Chapter 9
In the darkness, the
voice of Christ proclaims the destruction of many people and cities for their
wickedness—He also proclaims His divinity, announces that the law of Moses is
fulfilled, and invites men to come unto Him and be saved. About A.D. 34.
There was weeping and wailing throughout the land. There has
been three days of darkness where they could see virtually nothing. Suddenly, a
voice came out of heaven. The Savior spoke to the survivors.
He warned them that the whole earth must repent. Satan and
his angels laugh and rejoice at the number of dead and the suffering of the
people. This happened, “because of their iniquity and abomination…” (3 Nephi
9:2). “And [Enoch] beheld Satan; and he had a great chain in his hand, and it
veiled the whole face of the earth with darkness; and he looked up and laughed,
and his angels rejoiced” (Moses 7:26) (The
Devil Rejoices When We Sin).
“In spite of all the good that Nephi did, in 3 Nephi
8–9 the darkness reached its uttermost abyss, when all the elements—earth, air,
fire, and water—rose up in grief and revulsion at the suffering and death of
the God of nature. At least 16 cities were destroyed: they were covered with
earth, swept away in the whirlwind, burned with fire, or swallowed up in the
depths of the sea as the waters of the deep came up upon them. All this
happened, as Jesus explained when he spoke out of the darkness of that
cataclysmic destruction, in order that the iniquities, wickedness, sins, and
abominations of these people could be hid ‘from before my face’ (3 Nephi 9:5,
7, 9, 11). The holy presence of the Lord could not and cannot countenance sin
(3 Nephi 27:19), not even with the ‘least degree of allowance’ (Alma
45:16; D&C 1:31).”[1]
The Savior informed them of what had happened. This table
gives you a quick summary of the devastation.
Summary of Destruction Given to the Nephites by the Voice of Christ (3
Nephi 9)
|
Event
|
Reference
|
|
The City of Zarahemla and its inhabitants were burned with
fire.
The City of Moroni was sunk into the depths of the sea and
its inhabitants drowned.
The City of Moronihah was destroyed by an avalanche and
its inhabitants destroyed.
The City of Gilgal was buried in the depths of the earth.
The city of Onihah was destroyed by flood.
The City of Mocum was destroyed by flood.
The City of Gadiandi was buried in the depths of the
earth.
The City of Gadiomnah was buried in the depths of the
earth.
The City of Gimgimno was buried in the depths of the
earth.
The City of Jacobugath (inhabited by the Gadianton
robbers) and its inhabitants were burned.
The City of Laman and its inhabitants were burned.
The City of Gad and its inhabitants were burned.
The City of Kishkumen and its inhabitants were burned.
|
3 Nephi 9:3
3 Nephi 9:4
3 Nephi 9:5
3 Nephi 9:6
3 Nephi 9:7
3 Nephi 9:7
3 Nephi 9:8
3 Nephi 9:8
3 Nephi 9:8
3 Nephi 9:9
3 Nephi 9:10-11
3 Nephi 9:10-11
3 Nephi 9:10-11
|
“The idea that these events occurred at the beginning of the
year (3 Nephi 8:5), that the rocks were broken up (3 Nephi 9:18), and that
these events occured in the New World at approximately the same time as
Christ's death (Helaman 14:20-28) can be found in the work of Ixtlilxochitl,
which was unavailable to Joseph Smith before the publication of the Book of
Mormon. ‘The sun and moon eclipsed, and the earth quaked, and the rocks broke,
and many other things and signs occurred, although there was no calamity whatever
toward men; this was in the year Ce Calli, which, adjusting this count with our
own, comes to be at the same time when Christ our Lord suffered, and they say
it happened during the first days of the year.’ Alfredo Chavero, Obras Historicus de Don Fernando de Alva Ixtlilxochitl,
2 vols. (Mexico: Editora Nacional, 1959), 1: 14. One legend in the Quetzalcoatl
myth claimed ‘that when he died dawn did not appear for four days, because he
had gone to dwell among the dead.’ Séjourné, Burning Water, 58.”[2]
The destructions have happened because of their wickedness. Those
who survived were the more righteous of the people. Even so, the Savior told
them to turn to him and repent so they can be healed.
The Savior reminded them if they came to Him, they would
have eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life” (John 3:16).
His arm is extended to all. Whosoever comes to Him will be
received and blessed. “And it came to pass that when my father had read and
seen many great and marvelous things, he did exclaim many things unto the Lord;
such as: Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is
high in the heavens, and thy power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the
inhabitants of the earth; and, because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer
those who come unto thee that they shall perish” (1 Nephi 1:14).
“Behold, doth he cry unto any, saying: Depart from me?
Behold, I say unto you, Nay; but he saith: Come unto me all ye ends of the
earth, buy milk and honey, without money and without price.
“Behold, hath he commanded any that they should depart out
of the synagogues, or out of the houses of worship? Behold, I say unto you,
Nay.
“Hath he commanded any that they should not partake of his
salvation? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but he hath given it free for all men;
and he hath commanded his people that they should persuade all men to
repentance.
“Behold, hath the Lord commanded any that they should not
partake of his goodness? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but all men are privileged
the one like unto the other, and none are forbidden” (2 Nephi 2:26-28).
“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).
The Voice identifies himself Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He
came to the Jews and they refused to accept Him. “He came unto his own, and his
own received him not” (John 1:11).
“Behold, 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 who have received the Savior becomes sons of God. “But
as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even
to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12).
“Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed
from the hand of the enemy” (Psalms 107:2).
Those who accept Christ receive redemption. Through His
atonement, the law of Moses had been fulfilled. “In that he saith, A new
covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is
ready to vanish away” (Hebrews 8:13).
“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith
the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty”
(Revelation 1:8).
Since the Savior had fulfilled the law of Moses, there would
be no more sacrifices, shedding of blood, and burnt offerings. “And now ye have
said that salvation cometh by the law of Moses. I say unto you that 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).
“Therefore, 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 law of Moses be fulfilled; yea,
it shall be all fulfilled, every jot and tittle, and none shall have passed
away” (Alma 34:13).
We have been commanded to offer a sacrifice unto the Savior –
a broken heart and contrite spirit. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:
a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (Psalms 51:17).
“And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come
unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and
the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as
an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the
end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved” (Omni 1:26).
“Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind;
and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these
last days” (D&C 64:24).
In return, He will baptize us with fire and Holy Ghost.
The Savior informs the Nephites “the Lamanites, because of
their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and
with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not” (3 Nephi 9:20).
“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.”[3]
The Savior died “to bring redemption unto the world, to save
the world from sin” (3 Nephi 9:21).
All who repent and come to Him “as a little child,” will be
received, “for such I have laid down my life, and have taken it up again;
therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved” (3 Nephi
9:22).
[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): 40.
[2] Review
of Mormonism: Shadow or Reality? (1987), by Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Matthew
Roper, Review of Books on the Book of
Mormon 4/1 (1992): 188.
[3] Insights, Scholars
Focus Conference on Third Nephi, Volume 28 Number 6 2008: 2.
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