3 Nephi 1–7
1) Introduction
a) Last
lesson before the events that announce the death of Christ and His appearance
to the Nephites
i)
AD 1 – AD 33
b) This
part of Mormon’s record is directed specifically to our times
i)
We do not know when the Savior will return
ii) Do
know that we are in the last dispensation, the last days before the Savior will
return to the earth.
c) Reading
1 – President Ezra Taft Benson said: “[I]n the Book of Mormon we find a pattern
for preparing for the Second Coming. A major portion of the book centers on the
few decades just prior to Christ’s coming to America. By careful study of that
time period, we can determine why some were destroyed in the terrible judgments
that preceded His coming and what brought others to stand at the temple in the
land of Bountiful and thrust their hands into the wounds of His hands and feet.
. . . Can anyone doubt that this book was meant for us and that in it we find
great power, great comfort, and great protection?
2) Waiting
for the Signs
a) Samuel
had given a specific prophesy
i)
READ – Helaman 14:2-7
2 And behold, he said unto
them: Behold, I give unto you a sign; for five years more cometh, and behold, then cometh the Son of God to
redeem all those who shall believe on his name.
3 And behold, this
will I give unto you for a sign at the
time of his coming; for behold, there shall be great lights in heaven, insomuch that in the night before he cometh there
shall be no darkness, insomuch that it shall appear unto man as if it was day.
4 Therefore, there shall be one day and a night and a day, as
if it were one day and there were no night; and this shall be unto you for a
sign; for ye shall know of the rising of the sun and also of its setting;
therefore they shall know of a surety that there shall be two days and a night;
nevertheless the night shall not be darkened; and it shall be the night before
he is born.
5 And behold, there
shall a new star arise, such an
one as ye never have beheld; and this also shall be a sign unto you.
6 And behold this is
not all, there shall be many signs and
wonders in heaven.
7 And it shall come to
pass that ye shall all be amazed,
and wonder, insomuch that ye shall fall
to the earth.
b) ASK
– The people had received a very specific prophesy of the signs of time when
Christ came and when these would appear – 5 years. Did this mean that they should have been able
to wait calmly until the signs appeared?
c) Reading
2 – 3 Nephi 1:1-8
1 Now
it came to pass that the *ninety and first year had passed away and it was six
hundred years from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem; and it was in the year
that Lachoneus was the chief judge and the governor over the land.
2 And Nephi, the son of
Helaman, had departed out of the land of Zarahemla, giving charge unto his son
Nephi, who was his eldest son, concerning the plates of brass, and all the
records which had been kept, and all those things which had been kept sacred
from the departure of Lehi out of Jerusalem.
3 Then he departed out
of the land, and whither he went, no man knoweth; and his son Nephi did keep
the records in his stead, yea, the record of this people.
4 And it came to pass
that in the commencement of the ninety and second year, behold, the prophecies
of the prophets began to be fulfilled more fully; for there began to be greater
signs and greater miracles wrought among the people.
5 But there were some
who began to say that the time was past for the words to be fulfilled, which
were spoken by Samuel, the Lamanite.
6 And they began to
rejoice over their brethren, saying: Behold the time is past, and the words of
Samuel are not fulfilled; therefore, your joy and your faith concerning this
thing hath been vain.
7 And it came to pass
that they did make a great uproar throughout the land; and the people who
believed began to be very sorrowful, lest by any means those things which had
been spoken might not come to pass.
8 But behold, they did
watch steadfastly for that day and that night and that day which should be as
one day as if there were no night, that they might know that their faith had
not been vain.
i)
Verse 2 - Nephi, the son of Helaman, had departed out
of the land of Zarahemla –
(1) The
prophet they knew well, Nephi – the great grandson of Alma the Younger – is
gone
ii) Verse
4 - in the commencement of the ninety
and second year, behold, the prophecies of the prophets began to be fulfilled
more fully; for there began to be greater signs and greater miracles wrought
among the people.
