Lesson 39 Behold My
Joy Is Full
Read, ponder, and pray about the
following scriptures:
&
3 Nephi 17. After teaching the
Nephites, Jesus commands them to return to their homes to ponder, pray, and
prepare for His return the following day. Perceiving the people’s desire for
Him to stay, He remains for a time and heals the sick, blesses the children,
and prays for the people.
&
3 Nephi 18. Jesus institutes the Sacrament
among the Nephites and gives them additional counsel before ascending into
heaven.
&
3 Nephi 19. The Nephites spread the
news of Jesus’ visit, and a large multitude gathers in anticipation of His
return. The Savior’s 12 disciples teach and minister to the multitude. The
disciples are baptized and receive the Holy Ghost and the ministering of angels.
The Savior returns to teach the people and pray for them.
Chapter
17
·
After completing the Sermon at the Temple,
Christ told the people, “Behold, my time
is at hand [IE to return to the Father]” (v. 1).
·
The people are weak and don’t understand all the
words He has spoken to them.
o
During His earthly ministry, He told the Jews, “I have yet many things to say unto you, but
ye cannot bear them now” (John 16:12).
o
In this dispensation, the Lord told Joseph
Smith:
§
Verily,
verily, I say unto you, ye are little children, and ye have not as yet
understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared
for you;
§
And ye
cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you
along. The kingdom is yours and the
blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.
D&C 78:17 - 18
·
The Savior sent the people to their homes.
·
He told them to ponder His words.
o
[A]sk of
the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the
morrow, and I come unto you again. (v3)
·
When the Lord revealed the concept of eternal
marriage, He told the Church,
o
Therefore,
prepare thy heart to receive and obey the instructions which I am about to give
unto you; for all those who have this law revealed unto them must obey the
same.
D&C 132:3
·
See Quote #1
·
See Quote #2
·
See Quote #3 (must read!)
·
He tells the multitude He is leaving to go the
Father.
o
He will also ”show
myself unto the lost tribes of Israel, for they are not lost unto the Father,
for he knoweth whither he hath taken them” (v. 4)
·
He cast his eyes around the multitude and saw
they were in tears.
o
They wanted Him to stay longer with them.
·
Christ became filled with compassion towards the
people.
o
He asked them to bring forth the sick and
afflicted.
o
He will heal them as he did in Jerusalem.
·
They will be healed because of their faith.
o
Christ taught faith in Him is an essential part
of salvation.
§
And when
Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching
him,
§
And
saying, Lord, my servant [GR child, servant, son]; lieth at home sick of the
palsy [GR paralysis], grievously tormented.
§
And Jesus
saith unto him, I will come and heal him.
§
The
centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy [GR fit, qualified] that
thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant
shall be healed.
§
For I am a
man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and
he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and
he doeth it.
§
[JST Matt.
8:9 And when they that followed him, heard this, they marveled, and] When Jesus
heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you,
I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
Matthew
8:5 - 10
o
Nephi1 wrote the word of the Lord:
§
For
behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world
that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the
children of men save it be according to their faith.
2
Nephi 27:23
o
Moroni2 wrote:
§
For if
there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them;
wherefore, he showed not himself until after their faith.
Behold, it was the faith of Alma
and Amulek that caused the prison to tumble to the earth.
Behold, it was the faith of Nephi
and Lehi that wrought the change upon the Lamanites, that they were baptized
with fire and with the Holy Ghost.
Behold, it was the faith of Ammon
and his brethren which wrought so great a miracle among the Lamanites.
Yea, and even all they who wrought
miracles wrought them by faith, even those who were before Christ and also
those who were after.
And it was by faith that the three
disciples obtained a promise that they should not taste of death; and they
obtained not the promise until after their faith.
And neither at any time hath any
wrought miracles until after their faith; wherefore they first believed in the
Son of God.
(Book
of Mormon | Ether 12:12 - 18)
·
The people brought forth their sick and
afflicted to Christ.
·
He healed each person.
o
Here we see the importance of faith.
