The Nephites Write, and the Lord Recites, Malachi
Book of Mormon Notes - Thursday, March 7, 2024, 3 Nephi 24
The Lord commanded Nephi and his people to record the ways in which the prophesies of Samuel the Lamanite had been fulfilled. While Nephi, the record keeper, had the records opened, the Lord then commanded him to add more scriptures. After quoting and approving the prophets Isaiah and Samuel the Lamanite, what else could the Lord teach the Nephites, and us? What other scriptures did the Nephites need?
The Lord commanded them to write the words that the Father had given unto Malachi. By the time that Malachi first delivered these prophesies around 430 B.C., Lehi, Nephi, and Jacob had already passed away. Malachi’s prophesies may have been given around the time of Enos and Jarom. But the Nephites had no way of knowing of Malachi’s prophesies until Jesus Christ revealed them.
Who was Malachi?
An Old Testament prophet who wrote and prophesied at approximately 430 B.C.
THE BOOK OF MALACHI
The book or prophecy of Malachi is the last book in the Old Testament. It seems to follow four major themes: (1) the sins of Israel—Malachi 1:6–2:17; 3:8–9; (2) the judgments to come upon Israel because of their disobedience—Malachi 1:14; 2:2–3, 12; 3:5; (3) the promises for obedience—Malachi 3:10–12, 16–18; 4:2–3; and (4) prophecies pertaining to Israel—Malachi 3:1–5; 4:1, 5–6 (D&C 2; 128:17; JS—H 1:37–39).
In his prophecy, Malachi wrote of John the Baptist (Mal. 3:1; Matt. 11:10), the law of tithing (Mal. 3:7–12), the Second Coming of the Lord (Mal. 4:5), and the return of Elijah (Mal. 4:5–6; D&C 2; 128:17; JS—H 1:37–39). The Savior quoted all of Malachi chapters 3 and 4 to the Nephites (3 Ne. 24–25).
Malachi
My messenger. The prophecy of Malachi was spoken about 430 B.C. The first part (Mal. 1:1–2:9) is addressed to the priesthood, reproving them for their neglect of service to God. The second part (2:10–4:6) is addressed to the people, speaking against marriage outside the covenant, divorces from wives within the covenant, and neglect of tithe paying, and reproving the general spirit of discontent. The faithful are encouraged to remain so, with the assurance that the Lord is mindful of them, and the disobedient shall fail in the day of the Lord’s coming. Notable passages are 3:1, which is quoted in Matt. 11:10 as having reference to John the Baptist; Mal. 3:7–12, an exposition of the law of tithing; 4:1, which speaks of the Second Coming of the Lord; and 4:5–6, which deals with the return of Elijah (cited also in D&C 2; 128:17; JS—H 1:37–39). All of Mal. 3 and 4 was quoted by the Savior to the Nephites, as recorded in 3 Ne. 24 and 25.
Malachi 4:5–6 contains the only verses quoted (although not word for word) in all four of the standard works of the Church (see 3 Nephi 25:5–6; D&C 2; 128:17; Joseph Smith—History 1:36–39). The angel Moroni quoted from Malachi’s prophecy during his instructions to the Prophet Joseph Smith:
After telling me these things, he commenced quoting the prophecies of the Old Testament. He first quoted part of the athird chapter of Malachi; and he quoted also the fourth or last chapter of the same prophecy, though with a little variation from the way it reads in our Bibles. Instead of quoting the first verse as it reads in our books, he quoted it thus:
For behold, the aday cometh that shall bburn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall burn as cstubble; for they that come shall burn them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
And again, he quoted the fifth verse thus: Behold, I will reveal unto you the aPriesthood, by the hand of bElijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the cLord.
