33t - The Resurrected Jesus Christ's Ministry in Ancient America

To Access This Blog's Index, Please Scroll Down To the Fifth Paragraph From the End of This Post!

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TODAY'S THEME

Jesus the Christ -by Del Parson

TODAY'S THEME

III Nephi 30: 1 HEARKEN, O ye Gentiles, and hear the words of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, which he hath commanded me that I should speak concerning you, for, behold he commandeth me that I should write, saying:

2 Turn, all ye Gentiles, from your wicked ways; and repent of your evil doings, of your lyings and deceivings, and of your whoredoms, and of your secret abominations, and your idolatries, and of your murders, and your priestcrafts, and your envyings, and your strifes, and from all your wickedness and abominations, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, that ye may receive a remission of your sins, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, that ye may be numbered with my people who are of the house of Israel. (emphasis added)

In that scripture, the Lord Jesus Christ, through His prophet Mormon, is speaking to the Gentiles who are those of us not directly descended from Israel (Jacob), son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham, to whom the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ was to be brought in the Latter-days (in our time).

In the case of the Gentiles who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we have already been baptized into His church and have been blessed with the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

We even have been numbered with His people who are of the house of Israel, in those cases where Patriarchal Blessings have been received under the hands of a stake patriarch of that church. In my patriarchal blessing it was declared that I belong to the tribe of Ephraim, one of the two sons of Joseph, Who Was Sold Into Egypt. (These two sons of Joseph were given the places of two other sons of Jacob (Israel).

Painting: Intellectual Reserve

An LDS Baptism

Painting: Intellectual Reserve

 III Nephi 29:1-9

Receiving The Gift of The Holy Ghost

Please listen to and read the scripture above.

After viewing this next photograph I'd like you to read verses eight and nine again, which you have just read and listened to. Those two verses are printed below this photo and right under the photo of composer, Felix Mendelsohn.

Photo: From the Holocaust Section of the Dachau Museum Nazi Soldiers Laughing at a Jewish Detainee at the Dachau Concentration Camp

I visited that camp in the summer of 1955 on my way home from my LDS mission to Finland. The Dachau Museum was opened May 9, 1965. (I can't even begin to imagine the grief of that Jewish man pictured above who had probably lost many loved ones to the Dachau gas chambers and death furnaces. I'm sure our Savior grieved over his loved ones and over him also.)

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

III Nephi 29: 8 Yea, and ye need not any longer hiss, nor spurn, nor make game of the Jews, nor any of the remnant of the house of Israel; for behold, the Lord remembereth his covenant unto them, and he will do unto them according to that which he hath sworn.

9 Therefore ye need not suppose that ye can turn the right hand of the Lord unto the left, that he may not execute judgment unto the fulfilling of the covenant which he hath made unto the house of Israel.

For about one season I happened to be the first clarinetist in the Draper Symphony Orchestra in Draper, Utah (U.S.A.). I also happened to be the only clarinetist. I was not very accomplished at that instrument as I had played trumpet and baritone horn in our high school band and some during my Junior College year in my youth. During those months in Draper I learned to greatly appreciate Felix Mendelssohn's music.

About a week or two ago I was listening to my favorite FM radio station which is based on the campus of the Brigham Young University, in Provo, Utah. In celebration of the great composer, Felix Mendelssohn's 200th birthday, they were playing selections from his famous compositions, all week, including entire symphonies. I only had time for several numbers. I sat spell-bound listening to the majestic and inspirational tones of a famous orchestra and piano soloists as they performed some of his magnificent compositions.

During that FM radio broadcast, the announcer informed us that sometime during the time of the Nazi rule in Germany, I'm guessing that it was in the late 1930s or early 1940s, a group of musicians in Germany gathered together 270 Mendelssohn original compositions, bundled them up and sent them to different parts of the world to protect them from being destroyed by the Nazis.

The radio anouncer told us that the Nazis emphasized the music of native German composers and strongly denounced the music of Jewish composers, even though their music might have been acclaimed world-wide as great. Can you imagine that?

Now back to our scripture for this day: In verse eight of chapter 29 of III Nephi, our Savior's Nephite prophet, Mormon tells the world in our day:

Yea, and ye need not any longer hiss, nor spurn, nor make game of the Jews, nor any of the remnant of the house of Israel;

By the Hand of the Lord, great nations of the World, notably, Great Britain, were able to help the Jewish people who were returning to Palestine for the first time in centuries of absence, to form the nation of Israel in 1948. As Mormon reminds us, they are a remnant of Israel and the Lord remembers His covenant with them.

The Lord also remembers His people who are descendants of Father Lehi, including those Nephites that our Savior was teaching who believed in Him so much that they were to remain faithful as a nation to Him and His Gospel for about 200 years. He remembers their descendants now even though they had drifted into complete and awful apostacy from His Gospel.

