For My Profit and Learning

... And Were Filled When Christ instituted the sacrament among the Nephites, the record notes that "he took of the bread and brake and blessed it; and he gave unto the disciples and commanded that they should eat. And when they had eaten and were filled , he commanded that they should give unto the multitude," and that the multitude  ate "and were filled" (3 Nephi 18:3-5). This phrase also follows the blessing and partaking of the wine. The Nephite disciples " did drink of it and were filled ; and they gave unto the multitude, and they did drink, and they were filled . (3 Nephi 18:9). The language is somewhat ambiguous, but I don't imagine that this phrase literally means that the Nephites ate a meal of bread and wine and were physically satiated. Either way, I'm curious to know what it means to be figuratively "filled" by the sacrament. When we take the sacrament we are promised that we will always have the spirit to be with us if we ta...

After Christ has taught the Nephites, he could tell that they were fatigued, and likely reeling trying to process what they had seen and heard. He instructed them to "go ye unto your homes, and  ponder  upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and  prepare  your minds for the  morrow , and I come unto you again" (3 Nephi 17:3). Simply hearing the words of Christ, even directly from His mouth, was not sufficient for the Nephites to understand. They needed to ponder and to pray before the words of Christ could sink in to their hearts and have relevance in their lives. Writing this blog has been a good exercise in pondering for me. I find that I spend three times as much time writing about a chapter as I do reading it, and that new insights about that chapter, and feelings of the spirit always come while I am pondering.  Christ had other business to attend to and told the Nephites th...

I lost my cell phone today. It wasn't gone for long, and the entire process to search for and find it probably only lasted twenty minutes, but still. I had left it in a pew in the chapel of our church building and by the time I realized where I had likely left it, another congregation was meeting in the chapel. At the end of their meeting the bishop kindly made an announcement over the pulpit to see if if anyone had seen a lost cell phone. It was discovered immediately.  As I walked to my car with phone in hand, I was struck by the surge of relief I felt and just how happy and grateful I was to have found it. Not only was I surprised by the apparent strength of my attachment to my phone, but how urgently the members of the other congregation had helped me find it. The three people sitting in the row where I had left my phone stood up immediately with hands raised in the air almost shouting, "It's here!" "Here it is!" Christ shared a si...

Christ explained to the Nephites that " I  am he that gave the law, and I am he who covenanted with my people Israel; therefore, the law in me is fulfilled, for I have come to  fulfil  the law; therefore it hath an end" (3 Nephi 15:5). Christ meets his children where they are spiritually and provides commandments and instructions best suited to their needs and ability. While He is infinite and eternal, and His truth is unchanging, the means God uses to help us grow are as diverse and dynamic as we are. Sometimes we put the law, or the previous commandments of God, over God Himself. We may hold on to old ideas and ways of doing things when God would introduce a new and better way. President Nelson has given no shortage of opportunities to embrace this principle with his new announcements and hastened pace, particularly in decommissioning the home teaching and visiting teaching programs in favor of more personalized ministering. The actions (and inactions) of God's ...

As Christ continued his address to the Nephites as  recorded in chapter 14 , his words almost perfectly mirror those recorded in Matthew chapter 7. Chapter 14 contains important truths that are not only accepted by Christian believers, but have deeply permeated western society.  Because these beliefs and phrase--about judgment, asking for divine help, and assessing someone's character by their actions--are so ubiquitous, it is easy to forget how radical they are, and how difficult they are to practice despite their simplicity.  Judge Not, That Ye Be Not  Judged Christ taught " Judge not, that ye be not judged.  For  with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again" (3 Nephi 14:1-2). Elder Dallin H. Oaks clarified this principle for me in his BYU address  "Judge Not" and Judging . Since then I have interpreted this phrase to me as "Don't make permanent or unrighteous judgments."...

In regard to giving alms, praying, and fasting in secret Christ repeated to the Nephites the refrain that "thy Father, who  seeth  in secret, shall reward thee openly" (3 Nephi 13:4, 6, 18). Throughout this chapter Christ reassured the Nephites that when they seek to do the will of God, they do not need to harbor anxiety for their own welfare. His invitation is to trust God for  " your Father  knoweth  what things ye have need of before ye  ask  him" (3 Nephi 13:8). Christ sought to wean the ancient Americans of a breathy and desperate pursuit of earthly wealth, and sends that same message to us today to prioritize spiritual things over temporal things.  " Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal; But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For...

After calling twelve apostles, Jesus preaches to the Nephites, and shares teachings that are almost identical to the beatitudes as recorded in Matthew chapter 5. Christ's desire for all the inhabitants of the earth to be righteous sin universal, and so his message of truth to different people's is likely to be similar. But I was particularly interested in this reading to note the subtle ways Christ tailored his message to the Nephites. It is also possible that the words Christ spoke to the Nephites and on the Sermon on the Mount were the same, but there subtle differences introduced as a result of different translations. Either way, the differences between 3 Nephi 12 and Matthew 5 give insight into the full meaning and intent of Christ's council to these groups of people and to us today.  Christ opens His remarks to the Nephites by summarizing his teachings on baptism, commentary that is absent from the Sermon on the Mount. He explains, " Yea, blessed are they who...

3 Nephi chapters 11 through 26 are among my favorite in the Book of Mormon; Christ appears to the people of America to teach, to minister, and to establish His church.  After the darkness dissipated, a group of people had gathered around the temple in the city Bountiful. " they heard a  voice  as if it came out of heaven," but ; "they understood not the voice which they heard" (3 Nephi 11:3). Strange, considering only hours before they had heard the voice of the Lord speak to them regarding their wickedness and the need to repent.  Finally, after the third time the voice spoke they understood. It was the voice of Heavenly Father introducing His son Jesus Christ. The people recorded that "it was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a  small  voice it did  pierce  them that did hear to the center, insomuch that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; ...

The voice of the Lord spoke to the Nephites a second time, but only after  "there was silence in all the land for the space of many hours" (3 Nephi 10:2). The people were "astonished" and needed time to reflect on the miraculous event that had just  occurred. After a pause in their mourning, Christ asked multiple times,  " how oft have I  gathered  you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings" (3 Nephi 10:4, 5, 6). By repeating this phrase Christ emphasized His long-suffering nature, and the persistence of his mercy. His arms are always extended to receive the penitent.  The Nephites continued to mourn for three days of darkness, but eventually " the wailing of the people who were spared alive did cease; and their mourning was turned into joy, and their lamentations into the  praise  and thanksgiving unto the Lord Jesus Christ, their Redeemer" (3 Nephi 10:10). I draw significance from the fact that they began to experience joy wh...

Before re-reading 3 Nephi chapter 9, I scanned the chapter heading and noticed that chapters 9 and 10 described what the voice of the Lord said to the people. The Nephites had just experiences a tragedy of unimaginable proportions. They wailed with sorrow unable to see or move in the darkness. What are the first and few things that Christ chose to say to them while in such a state. Christ speaking directly and audibly to those on earth is a rare occurrence, and that scarcity fills every word with even greater significance. When I think of the efficiency and economy of God's interaction with His children, there are no wasted words. Each time He speaks, He speaks the truth that is most relevant to the audience at that time. So what did Christ say to the people, and what relevance does it have for me today? Wo, Wo, Wo Unto This People Christ mourned wickedness, not just of the Nephites, but of all people who do not keep the commandments. He also explained that the destruction o...