Come Follow Me - 3 Nephi 27-4 Nephi 1: A Mini-Millennium

[Music] hello to all my wonderful friends out there it is so nice to see you or in this case not see you but at least Envision you over the last few months I've had amazing opportunities just meet so many uh You Who Came to BYU education week I got to meet so many of you you who came to the restore Gathering that Faith matters put on yeah just even people in the grocery store or like swinging by campus at BYU you're amazing people and honest ly it is such a privilege to join you for scripture

study this is sacred time for me and for you and just to be able to connect with amazing people over amazing things is a true Joy also so many of you have been kind to reach out with condolences about my father's passing and that's meant a lot to me as well I've joked with a lot of you that by now he's probably longone with his uh spirit world MTC training and has hit the ground running and is out teaching the gospel as he always did H continuing to serve with unwearying uh as so many of

us are trying to do here on our side of the veil just grateful for you it really does feel like one big family of Saints on any spectrum of unshaken uh those that are unshaken those that want to be unshaken uh we're all probably both of those at times anyway I'm I'm grateful for you and I hope that you feel that I hope that you recognize that you are one of the ones that I'm hoping to reach with the Gospel of Jesus Christ now today we are finishing third Nephi we are flying through fourth Nephi

as well so that after today by next week we will see the end of the Nephi civilization and then kind of a lot of cleanup that Mormon and Moroni will give us the book of ether and then some more finishing touches from Moroni uh crazy to think that we're getting near the end of our yearly study of the Book of Mormon I hope you've loved it as much as I have but what we have today is is amazing because here Jesus is ending his post-mortal ministry Among the Nephites we get the the other book end

that we saw several weeks ago 3 Nei 11 Jesus comes begins and emphasizes what his gospel really is today he ends that Ministry 3527 by again emphasizing the doctrine of Christ H that that doctrine that gospel is what this whole postmortal Ministry has been about and so to emphasize that on the front end and the back end is key after that I mean 27 is his the end of his public Ministry he'll do a few things more privately in chapter 28 and then Mormon will give us his kind of final thoughts in 29 and 30

and then we have forth Nephi okay but what's interesting to me about 1i 27 particularly as the Capstone of this ministry think about what Jesus has been doing and what we've been focusing on these last several weeks in third Nephi he Jesus came to teach the Gathering he then gave a pre-enactment of the Gathering keep Gathering people to him he then quoted all kinds of Old Testament scripture that prophesied of the gather Gathering and now that he's wrapping things up he has one final sermon to give and he guesses what the sermon is going to

be about the Gathering and yet this time he takes a different approach to it and I love what Jesus does in chapter 27 because in so much of the the prophecy and the the pre-enactment it's a physical Gathering to a place and this geographical Gathering is key the lands of our inheritance right but in reality it's the spiritual Gathering that is of far greater Eternal importance and so in this final description of the Gathering it is going to be so much more personal so much more relational so much more spiritual that Christ came to gather

us all to him so that as the Good Shepherd he could take all this gathered flock and bring us back home to God that will be the message of chapter 27 now it starts in an interesting way the people are all United Mighty prayer fasting they they're they're doing the things that Jesus taught them to do and then Jesus reappears among them now he asks them what he what they want he's going to do the same thing for his 12 disciples in the next chapter but here he's asking the disciples or or the the Saints

what do you want and they say we want to know what to call the church because and here they probably have their tail between their legs there's been some disputation about that well cue the face poem right it's like serious disputation what what does he say in the first chapter they're can't be disputations here that's back in chapter 11 that's that's contention anger disputation that's the tool of the adversary that's not my spirit not my Doctrine and remember this is the third of the three rounds the first round back in chapter 11 how are we

supposed to baptized we're fighting over it and Jesus says quit fighting back in chapter 18 how do we administer church discipline and balance the worth of souls with the sanctity of the sacraments because we've been fighting about that and Jesus again good question important things to settle but don't do it in the wrong way eliminate contention and now in chapter 27 what are we supposed to call the church we're fighting about that too stop the fight ironically when President Nelson re-emphasized in our day the proper name of the church the full name where we can

include Jesus Christ as the head of this church yes there was some contention over that as well and president Nelson even called it out in advance saying yes this is going to be hard to implement and there will be some friction and people that don't understand may we be kind and compassionate as we work with them okay I mean heaven forbid that if we're can you picture the the irony of fighting over the name of the church when the name we're fighting over is the name of Christ The Prince of Peace yeah we got to

get past that and so he works them through that now one of the things he says there is verse four and five verily verily I say unto you why is is it that this people should murmur and dispute because of this thing have they not read the scriptures which say You must take upon you the name of Christ which is my name for by this name shall you be called at the last day simple answer right I guess they didn't realize just how serious he was and how literal he was about taking upon ourselves the

name of Christ not just symbolically at baptism not just part of this Covenant connection and the family of of Jesus but as members of the Church of Jesus Christ Christ the father Church The Mother We coming together to be raised by this Covenant pair okay this Covenant couple but I also love the just the slight oh corrective that he gives them when he says haven't you read the scriptures I mean just a chapter or two ago I checked your scriptures to see what was missing and saw that Samy the lamanites prophecy wasn't there now that

it is I'm grateful for that but there's so much else in there you may have missed including things that would solve the exact qu questions and problems you're wrestling with right now I honestly wonder what are we missing out on because we don't know the scriptures well enough what Revelations has he already given that we're now asking for currently what answers has he already provided to the questions we're currently wrestling with that's to me is one of the great purposes of studying scripture constantly because there'll be times where it's like whoo has that always been

here that answers the exact question that's been on my mind and the Lord's like yeah it's been there the whole time okay now from there notice what Jesus does in verse 8 because he came to teach the gospel not just clarify Church things okay and what I love is you're going to start to see this shift that's really profound in chapter 27 he's going to take things from ecclesiology which is the study of churches to soteriology which is the study of salvation and from a Christian perspective that's the study of the atonement yeah they in

