“What do the scriptures mean that say, ‘The first shall be last and the last shall be first’?” New Era, December 2017
What do the scriptures mean that say, “The first shall be last and the last shall be first”?
Hear Ye Him,by Simon Dewey
When the Savior used this phrase, “the first” meant those who self-righteously assert their superiority yet reject the Savior and His gospel. “The last” meant His humble followers who make great sacrifices for the gospel (see Mark 10:28–31; see also Joseph Smith Translation, Mark 10:30–31 [in Mark 10:31, footnote a]). In a general sense, “the first” are the privileged, prestigious, and selfish who get ahead in this life while defying God’s commandments. But they will receive condemnation in the life to come. “The last,” though rejected by the world, will receive a great reward in heaven.
This phrase has also been used to describe the pattern through which the Savior reveals Himself and His gospel. When He came to earth, He came among the Jews, or His original covenant people, and later the gospel was preached to non-Jews (Gentiles). With the Restoration, He revealed the gospel first among the Gentiles, and it will eventually go to the Jews (see 1 Nephi 13:42; Jacob 5:63; Ether 13:4–12).