Feast Upon the Words of Christ and Let Your Soul Delight in Fatness: September 2012

Lesson 40 - Then Will I Gather Them In

Purpose

To help class members understand the latter-day work of gathering Israel and establishing Zion.

Read, ponder, and pray:

& 3 Nephi 16, 20, and 21. These chapters contain part of the resurrected Savior’s teachings to the Nephites. In these chapters, the Lord teaches and prophesies of the Restoration of the gospel and the gathering of the house of Israel in the last days.

& Additional reading: 3 Nephi 29–30; Mormon 5:9–24; Articles of Faith 1:10; Bible Dictionary - “Gentile”; “Israel.”

We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.

10^th Article of Faith

Gentiles

As used in the scriptures, Gentiles has several meanings. Sometimes it designates people of non-Israelite lineage, sometimes people of non-Jewish lineage, and sometimes nations that are without the gospel, even though there may be some Israelite blood among the people. This latter usage is especially characteristic of the word as used in the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants.

Israelites were not to marry non-Israelites (Gentiles), Deut. 7:1–3. The Lord would come to be a light of the Gentiles, Isa. 42:6. Peter was commanded to take the gospel to the Gentiles, Acts 10:9–48. God also granted repentance to the Gentiles, Acts 11:18. We are baptized into one church, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, 1 Cor. 12:13. The Gentiles should be fellowheirs in Christ by the gospel, Eph. 3:6. The Book of Mormon was written to the Gentiles, Title page of the Book of Mormon (Morm. 3:17). A man among the Gentiles went forth upon the waters, 1 Ne. 13:12. Other books came from the Gentiles, 1 Ne. 13:39. The fulness of the gospel shall come to the Gentiles, 1 Ne. 15:13 (3 Ne. 16:7; D&C 20:9). This land shall be a land of liberty to the Gentiles, 2 Ne. 10:11. The Gentiles are a likeness of a wild olive tree, Jacob 5. The gospel is to come forth in the times of the Gentiles, D&C 45:28 (D&C 19:27). The word will go forth unto the ends of the earth, unto the Gentiles first, and then unto the Jews, D&C 90:8–10. The Seventy are to be special witnesses to the Gentiles, D&C 107:25. Send forth the elders of my church to call upon all nations, first upon the Gentiles, and then upon the Jews, D&C 133:8.

Bible Dictionary; Gentiles

Israel

The Lord gave the name Israel to Jacob, the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham in the Old Testament (Gen. 32:28; 35:10). The name Israel can refer to Jacob himself, his descendants, or to the kingdom those descendants once possessed in Old Testament times (2 Sam. 1:24; 23:3). After Moses led the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage (Ex. 3–14), they were ruled over by judges for over three hundred years. Beginning with King Saul, kings ruled over united Israel until the death of Solomon, when ten tribes revolted from Rehoboam to form a separate nation. After the kingdom of Israel was divided, the northern tribes, as the larger part, kept the name Israel, while the southern kingdom was called Judah. The land of Canaan is also called Israel today. In another sense, Israel means a true believer in Christ (Rom. 10:1; 11:7; Gal. 6:16; Eph. 2:12).

The twelve tribes of Israel: Abraham's grandson Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, had twelve sons. Their descendants have become known as the twelve tribes of Israel or the children of Israel. These are the twelve tribes: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun (the sons of Jacob and Leah); Dan and Naphtali (the sons of Jacob and Bilhah); Gad and Asher (the sons of Jacob and Zilpah); Joseph and Benjamin (the sons of Jacob and Rachel) (Gen. 29:32—30:24; 35:16–18).

Jacob gave each tribal leader a blessing before his death (Gen. 49:1–28). For further information, see the name of each son of Jacob.

Reuben, the firstborn son of Jacob's first wife, Leah, lost his birthright blessing and double portion of inheritance because of immorality (Gen. 49:3–4). The birthright then went to Joseph, who was the firstborn son of Jacob's second wife, Rachel (1 Chr. 5:1–2). Levi, whose tribe the Lord had chosen to serve as his priesthood ministers, did not receive an inheritance because of their special calling to minister among all the tribes. This allowed Joseph's double portion to be shared by Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh (1 Chr. 5:1; Jer. 31:9), who were counted as separate tribes of Israel (JST, Gen. 48:5–6).

Members of the tribe of Judah were to be the rulers until the Messiah came (Gen. 49:10; JST, Gen. 50:24). In the last days the tribe of Ephraim has the privilege of carrying the message of the restoration of the gospel to the world and gathering scattered Israel (Deut. 33:13–17). The time will come when through the gospel of Jesus Christ, Ephraim will have a leadership role in uniting all the tribes of Israel (Isa. 11:12–13; D&C 133:26–34).

The scattering of Israel: The Lord scattered and afflicted the twelve tribes of Israel because of their unrighteousness and rebellion. However, the Lord also used this scattering of his chosen people among the nations of the world to bless those nations.

I will scatter you among the heathen, Lev. 26:33. The Lord shall scatter thee among all people, Deut. 28:25, 37, 64. I will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, Jer. 29:18–19. I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, Amos 9:9 (Zech. 10:9). Jesus was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, Matt. 15:24. I have other sheep which are not of this fold, John 10:16. Israel shall be scattered upon all the face of the earth, 1 Ne. 22:3–8. Jacob sets forth Zenos's allegory of the tame and wild olive trees, Jacob 5–6. The work of the Father will commence among the dispersed tribes, 3 Ne. 21:26.

The gathering of Israel: The house of Israel shall be gathered together in the last days before the coming of Christ (A of F 1:10). The Lord gathers his people Israel when they accept him and keep his commandments.

He will lift up an ensign and they shall come, Isa. 5:26. With great mercies will I gather thee, Isa. 54:7. Israel and Judah are to be gathered to their lands, Jer. 30:3. The Lord shall gather the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, Ezek. 28:25. In the dispensation of the fulness of times he will gather in one all things in Christ, Eph. 1:10. After Israel is scattered, they will be gathered, 1 Ne. 15:12–17. The Lord will gather in all people of the house of Israel, 1 Ne. 19:16 (3 Ne. 16:5). They shall be brought out of darkness and know that the Lord is their Savior, 1 Ne. 22:12. God gathers and numbers his children, 1 Ne. 22:25. The nations of the Gentiles shall carry Israel forth to the lands of their inheritance, 2 Ne. 10:8 (3 Ne. 16:4). My people and my word shall be gathered as one, 2 Ne. 29:13–14. The elders are called to gather the elect, D&C 29:7 (D&C 39:11). I will gather mine elect, D&C 33:6. Gather so that I may give you my law and that you may be endowed, D&C 38:31–33. I will recover my people, who are of the house of Israel, D&C 39:11. The Saints shall come forth, D&C 45:46. Moses delivered the keys of the gathering, D&C 110:11. Righteousness and truth will sweep the earth and gather out the Lord's elect, Moses 7:62. The gathering is compared to the gathering of eagles to a carcass, JS-M 1:27.

The ten lost tribes of Israel: The ten tribes of Israel made up the northern kingdom of Israel and were carried away captive into Assyria in 721 B.C. At that time they went to the "north countries" and became lost to the knowledge of others. In the last days they will return.

I will say to the north, Give up, Isa. 43:6. These shall come from the north, Isa. 49:12 (1 Ne. 21:12). Judah and Israel shall come together out of the land of the north, Jer. 3:18. The Lord liveth who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, Jer. 16:14–16. I will bring them from the north country, Jer. 31:8. The Nephites and the Jews shall have the words of the lost tribes of Israel, 2 Ne. 29:12–13. I go to show myself unto the lost tribes of Israel, 3 Ne. 17:4. When the gospel is preached to the remnant of the house of Israel, the lost tribes will be gathered home to the land of their inheritance, 3 Ne. 21:26–29. Moses committed the keys of the gathering of Israel to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, D&C 110:11. They who are in the north countries shall come in remembrance before the Lord, D&C 133:26–32. We believe in the literal gathering of Israel, A of F 1:10.

