Come Follow Me - 3 Nephi 17-19 (Extended Version): "My Joy Is Full"

[Music] when the son of man cometh shall he find faith on the earth Lord I believe help thou mine unbelief May our testimonies be as deep and as strong as that of Jacob who when confounded by one who sought to destroy his faith declared I could not be shaken [Music] hey everybody I'm Jared Halverson this is unshaken and I couldn't be more excited about what we get to talk about today third Nephi 17-9 when it comes to doctrinal Chapters I have a hard time picking a favorite King Benjamin abinadi Elma and amch Samuel the lonite

alma to his sons there are so many incredible doctrinal chapters in The Book of Mormon but if I had to pick a chapter that was most personally moving because of what takes place there not necessarily what's taught but what occurs it'd be tough to be third Nei 17 what Jesus does in this chapter is one of the most moving scenes that you'll ever find in scripture and one of the most amazing things about it is that it's a bonus chapter in some ways it shouldn't have been here they shouldn't have had this experience but they

did and because they had that experience we get to have an experience with them I love this chapter but to put this chapter in context when we need to go back and realize just how much I've been talking for the last 2 weeks from third Nephi 11 through 16 it took me 5 hours to get through that material and if you went back and watched all 5 hours in a row it would probably be information overload I get it but that's the kind of experience that the Nephites had by the time you get to chapter

15 it's been non-stop from 11 through 16 Christ descending from the heavens ministering to the Nephites one by one which would have taken hours and hours and hours for 2 200 people to come and touch the marks and the hands and his feet to thrust their hands into his side that's an experience that neither party would have wanted to rush to move on to the sermon at the temple explaining the change from the law of Moses to the Gospel of Jesus Christ talking about them as the other sheep and the other other sheep of the

House of Israel incredible day but talk about drinking from the fire hose I remember the first time I ever got to go to General Conference live this was back in the old days in the Tabernacle I was a senior in high school left LA with my parents went up to Salt Lake and got to go to conference my dad had tickets cuz he was the State president at the time and I remember we waited in line even with his tickets to get in and we made it to the Saturday session I sat there in the

Tabernacle so excited to be in the same room as prophets and apostles and as soon as that session was done got back in line and waited and got in for the Saturday afternoon session soon as that was done got back in line and dad and I waited to get into the priesthood session by the end of it my my dad was like you know son I mean Mom's here I'm sure she would love to be able to go to a conference session as well I didn't quite get what he was getting at and so I

said oh that's totally fine dad I should have thought of that she and I can go tomorrow I don't think that's quite what he meant but he was kind and he let Mom and I go to the Sunday morning session and as soon as that one was done got back in line and dad and I went to the Sunday afternoon session I was there for all five and I just couldn't get enough of it drinking from the fire hose you bet but keep it blasting I'm sure that that's how these people felt but it can

be overwhelming in their case and in my case at conference it wasn't just information overload in a way it was inspiration overload I wanted more but I couldn't even handle what I'd already received and that's exactly what's Happening Here look at chapter 17:2 Jesus ever the observant teacher says I perceive that ye are weak he doesn't mean that negatively you're you're human you're more that you cannot understand all my words which I am commanded of the father to speak unto you at this time this was the father's lesson plan and he wanted this teacher to

get through the material as overwhelming as it might have been for those students have you ever felt that have you ever perceived your own weakness that what the Lord is trying to teach you what the father is commanding to be conveyed is just over your head for a lot of people that describes their first experience in the temple receiving their own endowment I remember after my brother-in-law Allan one of my spiritual Heroes after he went through the temple for the first time and received his own endowment he shared a scripture from the Doctrine and Covenants

that described his experience section 78:1 17 and 18 verily verily I say unto you ye are little children and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the father hath in his own hands and prepared for you and you cannot Bear all things now nevertheless be of good cheer for I will lead you along the kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours and the riches of Eternity are yours if the father is trying to give to us all that he has then of course it's going to be overwhelming especially the first time

he begins to open those windows of heaven and pour out Revelation upon us I love those verses you are little children you just don't get it yet and that's okay I will lead you along as I've often said to my students as they're preparing to receive their own endowment prepare to be blown away your first time because this is a lesson the Lord intends to teach you over and over again throughout your entire life and for there to be still some Revelation you haven't had some insight that is yet awaiting you on your thousandth time

through the temple then of course the first time is going to be over your head of course you're going to be drinking from the fire hose and there's no way to bring it all in that's okay you weren't met meant to understand everything your first time you can't bear all things now that's okay be of good cheer the Lord will lead us along and that's exactly what he's doing here he gives them some incredible counsel in verse three important for any of us anytime we feel overwhelmed by something a calling we don't think we'll ever

grow into an understanding that we don't think we'll ever fully grasp the book of Isaiah or Revelation I mean there's so many different examples of having this experience I'm sure you've had it just like I have but verse three there are five pieces of advice the Lord gives them therefore number one go ye unto your homes just pull yourself out of this situation that's okay don't feel like you have to master it all right now or right here in fact Elder bedar has taught going home is always the best step because it's there that you'll

fully understand the gospel because it's there that you're really living it so go home after conference go home after the temple go home after scripture study go to a safe place where you can think about these things because that's exactly what he's going to ask them to do second step Ponder upon the things which I have said that's definitely one thing we don't seem to do enough of we want to learn the gospel through headlines or memes or infographics or 140 characters instead of really taking time to think about the things the Lord has taught

us of course it's going to be over our heads this is Divinity speaking to humanity and as he said my ways are higher than your ways my thoughts are higher than your thoughts how much higher how about heaven versus Earth talk about elevation so of course you're not going to get it the first time and that's all right it's the thinking the pondering that really needs to happen to open mind and heart to a fuller understanding of these things it would be a pretty Elementary gospel if we could just get it all the first time

we hear it as I've said Elsewhere One of the beautiful things about the gospel is that it has the lowest possible floor but an infinitely high ceiling a child a new investigator can walk in on ground level sing primary songs understand the basic truths of the Gospel but the most intelligent scholarly well- read well-educated disciple can continue to ascend the staircase and never reach the top I think it's one of the reasons that the Church of Jesus Christ of latterday saints is the exception to the rule that higher education tends to lower spirituality for most

religions across the board the most faithful and active people are typically the less educated and yet within the Church of Jesus Christ amazingly higher educational levels tend to coincide with higher degrees of commitment to the church it's because that ceiling is so high the good news is it means we'll never run out of stairs to ascend the bad news if we can call it that is that as you first start climbing and look up thinking you have to be at the top by tomorrow which you don't that can be overwhelming so go home number one

and think number two third step ask of the father in my name that you may understand I mean it would be pretty ironic to think we can come to know God without God's help it's the relationship he wants not just the understanding of his Revelation so don't be surprised when the Prof professor teaches so deeply when you're in class that you're overwhelmed and confused by it because guess what he really wants he wants you to use his office hours he wants to get to know you I feel that as a teacher all the time I'm

teaching large groups large classes and I just wish I knew my students better and so when they come in and sit down one-on-one in my office I'm in heaven not just because we can get deeper into the kinds of things we were talking about in class but I can get to know them in ways I never would in a classroom setting you see what the Lord is doing here I want you to come to know me but in order for that to happen you're going to have to come unto me for that kind of knowledge

it's relational not just revelatory ask the father in my name to understand that's how true comprehension will come fourth step prepare your minds for the tomorrow you didn't see today's class coming but class is back in session tomorrow be better prepared for tomorrow's lesson than you were for today's even that second time through the temple is so much different than the first because it's not coming as a surprise to you I'll give you an example I hope she'll forgive me for sharing this my older sister is amazing she always knows what's going on half the

time because she's in charge of it she's making it happen she is a mover and Shaker a go-getter don't mess with Kristen but as wonderful as that strength is flip the coin like we talked about in Elma 38 and what's the weakness well if there's ever a time that she doesn't know what's going on then that's really frustrating for her now luckily for her that doesn't happen very often but it did happen the day she received her endowment I was there the two of us had just received our mission calls we would go out practically

simultaneously I beat her by two weeks which I was grateful for but there we were in the temple receiving our endowment and having a similar experience as far as what was taking place on the outside but very different experience Es as far as what was taking place on the inside you see neither one of us really knew what was going on the difference was I'm used to that ignorance and confusion is kind of hey second nature to me that's all right I'll figure it out later on my sister on the other hand is like I

don't get it and I don't like that she's not as used to ignorance as her little brother is now I didn't know any of that at the time I was just kind of trying to soak it all in and so excited like wow I have stuff to think about and study for the rest of my life well I went home after that first experience just energized turn to my scriptures I want to understand what just happened to me my sister went home thinking I don't know if I want to go back and thankfully a wise

roommate of hers who had had her own experiences in the temple first feeling weak that she could not understand all that the father was commanded to teach unto her in his holy house and yet persevering and enduring going home and pondering and asking God and preparing well she said to my sister you got to go back she said hey let's go to the temple and my sister was like oh that sounds great thanks for the invite I'm kind of busy today thankfully that wise roommate saw through that and said no seriously let's go and again

ah it's all right I've got maybe some other time no Kristen you and I we're going to the temple you see the fifth thing the fifth step that Jesus says after preparing your minds for the tomorrow it's I come unto you again we got to go back let's try this again and so she dragged my sister to the temple and my sister had an amazing experience there it was no longer the unknown I mean granted it wasn't yet understood that's going to take our entire lifetime right but at least it was okay I know what's

happening next the temple is the most incredible place of learning you'll ever go that's what he calls it right a house of learning but God is the teacher and symbolism is his teaching Style Just Like The Parables confused a lot of the Jews the temple confuses a lot of latterday saints and it doesn't have to be that way well it sort of has to be be that way if it's going to again last us lessons throughout our entire lifetime but if we'll simply go home and think and pray and prepare ourselves and then go back

learn more open yourselves and continue that process throughout your entire lives do the same thing with scripture when you don't understand it all do the same thing with General Conference do the same thing every time God is trying to teach you bringing Heaven down to earth is hard it's one of the things briam young said he was most impressed with in Joseph Smith that Joseph seemed to have that ability to translate Heavenly things into Earthly understanding Joseph could drink from the fire hose and actually swallow for the rest of us these five steps are the

