3 Nephi 23:4-14

Christ continues His teachings about Isaiah by telling them to listen carefully to his teachings. In the Father’s due time, these words (the Book of Mormon) will go to the Gentiles. “And no one need say they shall not come, for they surely shall, for the Lord hath spoken it; for out of the earth shall they come, by the hand of the Lord, and none can stay it; and it shall come in a day when it shall be said that miracles are done away; and it shall come even as if one should speak from the dead” (Mormon 8:26).

Whoever will accept His words, repents, and is baptized will be saved. He told the multitude to search the prophets as they testify of His words.

“Then he said unto them, O fools [GR unwise], and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:

“Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?

“And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:25-27).

“Israel’s redemption and the fruits of the gentiles are foretold in Isaiah 54, which is then quoted in its entirety by the Savior (see 3 Nephi 22). Together, the children of the desolate (the covenant gentiles) and the children of the married wife (the Israelites) will bring forth stakes of Zion in the last days. The Lord’s mercy will be shown through the maintenance of his covenant of peace (see 3 Nephi 22:10), and righteousness will reign. The Savior concludes his profound Covenant People Discourse in 3 Nephi 23 by admonishing his followers to search the words of Isaiah, who foretold these marvelous things.”[1]

This applies to us today. When Christ told the Nephites to “search the prophets,” He was telling them to search the scriptures. We have been told by Church leaders the only way we can fully know the words of the Lords is through searching our scriptures.

We have been blessed with abundant scriptures to know the will of the Lord. It’s up to us to take advantage of those blessings.

Christ then informed the multitude there were other scriptures they should write but hadn’t.

The Savior then asked Nephi to bring Him the records he had. “And it came to pass that Nephi, he that kept this last record, (and he kept it upon the plates of Nephi) died, and his son Amos kept it in his stead; and he kept it upon the plates of Nephi also” (4 Nephi 1:13).

Nephi did this. He laid them before the Lord.

After He had reviewed the records, He told them Samuel, the Lamanite was commanded to testify that, when Christ died, many saints would be resurrected, appear to many, and attend to them.

He asked, “Was it not so?” (3 Nephi 23:9). Nephi responded Samuel had prophesied these words and they had been fulfilled.

Christ than asked why these words had not been written in the record that is was fulfilled. Nephi added that to the record. “And many graves shall be opened, and shall yield up many of their dead; and many saints shall appear unto many” (Helaman 14:25).

This event also occurred in Israel.

“And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose [GR who had died],

“And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many” (Matthew 27:52-53).

“During the second day of his visit to the Nephites, the Savior quoted and discussed the writings of Isaiah and Micah, and expounded to them all the scriptures they had received (3 Nephi 23:6). He then stated there were other scriptures they should write, which they had not. The Lord asked Nephi to bring forth the records which had been kept. He reminded Nephi he had commanded Samuel to testify that many would arise from the dead and appear to many at the time of his resurrection and noted this had not been recorded (3 Nephi 23:7—13). Accordingly, the missing scripture was added to the record.

“On the surface, this account seems straightforward enough. The Savior shows his concern that the scriptures be complete, and a prior omission is rectified. But what was omitted? Was it a record of the prophecy, or a record of the fulfillment of the prophecy? And we are led to ask why Mormon selected this tiny dialogue, out of what must have been an extensive and interesting discussion, for inclusion in his abridgment.

“Some Latter-day Saint authors believe that it was the fulfillment of the prophecy, rather than the prophecy itself, that had not been recorded … Indeed, the recorded words of the Savior, ‘How be it that ye have not written this thing, that many saints did arise and appear unto many and did minister unto them?’ seem to say this…

“The Savior then asked Nephi to bring Him the records he had. ‘And it came to pass that Nephi, he that kept this last record, (and he kept it upon the plates of Nephi) died, and his son Amos kept it in his stead; and he kept it upon the plates of Nephi also’ (4 Nephi 1:13).”[2]

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[1] The Disciple as a Scholar – Covenant Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Victor L. Ludlow, Maxwell Institute website.

[2] The Missing Scripture, D. Lynn Johnson, Maxwell Institute website.

3 Nephi 23:1-3

Chapter 23

Jesus approves the words of Isaiah—He commands the people to search the prophets—The words of Samuel the Lamanite concerning the Resurrection are added to their records. About A.D. 34.

After Christ finished quoting Isaiah, He told the multitude they should search the words of Isaiah. The scriptures are full of references telling us the importance of searching them.

“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11). The scriptures teach us the importance of searching them. “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15).

Nephi gives us a strong testimony of the scriptures. “And upon these I write the things of my soul, and many of the scriptures which are engraven upon the plates of brass. For my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them, and writeth them for the learning and the profit of my children” (2 Nephi 4:15).