(1) Not
the specific signs Samuel had prophesied, but certainly signs that he had
described generally and could reassure the faithful
(2) 90th
year – about 1 BC – footnote to Helaman 16
(3) 92nd
year – would be the fifth year after Samuel gave his prophesy
iii) Verse
5-7 beginning of Doubts
“ 5 But there were some who began to say that the time was past
for the words to be fulfilled, which were spoken by Samuel, the Lamanite.
6 And they began to rejoice over their brethren,
saying: Behold the time is past, and
the words of Samuel are not fulfilled; therefore, your joy and your faith concerning this thing
hath been vain.
7 And it came to pass that they did make a great uproar
throughout the land”
d) Response
of Faithful Nephites
i)
Verse 7 – “the people who believed began to be very sorrowful, lest by
any means those things which had been spoken might not come to pass”
ii) Can
imagine the Nephites each evening as the sun began to go down. Went outside to watch, to see if it would get
dark or not
iii) Whenever
it got dark, unbelievers would taunt them for their belief
iv) Wondered,
“has God forgotten us?”
v) Verse
8 – “they did watch steadfastly for that day and that night and that day which
should be as one day as if there were no night, that they might know that their
faith had not been vain”
e) ASK
– Do we sometimes wish that the Brethren would be more specific in their
prophesies and tell us more about the time when Christ will return?
i)
Samuel’s prophesy was very specific, but it didn’t keep
some Nephites from apostatizing and it didn’t spare the faithful Nephites from
difficulty
f) Things
got worse.
i)
READ 3 Nephi 1:9 - 9 Now it came to pass that there was
a day set apart by the unbelievers,
that all those who believed in those
traditions should be put to death except the sign should come to pass,
which had been given by Samuel the prophet.
g) The
Prophet Nephi’s Response
i)
READ 3 Nephi 1:11 – “11 And it came to pass that he
[Nephi the prophet] went out and bowed himself down upon the earth, and cried mightily to his God in behalf of his
people, yea, those who were about to be destroyed because of their faith
in the tradition of their fathers.”
ii) The
Lord told Nephi that he would come into the world on that night
h) Faith
in the Lord includes faith in the Lord’s timing and in the messages, including the level of detail, he
gives to His prophets
i)
ASK – Does the Lord ever put us in a position in which
it is unnecessary for us to exercise faith?
i)
Samuel could have prophesied that the signs would come
before the expiration of six years
3) Samuel’s
Prophesies Fulfilled
a) Reading
3 – 3 Nephi 1:15-21
15 And it came to pass that
the words which came unto Nephi were fulfilled, according as they had been
spoken; for behold, at the going down of the sun there was no darkness; and the
people began to be astonished because there was no darkness when the night
came.
16 And there were many,
who had not believed the words of the prophets, who fell to the earth and
became as if they were dead, for they knew that the great plan of destruction
which they had laid for those who believed in the words of the prophets had
been frustrated; for the sign which had been given was already at hand.
17 And they began to
know that the Son of God must shortly appear; yea, in fine, all the people upon
the face of the whole earth from the west to the east, both in the land north
and in the land south, were so exceedingly astonished that they fell to the
earth.
18 For they knew that
the prophets had testified of these things for many years, and that the sign
which had been given was already at hand; and they began to fear because of their
iniquity and their unbelief.
19 And it came to pass
that there was no darkness in all that night, but it was as light as though it
was mid-day. And it came to pass that the sun did rise in the morning again,
according to its proper order; and they knew that it was the day that the Lord
should be born, because of the sign which had been given.
20 And it had come to
pass, yea, all things, every whit, according to the words of the prophets.
21 And it came to pass
also that a new star did appear, according to the word.
b) Fulfillment of Samuel’s Prophesy
i)
5 Years – Helaman 14:2
(1) Fulfillment
– ninety and second year – 3 Nephi 1:4
ii) Two
days and a night with no darkness – Helman 14:3-4
(1) Fulfillment
- 3 Nephi 1:15, 19
iii) A
new star arises – Helman 14:5
(1) Fulfillment
- 3 Nephi 1:21
iv) Many
signs – Helaman 14:6
(1) Fulfillment
- Had appeared before the night with no darkness – 3 Nephi 1:4
v) Everyone
will fall to the earth – Helaman 14:7
(1) Fulfillment
- 3 Nephi 1:16
4) Signs
Mean Different Things to the Faithful and the Unfaithful
a) Reading
5 – Bruce McConkie has written, "Gifts of the Spirit which the Lord
bestows upon those who believe and obey the gospel of Christ are called signs.
