The Savior lets it be known that mere faith is not enough. We
are expected to the will of the Father.[1]
“And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will
of God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:17).
“Other examples of escalation could be given, showing that
in the experience of this ascent a fundamental unity of the sermon is found.
Just as the Sermon on the Mount begins on a mountain, it ends by talking about
the wise man who builds upon that mountain, by not only hearing but actually
patterning his house of righteousness after God’s holy house. Progressively,
through these stages of ascent, there comes first fulfillment of the law amidst
the people of Israel, next perfection of each individual, and finally hearing
the Lord himself say, ‘Enter,’ not ‘Depart’ (3 Nephi 14:21–23).”[2]
The day will come when many will say to the Lord, “have we
not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy
name done many wonderful works?” (3 Nephi 14:22). “Or do ye imagine to
yourselves that ye can lie unto the Lord in that day, and say—Lord, our works
have been righteous works upon the face of the earth—and that he will save you?”
(Alma 5:17).
These will be those who act in the Lord’s name without His
authority. He will command them to depart from Him. “For how knoweth a man the
master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from
the thoughts and intents of his heart?” (Mosiah 5:13).
“For behold, in my name are they called; and if they know me
they shall come forth, and shall have a place eternally at my right hand.
“And it shall come to pass that when the second trump shall
sound then shall they that never knew me come forth and shall stand before me.
“And then shall they know that I am the Lord their God, that
I am their Redeemer; but they would not be redeemed.
“And then I will confess unto them that I never knew them;
and they shall depart into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his
angel” (Mosiah 26:24-27).
“First among those among you, saith the Lord, who have
professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me
in the midst of my house, saith the Lord” (D&C 112:26).
“One might ask, how does God recognize which of his children
are loyal to their covenant with him? Christ himself answers that question. In
his sermon at the temple in Bountiful, the Lord repeats what he said to his
listeners in the Old World: ‘Ye shall know
them by their fruits’ (3 Nephi 14:16; Matthew 7:16; emphasis in original).
Covenant keepers can be recognized by what they become. To those who have
entered into the covenant relationship but not fulfilled its requirements, he
will say, ‘I never knew you’ (3 Nephi
14:23; Matthew 7:23; emphasis in original).”[3]
He closes the Sermon at the Temple with the parable of the
house on sand or rocks. Those who accept Christ and His teachings are wise people
who builds his house upon the rocks.
Those who reject Christ’s teachings are foolish people who builds their
house upon the sand.
When bad weather comes, the house built upon the rocks can withstand
the wind, rain, and floods that hit the house.
The house built uopn the sand cannot withstand the forces of nature and
the house is destroyed.
“It is interesting to notice that the rain descended, the
floods came, and the winds blew against both houses! Living the gospel does not
mean that we will everlastingly escape adversity. Rather, it means that we will
be prepared to face and endure adversity more confidently.”[4]
“Brothers and sisters, none of us would knowingly construct
our homes, places of work, or sacred houses of worship on sand or rubble or
without appropriate plans and materials. Let us accept the Savior’s invitation
to come unto Him. Let us build our lives upon a safe and a sure foundation.”[5]
When troubles arise in our lives, our faith in Christ will
help us withstand all the pressures working against us.
“Right after the people partook of the sacrament, witnessing
their willingness to keep the commandments which he had given them (18:10),
Jesus promised them that if they would keep that covenant, they would be built
upon the rock. Their promise was to remember him always and to keep the
commandments which he had just given them, namely in the sermon in 3 Nephi
12–14. By declaring that they will then be ‘built upon my rock’ (18:12), Jesus
referred back to 3 Nephi 14:25–26 (and even further back to 3 Nephi 11:39).
Likewise, his warning that “whoso among you shall do more or less than these
are not built upon my rock” (18:13) echoed 3 Nephi 11:40, ‘Whoso shall declare
more or less than this... is not built upon my rock.’
“Jesus then continued, ‘But [they] are built upon a sandy
foundation; and when the rain descends, and the floods come, and the winds
blow, and beat upon them, they shall fall’ (18:13), words mentioned previously at
the end of the sermon in 3 Nephi 14:27–28 and anticipated in 11:40. Coming at
the beginning of this day in chapter 11, then at the culmination of the sermon
in chapter 14, and finally at the end of this day in chapter 18, these words
draw together and encase everything that happened on that day, emphasizing the
need to both hear and do the words of the Lord (14:24).”[6]
3 Nephi 14 ends with this
parable. Matthew tells us the people were “astonished” by the Savior’s
teachings. He taught the Jews as one who
has been given authority, unlike the scribes.
These statements were not
necessary. At the Sermon at the Temple,
the people were hearing the resurrected Savior.
Matthew’s statements were not necessary.
[1] Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall
enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which
is in heaven. [For the day soon cometh, that men shall come before me to
judgement to be judged according to their works.] (JST Matthew 7: 30-31).
[2] 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): 45.
[3] Treaties
and Covenants: Ancient Near Eastern Legal Terminology in the Book of Mormon,
RoseAnn Benson and Stephen D. Ricks, Maxwell Institute website.
[4] Faith
in Adversity, Elder Rafael E. Pino, April 2009 General Conference.
[5] A
Sure Foundation, Bishop Dean M. Davies, April 2013 General Conference.
[6]Worthy of
Another Look: Reusages of the Words of Christ, John W. Welch, Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other
Restoration Scripture 22/1 (2013): 65-66.
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