Latter-day prophets have said that the way those Nephites lived for all those years was similar to the way life will be lived during the Millenium. However, those Nephites lived that way without the changes in nature and in their bodies that are to take place, according to the scriptures, during that happy one thousand year period of time. In a following post I will discuss that time of Nephite righteousness and the sure indications after about three generations, that that time was coming to an end.

I was blessed to be employed full-time assisting American Indians (who haveLamanite-Nephite blood in them) by my being involved in two LDS Church programs developed for them: The LDS Indian Seminary program and the LDS Indian Placement Service. I know first-hand that the Lord's Latter-day Church has made special efforts to help people who are of the blood of Israel and are in need of assistance.

I want to continue serving the Lord. This blog is part of that. I suggest that those of you who have not yet been baptized in the Lord's only authorized church and have therefore have not yet received the Gift of the Holy Ghost as the Lord in Today's Theme scripture tells you, that He wants you to do; that you consider taking steps to be taught by missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints about our Savior's Gospel and His only authorized church.

If you want to be taught by LDS missionaries and don't know how to contact them, you and I can do this: First, please e-mail me using my e-mail address found in the last section of this post, telling me that you are considering the possibility of being taught by LDS missionaries. Then, let me know where you live.
Don't send me your address, just the name of your city and the name of that part of your city in which you live, and the state, if you live in the USA, or in another country that has states or something similar, provide me the name country in which your city is located. I will protect your privacy (even from me).

Upon receiving that information from you, I will find the address and phone number of that LDS Mission Office which serves your area and send it to you by e-mail so that you can contact them if and when you decide to do so. The office staff rhere will be happy to have the missionaries serving in your area contact you. The missionaries are always happy to meet people who desire to be taught by them. They love serving the Lord Jesus Christ. They also dearly love the Book of Mormon. They use it much!

I will not let the mission office know your e-mail address. That will be kept strictly private by me. I know the Lord would hold me accountable if I were to break my word.

These missionaries are generally youthful. There are female missionary pairs and male missionary pairs and some older couples. They are unpaid volunteers who freely take two years, in the case of the males, and postpone other things they would ordinarily do, to serve the Lord, Jesus Christ. They are well trained and have learne to speak the language of the country in which they are serving.

In about three more days I'll be publishing another post. We'll hopefully be together again then, not seeing one another, but nonetheless, together.


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DISCLAIMER
This website is not owned by or affiliated with the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church.




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TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX, To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This Blog Post, (Or An Item Which Refers To Any Other Blog Post You May Desire To Access), After Reading All of This Paragraph Please Click on the Following: (The Resurrected) Jesus Christ's Ministry in Ancient America (A Twenty Post Series) - Post 33t. When You See the Picture of Our Savior Jesus Christ Sitting Next To a Little Boy, Please, Scroll Down In The Index To Your Target Item Or Use The Alphabetical Scrolling Device (When It Has Been Installed.)

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"Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon?" Legal /Statement. Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property and creative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be given in writing. © Est.2008 Neil Birch Legal /Statement.

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I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you will find very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

If you have any questions about what you have read or viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine, or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, please e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is: jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back to you just as soon as possible.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It's in Spanish: Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch

33s - The Resurrected Jesus Christ's Ministry in Ancient America. A Continuance!

To Access This Blog's Index, Please Scroll Down To the Fifth Paragraph From the End of This Post!

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TODAY'S THEME

Our Resurrected Savior Jesus Christ -by Harry Anderson

The following statement was made by our Resurrected Savior, Jesus Christ from the air before the Nephites had seen Him. He was introduced by Heavenly Father's voice! It occurred during the time of thick darkness they experienced not long after a great cataclysm had destroyed many Nephite cities, killing all of their inhabitants among whom were relatives and friends.

III Nephi 9: 18 I am the light and the life of the world. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.

19 And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings.

20 And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not.

21 Behold, I have come unto the world to bring redemption unto the world, to save the world from sin.

22 Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God. Behold, for such I have laid down my life, and have taken it up again; therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved. (emphasis added)

Those survivors heard His voice but had not yet seen Him. He was speaking to them out of the dense darkness surrounding them. They were hearing the Resurrected Savior's voice! Those Nephites must have been amazed to hear Him speak of the conversion of the Lamanites, which took place about four years earlier, revealing that they, the Lamanites He mentioned, had not realized that they had been baptized by fire and the Holy Ghost.

Those to whom He was speaking were the more righteous ones of that nation. Therefore they would have known about the Lamanite conversion incident which they heard Him mention.

That must have given them a sense of trust and love for for Him who was speaking to them. Surely it helped them realize that He knew them and had spared them from destruction the others had suffered because they, these Nephites who were listening to His voice, were more righteous than those who had been destroyed in the great cataclysm.

