On the second day of the Savior’s visit to the American continent, after praying for the people and administering the sacrament for a second time, He began again to teach them, beginning where He had left off the prior day. (See 3 Nephi 16:17-20, 3 Nephi 20:10-12.) Quoting the words of Isaiah, Micah, Moses, and Malachi, he explained to the people that the covenant God made with Israel was their covenant. He encouraged them to study the scriptures and to keep their own sacred records, in order to help them recognize and remember the blessings of the Lord.
Here is an outline of His sermon across the two days:
Jesus Christ’s Sermon at the Temple in Bountiful
Here are some of the principles I’ve learned from these chapters:
The Written Word of God
- Scripture can enhance our perspective and motivate us to make better decisions: What Is the “Book of Remembrance” Mentioned by Malachi?
- Look for connections, patterns, and themes in the scriptures: What Does It Mean to Search the Scriptures?
- Analysis (breaking concepts down) and synthesis (finding connections) are both important skills in scripture study: When Jesus Had Expounded All the Scriptures in One – 3 Nephi 23:14
- It’s also important for us to record how we have seen the hand of God in our lives: Why Is It Important to Record the Fulfillment of Prophecies?
Gospel Teaching
- Help your students be fully engaged in the process of acquiring spiritual knowledge: He Did Loose Their Tongues – 3 Nephi 26:14-16.
- Our ability to receive additional knowledge may be dependent on what we do with the knowledge we have already received: To Try Their Faith – 3 Nephi 26:6-11.
The House of Israel
Last Sunday, President Russell M. Nelson encouraged us to make a list of God’s promises to covenant Israel (“Let God Prevail!” General Conference, October 2020). Here are some blog posts relating to covenant Israel:
Background Information About the House of Israel
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Jacob (Israel)?
- Who Is the House of Israel?
- Why Were the Children of Israel Scattered?
- What Is the Gathering of Israel?
- God loves all of His children. He scatters some of them in order to gather others: So Shall He Sprinkle Many Nations – 3 Nephi 20:43-45
- God will make His blessings and covenants available to all who are willing to receive them: I Will Establish My Church Among Them – 3 Nephi 21:20-22.
Promises to Covenant Israel
- God will help us build a society of unity, holiness, and charity: What Is the New Jerusalem?
- God will give us power, so that we need not be afraid, even when we are outnumbered: How Will the Remnant of Jacob Be Like a Lion Among Sheep?
- He will help us “be not troubled,” even during turbulent times: What Is the Day of Burning Spoken of by Malachi?
- God will protect us and will help us stay together: I Will Be Their Rearward – 3 Nephi 21:29.
- Because He is our ally, we need not be intimidated: No Weapon That Is Formed Against Thee Shall Prosper – 3 Nephi 22:16-17.
- He will help us find sustainable peace: How Does Isaiah Point Us Toward Christ?
- …and He will give our children peace: Great Shall Be the Peace of Thy Children – 3 Nephi 22:13.
- He will give us trials and challenges to purify us: How Is Christ Like a “Refiner’s Fire” and “Fuller’s Soap?”
- The blessings He will provide are limited only by our capacity to receive them: There Shall Not Be Room Enough – 3 Nephi 24:10-12.
- Therefore, He has encouraged us to prepare ourselves to receive extraordinary blessings: Enlarge the Place of Thy Tent – 3 Nephi 22:1-3.
- He will help us build strong relationships with family members, both living and dead: How Did Elijah Turn the Hearts of Fathers and Children Toward Each Other?
- He will begin to bless us long before we recognize the blessings: The Work of the Father Hath Already Commenced – 3 Nephi 21:7.
God’s Expectations of Covenant Israel
- Be holy: What Are the “Vessels of the Lord?”
- Share the gospel: What Does It Mean to “Publish Peace?”
- Hearken to the words of the Savior: I Am He of Whom Moses Spake – 3 Nephi 20:23-24
- Participate in priesthood ordinances, including the sacrament: Return Unto Me – 3 Nephi 24:7.
Other Principles
- God will help us prepare for the Savior’s return: What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About the Second Coming of Jesus Christ?
- God has prepared a way for us to overcome both physical and spiritual death: What Is the “Resurrection of Damnation?”
- The Savior can bridge the gap between our foolish actions and our divine potential: 3 Nephi 20:38 Redeemed Without Money
- Even though God may temporarily postpone a blessing while we pass through a needed trial, He waits eagerly to bless us as soon as the trial is over: 3 Nephi 22:7-8 I Hid My Face From Thee for a Moment.
- Therefore, we need to be patient while we are passing through a trial or experiencing a period of growth: What Doth It Profit That We Have Kept His Ordinances? – 3 Nephi 24:13-18
Blog Posts: October 13-18
The New Jerusalem
The Savior prophesied that He would establish a group of people on the American continent, that they would build a city called the New Jerusalem, and that He would gather His people to this new city: And it shall come to pass that I will establish my people, O house of Israel. And behold, this people will I…
“When These Things…Shall Come Forth…” – 3 Nephi 21:1-7
The longest sentence in the Book of Mormon—392 words long—is 3 Nephi 21:1-7. In this sentence, Jesus reveals a sign by which we can know that the gathering Israel has begun. Here is the complete sentence, with some commentary in brackets: And verily I say unto you, I give unto you a sign, that ye may…
“For a Small Moment…” – 3 Nephi 22:7
The Savior quoted several passages from Isaiah during His ministry on the American continent. In one of those passages, God speaks to Israel, promising that, even if they feel abandoned now, it won’t last long: For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid…
“The Heritage of the Servants of the Lord” – 3 Nephi 22:17
When we become “the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters” (Mosiah 5:7), we also become “heirs of God” (Romans 8:17). An heir is a person who inherits something. The inheritance may consist of property or other advantages. Another word for inheritance is “heritage,” but that word has additional connotations. Your heritage includes not…
“Taught of the Lord” – 3 Nephi 22:13
On the first day of the Savior’s ministry on the American continent, He invited all of the children to come forward. After offering a sublime prayer which filled His listeners with joy, “he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them” (3 Nephi 17:21). The next…
“He Expounded Them” – 3 Nephi 23:6, 14; 24:1; 26:1, 3
To expound something is to explain it in detail (Oxford English Dictionary). During His ministry on the American continent, the Savior expounded the scriptures to the people. He expounded the words of Isaiah and Micah (3 Nephi 20-22; see 3 Nephi 23:6). He expounded the words of Malachi (3 Nephi 24:1). He identified connections and…
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