take it again (p. 143)."
"'Truly this was the Son of God (p. 147).'"
"To gain salvation they must thereafter 'be born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood,' meaning the blood of Christ. Thus when men see birth into this world, they are reminded of what is required for birth into the kingdom of heaven (p. 149)."
"'This was Joseph of Arimathea, a rich man, of high character and blameless life, and a distinguished member of the Sanhedrin. Although timidity of disposition, or weakness of faith, had hitherto prevent him from openly declaring his belief in Jesus, yet he had abstained from sharing in the vote of the Sanhedrin, or countenancing their crime. And now sorrow and indignation inspired him with courage (p. 150)."
"As he ministered in the world of spirits, Jesus 'organized his forces and appointed messengers, clothed with power and authority, and commissioned them to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to them that were in darkness, even to all the spirits of men; and thus was the gospel preached to the dead (p. 153).'"
"'Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen (p. 157).'"
"Death is swallowed up in victory; Jesus comes forth from the tomb; he is the firstfruits of them that slept. Though a man dies, yet shall he live again (p. 157)."
"We cannot believe that the caution which withheld from Jesus the embrace of Mary was anything more than the building of a proper wall of reserve between intimates who are now on two sides of the veil (p. 164)."
"Let God be praised for the wonder of it all (p. 169)!"
"Peter must now step forward and preside and govern during the absence of his Lord (p. 169)."
"Thus did the proclamation of the resurrection go forth among the righteous, to be carried by them to all men (p. 171)."
"Those to whom Jesus thus spoke had been called, ordained, given priesthood and keys and authority, and promised the companionship of the Holy Ghost, and now they are being sent forth to do among men as they have seen their Master do (p. 175)."
"Without question, there were many unmentioned appearances. We know he was with them, from time to time, for forty days (p. 184)."
"Even Jesus has no doctrine of his own; even he receives his doctrine from the Father; and it is the doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, that all men must believe in Christ, repent of their sins, and live his laws to be saved (p. 188)."
"The Nephites adjusted their calendar so as to begin a new dating era with the birth of Jesus (p. 191)."
"Third Nephi is often called the fifth Gospel because it preserves for us so much that was said and so much that was done among the Nephites that parallels what he said and did among the Jews (p. 192)."
"'The right way is to believe in Christ and deny him not; for by denying him ye also deny the prophets and the law... Christ is the Holy One of Israel; wherefore ye must bow down before him, and worship him with all your might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul (p. 201).'"
"What a blessed day this is, a day when the Blessed One--resurrected and glorified--ministers among his people! They have now heard the announcement of the atonement; felt the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; been instructed as to baptism and the witness that both the Father and the Holy Ghost bear of him; heard the calling of his American apostolic witnesses; rejoiced in the wondrous words of the Sermon on the Mount; learned of the fulfillment of the law of Moses; been identified as the Lord's 'other sheep'; and heard glad tidings of the restoration of the gospel, of its proclamation among the Gentiles, of the latter-day gathering of Israel and the final triumph of the chosen seed (p. 201)."
"By the power of the Holy Ghost the saints are one--they in Christ, and he in them; the Father in them, and they in him; and all the saints in each other--for they are one (p. 205)."
"Salvation is of the Jews, and if here are believing Gentiles, they will be adopted into the believing family and inherit with the chosen seed (p. 210)."
"The gathering of Israel is twofold: it is both spiritual and temporal (p. 210)."
"When will the Lord restore again the kingdom to Israel?... The promises are so wondrous, the glories so grand, the triumph so splendid (p. 219)."
"The restoration of the gospel, including all that appertains to it, is a marvelous work and a wonder (p. 223)."
"Let God be praised for the wonders that now are and for the even greater wonders that are to be (p. 228)!"
"How glorious is the gospel; how wondrous is the word; how marvelous are its messengers; how blessed is the Lord (p. 240)!"
"Obedience brings life (p. 244)."
"Note the distinction between avoiding death as such and living till the Lord comes (p. 246)."
"As God now is, man may become (p. 247)."
"We are born, we live, we die, and in the process we are privileged--some of us--to receive a few little glimmerings of eternal truth by revelation. And there are few among us, even in sober moments, who ponder the wonders of eternity and seek to know what lies beyond the ken of humankind (p. 248)."