And when he was come into the
house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe [GR Do you
have faith that] ye that I am able to do this?
They said unto him, Yea, Lord.
Then touched he their eyes, saying,
According to your faith be it unto you.
And their eyes were opened; and
Jesus straitly charged [GR warned them sternly] them, saying, See that no man
know it.
(New
Testament | Matthew 9:28 - 30)
§
The words of King Benjamin:
·
For
behold, the time cometh, and is not far distant, that with power, the Lord
Omnipotent who reigneth, who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity,
shall come down from heaven among the children of men, and shall dwell in a
tabernacle of clay, and shall go forth amongst men, working mighty miracles,
such as healing the sick, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, the blind
to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and curing all manner of
diseases.
Mosiah
3:5
·
All who
had been healed bowed down at his fee and worshipped him.
o
And
one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and
sat down to meat.
And,
behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat
at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
And
stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears,
and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed
them with the ointment.
Now
when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying,
This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman
this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
And
Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.
o
There
was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence
[GR denarii; one denarius was a workman's daily wage], and the other fifty.
And
when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love
him most?
Simon
answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly
judged.
And
he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no
water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with
the hairs of her head.
Thou
gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to
kiss my feet.
My
head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with
ointment.
Wherefore
I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much:
but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
And
he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
And
they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that
forgiveth sins also?
And
he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
Luke 7:36 - 50
·
See Quote #4
·
Having healed their sick and afflicted, He
commanded they bring their children to Him.
o
Christ showed his love of the children during
his mortal ministry.
§
And they
brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples
rebuked those that brought them.
But when Jesus saw it, he was much
displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and
forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
Verily I say unto you, Whosoever
shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter
therein.
And he took them up in his arms,
put his hands upon them, and blessed them.
Mark
10:13 - 16
·
The children were brought and set in a circle
around Him.
·
He commanded they all should kneel.
·
He began to looked around and said He was
troubled because of the wickedness of Israel.
o
The scriptures record when the righteous were
“troubled” by the wicked ness of the people.
§
The sons of Mosiah2 wanted were
motivated by concern when they asked to preach to the Lamanites.
·
Now they
were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they
could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts
that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and
tremble.
Mosiah
28:3
§
Alma2 resigned the judgment seat to
preach to the people.
·
For it was
the cause of great sorrow to Alma to know of iniquity among his people;
therefore his heart was exceedingly sorrowful because of the separation of the
Zoramites from the Nephites.
Alma
31:2
§
Enoch wept because of the wickedness of men.
·
And it
came to pass that the Lord spake unto Enoch, and told Enoch all the doings of
the children of men; wherefore Enoch knew, and looked upon their wickedness,
and their misery, and wept and stretched forth his arms, and his heart swelled
wide as eternity; and his bowels yearned; and all eternity shook.
Moses
7:41
·
Christ then knelt and began to pray.
o
“[T]he
things which he prayed cannot be written, and the multitude did bear record who
heard him” (v. 15).
o
“And after
this manner do they bear record: The eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear
heard, before, so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak
unto the Father” (v. 16).
·
For since
the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear,
neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him
that waiteth for him.
Isaiah
64:4
·
But as it
is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the
heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1
Corinthians 2:9
·
This is
the end of the vision which we saw, which we were commanded to write while we
were yet in the Spirit.
But great and marvelous are the
works of the Lord, and the mysteries of his kingdom which he showed unto us,
which surpass all understanding in glory, and in might, and in dominion;
Which he commanded us we should not
write while we were yet in the Spirit, and are not lawful for man to utter;
Neither is man capable to make them
known, for they are only to be seen and understood by the power of the Holy
Spirit, which God bestows on those who love him, and purify themselves before
him;
To whom he grants this privilege of
seeing and knowing for themselves;
·
That
through the power and manifestation of the Spirit, while in the flesh, they may
be able to bear his presence in the world of glory.
