Chapter 27
Jesus commands them to
call the Church in His name—His mission and atoning sacrifice constitute His
gospel—Men are commanded to repent and be baptized that they may be sanctified
by the Holy Ghost—They are to be even as Jesus is. About A.D. 34–35.
The Nephite twelve had been out among the people, preaching
the words of Christ and testifying to their truthfulness.
Mormon tells us, they met together, united as a group. Unity
is essential among those who are serving the Lord. “And, as it is
written—Whatsoever ye shall ask in faith, being united in prayer according to
my command, ye shall receive” (D&C 29:6).
“A revelation of Jesus Christ unto his servant Joseph Smith,
Jun., and six elders, as they united their hearts and lifted their voices on
high” (D&C 84:1).
They were also involved in “mighty prayer and fasting.” Leaders
in the Church are expected to fast and pray. “Nevertheless Alma labored much in
the spirit, wrestling with God in mighty prayer, that he would pour out his
Spirit upon the people who were in the city; that he would also grant that he
might baptize them unto repentance” (Alma 8:10).
“Behold, I say unto him, he exalts himself and does not
humble himself sufficiently before me; but if he will bow down before me, and
humble himself in mighty prayer and faith, in the sincerity of his heart, then
will I grant unto him a view of the things which he desires to see” (D&C
5:24).
“Who will gather his people even as a hen gathereth her
chickens under her wings, even as many as will hearken to my voice and humble
themselves before me, and call upon me in mighty prayer” (D&C 29:2).
“And he caused that the priests should assemble themselves
together; and they began to fast, and to pray to the Lord their God that he
would open the mouth of Alma, that he might speak, and also that his limbs
might receive their strength—that the eyes of the people might be opened to see
and know of the goodness and glory of God” (Mosiah 27:22).
“Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the
Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might
know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true;
for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this
is the spirit of revelation which is in me” (Alma 5:46).
“Nevertheless the children of God were commanded that they
should gather themselves together oft, and join in fasting and mighty prayer in
behalf of the welfare of the souls of those who knew not God” (Alma 6:6).
This weekend was stake conference. One of the Area
Seventies, Elder Kyle McKay, was presiding over the conference. At the Saturday
night meeting, part of his message was the importance of a proper fast. He
emphasized when we fast, we must do so with a purpose. He told us fasting with
no purpose is simply going hungry. A true fast requires us to humble ourselves
before the Lord as we fast and pray. The purpose of the fast is to become
closer to the Lord and be more in tune with the Spirit. Verse 1 gives us an
example of what Elder McKay meant.
While they were praying, Christ made His third appearance to
the Nephites. He asked, What will ye that I shall give unto you” (3 Nephi
27:2).
They explained there was a dispute among the people as to
what they should call their church. Christ asked why the people “murmur and
dispute because of this thing” (3 Nephi 27:3).
“Why would there even be a question? Have you thought about
this? Before this, they had named the church ‘the Church of God’ or ‘the Church
of Christ.’ It had been named ‘the Church of Christ’ before this. Why this
question? I don't know the answer, but can I speculate for a second, if that's
legal? I have wondered if perhaps the Lord's coming and beginning a new
dispensation, as it were, has ended the Mosaic dispensation and has initiated
the Messianic dispensation. Remember what has happened up to now? Christ has
actually ordained and rebaptized faithful holders of the priesthood. They have
already been ordained; he ordains them again. They have been baptized; he
baptizes them again. They start anew, you could say. I wonder if, with that as
a backdrop, perhaps the people are wondering, ‘Is there something new that this
church should be called?’ I suppose you and I, as we move closer to the
Millennium, might even ask the same thing: Is there something the Church is
going to be called during the thousand years? Will it be ‘the Church of Jesus
Christ of Millennial Saints’? I don't know. But maybe we would wonder the same
kind of thing. Perhaps that is the backdrop for the query, ‘What do you want us
to call the church?’”[1]
Christ told them “ye must take upon you’re the name of
Christ…” (3 Nephi 27:5). This is the name they would be called at the last day.
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under
heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall
follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no
deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing
unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by
baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water,
according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then
cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost…” (2 Nephi 31:13).
King Benjamin gave his people a new name.
“And it shall come to pass that whosoever doeth this shall
be found at the right hand of God, for he shall know the name by which he is
called; for he shall be called by the name of Christ.
“And now it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall not
take upon him the name of Christ must be called by some other name; therefore,
he findeth himself on the left hand of God.
“And I would that ye should remember also, that this is the
name that I said I should give unto you that never should be blotted out,
except it be through transgression; therefore, take heed that ye do not
transgress, that the name be not blotted out of your hearts” (Mosiah 5:9-11).
They who take upon them Christ’s name, and endure to the
end, will be saved. Alma taught,
“And now, because ye are compelled to be humble blessed are
ye; for a man sometimes, if he is compelled to be humble, seeketh repentance;
and now surely, whosoever repenteth shall find mercy; and he that findeth mercy
and endureth to the end the same shall be saved.
“And now, as I said unto you, that because ye were compelled
to be humble ye were blessed, do ye not suppose that they are more blessed who
truly humble themselves because of the word?
“Yea, he that truly humbleth himself, and repenteth of his
sins, and endureth to the end, the same shall be blessed—yea, much more blessed
than they who are compelled to be humble because of their exceeding poverty”
(Alma 32:13-15).
Whatever is done by the church, is done in His name. So, the
church is to be called in His name. They should call on the Father in His name
and the church will be blessed. Then, He asked them a very pointed question. “And
how be it my church save it be called in my name? For if a church be called in
Moses’ name then it be Moses’ church; or if it be called in the name of a man
then it be the church of a man; but if it be called in my name then it is my
church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel” (3 Nephi 27:8).
[1] The
Doctrine of the Risen Christ: Part 3, Robert L. Millet, Reprinted from
FARMS Book of Mormon Lecture Series, Maxwell Institute website.
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