3 Nephi 11
In this chapter there is an example of a group of people who were so
righteous they were permitted to see the Lord, Jesus Christ. At first, even
these people who would be righteous enough to be permitted to see Jesus Christ
could not understand the voice of the Father. It was not until they opened
their ears to hear and listened intently that they were finally able to
understand the voice of God. And of course next they were visited by Jesus
Christ and met with him face to face.
Jesus Christ comes to the world and proves that he is God
and Savior to the world.
The first thing the Lord does, before doing anything else,
is to give the power to baptize. The Lord gives the power to baptize to Nephi
and eleven others.
Those who repent of their sins and desire to be baptized in
the Lord’s name will be baptized down in the water by immersion.
The words the Lord requires his children to use for baptism
are: “Having authority given me of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of
the father, and of the son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen”.
The Lord says in this manner we are to baptize and there are
to be no disputations.
No more disputations over the points of the Lord’s doctrine.
No more contention. The Lord has put it very plainly how he would like baptism
to be preformed. Those who would contend with how the Lord would have it are
turning from the Lord in the very act of contention. The spirit of contention
comes from the devil.
The Lord’s doctrine is the doctrine the Lord received
from the father. His doctrine is simple. It only becomes complex because you
try and make sense of it as a man would with temporal ideals. This always
causes confusion because of the contradictions between what man wants and what
the Lord wants. Ask the Lord to show you the eternal perspective. The Lord’s
doctrine is: Repent, believe in him even have faith in Jesus Christ, become as
a little child being humble and depending completely on the Lord and be
baptized in the Lord’s name and receive the Holy Ghost. He repeats this three
times. This is how to inherit the kingdom of God.
Build upon the Lord’s rock, faith in Jesus Christ. Build
faith through prayer, always praying. Love others as he would. Depend on the
Lord, and this with humility.
3 Nephi 12 (see also Matthew 5)
The Lord gives twelve men the power to baptize. These men
baptized many. The Holy Ghost, the Lord said he would baptize upon those who
are baptized in his name, baptism by fire.
Before you are baptized you need to repent. Repent of the
ways that are not the Lord’s ways and become as the Lord would have you, even
as he is.
Attributes of the Lord and how he would have you be:
-
poor in spirit – come unto Christ
-
mournful – will be comforted
-
meek – inherit the earth
-
hunger & thirst for righteousness – receive the Holy Ghost
-
merciful – receive mercy
-
pure in heart – see God
-
peace makers – children of God
What you are in your heart is what you receive. What you
think is what you are. Think love. Have love in your heart for everyone, always.
Be a light for others to see. Don’t hide who you are. Share
your light.
The old laws, lesser laws, are fulfilled. The Lord asks you
to come unto him. This is the Lord’s commandment. You must become like him and this is mainly how you come unto him.
The fullness of the Lord’s law requires you to have a change
of heart in all things that are not of God. Your heart needs to become like
God’s heart. Be full of love for everyone and meek, humble and do all things
godly. Remember it is what you think in your heart and mind that dictates who
you are with, be it God or Satan. Yes, this goes for anytime, even when the
worst of things are brought upon you. You must, “love your enemies, bless them
that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully
use you and persecute you”.
“Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or
your Father who is in heaven is perfect.”
3 Nephi 13 (see also Matthew 6)
Do your deeds in secret. No need for any credit or
recognition, remember all things are made possible because of God. You are a
tool in his hands, he decides where, when and how to use you.
Pray in secret. Always have a prayer in your heart listening
for the Lord’s direction. Pray always. The majority of your prayer should be
finding out what the Lord would have you do. Do not get caught up in your wants
this only takes the focus off the Lord. Here is the Lord’s prayer, as an example of how
and what to pray for: “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy
will be done on earth as it is in heaven. And forgive us our debts, as we
forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever, Amen.”
Forgive everyone, even the worst of the worst, then
forgiveness will be in your heart.
Put away your cares, worries and things you cherish that are
not found in heaven. If they are not eternal then they will rust, rot and melt
away with things of the world that are temporal/telestial.
What you cherish and treasure defines what is in your heart.
Your heart must rest solely with the Lord and his way. If your heart desires
more than what the Lord offers then your heart rests with darkness instead of
light. Remember, you cannot serve two masters. If you try to serve, please or
desire more than God, you will at that moment, choose Mammon over God. There is
only one way, God’s way.
To follow the Lord’s way you need not worry about anything,
even your life. What you eat, what you drink, where you sleep, what you’ll
wear, how much money you’ll need, etc, etc…none of these you need to worry
about if you have the Lord with you. Have faith in the Lord. Ask him to look
after you and guide you even as if you were his small child having faith that
he will guide and care for you. “Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of
all…things.”
