Nephi’s Ministry in 3 Nephi 7 as a Parallel of Christ’s

15 And it came to pass that Nephi—having been visited by angels and also the voice of the Lord, therefore having seen angels, and being eye-witness, and having had power given unto him that he might know concerning the ministry of Christ, and also being eye-witness to their quick return from righteousness unto their wickedness and abominations;

16 Therefore, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds—went forth among them in that same year, and began to testify, boldly, repentance and remission of sins through faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.

17 And he did minister many things unto them; and all of them cannot be written, and a part of them would not suffice, therefore they are not written in this book. And Nephi did minister with power and with great authority.

18 And it came to pass that they were angry with him, even because he had greater power than they, for it were not possible that they could disbelieve his words, for so great was his faith on the Lord Jesus Christ that angels did minister unto him daily.

19 And in the name of Jesus did he cast out devils and unclean spirits; and even his brother did he raise from the dead, after he had been stoned and suffered death by the people.

20 And the people saw it, and did witness of it, and were angry with him because of his power; and he did also do many more miracles, in the sight of the people, in the name of Jesus.

21 And it came to pass that the thirty and first year did pass away, and there were but few who were converted unto the Lord; but as many as were converted did truly signify unto the people that they had been visited by the power and Spirit of God, which was in Jesus Christ, in whom they believed.

22 And as many as had devils cast out from them, and were healed of their sicknesses and their infirmities, did truly manifest unto the people that they had been wrought upon by the Spirit of God, and had been healed; and they did show forth signs also and did do some miracles among the people.

23 Thus passed away the thirty and second year also. And Nephi did cry unto the people in the commencement of the thirty and third year; and he did preach unto them repentance and remission of sins.

24 Now I would have you to remember also, that there were none who were brought unto repentance who were not baptized with water.

25 Therefore, there were ordained of Nephi, men unto this ministry, that all such as should come unto them should be baptized with water, and this as a witness and a testimony before God, and unto the people, that they had repented and received a remission of their sins.

26 And there were many in the commencement of this year that were baptized unto repentance; and thus the more part of the year did pass away. (3 Nephi 7:15-26, emphasis added)

In 3 Nephi 7, during the awful disunity among the Nephites, when the government was destroyed and society broke up into tribes, the bright spot is the prophet Nephi and his ministry.

It struck me that there were many ways that Nephi’s ministry paralleled that of Jesus Christ half a world away. You can notice the timing—Nephi started in the 30^th year after the sign of Christ’s birth and continued on right to the sign of Christ’s death. Verse 15 tells us Nephi had power given him that he might know of the ministry of Christ, which means that either in dreams or open visions he saw it happening and likely did his best to follow the example he was given.

Although Mormon doesn’t go into detail about the things Nephi said in his ministry, besides his testimony and preaching faith in Christ and repentance of sins, we are told his words were very powerful and he had great authority given to him. He did many miracles, such as casting out devils and unclean spirits, and raising someone (his brother) from the dead. He had angels minister to him daily.

He converted but few at the beginning, but their conversions were real, and then he ordained others to preach and baptize, and then we are told many were baptized unto repentance. It sounds as though he was re-forming the church organization that had been previously broken up and that he was making significant headway in improving how things were. It is really sad we don’t have more about him because I’m sure that point-for-point his ministry would have followed Christ’s.

There was a time in the 90^th year of the reign of judges (corresponding to about 2 B.C.) when there were Nephites who wondered why Jesus would not show himself to the Nephites as well as those in Jerusalem. They worried about being kept in ignorance just because they couldn’t witness with their eyes that the prophecies of Christ were coming true (see Helaman 16:18-20). The ministry of Nephi seems to have been the Lord’s answer to that concern, meant to show the Nephites what the ministry of Christ was like, so as to leave them without excuse. The result was that the humble and repentant were visited by the power and spirit of God, and were blessed for their belief in Christ—they were healed, and did show signs and did some miracles, while others were angry that Nephi had more power than they did.

