Luke 24:1 Now upon the first day of the week
Many theories have been proposed as to the day of Christ's death and resurrection. In particular, scholars have argued whether he was crucified on a Thursday or a Friday. The safest theory comes from Luke. While the time span does not equal three full days, we may be safe in assuming that Christ was crucified about 3:00 pm on Friday, for 'that day was the preparation, and the Sabbath drew on' (Luke 23:54). And he was resurrected early on a Sunday, 'the first day of the week.' Hence, the time spent in spirit paradise would have been little more than a day and a half.
Luke 24:1,10 they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared
"Mary Magdalene came to the Savior's tomb in the company of other women. Besides herself, there were Mary, the mother of James and Joseph; Joanna; Salome, a woman called simply the mother of Zebedee's children; and perhaps others. Two days earlier they had watched Jesus' hasty burial. In the final hours before the Sabbath, there had been little time to properly prepare the body; Jesus had been quickly wrapped in fresh linen and laid in a new sepulcher. Now, in the earliest dawn of the day following the Sabbath, Mary came with her sisters, bringing spices to more thoroughly anoint and embalm the body, the only loving service left to render the dead." (Jerrie W. Hurd, Our Sisters in the Bible [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1983], 125.)
Bruce R. McConkie
"As it was in ancient days, so it is today-the sisters in the kingdom are great pillars of spiritual strength, of compassionate service, of devotion to the truth, of personal righteousness." ("Our Sisters from the Beginning," Ensign, Jan. 1979, 63)
Bruce R. McConkie
"We know that women in general are more spiritual than men, and certainly their instincts and desires to render compassionate service exceed those of their male counterparts. And these sisters came 'bringing the spices which they had prepared' to anoint the body of their Lord." (The Mortal Messiah, 4:265-266)
Luke 24:6 He is not here, but is risen
"One of the greatest messages in all eternity was the message of the empty tomb, the announcement that a God had died, ministered in the world of spirits, and come back to life; that the effects of the rising of the Sinless One would pass upon all...Christ had risen from the dead! He had broken the bands of death." (Robert L. Millet, ed., Studies in Scripture, Vol. 6: Acts to Revelation [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1987], 4.)
Ezra Taft Benson
"There is nothing in history to equal that dramatic announcement: 'He is not here, but is risen.'
"The greatest events of history are those which affect the greatest number for the longest periods. By this standard, no event could be more important to individuals or nations than the resurrection of the Master. The eventual resurrection of every soul who has lived and died on earth is a scriptural certainty, and surely there is no event for which one should make more careful preparation. Nothing is more absolutely universal than the resurrection. Every living being will be resurrected. '. . . as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.' (1 Cor. 15:22.)" (Conference Report, April 1964, Afternoon Meeting 119 - 120.)
Howard W. Hunter
"It was Job who posed what might be called the question of the ages: 'If a man die, shall he live again?' (Job 14:14.) Christ's answer rings down through time to this very hour: 'Because I live, ye shall live also.' (John 14:19.)
"Even with the logic of nature's regeneration and even with the testimony of that empty garden tomb, there are still those who feel the grave is a final destination. But the doctrine of the Resurrection is the single most fundamental and crucial doctrine in the Christian religion. It cannot be overemphasized, nor can it be disregarded.
"Without the Resurrection, the gospel of Jesus Christ becomes a litany of wise sayings and seemingly unexplainable miracles-but sayings and miracles with no ultimate triumph. No, the ultimate triumph is in the ultimate miracle: for the first time in the history of mankind, one who was dead raised himself into living immortality. He was the Son of God, the Son of our immortal Father in Heaven, and his triumph over physical and spiritual death is the good news every Christian tongue should speak." ("An Apostle's Witness of the Resurrection," Ensign, May 1986, 16)
Ezra Taft Benson
"No other single influence has had so great an impact on this earth as the life of Jesus the Christ. We cannot conceive of our lives without His teachings. Without Him we would be lost in a mirage of beliefs and worships, born in fear and darkness where the sensual and materialistic hold sway. We are far short of the goal He set for us, but we must never lose sight of it; nor must we forget that our great climb toward the light, toward perfection, would not be possible except for His teachings, His life, His death, and His resurrection." (Ensign, June 1971, p. 33.)