After the death of Sherem, Jacob wrote, “And it came to pass that peace and the love of God was restored again among the people; and they searched the scriptures, and hearkened no more to the words of this wicked man.” (Jacob 7:23).

King Benjamin taught his sons, “I would that ye should remember to search them diligently, that ye may profit thereby; and I would that ye should keep the commandments of God, that ye may prosper in the land according to the promises which the Lord made unto our fathers” (Mosiah 1:7).

Christ told them to not just search Isaiah, but to search them diligently, “for great are the words of Isaiah” (3 Nephi 23:1).

Earlier, Christ told them, “Ye remember that I spake unto you, and said that when the words of Isaiah should be fulfilled—behold they are written, ye have them before you, therefore search them” (3 Nephi 20:11).

Again, we turn to the words of Nephi. “Yea, and my soul delighteth in the words of Isaiah, for I came out from Jerusalem, and mine eyes hath beheld the things of the Jews, and I know that the Jews do understand the things of the prophets, and there is none other people that understand the things which were spoken unto the Jews like unto them, save it be  that they are taught after the manner of the things of the Jews” (2 Nephi 25:5).

Finishing his father’s record, Moroni wrote, “Search the prophecies of Isaiah. Behold, I cannot write them. Yea, behold I say unto you, that those saints who have gone before me, who have possessed this land, shall cry, yea, even from the dust will they cry unto the Lord; and as the Lord liveth he will remember the covenant which he hath made with them” (Mormon 8:23).

Isaiah is important as it touches on things concerning the house of Israel. He must also speak to the Gentiles.

Isaiah, Christ said, spoke of things that have been and will be.  They will be fulfilled according to his words.  Earlier, He told the Nephites, “Behold, I do not destroy the prophets, for as many as have not been fulfilled in me, verily I say unto you, shall all be fulfilled” (3 Nephi 15:6).

“Ye remember that I spake unto you, and said that when the words of Isaiah should be fulfilled—behold they are written, ye have them before you, therefore search them—

“And verily, verily, I say unto you, that when they shall be fulfilled then is the fulfilling of the covenant which the Father hath made unto his people, O house of Israel” (3 Nephi 20:11-12).

“What would that verse mean? What does he mean by ‘all things that Isaiah spake, have been, and shall be even according to the words he spake’? Does it mean he spoke the truth in saying that these things are going to come to pass? I guess there is another possibility too. This verse may imply, and I don't know if it does, but it may imply a pattern prophecy—that is to say, what he said here will be fulfilled there, but perhaps it will be fulfilled again. We have an illustration of that in the New Testament on the Day of Pentecost. As the people were speaking in tongues, other people who were in the area who didn't understand what was going on concluded that these men were all drunk. Peter said, “They're not drunk. This is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel, who said that in the last days, people would enjoy spiritual gifts.”’[1]

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[1] The Doctrine of the Risen Christ: Part 2, Robert L. Millet, Maxwell Institute website.

3 Nephi 22:11-17

The Lord continues quoting Isaiah 54.

He addressed the “afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted.” He will “lay stones with fair colors and lay thy foundations with sapphires” (3 Nephi 22:11).

“And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

“And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. “The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;

“The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

“And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass” (Revelation 21:18-21).

All their children will be taught of the Lord. “Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land [OR earth] for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified” (Isaiah 60:21).

“But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

“And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jeremiah 31:33-34).

Through this teaching, there will be great peace among the children. “Wherefore, he will preserve the righteous by his power, even if it so be that the fulness of his wrath must come, and the righteous be preserved, even unto the destruction of their enemies by fire. Wherefore, the righteous need not fear; for thus saith the prophet, they shall be saved, even if it so be as by fire” (1 Nephi 22:17).

“For the time speedily cometh that the Lord God shall cause a great division among the people, and the wicked will he destroy; and he will spare his people, yea, even if it so be that he must destroy the wicked by fire” (2 Nephi 30:10).

“And the day shall come that the earth shall rest, but before that day the heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of darkness shall cover the earth; and the heavens shall shake, and also the earth; and great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve” (Moses 7:61).

“Jesus subsequently turned his attention next to the sacred promises made by the Father and the Son to their covenant people. Just as he had given the Sermon at the Temple on the first day (3 Nephi 12–14) instructing the people concerning their obligations in their covenant relationship with God, on the second day he gave another uninterrupted sermon of close to the same length (3 Nephi 20–22, appropriately called the ‘Father’s Covenant People Sermon’) detailing the irrevocable commitments that God makes as his part of this two-way covenant relationship. Indeed, in these three chapters the dominant words are the Father (39 times), covenant (16 times), and people (35 times). The Father and the Son can be counted on, absolutely, to keep their side of the covenant, sworn in the temple that day. They will never forget. They will ‘lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires, . . . and all thy children shall be taught of the Lord.’”[1]

They will be established in righteousness. “For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright [OR the upright shall behold his face]” (Psalms 11:7).

