His discourse completed, Christ next turned to the disciples and blessed nine of them to be able come unto him in his kingdom when their mortal lives were ended. (3 Ne. 28:3.) Upon the remaining three, he bestowed the same privilege John the beloved had, to "never taste of death," but to be able to live among men "until all things shall be fulfilled according to the will of the Father...." (28:6,7.) They will be fulfilled, he continued, "When I shall come in my glory with the powers of heaven." (Ibid.) These three Nephites would be "among the Gentiles" and bring about "a great and marvelous work..., before that judgement day." (28:32.)
After enumerating his doctrine during his first appearance to the Nephites, Jesus admonished, "Therefore, go forth unto this people, and declare the words which I have spoken, unto the ends of the earth." (3 Ne. 11:41.) As mentioned above, a similar mandate has been given pertaining to the dissemination of the Book of Mormon. In D&C 84, after stating that condemnation rested on "the whole church" because of "having treated lightly the things [they have] received," the Lord states that they "must bring forth fruit meet for their Father's kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion." (D&C 84:54,55,58.) The Lord then addressed those who would hearken to his voice, saying, "Verily, verily, I say unto you who now hear my words, which are my voice, blessed are ye inasmuch as you receive these things." (84:60.) To such, the Lord promised, "I will forgive you of your sins." (84:61.) That promise, though, was conditional, upon obedience to the following commandment: "That you remain steadfast in your minds in solemnity and the spirit of prayer, in bearing testimony to all the world of those things which are communicated to you." (Ibid..) Then, paralleling the injunction He gave his disciples, mentioned above, the Lord concluded, "Therefore, go ye into all the world; and unto whatsoever place ye cannot go ye shall send, that the testimony may go from you into all the world unto every creature." (84:62.)
The Lord also enumerated the message that we are to bear: "Behold, I send you out to reprove the world of all their unrighteous deeds, and to teach them of a judgment which is to come." (84:87.) We are to "[reprove] the world in righteousness of all their unrighteous and ungodly deeds, setting forth clearly and understandingly the desolation of abomination in the last days." (84:117.) Both of these proclamations we are to bear include elements of both the individual/religious and the national/governmental realms of God's kingdom: the balanced message must be borne.
Christ, our exemplar, teaches us a very important principle in this context. He was the Jehovah of the Old Testament who gave the inspired words to the prophets. Nonetheless, rather than speaking only on his own authority, he appeals to the witnesses that had been given by the prophets of God. He did the same whilst among the Jews. "I have not spoken of myself," he told his disciples, "but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak." (John 12:49.) Note the similar wording use by Nephi, son of Helaman, who is the Book of Mormon archetype for the Lord's servant. He said, "I do not say that these things shall be, of myself, because it is not of myself that I know these things; but behold I know that these things are true because the Lord God has made them known unto me, therefore I testify that they shall be." (Hel. 7:29; Alma 5:44-46.) We, as well, should bear forth God's message, "saying none other things than that which the prophets and apostles have written, and that which is taught them by the Comforter through the prayer of faith." (D&C 52:9.) As Ezra Taft Benson urged, "May we cherish God's revelations more than man's reasoning and choose to follow the prophets of the Lord rather than the precepts of men...."(1) In 3 Nephi, Jesus concluded, "...the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do...." (3 Ne. 27:21.) Citing the words of the prophets was a definite portion of that which He did. His disciples followed this pattern as well, for they "ministered those same words which Jesus had spoken -- nothing varying from the words which Jesus had spoken." (3 Ne. 19:8.) Note that this last reference occurs in the interim verses between the central points (g/g') of the Chiasm Covering the First and Second Appearances of Jesus Christ -- probably placed there for emphasis.