Gordon B. Hinckley
"The Resurrection of Jesus Christ...was not an ordinary thing. It was the greatest event in human history. I do not hesitate to say that.
"'If a man die, shall he live again?' asked Job (Job 14:14). There is no question of greater importance than this.
"Those of us who live in comfort and security seldom give any thought to death. Our minds are on other things. Yet there is nothing more certain, nothing more universal, nothing more final than the closure of mortal life. No one can escape it, not one.
"I have stood at the tomb of Napoleon in Paris, at the tomb of Lenin in Moscow, and before the burial places of many others of the great leaders of the earth. In their time they commanded armies, they ruled with almost omnipotent power, their very words brought terror into the hearts of people...They have all passed into the oblivion of the grave. All who have lived upon the earth before us are now gone. They have left all behind as they have stepped over the threshold of silent death. None has escaped. All have walked their way to 'the undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns' (Hamlet, act 3, scene 1, lines 79-80). Shakespeare so described it.
"But Jesus the Christ changed all that. Only a God could do what He did. He broke the bonds of death. He too had to die, but on the third day, following His burial, He rose from the grave, 'the firstfruits of them that slept' (1 Cor. 15:20), and in so doing brought the blessing of the Resurrection to every one of us.
"...These simple words-'He is not here, but is risen'-have become the most profound in all literature. They are the declaration of the empty tomb. They are the fulfillment of all He had spoken concerning rising again. They are the triumphant response to the query facing every man, woman, and child who was ever born to earth." ("He Is Not Here, but Is Risen," Ensign, May 1999, 70-71)
Luke 24:11 their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not
James E. Faust
"Perhaps the apostles should not be unduly criticized for not believing that Jesus, having been crucified and buried in a tomb, had come back to earth as a glorified being. In all human experience, this had never happened before. This was completely unprecedented. This was a different experience from the raising of Jairus's daughter (Mark 5:22-24, 35-43), the young man of Nain (Luke 7:11-15), or Lazarus (John 11:1-44). They all died again. Jesus, however, became a resurrected being. He would never die again. So it was that to the apostles the story of Mary Magdalene and the other women who witnessed the resurrection 'seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.' ("Luke 24:11Luke 24:11.)
"Said President David O. McKay of this experience:
'The world would never have been stirred by men with such wavering, doubting, despairing minds as the apostles possessed on the day of the crucifixion. What was it that suddenly changed these disciples to confident, fearless, heroic preachers of the gospel of Jesus Christ? It was the revelation that Christ had risen from the grave. His promises had been kept, his Messianic mission fulfilled. In the words of an eminent writer, `The final and absolute seal of genuineness has been put on all his claims and the indelible stamp of divine authority upon all his teachings. The gloom of death had been banished by the glorious light of the presence of their Risen, Glorified Lord and Savior.` On the evidence of these unprejudiced, unexpectant, incredulous witnesses, faith in the resurrection has its impregnable foundation.' (Treasures of Life, comp. Clare Middlemiss, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1962, pp. 15-16.)
"Like the apostles of old, this knowledge and belief should transform all of us to be confident, settled, unafraid, and at peace in our lives as followers of the divine Christ. It should help us carry all burdens, bear any sorrows, and fully savor all joys and happiness that can be found in this life." (Reach Up for the Light [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1990], 136.)
Luke 24:13 two of them went that same today to a village called Emmaus
The modern day site of Emmaus has not been identified, but the record is clear that it was close to Jerusalem. Only one of the disciples is named-Cleopas. The identity of the other is unknown, but some have suspected that it was Luke, as his is the only gospel which records the account.
Luke 24:15 while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them
Remember the scripture, 'where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them' (Matt 18:20). No more literal fulfillment could be imagined than in the case of these two disciples. The Lord was literally in their midst, walking and talking with them, yet 'their eyes were holden' that they knew him not. How often is the Lord in our midst, yet we see him not because our eyes are "holden" as well?
