3 Ne 29:1 ye may know that the covenant…is already beginning to be
fulfilled
The great sign that the last
days have arrived is the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. This has been a
recurrent theme from 1 Nephi to Mormon’s concluding remarks about 3 Nephi. The
reason this sign is so important is that the promises which the Lord has given
the House of Israel are so important. After two millennia of being scattered,
smitten, abused, and ridiculed, the house of Israel finally has something to
look forward to. Every prophecy of Isaiah which speaks of the redemption of
Israel will come to pass, for with great mercies
will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but
with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee (Isa 54:8).
‘As I live, saith the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand,
and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you:
And I will bring you
out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are
scattered, with a mighty hand…
And I will bring you
into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to
face…
I will bring you into
the bond of the covenant:
And I will purge out
from among you the rebels…
For in mine holy
mountain…there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve
me: there will I accept them…
I will accept you with
your sweet savour, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of
the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you
before the heathen.
And ye shall know that
I am the Lord.’ (Ezek 20:33-42)
“We
often teach the gospel without mentioning the covenant of Abraham or the house
of Israel, as though these covenants did not even exist. In the Book of Mormon, Jesus teaches us that
the ancient covenants are as valid today as they were 4,000 years ago. I believe that they have something to do
with the political events occurring in the world and also with our children and
grandchildren traveling to various places of the earth, among war and
revolution, to tell of the restoration of the gospel and of the Book of
Mormon. These events are occurring
before our very eyes. According to
Jesus' own words, the covenants of Abraham Isaac, Jacob and Joseph are still
important to the Father and to Jesus and should also be important to us.”
(Robert J. Matthews, Book of Mormon Symposium Series, 3 Nephi 9-30,
edited by PR Cheesman, MS Nyman, and CD Tate, Jr., 1988, p. 38)
3
Ne 29:2 ye need not say that the Lord delays his
coming
With
the exception of Paul, Christ’s early apostles seemed to think that the Second
Coming was to be in their day, or shortly thereafter. When Moroni first visited
Joseph Smith, he recited Bible scriptures about the last days and the Second
Coming and then said that these things were soon to
be (JS-Hist 39:36-41). Accordingly, Joseph wondered if the Second Coming
would occur during his lifetime. After praying very
earnestly to know the time of the coming of the Son of Man, he was given
an evasive answer by the Lord. (DC 130:14-17)
If
the early apostles thought his coming might be in their day and it wasn’t, and
Joseph Smith thought that his coming might be in his day and it wasn’t, are we
to conclude that the Lord will not come in our day, either? The scripture
answers this question for us, saying ye need not say
that the Lord delays his coming. If his coming was close in the days of
Joseph Smith, how much closer is it now?
A
careful review of the signs of the times demonstrates that things are close. In
Mormon Doctrine (pp. 715-734), Elder McConkie lists 51 signs of
the times. By interpretation, 39 of these signs have already been fulfilled, 8
of them must yet be fulfilled prior to the Second Coming, and 4 of them are
fulfilled at his coming and not
before. Furthermore, these 8 unfulfilled signs could easily be fulfilled in the
matter of just a few years.
‘Now learn a parable of
the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know
that summer is nigh:
So likewise ye, when ye
shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors’ (Matt 24:32-33).
Wilford Woodruff
“The
world may say that he delays his coming until the end of the earth. But they
know neither the thoughts nor the ways of the Lord. The Lord will not delay his
coming because of their unbelief, and the signs both in heaven and earth
indicate that it is near. The fig trees are leafing in sight of all the nations
of the earth, and if they had the Spirit of God they could see and understand
them.” (Journal of Discourses, 16:35)
Henry B. Eyring
“The
Lord knew we would be tempted to procrastinate the most important preparation
we could ever make in this life. More than once He warned us about delay. He
taught the parable of the ten virgins, five of whom did not fill their lamps
for the coming of the bridegroom. He also gave the parable of the servants who
were faithless because they believed their Lord would delay His coming. The
results of delay were tragic…
“The
temptation to delay repentance comes not only at the end of the world as
suggested by those scriptures. That temptation seems to have been nearly
constant since the beginning of time and goes on throughout our lives. In youth
we may have thought: ‘There will be time enough to worry about spiritual things
just before my mission or before marriage. Spiritual things are for older
people.’ Then, in the early years of marriage, the pressures of life, of jobs,
of bills, of finding a moment for rest and recreation seem to crowd us so closely
that delay in meeting obligations to God and family again seems reasonable. It
is easy to think, ‘Perhaps there will be more time for that in the middle
years.’ But the compression of time does not ease in the years that follow.
There is so much to do, and time seems to shrink.
