3 Nephi 20
These chapters (3 Nephi 20-26) is the story of the victory of Zion at the end of the world. This is one of the places where Jesus shares his favorite story. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland put it this way:
In fact, I have a theory about those earlier dispensations and the leaders, families, and people who lived then, of those whom the Prophet Joseph, President Woodruff, and President Hinckley spoke. I have thought often about them and the destructive circumstances that confronted them. They faced terribly difficult times and, for the most part, did not succeed in their dispensations. Apostasy and darkness eventually came to every earlier age in human history. Indeed, the whole point of the Restoration of the gospel in these latter days is that it had not been able to survive in earlier times and therefore had to be pursued in one last, triumphant age.
We know the challenges Abraham’s posterity faced (and still do). We know of Moses’ problems with an Israelite people who left Egypt but couldn’t quite get Egypt to leave them. Isaiah was the prophet who saw the loss of the 10 Israelite tribes to the north. Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel were all prophets of captivity. Peter, James, John, and Paul, the great figures of the New Testament, all saw apostasy creeping into their world almost before the Savior had departed and certainly while they themselves were still living. Think of the prophets of the Book of Mormon, living in a dispensation ending with such painful communication between Mormon and Moroni about the plight they faced and the nations they loved dissolving into corruption, terror, and chaos.
In short, apostasy and destruction of one kind or another was the ultimate fate of every general dispensation we have ever had down through time. But here’s my theory. My theory is that those great men and women, the leaders in those ages past, were able to keep going, to keep testifying, to keep trying to do their best, not because they knew that they would succeed but because they knew that you would. I believe they took courage and hope not so much from their own circumstances as from yours—a magnificent congregation of young adults like you tonight gathered by the hundreds of thousands around the world in a determined effort to see the gospel prevail and triumph.[1]Jeffrey R. Holland, Terror, Triumph, and a Wedding Feast, BYU speeches, September 12, 2004.
Jesus commands that they pray in their hearts (1)
Jesus commands that they should arise and stand (2) [standing in the presence of God is a motif in prophetic literature]
Jesus provides bread for the Second feast… there was no bread! (3-9) [A careful reading is essential here, note that in the Sed Festival, the king provided the food for the celebrants].[2]The Sed festival probably dates from the Predynastic Period in some form but is certainly attested to from the reign of King Den (c. 2990-2940 BCE) of the First Dynasty. The name comes from the … Continue reading
They eat and give glory to Jesus (9)
Jesus tells them that they are to search out Isaiah’s writings (11)
The remnants are going to be gathered in (13) and this is a clue that Isaiah’s words are being fulfilled (12-13)
The Father has commanded that this land be given you (14)
Jesus quotes Micah – if the Gentiles don’t repent, “then shall ye be in the midst of them and as a lion among the sheep… treadeth down and teareth in pieces… none can deliver.” This has conquest implications (15-16)
Three times Jesus quotes Micah to the Nephites – see also 3 Nephi 16.14-15, 21.12, and later Mormon will bring this prophecy up as well- Mormon 5.24.
Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert Millet had this to say about this passage:
This is a theme, a recurring theme, in the Savior’s teachings to his American Hebrews (see 3 Nephi 20:16; 3 Nephi 21:12) and one to which Mormon later refers (Mormon 5:24). There has been much discussion concerning its meaning. Many Latter-day Saints conclude that it refers to a type of Lamanite uprising, a rebellion by Lamanites (identified in this interpretation as “a remnant of Jacob”-see 3 Nephi 20:16; 3 Nephi 21:12; Mormon 5:24) against the “Gentiles” in America. We have chosen to take another approach to these passages.
It is interesting that in 3 Nephi 21 the Master quotes a prophecy from Micah 5:8-14, an oracle which uses language similar to that above. According to this account the rending of the Gentiles, this metaphor of a lion among the sheep, takes place in a day when such things as witchcraft, soothsayers, idolatry, immorality, priestcrafts, lying, and deceit are all destroyed and done away. When will such things be done away? Clearly, after the Lord comes and the millennial day has begun. It would seem that the image of the remnant of Israel rending its Gentile enemies is symbolic of Israel’s ultimate victory over its foes, a victory which comes when the Savior returns and the wicked are destroyed. “Except for a few who are the humble followers of Christ, the Gentiles will not repent. They will revel in their abominations and sin against the restored gospel, and they will be burned by the brightness of our Lord’s coming while the righteous-here called the remnant of Jacob-shall abide the day. And then, in the prophetic imagery it will be as though the remnant of Israel overthrew their enemies as a young lion among the flocks of sheep.”[3]McConkie and Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Volume 4, Deseret Book, 1992. Bruce R. McConkie, Millennial Messiah, p. 248; see also p. 242; Mortal Messiah, 4:334-35.