Joseph B. Wirthlin
"His pledge that he will be in our midst when two or three are gathered together in his name is a wonderful declaration of his unbounded love for us and assures us of his presence in our church services, in our individual lives, and in the intimate circles of our families." (Finding Peace in Our Lives, 97.)
Luke 24:16 their eyes were holden that they should not know him
Bruce C. Hafen
"One of the clearest-yet at times most perplexing-themes in the history of God's dealings with mankind involves his decision to draw a veil between our world of mortality and his world of the eternities. Not only does the veil keep us from remembering our past, which we call the preexistence, but also it keeps us from seeing many things that are going on at the present-for God, his angels, and their activities are hidden from our sight.
"He has only occasionally parted that veil in his dealings with men on this earth. For example, after the Savior's resurrection he encountered two of his disciples on the road to Emmaus. They did not recognize him as he engaged them in conversation...He did not tell them who he was... Only later did they recognize who he was.
"Why did he not tell them sooner? He could have revealed the fact of his resurrection much more clearly, much more rapidly." ("The Value of the Veil," Ensign, June 1977, 10)
Neal A. Maxwell
"Sometimes in daily life our eyes are 'holden' (see Luke 24:16). Things to which we are so close and which should be obvious enough are, ironically, often unclear to us. We can't always make out what lies just two steps ahead. Instead, we are to trust the Lord and walk by faith in such circumstances, taking the next first step, until the wisdom of the Lord indicates otherwise. Later we will see how we stared directly at the obvious but still could not see it. Besides, having received so many blessings involving one divine 'yes' after another, we should not be surprised if there is an occasional, divine 'no,' if only because of divine timing.
"If everything in one's immediate context were constantly clear, God's plan would not work. Hard choices as well as passing through periodic mists of darkness are needed in order to maintain life's basic reality-that we are to overcome by faith." (Lord, Increase Our Faith [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1994], 110.)
Luke 24:18 Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass?
Bruce R. McConkie
"A stranger, Jesus himself, seemingly but another Passover pilgrim, draws nigh and walks with them. They feel some irritation, perhaps are a little peevish, that this unknown one should intrude himself on a conversation that is both personal and sacred...There is surprise and skepticism in the voice of Cleopas as he turns to speak to the uninvited intruder. How could anyone have been in Jerusalem this week and been unaware of the tumult and trials and crucifixion of the most renowned person in all Palestine?" (The Mortal Messiah: From Bethlehem to Calvary, 4 vols. [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1979-1981], 4: 276.)
Luke 24:21 we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel
Even the disciples were expecting a political and military redemption! What they did not understand was that Jesus had already redeemed Israel-and his resurrection was the proof. Which is better, to be free from oppression or to be free from the powers of death? Which is better, to be free politically or to be free from sin? Rather, which is worse, to be subject to another government or to be subject to Satan? Indeed, Jesus had redeemed Israel from something far more oppressive than Roman rule-for the awful chains of hell are much worse than the rule of Pilate or Caesar. Alma declared that Christ would come 'to redeem his people from their sins' (Alma 5:21, italics added). Isaiah prophesied, 'The Lord hath redeemed his servant Jacob' (Isa. 48:20). The Resurrection meant that Israel's redemption had just been consummated. While a political and military redemption still awaits Israel, it is not as important as the spiritual redemption already accomplished by the atonement of Jesus Christ.
Luke 24:25 O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken
LeGrand Richards
"Now I ask you here today, do you believe all that the prophets have spoken? And if you do, you realize what Isaiah said: that the Lord has declared 'the end from the beginning.' (Isa. 46:10.)
"It's all in the holy scriptures, and of all the great events of the history of the world, as far as the prophets have foretold, the greatest is the preparation for the coming of the Savior in the latter days, when He will come in power and great glory, with all the holy angels, as King of kings and Lord of lords. Obviously there has to be a preparation for that coming." ("God Moves in a Mysterious Way His Wonders to Perform," Ensign, May 1977, 62)
Luke 24:27 beginning at Moses...he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself
Gerald N. Lund
"Wouldn't you love to have been able to walk along behind the three of them and hear that conversation? I have often wondered to which scriptures he referred. To what things did he point their minds? From which writings of the prophets did he quote?" (Jesus Christ, Key to the Plan of Salvation [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1991], 41.)
