The Fulness

The Book of Mormon teaches us that the restoration of the gospel in the latter days would be given to the Gentiles. As we read, after many generations, ‘then shall the fulness of the gospel of the Messiah come unto the Gentiles and from the gentiles unto the remnant of our seed.’ (1 Nephi 15:13)

Shortly after the arrival of Christ among the Nephites following his resurrection, He reinforced the idea that the restoration would occur through us Gentiles. Speaking of those who will write the book, He said:

“…that these sayings which ye shall write shall be kept and shall be manifested unto the Gentiles, that through the fulness of the Gentiles, the remnant of their seed, who shall be scattered forth upon the face of the earth because of their unbelief, may be brought in, or may be brought to a knowledge of me, their Redeemer.” (3 Nephi 16:4)

Let me suggest here that being a ‘believing Gentile’ isn’t so bad, at least to start. Continuing on in this same chapter 16 we read in verse 6:

And blessed are the Gentiles, because of their belief in me, in and of the Holy Ghost, which witnesses unto them of me and of the Father.

Here we read that we, Gentiles, at the time of the restoration, would be blessed because of our faith in Christ. This testimony would be given by the witness of the Holy Ghost. Who else but the membership of the restored church could this apply to?

Following in verse 7 we read:

Behold, because of their belief in me, saith the Father, and because of the unbelief of you, O house of Israel, in the latter day shall the truth come unto the Gentiles, that the fulness of these things shall be made known unto them.

We, in the latter days, as Gentiles, will be given the fulness of the gospel. The truth will be given to us. This again reinforces the idea that the restoration occurred among the Gentiles and that those who joined the early restored church were Gentiles.

Of course, if you have ‘believing Gentiles.’ There would logically be ‘unbelieving Gentiles’ and we find them described in verse 8:

But wo, saith the Father, unto the unbelieving of the Gentiles—for notwithstanding they have come forth upon the face of this land, and have scattered my people who are of the house of Israel; and my people who are of the house of Israel have been cast out from among them, and have been trodden under feet by them;

Those who played a large role in the scattering of the house of Israel here in what was to become the United States were also Gentiles. The inference here is that at least a portion of the native American tribes were the house of Israel and that the influx of Gentiles into this land caused severe distress on the natives.

So, in these several verses in chapter 16 of 3 Nephi, we have both believing Gentiles and unbelieving Gentiles. But after talking of these two groups within the Gentiles, the Lord, in the next verses, talks of the Gentiles which includes both the believing and unbelieving of the Gentiles.

10 And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you: At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations; and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fulness of my gospel from among them.

11 And then will I remember my covenant which I have made unto my people, O house of Israel, and I will bring my gospel unto them.

We find here the prophecy that the Gentiles, collectively, will sin against the gospel of Jesus Christ and will reject the fulness of the gospel. I believe that this again applies to the collective Gentiles, both believing and unbelieving. The Lord states here that, not if, but when we reject the gospel. It is not a conditional prophecy – it is a clear warning that the restoration of the gospel in these latter day to the Gentiles will not simply carry forward to the establishment of Zion. We, Gentiles, will reject the fulness of the gospel.

What does it mean to reject the fulness of the gospel? I have, in past posts, attempted to convey my belief that a key part of the restored gospel is the clear understanding of the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost. I believe that the church collectively today has, indeed, rejected the necessity of this second baptism. We hear from General Authorities that this event is an imperceptible change over a long period of living a Christ-like life. The redefinition of this critical ordinance of the gospel is the same as the rejection of the same.

Continuing in these verses, we find that the Gentiles, both believing and unbelieving, will also exhibit the following traits:

• Lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations
  
• Filled with all manner of lyings, deceits, hypocrisy, murder, priestcrafts, whoredoms, secret abominations
  

These acts are attributed to all Gentiles. Do we, in the church and in the nation, have a problem with pride? I think the answer is an emphatic ‘yes.’ Are we, in the church and in the nation, party to the other evils listed here such as deceit and hypocrisy, murder and whoredoms? I fear that this is true also.

Because of the rejection of the gospel and the evils that have invaded our society, we will have the fulness of the gospel taken from us. I believe that this could be recognized as the loss of the fruits that go with the fulness of the gospel. We no longer have the miracles found among us that once graced the members. Does this possibly mean that the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost will not be available to us as individuals? If my earlier premise regarding the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost is correct, removing the fulness of the gospel could indeed result in this blessing no longer being available to us as a Gentile participant of the restoration.

All is not lost, however, as the Lord has provided a way to reclaim this sacred opportunity. As we note earlier in verse 11, the Lord will bring the gospel to His people of the house of Israel. In verse 13, He then offers us Gentiles an opportunity:

But if the Gentiles will repent and return unto me, saith the Father, behold they shall be numbered among my people, O house of Israel.

For us to once again have blessings of the fulness of the gospel, we must repent and return to Him. I believe this applies to us, as Gentiles, who once rejected the gospel. How can one ‘repent and return’ to somewhere he/she has never been? No, we must return to our former condition before we rejected the fulness. If we do so, we can be numbered among those of the house of Israel who will have the fulness of the gospel.

The Lord continues in this chapter with this warning:

15 But if they will not turn unto me, and hearken unto my voice, I will suffer them, yea, I will suffer my people, O house of Israel, that they shall go through among them, and shall tread them down, and they shall be as salt that hath lost its savor, which is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of my people, O house of Israel.

As I read this, one question that can be asked is: Who does the Lord characterize as the salt and savor? We read this in D&C 101:

39 When men are called unto mine everlasting gospel, and covenant with an everlasting covenant, they are accounted as the salt of the earth and the savor of men;

40 They are called to be the savor of men; therefore, if that salt of the earth lose its savor, behold, it is thenceforth good for nothing only to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men.

