“They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.” Luke 16:29
A rich man feasted every day while a hungry beggar named Lazarus lay at his gate. When both died, Lazarus was carried by angels and comforted, and the rich man found a great gulf between them. Jesus taught that God’s word is given to help us change now.
Jesus told of a rich man “clothed in purple and fine linen” who “fared sumptuously every day.” A beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, was laid at his gate, hoping for crumbs from the rich man’s table, and the dogs came and licked his sores. The beggar died “and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom.” The rich man also died, and in torment he saw Abraham far off with Lazarus.
He begged for mercy, but Abraham reminded him that Lazarus was now comforted, and that “between us and you there is a great gulf fixed.” The rich man asked that Lazarus be sent to warn his five brothers. Abraham answered, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them,” and “if they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”
Who’s who
Jesus Christ: who tells the parable to Pharisees who loved money
The rich man: who has everything and gives nothing
Lazarus: a poor beggar at the gate
Abraham: the father of the faithful, who answers the rich man
Where and when
The parable moves from a rich man’s house and gate to the spirit world.
Watch for the Savior
Watch the short distance between the table and the gate.
Eight stops from a fine table to Moses and the prophets. Scroll, or tap a number on the map.
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The story, plainly
Four scenes: the gate, the angels, the gulf and the five brothers. Look for the Savior’s teaching 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
Luke 16:19“Meaning: lived and ate in luxury. every day”
Luke 16:20“laid at his gate, full of Meaning: open wounds.”
Luke 16:22“into Meaning: a place of rest and comfort with the faithful.”
Luke 16:26“a great Meaning: a deep, wide gap. fixed”
Luke 16:28“that he may Meaning: bear witness; warn. unto them”
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Look closer
Small details tell the story. Some cards are details in the text; others share insights from Church leaders, Church resources or outside sources. Each card says which.
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All nine. The purple robe, the gate, the crumbs, the dogs, the angels, the comfort, the gulf, the brothers and the scroll. Luke 16:19–31
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Where are you?
Walking past, overlooked, ready to help, or listening now. Which feels most like you right now?
A next step for you
Your choice is saved only on this device.
Try it
Two lives, one gate
Tap the moments in Luke 16 in the order Jesus told them, from the rich man’s table to the five brothers.
“They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.” Luke 16:29
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Their world, their words
A little background on who Jesus was speaking to, Abraham’s bosom and two Greek words helps the story come alive. Outside sources are labeled.
Scripture · Luke 16
Who was listening
Just before, Jesus taught, “Ye cannot serve God and mammon,” and the Pharisees, “who were covetous,” mocked Him.2
He answered with a story.
Church resource · Student manual
Not called evil
“The Savior did not say that the rich man was an evil man—only that with all the blessings he had been given, he did not give from his great wealth to someone in need.”3
He simply didn’t give.
Church resource · Student manual
Abraham’s bosom
The parable describes two conditions in the spirit world. Abraham’s bosom “is depicted as a place of comfort in the company of the faithful.”3
Comfort after hard years.
Scripture · Luke 16
A different Lazarus
This beggar is a character in a parable, not Lazarus of Bethany, the friend Jesus raised from the dead.1
The man no one would touch was carried to the side of Abraham and held close in comfort.1
What the text does not say
Jesus doesn’t say being rich is a sin, or that the rich man was evil. The student manual notes that he simply “did not give from his great wealth to someone in need.”3 The parable is an invitation to open our eyes and our gates now.1
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Look to Him
He gave the beggar a name, and He gives us His word so we can open our gates while there is time.
“Lazarus went to the bosom of Abraham—that is, he was received with honor.”
“If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” Luke 16:31
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Seek Him today
A question to ask in prayer
Lord, who is at my gate that I have not seen? Luke 16:20
Ask, then watch for a face you pass every day.
Try it today
One way to open your gate each day. It saves on this device, one day at a time.
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This week:0 of 7 days
Seven days of open gates. Come again tomorrow.
A quiet moment
“Laid at his gate.”
Read Luke 16:19–31 slowly. Picture the short distance between the table and the gate. Then think of someone near you who may be waiting for kindness. Luke 16:19–31
A verse to hold
Talk about it
Where was Lazarus every day?
What happened to each man after he died?
What did the rich man ask for his brothers?
What did Abraham say would help them?
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.
Apostle
Elder LeGrand Richards, “Be Ye Prepared” (1981)
Parables of preparation, including the rich man and Lazarus and the great gulf.4
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 Rich Man and Lazarus is part of the Scripture Story Sketch Notes for the New Testament, set alongside Come, Follow Me for April 26–May 2, 2027 (Luke 12–17; John 11).
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 words are in Luke 16:19–31; the insights in “Look closer” are labeled by source.
