Christ’s Discourse on the Gospel and His Church
READ 3 Nephi 27:1-2
What
were the circumstances in which Christ visited the disciples?
Generally, they were doing the work
of His ministry, as commanded – traveling, preaching the doctrine Christ had
taught, bearing witness of what they had experienced, and baptizing in the name
of Jesus.
Specifically, at this moment, they
were fasting and crying unto the Father in the name of Christ in mighty prayer.
They were being “found fighting”
like King Theoden at Helm’s Deep (from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings; they
were doing their duty as commanded by their Lord.
They were attempting to communicate
with the Father through the veil (i.e. in “mighty prayer” or the True Order of
Prayer or praying in a way to ensure that God will hear their prayer and answer
it according to His tender mercies).
Why
did Christ come to earth and show Himself unto them to answer their prayer?
That’s what He does – He wants to
abide with His disciples (those that love and serve Him) because He is meek and
loves them.
He has promised those to whom He
has ministered that He will abide with them – that He will make His habitation
with them.
For those who have become His Sons
and Daughters, He will show unto them what He would have them do next (see 2
Nephi 32:4-7).
He has asked us to seek, ask and
knock and has told us that He employs no hireling or employee at the Gate but
is there Himself.
Why
does Christ ask them what they want; doesn’t He already know?
Yes, He already knows.
He asks because He is bound by our
agency and actions in the real world – He will not violate our agency; e.g. if
He had appeared to them, knowing what they wanted, but they had not asked Him
for it for whatever reason, He would not have granted it – like the two on the
road to Emmaus who asked Him to stay with them – He knew they wanted it but
they had to ask or He would have left; ditto the Nephites in 3 Nephi 17.
He speaks to us as one man speaks
to another, reasoning with us in our own language and at our own level of
understanding, in plain humility – He is the most meek and humble being in the
universe.
READ 3 Nephi 27:3-10
What
is the name of Christ’s Church?
The Church of Jesus Christ or the
Church of Christ or the Church of the Firstborn (who is Jesus Christ).
What
if a Church is named after a man, a group of men, or a principle of the gospel?
It is not Christ’s Church.
Does
it matter what the Church is called if it does not preach Christ’s doctrines in
truth?
No, Christ’s Church must be built
upon His gospel – the Fullness of the Gospel.
The name alone has no saving or
authoritative power.
But you can know the true Church of
Christ by the fact that the Father will show forth His works in it.
Does
it matter what the Church is called if it does preach Christ’s doctrines in
truth?
Yes, because to be a member of
“Christ’s Church” is to take upon you His name.
It is to be adopted into His family as His Son or Daughter.
So those who have this relationship
with Him ARE part of the church or group or family of Jesus Christ.
Christ’s actual, true Church is
called by Christ’s name and Christ’s name only, as the individuals in that
Church are called by Christ’s name and Christ’s name only.
What
is the purpose of a Church if people are saved individually by coming unto
Christ anyway?
To fellowship and serve each other.
To unite in prayer and fasting.
To teach each other the gospel and
to testify to each other of their experience with the Lord.
To be “saviors on Mount Zion” for
each other – to minister, intercede, and sacrifice for, as Christ did for us –
to help us learn to be like Christ.
Why
was the name of the Church changed from the Church of Christ to the Church of
the Latter-day Saints (1834) and later to the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints (1838)?
The
members and leaders of the Church wanted to differentiate it to others from the
many churches named the “Church of Christ” (including the Kirtland-based
Campbellites, who were called the Church of Christ).
The name
reflects the fact that it was no longer Christ’s church but also (or perhaps
completely) the Church of men by 1834… as they were under condemnation from
1832 onward and had most likely already lost the High Priesthood, except for
that held by Joseph Smith himself – this was confirmed in 1841; the high
priesthood was originally given in 1831 at the Morley farm but did not seem to
“stick”, as so few of the men to whom it was given showed forth the “works of
the Father” that one would expect to see associated with this priesthood.
READ 3 Nephi 27:11-12
Which
is worse, for a church to be built upon the works of men or the works of the
devil?
They are equally bad.
If the church is not Christ’s
Church, it doesn’t matter whose church it is or how much good they do or how
much joy they get in doing it; it will not save them and those who are members
and are trusting it to save them will be very disappointed at the end (see
Matthew 7:22-23).
A church can’t save you
anyway! Christ’s point is that you must come
unto Him and become His child and take upon yourself His name; and if you ever
gather in a group of 2-3 or more with those who have done likewise, you are
“Christ’s Church”.
Why
would a church of men or especially a church of the devil ever have “joy in
their works”, even for a season?
Because some of those churches are
engaged in worthy causes and works and help people in their time of need.
Some of them offer hope and
reassurance (albeit false hope) to their members, saying they hold all of the keys
of authority necessary for salvation if people will just follow them and comply.
Some of them flatter their members
about how righteous the members are and make them feel great about themselves
and their chances of salvation.
Some of them lie to their members
that they can never be led astray.
Anciently, the word “gospel” meant
“to preach the good news” instead of meaning the doctrinal content of Christian
preaching or even the accounts of Christ’s ministry. That means that verse 13 could be paraphrased
as follows: “Behold, I have preached my glad tidings to you, and these are the
glad tidings I have preached to you…”
READ 3 Nephi 27:13-18
What
is the first element of the “good news”?
Christ came into the world to do
the will of His Father.
He did so because His Father sent
Him.
What
is the reason Christ gives for His mission?
That He might die on a cross.
That He might draw all men to Him.
That He might enable all men to be
lifted up and judged of Christ according to their works.
What
parallels are there between Christ being lifted up on the cross and mankind
being lifted up by the Father to be judged?
Christ was judged by men, found
guilty and lifted up on the cross to be punished.
Mankind will be judged by God,
found guilty and find themselves unprepared to be in the presence of a just and
holy being and will wish that they could be anywhere but there (see Mormon
9:3-5; Alma 36:12-16; D&C 19:10-20), and shortly will be.
How
does this relate to Christ’s admonition to us to “take up our cross” and follow
Him?
