The faithful son refuses to enter into the feast, stands in judgment of the wayward but repentant son, and does not join the feast… At the end of the parable, who is ‘alive’? Is it the repentant son who feasts with his father, or the resentful but ostensibly faithful son who refuses to join the feast? Which of the two is now ‘dead’?
The Perean Ministry · Parables of the Lost
Lost Sheep, Lost Coin & the Prodigal Son
When the Pharisees and scribes murmur that he receives sinners and eats with them, Jesus answers with three parables of the lost and found — a shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine and goes into the wilderness after the one, a woman who lights a candle and sweeps until she finds her lost coin, and a father who runs to meet a son who was dead and is alive again — for there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.
Luke 15:1–321 of 5 accountsReading: CCE
Study — reading text with parallel accounts; changes available.
? How to read this edition
The reading is the Covenant Christian Edition — the Joseph Smith Translation reading — carried beside each Gospel and set against the King James baseline. Headers give both numbering systems: the CCE chapter and verse, and the traditional KJV reference.
JST
Green — Joseph Smith Translation. Where the Covenant Christian Edition departs in substance from the King James text and the change is in the JST (confirmed against the parallel-column edition). Modernized English (“has” for “hath,” “you” for “thou”) is not marked.
CCE
Burgundy — Covenant Christian Edition. Where the CCE’s reading departs from the King James but the change is not in the Joseph Smith Translation — the CCE’s own editorial reading (e.g. “this day I have begotten you” at the baptism).
DS
Plum — Testimony of St. John. The TSJ (a separate scripture text) and Denver Snuffer’s later commentary share the plum mark.
Each movement Joseph discusses carries a JS link down to his letter; the letter carries a roman-numeral link back up to the movement.
I
This Man Receiveth SinnersLk
The publicans and sinners draw near to hear him, and the Pharisees and scribes murmur — “This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.” That complaint is the question the three parables answer.
Lk 15:1–2
1Then drew near unto him many of the publicans and sinners in order to hear him. 2And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receives sinners and eats with them.
II
The Lost SheepLk
A man with a hundred sheep loses one and leaves the ninety-nine to go into the wilderness after it, and when he finds it he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing — for there is more joy in heaven over one sinner that repents than over ninety-nine who need no repentance.
Lk 15:3–7
3And he spoke this parable unto them, saying, 4What man of you having a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine and go into the wilderness after that which is lost until he find it? 5And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders rejoicing. 6And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost. 7I say unto you that likewise, joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner that repents, more than over ninety-nine just people who need no repentance.
III
The Lost CoinLk
A woman with ten pieces of silver loses one and lights a candle, sweeps the house, and seeks diligently until she finds it — and calls her friends to rejoice; so there is joy among the angels of God over one sinner that repents.
Lk 15:8–10
8Either, what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, does not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently until she find it? 9And when she has found it, she calls friends and neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I had lost. 10Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
IV
The Prodigal SonLk
The younger son takes his portion, wastes it in a far country, and comes to want, feeding swine and longing for their husks. Coming to himself, he resolves to return to his father as a hired servant, no more worthy to be called a son.
Lk 15:11–19
11And he said, A certain man had two sons, 12and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods which falls to me. And he divided unto him his possessions. 13And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. 14And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land and he began to be in lack. 15And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16And he would gladly have filled his belly with the husks which the swine did eat, and no man gave unto him. 17And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger? 18I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before you, 19and am no more worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired servants.
V
The Father’s WelcomeLk
While the son is yet a great way off, the father sees him, runs, falls on his neck, and kisses him; and over the son’s confession he calls for the best robe, a ring, shoes, and the fattened calf — for this my son was dead and is alive again, was lost and is found.
Lk 15:20–24
20And he arose and came to his father. And when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against Heaven and in your sight, and am no more worthy to be called your son. 22But the father said unto his servants, Bring forth the best robe and put on him, and put a ring on his finger, and shoes on his feet, 23and bring here the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and be merry. 24For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. And they began to be merry.
VI
The Elder BrotherLk
The elder son, coming from the field, hears the music and is angry, and will not go in. His father comes out and entreats him; but he protests his years of service and the kid never given him. The father answers — Son, you are ever with me, and all I have is yours; it was meet that we should be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again.
Lk 15:25–32
25Now his elder son was in the field and, as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27And he said unto him, Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him safe and sound. 28And he was angry and would not go in. Therefore came his father out and entreated him. 29And he answering said to his father, Behold, these many years do I serve you, neither transgressed I at any time your commandment, and you never gave me a kid that I might make merry with my friends; 30but as soon as this your son had come, who has devoured your possessions with harlots, you have killed for him the fattened calf. 31And he said unto him, Son, you are ever with me, and all I have is yours. 32It was meet that we should make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead and is alive again, was lost and is found.
Cross-references · other works
JS
Joseph Smith on reading a parable
The Key That Unlocks the Parable
Joseph Smith made this chapter the text of his great statement on how to read a parable: not to “interpret” it, but to find the question or the occasion that drew it out. The key here is the murmuring of verse 2 — “This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them” — which unlocks all three parables of the lost at once.
Discourse, 29 January 1843, Nauvoo, Illinois · reported by Willard Richards (History of the Church 5:260–262; TPJS 276–278) · Joseph Smith Papers ↗In reference to the prodigal son, I said it was a subject I had never dwelt upon; that it was understood by many to be one of the intricate subjects of the scriptures, and even the elders of this Church have preached largely upon it, without having any rule of interpretation. What is the rule of interpretation? Just no interpretation at all. Understand it precisely as it reads. I have a key by which I understand the scriptures. I enquire, what was the question which drew out the answer, or caused Jesus to utter the parable? To ascertain its meaning, we must dig up the root and ascertain what it was that drew the saying out of Jesus.
While Jesus was teaching the people, all the publicans and sinners drew near to hear him; and the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. This is the keyword which unlocks the parable of the prodigal son. It was given to answer the murmurings and questions of the Sadducees and Pharisees, who were querying, finding fault, and saying, How is it that this man as great as he pretends to be, eats with publicans and sinners? It was for men in an individual capacity, and all straining on this point is a bubble: This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety-and-nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing… I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety-and-nine just persons which need no repentance.
The hundred sheep represent one hundred Sadducees and Pharisees, as though Jesus had said, If you Sadducees and Pharisees are in the sheepfold, I have no mission for you; I am sent to look up sheep that are lost, and when I have found them, I will back them up and make joy in heaven. This represents hunting after a few individuals, or one poor publican, which the Pharisees and Sadducees despised.
He also gave them the parable of the woman and her ten pieces of silver, and how she lost one, and searching diligently found it again, which gave more joy among the friends and neighbors than the nine which were not lost — like I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety-and-nine just persons that are so righteous: they will be damned anyhow; you cannot save them.
DS
Latter-day witness
Denver Snuffer on the Two Sons
Denver Snuffer turns the parable on the elder brother: the one who has never transgressed stands in judgment of the repentant son and refuses the feast — and so the question of who is truly “dead” and “alive” returns upon him.
Blog posts