"The day has arrived; the hour is at hand; the Lord Jesus who descended from the courts of glory is about to return to the presence of the Father forever (p. 253)."
"'The law was broken; Jesus died
That justice might be satisfied,
That man might not remain a slave
Of death, of hell, or of the grave (p. 254).'"
"Though he has returned to his Father, yet where two or three are gathered together in his name, having perfect faith and worshipping the Father in his name, he will be in their midst--by the power of his Spirit (p. 261)."
"'Sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will (p. 261).'"
"The reason more people do not pierce the veil and see his face is simply that more do not live the law qualifying them for such a transcendent spiritual experience (p. 262)."
"Our thoughts turn to the day of his return. We long to be with him then (p. 265)."
"We must believe what Jesus believed. Repent and believe the gospel. He that believeth shall be saved... We must preach and teach and testify as Jesus did. It becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor (p. 272)."
"We must do the things Jesus did. He preached the gospel, performed the ordinances of salvation, wrought miracles, and kept the commandments. So must it be with us (p. 274)."
Here are a few of my favorite quotes:
"Judas was no different from thousands and millions of sinners who preceded him and the billions who have come after. Why does any traitor betray his friends (p. 9)?"
"Born in the humblest of circumstances, he was prepared to remain in them all his days (p. 13)."
"The goodman of the house took Peter and John to 'a large upper room,' 'perhaps the very room where three days afterwards...the sorrow-striken Apostles first saw their risen Saviour--perhaps the very room where, amid the sound of a rushing mighty wind, each meek brow was first mitrred with Pentecostal flame (p. 13).'"
"The two apostles, rather than the homeowner or some other person, were required to and did attend the temple services for the formal slaying and preparation of the lamb.... two of the chief apostles, for themselves and on behalf of their Lord and their brethren, were complying to the full to the letter of the law on the last day on which its provisions were in force. When, on the morrow, the true Paschal Lamb was slain, the old order would be over and the new covenant only would have binding and efficacy and force (p. 14)."
"All things had happened as Jesus foretold (p. 15)."
"This is the one Paschal supper over which Jesus presided, and...therefore, he offered the last symbolic sacrifice preparatory to his offering of the only real sacrifice which would free men from their sins.... Two of the ordinances given of God to his people, without which accountable men cannot be saved, are baptism and the sacrament of the Lord's Supper; and with one Jesus commenced, and with the other he concluded his ministry. Both ordinances bear record of his death, burial, and resurrection (p. 16)."
"There is, in reality, only one sacrifice--the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ (p. 17)."
"John alone records such portions of what transpired relative to the foot-washing ordinance (p. 20)."
"The two ordinances about to be revealed--those of the washing of the feet and of the partaking of the emblems of his flesh and blood--these two become an eternal manifestation of the grace and goodness and love of the Lord for the Twelve and for all who believe and obey his gospel, thereby making themselves worthy to receive each of these ordinances (p. 21)."
"'If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me (p. 21).'"
"The Jews also had sacred ordinances performed in their temple, a knowledge of which has not been preserved (p. 22)."
"Those who have been washed in the waters of baptism, who have been freed from sin and evil through the waters of regeneration, who have come forth thereby in a newness of life, and who then press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, keeping the commandments and walking in paths of truth and righteousness, qualify to have an eternal seal places on their godly conduct. They are thus ready to be endowed with power from on high. Then, in holy places, they cleanse their hands and their feet...they receive anointings and washings and conversations and statutes and judgments (p. 22)."
"If true disciples are to wash each other's feet, where among the sects of Christendom is this done?... Who would know all that is involved unless God revealed it? Is not this holy ordinance one of the many signs of the true Church (p. 23)?"
"The blessed Twelve, their feet washed in an holy ordinance, their whole bodies being thereby cleansed fro the blood and sins of that evil and adulterous generation in which they lived (p. 23)."
"All ordinances must be sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise, else they are not binding on earth and sealed everlastingly in the heavens (p. 23)!"
"Jesus and the Twelve are about to end the old similitudes of the past and institute the new symbolism of the future (p. 29)."
"First--the Passover! They must eat it together, for they will not do so again...until the Messianic prophecies concerning his death are fulfilled; until, in resurrected glory, they keep the feast in the kingdom of God (p. 30)."
