This is the one hundred tenth anniversary of the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum.
That was a true martyrdom in the strictest and rarest sense of the word, recalling in every detail, as did so many events in the modern prophet’s life, the trials, sufferings, and accomplishments of the prophets of old. This resemblance is by no means accidental, though certainly it was not contrived by the prophet himself. There is a deep significance in the events that culminated in the terrible crime of June 27, 1844, in which two prophets of God sealed their testimony with their blood.
As Peter, James, and John were descending the mountain with the Lord after they had had that wonderful manifestation in which the Father had personally introduced Jesus to them as his Son, they discussed together the subject of martyrdom. Having now a new knowledge of who the Master was, the Apostles naturally asked him whether Elias had come to announce him—for according to the ancient doctrine, the Lord does not come to this earth without an Elias to precede him and prepare the way. To this, Jesus replied that Elias would indeed come, as predicted, to restore all things, that is, in the fulness of times; but aside from that, he explained, Elias had already come as his forerunner. “Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise must also the Son of man suffer of them” (Matthew 17:12 [Matt. 9:5]). The King James Version here says “shall suffer” as if a simple future were being used; but the word is mellei with the infinitive, and mellei regularly refers to a future event that must be, that is destined and unavoidable. This is actually a more emphatic statement than that which is rendered in Mark 9:12 [Mark 5:7]: “The Son of man . . . must suffer many things, and be set at nought.” But the strongest possible expression is that which is translated from Luke 9:22 [Luke 7:4]: “The Son of man must [literally, is bound to] suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain.” Now we know that it was necessary for the Son of Man to be put to death to accomplish the redemption of the human race.
In that, he was unique—He trod the winepress alone. But in this matter of martyrdom—necessary martyrdom—his prediction does not stop with himself, for the Lord told the Apostles that they too must suffer the same fate as he.
The First Passion Prediction; Take Up the Cross
With the confession scarcely spoken, Jesus turns toward Jerusalem: foretelling for the first time that the Son of Man must suffer, be killed, and rise the third day. Peter protests and is rebuked as Satan; and Jesus calls every disciple to deny himself, take up his cross, and lose his life to find it. The Joseph Smith Translation opens the saying out: to take up the cross “is to deny himself from all ungodliness, and from every worldly lust, and keep my commandments.”
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The reading is the Joseph Smith Translation, in the text of the Covenant Christian Edition, 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.
21From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders, and chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 22Then Peter took him and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from you, Lord. This shall not be done unto you. 23But he turned and said unto Peter, Get behind me, Satan. You are an offense unto me, for you savor not the things that are of God, but those that are of men.
24Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. And now, for a man to take up his cross is to deny himself from all ungodliness, and from every worldly lust, and keep my commandments. 25Break not my commandments to save your lives, for whoever will save his life in this world shall lose it in the world to come. And whoever will lose his life in this world, for my sake, shall find it in the world to come. Therefore, forsake the world and save your souls. 26For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 27For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels, and then he shall reward every man according to his works. 28Truly I say unto you, there are some standing here who shall not taste of death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.
31And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and the chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32And he spoke that saying openly. And Peter took him and began to rebuke him. 33But when he had turned about and looked upon his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get behind me, Satan, for you savor not the things that are of God, but the things that are of men.
34And when he had called the people unto him, with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whoever will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me; 35for whoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall, or whoever will save his life shall be willing to lay it down for my sake. And if he is not willing to lay it down for my sake, he shall lose it. But whoever shall be willing to lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. 36For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? 37Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Therefore, deny yourselves of these, and be not ashamed of me.
38Whoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. And they shall not have part in that resurrection when he comes. For truly I say unto you that he shall come, and he that lays down his life for my sake and the gospel’s shall come with him, and shall be clothed with his glory in the cloud, on the right hand of the Son of Man. 1And he said unto them again, Truly I say unto you that there are some of them that stand here who shall not taste of death until they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.
21And he forbade them, and commanded them to tell no man of him, 22saying, The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and chief priests, and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. 23And he said unto them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24For whoever will save his life shall lose it; but whoever will must be willing to lose it for my sake. And whoever will be willing to lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? and yet he receives him not whom God has ordained, and he lose his own soul, and he himself be a cast away? 26For whoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels. kingdom, clothed in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. 27Truly, I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste of death until they see the kingdom of God coming in power.
Lose Your Life to Find It; the Rising Generation
He That Seeks to Save His Life Shall Lose It
Writing from Liberty Jail to a scattered, hunted people, Joseph Smith reached for this very saying to steady them: the cross is not a metaphor but a willingness to “hold on even unto death.”
