3 Nephi 11:18-41

After the people felt the Savior’s wounds, He called Nephi to come before Him. Nephi went before the Lord and bowed before Him, kissing His feet. “And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped” (Exodus 34:8).

After being commanded to stand, Nephi stood before the Lord.

The Lord gave Nephi the authority to baptize. The scriptures are full of references to the necessity of authority to perform ordinances for the Lord. “And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office” Exodus 28:41).

“And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19).

“And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach” (Mark 3:14).

“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you” (John 15:16).

“For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed [GR directed, ordered] thee” (Titus 1:5).

“And it came to pass that Alma₁, having authority from God, ordained priests; even one priest to every fifty of their number did he ordain to preach unto them, and to teach them concerning the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Mosiah 18:18).

“And it came to pass that king Limhi and many of his people were desirous to be baptized; but there was none in the land that had authority from God. And Ammon declined doing this thing, considering himself an unworthy servant” (Mosiah 21:33).

“And now, Alma₁ was their high priest, he being the founder of their church.

“And it came to pass that none received authority to preach or to teach except it were by him from God. Therefore he consecrated all their priests and all their teachers; and none were consecrated except they were just men” (Mosiah 23:16-17).

“And the voice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of my disciples, whom I have chosen in these last days” (D&C 1:4).

After giving Nephi authority to baptize, the Lord instructed him how the ordinance of baptism was to be performed.

“The twelve Nephite disciples received authority to baptize directly from the resurrected Jesus and not from earlier scripture or the community of believers (3 Nephi 11:21–26; 12:1). The specific granting of divine authority to mortals is a recurrent element in the resurrected Lord’s ministry at the Book of Mormon’s climax (3 Nephi 18:5, 36–37; 20:4; 4 Nephi 1:5).”[1]

“It is not surprising that when the Savior visited the ancient Americas, besides teaching doctrine, He gave Nephi and others the power to baptize. In other words, the doctrine and the ordinances stood side by side. The full application of the teachings of the Book of Mormon does require priesthood ordinances with their associated covenants.”[2]

Those who repent of their sins through Nephi’s words, desiring to be baptized, shall be baptized. They are to go into the water, and in the Savior’s name, are to be baptized.

Once in the water, they are to be called by name, and saying, “Having authority given me of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen” (3 Nephi 11:25).  The person is to be immersed and lifted up out of the water. This is how Alma₁ baptized at the waters of Mormon (see Mosiah 18:26).

The Nephites were commanded to follow this method, and no one is to dispute this and other points of His doctrine, as had happened in the past.

He warned the Nephites to avoid contentions among themselves. The spirit of contention, He said, was of the devil. His doctrine is not meant to cause contentions. This is why He is declaring his doctrine to the Nephites.

This is His doctrine He received from the Father. He bore “record of the Father and the Father beareth record of me.

“This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

“For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

“And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

“If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son” (1 John 5:6-9).

The Holy Ghost bears record of the Father and the Son. The Father gives the gift of the Holy Ghost to us through the Savior. “And the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and the Father giveth the Holy Ghost unto the children of men, because of me” (3 Nephi 28:11).

“It is true that the power or influence of the Holy Ghost may on occasion be felt, according to the will of the Lord, by any person irrespective of that person’s religious persuasion. But the full measure, or gift, of the Holy Ghost comes only after a person has received, with ‘a broken heart and a contrite spirit,’ the ordinances of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. These and other sacred ordinances may be performed only under the direction and power of the priesthood of God.”[3]

The Savior told them those who believed to be baptized and they would be saved.  “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16). Those that do not believe in the Savior, and will not be baptized, they will be damned.

The doctrine He teaches, He received from the Father.  The Holy Ghost will bear witness to this with fire. And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none save it be of me. I am the same that leadeth men to all good; he that will not believe my words will not believe me—that I am; and he that will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me. For behold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world” (Ether 4:12).

