David O. McKay

“ In the crowd were Jews from many nations who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost. These spoke the language of the country from which they came. Imagine their amazement when every one heard the Gospel preached in his own tongue!
"Are not theses men who speak Galileans?" they asked. "Yes," was the answer.
"Then how hear we every man in his own tongue, wherein we were born?"
As the apostles, one after another, told of the salvation of man through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, some of the people were amazed, and some amused, but all were perplexed. ”

“ From the brethren at Iconium and Lystra, Paul learned that these good women and their noble young son Timothy had been true to the faith. He already knew that Timothy had been instructed from childhood to repeat the scripture and to live a pure life. Timothy had been one who had stood by him when the mob dragged him from the city and left him for dead, and now he finds still in the young man's heart the "unfeigned faith which first dwelt in his grandmother Lois, and his mother Eunice." No wonder Paul said to the women "I desire Timothy to go forth with me." ”

“ The Lord then told Peter that He would make John "as a flaming fire and a ministering angel; he shall minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation who dwell on the earth."
True Greatness.
Thus was expressed John's love not only for his Lord and Master but for all the children of men whom he desired to bring to Christ and to participate in the joys of the everlasting gospel. By this spirit, John proved himself to have been one of the greatest men that ever lived; for true greatness consists in losing oneself for the good of others. ”

“ But his heart was set upon his riches; so when the Savior said, "Sell all thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come, follow me," the young ruler went away very sorrowful.
Then Peter said, "Lo, we have left all and followed thee." As much as to say, Lord we have left everything for Thee, now what shall be our reward? Jesus said:
"There is no man who has left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time; and in the world to come, life everlasting." ”

“ These incidents in the life of Peter are only a few of the glorious experiences he witnessed even before he went out as "a special witness of the name of Christ." Jesus knew that neither Peter nor anybody else could convert others to the truth until he himself first knew that truth. No one can teach others what he himself does not know. Undoubtedly by this time Peter believed, with all his heart, that Jesus the Worker of Wonders, was indeed the Messiah who should come; but his testimony was not yet firm as a rock. ”

“ LESSON 1 "LIGHT-FOUNTAINS"
"No man has come to true greatness who has not felt in some degree that his life belongs to his race, and that what God gives him He gives him for mankind."
"If any man seek for greatness, let him forget greatness and ask for truth, and he will find both."
"Nothing can make a man truly great but being truly good, and partaking of God's holiness." ”

“ How the Twelve must have loved each other and their hearts beat as one as, day after day, they bore witness to the death and the resurrection of their Lord, and received divine assurances that He was still manifesting Himself to them through the Holy Ghost! As this Spirit permeated those who joined the Church, no wonder that "the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul." ”

“ Tennyson Quoted.
"Happy he with such a mother! faith in womankind beats with his blood, and trust in all things high comes easy to him, and though he trip and fall, he shall not blind his soul with clay."
Proud of Her Boys.
Such was the faithful, devoted woman whom James and John, the sons of Zebedee called mother. And she was as proud of her boys as they were proud of their mother; for they seemed to have inherited from their mother, and perhaps their father too, those true and unwavering qualities which made them such devoted disciples of Christ. ”

“ At last Jesus discovers the assurance in Peter for which He has been laboring many months to develop. He now knows that Peter's spirit has received divine assurance that all these miracles and mighty manifestations have been wrought by the power of God through His only Begotten Son. He knows that the testimony borne by Peter comes not from men but from God, and no matter what men may think or do, Peter will stand firm as a rock on this testimony. ”

“ Next morning, the people in Capernaum who knew that Peter and the other disciples had left the opposite shore without Jesus, were very much astonished to see Him in their midst, and said, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
"Ye seek me," answered Jesus, "not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled."
"Lord, save me."
"Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you." ”

“ Said Agrippa, "Festus, I should like to hear this man myself."
"All right," said Festus, "tomorrow thou shalt hear him."
A Royal Assembly.
On the morrow, Agrippa and Bernice came with "great pomp;" which means, no doubt, that he dressed in his purple robes and she in her bright jewels, and attended with servants all dressed in gorgeous colors. It was a royal assemblage, and a royal occasion, but the most royal personage among them was the humble prisoner who appeared in chains to plead his innocence and the justice of his cause. ”

“ These heavenly personages talked, not to Jesus but with him, about His approaching death, and resurrection, one of the vital things in Christ's ministry which Peter could not comprehend. Surely after this glorious vision of two heavenly beings. Death would lose much if not all its terror for Peter, James, and John. They would know that even if wicked men did kill their Master, that He would still live and still be their Lord and Savior. Death, to them, after this, would be just a "departure." They would realize that "Death hath nothing terrible in it, but what life hath made so." ”

