3 Nephi 17-19: Come Follow Me Book of Mormon with Sam

Welcome to Come Follow Me with Sam! Some absolutely amazing moments happen in these chapters, some that are unspeakable. In case you hadn't noticed, I don't talk too much about the miraculous events that take place and focus on the teachings for this blog. I think that what I have to say on the miracles would detract too much from these personal events, both in terms with the person who was healed and of you as the reader personally seeking understanding to the meaning of it it. I encourage you to read about the miracles throughout Christ's ministry to the Nephites and ask the Spirit to help you understand what they mean.

This is where greater meaning really begins to flow. It is like the last teachings were a foundation and now the house is being built. I have selected a number of themes and commented on them below.

Time to think (nerd alert)

We are not just machines. We are children of God. That means that we don't just process information a computer. Teachings are meant to not only relay information for storage and manipulation, but, with the help of the Spirit, to cause fundamental changes to spiritual, physical, and processing infrastructure. Essentially, Jesus' words are like code that modifies the circuitry, architecture, and purpose of the machines it runs on. 

What that means is that it is not just a matter of comprehending the logical structures of the teachings. It means that people's physical and spiritual bodies, their emotional systems, and their cognitive functions are all going through a pretty solid stress testing. Things are getting really shaken up. When this happens, we can start to shut down. our subconscious knows when we have had all we could take. Sometimes you can see physiological signs of this happening.

Jesus could see that something along these lines was going on. This is just fine. it just means we need to take some time to let what happened process, flow, and integrate. Jesus tells the people to go back to their homes, ponder, and pray to God to be prepared for the next day.

My bowels are filled with compassion

Can anyone truly know what this means? Is there anyone who can comprehend the compassion of the Master?

What follows from this phrase is one of the most miraculous episodes of Christs recorded ministry anywhere. It transcended human language to describe. 

Built upon my rock

One thing that I think the church of Jesus Christ has succeeded at very well today is avoiding apostasy. In a previous blog post, I mentioned how the devil rots good institutions from within and feeds bad institutions from without. Here, I feel that Jesus gives a lesson to avoid the rot. It seems to revolve around the sacrament. Jesus used specific wording that this is a commandment. That those who follow him will repent, be baptized, and take the sacrament forms the rock. He says that for whomever does more or less than this, the gates of hell are open wide to receive them. That may sound extreme, but once again, go back to the previous posts just before Jesus came. It seems to me that this happened to the people to some extent and can anyone read the record of Helaman and 3rd Nephi and doubt that the gates of hell hung over the people?

I know my sheep and they are numbered

Jesus lays down some interesting policy for how to be welcoming in the church while living the gospel fully. He says to not have people take the sacrament unworthily but to welcome all to the church. 

32 Nevertheless, ye shall not cast him out of your synagogues, or your places of worship, for unto such shall ye continue to minister; for ye know not but what they will 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.

33 Therefore, keep these sayings which I have commanded you that ye come not under condemnation; for wo unto him whom the Father condemneth.

I'm afraid I'm not prepared to comment a lot on these things, but here is one thing to chew on. Church is not a social club. It is an organization organized by Jesus Christ and beholden to him for its' good conduct. We do not make up rules to divide people of righteous and wicked. We follow commandments that God gives us because he is the judge.

Pure religion

I think that chapter 19 is my favorite chapter from Christ's ministry. We can learn so much from the Nephites praying, from the  ministry of the 12, from their baptism, from angels and Christ coming down, and from His prayers. I would like to focus on Christ's prayers. He prays 3 times. 

Here are the words of the first time

20 Father, I thank thee that thou hast given the Holy Ghost unto these whom I have chosen; and it is because of their belief in me that I have chosen them out of the world.

21 Father, I pray thee that thou wilt give the Holy Ghost unto all them that shall believe in their words.

22 Father, thou hast given them the Holy Ghost because they believe in me; and thou seest that they believe in me because thou hearest them, and they pray unto me; and they pray unto me because I am with them.

23 And now Father, I pray unto thee for them, and also for all those who shall believe on their words, that they may believe in me, that I may be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one.

Here He is praying for all those who followed Him and were baptized and received the Holy Ghost. He is giving the intercessory prayer among the Nephites, those words to be united with Him.

Here is the second time

28 Father, I thank thee that thou hast purified those whom I have chosen, because of their faith, and I pray for them, and also for them who shall believe on their words, that they may be purified in me, through faith on their words, even as they are purified in me.

29 Father, I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me out of the world, because of their faith, that they may be purified in me, that I may be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one, that I may be glorified in them.

It seems here that their offering has been accepted, that the people have been purified and glorified.

Here is the third time

31 And it came to pass that he went again a little way off and prayed unto the Father;

32 And tongue cannot speak the words which he prayed, neither can be written by man the words which he prayed.

33 And the multitude did hear and do bear record; and their hearts were open and they did understand in their hearts the words which he prayed.

34 Nevertheless, so great and marvelous were the words which he prayed that they cannot be written, neither can they be uttered by man.

There are things beyond our current understanding that we will one day understand and and reach. Today we can't even conceive of them. One day, we will.