Gospel Doctrine, Lesson 40: Then Will I Gather Them In,

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3 Nephi 16, 20-21

#1: Elder Bruce R. McConkie: By divine command the name [Israel] was applied to the 12 tribes collectively. (Gen. 49:28; Ex. 3:36) Hundreds of millions of persons have thus been Israelites, heirs of the promises made to their fathers. This great host, called while on earth to be a peculiar people (Ex. 19:5-6; Deut. 14:2; 1 Pet. 2:9). Were also a separate and distinct group in the pre-existence. (Mormon Doctrine, 389) #2: Elder Bruce R. McConkie: The Lost Tribes are not lost unto the Lord. In their northward journeyings they were led by prophets and inspired leaders. They had their Moses and their Lehi, were guided by the spirit of revelation, kept the law of Moses, and carried with them the statutes and judgments which the Lord had given them in ages past. They were still a distinct people many hundreds of years later, for the resurrected Lord visited and ministered among them following his ministry on this continent among the Nephites. (3 Ne. 16:1-4; 17:4.) Obviously he taught them in the same way and gave them the same truths which he gave his followers in Jerusalem and on the American continent; and obviously they recorded his teachings, thus creating volumes of scripture comparable to the Bible and Book of Mormon. (2 Ne. 29:12-14.) In due course the Lost Tribes of Israel will return and come to the children of Ephraim to receive their blessings. This great gathering will take place under the direction of the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for he holds the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north. (D. & C. 110:11.) Keys are the right of presidency, the power to direct; and by this power the Lost Tribes will return, with their prophets and their scriptures to be crowned with glory, even in Zion, by the hands of the servants of the Lord, even the children of Ephraim. (D. & C. 133:26-35.) (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 455-8) #3: The Prophet Joseph Smith: It was the design of the councils of heaven before the world was, that the principles and laws of the priesthood should be predicated upon the gathering of the people in every age of the world. Jesus did everything to gather the people, and they would not be gathered...Ordinances instituted in the heavens before the foundation of the world, in the priesthood, for the salvation of men, are not to be altered or changed. All must be saved on the same principles. It is for the same purpose that God gathers together his people in the last days, to build unto the Lord a house to prepare them for the ordinances and endowments, washings and anointing, etc. One of the ordinances of the house of the Lord is baptism for the dead. God decreed before the foundation of the world that that ordinance should be administered in a font prepared for that purpose in the house of the Lord. (Teachings of the Prophet JS, 308)

#4: Elder Bruce R. McConkie: 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. (The Millenial Messiah, p. 248) #5: Elder Mark E. Petersen: ... in these, the last days, the Lord has predicted that there shall be two simultaneous movements. One of these movements is the great tribulation that shall come upon the world. The wicked will destroy the wicked. The other great movement which will be going forward simultaneously is that there shall be a stone cut out of the mountain without hands, and it shall roll forth and eventually fill the whole earth. The Church to which you and I belong is that stone. It has been cut out of the mountain without hands, and your destiny and mine is to help roll it forth. (D&C
65:2.)

Now do you suppose for one moment that the judgments of God are going to interfere with the progress of his work? He is consistent, isn't he? Although he will pour out his tribulations upon the wicked, he nevertheless will carry forward his work, and his people, under divine protection, will roll forth that stone until eventually it fills the whole earth. And so says the Book of Mormon: For the time soon cometh that the fulness of the wrath of God shall be poured out upon all the children of men; for he will not suffer that the wicked shall destroy the righteous. Wherefore, he will preserve the righteous by his power, even if it so be that the fulness of his wrath must come, and the righteous be preserved, even unto the destruction of their enemies by fire. Wherefore, the righteous need not fear; for thus saith the prophet, they shall be saved, even if it so be as by fire. (1 Nephi 22:16-17.) I believe that. In the midst of all these tribulations God will send fire from heaven, if necessary, to destroy our enemies while we carry forward our work and push that stone until it fills the whole earth! Your destiny is to do that very thing, and this is the kind of protection you will have. You do not need to fear about world conditions. You do not need to fear about anybody. Just serve the Lord and keep his commandments and build the kingdom, and as you do so you will be protected in these last days. God will have his hand over you, and you can plan your lives in confidence. (CR, October 1960) #6: President Joseph Fielding Smith: Not many of the Jews, I take it from my reading of the scriptures, will believe in Christ before he comes. The Book of Mormon tells us that they shall begin to believe in him (2 Ne 30:7-18, etc.). They are now beginning to believe in him. The Jews today look upon Christ as a great Rabbi. They have accepted him as one of their great teachers; they have said that, He is Jew of Jew, the greatest Rabbi of them all, as one has stated it. When the gospel was restored in 1830, if a Jew had mentioned the name of Christ in one of the synagogues, he would have been rebuked. Had a rabbi referred to him, the congregation would have arisen and left the building. And so, we see the

