In 3 Nephi and Moroni, the resurrected Savior provides specific directions to the Nephites regarding four rituals: baptism by immersion, the bestowal of the gift of the Holy Ghost, communal prayer, and the sacrament. Why were such rituals important to the Savior and his ministry among the Nephites? How can understanding these teachings help us with our discipleship in the latter days? In this episode Dr. David Calabro, visiting assistant professor of ancient scripture, answers these questions in discussing his chapter “Jesus Christ as a Revealer of Ordinances in the Book of Mormon” from I Glory in My Jesus: Understanding Christ in the Book of Mormon. Professor Calabro briefly compares the New Testament and Book of Mormon depictions of these rituals and highlights how the Nephite record more fully depicts the Savior’s character as a generous giver of blessings. He explains how, as a revealer of ordinances in the Book of Mormon, the Savior both presents the actions and wording of each ritual and explains with great emphasis the blessings associated with each ordinance. In understanding and applying these rituals, we, like the Nephites, may approach the living Christ and gain an experiential witness of him. 

Publications:  

• “Jesus Christ as a Revealer of Ordinances in the Book of Mormon” (in I Glory In My Jesus: Understanding Christ in the Book of Mormon, Religious Studies Center, 2024) 

• He Was Seen: Witnessing the Risen Christ (Religious Studies Center, 2024) 

• “Disability and Social Justice in Ancient Israelite Culture” (in Covenant of Compassion: Caring for the Marginalized and Disadvantaged in the Old Testament, Religious Studies Center, 2021) 

• “Nonverbal Communication in the New Testament” (in New Testament History, Culture, and Society: A Background to the Texts of the New Testament, Religious Studies Center, 2019) 

• “‘Stretch Forth Thy Hand and Prophesy’: Hand Gestures in the Book of Mormon” (in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, 2012) 

• "Joseph Smith and the Architecture of Genesis" (in The Temple: Ancient and Restored, Eborn Books, 2016) 

• "Lehi's Dream and the Garden of Eden" (in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship, 2017) 

• "An Early Christian Context for the Book of Moses" (in Tracing Ancient Threads in the Book of Moses: Inspired Origins, Temple Contexts, and Literary Qualities, Eborn Books, 2021) 

 Click here to learn more about David Calabro