Peter had to be on his own to become who he was meant to be. (Acts 1-5)

1:6-8

Because the world is in front of us, we care about the world. We almost can't help it. These apostles are not quite understanding the mission of Jesus Christ and are focusing on the worldly kingdom. "When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you." After Jesus has been with them for 40 days "speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God," their question focused on the kingdom of Israel. They can't help it. They are being persecuted by the Romans. They want liberation.

Jesus corrects them with redirecting their concern away from the timing of restoring the kingdom of Israel. They shouldn't be concerned with "the times of the seasons." Instead, they should be looking forward to receiving the "power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you." Having the guidance and power of the Holy Ghost to guide, protect, comfort them is much more important than re-establishing the kingdom of Israel. They need their perspective and priorities corrected.

As do we.

1:9-11

"And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?" This was an amazing event. Of course they were awestruck.

However, Jesus had just told them that they "shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." They had work to do. The angels were asking why they were standing still, looking up towards heaven. They had Israel to gather.

I think we can take this to heart in how we live the gospel. We can stay in our homes and quietly study and scriptures and pray. We can stay still and look towards heaven. Or, we can walk out the door and do some good. This book is called the ACTS of the apostles. It is our actions that gather Israel. Yes, we have to spend time praying and studying - but it's our acts that do the most good and will prepare us for the eternity of good works ahead of us.

1:16, 20

Peter leads the apostles in choosing an apostle to replace Judas. Before they choose, he references scripture. "Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus...For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take." From the scriptures, they knew that they should replace Judas.

I love novel thoughts and ideas. I love feeling clever as I invent new sentences. However, if I am to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ, I must become intimately familiar with what his prophets have written. I should use their words as much as possible - as their words are the same as the Lord's words. It is not weakness to quote someone else rather than invent the statement. The scriptures are written better than anything I could ever write.

In addition, as we use scriptures in our teachings, we are showing others how THEY can gain strength and knowledge and wisdom from their own study of the scriptures. It does no long-term good for anyone if they are impressed with my words. Today, our scriptures are ever-present in our pockets. We have the largest religious collection of scripture, writings, talks, books, etc ever gathered. To help someone realize how much wisdom is contained on their phones is a good deed.

2:4-7, 11-13

On the day of Pentecost, the Spirit enters into the apostles and they begin speaking "in tongues." "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilæans?" The people were amazed that the apostles were speaking in "his own language."

They were not speaking gibberish. However, if I heard someone speaking in someone else's language, I might consider it gibberish. I personally think this is what happened. They were speaking to everyone in their own tongue and, when someone from another country heard them, they perceived it as gibberish. "Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine." I think it was a simple misunderstanding from not knowing another's language and deciding it to be gibberish.

I think the gift of tongues is to help people understand. I've heard many stories about missionaries' mouths being opened and they suddenly have the ability to communicate their thoughts in another's language. The gift of tongues aids communication - it doesn't confuse it.

Those who start speaking in gibberish when they feel the Spirit are misunderstanding this Pentecostal event. Speaking true gibberish is not an activity that is reverent, brings the Spirit, edifies others and increases fellowship. Speaking words that mean something does all of those things.

The reason that thousands of people were baptized at that time wasn't because they heard gibberish. They were converted partly because the gospel was miraculously taught to them in their own language.

Peter makes the point that they weren't drunk. He then cites scripture written by Joel. Again, it's powerful to use scriptural references when making a point. He later cites scripture from David. Peter is definitely a scriptorian.

2:22-24

Peter now seems to fully understand Christ's mission. Learning directly from the resurrected Christ for 40 days has paid off. "Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it."

Peter understands that Jesus was the key to the entire plan of salvation and was destined to be crucified. He understands that death could not hold Jesus and that he was the only one who could have "loosed the pains of death."

I love seeing how much Peter has progressed in this time since he denied Jesus three times. He's progressed so much since he went "a fishing." He now understands his role as the leader of Christ's church on the earth. I believe that Peter needed to be on his own to fully develop. I think it illustrates why we needed to come to earth. It was good that we were in the presence of Heavenly Father - but, we couldn't fully progress while being with him. We had to leave the nest to grow.

His understanding of the scriptures is impressive. Instead of saying something, he uses scripture. He quotes David. This is key in building a relationship of trust with these people. Peter is attempting to convert those who are faithful Jews - who understand the scriptures. He's using what is familiar to them to bridge the gap between their religion and Jesus. By connecting their scripture to Jesus, they are more likely to convert. Essentially, he is building on common beliefs - always a good approach.

2:36-38

Peter is bold in his testimony. He is speaking the truth and isn't concerned about who he might offend. "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." He's pointing out that Jesus is Lord and that the Jews crucified him. That's the truth. They need to accept the truth. Peter is not embarrassed about sharing the truth. We can all learn from him.

"Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" As Peter spoke the truth, the Spirit was able to confirm to them that it was true. They felt the Spirit when Peter spoke. The Spirit is what gave them the desire to change their lives. They were ready and open to do what Peter tells them to do.

Peter's answer was also direct. "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." He gives them a large portion of the entire gospel of Jesus Christ in that one sentence.

• Repentance.

• Baptism.

• Gift of the Holy Ghost.

Again, we can learn from Peter in how we share the gospel with those who are ready.

2:40-41

"And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." The footnote on untoward is "crooked." This generation was confused and prideful. The leaders were twisted and corrupt. These people were surrounded by forces that were attempting to mislead them.

It is the same way for us. There are even more forces for sin. There are more bad influences. There are more avenues for reaching our eyes and ears. We also live in an untoward generation. We are able to "save ourselves" by deciding to follow Jesus and the Holy Ghost. Nothing has changed since the first days of the Church.

2:42-47

This group of people sound very special. What did they do? It looks like four key things:

1. "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." Doctrine and fellowship. This sounds like a church. It sounds like our ward. We have the best ward! We learn correct doctrine, enjoy strengthening fellowship, renew our covenants and say prayers together.

2. "And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles." A healthy reverence for the Lord is so important. This prevents pride from ruining things.

3. "And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need." We haven't experienced this step yet. We have been "together" with many of our ward members. Being united in Christ creates a level of trust and fellowship that is hard to explain.

4. "And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people." What a wonderful group of people. They sound so unified. We have some friends in this ward that we are especially close to. We feel so much love for each other and love for Jesus that we can't help but feel bonded together like family. It's a beautiful thing!

3:6

"Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk." What a miracle!

The question is, what did the man want? He wanted money. If you asked the man, money would solve his present problems.

God had a greater solution in mind. God knew of a way to bless him beyond what he could imagine possible. It wasn't what the ma wanted, but it was so much better!

I have to imagine that we ask for things that aren't really what we need. This man had his sights set too low. He didn't expect a miracle. He expected what he thought he could expect. How often are we with way? How often are our sights set too low?

We should have faith that God is going to grant us exactly what we need to grow - no matter our condition. We should have faith that he can do whatever is necessary for his plan of happiness to be fulfilled in our individual lives.

3:11-12, 15-16

The healed man gained a lot of attention. "And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering." A miracle can temporarily soften the hearts of men. Miracles gain attention. Lesser men than Peter and John would have loved this attention. Pride could have easily slipped in. I know it would with me. Peter, however, uses this moment to testify of Jesus Christ.

"And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?" He immediately redirects their attention, possibly adoration, AWAY from himself. That's a humble servant!

He drives three points home for them:

1. This man was healed through Jesus Christ.

2. They denied the very man who healed.

3. Jesus has been raised from the dead.

"The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses."

Then, Peter makes the fourth point which gave them the key regarding their own spiritual development. "And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all." Peter is giving a mini lesson on faith.

It isn't simply the name of Jesus Christ that is causing the healing. It is faith in his name. Not faith in the pronunciation of Jesus but faith in who he was and what he taught and what he did for us. It was through faith in Jesus Christ that this man was healed. Peter is obviously talking about HIS faith in Jesus Christ - not the man's faith (the scriptures don't mention the man's faith).

3:25-26

"Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed." Peter reminds the people that they are the chosen people. It is through the seed of Abraham that all nations would be blessed and the source of that blessing is Jesus Christ.

However, the blessing they would receive from Him is not what they were expecting. It wasn't salvation from Rome. It was salvation from their own sins. "Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities." That's the blessing of Jesus! He gives us strength to resist our sinful desires and then also saves us from paying the punishment when we do sin. Which is a more thorough and beautiful definition of salvation?

4:6-10

The leaders of the church didn't like what Peter and John were doing. They had them bound and "put them in hold unto the next day." I'm sure they were very frustrated that this problem didn't die with Jesus. They didn't like that Peter and John were teaching the people and "preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead." Keep in mind that the Sadducees didn't believe in the resurrection. So, Jesus being resurrected contradicted their core principle.

"And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?" I think it's interesting that they ask this question. They knew full well whose name Peter was invoking when performing the miracle. I guess they just wanted to hear it for themselves.

Peter wasn't shy about it. "Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole." He boldly gives credit to Jesus - who they crucified and was resurrected. I love picturing this scene of Peter standing before the very people who had murdered Jesus.

Clearly, Peter has progressed in his strength and faith in Jesus. He's fearless. He realizes that there is nothing permanent that these powerful men can do to him.