·
And to God
and the Lamb be glory, and honor, and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
D&C
76:113 - 119
·
In the Book of Mormon, Mormon and Moroni2
mention that much was left out of the Book of Mormon.
o
Wherefore,
I chose these things, to finish my record upon them, which remainder of my
record I shall take from the plates of Nephi; and I cannot write the hundredth
part of the things of my people. (Words of Mormon 1:5)
o
(See also Helaman 3:14, 3 Nephi 26:6, Ether
15:33).
·
This even was left out because it was a sacred
and holy moment, the type that is not to be discussed freely because we do not “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs,
neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their
feet, and turn again and rend you” (Matthew 7:6).
·
Paul wrote about a sacred experience.
o
I knew a
man in Christ above fourteen years ago [GR I know a man in Christ who fourteen
years ago], (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I
cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
And I knew such a man, (whether in
the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
How that he was caught up into
paradise, and heard unspeakable [GR ineffable] words, which it is not lawful [GR
possible, permitted] for a man to utter.
2 Corinthians 12:2 - 4
·
When the Savior finished his prayer, the multitude
was overcome with joy.
·
He commanded they arise and blessed them for
their faith.
·
After saying these words, Jesus wept.
o
Now Jesus
was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.
The Jews then which were with her
in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily
and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.
Then when Mary was come where Jesus
was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou
hadst been here, my brother had not died.
When Jesus therefore saw her
weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the
spirit, and was troubled,
And said, Where have ye laid
him? They said unto him, Lord, come and
see.
Jesus wept.
Then said the Jews, Behold how he
loved him!
John
11:30 - 36
·
He then took the children and blessed each one.
o
He again prayed to the Father for them.
o
He again wept.
·
Christ told the multitude, “Behold your little ones” (v. 23).
·
See Quote #5
·
See Quote #6
·
When the people looked towards heaven, “they saw the heavens open, and they saw
angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came
down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with
fire; and the angels did minister unto them” (v. 24).
o
Nephi2 and Lehi2 had a
similar experience.
§
23 And it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi were
encircled about as if by fire, even insomuch that they durst not lay their
hands upon them for fear lest they should be burned. Nevertheless, Nephi and Lehi were not burned;
and they were as standing in the midst of fire and were not burned.
And when they saw that they were
encircled about with a pillar of fire, and that it burned them not, their
hearts did take courage…
And it came to pass that when they
cast their eyes about, and saw that the cloud of darkness was dispersed from
overshadowing them, behold, they saw that they were encircled about, yea every
soul, by a pillar of fire.
§
And Nephi
and Lehi were in the midst of them; yea, they were encircled about; yea, they
were as if in the midst of a flaming fire, yet it did harm them not, neither
did it take hold upon the walls of the prison; and they were filled with that
joy which is unspeakable and full of glory.
§
And
behold, the Holy Spirit of God did come down from heaven, and did enter into
their hearts, and they were filled as if with fire, and they could speak forth
marvelous words.
Helaman
5:23 – 24; 43 – 45
·
The multitude saw and heard and give testimony
that our record is true.
·
There were around 2,500 men, women, and children
in the multitude.
Chapter
18
·
The Savior asked His Disciples to bring bread
and wine to Him.
o
While they were getting these things, He told
the people to sit.
·
When His Disciples returned, He took the bread,
broke it, and commanded his Disciples they should eat.
o
“And when
they had eaten and were filled, he commanded that they should give unto the
multitude” (v. 4).
o
See Quote #7.
·
When the multitude had eaten and were filled, He
told the Disciples:
o
“[T]here
shall one be ordained among you, and to him will I give power that he shall
break bread and bless it and give it unto the people of my church, unto all
those who shall believe and be baptized in my name” (v. 5).
·
The Disciples were told to “do, even as I have done, even as I have broken bread and blessed it
and given it unto you” (v. 6).
o
They were commanded to do this in remembrance of
His body, “which I have shown unto you”
(v. 7).
o
This will be a testimony to the Father that they
do always remember Him.