He also quoted the next verse differently: And he shall plant in the hearts of the achildren the bpromises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming. (Joseph Smith - History 1:36-39)
In 1836, the Prophet Elijah returned to earth to bestow the keys of the sealing power of the priesthood upon Joseph Smith:
After this vision had closed, another great and glorious avision burst upon us; for bElijah the prophet, who was taken to heaven without tasting death, stood before us, and said:
Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi—testifying that he [Elijah] should be sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come—
To aturn the bhearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse—
Therefore, the akeys of this bdispensation are committed into your hands; and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful cday of the Lord is near, even at the doors. (D&C 110:13-16)
Already in 1836 the time had fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi - testifying that he [Elijah] should be sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come. That means that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is a lot closer than it was in 1836 when Malachi’s prophecies began to be fulfilled and Elijah returned. Evidently Malachi’s prophecies were important enough for the Lord to include them in His teachings to the Nephites, and for Moroni to include them in His teachings to Joseph Smith. All of these things indicate that Malachi’s prophecies are especially important for us now in the time when they have been, are, and shall be fulfilled.
Why did Jesus Christ teach and command the Nephites to record the words of Malachi? Remember that these Nephite records were destined to bless future generations, particularly the Lehites (Lamanites) in the last days. The progression of prophesies in the Bible, in the Old Testament, built up to and ended with the words of Malachi, and it makes sense that the progression of prophecies in the Book of Mormon, as well as the progression of Christ’s teachings to the Nephites, also built up to Malachi. Because Christ had fulfilled His mission, ministry, and Atoning sacrifice and risen from the dead, He fulfilled the words of the prophets and the law of Moses. The New Testament era corresponds in many ways with Christ’s ministry among the Nephites. After his ascension into Heaven, the Lord instructed His disciples in Jerusalem concerning the last days. Thus it makes sense that the Lord would instruct His disciples in Bountiful concerning the last days as well.
But most importantly for us in the last days just prior to the great and dreadful day of the Lord (or perhaps right in the middle of it), Jesus Christ taught and commanded the Nephites to record the words of Malachi because He knew that those who would read, understand, and be converted by the teachings of the Book of Mormon would benefit from and be blessed by Malachi’s prophecies.
Why did the Lord first recite the words of Malachi to the Nephite scribes in order for them to record them on the plates before he recited them or rehearsed them to the people? Nephi had brought the plates to Jesus and opened them up, and Jesus noted that there were missing pieces in the record. Remember that Jesus taught them: “Behold, other scriptures I would that ye should write, that ye have not.” The Nephites did not have the words of Malachi because they were not on the Brass Plates. The Lord revealed the words of Malachi to Nephi and the scribes in order that they might benefit from and be blessed by them as long as the Nephite civilization lasted, and also that we in the last days who receive the Book of Mormon might benefit and be blessed by them.
After the words of the Father to Malachi - words that Jesus Christ recited to them verbatim - were recorded on the Nephite plates, the Lord spoke, or expounded the words of Malachi to the rest of the people. This is an interesting event. Why wouldn’t the Lord simply speak the words while the Nephite scribes wrote them down? One reason may be that the language in which Malachi’s words were inscribed on the plates was different from the language that the Lord spoke to the audience that was present at the time. The language of the Nephite plates may have built upon the language of the brass plates - the language that Nephi learned that consisted of the language of the Egyptians and the learning of the Jews - a language of learning and literature that not everyone understood. When the Lord spoke to the people, however, He spoke in their own language, a language that they could understand.
The text of 3 Nephi 24 is remarkably similar to the text of Malachi 3 in the KJV. There are only a few minor differences in punctuation and phraseology. (e.g. “that turn aside the stranger from his right, (Bible)” “What have we spoken so much against thee? (Book of Mormon)” and “the Lord hearkened, and heard it.” (Bible) God the Father delivered the words to Malachi, and His Son delivered the exact same words to the Nephites. As mentioned previously, this revelation, or portions of this revelation are contained in all four of the Standard Works of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. What did the Father teach the Jews through the words of Malachi, what did the Son teach the Nephites through the same words of Malachi, and what, therefore, do the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost teach us?
That will be the subject of my next post.