Ye are Laying the Foundation of a Great Work

This is an answer to a question I had as I read 3 Nephi 21:22-29. I marveled as I read the passage about the “great work” which the Father would commence after the building of the New Jerusalem. I wondered, “how can that be, I thought we were gathering the world now?” But the passage is very clear and leaves little room for re-interpretation as “imagery.”

The great work the Father will do, to gather scattered Israel in, commences after New Jerusalem is built. We Gentiles have a role to assist in that work in assisting in the building of the city, but the Nephite’s descendants will be major players in that work.

So, to restate, I wondered, “what are we doing now then?” Then Spirit whispered to me in response, a passage from D&C 64:33. The verse reads, “Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.” There’s more on this in the surrounding scriptures, but the context is clear. Out part of the Father’s great work in gathering in scattered Israel is we’re laying the foundation upon which that work will take place.

My prayers have always been that, “rather than be the mighty tree on the top of the hill, Lord I’m content to be the best bush I can be on the side of it.” Well, the foundation of a building is pretty important. I'm grateful for the opportunity to contribute.

3 Nephi 10 - The Voice from Heaven pt. 2

In the previous post, I comment on the first time the Savior speaks to the survivors. He spoke to them one more time in this chapter. These are my observations on that.

1. Did you ever wonder how He spoke to them all? Was it a voice in their heads which everyone heard or was it an audible voice like a cosmic PA system? I don't know. In the grand scheme of things, it's not important, but it does show that if God thought it necessary to speak to all the inhabitants of the Earth at one time, He could. Instead, He gives us that opportunity to speak one on one to our family and friends.

2.  Three times, the Savior makes the lament, "how many times have I gathered you..." Each is different. The first time He says, "how many times have I gathered you..." talking about how he has done so many times. The second, He says, "how many times would I have gathered you..." observing He would have done it even more... if the people would have answered. And then for our benefit he says at last, "how many times will I gather you..." He leaves us with a binary promise... if we allow Him to gather us, He will and will safely guide and protect us, but if we don't then our houses will be left desolate.

3.  The last thing I thought interesting is the timing of events as listed in the narrative. If you go back to Chapter eight verse five, you read the destruction occurs in the first month, fourth day of the thirty fourth year. Since the Savior was crucified at the Passover and best astronomical data places that on April 6* 34AD, then the Nephite New Year Day was actually about March 8. Then in the end of chapter 10, we read that it wasn't until the end of the 34th year when He actually appeared to the Nephites. Mormon does observe He didn't come until after His ascension into heaven. It implies He spent quite more than just forty days with the Apostolic fathers. Keep in mind, the expression "forty days" is an idiom meaning a long time, it doesn't mean forty calendar days.

Then in an expression you don't see much in the Book of Mormon, Mormon ends the narrative with the promise to resume it. For us as readers of the text, we just go to the next chapter, but Mormon probably didn't come back to writing it for some time. Why, no one knows, but it's a fingerprint on the text showing, this was not written in one setting. It was likely the work of years, decades even on Mormon's part.

Up next, THE most important section of the Book of Mormon, Christ's appearance to the Nephites.