Divinity School they give you technical terms for everything their questions are ecclesiology ecclesiastical okay it's a matter of how do we baptize and and how do we do church discipline and what's the name of the church and it's church church church and Jesus is like can we talk more about God God God and instead of the organization that we're part of how about the Covenant relationship that we've formed I'll put it this way so often when I meet with people that are struggling in their faith it's faith in the church and I want to talk

to them about faith in God and if they have any of that and so I'll ask them about their experiences with God their relationship with God and they'll keep talking about the church and I'll always say thank you I I appreciate you explaining your church experiences but that's not what I asked about I'm curious about your experiences with God church is just the means God Is the End Church is the scaffolding God and his kingdom that's the place we're actually trying to build and become a part of and so I love that in thiri as

the people have so much on their minds about church church church Jesus says let's shift from church to gospel and make you make sure you understand what the gospel is all about if that if you have that in proper perspective the church will fall into its proper place which is second place and in many ways a distant second a temporary one someday it will come down like so much scaffolding as Elder Maxwell used to say so look how he does it verse eight how be it my church well I know that's your topic so I'll

stick there for a minute how be it my church sa it be called in my name for if a church be called in Moses's name and he chose the right Prophet for that one since it's been this Mosaic dispensation for so long right keeping the law of Moses and so forth well fine you want to be Moses be Moses's Church Great take his name upon you okay if the church is Moses's name then it be Moses's 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 and then notice the pivot if it so be that they are built upon my gospel are you seeing how the Lord is putting these in proper perspective it's important to be part of my church that's great and I love the possessive pronouns here right my church my name my gospel it's his we need to belong to him but if it's merely that we're a card carrying member of the Church of Jesus Christ and we think oh my identity is just I'm one of

his really just because you're part of a an Earthly organization because what about the Heavenly connection it's supposed to be helping you forge so even if it has my name I may not claim it if it's not teaching Ing proclaiming and helping people live my gospel remember gospel is the good news and what is that news look at verse 10 he keeps gives he's going to continue this if statement right if it's built on my gospel verse 10 if it so be that the church is built upon my gospel then will the father show forth

his own Works in it and I love that criteria how can I tell if this is Christ's true church I mean we claim that right we love quoting that verse in the first section of the doctrine of covenants this is the only true and Living Church upon the face of the Earth well prove it well and by their how do we do that part of it is by its name okay this church belongs to Jesus he claims it as his own but the other is by their fruits ye shall know them how can I tell

if this is God's true and Living Church he is truly living through its members and his Works in fact his work and his Glory which is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man is being shown through the lives of that Church's members in some ways what's the best evidence that the church is true we are if the church is working in our lives The Works of God am I becoming more Christlike because of the calling that I've been given as I try to magnify it am I do I feel closer and

closer to Christ because of the covenants I've made through the church the sacrament I partake of every week the opportunities I have to rub shoulders with one another and be a Covenant Community where we have gathered to fast and pray often like the Nephites are in this exact moment is it having a difference are we seeing God's work and Glory within us and among us if so welcome to a church that Christ is willing to claim as his own but again that's Church what about the gospel is it truly built upon that gospel well what's

the gospel look at verse 11 if it be not built upon my gospel if it's built upon the works of men or the works of the devil verily I say unto you they have joy in their works for a season and by and by the end cometh and they are heed down and cast into the fire from whence there is no return interesting options in that verse what is your chur church or your faith or your life built on three possibilities the things of God opposite extreme the things of the devil or middle place the

things of man or woman uh I hope in some ways there's Celestial terrestrial telestial that of course the things of God there's the celestial version things of of Satan the testial version but how many of us are content to live a terrestrial life and hey find joy in it but only joy for a season remember what the Angels asked the women at the tomb why seek ye the living among the dead you're not going to find life in dead places you're not going to find Celestial levels of Joy even in terrestrial experiences let alone in

testial ones okay and so so to me what I love about this we've talked about this before right that there is a Fourth Article of Faith for all of us and the most important decision we make in terms of living it since there's no not living it is deciding what we're going to put in Pole Position those four principles and ordinances Faith repentance baptism Holy Ghost the the key is what are you putting your faith in is it in the Lord Jesus Christ or is it in a work of man or is it in the

work of the devil okay where are you seeking joy and will it be permanent Joy or transitory in in you know for a season because if you whatever you put as that object of ultimate concern there's your faith will affect your behavior there's your repentance you will be Allin in that behavior as you commit to it immerse yourself in it and then seek confirmation that what you chose was the right one it's I've said this before several times we keep going down and up and down and up across the Fourth Article of Faith throughout our

lives our lives as we decide ah yeah that one didn't last long I only had joy in that object of faith for a little season and now I'm kind of tired of it I don't want my behavior to keep falling into lines with that I'm not Allin I certainly don't feel as confirmed in that choice as I once did eventually we're going to lose hope in anything filling that God Gap or we're going to put God there where he belongs we're going to put Christ there and live his gospel for True Celestial joy and what

is that gospel what are we supposed to put in PLL position look at verse 13 Jesus says behold I have given unto you my gospel and this is the gospel which I have given unto you now he's going to spell it out and he says that in verse 13 he's going to say in verse 21 Yep this is my gospel so pay close attention to Everything Jesus says between 13 and 21 because he just bookended it you remember second Nephi 31 when Nephi does the same thing I'm ending my Ministry last and most important thing

