Hello Everyone!
I hope you have had a great Sunday. Mine was very uplifting. Last night we met as a Relief Society in a sister's home and watched the General Relief Society Broadcast together. It was wonderful! You can click HERE to watch it if you missed it. I learned so much from the talks given. One of the most important things that I was reminded of was of my Heavenly Fathers love for ME! He loves me no matter what. He loves me even if I am imperfect. He loves me in my weaknesses. I am His daughter and He loves me. You know what? He loves you, too!
Today we are reading in 3rd Nephi chapters 12-15. In chapter 12 Jesus is basically giving the Sermon on the Mount.
Introduction
In His mortal ministry Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount to encourage His disciples to strive toward perfection with full purpose of heart. Following His Resurrection, Jesus appeared to the Book of Mormonpeople in the Western Hemisphere and again delivered this sermon.
The gospel standards contained in this sermon have been reaffirmed in our time through modern revelation. President James E. Faust (1920–2007) of the First Presidency observed: “The Savior’s transcendent message in the Sermon on the Mount is of burning-bush importance to all of us: ‘But seek ye first to build up the kingdom of God, and to establish his righteousness’ [Joseph Smith Translation, Matthew 6:38; see also Matthew 6:33]. This message needs to penetrate into our hearts and souls. As we accept this message, we are taking our personal stand in this life” (in Conference Report, Apr. 2004, 68; or Ensign, May 2004, 67).
Through your study of these sacred principles in the Book of Mormon, you will gain insights that will help you stay faithful and remain on the road to perfection.
3 Nephi 12:3-16
3 Yea, blessed are the who unto me, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 And again, blessed are all they that , for they shall be .
5 And blessed are the , for they shall inherit the .
6 And blessed are all they who do and after , for they shall be with the Holy Ghost.
7 And blessed are the , for they shall obtain mercy.
8 And blessed are all the in heart, for they shall God.
9 And blessed are all the , for they shall be called the of God.
10 And blessed are all they who are for my name’s sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 And blessed are ye when men shall you and persecute, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake;
12 For shall have great joy and be exceedingly glad, for great shall be your in heaven; for so c they the prophets who were before you.
13 Verily, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you to be the of the earth; but if the salt shall lose its savor wherewith shall the earth be salted? The salt shall be thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot of men.
14 Verily, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you to be the light of this people. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
15 Behold, do men light a and put it under a bushel? Nay, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light to all that are in the house;
16 Therefore let your so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and your Father who is in heaven.
- •
The Savior’s sermon begins with declarations referred to as the Beatitudes. These start with a series of statements that declare “blessed are …” (see
3 Nephi 12:1–11).
Beatitude means “‘to be fortunate,’ ‘to be happy,’ or ‘to be blessed’” (
Matthew 5:3a). Webster’s dictionary defines the word as “a state of utmost bliss” (
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed. [2004], 107). Such words describe the results when Saints apply the teachings of this sermon.
The Bible Dictionary explains that the Beatitudes “describe certain elements that go to form the refined and spiritual character, and all of which will be present whenever that character exists in its perfection. Rather than being isolated statements, the Beatitudes are interrelated and progressive in their arrangement” (“Beatitudes,” 620). The Guide to the Scriptures adds, “The Beatitudes are arranged in such a way that each statement builds upon the one that precedes it” (“Beatitudes”).
President Harold B. Lee taught that the Beatitudes embody the “constitution for a perfect life”: “Four of them have to do with our individual selves,” and four “have to do with man’s social relations with others” (Decisions for Successful Living [1973], 57, 60). The following chart illustrates that relationship:
WITH SELF
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WITH OTHERS
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|---|
Blessed are the poor in spirit.
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Blessed are the meek.
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Blessed are all they that mourn.
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Blessed are the merciful.
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Blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness.
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Blessed are all the peacemakers.
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Blessed are all the pure in heart.
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Blessed are all they who are persecuted for my name’s sake.
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3 Nephi 12:3. “Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit Who Come unto Me”
- •
President Harold B. Lee defined what it means to be poor in spirit:
“The Master said, ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matthew 5:3.) The poor in spirit, of course, means those who are spiritually needy, who feel so impoverished spiritually that they reach out with great yearning for help. …
“Every one of us, if we would reach perfection, must one time ask ourselves this question, ‘What lack I yet?’ if we would commence our climb upward on the highway to perfection” (Stand Ye in Holy Places[1974], 210).
- •
The phrase “who come unto me” (
3 Nephi 12:3) is not found in the New Testament version of the Sermon on the Mount, but it clarifies the Savior’s teaching. It is blessed to be poor in spirit
if we come unto Christ. The Savior described in
3 Nephi 12:2 how we begin to come unto Him. The statement “who come unto me” can in principle also be applied to other Beatitudes. In order to be comforted (
verse 4), inherit the earth (
verse 5), be filled with the
Holy Ghost (
verse 6), obtain mercy (
verse 7), or see God (
verse 8), we must come unto Christ.
As the Savior led into His sermon about coming unto Him, He mentioned baptism 19 times between 3 Nephi 11:21 and 12:2. To completely “come unto Christ” includes accepting the ordinances of salvation.
President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) described additional ways we can come unto Christ: “Come unto Christ through proclaiming the gospel, perfecting our lives, and redeeming our dead. As we come unto Christ, we bless our own lives, those of our families, and our Father in Heaven’s children, both living and dead” .
3 Nephi 12:48
"Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect."
That is one of the most powerful scriptures to me. I know that I can NEVER be perfect on my own but if I rely on the atonement of my Savior, Jesus Christ, then I can be perfect.
