Lessons for Our Day From the Book of Mormon Another Testament of Jesus Christ - 2024
Lesson No. Thirty-Two

Jesus’ Covenant People Sermon for the Latter Days

The Savior gave three public sermons to the Nephites: The first was the Sermon at the Temple (see 3 Nephi 12-14) which is similar to the Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 5-7, also Lesson 30 in this Book). The second is the Law and the Covenant Sermon where Jesus teaches the law given to Moses was fulfilled in Him but the Covenant given to Abraham has not yet been fulfilled (see 3 Nephi 15-16, also Lesson 31 in this Book). The third sermon is Jesus’ profound discourse found in 3 Nephi 20:10-23:5. Jesus was instructed by His Father to give this sermon, and It teaches us how the covenant promises of the Father, given to Abraham and the house of Israel, will be fulfilled in the latter days. (For a great insights on this sermon see Victor Ludlow in Third Nephi, an Incomparable Scripture, p. 147-174).

Jesus expounds on the fulfilling of the Father’s Covenant to Israel: This intricate and detailed sermon is in the form of an inverted parallelism, also known as a chiasmus. It is another evidence of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon because the sermon is so profound that only God could organize it in such an amazing way. The emphasis or turning point in this chiasmus is one long and complex sentence comprising 3 Nephi 21:1-7.

Vs 1: The coming forth of the Book of Mormon is “a sign” that the gathering of Israel and the establishment of Zion is “about to take place.” (future tense, it will happen)

Vs 7: When latter day Lamanites begin to know and accept the Book of Mormon it is “a sign…that the work of the Father hath already commenced unto the fulfilling of the covenant which he hath made unto the people who are of the house of Israel.” (past tense, it has started)

Vs 4 is the primary message and focus of this sermon: “For it is wisdom in the Father that they (latter day Gentiles) should be established in this land (United States), and be set up as a free people by the power of the Father, that these things (Book of Mormon) might come forth from them (latter day Gentiles) unto a remnant of your seed (latter day Lamanites), that the covenant of the Father may be fulfilled which he hath covenanted with his people, O house of Israel” (parentheses are mine).

This powerful verse could be expressed in the following equation: “It is wisdom in the Father” + “the power of the Father” + “the covenant of the Father” = “a free people” “established this land,” the United States, so the Book of Mormon could “come forth” to the world.

1 Nephi 13:12-19 confirms God’s hand in the discovery and colonization of the United States:

- Nephi “beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon [Columbus]” (Vs 12).

- Nephi also “beheld the Spirit of God, that it wrought upon other Gentiles; and they went forth out of captivity, upon the many waters” (Vs 13). This was the Pilgrims and other colonists.

- Nephi “beheld many multitudes of the Gentiles upon the land of Promise (the United States); and I beheld the wrath of God, that it was upon the seed of my brethren (native Americans); and they were scattered before the Gentiles and were smitten” (Vs 14).

- Nephi “beheld the Spirit of the Lord, that it was upon the Gentiles, and they did prosper and obtain the land for their inheritance…” (Vs 15).

- Nephi “beheld that the Gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity did humble themselves before the Lord; and the power of the Lord was with them” (Vs 16). Regardless of what revisionist historians teach, the colonists of our nation loved the Lord and were loved by Him.

- Nephi saw the Revolutionary War (Vs 17-18), and he “beheld that the Gentiles that had gone out of captivity were delivered by the power of God out of the hand of all other nations” (Vs 19). This is another powerful witness of the reality of the teachings of 3 Nephi 21:4.

D&C 101:77-80 confirms God’s hand in the establishment of the Constitution of the United States:

- The Lord caused the Constitution of the United States “to be established” and He expects it “to be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles” (Vs 77). These just and holy principles are “moral agency and [accountability]” (Vs 78).

- “And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose…” (Vs 80). When the Lord speaks of “this land” in 3 Nephi 21:4 and D&C 101:80 He is clearly speaking of the United States. Primarily, “the land of promise” spoken of in the Book of Mormon is the United States. (See 1 Nephi 13:14)

Conclusion: Regardless of the confusion and uncertainty in the modern world and the politics of our day, we can have confidence in the future. This Lesson is intended to show that through “the wisdom” and “the power” and “the covenant” of the Father, the United States was established so the Gospel of Jesus Christ could be restored and the Book of Mormon could be given to the world. (See 3 Nephi 21:4). To do this He established the United States and set up a free people through its Constitution based on the just and holy principles of agency and accountability. Furthermore, it must be maintained on these same just and holy principles of agency and accountability.

I testify of the truth and the importance of the Lord’s teachings set forth in D&C 3:1-3: “The works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught. For God doth not walk in crooked paths, neither doth he turn to the right hand nor to the left, neither doth he vary from that which he hath said, therefore his paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round. Remember, remember that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men;”

We are expected to do all we can, but because the restoration of the Gospel and the founding of the United States is His work neither will be frustrated or fail.

The principles of logic apply: First premise: The work of God cannot fail; Second premise: The Restoration of the Gospel and the establishment of the United States is the work of God; Conclusion: Neither the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints nor the United States will fail.

Released on October 27th. 2024.