That is, their receipt stands as an evidence or sign of the presence of that
faith which results from believing the truth. Signs are wonders and miracles;
they always and invariably are manifest to and among the faithful saint"
(Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 73).
b) Reading
1A – Doctrine and Covenants 45:39-40
39 And it shall come to
pass that he that feareth me
shall be looking forth for the great day of the Lord to come, even for the
signs of the coming of the Son of Man.
40 And they shall see signs and wonders, for
they shall be shown forth in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath.
c) Reading
4 - The Book of Mormon Institute manual notes, "Signs flow from faith and,
indeed, are a product of it. They strengthen the faithful but produce faith
only in the spiritually responsive. Therefore, their chief purpose is not to
produce faith, but to reward it. It is not an uncommon thing in scripture to
see the most marvelous signs and evidences of God's power ignored or
rationalized away by those without faith."
d) ASK
– When those who are not faithful demand some sort of sign, are they doing so
because they desire to believe or because they desire an excuse not to believe?
i)
Korihor, the Antichrist, asked for a sign and was
struck dumb. Was he really seeking a
reason to believe? Alma 30
e) All
Nephites and Lamanites saw the extraordinary signs accompanying the birth of
Christ.
i)
How long did the effects manage to keep the people
righteous?
(1) Christ
was born in the 92nd year
(2) Reading
6 – 3 Nephi 2:1-3
1 And
it came to pass that thus passed away the *ninety and fifth year also, and the people began to forget those signs and wonders which they had heard,
and began to be less and less astonished at a sign or a wonder from heaven,
insomuch that they began to be hard in their hearts, and blind in their minds,
and began to disbelieve all which they
had heard and seen—
2 Imagining up some
vain thing in their hearts, that it was wrought by men and by the power of the
devil, to lead away and deceive the hearts of the people; and thus did Satan get possession of the hearts
of the people again, insomuch that he did blind their eyes and lead them away
to believe that the doctrine of Christ was a foolish and a vain thing.
3 And it came to pass
that the people began to wax strong in
wickedness and abominations; and they did not believe that there should be any more signs or wonders given;
and Satan did go about, leading away
the hearts of the people, tempting them and causing them that they
should do great wickedness in the land.
5) Rise
of the Gadiantons
a) Note
– New year numbering among the Nephites – instead of the year of the judges,
they marked time by the year since the birth of Christ
b) Reading
7 - 3 Nephi 2:11–13, 17–19
11 And it came to pass in the
*thirteenth year there began to be wars and contentions throughout all the
land; for the Gadianton robbers had
become so numerous, and did slay so many of the people, and did lay waste so
many cities, and did spread so much death and carnage throughout the land,
that it became expedient that all the people, both the Nephites and the
Lamanites, should take up arms against them.
12 Therefore, all the Lamanites who had become converted unto the
Lord did unite with their brethren, the Nephites, and were compelled,
for the safety of their lives and their women and their children, to take up
arms against those Gadianton robbers, yea, and also to maintain their rights, and the privileges of their church and of their
worship, and their freedom and their liberty.
13 And it came to pass that before this
thirteenth year had passed away the Nephites were threatened with utter destruction
because of this war, which had become exceedingly sore.
17 And it came to pass
in the commencement of the fourteenth year, the war between the robbers and the
people of Nephi did continue and did become exceedingly sore; nevertheless, the people of Nephi did gain some advantage
of the robbers, insomuch that they did drive them back out of their lands into
the mountains and into their secret places.
18 And thus ended the
fourteenth year. And in the *fifteenth year they did come forth against the
people of Nephi; and because of the
wickedness of the people of Nephi, and their many contentions and dissensions,
the Gadianton robbers did gain many advantages over them.
19 And thus ended the fifteenth year,
and thus were the people in a state of many afflictions; and the sword of
destruction did hang over them, insomuch that they were about to be smitten
down by it, and this because of their iniquity.
c) When
the Nephites are disobedient, the Gadiantons gain power.
