3 Nephi 19:13-23
19:13-18 - I tried to focus more today on praying for a living for the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, and like I’ve noticed before, because I put that extra effort into praying for the Spirit, I was that much more aware of what I was doing and how I was acting and thinking so that I could try and keep him. I also was trying to be more patient with my kids so that I could be inspired by the Holy Ghost to know what they needed and how I could be a good mother to them. I was able to look at my situations and actions in a different light, seeing both my faults and my strengths. I guess I could say that ultimately I’ve felt really empowered today, spiritually strong and when I had a conversation with someone I know who’s familiar with the gospel, I was able to quickly and accurately identify eternal truths and Satan’s lies, and I tried to talk about them in ways that could be understood but I also prayed for the Holy Ghost to guide that conversation and I feel like he did. All in all, it was a good day. After the Nephite apostles were rebaptized “and had come up out of the water, the Holy Ghost did fall upon them, and they were filled with the Holy Ghost and with fire.” We come back to the “fire” term used when speaking of the Holy Ghost, that burning within your soul that testifies of truth, and that purifying and sanctifying fire that cleanses the heart. And “they were encircled about as if it were by fire; and it came down from heaven, and the multitude did witness it, and did bear record; and angels did come down out of heaven and did minister unto them. And it came to pass that while the angels were ministering unto the disciples, behold, Jesus came and stood in the midst and ministered unto them.” It would seem that the angels and Jesus himself initially began only teaching the Disciples this day, but eventually, Jesus had everyone kneel down and pray “and behold, they began to pray; and they did pray unto Jesus, calling him their lord and their God.” It’s interesting that they pray to Jesus, when Jesus has spent much of his time teaching the people to pray to the Father in his name. I didn’t notice this, but the IM commented by quoting Elder Bruce R. McConkie as teaching, “there was a special reason why this was done in this instance and on a onetime basis. Jesus had already taught them to pray in his name to the Father, which they first did… Jesus was present before them as the symbol of the Father. Seeing him, it was as though they saw the Father; praying to him, it was as though they prayed to the Father. It was a special and unique situation.” The IM continues “It should also be noted that the Savior specifically stated that the people were praying to Him on this occasion ‘they did not multiply many words, for it was given unto them what they should pray.” So a little technicality there that is interesting but I still don’t really understand too much of it.
19:19-21 - Jesus now steps away from the multitude “and bowed himself to the earth, and he said: Father, I thank thee that thou hast given the Holy Ghost unto these whom I have chosen; and it is because of their belief in me that I have chosen them out of the world.” So we see here that the Holy Ghost has, so far, only been given to the twelve apostles, but Jesus continues, “Father, I pray thee that thou wilt give the Holy Ghost unto all them that shall believe in their words.” Interestingly, in an October 2010 general conference address entitled “The Holy Ghost and Revelation,” Elder Jay E. Jensen taught “Based on this Book of Mormon event, I understand better why President Wilford Woodruff said that ‘the gift of the Holy Ghost is the greatest gift that can be bestowed upon man… (It) is not restricted to men, nor to apostles or prophets; it belongs to every faithful man and woman, and to every child who is old enough to receive the gospel of Christ.’” I love that, it belongs to everyone, no one is preferred over anyone else, it’s open to anyone who is willing to do the work to qualify themselves. The IM comments on Jesus’s thankful attitude of his prayer by teaching, “The scriptures give many examples of the Savior expressing thanks to His Father. Upon returning to visit the Nephites a second time, Jesus began His first and second prayers recorded in scripture by thanking His Father. Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles emphasized this principle: ‘Prayer is an essential part of conveying appreciation to our Heavenly Father. He awaits our expressions of gratefulness each morning and night in sincere, simple prayer from our hearts for our many blessings, gifts, and talents. Through expression of prayerful gratitude and thanksgiving, we show our dependence upon a higher source of wisdom and knowledge- God the Father and his Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.’” I like that we show our dependence through grateful prayer, we know that recognizing our dependence on God is a part of humility, so we can remain humble by having prayers full of thanksgiving to the Lord. I read an article once, I think it was an Ensign article, and I have no idea where it is now, but it was about a general authority who had just found out that a good friend of his had died unexpectedly and they were sad for the family and were desirous to supplicate the Lord on their behalf, but they just so happened that they were visited by like the Prophet or something. The prophet asked the general authority to open with a prayer but instead of asking for anything, to only offer thanks. The general authority was perplexed because he wanted to pour his heart out for his friend but he also wanted to follow the counsel of the prophet, so he offered a prayer of only thanks and because of what had just happened to his friend, it turned out that the prayer was incredibly powerful and it was a spiritually strengthening experience for him.
