3 Nephi 27
3 Nephi 27:1–3
1 And it came to pass that as the disciples of Jesus were journeying and were preaching the things which they had both heard and seen, and were baptizing in the name of Jesus, it came to pass that the disciples were gathered together and were united in mighty prayer and fasting.
2 And Jesus again showed himself unto them, for they were praying unto the Father in his name; and Jesus came and stood in the midst of them, and said unto them: What will ye that I shall give unto you?
3 And they said unto him: Lord, we will that thou wouldst tell us the name whereby we shall call this church; for there are disputations among the people concerning this matter.
Comments
On the second day of Christ’s visit, the day began with the twelve preaching to the people. On the third day of Christ’s visit, the day began with the twelve again preaching to the people. For three days, the Savior had been among the multitude, then he ascended to heaven. The end of the third day is not explicit, but there is a division between what Jesus did on that day and the teachings of the apostles, which occurs between 3 Nephi 26:16 and 17. These verses were originally part of the previous chapter and should be understood in connection with 3 Nephi 26:17–21.
This event must occur some undescribed time later. The twelve are journeying. They are traveling to different places to preach the word, and the implications of these events that will be described are that they were alone.
Thus, at some indeterminate time after Christ’s appearances in Bountiful, he returns to the twelve while they are in the process of spreading the message. They were traveling as a group. Jesus appears to them and asks, “What will ye that I shall give unto you?”
They respond that they want the name by which the church should be called. Names were important. We remember that it was a royal occasion in which King Benjamin gave his people a new name (Mosiah 1:11–12). In the ancient world, the name was declared to encapsulate the essence. Therefore, the name by which the doctrine of Christ would be called was important.
Why the Church Bears Jesus’s Name
3 Nephi 27:4–8
4 And the Lord said unto them: Verily, verily, I say unto you, why is it that the people should murmur and dispute because of this thing?
5 Have they not read the scriptures, which say ye must take upon you the name of Christ, which is my name? For by this name shall ye be called at the last day;
6 And whoso taketh upon him my name, and endureth to the end, the same shall be saved at the last day.
7 Therefore, whatsoever ye shall do, ye shall do it in my name; therefore ye shall call the church in my name; and ye shall call upon the Father in my name that he will bless the church for my sake.
8 And how be it my church save it be called in my name? For if a church be called in Moses’ name then it be Moses’ church; or if it be called in the name of a man then it be the church of a man; but if it be called in my name then it is my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel.
Comments
Jesus describes the principle on which they might give the church a name. He had taught that they should pray to the Father in his name, and that in his name they were baptized. The people who were baptized were to take upon them his name. In other words, they were to be identified with him. It would be something similar to a child that is adopted into a family and takes the family name. They become identified through the family name.
Thus, Jesus notes that, “how be it my church save it be called in my name?”
3 Nephi 27:9–12
9 Verily I say unto you, that ye are built upon my gospel; therefore ye shall call whatsoever things ye do call, in my name; therefore if ye call upon the Father, for the church, if it be in my name the Father will hear you;
10 And if it so be that the church is built upon my gospel then will the Father show forth his own works in it.
11 But if it be not built upon my gospel, and is built upon the works of men, or upon the works of the devil, verily I say unto you they have joy in their works for a season, and by and by the end cometh, and they are hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence there is no return.
12 For their works do follow them, for it is because of their works that they are hewn down; therefore remember the things that I have told you.
Comments
The church is identified with Jesus Christ because it teaches, and is the fountain of, his gospel. Even though the twelve had learned that there was a Father in Heaven who was separate from Jesus (who had identified himself as Yahweh, the one who gave the law to Moses, see 3 Nephi 15:5), it was still Jesus who was the head of the church. They will pray to the Father, but that prayer will only be effective if done in Jesus’s name.
Therefore, the church is built on the gospel, and the gospel requires that humankind live the commandments. If they are not living the commandments and teachings of the gospel, they will be as the stubble that Jesus had previously declared would be burned at the end. They would not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Gospel Defined
3 Nephi 27:13–17
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.
Comments
If it is important to live according to the gospel, it is also important to understand it. Jesus provides the foundation of the gospel, which is his atoning sacrifice. That sacrifice opens the possibility of repentance, and repentance will allow humankind to change and improve, and therefore stand “guiltless before [the] Father” in the final judgment.
The important aspect of repentance is that it should lead to a real change. Serial repentance of the same error is not the definition of living the Gospel. The requirement is to endure to the end. We endure in the sense that we keep going, not in the sense of suffering. The Gospel is consistently described as bringing joy. Thus, the association of endurance as something hard to bear is not the image that is being projected. It is the continuance, the perseverance to repent as a means of improvement, that we may achieve the promised ultimate joy.
