So what follows from this? “I endeavor to look upon [mankind] as an angel would, having compassion, longsuffering, and forbearance towards them. How many times can I forgive a brother? . . . I think I could forgive a brother seventy times seven in one day.” “It is no more natural for your lungs to expand and contract in breathing than it is for you to wish others to be like yourselves. . . . [And this is the thing you’ve got to get over with.] All of these classes act according to their faith and traditions, and each one of them says, ‘If you are not as I am, you are not right.’ This is just as natural as it is to breathe vital air. I wish this trait in the Saints to be done away. I want the Elders of Israel to learn to take people as they are.” It is one of his principles of leadership. “Just as soon as our eyes are turned away from watching ourselves, to see whether we do right, we begin to see faults in our neighbors; this is the great difficulty, and our minds become more and more blinded until we become entirely darkened.” “It matters not what your neighbours do, look to your God with all your heart, instead of watching your neighbours, and there will be no danger of your leaving the true path.” This is a powerful thing; he said this on a number of occasions: “The spirit that seeks only to accuse, that can only delight itself in the failings and errors of mankind, so born of hell as only to find delight in the defects of humanity—. . . it is the very work of Satan, and his servants.” So don’t accuse—never accuse. “People cannot judge themselves as they can others, nor look upon their own conduct as they do the conduct of others. Cease looking at others; cease to judge each other.” Yes, “but they, through their traditions, can judge every person but themselves: they can weigh every person in their scale of justice; but they never think of trying themselves.” “There is one principle I wish to urge upon the Saints in a way that it may remain with them—that is, to understand men and women as they are, and not understand them as you are.” “Judge not each other rashly, for you will find that ninety-nine wrongs out of a hundred committed by men are done more in ignorance than from a design to do wrong.”
Tribute Money; Who Is Greatest; Forgiveness
In one sweep of teaching at Capernaum, Jesus answers the disciples’ jostling for greatness by setting a child in their midst, warns in the gravest terms against offending “these little ones,” tells the parable of the lost sheep, gives the order for reproving a brother and the promise to two or three gathered in his name, and, when Peter asks how often to forgive, answers “seventy times seven,” then the parable of the unforgiving servant. The Joseph Smith Translation greatly expands Mark’s sayings on offenses and restores to Matthew the reason the Son of Man came: “to save that which was lost… and I will save them.”
Tap a Gospel to show or hide its column. Narrow to any two to read them side by side.
Note. Matthew gathers the fullest version of this day’s teaching; Mark and Luke carry only its opening (who is the greatest) and Mark its warnings on offenses. Where a Gospel does not record a movement, its column is shown absent.
? 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.
Each movement Joseph discusses carries a JS link down to his letter; the letter carries a roman-numeral link back up to the movement.
At Capernaum the collectors of the temple tax come to Peter. Jesus, knowing the kings of the earth tax strangers and not their own children, is free, yet rather than give offense he sends Peter to find the coin in the fish’s mouth, and pays for them both.
24And when they had come to Capernaum, they that received tribute came to Peter and said, Does not your master pay tribute? 25He said, Yes. And when he had come into the house, Jesus prevented rebuked him, saying, What do you think, Simon? Of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? Of their own children or of strangers? 26Peter said unto him, Of strangers. Jesus said unto him, Then are the children free. 27Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first comes up. And when you have opened his mouth, you shall find a piece of money. That take, and give unto them for me and you.
The disciples have been disputing on the road who is the greatest. Jesus sets a child in their midst and overturns the question: unless you turn and become as little children you cannot even enter the kingdom, and whoever receives one such child in his name receives him.
1At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven? 2And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the middle of them, 3and said, Truly I say unto you, except you are converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven. 4Whoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of Heaven. 5And whoever shall receive one such little child in my name, receives me.
33And he came to Capernaum. And being in the house, he asked them, Why was it that you disputed among yourselves by the way? 34But they held their peace, being afraid, for by the way they had disputed among themselves who was the greatest among them. 35And he sat Now Jesus sat down and called the twelve and said unto them, If any man desire to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all. 36And he took a child and set him in sat in the middle of them. And when he had taken him in taken the child in his arms, he said unto them, 37Whoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receives me humble himself like one of these children, and receives me, you shall receive in my name. And whoever shall receive me, receives not me only, but him that sent me, even the Father.
