#2

#2

Here's my second post for the week since I missed last week. This is from Jesus' visit to the Nephites. In 3rd Nephi chapter 22. Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah from the Old Testament concerning Zion and the gathering of Israel. This is probably the shortest verse in the chapter but it is my favorite.

"And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children."    -3 Nephi 22:13

I believe The Saviors words, that if we teach our children his gospel they will have more peace in their lives. Not only is it a good idea but it is the responsibility of every parent. I hope I do a good job.

Consider The Lilies Of The Field

Consider The Lilies Of The Field

I've been doing the blog for 18 weeks. Last week was the first week I missed and today my father in law says "I haven't seen anything from your blog lately". I guess I can't afford to miss. So to make it up, this week I'll do two posts.

In my personal study and in our family scripture study we have been reading in 3rd Nephi. As discussed in my last post, Christ's birth and death were prophesied of by Samuel the Lamanite. When the Nephites saw the sign of Christ's birth (the new star) many of them repented of their sins and believed in Christ's coming even though he was to be born in a land far away (Jerusalem). Unfortunately over the next 33 years many of the Nephites forgot about the sign or told themselves it was just a coincidence. As a result, many of the people lost their faith in Christ and slipped back into wickedness.  The sign that was to accompany Christ's death was a great calamity that included thunderings, lightnings, earthquakes, whirlwinds, fires, upheavals, and three days of darkness (the days that Christ's body laid in the tomb). When Jesus died many of the wicked Nephite cities in America were destroyed in these calamities.

In the darkness those who survived hear the voice of Jesus Christ. He announces the fulfillment of The Law of Moses and invites men to come unto him and be saved. In 3rd Nephi Chapter 11 Jesus descends from heaven and appears to the people. In the following chapters he teaches the Nephites many of the things that he taught his followers in the middle east.

One of my favorites is from 3rd Nephi Chapter 13; the same sermon he gave in Matthew Chapter 6 (his sermon on the mount). Here is a part of it:

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal;

 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.

 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

 22 The light of the body is the eye; if, therefore, thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If, therefore, the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

 24 No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon.

 25 And now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words he looked upon the twelve whom he had chosen, and said unto them: Remember the words which I have spoken. For behold, ye are they whom I have chosen to minister unto this people. Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

 26 Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin;

 29 And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these.

 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, even so will he clothe you, if ye are not of little faith.

 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

 32 For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.Sufficient is the day unto the evil thereof.

I love the simple teachings of Jesus. I know that if we first seek to build the kingdom of God that He will take care of us when it comes to temporal things. I know that Jesus appeared to the people in ancient America and taught them the doctrines of his gospel.