I read this to mean that the salt and savor, according to the Lord, are those who are part of the everlasting covenant – another clear indication that the Lord is speaking of those who are members of His restored church. If we do not repent and return, we will be as the salt that has lost its savor and will be trodden down. Once that fulness of the gospel is taken from us and given to the house of Israel, our only course of action will be to repent and return whereby we can be numbered with the house of Israel.

This idea is reinforced in chapter 21 of 3 Nephi:

6 For thus it behooveth the Father that it should come forth from the Gentiles, that he may show forth his power unto the Gentiles, for this cause that the Gentiles, if they will not harden their hearts, that they may repent and come unto me and be baptized in my name and know of the true points of my doctrine, that they may be numbered among my people, O house of Israel;

It is imperative that each of us weigh these words of scripture in our hearts and in our minds. What is it that the Lord would have me do with these words? Should I ignore them and blindly claim our right as a child of Ephraim? Or should I humbly seek the wisdom and knowledge needed to understand how these verses of scripture apply to me and what I must do to be acceptable of the Lord?

What think ye?

What is the ‘baptism with the Holy Ghost and with fire’ from the biblical perspective?

Many will say that there is only one reference to this topic coming from the words of John the Baptist as found in Matthew 3:11:

11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

John was baptizing those who came to him when he saw that there were Pharisees and Sadducees among the crowd. He used the opportunity to presage the coming of the Messiah who would offer a second baptism; that of the Holy Ghost and fire.

The subsequent baptism of Christ had these two components. He was baptized with water by John, followed by the spirit of God descending upon Him. Could this be considered a baptism of the spirit? I would suggest this is the case.

In the first chapter of Acts, we are given the last words of the resurrected Christ to the twelve:

4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.

5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

This, I would suggest, is consistent with the message found in Matthew 3, that there are two baptisms – baptism of water unto repentance and baptism of spirit.

Shortly after the ascension of Christ, the twelve were gathered together on the day of Pentecost with this result:

2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

So here we have these men being ‘filled with the Holy Ghost’ and having what appeared to be ‘fire’ standing upon them in literal fulfillment of the words of the Messiah and John the Baptist. They were baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire.

In the tenth chapter of Acts, we read of Cornelius, a gentile whose prayers and alms were noted by God. He was to become the first non-Jew to be brought into the kingdom.

44 ¶ While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.

45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.

46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,

47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?

48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

From verse 47 one can determine that Cornelius and his household received the same baptism that Peter and his associates received. I find it interesting that the sequence was reversed in the case of Cornelius, he having received the baptism of the Holy Ghost before the baptism of water unto repentance.

Further in the eleventh chapter of Acts, we read of Peter’s report of the incident to the brethren in Jerusalem:

15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.

16 Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.

17 Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?

Peter relates that Cornelius experienced the same type of event as the apostles did on the day of Pentecost. He then links it also to the statement of John the Baptist uttered in Matthew. I would suggest that these three events are consistent – that the baptism with the Holy Ghost and with fire occurred in each case. As such, I would consider the baptism of fire a component in this second baptism.

Where else does one find reference to water and spirit? Of course, John 3 gives us the same message:

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

This dual birth has the same components as the baptism described earlier. In going back to the Greek, one can find that the ’see’ found in verse 3 can be suggestive of perceiving or having knowledge of the kingdom of God. This is certainly different from the act of ‘entering’ the kingdom of God described in verse 5.

This earth has received its baptism of water. It will yet receive its baptism of fire. While the wicked will be consumed by that fire, the earth itself will be sanctified and purged of all dross and iniquity. I would suggest the same is true for us as individuals. The baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost will sanctify us and purge us of all iniquity.

I would suggest that the second baptism, described by John the Baptist, promised by the Savior, and experienced by the early church, is a glorious and life changing experience. It removes the burden of sin and guilt and leaves the person with a joy that is beyond description. It is truly the entry point into the kingdom of God.

In the thirteenth chapter of first Nephi, we read that the original gospel of Jesus Christ was subverted by the Gentiles. Things plain and precious were removed from the gospel and from the writings of the original apostles.

26 And after they go forth by the hand of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, from the Jews unto the Gentiles, thou seest the formation of that great and abominable church, which is most abominable above all other churches; for behold, they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away.

27 And all this have they done that they might pervert the right ways of the Lord, that they might blind the eyes and harden the hearts of the children of men.

I believe the core perversion that was perpetrated upon man by this early church was the idea that, while Christ was the author of our salvation, it was the church hierarchy that was given the right and privilege of dispensing this salvation. Martin Luther’s main venom was pointed at the practice of indulgences - selling a reduced sentence in purgatory. I wrote about this in an earlier blog on Martin Luther.

But man was not to remain without these things, plain and precious. We were promised in this same chapter that God would restore the knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

35 For, behold, saith the Lamb: I will manifest myself unto thy seed, that they shall write many things which I shall minister unto them, which shall be plain and precious; and after thy seed shall be destroyed, and dwindle in unbelief, and also the seed of thy brethren, behold, these things shall be hid up, to come forth unto the Gentiles, by the gift and power of the Lamb.

36 And in them shall be written my gospel, saith the Lamb, and my rock and my salvation.

These writings, of course, are what we have today in the Book of Mormon. In the fifteenth chapter of first Nephi, we are told that the ‘fulness of the gospel of the Messiah shall come unto the Gentiles.’ This fulness or complete gospel of Jesus Christ is found in this book delivered to Joseph Smith and translated by the gift and power of God.

The Doctrine and Covenants reaffirms this as we read in the twentieth section, speaking of Joseph Smith:

8 And gave him power from on high, by the means which were before prepared, to translate the Book of Mormon;

9 Which contains a record of a fallen people, and the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles and to the Jews also;

So the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ is found in the Book of Mormon. ‘Fulness,’ to me, means that the ‘complete’ gospel is contained therein. The plain and precious parts of the gospel were restored to us in the inspired pages of this book delivered to us in these latter days.