Incurring the Justice of an
Offended God
After speaking of the three Nephites being sent as messengers in the latter days, tying into the theme Christ enumerated in his final words, Mormon then warned, "Wo be unto him that will not hearken unto the words of Jesus, and also to them whom he hath chosen and sent among them; for whoso receiveth not the words of Jesus and the words of those whom he hath sent receiveth not him; and therefore he will not receive them at the last day; and it would be better for them if they had not been born. For do ye suppose that ye can get rid of the justice of an offended God, who hath been trampled under feet of men, that thereby salvation might come?" (3 Ne. 28:34,35; D&C 76:32; 2 Ne. 28:32; 2 Pet. 3:7.)
These chiastic structures in 3 Nephi, along with the other scriptures we have considered, in combination with the parallels in Book of Mormon history, provide us with abundant insight regarding what that denial of Christ will entail. The proud, the wicked, the hypocrite; harden their hearts against such understanding, and will therefore by default be likely participants in denying Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, so long as the night is not yet come, they can still repent, for the Lord's "arm is lengthened out all the day long." (2 Ne. 28:32.)
Woe Unto Him That Shall Spurn
at the Doings of the Lord
With all these things in mind, consider now the current application of Mormon's admonition in the closing two chapters of 3 Nephi -- the end of the Third Nephi structure. Having been commanded by Jesus as to what and how to record the events surrounding Jesus' three appearances to the Nephites, and having been thoroughly appraised by the Lord concerning our day, Mormon would have known what would be expedient to include in the conclusion of the powerful message that is carefully portrayed in Third Nephi. Here is Mormon's capping admonition.
CHAPTER 29
AND now behold, I say unto you that when the Lord shall see fit, in his wisdom, that these sayings shall come unto the Gentiles according to his word, then ye may know that the covenant which the Father hath made with the children of Israel, concerning their restoration to the lands of their inheritance, is already beginning to be fulfilled.
2 And ye may know that the words of the Lord, which have been spoken by the holy prophets, shall all be fulfilled; and ye need not say that the Lord delays his coming unto the children of Israel.
3 And ye need not imagine in your hearts that the words which have been spoken are vain, for behold, the Lord will remember his covenant which he hath made unto his people of the house of Israel.
4 And when ye shall see these sayings coming forth among you, then ye need not any longer spurn at the doings of the Lord, for the sword of his justice is in his right hand; and behold, at that day, if ye shall spurn at his doings he will cause that it shall soon overtake you.
5 Wo unto him that spurneth at the doings of the Lord; yea, wo unto him that shall deny the Christ and his works!
6 Yea, wo unto him that shall deny the revelations of the Lord, and that shall say the Lord no longer worketh by revelation, or by prophecy, or by gifts, or by tongues, or by healings, or by the power of the Holy Ghost!
7 Yea, and wo unto him that shall say at that day, to get gain, that there can be no miracle wrought by Jesus Christ; for he that doeth this shall become like unto the son of perdition, for whom there was no mercy, according to the word of Christ!
8 Yea, and ye need not any longer hiss, nor spurn, nor make game of the Jews, nor any of the remnant of the house of Israel; for behold, the Lord remembereth his covenant unto them, and he will do unto them according to that which he hath sworn.
9 Therefore ye need not suppose that ye can turn the right hand of the Lord unto the left, that he may not execute judgment unto the fulfilling of the covenant which he hath made unto the house of Israel.
CHAPTER 30
HEARKEN, O ye Gentiles, and hear the words of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, which he hath commanded me that I should speak concerning you, for, behold he commandeth me that I should write, saying:
2 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.
That last proclamation is the "capstone statement" of the Third Nephi structure. The intentional literary construction declares it. These words are from the Savior of mankind, quoted by Mormon, His faithful witness and primary compiler of the Book of Mormon. That is the message that we, Jesus' humble servants and friends, must bear to the world at this time.
< Previous | GT home | VISION OF ALL - home | Contents | Next > |
Endnotes:
1. Ibid., p. 15.
< Previous | GT home | VISION OF ALL - home | Contents | Next > |
