Tag: Jesus Christ

Blessed Are They That Mourn, For They Shall Be Comforted

~ Richard Rowley

Jesus Christ taught the descendants of Lehi in the Americas (who were of the house of Israel) many of the same principles He taught to His Jewish disciples in the Old World. The teachings as recorded in the book of Matthew, found in the New Testament, known as the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) were again taught by the Savior when he visited Lehi’s descendants.

Below is the second of the Beatitudes, as recorded in the King James version of Matthew, and the comparable teaching as found in 3 Nephi of the Book of Mormon.

“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4)

“And again, blessed are all they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (3 Nephi 12:4)

Questions:

-Do the pains and disappointments of this life provide the context in which the joys and blessings of heaven are deeply appreciated and valued (for eternity)?

Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit Who Come unto Me

~ Richard Rowley

Jesus Christ taught the descendants of Lehi in the Americas (who were of the house of Israel) many of the same principles He taught to His Jewish disciples in the Old World. The teachings as recorded in the book of Matthew, found in the New Testament, known as the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) were again taught by the Savior when he visited Lehi’s descendants.

Below is the first of the Beatitudes, as recorded in the King James version of Matthew, and the comparable teaching as found in 3 Nephi of the Book of Mormon.  

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3)

“Yea, blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (3 Nephi 12:3)

Questions:

-Why would God inspire Joseph Smith to interpret the Beatitudes – as taught by Christ to Lehi’s descendants in the Americas — in language very similar to the King James version of the Bible?

-Do you feel the phrase, “who come unto me,” is an inspired addition to what is found in Matthew.

-What does it mean to be poor in spirit?

-Is it possible to truly come unto Christ if one is not poor in spirit?

This Is My Doctrine

~ Richard Rowley

Jesus Christ declares the core of His doctrine:

“…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. And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God. And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned. 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. 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.” (3 Nephi 11:32-36)

“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. 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. 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. 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 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. Therefore, go forth unto this people, and declare the words which I have spoken, unto the ends of the earth.” (3 Nephi 11:37-41)

Questions:

-What is the significance of Christ using the word “verily” twice to emphasize the truth of what He was teaching?

On This Wise Shall Ye Baptize

~ Richard Rowley

Christ called priesthood holders in the Americas (around 34 A.D.) and taught them the specific way in which baptisms should be performed:

“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. And now behold, these are the words which ye shall say, calling them by name, saying: 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. And then shall ye immerse them in the water, and come forth again out of the water. 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. And according as I have commanded you thus shall ye baptize.” (3 Nephi 11:23-28)

Questions:

-Why did Christ, while visiting a group of Lehi’s descendants, focus on teaching the correct manner of baptism?

-What does this say about how important the proper baptismal ordinance is to God?

How Oft Will I Gather Israel as a Hen Gathereth Her Chickens If They Will Repent

~ Richard Rowley

After a massively destructive natural upheaval, Christ speaks to the surviving descendants of Lehi (who was of the tribe of Manasseh) living in the Americas.

“O ye house of Israel whom I have spared, how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart. But if not, O house of Israel, the places of your dwellings shall become desolate until the time of the fulfilling of the covenant to your fathers.” (3 Nephi 10:6)

Questions:

-Is now the time when the covenants made regarding the restoration of Israel are being fulfilled?

-What does it entail to turn with “full purpose of heart” to Christ?

He will Gather in from the Four Quarters of the Earth All the Remnant of the Seed of Jacob

~ Richard Rowley

Mormon, a Nephite prophet and historian, prophesies about the literal physical gathering of Jacob’s descendants in the last days.

“As surely as the Lord liveth, will he gather in from the four quarters of the earth all the remnant of the seed of Jacob, who are scattered abroad upon all the face of the earth. And as he hath covenanted with all the house of Jacob, even so shall the covenant wherewith he hath covenanted with the house of Jacob be fulfilled in his own due time, unto the restoring all the house of Jacob unto the knowledge of the covenant that he hath covenanted with them. And then shall they know their Redeemer, who is Jesus Christ, the Son of God; and then shall they be gathered in from the four quarters of the earth unto their own lands, from whence they have been dispersed; yea, as the Lord liveth so shall it be. Amen.” (3 Nephi 5:24-26)

Questions:

-Clearly the Jews have gathered (and continue to gather) to the nation of Israel. Have other descendants of Jacob begun to be gathered to their homelands?

If Ye Believe on His Name Ye Will Repent of All Your Sins

~ Richard Rowley

Samuel, a Lamanite prophet, teaches that true belief in Jesus Christ leads one to change his or her life comprehensively. All sins are unacceptable for the person who does not take for granted the escape Christ has prepared. Those who truly believe in the power of Christ’s Atonement do not take the opportunity to repent lightly.

“…Whosoever shall believe on the Son of God, the same shall have everlasting life…And if ye believe on his name ye will repent of all your sins, that thereby ye may have a remission of them through his merits.” (Helaman 14:8,13)

Questions:

-How does James 2:17 relate to the above verses?

Blessed Are They Who Will Repent and Turn unto Me

~ Richard Rowley

Repentance, through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, makes or breaks the soul of one who understands who Christ is and what He has done to prepare the way for each individual person spiritually and eternally.

“…Thus saith the Lord, blessed are they who will repent and turn unto me, but wo unto him that repenteth not.” (Helaman 13:11)  

Questions:

-Will everyone who ever lived have a chance to receive or reject Christ’s Atonement before the Last Judgment?

Great Power and Authority to Preach Only Comes if Given by God

~ Richard Rowley

The brother missionaries, Nephi and Lehi, had miraculous results when preaching the word of God because they had authority from God to preach and then spoke the words that God gave them through the Holy Spirit.

…They did preach with great power, insomuch that they did confound many…dissenters…insomuch that [the dissenters] came forth and did confess their sins and were baptized unto repentance…And…Nephi and Lehi did preach…with such great power and authority, for they had power and authority given unto them that they might speak, and they also had what they should speak given unto them. (Helaman 5:17-18)

Questions:

-Who has a line of priesthood authority to preach that goes directly back to Jesus Christ?

-How does one rely on the Holy Spirit so that the words spoken, when preaching, are given by God?

The Lord is Merciful unto All Who Will, in the Sincerity of Their Hearts, Call upon His Holy Name

~ Richard Rowley

The historian-prophet, Mormon, teaches of the Lord’s readiness to eternally bless all who will believe in Him and lay hold of His word.

“…The Lord is merciful unto all who will, in the sincerity of their hearts, call upon his holy name. Yea, thus we may see that the gate of heaven is open unto all, even to those who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God. Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and snares and wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked—And land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out.” (Helaman 3:28-30)

Questions:

– How valuable is the strait and narrow course mapped out in God’s scriptures?

-Have the majority of Americans rebelled against this narrow course? Or, do most still have a strong connection with it?

-Is it possible to sincerely call upon the name of Lord without also laying hold upon His word?