To “take up one’s cross” is to
submit to the will of the Father in all things (see verses 13-14); and the
Father’s will is that we enable His work and His glory to bring to pass the
immortality and eternal life of man; which requires some to unjustly sacrifice,
suffer or even die for others; that those others might be drawn to God.
It is better to “take up one’s
cross” in this life and to suffer the judgment and condemnation of the world
then to be unprepared to enter God’s presence have to drink the bitter cup of
suffering for one’s sins (see Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Mark 10:21; Luke 9:23;
Galatians 6:12; Jacob 1:8; Alma 39:9; 3 Nephi 12:30; D&C 23:6; D&C
56:2; D&C 112:14).
What
does the phrase “that I might draw all men unto me” imply?
Draw = to attract, to cause to move
or tend towards itself, as a magnet; to engage (1828 Webster’s Dictionary).
To be drawn toward Christ requires
you see things as they truly are: to see the sacrifice that Christ made for you
in its entirety – which will break your heart and make your spirit contrite,
such that you will offer your whole soul to Him in love, gratitude and praise
for what He has done for you, undeserved and completely out of mercy, grace and
love – for you, and for God, whose work He is doing.
What
are those who are baptized in Christ’s name filled with?
The Holy Spirit or the Light of
Christ or Christ’s Spirit which is the mind of God, the glory of God which
fills the immensity of space and comes from God Himself, and the Spirit of
Jesus Christ Himself.
This
will sanctify our spirits, making them “holy” or a Holy Ghost, which if we
continue to live aligned with the Holy Spirit, will abide with us as a constant
companion because it has become us – or in other words, we have become holy
through His ministrations through His Spirit.
If
being “cast into the fire” from which one “cannot return” means experiencing
“God’s punishment” not “endless punishment” (see D&C 19), what is verse 17
saying?
For one thing, they will not want
to return to the presence of the Father, as we’ve already said.
They will have to experience God’s
punishment (D&C 19) but it will not last forever.
Perhaps
they can no more return to God in this eternity but may have another
opportunity to experience a mortal probation in a future eternity, which, if
they repent, they can inherit a better resurrection at that time; but if not,
they remain as the stars in the Zodiac, continually circling the ecliptic and
never rising up.
READ 3 Nephi 27:19-21
Who
enters into the rest of the Lord?
Only those who are clean – either
through perfect performance or being declared clean (see D&C 88:75) by
washing their garments in Christ’s blood.
How
does one “wash their garments” in Christ’s blood?
Exercise faith.
Repent.
Be baptized in water.
Receive the baptism of fire and the
Holy Ghost.
Come unto Christ and learn His will
(see 2 Nephi 32:4-7).
Do Christ’s works (see 3 Nephi
12-14; D&C 103:9-10; LoF 7:9, 15).
Be faithful to the covenant with
Christ to the end.
Are
we really to do the works we’ve “seen” Christ do and what are those works?
Yes – He
is our example in all things.
We are
to become precisely like Him or we cannot be saved (see LoF 7:9).
We are
to act like Him, as laid out in the Sermon on the Mount and at Bountiful (see 3
Nephi 12-14).
We are
to be saviors of others (see D&C 103:9-10).
We are
to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, up to and including
attaining to the resurrection of the dead ourselves (see Mormon 9:27; Matthew
26:37-39; TPJS 390-393; LoF 7:15).
READ 3 Nephi 27:22
How
will we be “lifted up” at the “last day” if we do all these things?
At the last day of this eternity,
we will be “lifted up” or raised by Christ’s resurrection to a condition of
glory.
At the “last day” of some future
eternity we may have the opportunity to be “lifted up” as Christ was so that we
may also draw all those to us who will come to be saved and attain to the
resurrection of the dead ourselves and be “lifted up” unto life again by our
Father, Jesus Christ.
READ 3 Nephi 27:23-27
If
we are to be judged against the books we write, why write them at all – that
way we won’t be condemned, right?
Wrong.
The Father has written all things.
Whatever we have done is “written”
in our bodies and spirits anyway.
The books we write are to help each
other learn what God has told each of us that we all might gain more knowledge more
quickly (from each other) of how to connect more deeply with God (see D&C
103:9-10).
What
kind of judges are the 12 Nephite disciples?
Honorary judges.
Christ does the judging and gives
His judgment to them to announce.
But they still have the obligation
to be even as Christ is, so that they might receive His judgement in exactness
(nothing lost in translation from a perfect being to an imperfect one), and represent
Christ in announcing His judgements.
READ 3 Nephi 27:30-31, 33
What
causes Christ, the Father and the hosts of heaven to have joy?
When our immortality and eternal
life is assured, especially during our mortal lives.
What gives a god joy is our progressing
toward becoming like they are; and what gives them sorrow is our spurning that
opportunity.
What
is the “night wherein no man can work”?
The end of one’s mortal (and spirit
world) probation.
When one comes back into the
presence of God for judgment.
It implies that in the heavens – or
the resurrected kingdoms – no one can continue to progress.
Why
does Christ use the analogy of “night” when in fact what is implied is coming
back into the presence of God, which is very light?
At night, the work of the day is
forced to come to an end because there is not enough light to see by to
accomplish it – it is the same in heaven, as it is much more difficult to rebel
against God while in His presence – one needs a separation from God in a mortal
probation to truly exercise ones’ agency without constraint.
After
the night comes the next day…or another eternity or opportunity to either find
the narrow path that leads to the continuation of lives or follow the masses
through the broad gate that leads to the deaths (see D&C 132:21-25).
Christ Grants the Disciples’
Desires
READ 3 Nephi 27:28-29 and 3 Nephi
28:1
Who
gets to ask the Father and Christ for anything they wish and receive it?
Those who have been received the
Testimony of Jesus and have been sealed up to eternal life by the Father (see
D&C 88:75; Mosiah 5:15; D&C 7:1-8; 2 Chronicles 1:7-12; Enos 1:12-13;
Helaman 10:5-7; Psalms 37:4).
READ 3 Nephi 28:2-3
Why
in the world would these nine disciples (and all but one of the Jewish apostles
– see D&C 7) waste their “wish” on what they will receive anyway?
