The Savior continues discussing prophecies. He told them
that all prophets from Samuel on had testified of Him
“Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow
after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.
“Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant
which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all
the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
“Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent
him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities” (Acts
3:24-26).
“Yea, even six hundred years from the time that my father
left Jerusalem, a prophet would the Lord God raise up among the Jews—even a
Messiah, or, in other words, a Savior of the world.
“And he also spake concerning the prophets, how great a
number had testified of these things, concerning this Messiah, of whom he had
spoken, or this Redeemer of the world” (1 Nephi 10:4-5).
When Jacob confronted Sherem, he asked him if he believed
the scriptures. He replied he did. “And
I said unto him: Then ye do not understand them; for they truly testify of
Christ. Behold, I say unto you that none of the prophets have written, nor
prophesied, save they have spoken concerning this Christ” (Jacob 7:11).
He told the multitude they are a part of the house of
Israel. They are part of the covenant
people the Father made with Abraham.
“And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
“Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was
imputed to him;
“But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe
on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead” (Romans 4:22-24).
They will be blessed through Abraham.
“Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy
country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I
will shew thee:
“And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless
thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
“And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that
curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis
12:1-3).
“And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be
blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice” (Genesis 22:18).
The Father had raised Christ first and sent Him to the
Nephites. He was sent to bless them to
turn away from sin because they are children of the covenant.
“By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of
the Lord men depart from evil” (Proverbs 16:6).
“And it came to pass that when Ammon arose he also
administered unto them, and also did all the servants of Lamoni; and they did
all declare unto the people the selfsame thing—that their hearts had been
changed; that they had no more desire to do evil” (Alma 19:33).
After they had been blessed, the Father fulfills the
covenant He made with Abraham. “In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth
be blessed—unto the pouring out of the Holy Ghost through me upon the Gentiles,
which blessing upon the Gentiles shall make them mighty above all, unto the
scattering of my people, O house of Israel” (3 Nephi 20:27).
The blessings will come because they are of Abraham’s seed. “And
the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith,
preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be
blessed” (Galatians 3:8).
“And it shall come to pass that my people, which are of the
house of Israel, shall be gathered home unto the lands of their possessions;
and my word also shall be gathered in one. And I will show unto them that fight
against my word and against my people, who are of the house of Israel, that I
am God, and that I covenanted with Abraham that I would remember his seed
forever” (2 Nephi 29:14).
The gentiles will also be blessed.
“And blessed are the Gentiles, because of their belief in
me, in and of the Holy Ghost, which witnesses unto them of me and of the
Father.
“Behold, because of their belief in me, saith the Father,
and because of the unbelief of you, O house of Israel, in the latter day shall
the truth come unto the Gentiles, that the fulness of these things shall be
made known unto them” (3 Nephi 16:6-7).
“And behold, the Lord hath reserved their blessings, which
they might have received in the land, for the Gentiles who shall possess the
land” (Mormon 5:19).
“And also that a knowledge of these things must come unto
the remnant of these people, and also unto the Gentiles, who the Lord hath said
should scatter this people, and this people should be counted as naught among
them—therefore I write a small abridgment, daring not to give a full account of
the things which I have seen, because of the commandment which I have received,
and also that ye might not have too great sorrow because of the wickedness of
this people” (Mormon 5:9).
“The pouring out of the Spirit revealed no inequality among
different peoples (Alma 16:16), for God extends his arm to all (Alma 19:36) and
pours out his Spirit on both the Lamanites (Helaman 6:36) and eventually the
Gentiles (3 Nephi 20:27).”[1]
“In the Book of Mormon we read of people in the New World
who were also identified as children of the covenant. The resurrected Lord so
informed them: ‘Behold, ye are the children of the prophets; and ye are of the
house of Israel; and ye are of the covenant which the Father made with your
fathers, saying unto Abraham: And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the
earth be blessed.’
“The Savior explained the importance of their identity as
children of the covenant. He said, ‘The Father having raised me up unto you
first, … sent me to bless you in turning away every one of you from his
iniquities; and this because ye are the children of the covenant.’”[2]
[1]
Book
of Mormon Pneumatology, John Christopher Thomas, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 24 (2015): 222.
[2]
Convenants,
Presidents Russell M. Nelson, October 2011 General Conference.
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