Earlier in that chapter He is quoted as detailing to them the cities which were destroyed by Him. Notice that He doesn't blame that destruction on a cataclysmic event of nature, He clearly, and unmistakeably takes responsibility for it. He names the cities, one by one, which were destroyed by Him and describes their wickedness. He also makes clear that they were destroyed because they cast out or killed His prophets and saints who lived among them.

As I wrote the above I was reminded of something written in the Today's Theme of my just previous post (33r). In it, our Savior indicates that He, Jesus Christ, is the judge of all mankind. We can imply from this that He can initiate and control the powers of nature to accomplish His divine judgements.

III Nephi 9: 11 And because they did cast them all out, that there were none righteous among them, I did send down fire and destroy them, that their wickedness and abominations might be hid from before my face, that the blood of the prophets and the saints whom I sent among them might not cry unto me from the ground against them.

We read in verse 14 that He invites these Nephite survivors to come unto Him so they will have eternal life. That verse is not included in this post's Today's Theme. In my opinion you might do well to read all of chapter 9 even if you have read it recently. Here it is for you to read and listen to again if you choose to do so.

III Nephi 9:1-22

Here is another scripture you may want review. It is from the Nephite record of the conversion of the Lamanites described by the voice of the Lord speaking from the sky out of the darkness: (Listening might be too awkward because these verses are near the end of the chapter.)

Helaman 5: 41-49

Again, we have been allowed to have a glimpse of our Savior's divine powers. He had very recently been resurrected from the dead, but was fully prepared for His ministry to the Nephites. Note how He knew exactly what had happened during the destruction of the more wicked part of their people. He also knew all about the conversion of the Lamanites about which you have just read.

He, Jesus Christ, just thirty-four years ago, was the babe born in Bethlehem. These Nephites could take comfort, (as we also can regarding ourselves), that He understood them. He had lived as one of us through the challenging circumstances of life like they had (and like we have). He actually had suffered much more than any of of us. Now and then He is fully functioning as a member of the Divine Godhead. I remind you again of what I like to call His "sacred job description":

Moses 1:39 For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

I, Neil Birch, stand in complete awe of Him! I think many of you stand with me on that.

You have been reading examples of our Lord Jesus Christ going about His divine roll as one of the Godhead, preparing the people He is soon to walk among, preparing them for eternal life.

As my wife and I were driving from the grocery store a few hours ago we were listening to a BYU -Provo, UT FM Radio station on which was being played: Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata."

While listening to that beautiful and very calming music, I began thinking through this scripture I have used for Today's Theme. It was to me as though that sonata had been written just for that part of Chapter nine of III Nephi.

Then it dawned on me, that the Lord's spirit prompts great composers of music and that is what made the two of them, that inspired music and the Lord's words, fit together in my mind and heart, in complete harmony.

I wish I could plug that music into this post so you could hear and feel it for yourselves.

(Some of you might be talented enough to move into the other room of your house right now and play your memorized rendition of that very wonderful piece.)

I chose to begin this post the way I did because I feel doing so prepares us to more fully appreciate the great work our Savior has been doing among the Nephite people. Here is the chapter we will now have the opportunity to read and discuss some: (Listening along with reading will work well this time.)
III Nephi 28:1-40



The Three Nephite Apostles Tell Jesus Their Special Desire -by Gary L. Kapp



The Three Nephites

You have just read Mormon's abridgement of the record contained in the plates of Nephi in which the Savior grants the individual wishes of his twelve disciples whom He has assigned to lead His church. I will let what you have just read and listened to suffice, except to remind you that those three disciples along with John, the Beloved apostle, in Palestine, were granted a special mission to do the Lord's work in helping people come unto salvation.

In some future day we may be allowed to read the accounts of these three witnesses along with that of the Apostle, John, regarding all that they have done over the centuries to bring people to Christ. Here is the Lord's promise to the Three Nephites whose bodies underwent a significant change.

III Nephi 28: 9 And again, ye shall not have pain while ye shall dwell in the flesh, neither sorrow save it be for the sins of the world; and all this will I do because of the thing which ye have desired of me, for ye have desired that ye might bring the souls of men unto me, while the world shall stand.

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DISCLAIMER
This website is not owned by or affiliated with the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church.




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TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX, To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This Blog Post, (Or An Item Which Refers To Any Other Blog Post You May Desire To Access), After Reading All of This Paragraph Please Click on the Following: (The Resurrected) Jesus Christ's Ministry in Ancient America (A Twenty Post Series) - Post 33s. When You See the Picture of Our Savior Jesus Christ Sitting Next To a Little Boy, Please, Scroll Down In The Index To Your Target Item Or Use The Alphabetical Scrolling Device (When It Has Been Installed.)

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"Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon?" Legal /Statement. Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property and creative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be given in writing. © Est.2008 Neil Birch Legal /Statement.

_____________

I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you will find very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

If you have any questions about what you have read or viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine, or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, please e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is: jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back to you just as soon as possible.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It is in Spanish: Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch

33r - The Resurrected Jesus Christ's Ministry in Ancient America. A Continuation!