sentiment has changed. Now I state this on Jewish authority that they are beginning to believe in Christ, and some of them are accepting the gospel. But in the main they will gather to Jerusalem in their unbelief; the gospel will be preached to them; some of them will believe. Not all of me Gentiles have believed when the gospel has been proclaimed to them, but the great body of the Jews who are there assembled will not receive Christ as their Redeemer until he comes himself and makes himself manifest unto them. (Doctrines of Salvation 3:9) #7: Bryan Richards: Today, we marvel; tomorrow, kings will marvel. Today, we review Church history in amazement; tomorrow, the Church will make history that will leave the rest of the world in amazement. Today, the stone cut out of the mountain without hands has become a great boulder; tomorrow, it will become a great mountain, and fill the whole earth (Dan 2:34-35), That wise men and rulers may hear and know that which they have never considered; that I may proceed to bring to pass my act, my strange act, and perform my work, my strange work, that men may discern between the righteous and the wicked, saith your God (D&C 101:9495). And Elder Bruce R. McConkie said: the great and mighty shall be so amazed at the Lord's latter-day work that they shall not know what to say and shall feel impelled to consider the wondrous work which rolls before their eyes. So far there has been a small amount of this; what the future holds is limitless. (The Mortal Messiah, book 4, p. 352)
Plagues of Egypt Waters of Egypt turned to blood. (Ex. 7:20) Apocalyptic Destruction of Wicked The rivers and fountains of watersbecame blood. (Rev. 16:4) Frogs covered the land of Egypt. (Ex. 8:6) Three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon. (Rev 16:13) Plagues of lice and flies. (Ex. 8:17,24) God will send forth flies and maggots. (DC 29:8) All the cattle of Egypt died. (Ex. 9:6) Desolation upon the cattle and sheep. (Joel 1:15-20) Plague of boils upon man and beast. (Ex. 9:10) There fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast. (Rev. 16:2) Plague of hail and fire (Ex. 9:23) Men scorched with fire and a plague of great hailstones. (Rev. 16:8,21) Locusts covered the face of the whole earth. There came out of the smoke locusts upon the (Ex. 10:14-15) earth. (Rev. 9:3-10) A thick darkness in all the land for three days. The sun became black as sackcloth. (Rev. (Ex. 10:22) 6:12) The firstborn males are killed. (Ex. 12:29-30) The third part of men are killed by fire, smoke, and brimstone. (Rev. 9:18) Pharaohs army destroyed by water. (Ex. Saints enemies destroyed by fire. (1 Ne. 14:28) 22:17)

HIS GRACE IS SUFFICIENT

Brad Wilcox was serving as a member of the Sunday School General Board of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as a BYU associate professor n the Department of Teacher Education in the David O. McKay School of Education when this devotional address was given on 12 July 2011.

