"It is better that one man should perish..." — "It is expedient that one man should die for the people..." Two nearly identical sentences: one spoken in a dark street in 600 BC, the other by the man arranging the death of Christ. In episode two, Mike and Maggie walk to the front gate of the Book of Mormon, where a tare was planted on page one — and trace what that seed becomes across a thousand years.

Along the way: the only two people in scripture who "shrunk" and "would that I might not" (and why one killed while the other drank the bitter cup), Alma's gauge reading in Nephi's chest, the voice that says the ways have run out versus the God who prepares them centuries early, the sword of Laban's long shadow to Cumorah, the buried swords at the book's beating heart, Captain Moroni's furious letter and Pahoran's beautiful reply, and why weeds becoming wheat is the reason we're forbidden the sickle.

Scriptures: 1 Nephi 3:7; 1 Nephi 4; 1 Nephi 9:5; John 11:50; D&C 19:18–19; Luke 22:43; Alma 32:28; 2 Nephi 5:14; Alma 24:11, 18; Alma 48:17; Alma 61:9; D&C 10; Matthew 13:24–30.

Next time: the Savior's suffering came in two presses — a garden named for an olive press, and a winepress.

Hosted by AI voices Mike and Maggie, generated from the writings of David and Leslie Ann. Personal reflections; not official positions of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. More at theword.love.