We must repent, become as a child, and be baptized.  “The image of Jesus blessing little children directly or pointing to them as living metaphors of what disciples should become is not new. Biblical commentators have written extensively about the lessons to be gleaned from such events. However, in 3 Nephi the central importance of believers becoming as little children is emphasized dramatically by Christ when he speaks amid the darkness caused by the great destructions preceding his appearance in the New World (see 9:22). His initial teaching following his appearance declares characteristics that are foundational requirements for discipleship … [T]he Savior calls his followers to emulate the characteristics of children, to become ‘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).”[4]

The Savior then gave the parable of building a house on a rock and sand.  Here is a side-by-side comparison.

3 Nephi 11:39-40

Matthew 7:24-27

39 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them. 40 And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them.

24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

“The Book of Mormon contains ‘the fulness of the everlasting gospel’ (see Joseph Smith-History 1:34; see also D&C 20:8-9). While it does not contain all gospel teachings or practices of the modem Church, it nonetheless contains the ‘fulness of the gospel’ in that it contains the Savior's own teaching of what constitutes his doctrine or gospel. ... Faith, repentance, baptism by water and by fire, enduring in faithfulness to the end, keeping the commandments and following the example of the Savior-these arc all integral components of the doctrine of Christ. All the prophets have testified of these same principles and ordinances that are central to the plan of salvation. (pp. 59).”[5]

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[1] The Historical Case against Sidney Rigdon’s Authorship of the Book of Mormon, Matthew Roper, and Paul J. Fields, Mormon Studies Review 23/1 (2011): 117.

[2] Becoming More Powerful Priesthood Holders, Elder Walter F. González, October 2009 General Conference.

[3] The Father and the Son, Elder Christoffel Golden Jr., April 2013 General Conference.

[4] The Savior and the Children in 3 Nephi, M. Gawain Wells, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, Volume 14, Number 1, 2005: 64.

[5] As quoted in Review of Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 4, Third Nephi through Moroni (1992), by Joseph Fielding McConkie, Robert L. Millet, and Brent L. Top, Darrell L. Matthews, Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 5/1 (1993): 184.

3 Nephi 11:12-17

The people who saw and heard the Savior fell to the ground. They remembered it had been prophesied the Savior would appear to the Nephites. “And many of the people did inquire concerning the place where the Son of God should come; and they were taught that he would appear unto them after his resurrection; and this the people did hear with great joy and gladness” (Alma 16:20).

The Lord told the people to rise. He called on them to feel the “prints of the nails in my hand and in my feet…” (3 Nephi 11:14). “Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing” (John 20:27).

“And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

“But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

“And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts [GR doubts, hesitation] arise in your hearts?

“Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have” (Luke 24:36-39).

“For instance, Jesus said: Handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have” (D&C 129:2).

He told them to do this so they would know He was the God of Israel and the whole earth. He had been slain for the sins of the world. “And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel” (Isaiah 45:3).

“Let all the saints rejoice, therefore, and be exceedingly glad; for Israel’s God is their God, and he will mete out a just recompense of reward upon the heads of all their oppressors” (D&C 127:3).

“And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the Lord; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know how that the earth is the Lord’s” (Exodus 9:29).

“And when I had spoken these words, the Spirit cried with a loud voice, saying: Hosanna to the Lord, the most high God; for he is God over all the earth, yea, even above all. And blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the most high God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou hast desired” (1 Nephi 11:6).

“If the most important instructions and experiences are presented first in 3 Nephi, then the most important knowledge for the people gathered at the temple was that Jesus is the Christ, the very Son of God. He was introduced by the Father himself, he declared his own witness of who he is, and he personally demonstrated his identity by inviting each person to ‘arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world’ (3 Nephi 11:14).”[1]

And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come.

“At the conclusion of this recognition scene, we read this statement regarding the participants: ‘[They] did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come’ (3 Nephi 11:15).”[2]

“Far from downplaying his crucifixion, Christ presents the wounds left in his body as the characteristic marks of who he is and his significance for humanity. Rather than beginning to teach, after extending this invitation he underscores the importance of these wounds by waiting for what may have been hours as ‘the multitude went forth . . . one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands’ (3 Nephi 11:15), in total ‘about two thousand and five hundred souls’ (3 Nephi 17:25). As believers in Christ who were not privileged to know him during his mortal ministry, it is common for contemporary Mormons to imagine themselves in the place of these Nephites.”[3]

Having done as the Lord commanded, they fell at His feet and cried, “Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God!” (3 Nephi 11:17).