I can give you is the doctrine of Christ beginning of chapter 31 I'm going to tell you the doctrine end of chapter 31 I just told you the doctrine so what's in 31 the doctrine and Jesus is doing the same thing so 13 let me tell you my Doctrine 21 that was my Doctrine pay close attention to everything in between now I think what's interesting for us is we typically jump straight forward to verse 16 and think ah yes this is the doctrine of Christ this is the gospel of Christ let's do that let's do

it the wrong way first the way we sadly usually do it jump to 16 it shall come to pass that who so repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled and remember filled with what filled with the Holy Ghost and if he endureth to the end Behold Him will I hold Guiltless before my father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world now which article of faith does that sound like in a nutshell there's the Fourth Article right if we're coming to Christ to be baptized and to repent and be

baptized it must be that we have faith in him so assume faith is present in verse 16 that's so it's driving everything else and then he explicitly mentions repentance baptism being filled by the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end Nephi sitting back there from chapter 31 applauding that's exactly what the doctrine of Christ is okay the Fourth Article of Faith is what we boil it down to but here's what I hope becomes crystal clear in our study this week never quote the Fourth Article of Faith without first quoting The Third Article of Faith there

is an order there for a reason because the Fourth Article is our part we exercise faith we repent we're baptized we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost but what's the chap what's the third article Christ's part without which no amount of our part will do a thing The Third Article of Faith we believe that through the atonement of Christ all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel which are next article Faith repentance baptism Holy Ghost you see how the order is there I recently saw a comment on

a podcast that a friend that I had the friend of of mine and I had done me as a latterday saint him as an Evangelical Christian and we're discussing our differences and commonalities and so forth and somebody in the comments had said something along the lines of oh those latterday Saints they're still out there trying to earn their way to heaven their Article of Faith even says that all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel and I was like oh how dare you take the most important phrase from

The Third Article of Faith out and pretend that you just quoted the whole thing to start Midway through the third article and then quote the fourth again you missed the point and the point was Jesus how are we saved by grace how are we saved through the atonement of Jesus Christ Jesus wants to save us in an eternal Covenant relationship so yes he asks us asks us to participate in the laws and ordinances of the Gospel but it's his atonement that saves us so instead of jumping straight to verse 16 and saying see the Fourth

Article of Faith is right there go back and look for the Third Article of Faith I love that Jesus couches our part in his part so watch his part back to verse 13 where we started behold I have given unto you my gospel and this is the gospel which I have given unto you that I came into the world to do the will of my father because my father sent me this is like what Jesus said when he first descended among them in chapter 11 I am Jesus Christ I'm Alpha and Omega the beginning and

the end I'm the one the prophets told you about but who am I really the one who submits his will to the will of the father I'm amazed that maybe he's just Jesus is saying can I simplify things can I take it down to the Bare Essentials because you you guys over complicate everything what's the gospel it's doing what God asks me to do anything and everything God wants it's that's the wax on wax off right that's the the work of reconciliation that's changing my will so that it goes into harmony with the will of

God that's what it's all for that's why I exercise faith and repent and baptize and receive the Holy Ghost that's wax on wax off that's paint the the the fence and sand the floor and everything else that we're supposed to do in our daily discipleship that's not what saves us but it helps retrain us to be as submissive and obedient a child of God as Jesus J Christ himself is that's the gospel now to be more specific what exactly did Jesus do as he submitted his will to the will of the father for that look

at verse 14 and my father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross that I might draw all men unto me that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the father to stand before me to be judged of their works whether they be good or whether they be evil Jesus is waxing poetic there he's as as literary a master as Isaiah one of his favorite prophets and for him to use this this parallelism

of I am lifted up on the cross so that God could lift you up to me and to him that that verticality of the cross the love God with all your heart might mind and strength the second like un to it reach horizontally love your neighbor as yourself the cross exemplifies those two directions and as Jesus spreads his arms wide on the cross to reach to fulfill the ends of the law and reach to the furthest imaginable Saint or sinner to gather them into the cross where he could raise them back to God God sent

me down so that man could lift me up and I went up on that cross so I could I could turn it I could take those that wood I could take those beams of love and I could refashion them into a Stairway to Heaven I could refashion that cross into rungs on Jacob's Ladder how's that for ordinances and Covenants and everything else how's that for Rising with God excuse me Rising with Christ to come back to God think about the beautiful line in the hymn more Holiness give me no excuse me I love that hymn

too the hymn Nearer My God to thee okay in Nearer My God to thee it's the whole song is really about Jacob's Ladder but as soon as we connect Jacob's Ladder to the cross that object which truly does connect Heaven and Earth and allow us to ascend Homeward think about these magnificent lyrics Nearer My God to thee nearer to thee even though it be a cross that raiseth me Jesus was willing to get that much closer to Heaven by sacrificing his life for us and yes we latterday Saints who so emphasize Gethsemane we must not

do so at the expense of calvary I love what John Hilton has taught us all in his magnificent book about the importance of the cross that this is that he and I have had amazing conversations and he very gently has offered me some course correction which I'm so grateful for I love John that great job emphasizing Gethsemane we Latter-Day Saints do that better than anybody but again never disconnect it from Calvary and here Jesus himself is emphasizing Calvary it is me on the cross that saves you take your sins take your Sorrows take your sufferings

and nail them to the Cross those things will actually you actually raise you lift you closer to me help you join the fellowship of my suffering and together with that cross we will Ascend extending arms outward to bring as many other people with us as we can there's the Gathering but not just a gathering to some kind of temporal Zion not just a Jerusalem old or new a gathering to Jes Jesus himself who then gathers us gathers us back to God in some ways the Cross of Christ is the shepherd's crook of the Good Shepherd

himself and when he asks us to take up the cross daily he's extending his cross to Shepherd Us in to him what a magnificent horizontal and vertical combination that exemplifies the love of Jesus Christ for us all and the love of Jesus Christ for his father that's why the father sent Jesus in the first place do you sense The Third Article of Faith in all of that again what he says in 13 what he says in 14 that's all Third Article of Faith so that by the time he gets to 16 he can put the