The Pearl of Great Price provides even more clarity regarding this fulness of the gospel as we read in Joseph Smith – History:

34 He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence they sprang. He also said that the fulness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants;

While aspects of the gospel of Jesus Christ are discussed throughout the Book of Mormon, we are told in this passage that the fulness of the gospel is found in the sermons preached to the Nephites by Jesus Christ following his resurrection.

I take these scriptures as a clear indication that we can come to understand the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the associated ordinances through the teachings found in third Nephi, chapter eleven through chapter twenty-eight. We can also come to an understanding of what the ‘plain and precious’ parts of the gospel that were removed by the early Gentile church.

Here is a summary of what I would consider the plain and precious parts that were removed by the Gentile church and restored to us through the Book of Mormon. Here are some thoughts from chapter 11 of third Nephi.

Baptism by immersion

22 And again the Lord called others, and said unto them likewise; and he gave unto them power to baptize. And he said unto them: On this wise shall ye baptize; and there shall be no disputations among you.

23 Verily I say unto you, that whoso repenteth of his sins through your words, and desireth to be baptized in my name, on this wise shall ye baptize them—Behold, ye shall go down and stand in the water, and in my name shall ye baptize them.

24 And now behold, these are the words which ye shall say, calling them by name, saying:

25 Having authority given me of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

26 And then shall ye immerse them in the water, and come forth again out of the water.

27 And after this manner shall ye baptize in my name; for behold, verily I say unto you, that the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost are one; and I am in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father and I are one.

This form of baptism is accepted of the Lord and I would suggest that this is at least one component of the ordinances that were plain and precious yet removed by the early church.

Baptism by fire and the Holy Ghost

35 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and I bear record of it from the Father; and whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also; and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost.

36 And thus will the Father bear record of me, and the Holy Ghost will bear record unto him of the Father and me; for the Father, and I, and the Holy Ghost are one.

Christ begins here with what is defined as his doctrine. Here we learn that those who truly believe in God will be visited ‘with fire and with the Holy Ghost.’ In the Bible as we have it today, this topic is touched upon in Matthew 3:

11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

While we have the baptism of fire of the early apostles and also Cornelius, there is scant information about this ordinance in early church literature. The true nature of this second baptism seems to have been lost in the early church. We read more on this topic in the instruction to the twelve disciples leading up to what is known as the ‘Sermon on the Mount’ found in third Nephi, chapter twelve:

1 AND it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words unto Nephi, and to those who had been called, (now the number of them who had been called, and received power and authority to baptize, was twelve) and behold, he stretched forth his hand unto the multitude, and cried unto them, saying: Blessed are ye if ye shall give heed unto the words of these twelve whom I have chosen from among you to minister unto you, and to be your servants; and unto them I have given power that they may baptize you with water; and after that ye are baptized with water, behold, I will baptize you with fire and with the Holy Ghost; therefore blessed are ye if ye shall believe in me and be baptized, after that ye have seen me and know that I am.

2 And again, more blessed are they who shall believe in your words because that ye shall testify that ye have seen me, and that ye know that I am. Yea, blessed are they who shall believe in your words, and come down into the depths of humility and be baptized, for they shall be visited with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and shall receive a remission of their sins.

In the early church, the remission of sins was contorted into a revenue source for the church through indulgences. According to the fulness of the gospel as contained in the sermons of Christ, this second baptism – baptism with fire and with the Holy Ghost – is a critical element. It is promised to all those who ‘come unto Christ’ and is the conduit through which we receive the remission of our sins. This ordinance was performed by Jesus Christ among the Nephites and was promised to all those who humble themselves and are baptized.

As I have stated in earlier blogs, I fear that this critical aspect of the gospel is also threatened in this day. We can hear from the pulpit that this baptism of fire is not a singular event but a process that happens imperceptibly over a long period of time. Acceptance of this idea, that we can be baptized with fire and ‘know it not’ is tantamount to rejecting a plain and precious truth of the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Become as a little child

Continuing on with the doctrine of Christ found in the eleventh chapter of third Nephi, we read:

37 And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in nowise receive these things.

38 And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.

39 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.

40 And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them.

What are the attributes of a little child? I would suggest unwavering faith and humility, the ability to follow Christ without regard to wealth or status. As little children, we would forgo selfishness and ego, we would not yearn for the call to leadership but strive to be a servant to all.

How important is it that we accept the idea that anyone who preaches more or less than this doctrine of Christ will have the gates of hell open to them? I would submit that the fundamental aspect of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the imperative of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Seeking the honors of men and accepting the tokens of priestcraft and its associated ‘perks’ is not in keeping with the gospel as found in these scriptures.

Healing of the sick

Today in the Catholic church, the documented existence of two miracles is necessary for one to be considered for sainthood. In the true church of God, healing of the sick based on the faith of an individual is embedded in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We read in chapter seventeen of third Nephi:

9 And it came to pass that when he had thus spoken, all the multitude, with one accord, did go forth with their sick and their afflicted, and their lame, and with their blind, and with their dumb, and with all them that were afflicted in any manner; and he did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto him.

We know from the scriptures that the signs follow them that believe. The true church of Christ should have the works of God prominent among those who profess to be members. In chapter twenty-seven of third Nephi we read:

10 And if it so be that the church is built upon my gospel then will the Father show forth his own works in it.

11 But if it be not built upon my gospel, and is built upon the works of men, or upon the works of the devil, verily I say unto you they have joy in their works for a season, and by and by the end cometh, and they are hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence there is no return.