things that we need to be following if you want a simple pneumonic device turn them all into PW and what do we do whenever we're overwhelmed by the Grandeur of God and the weakness of our own understanding we pause we Ponder we pray we prepare and we persist if we will do those things I testify that we will come to understand the truths of God we are little children but God will lead us along and going over my notes for these chapters I stumbled across an old email that I received 11 years ago this week

from an incredible Institute student of mine back in Tennessee named Stephanie Perry truly a Celestial soul I had given her a CD I made CDs for my students that just had as many conference talks from the Brethren that I could assemble on one and she was listening to one that had I don't know 60 talks about marriage and family on it now that's a tough topic for a lot of young single adults and she was listening to a talk by Elder Bruce arm makoni and she said Elder makoni said a phrase that pricked my heart

he said quote mortality is a privilege unquote Stephanie explained my heart was so pricked that I stopped the CD and pondered out loud mortality a privilege I knew then that I had cause to repent because up to that point I never considered mortality a privilege with all its heartache sorrow pain trials Etc so I talked with Heavenly Father here's the prayer part and asked him to help me learn how to have a better attitude an Apostolic attitude if you will and just like Nephi I got more than I asked for my testimony of many things

was greatly increased at first I had little dribbles of experiences and in those moments I could say yeah I guess this is all right but I did not have my precious experience until Saturday so a few days later I set aside the early part of the day with my scriptures and journal I dedicated a few hours to ponder and meditate and allow the Lord to teach me I can honestly say that the Lord will will match our efforts when I received dribbles of experiences it was because I was giving meager effort however when I made

a greater effort so did the Lord I can now add my testimony to Elder mcon that it is a privilege to live and experience this Mortal life I was blown away by that email not only because of the experience that Stephanie had but because of the effort that led to that experience it took time she went home and allowed some time to pass to think about these things and think about them she did she prayed about them she prepared herself set aside time for the Lord to teach her and teach her he did he returned

to her to continue teaching because she'd come in for office hours I hope Stephanie knows how much that email meant to me and having known what she's gone through more recently a tornado tearing through her home for example I hope she still can rest assured that mortality is a privilege you're awesome Stephanie you're doing great things and knowing Stephanie if she were here she'd say it's not about me and it really isn't as amazing as she is all of us can have those experiences this is the promise that the Lord makes to all now the

fact that the Lord ends with that statement prepare your minds for tomorrow because I'm coming to you again well if he's coming again that means he's leaving in the meantime and that was a cause for concern for these Saints he mentions that back in verse 1 when Jesus had spoken these words everything we just saw from chapter 11-6 he looked round about again on the multitude and he said unto them behold my time is at hand now whenever the Lord says that he typically means business that there's something important that's about to occur and it

needs to happen then when he was sending his Apostles to go prepare the upper room for the Last Supper he tells them go to the Master of the House and say to him the master me saith my time is at hand so prepare this upper room or there's a phrase in Luke when Jesus knows that his time is at hand to return to Jerusalem and it says that he set his face steadfastly to go nothing was going to stand in his way in fact it's then that Peter says no no don't go because they're going

to kill you and that's when Jesus says get thee behind me Satan for thou art an offense unto me when my time is at hand in other words nobody stands in my way and yet notice what happen happens in 3i 17 verse 4 now I go unto the father and also to show myself unto the Lost tribes of Israel those other other sheep for they are not lost unto the father he knoweth whether he hath taken them I love what he just said about the father's personal awareness of his children we consider them lost the

father considers them known we consider them scattered the father considers them soon to be gathered taken is the word he used he knoweth whether he hath taken them this is personal involvement not just letting things happen from the Assyrians this is personal knowledge they are not lost to him now this sounds like a pretty important assignment now right my time is at hand I've got two appointments next and I'm sorry that I can't stay but number one I've got to go to the father this is the son reporting to the father on what he's been

doing and secondly heading off to the Lost tribes the other other sheep that are yet to hear his voice now with those two appointments pending of course the Nephites are going to understand that yeah this the Lord does have to leave but in verse five when Jesus had thus spoken he cast his eyes round about again on the multitude and beheld they were in tears and did look steadfastly upon him as if they would ask him to t a little longer with them they haven't even asked it they can't bring themselves to it's as if

it's as if they would remember we hinted at this back in the sermon at the temple when Jesus says if someone would borrow something of you then turn them not away well they haven't even asked for anything they didn't ask to borrow well but if they would if you can discern notice their needs well Jesus is doing exactly that just the look in those tear-filled eyes is pleading with him please don't leave us in spite of the appointments pending would just stay a little longer have you ever felt that way of just wanting to pause

time kind of freeze frame and just stay in the moment I always feel that during sunsets it's my favorite time of the day but they pass so quickly I felt that way at the end of my five months in Jerusalem I felt like I'd seen everything there was to see in the old city and yet I didn't want to stop feeling what I had felt there can we just stay I felt that at the end of my mission Presidente can I please extend the mission longer I don't want to go home I don't want to

stop what I'm doing here I had a student once Seminary Student 15 years ago come into my office at the end of a semester in tears saying brother alberon I don't want the semester Seminary to end and I thought it's summer vacation go party but what she said blew me away she said I don't want to go back to the person I used to be we would been studying the New Testament that year and coming to know Christ had changed her and just that feeling of I don't want to go back to the old me

can I stay that's what they were feeling here and even without having to ask Jesus perceived that and in verse six said unto them behold my bowels are filled with compassion towards you he uses similar language at the end of verse 7 my bowels are filled with Mercy now I think we understand compassion and mercy but my bowels that's kind of strange my intestines are full of these Godly feelings and yet it's not that weird after all don't we talk about gut feelings or a gut check or feeling things in our guts in our day

we typically associate emotion with the heart and that's a great connection as well but anciently it was often the bowels where you centered the emotional feelings of things they often called the bowels the guts the seat of affections sometimes they even refer to things like the bowels the kidneys the liver most of the things that were sacrificed in the Old Testament there's some meaning some symbolism there they often called them the nobler entrails definitely a fancier way of saying the guts but this nobler entrail lets you know just how deep how visceral this emotion was

for Jesus Christ I just finished writing a research paper about empathy in the Old Testament and I was blown away that whether it was the Hebrew of the Old Testament or the Greek of the New Testament whenever the scriptures talk about Compassion or Mercy on the level of Tender Mercies that it's often associated with words that that convey this sense of kind of heartfelt but more gut centered visceral emotion the Hebrew word usually translated for Mercy or sometimes for compassion comes from the word meaning womb and sometimes even that word for Mercy is translated as

womb or bowels that's how deep it is it's this Wellspring again the womb idea of giving birth to action because of this this emotion that's so deep within you same with the Greek in the New Testament there's two words that are often used for conveying compassion and they both have that sense of inwardness of depth in fact one of them grows out of the word for inward Parts those nobler entrails I mentioned Paul takes both of those words and couples them together in Colossians 3:12 where he speaks of the bowels of mercies kind of a

play on words there or think about Moses 7:41 when Enoch is trying to wrap his head around the concept of a weeping God a God that can be so moved with emotion that has so much personal empathy for his children that Enoch is blown away and when Enoch finally gets it when he shares in God's emotion just like God shares in ours all these links of empathy finally converge this is what Eno's experiences described then Enoch wept and stretched forth his arms and his heart swelled wide as eternity and his bowels yearned and all eternity

shook I know that verse is referring to Enoch but can you picture Jesus on the cross stretching forth his arms his heart swelling wide as eternity again doctors who have studied the accounts of the crucifixion water erupting and not just blood when his side was pierced with the spear they suggest that Jesus's heart must have ruptured that he literally died of a broken heart that his heart swelled wide as eternity his bowels yearned eternity itself shook can you think back to third Nephi 8 the god of nature suffers well that's happening here as the Risen

Lord is looking at tear filled eyes in nephite multitudes that are just silently wishing can I just have more time will you t a little longer I don't want today to end as long as it's been I want longer Jesus's bowel his guts are yearning for these people they are filled with Mercy they are filled with compassion even that word come passion come means with passion means suffering feeling deep emotion and Jesus has just recently the atonement took place not long ago and for him to feel that compassion that con with dissension coming down to

be with us and like us so he would understand us remember Alma's words to the people of Gideon back in Elma chapter 7 that he wanted to know according to the flesh the guts how his people would suffer in fact remember exactly what Alma said that his bowels may be filled with Mercy according to the flesh that he may know according to the flesh how to sucker his people according to their infirmities so no wonder Jesus chooses to stay his bowels are yearning for people whose suffering and sorrow he recently took upon himself he puts

God Almighty on hold he lets the Lost tribes stay lost a little longer so he can stay with this multitude whose Sorrows he feels deeply and personally do you remember when the Risen Lord on that Sunday of Resurrection itself sees a weeping Mary outside the tomb now once she recognizes who he is after he calls her by name she must have thrown herself At His Feet as he says to her touch me not or in other words hold me not don't keep me here I have not yet ascended to my father again he is's putting

his own father on hold why because he sees a Weeping Woman a distraught disciple and he goes to reassure her incredible that the first witness of the Risen Savior seems to be in one of those extra moments the unplanned the unintended but the unavoidable for someone whose bowels are filled with compassion and mercy he stays with Mary for a time he lingers longer with these Nephites the father is eternal he'll be willing to wait the Lost tribes have been lost for 700 years another few days won't make as big a difference but for you another

few days will make all the difference in verse 7 surrounded by these bookends of compassion in six and mercy at the end of seven he says have ye any that are sick among you bring them hither have ye any that are lame or blind or halt or maimed or leprous or that are withered or that are deaf or that are afflicted in any manner he doesn't want to leave anyone out bring them hither they can't even bring themselves they have to be brought by others bring them and I will heal them he understood their suffering

more personally and perfectly than he ever had according to the flesh as ELD Maxwell has said it was experiential for him now prior to that atoning Agony it had always been cognitive Elma says that too the spirit knoweth all things but Jesus condescended so he would know according to the Flesh and having been broken himself under the weight of Agony and Gethsemane he wants to fix all broken things now in verse 8 he says I perceive that you desire that I should show unto you what I have done unto your brethren at Jerusalem for I

see that your faith is sufficient that I should heal you this isn't just curiosity or voyerism it's not just oh well you did it there why don't you do it here no I believe this is more of a sense of oh if only we had lived there we would have seen all these incredible things that you've done their faith is sufficient to be healed and his mercy and compassion were more than sufficient so in verse 9 it came to pass that when he had thus spoken all the multitude with one Accord there's full Unity here