To Access This Blog's Index, Please Scroll Down To the Fifth Paragraph From the End of This Post!

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TODAY'S THEME



Jesus the Christ -by Del Parson

III Nephi 27: 13 Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you—that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me.

14 And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil—

15 And for this cause have I been lifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their works.

16 And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world.

17 And he that endureth not unto the end, the same is he that is also hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence they can no more return, because of the justice of the Father.

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TODAY'S THEME 

Just before He said that which is recorded above, the resurrected Jesus Christ had let His disciples know that His Church which had recently been organized among them, should be named after Him. He said that in response to having been told that the people had been disputing among themselves about what the name of the church should be. He, because of having become the gateway to eternal life, was the head of His church.

The words that are so positive and full of hope to us sinners is: He, our Savior who spoke those words, was He who in the Garden of Gethsemane paid the price for those of us who have repented and have been baptized and then endured to the end of our lives living righteously. He paid the price demanded by the Justice of God to the extent that in the agony of suffering, He sweat blood from every pore.

16 And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world."

How great should be our gratitude for His sacrifice. We should be very willing to live to the end of our lives in righteousness without having to pay the price for our sins. We can enjoy our lives in peace of mind because of His true promise to those of us who endure to the end of our lives. That peace of mind will help us as we seek to live as He wants us to live and to serve others as we would like to be served by them. Although His message mentioned dire consequences:

"17 And he that endureth not unto the end, the same is he that is also hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence they can no more return, because of the justice of the Father,"

This message is still one of "glad tidings" (Webster's definition of the word, Gospel) because the choice we are given is a very clear one. We are free to choose!

If anyone asks you to define what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is, you would do well to quote (if you can remember it all) or refer them to III Nephi 27: 13-17. You might want to write or type those five verses and carry that quote with you in your purse or wallet so you can often remind yourself of these important truths.

The many people I have known throughout my life of seventy seven years (as of my birthday this Friday),who faithfully live according to the teachings of Jesus Christ and are active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are the truly most happy people you could ever meet. You would be happy to have them as neighbors. Its not that they don't have challenges and serious problems to contend with, it is that they have great faith and hope based on our Savior's sure promises.

Certainly similar statements recorded in the Bible and elsewhere in the Book of Mormon and other latter-day scriptures might equal it, but, in my humble opinion, nowhere else, even in the other scriptures could these truths of utmost importance be better stated than in those words of His.

(A Prayer:) We thank Thee dear Heavenly Father for what your Only Begotten Son did in The Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross at Calgary for us. Thanks for Thou continuing to actively assist us through the holy scriptures, and through the Gift of the Holy Ghost and through membership in Thy Son's one and only authorized church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to help all of us who are members, or through their faith in Him, will become members soon after learning from Thy authorized missionaries and receiving testimonies from The Holy Ghost.

We are grateful that these blessings are extended also to include those of our beloved deceased relatives, known and unknown who have chosen to follow Thee, either during their lives here on earth or while living in the World of Spirits after having died, after believing the witness of thy spirit missionaries there. We love our husbands and wives and our children with which we have been blessed. Bless all of us that we can be together again, after this life, in Thy Celestial Kingdom.

We also thank thee for the many inventions in the field of medicine, and in rapid and safe transportation on land and on the sea and even through the air. Thanks also for the blessing of living in free countries brought about by Thy freedom seeking children here on earth, over the recent centuries of time. We are grateful for the works of many of Thy children here on Earth that have produced good and uplifting music, literature and beautiful and useful housing.

We know that inspiration for all of these great and good and useful things came from Thee and from Thy Son and from the Holy Ghost, the unified source of all truth.

With the help we receive through Thy Spirit we will endure through all the tribulations of life that may come our way, and then return to Thee, our Heavenly Father to experience Eternal Joy with Thee and all Thy righteous saints.

We pray these things in the sacred name of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Please read and listen to this scripture III Nephi 27: 1-33

I'm sure you took note of this prophecy of our Savior:

III Nephi 27: 32 But behold, it sorroweth me because of the fourth generation from this generation, for they are led away captive by him even as was the son of perdition; for they will sell me for silver and for gold, and for that which moth doth corrupt and which thieves can break through and steal. And in that day will I visit them, even in turning their works upon their own heads. (emphasis added)

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DISCLAIMER

This website is not owned by or affiliated with the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church.

____________

TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX, To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This Blog Post, (Or An Item Which Refers To Any Other Blog Post You May Desire To Access), After Reading All of This Paragraph Please Click on the Following: (The Resurrected) Jesus Christ's Ministry in Ancient America (A Twenty Post Series) - Post 33r. When You See the Picture of Our Savior Jesus Christ Sitting Next To a Little Boy, Please, Scroll Down In The Index To Your Target Item Or Use The Alphabetical Scrolling Device (When It Has Been Installed.)