The Threshing Floor – The Foundation of the Holy of Holies
I will gather my people as a man gathereth sheaves into the (threshing) floor (18) – [Cross reference this with Ruth 3.1-4, 2 Samuel 24.16-17, 1 Kings 6.19, 8.1-9, 2 Chron. 3.1. The “Jebusite” who “sold” this threshingfloor to David has a name that is related to the Ark. His name is Ornan – אָרְנָן (H771), similar to Arown – אָרוֹן (H727), the name for the Ark of the Covenant. It is placed on the threshingfloor, the place where the sheaves are gathered and the seeds are separated from the rest of the plant material. This is all about seeds and life, and this is all related to and coming out of ancient Egypt.[4]Maurice Moshe Aranov, The Biblical Threshing-floor in the light of the Ancient Near Eastern evidence: Evolution of an Institution. Dissertation New York University, 1977. See also: Noegel, The … Continue reading Indeed, the threshingfloor was the origin of theatre, which was all connected to the temple and the New Year’s festival. As Aranov writes:
“in the process of time, ‘theatre’ became entirely secularized utilizing non-sacred scripts directed towards entertainment of ‘the masses.’ Hence, what had originated as a cultic reenactment of the mythology of vegetation ritual performed with the intention of promoting crop fertility eventually proceeded to provide a visual enactment of the dramatic experiences of the gods which afforded a rationale for the seasonal calendar.”[5]Aranov, p. 204-205.
I will make thy horn iron and thy hoofs brass (19) [strength]
The warning about “the sword of justice” (20)
I will establish my people (21) in this land (22) and the powers of heaven will be with them
Those who will not hear “that prophet” [in this context it is Jesus – “I am he,” citing Deuteronomy 18.15-19] will be cut off (23) – remember 3 Nephi 19.13-21 “These are my witnesses”
Jesus tells them who they are [children of prophets] (25-26) and in their seed the whole earth will be blessed (25, 27)
They (Gentiles) will be a scourge unto the indigenous people (28), and if they harden their hearts, God will return their iniquities upon their own heads (28) [we see this today- warlike culture, class distinctions, massive inequality, disease, contention]
Jesus prophesies of the Jews and their coming back into the fold (29-30)
The watchmen will sing and see eye to eye (32-34) [Temple imagery]
The Father will make bare his arm (temple imagery), comfort his people (kingship) (34)
Awake, put on your garments, O Zion! (36)
Arise from the dust, loose the bands, and sit on the throne! (37)
My people will know my name! (39)
The feet of my people is established (40) [kingship & temple]
Be clean (41), God is with you (42), My servant (43) shall be exalted, and his visage was marred (44) – a ritual vision of the God of Holiness in the Holy of Holies
King shall shut their mouths (silence) (45), they will see and hear (45)
These things shall surely come and Jerusalem will be inhabited again with Jehovah’s people (46)
3 Nephi 21
Jesus gives them a sign – when the Book of Mormon has been published and is made known unto Lehi’s descendants, that is the sign that the work of the Father has commenced unto the fulfilling of the covenant (1-7)
Kings will shut their mouths (silence) (8)
The Father will work a work (9), it will be completed by a mortal man (9-10)
Those who disbelieve will be cut off (11)
Jesus quotes Micah 5.8 (again) (12) and Jesus talks of cutting off wickedness (13-21)
If they repent, I will establish my church among them (22)
They will build the New Jerusalem (23) and I will be in their midst (25)
The gospel will be preached to Lehi’s descendants (26) and the lost tribes
Jesus promises that he will help these messengers gather Israel home (27-29)
3 Nephi 22
The Blending of Isaiah 52 and Micah 5
This whole chapter (3 Nephi 22 – Isaiah 54) is about God’s love for his people, and how we are the woman, called, gathered, and loved by the husband.
No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall revile against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord (3 Nephi 22.17)
No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper (clearly this is spiritual and a promise of invulnerability, a promise that is given to the king in the ancient world). This is the promise of invulnerability (15-17) given to kings throughout the ancient world, and we need to read Psalm 45.5 and Psalm 91.1-16 in light of this passage. These promises take place outside of time, and in this way we can make sense of these promises. As Margaret Barker stated:
The rituals of the holy of holies were thus taking place outside time and matter, in the realm of the angels and the heavenly throne, and those who functioned in the holy of holies were more than human, being and seeing beyond time.[6]Margaret Barker, The Great High Priest: The Temple Roots of Christian Liturgy, T&T Clark, 2003, p. 81.
With these promises of invulnerability, and coupled with our understanding that these promises take place outside of our understanding of time, God’s words are fulfilled. In this way, the promises to the two prophets (Jesus and Joseph) in this narrative of Jesus in 3 Nephi 20-26 are fulfilled. Indeed, as LeGrand Baker stated:
The Covenant of Invulnerability is the covenant God made with us that if we would keep our eternal covenants he would remove all obstacles that might prevent us from doing so. It is taught throughout the scriptures.