Is our faith great enough to have these miracles manifest among us on a daily basis. Do our leaders, the twelve apostles, consistently demonstrate these blessings and miracles as did the disciples of old? Here is what is found in fourth Nephi:

5 And there were great and marvelous works wrought by the disciples of Jesus, insomuch that they did heal the sick, and raise the dead, and cause the lame to walk, and the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear; and all manner of miracles did they work among the children of men; and in nothing did they work miracles save it were in the name of Jesus.

Where are these ‘works of God’ in today’s church? Is our faith not sufficient to garner this blessing from God? Are our leaders not capable of administering this blessing?

The Sacrament

The Lord commissioned the Nephite disciples to administer the emblems of His flesh and blood as found in chapter eighteen:

1 AND it came to pass that Jesus commanded his Disciples that they should bring forth some bread and wine unto him.

2 And while they were gone for bread and wine, he commanded the multitude that they should sit themselves down upon the earth.

3 And when the Disciples had come with bread and wine, he took of the bread and brake and blessed it; and he gave unto the Disciples and commanded that they should eat.

4 And when they had eaten and were filled, he commanded that they should give unto the multitude.

5 And when the multitude had eaten and were filled, he said unto the Disciples: Behold there shall one be ordained among you, and to him will I give power that he shall break bread and bless it and give it unto the people of my church, unto all those who shall believe and be baptized in my name.

6 And this shall ye always observe to do, even as I have done, even as I have broken bread and blessed it and given it unto you.

7 And this shall ye do in remembrance of my body, which I have shown unto you. And it shall be a testimony unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you.

8 And it came to pass that when he said these words, he commanded his Disciples that they should take of the wine of the cup and drink of it, and that they should also give unto the multitude that they might drink of it.

9 And it came to pass that they did so, and did drink of it and were filled; and they gave unto the multitude, and they did drink, and they were filled.

10 And when the Disciples had done this, Jesus said unto them: Blessed are ye for this thing which ye have done, for this is fulfilling my commandments, and this doth witness unto the Father that ye are willing to do that which I have commanded you.

11 And this shall ye always do to those who repent and are baptized in my name; and ye shall do it in remembrance of my blood, which I have shed for you, that ye may witness unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you.

12 And I give unto you a commandment that ye shall do these things. And if ye shall always do these things blessed are ye, for ye are built upon my rock.

13 But whoso among you shall do more or less than these are not built upon my rock, but are built upon a sandy foundation; and when the rain descends, and the floods come, and the winds blow, and beat upon them, they shall fall, and the gates of hell are ready open to receive them.

14 Therefore blessed are ye if ye shall keep my commandments, which the Father hath commanded me that I should give unto you.

I find it interesting that one and only one of the disciples was given the power to administer the sacrament. We are specifically told that we are to observe this ordinance as shown to us here. Have we deviated from this ordinance by having this ordinance performed by others who do not the position defined here to conduct this ordinance?

Have we strayed from His gospel by supplanting the wine with water? Are we fulfilling the commandments by allowing this fundamental change to the ordinance? While we have been given some dispensation in the twenty-seventh section of Doctrine and Covenants on the use of wine, it was with conditions:

2 For, behold, I say unto you, that it mattereth not what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink when ye partake of the sacrament, if it so be that ye do it with an eye single to my glory—remembering unto the Father my body which was laid down for you, and my blood which was shed for the remission of your sins.

3 Wherefore, a commandment I give unto you, that you shall not purchase wine neither strong drink of your enemies;

4 Wherefore, you shall partake of none except it is made new among you; yea, in this my Father’s kingdom which shall be built up on the earth.

We are told not to partake of wine or strong drink purchased from our enemies but we are to make it new among us. Does this suggest that we should, when our resources allow, be using wine for the sacrament? How important is it that we following the guidance in the scriptures regarding the use of wine in the administration of the sacrament?

The Lord saw to it that the sacrament was administered two days in a row in chapters nineteen and twenty. Have we allowed this sacred ordinance to become routine by having it regularly scheduled? Do we carefully consider the implications given in the scriptures regarding the unworthy participation in the sacrament?

28 And now behold, this is the commandment which I give unto you, that ye shall not suffer any one knowingly to partake of my flesh and blood unworthily, when ye shall minister it;

29 For whoso eateth and drinketh my flesh and blood unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to his soul; therefore if ye know that a man is unworthy to eat and drink of my flesh and blood ye shall forbid him.

30 Nevertheless, ye shall not cast him out from among you, but ye shall minister unto him and shall pray for him unto the Father, in my name; and if it so be that he repenteth and is baptized in my name, then shall ye receive him, and shall minister unto him of my flesh and blood.

31 But if he repent not he shall not be numbered among my people, that he may not destroy my people, for behold I know my sheep, and they are numbered.

32 Nevertheless, ye shall not cast him out of your synagogues, or your places of worship, for unto such shall ye continue to minister; for ye know not but what they will return and repent, and come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall heal them; and ye shall be the means of bringing salvation unto them.

How much does peer pressure affect our willingness to forego our participation when we may not be worthy? How many of us are willing to ‘return and repent’ before partaking of the sacrament?

Translation

Is the gift of translation as given to the three of the disciples a component of the fulness of the gospel? I would suggest that is certainly in the right place in the scriptures to be considered so. In speaking of the three Nephites in chapter twenty-eight we read:

7 Therefore, more blessed are ye, for ye shall never taste of death; but ye shall live to behold all the doings of the Father unto the children of men, even until all things shall be fulfilled according to the will of the Father, when I shall come in my glory with the powers of heaven.

8 And ye shall never endure the pains of death; but when I shall come in my glory ye shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye from mortality to immortality; and then shall ye be blessed in the kingdom of my Father.

9 And again, ye shall not have pain while ye shall dwell in the flesh, neither sorrow save it be for the sins of the world; and all this will I do because of the thing which ye have desired of me, for ye have desired that ye might bring the souls of men unto me, while the world shall stand.

