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25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your
life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what
ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
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25 And now it came to pass that when Jesus
had spoken these words he looked upon the twelve whom he had chosen, and said
unto them: Remember the words which I have spoken. For behold, ye are they
whom I have chosen to minister unto this people. Therefore I say unto
you, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall
drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than
meat, and the body than raiment?
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In verse 25, the Savior included additional
instruction. After speaking to the
congregation, He turned and spoke to the Twelve. He told them to remember His words. He reminded them they had been chosen to look
after and teach the Nephites.
He continued instructing them, telling them not to be
concerned with their physical needs.
“The Matthew account has Jesus telling the multitude to take
no thought for their physical provisions. This seems in conflict with good
sense and not in harmony with other words of the Master. In the Book of Mormon account,
we read that Jesus turned from the multitude, or the general audience, before
he gave these particular instructions and ‘looked upon the Twelve whom he had
chosen’ (3 Nephi 13:25). The meaning then becomes clear: those who were to
devote themselves to full-time service, as the presiding twelve, would have
their daily needs taken care of by the Lord whom they served.”[1]
“[The Savior] speaks to the Nephite Twelve, but he also
speaks to a multitude. One of the very gentle evidences of the truthfulness of
this record, in my mind, is the fact that I just don't believe Joseph Smith
would have known, at that early age in his ministry, when to break the record
and have Jesus turn from the Twelve, by saying, ‘And then he turned to the
multitude and said . . .’ And it's so appropriate, as we’ll see. There are
times when the message is for everybody, and there are times when it is just
for the Twelve. An illustration that we probably won't cover in depth is the
passage, ‘Take ye no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall
drink’ (3 Nephi 13:25; cf. D&C 84:81). The principle is true for all of us,
but it is a specific charge for the apostles and is so designated in the New
Testament and in the Book of Mormon.”[2]
He reminded them the fowls don’t sow, reap, nor gather into
barns; yet, they are fed by the Lord. “For
have I not the fowls of heaven, and also the fish of the sea, and the beasts of
the mountains? Have I not made the earth? Do I not hold the destinies of all
the armies of the nations of the earth?” (D&C 117:6). They cannot add an
inch to their height.
Don’t worry about their clothes. Look at the lilies. They only grow, nothing else. Yet, their needs are met by the Lord.
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30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field,
which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more
clothe you, O ye of little faith?
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30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field,
which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, even so will he clothe you, if
ye are not of little faith.
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In verse 30, the Savior says the Lord clothes the grass and
the field. In Matthew 6:30, he reminds
them this will happen lest they have little faith. In 3 Nephi 13:30, the Lord reminds them He
will clothe them, unless they have little faith. In speaking to the Nephite Twelve, He assumes
they have great faith.
The twelve were commanded to not worry about their
needs. What will they eat or drink? How
will they obtain clothes? He makes it
clear the Father will provide for their needs.
Always seek the kingdom of God and its righteousness. Don’t worry about tomorrow. The Father will provide.
[1] The
Book of Mormon, an Interpretive Guide to the New Testament, Dennis Largey, Reprinted by permission from The New
Testament and the Latter-day Saints (Orem, Utah: Randall Book Company,
1987), 129—48.
[2] The
Doctrine of the Risen Christ: Part 1, Robert L. Millet, Maxwell Institute
website.
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