46Then there arose a reasoning among them: who of them should be greatest. 47And Jesus, perceiving the thoughts of their hearts, took a child and set him by him in the midst. 48And said unto them, Whoever shall receive this child in my name, receives me. And whoever shall receive me, receives him that sent me. For he who is least among you all, the same shall be great.
John reports that they stopped a man casting out devils in Jesus’ name because he was not of their company. Jesus forbids them: no one who works a miracle in his name will lightly speak evil of him, whoever is not against us is for us, and even a cup of water given for his sake keeps its reward.
38And John spoke unto him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in your name, and he followed not us, and we forbade him because he follows not us. 39But Jesus said, Forbid him not, for there is no man who shall do a miracle in my name that can lightly speak evil of me; 40for he that is not against us is on our part.
41And whoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ, truly I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.
49And John spoke and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in your name, and we forbade him because he follows not with us. 50And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not Forbid not any, for he that is not against us is for us.
Then the warning turns grave. Better a millstone and the sea than to offend one of the little ones who believe. Better to lose a hand, a foot, an eye than to be cast whole into the unquenchable fire, and the Joseph Smith Translation reads those members as a brother, a standard, an appointed watchman, so that the cutting-off is the loss of one’s own. For everyone shall be salted with fire.
6But whoever shall offend one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for him that a millstone were hung about his neck and he was drowned in the depth of the sea.
7Woe unto the world because of offenses, for it must be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes. 8Wherefore, if your hand or your foot offend you, cut it off and cast it from yourself, for it is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into Everlasting fire. 9And if your eye offend you, pluck it out and cast it from yourself. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hellfire. And a man’s hand is his friend, and his foot also. And a man’s eye are they of his own household.
42And whoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hung about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
43Therefore, if your hand offend you, cut it off. Or if your brother offend you, and confess not and forsake not, he shall be cut off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than having two hands to go into hell. For it is better for you to enter into life without your brother than for you and your brother to be cast into hell — into the fire that never shall be quenched, 44where their worm dies not and the fire is not quenched.
45And again, if your foot offend you, cut it off. For he that is your standard by whom you walk, if he become a transgressor, he shall be cut off. It is better for you to enter lame into life than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched. Therefore, let every man stand or fall by himself, and not for another, or not trusting another.
46Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. Seek unto my Father, and it shall be done in that very moment what you shall ask, if you ask in faith, believing that you shall receive. 47And if your eye which sees for you — him who is appointed to watch over you to show you light — becomes a transgressor and offends you, pluck it him out. It is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than having two eyes to be cast into hellfire; for it is better that you should be saved than to be cast into hell with your brother, 48where their worm dies not and where the fire is not quenched.
49For everyone shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. 50Salt is good; but But the salt must be good; for if the salt has lost its saltiness, with what will you season it (the sacrifice)? Have Therefore, it must be that you have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.
Despise not the little ones, whose angels behold the Father’s face; for the Son of Man came to save the lost, and a shepherd will leave the ninety-nine to seek the one that strayed. And if a brother trespasses, go and win him privately first; what is bound or loosed by such agreement is ratified in heaven, for where two or three gather in his name he is among them.
10Take heed that you despise not one of these little ones, for I say unto you that in Heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father who is in Heaven. 11For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost and to call sinners to repentance, but those little ones have no need of repentance, and I will save them. 12What do you think? If a man have a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine, and go into the mountains, and seek that which is gone astray? 13And if it so be that he find it, truly I say unto you, he rejoices more of that sheep, than of the more over that which was lost than over the ninety-nine which went not astray. 14Even so, it is not the will of your Father who is in Heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
15Moreover, if your brother shall trespass against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he shall hear you, you have gained your brother. 16But if he will not hear you, then take with you one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church. But if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto you as a heathen man and a publican.
