3/3/2006
16. 3 Nephi 9–11
The Appearance of the
Resurrected Christ
“And many great destructions have I caused to come upon this land,
and upon this people, because of their wickedness and their
abominations. O all ye that are spared because ye were more
righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your
sins, and be converted, that I may heal you? Yea, verily I say unto you,
if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of
mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I
receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.” (9:12–14)
“Jesus, Once of Humble Birth”
(Hymn 196, verses 1-3)
Jesus, once of humble birth,
Now in glory comes to earth.
Once he suffered grief and pain;
Now he comes on earth to
reign.
Now he comes on earth to
reign.
Once he groaned in blood and
tears;
Now in glory he appears.
Once rejected by his own,
Now their King he shall be
known.
Now their King he shall be
known.
Once a meek and lowly Lamb,
Now the Lord, the great I Am.
Once upon the cross he bowed;
Now his chariot is the cloud.
Now his chariot is the cloud.
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16. 3 Nephi 9–11
16. 3 Nephi 9–11
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A Voice Proclaims the Extent of the
Destruction (9:1–12)
„ “Wo, wo, wo unto this people; wo unto the inhabitants of the
whole earth except they shall repent; for the devil laugheth, and
his angels rejoice, because of the slain of the fair sons and
daughters of my people; and it is because of their iniquity and
abominations that they are fallen!” (9:2)
„ A list of destroyed cities, including Zarahemla and Jacobugath
„
„
What about the role of Christ in destroying cities?
cities
Think forward to his final, glorious coming—he is a judge as well as a
Savior
„ “And many great destructions have I caused to come upon this
land, and upon this people, because of their wickedness and their
abominations.” (9:12)
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16. 3 Nephi 9–11
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Jesus, Proclaiming His Divinity, Calls upon
the Spared to Come unto Him (9:13–22)
„ “O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye
not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I
may heal you? Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall
have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and
whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come
unto me.” (9:13-14)
„ that I may heal you: cf. the healing power of the Atonement
„ “Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens and
the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from
the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father in me; and in me
hath the Father glorified his name.” (9:15)
„ “I came unto my own, and my own received me not. And the scriptures
concerning my coming are fulfilled. And as many as have received me, to
them have I given to become the sons of God; and even so will I to as
many as shall believe on my name, for behold, by me redemption cometh,
and in me is the law of Moses fulfilled. I am the light and the life of the
world.” (9:16-18a)
„ Echoes the wording of John 1:4-13; 8:12 (or better, John echoes Christ!)
„ “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.” (9:18b)
„ Echoes Revelation 1:8
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16. 3 Nephi 9–11
16. 3 Nephi 9–11
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A Sacrifice of a Broken Heart and a
Contrite Spirit
„ “And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your
sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept
none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings.” (9:19)
„
„
Old Testament prophets: “Obedience not sacrifice” (rituals on their own not enough)
Paul: “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we
might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a
schoolmaster.” (Galatians 3:24-25)
„ “And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite
spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite
spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost . . .” (9:20a)
„
“Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and
continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will
be saved.” (Omni 1:26b)
„ “ . . . even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of
their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and
they knew it not.” (9:20b)
„
„
„
Some Lamanite converts were literally baptized by fire (Helaman 5:43), but all are
baptized in the Holy Ghost . . .
“Steady State” vs. “Big Bang” conversions again
See Elder Packer, “And They Knew It Not” (packet, 206-212)
16. 3 Nephi 9–11
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A Voice Attests Rejected Mercies
(10:1–7)
„ After cataloguing the destructions and then proclaiming his
divinity, the Savior leaves the people in silence for many hours
(10:1-2)
„ Why?
„ Jesus then testifies how Israel (both Jew and Nephite) have
rejected him
„
„
“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.” (10:4-6)
What does the imagery of the hen gathering her chickens teach us about
Christ? About us?
„ Nevertheless, the covenants of the fathers are still in force and gathering
will occur (see 10:7)
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16. 3 Nephi 9–11
16. 3 Nephi 9–11
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Mormon Comments on the Fulfillment of
Prophecy (10:11–19)
„ “And thus far were the scriptures fulfilled which had been spoken
by the prophets. . . . And now, whoso readeth, let him
understand; he that hath the scriptures, let him search them, and
see and behold if all these deaths and destructions by fire, and
by smoke, and by tempests, and by whirlwinds, and by the
opening of the earth to receive them, and all these things are not
unto the fulfilling of the prophecies of many of the holy prophets.”