“‘Come unto me, that ye might feel and see.’ This was a commandment that the Savior extended to the inhabitants of ancient America. They felt with their hands and saw with their eyes that Jesus was the Christ. This commandment is just as important for us today as it was for them in their day. As we come unto Christ, we can feel and ‘know of a surety’—not with our hands and eyes but with all our heart and mind—that Jesus is the Christ.”[4]

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[1] The Savior and the Children in 3 Nephi, M. Gawain Wells, Maxwell Institute website.

[2] Treaties and Covenants: Ancient Near Eastern Legal Terminology in the Book of Mormon, RoseAnn Benson and Stephen D. Ricks, Maxwell Institute website.

[3] Work, Worship, and Grace, David L. Paulsen and Cory G. Walker, FARMS Review 18/2 (2006): 123.

[4] Learning with Our Hearts, Elder Walter F. González, October 2012 General Conference. 

3 Nephi 11:8-11

“Let's go to chapter 11. I guess we don't really know exactly when Christ came to the Nephites. There are people who take different sides to that issue. It seems to me, from 3 Nephi 11:8—11, that the text indicates several months had passed before he came. It is the ending of the thirty and fourth year (see 3 Nephi 10:18). The destruction began the first month of the thirty and fourth year (see 3 Nephi 8:5). The Savior appears at the ending of the thirty and fourth year.”^[1]

After hearing the voice of God, the Nephites looked towards the heavens and saw a Man descending from heaven, wearing a white robe. This even had been prophesied. “And I saw the heavens open, and the Lamb of God descending out of heaven; and he came down and showed himself unto them” (1 Nephi 12:6).

“AND after Christ shall have risen from the dead he shall show himself unto you, my children, and my beloved brethren; and the words which he shall speak unto you shall be the ^claw which ye shall do…

“But the Son of righteousness shall appear unto them; and he shall heal them, and they shall have peace with him, until three generations shall have passed away, and many of the fourth generation shall have passed away in righteousness” (2 Nephi 26:1, 9).

“And many of the people did inquire concerning the place where the Son of God should come; and they were taught that he would appear unto them after his resurrection; and this the people did hear with great joy and gladness” (Alma 16:20).

“And now, as I, Moroni, said I could not make a full account of these things which are written, therefore it sufficeth me to say that Jesus showed himself unto [the brother of Jared] in the spirit, even after the manner and in the likeness of the same body even as he showed himself unto the Nephites.

“And he ministered unto him even as he ministered unto the Nephites; and all this, that this man might know that he was God, because of the many great works which the Lord had showed unto him” (Ether 3:17-18).

“The writing of Juan de Cordova regarding the light that emanated from a powerful man, and the account in the Popol Vuh of the sun's being like a person may stem from Christ's visit to the Americas. These two stories do not appear to be Christian manipulations and are in keeping with Christ's visit to Book of Mormon peoples. Although 3 Nephi 11:10–11 does not specifically say that the Lord descended from the clouds as a personage with light emanating from his being, it is plausible that he did. After all, he wore ‘a white robe’ and, on the second day of his visit, radiated a brilliant light to his 12 disciples (see 3 Nephi 11:8; 19:25, 30).”^[2]

The people were speechless at what they saw. When he stood among the people, he said, “Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world” (3 Nephi 11:10).

After a session in the Brigham City Temple, I was waiting for my wife. I sat across from a painting of Christ’s appearance to the Nephites. Damage was still visible. I began to wonder what it had been like to have been there. Their world had been turned upside down. Damage was extensive. The death toll was high. Here they were, working to rebuild the world. Out of nowhere, they Savior appeared to them. I can’t even begin to imagine the surprise, yet joy at the appearance of the Savior. It would have been an experience of a lifetime, standing in the presence of the Savior.