18Truly I say unto you, whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven, and whatever you shall set loose on earth shall be set loose in Heaven. 19Again, I say unto you that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, that they may not ask amiss, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in Heaven; 20for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Peter asks whether seven times is enough to forgive; Jesus answers seventy times seven, and tells of a servant forgiven an unpayable debt who then jails a fellow servant over a trifle. The measure of mercy we are shown is the measure we are bound to extend.
21Then came Peter to him and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times? 22Jesus said unto him, I say not unto you, until seven times, but, until seventy times seven. 23Therefore is the kingdom of Heaven likened unto a certain king who would take account of his servants; 24and when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25But forasmuch as he had nothing to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26And the servant fell down, and worshipped him, implored him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you all. 27Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and released him, and forgave him the debt. The servant therefore fell down and worshipped him.
28But the same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him a hundred pence. And he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that you owe. 29And his fellow servant fell down at his feet and implored him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay you all. 30And he would not, but went and cast him into prison until he should pay the debt.
31So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32Then his lord, after he had called him, said unto him, O you wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt because you desired me to. 33Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, even as I had pity on you? 34And his lord was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due unto him. 35So likewise shall my Heavenly Father do also unto you, if you from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses.
Seventy Times Seven; Better a Millstone
Because They Have Offended My Little Ones
D&C 121:16–25 (CCE T&C 138:13–14) · March 20, 1839 · scriptures.info ↗This does not explain verse 6; it applies it. In the letter Joseph Smith wrote from Liberty Jail, which the edition canonizes, the Lord turns his own saying on the men who swore falsely against his servants in Missouri: they have offended his “little ones,” and it had been better for them that a millstone had been hanged about their necks.
Cursed are all those that shall lift up the heel against my anointed, says the Lord, and cry, They have sinned! — when they have not sinned before me, says the Lord, but have done that which was meet in my eyes and which I commanded them. But those who cry transgression do it because they are the servants of sin, and are the children of disobedience themselves, and those who swear false against my servants, that they might bring them unto bondage and death, woe unto them because they have offended my little ones. They shall be severed from the ordinances of my house, their basket shall not be full, their houses and their barns shall famish, and they themselves shall be despised by those that flattered them.
They shall not have right to the Priesthood, nor their posterity after them, from generation to generation. It had been better for them that a millstone had been hanged about their necks and they drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto all those that discomfort my people, and drive and murder and testify against them, says the Lord of Hosts. A generation of vipers shall not escape the damnation of hell. Behold, my eye sees and knows all their works, and I have in reserve a swift judgment in the season thereof for them all, for there is a time appointed to every man according as his work shall be.
Whatever You Record on Earth Shall Be Recorded in Heaven
D&C 128:8–9 (CCE T&C 151:6–7) · September 7, 1842 · scriptures.info ↗Verse 18 gives all the disciples the power first promised to Peter. Writing to the church on the baptism for the dead, Joseph Smith read that power two ways: whatever you bind on earth is bound in heaven, or, “taking a different view of the translation,” whatever you record on earth is recorded in heaven. It is given, he says, whenever the Lord gives the priesthood “to any man by actual revelation, or any set of men.” The edition canonizes the letter.
Now, the nature of this ordinance consists in the power of the Priesthood, by the revelations of Jesus Christ, wherein it is granted that whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven. Or in other words, taking a different view of the translation, whatever you record on earth shall be recorded in Heaven, and whatever you do not record on earth shall not be recorded in Heaven. For out of the books shall your dead be judged according to their works, whether they themselves have attended to the ordinances in their own propria persona, or by the means of their own agents, according to the ordinance which God has prepared for their salvation from before the foundation of the world, according to the records which they have kept concerning their dead.
It may seem to some to be a very bold doctrine that we talk of, a power which records or binds on earth and binds in Heaven. Nevertheless, in all ages of the world, whenever the Lord has given a dispensation of the Priesthood to any man by actual revelation, or any set of men, this power has always been given. Hence, whatever those men did in authority in the name of the Lord, and did it truly and faithfully, and kept a proper and faithful record of the same, it became a law on earth and in Heaven, and could not be annulled, according to the decrees of the great Jehovah. This is a faithful saying. Who can hear it?