19:22-23 - Jesus continues his prayer by citing to the Father that the Nephites believe in him because “thou seest that they believe in me because thou hearest them.. And now Father, I pray unto thee for them, and also all those who shall believe on their words, that they may believe in me, and I may be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one.” This comes to the concept of unity, which is really kind of a perplexing to me because I don’t know if I fully comprehend the idea of unity as a church. What is an unified church? The IM taught, “Jesus prayed to Heavenly Father for unity among His followers and also for unity among the people His followers taught. Christ also taught the principle of unity in the Doctrine and Covenants: ‘I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine.’ Elder Jeffrey R. Holland compared Jesus Christ’s prayer for unity in 3 Nephi 19:20-23 with John 17:11,20-23: ‘From the Savior’s language, we see clearly it is the Holy Ghost that provides such unity, a doctrinal power not so clearly communicated in the New Testament account. Furthermore, it is significant that one of the ultimate evidences God has of our belief in Deity is that we are seen and heard praying. Christ noted this evidence on behalf of the Nephites. To the Father he said, ‘Thou seest that they believe in me because thou hearest them…’ It is the key to the miraculous manifestations of heaven and the personal companionship of the Holy Comforter(s).’” The Holy Ghost as unifier? How so? Let’s look at the attributes that are the opposite of unified? Divided, on doctrine, lots of doctrinal disputations among the Nephites, and among ourselves. Divided on jobs, fulfillment of callings, sustaining those who are called not only with our hands in the air, but also by participating, preparing, for their lessons. Divided by social class, I remember I was in a ward in Hawaii, half was military and the other half were the locals, mostly Samoans. The military families sat in the front and the Samoan families sat in the back, they didn’t really interact with each other, there were sneers towards each other and there was definitely an attitude of contempt for each other, each group feeling that the other group didn’t belong there, it was an uncomfortable feeling and drove many away, I’m sure. And then there was me, the only white person sitting in the back with all the Samoans and we were friends, they made me lava lavas, they invited me to their parties and to their hula classes, I was family with them. And on the other hand, I was family with the military families as well because we had that in common, I was friends with lots of the people, and it’s not because I’m super fantastic or anything like that but simply because I regarded everyone as children of God all trying to do their best to be happy and return to him. I read an Ensign article yesterday called “Sisters in the Covenant” which tells the experience of an American woman living in Paris, France. She said that “conducting Relief Society was a lovely woman from Eastern Europe. Some sisters from West Africa graciously lent me their hymnbook. An Asian woman who had painstakingly translated her lesson into French led one of the most heartfelt lessons I had ever heard. Although I was a young American living 5,000 miles from my hometown, I felt at home among the good women of the Church. We came from France, Cambodia, Ivory Coast, Ukraine, and the United States- but differences in age and culture didn’t matter. A spirit of sisterhood united us.” This article gives many examples of women who are able to look past age, ethnicity, social class, material possessions, and become true sister in Christ. God’s mission is to “bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man,” and that’s not just for one individual man, that’s for every single person ever. If we are able to unite ourselves with that purpose, then we will be one with God and one with each other, because we will only desire that which is truly for the eternal benefit of others. The IM quotes Elder D. Todd Christofferson as teaching, “Jesus achieved perfect unity with the Father by submitting Himself, both flesh and spirit, to the will of the Father. The Savior’s ministry was always clearly focused because there was no debilitating or distracting double-mindedness in Him. Referring to His Father, Jesus said, ‘I do always those things that please him…’ Surely we will not be one with God and Christ until we make their will and interest our greatest desire. Such submissiveness is not reached in a day, but through the Holy Spirit, the Lord will tutor us if we are willing until, in process of time, it may accurately be said that He is in us as the Father is in Him. At times I tremble to consider what may be required, but I know that it is only in this perfect union that a fullness of joy can be found.” It’s so validating to hear that even one of the twelve apostles of the Lord “Tremble to consider what may be required” to be submissive to the will of the Lord, I also tremble to consider what may be required, and I think that that is one of the reasons why I fight it so much because it’s terrifying. But then again, what can I be required to do that is terrifying? Die? Maybe, but I do believe that the afterlife is going to be amazing and the actual physical act of dying will be glorious, as far as the prophets have taught. So that’s not so bad, what else is there? Give up the destructive things that plague me and hold me back, but that I cling to because it’s the only way that I know? Ding ding ding!!! That’s where it is, that’s what is so terrifying to me, that I’ll have to give up what I know for something that I don’t, but to overcome that I have to look back over my history, and ask myself, “has Jesus ever asked me to change something and then when I did, I was unhappy with the change after ward?” No, never, I’m always a hundred times happier when I’m obedient than when I’m not, I guess I’m just going to have to work on it more, to get closer to my goal of total compliance.