“He loveth righteousness and judgment [HEB justice]: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord” (Psalms 33:5).

“Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows” (Psalms 45:7).

“And blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost” (3 Nephi 12:6).

They will be far from oppression, fear, and terror.

The wicked will gather against the righteous. “And every nation which shall war against thee, O house of Israel, shall be turned one against another, and they shall fall into the pit which they digged to ensnare the people of the Lord. And all that fight against Zion shall be destroyed, and that great whore, who hath perverted the right ways of the Lord, yea, that great and abominable church, shall tumble to the dust and great shall be the fall of it” (1 Nephi 22:14).

They that come against them will fall for their sake.

He created the smith that heats the coal in the fire that will bring an instrument for his work.

No weapon will stop their prosperity. They will condemn those which revile against them. “This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord” (3 Nephi 22:17).

“Throughout the scriptures, the Lord uses the word servant to refer to prophets, apostles, missionaries, priesthood holders, temple workers, and saints of all ages. Because the adversary wishes to thwart the plan of happiness, he and his followers seek to attack Zion. The Lord's servants often suffer persecution as part of their mission on earth. But the Lord will not allow oppressors to be successful against Zion.”[2]

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[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): 50.

[2] Redeeming the Desolate Woman: The Message of Isaiah 54 and 3 Nephi 22, Cynthia L. Hallen, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 7/1 (1998): 40.

3 Nephi 22:5-10

Christ continues to quote Isaiah 54, discussing the desolate woman (Zion). He informs us that He (the Lord of Hosts) is her make.

“For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim[1]:

“Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days” (Hosea 3:4-5).

He will be called the God of the Earth.

“Zion and the Savior Like people who are widowed, divorced, or never married, Zion is alone for a season, but not forever. The Savior of the whole earth is her husband. The etymology of the English word husband is a compound of house and prepare; thus, a husband is ‘one who prepares or builds a house. The Lord is Zion's husband or ‘house builder’ because he makes the earth as a home for all creatures, he creates bodies as temples for spirit children, he builds temples as places of worship, and he prepares heavenly mansions for his children.”[2]

When the Lord calls, she will be forsaken and grieving. “Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzi-bah [IE My desire is in her], and thy land Beulah [IE married wife]: for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married” (Isaiah 62:4).

“The Savior understands Zion's desolation because he too was stricken, smitten, oppressed, and afflicted (see Isaiah 53:4, 7). Zion is called to be a ‘woman forsaken and grieved’ just as Christ was called to be ‘despisded and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief’ (Isaiah 53:3; Mosiah 14:3). Christ was called to be the ‘stone which the builders refused’ (Psalms 118:22), so he knows how to succor the ‘wife of youth’ who was refused (3 Nephi 22:6). The desolate woman will forget the shame of her youth because the Lord will vindicate her (see Isaiah 60:15; 3 Nephi 22:4). After the Lord redeems her, Zion will no longer remember the reproach of being alone.”[3]

While He has forsaken her, it will be for a short time. “But fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid” (Jeremiah 46:27).

With His mercies, he will gather her.

“Ye remember that I spake unto you, and said that when the words of Isaiah should be fulfilled—behold they are written, ye have them before you, therefore search them—

“And verily, verily, I say unto you, that when they shall be fulfilled then is the fulfilling of the covenant which the Father hath made unto his people, O house of Israel.

“And then shall the remnants, which shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the earth, be gathered in from the east and from the west, and from the south and from the north; and they shall be brought to the knowledge of the Lord their God, who hath redeemed them” (3 Nephi 20:11-13).

In His wrath, His face was hidden, but He is full of everlasting kindness.

“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions” (Psalms 51:1).

“And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men” (1 Nephi 19:9)

He will also have mercy upon them.

“(For the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them” (Deuteronomy 4:31).

“Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old” (Psalms 25:6).

The Lord tells us, he would never again flood the Earth as he did in Noah’s day.

“But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

“For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark” (Matthew 24:37-38).

“Yea, and I say unto you that if it were not for the prayers of the righteous, who are now in the land, that ye would even now be visited with utter destruction; yet it would not be by flood, as were the people in the days of Noah, but it would be by famine, and by pestilence, and the sword” (Alma 10:22).

“Just as he had given the Sermon at the Temple on the first day (3 Nephi 12–14) instructing the people concerning their obligations in their covenant relationship with God, on the second day he gave another uninterrupted sermon of close to the same length (3 Nephi 20–22, appropriately called the ‘Father’s Covenant People Sermon’) detailing the irrevocable commitments that God makes as his part of this two-way covenant relationship … They will never forget … Temple themes abound in this covenant sermon, which mentions a new ark of the covenant, which, like Noah’s ark, will carry his people when they might be tossed with tempests (3 Nephi 22:9, 11). It assures that, as God has sworn, ‘the covenant of my peace’ shall not be removed (3 Nephi 22:10).”[4]

10 For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.

Mountains will depart and hills will be removed.