What discussion do we have in our meetings regarding these three? Is it now passé to speak of these men who may be in our midst at this very moment? Do we consider this an ordinance associated with the gospel of Christ?

The Gospel of Jesus Christ

In His sermons to the Nephites, Christ specifically outlined the gospel. While it is long, I will replicate the entire reference here from chapter twenty-seven:

13 Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you—that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me.

14 And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil—

15 And for this cause have I been lifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their works.

16 And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world.

17 And he that endureth not unto the end, the same is he that is also hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence they can no more return, because of the justice of the Father.

18 And this is the word which he hath given unto the children of men. And for this cause he fulfilleth the words which he hath given, and he lieth not, but fulfilleth all his words.

19 And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end.

20 Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.

21 Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do; for that which ye have seen me do even that shall ye do;

I find several key points that we should consider today. First, the gospel of Jesus Christ is meant to draw all men to Christ. I believe it is easy to overlook the intent of this statement. We are not to put our faith in man, be it a bishop, stake president, apostle, or prophet. We are to cling to Christ and Christ only, in order to satisfy His gospel.

Secondly, we must be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost in order to enter His kingdom. This sanctification is the remission of sins through the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost. We must be cleansed from sin and endure to the end, in that order, to be meet for His kingdom.

Epilogue

While this is not what I could consider an exhaustive analysis of the sermons delivered by Christ to the Nephites, I would suggest it gives us many things to consider. Have we adhered to the fulness of the gospel as defined by Christ or have we gone another route and defined our own ‘gospel’ composed of our favorite topics? Do we assume that our gospel of home teaching, temple attendance and accepting callings will be necessary and sufficient to grant us entry to the kingdom of God?

As I sat in a performance of Handel’s Messiah recently, these words struck me with great force:

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; Isaiah 53:6

Have we developed our own gospel and assumed God would honor it or have we striven to understand His word and live accordingly?

What think ye?

The Webster’s definition of apostasy is 1) renunciation of a religious faith and 2) abandonment of a previous loyalty. Tracing the word back to its original Greek, one finds that an apostate could be defined as ‘one who stands apart.’ There are many great men and women who, based on their conscience or on revelation, were called to stand apart from their religious traditions. I would like to consider a few of these great souls both within and without the Mormon sphere.

Martin Luther

I have truly enjoyed reading on the life and works of Martin Luther. For many years, I simply placed him in the realm of a predecessor to Joseph Smith. This is still a valid statement but I believe we can learn much more from his life and struggles. He was born 8 years before Columbus discovered America. He grew up in the home of his parents who looked forward to their son becoming a lawyer and supporting them. While returning to school after a visit home, he was knocked down by a lightning strike. Fearful for his life, he pledged at the spot to enter the service of God. Two weeks later, he entered the monastery at the age of 22 never having read the Bible. When it was presented to him, he devoured it spending many days and months reading the word of God. Continually, through fasting and prayer, he sought to be acceptable to God. In 1510, Luther had the privilege of spending a month in Rome. He returned to Germany disillusioned by the crassness of the priests and the singular focus he saw there on money and excess.

While much of his life in the monastery was filled with the anxiety of a sinful soul, Martin struggled to find peace with God. Something, he realized, that could not happen until the whole man had been changed. With this challenge he struggled for many months. In 1513, he was assigned the chair of the Bible. Teaching from the Psalms brought him to the realization that Christ had indeed taken upon him our sins. It was an epiphany for the man who came to realize that he had did not have to rely on the myriad of acts demanded by the Holy Roman Church but only upon the merits and mercies of Jesus Christ.

This awakening caused him to rethink all that he had come to accept within the church and quickly led to the 95 Theses hanging on the door of the church in Wittenberg. His path took him before kings and princes. He was thrice excommunicated and condemned to death for his efforts to reconcile the actions of the church with the scriptures. His writings were burned and his life was only spared by the help of friends.

While he did not initially intend to break from the Catholic Church, he succeeded in crystallizing the German efforts to separate themselves from the Italian papal domination.

“Here, I stand” Words Martin Luther is said to have uttered as he stood before Emperor Charles V who was awaiting a recantation of all the ills that Luther had brought out upon the church. Luther did not recant but branded himself an apostate. One who stands apart.

(Here I Stand, A Life of Martin Luther by Roland H. Bainton and The Life and Times of Martin Luther by J. H. Merle D’Aubigne’)

Lehi

What would you call a man who deserted his home and struck out into the wilderness with his family without telling anyone? What would you think if this same man sent his sons back to kill one of the leaders of the church, kidnap his assistant and steal the sacred records of their faith?

I have often wondered what Lehi must have endured to follow the word of God into the desert. In this day, I would liken it to someone fleeing out of Salt Lake only to return, kill a church official and steal one of the original copies of the Book of Mormon.

Here is a man who, based on a dream, packed up a few possessions and disrupted the lives of his family in a major way. I don’t think Laman and Lemuel ever got over it as they stated in 1 Nephi 18:

21 Behold, these many years we have suffered in the wilderness, which time we might have enjoyed our possessions and the land of our inheritance; yea, and we might have been happy.

22 And we know that the people who were in the land of Jerusalem were a righteous people; for they kept the statutes and judgments of the Lord, and all his commandments, according to the law of Moses; wherefore, we know that they are a righteous people; and our father hath judged them, and hath led us away because we would hearken unto his words…

Lehi was called to leave his comfortable surroundings and his family, friends and church at the request of God. He was to separate himself from the life and environment that, undoubtedly, was comfortable and appealing. Wouldn’t Lehi have been considered an apostate by the leaders of the Jerusalem community? What kind of faith would it have taken to leave behind the comfort of orthodoxy for a tent in the desert?

Lehi, the visionary man, was willing to stand apart from what had been his entire life and livelihood. He caused his family and selected friends to leave the known and comfortable for the unknown and painful. While he may have been an apostate to the elders of Jerusalem, he was the father of a new nation to us… all because he hearkened to the word of God given him in a dream.