Because they were all very risk
adverse and did not like their chances to remain faithful to the Lord, knowing
that the risk of failure was perdition if they failed…
Or perhaps they didn’t want to wait
in the Spirit World for the resurrection, knowing it was a bondage to be
separated from one’s body, but wanted to be raised immediately upon death and
go straight to heaven where Christ now dwells (see D&C 138:14-18, 50-52;
D&C 45:16-17).
Or
possibly (and speculatively), it is because they all understood the analogy of
the “night wherein no work can be performed” better than we do and didn’t want
to have to go back down to experience another mortal probation - neither to
exercise their agency to rise up to eternal life OR to go back down to assist
others in their journey, both risking falling from the grace they had been
given as well as to experience again the struggles and afflictions of
mortality; they had risen up to the point that they were sealed up and did not
want to have to condescend again to visit a lost and fallen telestial world,
but they wanted to come “speedily” to Christ and stay with Him.
READ 3 Nephi 28:4-8
What
did the three Nephite disciples desire of Christ?
They desired to be translated into
a physical/spiritual body that cannot die or suffer pain, so that they might
continue to minister to mankind and try to persuade them to come unto Christ.
Why
were they hesitant to ask this?
Unlike Moses, Enoch, Elijah and
John, these three did not have a “calling to minister” as a translated being;
they felt they were asking something way above what they dared ask for.
But in reality, they were asking to
condescend, not to rise up in greatness, because they were guaranteed to be
hated and to endure great, great sorrow for the sins of the world, directly,
for over two thousand more years.
READ 3 Nephi 28:9, 23
What
is their objective – why do they want to stay on earth?
To bring souls to Christ while the
earth still stands by preaching the gospel of Christ in power (see 3 Nephi
28:29).
Implied in this is the importance
to the Lord of having servants able and willing to be able to preach to mankind
with this kind of knowledge and spiritual power; one could extrapolate and
wonder if Christ had more individuals like these three who attained to the
state where they could ask of the Lord and receive their hearts desire AND then
desired to stay and minister, that His work (see Moses 1:39) would be more
successful or more efficiently so, at least.
What
is the downside of this desire?
They are choosing to condescend for
over two thousand years, to experience all of the heartache that comes with
watching people one cares about make terrible decisions or suffer at the
decisions of others.
They will sorrow for the pains of
the world directly for two thousand plus years; unlike Enoch, who saw a vision
of the wickedness of men and swept – but when the vision was closed, it was
closed, the Three Nephites will experience countless scenes of evil and heartbreak
interspersed with a few scenes of hope and joy, for over two thousand years
(see Moses 7:35-58).
READ 3 Nephi 28:13-17 and 3 Nephi
28:36-40
What
does it mean that they couldn’t tell if they were in the body or not, and what
is implied?
Christ had come down to earth from
heaven to visit them but now they are ushered back through the fiery portal to
visit heaven.
They cannot tell whether their
mortal bodies were transfigured and they actually left the earth through the
portal to heaven as Christ would do or if they were taken to heaven in the
spirit while their body remained on the earth – either their spirits leave
their bodies and move through the portal to heaven or they are given a vision
of heaven so real that they cannot tell whether they are in their bodies or not.
All of these experiences are “real”
– the physical body leaving the planet, the spirit leaving the body and the
planet, or the person “leaving” the planet in vision; and all are viable
alternatives for the Lord to use with mankind and are hard to discern the
difference between; it really doesn’t matter which vehicle the Lord choses to
use – all are very capable of taking the “person” to heaven to “see and hear
unspeakable things”. Having said all
that, there is much more that must be done to the person’s physical body if the
first method is used (physical body translated and leaves the planet) which
implies that there is a difference in requirement and likely benefit from
method to method.
What
is the state of the bodies of the Three Nephites?
Their flesh is sanctified or
quickened or holy – body and spirit – their bodies are “renewed” (see D&C
84:33-40).
Satan can have no power over them
to tempt them.
No man can have any power over them.
But they have not yet died and been
resurrected – receiving a “greater change” to their body at that time.
READ 3 Nephi 28:18-22
When
were they cast into prison or deep pits or fiery furnaces?
Many years after their mortal lives
would have ordinarily ended but before they were removed from the Nephites by
the Lord (see Mormon 1:13, 16; Mormon 8:10).
Because at this moment (in 3 Nephi
28), all of the “more wicked” had been destroyed at the time of Christ’s death
and Zion was about to be established – these are future events after the
Nephites’ Zion fails (see 4 Nephi).
READ 3 Nephi 28:25-32
Among
whom will the Three Nephites minister?
Prophets in the Americas.
The latter day Gentiles; although
the Gentiles won’t know who they are (that they are prophets sent from God and
that they are ancient translated beings); they will do a “great and marvelous
work” among the Gentiles before the day of judgment.
The latter day Jews; while this may
also include the Jews in Jerusalem or in the Americas, it most likely also
refers to the Remnant of the House of Jacob or the latter day Lehites in
America; but again, they will not recognize who they are speaking with.
The latter day scattered tribes of
Israel among all nations.
Anyone they get permission from the
Father to appear unto; implied is that they meet people they would like to
interact with and “show themselves unto”.
READ 3 Nephi 28:33-35
Why
would it be better for those who will not hearken to the words of Jesus (or
those He has chosen to minister to) that they had never been born?
If they don’t receive Christ’s
words, they won’t receive Christ.
If they don’t receive Christ, He
will not receive them at the last day.
Not receiving Christ’s words/Christ
Himself is to “trample” Him under their feet.
He will be offended and will decree
that justice will be done to them, as He is a God of truth and must abide by
justice or cease to be God.
But the “it would be better for
them if they had not been born” takes this justice to another level – this is
not a “wo” but a “wo, wo, wo” decree; this is only given to those who sin
against the light – so they know, not merely believe, they are hearing Christ’s
words when they refuse to receive them (see D&C 84:33-41) – they are
covenant breakers after having received the High Priesthood.
This is not the same as someone
saying “no” to the missionaries; this is saying no to Christ’s words taught to
them either by Christ Himself or His servants (who have seen Him and have His
message), while the Spirit is testifying of the truth so that they KNOW that what
they reject is true.