6) Letter
to Lachoneus from Giddianhi, Leader of Gadiantons
a) Sophisticated
propaganda
b)
Look for
tactics of Satan in this letter – liken it unto our time
c) Reading
8 – 3 Nephi 3:1-10
1 And now it came to pass that in the *sixteenth year from
the coming of Christ, Lachoneus, the governor of the land, received an epistle from the leader and the governor of
this band of robbers; and these were the words which were written,
saying:
2 Lachoneus, most noble and chief governor of the land,
behold, I write this epistle unto you, and do give unto you exceedingly great
praise because of your firmness, and also the firmness of your people,
[FLATTERY] in maintaining that which ye
suppose to be your right and liberty [SOWING DOUBT] ; yea, ye do stand
well, as if ye were supported by the
hand of a god, [SARCASM ABOUT GOD] in the defence of your liberty, and
your property, and your country, or
that which ye do call so. [SOWING DOUBT]
3 And it seemeth a pity unto me, [HYPOCRISY] most
noble Lachoneus, that ye should be so foolish and vain as to suppose that ye
can stand against so many brave men who are at my command, who do now at
this time stand in their arms, and do await with great anxiety for the word—Go
down upon the Nephites and destroy them.
4 And I, knowing of their unconquerable spirit,
having proved them in the field of battle, and knowing of their everlasting
hatred towards you because of the many wrongs which ye have done unto them,
[180 DEGREES FROM TRUTH] therefore if they should come down against you they
would visit you with utter destruction.
5 Therefore I have
written this epistle, sealing it with mine own hand, feeling for your welfare, [HYPOCRISY] because of your firmness in that which ye believe to be right,
[SOWING DOUBT] and your noble spirit in the field of battle.
6 Therefore I write
unto you, desiring that ye would yield
up unto this my people, your cities, your lands, and your possessions, rather than that they should visit you with
the sword and that destruction should come upon you.
7 Or in other words,
yield yourselves up unto us, and unite with us and become acquainted with our
secret works, and become our brethren
that ye may be like unto us—not our slaves, but our brethren and partners of
all our substance. [LIE – ALL WHO SERVE SATAN ARE SLAVES.]
8 And behold, I swear unto you, [QUASI-RELIGIOUS] if
ye will do this, with an oath, ye shall
not be destroyed; but if ye will not do this, I swear unto you with an
oath, that on the morrow month I will command that my armies shall come down
against you, and they shall not stay their hand and shall spare not, but shall
slay you, and shall let fall the sword upon you even until ye shall become
extinct.
9 And behold, I am
Giddianhi; and I am the governor of
this the secret society of Gadianton; which society and the works thereof I know to be good; [180
DEGREES FROM TRUTH] and they are of
ancient date [GOING BACK TO CAIN] and they have been handed down unto us. [BY WHOM? SATAN]
10 And I write this
epistle unto you, Lachoneus, and I hope that ye will deliver up your lands and
your possessions, without the shedding of blood, that this my people may recover their rights and government,
[HYPOCRISY, 180 DEGREES FROM TRUTH] who have dissented away from you because of your wickedness in retaining from
them their rights of government, [HYPOCRISY, 180 DEGREES FROM TRUTH] and
except ye do this, I will avenge their wrongs. I am Giddianhi.
7) Response
of Lachnoeus and Righteous Nephites/Lamanites
a) Not
Afraid - READ – 3 Nephi 3:12 – “Lachoneus, the governor, was a just man, and
could not be frightened by the demands and the threatenings of a robber”
b) Cry
to the Lord - READ – 3 Nephi 3:12 – “he [Lachnoeus] did cause that his people
should cry unto the Lord for strength against the time that the robbers should
come down against them”
c) Gather
together for protection – READ – 3 Nephi 3:13 “13 Yea, he sent a proclamation
among all the people, that they should gather together their women, and their
children, their flocks and their herds, and all their substance, save it were
their land, unto one place.”