Your top priority and number one goal, always, is to “seek
ye first the kingdom of God”.
3 Nephi 14 (see also Matthew 7)
Judge not. How you judge is how you will be judged. You
never know when someone might turn from things of the world and start walking
the Lord’s path. Be humble and understanding when sharing your testimony of
things the Lord has shared with you. Don’t worry about how it is received…let
the Lord speak his truths thru his spirit in his own due time. Only the Lord
can confirm the truthfulness of his gospel. It is up to you to knock and search
to find his truths and knowledge, this thru faith and confirmation from his
spirit.
In your prayers, don’t ask for vain things like money, good
health, good sleep, to be protected from robbers, etc…without acknowledging
that it is up to the Lord and according to his will and not yours. Your prayers
should be about finding more knowledge and things that are good and eternal and
from heaven.
“All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,
do ye even to them.”
Make sure you are on the path to the Lord by always praying
and listening to his spirit thru faith. Beware of false prophets. False
prophets will have you find comforts in things other than the Lord, this will
lead you down a path other than the Lord’s. Your comforts need to be in the
Lord, all things eternal. You will need to know the Lord to get into his
kingdom. Thru prayer, faith and much searching you will come to know the Lord.
Continue and at some point meet him face to face.
3 Nephi 15
The Law of Moses has an end, making it a lesser and temporal
law. The Lord now gives you a means to reach the fullness. You need to “Look
unto me, and endure to the end”, as the Lord says.
The Lord explains that he has more than one flock and this
goes for now, even today. He knows who his true followers are and you do not.
Do not judge others no matter there religion, beliefs or status. You don’t know
them, the Lord does.
The Lord makes his manifestations thru the Holy Spirit.
3 Nephi 16
Thru the Holy Ghost the Lord testifies of other tribes, not
of the same church you belong but of a different group of true followers in
Christ.
The remnant of the Gentiles have received a knowledge of the
Lord and there are those of them that are still receiving knowledge of the Lord
now, today.
The house of Israel here in the Americas, largely
descendents of Lehi who is a descendent of Joseph son of Jacob, have been
scattered and cast out from among the Gentiles because of judgments from
Heavenly Father.
The day has come, “when the Gentiles shall sin against the
Lord’s gospel”. The Gentiles have put many things ahead of the Lord including:
pride, lyings, deceits, mischiefs, hypocrisy, murders, priestcrafts, whoredoms
and secret abominations. In doing these things the Gentiles have rejected and
do still reject the fullness of the Lord’s gospel. No one stands apart from
this unless you are standing with God. No church can protect you. Only God can
protect you. Come unto the Lord.
The Lord will bring his gospel to the House of Israel, even
the fullness. He is the one that brings it to the House of Israel, no one else,
its him. This is happening today and will continue to happen as the day of our
Lord and Savior arrives, the Holy Spirit testifies of this.
If you repent by returning to the Lord in humility, with
much prayer and listening for the Lord’s will, you will be numbered among the
House of Israel.
The Gentiles will be “tread down” unless they turn to the
Lord. Accept the fullness by giving yourself to the Lord. Do only what the Lord
would have you do. Worry about nothing else. He will provide.
“Then the Lord shall bring again Zion”, all there in shall
see eye to eye because all there in have accepted the fullness of the gospel of
Jesus Christ.
3 Nephi 17
Jesus does not hesitate to tell his children when they
cannot understand any more without pondering and prayer. By him doing this he
confirms that just hearing truths is not enough. Knowledge of Jesus Christ and
things eternal takes much pondering and prayer.
Jesus has much compassion for his children. He healed his
children of their temporal anguishes because of the sufficient faith they had
in him. Here you see that faith was great and sufficient yet knowledge is still
required. You must continue to seek the Lord and learn thru faith what he knows
and is.
Be humble and grateful to have the Lord in your presence,
even his Holy Spirit.
Jesus prayed and “the eye hath never seen, neither hath the
ear heard, so great and marvelous things”. These things cannot be written down
they are so great. The Lord reveals more to those who come to him and seek him
directly, even more than can be written down or explained to the temporal, for
what is taught are things eternal.
The Lord visited his children and so did angels, they
descended down unto the Lord’s people. This did not happen by happenstance. It
happened because the Lord’s people had faith sufficient and they truly were a
righteous people. There were around 2,500 of them in total.