In the larger perspective, Nephi’s ministry was a very serious thing—it was the last call to repentance the people would have before the great destruction that would occur at the time of Christ’s death. Rejecting such a powerful witness brings very serious consequences.

But for those who believed and repented, all the great things they saw and heard and did and felt during Nephi’s ministry were only a preliminary blessing to what they would receive when Christ visited them after His resurrection.

Called the People of Ammon

This bit from the story of the Anti-Nephi-Lehis jumped out at me:

…And they went down into the land of Jershon, and took possession of the land of Jershon; and they were called by the Nephites the people of Ammon; therefore they were distinguished by that name ever after. (Alma 27:26)

It first strikes me as an incredible compliment to Ammon that the Nephites called the Anti-Nephi-Lehis “the people of Ammon.” It gives a sense that Ammon was amazing. Wouldn’t it be incredible if you or I were instrumental in converting so many people that they were called “the people of [your name]”?

But then, Ammon wasn’t the one who did all those conversions. First of all, it was the Spirit, and Ammon was only one of the instruments. Also, Aaron and his other brothers had a big part to play as well. They were all involved. So, it wasn’t necessarily fair to the others to have Ammon shoulder all the credit that way. (Ammon was probably personally embarrassed by it as well.)

And another thing—it was the Nephites who used this name for them, not the Anti-Nephi-Lehis. The Anti-Nephi-Lehis already had their own name for themselves to distinguish them from the Lamanites. We don’t really know how they felt about this name the Nephites put on them. They may have had mixed feelings about it—glad to be identified with Ammon, who was so exemplary, but perhaps wishing for more accuracy.

We perhaps could understand how they feel when we consider how we could be called Latter-day Saints because of the full name of our church, but others have called us “Mormons,” and we’ve had to own and accept that name, even though we consider ourselves Christians.

I really like the next verse that characterizes the Anti-Nephi-Lehis:

And they were among the people of Nephi, and also numbered among the people who were of the church of God. And they were also distinguished for their zeal towards God, and also towards men; for they were perfectly honest and upright in all things; and they were firm in the faith of Christ, even unto the end. (Alma 27:27)

“Distinguished for their zeal.” What do you think that looked like in daily life? Excitement and enthusiasm for doing their duty? Love and interest in prayer and study of the word of God? Interest in serving others? Did this arise out of the joy of their conversion, or is this also something we can choose to become? I think one has to choose it, because while it understandable that conversion from an awful state would lead to great gratitude, there are people who have always been faithful who continue to maintain their zeal.

It might seem superfluous to add that the Anti-Nephi-Lehis were “perfectly…upright,” but think what it would mean if someone was distinguished for their zeal toward God but was not perfectly upright in all things. There would be an element of hypocrisy there. Zeal means nothing without uprightness.

So, if someone is zealous toward God and perfectly upright, does that mean they are perfect? I don’t know? I imagine they would be close to perfection, and it would only be those little errors and occasional mistakes that would create a problem. But it also says the Anti-Nephi-Lehis were “perfectly honest,” so they would be willing to admit their faults, and then because of their faith in Christ, they would be quick to repent. How can you go wrong if you repent every time you notice (or have it brought to your notice) that you have erred or transgressed?

Today let’s work on being zealous for God, not expecting happiness from something indefinite or mysterious out there, but putting all our efforts on doing the Lord’s will. Let’s find our joy in that and strive to be upright in all things.

Jesus’s Knowledge of Paul’s Heart

In the story of Jesus’s appearance to Paul on the way to Damascus, it is impressive how much Jesus knows about Paul’s inner state.

And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. (Acts 9:5)

To all outward appearances, Paul was as staunch an enemy of the fledgling church as the Jewish leaders would hope for. And yet, Jesus knew 1) Paul’s heart had been pricked multiple times, 2) that Paul was fighting his own inclinations as well as the church, and 3) it was hard for Paul to continue that fight.

It may be that Paul needed the Lord to tell him, “I know what’s going on in your heart and head, so stop putting on such a front.”