"The Son of Man will soon depart; he will be separated from them for a season; they shall follow him at another time (p. 42)."
"Salvation is in Christ! The plan of salvation is the gospel of God; it is the system ordained by the Father to enable his spirit children, Christ included, to advance and progress and become like him (p. 43)."
"'If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him (p. 43).'"
"This night Jesus designs to reveal to his disciples some of the mysteries of his kingdom, some of the deep and hidden doctrines, some things that can be understood only by the power of he Spirit (p. 44)."
"Through this whole night--a night of blessing and of agony--the Blessed Lord, whose coming agony will redeem his brethren, repeatedly centers the hearts of his disciples on the rock foundation of love (p. 45)."
"As long as Jesus has been with them, he has been their Comforter; he has spoken peace to their souls... Now he is leaving, but he will send another Comforter--the Holy Ghost--to abide with the faithful forever. For all men except those few who heard his voice in mortality, the Holy Ghost is the first Comforter. This member of the Godhead speaks peace to the souls of the righteous in all ages. The Holy Ghost 'is the gift of God unto those who diligently seek him (p. 45).'"
"'When the Lord has thoroughly proved him, and finds that the man is determined to serve Him at all hazards, then the man will find his calling and his election made sure, then it will be his privilege to receive the other Comforter, which the Lord hath promised the Saints (p. 46).'"
"'Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another (p. 51).'"
"'As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love (p. 53).'"
"Love is a commandment! Thou shalt love the Lord thy God; thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself; thou shalt love thy wife and family; thou shalt love one another. Christ is the Prototype; as he loved us, so we must love one another (p. 54)."
"Only those called by God, by his own voice, or by angelic ministrations, or by the gift of the Holy Ghost--such only are true apostles and true ministers (p. 55)."
"'Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God (p. 55)?'"
"How awful and fearful it is to reject light and truth (p. 56)!"
"After all that he has said, through three and a half years of ministerial service, what can he now do better than to speak of the gift of the Holy Ghost and of the atonement which assures the saints that they may receive that divine and heavenly gift (p. 60)?"
"The greatest gift known to and enjoyed by mortals is the gift of the Holy Ghost (p. 60)."
"After the receipt of the gift of the Holy Ghost, then their days of learning would really begin (p. 61)."
"'He shall not speak of himself.' Rather, he is Christ's minister; his commission is to bear record of the Father and the Son; he is appointed to reveal the truths of eternity to receptive souls (p. 61)."
"'He will shew you things to come.' He is a revelator (p. 62)."
"Sorrow is for a moment; joy is eternal (p. 63)."
"Eternal life is God's life; it is the name of the kind of life he lives (p. 69)."
"Eternal life thus comes only to those who know the Father and the Son, and who know them in the sense of doing and experiencing what it is their eternal lot to do and experience (p. 69)."
"The God of heave is no respecter of persons, and the gifts of the Spirit are available for the faithful on all continents and in all worlds (p. 70)."
"Jesus pleads the cause of the Twelve--and all the saints--in the courts above. He is their Mediator, Advocate, and Intercessor. He makes intercession for them, because they have forsaken the world and come unto him (p. 71)."
"Whatever lay ahead for the disciples, however--whether they were to be preserved by Divine Providence or means of their own wise planning and defense, as the varying situations might require--they must not overlook the great reality that their Lord was about to leave them in death. They must not take his passing upon the cross as a sign of defeat (p. 79)."
"There is no mystery to compare with the mystery of redemption, not even the mystery of creation. Finite minds can no more comprehend how matter came into being, or how Gods began to be (p. 80)."
"They 'sought false witness' (p. 94)!"
"Through all this 'Jesus listened in silence while His disunited enemies hopelessly confuted each other's testimony... But that majestic silence troubled, thwarted confounded, maddened them (p. 95)."
"Jesus who is called Christ--the same whom all Israel had for ages worshipped as the Lord Jehovah, the one Holy Being who was incapable of falsely ascribing divinity to himself--has now been convicted by the Great Sanhedrin of that very blasphemous offense, and by them condemned, according to Jewish law, to pay the supreme penalty (p. 107)."