Bruce R. McConkie
"Jesus quoted from Moses and all the prophets and expounded to them from all of the scriptures 'the things concerning himself.' How marvelous it would be if we knew what he said. They may have walked together for as long a time as two hours. And all the while to have the Son of God interpret for them the Messianic word! Are there meanings in the Messianic words of Moses and David and Isaiah, and 'all the prophets,' that so far have escaped us? Perhaps some day the conversations of this Emmaus walk will be revealed." (The Mortal Messiah: From Bethlehem to Calvary, 4 vols. [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1979-1981], 4: 277.)
Luke 24:29 Abide with us: for it is toward evening
No time could have been more trying for these disciples than the time just after their Master's death. Just at this most depressing time, the Lord himself came to lighten their burdens and cheer their hearts. Often in our most difficult moments, we are unaware that the Savior has been walking with us for hours. Wisely, these disciples entreated him, 'Abide with us.' If we wisely recognize those times when the Master is walking by our side, enlightening our understanding, and filling our hearts, we too would make that invitation, "Abide with me, 'tis eventide." The promise is given that both the Son and the Father will respond to such an invitation, 'If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him' (John 14:23).
Behold, 'tis eventide." (Hymn 165)
Luke 24:31 their eyes were opened, and they knew him
"...while he was teaching them they had no realization, of the greatness of the experience that was theirs. It was only at their journey's end, when they sat to eat and Christ broke bread and blessed it, that their 'eyes were opened, and they knew him.' Only then did the one turn to the other and say, 'Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?' (Luke 24:31-32.)
"As is so often the case, the spiritual hindsight of these two disciples was appreciably better than their immediate spiritual insight." (Joseph Fielding McConkie, Seeking the Spirit [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1978], 7.)
Luke 24:32 Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way
Most of the time when our hearts 'burn within us,' it is because we feel the presence of the Holy Ghost. Other times, perhaps, our hearts burn because we have been in the presence of the Master-yet unaware.
J. Reuben Clark, Jr.
"They sensed it not, but they had the testimony of the spirit before there came to them the witness of the eyes." (On the Way to Immortality and Eternal Life [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1949], 72.)
Loren C. Dunn
"'Did not our heart burn within us?' is as applicable today to a person seeking the gospel of Jesus Christ as it was during the time of Christ...." (Conference Report, Apr. 1977, pp. 42-43.)
Luke 24:34 the Lord is risen...and hath appeared to Simon
James E. Talmage
"This is the sole mention made by the Gospel-writers of Christ's personal appearance to Simon Peter on that day. The interview between the Lord and His once recreant but now repentant apostle must have been affecting in the extreme. Peter's remorseful penitence over his denial of Christ in the palace of the high priest was deep and pitiful; he may have doubted that ever again would the Master call him His servant; but hope must have been engendered through the message from the tomb brought by the women...To the repentant Peter came the Lord, doubtless with forgiveness and loving assurance." (Jesus the Christ, 638)
Luke 24:36 Peace be unto you
Marvin J. Ashton
"It is very significant that when Jesus came forth from the tomb and appeared to his disciples, his first greeting was, 'Peace be unto you.' (Luke 24:36.) Peace-not passion, not personal possessions, not personal accomplishments nor happiness-is one of the greatest blessings a man can receive." ("Peace-A Triumph of Principles," Ensign, Nov. 1985, 69)
Luke 24:38 Why are ye troubled? And why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
What were the disciples thinking? They 'supposed that they had seen a spirit.' And so Christ said, 'why do thoughts arise in your hearts?' He then demonstrated to them that his body was as tangible as theirs. But in spite of Luke's clear testimony, Christianity has struggled with the true nature of the resurrected Christ. Like the ancient disciples, thoughts continue to arise in their hearts. Their hearts are troubled by the possibility that the resurrected Christ has a tangible body of flesh and bones.