Bible Dictionary; Israel

Chapter 16

Jesus will visit others of the lost sheep of Israel—In the latter days the gospel will go to the Gentiles and then to the house of Israel—The Lord's people shall see eye to eye when he brings again Zion. About A.D. 34

· After explaining that He had fulfilled the Law of Moses, he told the multitude He had other sheep which were not of this fold.

o There aren’t found in the lands which He has ministered.

o Nephi₁ wrote:

§ And the God of our fathers, who were led out of Egypt, out of bondage, and also were preserved in the wilderness by him, yea, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, yieldeth himself, according to the words of the angel, as a man, into the hands of wicked men, to be lifted up, according to the words of Zenock, and to be crucified, according to the words of Neum, and to be buried in a sepulchre, according to the words of Zenos, which he spake concerning the three days of darkness, which should be a sign given of his death unto those who should inhabit the isles of the sea, more especially given unto those who are of the house of Israel.

1 Nephi 19:10

· They have not heard His voice and He has not manifested Himself to them.

o The Father has commanded Him that He shall go to them.

o They will hear His voice and be numbered among His sheep.

§ The will be one fold and one Shepherd.

· The Nephites were commanded to write His words after He is gone.

· If the Jews do not as the Father, in His name, to receive knowledge through the Holy Ghost, they will be made manifest to the Gentiles.

o Wherefore, he shall bring forth his words unto them, which words shall judge them at the last day, for they shall be given them for the purpose of convincing them of the true Messiah, who was rejected by them; and unto the convincing of them that they need not look forward any more for a Messiah to come, for there should not any come, save it should be a false Messiah which should deceive the people; for there is save one Messiah spoken of by the prophets, and that Messiah is he who should be rejected of the Jews.

2 Nephi 25:18

o And after the house of Israel should be scattered they should be gathered together again; or, in fine, after the Gentiles had received the fulness of the Gospel, the natural branches of the olive-tree, or the remnants of the house of Israel, should be grafted in, or come to the knowledge of the true Messiah, their Lord and their Redeemer.

1 Nephi 10:14

· He will gather the Gentiles from the four quarters of the earth.

· He will the fulfill the covenant the Father made with the house of Israel

o And after our seed is scattered the Lord God will proceed to do a marvelous work among the Gentiles, which shall be of great worth unto our seed; wherefore, it is likened unto their being nourished by the Gentiles and being carried in their arms and upon their shoulders.

And it shall also be of worth unto the Gentiles; and not only unto the Gentiles but unto all the house of Israel, unto the making known of the covenants of the Father of heaven unto Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

1 Nephi 22:8 - 9

· The Gentiles will be blessed because of their belief in Him and the Holy Ghost which bears witness of both Him and the Father.

o And he said: Behold it proceedeth out of the mouth of a Jew. And I, Nephi, beheld it; and he said unto me: The book that thou beholdest is a record of the Jews, which contains the covenants of the Lord, which he hath made unto the house of Israel; and it also containeth many of the prophecies of the holy prophets; and it is a record like unto the engravings which are upon the plates of brass, save there are not so many; nevertheless, they contain the covenants of the Lord, which he hath made unto the house of Israel; wherefore, they are of great worth unto the Gentiles.

Nevertheless, thou beholdest that the Gentiles who have gone forth out of captivity, and have been lifted up by the power of God above all other nations, upon the face of the land which is choice above all other lands, which is the land that the Lord God hath covenanted with thy father that his seed should have for the land of their inheritance; wherefore, thou seest that the Lord God will not suffer that the Gentiles will utterly destroy the mixture of thy seed, which are among thy brethren.

Neither will he suffer that the Gentiles shall destroy the seed of thy brethren.

Neither will the Lord God suffer that the Gentiles shall forever remain in that awful state of blindness, which thou beholdest they are in, because of the plain and most precious parts of the gospel of the Lamb which have been kept back by that abominable church, whose formation thou hast seen.

Wherefore saith the Lamb of God: I will be merciful unto the Gentiles, unto the visiting of the remnant of the house of Israel in great judgment.

And it came to pass that the angel of the Lord spake unto me, saying: Behold, saith the Lamb of God, after I have visited the remnant of the house of Israel—and this remnant of whom I speak is the seed of thy father—wherefore, after I have visited them in judgment, and smitten them by the hand of the Gentiles, and after the Gentiles do stumble exceedingly, because of the most plain and precious parts of the gospel of the Lamb which have been kept back by that abominable church, which is the mother of harlots, saith the Lamb—I will be merciful unto the Gentiles in that day, insomuch that I will bring forth unto them, in mine own power, much of my gospel, which shall be plain and precious, saith the Lamb.

For, behold, saith the Lamb: I will manifest myself unto thy seed, that they shall write many things which I shall minister unto them, which shall be plain and precious; and after thy seed shall be destroyed, and dwindle in unbelief, and also the seed of thy brethren, behold, these things shall be hid up, to come forth unto the Gentiles, by the gift and power of the Lamb.

And in them shall be written my gospel, saith the Lamb, and my ^brock and my salvation.

And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost; and if they endure unto the end they shall be lifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb; and whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be.

And it came to pass that I beheld the remnant of the seed of my brethren, and also the book of the Lamb of God, which had proceeded forth from the mouth of the Jew, that it came forth from the Gentiles unto the remnant of the seed of my brethren.

And after it had come forth unto them I beheld other books, which came forth by the power of the Lamb, from the Gentiles unto them, unto the convincing of the Gentiles and the remnant of the seed of my brethren, and also the Jews who were scattered upon all the face of the earth, that the records of the prophets and of the twelve apostles of the Lamb are true.

And the angel spake unto me, saying: These last records, which thou hast seen among the Gentiles, shall establish the truth of the first, which are of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and shall make known the plain and precious things which have been taken away from them; and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world; and that all men must come unto him, or they cannot be saved.

And they must come according to the words which shall be established by the mouth of the Lamb; and the words of the Lamb shall be made known in the records of thy seed, as well as in the records of the twelve apostles of the Lamb; wherefore they both shall be established in one; for there is one God and one Shepherd over all the earth.

And the time cometh that he shall manifest himself unto all nations, both unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles; and after he has manifested himself unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles, then he shall manifest himself unto the Gentiles and also unto the Jews, and the last shall be first, and the first shall be last.

1 Nephi 13:23, 30 – 42

o For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.

2 Nephi 32:5

· Because of the belief of the Gentiles, and the unbelief of the house of Israel, the truth will come to the Gentiles.

o Which is my word to the Gentile, that soon it may go to the Jew, of whom the Lamanites are a remnant, that they may believe the gospel, and look not for a Messiah to come who has already come.

D&C 19:27

· Wo unto the unbelieving of the Gentiles.

· “[T]they have come forth upon the face of this land, and have scattered my people who are of the house of Israel; and my people who are of the house of Israel have been cast out from among them, and have been trodden under feet by them” (v. 8).

o And they that believe not in him shall be destroyed, both by fire, and by tempest, and by earthquakes, and by bloodsheds, and by pestilence, and by famine. And they shall know that the Lord is God, the Holy One of Israel.

2 Nephi 6:15

o And he had sworn in his wrath unto the brother of Jared, that whoso should possess this land of promise, from that time henceforth and forever, should serve him, the true and only God, or they should be swept off when the fulness of his wrath should come upon them.

And now, we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is a land of promise; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God, or they shall be swept off when the fulness of his wrath shall come upon them. And the fulness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity.

For behold, this is a land which is choice above all other lands; wherefore he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off; for it is the everlasting decree of God. And it is not until the fulness of iniquity among the children of the land, that they are swept off.

And this cometh unto you, O ye Gentiles, that ye may know the decrees of God—that ye may repent, and not continue in your iniquities until the fulness come, that ye may not bring down the fulness of the wrath of God upon you as the inhabitants of the land have hitherto done.

Ether 2:8 - 11

o And it came to pass that I beheld many multitudes of the Gentiles upon the land of promise; and I beheld the wrath of God, that it was upon the seed of my brethren; and they were scattered before the Gentiles and were smitten.

1 Nephi 13:14

o And also that a knowledge of these things must come unto the remnant of these people, and also unto the Gentiles, who the Lord hath said should scatter this people, and this people should be counted as naught among them—therefore I write a small abridgment, daring not to give a full account of the things which I have seen, because of the commandment which I have received, and also that ye might not have too great sorrow because of the wickedness of this people.