"The Roman soldiers have done their cruel deed and done it well. While Jesus hangs in agony they have naught to do but keep the peace and protect the cross, lest any of his friends steal the body of the Suffering One (p. 137)."
"In some way, incomprehensible to us, Gethsemane, the cross, and the empty tomb join into one grand and eternal drama, in the course of which Jesus abolishes death, and out of which comes immortality for all and eternal life for the righteous (p. 141)."
"Our Pattern, our Prototype, our Exemplar marked the path for all men. He endured to the end. Would God that it may be so far all of us (p. 143)!"
"It is a voluntary act; no man taketh his life from him; he lays it down of himself; he has power to lay it down and power to take it again (p. 143)."
"'Truly this was the Son of God (p. 147).'"
"To gain salvation they must thereafter 'be born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood,' meaning the blood of Christ. Thus when men see birth into this world, they are reminded of what is required for birth into the kingdom of heaven (p. 149)."
"'This was Joseph of Arimathea, a rich man, of high character and blameless life, and a distinguished member of the Sanhedrin. Although timidity of disposition, or weakness of faith, had hitherto prevent him from openly declaring his belief in Jesus, yet he had abstained from sharing in the vote of the Sanhedrin, or countenancing their crime. And now sorrow and indignation inspired him with courage (p. 150)."
"As he ministered in the world of spirits, Jesus 'organized his forces and appointed messengers, clothed with power and authority, and commissioned them to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to them that were in darkness, even to all the spirits of men; and thus was the gospel preached to the dead (p. 153).'"
"'Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen (p. 157).'"
"Death is swallowed up in victory; Jesus comes forth from the tomb; he is the firstfruits of them that slept. Though a man dies, yet shall he live again (p. 157)."
"We cannot believe that the caution which withheld from Jesus the embrace of Mary was anything more than the building of a proper wall of reserve between intimates who are now on two sides of the veil (p. 164)."
"Let God be praised for the wonder of it all (p. 169)!"
"Peter must now step forward and preside and govern during the absence of his Lord (p. 169)."
"Thus did the proclamation of the resurrection go forth among the righteous, to be carried by them to all men (p. 171)."
"Those to whom Jesus thus spoke had been called, ordained, given priesthood and keys and authority, and promised the companionship of the Holy Ghost, and now they are being sent forth to do among men as they have seen their Master do (p. 175)."
"Without question, there were many unmentioned appearances. We know he was with them, from time to time, for forty days (p. 184)."
"Even Jesus has no doctrine of his own; even he receives his doctrine from the Father; and it is the doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, that all men must believe in Christ, repent of their sins, and live his laws to be saved (p. 188)."
"The Nephites adjusted their calendar so as to begin a new dating era with the birth of Jesus (p. 191)."
"Third Nephi is often called the fifth Gospel because it preserves for us so much that was said and so much that was done among the Nephites that parallels what he said and did among the Jews (p. 192)."
"'The right way is to believe in Christ and deny him not; for by denying him ye also deny the prophets and the law... Christ is the Holy One of Israel; wherefore ye must bow down before him, and worship him with all your might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul (p. 201).'"
"What a blessed day this is, a day when the Blessed One--resurrected and glorified--ministers among his people! They have now heard the announcement of the atonement; felt the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; been instructed as to baptism and the witness that both the Father and the Holy Ghost bear of him; heard the calling of his American apostolic witnesses; rejoiced in the wondrous words of the Sermon on the Mount; learned of the fulfillment of the law of Moses; been identified as the Lord's 'other sheep'; and heard glad tidings of the restoration of the gospel, of its proclamation among the Gentiles, of the latter-day gathering of Israel and the final triumph of the chosen seed (p. 201)."
"By the power of the Holy Ghost the saints are one--they in Christ, and he in them; the Father in them, and they in him; and all the saints in each other--for they are one (p. 205)."
"Salvation is of the Jews, and if here are believing Gentiles, they will be adopted into the believing family and inherit with the chosen seed (p. 210)."
"The gathering of Israel is twofold: it is both spiritual and temporal (p. 210)."
"When will the Lord restore again the kingdom to Israel?... The promises are so wondrous, the glories so grand, the triumph so splendid (p. 219)."
"The restoration of the gospel, including all that appertains to it, is a marvelous work and a wonder (p. 223)."