Deal with Them Precisely as the Scriptures Direct
Answering an elder’s questions on church government in April 1833, Joseph Smith and Frederick G. Williams made verses 15 to 17 the rule for dealing with a member who has done wrong: first alone, then with another, and then, where there is no bishop, before the church.
Letter to John S. Carter, 13 April 1833, Kirtland, Ohio · Joseph Smith Letterbook 1, p. 30 (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 21) · Joseph Smith Papers ↗and again the process of Labouring with a member we are to deal with them percisely as the scripturs direct if thy brother trespass against the[e] take him betwen him and thee alone and if he maketh the satisfaction thou hast saved thy brother and if not proce[e]d to take another with the[e] & when there is no bishop they are to be tried by the voice of the Church and if an Elder or an high priest be presant they are to take the lead in managing the business if not by such that have the highest authority, …
Become as Little Children
Joseph Smith is not expounding verse 3 here. Writing from Liberty Jail to the whole church, he borrowed its words for his plea that the Saints bear with one another: “become as little children, without malice, guile, or hypocrisy.” The edition canonizes the letter, and the same words stand in Teachings and Commandments 138:20.
Letter to the Church and Edward Partridge, 20 March 1839, Liberty Jail, Clay County, Missouri (canonized in the Covenant Christian Edition as Teachings and Commandments 138) · Joseph Smith Papers ↗Also recorded in CCE T&C 138:20 (the Liberty Jail letter).
tharefore We beseath of you bretheren, that you bear with those [w]ho do not feel themselves more worthey than yourselves, while we Exort one another, to a reffermation [reformation?], with one an all. both old and young. teachers and taugt both high and low rich and poor—bond and free. Male and female. let honesty and sobriety, and cander and solemnity, and virtue, and pureness, and Meekness, and simplisity, Crown our heads in every place, and in fine becom as little Children without mallice guile or Hypokrisy: …
Their Angels Always Stand Before My Father
In a sermon on the priesthood at Commerce, the summer after Liberty Jail, Joseph Smith read “their angels” in verse 10 as the children’s own spirits: the spirit of man was not created, and the Father called all spirits before him at the creation and organized them.
Discourse, between circa 26 June and circa 4 August 1839, Commerce, Illinois (Willard Richards, “W. Richards Pocket Companion Written in England,” probably recorded by John Taylor; Words of Joseph Smith, “Before 8 August 1839 (1)”) · Joseph Smith Papers ↗The Spirit of Man is not a created being; it existed from Eternity & will exist to Eternity. Any thing created cannot be Eternal & earth, water &c— all these had their existence in an elementary state from Eternity. Our Savior Speaks of Children & Says their angels always stand before my father. The father called all spirits before him at the creation of Man & organized them.
We Have Not Yet Forgiven Them Seventy Times Seven
Peter asks how often he must forgive, and Jesus answers “seventy times seven.” Joseph Smith pressed the same measure on the Relief Society, turning it from a number into a disposition of mercy toward fellow mortals who have fallen. The reading is the History’s. Eliza R. Snow’s minutes say “seventy times” and nothing more; the History, compiled later from them, reads “seventy times seven as our Savior directed.” Switch to Scribal accounts to read her minutes.
Discourse to the Female Relief Society, 26 May 1842, Nauvoo · History, 1838–1856, vol. C-1, addenda, p. 72 (from Eliza R. Snow’s minutes; History of the Church 5:19–21) · Joseph Smith Papers ↗… with deep feeling said that they are fellow mortals— we loved them once, shall we not encourage them to reformation? We have not forgiven them seventy times seven as our Savior directed— perhaps we have not forgiven them once. There is now a day of salvation to such as repent and reform— they should be cast out from this society; yet we should woo them to return to God, lest they escape not the damnation of hell!— Where there is a mountain top, there is also a valley— we should act in all things on a proper medium to every immortal spirit—
Better That a Millstone Were Hanged About His Neck
Jesus’ gravest warning falls on whoever offends “one of these little ones.” In a Times and Seasons editorial on the persecution of the prophets, printed while he was the paper’s editor, Joseph Smith set the same millstone beside the promise of reward for the cup of cold water given to the least of the saints.