And also that the seed of this people may more fully believe his gospel, which shall go forth unto them from the Gentiles; for this people shall be scattered, and shall become a dark, a filthy, and a loathsome people, beyond the description of that which ever hath been amongst us, yea, even that which hath been among the Lamanites, and this because of their unbelief and idolatry.

Mormon 5:9, 15

· The house of Israel shall be smitten, afflicted, slain, cast out, and become hated and a hiss and byword.

o And because they turn their hearts aside, saith the prophet, and have despised the Holy One of Israel, they shall wander in the flesh, and perish, and become a hiss and a byword, and be hated among all nations.

1 Nephi 19:14

· If the day comes when the Gentiles:

o Sin against the gospel.

o Reject the fulness of the gospel.

o Be lifted in pride above all nations and people.

o If they lie, are hypocrites, murderers, practice priestcrafts.

o If they commit whoredoms.

o The Father will take the fullness of the gospel from them.

§ Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.

And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts.

For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.

O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers, who sell yourselves for that which will canker, why have ye polluted the holy church of God? Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ? Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies—because of the praise of the world?

Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not?

Yea, why do ye build up your secret abominations to get gain, and cause that widows should mourn before the Lord, and also orphans to mourn before the Lord, and also the blood of their fathers and their husbands to cry unto the Lord from the ground, for vengeance upon your heads?

Behold, the sword of vengeance hangeth over you; and the time soon cometh that he avengeth the blood of the saints upon you, for he will not suffer their cries any longer.

Mormon 8:35 - 41

§ Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be great pollutions upon the face of the earth; there shall be murders, and robbing, and lying, and deceivings, and whoredoms, and all manner of abominations; when there shall be many who will say, Do this, or do that, and it mattereth not, for the Lord will uphold such at the last day. But wo unto such, for they are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity.

Mormon 8:31

§ He commandeth that there shall be no priestcrafts; for, behold, priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion.

2 Nephi 26:29

· At that time, He will remember His covenant to the House of Israel and bring His gospel to them.

o But behold, it shall come to pass that they shall be driven and scattered by the Gentiles; and after they have been driven and scattered by the Gentiles, behold, then will the Lord remember the covenant which he made unto Abraham and unto all the house of Israel.

Mormon 5:20

· The Gentiles will not have power over the house of Israel at that time.

o They will get the fullness of the gospel.

o If they Gentiles repent, they will be numbered among the house of Israel.

§ Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Galatians 3:7, 29

§ Wherefore, my beloved brethren, thus saith our God: I will afflict thy seed by the hand of the Gentiles; nevertheless, I will soften the hearts of the Gentiles, that they shall be like unto a father to them; wherefore, the Gentiles shall be blessed and numbered among the house of Israel.

Wherefore, I will consecrate this land unto thy seed, and them who shall be numbered among thy seed, forever, for the land of their inheritance; for it is a choice land, saith God unto me, above all other lands, wherefore I will have all men that dwell thereon that they shall worship me, saith God.

2 Nephi 10:18 - 19

§ And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee above measure, and make thy name great among all nations, and thou shalt be a blessing unto thy seed after thee, that in their hands they shall bear this ministry and Priesthood unto all nations;

And I will bless them through thy name; for as many as receive this Gospel shall be called after thy name, and shall be accounted thy seed, and shall rise up and bless thee, as their father;

And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee; and in thee (that is, in thy Priesthood) and in thy seed (that is, thy Priesthood), for I give unto thee a promise that this right shall continue in thee, and in thy seed after thee (that is to say, the literal seed, or the seed of the body) shall all the families of the earth be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal.

Abraham 2:9 - 11

· The house of Israel will not be allowed to tread down the Gentiles, if they are righteous.

o If they turn from Him, the house of Israel will tread them down.

· The Gentiles will be as salt that has lost its savor.

o The salt is then good for nothing.

· The Father commanded the Savior to give to the multitude this land as their inheritance.

o This will fulfill the words of Isaiah.

§ “Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing, for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion” (v. 18).

· Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman:

So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.

Ezekiel 33:2, 7

· The Lord has redeemed Jerusalem.

o “[T]he ends of the earth shall see the salvation of God” (v. 20).

Chapter 20

Chapters 20-22 have been called the "Covenant People Discourse"

This Law and Covenant Discourse serves as a vital bridge between the simple, broad expectations of the Sermon on the Mount and the profound specific requirements of the third sermon, the Covenant People Discourse, as Christ begins teaching on the following day.[1]

Jesus provides bread and wine miraculously and again administers the sacrament unto them—The remnant of Jacob shall come to the knowledge of the Lord their God and shall inherit the Americas—Jesus is the prophet like unto Moses, and the Nephites are children of the prophets—Others of the Lord's people shall be gathered to Jerusalem. About A.D. 34

· The people had been praying. The Savior commanded them to cease praying.

o But, they are not to cease praying in their hearts.

§ But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.

2 Nephi 32:9

§ And Alma and his people did not raise their voices to the Lord their God, but did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the thoughts of their hearts.

Mosiah 24:12

· He then commanded them to stand.

· He broke bread, blessed it, and gave it to the disciples to eat.

o After they had eaten, He commanded them to break bread and give it to the people in the multitude.

· He gave the disciples wine and commanded them to drink and give wine to the multitude.

· This was a miracle because no bread or wine had been brought by the disciples nor the multitude.

o And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.

And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.

Matthew 14:19 - 21

· Even though there was no bread or wine available, the Savior did give the people bread and wine.

o When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.

Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.

Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.

John 6:12 - 14

· When He gave them the bread, He told them, “He that eateth this bread eateth of my body to his soul” (v. 8).

· When He gave them the wine, He told them, “[H]e that drinketh of this wine drinketh of my blood to his soul” (v. 8).

o This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.

I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up [JST - in the resurrection of the just] at the last day.

For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

John 6:50 - 58

o When ye come together therefore into one place, [JST – is it] not to eat the Lord's supper.

For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.

What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.

For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew [GR proclaim, announce] the Lord's death till he come.

1 Corinthians 11:20 - 26

· Having eaten and drunk the wine, the multitude was filled with the Spirit.

o They cried with one voice and gave glory to the Savior.

o See Quote #1

· Having finished giving glory to Jesus, He continued.

o “Behold now I finish the commandment which the Father hath commanded me concerning this people, who are a remnant of the house of Israel” (v. 10).

· He reminded them the words of Isaiah will be fulfilled.

o They have them before them and they should search them.

· When thy are fulfilled, it will be the fulfilling of the covenant God made with Israel.

· The remnants will be scattered abroad and gathered in from all directions.

o They will be brought to the knowledge that it was the Lord their God who redeemed them.

· This land is given to the Nephites for their inheritance.

· If after receiving the blessing after they scattered the Jews, the remnant of the house of Jacob will go among them.

o Therefore, repent ye, and humble yourselves before him, lest he shall come out in justice against you—lest a remnant of the seed of Jacob shall go forth among you as a lion, and tear you in pieces, and there is none to deliver.

Mormon 5:24

· Here the Savior begin quoting Micah (Micah 5:8-9, Micah 4:12-13).

o Their hand will be lifted against their enemies and their enemies shall be cut off.

o The Lord will gather his people.

o “I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth. And behold, I am he who doeth it” (v. 19).

· The sword of justice will hang over them and, unless they repent, it will fall on them.

o For behold, saith the prophet, the time cometh speedily that Satan shall have no more power over the hearts of the children of men; for the day soon cometh that all the proud and they who do wickedly shall be as stubble; and the day cometh that they must be burned.

For the time soon cometh that the fulness of the wrath of God shall be poured out upon all the children of men; for he will not suffer that the wicked shall destroy the righteous.

1 Nephi 22:15 - 16

· The Lord will establish the house of Israel.

· They will be established in this land.

· It will be the New Jerusalem.

o And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law [HEB teaching, or doctrine], and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.

Isaiah 2:2 - 5

o And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.

As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.

Isaiah 59:20 - 21

· Christ announces that He is the prophet about which Moses spoke.

o The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.

And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.

I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

Deuteronomy 18:15 - 19

o For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.

And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.