I am grateful to be here with my wife, Debi, and my two youngest childrenwho are currently attending BYUand several other family members who have come to be with us. It is an honor to be invited to speak to you today. Several years ago I received an invitation to speak at Womens Conference. When I told my wife, she asked, What have they asked you to speak on? I was so excited that I got my words mixed up and said, They want me to speak about changing strengths into weaknesses. She thought for a minute and said, Well, theyve got the right man for the job! Shes correct about that. I could give a whale of a talk on that subject, but I think today I had better go back to the original topic and speak about changing weaknesses into strengths and about how the grace of Jesus Christ is sufficient (see Ether 12:27, D&C 17:8, 2 Corinthians 12:9)sufficient to cover us, sufficient to transform us, and sufficient to help us as long as that transformation process takes. Christs Grace Is Sufficient to Cover Us A BYU student once came to me and asked if we could talk. I said, Of course. How can I help you? She said, I just dont get grace. I responded, What is it that you dont understand? She said, I know I need to do my best and then Jesus does the rest, but I cant even do my best. She then went on to tell me all the things she should be doing because shes a Mormon that she wasnt doing. She continued, I know that I have to do my part and then Jesus makes up the difference and fills the gap that stands between my part and perfection. But who fills the gap that stands between where I am now and my part? She then went on to tell me all the things that she shouldnt be doing because shes a Mormon, but she was doing them anyway. Finally I said,Jesus doesnt make up the difference. Jesus makes all the difference. Grace is not about filling gaps. It is about filling us. Seeing that she was still confused, I took a piece of paper and drew two dotsone at the top representing God and one at the bottom representing us. I then said, Go ahead. Draw the line. How much is our part? How much is Christs part? She went right to the center of the page and began to draw a line. Then, considering what we had been speaking about, she went to the bottom of the page and drew a line just above the bottom dot. I said, Wrong. She said, I knew it was higher. I should have just drawn it, because I knew it. I said, No. The truth is, there is no line. Jesus filled the whole space. He paid our debt in full. He didnt pay it all except for a few coins. He paid it all. It is finished. She said, Right! Like I dont have to do anything?

Oh no, I said, you have plenty to do, but it is not to fill that gap. We will all be resurrected. We will all go back to Gods presence. What is left to be determined by our obedience is what kind of body we plan on being resurrected with and how comfortable we plan to be in Gods presence and how long we plan to stay there. Christ asks us to show faith in Him, repent, make and keep covenants, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. By complying, we are not paying the demands of justicenot even the smallest part. Instead, we are showing appreciation for what Jesus Christ did by using it to live a life like His. Justice requires immediate perfection or a punishment when we fall short. Because Jesus took that punishment, He can offer us the chance for ultimate perfection (see Matthew 5:48, 3 Nephi 12:48) and help us reach that goal. He can forgive what justice never could, and He can turn to us now with His own set of requirements (see 3 Nephi 28:35). So whats the difference? the girl asked. Whether our efforts are required by justice or by Jesus, they are still required. True, I said, but they are required for a different purpose. Fulfilling Christs requirements is like paying a mortgage instead of rent or like making deposits in a savings account instead of paying off debt. You still have to hand it over every month, but it is for a totally different reason. Christs Grace Is Sufficient to Transform Us Christs arrangement with us is similar to a mom providing music lessons for her child. Mom pays the piano teacher. How many know what I am talking about? Because Mom pays the debt in full, she can turn to her child and ask for something. What is it? Practice! Does the childs practice pay the piano teacher? No. Does the childs practice repay Mom for paying the piano teacher? No. Practicing is how the child shows appreciation for Moms incredible gift. It is how he takes advantage of the amazing opportunity Mom is giving him to live his life at a higher level. Moms joy is found not in getting repaid but in seeing her gift used seeing her child improve. And so she continues to call for practice, practice, practice. If the child sees Moms requirement of practice as being too overbearing (Gosh, Mom, why do I need to practice? None of the other kids have to practice! Im just going to be a professional baseball player anyway!), perhaps it is because he doesnt yet see with moms eyes. He doesnt see how much better his life could be if he would choose to live on a higher plane. In the same way, because Jesus has paid justice, He can now turn to us and say, Follow me (Matthew 4:19), Keep my commandments (John 14:15). If we see His requirements as being way too much to ask (Gosh! None of the other Christians have to pay tithing! None of the other Christians have to go on missions, serve in callings, and do temple work!), maybe it is because we do not yet see through Christs eyes. We have not yet comprehended what He is trying to make of us. Elder Bruce C. Hafen has written, The great Mediator asks for our repentance not because we must repay him in exchange for his paying our debt to justice, but because repentance initiates a developmental process that, with the Saviors help, leads us along the path to a saintly character (The Broken Heart [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1989], 149; emphasis in original). Elder Dallin H. Oaks has said, referring to President Spencer W. Kimballs explanation, The repenting sinner must suffer for his sins, but this suffering has a different purpose than punishment or payment. Its purpose is change (The Lords Way [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1991], 223; emphasis in original). Lets put that in terms of our analogy: The child must practice the piano, but this practice has a different purpose than punishment or payment. Its purpose is change. I have born-again Christian friends who say to me, You Mormons are trying to earn your way to heaven. I say, No, we are not earning heaven. We are learning heaven. We are preparing for it (see D&C 78:7). We are practicing for it.

