“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8
A hillside above Galilee, the Savior seated among His disciples, and eight blessings for people who feel they have little. Walk the mountainside, look closer, and find the promise meant for you.
Early in His ministry, large crowds followed Jesus from all over the region. He went up onto a hillside near the Sea of Galilee, sat down, and began to teach His disciples. This teaching is called the Sermon on the Mount.
He began with eight blessings, now called the Beatitudes. Each one names a kind of person, such as the humble, the grieving, the merciful or the peacemakers, and gives them a promise from God. Then He told His disciples they were the salt of the earth and the light of the world, and to let their light shine so others would glorify Heavenly Father.
Who’s who
Jesus: teaching as one sent by His Father
His disciples: including the Twelve He had just called
The multitudes: people from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and beyond the Jordan
Where and when
A hillside above the Sea of Galilee.
Watch for the Savior
Each blessing describes the Savior Himself. He lived every one perfectly.
Eight stops on the hillside, from the climb to the light on the candlestick. Scroll, or tap a number on the map.
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The story, plainly
Four scenes: the climb, the first blessings, the listeners and the light. Look for the Savior in each one.
Read it plainly
The words that trip people up
Tap any dotted word for its meaning. The scripture stays exactly as written.1
Matthew 5:1 “and when he was Meaning: seated. Teachers sat to teach., his disciples came unto him”
Matthew 5:3 “Meaning: happy, favored by God. (See Part 5.) are the Meaning: humble, knowing how much they need God.”
Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the Meaning: gentle and humble, strength under God’s control. (See Part 5.): for they shall Meaning: receive as an heir. the earth”
Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall Meaning: receive. mercy”
Matthew 5:11 “when men shall Meaning: insult, speak cruelly to. you, and persecute you”
Matthew 5:13 “if the salt have lost his Meaning: taste, flavor., wherewith shall it be salted?”
Matthew 5:15 “Neither do men light a Meaning: a small oil lamp., and put it under a Meaning: a basket for measuring grain.”
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Look closer
The Beatitudes are teachings, not a parable. Some cards are details in the text; others share insights from prophets and Church resources, and each card says which.
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All nine. The mountain and the seat, empty hands, a tear, bread and water, a pure heart, an olive branch, salt and a lamp on its stand. Matthew 5
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Where are you on the mountainside?
People on that hillside felt empty, grieving, hungry for more or caught in conflict. Which feels most like you right now?
A next step for you
Your choice is saved only on this device.
Try it
A need and a promise
Every Beatitude has two halves: who is blessed, and what He promises them. Tap each card to see the promise.
“The Beatitudes contain the heart of the Master’s teachings.” Elder O. Leslie Stone
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Their world, their words
A little background helps us hear the sermon the way the first listeners did. Outside sources are labeled.
Church leader · Stone
Hills above Galilee
Elder O. Leslie Stone pictured the Savior “high up in the hills overlooking the Sea of Galilee, where in company with his 12 disciples and a multitude of eager listeners, he gave his Sermon on the Mount.”7
Crowds had come from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and beyond Jordan.
Church manual
What “beatitude” means
Scripture Helps explains that the word comes from the Latin beatus, meaning “to be blessed” or “to be happy.”6
The Beatitudes describe a happiness that lasts.
Apostle · Talmage
Pleasure or happiness
Elder Talmage: “An important element in this splendid elucidation of the truly blessed state is the implied distinction between pleasure and happiness.”5
The world’s blessings fade; His last.
Scripture
Taught twice
After His Resurrection, the Savior taught the same blessings at the temple in Bountiful, adding “who come unto me.”3
President Harold B. Lee called the Beatitudes “eight distinct ways by which we might receive [real] joy.”6 The joy comes from God, not from circumstances.
Word study · Greek
praus πραΰς · “meek” (Matthew 5:5)
Bible Hub: “Meek, gentle, humble,” and “Biblical meekness is not weakness.”9Outside · lexicon
Elder Stone: meekness “is not a weak, but a heroic quality.”7 Jesus later used the same word for Himself: “I am meek and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29).
What the text does not say
Scripture doesn’t name the mountain. A traditional site above the Sea of Galilee is often shown to visitors, but Matthew simply says “a mountain.”1 The Beatitudes are not a checklist for earning love; they describe the disciples He was already calling, and the blessings He offers.
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Look to Him
He didn’t only teach the Beatitudes. He lived every one of them perfectly.
President Harold B. Lee taught that in the sermon, the Master “has given us somewhat of a revelation of his own character, which was perfect … and in so doing has given us a blueprint for our own lives.”
President Harold B. Lee, quoted in Scripture Helps6
“The Beatitudes contain the heart of the Master’s teachings and show his spirit and way of life.”
“Yea, blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” 3 Nephi 12:3
Another Testament
Filled with the Holy Ghost
“And blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost.” 3 Nephi 12:6
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Seek Him today
The Savior’s promise
“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8
Every Beatitude describes Him: humble, comforting, meek, merciful, pure, a peacemaker. Elder Stone: “a real disciple of Christ should have a character made up of these traits.”7 Which trait of His do you want to grow this week?
Try it today
One Beatitude a day. It saves on this device, one day at a time.
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This week:0 of 7 days
Seven days on the mountainside. Come again tomorrow.
A quiet moment
“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”
Read Matthew 5:3–9 slowly. Stop at the blessing that touches you most, and ask Heavenly Father what He wants you to do with it. Matthew 5:3–9
A verse to hold
Talk about it
Jesus began with the poor in spirit and the mourners. Why do you think He started there?
Which Beatitude is easiest for you? Which is hardest?
How did Jesus show each of these qualities in His own life?
What is one way your light could help someone see Heavenly Father this week?
Open
For adults and deeper study
Go deeper
Longer readings, harder questions, and where to study next. Each one says what it is before you click.
Scripture
3 Nephi 12: the sermon at the temple
The risen Savior taught the Beatitudes again in the Americas, with additions that point the blessings to Him: “who come unto me” and “filled with the Holy Ghost.”3
Quotations checked against the linked pages on October 7, 2026. Scripture is quoted from the King James Version as published in the Gospel Library.
“They shall see God”
He saw the multitudes, sat down among them and began with the ones who felt they had the least. Every blessing He named is a way back to Him. Matthew 5:8
Everything on this page as a 11-page letter-size PDF: the map, scenes, cards, activity, word studies, tracker, Go deeper and sources. For home, class or a quiet Sunday.
The Beatitudes is part of the Scripture Story Sketch Notes for the New Testament, set alongside Come, Follow Me for February 8–14, 2027 (Matthew 5; Luke 6).
Independent study notes from Weak Things, not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Scripture quotations are from the King James Version. The Beatitudes are teachings, not a parable; the insights in “Look closer” are labeled by source.