“The Word of the Lord. From the presence of the Lord in the temple, says Psalm 17:2, the word of the Lord comes forth as his ‘oracle.’ It was in the Holy of Holies that Isaiah saw the Lord ‘sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple’ (Isaiah 6:1), and there the word of the Lord was given to him. Throughout 3 Nephi, one hears in abundance the word of the Lord. He himself spoke. He identified himself: ‘He stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people saying: Behold I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world’ (3 Nephi 11:9–10). He delivered the very words of God the Father, with whom he was ‘one’ (3 Nephi 28:10).”[3]

The Savior proclaimed He is the light of the world.  He has been referred to as the Light throughout scripture.  “THE LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid” (Psalms 27:1)

“The people that walked in darkness [The ‘dimness’ and ‘darkness’ were apostasy and captivity (Isa. 8:20–22); the ‘great light’ is Christ (Isa. 9:6–7)] have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined” (Isaiah 9:2).

“In him was life; and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4).

“That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (John 1:9).

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).

“And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof” (Revelation 21:23).

“The light and the Redeemer of the world; the Spirit of truth, who came into the world, because the world was made by him, and in him was the life of men and the light of men” (D&C 93:9).

“In the New World, light from a star announcing the birth of Christ extended through the night. Darkness and destruction signaled the Savior's death, and morning light shone with his resurrection. Darkness and then light marked conditions before the Savior's appearance in the New World. Out of the darkness came the Redeemer's voice: ‘I am the light and the life of the world’ (3 Nephi 9:18). Subsequently, the Savior appeared to the Nephites at the temple, declaring his identity as Jesus Christ and reaffirming that he was the light and the life of the world (3 Nephi 11:11). In striking ways, light in 3 Nephi is thus both creative power and a symbol of the Creator. And just as ‘Let there be light’ is an essential beginning to the story of creation in the first chapter of the Bible, so the book ends with creation of a new earth in which there is ‘no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it [the city of God]: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof’ (Revelation 21:23).”[4]

“The Bible records Jesus’s teaching: “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Later, in the New World, He declared, “I am the light and the life of the world” (3 Nephi 11:11). He is the life of the world because He is our Creator and because, through His Resurrection, we are all assured that we will live again. And the life He gives us is not merely mortal life. He taught, “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:28; see also John 17:2).”[5]

He had drunk of the bitter cup given Him by the Father. “Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). He had taken upon Himself the sins of the world. “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). He had “suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning” (3 Nephi 11:11).

“The Christ of Third Nephi is the victor over temptations and trials, not the glorified stage prop of modern apocrypha. The divine tragedy of rejection is the theme of the opening and closing words of Christ to the Nephites. At the outset his voice from heaven sorrowed at the rebellious who had perished in American Sodoms and Gomorrahs. Then he descended and spoke of ‘that bitter cup which the father hath given me,’ insisting that he had ‘glorified the Father…in all things from the beginning’ (3 Nephi 11:11). John's Revelation reveals the triumphal Savior at the final judgment, but Third Nephi records the poignant voice of divine suffering just after his sacrifices for mankind had been accomplished.”[6]

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[1] The Doctrine of the Risen Christ: Part 1, Robert L. Millet, Maxwell Institute website.

[2]Quetzalcoatl, the Maya Maize God, and Jesus Christ, Diane E. Wirth, Maxwell Institute website.

[3] Seeing Third Nephi as the Holy of Holies of the Book of Mormon, John W. Welch, Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 19/1 (2010): 47.

[4] Light: A Masterful Symbol, Richard Dilworth Rust, Maxwell Institute website.

[5] Teachings of Jesus, Elder Dallin H. Oaks, October 2011 General Conference.

[6] Imitation Gospels and Christ's Book of Mormon Ministry, Richard Lloyd Anderson, Reprinted by permission from C. Wilfred Griggs, ed., Apocryphal Writings and the Latter-day Saints (Provo: BYU Religious Studies Center, 1986), 53-107, Maxwell Institute website.

3 Nephi 11:1-7

Jesus Christ did show himself unto the people of Nephi, as the multitude were gathered together in the land Bountiful, and did minister unto them; and on this wise did he show himself unto them.

Comprising chapters 11 through 26.

Chapter 11

The Father testifies of His Beloved Son—Christ appears and proclaims His Atonement—The people feel the wound marks in His hands and feet and side—They cry Hosanna—He sets forth the mode and manner of baptism—The spirit of contention is of the devil—Christ’s doctrine is that men should believe and be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost. About A.D. 34.

Slowly, life among the Nephites returned to normal. There came a day when a large group of people had gathered around the temple in the land Bountiful.