Acts 3:22 - 23

o And the Lord will surely prepare a way for his people, unto the fulfilling of the words of Moses, which he spake, saying: A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that all those who will not hear that prophet shall be cut off from among the people.

And now I, Nephi, declare unto you, that this prophet of whom Moses spake was the Holy One of Israel; wherefore, he shall execute judgment in righteousness.

1 Nephi 22:20 - 21

· All prophets from “Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have testified of me” (v. 24).

o Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.

Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

Acts 3:24 - 26

o Yea, even six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem, a prophet would the Lord God raise up among the Jews—even a Messiah, or, in other words, a Savior of the world.

And he also spake concerning the prophets, how great a number had testified of these things, concerning this Messiah, of whom he had spoken, or this Redeemer of the world.

1 Nephi 10:4 - 5

o And I said unto him: Then ye do not understand them; for they truly testify of Christ. Behold, I say unto you that none of the prophets have written, nor prophesied, save they have spoken concerning this Christ.

Jacob 7:11

· They are the children of the prophets and of the house of Israel.

o They are of the covenant which the Father had made with their fathers.

o He said to Abraham, “[I]n thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed” (v. 25).

§ NOW the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Genesis 12:1 - 3

§ And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

Genesis 22:18

· The Father raised Christ up and sent him to bless them to turn away from their iniquities because they are children of the covenant.

o By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.

Proverbs 16:6

o And it came to pass that when Ammon arose he also administered unto them, and also did all the servants of Lamoni; and they did all declare unto the people the selfsame thing—that their hearts had been changed; that they had no more desire to do evil.

Alma 19:33

· After they were blessed, the Father fulfilled the covenant which he made with Abraham.

o Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

Galatians 3:6 - 7

o And it shall come to pass that my people, which are of the house of Israel, shall be gathered home unto the lands of their possessions; and my word also shall be gathered in one. And I will show unto them that fight against my word and against my people, who are of the house of Israel, that I am God, and that I covenanted with Abraham that I would remember his seed forever.

Nephi 29:14

o And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee above measure, and make thy name great among all nations, and thou shalt be a blessing unto thy seed after thee, that in their hands they shall bear this ministry and Priesthood unto all nations;

Abraham 2:9

o And behold, the Lord hath reserved their blessings, which they might have received in the land, for the Gentiles who shall possess the land.

Mormon 5:19

· The Lamanites will be a scourge to a people in this land.

· Whey they have received the fulness of the gospel, and they reject it, the Father will return their sins on their own heads.

o And if it so be that they rebel against me, they shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in the ways of remembrance.

1 Nephi 2:24

· He will remember the covenant He made with His people.

o He has covenanted that He will gather the people in His own due time.

o He will give them again the land of their fathers for their inheritance.

§ This is the land of Jerusalem.

· The time will come when the fulness of the gospel will be preached them.

o They will believe in Him, that His is Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

§ They will pray to the Father in His name.

· The Savior quotes Isaiah 52:8-9.

o Their watchman will lift up their voice to sing.

o They will be gathered together by the Father and give them Jerusalem for their land of inheritance.

· All nations shall see the Father’s salvation.

o Questions by Elias Higbee: What is meant by the command in Isaiah, 52d chapter, 1st verse, which saith: Put on thy strength, O Zion—and what people had Isaiah reference to?

He had reference to those whom God should call in the last days, who should hold the power of priesthood to bring again Zion, and the redemption of Israel; and to put on her strength is to put on the authority of the priesthood, which she, Zion, has a right to by lineage; also to return to that power which she had lost.

What are we to understand by Zion loosing herself from the bands of her neck; 2d verse?

We are to understand that the scattered remnants are exhorted to return to the Lord from whence they have fallen; which if they do, the promise of the Lord is that he will speak to them, or give them revelation. See the 6th, 7th, and 8th verses. The bands of her neck are the curses of God upon her, or the remnants of Israel in their scattered condition among the Gentiles.

D&C 113:7 - 10

· Here the Savior is quoting Isaiah 52:1-3.

o He calls on the Jews to shake themselves loose from their bonds.

o They have sold themselves, but will be redeemed without money.

· Here the Savior is quoting Isaiah 52:7.

o His people will know His name.

o They will say, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings unto them, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings unto them of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion: Thy God reigneth!” (v. 40).

· Savior is quoting Isaiah 52:11-15

o A cry will go forth, telling them to depart and touch nothing that is unclean.

o Do not go in haste.

o The Lord will go before them and the God of Israel will watch them rearward.

o His servant will be exalted and extolled on high.

· These things will come as the Father commanded Him.

· The Father covenanted with the people all things will be fulfilled.

· Jerusalem will be inhabited by the Jews and it will be the land of their inheritance.

Chapter 21

Israel shall be gathered when the Book of Mormon comes forth—The Gentiles shall be established as a free people in America—They shall be saved if they believe and obey; otherwise they shall be cut off and destroyed—Israel shall build the New Jerusalem, and the lost tribes shall return. About A.D. 34

· The Savior tells them that He will give them a sign so they will know when the things He has taught them will take place.

o See Quote #2

1 Nephi 10:14

o Therefore, when ye shall receive this record ye may know that the work of the Father has commenced upon all the face of the land.

Ether 4:17

o And gave him power from on high, by the means which were before prepared, to translate the Book of Mormon;

Which contains a record of a fallen people, and the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles and to the Jews also;

Which was given by inspiration, and is confirmed to others by the ministering of angels, and is declared unto the world by them—

Proving to the world that the holy scriptures are true, and that God does inspire men and call them to his holy work in this age and generation, as well as in generations of old;

D&C 20:8 - 11

o He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence they sprang. He also said that the fulness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants;

JS-History 1:34

· The things He declares will be known by the power of the Holy Ghost.

o It will be given to the people by the Father.

o The Gentiles will know about the Nephites and Lamanites.

o See Quote #3

· It is the wisdom and the power of the Father the Gentiles be established in this land as a free people.

o And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?

Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

John 8:32 - 36

· These things will come forth to a remnant of their seed.

· This will happen so the covenant of the Father will be filled.

Mormon 5:20

· The works that will be done among them will come from the Gentiles.

· They will go to their seed who dwindle in unbelief.

o And also that the seed of this people may more fully believe his gospel, which shall go forth unto them from the Gentiles; for this people shall be scattered, and shall become a dark, a filthy, and a loathsome people, beyond the description of that which ever hath been amongst us, yea, even that which hath been among the Lamanites, and this because of their unbelief and idolatry.

Mormon 5:15

o And this testimony shall come to the knowledge of the Lamanites, and the Lemuelites, and the Ishmaelites, who dwindled in unbelief because of the iniquity of their fathers, whom the Lord has suffered to destroy their brethren the Nephites, because of their iniquities and their abominations.

D&C 3:18

· It is the Father’s will that this work should come forth from the Gentiles.

1 Nephi 10:14

· The Father will show His power to the Gentiles.

· If the Gentiles repent, come unto Him, and are baptized in His name, and know the true points of His doctrine, they will be numbered among His people.

o Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Galatians 3:7, 29

o And now, I would prophesy somewhat more concerning the Jews and the Gentiles. For after the book of which I have spoken shall come forth, and be written unto the Gentiles, and sealed up again unto the Lord, there shall be many which shall believe the words which are written; and they shall carry them forth unto the remnant of our seed.

2 Nephi 30:3

And I will bless them through thy name; for as many as receive this Gospel shall be called after thy name, and shall be accounted thy seed, and shall rise up and bless thee, as their father;

Abraham 2:9 - 11

· When their seed will know these things, it will be a sign to them that the work of the Father has begun.

o This will be the fulfilling of His covenant made with the house of Israel.

· Kings will shut their mouths, “for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider” (v. 8).

· The Father will work a great and marvelous work for the Savior’s sake.

1 Nephi 22:8

· There will be those who will not believe.

o See Quote #4.

· The life of His servant will be in His hand.

o The unbelievers will not hurt him.

o He will be hurt by them but healed by the Lord.

o He will heal them to show His wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil.