(10:11, 14)
„ “And it came to pass that in the ending of the thirty and fourth
year, behold, I will show unto you that the people of Nephi who
were spared, and also those who had been called Lamanites,
who had been spared, did have great favors shown unto them,
and great blessings poured out upon their heads, insomuch that
soon after the ascension of Christ into heaven he did truly
manifest himself unto them—Showing his body unto them,
and ministering unto them; and an account of his ministry
shall be given hereafter. Therefore for this time I make an end
of my sayings.” (10:18-19)
16. 3 Nephi 9–11
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Christ Among the Nephites
Teachings and acts that occurred in the three-year ministry among the Jews are
condensed to just a few days among the Nephites
„ First Day (11:1-19:3)
„ Christ Appears: The Beginning of the Savior’s Nephite
Ministry (11:1–41)
„ Sermon at the Temple (12:1–17:4)
„ Acts of Christ among the Multitude (17:5–18:4)
„ Further First Day Teachings (18:5–34)
„ Christ’s Ascent to the Father (18:35–39)
„ Second Day (19:1-26:15)
„ Third Day Onward: The Nephite Twelve Continue the Ministry
(26:16-28:23)
„
Jesus’ Subsequent Appearances and Teachings to the Disciples
(27:1-28:14)
„ A good exercise is to outline the Savior’s teachings carefully, comparing
them with the accounts in the New Testament gospels
„
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16. 3 Nephi 9–11
Note also how Christ’s teachings alternate between those intended for his
disciples and those directed to the multitude
16. 3 Nephi 9–11
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The Timing of Christ’s New World Appearance
„ See the discussions of McConkie, MM, 4:307; Brown, From
Jerusalem to Zarahemla, 146-155; and McConkie, Millet, and
Top, DCBM 4:50
„ Signs of his death: “And it came to pass in the thirty and fourth
year, in the first month, on the fourth day of the month, there
arose a great storm . . .” (8:5; remember these are Nephite years
and months, we cannot correlate them exactly with our calendar,
which too has changed)
„ Mormon’s dating of his appearance: “And it came to pass that
in the ending of the thirty and fourth year . . . soon after the
ascension of Christ into heaven he did truly manifest himself unto
them” (10:18)
„
Crucifixion > Resurrection > Forty Day Ministry >
several months > Appearance to the Nephites
16. 3 Nephi 9–11
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Introduction by the Father (11:1–7)
„ Narrative Transition: a Multitude Gathers in Bountiful (11:1–2)
„ The Voice of God Pierces Their Hearts Twice (11:3–4)
„ “And it came to pass that while they were thus conversing one with another,
they heard a voice as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round
about, for they understood not the voice which they heard; and it was not a
harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it
being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the center, insomuch
that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it did
pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their hearts to burn. And it came to
pass that again they heard the voice, and they understood it not.” (11:3-4)
„ Still small voice piercing to their hearts and souls but not understood . . .
„ The Third Time the Multitude Hears God Praise His Son (11:5–7)
„ “Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have
glorified my name—hear ye him.” (11:7)
„
„
„
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16. 3 Nephi 9–11
Cf. Baptism of Christ, First Vision
In accordance with the Principle of Mediation, since the Fall, in recorded
scripture the Father seems to interact directly with his children only to
introduce or praise his Son
Examples in scripture where it seems that “the Lord” is speaking the words of
the Father probably represent the Son speaking by Divine Investiture of
Authority
16. 3 Nephi 9–11
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Jesus Christ Presents
Himself to the Multitude
(11:8–17)
„ Christ Announces That He Has
Fulfilled the Will of the Father
(11:8–12)
„
“Behold, I am Jesus Christ,
whom the prophets testified
shall come into the world. And
behold, I am the light and the life
of the world; and I have drunk out
of that bitter cup which the Father
hath given me, and have glorified
the Father in taking upon me the
sins of the world, in the which I
have suffered the will of the
Father in all things from the
beginning.” (11:10-11)
„
„ The Multitude Receives a Witness
of Christ’s Wounds and Worships
Him (11:12–17)
„
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16. 3 Nephi 9–11
Each has the ritual opportunity to
gain an individual witness of who
Jesus is and what he has done
16. 3 Nephi 9–11
“Arise and come forth unto me, that
ye may thrust your hands into my
side, and also that ye may feel the
prints of the nails in my hands and in
my feet, that ye may know that I am
the God of Israel, and the God of the
whole earth, and have been slain for
the sins of the world.” (11:14)
„
“Jesus personally ministered to every
man, woman, and child. If he took 10
seconds for each person this
experience would have lasted
approximately 7 hours—20 seconds
for each person would have lasted 14
hours.” (Todd Parker, packet, 178)
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