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On the eighth day after John's birth, at his circumcision, neighbours and relatives wanted to name the child after his father, but Elisabeth refused, and Zacharias, who could still not speak, wrote down that he was to be named John. As soon as he had done this, as Gabriel had said, his power of speech returned.

On the eighth day after John's birth, at his circumcision, neighbours and relatives wanted to name the child after his father, but Elisabeth refused, and Zacharias, who could still not speak, wrote down that he was to be named John. As soon as he had done this, as Gabriel had said, his power of speech returned.

According to Luke, John began his ministry in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar;<ref>Tiberius began his rule as Roman emperor on August 19, 14 AD; his fifteenth year would run from August 19, 28 AD to August 18, 29 AD. Since Jesus Christ (also about aged thirty) presented Himself for baptism in the autumn, John at six months older must have commenced his ministry in the spring of 29 AD.</ref> John would then be about thirty years old. Though there is no record that John engaged in priestly service at the temple, this would have been the age for priests to commence full duties; his status as a lifetime nazirite would have probably overridden this.

According to Luke, John began his ministry in the fifteenth year of the reign of [[Tiberius]] Caesar;<ref>Tiberius began his rule as Roman emperor on August 19, 14 AD; his fifteenth year would run from August 19, 28 AD to August 18, 29 AD. Since Jesus Christ (also about aged thirty) presented Himself for baptism in the autumn, John at six months older must have commenced his ministry in the spring of 29 AD.</ref> John would then be about thirty years old. Though there is no record that John engaged in priestly service at the temple, this would have been the age for priests to commence full duties; his status as a lifetime nazirite would have probably overridden this.

John the Baptist's role, as ordained by God, was to be the precursor to the [[Messiah]]<blockquote>''And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest, for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways.''<ref>[Luke 1:17]</ref><ref>[Luke 1:75]</ref> </blockquote>

John the Baptist's role, as ordained by God, was to be the precursor to the [[Messiah]]<blockquote>''And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest, for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways.''<ref>[Luke 1:17]</ref><ref>[Luke 1:75]</ref> </blockquote>

The [[Bible]] prophesies the role of John several times: <blockquote>''Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.''<ref>Malachi 3:1</ref></blockquote>

The [[Bible]] prophesies the role of John several times: <blockquote>''Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.''<ref>Malachi 3:1</ref></blockquote>

John ate locusts and wild honey<ref>Mark 1:6</ref> and baptized at the Jordan River with the Baptism of Repentance.  He was very popular with the Jewish people who considered him a prophet and is mentioned in sources outside of the Bible.  Many came to be baptized by him.  He baptized Jesus "in order to fulfill all righteousness".  John spoke out against the Pharisees and against [[Herod Antipas|King Herod]] marrying his brother Phillip's wife, [[Herodias]].  Because of this Herod had John imprisoned.  According to [[Josephus]], John was kept in Machaerus east of the Dead Sea.

John ate locusts and wild honey<ref>Mark 1:6</ref> and baptized at the [[Jordan River]] with the [[Baptism]] of [[Repentance]].  He was very popular with the Jewish people who considered him a prophet and is mentioned in sources outside of the Bible.  Many came to be baptized by him.  He baptized Jesus "in order to fulfill all righteousness".  John spoke out against the [[Pharisee]]s and against [[Herod Antipas|King Herod]] marrying his brother Phillip's wife, [[Herodias]].  Because of this Herod had John imprisoned.  According to [[Josephus]], John was kept in [[Macherus|Machaerus]] east of the Dead Sea.

Eventually John was executed by King Herod, although not by Herod's wishes.  Herod was throwing a banquet and the daughter of his wife, named [[Salome]] was performing her dance of the seven veils which was meant to appeal to sensual desires.  Herod was so overcome with her presentation that he publicly proclaimed she could have anything she wanted up to half his kingdom.  (The saying was not meant to be taken literally as being able to claim half his kingdom, but was understood in the ancient Mideast as making a vow to honor any one request).  Salome went to her mother to find what to ask, and Herodias had her publicly ask for the head of John the Baptist.  Herod didn't want to have John killed, but had no choice to save face in front of his dinner guests, and so John's head was brought on a platter and Salome then presented it to her mom.  Herod was so spooked by what he had done that when Jesus started performing public miracles, Herod felt it was John who had come back from the dead.

Eventually John was executed by King Herod, although not by Herod's wishes.  Herod was throwing a banquet and the daughter of his wife, named [[Salome]] was performing her dance of the seven veils which was meant to appeal to sensual desires.  Herod was so overcome with her presentation that he publicly proclaimed she could have anything she wanted, up to half his kingdom.  (The saying was not meant to be taken literally as being able to claim half his kingdom, but was understood in the ancient Mideast as making a vow to honor any one request).  Salome went to her mother to find what to ask, and Herodias had her publicly ask for the head of John the Baptist.  Herod didn't want to have John killed, but had no choice to save face in front of his dinner guests, and so John's head was brought on a platter and Salome then presented it to her mom.  Herod was so spooked by what he had done that when Jesus started performing public miracles, Herod felt it was John who had come back from the dead.

==Mormon Beliefs==

==Mormon Beliefs==