OUR Lord's likening Himself to a shepherd and His followers to sheep has been an inspiration to poets, preachers, artists, and devout souls generally throughout the centuries of our era. While all His discourses are fraught with a significance that increases with repeated readings, some of His utterances are of outstanding interest because of their universal application and personal appeal. The sermon of the Good Shepherd is prominent in this class. Read John 10. None other than the Lord Himself has depicted so forcefully and yet simply the contrast between shepherd and sheep-herder, between owner and hireling, between him who is ready to defend the sheep because he loves them, and the other who sees in the flock only so much wool, hide, and mutton. Our literature contains no more striking differentiation of devoted service from money-loving effort than that presented in this brief, terse, yet comprehensive discourse. Every efficient laborer is worthy of his hire, or ought to be, be he plowman, artizan or professional, artist, teacher or preacher. Far from there being discredit in receiving wage for work, this reciprocal relationship is a fundamental necessity of community existence. But he whose sole purpose and interest is the wage, without devotion to the service for its intrinsic good, is but a hired servant and likely so to remain. Never has been spoken a stronger arraignment of insincere teachers, false pastors, self-seeking hirelings--those who teach for pelf and divine for dollars, robbers who pose as shepherds yet avoid the door to the fold and climb up "some other way," prophets in the devil's employ who, to achieve their master's purpose, hesitate not to robe themselves in assumed sanctity, and appear in sheep's clothing while inwardly they are ravening wolves. (Matt. 7:15). In the record of this profound discourse, one verse appears as an abrupt interpolation, bearing little relation aside from imagery with preceding or following verses. This reads: "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." (John 10:16). The Bible contains no related passage affording explanation. Commentators treat this verse as an isolated and unconnected utterance, and content themselves with the suggestion that the "other sheep" may be the Gentile nations who are to be brought into the Jewish fold under the one Shepherd. The Jews who heard the Lord speak so understood Him. The Book of Mormon, however, illumines our understanding of the quoted Scripture, and explains the Lord's purpose in speaking as He did and in leaving the subject without further exposition.