Fourth Article of Faith in proper perspective once he does it notice what he says in verse 19 no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be that they have washed their garments in my blood because of their faith and the repentance of all their sins and their faithfulness unto the end you see him once again connecting third article and Fourth Article that yes you have faith yes you repent and everything that goes along with it yeah you you are faithful to the end but what are you immersing

yourself in what are you being baptized into my blood it's just like we've replaced rep placed wine with water in the sacrament we've replaced blood with water in the baptismal font go back to Revelation 14 it is it is blood that issued out from the GE from Gethsemane wine press it is blood up to the horse bridles we can immerse ourselves in that and so for Jesus to bring in Calvary in verse 14 and Gethsemane in verse 19 of course there was blood in both places but to see his sufferings and death which are always

connected in the Book of Mormon Gethsemane Calvary coming together to open a way for us to come home we are gathered through Gethsemane we come together at Calvary that's Gathering to God from 19 notice what he says in 20 now this is my commandment repent all ye ends of the Earth come unto me which you'd only do if you had faith and be baptized in my name that you may be Sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost that you may stand spotless before me at the last day ah yes there's the Fourth Article of

Faith yet again but you see Jesus going back and forth back and forth between the third and the fourth my part he would is saying requires your part to accept what I'm giving but don't think for a moment that your part means a thing without my part surrounding it saturating it in my spirit I again you want to know the doctrine of Christ who better to teach it to us than Jesus himself and I've as much as I love second Nephi 31 and Nephi's plainness in which he glories no it's the Jesus that he glories

in even more and here Jesus himself is explaining it as beautifully as anyone could he then says in verse 21 verily verily I say unto you this is my gospel okay there the other book in you got it now and ye know the things that ye must do in my church for the works which you have seen me do that shall ye also do for that which you have seen me do even that shall ye do now did I clarifi the word of emphasis sufficiently there do as I'm doing is not just a cute little

primary song in some ways that is the ultimate Christian hymn am I doing what Jesus sent me to do am I doing what he did he is the ultimate example so may I come follow him but what I love about this is in Jesus's words here it's not just about the doing it's about the being in fact the do the wax on wax off is just to give us righteous reflexes to build up the spiritual muscle memory so that we can become the black belt spiritually speaking that Mr Miagi wants us to become okay so

when you see in 21 do do do look at verse 27 for the opposite actually not the opposite for the Fulfillment therefore what manner of men ought ye to be verily I say unto you even as I am and I wonder they capitalize the I obviously like who should you be like well like me like I but also maybe they should have capitalized the a of am because it's not just like I am but be like I am I am that I am the god of Moses the god of Abraham Isaac and Jacob the god

of the Gathering Jehovah himself be like him be like the premortal Son of God be like the Mortal Messiah be the postmortal Jesus Christ that's now ministered among you be like Jesus in all of his magnificent spectrum of attributes become like him that's what the church is trying to accomplish that's what the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are trying to make us into I think we're all familiar with the story about President Kimble offering a slight correction on that beloved hymn I am a child of God teach me all that I must know

president Kimble thought well knowledge is important but what if it doesn't get translated into action so how about teach me all that I must do to be with him someday well I wonder if it's time for a second round of improvement since the doing is only preliminary to the being maybe it's time to sing teach me all that I must be to live with him someday even as he is we must be also well from there notice what Jesus says at the end of it all he is now concluding his public Ministry Among the Nephites

he's going to have to leave and yes you better believe they're probably looking at him longingly as if they would ask him to T but no there's not going to be a repeat at least not in the text of the chapter 17 experiences we saw a few weeks ago instead Jesus concludes with this let's read verse 30-32 Now Behold my joy is great even un fullness because of you and also this generation yay even the father rejoices and also all the Holy Angels because of you in this generation for none of them are lost there's

the Good Shepherd who doesn't want to lose a single lamb and he's thrilled he's joyful he's it's it's a fullness this is the opposite of what we saw back in chapter 89 and 10 with all the destruction of the wicked when the devil is the one rejoicing laughing his angels cheering it on right alongside him now now it's the opposite it's it is the father and the son and the holy angels of heaven rejoicing over the Heavenly situation that has spread across this part of the Earth but that's not the end Jesus then goes on

and says behold I would that you should understand now he wants this next line to be crystal clear this is like me as a professor saying now this you need to know for your final exam oh nothing gets the attention of a classroom quite like that all eyes on me all ears get their pens out ready to take down the notes cuz this one's important okay so here's something you've got to get I want you to understand it here it is I mean them who are now alive of this generation none of them are lost

in them I have fullness of joy like whoa you are being so specific now as opposed to later this as opposed to that these people as opposed to those other people whoa why so specific because I have bad news for the future he says behold it sorrow with me it's breaking into my moment of joy of fullness of joy but it sorth me because of the fourth generation from this one they are LED away captive by him even as was the son of predition for they will sell me for silver and for gold and for

that which moth doth corrupt and which thieves can break through and steal and in that day will I visit them even in turning their Works upon their own heads they sold me I'm going to make sure they understand that in reality they sold themselves because I'm the only one that wants to buy them with a price Lucifer will give nothing for you and so in selling me you've sold out on yourselves and the law of the Harvest requires that the piper be paid talk about it and some again maybe Jesus is taking a page from