Why
do we not have all the scriptures that give an account of all the works of
Christ?
Because we would condemn ourselves.
We would know of the things to come
but we would treat that knowledge or the opportunity to gain that knowledge by
reading the new scriptures as lightly as we’ve treated the Book of Mormon we
already have.
And we would further offend God in
the process.
God is being merciful to us, in our
current state.
Who
are those that Christ has chosen and sent among us to teach His words?
True messengers (angels) from
heaven.
People on earth to whom He has
revealed Himself and given a message (direct quotes) that they are specifically
told to relay to us.
There is no other definition –
holding a certain priesthood or having a certain calling or leading a certain
Church does not, by themselves, guarantee any direct connection with Christ.
What
will these three Nephites (and John) receive that the other disciples and
apostles will not?
The nine Nephite disciples and
Jewish apostles were promised that they would go quickly unto Christ in His
Kingdom and find rest.
While the Three Nephites were
promised they would ultimately sit down in the kingdom of the Father and be
even as Christ is.
While it doesn’t say that the
others won’t eventually receive what the Three Nephites and John were promised,
the text does differentiate them, which implies that the others may eventually
have to go through the same experience as the three or at least experience
something else that will prove and prepare them in this same way.
What
are the implications of their choices to stay on earth and minister?
This shows the importance of
condescending to minister to others after one has been promised eternal life
and an end to their own suffering.
Instead of taking the “rest of the
Lord”, they chose to continue to minister to their fellowmen, directly enduring
the pain and heartache inherent in watching others hurt each other or chose to
turn away from the God who can heal and save them; it’s like choosing to watch
and trying (in most cases fruitlessly) to influence the most deeply disturbing
and fundamentally sad family situation you could ever conceive of witnessing.
But it is motivated completely by
love, not by an effort to “win” a reward, as the reward the other nine chose
was so great that very few would want to give up that guarantee for something
like this; being “even as I am” is choosing the way of the despised, rejected,
the man of sorrows who is acquainted with grief – it is not a person to be
envied but to be loved for the love they have extended first to you through
their sacrifice.
These three are choosing to
continue on in their eternal progression to become precisely as Christ is in
some future eternity, by doing all they can do now to be “saviors on Mount
Zion” for others (see Obadiah 1:21); they are staying to minister to the very
last moment.
The other nine will be with Christ
but seem not to be on the same trajectory or at least not at the same pace, as
the Three (plus John).
This should give all of us who have
not experienced the Second Comforter and haven’t been sealed up to eternal life
by the Father serious pause to reflect on what trajectory and at what pace we
are moving.
But it should also make us think
about what is possible or maybe even preferred (or perhaps required, at some
point): attaining to a state of translation, after receiving the Second
Comforter and more sure word of prophesy/sealing to eternal life by the Father
so that we can continue to minister for the Lord (see D&C 107:48-49); John
the Beloved has a special mission to perform and may be the “angel of the North”
- Uriel, representing the Earth, and the gatekeeper of the portal to heaven on
our end, but these three are not the other angels of the Cardinal directions (who
are Michael/Adam, Raphael/Enoch, and Gabriel/Noah – east, south, west,
respectively), but asked to minister because they were so full of love for the
Lord and His work that what they desired most was to continue to sacrifice
themselves in His service – something we all can aspire to attain to.
Mormon’s Warning to the Latter-Day
Gentiles
READ 3 Nephi 29:2-3
Mormon
is referencing Christ’s prophesy about the Gentiles rejecting the fullness and
the gospel going again to the Remnant of Israel; what is Mormon’s testimony and
how does he know?
His testimony is that Christ’s
prophesy is true and will happen.
He knows it because he has seen our
day in vision.
READ 3 Nephi 29:4-7
What
does it mean to “spurn” at the “doings” of the Lord?
Spurn = to kick or drive back with
the foot; to reject with disdain; to reject with scorn; to treat with contempt;
to make contemptuous opposition (1828 Webster’s Dictionary).
It is to deny that Christ has the
power to affect anything in this modern world; to think He is effectively
impotent.
Instead, He has given His power
unto men (see 2 Nephi 28:5).
But even then, He doesn’t reveal
Himself to them or give them revelations; they feel they already have a “great
reservoir of scripture” that they just need to help/make the common members
live better.
He no longer works by miracles or
gifts of the Spirit because He uses science and men to do His work now…so go to
your doctor if you are sick because that is what you’ll be told to do in 99.9%
of all “priesthood blessings” you’ll receive.
To spurn Him is to believe that he
has abdicated His direct “doings” in this world.
Why
does denying the power of Christ enable those who do it to get gain?
If Christ cannot actually save you
in this mortal world but a man can, wouldn’t you want to ensure you received
his services by paying and praising him for his deeds?
Also, the world doesn’t believe in
Christ and His power or even the supernatural in general, so denying His power
is a good public relations move if you want to remain relevant with the world.
And if you want to become popular,
have influence and gain wealth in today’s society, you need to appeal to the
world so you must downplay Christ’s miraculous power or at least the
demonstration of that power (which ends up meaning that you effectively deny
His power), to become popular and gain more members which equals more tithing
money and worldly influence.
Why
are those who deny Christ’s power to get gain like or similar to the son of
perdition?
They are Church leaders who know
enough to know better – they know that they lie and deceive – both the general
public (to become popular) and their own Church membership (to retain power
over them).
How much they know is between them
and the Lord but the fact that Christ likens them to perdition tells us
something about their level of knowledge and betrayal.
READ 3 Nephi 29:9
What
does it mean to “turn the right hand of the Lord unto the left” with regards to
His covenant with Israel?
All of the arguments for and
bombastic testimony about how the Gentiles will “never be led astray” but will
“bear off the Kingdom of God” will not change the fact that the Father has seen
that we (Gentiles) will or already have rejected the Fullness of the Gospel and
He will give it back to Israel; and He will execute judgement against us because
of it (see D&C 112:23-26).
Turn the right hand to the left is
not about convincing but forcing; but we will not be able to do either.
Our only hope is to humbly repent. And that can only happen individually, not
collectively.
