In a previous post, I mentioned three interesting events
from the Savior’s visit to the Nephites in America. In this post, I’ll mention
three more events from the Savior’s visit.
There are many wonderful things that occurred during Jesus’
visit to America. But you will notice that there is one thing that is noticeably
missing from Jesus’ visit; something that was present in His ministry at
Jerusalem.
There are no parables. In His visit to the Nephites, Jesus
did not give a single parable. This is because He had no reason to hide His
doctrines or conceal His concepts from the Nephites. They were in such a
righteous state that parables were unnecessary.
This is an interesting point to ponder. But it is just as
instructive to consider what Jesus did
do when He was here. What doctrines did He teach? What principles did He repeatedly emphasize? What ordinances
and works did He perform?
- Jesus gave the people the sacrament multiple times.
- Jesus spoke harsh words against sin.
- Jesus quoted extensively from the scriptures.
- Jesus repeatedly told the people not to dispute.
- Jesus focused on teaching and blessing the children of the Nephites.
- Jesus prayed many, many times in many different ways.
I will discuss the first three items in this post. I will
discuss the last three items in a later post.
The Sacrament
When Jesus first appeared to the Nephites, the people fell
at His feet. Later on, after Jesus had let the people feel the nail prints in
his hands and feet, the people fell at His feet for a second time. “The first
time, they may have fallen to the ground for any number of reasons: fear, awe,
peer pressure. But the second time they fell to worship Him. Why the different
reaction? … Let me suggest a possible answer. Although they had been obedient,
perhaps they had not yet come to know Him as
their Savior because they had not yet
felt the need to be saved. They had led lives filled with good works. They
knew Jesus as God and as Exemplar. But maybe they didn’t yet know Him as Savior…”
“What had turned them from good, obedient people to good,
obedient people who now knew Jesus Christ as Savior? What had caused them to
fall down at His feet to worship Him? It
was physical contact with the emblems of His suffering.” (Thomas B.Griffith)
What turns us from good, obedient people to good, obedient
people who come to know Jesus Christ as Savior? It is physical contact with the
emblems of His suffering, the sacrament.
When Jesus instituted the sacrament among the Nephites, He
forbade those who were not worthy from partaking. It is interesting to think
that sacred things, much like knowledge, have different effects on us,
depending on our spiritual standing. To the righteous, the sacrament is a great
blessing. But to those in need of strong improvement and repentance, the
sacrament is detrimental and forbidden.
Harsh Words
Some might find this restriction a bit harsh. During His
visit, Jesus even mentioned that the strictness of gospel standards had caused disputations
among the people.
But, truth be told, there were a number of times in Jesus’
ministry where He had some very harsh and condemning words to say. For example,
He said of those who will not repent: “I will execute vengeance and fury upon
them, even as upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.” And He warned, “Whoso
believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned.” Of His own people,
He said: “I have caused my people... to be smitten, and to be afflicted, and to
be slain, and to be cast out.”
Our God is not a Grandfather in Heaven who spoils and coddles
us, thus stunting our growth. His love is not completely unrestrained, without
any principles or guidelines governing it. It is a principled, fair love
governed by divine law.
Unconditional love is not the same as unprincipled love. The
Lord knows that if a person or people are depraved and wicked enough, and are
harmful to themselves and others, there must be strong consequences. Jesus rained
down hailstorms of rebukes against the Pharisees and Sadducees, for to fail to
do so would have been unprincipled and wrong.
When the Nephites in Mormon’s day reached a certain level of
wickedness, he was forced to stop supporting them and being their commander. In
his own words, “because of their wickedness and abomination”, “I, Mormon, did
utterly refuse… to be a commander and a leader of this people... Behold, I had
led them, notwithstanding their wickedness…, and had loved them, according
to the love of God; … [but] when they had sworn by all that had been
forbidden them by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that they would go up unto
their enemies to battle, and avenge themselves of the blood of their brethren,
behold” ‘I was compelled, so that I utterly refused to lead them anymore; and
this, according as the Lord had commanded me.’
Because Mormon loved his people “according to the love of God”, his love for the people had to have
restrictions and guidelines. His love could not extend beyond the justice of
God’s laws. He had led and supported his people many times, notwithstanding
their wickedness. But as soon as their wickedness crossed certain
eternally-defined boundaries, he could no longer morally and in good conscience
lead or support them. He did not love his people so completely and blindly that
he ignored right and wrong, and the evils they were committing. Our love for
others cannot disregard all principle. This is part of what it means to love “according to the love of God”.
The Scriptures
One of the things Jesus did repeatedly and often in his
American ministry was to quote extensively
from the scriptures. Of the 15 chapters chronicling His glorious ministry, six
are 100% quotations of other scriptures, and the other doctrinal chapters are entirely
based upon dozens of scriptural references. In other words, Jesus quoted
scripture all of the time. Scriptures
are the majority of what He spoke. He did not feel the need to introduce chapter
upon chapter of new scripture. He simply built upon the scriptures that were
already among the people. This is how we learn to hear and recognize the voice
of the Good Shepherd, by reading and studying the scriptures.
And not only did Jesus quote scripture, but He had to stop
halfway through and direct the people to go home and pray and ponder about the scriptures
He had already quoted. Have we familiarized ourselves enough with the scriptures
that we wouldn’t need a break to ponder what we already have access to?
If we desire a personal ministry from the Savior, a ministry
of healing and peace, we need but study the holy scriptures that are currently
before us. His message to us right now
is almost certainly contained in the word of God. This is because the
scriptures are the words of Jesus, as
recorded by the people He spoke to. The words are so pure and unfiltered that
it is just as if Jesus was speaking.
The scriptures are Jesus’ message to you right now. They are
your own personal visit from the Savior, just as if He appeared to you like He
appeared to the Nephites.
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