§
If they, they will always have His Spirit to be
with them.
o
See Quote #8
·
After He had said these things, His Disciples
took the cup of wine and drank it.
o
They gave the multitude the cup so they might
also drink of it.
o
They drank until they were filled.
·
The Savior told them, “Blessed are ye for this thing which ye have done, for this is
fulfilling my commandments, and this doth witness unto the Father that ye are
willing to do that which I have commanded you” (v. 10).
·
They were commanded to drink in remembrance of
His blood, that He shed for them.
o
This will be a testimony to the Father that they
do always remember Him.
§
If they, they will always have His Spirit to be
with them.
·
If they do these things, they will be blessed as
they have built upon His rock.
o
Any who do more or less than this are built on a
sandy foundation.
·
The people are to always watch and pray.
·
This will help them overcome temptation of the
devil.
·
They are to repent and be baptized in His name.
·
He is the light; he has set an example for them.
·
He stopped talking to His Disciples and turned
to the multitude.
·
They must watch and pray always.
o
If they don’t, they will be led into temptation.
o
And I,
Lehi, according to the things which I have read, must needs suppose that an
angel of God, according to that which is written, had fallen from heaven;
wherefore, he became a devil, having sought that which was evil before God.
And because he had fallen from
heaven, and had become miserable forever, he sought also the misery of all
mankind. Wherefore, he said unto Eve,
yea, even that old serpent, who is the devil, who is the father of all lies,
wherefore he said: Partake of the forbidden fruit, and ye shall not die, but ye
shall be as God, knowing good and evil.
2 Nephi 2:17 - 18
·
They must always pray to the Father in His name.
·
Whatever they ask of the Father, “which is right, believing that ye shall
receive, behold it shall be given unto you” (v. 20).
o
Therefore
I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye
receive them, and ye shall have them.
Mark
11:24
o
And now,
because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee
forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in
works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word,
for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will.
Helaman
10:5
o
Behold, I
say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he
shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this
promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth.
Mormon
9:21
o
And after
that he came men also were saved by faith in his name; and by faith, they
become the sons of God. And as surely as
Christ liveth he spake these words unto our fathers, saying: Whatsoever thing
ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye
shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you.
Moroni
7:26
·
The people were to pray in their families unto
the Father in His name.
o
Their wives and children will be blessed.
·
They are to meet together frequently.
o
Never forbid anyone to come to the meeting.
o
Pray for them, don’t cast them out.
§
Pray for them unto the Father in Christ’s name.
·
We are to hold up our light that it might shine
to the world.
·
Christ is the light we are to hold up.
o
Let your
light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your
Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 5:16
o
And he
said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a
bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?
o
For there
is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept
secret, but that it should come abroad.
Mark
4:21 - 22
o
See Quote #9
o
See Quote #10
·
The people were commanded to come unto Christ
and feel and see.
·
Anyone who breaks a commandment will allow
themselves to be led into temptation.
o
Behold, he
sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards
them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you.
Yea, he saith: Come unto me and ye
shall partake of the fruit of the tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink of
the bread and the waters of life freely;
Yea, come unto me and bring forth
works of righteousness, and ye shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire—
For behold, the time is at hand
that whosoever bringeth forth not good fruit, or whosoever doeth not the works
of righteousness, the same have cause to wail and mourn.
Alma
5:33 - 36
o
And thus
the work of the Lord did commence among the Lamanites; thus the Lord did begin
to pour out his Spirit upon them; and we see that his arm is extended to all
people who will repent and believe on his name.
Alma
19:36
·
Christ began talking to His Disciples again.
·
He gave the another commandment.
·
Then He must go to the Father to fulfill other
commandments given Him by the Father.
·
All who partake of the Sacrament must do so
worthily.
o
Wherefore
whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily,
shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
But let a man examine himself, and
so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
For he that eateth and drinketh
unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's
body.
For this cause many are weak and
sickly among you, and many sleep.