Isaiah because Isaiah especially near the end teaches so much mercy and then like the very last couple of verses are this little gut punch this little twinge of Justice just in case we overswing the pendulum and think that Mercy has no bounds and can rob Justice without ever having to pay anything now there's a reminder at the end of Isaiah and here's this reminder at the end of Christ's Ministry Among the Nephites you can't presume upon my grace and just because this generation the one right now the one I'm to talking to and looking at

you guys are amazing fullness of joy you bring me your children will do amazing your grandchildren will do amazing but your great grandkids no wonder I groaned when I bless your children because they grandchildren the the worth of souls is great in my sight I'm trying to to take my cross and bring in every wandering lamb but by the fourth generation their flock will have become so unruly as to rise up in Rebellion against their Good Shepherd and trample me under feet you understand that that just takes a piece out of my current Happy State

I can't help but think of the long road and what happens at the end of it and to me ironically the people would have known that parents raising children wondering about their great-grandchildren those children raising their children worried about their grandchildren every they know what's coming Jesus has spelled it out he's made it Crystal Clear it's almost like up ahead the road curves there's a big tree make sure that you turn there's going to be road signs there's going to be arrows there's going to be flashing lights Please be aware and yet we steer our

car straight into the tree head on collision when we were told in advance what to avoid that sounds like what God has been warning us about all along what prophets have cried repentance about since the beginning may we avoid these kinds of collisions especially the ones that could be prevented if we just paid attention and prepared now there he ends chapter 27 and in 28 I can just sum it up in a couple of words I'll let you read it verse by verse it's amazing but the public Ministry is over here's the private one he

he' asked the public what do you want we want to know what to call ourselves as as the church and then he asks the private these 12 disciples what do you want I love that Jesus is ending his ministry ask and you shall receive seek and you shall find knock it shall be open unto you what is it that you seek well as you recall in chapter 28 nine of the 12 love Jesus so much they want to be with him as quickly as possible as soon as our work here is done oh don't let

us linger bring us home in some ways that was my dad that my dad got that that dream come true uh I so like what Maxwell said don't make me just stay here in some kind of incapacitated State heal me or take me but I just want to be in the game give me a jersey don't make me sit on the sideline for years of slow deterioration I some I know some of you have had to suffer through that through no fault of your own and through very great desires to the contrary please trust God's

will in that too but I love the will of these nine and Jesus honors it that's a righteous desire I'll give it to you in fact he's eerily specific and he says when you're 72 you'll come back and you'll come back home I can only imagine what the 72nd birthday party for these nine disciples would have looked like I don't know if if it was going to happen on the day or sometime during that year I'd be kind of walking on eggshells for that last that last year uh is my birthday party going to end

up as the funeral it but Jesus tells them that's a good length of a life okay three score years and 10 I'll even give you two extra and then when it's over you'll come rushing home to me they're thrilled in fact they're so thrilled that the other three are a little embarrassed because that's not what they wanted they couldn't even bring themselves to ask it says in verse 5 of chapter 28 that they sorrowed in their hearts for they Durst not speak unto him the thing which they desired and why not because they were comparing

their desires to the desires of the nine and Jesus had a plotted the the nine he he gave gave them their their wish list and what's better than wanting to come back to God to climb the vertical beam of the Cross as quickly as possible to scale Jacob's Ladder and get back home ASAP and their desire compared to that one I can't even bring myself to ask now I'm embarrassed and yet when Jesus perceives that knows what's on their mind and in their heart and lets them know oh you three you're just like John my

beloved who wanted as much as he loved me he was beloved and he I was beloved of him as much as he loved me as much as he wanted to be with me he wanted everyone else to be with me too so he chose to stay he wanted he asked he can I keep on serving that was my dad's dying wish with that three-word sermon about time and help and everyone and John just wanted time to help everyone come back to God and that's what these three want but in comparing their desire to the desires

of other people they felt less than it's interesting Jesus actually elevates them above probably not to make the nine feel bad that's not never the intent uh it's no they had a great desire but yours in a way was greater because you want to do a greater work than what you've done done here that was exactly John's Hope in some ways 3528 is the book of Mor equivalent of John 21 and then read a little Doctrine Covenant 7 to go along with it okay H and together with those you see both goals both of which

are glorious for one I want to climb the the the cross as quickly as possible and for the other I want to extend the Cross Beam of the Cross as far as possible give me all the time I need to gather every lost sheep back to the Cross so that we can climb it together you understand and again back in John 21 I love the scene because you get the nine disciples personified in Peter and the three disciples personified in John they're out there on the boat haven't caught a thing a stranger appears on the

shore hey caught anything no well why don't you try the other side of the boat and they're like whoa Deja Vu when they catch a load so heavy the boat feels like it's going to sink again there's the real Deja Vu to the point that they finally recognize who it was on the shore all along and Peter Dives in the water and swims as quickly as he can to be with Jesus I can't wait on the wind or the oares I want to come home as fast as I can sound like the nine Apostles or

the nine disciples meanwhile what does John do oh of course he wants to be with Jesus but Jesus just provided us provided us with all these fish and he doesn't want to lose a single one in fact I've numbered them there were 150 and three okay bring them all and so even though it's slowing my progress down picture all the drag for them from those full Nets even though it keeps me from seeing Jesus quickly I'll have a net full by the time I get there by the time I get to him and they'll want

to be with Jesus too I I love the nine I love the three I love Peter I love John I love that Jesus loves them all and honors those differences between them I hope that we aren't comparing and competing in the desires of our heart have the courage to ask whatever it is that's most deeply within you yearning for a gift from God well the rest of the chapter is kind of Mormons wrestling with how does that work how they got the promise you will not taste of death you'll enjoy a 72nd birthday with no

pressure no no worries and 172 and a 2702 and you get you get the drift okay you're going to run out of candles someday but you're celebrating me the light of the world not just how many years you've lived okay it's about bringing these Souls unto me and Jesus even says to them there's a great verse in verse 9 I love this one he says ye shall not have pain while you dwell in the flesh neither sorrow well save it be so there's a catch here there is one kind of Sorrow that's inescapable sorrow for

