37 And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost; and if they endure unto the end they shall be lifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb; and whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be.
In this verse, the angel gives three sets of actions and rewards:
- If we seek to bring forth Zion, we will have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost.
- If we endure to the end (keep at it and don’t give up), we will be saved in the kingdom of God.
- If we “publish peace” and proclaim the good news of the gospel, we will be “beautiful upon the mountains,” meaning that we will be honored and loved by others for helping them to experience the greatest of joys.
I like the emphasis on positive actions in this verse–building, enduring, and proclaiming good news. Today, I will focus on positive activities: constructive projects, sustained efforts toward worthy goals, and uplifting words of hope and encouragement.
I was curious why you used the term “angel” above when referring to the risen Savior . . .
That’s a good question. The vision as a whole (1 Nephi 11-14) is narrated by an angel. For several verses in this chapter (33-37), including the verse I quoted above, the angel tells Nephi that he is quoting “the Lamb of God” (the Savior). So it’s correct to say that these are the words of an angel, and it’s also correct to say that these are the words of Jesus Christ. Thank you for clarifying that point!