Howard W. Hunter
"Those who call themselves modernists deny the fact that Jesus rose from the tomb with the same body that he laid down, and many deny the fact that he was indeed resurrected. Latter-day Saints believe in the literal resurrection of Christ in precisely the same manner described by the writers of the New Testament. From their record we learn that the same body of flesh and bones that was taken from the cross and laid in the tomb did come forth to live again." (Conference Report, October 1968, Afternoon Meeting 139.)
Howard W. Hunter
"We...believe in the literal resurrection of the body, reunited with the spirit, becoming the spiritual body or the soul as defined by scripture. If we should eliminate from our religious beliefs the doctrine of the atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of mankind, there would be nothing left but a code of ethics." (Conference Report, April 1969, Afternoon Session 138.)
Luke 24:39 handle me and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have
Satan's battle for the souls of men inevitably involves distortion of doctrine. The actuality of the resurrection is no exception. As soon as Christ was resurrected, Satan's henchmen were busy spreading false rumors about what happened to the body. To the watchmen, the chief priests said, 'Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept' (Matt. 28:11-15). Another falsehood was "that Christ was not dead when taken from the cross, but was in a state of coma or swoon, and that He was afterward resuscitated." (Jesus the Christ, chap. 37, footnote 2). The next great lie was that all the witnesses of the resurrection were delusional-that the resurrection story was an "unconscious deception on the part of those who claimed to have seen the resurrected Christ, such persons having been victims of subjective but unreal visions conjured up by their own excited and imaginative condition." (Jesus the Christ, chap. 37, footnote 2). Lastly, we have the distortions of modern Christianity; the God of the heavens is not a personal being with a physical body, but an ethereal essence filling the immensity of space.
Given this background of devilish distortions, we see Luke's brilliant foresight in his description of the risen Christ. No logical mind can read Luke's account and declare that Jesus was an intangible spirit or ghost. The physician's careful attention to detail undoubtedly stemmed from his interest in medical science. "[In his writings, Luke] reveals himself as a well-informed and careful thinker, qualities that evidently characterized his training and profession... he was in a unique position to investigate the healings, including the greatest healing-Christ's resurrection." (Kent P. Jackson and Robert L. Millet, eds., Studies in Scripture, Vol. 5: The Gospels [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1986], 89.) Luke's account leaves no doubt that Jesus' appearance was with a tangible body of flesh and bones.
LeGrand Richards
"If Jesus is one in spirit with his Father, without body or form, so large that he fills the universe and so small that he dwells in each heart, as so many believe and as the churches teach, then what meaning has the resurrection which is commemorated each Easter in the Christian churches, and what did he do with his body after he showed it to his apostles and others?" (A Marvelous Work and a Wonder [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1950], 19.)
Sterling W. Sill
"Jesus did not lose his body after his resurrection. In some mysterious way it did not evaporate, neither did it expand to fill the immensity of space. Jesus had his body as he ascended to his Father from the Mount of Olives, and the record is perfectly clear that he will still have that same body when he comes in glory to judge the world." (Conference Report, April 1963, Second Day-Morning Meeting 42 - 43.)
LeGrand Richards
"I should like to tell you an experience I had while laboring as a missionary in New Bedford, Massachusetts some years ago. We were approaching the Easter Sunday, and I had a discussion with a minister of the gospel about the mission of the Redeemer of the world. I had him explain to me the God in whom he believed. Naturally, in keeping with the ordinary orthodox Christian view, he explained how God the Father, and God the Son and God the Holy Ghost were one God, and then he went on to indicate their work and said, in substance, that they were so large that they filled the whole universe, and so small that they could dwell in our hearts; that they were the life of the plants and flowers and everything around us. And then I interjected this question, 'What are we celebrating this week?' And he said 'The Easter.' I said, 'What does that really mean?' 'Well,' he said, 'it's the resurrection of Christ.' I said, 'Just what do you mean by the resurrection of Christ?' Then I led him to explain. I said, 'You mean that the stone was actually rolled away and that when the women came to the tomb that the angels proclaimed that he was not there, that he was arisen, that the very body that was taken down from the cross and laid in that tomb had arisen?' And he admitted that that was true.
