Good Shepherd
From MormonWiki
Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd. A good shepherd leads and protects his flock, and his sheep know his voice.
Lost No More by Greg Olsen. Latter-day Saints believe Christ is the Good Shepherd.
Alma, a Book of Mormon prophet, spoke to his people regarding Christ as the "good shepherd" nearly a hundred years before Christ's birth:
- O ye workers of iniquity; ye that are puffed up in the vain things of the world, ye that have professed to have known the ways of righteousness nevertheless have gone astray, as sheep having no shepherd, notwithstanding a shepherd hath called after you and is still calling after you, but ye will not hearken unto his voice!
- Behold, I say unto you, that the good shepherd doth call you; yea, and in his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ; and if ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd, to the name by which ye are called, behold, ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd.
- And now if ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd, of what fold are ye? Behold, I say unto you, that the devil is your shepherd, and ye are of his fold; and now, who can deny this? Behold, I say unto you, whosoever denieth this is a liar and a child of the devil.
- Therefore, if a man bringeth forth good works he hearkeneth unto the voice of the good shepherd, and he doth follow him; but whosoever bringeth forth evil works, the same becometh a child of the devil, for he hearkeneth unto his voice, and doth follow him.
- And now I say unto you, all you that are desirous to follow the voice of the good shepherd, come ye out from the wicked, and be ye separate, and touch not their unclean things; and behold, their names shall be blotted out, that the names of the wicked shall not be numbered among the names of the righteous, that the word of God may be fulfilled, which saith: The names of the wicked shall not be mingled with the names of my people;
- For what shepherd is there among you having many sheep doth not watch over them, that the wolves enter not and devour his flock? And behold, if a wolf enter his flock doth he not drive him out? Yea, and at the last, if he can, he will destroy him.
- And now I say unto you that the good shepherd doth call after you; and if you will hearken unto his voice he will bring you into his fold, and ye are his sheep; and he commandeth you that ye suffer no ravenous wolf to enter among you, that ye may not be destroyed (Alma 5:37-39, 41, 57, 59-60).
A good shepherd is willing to give his life for his sheep, as Christ gave His life to bring His sheep into the safety of the fold:
- I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep (John 10:11).
Christ expects His servants to be Good Shepherds
Christ, in His role as the God of the Old Testament (Jehovah), chastised the leaders of His children, because they were poor shepherds.
- Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?
- And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.
- Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord;
- As I live, saith the Lord God, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;
- Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord;
- Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them (Ezekiel 34:2, 5, 7–10).
Christ's Other Sheep
Christ said to His disciples that He had "other sheep" whom He would gather into His fold:
- And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd (John 10:16).
The Jews who heard this statement did not understand it. Christ had led Israelites away from Jerusalem for their protection. These Jews had settled in the Americas. As recorded in the Book of Mormon, Christ visited them after His resurrection and organized His church among them. He said unto them,
- And verily I say unto you, that ye are they of whom I said: Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd (3 Nephi 15:21).
- And they must come according to the words which shall be established by the mouth of the Lamb; and the words of the Lamb shall be made known in the records of thy seed, as well as in the records of the twelve apostles of the Lamb; wherefore they both shall be established in one; for there is one God and one Shepherd over all the earth (1 Nephi 13:41).
- And he gathereth his children from the four quarters of the earth; and he numbereth his sheep, and they know him; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd; and he shall feed his sheep, and in him they shall find pasture (1 Nephi 22:25).
During the millennium, all Christ's sheep will constitute one fold.