Alma the Elder

Alma had things going quite well. He had recently been elevated to a high priest position under great King Noah. He, perhaps along with his wives and concubines, were likely living large as we read in Mosiah 11:

14 And it came to pass that he (King Noah) placed his heart upon his riches, and he spent his time in riotous living with his wives and his concubines; and so did also his priests spend their time with harlots.

15 And it came to pass that he planted vineyards round about in the land; and he built wine-presses, and made wine in abundance; and therefore he became a wine-bibber, and also his people.

That is, until he heard Abinadi preach of Christ and was convinced that something was seriously wrong with what he was seeing. Unable to convince Noah of the error being committed, Alma was forced to flee for his life. He found refuge in the wilderness and was led by God to form a community based on principles that set him apart from his former life and position.

Given that King Noah was the ruling secular and religious authority at the time, I am sure that Alma was branded as an apostate; one who has abandoned his previous loyalty. To us, Alma was responding to the promptings of the spirit – first, seeking to give a man of God a wide berth but ultimately to re-establish the church of Christ in the wilderness.

Good Apostate or Bad Apostate?

The message here is that there may be times when being an apostate is doing the right thing. If the existing religious framework has become disconnected from the original mission of the church, it may take an apostate or two to bring some, perhaps a remnant, back in alignment with the will of God. Samuel the Lamanite stood on the wall and delivered a message to the Nephites that God was not pleased. Some people heard his words and repented. Most times, it seems these outliers are given the task of taking the message of repentance to the majority and are then encouraged to flee for their lives.

In D&C Section 112, we are told that ‘vengeance cometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth’ and ‘upon my house shall it begin.’ The meaning here to me is that latter day church is to encounter a correction or cleansing. Several times in the Book of Mormon, we Gentiles are told to ‘repent and return’ to the gospel. We are told that only we Gentiles who repent will participate in the building of New Jerusalem (3 Nephi 21:14-24). I believe there are many scriptural signs that dictate we, as a people who profess to have taken upon them the name of Christ, will need to repent and return or be left behind.

Have our hearts been so focused on riches that we are ripe for the message of Samuel the Lamanite to be delivered to us? Could it come from someone who was branded by the hierarchy of the church as an apostate? Time will tell.

What think ye?

“Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed.”

(2 John 1:9-10)

John’s challenge to us in this scripture is to stay true to the doctrine of Christ. An acceptance and commitment to this doctrine or teaching is the path to eternal life with the Father and the Son. Rightly so, we, each of us, should be concerned about staying true to the doctrine of Christ.

Today, as in any other time in history, doctrines flow readily from many sources, we regularly receive warnings in the scripture to be watchful of the source of the doctrines presented to us “that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine.” (Ephesians 4:14)

In First Nephi 15:14 we read:

“And at that day shall the remnant of our seed know that they are of the house of Israel, and that they are the covenant people of the Lord; and then shall they know and come to the knowledge of their forefathers, and also to the knowledge of the gospel of their Redeemer, which was ministered unto their fathers by him; wherefore, they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer and the very points of his doctrine, that they may know how to come unto him and be saved.”

The remnant of Jacob, along with the Gentiles who receive the message of the restoration, shall come to a knowledge of the doctrine of Christ. This information contains instructions about what we must do to ‘come unto Christ and be saved.’ It is incumbent upon each of us to understand and embrace this doctrine and reject any attempts to replace it with the teachings of man.

As with the definition of the gospel, the definition of the doctrine of Christ is clearly outlined in the scriptures. Three times in the latter day scriptures, the Lord defines that which constitutes His doctrine.

In Second Nephi, chapters 31 and 32, we are presented with the doctrine of Christ. I will add some highlighting and commentary:

2 Wherefore, the things which I have written sufficeth me, save it be a few words which I must speak concerning the doctrine of Christ; wherefore, I shall speak unto you plainly, according to the plainness of my prophesying.

3 For my soul delighteth in plainness; for after this manner doth the Lord God work among the children of men. For the Lord God giveth light unto the understanding; for he speaketh unto men according to their language, unto their understanding.

4 Wherefore, I would that ye should remember that I have spoken unto you concerning that prophet which the Lord showed unto me, that should baptize the Lamb of God, which should take away the sins of the world.

5 And now, if the Lamb of God, he being holy, should have need to be baptized by water, to fulfil all righteousness, O then, how much more need have we, being unholy, to be baptized, yea, even by water!

6 And now, I would ask of you, my beloved brethren, wherein the Lamb of God did fulfil all righteousness in being baptized by water?

7 Know ye not that he was holy? But notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments.

8 Wherefore, after he was baptized with water the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove.

9 And again, it showeth unto the children of men the straitness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which they should enter, he having set the example before them.

Nephi stresses that, in the context of following the commandments, Christ can be used as an example.

10 And he said unto the children of men: Follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?

11 And the Father said: Repent ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my Beloved Son.

12 And also, the voice of the Son came unto me, saying: He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the Holy Ghost, like unto me; wherefore, follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do.

13 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.

What better summary can there be of the doctrine of Christ than is contained in verse 13. The Lord is asking for complete commitment. He expects us to repent of our sins and be baptized both by water and by fire and the Holy Ghost. I have bolded what I consider to be the key points of the doctrine of Christ as presented by Nephi.

14 But, behold, my beloved brethren, thus came the voice of the Son unto me, saying: After ye have repented of your sins, and witnessed unto the Father that ye are willing to keep my commandments, by the baptism of water, and have received the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost, and can speak with a new tongue, yea, even with the tongue of angels, and after this should deny me, it would have been better for you that ye had not known me.

15 And I heard a voice from the Father, saying: Yea, the words of my Beloved are true and faithful. He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.