one Accord they're not they're not rushing and trying to trample each other to get first in line no with one Accord they did go forth with their sick and their Afflicted they're lame they're blind they're dumb with all them that were Afflicted in any manner and he did heal them everyone as they were brought forth unto him this is a one by one experience that may even surpass what took place earlier that day back in Chapter 11 and it's not just Jesus's compassion that is so moving here in verse 9 notice how they're described two

letters make a huge difference here because it doesn't just mention the sick and The Afflicted it's their sick and they're Afflicted add the IR and these become possessive pronouns this is my loved one who is suffering no wonder I want to bring them to Jesus their compassion is moving them and in fact their compassion is moving Jesus to any of you who have been a caregiver now that applies to all parents but especially those who are caring for children for loved ones for Aged parents those for whom caregiving comes at a great personal cost I've

never seen a better verse in all of scripture than what Jesus says at the end of verse 7 when Jesus invites them to bring those people their people hither notice the pronouns they teach a lesson that is profound bring them hither and I will heal them for I have compassion upon you you see the difference in those pronouns I'm going to heal them third person apart I'm not speaking to them I'm speaking about them and I will heal them because I have comp comp passion upon you the people I'm speaking to the caregivers that are

going to have to bring them because they cannot come themselves I know how heavy it is to have someone their whole life their concern just weighing upon you I know how tiring it is to care for people who cannot fully care for themselves I know the weight of compassion that comes with that and I feel it too do you have any idea why I fell on my face in Gethsemane I understand the load of love that caregivers bear I feel that weight intensely at home with loved ones with special needs mental illness physical sickness hard

things and I am so grateful that Jesus has compassion upon the caregivers they get lost in the shuffle our eyes immediately turn to the person that we think is most obviously in need forgetting about those often silent sufferers who are pained by proxy and not just the weight of responsibility and work that they're constantly bearing to my fellow caregivers I pray that verse 7 may be an eternal blessing to you that the Lord wants to heal them to bless them because he has comp comp passion upon you he knows what you're doing even if the

person you're caring for has no words or no voice or no memory to be able to thank you Jesus does he feels for you he feels with you and it is compassion and mercy that he feels no wonder verse 10 says that they did all both they who had been healed and they who were whole both parties the Bringers and the brought they all bow down at his feet and worship him as many as could come for the multitude did kiss his feet in so much that they did bathe his feet with their tears we

could stop right there and those 10 verses would still be one of the most powerful passages in all of scripture thi 17 could end and it still be one of my favorite chapters of all time but it doesn't Jesus Is Never Done he lingers longer and having blessed all their sick and Afflicted he then turns to their little children verse 11 it came to pass that he commanded that their little children should be brought so they brought their little children set them down picture how little they must be set them down upon the ground round

about him and Jesus stood in the midst and the multitude gave way till they had all been brought unto him try to picture this if you can this consent Circles of compassion and care with Jesus in the middle surrounded by the little children and then another ring on the outside of their parents their caregivers everyone else surrounding them I I love this mental image especially as I think of my own children or the children in the church the Youth and Young adults just anyone that needs some extra help being brought to Jesus and then to

be surrounded by those that did the bringing you understand what they're trying to keep out and how they're trying to Shepherd them in I don't think we'd lose so many of our youth or young adults if we tried to embody this image to have all church members just surrounding them in righteousness and love compassion and concern pointing them shepherding them toward Jesus verse 13 it came to pass that when they had all been brought and Jesus stood in the midst he commanded the multitude that they should kneel down upon the ground and it came to

pass that when they had knelt upon the ground Jesus groaned within himself that's a surprising verb I don't know if we see Jesus groan like this elsewhere and in that groan he says to the father I am troubled because of the wickedness of the people of the House of Israel troubled that the Innocence all around me here has to be compared just opposed to the wickedness that I have seen in the house of Israel wickedness that I just suffered for in Gethsemane I groan to think of the world that little children have to grow up

into we'll see in fourth Nephi that these particular children had a pretty incredible world to grow up into but generation after generation throughout our history right now as people are having children and bringing them into the chaotic crazy world of 2020 I think there's a lot of great gring going on concerned about what their future will look like well again follow the example here surround them with your spiritual strength bring Jesus into the center of their lives and then your groaning will be matched by his and he will bless them as he does here years

and years and years ago Henry be taught this about this specific verse now for me at the right moment I can begin to feel the pain the Savior felt for sins yours and mine his groan within himself came after he had paid the price for us after the atonement his being troubled was not some abstract grief for our sins and those of the House of Israel his was real pain recently felt as he took upon him the sins of the world I can't experience that but I can sense it enough to have sorrow for what

I have added to it I can resolve to add no more and I can feel determination that I will help offer the full blessings of the atonement to as many as I can because that passage helps me feel in a small way what taking upon him the sins of all mankind cost the Savior you see how this passage moves president iron to live as he lives and do what he does he's one of those Bringers trying to get anyone in the world that will listen to come unto Christ these can be Godly groans we can

be troubled into action that's what Jacob talked about because of faith and great anxiety it was truly made known unto us what should happen to our people couple your anxiety for the rising generation with faith in the Lord's compassionate concern for them and we'll start shepherding believe me verse 15 and then when Jesus had said these words he himself also knelt upon the Earth and behold he prayed unto the father and the things which he prayed prayed cannot be written and the multitude did Bear record who heard him well unfortunately for us they're right what

Jesus prayed could not be written so it hasn't been I wish we could read those words but imagine this description of them verse 16 this is what they recorded the eye hath never seen neither hath the ear heard before so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak unto the father notice that not just what they heard what they they saw when a prayer is not just audible but visible some miraculous thing I don't know what's happening here they don't tell us but to see and hear Jesus speak unto the father 17

continues no man can speak neither can there be written by any man neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak more personally no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the father there are some things that simply can't be explained they can only be experienced it's why missionaries and members are constantly inviting other people to have those experiences for themselves I can't take my heart out and put it in your chest

I can't replace your bowels with mine you have to have these experiences and they will change you as they've changed us I love what Paul says to the Corinthians in Chapter 2 of his first letter that I hath Not Seen Nor Ear heard neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him you see what Paul is saying there it's better than you could possibly imagine I can't explain it and you won't be able to either but you can experience it for yourself in my margin next

to 1 Corinthians 2:9 I have the word Emily written that's my wife she's one of the blessings that God gave to me that was greater than anything I could have imagined I remember my mom writing her a a thank you card while we were dating she probably realized H my son he's going to need all the help he can get she wrote her a letter a car a card and said in it I don't know where this thing is going I don't know if someday you'll end up my daughter-in-law or just be one of my

son's ex-girlfriends but I do want to thank you for proving to my son that the ideals of Womanhood really do exist my wife was proof to a skeptic that it's better than anything I imagined that I have not seen and ear hath not heard you can't conceive of the joy that you can feel when you realize just how much the Savior cares for you how much he's willing to pray for you if you'll forgive me one quick tangent to the Old Testament specifically Isaiah 56 I wasn't sure if I should share this but I feel

like I need to particularly for my brothers and sisters that are in the lgbtq community I've had many students over the years come into my office distraught saying brother howon I know the gospel is true and I'm gay and I don't know what my life's going to look like I want to live the gospel I just don't know how it's going to be and this is the verse of scripture that I always share with them Isaiah 56: 3-8 I won't read the whole thing here with you but he talks about strangers and Unix in other

words the marginalized people that don't feel like they'll ever fit in I'm a stranger in Israel talk about chosen people I'm not one of them I'm an outsider but find myself among you or Unix someone who cannot have children in the Old Testament when the house of Israel everything revolves around the possibility of having seed it's all about the abrahamic Covenant it's all focused on posterity I mean reread the whole Old Testament with an eye to that you'll see it everywhere with the barrenness of Sarah or of Rachel for example of Hannah people just begging

God please give me seed well a unic will never have that blessing at least in this life and yet notice the promise that God makes to them to Outsiders to people who feel like I'll never be able to fit in in a family church verse three neither let the son of the stranger that hath joined himself to the Lord speak saying the Lord hath utterly separated me from his people neither let the unic say behold I am a dry tree these are such natural statements for a stranger or a unic to make and the Lord

is saying don't go there do not say that you'll never fit in you stranger do not consider yourself a dry tree you unic you have a place Among Us you've chosen us and we're choosing you he says in verse four thus saith the Lord unto the Unix that keep my sabbaths that choose the things that please me that take hold of my Covenant these are people who are observing their covenants by sacrifice these are people who are choosing the Lord against the odds you see why I would think of my lgbtq brothers and sisters with

this verse and yet they are striving valiantly to be faithful and when they start to worry and wonder I'll never fit in none of this will work for me the Lord stops them in their tracks recognizes all that they're doing to try to be faithful and then says to them in verse 5 even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls so this is a temple text think of all this in the context of Eternity as it is played out in the temple what will he give them in his house and

within his walls he'll give them a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters I'll give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off that was the big concern for ancient Israel if I have no seed then my name is cut off in Israel I'll I'll never be remembered my family tree dies well these Unix their family tree never grew a dry tree was what they were complaining about worrying over and yet the Lord is promising them an everlasting name that will not be cut off but my favorite is that

middle phrase I know you want sons and daughters I know you want to fit in I know you want all the blessings you see other people seeming to get so easily this applies to so many groups of people within the church right now notice he doesn't get specific he doesn't explain exactly what this blessing will be he doesn't answer every specific question about your situation he doesn't fill in blanks here he leaves the blank open and I've had a lot of students of my own with samesex attraction say I prefer it when people don't say

oh this is how Heaven is going to look for you or this is what's going to change about you no if God has been unclear about this they tend to prefer that don't force your solution upon me God leaves it vague also but what he doesn't make vague is the promise of something even better than you can imagine better than Sons and Daughters what could that possibly be I don't know he doesn't tell us just like the Nephites there in thir Nei 17 I can't tell you the joy that filled our hearts I can't tell

you what we saw and heard Jesus do as he prayed to the father it was inexpressible it was unimaginable but unimaginably good there are times where I wish I could say to my students who are wondering about their place I wish I could be specific but in many ways I'm grateful that I can't be because my description would be beneath what the reality will eventually be only the spirit can convey that superlative let the spirit do just that that's what these Nephites are trying to express in 3 Nephi 17:17 now one other detail in that

verse he was praying for them and that's what filled their souls with such Joy I do Wonder exactly what that means for Jesus to pray for you for him to pray for us remember he says that to Peter to Simon in a moment of not quite rock-like strength yet and he says to Simon I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not to have the Lord pray for us I served a Spanish speaking Mission and it's hard to translate for because sometimes it's Po and sometimes it's para and when I taught at the MTC

that was always of the most difficult lessons to try to teach because the missionaries just didn't get it and half the time neither did the teachers there's this Nuance between por and para and both of them can be translated as four I actually looked up this verse in the Spanish a li de Mormon wondering which one it would be know which one they use no one can conceive of this The Joy which we felt when he prayed for us rogar po noos now there's a lot of nuance in poor if any of you native espano