"And I said that in that body he appeared to his disciples and when doubting Thomas questioned the fact that he was actually the Redeemer whom they had known, he asked Thomas to put his hand in the wound in Jesus' side and feel the prints in his hands, and see that 'I am the same,' for, said he, 'A spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.' (See Luke 24:39.) And to indicate further the fact that he had that same body that was laid away in the tomb, he took fish and honeycomb and ate with them. I said 'Now that was the same body that he laid away in the tomb, wasn't it?' And he agreed that it was.
"And then I said, 'My friend, where is the body that Jesus took out of the tomb, if he and the Father are one and an essence everywhere present in the world? Would you say that Jesus died a second death and laid his body down again?' And he thought for a few minutes. He said, 'I am afraid I can't answer that. I have never thought of it before in that way.'
"Now, brothers and sisters, I thank God that we have a recommitment to this earth in our day and time that he does have his body, that he does actually exist as the Redeemer of the world, that he did break the bands of death, that the grave might have no victory in that it delivered up his body as it will do for all of us." (Conference Report, April 1953, Second Day-Morning Meeting 71-72.)
Luke 24:39 flesh and bones
"Although a resurrected body has 'flesh and bones,' it does not have 'blood.' Joseph Smith taught that resurrected beings have 'spirit in their bodies, and not blood.' President John Taylor also taught this principle: 'When the resurrection . . . of man shall be consummated, . . . he [will] still be in the same image, . . . without variation or change in any of his parts or faculties, except the substitution of spirit for blood.'" (Daniel H. Ludlow, Selected Writings of Daniel H. Ludlow: Gospel Scholars Series [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 2000], 87.)
Charles W. Penrose
"Paul...says 'Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.' (1 Cor. 15:50) Blood is corruptible; the blood-quickened body is subject to the law of death. But Christ's body when it was raised from the dead was 'quickened by the spirit.' There was a great deal of difference, not only in this respect but in others. When the disciples were shut up in that room Christ was able to enter it without opening the door, which could not be done by mortals. He had power to manifest himself to his disciples, and he had power to cover himself from their gaze. He had power to overcome the laws of gravity, and on a certain occasion, after he had visited his disciples, had appeared to 500 brethren at once, had given instructions to his apostles to build up his church, as he spoke to them 'a cloud received him out of their sight.' He was able to lift himself up from the earth and depart from this sphere to another; his body was no longer a mortal body, no longer governed by the same laws as those by which we are governed." (Journal of Discourses, 26 vols. [London: Latter-day Saints' Book Depot, 1854-1886], 21: 229.)
Luke 24:40 when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet
"That Jesus literally rose from the grave in the most real physical sense, with the same body of flesh and bones he had on earth, is demonstrated in many ways. First, the angels said that he had risen. Second, the women and then the Brethren noted that the body was no longer in the tomb. Third, the women held Jesus by the feet (Matt. 28:9). Fourth, the Apostles felt his resurrected body with their own hands and saw the nail holes and the hole from the spear. Fifth, Jesus ate real food. Sixth, after he showed them his hands and feet, he 'breathed on them' (John 20:22). It would be unthinkable for a spirit to be able to breathe on mortals, but since a resurrected body is an absolutely tangible physical being, why not? Luke records in the book of Acts that Jesus showed himself alive 'by many infallible proofs' (Acts 1:3). These proofs, as we have noted, include hearing, seeing, touching, and being breathed upon, all in addition to the witness of the Holy Spirit. Such evidences attest not only to Jesus' having a body but also that it was the same body he possessed at death-the body which was nailed to the cross. The evidence that he was resurrected and alive must of necessity be as clear and definite as the evidence that he had died." (Robert J. Matthews, Behold the Messiah [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1994], 278.)