“Every valley shall be exalted [HEB lifted up or raised], and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain [HEB the mountains into a plain]:

And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it” (Isaiah 40:4-5).

His kindness will always be forever present and His covenant people will find peace and it will not be removed.

“For the Lord will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance” (Psalms 94:14).

“And Israel shall be saved in mine own due time; and by the keys which I have given shall they be led, and no more be confounded at all” (D&C 35:25).

“Israel’s redemption and the fruits of the gentiles are foretold in Isaiah 54, which is then quoted in its entirety by the Savior (see 3 Nephi 22). Together, the children of the desolate (the covenant gentiles) and the children of the married wife (the Israelites) will bring forth stakes of Zion in the last days. The Lord’s mercy will be shown through the maintenance of his covenant of peace (see 3 Nephi 22:10), and righteousness will reign. The Savior concludes his profound Covenant People Discourse in 3 Nephi 23 by admonishing his followers to search the words of Isaiah, who foretold these marvelous things.”[5]

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[1] Images of the size and form of a man used from patriarchal times and onwards in worship and for magical purposes both in Israel and in Babylon. To use teraphim was probably not to worship strange gods but to worship the true God in a corrupt manner (Bible Dictionary).

[2] Redeeming the Desolate Woman: The Message of Isaiah 54 and 3 Nephi 22, Cynthia L. Hallen, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 7/1 (1998): 44.

[3] Ibid.

[4] 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): 50.

[5] Disciple as a Scholar – Covenant Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Victor. Ludlow, Maxwell Institute website.

3 Nephi 22:1-4

Chapter 22

In the last days, Zion and her stakes will be established, and Israel will be gathered in mercy and tenderness—They will triumph—Compare Isaiah 54. About A.D. 34.

The Savior quotes the words of Isaiah (see Isaiah 54). He teaches about a barrne woman, calling he blessed to have no children. These are similar to words He spoke to the women who followed him to Golgotha. “For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck” (Luke 23:29).

As we read this, we learn the woman represents Zion.

“[T]he faith of Zion must be proven in every generation . Zion receives a fulness of joy only after a time of loneliness, just as the spirit children of God receive eternal life only after they are tested by pain and death in mortality. Zion enters the presence of the Lord only after a period of hardship, just as the righteous Nephites see the face of Jesus only after they have survived the destruction of the wicked in tempests, whirlwinds, earthquakes, and other disasters. In 3 Nephi 22, latter-day Zion is portrayed as being desolate in spite of the Lord's covenant that she will find joy as a wife and a mother in the promised land. Zion is desolate because (1) she has no children, (2) she has no permanent home or resting place, (3) her husband seems to have forsaken her, and (4) adversaries are trying to destroy her. The Lord promises to redeem Zion from such desolation by establishing a temple in her midst. The light of the temple will overpower the efforts of her enemies. The temple will gather the children of Israel to their home in Zion through ordinances for the living and the dead.”[1]

He tells them to enlarge their tents and to strengthen the stakes. The tent represents Zion. Zion needs to grow, and, in the process, strengthening the stakes. “Until the day cometh when there is found no more room for them; and then I have other places which I will appoint unto them, and they shall be called stakes, for the curtains or the strength of Zion” (D&C 101:21).

“We ask thee to appoint unto Zion other stakes besides this one which thou hast appointed, that the gathering of thy people may roll on in great power and majesty, that thy work may be cut short in righteousness” (D&C 109:59).

“One ecclesiastical division of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a stake. Tent stakes, or pegs, help hold up and enlarge a tent. Each stake must be strong to keep the tent stable. President Ezra Taft Benson wrote, ‘To members, the term stake is a symbolic expression. Picture in your mind a great tent held up by cords extended to many stakes that are firmly secured in the ground. The prophets likened latter-day Zion to a great tent encompassing the earth. That tent was supported by cords fastened to stakes (3 Nephi 22:2; Isaiah 54:2).’”[2]

They will break forth and inherit they will inherit gentiles. As Zion is established, desolate cities will be made inhabitable.

The woman (Zion) is counseled to neither be ashamed or put to shame.

“And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.

“And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed” (Joel 2:26-27).

“O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.

“Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause”

(Psalms 25:2-3).

“My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt” (Psalms 71:24).

“The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools” (Proverbs 3:35).

“Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son: but he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father” (Proverbs 28:7).

She is to forget the same of her youth. Also she will not remember any reproach from both her youth and widowhood any more.