____________

"Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon?" Legal /Statement. Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property and creative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be given in writing. © Est.2008 Neil Birch Legal /Statement.

_____________

I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you will find very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

If you have any questions about what you have read or viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine, or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, please e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is: jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back to you just as soon as possible.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It is in Spanish: Its contents are translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch 

33q - The Resurrected Jesus Christ's Ministry in Ancient America. A Continuation!

To Access This Blog's Index, Please Scroll Down To the Fifth Paragraph From the End of This Post!

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TODAY'S THEME

III Nephi 6 And now there cannot be written in this book even a hundredth part of the things which Jesus did truly teach unto the people;

7 But behold the plates of Nephi do contain the more part of the things which he taught the people.

8 And these things have I written, which are a lesser part of the things which he taught the people; and I have written them to the intent that they may be brought again unto this people, (the posterity of Father Lehi of our day, and through Lehi, of Joseph Who Was Sold Into Egypt) from the Gentiles (us), according to the words which Jesus hath spoken.

9 And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them.

10 And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation.

11 Behold, I was about to write them, all which were engraven upon the plates of Nephi, but the Lord forbade it, saying: I will try the faith of my people.

12 Therefore I, Mormon, do write the things which have been commanded me of the Lord. And now I, Mormon, make an end of my sayings, and proceed to write the things which have been commanded me. (clarification and emphasis added)

Jesus Christ Teacing the Nephites -by John Scott

We have already learned from what we have read in the Book of III Nephi, that Jesus Christ was able to have the Nephites experience with Him, things that His people in Palestine were not ready to experience with Him, and have faith which was beyond that of those in the land of His birth.

Now we read that only about a one hundredth part of what He taught them (The Nephites) was recorded by Mormon and that when he wanted to write more than what he was told to write, because they had been recorded by Nephi, one of the Savior's 12 Nephite disciples on the plates that had been passed on for generation after generation, and were available to him, the Lord told him, Mormon, that He, Jesus Christ, forbade it, saying: "I will try the faith of my people."

Who are His people whose faith was to be tried? Look in a mirror! It is those of us who have been baptized members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or will eventually become members of His Latter-day Church, partly because of their testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.

Now check out again these words of Mormon from TODAY'S THOUGHT:

9 And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them.

10 And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation.

Inasmuch as the Book of Mormon was first printed in 1830 and the Lord has not yet given us the rest of that which the Lord taught those Nephites during the days He spent with them, we must realize: We aren't paying sufficient attention to what Mormon wrote about our Savior's teachings to the Nephites during His visit with them regarding how we live our lives. Neither are we sufficiently following that kind of counsel given in the rest of the Book of Mormon.
It is taking time for His people to be ready. Please read these words of our Savior which He revealed to Joseph Smith way back in 1832,

Doctrine and Covenants 84: 51 For whoso cometh not unto me is under the bondage of sin.

52 And whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me.

53 And by this you may know the righteous from the wicked, and that the whole world groaneth under sin and darkness even now.

54 And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—

55 Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.

56 And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.

57 And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written—

58 That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father's kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion.

59 For shall the children of the kingdom pollute my holy land? Verily, I say unto you, Nay.

60 Verily, verily, I say unto you who now hear my words, which are my voice, blessed are ye inasmuch as you receive these things;

61 For I will forgive you of your sins with this commandment—that you remain steadfast in your minds in solemnity and the spirit of prayer, in bearing testimony to all the world of those things which are communicated unto you. (emphasis added)

Do I hear some of you who are not yet members of this church saying. Those LDS people had better shape up? Perhaps you, after you have been baptized and have become faithful members of the church, could help the rest of us shape up!

During the year 2007, our prophet then, Gordon B. Hinckley challenged the entire Church membership to read the Book of Mormon all the way through that year. By all reports, many did as he instructed. I am sure that the implication was there in the words of President Hinckley, who has since passed away, that we should improve in living our lives in accordance to the teachings found in that sacred book as well as just reading it.

Even the membership of our Murray Third Ward of the Murray Utah Stake, including the children who can read, where my wife, Melva and I are members, were urged by our Bishopric to read the Book of Mormon during 2008. After reading each one of the sub-books, we taped a green paper leaf with our names and the name of the sub-book written on it that we had just read, onto a picture of a tree, posted on our ward bulletin board, for all to see. It is still there and that tree has very many leafs on it.

Well, the things that were recorded on the plates of Nephi by the Prophet-disciple, Nephi, during our Savior's visit with them, haven't yet been revealed. Whose fault is that? Certainly not President Hinckley's, and certainly not President Thomas S. Monson's fault (who was called by the Lord to replace President Hinckley when he died), and other church leaders like our bishop, and surely many other bishops world-wide who continue to urge members to study the Book of Mormon and live by its teachings.