Ables want to chime in in the comments I would love to hear your perspective on this but there's something about praying poor when we use poor often it's a sense of in place of or in behalf of someone and I wonder if that's part of what Jesus is doing here as well consider it this way it's one thing for Jesus to pray for you to pray that the Lord will bless you I I'm pray like when we pray for somebody oh I'll pray for you I'm going to ask heavenly father to bless you but often

poor in Spanish is used in place of in behalf of like an exchange and I wonder on that side of things if Jesus is also in addition to what we just described praying in their behalf imagine a congregational prayer for example one person is acting as voice on half of poor everyone else and I wonder if that's part of what's taking place too if you consider that while you are praying imagine Jesus praying with you alongside you remember we talked about this with the Lord's Prayer back in chapter 12 our father can you imagine if

Jesus were offering the prayer on your behalf almost a sense of Lord will you speak to the father about this why do you think we pray in the name of Jesus Christ it is the Lord praying for us I don't know I there's still there's something there that I just want to keep wrestling and grappling with I want to better understand how does the Lord pray for me and how can I better pray to the father in The Name of Christ I guess that's a place for me to go home and Ponder and pray and

prepare and keep studying now in verse 18 it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying unto the father he arose but so great was the joy of the multitude they were overcome so is he when he tells them to get up in 19 he then says in 20 blessed are ye because of your faith and now behold my joy is full he was groaning in 14 over wickedness now he is rejoicing over faith honestly that's one of the things that motiv Ates me to do everything I can to try to

build Faith among people throughout the world I do want our faith to be unshaken so that when Jesus returns that's the question he asks in Luke 188 and it haunts me it motivates me he says when the son of man returns will he find faith upon the Earth here when Jesus came among them the answer was yes and it filled him with joy can you imagine our effort s to have a similar experience occur for his sake when he returns in 21 when he had said these words he wept this is the Enoch experience all

over again this is Mary and Martha this is visceral gut filled compassion he weeps with them and the multitude bear record of it it was so shocking to them they had to write this down this was a journal entry he took their little children one by one and blessed them and prayed unto the father for them for years whenever I've read this I always thought he did that back in verse 13 14 15 but no he gathers them he groans over them he begins to pray in 15 but he hasn't blessed them yet it's as

if he's preparing himself he's praying for them praying over them but there's a more direct blessing that comes upon them starting in verse 21 and having blessed them and prayed unto the father for them 22 he weeps again honestly this makes me rethink the way I give priesthood blessings if I'd been too quick to lay hands on head when I should precede all of that with things like groaning Within Myself having a gut check of compassion and mercy of praying unto the father of praying for them of Plumbing the depths of their faith and sharing

with them my joy of weeping with them of mourning with those that mourn before I strive to comfort those in need of comfort what a different blessing it would be if that's how I preceded it well what followed the blessing verse 23 he speaks unto the multitude and says unto them behold your little ones look at them see them for who they are look at the lowly pay attention to the marginalized recognize them for who they are your little ones and as they looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven and they saw the

heavens open and they saw angels descending Out of Heaven as it were in the midst of fire they came down and encircled those little ones about and they were in circled about with fire and the angels did Minister unto them and the multitude did see and hear and bear record they know their record is true all of them did see and hear every man for himself 2500 of them men women children having this Unforgettable experience can you imagine can you imagine as a parent seeing this happening for your children can you imagine as a child

experiencing these things yourselves the ministering of angels encircled about by fire the blessing of Christ one by one does it get any better than 3 Nei chapter 17 but talk about a preview of coming attractions one that we'll have to experience in order to understand there was a story told of President Spencer W Kimble who loved the lowly who reached out to the marginalized who was so short himself that he never seemed to look down on anyone he wanted to lift everyone up to God he was in Chile for an area conference members from four

surrounding countries had come together in a stadium that held about 15,000 people his hosts asked him after the conference is over what would you like to do and he said Eyes Full of Tears I would like to see the children so one of the priesthood leaders announced over the microphone that President Kimble would like to shake the hands or bless each of the children in the stadium and the people were blown away how can he have the time to do this or the energy to keep on going there was a great silence throughout the crowd

and one by one president Kimble greeted about 2,000 children he was in tears shaking their hands blessing them the children themselves were incredibly reverent they looked at him and they were in tears as well he said this is a prophet speaking that he had never felt a spirit quite like that in all his life as Jesus would say to his apostles who didn't think the children needed him they've already been perfected in Christ there's no accountability here what did Jesus say suffer them to come unto me for such is the Kingdom of Heaven what better

depiction than what we just read in chapter 17 such is the Kingdom of Heaven inexpressible Joy better than eye has ever seen better than ear has ever heard better than you could ever imagine Joy filling him because of your faith Joy filling you because of his loving prayers for you offered unto the father seriously go back through chapter 17 someday and just look at all of the verbs of what Jesus does in this chapter Jesus looks and perceives he beholds and looks steadfastly he feels compassion he feels Mercy he perceives he sees he heals he

accepts their emotional outpouring invites them to come closer he groans he prays he weeps He blesses he weeps again and he turns all the attention on these little ones behold them become like them and you will have experiences with him like they did with the incredible experience that the nephite multitudes had with Jesus in chapter 17 being these concentric circles of compassion with Jesus in the middle and the little children around him and all the multitudes surrounding them and the angels coming to minister encompassed about by Heavenly Fire the savior's still not done chapter 18

grows directly out of chapter 17 and I love what the Lord seems to be teaching us here that if you too wish that the Lord would t a little longer with you what should we do chapter 18 as I read it is the Lord saying I do eventually have to leave he'll leave by the end of this chapter but if you want to T with me longer here are some things that you can be doing he focuses in this chapter on four elements four things that you and I can be doing frequently to invite the

Lord to carry a little longer with us those four things are the sacrament Prayer church and the Holy Ghost primary answers but not Primary in terms of juvenile Primary in terms of foundational everything else grows out of these verses 1- 11 is the Lord's description of the sacrament verse one it came to pass that Jesus commanded his disciples that they should bring forth some bread and wine unto him and while they were out finding it he commands the rest of the multitude to sit down verse three once they've brought it he took of the bread

and break and blessed it he gave unto the disciples commanded that they should eat then notice these phrases in four and five and when they had eaten and were filled he commanded them to give to the multitude and when the multitude had eaten and were filled the same phrases appear in verse 9 regarding the wine they did drink of it and were filled and then gave unto the multitude and they did drink and they were filled do you remember what Jesus said in the Beatitudes blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they

shall be filled with the Holy Ghost the sacrament is meant to fill us it's not about the biggest piece of bread or the fullest cup of water like I used to look for on Fast Sunday as a child it's our chance to be filled with things that are so much more filling than food ever could be in verse 5 Jesus says behold there shall one be ordained among you and to him will I give power that he shall break bread and bless it and give it unto the people of my church unto all those Who

Shall Believe and be baptized in my name ordained power he's speaking of priesthood Authority here and it does require power it doesn't require much physical strength at all to break bread but to bless and sanctify it unto the souls of all those who partake of it that does require power and authority from God it's amazing what those 15 and 16 and 17y old priests are asking for in that prayer exercising the power of their priesthood to bless and sanctify something unto someone's Soul we don't believe in the doctrine of transubstantiation we don't believe that the

bread and water change into the body and blood of Christ but we do believe in a transubstantiation of sorts it's not the emblems that change it's the partakers of them that are supposed to am I being changed into someone more like Jesus every time I renew my covenants with him and that is a change as miraculous as any doctrine of transubstantiation would be I'm trying to be like Jesus and the sacrament helps me do so now that certainly doesn't happen after one time it didn't happen when I first exercised Faith or was baptizing his name

no wonder at the end of five he's saying that we need to continue to do this for all those who started the process that way but in verse 6 you shall always observe to do this even as I have done even as I broken bread and blessed it and given it unto you verse 7even he explains in more detail this shall ye do in remembrance of my body this is a memorial a commemoration and notice it's not just in remembrance of the body which was broken and bruised for you here the Risen Lord is saying

do it in remembrance of my body which I have shown unto you that's fascinating to me think not just about the death of Christ and his suffering and atonement but also about his resurrection that this is a living Lord that we are bringing into ourselves this is a body that they just held kissing his feet bathing them with their tears touching the marks in hands and feet thrusting their hands into his side this is a body a person that they have come to know do we think about that when we partake of the sacrament my

own experiences with Jesus times that I have come to know him this is an act of intentional worshipful remembering putting it all back together reming and it shall be a testimony unto the father that you do always remember me I love that phrase too partaking of the sacrament is an act of testimony do you realize on Fast and testimony meeting whoever goes up to Bear their testimony that's actually the second testimony that they born that day the first they did silently as they partook of the emblems of Christ's sacrifice it was a testimony that they

bore unto the father that they will always remember him it's part of what we promise in the sacrament prayer and here's his promise to us and if you do always remember me you shall have my spirit to be with you that's the promise found in both prayers over the bread and the water as well verse 11 repeats that idea of remembering this time in the context of the the wine ye shall do it in remembrance of my blood and then this phrase which also finds a parallel in the sacrament prayer which I have shed for

you I love that phrase I try to focus on it when I hear that prayer offered in sacrament meeting to bless and sanctify this water to The Souls of all those who drink of it that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy son which was shed for them now I know that can be taken collectively Jesus's blood was shed for all of us the atonement was infinite but it was also intimate as president fa used to ask aloud I wonder how many drops of blood were shed for me think about that