16 And now, my beloved brethren, I know by this that unless a man shall endure to the end, in following the example of the Son of the living God, he cannot be saved.

17 Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.

It is important to note that repentance, baptism by water, then baptism by fire and the Holy Ghost represent the gate. By gate, I interpret this to mean the starting point. We are all expected to follow the example of Christ in completing the commandment outlined in this verse. We are all expected to receive the two baptisms, “first with water, then with fire and with the Holy Ghost, following the example of our Savior” ( Mormon 7:10)

18 And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive.

19 And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.

Once we have passed through the gate of baptism by water and by fire and the Holy Ghost, then we are on the strait and narrow path. The following verse now lays out what should be our objectives for the rest of our lives

20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

21 And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.

Nephi ends this sermon with two key messages. First, there is no other way to salvation. I take this to mean no amount of hometeaching, tithing, temple attendance, and the other ‘markers’ matter if they are not predicated on the passage through the gate defined above. Secondly, Nephi makes the point that this is the only and true doctrine. I find it interesting that he chose these words. Does this make the other doctrines we cling to today null and void? Could this make other aspects of doctrine taught today as the doctrines of men? Moving on to chapter 32.

1 AND now, behold, my beloved brethren, I suppose that ye ponder somewhat in your hearts concerning that which ye should do after ye have entered in by the way. But, behold, why do ye ponder these things in your hearts?

2 Do ye not remember that I said unto you that after ye had received the Holy Ghost ye could speak with the tongue of angels? And now, how could ye speak with the tongue of angels save it were by the Holy Ghost?

3 Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.

4 Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark.

5 For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.

6 Behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and there will be no more doctrine given until after he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh. And when he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh, the things which he shall say unto you shall ye observe to do.

Nephi understood what was in the hearts of his listeners. To answer the concerns, he encourages them and us to stay close to the Holy Ghost. How does one speak with the tongues of angels? I would submit that this is our ability to rely on the Holy Ghost to know what to say. As the missionaries were sent out in the early days of the church, they were told:

“Wherefore, lift up your voice and spare not, for the Lord God hath spoken; therefore prophesy, and it shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost.” (D&C 34:10)

Returning to the discussion of the doctrine of Christ, the comment is also made that there will be no more of the doctrine of Christ given until He comes in the flesh. This occurred when Christ visited the Nephites after His resurrection. At that time, He did present more of His doctrine as found in 3 Nephi, chapter 11:

28 And according as I have commanded you thus shall ye baptize. And there shall be no disputations among you, as there have hitherto been; neither shall there be disputations among you concerning the points of my doctrine, as there have hitherto been.

29 For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.

30 Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away.

31 Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, I will declare unto you my doctrine.

32 And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me.

33 And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God.

34 And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned.

35 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and I bear record of it from the Father; and whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also; and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost.

The doctrine of Christ recited here correlates well with the sermon of Nephi cited earlier. We must be baptized, by water and the Holy Ghost, to be saved

36 And thus will the Father bear record of me, and the Holy Ghost will bear record unto him of the Father and me; for the Father, and I, and the Holy Ghost are one.

37 And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in nowise receive these things.

38 And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.

Become as a little child… What a tremendous challenge for us the rid ourselves of our envies and jealousies in becoming as a child. One that exhibits implicit trust and love; one who can then truly be called a son or daughter of God.

39 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.

40 And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them.

41 Therefore, go forth unto this people, and declare the words which I have spoken, unto the ends of the earth.

The warning here is that we are not to add or take away from the doctrine of Christ. I have pondered this for a long time. Can it be that the whole substance of the doctrine of Christ can be found in these two scriptures found in second Nephi and third Nephi? I must answer affirmatively. By commandment, we are told to sustain this as the “only and true doctrine” of Christ. While there may be other doctrines such as the doctrine of the priesthood or the doctrine of the resurrection, etc. there is only one version of the doctrine of Christ that promises sanctification and salvation.

Let us now look at the third reference to the doctrine of Christ found in the Doctrine and Covenants, section 10:

“67 Behold, this is my doctrine—whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church.

68 Whosoever declareth more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is against me; therefore he is not of my church.

69 And now, behold, whosoever is of my church, and endureth of my church to the end, him will I establish upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.”

In this component of the doctrine of Christ, we find His definition of the church that bears His name. I would hearken back to the scripture I quoted in 1 Nephi 15:14 where we are told that the doctrine of Christ will teach us how to come unto Christ. I would submit that to come unto Christ is to be baptized by water and by fire and the Holy Ghost. I say this because this is exactly what has been defined as His doctrine in the earlier scriptures cited.

We can be considered His church only if we repent and come unto Him. Anyone who declares more on less than this is not of Christ. I would suggest that you ponder the implications of this scripture found in D&C 10. What if the only acceptable criterion for belonging to His church is that we repent and come unto Him? What if repenting and coming to Him is only defined in the scriptures cited earlier? What would his church look like today if this were the only condition for membership?

What think ye?

In my first post on this topic, I attempted to show from the scriptures that the latter day church is included with the Gentiles from a Book of Mormon perspective. I would encourage anyone to do their own study on this topic by searching out all the references to ‘gentile’ in the scriptures and formulating their own opinion. There are only 309 references to ‘gentile’ found in the scriptures, but it would be interesting to include the term ‘nations’ in the Bible as ‘goyim’ is translated as both. I would also like to hear comments from anyone who could provide an alternative viewpoint as to how the LDS Church fits into the context of the Book of Mormon.