"Let God be praised for the wonders that now are and for the even greater wonders that are to be (p. 228)!"
"How glorious is the gospel; how wondrous is the word; how marvelous are its messengers; how blessed is the Lord (p. 240)!"
"Obedience brings life (p. 244)."
"Note the distinction between avoiding death as such and living till the Lord comes (p. 246)."
"As God now is, man may become (p. 247)."
"We are born, we live, we die, and in the process we are privileged--some of us--to receive a few little glimmerings of eternal truth by revelation. And there are few among us, even in sober moments, who ponder the wonders of eternity and seek to know what lies beyond the ken of humankind (p. 248)."
"The day has arrived; the hour is at hand; the Lord Jesus who descended from the courts of glory is about to return to the presence of the Father forever (p. 253)."
"'The law was broken; Jesus died
That justice might be satisfied,
That man might not remain a slave
Of death, of hell, or of the grave (p. 254).'"
"Though he has returned to his Father, yet where two or three are gathered together in his name, having perfect faith and worshipping the Father in his name, he will be in their midst--by the power of his Spirit (p. 261)."
"'Sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will (p. 261).'"
"The reason more people do not pierce the veil and see his face is simply that more do not live the law qualifying them for such a transcendent spiritual experience (p. 262)."
"Our thoughts turn to the day of his return. We long to be with him then (p. 265)."
"We must believe what Jesus believed. Repent and believe the gospel. He that believeth shall be saved... We must preach and teach and testify as Jesus did. It becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor (p. 272)."
"We must do the things Jesus did. He preached the gospel, performed the ordinances of salvation, wrought miracles, and kept the commandments. So must it be with us (p. 274)."
December 15, 2017
A beautiful conclusion (Book 4) to this Apostle's testimony of the Savior. However, my edition was an inconvenience due to the lack of scriptural references included with the quotes. In addition, the ending seemed to be somewhat drawn out and repetitive. I did, however, especially enjoy the quote Elder McConkie used at the end by Edersheim which said: Easter Morning, 1883 (the date Edersheim concluded his monumental task) - Our task is ended -- and we also worship and look up. And we go back from this sight into a hostile world, to love, and to live, and to work for the Risen Christ. But as the earth's day is growing dim, and, with earth's gathering darkness, breaks over it heaven's storm, we ring out--as of old they were wont, from church-tower, to the mariners that hugged a rock-bound coast--our Easter-bells to guide them who are belated, over the storm-tossed sea, beyond the breakers, into the desired haven. Ring out, earth, all thy Easter-chimes; bring your offerings, all ye people; worship in faith, for--"This Jesus, Which was received up from you into heaven shall so come, in like manner as ye beheld Him going into heaven." "Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly!"
November 5, 2025
I think that the biggest problem with some of these old books from the apostles is that the editors weren’t willing to correct them. He wanders everywhere. He spends so many words and pages explaining things that I’ve already been explained. This book needs to be about 150 pages shorter than it actually is.
April 13, 2020
I made it a goal to finish this volume by Easter. I just barely made it before the end of the day. It really is a wonderful book and it was very special reading the end of it this week. Looking forward to reading the Millennial Messiah.
July 3, 2018
This book felt somewhat slow-paced, but it had a lot of great doctrine and scriptural commentary. It took me a long time to read because I read it just a few pages at a time.
January 19, 2023
i read this commentary series alongside talmages Jesus the Christ. very well written and helps explain his life and his teachings in the new testament.
September 2, 2013
I'm glad that I read this series of books. (I suppose I technically have one more book to go -- the Millennial Messiah -- but I need a break from Elder McConkie) There is now question that McConkie loved our Savior and that he had a great knowledge of him. I know that in my first review of this series, I complained about his use of very old sources (Farrar, Edersheim, etc.) but in a footnote near the end of this fourth volume, McConkie explained why he had to rely on them: "It is my judgment that most of the modern publications are far from faith promoting. In most cases it is necessary to go back a hundred years or so to find authors who believed in the divine Sonship with sufficient fervor to accept the New Testament passages as meaning what they say."