the next time you hear that phrase on Sunday the blood of thy son which was shed for them specifically not just collectively in fact there are times to this day that I look for the cup with the most amount of water in it not because I'm extra thirsty on Fast Sunday but rather because I recognize just how much Jesus did for me that I need a deeper cup because of the blood that was shed for me in Gethsemane because of my sins please take the sacrament but take it personally and I don't know of another

phrase that can be taken more personally than that one and then verse 11 repeats for the wine many of the promises made with the bread back in verse 7 that ye may witness unto the father again testimony witness that you do always remember me and if you do always remember me ye shall have my spirit to be with you now go back a verse look at verse 10 he says to his disciples blessed are ye for this thing which ye have done participating in the sacrament administering it to for this is fulfilling my Commandments and

this doth witness unto the father that you are willing to do that which I have commanded you partaking of the sacrament is an act of obedience itself that bears witness to our desire for obedience in general and notice how he starts verse 11 and this shall ye always do to those who repent and are baptized in my name I love that the sacrament is not something that is done for us it's something that is done to us that when the teachers have prepared it and the priests have blessed it and the deacons have passed it

those holders of the ironic priesthood are doing something to the congregation through the ordinance that they are offering us remember we're the things that are being transubstantiated always remembering him having his spirit always with us that's the change that is taking place and if that lesson is suggested by the preposition too no notice the verb do this is something you'll always do you shall do it in remembrance do and did and done comes up so many times in this passage the sacrament is something that you do not just something that you have done to you

this is active rather than passive verse six this shall you always observe to do even as I have done verse 7 this shall ye do verse 10 blessed are ye for this thing which ye have done verse 11 this shall ye always do and ye shall do it in remembrance verse 12 I've given to you a Commandment that you shall do these things and if ye shall always do these things blessed are ye for ye are built upon my rock we take so much of our worship life passively we kind of sit there in church

instead of fully engaging in what takes place there the sacrament we just have it passed to us and rather than allowing it to do something because we're doing something as well we expect the Holy Ghost just to come unto us instead of us going out and fighting an opposition so that we can fully receive it we'll talk more about that in a second but all of these four areas that Jesus is talking about in chapter 18 need to be more actively engaged in if we expect them to do anything to us or for us after

all that's the Rock and to build on a rock it's a lot harder to drill down in and sink those pylons build that Foundation rather than just oh just construct something on the sand now we're back to the way he ended The Sermon on the Mount right but in verse 12 when he talks about being built upon the rock compare it to verse 13 WHO so among you shall do more or less than these are not built upon my rock but are built upon a Sandy foundation and when not if the rains descend and the

floods come and the winds blow and beat upon them they shall fall and the gates of hell are ready open to receive them now some might wonder or worry wait we do a whole lot more in the church than just that and here the Lord says you shouldn't do any more or less than these things well this might be another example of that idea of being connected to the True Vine of any dangling Doctrine becomes a dead one we talked about that before as well but if everything we do in the church is based on

our covenant connection to Christ there's no appendage that's disconnected from the core thinking that there's more than being Covenant connected to Christ that may be looking Beyond The Mark or aiming for anything less than that may be a waste of our time how do we strengthen our connection to Christ it's through our covenants all that we do can be aiming towards that now from 15 to 21 the next subject the next element that we can engage in to have the Lord carry a little longer with us is prayer and we'll see that repeated and re-emphasized

even more greatly in chapter 19 in 16 he says as I have prayed among you even so shall ye pray in my church among my people who do repent and are baptized in my name behold I am the light I have set an example for you that's such a beautiful phrase I'm the light of the world right follow my example do what you've seen me do but in context he's specifically referring to prayer I want you to know me as a Praying Christ and I want you to follow that example realize you can't do everything

on your own that you need Divine help that you need to be concerned for others this is the kind of church I want to lead now what else does he say about prayer go back to verse 15 you must watch and pray always lest you be tempted by the devil and you be led away captive by him Jump Ahead to 18 he says the same thing you must watch and pray always lest you enter into temptation for Satan desireth to have you that he may sift you as wheat very similar to what he said to

Peter in the New Testament and like I said 15 and 18 seem to be the same thing but the audience has shifted slightly the first time he said it it was directed at the disciples see back in verse 10 when the disciples had done this Jesus said unto them so the next five verses are all focused on them then in verse 17 he turns his attention from the disciples back to the multitude and repeats to them you also need to watch and pray you need to be doing the same thing that the disciples the the

apostles are doing just like they need to be doing the same thing that I am doing you never outgrow the need to pray because you never outgrow The Temptations of the adversary not in this life at least the Lord is holding us all to that standard and promising us the same deliverance from the devil if we will watch and pray always no wonder he says in 19 again ye must always pray unto the father in my name verse 20 whatsoever you shall ask the father in my name which is right important condition there believing that

ye shall receive another essential condition behold it shall be given unto you so the ask and you shall receive promise that appears almost everywhere in scripture here's two clarifying phrases keep in mind the will of God and the faith of the person praying when those two elements come together it's right it's the will of God and you believe you have faith and of course ask and you shall receive because comes a perfect promise verse 21 we see that prayer expanded beyond the individual and onto their families pray in your families unto the father always in

my name that your wives and your children may be blessed there is something about family prayer that's different from Individual prayer and there's something about outward prayer praying for others that's different than inward prayer praying for self then from 22 to 25 the next element He emphasizes is the church 2 he says ye shall meet together of you shall not forbid any man from coming unto you when you shall meet together but suffer them that they may come unto you and forbid them not hence the visitors welcome sign on the outside of all of our

chapels now why would they need to be told this who would they possibly be tempted to forbid from coming well throughout the history of Christianity at least anywhere really where there's a sense of a chosen people we want to separate sheep from goats or Worse sheep from w W and sheep's clothing in early Puritan days there was a sense of we want a gathered community of what they called visible Saints there was almost a sense of well bear your testimony to us and we'll critique it and if we really feel that you're one of the

elect of God then we'll let you in otherwise you're not allowed to come there was even a sort of a sense of that creeping into early the Church of Jesus Christ of latterday saints to the point that in section 46 of the doctrine of covenants they had to ask the Lord are we doing this church thing right and the Lord says not quite you need to be more open and make sure that everyone knows that they are welcome to come so here they're having a similar experience 23 ye shall pray for them and shall not

cast them out if it so be that they come unto you of you shall pray for them unto the father in my name don't cast out the wicked or unworthy instead pray for them 24 therefore hold up your light that it may shine unto the world behold I am the light which you shall hold up that which you have seen me do behold you see that I have prayed unto the father and ye all have witnessed again the example I want you to set is that of a Praying people a people who believe in the

father and the son a people that show that they need and seek Heaven's help in all that they do a people that turn their thoughts and their feelings their prayers upward and outward not just Inward and if that's one thing you see that I do in 24 then in 25 here's another thing you see that I do another thing that needs to be part of the light you hold up to the world 25 ye see that I have commanded that none of you should go away but rather have commanded that you should come unto me

that you might feel and see even so shall ye do unto the world and whosoever breth this commandment suffereth himself to be led into temptation 25 is a fascinating verse again in the context of I'm the light that you're supposed to hold up what do I want people to see in this city on a hill what I want them to see when you remove the bushel from the Candlestick you need to see a Praying people just like I pray and you need to see an inclusive a welcoming an embracing people just like I am all

of those things I don't command anyone to leave I command them to come and you need to be equally inviting remember we talked about this last time in chapter 15 and 16 that a chosen people are only chosen as long as they choose to choose all the unchosen to be chosen as well is that enough chosens for you that this is exclusivity on the way to inclusivity that if you kink the hose then there's no reason for me to send any water through it it's not getting to the end of any row it's not about

you it's about everyone else that's me as the Savior that's got to be you as my people we have to be more inclusive as members of the church to the wicked to the Unworthy to the doubtful to the wondering the questioning to the different the marginalized the lonely the little ones you name it we have to be more inclusive that is part of the light that the Lord is asking us to shine unto the world the lord is not asking us to diminish our claim to the first great commandment our vertical dimension of discipleship needs

to be set in the Rock itself self that is the vertical Post in the cross itself but upon that cross it does nothing there is no place for Divinity itself to hold on to unless there is a horizontal Cross Beam where we reach out to all others around us we don't have to lessen our obedience in order to increase our inclusion we should be the most diligent and devoted disciples imaginable but we should also be the most loving and compassionate and welcoming in all the world it is hard to be both that's the Paradox that's

the proving of contraries that's the contradiction that lies at the heart of the Cross but that's what Christianity calls us to be to embrace both law and love both truth and tolerance most of us seem to lean naturally in One Direction or the other but do not exclude the other half of the pair now having spoken this to the multitude so this the church talking about the church now 26 he turns back to the disciples for some administrative instructions related to the Gathering Together of the church so 27 I give unto you another commandment just

to the the disciples now church leaders and then I must go unto my father that I may fulfill other Commandments which he hath given me I've got Commandments for you just like the father has some Commandments for me and you got to be doing yours so that I can be doing mine so here's your administrative instructions 28 you shall not suffer anyone knowingly to partake of My Flesh and Blood unworthily when ye shall Minister it for who so eateth and drinketh my flesh and blood unworthily eateth and drinketh Damnation to his soul therefore if you

know that a man is unworthy to eat and drink of My Flesh and Blood ye shall forbid him H so this is back to the first great commandment again in our Zeal to shift to the second don't lose sight of the first we're doing both of it's both and not either or so there's still a standard here okay in those two verses there's a sense of you disciples you leaders of my church you need to be incredibly welcoming to all he'll repeat that in a second he's always going back and forth between the two great