This is a great reminder that the Lord knows our hearts. He knows what we’re inclined to do, He knows when we’re putting on a front. He knows why and what the effect of it is on us. Paul was a case of one who needed to follow his good inclinations and not fight them. The Lord also knows when we are covering up bad inclinations and need to fight them more and achieve spiritual change.

I’m thankful to know that the Lord knows my heart. It gives me a reason to be careful about my thoughts and attitudes. But I’m also thankful that He is merciful and long-suffering and gives me the mental space to work through things.

Teancum’s great warriors

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But behold he [Amalickiah] met with a disappointment by being repulsed by Teancum and his men, for they were great warriors; for every man of Teancum did exceed the Lamanites in their strength and in their skill of war, insomuch that they did gain advantage over the Lamanites. (Alma 51:31)

It is neat that the men of Teancum were pointed out to us as great warriors. Their greatness is shown to consist of 1) strength and 2) skill of war.

This makes me ponder how these principles might be applied to us today in the battle against Satan. In what ways do we have strength and skill of war against the devil? And if we feel like we don’t have these qualities, how might we acquire them?

Strength starts, I think, with our desires to do what’s right, to please the Lord, to serve Him. Being converted by the Spirit and changed is a significant step, since it causes us to abhore evil. But at some point, strength also has to have an element of endurance too because if the enemy outlasts you, you end up giving in. 

I think on one hand, we are promised that God will not suffer us to be tempted above what we can bear, but we also can’t seek out temptation. Also, the grace of God is enabling power that we can access to push beyond our own limited powers.

So part of strength is from our desires and efforts, and part of it comes from the Lord. Part of it is what we muster in the moment to resist, but it has to have endurance if the struggle is prolonged.

What about skill of war? What skills do we have to have to resist temptation? How do we gain them?

I think these skills are one part knowledge and one part experience. We can learn in various places the different methods Satan uses to attack us. The scriptures help reveal to us Satan’s various designs and strategies before we encounter them so that we can recognize them and resist when they come. (Also, I think the war chapters of the Book of Mormon are very useful for pointing out a wide variety of these methods.)  Prophets point out things to look out for, and revelation can reveal to us what Satan is doing to us.  And this may sound odd, but I’ve noticed that sometimes cognitive-behavioral psychology books can reveal ways Satan might use our distorted thinking to enslave us (though they don’t necessarily take a spiritual angle. But they are great for pointing out faulty thinking patterns.)

That’s the knowledge part.

And then, we live life and we experience temptation of all sorts. Hopefully we pray for discernment and gain experience recognizing the devil’s attacks in the moment and resisting them. We also learn practical spiritual principles which dictate that in a particular situation, we should act a certain way, and living by those principles automatically builds our skills and resistance.  (For example, if we are committed to living the principle of forgiveness, then any time we are wronged, we have an immediate weapon to use against Satan’s temptation to hold a grudge and resentment against others.) I suppose many commandments we are given help build our skills for war against the devil.

The nice thing is that both strength and skill can be increased. They are increased by prayer when we notice we need help, by purposeful study, by learning new principles, by increasing our obedience. Part of it is from our own efforts and desires, but the other part comes from God by revelation and grace. And of course, when we give in, there is repentance, which gives us a chance to start over and fight some more.

Perhaps Teancum’s men are not as well-noticed as Helaman’s stripling warriors, but the fact is, without them and their strength and skill, Amalickiah’s invasion would have been even more successful than it was. They turned the tide of the Lamanite advance. They were just as serviceable to the Nephites as the stripling warriors.

The stronger and more skilled we are at resisting temptation, the more we can help those around us resist the rising tide of sin in our world.

Beginning today, let’s pray for the skills and strength we need to resist temptation.

Pre-conversion Alma the Younger

My husband and I were reading Mosiah 27 about the conversion story of Alma the Younger, and it seemed to me that it was impossible that he had not been taught the gospel by his father Alma while growing up.  It’s easy to wonder where Alma the Younger started to go wrong.