Joseph F. Smith
"Now what I want to call to your minds is, emphatically, the undeniable and unequivocal and direct description of the body, the resurrected body of the Lord Jesus Christ... his disciples bear faithful record of the truth as they witnessed it-as they declare they did witness it; for they declare that they saw it with their eyes, heard it with their ears, were pricked in their hearts, and they examined the wounds with their own hands, to see and feel that he was indeed the same individual, the same person, the same body that was crucified, bearing the same marks that were inflicted upon the body while it was extended upon the cross-all this must go to show to you that the resurrection of Christ was the resurrection of himself, and not his spirit...Now, shall we accept the scriptural definition of the resurrection of the body?" (Gospel Doctrine: Selections from the Sermons and Writings of Joseph F. Smith, compiled by John A. Widtsoe [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1939], 465-466.)
Luke 24:41-43 Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb
How does a ghost eat fish? Well, he picks it up-if he can-then he places it in his ghost mouth and it falls to the floor. A spirit eats honeycomb in much the same manner. The honeycomb might make to his lips, but the honey must of necessity drip all over the floor. A resurrected body, however, has a mouth, an esophagus, and a stomach-all necessities in consuming food. That Jesus had all of these goes without mention.
James E. Talmage
"To further assure them that He was no shadowy form, no immaterial being of tenuous substance, but a living Personage with bodily organs internal as well as outward, He asked, 'Have ye here any meat?' They gave Him a piece of broiled fish and other food, which He took 'and did eat before them.'" (Jesus the Christ, 638)
Luke 24:44 the law of Moses...the prophets, and...the psalms
"It is interesting to note Christ's reference to the canon of scripture in the meridian of time... Jesus here made reference to the threefold division of the Hebrew Bible-the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings (although he called the Writings 'the psalms' here, probably because the book of Psalms is the first and longest book in the third section)." (Robert L. Millet, Selected Writings of Robert L. Millet: Gospel Scholars Series [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 2000], 7.)
Hugh Nibley
"The fact that the Lord himself reads to men out of the ancient books, 'for . . . they are they which testify of me' (John 5:39), even though he is personally present among them as the risen Savior addressing them with his own lips, gives awesome testimony to the authority of the written word." (Enoch the Prophet, 133 - 134.)
Luke 24:46-47 thus it behoved Christ to suffer...
John Taylor
"One great and very striking statement is here made by the Lord himself, to the effect that it behooved Christ to suffer, and the question at once presents itself before us, why did it behoove him? Or why was it necessary that he should suffer? For it would seem from his language, through his sufferings, death, atonement, and resurrection, 'that repentance and remission of sins' could be preached among all nations, and that consequently if he had not atoned for the sins of the world, repentance and remission of sins could not have been preached to the nations." (The Gospel Kingdom: Selections from the Writings and Discourses of John Taylor, selected, arranged, and edited, with an introduction by G. Homer Durham [Salt Lake City: Improvement Era, 1941], 117.)
Luke 24:47 repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations
Spencer W. Kimball
"Surely there is significance in the words of the Lord: 'all nations,' 'every nation,' 'every land,' 'uttermost part of the earth,' 'every tongue,' 'every people,' 'the ends of the earth.' There was and is a universal need; there must be universal coverage. Mankind is the universal family of our Heavenly Father, and we have received a universal command to take the gospel to the members of this family." ("It Becometh Every Man," Ensign, Oct. 1977, 4)
Luke 24:47-49 Apostles must receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost prior to preaching the gospel
Orson Pratt
"He would not suffer them to commence this mission until the promise of the Father-the Holy Ghost-was given to them. They already had power to work mighty miracles, but had not the power to build up the kingdom of God. This power they were to tarry for in Jerusalem, and when they should receive it, they were then to commence the duties of their mission, first, in the city of Jerusalem, and afterwards extend their labors to all nations. The power to work miracles is entirely a different thing from the power to build up the kingdom of God: the latter power, however, always includes the former, but the former power does not always include the latter." (Orson Pratt's Works [Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1945], 41 - 42.)
Dallin H. Oaks
"'Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.' (Acts 1:8; see also Acts 10:42-43.) However, he cautioned them that their witnessing would be after they had received the Holy Ghost. (See Acts 1:8; see also Luke 24:49.)
