3 Nephi 10:1-7

Chapter 10

There is silence in the land for many hours—The voice of Christ promises to gather his people as a hen gathereth her chickens—The more righteous part of the people had been preserved. About A.D. 34–35

After giving His message, there was silence for many hours.  Nephi₁ had warned his people of Zenos’ prophesy about Christ’s visit.   “For thus spake the prophet [Zenos]: The Lord God surely shall visit all the house of Israel at that day, some with his voice, because of their righteousness, unto their great joy and salvation, and others with the thunderings and the lightnings of his power, by tempest, by fire, and by smoke, and vapor of darkness, and by the opening of the earth, and by mountains which shall be carried up” (1 Nephi 19:11).

Hugh Nibley sums up Christ’s message to the Nephites.

Now this is the point; I talked about a standing invitation, a standing offer. It's there. Israel has refused it, and the world has refused it. The question rises, then why bother with these people who will never listen? So that they will be without excuse, as the Lord says. In other words, to resist this invitation, to resist doing what you know is perfectly right, you have to use all sorts of cleverness and sophistry and arguments and call all the lawyers in, etc. in order to reject it. You have to be very clever to do that, and they've worked at it. And he offered it to them, and they worked at a good excuse for not coming to the party.[1]

The people were astonished by the voice and what they heard.  They had been mourning for their dead.  Their mourning ended and there was silence for many hours.

Clifford Jones explains:

While "the more righteous part of the people" were saved (3 Nephi 10:12), those who survived were not untouched by the destruction. They knew, even in the darkness, that many of their kindred had died (3 Nephi 10:2). The destruction was pervasive across the land. It included both "a great and terrible destruction in the land southward" (3 Nephi 8:11) and "a more great and terrible destruction in the land northward" (3 Nephi 8:12). "And thus the face of the whole earth became deformed, because of the tempests, and the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the quaking of the earth" (3 Nephi 8:17). While there was greater destruction in the land northward, the destruction in the land southward is described as "great and terrible."[2]

After many hours, Christ’s voice came again.  He pronounced that they were of the house of Israel.  That they were a part of the house of Israel is an important part of Christ’s message.  In this chapter, he would remind them of this four times (vs. 4, 5, 6, & 7).  He would use the term, “house of Israel,” thirty-eight times during his time with the Nephites.[3]

He then said that He had often tried to gather them, as a hen gathers he chicks, and nourished them.  Nephi₃ had warned them that, if they refused to repent, “instead of gathering you, except ye will repent, behold, he shall scatter you forth that ye shall become meat for dogs and wild beasts” (Helaman 7:19).  Nephi₁ told us that, if we obey the commandments of God, “he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness” (1 Nephi 17:3).

In the allegory of the tame and wild olive trees, the master explains, “this [tree] have I planted in a good spot of ground; and I have nourished it this long time, and only a part of the tree hath brought forth tame fruit, and the other part of the tree hath brought forth wild fruit; behold, I have nourished this tree like unto the others” (Jacob 5:25).  Even with proper nourishment from the Lord, we can still bear “wild” fruits. 

Christ had used the example of a hen gathering and protect her chicks frequently.  Lamenting about Jerusalem, He said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered [GR have I desired to gather] thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matthew 23:37).

To the Church, the Lord said:

O, ye nations of the earth, how often would I have gathered you together as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, but ye would not!

How oft have I called upon you by the mouth of my servants, and by the ministering of angels, and by mine own voice, and by the voice of thunderings, and by the voice of lightnings, and by the voice of tempests, and by the voice of earthquakes, and great hailstorms, and by the voice of famines and pestilences of every kind, and by the great sound of a trump, and by the voice of judgment, and by the voice of mercy all the day long, and by the voice of glory and honor and the riches of eternal life, and would have saved you with an everlasting salvation, but ye would not!

D&C 43:24 - 25

Christ makes it clear His desire to gather his people.   In turn, we gather to Him and his doctrine.  We gather to a person, not a place.[4] 

Christ’s metaphor also represents His (hen) covenant relationship with the house of Israel (chicks). Israel (chicks) could run to Christ for protection or run away from Him, rejecting His offer.  They had their agency to choose.[5]

Christ tells them if they choose to return to repent and return to Him with “full purpose of heart,” they will be spared and fall under His protection.  Samuel, speaking to the house of Israel, told them, “If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth [IE the images of the fertility goddess] from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines” (1 Samuel 7:3).

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[1] Lecture 83: 3 Nephi 8-11, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed November 25, 2012.

[2] The Great and Marvelous Change: An Alternate Interpretation, Clifford P. Jones, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed November 25, 2012.

[3] Pattern and Purpose of the Isaiah Commentaries in the Book of Mormon. Garold N. Davis, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed November 25, 2012.

[4] The Doctrine of the Risen Christ, Part 3, Robert L. Millet, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed November 25, 2012.

[5] Scholars Focus Conference on Third Nephi, Insights  Volume - 28, Issue - 6, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed November 25, 2012.