They ask me, Have you been saved by grace? I answer, Yes. Absolutely, totally, completely, thankfullyyes! Then I ask them a question that perhaps they have not fully considered: Have you been changed by grace? They are so excited about being saved that maybe they are not thinking enough about what comes next. They are so happy the debt is paid that they may not have considered why the debt existed in the first place. Latter-day Saints know not only what Jesus has saved us from but also what He has saved us for. As my friend Brett Sanders puts it, A life impacted by grace eventually begins to look like Christs life. As my friend Omar Canals puts it, While many Christians view Christs suffering as only a huge favor He did for us, Latter-day Saints also recognize it as a huge investment He made in us. As Moroni puts it, grace isnt just about being saved. It is also about becoming like the Savior (see Moroni 7:48). The miracle of the Atonement is not just that we can live after we die but that we can live more abundantly (see John 10:10). The miracle of the Atonement is not just that we can be cleansed and consoled but that we can be transformed (see Romans 8). Scriptures make it clear that no unclean thing can dwell with God (see Alma 40:26), but, brothers and sisters, no unchanged thing will even want to. I know a young man who just got out of prisonagain. Each time two roads diverge in a yellow wood, he takes the wrong oneevery time. When he was a teenager dealing with every bad habit a teenage boy can have, I said to his father,We need to get him to EFY. I have worked with that program since 1985. I know the good it can do. His dad said, I cant afford that. I said, I cant afford it either, but you put some in, and Ill put some in, and then well go to my mom, because she is a real softy. We finally got the kid to EFY, but how long do you think he lasted? Not even a day. By the end of the first day he called his mother and said, Get me out of here! Heaven will not be heaven for those who have not chosen to be heavenly. In the past I had a picture in my mind of what the final judgment would be like, and it went something like this: Jesus standing there with a clipboard and Brad standing on the other side of the room nervously looking at Jesus. Jesus checks His clipboard and says, Oh, shoot, Brad. You missed it by two points. Brad begs Jesus, Please, check the essay question one more time! There have to be two points you can squeeze out of that essay. Thats how I always saw it. But the older I get, and the more I understand this wonderful plan of redemption, the more I realize that in the final judgment it will not be the unrepentant sinner begging Jesus, Let me stay. No, he will probably be saying, Get me out of here! Knowing Christs character, I believe that if anyone is going to be begging on that occasion, it would probably be Jesus begging the unrepentant sinner, Please, choose to stay. Please, use my Atonementnot just to be cleansed but to be changed so that you want to stay. The miracle of the Atonement is not just that we can go home but thatmiraculouslywe can feel at home there. If Christ did not require faith and repentance, then there would be no desire to change. Think of your friends and family members who have chosen to live without faith and without repentance. They dont want to change. They are not trying to abandon sin and become comfortable with God. Rather, they are trying to abandon God and become comfortable with sin. If Jesus did not require covenants and bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost, then there would be no way to change. We would be left forever with only willpower, with no access to His power. If Jesus did not require endurance to the end, then there would be no internalization of those changes over time. They would forever be surface and cosmetic rather than sinking inside us and becoming part of uspart of who we are. Put simply, if Jesus didnt require practice, then we would never become pianists.

