A childless priest and a young virgin receive the same messenger: God answers Zacharias’s prayer in the temple and announces to Mary the Son of the Highest — and Mary’s soul magnifies the Lord.
The reading is the Restoration Edition — the Joseph Smith Translation reading — carried beside each Gospel and set against the King James baseline. Headers give both numbering systems: the RE chapter and verse, and the traditional KJV reference.
Each movement Joseph discusses carries a JS link down to his letter; the letter carries a roman-numeral link back up to the movement.
A righteous, childless priest burns incense in the temple; Gabriel promises him a son, John, and strikes him dumb for his unbelief.
5There was, in the days of Herod the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abijah, and his wife — being of the daughters of Aaron, and her name Elizabeth — 6were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless; 7and they had no child. Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well-stricken in years.
8And while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his priesthood, 9according to the law — his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord — 10the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the time of incense. 11And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12And when Zacharias saw the angel, he was troubled and fear fell upon him; 13but the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14You shall have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth, 15for he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the holy ghost, even from his mother’s womb. 16And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. 17And he shall go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
18And Zacharias said unto the angel, How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well-stricken in years. 19And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God, and am sent to speak unto you, and to show you these glad tidings. 20And behold, you shall be dumb and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed, because you believe not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. 21And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he tarried so long in the temple. 22And when he came out he could not speak unto them. And they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned unto them and remained speechless; 23and as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. 24And after those days, his wife Elizabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, 25Thus has the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach from among men.
Six months later the same angel comes to a virgin in Nazareth, and announces the conception of Jesus, the Son of the Highest, whose kingdom shall have no end.
26And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28And the angel came in unto her and said, Hail, virgin, who are highly favored of the Lord. The Lord is with you, for you are chosen and blessed among women. 29And when she saw the angel, she was troubled at his saying, and pondered in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31And behold, you shall conceive, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name Jesus. 32He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. 33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34Then said Mary unto the angel, How can this be? 35And the angel answered and said unto her, Of the holy ghost and the power of the Highest. Therefore also, that holy child that shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God. 36And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth, she has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month with her who is called barren; 37for with God, nothing shall be impossible. 38And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to your word. And the angel departed from her.
Mary hurries to the hill country; the babe leaps in Elisabeth’s womb, Elisabeth blesses her, and Mary answers with the song that magnifies the Lord.
39And in those days, Mary went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah, 40and entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elizabeth. 41And it came to pass that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the holy ghost, 42and she spoke out with a loud voice and said, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43And why is it that this blessing is upon me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44For behold, as soon as the voice of your salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45And blessed are you who believed, for those things which were told you of the angel of the Lord shall be fulfilled.
46And Mary said, My soul does magnify the Lord, 47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, from henceforth, all generations shall call me blessed, 49for he who is mighty has done to me great things, and I will magnify his holy name 50for his mercy on those who fear him from generation to generation. 51He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52He has put down the mighty from their high seats, and exalted them of low degree. 53He has filled the hungry with good things, but the rich he has sent away empty. 54He has helped his servant Israel in remembrance of mercy, 55as he spoke to our fathers — to Abraham and to his seed for ever. 56And Mary abided with Elizabeth about three months and returned to her own house.
Joseph Smith returned more than once to Zacharias the priest — reading the second and third chapters of Malachi in a Sabbath meeting on 21 March 1841 (McIntire Minute Book), and most fully on 23 July 1843, when he traced the priesthood by lineage down to Zacharias, the only lawful administrator of his day, who, being childless, went into the temple to wrestle with God for the son by whom the line would be preserved. The pertinent part of that discourse is given here — switch to “Scribal accounts” to read it as each reporter set it down. In an earlier instruction on the priesthood he had named the messenger sent in answer: Gabriel is Noah, who stands next to Adam in the priesthood — the same messenger later sent to Mary.
Discourse, 23 July 1843, Nauvoo (HC 5:516–518; TPJS, pp. 314–317) · Joseph Smith Papers ↗The priesthood was given to Aaron and his posterity throughout all generations. We can trace the lineage down to Zacharias, he being the only lawful administrator in his day — and the Jews knew it well, for they always acknowledged the priesthood. And Zacharias, having no children, knew that the promise of God must fail; consequently he went into the temple to wrestle with God, according to the order of the priesthood, to obtain a promise of a son. And when the angel told him that his promise was granted, he, because of unbelief, was struck dumb. And when the set time was come, John came forth; and when he took up his priesthood, he came bounding out of the wilderness, saying, “Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” He having received the holy anointing, was the only lawful administrator, and the Jews all knew it.
In an earlier instruction on the priesthood (Willard Richards Pocket Companion; History of the Church 3:385–386; Teachings p. 157), Joseph identified the messenger himself:
The Priesthood was first given to Adam… He is Michael the Archangel, spoken of in the Scriptures. Then to Noah, who is Gabriel: he stands next in authority to Adam in the Priesthood; he was called of God to this office, and was the father of all living in his day, and to him was given the dominion. These men held keys first on earth, and then in heaven.
Luke’s first chapter, Nibley observed, is steeped in the temple: the annunciation begins in the holy place, where the angel comes from God’s own presence to the priest behind the veil.
It was there that the angel Gabriel came “from the presence of God” to “preach the gospel” in a long discourse to Zacharias behind the veil. This first chapter in Luke is peculiarly relevant to the study of the temple. Zacharias was a priest, and his wife a direct descendant of Aaron.