the sins of the world all this will I do because of the thing which you have desired of me for ye have desired that you might bring the souls of men unto me while the world shall stand interesting that Jesus could save them from physical pain and even save them from physical death but spiritual sorrow is unavoidable especially when it's for the sins of people you care deeply about the very Souls you were trying to save you asked for Greater Life to give that life to others and they are choosing death instead and that is

devastating no wonder we worship a God who weep who cannot save himself from such sorrow and of course cannot save these disciples from that sorrow either well like I said the rest of the chapter Mormons wondering how did that how' that happen how did something change were they resurrected is it full Resurrection is it a partial Resurrection I'll let you and Mormon figure that out between the two of you okay but it is interesting that that's just something that's really on his mind maybe part of the reason is because he's met them 400 years later

they have ministered to Mormon himself that's good he was probably lonely for like-minded disciples well Mormon also butts in a little bit inter not interrupt because it's the story's over now Jesus has ascended he's left it in the capable hands of these 12 and then Mormon gives us his final thoughts in chapter 29 and Chapter 30 he provides the Capstone to this glorious book of third Nephi I'll just read a couple of verses 29:1 he says 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 the Gathering that is is already beginning to be fulfilled that's Mormon's version of or his rendition of 3i chapter 21 when Jesus keeps saying what's the sign that it's go time for God the coming forth of the book of Mormon it's the tool of the Gathering It's The Sign of the Gathering it's the green light that the Gathering is now underway so Full

Speed Ahead Mormon wants to remind us of that he then says in verse 2 and three ye may know that the words of the Lord which have been spoken by the holy prophets shall all be fulfilled ye need not say that the Lord delays his coming unto the children of Israel you need not imagine in your heart 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 so please don't get impatient thinking ah what's taking what's taking

so so long why is he delaying his coming oh he's just hoping that more people will come to his side of the field before he unplugs the scoreboard okay don't get frustrated don't lose hope don't lose Faith don't succumb to a secular world that has sucked the spirituality out of practically everyone hold firm the signs been given given it's go time the father is at work the Gathering is gathering momentum be a part of it hold steady he then says in verse six yay woe 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 that's a huge concern for both Mormon and Moroni who saw what happened to their civilization when they lost hold of all those objects of faith and then saw our day doing the same we cannot succumb to that so Mormon concludes with Chapter 30 verse 1 and two hearken oh ye Gentiles that's all he's got we're going to have this book first so listen up initial audience so

you can bring this book to the ultimate audience you Gentiles hear the words of Jesus Christ the son of the Living God which he hath commed commanded me that I should speak concerning you for behold he commandeth me that I should write saying Turn All Ye Gentiles and remember turn is the word for repent so repent Gentiles turn from your Wicked Ways repent of your evil doings and then he get specific of your lying and deceiving and of your whoredoms and of your secret Abominations of your idolatries of your murders of your priest crafts of

your envy and your stries did I miss anything well blanket statement from all your wed wickedness and Abominations you got to get past that so that you can come unto me and be baptized in my name that you may receive a remission of your sins and be filled with the Holy Ghost that you may be numbered with my people who are of the House of Israel that's your only hope you Gentiles to become Israelites to become part of God's covenant people by by embracing ing the Covenant yourself that will require turning it will require repentance

and faith and baptism it'll require the Fourth Article of Faith which we just learned always requires the third with that Mormon almost ends things with a caution well not almost he does this is what we have to overcome or we will steer straight into oncoming consequence their fourth generation or ours that in some ways is why at least as I can understand it that's why Mormon gives us a fourth Nephi the way that he does you see fourth Nephi is odd because it's the best of times and the worst of times all in a one

chapter book Mormon who who can't even include the 100th part oh seems like he doesn't even give us give us the 1,000th part in fourth Nephi because a thousand Parts would be a thousand years a full Millennium which is what we're hoping for in the parallels tracks between Book of Mormon and last days after the second coming of Christ is the millennial Reign A Thousand Years with the Prince of Peace for the Nephites it was a shorter Ministry of the Risen Lord and then a shorter mini Millennium that followed but absolute peace that then unfortunately

descends into absolute Annihilation you see we had Armageddon before the Millennium but we'll have Gog and Magog after the Millennium we'll have a thousand years of Peace but then Satan will be loosed for a little season before the end of all things and in fourth Nephi you do get the mini Millennium you get Zion built but then you see the downfall of the nephite civilization until Mormon starts his book next week and ends the nephite civilization by the time you get to the sixth chapter okay so best of times yeah worst of times oh yeah

and sadly in a in a chapter that only has about 45 46 verses we only get about 18 or 19 for the good news they finally made it Mormon explain to to describe it all I'm going to do that extremely briefly you want Zion then build it and you'll see what it's like live it and you'll know what experiences there entail no I actually want to make it more of a cautionary tail because sat otherwise you're going to be driving you're going to plow into the tree when the curve comes so notice this for it

I want to I want to preface it with one uh one passage from 3i 26 okay if you go back with me a few pages look at 3i 26 verse 19 and 20 and see if you can spot Zion poking out here remember God or the Lord defines Zion in Moses 7:18 the Lord called his people Zion because they met four criteria because they were of one heart one mind they dwelt in righteousness and there was no poor among them okay absolute Unity that doesn't mean they're cookie cutters into every thought and every feeling but

they come into a Unity of the faith one Lord One Faith one baptism okay so one heart one mind dwelling in righteousness there's the vertical keeping the Commandments of God no poor among them there's the horizontal loving neighbor and making sure they are provided for in every way if that's Zion look at 3D Nei 261 19 and 20 it says that every man was dealing justly one with another o sound like one heart how could I hurt you or harm you when we are of the same heart of course I'll be just with you you're

