In an exchange with some of the rulers of the Jews, Jesus told a couple of parables characterizing their rebellious mindset. In the second, regarding a householder and the husbandmen he employed in his vineyard, Jesus related the fate of the householder’s son: “when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance” (Matthew 21:38). Of course, the householder’s son represented Christ Himself, and the husbandmen were the Jewish leaders who refused to give honor to Christ and instead wanted to occupy His place at the head of the Church.

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I found myself thinking this week about the Samaritan woman who told Jesus, “the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table” (Matthew 15:27). That took me to a thought of Ruth, who collected the leavings of the harvest of Boaz’s fields (Ruth 2), which made a new connection for me.

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In a recent reading of Acts 7, I noticed a type of Christ found in the life of the prophet Moses. I’m not sure if I’ve noticed it before, and it may be obvious to many, but it stood out to me this time around.

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In a time, place, and circumstances much different than those we find ourselves in today, a set of missionaries carried swords and other weapons into enemy territory. Several of them were brothers and had experienced a conversion to Jesus Christ and His gospel. Their father was the king of the Nephite people, but instead of seeking to rule a kingdom, these men sought to bring the enemies of their kingdom to a knowledge of the truth.

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In a recent post, I discussed how my mother took on a Christlike role in repairing something I had broken, and, in the process, brought peace to me. Another story of the role of a parent came to mind recently.

When Joseph Smith, the first prophet called by the Lord in modern times, was a boy of only seven years, he suffered typhoid fever. The illness caused an infection in the bone of one of his legs.

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