“Worshipping at temples. While the specific mention of temples in Mormon’s abridgment is not frequent, their general significance in Nephite society is considerable. Two of the spiritual high points of Mormon’s abridgment—King Benjamin’s sermon and Christ’s ministry—take place initially or completely at temples (Mosiah 2:1–7; 3 Nephi 11:1). In a millennial vein, Christ prophesies, quoting Malachi, that in the last days and as the ‘messenger of the covenant’ he will ‘suddenly come to his temple’ (3 Nephi 24:1). Temples also seem to distinguish the central cities of the Nephites, are an object of the building activity in times of prosperity (e.g., Helaman 3:9–14), and, along with synagogues and sanctuaries, are the centers of Nephite worship (e.g., Alma 16:13).

They were “marveling and wondering” about the “great and marvelous change which had taken place” (3 Nephi 11:1).

“If ‘the great and marvelous change’ mentioned in 3 Nephi 11:1 is the change wrought by the Atonement, the use of the words marveling and wondering reveals a harmony with all similarly worded passages. Each describes a meditative setting that leads to revelation from God. This pattern, of course, is not evident in the more traditional reading.

“All the words in 3 Nephi 11:1 could be construed to mean the Atonement or the destruction. However, some of these words, particularly the word marvelous, the singular word change, and the words marveling and wondering appear to be better suited to a multitude focused on the Atonement than to a multitude focused on the destruction. The topic of the Atonement also fits hand in glove with the other topic being discussed at the time: ‘And they were also conversing about this Jesus Christ, of whom the sign had been given concerning his death’ (3 Nephi 11:2).”[1]

While the people were discussing Jesus, they heard a voice out of heaven. They looked around for the source of the voice. They could not find it, nor could they understand it.

The voice was not loud nor harsh. It pierced their soul and caused them to shake. It caused their hearts to burn.

“Meek King Benjamin could have wallowed in public esteem. He could have worried over how to preserve and keep his image intact. Instead, he was concerned with having Christ's image in his countenance (see Alma 5:14). Being meek, he quickly deflected praise, as we all should, giving glory to God and deferring to our heavenly King (see Mosiah 2:19).

“Benjamin's impressive meekness actually mirrors the majestic and mutual meekness of the Father and the Son, upon which I have reflected lately. So I share these brief thoughts with you. Consider these illustrations of the majestic mutual meekness of the Father and the Son.

 “Deferential Jesus said:

·        “‘There is none good but one, that is, God’ (Matthew 19:17).

·        “‘My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me’ (John 7:16).

·        “‘The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.’ (John 5:19)

“The Father said:

·        “‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’ (Matthew 3:17). (Jesus would have known intellectually how well he had done, but to have his Father say it is something else again.)

·        “‘And I heard a voice from the Father, saying: Yea, the words of my Beloved are true and faithful" (2 Nephi 31:15). (The Father meekly testified to the truthfulness of his Son.)

·        “The Father's very voice, as we all know, was ‘small’ but penetrating, not ‘harsh’ or ‘loud’ (3 Nephi 11:3).

“There is a majestic mutual meekness about the Father and the Son, and we should learn from it. We certainly see meekness in the fife and sermon of King Benjamin.”[2]

Scriptures record other times people heard the voice of God. “And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:

“And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice” (1 Kings 19:11-12).

“Yea, thus saith the still small voice, which whispereth through and pierceth all things, and often times it maketh my bones to quake while it maketh manifest…” (D&C 85:6).

They heard the voice a second time, but still could not understand it. When they heard it the third time, they had opened their ears and eyes. “Pray ye, therefore, that their ears may be opened unto your cries, that I may be merciful unto them, that these things may not come upon them” (D&C 101:92).

When they understood the voice, they heard the voice of God.  He was bearing testimony of His Son, our Savior. “Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him” (3 Nephi 8:7). 

This is how the Father introduced the Son.  “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).

“While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him” (Matthew 17:5).

“It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” (Joseph Smith–History 1:17).

