Lessons on the Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ and His Apostles
Lesson No. Eight

The Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon at the Temple

Matthew 5 and 3 Nephi 12

The doctrine taught in Sermon on the Mount is intended for all people – The mortal Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount to His Jewish brethren as recorded in Matthew 5. The resurrected Jesus taught the same doctrine in the Sermon at the Temple to His other sheep in ancient America.

The Sermon on the Mount, by Carl Heinrich Bloch

As Jesus concluded the Sermon at the Temple He said there were yet other sheep, and “I have received a commandment of the Father that I shall go unto them, and that they shall hear my voice, and shall be numbered among my sheep, that there may be one fold and one shepherd; therefore I go to show myself unto them” (3 Nephi 16:3). Certainly, He also taught this Sermon to these other sheep

The Sermon on the Mount is an autobiography by our Savior on His own nature and character – President Harold B. Lee explained: “In the Sermon on the Mount the Master has given us somewhat of a revelation of his own character, which was perfect, or what might be said to be an autobiography, every syllable he had written down in deeds, and in so doing has given us a blue print for our own lives.”

If we want to know the Lord and follow His example we must live the teachings in the Sermon on the Mount and in the Sermon at the Temple.

Living the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount is a commandment and is required for salvation – As the Lord concluded the Sermon at the Temple He explained: “Behold, ye have heard the things which I taught before I ascended to my Father; therefore, whoso remembereth these sayings of mine and doeth them, him will I raise up at the last day” (3 Nephi 15:1). The doctrine taught in these two Sermons are part of the higher law that we are under covenant to live.

Like the Jews some Nephites “wondered what he would concerning the law of Moses; for they understood not the saying that old things had passed away, and that all things had become new” (3 Nephi 15:2). Jesus explained how the gospel covenant, the higher law, superseded the law of Moses: “For behold, the covenant which I have made with my people is not all fulfilled; but the law which was given unto Moses hath an end in me. Behold, I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life” (3 Nephi 15:8-9).

The Book of Mormon and the JST give great light to the Beatitudes – This light is essential for our day:

  • A new beatitude about the importance of following the Apostles – “Blessed are ye if ye shall give heed unto the words of these twelve whom I have chosen from among you to minister unto you, and to be your servants…” (3 Nephi 12:1).

  • A new beatitude about the blessedness of believing without seeing – “And again, more blessed are they who shall believe in your words because that ye shall testify that ye have seen me, and that ye know that I am. Yea, blessed are they who shall believe in your words, and come down into the depths of humility and be baptized, for they shall be visited with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and shall receive a remission of their sins” (3 Nephi 12:2).

  • All the beatitudes are conditioned on coming unto Christ – Yea, blessed are the poor in spirit, who come unto me, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (3 Nephi 12:3, emphasis added). All of the following beatitudes begin with the word “And”. This makes the conditional phrase “who come unto me” apply to all the following beatitudes. For example: “And again, blessed are all they that mourn, who come unto me, for they shall be comforted. And blessed are the meek, who come unto me, for they shall inherit the earth…” (3 Nephi 12:4-12, emphasis added).

  • These sermons were given for believers, and parts of which applied specifically to the Twelve – The Sermon at the Temple in the Book of Mormon helps us to appreciate this important fact. For example, the Lord’s commandment to take no thought for temporal things applied to the Twelve in their ministry and not the members of the Church generally. (See 3 Nephi 13:25-34)

The higher law concerning anger – The King James version of Matthew 5:22 states: “But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.” The JST and the Sermon at the Temple in the Book of Mormon do not include the phrase “without a cause”. The true understanding of the higher law is that unrighteous anger is not justified even if there is a cause.

It is also valuable to know the other manuscripts of Matthew 5:22 which have been more recently discovered do not include the phrase “without a cause.” This reaffirms the authenticity of the JST and the Sermon at the Temple.

“Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect” (3 Nephi 12:48). This verse shows a wonderful consistency in the Book of Mormon. At the time Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount He was still mortal and not yet resurrected, and therefore not perfect as our Father who is in heaven is perfect. For this reason in the Sermon on the Mount He did not include Himself as being perfect, only our Father in Heaven. When He gave the Sermon at the Temple He had been resurrected and was now perfect. He therefore included Himself as being perfect, even as our Father in Heaven is perfect.

Perfection is of two kinds; finite or mortal and infinite or eternal. Finite perfection is to be gained by members of His Church in this life. It is to be “perfected in Christ” (Moroni 10:32-33). Infinite perfection is reserved for those who overcome all things, and inherit the fulness of the Father hereafter. In this verse Jesus is speaking of infinite and eternal perfection. We are to press forward in this life achieving mortal perfection in Christ so that in the resurrection we will be perfect, like Him and His Father.