“The Savior understands Zion's desolation because he too was stricken, smitten, oppressed, and afflicted (see Isaiah 53:4, 7). Zion is called to be a ‘woman forsaken and grieved’ just as Christ was called to be ‘despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief’ (Isaiah 53:3; Mosiah 14:3). Christ was called to be the ‘stone which the builders refused’ (Psalm 118:22), so he knows how to succor the ‘wife of youth’ who was refused (3 Nephi 22:6). The desolate woman will forget the shame of her youth because the Lord will vindicate her (see Isaiah 60:15; 3 Nephi 22:4). After the Lord redeems her, Zion will no longer remember the reproach of being alone.”[3]

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[1] Redeeming the Desolate Woman: The Message of Isaiah 54 and 3 Nephi 22, Cynthia L. Hallen, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 7/1 (1998): 42.

[2] Visualizing Isaiah, Donald W. Parry, FARMS 2001, 112.

[3] Redeeming the Desolate Woman: The Message of Isaiah 54 and 3 Nephi 22, Cynthia L. Hallen, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 7/1 (1998): 44.

3 Nephi 21:23-29

Christ continues to teach the multitude about the gathering of the house of Israel.

The Gentiles will assist Jacob and the house of Israel to build the New Jerusalem.

What is the New Jerusalem? “The place where the Saints will gather and Christ will personally reign with them during the Millennium. Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent, and the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory (A of F 1:10). It also refers to a holy city that will come down out of heaven at the beginning of the Millennium.”[1]

“And behold, this people will I establish in this land, unto the fulfilling of the covenant which I made with your father Jacob; and it shall be a New Jerusalem. And the powers of heaven shall be in the midst of this people; yea, even I will be in the midst of you” (3 Nephi 20:22).

“Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name” (Revelation 3:12).

“And [Ether] spake also concerning the house of Israel, and the Jerusalem from whence Lehi should come—after it should be destroyed it should be built up again, a holy city unto the Lord; wherefore, it could not be a new Jerusalem for it had been in a time of old; but it should be built up again, and become a holy city of the Lord; and it should be built unto the house of Israel—

“And that a New Jerusalem should be built up upon this land, unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph, for which things there has been a type” (Ether 13:5-6).

“When that day comes, the power of heaven will be among them. “And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost; and if they endure unto the end they shall be lifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb; and whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be” (1 Nephi 13:37).

He will also be there among them. “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

“And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

“And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isaiah 2:2-4).

“And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord.

“As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever” (Isaiah 51:20-21).

“The gathering is to occur in two senses: spiritually by means of conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ and literally by means of gathering to the lands of inheritance. The literal gathering of Israel will focus on two centers: Jerusalem in the Holy Land and the New Jerusalem (or Zion) in the promised land. In the promised land, the remnant of Israel will join with Gentiles, who have been gathered in the spiritual sense, to build up the New Jerusalem and establish Zion. Then, says Christ, ‘shall the power of heaven come down among them; and I also will be in their midst’ (3 Nephi 21:25).”[2]

When these things occur, then will the work begin among the people with the gospel preached to this people. “And behold, they shall go unto the unbelieving of the Jews; and for this intent shall they go—that they may be persuaded that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God; that the Father may bring about, through his most Beloved, his great and eternal purpose, in restoring the Jews, or all the house of Israel, to the land of their inheritance, which the Lord their God hath given them, unto the fulfilling of his covenant” (Mormon 5:14).

Then the work will go to the lost tribes, those who the Father led out of Jerusalem. “And when the day cometh that the wrath of God is poured out upon the mother of harlots, which is the great and abominable church of all the earth, whose founder is the devil, then, at that day, the work of the Father shall commence, in preparing the way for the fulfilling of his covenants, which he hath made to his people who are of the house of Israel” (1 Nephi 14:17).

Then work will commence among the lost. The Father will prepare the way they will come to Him and call on the Father in His name.

“And I command you that ye shall write these sayings after I am gone, that if it so be that my people at Jerusalem, they who have seen me and been with me in my ministry, do not ask the Father in my name, that they may receive a knowledge of you by the Holy Ghost, and also of the other tribes whom they know not of, that these sayings which ye shall write shall be kept and shall be manifested unto the Gentiles, that through the fulness of the Gentiles, the remnant of their seed, who shall be scattered forth upon the face of the earth because of their unbelief, may be brought in, or may be brought to a knowledge of me, their Redeemer.

“And then will I gather them in from the four quarters of the earth; and then will I fulfil the covenant which the Father hath made unto all the people of the house of Israel” (3 Nephi 16:4-5).

Then, at that time, all will be gathered into the land of their inheritance.

They will come from all nations. “For ye shall not go out with haste nor go by flight; for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel shall be your rearward” (3 Nephi 20:42). He would go before them.

“Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord.

“For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the Lord will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rearward” (Isaiah 52:11-12).

“We face the challenge of raising families in the world in darkening clouds of wickedness. Some of our members are unsettled, and sometimes they wonder: Is there any place one can go to escape from it all? Is there another town or a state or a country where it is safe, where one can find refuge? The answer generally is no. The defense and the refuge is where our members now live.