§ My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And they who do charge thee with transgression, their hope shall be blasted, and their prospects shall melt away as the hoar frost melteth before the burning rays of the rising sun;

Cursed are all those that shall lift up the heel against mine anointed, saith the Lord, and cry they have sinned when they have not sinned before me, saith the Lord, but have done that which was meet in mine eyes, and which I commanded them.

But those who cry transgression do it because they are the servants of sin, and are the children of disobedience themselves.

And those who swear falsely against my servants, that they might bring them into bondage and death—

Wo unto all those that discomfort my people, and drive, and murder, and testify against them, saith the Lord of Hosts; a generation of vipers shall not escape the damnation of hell.

D&C 121:7, 11, 16-18, 23

§ If thou art called to pass through tribulation; if thou art in perils among false brethren; if thou art in perils among robbers; if thou art in perils by land or by sea;

If thou art accused with all manner of false accusations; if thine enemies fall upon thee; if they tear thee from the society of thy father and mother and brethren and sisters; and if with a drawn sword thine enemies tear thee from the bosom of thy wife, and of thine offspring, and thine elder son, although but six years of age, shall cling to thy garments, and shall say, My father, my father, why can't you stay with us? O, my father, what are the men going to do with you? and if then he shall be thrust from thee by the sword, and thou be dragged to prison, and thine enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb;

And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.

The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?

Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever.

D&C 122:5 - 9

§ TO seal the testimony of this book and the Book of Mormon, we announce the martyrdom of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and Hyrum Smith the Patriarch. They were shot in Carthage jail, on the 27th of June, 1844, about five o'clock p.m., by an armed mob—painted black—of from 150 to 200 persons. Hyrum was shot first and fell calmly, exclaiming: I am a dead man!

Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. In the short space of twenty years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fulness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth; has brought forth the revelations and commandments which compose this book of Doctrine and Covenants, and many other wise documents and instructions for the benefit of the children of men; gathered many thousands of the Latter-day Saints, founded a great city, and left a fame and name that cannot be slain. He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord's anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood; and so has his brother Hyrum. In life they were not divided, and in death they were not separated!

D&C 135:1, 3

§ I will not suffer that they shall destroy my work; yea, I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil.

Section 10:43

· Those who don’t believe His words, the Father will cause him to “ring forth unto the Gentiles, and shall give unto him power that he shall bring them forth unto the Gentiles, (it shall be done even as Moses said) they shall be cut off from among my people who are of the covenant” (v. 11).

o For Joseph truly testified, saying: A seer shall the Lord my God raise up, who shall be a choice seer unto the fruit of my loins.

Yea, Joseph truly said: Thus saith the Lord unto me: A choice seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and he shall be esteemed highly among the fruit of thy loins. And unto him will I give commandment that he shall do a work for the fruit of thy loins, his brethren, which shall be of great worth unto them, even to the bringing of them to the knowledge of the covenants which I have made with thy fathers.

And I will give unto him a commandment that he shall do none other work, save the work which I shall command him. And I will make him great in mine eyes; for he shall do my work.

And he shall be great like unto Moses, whom I have said I would raise up unto you, to deliver my people, O house of Israel.

And Moses will I raise up, to deliver thy people out of the land of Egypt.

But a seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and unto him will I give power to bring forth my word unto the seed of thy loins—and not to the bringing forth my word only, saith the Lord, but to the convincing them of my word, which shall have already gone forth among them.

Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write; and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days, and also to the knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord.

And out of weakness he shall be made strong, in that day when my work shall commence among all my people, unto the restoring thee, O house of Israel, saith the Lord.

And thus prophesied Joseph, saying: Behold, that seer will the Lord bless; and they that seek to destroy him shall be confounded; for this promise, which I have obtained of the Lord, of the fruit of my loins, shall be fulfilled. Behold, I am sure of the fulfilling of this promise;

And his name shall be called after me; and it shall be after the name of his father. And he shall be like unto me; for the thing, which the Lord shall bring forth by his hand, by the power of the Lord shall bring my people unto salvation.

2 Nephi 3:6 - 15

o And it came to pass that the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: Behold, thou shalt not suffer these things which ye have seen and heard to go forth unto the world, until the time cometh that I shall glorify my name in the flesh; wherefore, ye shall treasure up the things which ye have seen and heard, and show it to no man.

And behold, when ye shall come unto me, ye shall write them and shall seal them up, that no one can interpret them; for ye shall write them in a language that they cannot be read.

And behold, these two stones will I give unto thee, and ye shall seal them up also with the things which ye shall write.

For behold, the language which ye shall write I have confounded; wherefore I will cause in my own due time that these stones shall magnify to the eyes of men these things which ye shall write.

And when the Lord had said these words, he showed unto the brother of Jared all the inhabitants of the earth which had been, and also all that would be; and he withheld them not from his sight, even unto the ends of the earth.

For he had said unto him in times before, that if he would believe in him that he could show unto him ^call things—it should be shown unto him; therefore the Lord could not withhold anything from him, for he knew that the Lord could show him all things.

And the Lord said unto him: Write these things and seal them up; and I will show them in mine own due time unto the children of men.

And it came to pass that the Lord commanded him that he should seal up the two stones which he had received, and show them not, until the Lord should show them unto the children of men.

Ether 3:21 - 28

· The remnant of Jacob will be among the Gentiles.

o “…in the midst of them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he go through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver” (v. 12).

· Wo unto the Gentiles except they repent.

o I also have charity for the Gentiles. But behold, for none of these can I hope except they shall be reconciled unto Christ, and enter into the narrow gate, and walk in the strait path which leads to life, and continue in the path until the end of the day of probation.

2 Nephi 33:9

· The Father will cut off their horses and destroy their chariots.

· He will cut off the cities and throw down all strongholds.

· He will cut off witchcrafts throughout the land and there will be no more soothsayers.

· He will cut off and destroy their graven images.

o Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.

Exodus 20:3 – 4, 23

· He will pluck out the groves and destroy the cities.

o All forms of sin will be done away with.

§ And that all their works may be brought to naught, and be swept away by the hail, and by the judgments which thou wilt send upon them in thine anger, that there may be an end to lyings and slanders against thy people.

Section 109:30

· At that day, anyone who will not repent and come to Christ will be cut off from His people.

o He will execute vengeance and fury on the wicked.

· However, if they repent and don’t harden their hearts, He will establish His church among them.

o And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters; nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small, because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw.

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.

1 Nephi 14:12, 14

· They will come into the covenant and become a part of Jacob.

· They will assist the remnant of Jacob and the house of Israel build the New Jerusalem.

o AND now I, Moroni, proceed to finish my record concerning the destruction of the people of whom I have been writing.

For behold, they rejected all the words of Ether; for he truly told them of all things, from the beginning of man; and that after the waters had receded from off the face of this land it became a choice land above all other lands, a chosen land of the Lord; wherefore the Lord would have that all men should serve him who dwell upon the face thereof;

And that it was the place of the New Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven, and the holy sanctuary of the Lord.

Behold, Ether saw the days of Christ, and he spake concerning a New Jerusalem upon this land.

And he spake also concerning the house of Israel, and the Jerusalem from whence Lehi should come—after it should be destroyed it should be built up again, a holy city unto the Lord; wherefore, it could not be a new Jerusalem for it had been in a time of old; but it should be built up again, and become a holy city of the Lord; and it should be built unto the house of Israel.

And that a New Jerusalem should be built up upon this land, unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph, for which things there has been a type.

For as Joseph brought his father down into the land of Egypt, even so he died there; wherefore, the Lord brought a remnant of the seed of Joseph out of the land of Jerusalem, that he might be merciful unto the seed of Joseph that they should perish not, even as he was merciful unto the father of Joseph that he should perish not.

Wherefore, the remnant of the house of Joseph shall be built upon this land; and it shall be a land of their inheritance; and they shall build up a holy city unto the Lord, like unto the Jerusalem of old; and they shall no more be confounded, until the end come when the earth shall pass away.

And there shall be a new heaven and a new earth; and they shall be like unto the old save the old have passed away, and all things have become new.

And then cometh the New Jerusalem; and blessed are they who dwell therein, for it is they whose garments are white through the blood of the Lamb; and they are they who are numbered among the remnant of the seed of Joseph, who were of the house of Israel.