just with me how at this line they taught and did Minister one to another o sound like one mind as we're getting on the same page accepting the same teachings it says they did do all things even as Jesus had commanded them oh sound like they're dwelling in righteousness yeah keeping every commandment and it says they had all things common among them oh there's the no poor among them Clause okay Jesus has come and established Zion Among the Nephites we'll now fast forward and get to Fourth Nephi and look at the second and third verse

again it's a Zion people in fourth Nephi 1: 2 and 3 it says there was no contention or there were no contentions and disputations among them pretty good description of one heart and one mind we're we stopped fighting each other it says that every man did deal justly one with another and that's another good depiction of dwelling in righteousness absolute Justice we're following it and then the fourth part they had all things common among them therefore there were not rich and poor Bond and free but they were all made free and partakers of the Heavenly

gift if that's not no poor among them I don't know it is it's all right there as I've explained several times with you we live in a day where one political party seems to prioritize dwelling in righteousness as they Define righteousness and the other political party spends their time prioritizing make sure there is no poor among them as they Define poverty and as a result of those two being so at odds with one another we're never going to be of one heart and one mind under those circumstances which means we'll never be Zion for us

to become it we have to prove the contraries we have to reconnect the cross and bring those together in harmony in unity in love and love is what defines these people you'll see it throughout notice in verse 12 they continue in fasting and prayer like Jesus had taught them in 13 there's no contention among all the people and all the land that's got to go and it did in verse 15 there was no contention in the land why because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people it dwelled there

love was occupying the premises so there was now a No Vacancy sign whenever contention reared its ugly head like nope no space for you love dwells here he's not just passing through okay she's not just popping in for a quick visit no love abides here permanent condition and as a result verse 16 and 17 surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God there were no robbers nor murderers neither were there lamanites nor any manner of Hees they were in one the children of

Christ heirs to the kingdom of God nothing to divide them no wonder they were one heart one mind no wonder they could have all things in common with each other they had a common identity now of course we all have sub identities right we're not cookie cutters we're not the same person but to have every lesser identity subsumed in the ones that matter most it's what president Nelson Has emphasized repeatedly yeah other identities fine but first and foremost you're a child of God and a child of the Covenant and a disciple of Jesus Christ hold

on to those and the other identities will fall into proper place or fall off altogether can you imagine that not living in a time of IES there's not not these this little minor tribalism that gets us up in arms against one another oh election season sure sure would be nice if there weren't IES fighting each other okay notice by the way uh what happens as a result well not as a result in opposition to this those first 17 verses or so are marvelous that's the best of times and how quickly they begin to fade in

Mormon's narrative once you get to verse 18 He says how blessed were they for the Lord did bless them in all their doings yay even they were blessed and prospered until 110 years had passed away the first generation from Christ had passed away there was no contention in all the land I still love Verse 18 except for one word prospered because as we've met the pride cycle so many times we've gotten dizzy it always seems to start with prosperity which leads to Pride which leads to wickedness and destruction and so on now so far so

good by the time you end verse 18 but I wish we could end right there we can't because sure enough this is the the tip off the hint that the pride cycle has begun to rev its engine again and we're starting to rotate in the wrong direction now it goes slowly at first just glacial speed because another hundred years or so takes place as they hold on to their prosperity oh this marry go around is not is not moving fast but boy does it pick up speed starting in verse 20 it says there was still

peace in the Land save it were uhoh uhoh there's an exception save it were a small part okay at least it's small a small part of the people who had revolted oo that's a bigger word revolted from the church and taken upon them the name of lamanites therefore they be there began to be lamanites again in the land it always starts with pride pride of I don't want to fit in I don't want to have to have that identity I want my own and there's this we talk about toxic perfectionism all the time how about

toxic individualism an individualism that becomes almost narcissistic in terms of this is all about me and there I am staring in the mirror instead of looking out the window at people that I can serve I'm no longer lifting people up I'm pushing them down so I can be above them there's the problem and honestly it's all downhill from here individualism seems so innocuous so innocent I mean it's the other side of the contrary from communalism right uh he wants us to be one but he also wants us to be us true but as soon as

you uncouple that contrary and take on individualism at the expense of community when you revolt against the group then your individuality individuality has no common ground to share in and it's it's lightning how fast it goes down from there I will cover it by in lightening terms as well it's a blitz C of sorts but let me just show you the verses in your own time Savor each one actually it's you can't Savor them because it's sour uh but each verse try to put it in modern terms and watch how each one leads to the

next it's fascinating I'll do a quick overview view okay starting starting in 20 what we just what we just saw there's division okay based on a kind of individual individuality that revolts against the collective okay there's division verse 24 you start to see pride I told you the cycle was on its way and materialism you see phrases like costly apparel and the fine things of the world the more that takes hold then in verse 25 it's a selfish individualism with phrases like their substance was no more common among them I want more than you so

yeah of course it's about becoming number one then look at verse 26 you start to see class distinctions sound like the latter days the phrase there is they were divided into classes and now that were divided and there's classes oh I want to be the upper class right so what's next is vain ambition I got to climb the latter and it's not Jacob's this time it's mine vain ambition in verse 26 they began to build up churches unto themselves to get gain and since now it's all about me instead of about God I can do

things my way instead of God's way and so in verse 27 you start to see some relative some relativism and some permissiveness it's an uncoupling of another set of contraries namely Justice and mercy and it's almost like neor Doctrine hey if I preach the easy stuff with no hard saying and of course they come flocking and if they come flocking to my church and start putting more and more in the basket then I my ambition is fed and I can go back to more and more costly apparel right you want to see the relativism in

permissiveness permissiveness look at 27 they did receive all manner of wickedness and did administer that which was sacred unto him to whom it had been forbidden because of unworthiness they lowered their standards and I'm sure they spouted love all the time but a false love a counterfeit charity that was more about self brisement than about lifting other people back to God no they'd uncoupled that it's all about the worth of Souls and who cares about the sanctity of the sacraments but talk about a myopic view of the Soul's worth only short term what's your soul