3 Nephi 18
Jesus breaks bread and blesses it then gives it unto his
twelve and they eat until they are full. He then commands the twelve to give
unto the multitude. He then gives the power unto the twelve in order for them to
bless the sacrament. The sacrament is for all those that believe in Jesus
Christ and come unto him and are baptized in his name. This is to be done “even
as I have done”, Christ says.
The sacrament is for God’s children. The Lord wants his
children to observe to do it to help each one of them to always remember him,
always. If you always remember the Lord you will have him, his spirit, with
you.
Wine is administered next and it is done in the same manner
as the bread.
The Lord teaches this and gives it as a commandment. He asks
you to always do these things. You will be built upon his rock. He warns his
children that how he has performed the sacrament is not to be changed by
saying, “whoso among you shall do more or less than these are not built upon my
rock”.
The Lord says to all his children “watch and pray always” to
avoid temptation and this is so important that he repeats it. His gospel of
“come unto me” he repeats time and time again explaining in one fashion or
another to help you hear and understand its importance. When you pray, pray
believing you will receive. Always pray in the Lord’s name.
The Lord asks for his true followers and members of his
church to “meet together oft”. His true followers, if they truly are his
followers, will not turn anyone away. They will do as the Lord does and invite
all to come unto the Lord.
Another commandment is that anyone who has not come to the
Lord and been baptized in his name shall not partake of the sacrament.
The Lord’s followers and members of his church are not to
turn anyone away even if they do not repent and are not baptized. He says that
“ye know not but what they return and repent, and come unto me with full
purpose of heart, and I shall heal them; and ye shall be the means of bringing
salvation unto them”.
The Lord says he gives commandments because of “disputations
that have been among you”.
Jesus touches the twelve disciples and gives them the power
to give the Holy Ghost.
3 Nephi 19
The power to give the Holy Ghost was given to the twelve disciples.
Before the power to give the Holy Ghost is used the
multitude split into twelve groups, each having its own disciple who had the
power.
In giving the Holy Ghost: First, they prayed to have the
Holy Ghost given unto them. Next, Nephi went down into the water and was
baptized and then he baptized the other disciples, who Jesus had chosen. Then
the Holy Ghost fell upon the twelve and they were filled even with fire.
After being baptized and receiving the Holy Ghost the Lord
asked the disciples to pray. The Lord also prays and asks the Father to purify
those that believe in him through faith. The Lord also, specifically, prays for
those who come unto him and are not of the world.
Jesus states that the Jews could not be shown so great
miracles because of their unbelief. The same goes for all his children.
Unbelief is a barrier that keeps his truths hidden from you. If you have faith
in Jesus Christ you will be able to break down this barrier of unbelief.
3 Nephi 20
The Lord would have his children pray in their hearts at
every moment in the day and night. If your heart is with the Lord then you will
be with him at the last day.
The Lord asks his children to search the words of Isaiah and
look to the day when they will be fulfilled.
When the words of Isaiah are fulfilled the remnants will be
gathered. They will be brought to the knowledge of the Lord their God. You need
to receive knowledge from the Lord Jesus Christ through faith and believing in
his words. The gathering is a spiritual gathering at first and then the time
comes when there will be a physical gathering to the land of Zion.
The Gentiles need to recognize what is happening from the
words of Isaiah and repent. You must repent or be scattered and beat into
pieces when that day comes.
The sword of justice hangs over everyone that does not have
the Lord with them, even every moment throughout the day, each and every day.
This sword is already up and hanging, today, waiting. So, there is a small
amount of time left for you to repent of your unbelief and come unto Jesus.
Repent of not having the Lord with you at all times. Become one with the Lord
and his ways.
The Lord will establish for his people, the true followers
of Christ, a New Jerusalem and it will be upon the Americas.
The Lord is gathering his covenant people. This has
commenced. It is a spiritual gathering, right now. In his own due time, the
Lord will gather his people physically to his New Jerusalem and all who live
there will see eye to eye.
The Lord, Jesus Christ, will come to this New Jerusalem and
be in the midst of the people of Zion. Zion will be upon the mountains and the
people will say, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that
bringeth good tidings unto them, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings
unto them of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion: Thy God
reigneth!”
A cry and message from the Lord will go forth saying,
“Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch not that which is unclean”,
leave the world behind, spiritually then physically. You need to put yourself
away from the world and worldly temporal things. Put yourself with the Lord in
all things.
Kings will begin to see and hear the message from the Lord.
They will shut their mouths because of what they used to believe and what they
now believe, considering the Lord’s message.