"An eyewitness was not enough. Even the witness and testimony of the original Apostles had to be rooted in the testimony of the Holy Ghost. A prophet has told us that the witness of the Holy Ghost makes an impression on our soul that is more significant than 'a visitation of an angel.' (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:44.) And the Bible shows that when we testify on the basis of this witness, the Holy Ghost testifies to those who hear our words. (See Acts 2; Acts 10:44-47.)" ("Witnesses of Christ," Ensign, Nov. 1990, 30)
Luke 24:49 tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power
In this verse, Christ has reference to the day of Pentecost. Elder Matthias F. Cowley noted:
"This promise was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, when the powers of the Holy Ghost were manifest through His glorious gifts which attended the apostles on that occasion. On that great day the Holy Ghost as a gift for their permanent guidance, was promised to all without distinction of time or place, if they would have faith, repent and be baptized by divine authority." (Cowley's Talks on Doctrine [Chattanooga: Ben. E. Rich, 1902], 82.)
Hereby we learn that the Gift of the Holy Ghost is an endowment, or gift of spiritual power, just as the temple endowment is a gift of spiritual power.
"What is the meaning of the word endued or endowed? ...The Greek word enduo has two main meanings. The first is 'to dress, to clothe someone,' or 'to clothe oneself in, to put on.' Second, the word can also be used figuratively, meaning to take on 'characteristics, virtues, intentions.'
"Thus, the endowment is a dressing not in ordinary clothes, but 'with power from on high' (Luke 24:49) and in the virtues and intentions of God. It involves the opportunity to 'put on [enedusasthe] Christ' (Gal. 3:27), so that 'this mortal [can] put on [endusasthai] immortality.' (1 Cor. 15:53.) It is possible to see both literal and figurative significance in the word enduo in connection with the desire of the pure in heart to be encircled in the robes of God's righteousness." (John W. Welch, "New Testament Word Studies," Ensign, Apr. 1993, 29)
While the endowment of the Holy Ghost is clearly one subject of this verse, the apostles were soon to receive their temple endowment as well. This can only be inferred from the scriptures as temple references are conspicuously absent from the ancient record. However, one cannot help but conclude that Jesus' forty-day ministry after his resurrection included crucial temple doctrines (see commentary for Acts 1:3). Thus, the early saints were soon to receive the endowment of the Holy Ghost and the endowment of the Holy Temple.
Bruce R. McConkie
"It is common in Christendom to suppose that Jesus here commanded his apostles to tarry in Jerusalem until the promised gift of the Holy Ghost was received, which gift would constitute an endowment of power from on high. Perhaps the statement can be so used, for certainly the disciples were marvelously and powerfully endowed when the Holy Spirit came into their lives on the day of Pentecost. ("#acts 2:1Acts 2.)
"But from latter-day revelation we learn that the Lord had something more in mind in issuing this instruction. In this dispensation, after the elders had received the gift of the Holy Ghost and as early as January, 1831, the Lord began to reveal unto them that he had an endowment in store for the faithful (D. & C. 38:22; 43:16), 'a blessing such as is not known among the children of men.' (D. & C. 39:15.) In June, 1833, he said: 'I gave unto you a commandment that you should build a house, in the which house I design to endow those whom I have chosen with power from on high; For this is the promise of the Father unto you; therefore I command you to tarry, even as mine apostles at Jerusalem.' (D. & C. 95:8-9; 105:11-12, 18, 33.)
"Thus the apostles-or any ministers or missionaries in any age-are not fully qualified to go forth, preach the gospel, and build up the kingdom, unless they have the gift of the Holy Ghost and also are endowed with power from on high, meaning have received certain knowledge, powers, and special blessings, normally given only in the Lord's Temple." (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-1973], 1: 859.)
David B. Haight
"A temple is a place in which those whom He has chosen are endowed with power from on high-a power which enables us to use our gifts and capabilities with greater intelligence and increased effectiveness in order to bring to pass our Heavenly Father's purposes in our own lives and the lives of those we love. ...
"Come to the temples worthily and regularly. Not only do you bless those who are deceased, but you may freely partake of the promised personal revelation that may bless your life with power, knowledge, light, beauty, and truth from on high, which will guide you and your posterity to eternal life" (Ensign, May 1992, 15-16).