Mosiah 26 describes a great purge of the church, when many members who were unrepentantly sinning were cut off. It is perfectly possible that Alma the Younger and the four sons of Mosiah were cut off from the church for their wickedness at that time.  Later, Alma the Younger himself later tells of how he and Mosiah’s four sons went forth with anger and mighty threatenings to destroy the church (Alma 26:18).  That sounds very much like the anger of someone who felt they had been excommunicated unjustly, someone who rebelled against the authority of the priesthood.

Alma the Younger may have convinced himself that what happened to him and his friends was unjust and that the church needed reform.

So, part of what the angel’s visit would have settled for Alma the Younger and Mosiah’s four sons was that his father was right and was on God’s side, that God did have power and that Alma the Younger was wrong.  And if he was wrong, then his efforts to fix the church were wrong and amounted to persecution  and destruction rather than reform.

The cool thing about Alma the Younger’s conversion story is that it shows us that even an angry ex-member of the Church is not a lost cause. It shows us Alma the Elder’s example of praying for those who separate themselves from us and for those who have been cut off for transgression.  They may yet be brought to the knowledge of the truth.

Paul about the change of being born again

I really like the JST for Romans 7:15-27.

15  But now I am spiritual; for that which I am commanded to do, I do; and that which I am commanded not to allow, I allow not.
16  For what I know is not right, I would not do; for that which is sin, I hate.
17  If then I do not that which I would not allow, I consent unto the law, that it is good; and I am not condemned.
18  Now then, it is no more I that do sin; but I seek to subdue that sin which dwelleth in me.

This is really comforting, especially when we find ourselves getting discouraged in our fight against sin. We may say to ourselves, Because I am having such a hard time with this, I must not be a good person. I must not be really converted. 

The truth is, the fact that we want to escape the sin or the bad habit shows that we are converted and changed because we are working so hard to stop. We are trying to subdue the sin in the flesh.

19  For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with me, but to perform that which is good I find not, only in Christ.

You have to give Paul credit for complete honesty when he says that in his flesh dwelleth no good thing. 

About the only good thing we can do is will or desire what is good. Our body is so fallen that it requires grace from Christ to subject it to perform the good works we want to do.  (And when the D&C 84 promises sanctification and renewing of the body, that is also a great encouragement.)

20  For the good that I would have done when under the law, I find not to be good; therefore, I do it not.
21  But the evil which I would not do under the law, I find to be good; that, I do.

So when we are born again, our very perception of what is good or pleasurable changes. The things we thought were attractive before, we discover they are evil or vain or foolish. The things we didn’t care about or were not interested in before, we discover are beautiful and good.

I remember talking to a new convert a few years ago and he told me he had noticed after his baptism that movies he’d previously thought were okay to watch were starting to bother him. I was able to tell him that this was part of the conversion process and the Holy Ghost was changing him. I told him he’d have to be choosier with his media and the important thing was to do what he could to keep the Holy Ghost with him.

22  Now if I do that, through the assistance of Christ, I would not do under the law, I am not under the law; and it is no more that I seek to do wrong, but to subdue sin that dwelleth in me.

The law just tells you the difference between good and bad; it doesn’t actually give you the power to do good. So if you are able to do good with the grace of Christ when you couldn’t do it before with just knowing the law, you don’t have to worry about being condemned by the law.  And if you are able to do good, then you wouldn’t seek evil and spoil it all.  So any sin you fight isn’t really you; the fight is part of subduing the flesh.  But if we choose sin deliberately, then that is rebellion.

23  I find then that under the law, that when I would do good evil was present with me; for I delight in the law of God after the inward man.

Paul noticed that when he wanted to do good, he still had something in him that tried to hold him back, something he had to fight.  The converted person delights in the law of God, even if they still have to work to subdue sin in the flesh. 