It is my fault and also the fault of you other members of this church and even perhaps, you who are not yet members of this church, who have begun to see the truthfulness of this very sacred book, The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

Please read the scripture below that you might read again the Thought For Today along with the rest of this very important scripture. (Once again I suggest that you scroll up after the scripture is on your screen and click on the word, Listen which is on the upper left hand side, so you may read and listen at the same time.)

III Nephi 26:1-21

Jesus With the Nephite Children -by Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Where in the New Testament is recorded anything like this which is found in the scripture you have just read (with all due respect to that great scripture, The New Testament, which is so important to each of us):

III Nephi 26: 16 Behold, it came to pass on the morrow that the multitude gathered themselves together, and they both saw and heard these children; yea, even babes did open their mouths and utter marvelous things; and the things which they did utter were forbidden that there should not any man write them.

17 And it came to pass that the disciples whom Jesus had chosen began from that time forth to baptize and to teach as many as did come unto them; and as many as were baptized in the name of Jesus were filled with the Holy Ghost.

18 And many of them saw and heard unspeakable things, which are not lawful to be written.

19 And they taught, and did minister one to another; and they had all things common among them, every man dealing justly, one with another. (emphasis added)

I hope you noticed above that significant information about the high level of spiritual and temporal life these Nephites had begun to live (and continued to live for about 200 more years.)

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DISCLAIMER
This website is not owned by or affiliated with the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church.


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TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX, To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This Blog Post, (Or An Item Which Refers To Any Other Blog Post You May Desire To Access), After Reading All of This Paragraph Please Click on the Following: (The Resurrected) Jesus Christ's Ministry in Ancient America (A Twenty Post Series) -Post 33q. When You See the Picture of Our Savior Jesus Christ Sitting Next To a Little Boy, Please, Scroll Down In The Index To Your Target Item Or Use The Alphabetical Scrolling Device (When It Has Been Installed.)


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"Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon?" Legal /Statement. Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property and creative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be given in writing. © Est.2008 Neil Birch Legal /Statement.

_____________

I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you will find very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

If you have any questions about what you have read or viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine, or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, please e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is: jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back to you just as soon as possible.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It is in Spanish:  Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch

33p - The Resurrected Jesus Christ's Ministry in Ancient America. A Continuation!

To Access This Blog's Index, Please Scroll Down To the Fifth Paragraph From the End of This Post!

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TODAY'S THEME

This is one of the great promises the Lord made to the Nephites while He was visiting in Ancient America. Perhaps it is not easily understood.

III Nephi 25: 5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord;

6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

You will be helped to gain the needed understanding later in this post.

Let me first have you read the scripture in which our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ emphasizes something He always expects of His followers. You may want listen to this as it starts with verse 1.

III Nephi 24:1-18 (See Malachi 3:1-18)

Quoting the words of Malachi which were recorded in our Old Testament, and then later, at His command, on the Plates of Nephi, the Savior taught the Nephites the necessity of their obeying His law of Tithing. In our day, through His prophet, Joseph Smith, the Lord reiterated His unchanging law of Tithing.

D. and C. 64: 23 Behold, now it is called today until the coming of the Son of Man, and verily it is a day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of my people; for he that is tithed shall not be burned at his coming.

24 For after today cometh the burning—this is speaking after the manner of the Lord—for verily I say, tomorrow all the proud and they that do wickedly shall be as stubble; and I will burn them up, for I am the Lord of Hosts; and I will not spare any that remain in Babylon.

In addition, the Lord's first Latter-day Prophet, Joseph Smith, also received the following revelation from the Lord on that same subject.

D. and C. 19:4 And after that, those who have thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually; and this shall be a standing law unto them forever, for my holy priesthood, saith the Lord.

Here is the complete Chapter 25 of III Nephi from which our TODAY'S THOUGHT was taken. Please click on the following scriptural link. (When the scripture appears on your screen, please click on the word, Listen. This will assist you in concentrating on this message given to the Nephites by our Savior).

III Nephi 25:1-6 (See Malachi 4:1-6)

Elijah the Prophet Appears to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery -by Gary E. Smith

Now you will read an account of the fulfillment of the promise made in the final two verses of that prophecy given through His prophet, Malachi, which the Savior related to His Nephite flock in Ancient America. The Lord's first Latter-day prophet, Joseph Smith, recorded this vision.

D. and C. 110:13 After this vision had closed, another great and glorious vision burst upon us; for Elijah the prophet, who was taken to heaven without tasting death, stood before us, and said:

14 Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi—testifying that he [Elijah] should be sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come—

15 To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse—

16 Therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands; and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors. (emphasis added)

This turning of hearts has already been taking place since soon after that recorded visit from Elijah. The power from Jesus Christ was given to His Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in our day to seal by the power of the Spirit of the Lord, family members one to another for all eternity!

This sealing doesn't just automatically happen. Worthy family members who have been baptized as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, must attend to or have attended to, this business for their dead in one of the more than 130 temples that have already been built by this Church world-wide, with even more having been already scheduled to be built.

