Lessons of 2026
Preface
The Come, Follow Me Course of Study For Home and Church in 2026 is the Old Testament. The Old Testament covers the period from Adam and Eve (about 4,000 BC) to Malachi (about 430 BC) or 3,570 years. Clearly, the Old Testament, as we have it today, barely touches on the most significant religious historical events of those years.
In a vision given to Nephi and recorded in the Book of Mormon we learn that “many plain and precious things” would be taken from the Bible. (See 1 Nephi 13:21-29) As a result of this loss modern versions of the Old Testament includes only symbolic references to Jesus Christ.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints enjoys the remarkable blessing of having much additional information about the Old Testament that came through revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith. My Lessons this year, concerning the teachings of the Old Testament will focus on the latter day scripture that covers the same basic time period.
The latter day scriptures covering the Old Testament time period includes:
- The Book of Mormon is by far the most complete and accurate history of a 1,000 years, much of which overlaps the Old Testament time period.
- The Book of Moses, part of Joseph Smith’s translation of the Bible. It restores truths and accounts not found in the current text of Genesis 1-6. This includes an account of Enoch’s city of Zion (Moses 7:18-19).
- The Book of Abraham, which was revealed to Joseph Smith as he examined ancient Egyptian papyri (see Topics and Questions, “Book of Abraham,” Gospel Library). This includes Abraham’s vision of the council in heaven (Abraham 3:22-28).
- Various passages from the Joseph Smith Translation, some of which appear in the footnotes, the appendix of the Bible, and the Guide to the Scriptures. This includes the ministry of Melchizedek (Joseph Smith Translation, Genesis 14:25-40).
To understand the great prophets of the Old Testament we must accept that they understood four important doctrines relating to Jesus Christ that were lost and have been restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. When the plates of brass discussed in 1 Nephi 5:10-19 are made available we will know that the Old Testament prophets, like the Book of Mormon prophets and latter day prophets, all knew and testified of the following doctrines about Jesus Christ:
1. Jesus Christ is the great Jehovah of the Old Testament. Most modern Christian churches do not believe that Jesus Christ of the New Testament was the great Jehovah of the Old Testament. Latter day scriptures makes this clear.
2. Jehovah/Jesus Christ is a separate and distinct Personage from God, the Father. This is doctrine is clearly taught in latter day scriptures, but many modern Christian churches believe in the Trinity or some variation of it.
3. The condescension of Jehovah/Jesus Christ. Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught: “The condescension of God (meaning the Son) consists in the fact that though he himself is the Lord Omnipotent, the very Being who created the earth and all things that in it are, yet being born of mortal woman, he submitted to all the trials of mortality, suffering ‘temptation, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death’ (Mosiah 3:5-8), finally being put to death in a most ignominious manner” (Mormon Doctrine, p. 155).
4. The divine Sonship of Jesus Christ. This doctrine is that Jesus possessed all the power of God while He dwelt as a man on Earth. He literally inherited His divine characteristics from His Father. He was a God in the pre-mortal existence, and He was God as He lived on the earth as a mortal Man. Because of His Divine Sonship Jesus had power over death. He was able to voluntarily lay down His life, no one was able to take His life against his will. (See John 5:26; 10:17-18) He inherited mortality, the power to die, from His mother. He inherited immortality, the power to resurrect, from His Father.
The following Book of Mormon prophets, like the Old Testament prophets, all lived prior to Jesus’ mortal ministry. I believe, that when the plates of brass discussed in 1 Nephi 5:10-19 are made available we will know that the Old Testament prophets, like the Book of Mormon prophets, taught the doctrines of the condescension of Jesus Christ and His divine Sonship.
Nephi learned about the Divine Sonship: in vision he was shown a virgin who “is the mother of the son of God, after the manner of the flesh” (1 Nephi 11:18). When he beheld the virgin the second time she was “bearing a child in her arms” who was “the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father!” (Ibid 20-21). He then knew this Child had an immortal Father and a mortal mother.
Nephi learned from an angel of the condescension of Christ: It is that the Lamb of God, “the Creator of heaven and earth” (Jacob 2:5), came down from heaven and “went forth ministering unto the people , in power and great glory; and the multitudes were gathered together to hear him; and I beheld that they cast him out from among them…and he was lifted upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world” (1 Nephi 11:26, 28, 33).
King Benjamin also learned from an angel of the condescension and the divine Sonship of Jesus Christ: “For behold, the time cometh, and is not far distant, that with power, the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth, who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity, shall come down from heaven among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay…working mighty miracles…And lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer…for behold blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and abominations of his people. And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary” (Mosiah 3:5-8).
Alma taught the condescension Jesus Christ and His divine Sonship: “For behold, I say unto you there be many things to come; and behold, there is one thing which is of more importance than they all-for behold, the time is not far distant that the Redeemer liveth and cometh among his people…for behold, the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and the Son of God cometh upon the face of the earth. And behold, he shall be born of Mary…she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God. And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind…And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death” (Alma 7:7-12).
Abinadi taught the condescension of Jesus Christ: Abinadi chastised false priests for not understanding that Moses and all the prophets have taught “that God himself should come down among the children of men, and take upon him the form of man, and go forth in mighty power upon the face of the earth? Yea, have they not said also that he should bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, and that he, himself, should be oppressed and afflicted?” (Mosiah 13:33-35; see also 14:3-12).
Abinadi taught the divine Sonship of Jesus Christ: Because Jesus was the Son of God He inherited the power of God or the power to choose to live. As the son of Mary, He inherited mortality or the power to die as He may choose. He is duel in nature; both mortal and immortal; both man and God; both human and divine; both Father and Son. (See Mosiah 15:1-9).
During this year I will also write about current events. The study of the Old Testament includes the study of important dispensations. The doctrine of dispensations will be discussed in coming weeks. It is important to know our dispensation, the dispensation of the fulness of times, is the last and greatest dispensation. Furthermore, all prior dispensations fell into apostasy ours will not. There will be individual apostasy, but the Church as a whole will stay on course and be in place when at the Second Coming.
With this in mind there will be many ways that our understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ will relate to current events.