There may be no other scripture that so accurately express the sense of awe that the faithful feel as they watch the Lord fulfill the promises he has made to them. It is an echo of the much shorter, but equally profound question asked by Enos: “Lord, how is it done?”(Enos 1:7.)
The answer, while unfathomable from our perspective, is very simple to say in words: At the Council in Heaven we made covenants with God. On our part, we promised what we would do when we came here; on his part, he promised he would make it possible for us to do it—not easy—not even safe—but possible (Paul explains that in the first chapter of Ephesians). However, like the Prophet Joseph, Peter, and Abinadi, it might appear to others that we had been prevented from achieving our objective; but like with them, the end cannot come until the Father has fulfilled his covenants to help us succeed—unless, of course, we have chosen to not fulfill our part.
His promise is renewed here in this world as we are taught what we must do to return to him. His promise is virtually a guarantee of invulnerability—not against hurt or sorrow, but against failure if we do our part. The following are two excerpts from my forthcoming book on the Psalms, They discuss our of invulnerability. The first is from my discussion of Psalm 45 which portrays the king (and through him all the audience) receiving that promise during the proceedings of the Council in Heaven.[7]LeGrand Baker, The Covenant of Invulnerability in the Psalms Veil Ceremony, August 2012.
Other passages on The Promise of Invulnerability
In the first verse of Psalm 110, the words, “sit thou at my right hand,” was literally an invitation to the king to sit next to God, implicitly to sit upon the throne of God. The invitation was proffered here in conjunction with the ordination to the Melchizedek priesthood, but would not be realized until near the conclusion of the drama when the king would be crowned.
Psalm 110 begins by affirming the king’s ordination to that priesthood:
The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod [scepter] of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. (Psalm 110.1-4).
Then Psalm 110 concludes, as do many of the psalms that pronounce a blessing, with a promise of invulnerability—the promise that he will be empowered to fulfill the assignment he received at the Council—described in terms of military power:
The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.
6 He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries. He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head (Psalm 110:1-7).
See also:
Genesis 12.1-7 and 13.14-17 “I will bless thee and make thy name great…”
Abraham 1.18-19 “I will lead thee by my hand, I will take thee, to put upon thee my name… and my power shall be over thee…”
Psalm 72.1-19 “His name shall endure forever…”
Psalm 145.1-21 “Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom…”
3 Nephi 23
How to read Isaiah – he spoke of things as they have been and shall be (1-3)
Samuel’s prophecies not written (7-12)
Jesus expounded all scriptures in one (14)
3 Nephi 24 (Malachi 3)
Jesus gives them the words given to Malachi and then “he expounded” them (1).
God comes out and witnesses against the:
Sorcerers – kasaph כָּשַׁף
Adulterers – na-af נָאַף
False swearers
Oppressors of hirelings (wage earners)
Widows
Orpans
Those who turn aside strangers/immigrants (3Nephi 24.5 and Malachi 3.5)
Bring in the tithes (10) ma-aser
God will make up his jewels (17) – See D&C 101 here for more insight.
3 Nephi 25 (Malachi 4)
Neither root nor branch (1)
Ye shall tread down the wicked (2)
I will send Elijah to turn the hearts (5-6) – this ties directly into D&C 2 and the entire purpose for why the earth was created – note that D&C 2 was given to Joseph in 1823 on September 21st. He was only 17 years old at the time.
You have to read D&C 2 with this chapter, this is the whole purpose for which the world was made, and this has to be part of what Jesus is expounding upon in chapter 26 – the whole purpose of the earth: Gathering Families “unto the floor.” (3 Nephi 20.18)
The whole purpose of the creation of the earth is for families to be sealed together and brought back into the presence of our heavenly parents.
The purpose the earth and of the church and the restoration is to bring families back to God.
Elder M. Russel Ballard said, “The family is where the foundation of personal, spiritual growth is built and nurtured; the Church then is the scaffolding that helps support and strengthen the family.”[8]LDS Church News, 1996, April 13, 1996. See also: Ballard, Rely on Steady Scaffolding.
Elder McConkie put it this way:
From the moment of birth into mortality to the time we are married in the temple, everything we have in the whole gospel system is to prepare and qualify us to enter that holy order of matrimony which makes us husband and wife in this life and in the world to come.
Then from the moment we are sealed together by the power and authority of the holy priesthood—the power to bind on earth and have it sealed eternally in the heavens—from that moment everything connected with revealed religion is designed to help us keep the terms and conditions of our marriage covenant, so that this covenant will have efficacy, virtue, and force in the life to come.[9]Elder Bruce R. McConkie, Conference Report, April 1970, p. 26.