After the baptisms and other ordinances and sealings are done by these living members for themselves, they can then, vicariously, do these same ordinances for their ancestors whose records they have diligently and carefully researched (often with assistance from qualified others. Other qualified church members can also perform the temple work in place of us where needed.)

For your information here is evidence that the Apostle, Paul, serving with the other apostles who had been called of the Lord, in the near East after our Savior's resurrection, knew of the ordinance of baptism for the dead: Here is the remaining portion of the scriptural link you were given at the end of the previous post. In it the sixth Latter-day Prophet, Joseph F. Smith explains how our Savior, Jesus Christ, between His death by crucifixion and His resurrection, prepared the way that the unrighteous dead could be taught His Gospel by righteous spirits whom He assigned to that important work.

I Corinthians 15: 29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?

You will also learn from this upcoming scripture that the Lord, Jesus Christ, has seen to it that temple work has been set up in our day so that the ordinance of baptism and other necessary ordinances for salvation can be done vicariously here on earth for those among the unrighteous spirits who listened to the message brought them by those appointed by the Lord in His visit between His crucifixion and His resurrection there.

Here is the information that was revealed to the Prophet, Joseph F. Smith in the remaining portion of the scripture we read and listened to in the last post. (Please take note that because the voice recording begins at verse one, you will not be able to listen to this scripture which begins at verse 25.) However, you may choose to begin at verse 1 this time also, and then read all the way through this entire scripture after having clicked on, Listen.

President Joseph F. Smith

D. and C. 138:25-60

I will end this post by showing you pictures of six of these 130 (so far, and many more are coming) very beautiful and very functional temples along with two typical temple baptismal fonts where baptisms can be performed vicariously for your and my beloved deceased ancestors, back as far as their records can be found.

Something you must realize; all of these blessings that can be brought to our deceased ancestors who weren't taught the Savior's Gospel during their lifetimes, can be done for them only by doing this work for them vicariously in Temples of the Lord, according to what the Lord Jesus Christ has instructed His Latter-day Prophets, beginning with the Prophet, Joseph Smith.

There is a great cost involved in providing sufficient temples for the vast amount of work that is yet to be done for our dead ancestors. Because of what you were taught earlier in this post, you can surely guess how the Lord wants these costs to be taken care of.

You are right! Through the tithing of His people! His law of Tithing works very well. By personal experience I can tell you that it is easy to be a full tithe-payer. Before retirement my salary was very average. Their mother and I, raised nine children. I know by experience, paying a full (10% gross income) tithing helps you put your priorities in the right place! Remember, it is our Savior's law, He who who suffered and died for us!

You and I and surely everyone should be very grateful for the birth of our Savior at Bethlehem and for His successful completion of His life's mission culminating in His atoning sacrifice so that our personal salvation and this great reuniting with loved ones, known, and not yet known, could take place! One more clarifying thought: I hope that all of of you can see clearly how that the Lord Jesus Christ continues to be very surely and actively involved, most often undetected by most of us, in blessing us that we might achieve His greatest blessings. Remember His, what I call, "sacred job description":

Pearl Of Great Price, Moses 1:39 For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

We are also taught another principle which is such a vital part of our Lord's great plan: This is in the words of His prophet Lehi,

II Nephi 10:23 Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves—to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life.

These pictures, from top to bottom, are as follows: Mexico City, Mexico Temple, San Diego, California Temple, Hong Kong, China Temple, a baptismal font of an unidentified LDS Temple, Santiago, Chile Temple, Baptismal font of the Salt Lake City Temple, Washington D.C. Temple, and the Helsinki, Finland Temple. Something you may want to know: The twelve oxen holding up each of all our temple baptismal fonts, represent the twelve tribes of Israel.

















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DISCLAIMER
This website is not owned by or affiliated with the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church.




____________

TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX, To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This Blog Post, (Or An Item Which Refers To Any Other Blog Post You May Desire To Access), After Reading All of This Paragraph Please Click on the Following: (The Resurrected) Jesus Christ's Ministry in Ancient America (A Twenty Post Series) - Post 33p. When You See the Picture of Our Savior Jesus Christ Sitting Next To a Little Boy, Please, Scroll Down In The Index To Your Target Item Or Use The Alphabetical Scrolling Device (When It Has Been Installed.)
__________






"Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon?" Legal /Statement. Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property and creative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be given in writing. © Est.2008 Neil Birch Legal /Statement.
__________

I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you will find very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

If you have any questions about what you have read or viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine, or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, please e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is: jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back to you just as soon as possible.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It is in Spanish:  Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch

33o - The Resurrected Jesus Christ's Ministry in Ancient America. A Continuation!

To Access This Blog's Index, Please Scroll Down To the Fifth Paragraph From the End of This Post!