READ 3 Nephi 30:1-2
Again,
who are the Gentiles?
We are – the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints (see D&C 109:60).
How
adamant is Mormon in what he is telling us in this verse?
Very.
He is executing against a direct
commandment to him from the Lord.
It’s almost legal in its set up –
“I’m officially executing on the responsibility or task Christ gave to me”.
Where
does this list of latter-day Gentile Church sins come from?
From Christ (see 3 Nephi 16:10).
Who was quoting the Father.
So
can we actually accept the fact that our Church and its members have these
“wicked ways” that we must repent of?
No.
We will believe that this verse refers to all Gentiles who do not join
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
And that is why we won’t repent,
will lose the Fullness of the Gospel, and most will not survive the day of
desolation the Lord is about to unleash, first upon those who “have professed
to know my name and have not known me” (see D&C 112:23-26).
And in failing to repent, we will
fulfill the prophesy the Lord has made.
What
is Mormon’s message of hope to us?
If we admit and repent of our
“wicked ways” and abominations, and come unto Him (not the Church) through
baptism such that we actually receive the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost
and a remission of our sins, we can be numbered with Christ’s people, who are
of the House of Israel.
It’s all still to play for! We can be saved but we must humble ourselves
to the dust and wake up from our unbelief (or belief in all the things we
believe that are false), and arise and come unto Him in the flesh.
What
unbelief must we awake from?
Our
denial that we are individually, and collectively as a Church, guilty of the
long list of heinous sins that Mormon has accused us of, including murder
(Mountain Meadows Massacre), whoredom (unsanctioned polygamy), secret
abominations (changing the temple ceremony; polygamy as essential for
exaltation, grinding the faces of the poor while making the Church and its
leaders secretly rich, etc.), priestcraft (the cult of personality of
leadership in the Church, from top to bottom; all of the tithing money and
subsequent investment income stockpiled by the leaders) and all of the lying
and deceiving required to do these things and not suffer the consequences.
That the
Prophet cannot lead us astray; and that the Prophets and Apostles have deceived
us into thinking they communicate directly with the Lord and are His actual
mouthpieces when they do not know Him but are practicing priestcraft.
That we
have retained the High Priesthood instead of admitting that we lost it prior to
1841 and then forfeited the last chance we’ve been given to receive it again
when we failed to build the Nauvoo Temple in time and Joseph Smith was killed.
That the
condemnation we are still under for rejecting the Fullness of the Gospel
contained in the Book of Mormon is not a big deal; that unless we repent, the fullness
of the gospel will be taken from us and given to the Remnant and we will be
trodden underfoot, as Israel was by us.
That we
are the chosen people who will build Zion – ignoring the many scriptural
prophesies that make it clear that the Remnant will build Zion, not us – we can
assist them in their leadership role if we individually repent.
That Church
baptism and the doctrine we preach today of enduring to the end by following
the prophet constitutes the Fullness of the Gospel; denying that the Fullness
of the Gospel begins with actually receiving the baptism of fire and the Holy
Ghost and ends with receiving the Second Comforter and being sealed up to
eternal life by the Father while we are alive in the mortal flesh; anything
more or less than this is evil.
The Establishment of Zion Among the
Nephites
READ 4 Nephi 1:1
Did
the people come unto the Church to be baptized or unto the apostles to be
baptized and what is the difference?
They come unto the apostles,
because they, as individuals, held the authority directly from Christ to
actually give people the Holy Ghost or to baptize with authority such that the
Holy Spirit sanctified the individual upon baptism.
They were not baptized into a
Church, but associated with a church or group of fellow believers, after they
were baptized; they were converted “unto the Lord” (see v2).
It is the Church of the Firstborn
that you really want membership in.
READ 4 Nephi 1:2
Is
there a progression to conversion, lack of contention, and dealing justly?
Yes. Conversion is first and foremost to Christ –
to come unto Him and be saved by Him in a personal relationship by covenant,
receiving a mighty change of heart.
Lack of contention comes when
people each know Christ such that they come to an unanimity of understanding
the faith which Christ preaches, as taught in the Sermon at Bountiful, and are
filled with charity for each other.
Dealing justly follows true
understanding of the doctrine of Christ and is demonstrated in the living of
that doctrine.
How
do most churches attempt to come to an unanimity of belief or end contention
about doctrine?
Through their creeds.
Men decide what the correct
doctrine is and require compliance of their church members with their beliefs;
they enforce their creeds through shunning, shaming, disfellowship, and
excommunication.
They enforce unanimity from outside
the soul; contention is ended because you either embrace their view or are
exited from their Church.
Why
do all Churches that are not Zion have contentions and disputations among them?
The church members and leaders do
not each personally know the Lord.
They have not experienced the
mighty change of heart.
They are not filled with charity
for each other, not to mention all mankind.
They are not sealed up to eternal
life.
They have not each “gazed into
heaven five minutes” and all their knowledge is as the scribes – from their own
learning or each other’s learning.
What
does it mean that they dealt “justly” with one another?
It is holding oneself to the
highest standard.
Giving people precisely what they
are entitled to and holding nothing back.
To do what you have agreed to do.
READ 4 Nephi 1:3
What
does it mean to have “all things in common”?
What’s mine is yours and what’s
yours is mine.
Ownership of resources is common to
the group.
It is intolerable to those living
in Zion to see someone in need and not sacrifice to ease their burden and
fulfill their needs.
Note: all things in common requires
conversion, unanimity of faith, dealing justly with each other, as
prerequisites.
Where
can we find a successful model of people having “all things in common” today?
Within a family (see D&C
107:53-57).
What
analogy does a family provide for a “Zion” community?
All things in common.
No relative (to each other) wealth
or poverty.
A degree of love where each sacrifices
for the others; and parents (and some siblings) will sacrifice all things for
their children or each other.
An official familial bond either
through biological relations or adoption.
How
does the “Golden Rule” relate to having all things in common?
Golden Rule = Do unto others as you
would have them do unto you (see 3 Nephi 14:12).