d) Built
fortifications – READ – 3 Nephi 3:14 “ 14 And he caused that
fortifications should be built round about them”
e) Placed
Guards – READ – 3 Nephi 3:14 “he caused that armies, both of the Nephites and
of the Lamanites, or of all them who were numbered among the Nephites, should
be placed as guards round about to watch them, and to guard them from the
robbers day and night.”
f) Called
on people to repent – READ - Nephi 3:15
– “15 Yea, he said unto them: As the Lord liveth, except ye repent of all your
iniquities, and cry unto the Lord, ye will in nowise be delivered out of the
hands of those Gadianton robbers.”
g) People
Repented – 3 Nephi 3:16 READ – “16 And so great and marvelous were the words
and prophecies of Lachoneus that they did cause fear to come upon all the
people; and they did exert themselves in their might to do according to the
words of Lachoneus.”
h) Appointed
righteous captain to command armies – READ – 3 Nephi 3:19 – “19 Now it was the
custom among all the Nephites to appoint for their chief captains, (save it
were in their times of wickedness) some one that had the spirit of revelation
and also prophecy; therefore, this Gidgiddoni was a great prophet among them,
as also was the chief judge.”
i)
People wanted to go to the mountains to attack the Gadiantons where they
lived. Gidgoddoni’s prophetic response –
READ – 3 Nephi 3:21 “But Gidgiddoni saith unto them: The Lord forbid; for if we
should go up against them the Lord would deliver us into their hands; therefore
we will prepare ourselves in the center
of our lands, and we will gather
all our armies together, and we will not go against them, but we will
wait till they shall come against us; therefore as the Lord liveth, if we do
this he will deliver them into our hands.
j)
The people obeyed their prophet/leader – READ 3
Nephi 3:25-26 “ 25 And they did fortify themselves against their enemies;
and they did dwell in one land, and in one body, and they did fear the words
which had been spoken by Lachoneus, insomuch that they did repent of all their sins; and they did put up their prayers unto the Lord their
God, that he would deliver them in the time that their enemies should
come down against them to battle.
26 And they were exceedingly sorrowful
because of their enemies. And Gidgiddoni did cause that they should make
weapons of war of every kind, and they
should be strong with armor, and with shields, and with bucklers, after
the manner of his instruction. ”
8) Results
of Lachneous’ Preparation for Battle
a) Nephites/Lamanites
had taken all of their food with them
b) 18th
Year - First series of battles – Gadiantons came up in a direct assault and
were beaten
i)
They couldn’t find food
ii) Gadiantons
were parasites and could only survive by taking things that others had created
c) 21st
Year – Second series of battle – Gadiantons laid siege to the Nephites
i)
Nephites had gathered together and laid up provisions
ii) Gadiantons
didn’t produce anything – lived on wild beasts, but those were quickly consumed
iii) Gadiantons
were weak for lack of food and Nephites began to send out armies to attack them
iv) Gadiantons
started to retreat and the Nephites attacked and slaughtered most of Gadiantons
9) Pride
Cycle
a) After
defeat of Gadiantons, Nephites lived in great peace and prosperity
b) READ
– 3 Nephi 6:10-13, 15
10 But it came to pass
in the *twenty and ninth year there began to be some disputings among the
people; and some were lifted up unto pride and boastings because of their
exceedingly great riches, yea, even unto great persecutions;
11 For there were many
merchants in the land, and also many lawyers, and many officers.
12 And the people began
to be distinguished by ranks, according to their riches and their chances for
learning; yea, some were ignorant because of their poverty, and others did
receive great learning because of their riches.
13 Some were lifted up
in pride, and others were exceedingly humble; some did return railing for
railing, while others would receive railing and persecution and all manner of
afflictions, and would not turn and revile again, but were humble and penitent
before God.
15 Now the cause of this iniquity of the people was
this—Satan had great power, unto the stirring up of the people to do all
manner of iniquity, and to the puffing
them up with pride, tempting them to seek for power, and authority, and riches,
and the vain things of the world.
c) 29th year – Christ will be resurrected in the 34th
year – so close and yet so far.
d) The
government became corrupt with evil judges
e) The
people wanted to establish a king
f) The
Lord sent prophets to call the people to repentance and the people killed the
prophets
10) Testimony