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In preparing you to learn from the teachings of the resurrected Jesus Christ to the Nephites in Ancient America in today's scriptural link which is III Nephi Chapter 23, I want you to learn from the prophet, Alma the Younger who had become a very inspired teacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ after his conversion. His conversion had been brought about by the rebuke of an angel which totally reversed his direction in life. If you read my Post 7 you would know about Alma's conversion experience.

Especially, if the important subjects of death and resurrection are ones about which you would like to learn more or thoroughly review, please read and contemplate this scripture which is:

TODAY'S THEME

Alma 40:9 Therefore, there is a time appointed unto men that they shall rise from the dead; and there is a space between the time of death and the resurrection. And now, concerning this space of time, what becometh of the souls of men is the thing which I have inquired diligently of the Lord to know; and this is the thing of which I do know.

10 And when the time cometh when all shall rise, then shall they know that God knoweth all the times which are appointed unto man.

11 Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.

12 And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.

13 And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil—for behold, they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for behold, they chose evil works rather than good; therefore the spirit of the devil did enter into them, and take possession of their house—and these shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity, being led captive by the will of the devil.

14 Now this is the state of the souls of the wicked, yea, in darkness, and a state of awful, fearful looking for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them; thus they remain in this state, as well as the righteous in paradise, until the time of their resurrection.

Please read and listen to the scripture listed below this paragraph: Among other interesting things you will learn about, will be the fulfillment of the prophecy of Samuel the Lamanite regarding the resurrection of the righteous from among the deceased Nephite-Lamanite people after our Savior's own resurrection, the first of all resurrections!

III Nephi 23: 1-14

Jesus Christ Asks for Records -by Robert T. Barrett

You will have noticed in your reading of this scripture, that once again, Jesus knows of important things without having to learn about them from others. That knowledge comes from the Spirit of Revelation and Prophecy which emanates from Him, His Father and the Holy Ghost who are one in unity.

Isn't it amazing to see His great ability to know all. It causes me and hopefully each of you also, to have total trust in what He teaches us through His prophets and causes us to want to have the personal guidance that comes from receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost which can come only after baptism in His only authorized church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Here is the scripture that tells us what Samuel the Lamanite prophesied:

Helaman 14:25 And many graves shall be opened, and shall yield up many of their dead; and many saints shall appear unto many.

Here is what our Savior said about that prophecy and its fulfillment: (which you read in the scripture from III Nephi above)

III Nephi 23: 9 Verily I say unto you, I commanded my servant Samuel, the Lamanite, that he should testify unto this people, that at the day that the Father should glorify his name in me that there were many saints who should arise from the dead, and should appear unto many, and should minister unto them. And he said unto them: Was it not so?

10 And his disciples answered him and said: Yea, Lord, Samuel did prophesy according to thy words, and they were all fulfilled.

11 And Jesus said unto them: How be it that ye have not written this thing, that many saints did arise and appear unto many and did minister unto them?

12 And it came to pass that Nephi remembered that this thing had not been written.

13 And it came to pass that Jesus commanded that it should be written; therefore it was written according as he commanded.

Feeling that the following will give you further understanding of the important subject of this post, I will now give you the opportunity to read some verses of scripture that are neither in the Bible nor in the Book of Mormon. You will find these in the Doctrine and Covenants which contains the words of the Lord given through the Spirit of Prophecy and Revelation to Joseph Smith.

Several other Latter-day prophets who followed Joseph Smith wrote words which were accepted officially by the Church as the Word of God. This particular one was written by Joseph F. Smith who was the sixth prophet to lead the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was Joseph Smith's nephew (through his brother Hyrum who died with Joseph in Carthage Jail.)

In this scripture link I have highlighted, beginning with verse 1, those verses which he wrote, telling what he learned in vision, (just a very short time before his own death in 1918) regarding our Savior, Jesus Christ's visit to the world of spirits just after His death by crucifixion and just before His resurrection.

Please pray about all of this which you will have read in this post. This will lead you to a more complete understanding of the purpose of life and death and of the resurrection of all men which has been made possible by the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be His Holy name forever and ever!

D. and C. 138:1-24

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DISCLAIMER
This website is not owned by or affiliated with the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church.


_____________


TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX, To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This Blog Post, (Or An Item Which Refers To Any Other Blog Post You May Desire To Access), After Reading All of This Paragraph Please Click on the Following: The Resurrected Jesus Christ's Visit To Ancient America - Post 33o. When You See the Picture of Our Savior Jesus Christ Sitting Next To a Little Boy, Please, Scroll Down In The Index To Your Target Item Or Use The Alphabetical Scrolling Device (When It Has Been Installed.)
_____________


"Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon?" Legal /Statement. Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property and creative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be given in writing. © Est.2008 Neil Birch Legal /Statement.
_____________


I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you you will find very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

If you have any questions about what you have read or viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine, or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, please e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is: jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back to you just as soon as possible.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It is in Spanish: Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch