Change of Raiment
In the manual: Come, Follow Me lesson 50, “Holiness unto the Lord,” on Gospel Library
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In a vision, Zechariah saw Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord in filthy clothes, while Satan stood by to accuse him (Zechariah 3:1–3).
Read Together
Zechariah preached alongside Haggai while the temple was being rebuilt (Zechariah 1:1; Ezra 5:1). His first message was “Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you” (Zechariah 1:3).
3Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. 4And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
7Thus saith the Lord of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.
What It Teaches
Satan came to accuse Joshua, and the Lord rebuked Satan. “Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?” (Zechariah 3:2). A brand is a stick pulled from a fire before it burns up. The Lord had already rescued Joshua, and he meant to keep him.
The Lord told those standing by to take away the filthy garments. Then he said to Joshua, “I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment” (verse 4). The cleaning was the Lord’s work.
A clean mitre, the high priest’s turban, was set on Joshua’s head (verse 5). The high priest’s mitre carried a gold plate engraved with the words Holiness to the Lord (Exodus 28:36–38).
Verse 7 adds a covenant. “If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge,” Joshua would serve in the Lord’s house. Baptism works the same way. The Savior makes us clean, we promise to walk in his ways, and each week the sacrament renews that promise.
Talk About It
Zechariah saw the Lord replace filthy clothes with clean ones. Why do you think we wear white when we are baptized?
Take to Church
Satan accused Joshua, and the Lord took away his filthy clothes and gave him clean ones. Jesus Christ does that for us, and we promise to walk in his ways.