3 Nephi 12:48. “I Would That Ye Should Be Perfect”
- •
It is not possible to be perfect in this life. However, President James E. Faust explained that we must seek for perfection now so as to be able to attain it in the next life: “Perfection is an eternal goal. While we cannot be perfect in mortality, striving for it is a commandment which ultimately, through the Atonement, we can keep” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1999, 22; or Ensign, May 1999, 19).
- •
President Spencer W. Kimball also explained the need to strive for perfection: “‘Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’ (
Matthew 5:48.) Now, that is an attainable goal. We will not be exalted, we shall not reach our destination, unless we are perfect, and now is the best time in the world to start toward perfection. I have little patience with persons who say, ‘Oh, nobody is perfect,’ the implication being; ‘so why try?’ Of course no one is wholly perfect, but we find some who are a long way up the ladder”
3 Nephi 13:1-4
1 , verily, I say that I would that ye should do alms unto the poor; but take heed that ye do not your alms before men to be seen of them; otherwise ye have no reward of your Father who is in heaven.
2 Therefore, when ye shall do your alms do not sound a trumpet before you, as will hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.
3 But when thou doest alms let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth;
4 That thine alms may be in secret; and thy Father who seeth in secret, himself shall reward thee openly.
- •
These verses in
3 Nephi teach about avoiding the giving of money to the poor openly or praying and fasting openly to be seen of others. The Lord encourages us to practice righteousness in private. President Thomas S. Monson explained the value of anonymous service:
“The names of the benefactors were well known. Captains of commerce, giants of industry, professors of learning—all were there. I felt gratitude for their charitable benevolence. Then my eyes rested on a brass placard which was different—it contained no name. One word, and one word only, was inscribed: ‘Anonymous.’ I smiled and wondered who the unnamed contributor could have been. Surely he or she experienced a quiet joy unknown to any other. …
“A year ago last winter [1981], a modern jetliner faltered after takeoff and plunged into the icy Potomac River. Acts of bravery and feats of heroism were in evidence that day, the most dramatic of which was one witnessed by the pilot of a rescue helicopter. The rescue rope was lowered to a struggling survivor. Rather than grasping the lifeline to safety, the man tied the line to another, who was then lifted to safety. The rope was lowered again, and yet another was saved. Five were rescued from the icy waters. Among them was not found the anonymous hero. Unknown by name, ‘he left the vivid air signed with his honor’ (Stephen Spender, ‘I think continually of those—’ inMasterpieces of Religious Verse, ed. James Dalton Morrison [New York: Harper and Brothers Publishers], p. 291.) …
“May this truth [service] guide our lives. May we look upward as we press forward in the service of our God and our fellowmen. And may we incline an ear toward Galilee, that we might hear perhaps an echo of the Savior’s teachings: ‘Do not your alms before men, to be seen of them’ (Matthew 6:1). ‘Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth’ (Matthew 6:3). And of our good deeds: ‘See thou tell no man’ (Matthew 8:4). Our hearts will then be lighter, our lives brighter, and our souls richer.
“Loving service anonymously given may be unknown to man—but the gift and the giver are known to God”
3 Nephi 13:9-15
9 After this therefore ye: Our who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
12 And us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
13 For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
14 For, if ye men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you;
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
- •
We can use the principles in the Lord’s Prayer as a model for our service in the kingdom. President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency taught:
“The prayer begins with reverence for our Heavenly Father. Then the Lord speaks of the kingdom and its coming. The servant with a testimony that this is the true Church of Jesus Christ feels joy in its progress and a desire to give his or her all to build it up.
“The Savior Himself exemplified the standard set by these next words of the prayer: ‘Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth’ (Luke 11:2). That was His prayer in the extremity of offering the Atonement for all mankind and all the world (see Matthew 26:42). The faithful servant prays that even the apparently smallest task will be done as God would have it done. It makes all the difference to work and to pray for His success more than for our own.
“Then the Savior set for us this standard of personal purity: ‘And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil’ (Luke 11:4). The strengthening we are to give those we watch over comes from the Savior. We and they must forgive to be forgiven by Him (seeMatthew 6:14). We and they can hope to remain clean only with His protection and with the change in our hearts that His Atonement makes possible. We need that change to have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. …
“You may have confidence in the Lord’s service. The Savior will help you do what He has called you to do, be it for a time as a worker in the Church or forever as a parent. You may pray for help enough to do the work and know that it will come” .
3 Nephi 13:19-21
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal;
20 But lay up for yourselves 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.
3 Nephi 13:19–24. “Lay Not Up for Yourselves Treasures on Earth”
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President Ezra Taft Benson referred to the temporary nature of earthly treasures:
“Our affections are often too highly placed upon the paltry perishable objects. Material treasures of earth are merely to provide us, as it were, room and board while we are here at school. It is for us to place gold, silver, houses, stocks, lands, cattle, and other earthly possessions in their proper place.
“Yes, this is but a place of temporary duration. We are here to learn the first lesson toward exaltation—obedience to the Lord’s gospel plan” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1971, 17; or Ensign, June 1971, 33).
- •
Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave insight regarding the treasures we may lay up for ourselves: “The Savior taught that we should not lay up treasures on earth but should lay up treasures in heaven (see
Matthew 6:19–21). In light of the ultimate purpose of the great plan of happiness, I believe that the ultimate treasures on earth and in heaven are our children and our posterity” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1993, 100; or
Ensign, Nov. 1993, 75).
I want to close today by sharing some of the highlights to last night's Women's Conference. This first clip is from our living prophet, President Thomas S. Monson. I love you all and hope you have a great night!
“Is it any wonder that following the Savior’s visit to the Nephites, they lived in peace and righteousness for two hundred years? Because of miraculous instructions, blessings, and attention they and their children received, righteousness was perpetuated by their children’s children for many generations.“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”.