“The Book of Mormon prophesies, ‘Yea, and then shall the work commence, with the Father among all nations in preparing the way whereby his people may be gathered home to the land of their inheritance’ (3 Nephi 21:28).

“Those who come out of the world into the Church, keep the commandments, honor the priesthood, and enter into activity have found the refuge.”[3]

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[1] Guide to the Scriptures, New Jerusalem.

[2] The Covenant of the Promised Land: Territorial Symbolism in the Book of Mormon, Steven L. Olsen, FARMS Review 22/2 (2010): 152-153.

[3] A Defense and a Refuge, President Boyd K. Packer, October 2006 General Conference.

3 Nephi 21:18-22

Christ continues speaking of the Gentiles should they reject His words after the house of Israel is gathered.  All their lyings will be done away with.

At the end of 3 Nephi, Mormon would write, “Turn, all ye Gentiles, from your wicked ways; and repent of your evil doings, of your lyings and deceivings, and of your whoredoms, and of your secret abominations, and your idolatries, and of your murders, and your priestcrafts, and your envyings, and your strifes, and from all your wickedness and abominations, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, that ye may receive a remission of your sins, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, that ye may be numbered with my people who are of the house of Israel” (3 Nephi 30:2).

In this dispensation, the Lord told Joseph Smith, “And that all their works may be brought to naught, and be swept away by the hail, and by the judgments which thou wilt send upon them in thine anger, that there may be an end to lyings and slanders against thy people” (D&C 109:30).

At that day, those who do not repent and accept Christ will be cut off. “Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light” (Amos 5:18).

“Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth” (Alma 29:2).

“O then despise not, and wonder not, but hearken unto the words of the Lord, and ask the Father in the name of Jesus for what things soever ye shall stand in need. Doubt not, but be believing, and begin as in times of old, and come unto the Lord with all your heart, and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before him” (Mormon 9:27).

These Gentiles will experience the full vengeance and fury of the Lord. “For it is the day of the Lord’s vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion” (Isaiah 34:8).

“The Spirit of the Lord God [HEB Jehovah] is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

“To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn” (Isaiah 61:1-2).

“For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch…

“And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 4:1, 3).

“But if [Zion] observe not to do whatsoever I have commanded her, I will visit her according to all her works, with sore affliction, with pestilence, with plague, with sword, with vengeance, with devouring fire” (D&C 97:26).

But, if the Gentiles repent, He will establish His church among them.

“And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters; nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small, because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw…

“And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory” (1 Nephi 14:12, 14).

And, they will be numbered among them.

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, thus saith our God: I will afflict thy seed by the hand of the Gentiles; nevertheless, I will soften the hearts of the Gentiles, that they shall be like unto a father to them; wherefore, the Gentiles shall be blessed and numbered among the house of Israel.

“Wherefore, I will consecrate this land unto thy seed, and them who shall be numbered among thy seed, forever, for the land of their inheritance; for it is a choice land, saith God unto me, above all other lands, wherefore I will have all men that dwell thereon that they shall worship me, saith God”

(2 Nephi 10:18-19).

“But if the Gentiles will repent and return unto me, saith the Father, behold they shall be numbered among my people, O house of Israel” (3 Nephi 16:13).

“[I]n this passage the Savior speaks of ‘Gentiles,’ not a ‘nation,’ so the prophecy of Gentiles being ‘set up as a free people by the power of the Father’ may be seen as extending beyond the United States. I read it as Jesus referring not only to the Gentiles becoming politically free, but also to their establishment in the land of promise. Latter-day scriptures often use variants of the word establish in connection with building up the Church of Jesus Christ and Zion, which occurs when the Saints receive and obey covenants (3 Nephi 21:22; D&C 33:5; Jeremiah 30:20). So the words of Jesus likely refer to the organization and spread of his church in all of the Americas, not the United States alone, where the restoration began.”[1]

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[1]Losing the Remnant: The New Exclusivist “Movement” and the Book of Mormon, Matthew Roper, FARMS Review 22/2 (2010): 94-95.

3 Nephi 21:12-19

Christ continues to discuss the house of Israel.

The remnant of Jacob will be among the Gentiles. They will be in the midst of them like a lion among the flocks of sheep. “Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it” (Isaiah 5:29).

“And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 4:3).

“Then shall ye, who are a remnant of the house of Jacob, go forth among them; and ye shall be in the midst of them who shall be many; and ye shall be among them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, and as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he goeth through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver” (3 Nephi 20:16).

The will face their adversaries and their enemies will be cut off.

Things will not be well for the Gentiles lest they repent. “That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel” (Ephesians 3:6).

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, thus saith our God: I will afflict thy seed by the hand of the Gentiles; nevertheless, I will soften the hearts of the Gentiles, that they shall be like unto a father to them; wherefore, the Gentiles shall be blessed and numbered among the house of Israel” (2 Nephi 10:18).