1
Corinthians 11:27 – 30
o
And it
came to pass that when *two hundred and ten years had passed away
there were many churches in the land; yea, there were many churches which
professed to know the Christ, and yet they did deny the more parts of his
gospel, insomuch that they did receive all manner of wickedness, and did
administer that which was sacred unto him to whom it had been forbidden because
of unworthiness.
4
Nephi 1:27
·
Whoever partakes of the Sacrament unworthily
does so to the damnation of his soul.
o
If you know someone is unworthy, they should be
forbidden from partaking of the Sacrament.
·
They are not to be cast out.
o
The church should minister unto this person and
pray for him unto the Father in Christ’s name.
·
If he repents, he may partake of the Sacrament.
o
Nevertheless
ye are commanded never to cast any one out from your public meetings, which are
held before the world.
D&C
46:3
·
Christ knows His sheep.
o
I am the
good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
John
10:14
·
If they keep His sayings, which He has commanded
them, they will not come under commendation.
·
These commandments are given because of
disputations among the people.
o
“[B]lessed
are ye if ye have no disputations among you” (v. 34).
·
The time has come for Him to go to the Father.
o
It is expedient that He should go to the Father
for their sakes.
§
Wherefore,
he is the firstfruits unto God, inasmuch as he shall make intercession for all
the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved.
2
Nephi 2:9
§
Wherefore,
my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased because Christ hath ascended into
heaven, and hath sat down on the right hand of God, to claim of the Father his
rights of mercy which he hath upon the children of men?
For he hath answered the ends of
the law, and he claimeth all those who have faith in him; and they who have
faith in him will cleave unto every good thing; wherefore he advocateth the
cause of the children of men; and he dwelleth eternally in the heavens.
Moroni
7:27 - 28
§
Lift up
your hearts and be glad, for I am in your midst, and am your advocate with the
Father; and it is his good will to give you the kingdom.
D&C
29:5
·
The Savior made an end of his sayings.
·
He then touched each of the twelve Disciples he
had chosen, one-by-one.
o
He spoke to each as they were touched.
·
The multitude did not hear the words He spoke.
o
The Disciples bore record that He gave them the
power to give the Holy Ghost.
§
Mormon tells us he “will show unto you hereafter
that this record is true” (v. 37).
·
It is shown in Moroni 2.
o
THE words
of Christ, which he spake unto his disciples, the twelve whom he had chosen, as
he laid his hands upon them—
And he called them by name, saying:
Ye shall call on the Father in my name, in mighty prayer; and after ye have done
this ye shall have power that to him upon whom ye shall lay your hands, ye
shall give the Holy Ghost; and in my name shall ye give it, for thus do mine
apostles.
Now Christ spake these words unto
them at the time of his first appearing; and the multitude heard it not, but
the disciples heard it; and on as many as they laid their hands, fell the Holy
Ghost.
Moroni
2:1 - 3
§
Now it
came to pass that when Alma had said these words, that he clapped his hands
upon all them who were with him. And
behold, as he clapped his hands upon them, they were filled with the Holy
Spirit.
Alma
31:36
·
Having touched His Disciples, a cloud
overshadowed the multitude.
·
They could not see Christ.
·
While they were overshadowed, He ascended again
into heaven.
Chapter
19
·
After Jesus ascended into heaven, all the
families returned to their homes.
o
They made it known all around the Jesus would
return the next day at the temple.
§
Many travelled that evening to be at the Temple
when Jesus appeared the next day.
·
The twelve Disciples were named:
o
“Nephi and
his brother whom he had raised from the dead, whose name was Timothy, and also
his son, whose name was Jonas, and also Mathoni, and Mathonihah, his brother,
and Kumen, and Kumenonhi, and Jeremiah, and Shemnon, and Jonas, and Zedekiah,
and Isaiah—now these were the names of the disciples whom Jesus had chosen”
(v.4).
·
The multitude was so large they had to separate
the people into twelve different groups.