3 Nephi 26
Jesus expounds these teachings of Isaiah, Micah, and Malachi (1-6)
Mormon explains that he is shifting in his source material, he is leaving Nephi’s smaller account and returning to the plates of Nephi as the source of his abridgement. (7)
Mormon sees that this lesser part is a test for us (9), and that we can have more, if we keep believing (7)
If we do not believe, then more will be withheld (8)
Mormon tells us Jesus spent 3 days with them (13), but also that he continued to visit the Nephites and break bread with them (13)
Jesus looses the tongues of children (14)
Jesus ascends into heaven (ending the second visit, which began in 3 Nephi 19.15), and he will come again in 3 Nephi 27.
Mormon lists some of the things Jesus does for the people:
Healed all their sick
Opened the eyes of the blind
Unstopped the ears of the deaf
Raised a man from the dead (15)
Babes speak unspeakable things (16-18) which were unutterable
They had all things in common (19)
References
| ↑1 | Jeffrey R. Holland, Terror, Triumph, and a Wedding Feast, BYU speeches, September 12, 2004. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | The Sed festival probably dates from the Predynastic Period in some form but is certainly attested to from the reign of King Den (c. 2990-2940 BCE) of the First Dynasty. The name comes from the deity Sed, an early wolf-god (sometimes depicted as more of a jackal), who was originally among the most important gods, associated with the strength of the king, justice, and balance (and so linked with the goddess and concept of ma’at). Sed was eventually absorbed by Wepwawet and Anubis and superseded by Osiris who, by the New Kingdom, had taken Sed’s place in the festival. As with all the great festivals, the state provided the people with food and beer for the duration. See: Joshua J. Mark, Festivals in Ancient Egypt, Ancient History Encyclopedia, March 2017. |
| ↑3 | McConkie and Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Volume 4, Deseret Book, 1992. Bruce R. McConkie, Millennial Messiah, p. 248; see also p. 242; Mortal Messiah, 4:334-35. |
| ↑4 | Maurice Moshe Aranov, The Biblical Threshing-floor in the light of the Ancient Near Eastern evidence: Evolution of an Institution. Dissertation New York University, 1977. See also: Noegel, The Egyptian Origin of the Ark of the Covenant, in Israel’s Exodus in Transdisciplinary Perspective: Text, Archaeology, Culture, and Geoscience, Springer International Publishing, 2015, p. 223-242. |
| ↑5 | Aranov, p. 204-205. |
| ↑6 | Margaret Barker, The Great High Priest: The Temple Roots of Christian Liturgy, T&T Clark, 2003, p. 81. |
| ↑7 | LeGrand Baker, The Covenant of Invulnerability in the Psalms Veil Ceremony, August 2012. |
| ↑8 | LDS Church News, 1996, April 13, 1996. See also: Ballard, Rely on Steady Scaffolding. |
| ↑9 | Elder Bruce R. McConkie, Conference Report, April 1970, p. 26. |
Towards the end of the podcast you shared a quote by Elder Neil A. Maxwell about going deeper into our study of the Book of Mormon, and how it relates to visiting a mansion and only going into the entryway. Do you have a reference for that quote? It was so good!
Sorry, I failed to put this in the show notes. Nice catch. I apologize.
“The Book of Mormon is like a vast mansion, with gardens, towers, courtyards, and wings. My tour of it has never been completed. Some rooms I have yet to enter, and there are more felicitous fireplaces waiting to warm me. Even the rooms I have glimpsed contain further furnishings and rich detail yet to be savored. There are panels inlaid with incredible insights, and design and décor dating from Eden. There are even sumptuous banquet tables painstakingly prepared by predecessors which await all of us. Yet we as church members sometimes behave like hurried tourists scarcely entering beyond the entry hall. May we come to feel, as a whole people, beckoned beyond the entry hall. May we go inside far enough to hear clearly the whispered truths from those who have slumbered – which whisperings will awaken in us individually a life of discipleship as never before.” Neal A. Maxwell, Great Answers to the Great Question, FARMS Symposium Address, 10/86
“There is so much more in the Book of Mormon than we have yet discovered. The book’s divine architecture and rich furnishings will increasingly unfold to our view, further qualifying it as “a marvelous work and a wonder” (Isaiah 29:14). As I noted from this pulpit in 1986, “The Book of Mormon is like a vast mansion with gardens, towers, courtyards, and wings (Book of Mormon Symposium, 10 October 1986). All the rooms in this mansion need to be explored, whether by valued traditional scholars or by those at the cutting edge. Each plays a role, and one LDS scholar cannot say to the other, “I have no need of thee” (1 Corinthians 12:21).” Neal A. Maxwell, The Children of Christ, BYU Devotional Address, 12/90.