“As they were talking, wondering at the changes that had occurred or would yet occur physically and spiritually with the death of Christ, a voice came out of heaven. Three times it spoke, and the third time they understood the words, ‘Behold, my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him’ (3 Nephi 11:7). These words of divine acknowledgment are similar to special words used in the Temple of Jerusalem to mark the installation of a new king or to raise a new high priest to become sons of God, ‘I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion [the temple]; I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son’ (Psalm 2:6–7).”[3]

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[1] Seeing Third Nephi as the Holy of Holies of the Book of Mormon, John W. Welch, Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 19/1 (2010): 56.

[2] King Benjamin’s Sermon: A Manual for Discipleship, Elder Neal A. Maxwell, Maxwell Institute website.

[3] Seeing Third Nephi as the Holy of Holies of the Book of Mormon, John W. Welch, Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 19/1 (2010): 42.

3 Nephi 10:8-19

The three days of darkness have ended. The earthquakes and shaking stopped.[1] The mourning of the people stopped. They began to rejoice and give thanksgiving for the Savior having completed His mission and making it possible to go back into the presence of God.

The Nephites had been warned of the consequences of their iniquity when the Savior died.  Here’s a table of events.

Events in the New World at Christ’s Death

Event Prophesied	Scripture	Prophecy Fulfilled
Thundering and Lightnings	1 Nephi 12:4	3 Nephi 8:6
	1 Nephi 19:1
	Helaman 14:21
Earth shake and tremble	Helaman 14:21	3 Nephi 8:6
Nephites to receive signs of Christ’s death	2 Nephi 26:3	3 Nephi 8-9
Thundering and Lightnings	1 Nephi 12:4	3 Nephi 8:6
	1 Nephi 19:1
Earth shake and tremble	Helaman 14:21	3 Nephi 8:6
Solid land will be broken up	Helaman 14:21	3 Nephi 8:14, 17
Darkness across the land	1 Nephi 19:11	3 Nephi 8:20
Where no mountain, one will appear	Helaman 12:17	3 Nephi 8:10
Three days of darkness	1 Nephi 19:10	3 Nephi 10:9
	Helaman 14:27
Storms	Helaman 14:23	3 Nephi 8:5-6, 13
Highways broken up	Helaman 14:24	3 Nephi 8:13
Graves shall be open and yield up dead	Helaman 14:25	3 Nephi 23:11
Cities burned	1 Nephi 12:4	3 Nephi 8: 6-10, 13-14
Cities sunk	1 Nephi 12:4	3 Nephi 8: 6-10, 13-14

Again we read “the more righteous part of the people … were saved” (3 Nephi 10:12).  These were those who accepted the prophets and the saints.  “But behold, the righteous that hearken unto the words of the prophets, and destroy them not, but look forward unto Christ with steadfastness for the signs which are given, notwithstanding all persecution—behold, they are they which shall not perish” (2 Nephi 26:8).

“And because they did cast them all out, that there were none righteous among them, I did send down fire and destroy them, that their wickedness and abominations might be hid from before my face, that the blood of the prophets and the saints whom I sent among them might not cry unto me from the ground against them.

“And many great destructions have I caused to come upon this land, and upon this people, because of their wickedness and their abominations.

“O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you” (3 Nephi 9:11-13).

“The visit of the risen Jesus to the people of Nephi was a personal and sacred event without parallel in scripture. In the scant space of a few days, Christ prepared a people to live as a Zion community in righteousness for nearly 200 years. As survivors of the great destruction, those to whom he ministered were the more righteous part of the inhabitants (see 3 Nephi 10:12); yet the specificity of his instructions and warnings against contention suggest that they still had much to learn (see 11:28–30; 18:34).”[2]

“This passage can be interpreted to mean that the Lord appeared ‘in the ending of the thirty and fourth year,’ which was ‘soon after the ascension of Christ into heaven.’ Since the destruction took place near the beginning of that year, this time marker, which strongly suggests that Christ appeared in the ending of the year, specifies that months passed between the first clear day and the Savior’s appearance. This interval fits well with the other evidences of the passage of time.”[3]

This ends the 34^th year. Mormon tells us after His ascension into heaven, the Savior appeared to the Nephites.  He will now give us an account of His ministry.

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[1] “Yea, at the time that he shall yield up the ghost there shall be thunderings and lightnings for the space of many hours, and the earth shall shake and tremble; and the rocks which are upon the face of this earth, which are both above the earth and beneath, which ye know at this time are solid, or the more part of it is one solid mass, shall be broken up” (Helaman 14:21).