3 Nephi 27:18–22
18 And this is the word which he hath given unto the children of men. And for this cause he fulfilleth the words which he hath given, and he lieth not, but fulfilleth all his words.
19 And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end.
20 Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.
21 Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do; for that which ye have seen me do even that shall ye do;
22 Therefore, if ye do these things blessed are ye, for ye shall be lifted up at the last day.
Comments
The conclusion to the nature of the gospel that they were to teach was repentance and baptism so that humankind could stand clean before their God at the final judgement. The phrase “no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom” is a unique Book of Mormon reading probably based on Isaiah 52:11: “Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord.” The verse in Isaiah referred to the temple, which was symbolically the presence of the Lord. Therefore, the concept that uncleanness should not enter God’s presence is the message of Isaiah 52:11, which is stated differently in the Book of Mormon.
This verse ended the chapter in the 1830 Book of Mormon.
Additional Instructions to the Twelve
3 Nephi 27:23–26
23 Write the things which ye have seen and heard, save it be those which are forbidden.
24 Write the works of this people, which shall be, even as hath been written, of that which hath been.
25 For behold, out of the books which have been written, and which shall be written, shall this people be judged, for by them shall their works be known unto men.
26 And behold, all things are written by the Father; therefore out of the books which shall be written shall the world be judged.
Comments
Jesus had commanded the people to update their scriptural records with new material when he was with them on the second day. On this occasion, he commands the twelve to write both of his visit, and of the works of the people.
The immediate reason given was that these things would be written in the Heavenly records, and from them the people would be judged.
There is another reason for this commandment, however. At that time, there was no Nephite nation. There were separate tribes about whom we know nothing after the great destructions that witnessed to Christ’s death in the Old World. Thus, there was the possibility that the tradition of keeping the plates of Nephi might have ended. Jesus commands that it continue. It was possible to continue because the records had been kept by Nephi3 and the current head of the twelve disciples. The command to write what Christ had said may have been taken up by more than one of the twelve, but it certainly was taken up by Nephi3. It is his record of this event that Mormon used in 3 Nephi.
3 Nephi 27:27
27 And know ye that ye shall be judges of this people, according to the judgment which I shall give unto you, which shall be just. Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am.
Comments
Jesus declares that the twelve are given the authority to be judges of the people. Earlier, he had said: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again” (3 Nephi 14:1–2).
There was an inherent issue in judging. It was possible that there might be an unrighteous judgement. Therefore, Jesus also declares to them that they should judge “according to the judgment which I shall give unto you, which shall be just.”
The final command to them as judges was that they purify themselves to judge as Christ would judge. Therefore, what quality, what kind, of men ought they be? Christ declares simply, but with a powerful implication: “Even as I am.” That implication is even stronger when we remember that Christ is Yahweh, and one of the designations of Yahweh was “I Am.”
3 Nephi 27:28–29
28 And now I go unto the Father. And verily I say unto you, whatsoever things ye shall ask the Father in my name shall be given unto you.
29 Therefore, ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for he that asketh, receiveth; and unto him that knocketh, it shall be opened.
Comments
Jesus repeats to the twelve two things he had said before. This is for emphasis, and to make sure that they understand that it applies to them.
Verse 1 is a repeat of 3 Nephi 18:20.
Verse 2 is a repeat of 3 Nephi 14:7.
3 Nephi 27:30–33
30 And now, behold, my joy is great, even unto fulness, because of you, and also this generation; yea, and even the Father rejoiceth, and also all the holy angels, because of you and this generation; for none of them are lost.
31 Behold, I would that ye should understand; for I mean them who are now alive of this generation; and none of them are lost; and in them I have fulness of joy.
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.
33 And it came to pass that when Jesus had ended these sayings he said unto his disciples: Enter ye in at the strait gate; for strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few there be that find it; but wide is the gate, and broad the way which leads to death, and many there be that travel therein, until the night cometh, wherein no man can work.
Comments
Verse 30 and 31 speak of the joy in the gospel. They contrast with the sorrow of verse 32 about the fourth generation after their time. This juxtaposition with joy and sorrow is a literary model of reversals that we see in many places in the Book of Mormon.
Having spoken of the joy of following the gospel, and the sadness for those (the fourth generation to come) who would not follow, Jesus repeats the message from 3 Nephi 14:13–14.
This is not the end of a chapter in the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon.
