“The Road to Emmaus: A Journey of Revelation and Recognition,” Liahona, Mar. 2026.
They Knew the Savior
Disciples on the Road to Emmaus: A Journey of Revelation and Recognition
Similar to what these disciples experienced, our hearts can burn within us as a witness of the Savior’s Atonement and Resurrection.
Illustration by Laura Serra, may not be copied
On Sunday, the afternoon of the Resurrection, two disciples were walking the eight miles (13 km) from Jerusalem to Emmaus. It had been an emotional day—an emotional few days.
Their hearts were heavy. Their minds stirred with wonder and sorrow. They spoke of Jesus of Nazareth—His death, the rumors of His rising, and the aching uncertainty of what it all meant.
As they walked, a stranger eased into their conversation. It was Jesus, though they did not recognize Him. Their eyes were veiled and their understanding was clouded. The stranger asked, “What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?” (Luke 24:17).
One of the disciples, Cleopas, responded with disbelief that anyone could be so unaware, so out of touch with the dramatic events that had shaken Jerusalem that weekend. “Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?”
“What things?” Jesus asked.
Their reply was heartfelt and immediate: “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people” (Luke 24:18–19). They said they had trusted that Jesus would redeem Israel, yet it was the third day since His death. And though some women had reported a visitation of angels declaring He was alive, the Apostles who had gone to investigate had not seen Him.
Then Jesus spoke—not as a stranger but as a teacher. “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken” (Luke 24:25). He explained the scriptures to them, from Moses through all the prophets, revealing the things concerning Himself. Imagine walking for hours with the Son of God, the Lord of life, hearing Him interpret the Messianic prophecies. Their sorrow began to lift, replaced by awe and a stirring within.
Abide with Us
As they neared Emmaus, Jesus made as though He would have gone further. But they urged Him, “Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent” (Luke 24:29). He stayed with them, sat, and broke bread.
Concerning what happened next, Elder James E. Talmage (1862–1933) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles wrote: “There may have been something in the fervency of the blessing, or in the manner of breaking and distributing the bread, that revived memories of former days; or, possibly, they caught sight of the pierced hands; but, whatever the immediate cause, they looked intently upon their Guest, ‘and their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight’ [Luke 24:31].”
In the moment that followed, they turned to each other and said, “Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?” (Luke 24:32). That burning was not confusion or fear—it was recognition. “The feelings thus described are the conclusive witness of the divine Sonship,” taught Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–85) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Our Personal Road to Emmaus
“What would He say to you if you could walk and talk with Him?” asked Elder Patricio M. Giuffra of the Seventy.
Like the disciples, we may fail to recognize that the Savior walks with us, he said. “We may not see how He stays with us, strives with us, works with us, and cries with us.” Life’s distractions—whether trials or triumphs—can obscure His presence.
Each of us walks our own road to Emmaus. Along that road, we face illness, weakness, financial strain, or even the pride that can come with success. Yet we need never walk alone, Elder Giuffra said. “We can ask the Savior to be with us.”
As we learn of Christ, obey His commandments, pray, study the scriptures, follow the living prophets, and invite Him to abide with us, we begin to recognize His influence. The plea of the disciples—“Abide with us”—should be our own, Elder Giuffra said. And when it is, our hearts, too, will burn within us.