1Start
In the ancient Near East, a road could be cleared and leveled before a king came. John the Baptist said he was a voice in the wilderness, calling people to make the Lord’s way straight (John 1:23).
2Read Together
The word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness (Luke 3:2). He preached “the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins” (Luke 3:3).
Luke 3:4–6 · King James Version
4As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; 6And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
3What It Teaches
Luke quoted Isaiah to describe John’s work. “Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight” (Luke 3:5; Isaiah 40:3–4). Repentance is road work. We fill in what is missing, bring down our pride, and straighten what has gone crooked.
President Russell M. Nelson taught that the Greek word for repentance points to a change of mind, knowledge, and spirit. He also said this about how it happens.
“Repentance is not an event; it is a process.”
The road has a purpose. “And all flesh shall see the salvation of God” (Luke 3:6). We straighten the road so the King can come in.
John’s call was for everyone, including people who thought they were already fine. He told them to stop counting on Abraham as their father (Luke 3:8). Each of us has some road work to do.
4Talk About It
John said valleys get filled, hills come down, and crooked roads get straightened. Which picture fits a change you want to make, and how can the Savior help?