24  And now I see another law, even the commandment of Christ, and it is imprinted in my mind.
25  But my members are warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
26  And if I subdue not the sin which is in me, but with the flesh serve the law of sin; O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

If we’ve been converted but we don’t subdue the sin in our bodies, that makes us truly miserable because it seems like we’re stuck doing things we hate and know are wrong. It’s slavery to the body. We need Christ’s help to subdue that sin.

27  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord, then, that so with the mind I myself serve the law of God.

Even if it might be hard to serve God in our bodies, at least our converted mind wants to easily.  This is where following Christ becomes a real discipline.

Isaiah on the joy of conversion

2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

3 Thou hast multiplied the nation, and increased the joy—they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. (2 Nephi 19:2-3)

Here Nephi quotes Isaiah, and there are a number of things to point out about these verses. First, there is a significant difference between v3 in the KJV Bible and how Nephi quotes Isaiah.  Isaiah 9:3 says, “Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy” (emphasis added).  Nephi’s quotation says the joy is increased, and KJV Isaiah says it is not.  Ultimately after we examine the meaning of Nephi’s version, we’ll see that Nephi’s fits better. 

Second, v2 is quoted in the New Testament in Matthew 4:16 as being fulfilled by Jesus’s ministry in Galilee.  Jesus certainly was the great light shining in the darkness.  But there are multiple instances of Christ fulfilling this.  Those “that dwell in the land of the shadow of death” can refer to those in spirit prison after death, who were brought the gospel when Jesus ministered in the world of spirits after His crucifixion and before His resurrection.  It can also refer to all of us in some way.  We all dwell in the shadow of spiritual death before we are personally converted to the true gospel of Christ.  We all need that light to shine on us.

Now we come to v3 and its meaning.

“Thou hast multiplied the nation” – What nation, and who is multiplying it?  The nation referred to has to be the house of Israel, and God is the one who multiplies it.  How does He do this? By converting the heathen nations so they join the covenant and are adopted in.  By gathering scattered Israel. And by the house of Israel having children who stay faithful to the truth.

“Thou hast multiplied the nation, and increased the joy” – Just like it is God who multiplies the house of Israel, it is God who increases the joy. It is the joy felt by those who join. It is the joy felt by those who gathered them. The joy comes from seeing the miracles involved—the miracles of finding, of testifying, of accepting, of changing, of seeing the change.  This is all about conversion.

“they joy before thee [Lord] according to the joy in harvest” – The joy of missionaries is being compared here to the joy of harvesting after a long season of planting, fertilizing, weeding, pruning, etc.  We will best understand this feeling if we have done both missionary work and farming/gardening.  (I think of the joy I had over the single jalapeno plant and its one pepper growing in my courtyard last year. That jalapeno pepper was very special to me.)

“they joy before thee…as men rejoice when they divide the spoil” – This is a little harder to relate to because it involves images of war that we are removed from, if we haven’t experienced war firsthand. (I personally have not.) In Isaiah’s time, once a battle was won and the enemy fled, the victorious army had the privilege of stealing all the enemy’s stuff left behind in camp, and they got to divide it among themselves for profit.   We civilians might get a little closer to this feeling by imagining how we feel finding a heap of free stuff out on the curb while driving around. All this free stuff is high quality and we find it is all just what we need.  That’s part of the feeling of excitement Isaiah was probably getting at, but we have to go back to the image of spoliation in war to get an important spiritual principle.

The people doing the spoiling have been victorious over the enemy. Who is the enemy in missionary work?  It is Satan.  And who has done the heavy lifting to win the battle for a soul?  It is Christ (through the atonement) and the Holy Ghost (in teaching and testifying).  They won, and now the soldiers get to rejoice in taking souls away from Satan, just like soldiers rejoice in spoiling the enemy.  And for converts, they can rejoice because their slavery to Satan is over and oppressing guilt is done away. (“For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor.” [2 Nephi 19:4])

So now we can see these verses are full of the joy of conversion, both for converts and for the missionaries as the Lord multiplies the house of Israel.  And knowing that, we can also see that Isaiah’s KJV rendering “and not increased the joy” just doesn’t make sense. It muddies the waters considerably.