Elder McConkie's "Mortal Messiah" books, as good as they are, suffer from a lack of addressing the current challenges to this historical Jesus. Yes, I believe that Jesus lived and that he literally was God's son. I believe that Jesus was divine, that he was God on earth. But there is so much scholarship out there that challenges those views, it would be wonderful to have a LDS response to the evidence that Jesus was not what the Bible says he was. With so many believing LDS scholars today, I think it is time for a new commentary on Christ's life, with a focus on today's Bible scholarship and with an apologetic approach to the divinity of the man called Jesus, who we believe was indeed the Christ. I would buy multiple copies of the book (like I have with Rough Stone Rolling and Understanding the Book of Mormon) just so I can hand them out to people to read.
Early comment while I was reading this volume:
McConkie really, really tries to avoid repeating the same word over again in his writing, and thus, has to go to great lengths, on occasion, to call something a different word. My favorite so far in this book? "Pedal extremities" for feet. Second favorite? "Spongy excrescence" for something that may grow on a branch that has been cut from a vine. On that last one, I'm not sure if he was trying to avoid repeating the word fungus or moss, but either way, "spongy excrescence" is AWESOME.
Elder McConkie's "Mortal Messiah" books, as good as they are, suffer from a lack of addressing the current challenges to this historical Jesus. Yes, I believe that Jesus lived and that he literally was God's son. I believe that Jesus was divine, that he was God on earth. But there is so much scholarship out there that challenges those views, it would be wonderful to have a LDS response to the evidence that Jesus was not what the Bible says he was. With so many believing LDS scholars today, I think it is time for a new commentary on Christ's life, with a focus on today's Bible scholarship and with an apologetic approach to the divinity of the man called Jesus, who we believe was indeed the Christ. I would buy multiple copies of the book (like I have with Rough Stone Rolling and Understanding the Book of Mormon) just so I can hand them out to people to read.
Early comment while I was reading this volume:
McConkie really, really tries to avoid repeating the same word over again in his writing, and thus, has to go to great lengths, on occasion, to call something a different word. My favorite so far in this book? "Pedal extremities" for feet. Second favorite? "Spongy excrescence" for something that may grow on a branch that has been cut from a vine. On that last one, I'm not sure if he was trying to avoid repeating the word fungus or moss, but either way, "spongy excrescence" is AWESOME.
March 14, 2014
This was my favorite of the series. McConkie tends to drag out some of Jesus' earlier life in the previous volumes. I found new depth in his coverage of Jesus' Atonement, crucifixion, and resurrection. I often felt the Holy Spirit while reading this. Here is where McConkie's testimony and his love for the Savior shines out the brightest.
This volume also includes a summary of Jesus' mission to the Nephites in the Book of Mormon, following the 40 days ministry among his Jerusalem disciples. Since His visit at that time summarized and recapped many of his teachings from the Bible, it serves as a useful recap for everything and creates a more triumphant climax to the series.
This volume also includes a summary of Jesus' mission to the Nephites in the Book of Mormon, following the 40 days ministry among his Jerusalem disciples. Since His visit at that time summarized and recapped many of his teachings from the Bible, it serves as a useful recap for everything and creates a more triumphant climax to the series.
January 2, 2013
Great as a reference book for Mormons, but tough to read all the way through. It was written to provide a more current treatment of the Articles of Faith of the Mormon Church than that by James E. Talmage in Jesus the Christ.
August 2, 2015
This is a stand alone book in the series and probably my favorite. For some reason I gained more from this book than any of the others; I think it's because he didn't take lengthy quotes from other books, like Farrar's book. Instead he wrote almost entirely based on his own thoughts and scriptural quotes.
January 24, 2012
I loved this series of books. Very good, detailed, description of the ministry of Jesus Christ. It is a great reference for talks and lessons.
April 10, 2012
For me, this last book of the series was the best. Then again, it was more about the latter part of Christ's life that we most understand. It was a much faster read than the previous three books.
August 17, 2012
its good book!!!!
January 23, 2017
McConkie is very detailed and you need to take your time with this book. Great read--but not fast. Must be studied.
January 26, 2017
Amazing analysis of Christ's final ministry, crucifixion and resurrection. I learned so much.
November 25, 2025
4.5/5 stars. The book was excellent up to the resurrection story, then the final chapters were a little redundant and could have skipped forward to the last few pages.
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