·
This was similar to what had to be done when
King Benjamin gave his sermon.
o
And they pitched
their tents round about the temple, every man having his tent with the door
thereof towards the temple, that thereby they might remain in their tents and
hear the words which king Benjamin should speak unto them;
For the multitude being so great that
king Benjamin could not teach them all within the walls of the temple,
therefore he caused a tower to be erected, that thereby his people might hear
the words which he should speak unto them.
And it came to pass that he began
to speak to his people from the tower; and they could not all hear his words
because of the greatness of the multitude; therefore he caused that the words
which he spake should be written and sent forth among those that were not under
the sound of his voice, that they might also receive his words.
Mosiah
2:6 - 8
·
The twelve taught the multitude.
o
They had the multitude kneel and pray to the
Father in Jesus’s name.
·
The Disciples also prayed.
o
They ministered and taught the people the same
words Jesus taught the previous day, “nothing
varying from the words which Jesus had spoken” (v. 8).
·
They again kneeled and prayed to the Father in
the name of the Son.
·
They prayed and asked that the Holy Ghost be
given them.
·
They took the people down to the water’s edge.
·
Nephi3 was baptized.
o
Then
cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
But John forbad him, saying, I have
need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
And Jesus answering said unto him,
Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
Matthew 3:13 - 15
·
He then baptized the remaining Disciples.
o
When they came up out of the water, they Holy
Ghost fell upon them.
§
They were filled with the Holy Ghost and fire.
·
Approaching the end of Nephite society, Mormon “invites the Lamanites of the latter days to
believe in Christ, accept his gospel, and be saved” (Mormon 7:Heading)
o
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.
(Book
of Mormon | Mormon 7:10)
·
They were encircled by fire and ministered to by
angels.
o
While this occurred, the Savior came and stood
in their midst and ministered to them.
·
He commanded the people to kneel and he
commanded the Disciples to pray.
o
They began to pray to Jesus, “calling him their Lord and their God”
(v. 18).
·
The Savior departed a little way off, bowed
Himself, and prayed
o
He gave thanks that they had received the Holy
Ghost.
o
He chose His Disciples “because of their belief in me” (v. 20).
o
He asked that all who believe their words
received the Holy Ghost.
o
He prayed for those that believe their words and
believe in Him.
o
He asked that they “may believe in me, that I may be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that
we may be one” (v. 23).
·
After His
prayer, He returned to the Disciples.
·
They were still praying.
·
They did not use many words as it was given to
them what they should pray for.
o
But when
ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they
shall be heard for their much speaking.
Matthew 6:7
·
Jesus blessed them as they prayed.
o
His countenance did smile and shine upon them.
o
They became as white as His countenance and
garments.
§
There be
many that say, Who will shew us any good?
LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
Psalms 4:6
·
He again went off and prayed.
·
He gave thanks to the Father that he had
purified His Disciples because of their faith.
·
He prayed for those who would believe their
words, that they may be purified in Him.
o
Wherefore,
my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye
may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true
followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that
when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that
we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.
Moroni
7:48
o
But no man
is possessor of all things except he be purified and cleansed from all sin.
And if ye are purified and cleansed
from all sin, ye shall cask whatsoever you will in the name of Jesus
and it shall be done.
D&C
50:28 - 29)
o
And I give
unto you, who are the first laborers in this last kingdom, a commandment that
you assemble yourselves together, and organize yourselves, and prepare yourselves,
and sanctify yourselves; yea, purify your hearts, and cleanse your hands and
your feet before me, that I may make you clean;
That I may testify unto your
Father, and your God, and my God, that you are clean from the blood of this
wicked generation; that I may fulfil this promise, this great and last promise,
which I have made unto you, when I will.
D&C
88:74 - 75
·
The Savior prayed for those His Father had given
Him, out of the world, because of their faith.
·
He prayed they may be purified in Him.
o
I have
manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine
they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
John 17:6
·
He ended His prayer and returned to His Disciples
who were still praying.
·
When He smiled upon them, they were white, even
as Jesus.
o
And was transfigured
before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as
the light.
Matthew
17:2
·
He again when off and prayed.
