S2 E40 (Oct 19-25) “There Could Not Be a Happier People”
What's in a name? Apparently a lot! Then we explore the church culture X-files around the three disciples! And can you believe the people of Christ were happy for a record breaking ~200 years? What happened to break that streak? All that and more in this week's episode.
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The Church of Jesus Christ is called in His name.
As the Savior’s disciples began establishing His Church throughout the land, a question arose that, to some, might seem like a minor point—what should be the name of the Church? (see 3 Nephi 27:1–3).
1 And it came to pass that as the disciples of Jesus were journeying and were preaching the things which they had both heard and seen, and were baptizing in the name of Jesus, it came to pass that the disciples were gathered together and were aunited in bmighty prayer and cfasting.
2 And Jesus again ashowed himself unto them, for they were praying unto the Father in his name; and Jesus came and stood in the midst of them, and said unto them: What will ye that I shall give unto you?
3 And they said unto him: Lord, we will that thou wouldst tell us the aname whereby we shall call this church; for there are disputations among the people concerning this matter.
Nelson: As you would expect, responses to this statement and to the revised style guide3 have been mixed. Many members immediately corrected the name of the Church on their blogs and social media pages. Others wondered why, with all that’s going on in the world, it was necessary to emphasize something so “inconsequential.” And some said it couldn’t be done, so why even try?
What do you learn about the importance of this name from the Savior’s answer in 3 Nephi 27:4–12?
5 Have they not read the scriptures, which say ye must take upon you the aname of Christ, which is my name? For by this name shall ye be called at the last day;
8 And how be it amy bchurch save it be called in my name? For if a church be called in Moses’ name then it be Moses’ church; or if it be called in the name of a man then it be the church of a man; but if it be called in my name then it is my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel.
9 Verily I say unto you, that ye are built upon my gospel; therefore ye shall call whatsoever things ye do call, in my name; therefore if ye call upon the Father, for the church, if it be in my name the Father will hear you;
Nelson:Taking the Savior’s name upon us includes declaring and witnessing to others—through our actions and our words—that Jesus is the Christ. If we as a people and as individuals are to have access to the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ—to cleanse and heal us, to strengthen and magnify us, and ultimately to exalt us—we must clearly acknowledge Him as the source of that power. We can begin by calling His Church by the name He decreed.
In 1838 the Lord revealed the name of His Church today (see Doctrine and Covenants 115:4).
4 For thus shall amy bchurch be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day cSaints.
Ponder each word in that name. How do these words help us know who we are, what we believe, and how we should act?
Ballard: Every word is clarifying and indispensable. The word The indicates the unique position of the restored Church among the religions of the world.
The words Church of Jesus Christ declare that it is His Church. In the Book of Mormon, Jesus taught: “And how be it my church save it be called in my name? For if a church be called in Moses’ name then it be Moses’ church; or if it be called in the name of a man [like Mormon] then it be the church of a man; but if it be called in my name then it is my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel” (3 Nephi 27:8).
Of Latter-day explains that it is the same Church as the Church that Jesus Christ established during His mortal ministry but restored in these latter days. We know there was a falling away, or an apostasy, necessitating the Restoration of His true and complete Church in our time.
Saints means that its members follow Him and strive to do His will, keep His commandments, and prepare once again to live with Him and our Heavenly Father in the future. Saint simply refers to those who seek to make their lives holy by covenanting to follow Christ.
'I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.' - Nelson Mandela
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As I purify my desires, I become a more faithful disciple.
What would you say if the Savior asked you, as He asked His disciples, “What is it that ye desire of me?” (3 Nephi 28:1). Think about this as you read about the experience of the Savior’s disciples in 3 Nephi 28:1–11.
2 And they all spake, save it were three, saying: We desire that after we have lived unto the age of man, that our ministry, wherein thou hast called us, may have an end, that we may speedily come unto thee in thy kingdom.
4 And when he had spoken unto them, he turned himself unto the three, and said unto them: What will ye that I should do unto you, when I am gone unto the Father?
5 And they sorrowed in their hearts, for they durst not speak unto him the thing which they desired.
6 And he said unto them: Behold, I aknow your thoughts, and ye have desired the thing which bJohn, my beloved, who was with me in my ministry, before that I was lifted up by the Jews, desired of me.
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THE THREE DISCIPLES
Translated Beings (guide to the scriptures)
Persons who are changed so that they do not experience pain or death until their resurrection to immortality.
What do we actually KNOW about the Three Nephites?
The three disciples were blessed to “never taste of death; but ye shall live to behold all 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. 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” (3 Nephi 28:7-8).
Mormon and his son Moroni said: “behold, my father and I have seen them, and they have ministered unto us” (Mormon 8:11).
So when Mormon says:
3 Nephi 28:18-23 “[T]hey did go forth upon the face of the land, and did minister unto all the people, uniting as many to the church as would believe in their preaching; baptizing them, and as many as were baptized did receive the Holy Ghost.
“And they were cast into prison by them who did not belong to the church. And the prisons could not hold them, for they were rent in twain. And they were cast down into the earth; but they did smite the earth with the word of God, insomuch that by his power they were delivered out of the depths of the earth; and therefore they could not dig pits sufficient to hold them. And thrice they were cast into a furnace and received no harm.