It is neat to me that Isaiah foresaw the time when the Lord would multiply the house of Israel through conversion and all the joy that would bring to all involved. I pray that we can all find a portion in this joy as we look for ways to share the gospel.

The importance of sincerity to conversion

Helaman 3:24-26 describes how thousands of people decided to unite themselves to the church and the record even calls it tens of thousands.  The church prospered exceedingly and the priests and teachers were astonished beyond measure.

Only two years later (v33), pride begins to enter the church and Mormon uses interesting language—“ not into the church of God, but into the hearts of the people who professed to belong to the church of God” (emphasis added).  That indicates he is a little skeptical of the level of conversion of some of the people who joined the church in such great numbers.

In v34, we learn the proud members begin persecuting their humble brethren in the church.

By Helaman 4:1—five years after so many people joined the church—there were many dissentions in the church and a contention among the people with lots of bloodshed.  So those who were not sincere in the church could not maintain the façade.  Mormon does not state this, but it is easy to see that joining the church for any other reason than true conversion and commitment to Christ is not a firm foundation.

I think Mormon’s observation of the mass conversions is telling: 

Thus we may see that the Lord is merciful unto all who will, in the sincerity of their hearts, call upon his holy name.  (Helaman 3:27)

Sincerity is the key work there.  Some among the number of converts may not have been sincere, and they would not be the ones receiving the Lord’s mercy. The Lord is not fooled by empty profession and vain posturing and parading.

For those who have to go through persecution from the proud and insincere, Mormon says,

Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked  (Helaman 3:29)

For those who are sincerely converted, it is like taking a strait path through a gulf of misery to be surrounded by hypocrites in the true church and to suffer at their hands. The only way they can stay steadfast is to lay hold on the word of God and keep going.  

I hope we never fall into pride and hypocrisy and persecution of our fellow members.  Also, in every church ward I have been in I have been blessed to be around sincere members who are doing their best.  I hope that if we ever find ourselves in a ward where members are not so sincere we can hold on our way and stay the course.

Romans 11 on the Lord's plan to save the Gentiles through the unbelief of the Jews

Romans 11 has some important concepts for us to understand, as it lays out for the Gentiles how Israel fits into the plan of God in the future even though much of Israel rejected the gospel of Christ in the meridian of time.

This chapter is very hard for most Christians to understand.  Some choke on the idea that Israel might be converted again.  Others are okay with that, but choke on the idea that all Israel will be saved.  I think it is worth it to go through the chapter and discuss how the Book of Mormon and the doctrine of scattering and gathering Israel helps us make sense of this chapter.

1 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew…

Paul knows God has not entirely cast away His people because some of Israel (including Paul) were converted to Christ.  Paul’s case is a brilliant example because as we know, Paul was previously a rabid opponent of the Christians.  God could have allowed Paul to go on in his unbelieving condition, but instead He appeared to him to stop his persecutions.  God foreknew Paul would be a great instrument in bringing people to Christ.

…Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,

3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.

4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.

5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

Then Paul uses the example of Elijah who, after the deity duel with the priests of Baal, complained about Israel killing the prophets and destroying the true places of worship.  Elijah was concerned that there was no one left of Israel to follow the Lord, but the Lord reassured Elijah that there was still a remnant of faithful people. 

Similarly, there was still a remnant of faithful people among the Israelites in Paul’s day who would be saved.  This remnant would be those who were able to lay hold on the atoning and enabling power (grace) of Christ.  Paul calls this group “a remnant according to the election of grace.” 

6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded

8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

9 And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:

10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.

11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

For verse 6, we have to keep in mind that Paul was previously talking about the election by grace in v5. So in v6 he is talking about election by grace versus election by works. 