3 Nephi 21
The Lord gives you a sign that you might be able to know the
time when he comes. He gives a sign for his true followers, those who seek to
know him, that they will know when he is about to come. The power of the Holy
Ghost, given from the Father to you, reveals to your understanding this sign.
The sign is given to the house of Israel and to the Gentiles
that repent and do not harden their hearts. The sign began when the Gentiles
brought forth the Book of Mormon, containing the Lord’s true points of the
gospel, to the remnant of the house of Jacob who have lived in the Americas
many generations in unbelief.
Next, kings will shut their mouths because they will know
not what to say. They will be awed by what they see from which they are told.
Then the Lord will work a marvelous work among them. Some
will not believe though it will be declared unto them.
There will be a servant of the Lord who will do the Lord’s
work. He will be killed by those who do not believe. But the Lord will show his
power unto them by healing him and restoring his life. This, to show that the
Lord’s wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil.
At this point those that will not toss away their belief and
come unto Jesus Christ will be “cut off”.
Those who repent and come to Christ will have his wisdom and
power. Those who do not believe and come to Christ will have all their things,
the same things they care for, want and worry about, stripped away. Everything
will be taken away: money, homes, vehicles, cities, armies, etc. Then if you
are found with lyings, deceivings, envyings, strifes, priestcrafts and
whoredoms you will be done away with.
But, if you repent and come unto Jesus Christ with faith,
the Lord will establish his church among you. You will be numbered with the
covenant people, the house of Jacob.
You must repent, that is the Lord’s objective by bringing
you this sign and Book of Mormon. Learn the gospel of Jesus Christ. Come unto
him. Be as he would be. Do as he would do. Pray always with faith to find out
for yourself and know all his truths.
If you repent, you will assist the remnant of Jacob and
house of Israel in building Zion, the New Jerusalem. The power of heaven will
come down along with the Lord, Jesus Christ.
The Lord’s work has commenced and it is underway, today. He
is preparing the way for his people to come unto him. Next, he will lead the
way to meet the father. None of this will be in haste because the Lord will be
your guide and this thru much faith and prayer.
3 Nephi 22
The servants of the Lord will rest from the evils of the
world. They will be in Zion, the New Jerusalem, while those who remain of the
world will be made low and scarce. Fear will not be found in Zion. Zion will be
established in righteousness and no one can destroy it.
3 Nephi 23
Whether you are from the house of Israel or from the
Gentiles the Lord commands you to search and study the words of Isaiah.
God would have you write the things he speaks to you and
share those things with your family, friends and neighbors.
Have faith in Jesus Christ, repent of your worldly ways and
be baptized in the name of the Lord. Search the prophets of all ages, many of
which touch on the words of Isaiah, for they truly testify of the Lord and the
absolute necessity of coming to him.
The Lord, Jesus Christ, commands you to follow him and to
teach what he has expounded upon. He does not change, therefore his teachings
do not change.
3 Nephi 24 (see also Malachi 3)
The Father will send his messenger, Jesus Christ. Who will
be able to withstand his coming? Those who come to him, fear him and are humbled
by him to the point where they ask him always thru prayer what to do. Those
that are one with the Lord will abide the day of his coming.
“For I am the Lord, I change not.”
The Lord calls everyone to repentance, even every single
person, because of wickedness, selfishness and neglect of the needy. The Lord
asks you to return to him and he will return to you. Do his ordinances in the
way he has expounded them. No more or no less for he changes not and neither do
his ordinances.
The Lord would have you give all your excess as tithing,
even all that you have that someone else does not have. You are to be equal in
what you have, no poor among you. In doing this the Lord promises not to
destroy your crops but preserve them to be harvested.
The Lord asks you to stop building upon false happiness.
Humble yourself before the Lord by having faith in him doing what he asks you.
Repent of setting yourself up false happiness and stop praying for vain
temporal things. Make your prayers be communication with the Lord, listening
for what he would have you do.
After you come to the Lord proving you will do all he asks,
you will be able to recognize and discern the righteous from the wicked. And
the Lord will spare you because you serve him and are with him.
3 Nephi 25 (see also Malachi 4)
Before the Lord comes in all his glory, a glory so profound
it will burn all things that are proud and wicked, Elijah the prophet will be
sent by him. Thru Elijah, the Lord is turning the heart of the children to the
fathers and the heart of the fathers to the children. This brings to the
true followers of Christ an opening of their hearts of genuine concern and love
for one another.
So long as there is love in your heart you will have the
Lord with you. He is love and all that he does is love.
3 Nephi 26
The Lord has had scripture written for his children in all
times including now and future generations. He has had scripture written for
his children, for them to recognize his ways and to come to him leaving the
ways of man behind.