[2] The Savior and the Children in 3 Nephi, M. Gawain Wells, Maxwell Institute website.

[3] The Great and Marvelous Change: An Alternate Interpretation, Clifford P. Jones, Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 19/2 (2010): 60.

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 gathers her chickens—The more righteous part of the people have been preserved. About A.D. 34–35.

After hearing the Savior’s words, there was silence for many hours.  “For thus spake the prophet: 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).

The people were astonished by the words they heard.

“‘Great’ and ‘marvelous’ describe the Atonement. Because the phrase the great and marvelous change refers to a change that ‘had taken place,’ one would suppose that an earlier passage has already introduced the reader to the accomplishment of this ‘change.’ Therefore, we should be able to identify it by searching earlier passages for a completed change that was ‘great and marvelous.’ The changes caused by the destruction are mentioned three chapters earlier in the Book of Mormon (see 3 Nephi 8:11–14), but never are the words great and marvelous used to describe the destruction. However, another change that had ‘taken place,’ one that the people at the temple clearly considered to be marvelous, is mentioned in an even closer proximity. Just one chapter before Mormon mentions ‘the great and marvelous change,’ he tells us that the Lord’s announcement of the Atonement (see 3 Nephi 9:15–22) aroused so much ‘astonishment’ among the people that ‘there was silence in all the land for the space of many hours’ (3 Nephi 10:2).

“The word marvelous means ‘such as to excite wonder or astonishment.’ Marvelous and astonishing are, at times, used in the Book of Mormon synonymously. For instance, when King Lamoni is described as being ‘astonished exceedingly,’ Ammon does not ask him what caused his ‘astonishment.’ Rather, Ammon asks the king what caused his ‘marvelings’ (Alma 18:2, 10, 16). After King Lamoni’s conversion, a multitude was ‘astonished’ to find him and others lying ‘as though they were dead.’ This same group, when they also learned that Ammon could not be killed, began to marvel—not for the first time—but to ‘marvel again’ (Alma 19:18–24). In other words, their marveling was a resumption of their astonishment.”[1]

After a few hours, the voice of Christ came to them again.

The Savior reminded them he had tried to “[gather] you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and have nourished you” (3 Nephi 10:4).  “And behold, 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).

“Abraham saith unto [the rich man], They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

“And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead” (Luke 16:29-31).

He reiterates He had tried to gather the people together and protect them.  “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] thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matthew 23:37).

“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).

“He pronounced: “Yea, verily …, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive.” His promise invites us not only to reach towards Him but also to take the all-important next step: to come unto Him.

“This is such a motivating, cheering doctrine. The Messiah extends His arm of mercy to us, always eager to receive us—if we choose to come to Him. When we do come to the Savior with “full purpose of heart,”⁴ we will feel His loving touch in the most personal ways” (emphasis in original).[2]

He told them, the house of Israel, had been spared.  “O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?” (3 Nephi 9:13).

He called uon them to repent and return to Him.  “And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, 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).

“But if ye will repent and return unto the Lord your God I will turn away mine anger, saith the Lord; yea, thus saith the Lord, blessed are they who will repent and turn unto me, but wo unto him that repenteth not” (Helaman 13:11).

“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).

If they don’t come back to Him, there lands will become desolate.  It will stay that way until the covenant made with their fathers is fulfill. “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” (Enos 1:16).

“You gain a feel, from those verses [3 Nephi 10:5-7], of God's eagerness to gather his people to him, and as we have said, the gathering is much less a geographical phenomenon than it is a spiritual one. We gather to Christ, to the true points of his doctrine. We gather to his gospel. We gather to his church. We gather secondarily to places. The gathering is not to a place; it is to a person.”[3]

The Savior ended His words here and silence fell throughout the land.

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[1] The Great and Marvelous Change: An Alternate Interpretation, Clifford P. Jones, Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 19/2 (2010): 53.

[2] To Look, Reach, and Come unto Christ, Anne C. Pingree, October 2006 General Conference.

[3] The Doctrine of the Risen Christ: Part 3, Robert L. Millet, Maxwell Institute Website.