Lessons on the Book of Mormon 2020
Lesson No. Thirty-Five
Third Nephi – A Pattern to Prepare for the Second Coming
President Ezra Taft Benson on the importance of 3 Nephi – As I study 3 Nephi I experienced the same feelings expressed so well by President Benson: “I have been reading again the marvelous account in the Book of Mormon of the visit of the resurrected Savior to the American continent. I have been deeply impressed with the beauty and power of the scriptural account in 3 Nephi, and with its great value for our time and our generation” (A Witness and a Warning, p. 37).
Furthermore, as we study 3 Nephi and consider current events around the world we can see how 3 Nephi is a pattern which will help us prepare for the Second Coming of the Lord. The following are my thoughts about of the events described in 3 Nephi and the events associated with the Second Coming.
Believers are persecuted – The persecution of those who believed in the First Coming of Christ is described in 3 Nephi 1-2. Likewise, today there is little tolerance for those who believe that the Second Coming is near, and that the Lord is hastening His work. Our beliefs are considered naive, and should be “canceled” and kept out of the public square. This persecution will likely increase.
Signs and wonders from heaven – “The prophecies of the prophets began to be fulfilled more fully; for there began to be greater signs and greater miracles wrought among the people” (3 Nephi 1:4). In our day the Lord is speaking “by the voice of thunderings, and by the voice of lightnings, and by the voice of tempests, and by the voice of earthquakes, and great hailstorms, and by the voice of famines and pestilences of every kind… (D&C 43:25). As with the unbelieving Nephites modern day secularist say, “it is not reasonable that such a being as Christ should come” (Helaman 16:18).
Wars and rumors of wars – 3 Nephi 3-4 describes the wars that took place prior to the Lord’s coming to the Nephites. The Nephites were not frightened by the demands and threats by those opposed to the work of the Lord, and neither should we be frightened. Like the inspired Nephite leaders, Lachoneus and Gidgiddoni, modern prophets are preparing those who will listen for the coming of the Lord.
Pride, wealth, and class distinctions arise – 3 Nephi 6:10-18 – “Pride became commonplace. Dishonesty and immorality were widespread. Secret combinations flourished….‘The people began to be distinguished by ranks, according to their riches and their chances for learning’ (3 Nephi 6:12). And ‘Satan had great power, unto the stirring up on the people to do all manner iniquity, and to the puffing them up with pride, tempting them to seek for power, and authority, and riches, and the vain things of the world’ (3 Nephi 6:15), even as today” (Ezra Taft Benson, A Witness and a Warning, p. 38).
Prophets testify and are generally rejected – 3 Nephi 6:20-21 – “And there began to be men inspired from heaven and sent forth, standing among the people in all the land, preaching and testifying boldly of the sins and iniquities of the people, and testifying unto them concerning the redemption which the Lord would make for his people, or in other words, the resurrection of Christ; and they did testify boldly of his death and sufferings. Now there were many of the people who were exceedingly angry because of those who testified of these things.”
Likewise, modern prophets speak boldly against sin. They teach the doctrine of Christ and testify of His Second Coming. This makes the opponents of the Lord and His work exceedingly angry.
People become fractious and partisan, and government becomes dysfunctional – 3 Nephi 7:2 – “And the people were divided one against another; and they did separate one from another into tribes, every man according to his family and his kindred and friends; and thus they did destroy the government of the land.”
Today there is great strife in most every dimension and aspect of society. Excessive strife feeds on itself and makes improvement and progress very difficult.
Testimony – The pattern given in 3 Nephi, preceding the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to the Nephites, is similar to what is happening in the last days as we approach the Second Coming.
As the events proceeding the Second Coming of the Lord becomes more and more evident, the honest in heart throughout the earth will be receptive to the truths taught by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which “is Christ’s New Testament Church restored.” And “those who prayerfully study the message of the Restoration and act in faith will be blessed to gain their own witness of its divinity and of its purpose to prepare the world for the promised Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ” (The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ – A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World).