Unless you had serious underlying
mental health or emotional problems, would you feed yourself if you were
hungry? Would you clothe yourself if you
were naked? Would you warm yourself if
you were cold? Would you love
yourself? Would you forgive yourself?
Assuming you have the resources or capabilities to do these things, would you
withhold them from yourself if you had needs to be met?
To have all things in common is to
“treat your neighbor as yourself”.
Why
is equality among the people – i.e. no rich or poor – required for Zion?
Among or within a family there are
no “rich or poor”.
So no one will envy or covet each
other.
Because it is a commandment; it is
how people live in heaven because one must be equal in earthly things or we
cannot be equal in obtaining heavenly things (see D&C 70:14-16; D&C
78:3-8).
The resources of the earth are all
the Lord’s anyway and He gives them to us freely but not with the intent to
enable us to have power over each other or to take more than our share so that
someone else goes without (see D&C 59:18-21).
What
is the “heavenly gift”?
The presence and abundance of the
things of the Spirit.
Being in harmony with the Lord;
being attuned or quickened to His frequency so that you see things as they
really are (see D&C 93:24).
The priesthood which enables one to
stand in the presence of God and act as God on earth (i.e. to seal on earth as
in heaven) – the Holy Order.
The promise from God’s own mouth of
your exaltation (see Mosiah 5:15; D&C 88:75) – your calling and election
made sure.
READ 4 Nephi 1:4-5
How
can we tell that these disciples were partakers of the heavenly gift?
Miraculous works done through the
power of the Holy Spirit and in the name of Jesus were manifested.
Healed the sick, raised the dead,
caused lame to walk, blind to receive their sight, deaf to hear – did Christ’s
works.
The work and will of Christ was
enabled through the heavenly gift.
Why
was it Christ’s will that the sick, injured and afflicted among the Nephites be
healed but today the Lord seems to have a different agenda?
Maybe the opportunity to serve, minister
too and sacrifice for afflicted individuals is something that we still need to
have in our society while Zion people do not – they are filled with charity
already and don’t need unhealed sick people to minister to?
The afflictions of the flesh are
evidently needed to humble some of us to our knees such that we will cry unto
the Lord for mercy while Zion people have already humbled themselves to the
dust, seeing their nothingness compared to the Savior’s glory, firsthand; Zion
people have more important things to do than to continue to struggle with the
afflictions of the flesh.
Perhaps if we had the faith and
obedience of those Nephites who built Zion, it would be the Lord’s will that
all people were healed miraculously, too, as He is no respecter of persons?!
READ 4 Nephi 1:10-12
What
is the main priority of the Nephites in this Zion community?
Family life.
The raising of children in a way
that will enable them to grow up unto the Lord and know Him for themselves.
It is not material success or economics
(they have all things in common and there are no rich or poor among them); it
is not church callings and leadership (they all know the Lord, from the least
to the greatest); it is not warfare or political intrigue (all the people in
the land have been baptized and come unto Christ and there are no political,
ethnic or national divisions); it is not sin and all of the hiding that it
requires (they have no disposition to do evil anyway).
Yes, they are engaged in rebuilding
their cities (see 4 Nephi 1:7-9) and planting food, etc. but instead of doing
these things in a competitive environment and attempting to maximize their own
self-interest, they are able to efficiently share their resources and talents
to maximize their results across the whole community, plus the Lord is blessing
them and perhaps teaching them some quantum physics and how to use faith and
the power of His priesthood to better enrich their lives and make daily
subsistence easier?!
They are beneficiaries of the
“multitudes of the promises” the Lord had made unto those who were now walking
after the principles of the Fullness of the Gospel, not the Law of Moses – in
other words, the celestial marriage covenant or the Covenant of Abraham,
including becoming part of the Church of the Firstborn and communing with Gods
and angels (see D&C 76:51-70).
What
does “meeting together oft” mean and what are they doing?
Not “meeting together weekly on the
Sabbath” or it would have said that.
Not “reading the scriptures
together” – while that is a great thing to do, it’s not what is written.
They were coming together in
fasting and prayer, prepared so that they would have an abundance of the Spirit
with them when they met; that the Spirit of the Lord was be “unrestrained”.
They were gathering together often
to “hear the word of God” through the manifestations of the Spirit that each
person had, as all have different spiritual gifts given to bless each other.
They were gathering together to
learn and discuss the great new revelations that each person was receiving as
they communed with Gods and angels – the gospel was delicious to them and they
hungered and thirsted for more; the assumption being that even after all they
have experienced, they do not know all things but that there was still much to
learn (see Joel 2:28; Numbers 11:29; JSH 1:73-74; 1 Nephi 8:11; Moses 1:4-5;
TPJS 409:2).
READ 4 Nephi 1:13-18
How
many times does Mormon say there was “no contention” and why does he repeat it
over time?
Four times: (v2, 13, 15. 18).
Etching into metal plates is hard
work and there is no reason for redundancy.
You must conclude that while they
thought they had got rid of contention at the beginning, they found another
level of harmony among them later on, and another one beyond that because of
the love of God which was “dwelling in the hearts of the people”, and later on
they reached even another level.
Why
was Zion effectively established among the Nephites but it failed among the
Saints in Jackson County?
In Jackson County, the people came
together to try to become Zion people but they were not already “Zion people” –
as a result they had “jarrings and contentions and envyings and strifes” (see
D&C 101:6).
In Jackson County they “hastened
the work” and were not ready spiritually to enter God’s presence or live as one
(see D&C 63:24; 3 Nephi 21:29; D&C 101:68 – note: “pestilence” also
means = corruption or moral disease destructive to happiness, 1828 American
Dictionary).
With the Nephites, the wicked had
been destroyed and all those in Zion already knew Christ with a surety (see 3
Nephi 11:14-15); they were filled with love for God and for each other; they
were filled with the light and glory of God, purified even as He is pure.
The Nephites had come unto Christ
first, then came together to be Zion.
Why
does Mormon tell us Gentiles in 3 Nephi 30:2 to repent of the exact things he’s
just told us the Nephites have rid themselves of?
He’s seen our day and knows our
sins – you can’t watch 15 minutes of prime time network television without
being able to tick off everyone one of these boxes in the programming and
advertisements we’re served up on a daily basis.
The fact that we have these exact
sins to repent of is proof that we cannot build Zion in the state we are
currently in.
The fact that we will not repent of
these sins, as per the Lord’s and the Father’s prophesy in 3 Nephi 16:10, shows
us exactly why we will not be the ones to build Zion but will reject the
Fullness of the Gospel and continue to live in Babylon or hell, pretending that
it’s Zion.
It also illustrates the fact that
it is possible to abandon these sins, but may require a great destruction to
happen first to eliminate all those who will never choose to repent and be the
catalyst for those who will repent but haven’t yet.
But perhaps the few humble
followers of Christ who are Gentiles will awake to their awful state and rise
up through repentance and covenant to join Zion without mass destruction?
What
constitutes Zion?
Christ living among His people (see
Moses 7:16-18; D&C 133:25-34; D&C 107:53-57; John 14:21-23; D&C
130:3).
All of His people know Him with a
surety (see 3 Nephi 11:14-15).
No poor among them; all things in
common (see Moses 7:18).
Pure in heart (see D&C 97:21).
Unified or one; with God and thus
with each other (Moses 7:18); it is without compulsion or hierarchy because all
know the Lord and are one with Him (see Jeremiah 31:34 and D&C 121:41-46).
There are no happier people among
all the people who were created by the hand of God.
Ultimately they may be translated
and brought to heaven because of the wickedness of the rest of the people on
the earth which the Lord will destroy; except in the last days when the
heavenly Zions will return to earth to abide with the Zion here (see D&C
107:47).
Do
people come together to establish Zion or does the Lord prepare “Zion-people”
who then gather together?
The Lord will “bring you to Zion”
if and when you are ready, which may be only “one of a city or two of a
family”; it is not about the organization you belong to but your personal
relationship with Christ (see Jeremiah 3:14).
God establishes Zion with those who
are qualified to live in His presence.
How
does the Lord prepare a “Zion people”?
People must come unto Him in the flesh
(see D&C 84:19); they must be able to abide His presence and glory because
He will come to Zion to abide with His people; if you cannot abide His glory
(or intelligence/light/spirit), you will not be comfortable in Zion. His glory must be within you (see Exodus
33:20; Acts 5:1-10) so you can withstand what is all around you in Zion.
Coming unto Him in the flesh
requires the High Priesthood (see D&C 84:19-25).
Each individual must enter into a
covenant with Christ to become His Son or Daughter; as all enter into the same
covenant with God, they become “one” with each other – a family – Christ’s
family on earth; although they are not accountable to each other or to a mortal
leader but each is accountable to Christ for their covenant.
He uses those who have completed
the journey and come unto Him to teach, guide and point the way to others.
He does not use a “strongman”
leader because all in Zion are to “know Him” from the least to the greatest; no
one needs to wait on the words of another man to know or communicate with the
Lord (see Jeremiah 31:33-34; Exodus 20:18; Ezekiel 14:1-11); strongmen and
their hierarchical organizations create envy, strife, coveting of position,
self-promotion, flattery, competition, lust for power, imparity, stratification,
rich and poor, idolization of men, etc. (see Luke 22:25-27).
The people must choose to awake and
arise – to repent and come unto Christ themselves; Zion is a community of
prophets or people who have received the Testimony of Jesus, which is the
spirit of prophesy because He prophesies of their future exaltation (see
Numbers 11:26-28; D&C 88:75; Revelation 19:10).
Will
the latter-day Zion follow the Enoch Model or the Nephite Model?
Enoch Model = individuals repent,
humble themselves and find the Lord in the flesh and He then gathers them
together in Zion.
Nephite Model = great destruction
wipes out the vast majority of people including all those who could not abide
Christ’s presence and provides the catalyst for those who survive to repent,
and those who are left establish Zion after He comes to them.
The choice is completely up to us;
while God establishes Zion, we have seen that He does it based completely on
our willingness to awake and arise.
READ 4 Nephi 1:19
What
does this verse teach us about the Three Nephites?
Nephi III is not one of them.
The Fall of Zion
READ 4 Nephi 1:20
What
began the fall of Zion?
A few people revolted from the
Church and separated themselves, calling themselves “Lamanites”.
This was not an ethnic designation
as much as a religious or political one because of the intermarriage that had
likely taken place with the society being “one” and the children being
described as “fair and delightsome”, as they would have benefited from a more
diverse gene pool (see 4 Nephi 1:2-3, 10-11); although the fact that they chose
the word “Lamanite” to describe themselves may point to ethnicity playing a
part.
READ 4 Nephi 1:23
Why
had the people become exceedingly rich?
Because of the blessings they had
received from Christ and living in Zion.
As a direct result of the peace,
trust and unity they had enjoyed for so long – no resources were diverted into
military spending or marketing or compliance or law enforcement or even
medicine.
READ 4 Nephi 1:24-25
Why
did “exceeding” wealth lead to pride, especially because of the circumstances
under which the people had gained the money?
This generation wasn’t living in
Christ’s presence…if they were, they would see themselves relative to Him and
have no pride. Also, if they chose to
rebel this way while living in Christ’s presence, they’d be sons of perdition
and their behavior would deteriorate much more rapidly than it does here.
They’ve drifted in their own
relationship with Christ; they are living off the blessings of others (their
ancestors) who had known the Lord personally.
This is THE KEY problem for this group – they do not know Christ
themselves. You have to ask yourself how
this could have happened.
That being said, their culture had
become extremely righteous – their values and beliefs supported a way of life
that led to happiness and prosperity. They
had truly accomplished a lot through their hard work over 200 years – they had
a “Great Society” to be proud of.
Their wealth gave them
opportunities for “diversity” – you could hear some asking “why do we all have
to be the same?” But really they are
thinking, “I’m better than them – I have better taste, or am more righteous, or
work harder and deserve more, or am more talented and contribute more…” It is pride.
Is
it not possible to be exceedingly rich and also righteous enough to live in
Christ’s presence in mortality – how would this work?
The wealthy individual who can live
in Christ’s presence sees the money only as a stewardship from Christ with
which to bless others – they labor for Zion (see 2 Nephi 26:31; Jacob 2:18-19).
