Near the end of the Savior’s mortal ministry, He lamented His people’s unwillingness to accept the gifts that He had continually offered to them:
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Matthew 23:37; see also Luke 13:34
Shortly after His crucifixion, a group of people in the Americas heard His voice expressing an expanded version of this lament:
O ye people of these great cities which have fallen, who are descendants of Jacob, yea, who are of the house of Israel, how oft have I gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and have nourished you.
And again, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, yea, O ye people of the house of Israel, who have fallen; yea, O ye people of the house of Israel, ye that dwell at Jerusalem, as ye that have fallen; yea, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens, and ye would not.
O ye house of Israel whom I have spared, how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart.
3 Nephi 10:4-6
The three verb tenses in this passage emphasize different things about His continuing love for us:
- “How oft have I gathered you.” Think about all the ways the Savior has “gathered” you, including people He has connected you with, places He has led you to, and experiences He has provided which have led you closer to Him.
- “How oft would I have gathered you.” How many times has He tried to provide similar opportunities which you have been unwilling to receive, either through fear, distraction, or stubbornness?
- “How oft will I gather you.” This one is most hopeful of the three. Our opportunities are not all in the past. He continues to love us. He continues to gather us, if we are willing to be gathered.
President Henry B. Eyring has encouraged us to follow the Savior’s example of persistent love. Commenting on the passages above, he said:
The Lord has given us all the source of hope as we struggle to help those we love accept their eternal inheritance. He has made promises to us as we keep trying to gather people to Him, even when they resist His invitation to do so. Their resistance saddens Him, but He does not quit, nor should we…..
We can depend on that unfailing desire of the Savior to bring all of Heavenly Father’s spirit children back to their home with Him.
“A Priceless Heritage of Hope,” General Conference, April 2014
Today, I will be grateful for the Savior’s efforts—past, present, and future—to gather us home. I will strive to follow His example by continuing to love others, regardless of their current willingness to receive that love.
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