Worth to me if you'll come and support me okay we're back to popular priestcraft already from there look at verse 29 and you'll start to see religious persecution rear its ugly head because there's these other churches and now there's a competition and they want to keep the true church away the best way to keep a a counterfeit in circulation is to eliminate the real legal tender so let's fight and in verse 29 they did persecute the True Church of Christ well how is that going to affect the members of that true church some may hold

hold firm and stay steady others though it's tough to face persecution and stay strong and so sure enough in verse 30 4 you'll see a loss of faith and righteousness here's the phrase to Mark they did dwindle in unbelief and wickedness well not everyone though but because some did and some didn't now you're going to get to a polarization of Believers and unbelievers and you see that in verse 35 there was a great division among the people and sadly there's even divisions within the church in verse 36 and 37 there's Nephites and jacobites and josephites

and zoramites that's actually what the enemies kept calling them it's the enemies that are trying to subdivide the faithful into smaller factions because then they can fight each other and we don't even have to anymore okay they'll take each other down are are you seeing are you feeling a little twinge of whoa Lord is it I or Lord is this what we're going through too what verse are we on in this downward slide through fourth Nephi from there there is not just divisions within the church there's straight up Rebellion against righteousness this you see in

verse 38 they did not dwindle in unbelief that was a couple of verses ago it's getting worse it's picking up speed it's snowballing they did willfully rebel against the gospel of Christ in fact worst of all they did teach their children that they should not believe man and when you're teaching your kids to be oppositional when you're raising when you're reading anti-mormonism for family home evening trying to turn your children against the very things your parents taught you no wonder the fourth generation's going to fall is it the third generation that's the pivot what ends

up happening is you see it in verse 39 they were taught to hate the children of God you are seeing a rising generation being turned against God and his people a parents that have dismantled the cross and weaponized things so it's not love of God it's hatred of God it's not love of neighbor it's open opposition to them as well then by the time you get to verse 40 the wicked outnumber the righteous it says they were exceedingly more numerous than were the people of God so that by verse 42 with nothing to stop them

they began again to build up the or they again to build up the secret Oaths and combinations oh Gad Anon is smiling with Glee the righteous now what they're up against they become more prideful and self-centered he's like oh I'm not them I'm not falling to that oh but now it's Pride from above to counter their pride from below and what happens verse 43 they became vain like unto their Brethren the lamanites that was probably a slightly different kind of Pride but it was Pride nonetheless and it's leading to their downfall until the righteous are

swallowed up by the wicked and there's no more leaven to leaven the lump you see that in verse 45 the Nephites and lamanites were exceedingly Wicked one like unto another until the righteous disappear verse 46 there were none that were righteous save it were the disciples of Jesus but it's those three Disciples of Jesus maybe a handful of other righteous disciples Mormon's still on the scene he's going to raise Moroni there's a few people that are still righteous we'll meet them in Moroni chapter 7 there there are disciples not just the capital D disciples that

have been around watching this decline for the last few centuries but people that were still staying faithful and not being proud of the fact okay we'll meet one next week a man named amaron we'll get to meet am Mormon his little Protegé as well but by the time all of this is said and done verse 48 and 49 God has withdrawn his word and His prophets they've he's been kicked out by the wicked and they brought on spiritual death they have sold Jesus and as a result they have sold themselves those verses 4849 amaran hides

the records up unto the the Lord that they might come again unto the remnant of the House of Jacob according to the prophecies and Promises of the Lord Mormon's going to help us with that Moroni going to help us with that but will we help ourselves to the feast they've provided will we help one another to come and partake that's the hope of all these writers in some ways like I said we are barreling towards Armageddon just like in Forth Nephi they are sliding down the slope toward Gog and Magog their final battles we've got

to learn to reverse this to swim upstream to climb back up the mountain to not allow no matter how gradual no matter how slow not to succumb to the pride cycle Jesus taught us how it's the Fourth Article of Faith in light of the third it's slipping the gospel and doctrine of Jesus Christ now let me give you a handful of verses to savor in your own studies this week uh beautiful things again go go slowly through it in all the time that you can but here's a list that has kept me thinking and pondering

United in Mighty prayer and fasting have they not read the scriptures take upon you the name of Christ built upon my gospel joy in their works for a season their Works do follow them I came into the world to do the will of my father lifted up upon the cross draw all men unto me Guiltless before my father washed their garments in my blood faithfulness unto the end Sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost spotlight before me out of the books which shall be written even as I am my joy is great none of

them are lost with me ye shall find rest changed in the twinkling of an eye sorrow for the sins of the world bring the souls of men unto me sit down in the Kingdom of my father the Lord will remember remember his Covenant numbered with my people great and marvelous Works wrought by the Disciples of Jesus blessed according to the multitude of the promises the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people there could not be a happier people any manner of IES in one the children of Christ how blessed were

they prosperity in Christ no more common among them a great division among the people they did teach their children that they should not believe taught to hate sorrow for the sins of the world none that were righteous save it were the disciples of Jesus hide them up unto the Lord oh makes me want to hide my children up unto the Lord put them in his safekeeping wouldn't that be a dream come true parents grandparents that fourth generation lies ahead and we must do all within our power to prepare them for the things that they'll face

The Book of Mormon is all that we need as it points us to Jesus the Good Shepherd who will provide us with all that we need I testify of him I am grateful for all he did for me in Gethsemane and on the cross and the least that I can do because of what he did in the Third Article of Faith is me fully coming into him through the fourth [Music] thanks so much for listening to unshaken a proud member of the faith matters podcast Network you can learn more about faith matters and check out

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