And then also cometh the Jerusalem of old; and the inhabitants thereof, blessed are they, for they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb; and they are they who were scattered and gathered in from the four quarters of the earth, and from the north countries, and are partakers of the fulfilling of the covenant which God made with their father, Abraham.

And when these things come, bringeth to pass the scripture which saith, there are they who were first, who shall be last; and there are they who were last, who shall be first.

Ether 13:1 - 12

· They will assist His people who are scattered gather in the New Jerusalem.

· The power of heaven will come down and He will be in the midst.

o See Quote #5

· The work of the gospel will begin and be preached to this people.

o And behold, they shall go unto the unbelieving of the Jews; and for this intent shall they go—that they may be persuaded that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God; that the Father may bring about, through his most Beloved, his great and eternal purpose, in restoring the Jews, or all the house of Israel, to the land of their inheritance, which the Lord their God hath given them, unto the fulfilling of his covenant;

Mormon 5:14

· That day the work will be preached among all the dispersed people.

o This includes the tribes which the Father led out of Jerusalem

· The Father will prepare a way for them to come to Christ and call on the Father in His name.

· The work will begin among all nations whereby His people may be gathered to the land of their inheritance.

o “And they shall go out f*rom all nations; and they shall not go out in haste, nor go by flight, for I will go before them, saith the Father, and I will be their rearward” (v. 29).

Chapter 29

The coming forth of the Book of Mormon is a sign that the Lord has commenced to gather Israel and fulfill his covenants—Those who reject his Latter-day revelations and gifts shall be cursed. About A.D. 34–35

· The teachings and words of the Lord will come forth to the Gentiles when He sees fit.

And then shall the remnant of our seed know concerning us, how that we came out from Jerusalem, and that they are descendants of the Jews.

And the gospel of Jesus Christ shall be declared among them; wherefore, they shall be restored unto the knowledge of their fathers, and also to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, which was had among their fathers.

And then shall they rejoice; for they shall know that it is a blessing unto them from the hand of God; and their scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes; and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a pure and a delightsome people.

And it shall come to pass that the Jews which are scattered also shall begin to believe in Christ; and they shall begin to gather in upon the face of the land; and as many as shall believe in Christ shall also become a delightsome people.

And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall commence his work among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, to bring about the restoration of his people upon the earth.

2 Nephi 30:3 - 8

o Therefore I write unto you, Gentiles, and also unto you, house of Israel, when the work shall commence, that ye shall be about to prepare to return to the land of your inheritance;

Mormon 3:17

· At that time they will know that covenant that the Father made with the children of Israel is being fulfilled.

But behold, it shall come to pass that they shall be driven and scattered by the Gentiles; and after they have been driven and scattered by the Gentiles, behold, then will the Lord remember the covenant which he made unto Abraham and unto all the house of Israel.

Mormon 5:14, 20

· You will know that the words of the Lord have been fulfilled.

· We will no longer say the Lord will delay His coming to the children of Israel.

o But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens [GR maidservants], and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;

The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

Luke 12:45 - 47

· We will not imagine in our heats His words have been spoken in vain.

o The Lord will remember the covenant made with Israel.

· When these words come forth, we will know the sword of justice is in His hand.

o If you reject His doings, His cause will overtake you.

· Wo unto him who scorns the Lord.

o the wise, and the learned, and the rich, that are puffed up in the pride of their hearts, and all those who preach false doctrines, and all those who commit whoredoms, and pervert the right way of the Lord, wo, wo, wo be unto them, saith the Lord God Almighty, for they shall be thrust down to hell!

2 Nephi 28:15

o And now, behold, who can stand against the works of the Lord? Who can deny his sayings? Who will rise up against the almighty power of the Lord? Who will despise the works of the Lord? Who will despise the children of Christ? Behold, all ye who are despisers of the works of the Lord, for ye shall wonder and perish.

Mormon 9:26

o And if there be faults they be the faults of a man. But behold, we know no fault; nevertheless God knoweth all things; therefore, he that condemneth, let him be aware lest he shall be in danger of hell fire.

o Mormon 8:17

o And he that will contend against the word of the Lord, let him be accursed; and he that shall deny these things, let him be accursed; for unto them will I show no greater things, saith Jesus Christ; for I am he who speaketh.

And at my command the heavens are opened and are shut; and at my word the earth shall shake; and at my command the inhabitants thereof shall pass away, even so as by fire.

And he that believeth not my words believeth not my disciples; and if it so be that I do not speak, judge ye; for ye shall know that it is I that speaketh, at the last day.

Ether 4:8 - 10

· Wo to those who deny Christ and His works.

o Whosoever therefore shall confess [GR solemnly covenant with, promise me] me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.

But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 10:32 - 33

o NOW I, Moroni, after having made an end of abridging the account of the people of Jared, I had supposed not to have written more, but I have not as yet perished; and I make not myself known to the Lamanites lest they should destroy me.

For behold, their wars are exceedingly fierce among themselves; and because of their hatred they put to death every Nephite that will not deny the Christ.

And I, Moroni, will not deny the Christ; wherefore, I wander whithersoever I can for the safety of mine own life.

Moroni 1:1 - 3

· Wo to those who deny the Lord’s revelations.

o And again I speak unto you who deny the revelations of God, and say that they are done away, that there are no revelations, nor prophecies, nor gifts, nor healing, nor speaking with tongues, and the interpretation of tongues;

Behold I say unto you, he that denieth these things knoweth not the gospel of Christ; yea, he has not read the scriptures; if so, he does not understand them.

For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing?

And now, if ye have imagined up unto yourselves a god who doth vary, and in whom there is shadow of changing, then have ye imagined up unto yourselves a god who is not a God of miracles.

But behold, I will show unto you a God of miracles, even the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and it is that same God who created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are.

Behold, he created Adam, and by Adam came the fall of man. And because of the fall of man came Jesus Christ, even the Father and the Son; and because of Jesus Christ came the redemption of man.

And now, O all ye that have imagined up unto yourselves a god who can do no miracles, I would ask of you, have all these things passed, of which I have spoken? Has the end come yet? Behold I say unto you, Nay; and God has not ceased to be a God of miracles.

Mormon 9:7 – 11, 15

· Wo to those who deny the Lord no longer works through revelation, prophecy, gifts, by tongues, by healing, or by the power of the Holy Ghost.

· Wo to those who, to get gain, claim no miracles can be done through Jesus Christ.

o And they shall contend one with another; and their priests shall contend one with another, and they shall teach with their learning, and deny the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance.

And they deny the power of God, the Holy One of Israel; and they say unto the people: Hearken unto us, and hear ye our precept; for behold there is no God today, for the Lord and the Redeemer hath done his work, and he hath given his power unto men;

Behold, hearken ye unto my precept; if they shall say there is a miracle wrought by the hand of the Lord, believe it not; for this day he is not a God of miracles; he hath done his work.

2 Nephi 28:4 - 6

o And no one need say they shall not come, for they surely shall, for the Lord hath spoken it; for out of the earth shall they come, by the hand of the Lord, and none can stay it; and it shall come in a day when it shall be said that miracles are done away; and it shall come even as if one should speak from the dead.

Mormon 8:26

· Those that do will become like the sons of perdition.

· There will be no mercy to them, according to the words of Christ.

o And our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself; yea, to that being who beguiled our first parents, who transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness.

2 Nephi 9:9

o But behold, it sorroweth me because of the fourth generation from this generation, for they are led away captive by him even as was the son of perdition; for they will sell me for silver and for gold, and for that which moth doth corrupt and which thieves can break through and steal. And in that day will I visit them, even in turning their works upon their own heads.

3 Nephi 27:32

· They will no longer scorn the Jews no make game of them.

o And as for those who are at Jerusalem, saith the prophet, they shall be scourged by all people, because they crucify the God of Israel, and turn their hearts aside, rejecting signs and wonders, and the power and glory of the God of Israel.

And because they turn their hearts aside, saith the prophet, and have despised the Holy One of Israel, they shall wander in the flesh, and perish, and become a hiss and a byword, and be hated among all nations.

