3 Nephi 12:1-2

Chapter 12

Jesus calls and commissions the twelve disciples—He delivers to the Nephites a discourse similar to the Sermon on the Mount—He speaks the Beatitudes—His teachings transcend and take precedence over the law of Moses—Men are commanded to be perfect even as He and His Father are perfect—Compare Matthew 5. About A.D. 34.

Was the multitude the Savior spoke to a spontaneous group, or was it a planned meeting, and He chose to appear and teach the people then.

“A multitude that gathered specifically to contemplate the Atonement would likely have been planned in advance. The text of the Book of Mormon never specifically states whether the multitude of 2,500 people (see 3 Nephi 17:25) were gathered together in a prearranged religious meeting or whether they were a huge assemblage of neighbors who poured onto the temple grounds spontaneously. It simply states that “there were a great multitude gathered together, of the people of Nephi, round about the temple” (3 Nephi 11:1). The term gathered together is often used in the Book of Mormon to describe planned meetings called to discuss religious matters (see, for example, Jacob 7:17; Mosiah 1:10; 7:18; 18:7; 25:1, 4; and 27:21), but it is also used to describe more extemporaneous gatherings of people in a given vicinity (see, for example, Alma 19:28 and Helaman 7:12). Thus this term taken alone does not tell us whether this gathering was planned or spontaneous.

“One likely indication that this was a planned meeting of the faithful rather than a spontaneous gathering is the fact that the multitude included The reference to “every man” returning home with ‘his wife and his children’ suggests that most of those present had come to the temple as families, an unlikely scenario if those present were simply gathered to converse about the destruction. journal of the Book of Mormon and other restoration scripture every person that Christ would call as his twelve Nephite disciples (see 3 Nephi 12:1).”[1]

The Savior had called His twelve in the New World. He had them stand before the multitude telling them to “give heed unto the words of these twelve whom I have chosen…” (3 Nephi 12:1).

No one can appoint themselves to serve the Lord. We must be called by those who have the authority. The scriptures have made this clear. “And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office” (Exodus 40:13).

“And [Moses] laid his hands upon [Joshua], and gave him a charge, as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses” (Numbers 27:23).

“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5).

“And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them” (Matthew 4:21).

“And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles” (Luke 6:13).

“The Lord gave the twelve the power to baptized them with water. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15-16).

“When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,

“(Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)” (John 4:1-2).[2]

“After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judæa; and there he tarried with them, and baptized…

“And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him” (John 3:22, 26).[3]

After they had been baptized with water, He would baptize them with fire and the Holy Ghost.

Those who listen to the words of the twelve are blessed when they humble themselves and believe.  Those that do will be baptized and receive fire and the Holy Ghost.  They will also receive forgiveness for their sins.

“Let's go back to 3 Nephi 12 and begin discussing the sermon. Do you notice right away that as we dive into the chapter, we are introduced to what I suppose could be called two additional Beatitudes? Does anybody know what the word beatitude refers to? It is related to the word beatific, ‘the glorious,’ or ‘the blessed.’ This is the series of ‘the blesseds,’ beginning, ‘Happy is the man [or woman] who . . .’ In the Nephite record, we find two additional Beatitudes, if you will…

“Notice the detail that is there. That is important detail. I am touched by the fact that one of the very first things he says to them is, essentially, ‘Blessed are those who give heed to the words of the Twelve whom I have chosen.’ What an interesting way to begin. It seems to me that acceptance of the Lord's servants, eagerness, and willingness to hear their words and abide their counsel really does underlie much of what matters in this life…

“What comes up in the second verse? Here we see that there are ordinances associated with the full realization of what follows—that is to say, though the Beatitudes, or the blessed state enjoyed by people, can, to some degree, be experienced by everyone, they have a special meaning for those of the household of faith. These things, many of them gifts of the Spirit, can only be had in their full measure by those who have been changed and renewed by the Holy Spirit. So, that second verse implies the importance of ordinances. You have a Christian world, for example, that says being born again consists in receiving the sacraments of the church. You have a segment of the Christian world that says being born again consists in having a personal spiritual experience. Joseph Smith comes on the scene and says that being born again comes by the Spirit of God through ordinances; they are both necessary.”[4]

---

[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): 56.

[2] “When therefore the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,

“They sought more diligently some means that they might put him to death; for many received John as a prophet, but they believed not on Jesus.

“Now the Lord knew this, though he himself baptized not so many as his disciples;

“For he suffered them for an example, preferring one another” (JST John 4:1-4).

[3] “And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and he received of all people who come unto him” (JST John 3:27).

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