Commandments because again it's tough to prove those contraries simultaneously but here you have to protect the sanctity of the sacrament I've been so impressed with that even in my own Ward and stake as we've tried to navigate covid rules and quarantining and everything else it took a while before our state president and Bishop gave us permission to administer the Sacrament in our own homes and I was actually grateful for that because it reminded me at least in my family that it's not just up to us we don't just do it cuz hey I've got the

prood and I can do whatever I want no this is the Lord's Kingdom his is a house of order that there are priesthood keys that preside over the ordinances and those who hold them are meant to maintain the sanctity of all those sacraments I remember a few years ago being in a country with my family that does not recognize the church there's nowhere in the country where Latter-Day Saints can come together to meet and I asked permission from my Bishop can we hold a sacrament meeting as a family as we come together in this place

where we couldn't do it otherwise and he gave us that permission to me it just struck me as having both of those another balance the individual power and authority of the priesthood but also the supervisory authority of priesthood Keys individual ity and Community freedom and order all these interesting balances that we can strike that we need to strike now of course the way he phrases that in verse 28 and 29 probably raises some eyebrows and we worry uhoh what does it mean to be not worthy of partaking of the sacrament at what point should a

priesthood leader stop someone from partaking it or at what point should we choose not to partake of it ourselves honestly I think only the Holy Ghost can answer that in specific situations but as far as a general principle is concerned do we want to protect the sanctity of the sacrament or do we just take it for granted is it something that we of course we're not perfect if we were we wouldn't need it but I want to be better I am repenting of my sins I am choosing to renew covenants because I need to renew

them I need to repent if we're looking inward instead of just assuming that the outward is sufficient in fact it reminds me of the story in the Old Testament when the Israelites were so focused on the ark at the expense of the Covenant remember the Ark of the Covenant Moses and the Israelites and so on well separate the the two words in that phrase and one is the ark that's the box and then there's the Covenant what goes inside and I love that to separate the external from the internal here unfortunately later in the history

of Israel particularly in the days of Eli when the boy Samuel was growing up in the Tabernacle Israelites started focusing more on the ark and less on the Covenant they were fixated on the outward as long as we have it we're fine so one point they're fighting the Philistines and they say well we're losing but hey if we just brought the Ark of the Covenant into battle then we'd win we'd be undefeated as long as the ark is there because then if the ark is there then God has to be there right I mean this

is kind of the the Nazi mentality in Indiana Jones the first you know the Raiders of the Lost Ark that's why they wanted the ark they didn't care about the Covenant well the same thing is happening in ancient Israel so unworthily the army of Israel takes the Ark of the Covenant they partake of the emblem they bring it out into the battlefield and they lose they not only lose the battle they lose the ark because they'd lost the Covenant a long time before and now it's the Philistines turn and what do the Philistines do they

parade around the Ark of the Covenant they put it into their Temple as like this new trophy it's like when there's a rivalry you know and whoever wins gets to bring the you know the wagon wheel or the boot or whatever the symbol might be this this token of this rivalry and we get to put in our trophy case this year well that's what was happening there and yet the irony is if you read that story the Philistines who unworthily have the Ark in their Temple it ends up spreading a plague throughout Philistine territory to

the point that they finally just put the Ark on a on a cart and send the oxen just wandering and they find their way back to Israelite territory and see in that case the Philistines taking these emblems it did them more harm than good because it was Ark removed from covenant same was happening with Israel as long as the Covenant is our focus and we are striving to be worthy of it that having fallen we're picking ourselves up that we're taking the sacrament seriously or maybe a better way to say it is which will help

you take the sacrament more seriously taking it or not taking it which will help you focus on the Covenant and the need to do our best to follow its Commandments for some that might be having a period of time where they are not permitted to partake of the sacrament to fast from that ordinance for a time in hopes that increases your hunger and thirst after righteousness so that then by partaking of it again in the future you can indeed be filled with the Holy Ghost for others it's exactly what I need I need to partake

of this to renew the Covenant that I have wondered if I've broken again the Holy Ghost will be the best judge of that and so can a judge in Israel But whichever is decided whether you partake or don't partake whether you are worthy of it or Unworthy of it don't let the first great commandment get in the way of keeping the second you've got to live them both so verse 30 again he repeats nevertheless ye shall not cast him out from among you but you shall Minister unto him and shall pray for him unto the

father that's hard to do if you've completely rejected them or cast them out minister to them pray for them in my name if if it so be that he repenteth and is baptized in my name then shall ye receive him and shall Minister unto him of My Flesh and Blood process begins a new but verse 31 if he repent not he shall not be numbered among my people that he may not destroy my sheep for behold I know my sheep and they are numbered nevertheless you shall not cast them out of your synagogues or your

places of worship just continue to minister it's amazing that he keeps going back and forth I mean if you notice how those words those verses begin way back in 22 meet together often don't forbid anyone from coming 23 pray for them don't cast them out but then 28 but be careful about the sacrament don't let them partake of it unworthily 30 nevertheless don't cast them out 31 but if he doesn't repent then don't number them among my people 32 nevertheless don't cast them out you see what he's trying to do here the the butts and

the nevertheless is back and forth he's trying to find this middle ground and that's always hard to find the goldilock zone is often narrow and trying to prove Aries that's a balance that's difficult to strike it' just be easy to say nope we're just going to live the first great commandment and we're going to have a gathered community of visible Saints and no one else is allowed in you don't pass muster then you don't come in the door or it's really easy to be totally open and and welcoming and embracing and to heck with any

Commandments of God there's no standard here the Church of relativism oh that one's all doors are open but to live both of the two great Commandments to balance love and law and truth and tolerance to prove those contraries that's tough and it's going to take constant course correction which I believe is exactly what the church has been trying to do with some of its policies and clarifications of those policies it's a but nevertheless but nevertheless and trying to find that middle ground balancing the two great Commandments now go back to 31 interesting what he says

if they don't repent I'm again don't cast them out but don't number them among my people otherwise it might end up destroying my people and as a Good Shepherd I can't let that happen to my sheep because I know them they're numbered to me with the policy back in 2015 about the children of samesex couples and the policy clarification in 2019 about the same issue and that was one that caused huge angst among people I had I line out my door and and emails and texts and instant messages blowing up my inbox back in 2015

trying to make sense of that and again as I read it as I see it it's trying to find this balance between the two great Commandments but there were all kinds of questions about church discipline over those issues because that was part of what was taking place as the disciplined chapter in the church handbook of instructions was being clarified and unfortunately in the fur that erupted over it all it seemed like the actual discipline chapter in the handbook got lost in the shuffle in fact in certain circles they called that 2015 policy the pox the

PX the policy of exclusion which is never what it was intended to be this was not some kind of power play trying to get retribution or keep people out of the church no it was simply a matter of how do we balance these things the church did an incredible job of differentiating between homosexuality as a part of the Mortal condition for some of God's children that requires no discipline because there's no sin attached there should be no Stigma no shame no guilt it's the second stage homosexual Behavior where all of a sudden there is opportunity

for sin and repentance and discipline may be necessary and may not be as opposed to same-sex marriage where all of a sudden now we're talking about not some kind of moral sin but rather an intellectual apostasy that's how it was labeled in that policy that distinction is essential to draw not a moral sin but an intellectual one not immorality but rather apostasy and to treat those two things differently that dis may or may not have been needed with the moral sin leave that up to a Discerning bishop and and a repentant soul but with same-sex

marriage all of a sudden now you're describing a different Plan of Salvation which you're welcome to do you can believe anything that you want but to teach that as the restored gospel that's not the plan as found in the scriptures and the words of living prophets so we'll need to have a disciplinary counsel just to see do you intend to to teach this is this what you're pushing for in the church or is it a matter of no we believe in the gospel we love the Plan of Salvation there's just one thing I lack I

cannot bring myself to keep that commandment I don't know how it's going to work that will be between God and myself but for our children we want them to have to be blessed as babies and baptized as 8-year-olds we believe in the gospel we believe in the plan it will probably be easier for them to live all of those Commandments including this one that we can't bring ourselves to obey right now and in those cases as president Nelson himself said in a BYU address every time they asked for the exception and can we please bless

or baptize our children permission was always granted you see the balance that they're trying to strike between law and love and truth and tolerance between the two great Commandments Church disciplinary councils are not the courts of Inquisition that some people try to make them out to be I've participated in probably close to 20 of them in my years in different Bishop bricks and they are some of the most powerful spiritual experiences I've ever had and judging from the person that is being judged for them as well it's amazing to watch that when it comes to

the atonement Jesus doesn't delegate that very far that's his territory and he knows just how just and just how merciful to be and we pleading with him to know how to strike that balance as well it's interesting that as I reviewed the chapter on church discipline in the midst of all that chaos that erupted over those policies and people's reactions to to them more than anything or I should say overreactions to them and I saw it happen in both 2015 and 2019 but to understand what discipline has always been for to save the soul of

The Sinner to protect the innocent to safeguard the good name of the church that's what it's always been for and those purposes seem to get lost in the shuffle in all of that it's interesting because more recently the church changed some of the language in that chapter membership councils rather than disciplinary councils but the change that surprised me even more was that's actually really reassuring was the same three purposes of discipline apply but they Chang the order of the first and the second I'd always felt very comfortable with the old order save the soul of

The Sinner should come first and foremost but the more I've thought about that and the more I've heard stories of particularly the victims of other people's sin rape victims abuse victims for example first and foremost should be protect the innocent the victim should be the first concern the perpetrator the second and the church a distant third but to see that that's the New Order of Things same three purposes but different order now in the church handbook the number one reason is to help protect others number two to help a person access the redeeming power of

Jesus Christ through repentance and number three protect the Integrity of the church church I love that reversal and it never made the news you see what the Lord is trying to help them balance here I cannot let you destroy my people he says in 31 I know my sheep I will protect them from any wolf in sheep's clothing trying to enter the flock but again 32 nevertheless trying to find that delicate balance don't cast them out as he says at the end of this verse and I love these phrases you 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 you see that synergism there I'll do the healing but you can be part of the means of Salvation being bringing it unto them you kept ministering unto them you kept praying for them you kept working and worrying and fasting and serving and doing everything you could that's the love side of things even as you're trying to help them keep the law side of things and trying to keep

it yourself that's a tough balance to strike no wonder this is counsel given to the disciples the the the administrative instructions this is a little mini excerpt from the church handbook of instructions for these nephite leaders and they've got to learn to strike this balance themselves notice what he says in 33 to them keep these sayings which I have commanded you that ye come not under condemnation for woe unto him whom the father condemneth and condemnation can come on either side of the goldilock zone you were too strict and didn't save the soul of The