Editorial, Times and Seasons, 1 September 1842, p. 903 · Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 261 · Joseph Smith Papers ↗But remember, brethren, he that offends one of the least of the saints, would be better off with a mill stone tied to his neck and he and the stone plunged into the depth of the sea!
Remember that he that gives a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, to one of the saints in prison, or secluded from friends by reason of vexatious law suits, intended for persecution, shall in no wise lose his reward.
Whatsoever You Seal on Earth: Can It Be Taken Off? No.
Jesus gives the power to bind and loose to Peter at Caesarea Philippi and here, in verse 18, to all the disciples. Preaching on the spirits of Elias, Elijah and Messiah three months before his death, Joseph Smith named it the power of Elijah and “the keys of the kingdom of Jehovah,” and made it plain with a man sitting in the congregation. James Burgess recorded him quoting the verse itself; switch to Scribal accounts to compare the four reporters with the History’s reading.
Discourse, 10 March 1844, Nauvoo · History, 1838–1856, vol. E-1, pp. 1920–1921 (History of the Church 6:251–252; Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 337–338) · Joseph Smith Papers ↗I wish you to understand this subject, for it is important, and if you will receive it, this is the Spirit of Elijah, that we redeem our dead, and connect ourselves with our fathers which are in heaven and seal up our dead to come forth in the first resurrection; and here we want the power of Elijah to seal those who dwell on earth to those who dwell in heaven. This is the power of Elijah and the keys of the kingdom of Jehovah. Let us suppose a case; suppose the great God who dwells in heaven, should reveal himself to Father [Alpheus] Cutler here, by the opening heavens, and tell him, ‘I offer up a decree that whatsoever you seal on earth with your decree, I will seal it in heaven,’ you have power then, can it be taken off? No, then what you seal on earth by the keys of Elijah, is sealed in heaven, and this is the power of Elijah, and this is the difference between the Spirit and power of Elias and Elijah. …
… This spirit of Elijah was manifest in the days of the Apostles, in delivering certain ones to the buffetings of Satan, that they may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus; they were sealed by the spirit of Elijah unto the damnation of Hell until the day of the Lord, or revelation of Jesus Christ.
Seventy Times Seven: “in One Day”
Nibley gathered Brigham Young’s teaching on this very saying: that the seventy-times-seven of forgiveness is not a ceiling to reach but a daily temper of compassion, refusing to throw away any soul.
Let compassion reign in our bosoms. Try to comprehend how weak we are, how we are organized, how the spirit and the flesh are continually at war.
Be kind to all as our Father in heaven is kind. He sends His rain upon the just and the unjust; and gives the sun to shine upon the evil and the good. So let our goodness extend to all the works of His hands, where we can; but do not yield to the spirit and influence of evil.
How often it is said—”Such a person has done wrong, and he cannot be a Saint, or he would not do so.”
How do you know? We hear some swear and lie; they trample upon the rights of their neighbor, break the Sabbath by staying away from meeting, riding about the city, hunting horses and cattle, or working in the kanyons. Do not judge such persons, for you do not know the design of the Lord concerning them; therefore, do not say they are not Saints. What shall we do with them? Bear with them.63 “May the Lord God Almighty bless the Saints, and every one who will permit his blessings to come upon them. I am under the same obligations to bless sinners as I am to bless Saints, if they will receive my blessings.” “Do we despise them? No; we pity them. ‘Pity them?’ Yes, pity them. [He’s talking about the people that were persecuting them.] They are flesh of your flesh, bone of your bone. God ‘hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth.’ “65 “Forgive them, not only seven times, but seventy times seven in a day, if their hearts are fully set to do right. Let us make it a point to pass over their weaknesses and say, ‘God bless you in trying to be better in time to come,’ and act as wise stewards in the kingdom of God. . . . Do not throw away a man or a woman, old or young.” “Do you expect to see a perfect man? Not while you stay here[!]” “Much of Joseph’s policy in temporal things was different from my ideas of the way to manage them.” Brigham Young never managed things the way Joseph did. He was a businessman; Joseph wasn’t. “He did the best he could, and I do the best I can.” We must always give others the benefit of the doubt.
The quoted words are Brigham Young’s, as Nibley presents and frames them; bracketed insertions are Nibley’s.