·
Mormon records:
o
“And
tongue cannot speak the words which he prayed, neither can be written by man
the words which he prayed” (v. 32).
o
The multitude did bear record and their hearts
were opened.
o
They understood the words He prayed.
§
So that
thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
Proverbs
2:2
§
O ye simple,
understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.
Proverbs
8:5
§
And these
are the words which he spake and caused to be written, saying: My brethren, all
ye that have assembled yourselves together, you that can hear my words which I
shall speak unto you this day; for I have not commanded you to come up hither
to trifle with the words which I shall speak, but that you should hearken unto
me, and open your ears that ye may hear, and your hearts that ye may
understand, and your minds that the mysteries of God may be unfolded to your
view.
Mosiah
2:9
·
When He ended His praying, He went to the
Disciples.
o
“So great faith
have I never seen among all the Jews; wherefore I could not show unto them so
great miracles, because of their unbelief” (v. 35).
Quote #1
John Welch writes:
The first instruction, 3 Nephi 17:1, is that the people, if
they are going to comprehend what he has said, must ponder, must go home and
think about the things that have been said and done. I think that's an
important instruction that tells us that there are deep meanings in what Jesus
has given—just as the temple for us is something that is never exhausted, that
you must always ponder and think and pray about. So Jesus instructs his people
that that's what he wants them to do with this text. It's not just a matter of
doing, listening, and remembering, but also pondering and internalizing and
thinking about very deeply.[1]
Quote #2
John Welch explains:
Turning again to the multitude, who now sat or stood
"round about" Jesus (3 Nephi 17:1), he told them to go home and
"ponder upon the things which [he had] said" (3 Nephi 17:3), for
he knew they were weak and could not yet understand the full import and meaning
of what he had said. This is such a typical reaction to the temple or other
sacred teachings: They appear simple at first, and we think we understand—but
we do not. Only through experience and diligent, prayerful contemplation over
time are the mysteries of God unfolded to us (see Alma 12:9).[2]
Quote #3
Dennis Packard and Sandra Packard explain the importance of
pondering the scriptures.
Why do many active members of the church not love the
scriptures? We believe it is because they haven't learned to ponder them. To
ponder, according to Webster, means "to weigh in the mind; to think or
consider especially quietly, soberly, and deeply." After a lengthy
discourse, the Savior told the Nephites they needed time to ponder and pray
about what he was saying: "I perceive that ye are weak, that ye cannot
understand all my words which I am commanded of the Father to speak unto you at
this time. Therefore, go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I
have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand" (3
Nephi 17:2–3). He has repeated this counsel in our time: "My friends, I
leave these sayings with you to ponder in your hearts, with this commandment
which I give unto you, that ye shall call upon me while I am near—Draw near
unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me;
ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you"
(D&C 88:62–63). So when we don't understand and appreciate the scriptures,
the Lord's counsel is to ponder and pray about them. More specifically, we are
to ponder first and then to pray. As the Lord says, "You must study it out
in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right" (D&C 9:8).[3]
Quote #4
John Welch writes:
Jesus was about to leave, but when he saw the tears in the
eyes of the people looking steadfastly upon him and longing for him to tarry
longer with them, Jesus invited the people to bring forward any who were sick,
and he healed them (see 3 Nephi 17:5—9). They all bowed down around Jesus
and worshipped him, and some went forward to wash his feet with their tears
(see 3 Nephi 17:10). These reciprocal spiritual outpourings set other
temple precedents for the Nephites: the prayer roll for the sick and the
washing of feet are at home in the modern temple as well.[4]
Quote #5
Elder M. Russell Ballard points to a broader and deeper
lesson in the account of Jesus calling upon the multitude to behold their
children:
He said to behold them [children, in reference to 3 Nephi
17:23]. To me that means that we should embrace them with our eyes and with our
hearts; we should see and appreciate them for who they really are: spirit
children of our Heavenly Father, with divine attributes. When we truly behold
our little ones, we behold the glory, wonder, and majesty of God, our Eternal
Father. . . . They are receptive to the truth because they have no preconceived
notions; everything is real to children. . . . Their souls are endowed
naturally with divine potential that is infinite and eternal.[5]
Quote #6
John Welch writes:
In the end, Jesus turned to the parents and said, "Behold
your little ones" (3 Nephi 17:23). It seems to me that Jesus is not
just inviting the parents to look at their children and admire them. Although
that simple reading is possible, I would suggest that he is saying,
"Behold, your little ones"—they are yours.
