#14.3 Joseph Smith on Christ and John the Baptist
In
January 1843 the prophet Joseph Smith was living in Nauvoo, attending meetings
in the Temple, instructing the Twelve, and attending to church affairs. One of
the questions being asked and discussed in general had to do with John the
Baptist and a certain passage of scripture. In response the prophet gave the
following explanation:
“The
question arose from the saying of Jesus: ‘Among those that are born of women
there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he that is least in
the kingdom of God is greater than he.’ How is it that John was considered one
of the greatest prophets? His miracles could not have constituted his
greatness.
“First:
He was entrusted with the divine mission of preparing the way before the face
of the Lord. Whoever had so great a trust committed to him before or since? No
man.
“Secondly:
He was entrusted with the important mission, and it was required at his hands,
to baptize the Son of Man. Whoever had the honor of doing that? Whoever had so
great a privilege and glory? Whoever led the Son of God into the waters of
baptism, and had the privilege of beholding the Holy Ghost descend in the form
of a dove, or rather in the sign of the dove, in witness of that
administration? The sign of the dove was instituted before the creation of the
world, a witness for the Holy Ghost, and the devil cannot come in the sign of a
dove. The Holy Ghost is a personage,
and is in the form of a personage. It does not confine itself to the form of
the dove, but in sign of dove. The Holy Ghost cannot be transformed into a
dove; but the sign of a dove was given to John to signify the truth of the
deed, as the dove is an emblem or token of truth and innocence.
“Thirdly:
John, at that time, was the only legal administrator in the affairs of the
kingdom there was then on the earth, and holding the keys of power. The Jews
had to obey his instructions or be damned, by their own law; and Christ Himself
fulfilled all righteousness in becoming obedient to the law which had been
given to Moses on the mount, and thereby magnified it and made it honorable,
instead of destroying it. The son of Zacharias wrested the keys, the power, the
glory from the Jews, by the holy anointing and decree of heaven, and these
three reasons
constitute
him the greatest prophet born of a woman.
“Second
question: How was the least in the kingdom of heaven greater than he? In reply
I ask: Whom did Jesus have reference to as being the least? Jesus was looked
upon as having the least claim in God's kingdom, and (seemingly) was least
entitled to their credulity as a prophet; as though
He had said...'He that is considered the least among you is greater than John …
that is I myself.’”
Glenn
R. McGettigan
December
2011
