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The Life of ChristSection 63 / 113
Section 063 · The Turning Point

The Epileptic Boy; the Second Passion Prediction

Down from the mount of glory, Jesus meets a father whose only son is torn by a deaf-and-dumb spirit the disciples could not cast out. “If you will believe,” he answers, “all things are possible to him that believes”; and the father cries, “Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief.” Jesus rebukes the spirit and restores the boy, then tells the Twelve plainly, a second time, that the Son of Man will be betrayed and killed and rise the third day, a saying they cannot yet bear to understand.

Matthew 17:14–23; Mark 9:14–32; Luke 9:37–453 of 4 accountsReading: CCE

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ProvenanceJSTJoseph Smith TranslationCCECovenant Christian EditionDeleted text shown struck, attributed
Study: reading text with parallel accounts; changes available.
? How to read this edition

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.

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 manuscript (e.g. “this day I have begotten you” at the baptism). Some are Joseph’s own readings from his sermons; the section’s Joseph Smith commentary then gives the sermon.
MatthewKJVMatthew 17:14–23CCEMatthew 9:6–8NT 1NT 2

14And when they had come to the multitude, there came to him a man, kneeling down to him 15and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is lunatic and severely vexed, for ofttimes he falls into the fire and oft into the water. 16And I brought him to your disciples and they could not cure him. 17Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him here to me. 18And Jesus rebuked the devil and he departed out of him. And the child was cured from that very hour.

19Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could we not cast him out? 20And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief. For truly I say unto you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, Remove to that place — and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. 21Nevertheless, this kind goes not out but by prayer and fasting.

22And while they abided in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of Man shall be betrayed into the hands of men, 23and they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceedingly sorry.

No recorded JST change in this account.
MarkKJVMark 9:14–32CCEMark 5:8–12NT 2

14And when he came to his the disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them. 15And immediately all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him, saluted him. 16And he Jesus asked the scribes, What did you question with them? 17And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto you my son, who has a dumb spirit that is a devil. 18And when he seizes him, he throws him down; and he foams, and gnashes with his teeth, and wastes away. And I spoke to your disciples, that they might cast him out, and they could not. 19He answereth Jesus spoke unto him and said, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him unto me.

20And they brought him unto him; and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tore him Jesus, and when the man saw him, immediately he was convulsed by the spirit, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming. 21And he Jesus asked his father, How long a time is it since this came unto him? And he his father said, When a child; 22and ofttimes it has cast him into the fire and into the waters, to destroy him. But if you can, I ask you to have compassion on us and help us. 23Jesus said unto him, If you can believe, all things are will believe all things I shall say unto you, this is possible to him that believes. 24And immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief.

25When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge you, I charge you to come out of him and enter no more into him. 26Now the dumb and deaf spirit cried and convulsed him severely, and came out of him. And he was as one dead, insomuch that many said, He is dead. 27But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

28When he Jesus had come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could we not cast him out? 29And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting.

30And they departed from there and passed through Galilee privately, for he desired not that any man should know it. 31And he taught his disciples and said unto them, The Son of Man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him. And after he is killed, he shall rise the third day. 32But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.

LukeKJVLuke 9:37–45CCELuke 7:6–7NT 2

37And it came to pass that on the next day, when they had come down from the hill, many people met him. 38And behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I implore you, look upon my son, for he is my only child! 39And behold, a spirit takes him, and he suddenly cries out, and it convulses him that he foams, and bruising him harshly, departs from him. 40And I implored your disciples to cast him out and they could not. 41And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and suffer you? Bring your son here. 42And as he was coming, the devil threw him down and convulsed him again. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.

43And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered, everyone, at all things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples, 44Let these sayings sink down into your ears hearts, for the Son of Man shall be delivered into the hands of man. 45But they understood not this saying, and it was hidden from them that they perceived it not; and they feared to ask him of that saying.

Cross-references · other works
1 Corinthians 12:9–10 (CCE 1:48) · gifts of healing, miracles, discerning of spirits↗Mark 16:17 (CCE 8:6) · in my name shall they cast out devils↗Acts 19:13–16 (CCE 11:5) · the sons of Sceva overcome by the evil spirit↗Ether 12:6 (CCE 5:2) · no witness until after the trial of your faith↗
Joseph Smith on Faith and the Power Over Evil Spirits

Because of Your Unbelief; the Discerning of Spirits

Because of Their Unbelief

The Lectures on Faith were given to the elders’ school in Kirtland in the winter of 1834–35 and printed in 1835 as the first part of the Doctrine and Covenants, whose preface Joseph Smith signed with the rest of the committee that compiled it. The first lecture, arguing that faith is the principle of power in God and in man, takes up the disciples’ question in verse 19, why they could not cast the devil out, and gives the Savior’s answer: their unbelief. Its catechism then cites the same two verses as proof.