We can understand this verse by asking ourselves, “Does conversion to Christ happen because of how we respond to miracles or our own good works, or does it happen because of how we respond to the power of God (grace) through the Holy Ghost?”  I think we can answer that question ourselves.  Miracles awe us, but the effect is not lasting.  And our own works tend to blind us to the need for more of God.  But power felt through the power of the Holy Ghost through testimony is lasting.  “mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts.” (D&C 29:7)

Israel certainly hasn’t obtained what it was seeking for.  What was Israel seeking for in Paul’s time?  It was looking for a Messiah that would lead them to victory against the Romans and restore Israel to power and prosperity.  They certainly didn’t get that military leader in Christ at that time.   Israel was also seeking to be justified by the Law of Moses.  They didn’t get that Christ was Jehovah who gave the law and that the Law was meant to point them to Him.  They didn’t get that they had to believe in Christ and repent to be justified of their sins.

The elect, on the other hand, because they were able to see Christ as the fulfillment, obtained both Messiah and salvation. 

Paul also notes it was the mistake of Israel in rejecting Christ that brought salvation to the gentiles.  Jewish persecution pushed many Christians out of Israel into surrounding areas, which led to the Gentiles hearing and accepting the gospel.  Paul hoped that when the Jews saw the blessings coming to the Gentiles through Christ they might be jealous enough to seek the same blessings themselves.

12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?

Here Paul points out that if the mistakes of the Jews and Israelites can bring such spiritual riches and blessings to the rest of the world, then we can expect the positive effect for the rest of the world to be compounded when the Jews and Israelites finally come to a fullness of belief in Christ.

Most Christians read this verse as merely speculative.  However, since we know the gospel will eventually be accepted by the Jews and Israelites, we see this as Paul matter-of-factly speaking of what is to come.

13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:

14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.

15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

Paul hoped that his example as an apostle to the gentiles would show his people what they needed to be for the world and that his example would save some of them.  We see that he anticipates that the unbelief of Israel would lead to the rest of the world accepting the gospel and even speculates that when Israel accepts the gospel it would be a time of general resurrection.

16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

The lump Paul talks about here is the main part of the harvest that comes after the first fruits.  

He essentially says that it doesn’t matter what order peoples accept the gospel in or the ethnicity of the missionaries, as long as people get it, period, because it all depends on faith in Christ anyway (not faith in ancestry or faith in who is the first to accept the gospel).

17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.

20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

Here Paul makes use of olive tree imagery as an allegory for the situation of the Jews and Gentiles in the church.  Because we have Jacob’s quotation of Zenos’s extended allegory of the olive tree in Jacob 5 we are in a very good position to understand what Paul is saying.

Having been grafted into the church, the Gentiles might be tempted to boast that they were better than the Jews.  However, Paul warned them that pride would get them in trouble because during all the time that they might think they were bearing the root (Jews), the real root (Christ) was bearing them.  The same unbelief that afflicted the Jews could easily begin to afflict the Gentiles as well, and they could be cut off as the Jews had been.

As it happened, the severity of God upon the Jews had resulted in good coming to the Gentiles, but that blessing continuing was contingent upon their continued faith.

23 And they [the Jews] also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.

24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

Paul seems to want to prevent the Gentiles from looking down on the Jews.  He predicts that when the Jews’ time comes to accept the gospel, it will be seem so much more natural to them than it was for the Gentiles.

25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

The time when the Jews will accept the gospel is rightly referred to as a mystery, but Paul wants the Gentiles to know it will happen sometime when “the fullness of the Gentiles be come in” so that they don’t make the mistake of scorning the Jews in pride.

28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.

29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

Paul notes that even though the Jews were fighting against the gospel, the Lord still loved them for the sake of their righteous fathers, particularly Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  The proof of this love is the gift and calling they were given by God to be born into the house of Israel.  They were given the scriptures and the teachings and even if they never repented, those gifts would forever prove the love of God toward them.  (Of course, repenting and believing in Christ opens the door to additional great blessings, as we know.)

30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:

31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

You start to get the sense that Paul himself got became astonished the more he thought about how the Lord used an unbelieving people to accomplish His purposes in bringing the gospel to others.   

