After listing and describing the destruction in the land,
the voice announces, “I am Jesus Christ,
the Son of God” (3 Nephi 9:15). He
created the heavens, the earth, and all things in them. John made this pronouncement at the beginning
of his gospel.
IN
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God
[JST John 1:1 - IN the beginning was the gospel
preached through the Son. And the gospel was the word, and the word was with
the Son, and the Son was with God, and the Son was of God.]
The
same was in the beginning with God.
All
things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
John 1:1 - 3
Paul testified, “For
by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth,
visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities,
or powers: all things were created by him, and for him” (Colossians 1:16).
Samuel, the Lamanite taught the Nephites, “And also that ye might know of the coming
of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and of earth, the Creator
of all things from the beginning; and that ye might know of the signs of his
coming, to the intent that ye might believe on his name” (Helaman 14:12).
Moroni explained that he had sealed part of the Jaredite
record when commanded by the Lord. The
Lord told him, “in that day that they
shall exercise faith in me, saith the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did, that
they may become sanctified in me, then will I manifest unto them the things
which the brother of Jared saw, even to the unfolding unto them all my revelations,
saith Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of the heavens and of the earth,
and all things that in them are” (Ether 4:7).
Christ tells the Nephite He was with the Father in the
beginning. He is in the Father and the
Father in Him. Through Him, the Father
had glorified His name.
Christ went to His own, but they would not receive Him. Christ revealed to Joseph Smith, “, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I am the same that came unto mine own, and
mine own received me not. I am the light
which shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not” (D&C
6:21).
All scriptures concerning the coming of the Messiah had been
fulfilled. Any who receive Him will
become the sons of God (“But as many as received
him, to them gave he power [GR authority, right, privilege] to become the sons
of God, even to them that believe on his name” [John 1:12]). All who believe on His name will receive
redemption. The Psalmist wrote, “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom
he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy” (Psalms 107:2).
He then makes a powerful pronouncement – in Him, the law of
Moses had been fulfilled. At this time,
He gives them no further instructions.
John Welch explains:
If the Nephites were assembled on
one of these traditional holy days sometime after the signs of Jesus' death had
been given, they probably would have wondered what they should do next. We know
that they observed the law of Moses until Jesus proclaimed its fulfillment (see
3 Nephi 1:24—25; 15:2—8), but while Jesus' voice, which was heard out of
the darkness, had announced the end of the Mosaic law at the time of his death
(see 3 Nephi 9:17), no new instructions had yet been given to the Nephites
about the new law that was to take its place. [1]
As the law had been fulfilled in Him, Christ commanded that
there be no more offerings that involved the shedding of blood. He will no longer accept sacrifices and burn
offerings. Abinadi taught, “it is expedient that ye should keep the law
of Moses as yet; but I say unto you, that the time shall come when it shall no
more be expedient to keep the law of Moses” (Mosiah 13:27). Amulek also taught, “it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice, and
then shall there be, or it is expedient there should be, a stop to the shedding
of blood; then shall the claw of Moses be fulfilled; yea, it shall
be all fulfilled, every jot and tittle, and none shall have passed away” (Alma
34:13).
In place of the burnt offerings, we are to offer a sacrifice
of a broken heart and contrite spirit.
David wrote, “The sacrifices of
God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not
despise” (Psalms 51:17). To those that come to Him with a broken heart and
contrite spirit, He will baptize them with fire and the Holy Ghost.
The concept of a broken heart and contrite spirit was not a
new concept.
Dana M. Pike, professor of ancient
scripture, BYU, explained that the requirement in 3 Nephi 9:19—20 for Jesus's
disciples to offer a broken heart and contrite spirit—given in conjunction with
the instruction to cease animal sacrifices—is often misinterpreted as something
new at that time. Pike's address, entitled "Third Nephi 9:19—20: The
Offering of a Broken Heart," discussed Psalm 51:16—17 and 2 Nephi
4:32—passages that chronologically precede 3 Nephi 9 by hundreds of
years—indicating that the need for disciples to offer a broken heart existed
from the beginning. He emphasized that 3 Nephi 9:19—20 refers not to a new
sacrifice of a broken heart, but to a renewed emphasis on the need for
disciples to break or smash their sin-hardened hearts. This allows the Lord to
replace our now broken, irretrievable heart with a new, soft heart so the Holy
Ghost can transform and sanctify us.[2]
Robert Millet taught:
[W]ith the redemption of Christ, we
are bringing to an end that which had begun a long time before. How long
before? In whose days? In the days of Adam. Adam learned about the offering of
sacrifices, and now we are bringing, four thousand years later, an end to an
important ritual and religious ordinance. We're not going to lose the
principle, though: "And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken
heart and a contrite spirit" (3 Nephi 9:20).
Let's talk about that for a second.
The call to a higher righteousness is a call to put away the ordinance of
sacrifice for now, but at the same time to put on the principle of
sacrifice. It is to gain a broken heart.[3]
He came unto the world to bring redemption and to save us
from sin. If we repent, and come to Him
as a little child, He will receive us.
In Jerusalem, Christ taught, “Verily
I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child,
he shall not enter therein” (Mark 10:15).
King Benjamin explained why we needed to become as a child. “For
the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and
will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit,
and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of
Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient,
full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to
inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father” (Mosiah 3:19).
Christ laid down His life and took it up again. “As the
Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the
sheep. Therefore doth my Father love me,
because I lay down my life, that I might take it again” (John 10:15, 17). We are to repent and come to Him to be
saved.
[2] Scholars
Focus Conference on Third Nephi, Insights Volume - 28, Issue
– 6, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed November 23, 2012.
[3] The
Doctrine of the Risen Christ, Part 1, Robert L. Millet. Provo,
Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed November 23, 2012.
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