“…Finally,
we are personally accountable because the Lord has given us ample warning…Even
the acceptance of personal responsibility may not overcome the temptation to
believe that now is not the time to repent. ‘Now’ can seem so difficult, and
‘later’ appear so much easier. The truth is that today is always a better day
to repent than any tomorrow…The very faith we need to repent is weakened by
delay.” (Conference Report, Nov. 1999 Ensign, “Do Not Delay”)
3 Ne 29:5 wo unto him that shall deny the Christ
Denying Christ is a
dangerous thing to do. When coupled with denial of the Holy Ghost, it qualifies
one to become a son of Perdition, For they are
vessels of wrath…Having denied the Holy Spirit after having received it, and
having denied the Only Begotten Son of the Father, having crucified him unto
themselves and put him to an open shame (DC 76:35). This is according to
the word of the Lord, whosoever shall deny me before
men, him will I also deny before my father which is in heaven (Matt
10:33).
3 Ne 29:7 wo unto him that shall say at that day, to get gain, that
there can be no miracle wrought by Jesus Christ
Bruce R. McConkie
“One
of the great identifying characteristics of apostate churches is their denial
of miracles. ‘They deny the power of God, the Holy
One of Israel; and they say unto the people: Hearken unto us, and hear ye our
precept; for behold there is no God today, for the Lord and the Redeemer hath
done his work, and he hath given his power unto men; Behold, hearken ye unto my
precept; if they shall say there is a miracle wrought by the hand of the Lord,
believe it not; for this day he is not a God of miracles; he hath done his
work.’ (2 Ne. 28:5-6.) The coming forth of the Book of Mormon was
reserved for ‘a day when it shall be said that
miracles are done away.’ (Morm. 8:26.)
“But
the judgments of God shall rest upon all those who deny his power. (quotes 3 Ne. 29:6-7.)
“’Do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and
forever, and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing? And
now, if ye have imagined up unto yourselves a god who doth vary and in whom
there is shadow of changing, then have ye imagined up unto yourselves a god who
is not a God of miracles. . . .
“’And who shall say that Jesus Christ did not do many mighty
miracles? And there were many mighty miracles wrought by the hands of the
apostles. And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a
God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he
changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and
is a God of miracles.’ (Morm. 9:9-20.)
“’Has the day of miracles ceased? Or have angels ceased to appear
unto the children of men? Or has he withheld the power of the Holy Ghost from
them? Or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or
there shall be one man upon the face thereof to be saved? Behold I say unto
you, Nay; for it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that
angels appear and minister unto men; wherefore, if these things have ceased wo
be unto the children of men, for it is because of unbelief and all is vain.’ (Moro. 7:28-38.)” (Mormon Doctrine, p. 507-8)
3 Ne 29:8 ye need not any longer hiss, nor spurn, nor make game of
the Jews
If there is one group of
people which should no longer be tampered with, it is the Jews. The Lord will
not allow them to be a hiss and a byword any longer. Rather, now is the time
when the covenants regarding them will be fulfilled, for
all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as
a dream of a night vision (Isa 29:7).
Elder Ray L. Pratt
“How many are there of us who are
entirely guiltless of the things that the Lord has told in this chapter (3
Nephi29) that we should not do? How many of us are entirely guiltless of
looking down upon the Jews and upon certain branches of the House of Israel,
and how many of us are there that do not believe implicitly in our hearts that
the Lord is going to fulfill these mighty and, as they look to us, almost
impossible promises unto those people?
“I testify to you, my brethren and
sisters, that this word is true, and this book brought forth by the instrumentality
of Joseph Smith, is a revelation of God unto the world.” (Conference Report,
Apr. 1915, p. 24-5)
3
Ne 29:9 ye need not suppose…that he may not execute
judgment unto the fulfilling of the covenant
Russell M. Nelson
“The
heading to chapter 29 of Third Nephi states: ‘The coming forth of the Book of
Mormon is a sign that the Lord has commenced to gather Israel and fulfill his
covenants.’
“News
media have carried stories occasionally of incidents pertaining to the early
history of the Church and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. What these
news accounts fail to report is that the Book of Mormon has come forth in
fulfillment of prophecy, ancient and modern, and that it was translated by the
gift and power of God, then pronounced as the most nearly correct book on the
face of the earth. Reporters may also fail to note that it is a sign of the
covenant of God to the world that the last days are forthcoming. We will be
accountable not to news reports, but to this scripture: ’Ye need not suppose that ye can turn the right hand of the Lord unto
the left, that he may not execute judgment unto the fulfilling of the covenant
which he hath made unto the house of Israel.’ (3 Nephi 29:9.)” (The
Power Within Us, p. 140)