1 Nephi 19:13 - 14

o But thus saith the Lord God: O fools, they shall have a Bible; and it shall proceed forth from the Jews, mine ancient covenant people. And what thank they the Jews for the Bible which they receive from them? Yea, what do the Gentiles mean? Do they remember the travails, and the labors, and the pains of the Jews, and their diligence unto me, in bringing forth salvation unto the Gentiles?

O ye Gentiles, have ye remembered the Jews, mine ancient covenant people? Nay; but ye have cursed them, and have hated them, and have not sought to recover them. But behold, I will return all these things upon your own heads; for I the Lord have not forgotten my people.

2 Nephi 29:4 - 5

· The Lord will remember His covenant with them.

· He will do with them according to His words.

· Do not suppose you can prevent the Lord from executing His judgment and fulfill the covenant which he has made with Israel.

Mormon’s Message to the Gentiles

Chapter 30

The Latter-day Gentiles are commanded to repent and come unto Christ and be numbered with the house of Israel. About A.D. 34–35

· Mormon commands the Gentiles to hear the words of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.

· And behold, I am called Mormon, being called after the land of Mormon, the land in which Alma did establish the church among the people, yea, the first church which was established among them after their transgression.

Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life.

3 Nephi 5:12 - 13

He writes these words by commandment of the Lord.
The Gentiles are to repent of their evil doings, lyings, and decivings.

Now those priests who did go forth among the people did preach against all lyings, and deceivings, and envyings, and strifes, and malice, and revilings, and stealing, robbing, plundering, murdering, committing adultery, and all manner of lasciviousness, crying that these things ought not so to be—

Alma 16:18

o And it shall come to pass that all lyings, and deceivings, and envyings, and strifes, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, shall be done away.

For it shall come to pass, saith the Father, that at that day whosoever will not repent and come unto my Beloved Son, them will I cut off from among my people, O house of Israel;

And I will execute vengeance and fury upon them, even as upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.

3 Nephi 21:19 - 21

· Repent of whoredoms, their secret abominations, idolatries, murders , priestcrafts, envyings, strifes, and all wickedness.

o And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you: At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations; and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fulness of my gospel from among them.

3 Nephi 16:10

o Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be great pollutions upon the face of the earth; there shall be murders, and robbing, and lying, and deceivings, and whoredoms, and all manner of abominations; when there shall be many who will say, Do this, or do that, and it mattereth not, for the Lord will uphold such at the last day. But wo unto such, for they are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity.

Mormon 8:31

· Come to Christ.

o Be baptized in His name.

o Receive a remission of their sins.

o Be filled with the Holy Ghost.

o Be numbered with Israel.

§ For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Galatians 3:27 - 29

2 Nephi 10:18 - 19

§ But if they will repent and hearken unto my words, and harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them, and they shall come in unto the covenant and be numbered among this the remnant of Jacob, unto whom I have given this land for their inheritance;

And they shall assist my people, the remnant of Jacob, and also as many of the house of Israel as shall come, that they may build a city, which shall be called the New Jerusalem.

And then shall they assist my people that they may be gathered in, who are scattered upon all the face of the land, in unto the New Jerusalem.

And then shall the power of heaven come down among them; and I also will be in the midst.

3 Nephi 21:22 - 25

Mormon 5:9-24

· The final battles are occurring and the Nephites are losing the war.

o Mormon turns to the promises the Lord made to Israel.

· A knowledge in the records of the Nephites will come to a remnant of the people.

o And he did hide them up unto the Lord, that they might come again unto the remnant of the house of Jacob, according to the prophecies and the promises of the Lord. And thus is the end of the record of Ammaron.

4 Nephi 1:49

· The Lord has said he will scatter this people.

o But wo, saith the Father, unto the unbelieving of the Gentiles—for notwithstanding they have come forth upon the face of this land, and have scattered my people who are of the house of Israel; and my people who are of the house of Israel have been cast out from among them, and have been trodden under feet by them;

And because of the mercies of the Father unto the Gentiles, and also the judgments of the Father upon my people who are of the house of Israel, verily, verily, I say unto you, that after all this, and I have caused my people who are of the house of Israel to be smitten, and to be afflicted, and to be slain, and to be cast out from among them, and to become hated by them, and to become a hiss and a byword among them—

3 Nephi 16:8 - 9

· Because of these promises, Mormon is writing “a small abridgment, daring not to give a full account of the things which I have seen, because of the commandment which I have received, and also that ye might not have too great sorrow because of the wickedness of this people” (v. 9).

· He is speaking to the seed of the Lamanites as well as the Gentiles.

o This is so they will realize the source of their blessings.

· The house of Israel will sorrow for the destruction of their people.

o This is because they had not repented and accepted Christ.

· These things are written to the remnant of the house of Jacob.

o And I had faith, and I did cry unto God that he would preserve the records; and he covenanted with me that he would bring them forth unto the Lamanites in his own due time.

And I, Enos, knew it would be according to the covenant which he had made; wherefore my soul did rest.

Enos 1:16 - 17

o AND now, behold, I would speak somewhat unto the remnant of this people who are spared, if it so be that God may give unto them my words, that they may know of the things of their fathers; yea, I speak unto you, ye remnant of the house of Israel; and these are the words which I speak:

For behold, this is written for the intent that ye may believe that; and if ye believe that ye will believe this also; and if ye believe this ye will know concerning your fathers, and also the marvelous works which were wrought by the power of God among them.

And ye will also know that ye are a remnant of the seed of Jacob; therefore ye are numbered among the people of the first covenant; and if it so be that ye believe in Christ, and are baptized, first with water, then with fire and with the Holy Ghost, following the example of our Savior, according to that which he hath commanded us, it shall be well with you in the day of judgment. Amen.

Mormon 7:1, 9-10

o Wherefore, they are of worth unto the children of men, and he that supposeth that they are not, unto them will I speak particularly, and confine the words unto mine own people; for I know that they shall be of great worth unto them in the last days; for in that day shall they understand them; wherefore, for their good have I written them.

2 Nephi 25:8

o And as these plates are small, and as these things are written for the intent of the benefit of our brethren the Lamanites, wherefore, it must needs be that I write a little; but I shall not write the things of my prophesying, nor of my revelations. For what could I write more than my fathers have written? For have not they revealed the plan of salvation? I say unto you, Yea; and this sufficeth me.

Jarom 1:2

· The records are written in the manner they are because God knows wickedness will not bring them forward.

o They are to be hid up so they will come forth in the Lord’s due time.

§ Therefore I will write and hide up the records in the earth; and whither I go it mattereth not.

Behold, I make an end of speaking concerning this people. I am the son of Mormon, and my father was a descendant of Nephi.

And I am the same who hideth up this record unto the Lord; the plates thereof are of no worth, because of the commandment of the Lord. For he truly saith that no one shall have them to get gain; but the record thereof is of great worth; and whoso shall bring it to light, him will the Lord bless.

Mormon 8:4, 13 - 14

· The records will go forth, when the Lord sees fit, and will go to the unbelieving of the Jews.

o 11 And it came to pass after my father had spoken these words he spake unto my brethren concerning the gospel which should be preached among the Jews, and also concerning the dwindling of the Jews in unbelief. And after they had slain the Messiah, who should come, and after he had been slain he should rise from the dead, and should make himself manifest, by the Holy Ghost, unto the Gentiles.

1 Nephi 10:11

o 15 And now I, Jacob, am led on by the Spirit unto prophesying; for I perceive by the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that by the stumbling of the Jews they will reject the stone upon which they might build and have safe foundation.

But behold, according to the scriptures, this stone shall become the great, and the last, and the only sure foundation, upon which the Jews can build.

And now, my beloved, how is it possible that these, after having rejected the sure foundation, can ever build upon it, that it may become the head of their corner?

Behold, my beloved brethren, I will unfold this mystery unto you; if I do not, by any means, get shaken from my firmness in the Spirit, and stumble because of my over anxiety for you.

Jacob 4:15 - 18

· The intent of the record is persuade that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

o But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

John 20:31

o And after they have been scattered, and the Lord God hath scourged them by other nations for the space of many generations, yea, even down from generation to generation until they shall be persuaded to believe in Christ, the Son of God, and the atonement, which is infinite for all mankind—and when that day shall come that they shall believe in Christ, and worship the Father in his name, with pure hearts and clean hands, and look not forward any more for another Messiah, then, at that time, the day will come that it must needs be expedient that they should believe these things.

