3 Nephi 17-19

THE FIRST MEETING


In the previous lesson, we discussed all that transpired between Jesus Christ and the people in America on the first day of His appearance to them:

• Allowing a personal witness for each individual of His Atonement
• Giving authority and instruction for baptisms
• Teaching them His doctrine (the basic principles and ordinances of the gospel)
• The "Sermon on the Mount" but here given at the temple, an expansion on the basics of the gospel and their application in daily life
• The template for prayer in "The Lord's Prayer"
• Announcement of the fulfillment of the Law of Moses
• Reminder of the Abrahamic Covenant, and allusions to the large numbers of groups throughout the world who are included in this, many of which are not known by the others

"Behold, now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words he looked round about again on the multitude, and he said unto them: Behold, my time is at hand.  I perceive that ye are weak, that ye cannot understand all my words which I am commanded of the Father to speak unto you at this time.  Therefore, go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may undersatnd, and prepare your minds for the morrow, and I come unto you again.  But now I go unto the Father; and also to show myself unto the lost tribes of Israel, for they are not lost unto the Father, for he knoweth whither he hath taken them."  (3 Nephi 17:1-4)

That was the end of His agenda for Day One.  BUT...

"It came to pass that 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 tarry a little longer with them."  (3 Nephi 17:5)

And all the rest of the wonderful story about Christ's first day with the Nephites took place because 1) they (nonverbally) asked for more, and 2) He did not stick with His agenda, but acted in pure love according to their needs.  This is the single best example ever of a meeting that was lead by the Spirit.  (Okay, that was a redundant sentence, but I meant to be redundant, because it really was the SINGLE, BEST, EVER example of a meeting led by the Spirit.)

THE TARRYING

Two great concepts were taught through this "tarrying" as noted in the paragraph above:

1. No matter how great the experience, spiritually hungering for more may lead to greater gifts.  Would Christ have given the Nephites all the wonderful gifts we are about to describe if they had not begged for more?  Undoubtedly, He would have still instituted the sacrament the next day, but some of the other incredible spiritual outpourings would probably not have happened without a great spiritual craving on the part of the Nephites.  Remember the great Beatitude that He taught them earlier that very day?  "Blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost."  (3 Nephi 12:6)
2. Making plans is important, but being flexible with those plans is sometimes necessary in order to create the best experience possible and to serve in the best way possible.

Many great blessings were bestowed upon the Nephites during this tarrying.

(You may want to have your class search through the next two chapters to find all the great gifts that were given because the Nephites hungered for more.  Here are the ones I see.)

1. The blessing of the sick, lame, blind, halt, maimed, leprous, withered, deaf, or afflicted in any other way--every single one!  (3 Nephi 17:6-10)
2. The blessing of every one of the children.  (3 Nephi 17:11-13; 21-22)
3. The unutterable prayer Christ prayed (3 Nephi 17:14-17)
4. Incredible joy for both the people and for Christ (3 Nephi 17:17-20)
5. The ministering of angels to the children and the powerful manifestation of the Holy Ghost by fire around them (3 Nephi 17:23-24)
6. The institution of the sacrament with additional instructions (3 Nephi 18) (please see postscript at the very end of this post)
7. The bestowal of the power to the confer the Holy Ghost on the apostles (3 Nephi 18:36-37)
8. The overshadowing of the apostles and Christ in a cloud, perhaps like the experience on the Mount of Transfiguration in the Bible. (3 Nephi 18:38)

MINISTERING TO CHILDREN

After this visit from Christ, this civilization in America stayed righteous for 200 years!  This is the only time we can find recorded in the history of the world such a long period of righteousness.  Christ also visited the Jews in Jerusalem and His visit there certainly did not have this effect.  Both groups heard the Sermon on the Mount, both groups witnessed healing, praying, the institution of the sacrament, the ordaining of apostles, the bestowal of the Priesthood, the receipt of the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  Besides differences in personal righteousness which we would have no way of perceiving, the greatest difference between the two groups was the level of ministering, blessing, and teaching that was done among children.

Anyone who thinks a call to teach Primary is insignificant does not have the same perspective that Christ does.

In Jerusalem, children were brought to Christ to be blessed.  "Then there were brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray and the disciples rebuked [those who had brought them] saying, There is no need, for Jesus hath said, Such shall be saved.  But Jesus said [Allow] little children and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 19:13-14, including JST and Hebrew footnotes)   

In Christ's opinion, little children should be ministered to, even though they are indeed holy and saved.  Why?  Childhood is the most effective time to teach the gospel.  Sister Michaelene P. Grassli, former Primary General President, said, "Let us not underestimate the capacity and potential power of today's children to perpetuate righteousness.  No group of people in the Church is as receptive to the truth, both in efficiency of learning and with the greatest degree of retention."  (October 1992 General Conference)

Here are important concepts about teaching and ministering to children that were noted by Sister Grassli from the experience in 3 Nephi 17:

• First, Christ commanded that the children be brought.  It was not a suggestion. (verse 11)
• Second, Jesus waited until they had all been brought.  He was not content with a representative sample.  (verse 12)
• Third, with the children all gathered around him, Jesus prayed so powerfully that "no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things."  At this time, the children were not with a babysitter or kept in another area--they were on the "front row."  They experienced this spiritual event and they were effected by it. (verse 13-17)
• Fourth, he blessed the little children one by one, not just as a group.  There were 2,500 people in this congregation: imagine how much time it must have taken to bless every child.  But maybe time bends for important events. (verse 21)
• After personally blessing each one, he instructed their parents to Behold their little ones.  The word behold in the Book of Mormon means much more than just "look at."  Behold implied a very important concept, something really worth studying.  If they could behold the children as Christ did, they could see their eternal possibilities.  It could really change their perspective as parents and teachers. (verse 23)
• Then they were really given something to behold.  Christ and the angels ministered to the children, and they were surrounded by fire.  Maybe the adults wouldn't have seen the angels and the fire had they not prepared themselves spiritual when Christ said, "Behold." (verse 24)
• Later in Christ's visit, He taught the children greater things than He had taught their parents, and then He gave them the verbal capacity to teach these concepts to the adults.  (3 Nephi 26:14)

Christ said we should become as little children in order to enter heaven, and nowhere is this better illustrated than in the story of His ministry among the Nephite children, when they were literally in a circle of heavenly fire on earth.  As we watch the Church's video depiction of this event, note how the children look steadfastly at Christ as they come to him, never looking back, neither to the right or the left.  If we do this, then we too can, at the end of everything, enter the circle of fire that is Christ's heavenly kingdom, and our joy can also be full.

Show your class the video "My Joy is Full".
 

All of the photographs in this blog entry come from lds.org 

and are free to download, print and use in class.

Postscript on the Sacrament:  Just in case it has ever worried you whether you should stop someone from "partaking of the sacrament unworthily" (see 3 Nephi 18:28-29), please put your mind at ease by noting that it is clearly stated in verse 26 that Jesus was no longer speaking to the general congregation at this point, but to the leadership only.  All of the instruction about what to do with members who have sinned and not yet repented is clearly outlined there, for the instruction of the congregational leadership.  If you're not the bishop, it's not your worry.

And as far as nonmembers partaking of the sacrament, the Church Handbook states that it is fine for them to partake or not to, whatever they choose, just as it is fine for little children who are not yet baptized to partake of the sacrament.  (So sorry I don't have the exact reference, because at present I am not in possession of a Handbook, but just look in the index under "sacrament, nonmembers."  As soon as I get it, I'll post the exact quote in here.)

Doctrine and Covenants Lesson #45 The Family is Ordained of God

(The Family: A Proclamation to the World)

"Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children...Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations" (The Family: A Proclamation to the World).

Of course, this responsibility to teach our children to joyfully live the gospel is more easily said than done. Each one of our children is different than any other child who has ever lived. The circumstances of every person's life is different than every other person's life. The variety of situations we can come across in raising a single child is staggering. There is no parenting manual that can cover every contingency, so how do we get it right? There is only one way: We must be in constant touch with the Spirit of the Lord. The Lord knows our children, and can tell us exactly how to deal with every situation.

"And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good—yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit. Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy; And then shall ye know, or by this shall you know, all things whatsoever you desire of me, which are pertaining unto things of righteousness, in faith believing in me that you shall receive" (D&C 11:12-13).

To be able to yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, we must have faith (1 Nephi 10:17), and hope (Romans 15:13), and charity (Mosiah 3:19). In turn, as we heed the Holy Ghost, he will give us more of these three qualities (Mosiah 3:19). Faith, hope, and charity and the guidance of the Holy Ghost will lead us and our families to Eternal Life (Ether 12:28; Moroni 10:21-21).

THE PROBLEM WITH PERFECTIONISM

During his mortal ministry, Jesus said, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matt. 5:48). After his resurrection, he said, "Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect" (3 Nephi 12:48). Of course, the implication here is huge. Even Jesus, who committed no sin, was not perfected in this earthly life.

Why is it important to know this? Because giving up the illusion that perfection is possible in earthly life allows us to be patient, and that attribute is absolutely necessary for the exercise of faith, hope, and charity, and for our eventual perfection. "But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing" (James 1:4).

GIVING UP PERFECTIONISM BUILDS OUR FAITH

If everything in life went as we expected, as we thought was fair, we would never have need to exercise faith. Conversely, understanding the truth that this life is not going to be perfect, fair, or logical (to our minds), means we won't react with shock and disappointment when something unpleasant happens. Instead we can remember that this unwanted circumstance is an opportunity to trust in the Lord. "We can grow in faith only if we are willing to wait patiently for God's purposes and patterns to unfold in our lives, on His timetable" (Elder Robert C. Oaks, "The Power of Patience," October 2006 General Conference).

In our family, this principle was most powerfully taught to us as we tried to adopt a child from Russia. The short version is that after my husband had spent several years working on a joint U.S./Russian project, we felt powerfully guided by the Lord to go to Russia and look for a four-year-old girl to join our family. The first adoption we attempted became "stuck" as, before the paperwork went through, the child's birthmother decided to try to come back to her daughter after she was released from prison. We were bewildered as we felt the Lord had guided our steps, and now we were at a stalemate. As we continued to ask the Lord what to do, and as the opportunity to adopt other children became available, the answer to our prayers for a year and a half was always the same: "Just continue in the same direction." Then our facilitator emigrated to America, leaving us high and dry without any connection in Krasnodar. This was a great trial to our faith.

But suddenly, a different path opened up: Through an on-line adoption support group, I found a new facilitator in Krasnodar, who immediately took up our case, looked into the situation, and then sadly told us it was hopeless. "But," he wrote in an e-mail, "it is my experience that when this happens, it means God has another child for you." These words went straight to our hearts as truth, and we knew it was finally time to let the first child go. A few days later, we received an e-mail with five photographs of a beautiful little four-year-old girl, with a melancholy expression, who was available for immediate adoption. The first photograph made my heart skip a beat. I felt it was the Spirit telling me, "This is your child." Our facilitator had chosen this child because she looked like the first one. The Department of Education let us easily adopt her despite their opposition to our large family, because the previous administration had already approved us. They believed we were sincere, because we had waited two years without giving up. They were impressed that we were able to speak some Russian, which the two-year wait had allowed us to learn. In addition, the long delay allowed me to study and learn a great deal about foreign and older child adoption and attachment, which was immensely helpful in our daughter's successful integration into American family life. She even fit every article of clothing I had purchased or made for the first child two years before. And there is also the possibility, although we will probably never know, that our persistence in trying to adopt the first child may have actually cleaned up her birthmother's life and reunited the two of them.

The first photo we saw of our daughter.

A situation that was hugely imperfect (in our eyes) allowed us to learn to trust in the Lord, and that trust led to the perfect resolution. "Now faith is the [assurance] of things hoped for, the [proof] of things not seen." (Hebrews 11: 1, using Greek alternate words) The assurance that past problems were resolved successfully proves that other "catastrophies" will work out well, under the Lord's supervision.

GIVING UP PERFECTIONISM INCREASES OUR HOPE

"...Neither can ye be saved in the kingdom of God if ye have not faith; neither can ye if ye have no hope. And if ye have no hope ye must needs be in despair; and despair cometh because of iniquity" (Moroni 10:21-22). Hope is so important a principle that failing to exercise it is "iniquity!" When we expect perfection, it is easy to give in to despair, because somewhere along the way things will go wrong, at least according to our plan. Then we find ourselves breaking the Savior's commandment to "be of good cheer" and that iniquity brings us to despair (D&C 78:18). But we can "inherit the promises" when we exercise the "full assurance of hope unto the end" (Hebrews 6:11-12).

"Hope we have as an achor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec" (Hebrews 6:20). Inasmuch as Jesus was made perfect beyond the veil in the next life, his Atonement makes it possible to hope that our families may also be perfected there.

GIVING UP PERFECTIONISM ALLOWS US TO FREELY LOVE

"No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering [elements of patience], by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; by kindness [elements of charity], and pure knowledge [the guidance of the Holy Spirit], which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile...Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God..." (D&C 121:41, 45, italics added).

In order to lead others, it is necessary for us to be patient with others, to love them deeply, and to be guided by the Spirit. We are commanded to exercise this kind of patience and love towards all of our family members, not just to those who are presently following the gospel plan (the household of faith). Love is not just the method that ought to be employed in order to influence others; it is the only way we can influence others.

As we look around us, we can see evidence that God loves each person, regardless of where they stand in life and in gospel understanding, and He extends His tender mercies to them. Despite being perfect Himself, He is infinitely patient with His imperfect children, and will keep the way open for them to come closer to Him. Every step, however small, that a person makes toward God will be rewarded by Him, and another step will be encouraged. Though our progress may be slow, He continues His offer to lead us along, to the last day of our lives on this earth. "The scriptures warn us, 'Do not procrastinate the day of your repentance.' But, in this life, it is never too late to repent" (Elder Neil L. Anderson, "Repent...That I May Heal You," October 2009 General Conference).

IMPERFECTION BLESSES US

It is an ironic gospel truth that the perfect condition for this mortal existence is imperfection.

The fallen state of this earth and its inhabitants allows us the perfect opportunity to grow in faith, hope and charity, and to rely upon the influence of the Holy Ghost. As we do so, we will be lead with our families safely to exaltation if we "continue in patience until [we] are perfected" (D&C 67:13). For "God...will render to every man according to his deeds: to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life" (Romans 2:5-7).