To those who are new to this website, may I introduce myself. My name is Robert C. Van Sweden. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have over the years developed a special interest in the scriptures and the message they have to offer us in our daily living. I recently completed a series of lessons on the Old Testament. I felt greatly rewarded from my study of the books that make up the Old Testament, and the lessons that it contains for us today. Some of you may have read some, or all of those lessons and, like myself, want to continue your journey by expanding your understanding of the New Testament. I hope you enjoy the New Testament as much as you did the Old Testament.

The format I have chosen to follow is to provide the scripture, and then to provide either commentary by those who I believe provide insight regarding the topic and/or to offer my own thoughts. My goal is to keep the chapters informative and enjoyable.

I have previously taught classes on the scriptures, so I am going to draw my overall outline from that chronology though I am fully aware, it is not the only one that is available. For those who are interested, you might consider the following references: The Lord of the Gospels by J. Reuben Clark; The Mortal Messiah; Books 1-4; Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage and the Harmony of the Gospels found in the LDS Bible Dictionary (1979), 684-698.

My purpose for gathering this material is not to replace the Gospel Doctrine lessons, but to augment them. As a former teacher, I was often frustrated regarding the time constraint of the class. I often prepared more than would normally fit within the time period. This format gives me the opportunity to share that insight. You, rather than the clock, get to choose what is important to you and are then free to leave the rest.

What I gleaned from the Old Testament was that the life of Jesus Christ did not begin in Bethlehem nor end at Golgotha. He played a prominent role during our pre-earth life as spirit children of Heavenly Father, and again during the Old Testament as He directed His Father’s children. We also know that following his mortal birth and death, His involvement with us has continued, and will through eternity. It will be a special highlight when He returns to earth for a second time, this time as Lord and King in great glory – to usher in the Millennial Era of a thousand years.

As noted, this is my presentation for which I alone am responsible. The errors are due to my shortcomings and I hope will not distract from your experience. Please feel free to notify me where there is a problem, and I will do my best to correct it.

With that introduction, I again welcome each of you to “Simplifying the New Testament through Scripture and Commentary.” I hope you enjoy your experience.

Robert C. Van Sweden