19:19-21 - Jesus now steps away from the multitude “and bowed himself to the earth, and he said: Father, I thank thee that thou hast given the Holy Ghost unto these whom I have chosen; and it is because of their belief in me that I have chosen them out of the world.” So we see here that the Holy Ghost has, so far, only been given to the twelve apostles, but Jesus continues, “Father, I pray thee that thou wilt give the Holy Ghost unto all them that shall believe in their words.” Interestingly, in an October 2010 general conference address entitled “The Holy Ghost and Revelation,” Elder Jay E. Jensen taught “Based on this Book of Mormon event, I understand better why President Wilford Woodruff said that ‘the gift of the Holy Ghost is the greatest gift that can be bestowed upon man… (It) is not restricted to men, nor to apostles or prophets; it belongs to every faithful man and woman, and to every child who is old enough to receive the gospel of Christ.’” I love that, it belongs to everyone, no one is preferred over anyone else, it’s open to anyone who is willing to do the work to qualify themselves. The IM comments on Jesus’s thankful attitude of his prayer by teaching, “The scriptures give many examples of the Savior expressing thanks to His Father. Upon returning to visit the Nephites a second time, Jesus began His first and second prayers recorded in scripture by thanking His Father. Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles emphasized this principle: ‘Prayer is an essential part of conveying appreciation to our Heavenly Father. He awaits our expressions of gratefulness each morning and night in sincere, simple prayer from our hearts for our many blessings, gifts, and talents. Through expression of prayerful gratitude and thanksgiving, we show our dependence upon a higher source of wisdom and knowledge- God the Father and his Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.’” I like that we show our dependence through grateful prayer, we know that recognizing our dependence on God is a part of humility, so we can remain humble by having prayers full of thanksgiving to the Lord. I read an article once, I think it was an Ensign article, and I have no idea where it is now, but it was about a general authority who had just found out that a good friend of his had died unexpectedly and they were sad for the family and were desirous to supplicate the Lord on their behalf, but they just so happened that they were visited by like the Prophet or something. The prophet asked the general authority to open with a prayer but instead of asking for anything, to only offer thanks. The general authority was perplexed because he wanted to pour his heart out for his friend but he also wanted to follow the counsel of the prophet, so he offered a prayer of only thanks and because of what had just happened to his friend, it turned out that the prayer was incredibly powerful and it was a spiritually strengthening experience for him.