“ When he had been in Jerusalem about a week, he went to the temple to worship. There happened to be also in the temple, some men who had seen Paul in Asia with the Gentiles. Thinking that he had brought some of these Gentiles into the temple, they stirred up the people, seized Paul, and cried out, "Men of Israel, help; this is the man that teacheth all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place; and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this place." ”

“ The Roman Emperor Claudius had obtained great victories in Great Britain. On his return to Rome there was great rejoicing. Herod thought he would gain great favor with the emperor by a grand festival in his honor in Caesarea, to which he hastened from Jerusalem. On the morning of the second day the theatre was filled with a mass of human beings to witness the inhuman exhibition of gladiators who fought one another for public amusement. Herod appeared in a magnificent robe, sparkling with silver. ”

“ But, fortunately, Paul and Silas were not in, and could not be found. Perhaps some friend, or it may be the Spirit of the Lord, had warned the Lord's servants not to go home just at that time. Not finding the elders, the mob dragged Jason and some other brethren before the rulers of the city and said:
Jason Seized.
"Those Christians that have turned the world upside down have come hither also;
"Whom Jason hath received; and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus."
How easy it is sometimes to prevert the truth into a lie! ”

“ It is quite evident from this that he had been persecuted for his belief in the Gospel and for his unwavering testimony of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He was probably the last living witness of the Savior's miracles and teachings. Perhaps that is why he was banished. But wicked men could not banish the testimony he had borne. That was planted in the hearts of thousands of sincere believers, and like seeds sown in fertile soil, would grow and bear rich harvests for ages to come. ”

“ Paul and Barnabas and a few converts were holding a meeting one day in the "open air." In the audience sat a man "impotent in his feet," who had been a cripple from birth, and who had never walked. This fact, of course, all the people knew, for many of them were acquainted with him, and had seen him carried to the meeting. "The same heard Paul speak," and conviction entered his weary heart that what Paul said was true. Paul looked at him, and "perceiving that he had faith to be healed," said, "Stand upright on thy feet." This he commanded by the power of the Redeemer. ”

“ As Paul walked through the streets of Athens, he saw many statues and memorials built in honor of men and mystical gods. Some of these were the statues of the great men of Athens, "such as Solon the lawgiver, Conon the admiral, Demosthenes the orator." Among her defied heroes were Hercules, Mercury, Apollo, Neptune, Jupiter, Minerva, and many others, and in one place, in the center of all these was an altar to the "Twelve Gods." "There were more statues in Athens than in all the rest of Greece. It has been said as almost a truth that it was easier to find a god in Athens than a man." ”

“ LESSON 19 WITH THE REDEEMER
"Modesty is a shining light; it prepares the mind to receive knowledge, and the heart for truth."
"Humility is the solid foundation of all the virtues."
Modesty.
In the first chapter of the Gospel according to St. John, we read that two disciples of John the Baptist heard their master bear witness to the divinity of Jesus. Said the Baptist, referring to Jesus walking alone in the distance, "Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world." One of the two disciples who heard this testimony is named; he was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. ”

“ Of course, Jesus was known all around by this time as a great teacher, a worker of miracles, and an able interpreter of the law; and, "they were astonished at His doctrine: for His word was with power."
An Evil Spirit Rebuked.
On one particular Sabbath, when Jesus was preaching, Peter and all present were surprised to see a man rise in the audience, and suddenly interrupt by crying out in a loud voice,
"Let us alone; what have we to do with Thee, Thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art Thou come to destroy us? I know Thee who Thou art; the Holy One of God." ”

“ His prejudiced heart prompts him to speak of Jesus without mentioning His name. But even in his bitterness, he bears a noted testimony of the success of the Apostles' preaching. "Ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine," said he, "and now intend to bring this man's blood upon us." Did the high priest remember, just then, that the Jews cried at the trial of Jesus, "His blood be upon us, and upon our children?" If so, he must have felt fearful that the imprecation might be realized.
Then said Peter and the other Apostles:
"We ought to obey God rather than men." ”

“ When Jesus called Simon "Peter" or "The Rock," he undoubtedly expressed in that name one characteristic which He desired to see in the faith of His disciples, and particularly in each of His Apostles. He desired them to possess a faith that was unwavering,—a faith that would make them steadfast in the truth regardless of miracles or the acts of men—a faith that would trust the Lord at all times and under all circumstances, let those times and circumstances be what they may. Jesus knew that the Jews were easily influenced ”

“ Such may not be the case always in life; but it certainly must have been Paul's experience in regard to his anticipated visit to Rome. For several years he had looked forward with pleasure to the time when he would have the opportunity to preach the Gospel in the famous capital of the great Roman Empire. But now as he approaches the realization of his hopes, he is an old man, worn with exposure and confinement, and a prisoner.
However, we must not conclude that he was left comfortless, or that he had any less desire to bear testimony to the world of the divine mission of his Savior. ”