If Jesus granted you one wish, what would you wish for? When Jesus asks his 12 Disciples in the Americas, all of
them except for 3 say they want to have a good long life serving God, and
then quickly return to live with Him in heaven. Jesus grants this desire,
saying “after that ye are seventy and
two years old ye shall come unto me in my kingdom;
and with me ye shall find rest.”
(vs. 3)
The other 3 are embarrassed to say their wish, but Jesus can
read their minds. He says they wish for the same thing that John the Beloved,
in the New Testament, wished for. They wanted to not die, and stay on the earth
to continue to serve Jesus and share His gospel and see everything that has been prophesied be fulfilled
until He comes to earth again.
Jesus also grants this desire. And so, we believe that John
the Beloved, as well as “The 3 Nephites” (as we call them) are still alive on
the earth today, and will continue serving Jesus – anonymously— until He comes
again. Pretty
cool! There are some folklore-tales in the church about people being helped in
miraculous ways in time of dire need by 3 unknown men, and they think it was
The 3 Nephites. Who knows if it really was… but it could be! They are busy
somewhere…
Mormon is writing in these two chapters, and he basically
says that when these writings are made available to the Gentiles (cough – me and you!)
then you can know the Lord has started to fulfill many of His promises and
prophecies made through the prophets of old.
You can know that Jesus Christ IS going to come again, and He hasn’t
forgotten His children.
He uses the word spurn a lot: “When ye shall see these
sayings coming forth among you, then ye need not any longer spurn at the doings
of the Lord (vs. 4)” or “Wo unto him that spurneth at the doings of the Lord
(vs. 5).” The dictionary gives these 3 definitions for the word Spurn:
1. to reject with disdain; scorn.
2. to treat with contempt; despise.
3. to kick or trample with the foot.
So, what would it look like to reject the doings of the Lord? Do you do any spurning? Mormon gets a
little more specific by saying, “Wo unto him that shall deny the revelations of the Lord, and that
shall say the Lord no longer worketh by revelation, or by prophecy, or by
gifts, or by tongues, or by healings, or by the power of the Holy Ghost!” (vs.
5-6)
The word "Wo!" kind-of sounds like preaching hell, fire, and damnation, which I'm not all about. But I think
it’s fair to say that the word means “warning!” It probably doesn't mean that everyone who denies the hand of the Lord will be struck down by fire, but more practically they will miss out on blessings, and emotional healing, and help
from the Lord.
In Chapter 30, Mormon ends the Book of 3 Nephi by warning the
Gentiles (us!) – as he has been commanded to do by Jesus Christ -- to turn
from our wicked ways and be baptized. Those who do will “receive a remission of
your sins, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, [and] be numbered with my people
who are of the house of Israel.” (vs. 2) What beautiful blessings that are
offered to everyone who will accept them, and recognize and believe the “doings
of the Lord” in these Latter-Days.
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