19:22-23 - Jesus continues his prayer by citing to the Father that the Nephites believe in him because “thou seest that they believe in me because thou hearest them.. And now Father, I pray unto thee for them, and also all those who shall believe on their words, that they may believe in me, and I may be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one.” This comes to the concept of unity, which is really kind of a perplexing to me because I don’t know if I fully comprehend the idea of unity as a church. What is an unified church? The IM taught, “Jesus prayed to Heavenly Father for unity among His followers and also for unity among the people His followers taught. Christ also taught the principle of unity in the Doctrine and Covenants: ‘I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine.’ Elder Jeffrey R. Holland compared Jesus Christ’s prayer for unity in 3 Nephi 19:20-23 with John 17:11,20-23: ‘From the Savior’s language, we see clearly it is the Holy Ghost that provides such unity, a doctrinal power not so clearly communicated in the New Testament account. Furthermore, it is significant that one of the ultimate evidences God has of our belief in Deity is that we are seen and heard praying. Christ noted this evidence on behalf of the Nephites. To the Father he said, ‘Thou seest that they believe in me because thou hearest them…’ It is the key to the miraculous manifestations of heaven and the personal companionship of the Holy Comforter(s).’” The Holy Ghost as unifier? How so? Let’s look at the attributes that are the opposite of unified? Divided, on doctrine, lots of doctrinal disputations among the Nephites, and among ourselves. Divided on jobs, fulfillment of callings, sustaining those who are called not only with our hands in the air, but also by participating, preparing, for their lessons. Divided by social class, I remember I was in a ward in Hawaii, half was military and the other half were the locals, mostly Samoans. The military families sat in the front and the Samoan families sat in the back, they didn’t really interact with each other, there were sneers towards each other and there was definitely an attitude of contempt for each other, each group feeling that the other group didn’t belong there, it was an uncomfortable feeling and drove many away, I’m sure. And then there was me, the only white person sitting in the back with all the Samoans and we were friends, they made me lava lavas, they invited me to their parties and to their hula classes, I was family with them. And on the other hand, I was family with the military families as well because we had that in common, I was friends with lots of the people, and it’s not because I’m super fantastic or anything like that but simply because I regarded everyone as children of God all trying to do their best to be happy and return to him. I read an Ensign article yesterday called “Sisters in the Covenant” which tells the experience of an American woman living in Paris, France. She said that “conducting Relief Society was a lovely woman from Eastern Europe. Some sisters from West Africa graciously lent me their hymnbook. An Asian woman who had painstakingly translated her lesson into French led one of the most heartfelt lessons I had ever heard. Although I was a young American living 5,000 miles from my hometown, I felt at home among the good women of the Church. We came from France, Cambodia, Ivory Coast, Ukraine, and the United States- but differences in age and culture didn’t matter. A spirit of sisterhood united us.” This article gives many examples of women who are able to look past age, ethnicity, social class, material possessions, and become true sister in Christ. God’s mission is to “bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man,” and that’s not just for one individual man, that’s for every single person ever. If we are able to unite ourselves with that purpose, then we will be one with God and one with each other, because we will only desire that which is truly for the eternal benefit of others. The IM quotes Elder D. Todd Christofferson as teaching, “Jesus achieved perfect unity with the Father by submitting Himself, both flesh and spirit, to the will of the Father. The Savior’s ministry was always clearly focused because there was no debilitating or distracting double-mindedness in Him. Referring to His Father, Jesus said, ‘I do always those things that please him…’ Surely we will not be one with God and Christ until we make their will and interest our greatest desire. Such submissiveness is not reached in a day, but through the Holy Spirit, the Lord will tutor us if we are willing until, in process of time, it may accurately be said that He is in us as the Father is in Him. At times I tremble to consider what may be required, but I know that it is only in this perfect union that a fullness of joy can be found.” It’s so validating to hear that even one of the twelve apostles of the Lord “Tremble to consider what may be required” to be submissive to the will of the Lord, I also tremble to consider what may be required, and I think that that is one of the reasons why I fight it so much because it’s terrifying. But then again, what can I be required to do that is terrifying? Die? Maybe, but I do believe that the afterlife is going to be amazing and the actual physical act of dying will be glorious, as far as the prophets have taught. So that’s not so bad, what else is there? Give up the destructive things that plague me and hold me back, but that I cling to because it’s the only way that I know? Ding ding ding!!! That’s where it is, that’s what is so terrifying to me, that I’ll have to give up what I know for something that I don’t, but to overcome that I have to look back over my history, and ask myself, “has Jesus ever asked me to change something and then when I did, I was unhappy with the change after ward?” No, never, I’m always a hundred times happier when I’m obedient than when I’m not, I guess I’m just going to have to work on it more, to get closer to my goal of total compliance.
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