Christs Grace Is Sufficient to Help Us But Brother Wilcox, dont you realize how hard it is to practice? Im just not very good at the piano. I hit a lot of wrong notes. It takes me forever to get it right. Now wait. Isnt that all part of the learning process? When a young pianist hits a wrong note, we dont say he is not worthy to keep practicing. We dont expect him to be flawless. We just expect him to keep trying. Perfection may be his ultimate goal, but for now we can be content with progress in the right direction. Why is this perspective so easy to see in the context of learning piano but so hard to see in the context of learning heaven? Too many are giving up on the Church because they are tired of constantly feeling like they are falling short. They have tried in the past, but they always feel like they are just not good enough. They dont understand grace. There are young women who know they are daughters of a Heavenly Father who loves them, and they love Him. Then they graduate from high school, and the values they memorized are put to the test. They slip up. They let things go too far, and suddenly they think it is all over. These young women dont understand grace. There are young men who grow up their whole lives singing, I hope they call me on a mission, and then they do actually grow a foot or two and flake out completely. They get their Eagles, graduate from high school, and go away to college. Then suddenly these young men find out how easy it is to not be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, or reverent. They mess up. They say, Ill never do it again, and then they do it. They say, Ill never do it again, and then they do it. They say, This is stupid. I will never do it again. And then they do it. The guilt is almost unbearable. They dont dare talk to a bishop. Instead, they hide. They say, I cant do this Mormon thing. Ive tried, and the expectations are just way too high. So they quit. These young men dont understand grace. I know returned missionaries who come home and slip back into bad habits they thought were over. They break promises made before God, angels, and witnesses, and they are convinced there is no hope for them now. They say, Well, Ive blown it. There is no use in even trying any more.Seriously? These young people have spent entire missions teaching people about Jesus Christ and His Atonement, and now they think there is no hope for them? These returned missionaries dont understand grace. I know young married couples who find out after the sealing ceremony is over that marriage requires adjustments. The pressures of life mount, and stress starts taking its toll financially, spiritually, and even sexually. Mistakes are made. Walls go up. And pretty soon these husbands and wives are talking with divorce lawyers rather than talking with each other. These couples dont understand grace. In all of these cases there should never be just two options: perfection or giving up. When learning the piano, are the only options performing at Carnegie Hall or quitting? No. Growth and development take time. Learning takes time. When we understand grace, we understand that God is long-suffering, that change is a process, and that repentance is a pattern in our lives. When we understand grace, we understand that the blessings of Christs Atonement are continuous and His strength is perfect in our weakness (see 2 Corinthians 12:9). When we understand grace, we can, as it says in the Doctrine and Covenants, continue in patience until [we] are perfected (D&C 67:13). One young man wrote me the following e-mail: I know God has all power, and I know He will help me if Im worthy, but Im just never worthy enough to ask for His help. I want Christs grace, but I always find myself stuck in the same self-defeating and impossible position: no work, no grace. I wrote him back and testified with all my heart that Christ is not waiting at the finish line once we have done all we can do (2 Nephi 25:23). He is with us every step of the way. Elder Bruce C. Hafen has written, The Saviors gift of grace to us is not necessarily limited in time to after all we can do. We may receive his grace before, during and after the time when we expend our own ef-

forts (The Broken Heart [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1989], 155). So grace is not a booster engine that kicks in once our fuel supply is exhausted. Rather, it is our constant energy source. It is not the light at the end of the tunnel but the light that moves us through the tunnel. Grace is not achieved somewhere down the road. It is received right here and right now. It is not a finishing touch; it is the Finishers touch (see Hebrews 12:2). In twelve days we celebrate Pioneer Day. The first company of Saints entered the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. Their journey was difficult and challenging; still, they sang:

