Marvel Not
Book of Mormon Notes - Friday, February 2, 2024, 3 Nephi 15
Jesus taught many of the same things to the Nephites at the Temple in Bountiful that He had taught to His disciples in Galilee and Judea before He ascended to His Father. Jesus promised to exalt, or raise up, those who remember and do His sayings. But He had more to teach these Nephites. They were more prepared, and better prepared to receive the Lord’s teachings than were the Jews in the Old World.
Even so, some of the Nephites were puzzled by Jesus Christ’s teachings regarding His fulfillment of the law of Moses. The Lord explained that He fulfilled the law of Moses and the He had given the law of Moses in the first place:
And he said unto them: Marvel not that I said unto you that old things had passed away, and that all things had become anew.
Behold, I say unto you that the alaw is fulfilled that was given unto Moses.
Behold, aI am he that gave the law, and I am he who covenanted with my people Israel; therefore, the law in me is fulfilled, for I have come to bfulfil the law; therefore it hath an end.
Behold, I do anot destroy the prophets, for as many as have not been fulfilled in me, verily I say unto you, shall all be fulfilled.
And because I said unto you that old things have passed away, I do not destroy that which hath been spoken concerning things which are to come.
For behold, the acovenant 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 alaw, and the blight. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall clive; for unto him that dendureth to the end will I give eternal life.
Behold, I have given unto you the acommandments; therefore keep my commandments. And this is the law and the prophets, for they truly btestified of me. (3 Nephi 15:3-10)
The obvious question in my mind is why these particular Nephites were so concerned about the fulfillment of the law of Moses and making all things new? We must remember that these Nephites, like the Jews, had been taught to keep the law of Moses for a long time. But unlike the Jews, the Nephites, or at least some of the Nephites, maintained a greater perspective regarding the purpose of the law of Moses. Remember Nephi’s teachings:
For we labor diligently to write, to apersuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by bgrace that we are saved, after all we can cdo.
And, notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we akeep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled.
For, for this end was the alaw given; wherefore the law hath become bdead unto us, and we are made alive in Christ because of our faith; yet we keep the law because of the commandments.
And we atalk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we bprophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our cchildren may know to what source they may look for a dremission of their sins.
Wherefore, we speak concerning the law that our children may know the deadness of the law; and they, by knowing the deadness of the law, may look forward unto that life which is in Christ, and know for what end the law was given. And after the law is fulfilled in Christ, that they need not harden their hearts against him when the law ought to be done away. (2 Nephi 25:23-27)
Remember Amulek’s testimony in this regard:
Therefore, it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice, and then shall there be, or it is expedient there should be, a stop to the shedding of blood; then shall the law of Moses be fulfilled; yea, it shall be all fulfilled, every jot and tittle, and none shall have passed away. (Alma 34:13)
Lest we judge these ancient Nephites too harshly, it is good for us to consider the many things that we have been given to remind us of and lead us to Jesus Christ, and the mortal propensity to forget the purpose of those things. These ancient Nephites had grown accustomed to living by the law of Moses, and it would have been very easy to continue to go through the motions of the law while forgetting the Lawgiver and the purpose thereof. The same thing might easily happen with modern members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, those of us who partake of the sacrament each week, attend the Temple, and do a variety of other things repetitively and routinely. Just like these ancient Nephites who wondered what would be done with the law of Moses, we moderns might wonder about the many changes in policies that have been introduced even recently. Elder Bednar’s warning and admonition is helpful:
Sometimes as members of the Church we segment, separate, and apply the gospel in our lives by creating lengthy checklists of individual topics to study and tasks to accomplish. But such an approach potentially can constrain our understanding and vision. We must be careful because pharisaical focus upon checklists can divert us from drawing closer to the Lord.
The purpose and purification, the happiness and joy, and the continuing conversion and protection that come from “yielding [our] hearts unto God”4 and “[receiving] his image in [our] countenances”5 cannot be obtained merely by performing and checking off all the spiritual things we are supposed to do. Rather, the power of the Savior’s gospel to transform and bless us flows from discerning and applying the interrelatedness of its doctrine, principles, and practices. Only as we gather together in one all things in Christ, with firm focus upon Him, can gospel truths synergistically enable us to become what God desires us to become6 and endure valiantly to the end.7
Also consider Elder Wilford W. Andersen’s insightful analogy regarding the music of the Gospel:
Sometimes in our homes, we successfully teach the dance steps but are not as successful in helping our family members to hear the music. And as the old medicine man well knew, it is hard to dance without music. Dancing without music is awkward and unfulfilling—even embarrassing. Have you ever tried it?
In section 8 of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord taught Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, “Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart” (verse 2). We learn the dance steps with our minds, but we hear the music with our hearts. The dance steps of the gospel are the things we do; the music of the gospel is the joyful spiritual feeling that comes from the Holy Ghost. It brings a change of heart and is the source of all righteous desires. The dance steps require discipline, but the joy of the dance will be experienced only when we come to hear the music.
Jesus Christ came in glory to the Nephites at the Temple in Bountiful, bringing the joyful music of His Gospel that reverberates through eternity wherever He goes. Everything else was given - the law of Moses, the Sacrament, the Temple, and all created things - to point to Him. Jesus Christ does not destroy any of these things, but fulfills them. Jesus Christ is the alaw, and the blight. Everything else that we have been given helps point us to Him and tune our hearts to the beautiful and glorious music of His Gospel. When old things are done away, we don’t need to marvel. Consider how many changes have been made recently:
2 Hour Church
Ministering instead of home teaching
New Preach My Gospel
Greater emphasis on the full name of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Come, Follow Me curriculum
A new Church symbol
The Restoration Proclamation
The Saints volumes
The new For the Strength of Youth guide
The proliferation of Temples
The list goes on and on. But all of it is meant to lead us to Jesus Christ and prepare us for His impending Second Coming. When He comes again soon, perhaps we will better understand the purpose of all of the things that His Church provided.
Perhaps the ancient Nephites who marveled at Christ’s fulfillment of the law of Moses had not fully appreciated Nephi’s teachings:
And after Christ shall have risen from the dead he shall show himself unto you, my children, and my beloved brethren; and the words which he shall speak unto you shall be the law which ye shall do. (2 Nephi 26:1)
Imagine Christ’s Second Coming and a group of puzzled bishops and stake presidents who wonder why Jesus Christ might do things that are not in the official Church Handbook. Too often we assume, however, that the changes that the Lord will bring - the many things yet to be revealed - will always accord with our personal political and philosophical preferences. Much more likely is that continuing revelation will continue to astound and cause many, like these ancient Nephites, to marvel. The key for us, as it was for them, is to continue to look unto Christ, the Law and the Light, to endure to the end, and to keep His commandments.
Jesus then spoke to the Twelve whom He had chosen from among the Nephites, calling them His adisciples, and a blight to the remnant of the house of cJoseph. The Lord reminded them that the Promised Land, ancient America, was the land of their inheritance. These are things that Heavenly Father withheld from the people in Jerusalem because of their unbelief. The Lord had greater liberty to teach and bestow greater light and knowledge upon the ancient Nephites because of their greater faith in Him. One of the grand truths that the Lord was able to teach these ancient Nephites is that they were His other sheep:
And verily I say unto you, that ye are they of whom I said: aOther sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one bshepherd. (3 Nephi 15:21)
The Jews did not understand this particular teaching, but the Nephites were privileged, as also are we, to understand, if we will. Because of the greater faith of the Nephites, they were also blessed to receive an even greater portion of Christ’s word, as a greater portion that we will study in the following chapters.