4:16-17

The church leaders were in a spot of trouble. They met together for a stupid strategy meeting... "Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name." If they could just hear themselves! They were concerned because the miracle was so "notable." Their concern was that many people knew about it throughout Jerusalem.

Instead of repenting and acting based on the facts in front of them, they plotted. They considered their options with the only purpose in maintaining power over the people. They didn't care, even slightly, that a miracle had been done. They didn't question themselves to any degree. You'd think that they might think, "Gosh, this is a real miracle. Maybe Peter is speaking the truth. I know that none of us has performed a miracle EVER!" You'd think this would give them pause.

But, to go down that path, they'd have to consider that they may have executed the actual Son of God. That was beyond their ability to imagine. Their little brains were in full self-protection mode. They couldn't consider themselves the villains.

We have to consider that we do this. We may 100% believe that we are right about something but we are dead wrong. It would do us all some good to, when faced with opposition, consider that we may be the one that is wrong.

4:18-20

"And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." They weren't impressed with the chief priests' commands. When compared to God's command, their words were like vapor.

We can learn from their examples. Too often we put the concerns of this world above what is right in the sight of God. Because of what they had seen, they couldn't help but speak of the things that they had witnessed.

4:32, 37

"And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common." Have you ever had friends that were so close that you feel like family? Have these friends uplifted and even taught you when you're together? Do you leave their home feeling edified? Do they show you, by example, what a disciple of Christ is? Do you desire to be better when you're around them?

We have friends like that. It's is one of the most precious things you can have in your life. We are meant to do this life together. These relationships endure into the next life. "And that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with eternal glory.” (D&C 130:2) This is a beautiful promise and illustrates the importance of building relationships in Christ in this life.

Viewing our possessions as NOT our own is a very healthy mindset. If we love a thing more than a person than we are in a wrong mindset. This is an easy sentence to write but doing it is harder. I imagine giving up our new house and our cool cars and my awesome watches to ensure that everyone in the community is taken care of would be emotionally different. It illustrates how much my perspective and priorities need to improve!

This is what Joses did. "Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet." Impressive.

5:1-5, 13-14

This is a scary story. "But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things." I feel for Ananias. He and his wife are wanting to help but also love having money. It would be easy to justify keeping part of it for themselves. It was "theirs" after all - wasn't it?

If the idea is to fully consecrate our lives, we must give everything. In the eternities, we cannot have a "secret, selfish, sinful lockbox" where we hold back something. That could be possessions or effort or commitment. The plan of salvation is about "all we can do." If we aren't fully committed, there will be a degree of glory awaiting us but it will not be the highest degree. I think that level is reserved for those who aren't holding anything back. I think this story illustrates this principle.

This story scared some people. "And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women." The story of Ananias and Sapphira acted as a filter for true disciples. The stakes of discipleship had been raised. If you weren't fully committed, you were afraid to join. It is a self-selection process. However, those who were "all in" joined the multitudes of followers.

I think there will come a time for this in the Church. I've heard the LDS church called a "high demand" church. I think the demands placed on the members is going to enlarge significantly. Those who aren't fully committed will self-select themselves out of the church.

5:28-29

Peter is SO bold. He is fearless in front of the high priest. After they were released from prison by an angel, the officers brought them again before the high priest. This man was very bothered that Peter continued to preach about Jesus. "And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men." First, it's hilarious that the high priest is complaining about Peter trying to "bring this man's blood upon us." When this same group of religious leaders shouted to Pilate, "Let his blood be upon us and our children." These men have no sense of irony!

Again, I am impressed with Peter's courage. I love that he said, "We ought to obey God rather than men." This is a healthy perspective. :)

5:33-35, 38-39

Peter calls them on the carpet. He boldly accuses them of executing the "Prince and Savior." They didn't take it well. "When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them." They were wanting to do the same thing that they did to Jesus. I guess they figured they were already murderers - what's a few more to keep their control and power over the people?

Fortunately, there was a Pharisee that had some sense. "Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space; And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men." He then explained what happened with two other men who had gained a following. He talked about how their "movements" had fizzled out - suggesting that this would happen with Peter.

"And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God." He's suggesting that they leave them alone and let the natural course happen:

• If it's of men, it will fizzle out.

• If it's of God, they wouldn't be able to stop them anyway.

He was correct. I think he could be talking about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. If it's of men, it would have fizzled out shortly after Joseph Smith's death. Since it is of God, it has continued to grow to reach all parts of the earth. We should all listen to Gamaliel.

5:40-42

"And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ." What a solid perspective these men had! They didn't mourn their suffering. They didn't dwell in the unfairness of it. They didn't blame God that they were beaten. They weren't confused that God didn't protect them from assault. They didn't react with fear.

The rejoiced and continued to "preach Jesus Christ." It's a beautiful story about faith and endurance. I hope I can be like them when my own suffering happens.