Sinner you were too lenient and didn't protect the innocent it is so hard to find that balance that is why you plead and Pray For Heaven's guidance in this and we don't always get it right 34 neither did they I give unto you these Commandments because of the disputations which have been among you blessed are ye if you have no disputations among you he keeps bringing that up said it back in chapter 11 right quit disputing about baptism contentions of the devil I'm glad you're trying to reach Orthodoxy but the path towards it has to

be paved by unity and peace same thing's happening here and talk about an opportunity for disputation anytime there's a balance anytime there's contraries there's going to be one that's too far on the right and others that are too far on the left as both groups need to nudge themselves and draw each other into the Goldie block Zone in between I imagine that this disputation over discipline was probably with some wanting to be too strict and others wanting to be too lenient too hot and too cold and the Lord is saying you've got to get it

just right now 35 again he tries to pry these people away as they want to remain with him longer now I go unto the father I know I said that like two chapters ago but I'm serious I I got to go it is expedient that I should go into the father for your sakes now that's an interesting one it's not despite my love for you that I'm going to leave it's because of my love for you I need to it's for your sake whether Christ is with us or away from us whether we feel a

great outpouring of the spirit or seem to feel that it's left us for a time all of those things are meant for our sake remember Nephi way back in the beginning says that doesn't do anything save it be for the benefit of the world because he loves the world it's all for our sake but he's going to be a little bit more specific as far as how is this for our sake this departure and it parallels something he said in the New Testament it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of these

Saints he touched with his hands the disciples whom he chosen one by one that's always how he seems to work he speaks unto them as he touched them and in 37 we find out what he said the disciples bear record that he gave them power to give the Holy Ghost now we see the parallel to the New Testament in the Book of John Jesus says ye have heard how I said unto you I go away and come again unto you if you loved me you would Rejoice because I said I go unto the father for

my father is greater than I so there here's the first hint about this for your sake idea I'm leaving you he says to his Apostles and if you loved me if you knew how much the father loved you you'd Rejoice that I'm leaving this is for your sake and then later in John he adds this it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the comforter the Holy Ghost will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you I love that passage the spirit is

our gift when we miss Jesus it's the spirit of God that reminds us of and prepares us for the son of God God's son or God's spirit either way God wants to connect with us and Jesus himself the second member of the godhead is saying for your sake I need to leave so that the third member of the godhead the Holy Ghost can fully function in your life we don't know all the reasons why I don't know if it was you know one member of the godhead at a time I I don't completely understand but

for some reason during Christ's mortal Ministry the ministry of the Holy Ghost was on pause and it wasn't until the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2 that clothing tongues of fire come and and fill the apostles with the power of the Holy Ghost and they're a different group of men in the book of Acts than ever they were in the gospels there seems to be something along those lines where the Savior always elevating other people putting them for allowing them to do things beyond what he did himself seems that he does the same thing

with the Holy Ghost remember you get the three of members in of the godhead in a room and ask who's the most important and all three point to the other two too we see that repeatedly throughout third Nei but I love this as the fourth element of what do you do when you want Jesus to t a little longer what do you do when you miss the power of God in your life turn to the sacrament keep your covenants you pray and pray and pray some more come to church gather together with others who are

struggling and trying and succeeding and failing and and but and nevertheless and trying to come together and keep both Commandments and throughout it all seek the spirit of God we'll see more of that in chapter 19 also in fact we'll see more of all of these elements in chapter 19 but seek the spirit you know years ago there was a talk that Elder Von Featherstone gave at BYU this would have been 2001 and he told an experience he had the year before at a general Authority training that went along with the April 2000 General Conference

that was a major one the conference center was going to be used for the first time this this birthday present so to speak for Jesus in the year 2000 but as part of the general Authority training that coincided with that General Conference Elder Featherstone said that President Boyd K Packer president of the core the 12 taught the general authorities something that Elder Featherstone described as the most powerful training he'd ever received in his 29 years as a general Authority so he would have learned directly from people like Joseph feeling Smith Harold B Lee Spencer W

Kimble ezard Benson Howard W Hunter president Gordon B Hinkley the big guns right and yet he said this message from president Packer blew away everything he never heard before it was lifechanging for him he said and he assumed for all the general authorities that were there well that piqu my curiosity what what did he talk about tell tell us ELD Featherstone and he did he said that President Packer had paid an incredible price to be prepared to teach anything the Lord wanted him to to these general authorities knowing that then they would teach the rest

of the church president Packer reread Jesus the Christ and when he was done with that he reread the Life of Christ by Frederick Ferrar another Incredible Book then interesting choice he read Fox's book of Martyrs the story of all those who had given their lives for the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the centuries and then he reread the standard works every verse that had anything to do with the spirit of God now you've probably given talks before and you probably prepared for them well how much did you prepare for them Elder Packer paid a price

to the point that God could have taught him anything and what was the lesson what was the takeaway after all this work teach the members of the church that they need to live worthy of the Holy Ghost 24 hours a day 7 days a week for the rest of their lives now as soon as Elder Featherstone said that I was almost underwhelmed I thought I could have told you that without reading any of this stuff and actually that's true but the fact that Elder Packer taught that after reading all of this when the Lord could

have told him anything else that that was the takeway that should rivet our attention lay all of these other books aside and what do we learn we have to have the Holy Ghost and that is what the Lord is giving those disciples the power to give the gift of the Holy Ghost you miss me you want to be with me then seek the spirit and my departure and the spirit's arrival will all be for your sake I started paying attention after hearing that from Elder Featherstone and sure enough I was amazed as the years went

on how often Apostles and Prophets would speak of the need for the Holy Ghost In Our Lives what has president Nelson been speaking about recently and repeatedly that we have to be ready to receive Revelation one of the great purposes of the Holy Ghost In Our Lives we're not going to make it through these chaotic last days without that Divine guidance from the third member of the godhead president Irene said it in 2002 you must choose to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost the words of confirmation into the church are an invitation receive theol

Holy Ghost and that choice must be made not once but every day every hour every minute receive the Holy Ghost as a missionary confirming people in Spanish we use the command form of the verb so that if we were being complete when we say it we wouldn't say and I confirm you a member and say unto you I really hope that the Holy Ghost comes no it's I say unto you you better receive the Holy Ghost I love that word receive because as a football player I was a receiver four years of high school a

year of college I loved receiving the ball but there was nothing passive about it you don't just stand there and have the quarterback drill a perfect spiral so it gets lodged in your face mask and then the lineman come and pick you up and carry you into the end zone while the Crowd Goes Wild no you're fighting to get off the line and get away from the enemy and find a spot where you can open and then come back for the ball and grab it and protect it and do something with it that's receiving and

so to receive the Holy Ghost how engaged how active are you in trying to grab it to make sure that you're qualified to receive it and then to act upon its promptings that's the last thing Jesus does before he leaves them and as soon as that has taken place 38 and 39 a cloud comes and and overshadows the multitude so that they can't see Jesus and we would assume he can't see them he can't see tear filled eyes wishing and wanting him to Tar still longer with that he departs from them and ascends into heaven

but what happens next quit looking heavenward and start looking around at what taking place on the ground and notice what you see in chapter 19 verse1 when Jesus had ascended into heaven the multitude did disperse every took his wife and his children returned to his own homes that's the first thing he said to do right you're overwhelmed it's all over your head go home but then verse two they didn't leave it there they they wanted to keep the first great commandment but they recognized there's a second great commandment waiting in the wings and so they

noise abroad among the people immediately before it was yet dark that the multitude had seen Jesus that he had ministered unto them that he would show himself on the tomorrow unto the multitude you see what they're doing verse three even all the night it was noised abroad concerning Jesus and how do they respond to that good news and exceedingly great number did labor exceedingly all that night that they might be on the tomorrow in the place where Jesus should show himself unto the multitude how hard do I labor to be in the place where I

might have the Savior Minister unto me am I trying to put myself into those kinds of plac places whether it's a physical place like church or general conference or a spiritual Place preparing my mind for the tomorrow again this is active more than passive this is receiving instead of just waiting for it to come and you see why they're working so hard to get there what was the news they heard people had seen Jesus he ministered unto them and he said he'd do it again he's coming back for more I love seeing that in my

Institute students when they're having such powerful experiences in the scriptures and in class that they just want to spread the word and it's not some kind of twisting of the arm like you know you should share these things it's more of a how can I not to that's when things go viral right well here the ministry of Christ is going viral and they can't help it it comes so naturally the desire to share and the desire to accept what is being shared to extend and to accept the invitation we're finding Jesus he's coming back we

have incredible experiences in the scriptures all the time you got to come and join us that's how the initial disciples and apostles gathered to Jesus in the New Testament Word of Mouth you got to meet this guy woman at the well telling the whole Samaritan Village this is the Messiah he knows everything I've ever done come and see honestly I think one of the reasons my wife was such an incredible missionary is because it was so natural for her after 5 years of total inactiv ity leaving the church and God behind when she had a

mighty change of heart and returned she was all in to the point that sharing the good news with I mean she noised things abroad all the time and missionary work never felt like a burden or even a duty it was just a natural consequence of what Jesus had done for her she's been noisy and that good news abro ever since it's amazing now in verse four we get to meet the 12 nephite disciples all by name now Jesus still isn't there yet but the disciples are by the end of verse four it came to pass

that they went forth and stood in the midst of the multitude exactly where you'd expect them right just like Nephi had to be called out from among the multitude they don't consider themselves better or separate from there among us verse 5 behold the multitude was so great that they did cause that they should be separated into 12 bodies the teacher student ratio needs to be such that ministering can happen verse six the 12 did teach the multitude and they did cause that the multitude should kneel down upon the face of the Earth and should pray

unto the father in the name of Jesus in verse seven they pray and minister to the people in eight the things that they Minister and teach them is exactly what Jesus had taught them directly nothing varying from The Words which Jesus had spoken and as soon as they've done that they kneel again and continue to pray to the father in the name of Jesus and notice verse 9 what they pray for they did pray for that which they most desired and they desired that the Holy Ghost should be given unto them the savior's last act

from the day before rested heavy on their minds what we want most is what Jesus seemed most interested in giving us it was for our sakes that he was leaving to make room for the spirit to come vers 10 through 14 then they all descend to the water and are bapt we would assume re-baptized which was actually a common practice in the early days of the restored church as well a sign of recommitting again the sacrament does that for us as well but to renew our covenants with Christ what better way to invite the Holy

