I learned about the Savior from missionaries. I don't know a lot, but I know that He loves all of mankind and is the example for us to follow. With this knowledge, I strive to be as much like Him as possible.
| Who | How they learned about the Savior | What they knew about the Savior | What they did with their knowledge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elisabeth (Luke 1:39-45) | When Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, her baby (John) leaped in her womb, and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost | I don't really know but I imagine that most people knew of certain prophecies concerning His coming | Elisabeth prophesies that Mary is the mother of the Lord |
| Shepherds (Luke 2:8-18) | An angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and the angel said unto them, unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord | ditto | When they had seen it for themselves, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child |
| Simeon (Luke 2:25-35) | It was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Simeon was led by the Spirit into the temple where he saw the child | ditto | Simeon blessed God and prophesies about the Savior |
| Anna (Luke 2: 36-38) | Anna witnesses Simeon's reaction | Anna was a prophetess and likely knew more than most people about the Savior | Anna gives thanks along with Simeon, and speks of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem |
| Wise Men (Matthew 2:1-12) | The Wise Men saw the star in the east and knew it meant that Christ was born. | Being Wise Men, they were aware of the words of the prophets concerning His coming. How much more than that they knew I do not know | The Wise Men sought and found the child where they worshiped Him, presented Him with gifts, and being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country |
| Herod (Matthew 2:1-18) | Herod was informed by the Wise Men | It is unclear to me how much he may have known before being visited by the Wise Men, but afterwards he consults with chief priests and scribes to learn about Him | Herod at first is afraid and trembles, he then seeks information and enacts a plan to kill the child |
| Chief Priests (Matthew 2:1-6) | It is not clear that they learn about the birth of the Savior from Herod but they might have suspected it through the question asked of them | Being Chief Priests, they would know as much as anyone about the Savior | No information is provided |
| Nephites (3 Nephi 1:12-22) | The Nephites saw the sign come to pass indicating the birth of the Savior | They knew what the prophets had told them | They fell to the earth in fear because of their iniquity and their unbelief. Most of them did convert |
I am not a scripture scholar and so would appreciate anything you could add by posting a comment. What are your thoughts?
Thank you for posting this
ReplyDeleteGreat work. I am not a scriptorian either, but I would think the main source for everyone alive at the time of the birth of our Savior, would be the prophets of the Old Testament. Something I did not realize until after my conversion from Catholicism to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, was that the prophets of the Old Testament were foretelling the mortal ministry of the Savior. The Old Testament is the pre-mortal Jesus Christ, and the foretelling of his mortal birth and ministry, The New Testament is the mortal/post mortal life and ministry of Jesus Christ, and the Book of Mormon is another testament of the pre-mortal, mortal and post mortal, Jesus Christ.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your input, it helps me to learn.
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