“And twice were they cast into a den of wild beasts; and behold they did play with the beasts as a child with a suckling lamb, and received no harm. And it came to pass that thus they did go forth among all the people of Nephi, and did preach the gospel of Christ unto all people upon the face of the land; and they were converted unto the Lord, and were united unto the church of Christ, and thus the people of that generation were blessed, according to the word of Jesus.”
FROM LDS LIVING
https://www.ldsliving.com/What-We-ve-Been-Getting-Wrong-About-the-3-Nephites/s/84318
Were the three Nephites really Nephites?
As I studied the verses in the Book of Mormon about the three disciples, I stumbled onto something intriguing. In the next four references, count how many times the three disciples are referred to as Nephites:
“Therefore the true believers in Christ and the true worshipers of Christ, among whom were the three disciples of Jesus who should tarry” (4 Nephi 1:37, emphasis added).
“But wickedness did prevail upon the face of the whole land, insomuch that the Lord did take away his beloved disciples, and the work of miracles and of healing did cease because of the iniquity of the people” (Mormon 1:13, emphasis added).
“And there are none that do know the true God save it be the disciples of Jesus, who did tarry in the land until the wickedness of the people was so great that the Lord would not suffer them to remain with the people; and whether they be upon the face of the land no man knoweth” (Mormon 8:12, emphasis added).
Finally, in Ether 12:17 we read, “it was by faith that the three disciples obtained a promise that they should not taste of death; and they obtained not the promise until after their faith” (emphasis added).
How many times did the Book of Mormon refer to the three disciples as Nephites? The answer: zero. In fact, the three disciples are never referred to as Nephites anywhere in the Book of Mormon.
So what does any of this have to do with the three disciples?
The stories of the “The Three Nephites” and “Captain Moroni” are repeated so many times from our youth that we overlook the fact that these titles are not actually recorded in the Book of Mormon.
In 3 Nephi 6:14 we learn about the demographics of the Church a mere three years before Christ’s appearance in the Americas: “And thus there became a great inequality in all the land, insomuch that the church began to be broken up; yea, insomuch that in the thirtieth year the church was broken up in all the land save it were among a few of the Lamanites who were converted unto the true faith; and they would not depart from it, for they were firm, and steadfast, and immovable, willing with all diligence to keep the commandments of the Lord” (emphasis added).
Shortly before the Savior’s appearance, the prophet Nephi performs incredible miracles, including raising his brother from the dead, leading to the conversion of “many” in the land (3 Nephi 7:26). The “firm, and steadfast, and immovable” Lamanites would have served as the backbone of the church, nurturing these new converts. Christ likely chose His 12 disciples from among both Lamanites and Nephites.
Does this knowledge change anything?
The three disciples actual lineage may not be as important as recognizing how our implicit attitudes or biases influence the way we see others and even how we read scripture.
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Conversion to Jesus Christ and His gospel leads to unity and happiness.
Can you imagine what it would have been like to live in the years following the Savior’s visit? How did the people maintain this divine peace for so long—nearly 200 years? As you study 4 Nephi 1:1–18, consider marking or noting the choices that people made in order to experience this blessed life.
1 And it came to pass that the thirty and fourth year passed away, and also the thirty and fifth, and behold the disciples of Jesus had formed a church of Christ in all the lands round about. And as many as did come unto them, and did truly repent of their sins, were abaptized in the name of Jesus; and they did also receive the Holy Ghost.
2 And it came to pass in the thirty and sixth year, the people were all converted unto the Lord, upon all the face of the land, both Nephites and Lamanites, and there were no contentions and disputations among them, and every man did deal justly one with another.
3 And they had aall things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly bgift.
4 And it came to pass that the thirty and seventh year passed away also, and there still continued to be apeace in the land.
5 And there were great and marvelous works wrought by the disciples of Jesus, insomuch that they did aheal the sick, and braise the dead, and cause the lame to walk, and the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear; and all manner of cmiracles did they work among the children of men; and in nothing did they work miracles save it were in the name of Jesus.
6 And thus did the thirty and eighth year pass away, and also the thirty and ninth, and forty and first, and the forty and second, yea, even until forty and nine years had passed away, and also the fifty and first, and the fifty and second; yea, and even until fifty and nine years had passed away.
7 And the Lord did prosper them exceedingly in the land;
12 And they did not walk any more after the aperformances and bordinances of the claw of Moses; but they did walk after the commandments which they had received from their Lord and their God, continuing in dfasting and prayer, and in meeting together oft both to pray and to hear the word of the Lord.
13 And it came to pass that there was no contention among all the people, in all the land; but there were mighty miracles wrought among the disciples of Jesus.
14 And it came to pass that the seventy and first year passed away, and also the seventy and second year, yea, and in fine, till the seventy and ninth year had passed away; yea, even an hundred years had passed away, and the adisciples of Jesus, whom he had chosen, had all gone to the bparadise of God, save it were the cthree who should tarry; and there were other ddisciples eordained in their stead; and also many of that fgeneration had passed away.
15 And it came to pass that there was no acontention in the land, because of the blove of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.
16 And there were no aenvyings, nor bstrifes, nor ctumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of dlasciviousness; and surely there could not be a ehappier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.
17 There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in aone, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God.
18 And how blessed were they! For the Lord did bless them in all their doings; yea, even they were blessed and prospered until an hundred and ten years had passed away; and the first generation from Christ had passed away, and there was no contention in all the land.
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