And the Lord will set his hand again the second time to restore his people from their lost and fallen state. Wherefore, he will proceed to do a marvelous work and a wonder among the children of men.

2 Nephi 25:16 - 17

· The Father will bring about the restoration of the Jews and all the house of Israel.

o They will be brought to the land of their inheritance.

o The Lord will fulfill his covenant.

· The seed of this people will more fully believe the gospel.

o And the gospel of Jesus Christ shall be declared among them; wherefore, they shall be restored unto the knowledge of their fathers, and also to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, which was had among their fathers.

2 Nephi 30:5

· The gospel will brought to them by the Gentiles.

o Therefore repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and lay hold upon the gospel of Christ, which shall be set before you, not only in this record but also in the record which shall come unto the Gentiles from the Jews, which record shall come from the Gentiles unto you.

Mormon 7:8 - 9

· This people will be scattered and become a dark, filthy, and a loathsome people.

o Yea, even my father spake much concerning the Gentiles, and also concerning the house of Israel, that they should be compared like unto an olive-tree, whose branches should be broken off and should be scattered upon all the face of the earth.

Wherefore, he said it must needs be that we should be led with one accord into the land of promise, unto the fulfilling of the word of the Lord, that we should be scattered upon all the face of the earth.

And after the house of Israel should be scattered they should be gathered together again; or, in fine, after the Gentiles had received the fulness of the Gospel, the natural branches of the olive-tree, or the remnants of the house of Israel, should be grafted in, or come to the knowledge of the true Messiah, their Lord and their Redeemer.

1 Nephi 10:12 - 14

3 Nephi 16:8

o For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.

2 Nephi 26:33

· This people will even be worse than the Lamanites because of their unbelief and idolatry.

· The Lord has already ceased working their fathers.

o And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

Genesis 6:3

o And the brother of Jared repented of the evil which he had done, and did call upon the name of the Lord for his brethren who were with him. And the Lord said unto him: I will forgive thee and thy brethren of their sins; but thou shalt not sin any more, for ye shall remember that my Spirit will not always strive with man; wherefore, if ye will sin until ye are fully ripe ye shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. And these are my thoughts upon the land which I shall give you for your inheritance; for it shall be a land choice above all other lands.

Ether 2:15

o Pray for them, my son, that repentance may come unto them. But behold, I fear lest the Spirit hath ceased striving with them; and in this part of the land they are also seeking to put down all power and authority which cometh from God; and they are denying the Holy Ghost.

Moroni 8:28

· They are without Christ and God.

o They will be driven as chaff before the wind.

§ BLESSED is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

Psalms 1:1 - 4

· They were once a delightsome people because Christ was their shepherd.

o They are now led by Satan.

§ And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.

2 Nephi 28:21

o They are driven like a vessel tossed upon the waves, without sail or anchor.

· The Lord has reserved their blessing for the Gentiles who possess this land.

· This people will be driven and scattered by the Gentiles.

· After this has occurred, the Lord will remember His covenant made with Abraham and the house of Israel.

o The Lord will also remember the prayers of the righteous for them.

· The only way Gentiles can stand before the power of God is if they repent and turn from their evil ways.

· We are in the hands of God.

· He has all power.

o And he did expound all things, even from the beginning until the time that he should come in his glory—yea, even all things which should come upon the face of the earth, even until the elements should melt with fervent heat, and the earth should be wrapt together as a scroll, and the heavens and the earth should pass away;

3 Nephi 26:3

· We must repent and humble ourselves before Him.

o If we don’t, He will come out in justice against us.

§ And I say unto you, that if the Gentiles do not repent after the blessing which they shall receive, after they have scattered my people—

Then shall ye, who are a remnant of the house of Jacob, go forth among them; and ye shall be in the midst of them who shall be many; and ye shall be among them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, and as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he goeth through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.

3 Nephi 20:15 - 16

Quote #1

Hugh Nibley wrote:

To return to the wonderful events of 3 Nephi: the Lord fed the people miraculously, as he did on more than one occasion in the New Testament. They were hungry and he gave them food. "Now, when the multitude had all eaten and drunk, behold, they were filled with the Spirit; and they did cry out with one voice, and gave glory to Jesus, whom they both saw and heard" (3 Nephi 20:9).

"Why this great outburst of rejoicing? Hadn't they ever eaten bread and wine before? Was eating bread and fish such a novelty to them?"

No, it wasn't the gift. It was the hand of the giver. They actually saw the hand of the giver: "They both saw and heard" (3 Nephi 20:9). They knew where the gift came from. So one gives glory upon being raised from the sickbed. Eventually, everyone is bound to get well, but the manner of the healing is the joy in it—the hand of the giver: the comfort and joy, the feeling of the power and love that is there. This is behind the whole thing.^{^[2]}

Quote #2

W. Jeffry Marsh writes:

Brigham understood that, as prophesied, the coming forth of the Book of Mormon was a signal to the world that the restoration of Israel had begun (see 3 Nephi 21:1–7): "The Lord has been operating for centuries to prepare the way for the coming forth of the contents of that book [the Book of Mormon] from the bowels of the earth, to be published to the world, to show to the inhabitants thereof that he still lives, and that he will, in the latter days, gather his elect from the four corners of the earth … The Lord has dictated and directed the whole of this, for the bringing forth, and establishing of his Kingdom in the last days."[3]

Quote #3

Richard Rust said:

While discoursing to both the Lamanites and Nephites before him, Jesus as well speaks to their descendants, saying that the Book of Mormon "shall come forth of the Father, from [the Gentiles] unto you" (3 Nephi 21:3). He confirms the prophecies of Isaiah that in the last days the children of Lehi will be gathered both physically and spiritually. "Then is the fulfilling," he says, "of the covenant which the Father hath made unto his people, O house of Israel" (3 Nephi 20:12).[4]

Quote #4

Gaye Strathearn and Jacob Moody wrote:

Latter-day prophets have frequently equated the “great and marvelous work” with the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, and the context of 3 Nephi 21 supports such an interpretation. In verses 8 and 9, the phrase in that day refers to the beginning of the fulfilling of the covenant that was facilitated by the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.[5]

Quote #5

Steven Olson writes:

The literal gathering of Israel will focus on two centers: Jerusalem in the Holy Land and the New Jerusalem (or Zion) in the promised land. In the promised land, the remnant of Israel will join with Gentiles, who have been gathered in the spiritual sense, to build up the New Jerusalem and establish Zion. Then, says Christ, "shall the power of heaven come down among them; and I also will be in their midst" (3 Nephi 21:25). By contrast, those who reject the gospel of Christ, whether of Israel or the Gentiles, will be "cut off" and their cities destroyed. Christ repeats seven times the phrase "cut off" in relation to the wicked as the consequence of their breaking this covenant. From this perspective, the millennial kingdom of God will be an urbanized society whose citizens are bound together by covenant and who enjoy the blessings of eternal life in his literal presence.[6]

Quote #6

Victor Ludlow writes:

The key passage in Mormon 5:12—14 foretells the coming forth of Mormon's writings, which should go to the Jews "that they may be persuaded that Jesus is the Christ" so that "the Jews, or all the house of Israel" can be gathered by the Father to the land of their inheritance "unto the fulfilling of his covenant."[7]

[1] Covenant Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Victor L. Ludlow, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed September 23, 2012.

[2] Gifts, Hugh Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed September 23, 2012.

[3] Brigham Young and the Book of Mormon, W. Jeffrey Marsh, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, September 29, 2012.

[4] Annual FARMS Lecture, Richard Dilworth Rust, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed September 29, 2012.

[5] Christ's Interpretation of Isaiah 52's "My Servant" in 3 Nephi, Gaye Strathearn, and Jacob Moody, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed September 29, 2012.

[6] The Covenant of the Promised Land: Territorial Symbolism in the Book of Mormon, Steven L. Olsen, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed September 29, 2012.

[7] Covenant Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Victor L. Ludlow, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed September 30, 2012.

Feast Upon the Words of Christ and Let Your Soul Delight in Fatness

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Gospel Doctrine Lesson 40