“I also have charity for the Gentiles. But behold, for none of these can I hope except they shall be reconciled unto Christ, and enter into the narrow gate, and walk in the strait path which leads to life, and continue in the path until the end of the day of probation” (2 Nephi 33:9).

The day will come when He “will cut off [their] horses out of the midst of thee, and [Christ] will destroy [their] chariots” (3 Nephi 21:14).

“And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins.

“I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate” (Leviticus 26:21-22).

“The Savior's reference to horses in 3 Nephi 21:14 is a prophecy of the latter days and need not be interpreted as referring to Nephite horses. In the Book of Mormon, horses are never mentioned after the time of Christ.”[1]

Who are the Gentiles to whom Christ refers? “[I]n modern scripture, the people referred to as gentiles are the members of the apostate Christian churches, who believe in the God of the Bible, but who do not correctly understand the gospel, their understanding having been corrupted by heathen philosophies (see 3 Nephi 21:14–23; D&C 90:6–10).”[2]

He will cut off cities and destroy their strongholds.

He will end superstitions and have no more mystics. “At the very outset of Mormon Christianity, the reality of ultimate good and ultimate evil was reportedly manifest. Joseph Smith's challenge became one of leading people to God and away from evil, magic, and false traditions. This happened before the publication of the Book of Mormon, the revelations from Jesus Christ to Joseph Smith in the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price, each of which condemns magic arts and places God as the greatest power and true authority.”[3]

Thy graven images I will also cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee, and thou shalt no more worship the works of thy hands;

He will destroy graven images.  They are commanded to “worship the works of thy hands” (3 Nephi 21:17). This has been a commandment from the earliest times.  The Lord told Moses, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth” (Exodus 20:4).

Isaiah warned the Jews, “Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion” (Isaiah 41:29).

Abinadi warned King Noah and his wicked priests, “Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion” (Mosiah 13:12).

In this dispensation, the Lord told Joseph Smith, “They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall” (D&C 1:16).

He will destroy both groves and cities.

“And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

“And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him” (1 Kings 16:32-33).

In that day, lyings, deceivings, envyings, strifes, priestcrafts, and whoredoms will be done away from among the people.

Mormon told the Gentiles, “Turn, all ye Gentiles, from your wicked ways; and repent of your evil doings, of your lyings and deceivings, and of your whoredoms, and of your secret abominations, and your idolatries, and of your murders, and your priestcrafts, and your envyings, and your strifes, and from all your wickedness and abominations, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, that ye may receive a remission of your sins, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, that ye may be numbered with my people who are of the house of Israel” (3 Nephi 30:2).

In our generation, we have been warned, “And that all their works may be brought to naught, and be swept away by the hail, and by the judgments which thou wilt send upon them in thine anger, that there may be an end to lyings and slanders against thy people” (D&C 109:30).

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[1] Horses in the Book of Mormon, Maxwell Institute Website.

[2] Pondering the Word, Dennis Packard and Sandra Packard, Maxwell Institute.

[3] Writing History Must Not Be an Act of “Magic,” Rhett S. James, Maxwell Institute website.

3 Nephi 21:8-11

Christ continued to teach them about the Father’s works among the Gentiles. This work that is done will be done for His sake. The works of God are great.

“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

“What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him” (Psalms 8:3-4).

“And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.

“And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?

“Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him” (John 8:1-3).

It will be a great and marvelous work among them. “And after our seed is scattered the Lord God will proceed to do a marvelous work among the Gentiles, which shall be of great worth unto our seed; wherefore, it is likened unto their being nourished by the Gentiles and being carried in their arms and upon their shoulders” (1 Nephi 22:8).

“Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid” (Isaiah 29:14).

“For the time cometh, saith the Lamb of God, that I will work a great and a marvelous work among the children of men; a work which shall be everlasting, either on the one hand or on the other—either to the convincing of them unto peace and life eternal, or unto the deliverance of them to the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds unto their being brought down into captivity, and also into destruction, both temporally and spiritually, according to the captivity of the devil, of which I have spoken” (1 Nephi 14:7).

There will be those who will refuse to believe, even though a man will declare His word.

“Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets;

“Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you” (Acts 13:40-41).

The servant’s life will be in His hands. In the end, he will be “marred” because of the unbeliever.

Who is this servant? Since Christ is proclaiming the coming of the Book of Mormon, it is Joseph Smith to whom He refers.

This was written about him after his martyrdom.

“To seal the testimony of this book and the Book of Mormon, we announce the martyrdom of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and Hyrum Smith the Patriarch. They were shot in Carthage jail, on the 27th of June, 1844, about five o’clock p.m., by an armed mob—painted black—of from 150 to 200 persons. Hyrum was shot first and fell calmly, exclaiming: I am a dead man! Joseph leaped from the window, and was shot dead in the attempt, exclaiming: O Lord my God! They were both shot after they were dead, in a brutal manner, and both received four balls.