All that the Lord has put into scripture is there for a
reason. You need to accept what is in scripture and follow the Lord in faith.
After the trial of your faith the Lord will reveal more to you. This will be
done directly from the Lord by prayer, his spirit and at some point from him,
face to face.
When you have received further light and knowledge from the
Lord, you will understand what is meant when it is written, “saw and heard
unspeakable things”. You will not be able to explain these things to someone
who has not yet received this further light and knowledge. It will remain
inexplicable until this someone has accepted the spirit to bring him more
understanding, even further light and knowledge.
Each person must come to Christ on their own, in their own
due time. No one else can do it for them.
To live as Christ would have you live, you will need to
“minister one to another” and “have all things common among you” and “deal
justly, one with another”. Do all things that Jesus commands his children to
do. Be baptized in the name of Jesus and be called the church of Christ.
3 Nephi 27
The Lord’s church is to be in his name and no other. If the
name includes anything “more or less” than Jesus Christ it will not be Christ’s
church. It will be the church of whatever it is named and represented by. If
Moses is included in the name then it will be Moses’ church. When a church,
being named properly, is built upon the Lord’s gospel it will be Jesus Christ’s
church.
The Lord allows churches that are built up by the precepts
of men and works of the devil to have joy in their works for a season. It is
your works that define you. If your works are based on the temporal and are of
this world then there will be an end to them and it speedily cometh. Have your
works be what the Lord would have them be, works of eternal measure with love
at the core and this thru faith in Jesus Christ.
You need to follow the Lord’s gospel. His gospel requires
you to come unto him and do as he would do, so he can lift you up at the last
day. All those that have proven their faith and have repented and been baptized
in the name of Jesus Christ having endured to the end will be found guiltless
before the Father.
Those who do not endure to the end will be cast down and
will not be able to advance from things temporal and worldly.
Again, the Lord commands all his children to repent, be
baptized and sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost. Do so and stand
spotless before the Lord at the last day.
The Lord’s gospel is to do that what you have seen the Lord
do. If you do this then you will be blessed. To be blessed is to be lifted up
at the last day.
Write what “ye have seen and heard”, as long as it is
permitted, of the Lord.
Out of the books of God, men will be judged.
“What manner of men ought ye to be? Even as I am.”
Pray to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ to learn more
about how to become like the Lord. “Knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for
he that asketh, receiveth.”
Take heed that you do not put your time, efforts, cares,
worries and your heart into things that rot, that rust away and that moth doth
corrupt and thieves break through and steal.
Put your heart into the Lord and take the straight and
narrow path that leadeth you to all things eternal and of God. Recognize what
ways are not of the Lord and are popular to men and the world, then turn from
them and come to the Lord.
3 Nephi 28
The Lord’s disciples were given a choice of how they could
serve the Lord. Nine chose to serve until death, which would be at age 72.
Three chose to serve as angels in a terrestrial state until the second coming.
The Lord touched all the disciples except the three, meaning he had already
changed all the disciples to his terrestrial state in order for them to behold
him and communicate with him face to face. He did not touch the three because
they would continue in this state.
The three disciples were not bound by the laws of this
temporal world. There were several examples of how they were beyond this world,
fires did not burn them, prisons could not hold them and they played with
hungry beasts. They baptized many and the Holy Ghost came to all that they
baptized.
They have ministered and will minister to the Gentiles and
the Jews. They are also sent by the Lord to minister to the lost ten tribes of
Israel, the scattered tribes of Israel and all of the Lord’s children.
Wo unto you, if you do not receive Jesus. Be careful that
you do not mistakenly turn away from a true prophet of Jesus and shun his
words. In doing so, you turn from Jesus because it is his message and the
prophet is only the messenger. Come to Jesus, do so by searching for him. Search
for him in scripture. Pray to hear his spirit.
3 Nephi 29
The sayings that are written in this very chapter and the
Book of Mormon have been brought to many people of the world from the Gentiles.
They have been brought to the house of Israel as well.
You are warned not to deny revelations of the Lord. Do not
allow yourself to lose faith or put it away by believing the Lord no longer
works by prophecy, gifts, tongues, healings or by the power of the Holy Ghost.
Do not put away the Lord and faith in the Lord in order to get money and
things, because in this rests damnation.
3 Nephi 30
You need to turn from all your wicked ways. Turn from any
thing that you do that the Lord would not do. Come to Jesus, he knows the way.
Listen to him thru prayer and with faith follow his instructions. After turning
from your evils, be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost and be numbered among
the Lord’s people.