Letter to the Church in Caldwell County, Missouri, written from Liberty Jail, Clay County, Missouri, 16 December 1838 · Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 129 (History of the Church 3:226–233) · Joseph Smith Papers ↗For what has happened unto us is an evident token to them of damnation but unto us of salvation and that of God. Therefore hold on even unto death, for he that seeks to save his life shall lose it but he that loseth his life for my sake and the gospels shall find it sayeth Jesus Christ.
Brethren from henceforth let truth and righteousness prevail and abound in you and in all things be temperate, abstain from every appearance of evil, drunkenness, and profane language, and from every thing which is unrighteous or unholy; also from enmity, and hatred, and covetousness and from every unholy desires.
There Are Those of the Rising Generation Who Shall Not Taste Death
Jesus’ closing promise (that some standing there would not taste death till they saw the Son of Man coming in his kingdom) Joseph took up at the April conference, tying it to his own earnest prayer and the sign of the Son of Man.
Discourse, 6 April 1843, Nauvoo (the April conference) · History, 1838–1856, vol. D-1, pp. 1519–1520 (History of the Church 5:336–337; Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 286–287; cf. Doctrine & Covenants 130:14–17) · Joseph Smith Papers ↗Also recorded in as published in the Times and Seasons.
Were I going to Prophecy, I would say the end will not come in 1844, 5 or 6, or 40 years, there are those of the rising generation who shall not taste death ’till Christ comes.
I was once praying earnestly upon this subject, and a voice said unto me, ‘My Son if thou livest until thou are 85 years of age, thou shalt see the face of the Son of Man.’ I was left to draw my own conclusions concerning this, and I took the liberty to conclude, that if I did live to that time, he would make his appearance; but I do not say whether he will make his appearance, or I shall go where he is. I prophesy in the name of the Lord God, and let it be written, the Son of Man will not come in the clouds of Heaven till I am 85 years old …
… The coming of the Son of Man never will be, never can be ’till the judgements spoken of, for this hour, are poured out, which judgements are commenced. … it is not the design of the Almighty to come upon the earth and crush it and grind it to powder, but he will reveal it to his Servants the Prophets.
Necessary Martyrdom: “in the Literal, Physical Sense”
Nibley reads the passion prediction and the cross saying at full strength: the Greek says the Son of Man is *bound* to suffer, and to follow him is to share his fate, not a figure of speech but death itself.
He even said that to follow him meant to take up a cross (Luke 9:23 [Luke 7:4]). The order he gave to all his followers was to endure to the end, and the early Christians had absolutely no doubt as to what that meant: “To endure to the end,”
Tertullian explains, “meant to suffer the end, to suffer death, no less.” The disciples of the Lord were firmly convinced of what their fate would be.
The Master having been rejected and slain, would the servants fare better? By no means: “If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?” (Matthew 10:25 [Matt. 5:5].) “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself. . . For whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it”
Ellipses mark omissions within Nibley’s own text; the bracketed gloss is his.
Take Up the Cross: An Invitation to the High Priesthood
Barker hears in “take up your cross” not first a warning of suffering but an invitation: to wear the cross-shaped mark of the divine Name, sharing the high priesthood of the one who comes in the glory of his Father.
This element in Jesus’ teaching is often neglected.
When Jesus told his followers to take up their cross (Mark 8.34 [Mark 5:3] and parallels), a saying which we usually understand as a warning to expect suffering, I suspect it was originally an invitation to sharing the high priesthood by wearing the cross.
If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me… For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. (Mark 8.34 [Mark 5:3], 38).
Jesus linked this saying about taking up the cross to the Son of Man coming in glory with his angels - a reference to the host in the Revelation 14 with the Name on their foreheads, the redeemed who had followed the Lamb. ‘Take up your cross and follow me’ was an invitation to become one of the restored high priests. The third commandment was originally directed to the high priests, because it warned them not to wear the Name of the LORD without due reverence. ‘You shall not wear the Name of the LORD your God lightly, for the LORD will not keep him free from harm if he wears his Name lightly.’ Wearing the Name lightly would give them no protection. (Exod.20.7). .
The servants of the LORD whom St John saw before the throne were standing in the restored holy of holies. The throne was by the tree of life, and the river of the water of life flowed from it and out from the holy of holies.
There are several temple texts which show that those who entered the holy of holies were transformed and became a part of the holiness. They were taught the secrets of mercy and the secrets of righteousness.14 In another account of his visions, Enoch says that the angels showed him the secrets of the heavens, how the kingdom is divided and the actions of men weighed in a balance.
Ellipses mark omissions within Barker’s own text.