“John Taylor and Willard Richards, two of the Twelve, were the only persons in the room at the time; the former was wounded in a savage manner with four balls, but has since recovered; the latter, through the providence of God, escaped, without even a hole in his robe.

“Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. In the short space of twenty years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fulness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth; has brought forth the revelations and commandments which compose this book of Doctrine and Covenants, and many other wise documents and instructions for the benefit of the children of men; gathered many thousands of the Latter-day Saints, founded a great city, and left a fame and name that cannot be slain. He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord’s anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood; and so has his brother Hyrum. In life they were not divided, and in death they were not separated!” (D&C 135:1-3).

He will eventually be healed to show His wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil. “I will not suffer that they shall destroy my work; yea, I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil” (D&C 10:43).

“In verse 10 we get specific about the person who will lead this restoration: ‘But behold, the life of my servant shall be in my hand; therefore they shall not hurt him, although he shall be marred because of them …’ speaking undoubtedly of Joseph Smith. They shall not hurt him, although he will be marred. What comes to mind? Well, they put him to death. They tarred and feathered him and beat him, but it didn't stop the work from progressing. One of the local papers at the time of the martyrdom described it with these words: ‘Thus ends Mormonism.’ Well, not quite. ‘… Although he shall be marred because of them. Yet I will heal him, for I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil. Therefore it shall come to pass that whosoever will not believe in my words, who am Jesus Christ, which the Father shall cause him to bring forth unto the Gentiles, and shall give unto him power that he shall bring them forth unto the Gentiles, (it shall be done even as Moses said) they shall be cut off from among my people who are of the covenant’ (3 Nephi 21:10—11).”[1]

There will be those who will reject His word brought forth by this prophet. Lehi taught his family about this record going forth, quoting Joseph from material found on the brass plates.

“For Joseph truly testified, saying: A seer shall the Lord my God raise up, who shall be a choice seer unto the fruit of my loins.

“Yea, Joseph truly said: Thus saith the Lord unto me: A choice seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and he shall be esteemed highly among the fruit of thy loins. And unto him will I give commandment that he shall do a work for the fruit of thy loins, his brethren, which shall be of great worth unto them, even to the bringing of them to the knowledge of the covenants which I have made with thy fathers…

“But a seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and unto him will I give power to bring forth my word … and not to the bringing forth my word only, saith the Lord, but to the convincing them of my word, which shall have already gone forth among them.

“Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write; and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins … shall grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins …

“And out of weakness he shall be made strong, in that day when my work shall commence among all my people …

“… Behold, that seer will the Lord bless; and they that seek to destroy him shall be confounded; for this promise, which I have obtained of the Lord, of the fruit of my loins, shall be fulfilled. Behold, I am sure of the fulfilling of this promise;

“And his name shall be called after me; and it shall be after the name of his father. And he shall be like unto me; for the thing, which the Lord shall bring forth by his hand, by the power of the Lord shall bring my people unto salvation. (3 Nephi 3:6-7, 11-15).

Moroni likewise wrote…

“And blessed be he that shall bring this thing to light; for it shall be brought out of darkness unto light, according to the word of God; yea, it shall be brought out of the earth, and it shall shine forth out of darkness, and come unto the knowledge of the people; and it shall be done by the power of God…

“And behold, their prayers were also in behalf of him that the Lord should suffer to bring these things forth” (Mormon 8:16, 25).

This work will be brought forth to the Gentiles. “And he said: It is a light thing that thou shouldst be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel. I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the ends of the earth” (1 Nephi 21:6).

Should the Gentiles reject this work, they will be cutoff from the covenant people. “And the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people” (D&C 1:14).

“And upon them that hearken not to the voice of the Lord shall be fulfilled that which was written by the prophet Moses, that they should be cut off from among the people” (D&C 133:63).

“Verse 11 is a very important verse. Let me suggest why. We won't take the time, but if we took the time, we could go back and read in the 18th chapter of Deuteronomy and later in the New Testament in Acts (where Peter offered commentary upon that) the prophecy made by Moses that the Lord would raise up a prophet who would be great like unto Moses. That was the prophecy concerning Jesus, the coming of Christ. Peter added the detail in Acts that those who don't give heed to the words of that prophet will be cut off from among the people. Notice what the Savior just did. He took that same principle, that same doctrine, or idea, and applied it to the works and words of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Those who don't give heed to him and to his words—and by extension, to those of his successors—will be cut off from among the people of the covenant.”[2]

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[1] The Doctrine of the Risen Christ: Part 3, Robert L. Millet, Reprinted from FARMS Book of Mormon Lecture Series, Maxwell Institute website.

[2] Ibid.