While it cannot be said exactly what transpired that afternoon, the children
apparently now somehow belonged to the parents in a way they had not belonged
before.[6]
Quote #7
Richard Rust wrote:
The Book of Mormon is itself the word of God, meant to be
feasted on. Just as the Nephite disciples ate the bread Jesus broke and blessed
and "were filled" (3 Nephi 18:4), so all who "hunger and thirst
after righteousness" shall "be filled with the Holy Ghost" (3
Nephi 12:6). Through the Book of Mormon, including through its literary
elements that engage the senses, Jesus bids his disciples to "come unto
me, that ye might feel and see" (3 Nephi 18:25). The book that is a
testament of him and by him calls to those who approach it, "Taste and feast."[7]
Quote #8
Richard Lloyd Anderson observes:
"Remember" is the purpose in Christ's prayer on
the bread in Luke, and Paul's earlier account says that Christ used "in
remembrance of me" in giving both bread and wine (1 Corinthians 11:23-25).
And at the first Sacrament in America, Jesus emphasized
"remember/remembrance" a half dozen times, in reference to both bread
and wine (3 Nephi 18:7-11). "Remember" is also intense in the Nephite
prayers—it appears in each consecration preface, followed by the solemn promise
to "always remember him" in each covenant closing. This stress is
deeply supported by a close look at the Savior's use of the term in the upper
room.[8]
Quote #9
Richard Rust writes:
At the stage of childhood, it may be sufficient to know that
Jesus wants me for a sunbeam. As I later read in the Sermon on the Mount, I
think of my light as being an influence for good and a means of glorifying my
Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16). A more expansive understanding comes when I
read the Savior's progressive teachings to the Nephites about light. At first,
Jesus repeats the same commandment given in the Old World, but he provides a
new and challenging dimension when he says, "Therefore, hold up your light
that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold
up—that which ye have seen me do" (3 Nephi 18: 24).[9]
Quote #10
Robert Millet explains:
When you think back at "Let your light so shine before
men," what is it that we are supposed to let people see then? How does the
rest of that sentence go? "Let your light so shine before men, that they
may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven"
(Matthew 5:16). Thus, the concept of holding up the light is not me as
the light. I am at best a dim lamp. He (Christ) is the light. Look over in 3
Nephi 18:24: "Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the
world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me
do."[10]
[1] Lecture 100: 3 Nephi 15-18, John W. Welch, Provo, Utah:
Maxwell Institute, accessed September 15, 2012.
[2] Toward an Understanding of the Sermon as a
Temple Text, John W. Welch,
Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed September 15, 2012.
[3] Pondering the Word, Dennis Packard, and Sandra Packard, Provo,
Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed September 15, 2012.
[4] Toward an Understanding of the Sermon as a
Temple Text, John W. Welch,
Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed September 15, 2012.
[5] The Savior and the Children in 3 Nephi, M. Gawain Wells, Provo, Utah:
Maxwell Institute, accessed September 15, 2012.
[6] Toward an Understanding of the Sermon as a
Temple Text, John W. Welch, Provo,
Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed September 15, 2012.
[7] "At the Judgment-Seat of Christ" -
Larger Perspectives, Richard
Dilworth Rust, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed September
16, 2012.
[8] The Modern-Text Theory, Richard Lloyd Anderson, Provo,
Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed September 16, 2012.
[9] Light: A Masterful Symbol, Richard Dilworth Rust, Provo,
Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed September 16, 2012.
[10] The Doctrine of the Risen Christ, Part 2, Robert L. Millet, Provo,
Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed September 16, 2012.
No comments:
Post a Comment