As we consider the topic further, let’s go back to Nephi’s vision found in 1 Nephi, chapter 13. Here are some of the key verses found there:

1. “among the nations of the Gentiles the formation of a great church” (verse 4)
2. “a man among the Gentiles…went forth upon the many waters…to the promised land” (verse 12)
3. “many multitudes of the Gentiles upon the land of promise” (verse 14)
4. “mother Gentiles were gathered together… to battle against them” (verse 17)
5. Nephi sees a book that “is a record of the Jews” (verse 23)
6. This book goes from the Jews to the Gentiles but “many parts which are plain and most precious” of the gospel and covenants are removed (verse 26)
7. “I will be merciful unto the Gentiles… I will bring forth unto them, in mine own power, much of my gospel” (verse 34)
8. Nephi’s seed will write many things and “these things shall be hid up, to come forth unto the Gentiles” (verse 35)
9. “other books…came forth…from the Gentiles unto them, unto the convincing of the Gentiles and the remnant of the seed” (verse 39)
10. “these last records… shall establish the truth of the first” (verse 40)

It is important to note that the Lord did not change how he called this people after they received the gospel. They were Gentiles before the restoration and they were still Gentiles after. From the perspective given us through Nephi’s vision, we were Gentiles then and still Gentiles now.

The thirteenth chapter ends with this statement:

“And the time cometh that he shall manifest himself unto all nations, both unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles; and after he has manifested himself unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles, then he shall manifest himself unto the Gentiles and also unto the Jews, and the last shall be first, and the first shall be last.” (verse 42)

While I go into more detail on my website www.fulness.com/lastfirst , let me just say that the manifestation unto the Gentiles represents the restoration of the Gospel to us, being the Gentiles. This verse also indicates that ultimately, the Lord intends to manifest Himself unto the Jews.

So let us consider what the Book of Mormon says about our future. We see in verse 42 above that there is a transition from Gentile to Jew, just as there was a transition from Jew to Gentile in the meridian of time. I am sure that you will agree that the rejection of the Gospel by the Jews at the time of Christ did not bode well for them. In a comment to the Gentiles-R-Us Part 1, NEPT pointed out the discussion of the inspired version of the Bible dealing with Matthew 21. I would encourage you to read it. The essence of the discussion in the verses is that God will take the kingdom of God from the Jews and it ’shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof; (meaning the Gentiles).’ However, we find in verse 56, that the fruits are short-lived:

“And then understood they the parable which he spake unto them, that the Gentiles should be destroyed also, when the Lord should descend out of heaven to reign in his vineyard, which is the earth and the inhabitants thereof.”

Why would we as Gentiles receive the kingdom of God but then be destroyed? It can only be a result of our rejection of the fulness of the gospel. Let me explain.

In Part 1, I discussed the verses found in 3 Nephi 16 surrounding the believing and unbelieving of the Gentiles. This chapter also supports the prophetic demise of us, as Gentiles, when the Lord states:

“And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you: At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations; and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fulness of my gospel from among them.”

This verse portends the rejection of the fulness of the gospel by the Gentiles. In the BYU series on the Book of Mormon, Robert Millet and others discussed this scripture. To listen to a portion of that discussion click here. I might note that the reference in this audio clip to the twelve may be more appropriately pointed at the original twelve apostles of the Lord than Bro. Millet’s suggestion that this applies to the latter-day apostles. I don’t believe you can separate out today’s leadership from the rejection of the gospel. It is the whole church that is under condemnation.

In the context of the 16^th chapter of third Nephi where this is found, it applies to the Gentiles collectively, both believing and unbelieving. And what does the Lord do with the fulness of the gospel that is taken away from the Gentiles?

“And I will show unto thee, O house of Israel, that the Gentiles shall not have power over you; but I will remember my covenant unto you, O house of Israel, and ye shall come unto the knowledge of the fulness of my gospel.” (verse 12)

So, just as predicted in 1 Nephi 13:42, ‘the last shall be first, and the first shall be last’ with the Jews receiving the fulness of the Gospel after it is rejected by the Gentiles.

The plea from the Lord at this point is thus:

“But if the Gentiles will repent and return unto me, saith the Father, behold they shall be numbered among my people, O house of Israel.” (verse 13)

We are asked to repent and return so that we may be included among His people.

So… what must we repent of? Pride is certainly one item mentioned in 3 Nephi 16:10. Sinning against His gospel is another. I would suggest this be a critical topic of prayer and fasting. Here are some suggestions to ponder:

• What is the fulness of the gospel that is rejected?
• Where is the fulness of the gospel found in the scriptures?
• What is the definition of the gospel found in the scriptures?
• What must I give up of this material world that is restricting my ability to acquire the fulness of the gospel?
• How does the Lord measure His church?

I believe that the scriptures have answers to all these questions.

Here is one final topic to consider. Growing up in the church, I was given the distinct impression that one day, we would be called to go back to Missouri to establish Zion and build His temple. So, what does the Book of Mormon have to say on that topic?

Speaking of the Gentiles, the Lord states in 3 Nephi, chapter 21 verses 22-25:

“But if they will repent and hearken unto my words, and harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them, and they shall come in unto the covenant and be numbered among this the remnant of Jacob, unto whom I have given this land for their inheritance;

And they shall assist my people, the remnant of Jacob, and also as many of the house of Israel as shall come, that they may build a city, which shall be called the New Jerusalem.

And then shall they assist my people that they may be gathered in, who are scattered upon all the face of the land, in unto the New Jerusalem.

And then shall the power of heaven come down among them; and I also will be in the midst.”

In a close reading of this chapter, the Lord is asking us Gentiles to repent. If we do, we will have his church established among us. I get the distinct impression that the establishment of the church He speaks of here happens well after the restoration of the gospel and shortly before the events surrounding New Jerusalem. I would also note that it is the lot of the Gentiles to ASSIST the remnant of Jacob in the building of Zion. Not the other way around.

The warning is clear. We must repent and return. We must accept the fulness of the gospel. We must subdue our pride and understand that we will be the assistants to the remnant of Jacob in the building of Zion.

What think ye?