Lectures on Faith, Lecture First, ¶18 and the catechism, in Doctrine and Covenants (Kirtland, 1835), pp. 8, 10–11 · canonized in the CCE as Teachings and Commandments 110 · Joseph Smith Papers ↗

Also recorded in Teachings and Commandments 110, Lecture 1:18; the catechism answer, Lecture 1:36; pages 10–11 of the 1835 printing, where the catechism stands.

The Savior says, Matthew 17:19, 20, in explaining the reason why the disciples could not cast out the devil, that it was because of their unbelief: “For verily, I say unto you,” said he, “if ye have faith as a grain of mustard-seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place! and it shall remove: and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”

Q. How do you prove it? A. First, It is the principle of power in the Deity, as well as in man. … Secondly, It is the principle of power in man also. … Ma. 17:19. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? Mat. 17:20. And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard-seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.— …

If Thou Canst Believe

The seventh lecture, listing scriptures that show salvation is by faith, quotes Jesus’ words to the boy’s father. It is one proof text among many, not an exposition of this passage, and it quotes the King James wording of Mark 9:23, “If thou canst believe.” The Joseph Smith Translation, which the Mark column prints, reads “If thou wilt believe all things I shall say unto you, this is possible to him that believeth.”

Lectures on Faith, Lecture Seventh, ¶17, in Doctrine and Covenants (Kirtland, 1835), p. 71 · canonized in the CCE as Teachings and Commandments 110 · Joseph Smith Papers ↗

Also recorded in Teachings and Commandments 110, Lecture 7:17.

… And Jesus said unto the man who brought his son to him, to get the devil who tormented him, cast out, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Mark, 9:23. These with a multitude of other scriptures, which might be quoted, plainly set forth the light, in which the Savior, as well as the Former Day Saints, viewed the plan of salvation.— That it was a system of faith—it begins with faith, and continues by faith; and every blessing which is obtained, in relation to it, is the effect of faith, whether it pertains to this life or that which is to come. …

Power Over Evil Spirits Comes by the Gift of God

The disciples could not cast out the spirit; Jesus rebuked it and restored the boy. Editing the Church paper on the trying of spirits, Joseph Smith, at the very verses where Jesus rebukes the unclean spirit, taught that authority over evil spirits, to discern and to master them, is a gift of God borne by the priesthood in every age.

“Try the Spirits,” editorial, Times and Seasons, 1 April 1842, Nauvoo · Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 207 (History of the Church 4:571–581; on Mark 9:25; Luke 9:42) · Joseph Smith Papers ↗

A power similar to this existed through the medium of the priesthood, in different ages. Moses could detect the magicians’ power and shew that he was God’s servant, he knew when he was upon the mountain (through revelation,) that Israel was engaged in idolatry; he could develope the sin of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, detect witches and wizards in their proceedings, and point out the true prophets of the Lord. Joshua knew how to detect the man who had stolen the wedge of gold and the Babylonish garment, Michaiah could point out the false spirit by which the four hundred prophets were governed; and if his advice had been taken, many lives would have been spared. 2, Chron. xviii, 18. Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and many other prophets possessed this power.

Our Saviour, the apostles, and even the members of the church were endowed with this gift, for says Paul 1, Cor. xiii, “to one is given the gift of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues, to another the working of miracles, to another prophesy, to another the discerning of spirits,” all these proceeded from the same spirit of God, and were the gifts of God.

Margaret Barker · the temple lens

The Great High Priest Releasing from Evil Spirits

Barker sets Jesus’ exorcisms within the office he had claimed (Melchizedek, the great high priest), whose work was to release the captives from the power of evil spirits and bring back the outcast.

The Great High PriestBYU Studies 42, nos. 3–4 (2003) · public lecture at Brigham Young University, May 9, 2003 ↗
“The time is fulfilled. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the good news” (Mark 1:15 [Mark 1:4]). Jesus then performed exorcisms to release people from the power of evil spirits, spoke about “binding the strong man” (Mark 3:27 [Mark 2:8]), brought in the outcasts, and declared that he would give his life as the great sacrifice (Mark 10:45 [Mark 5:28]). Jesus having thus declared himself to be Melchizedek the great high priest, it is no wonder that the high priests and chief priests in Jerusalem had him arrested and saw to it that he was put to death.

Quoted from a scanned printing: spacing errors from the scan have been corrected, and the wording is unchanged.