And when you stop to think about it, it seems downright incredible and amazing that the Lord can use, not just His servants, but also His enemies to push His plan along.

Lessons from how the JST illuminates the parable of the laborers in the vineyard

The verses I want to blog about today (Matthew 19:16 – 20:16) have three different stories all linked together and which I think need to be read together so that they can be fully understood.  First the rich young man who declines to sell all he has to give to the poor and follow Jesus at Jesus’s invitation.  Second, the clarification to the disciples of how difficult conversion is for the rich and an explanation of the heavenly reward for difficult sacrifices.  Third, the parable of the laborers in the vineyard who are all paid equally even though they were hired at different times of the day.

I think the key to it all starts with the JST of Matt. 19:26 as Jesus explains who can be saved if it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God:

KJV	JST
But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.	But Jesus beheld their thoughts, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but if they will forsake all things for my sake, with God whatsoever things I speak are possible.

So Jesus puts the spotlight on how the sacrifice of all things for Christ’s sake is an important principle of salvation, and of course we are to understand that the rich are very reluctant to sacrifice, which keeps them out of the kingdom.

So then the disciples ask what the reward of their sacrifice will be, since they have given everything up to follow Jesus, and Jesus tells them how they will be given a hundredfold of what good things they had to give up, and receive eternal life.  But then He adds a caveat that the first will be last and the last will be first, and He tells the parable of the laborers in the vineyard to illustrate what He means.

The parable shows laborers who were called to work latest getting their wages first, and the first laborers becoming miffed that working all day didn’t give them a bigger reward.  If we only focus on the time factor, we only get part of the message.  We are meant to understand that the length of time we are part of the kingdom doesn’t matter as much as something else.

There is something the first laborers say in their complaint—“Thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.” (Matt 20:12)  They are complaining, but if they could only see from the master’s perspective, a more optimistic view, this could become a cry of triumph and praise—“Thou hast made them equal spiritually unto us!”  A certain thing has made them equal, worthy of the same reward, but the first laborers don’t understand what it is.

This factor is SACRIFICE, as Jesus mentioned earlier.  We don’t get this from the parable very well because the laborers were standing idle before they were hired, but we can easily see it if we think about what it takes to be converted earlier in life versus later in life.  For those converted early in life, the sacrifice happens as they remain faithful all their lives.  For those converted late in life, they sacrifice all they have been and done previously, all the life they previously built for themselves, as well as their sacrifices to remain faithful afterward.  If we are inclined to dismiss someone else’s sacrifice, we will certainly find ourselves among those complaining laborers, thinking someone else is not worthy of the reward the Lord gives and expecting more ourselves.

I also believe that when the day of judgment comes and the rewards are given out, they will be given out in the order described in that parable.  Those who converted latest in life will be rewarded first and those of us who have grown up in the church will receive our rewards last.

Why will it be done like this?  I think Heavenly Father and Jesus understand how anxious will be those who converted late in life, and it is done this way to reassure them. 

Just imagine if you had converted at age 86 and you saw that the “lifers” were rewarded first?  You’d really worry you’d be found unworthy of glory in the highest degree, wouldn’t you?  You’d worry you’d only end up with a lower degree of glory, wouldn’t you?  Now imagine you (still an 86-year-old convert) watch someone in front of you who was converted at age 96 getting their full reward of glory in the highest degree.  You’d then be completely reassured and be able to wait with joyful anticipation, wouldn’t you?   You can also see that while the rewards are given out this way it will be so easy to fall into the error of thinking the reward would be greater the longer you’ve been in the church.  This is why we have to be aware that the important principle that makes us equal is sacrificing all things for the Lord’s sake.

And again, this is why the parable ends with the words “So the last will be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen” (Matt 20:16).  Indeed, many are called to sacrifice, but few have chosen to sacrifice all things for the Lord’s sake.  And we don’t know what others have sacrificed to join the church, but the neat thing is that God makes us all equal as we sacrifice all for Him.