Come, come, ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear; But with joy wend your way. Though hard to you this journey may appear, Grace shall be as your day.
[Come, Come, Ye Saints, Hymns, 2002, no. 30] Grace shall be as your daywhat an interesting phrase. We have all sung it hundreds of times, but have we stopped to consider what it means? Grace shall be as your day: grace shall be like a day. As dark as night may become, we can always count on the sun coming up. As dark as our trials, sins, and mistakes may appear, we can always have confidence in the grace of Jesus Christ. Do we earn a sunrise? No. Do we have to be worthy of a chance to begin again? No. We just have to accept these blessings and take advantage of them. As sure as each brand-new day, gracethe enabling power of Jesus Christis constant. Faithful pioneers knew they were not alone. The task ahead of them was never as great as the power behind them. Conclusion The grace of Christ is sufficientsufficient to cover our debt, sufficient to transform us, and sufficient to help us as long as that transformation process takes. The Book of Mormon teaches us to rely solely on the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah (2 Nephi 2:8). As we do, we do not discoveras some Christians believethat Christ requires nothing of us. Rather, we discover the reason He requires so much and the strength to do all He asks (see Philippians 4:13). Grace is not the absence of Gods high expectations. Grace is the presence of Gods power (see Luke 1:37). Elder Neal A. Maxwell once said the following:

Now may I speak . . . to those buffeted by false insecurity, who, though laboring devotedly in the Kingdom, have recurring feelings of falling forever short. . . . . . . This feeling of inadequacy is . . . normal. There is no way the Church can honestly describe where we must yet go and what we must yet do without creating a sense of immense distance. . . . . . . This is a gospel of grand expectations, but Gods grace is sufficient for each of us. [CR, October 1976, 14, 16; Notwithstanding My Weakness, Ensign, November 1976, 12, 14]
With Elder Maxwell, I testify that Gods grace is sufficient. Jesus grace is sufficient. It is enough. It is all we need. Oh, young people, dont quit. Keep trying. Dont look for escapes and excuses. Look for the Lord and His perfect strength. Dont search for someone to blame. Search for someone to help you. Seek Christ, and, as you do, I promise you will feel the enabling power we call His amazing grace. I leave this testimony and all of my lovefor I do love you. As God is my witness, I love the youth of this church. I believe in you. Im pulling for you. And Im not the only one. Parents are pulling for you, leaders are pulling for you, and prophets are pulling for you. And Jesus is pulling with you. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

LESSON 40 OUTLINE On board: Map of Tribes of Israel

Todays lesson is titled: Then Will I Gather Them In, and can be found in 3 Nephi 16:5. ~Who is them? Who will Christ gather in? (the house of Israel) ~And when is then? (well be discussing that as we go along) If were going to understand this gathering, wouldnt it help to understand why Israel was scattered in the first place? ~But first, who are the house of Israel? (descendants of Jacob, renamed Israel, and his twelve sons) ~What makes these children of our Heavenly Father different from every one else? (Lets turn to the Old Testament for a surprising glimpse into pre-mortality:) Deuteronomy 32:7-9 Quotation #1 ~And how are the gentiles adopted into the house of Israel? (baptism) ~What is the foremost responsibility of Israelites? (since Christs death, it has been to spread the gospel among all the earth) ~So why were they scattered? Lets read: 3 Nephi 16:4 (unbelief) ~What happened to the northern then tribes, or the kingdom of Ephraim? (scattered to the north by the Assyrians between 740 & 720 B.C.) ~Was the southern kingdom of Judah also scattered? (somewhat. It was conquered by Babylon in 589 B.C., but some eventually returned and rebuilt the temple.) ~As to the northern tribes, were they completely scattered to the point of losing their identity? Quotation #2 ~Just as an aside, who restored the keys of gathering to Joseph Smith? (Moses) ~So when did the latter-day gathering begin? (When the keys were given to Joseph)