In other words, the community is
wealthy but not the individual; it’s like a family is wealthy, not one
particular member.
So the answer is a practical “no”
or “not likely” (although Abraham is an example); as an individual, you cannot
be exceedingly rich and live in Christ’s presence unless every member of the
whole society is also exceedingly rich and you are no more rich than the next
person – because they are rich together, regardless of who contributed what to
the generation of wealth.
How
many years did it take from having pride in riches to separating into tribes
and what can we learn from this?
6 years (from approximately 194 AD
to 201 AD).
If you are not in direct contact
with the Lord, you can lose your bearings very quickly in the presence of a lot
of money – think Thorin Oakenshield and his “dragon sickness” from Tolkien’s The
Hobbit.
READ 4 Nephi 1:26-27
Why
are churches the first thing the Nephites build up after they have separated
their goods?
They want someone with Godly
“authority” to tell them that all is well in Zion and that they are wonderful
people and what they are doing is pleasing to God.
Because they know, at a fundamental
level, that what they are doing is wrong.
And a church that soothes the
consciences of wealthy people is going to become very rich itself, as are its
leaders. Because the people will pay the
church, through “donations”, to keep the messages coming.
At
this point in their departure from Zion, how would the Nephites’ righteousness
stack up against ours today?
They were vastly more righteous
than we are today. They’ve been living
as one for 200 years and we couldn’t do it for two years in Jackson County
between 1831-33, much less today.
Their
parents (the second generation) and definitely their grandparents (the first
generation) all knew Christ personally; and while today’s leaders may use
clever language to testify of the “name” of Christ and seem to be hinting that
they know the Lord, the Book of Mormon and D&C tell us that they don’t
because they will reject the Fullness of the Gospel; plus the High Priesthood
which is required to enter His presence was lost and not returned in Nauvoo; as
a result of this, institutionally we don’t have the authority to know Christ –
although there may be individuals who have repented, hold the required
priesthood, and know Him, like in ancient Israel where prophets after Moses
were outsiders not Levitical Priests with “authority” to preside in the Church.
We are reading the first reintroduction
of our cultural mores into their society, which is going to ultimately destroy
it; so no, they are more righteous than us at this point.
How
can a Church profess to KNOW Christ, not just know about Christ, and yet deny
the more parts of His gospel?
THAT is the question for our
day.
They use their knowledge about
Christ to make it seem that they know Christ; it doesn’t start out as wolves in
sheep’s clothing but it ends up that way.
They profess to know Christ because
they get authority from the alleged relationship they have with Him, which they
can then use to gain power over church members who don’t know Him, either – so
they (the members) don’t know the difference.
They deny the “more parts” of His
gospel because they don’t understand them because they don’t know Christ.
They deny the “more parts” of His
gospel because they can’t be faked – like spiritual manifestations, etc. – and
if they can’t be faked, they must be denied, discounted, downplayed or quieted.
They deny the “more parts” of His
gospel because the crowning “more part” is to know Him personally and while
they profess this, it isn’t true, and their worst case scenario is that someone
from their membership actually connects with Christ and “outs” them for the
frauds and deceivers they are.
What
are the “more parts” of Christ’s gospel?
Redemption from spiritual death can
only be obtained by reentering the presence of God (see Ether 3:13).
Exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom
requires being sealed up to eternal life by Christ and the Father while living
in mortality (see D&C 132:21-25; D&C 88:75; D&C 76:51, 71-74); the
idea of dying “safely” in full fellowship with the mortal Church without
receiving The Testimony of Jesus from His lips regarding your exaltation is
false, as is the idea that a secret temple ordinance conducted by men (the
Second Anointing) is a substitute for the real thing administered by the Lord
Himself.
The miracles conducted by God’s
true (priesthood) power, the gifts of the Spirit, revelations from God, visions
and dreams, the ministry of angels, and even the birth of the Spirit or baptism
by fire.
READ 4 Nephi 1:28
If
narrow is the gate that leads to Christ and few there are that find it, what
can be said of a Church with massive growth numbers and lots of prosperity?
By definition it must have a “broad
gate” with attractive amenities.
It will not lead you to receive and
know Christ in this world (see D&C 132:21-25).
READ 4 Nephi 1:29-34
Why
did the priests try to kill the Three Nephites?
Because they don’t truly realize or
accept who they are.
They don’t believe someone could be
translated because they don’t really believe in revelation or perhaps even God.
The Three Nephites were powerful
prophets who likely spoke out against the priests in boldness and were a threat
to the kingdom the priests were building and their ability to control the lives
of their church members; they needed to be destroyed.
How
could people choose to harden their hearts in the face of miracles like these?
Signs do not produce faith.
Unbelievers or disbelievers have
paradigms through which they see the world (as do believers) but the fact that
they are false paradigms doesn’t mean that they are not deeply held; you see
what you believe you will see and if you witness something which seems to
violate your paradigm, you must concoct a likely explanation for it.
It is not what happens to you but
your choices with regards to what happens to you that is important; they have
chosen to disbelieve before any miracles were done and they will not change
their minds; but in order to not change them, they must “harden their hearts”
or double down in regards to their conviction to their belief system; they see
anything that opposes it as a threat and attack it accordingly.
READ 4 Nephi 1:38-39, 43-45 and 3
Nephi 27:32
What
is the difference between “dwindling in unbelief” and “willfully rebelling”
against the Gospel of Christ?
“Dwindling in unbelief” means that
over time truth is replaced with falsehood (“unbelief” or the belief in things
that are incorrect) and as a result people “dwindle” or become weaker or less
filled with light and knowledge until they have lost it all and have fallen
into a “deep sleep” and have forgotten everything (see Alma 12:10-11).
“Willfully rebelling” is actively
choosing to oppose the Lord and His gospel while staring Him in the face; it is
knowing the truth and denying it openly.
Ultimately,
why did the Nephite Zion fail?
The rising generation did not seek
after and find Christ in the flesh.
They studied doctrine and lived a
“great society” culture but it did not bear fruit; they participated in
ordinances but they were spiritually stillborn.