Ghost into our lives and that's exactly what happens in 13 after they've come back up from the water the Holy Ghost did fall upon them and they were filled with the Holy Ghost and with fire this seems to be a repetition of what happened to the little children after all these people are becoming as little children themselves starting over coming forth from the water verse 14 behold they were encircled about as if by fire and it came down from heaven and the multitude did witness it and did be record and Angels did come down out

of heaven and did Minister unto them it's during that Angelic Ministry that in verse 15 Jesus comes and stands in their midst and begins to minister to them himself you see the order here they're humbling themselves they're repenting of their sins they're renewing covenants through ironic ordinances baptism which then prepares them for mesic ordinances the gift of the Holy Ghost and the ministering of angels that's ironic again preparing them for the visitation of deity himself Jesus that's mesic you see this often throughout the Old Testament Angels versus God ironic versus mesic all of these things

are again crescendoing up to Christ now in 16 notice what he does he speaks unto the multitude and commands that they should kneel down again upon the Earth disciples as well now we've already seen a whole lot of praying going on in six and seven and 8 and N9 and 10 I mean the word pray or prayer or prayed comes up 28 times in this chapter and there's only 36 verses in the whole thing I mean he is emphatic you want to stay connected to me then prayer is your answer but an interesting difference in

this particular prayer notice Verse 18 behold they began to pray and they did pray unto Jesus calling him their lord and their God now that's odd and the Lord knows it in fact he kind of excuses them in verse 22 when he says father thou Hast given them the Holy Ghost because they believe in me that's one thing he's very grateful for we'll see that in a second thou seest that they believe in me because thou hearest them and they pray un to me and then as almost again like as if to excuse them and

they pray unto me because I am with them the only reason they're doing that to me I I know I've already told them that they need to pray unto the father in The Name of Christ This is Our Father which art in heaven but since I'm actually here right here among them I'm with them what is a prayer really it's a petition of deity well Jesus is deity as well they were praying to the father before and Jesus has come and is there a sense again of like father like son is there a sense of

asking him for continued blessings ell Roni described it this way Jesus was present before them as the symbol of the father seeing him it was as though they saw the father praying to him it was as though they prayed to the father it was a special and unique situation that as far as we know has taken place only once on Earth during all the long ages of the Lord's hand dealings with his children this was an exceptional circumstance with an exceptional prayer taking place now go back and see more of what Jesus says as they

are praying you see as they're praying in 18 he then separates himself from them in 19 we're going to see this repeated three times in this chapter it's interesting to watch the back and forth of Jesus 19 he departs out of their midst he goes a little way off bows himself to the Earth and notice his prayer to the father 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 interesting how

many times the Lord has remarked upon their faith their belief in me that's why I'm choosing them out of the world because they are choosing me instead of the world they're choosing to live in such a way that the Holy Ghost can be with them to take the spirit of God instead have succumbed to the spirit of the world verse 21 father I pray thee that thou wil give the Holy Ghost unto all them that Shall Believe in their words there's still a lot of noising abroad that will yet take place throughout Christian history please

send the spirit to them as well we already read 22 and then 23 now father I pray unto thee for them and also for all those Who Shall Believe in their works again these concentric circles the ripples in the pond continuing to spread globally I pray for them that they may believe in me that I may be in them as thou father art in me that we may be one honestly third Nephi 19 is the nephite equivalent of John chapter 17 that great intercessory prayer that the Lord offered right before Gethsemane well now this is

an intercessory prayer that he is offering after Gethsemane and Calvary and the empty tomb it was the atonement the at one M that made this kind of unity possible in the first place and he's asking that it will continue to be of effect in people's lives that disciples one and all can become one with each other and one with God the way he said it in John 17 that they all may be one as thou father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us that the world may believe

that thou Hast sent me the world's going to know that Christ has come when we can prove that we can become one in him keeping both great Commandments exclusion in pursuit of inclusion that's what at one me is meant to accomplish that's the Oneness that defines the members of the godhead it is not the doctrine of the Trinity that forces them all to be one in substance that's certainly not what he's asking for his Apostles and disciples to become one big Mega Apostle as they all fuse into one no to be one in purpose to

be one in spirit to have no distinction disputation it's thinking alike acting alike perfect Accord Unity at One Moment In verse 24 as soon as the Lord prays for that he then goes back to the disciples they still continue without ceasing to pray unto him and notice this they did not multiply many words this was not vain repetition even though the prayer itself seemed to be lasting quite a while it was given unto them what they should pray for and they were filled with desire you want your prayers to become more meaningful and less vain

or repetitious then let desire fill you and let the Lord guide your words the spirit helpeth with groanings that cannot be uttered Paul said when my kids were little I whispered in their ears what to pray for we're not supposed to grow out of that Heavenly Father help me know what I should want please educate my desire desires and he will and then notice 25 it came to pass that Jesus blessed them as they did pray unto him and his countenance did smile upon them and the light of his countenance did shine upon them and

behold they were as white as the countenance and also the garments of Jesus and behold the whiteness thereof did exceed all the whiteness y even there could be nothing upon Earth so white as the whiteness thereof this is white like the fruit of the tree of of life this is Purity like Jesus alone can help us achieve this is the whiteness of pure perfect brilliant light and he is the light of the world and they are shining right alongside him this is a Transfiguration and it is a blessing that the Lord gives them Ain to

the Priestly blessing given in the Old Testament there's actually an amazing resource I just discovered discovered it's called evidence central.org it's similar to The Book of Mormon Central resource that's incredible and there'll be a pear great price Central and a doct in Covenant Central a lot just a wonderful centralized resource that members of the church and others can go to to access insight and information about the gospel and evidence Central is meant to Simply to help people see that Faith does have a rational leg to stand on and just a day or two ago they

posted an interesting Insight based on vers 25 that what Jesus is doing here finds its roots in an Old Testament Practice that took place on the day of atonement seems very appropriate that the atoning one himself is doing this on the heels of praying that his people may become at one with each other and with him and Aaron or the high priest in ancient Israel would pronounce this blessing upon the people this is Numbers chapter 6: 24- 26 keep an eye on third Nephi 19:25 as you hear it the Lord bless thee it's exactly what

he's doing and keep thee it's what he wants to do forever the Lord make his face shine upon thee now that's a Hebrew idiomatic expression that means to smile the word smile itself never appears in the Old Testament but this is the expression that describes it some other translations even translate it in that way and what's Jesus doing in 25 he is smiling upon them back to numbers and be gracious unto thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace and that's exactly what's happening as the Lord blesses them and smiles

upon them and shines the light of his countenance upon them too this is the nephite version of the Mount of transfiguration experience that Peter James and John have this is Moses coming down from Mount Si this is the tree of life and white above all that is white in verse 26 I don't think he even had to say it but Jesus says unto them pray on sure enough they did not cease to pray but I love that just keep going keep going verse 27 he turns from them again so a second time he separates himself

he goes a little way off and Bows himself to the Earth and he prayed again to the father and compare this prayer to what he just offered about thank you for sending them the Holy Ghost now 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 isn't that one of the great purposes of the Holy

Ghost as a purifier baptized by water that's one cleansing element baptized by fire that's another cleansing and purifying element he continues in 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 again there's so many parallels between this and John 17 he talks about the world a lot in that prayer as well

so you see what he's praying for each time please bless them with the Holy Ghost the spirit can make them one please bless them with Purity because it's our impurities our iniquity that divides us this separates us one from another it keeps us from being at one in verse 30 then Jesus returns to the disciples they're still praying steadfastly without ceasing again he smiles upon them again they are transfigured white even as Jesus and then 31 a third time he goes a little way off and prays him to the father now like I said it's

interesting to see these three separations three times he's with them and then he separates and then goes back and then separates and each time they're praying and he goes off and prays himself this is what Gethsemane should have been in my opinion because there are three interruptions to his great pleading and agonizing prayer in Gethsemane as he goes back the first time and sees the apostles asleep and says could you not watch with me one hour and he goes back and prays and suffers and atones and he goes back and he sees that they are

sleeping again and he goes back and prays and atone tones and suffers and goes back a third time and finally says sleep on get your rest I don't think it's coincidental that there were those three breaks in the prayer of atonement just like here there are these three breaks as he prays for their at onement but it's Jesus stopping and every time he comes back they're still praying for the same things he wants for them I think it's so beautiful what's happening here and what would the third time be if the first was receive the

spirit so you can be one and they're transfigured and the second was pray for Purity that they can be one and they're transfigured then what how do you have Crescendo beyond that what's the third well you may have guessed that we can't guess what this third time would be just like the prayers that Jesus offered back in chapter 17 verse 32 tongue cannot speak The Words which he prayed neither can be written by man the Words which he prayed but the multitude heard they bore record their hearts were open they understood in their hearts The

Words which he prayed I can't explain it I can't tell it to you I can't write it down but there's something lifechanging that only your heart your bowels your nobler entrails those inward Parts only there can we fully understand the love that God and his son have for us that's empathy that's compassion that's the fellowship of suffering as Paul called it verse 34 so great and marvelous were The Words which he prayed that they cannot be written neither can they be uttered by man and it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end

of praying he came again to the disciples and said unto them so great Faith see how many times he's observed that in them and remarked upon it so great faith have I never seen among all the Jews wherefore I could not show unto them so great Miracles because of their unbelief none of them have ever seen so great things as ye have seen they have not heard so great things as ye have heard now think about all the ministry of Jesus in the New Testament they saw amazing Miracles s SAR to the first set of

Miracles that we saw back in chapter 17 when they brought their blind and their lame and their Halt and their maimed their Afflicted in any kind since Jesus wanted to heal them since he has compassion upon you caregivers but that was just the beginning of this ministry of Miracles and What miracles followed the ones that were so great that it took great faith to behold them the miracle of real prayer the miracle of the ministering of Angels the miracle of being purified by the gift and power of the Holy Ghost the miracle of being transfigured

of being made into someone like Jesus that does require great faith and it's the kind of faith that the Lord is helping each of us to develop I pray that we can exercise faith in that set of Miracles because it's the kind we can be engaged in week by week and day by day through our prayer through the sacrament through church through the Holy Ghost repentance and Covenant making ironic ordinances mesic ordinances transfigured by the Power and Light Of God he is the light of our world and I pray we can be the light of

his I am so grateful for these incredible chapters I bear witness of the light of the world I bear witness of the compassionate Christ noise it abroad tell the world let people know that they can come and exercise this same faith and rejoice in these same Miracles the savior's ministry will continue on through the rest of third Nephi it continues on today he is as eager now as he ever was then to T with us if we would simply ask him to stay a little longer [Music]