~Is Israel being gathered temporally or spiritually? (First spiritually, then 2 temporally, see MD, 305-6: The erection by the Church of temples in distant lands is further evidence that all the hosts of Israel who are gathered into the spiritual fold will not be assembled temporally.) ~Which brings us to the next point: Why are people gathered in the first place? Quotation #3 3 Nephi 16:10 ~Has this come to pass? (all but the last line. Joseph Smith said: .....for
God will gather out his Saints from the Gentiles, and then comes desolation and destruction, and none escape except the pure in heart who are gathered. It says here in verse 10 that the Father commanded Christ to tell the Nephites certain things. ~Was he able to tell them everything? (No, they were too weak, see 17:2-3) But then in 20:10, Christ finishes his message. ~Who is this message directed to? 3 Nephi 23:4 (Us, meaning the latter-day members of the Church) Back to chapter 20. This was written for us because it is about our day. 3 Nephi 20:15 ~What is the blessing the Gentiles will reject? (The Book of Mormon, restored gospel) 3 Nephi 20:16 This doctrine is so important it appears in 5 different places in the scriptures! (Micah 5:8-9; 3 Ne. 16:15; 20:16; 21:12; Mormon 5:24) Three times Christ personally repeats it to the Nephites? So lets read ~Who is this remnant? (latter-day descendants of Nephites & Lamanites. In D&C 49:24 it says Jacob shall flourish in the wilderness, and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose prior to the 2nd Coming) ~How do they flourish and blossom? How does anyone flourish? (by becoming covenant people of the Lord) ~Who else is included in this group? (see 16:15...repentant gentiles, adopted in through baptism) So the best way to think about this remnant is as those who belong to the kingdom of God on the Earth. ~Then what does the rest of this verse mean? Will the Church really be a threat to the Gentiles? (According to D&C 105:37, the Saints will have the power to accomplish all things pertaining to Zion.)
(Joseph Smith, DHC, Vol. 2, p.52, April 21, 1834.)

Quotation #4 3 Nephi 20:19 Again, it sounds a bit ominous. But lets see what Elder Mark E. Petersen had to say: Quotation #5 3 Nephi 20:18

There is so much we could discuss here, but Id like to at least cover two more concepts. The first has to do with when the Jews will be gathered. 3 Nephi 20:30-33 ~According to this scripture, when will the gathering of the Jews really begin? (After the 2nd Coming. There will be many Jews converted to Christ prior, but the nation as a whole will not. This is evidenced by their reaction to him when he comes again, for they will ask: What are these wounds in thine hands and in thy feet? (D&C 45:51) Quotation #6 Lets move on to: 3 Nephi 21:8-9

It seems like this one has been fulfilled, doesnt it? We look back at our history and marvel at the growth and prosperity we as a church enjoy. I like how Bryan Richards put it: Quotation #7 And finally, lets go to: 3 Nephi 20:23 The Savior is quoting Deuteronomy 18:15 here. Whenever this passage is quoted, it is always in reference to the Second Coming, not Christs mortal ministry (see 1 Ne. 22:19-20; Acts 3:22-23; JS-Hist. 1:40). Moses is a type of the Saviors coming in our day. So lets compare: ~Did Moses save Israel from the most powerful military force on the earth? ~And will not Christ save Israel from an army assembled from all nations? ~Was Moses the lawgiver for Israel? ~Will not Christ dispense the word of the Lord from Jerusalem and the law of the Lord from Zion? ~Did Moses offer the children of Israel a land of promise, flowing with milk and honey? ~Will not Christ establish Israel in their lands of promise and supply pools of living water and the bread of life? ~Did Moses live with his people, judge them, and lead them in person?

~Will not Christ become the Great Judge and dwell with his people?

Even the destructions which were brought upon Egypt are a foreshadowing of the way in which Israels enemies will be destroyed in our day. Fortunately, God has promised to fight our battles just as He did the Israelites of Moses day (see D&C 105:14, and Exodus 14:14) In 20:18 Christ says: And I will gather my people together as a man gathereth his sheaves into the floor. Lets conclude with one very comforting scripture: Alma 26:5-6 After verse 5: Elder Bednar tells us that the sheaves represent newly baptized members of the Church. And the garners are the holy temples. What happens when the Saints gather to the temple? Lets read verse 6 It is my prayer that we will keep our covenants so that the storm cannot penetrate to us...
(from: Honorably Hold a Name and Standing, Ensign, May 2009, 97)