3 Nephi 17:3 Ponder

“Man must take time to meditate, to sweep the cobwebs from his mind, so hat he might get a more firm grip on the truth and spend less time chasing phantoms and dallying in projects of lesser worth…..Take time to meditate. Ponder the meaning of the work in which you are engaged. The Lord has counselled, ‘Let the solemnities of eternity rest upon your minds.’ (D&C 43:34). You cannot do that when your minds are preoccupied with the worries and cares of the world.” (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p 390).

3 Nephi 17:5-7, 9-10 Have ye any that are sick?

“Calling for the sick and the blind, the halt and the maimed, the leprous and the withered, those that were ‘afflicted in any manner,’ Christ asked that they be brought forward that he might heal them. … Sensing with divine insight that these people desired to behold the miracles he had performed for their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem, and recognizing instantly that their faith was sufficient for them to be healed, Christ responded to each need within the multitude, ‘and he did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto him.’ In response to such an outpouring of compassion and mercy, all of the congregation, the healed as well as the whole, did ‘bow down at his feet, and did worship him; and as many as could come … did kiss his feet, insomuch that they did bathe his feet with their tears.’ [3 Nephi 17:5–7, 9–10.]” (Jeffrey R Holland, Christ and the New Covenant, 268–69).

3 Nephi 17:15 He prayed unto the Father

“In such times as we are in,….I too pray for the children. Some days it seems that a sea of temptation and transgression inundates them, simply washes over them before they can successfully withstand it, before they should have to face it…. Well, some of [these things] may be beyond our control, but I testify with faith in the living God that they are not beyond His.” ( Jeffrey R Holland, Prayer for the Children.)

3 Nephi 17:21 He wept

“He wept -he who had descended below all things, the Man of Sorrows, he who bore all our griefs. The height of his infinite capacity for joy is the inverse, mirror image of the depth of his capacity to bear our burdens. So it is with the enlarged caverns of feeling within our own hearts: as the sorrows of our lives carve and stretch those caverns, they expand our soul’s capacity for joy. Then, when the Man of Sorrows turns our bitter tastes to sweet, our joy -and his- will fill the widened chambers of our hearts with what the scriptures call ‘fulness.’ That is when we have accepted his Atonement and love with such completeness that his purpose for us is fully satisfied. Then will we know that we were made for this. Then will we know where, and why, and to whom, we belong. ‘For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.’ (Psalm 107:9.)” (Bruce C Hafen, The Belonging Heart, p. 315)

3 Nephi 18:1-4 The sacrament

…every ordinance of the gospel focuses in one way or another on the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, and surely that is why this particular ordinance with all its symbolism and imagery comes to us more readily and more repeatedly than any other in our life. It comes in what has been called ‘the most sacred, the most holy, of all the meetings of the Church’ (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation,2:340).

3 Nephi 18:6 This shall ye always observe to do

“Those who would deny themselves the blessing of the sacrament by not attending sacrament meeting or by not thinking of the Saviour during the services surely must not understand the great opportunity to be forgiven, to have his Spirit to guide and comfort them! What more could anyone ask?

As we worthily partake of the sacrament, we will sense those things we need to improve in and receive the help and determination to do so. No matter what our problems, the sacrament always gives hope.” (John Groberg, Beauty and Importance of the Sacrament.

3 Nephi 18:11 To those who repent and are baptised in my name

“The sacrament is for the Saints, for those who have actually made covenants at the waters of baptism primarily, but there is no evidence that I find where the Lord would ever exclude the children who were rapidly moving toward baptism and who were learning and being taught to worship the Lord and be ready for the covenants as their age and development would permit….

“If a person, not a member of the Church, is in the congregation, we do not forbid him partaking of it, but would properly advise that the sacrament is for the renewing of covenants. And, since he has not made the true covenant of baptism or temple covenant, he is exempt. However, his partaking of the sacrament if he is clean and worthy and devout would not bring upon him any condemnation as it would for those who have made solemn covenants and then have ignored or defied them.” (Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 226)

3 Nephi 18:32 Continue to minister

“The principles to activate souls do not change. The lost or less-active must be found and contacted. Loving concern must be demonstrated. They must feel of our love. They must be taught the gospel. They must feel the power of the Holy Ghost through the teachers. They must be included in our fellowship. They must have meaningful Church responsibilities. In the words of the Book of Mormon, we are to ‘continue to minister’ (3 Nephi 18:32). We are particularly concerned that new converts be integrated into full fellowship in the Church. They must be welcomed with open arms.” (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 234)

3 Nephi 19:9 The disciples prayed for the Holy Ghost

“There is … a difference between the gift of the Holy Ghost and the enjoyment of the gift. All saints after baptism receive the gift or right to the sanctifying power of the Spirit; only those who are worthy and who keep the commandments actually enjoy the promised reward. In practice, members of the Church enjoy the companionship of the Spirit from time to time as they manage, by obedience, to get in tune with the Infinite.

“The actual enjoyment of the gift of the Holy Ghost is a supernal gift that a man can receive in mortality. The fact of its receipt is a witness that the saints so blessed are reconciled to God and are doing the things that will assure them of eternal life in the realms ahead” (Bruce R McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith[1985], 257).

3 Nephi 19:10-13 Baptism

‘When Christ appeared to the Nephites on this continent, he commanded them to be baptized, although they had been baptized previously for the remission of their sins… . The Savior commanded Nephi and the people to be baptized again, because he had organized anew the Church under the gospel. [ 3 Nephi 19:7–15.] Before that it had been organized under the law. [ 3 Nephi 9:15–22, 11:10–40, 12:18–19, 15:4–10.]

For the same reason Joseph Smith and those who had been baptized prior to April 6, 1830, were again baptized on the day of the organization of the Church.’ (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 2:336)

3 Nephi 19:19-20, 27-28 I thank thee

“Prayer is an essential part of conveying appreciation to our Heavenly Father. He awaits our expressions of gratefulness each morning and night in sincere, simple prayer from our hearts for our many blessings, gifts, and talents.

“Through expression of prayerful gratitude and thanksgiving, we show our dependence upon a higher source of wisdom and knowledge—God the Father and his Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (Robert D Hales, in Conference Report, Apr. 1992).

3 Nephi 19:23 That we may be one

“That is, of course, a variation on the great intercessory prayer Christ offered for his disciples on the eve of his crucifixion in the Old World, praying that his followers might be unified with the Father and the Son, as well as with each other, and be taken from the adverse temptations and evil influences of the world. (Jn 17)

“From the Savior’s language, we see clearly it is the Holy Ghost that provides such unity, a doctrinal point not so clearly communicated in the New Testament account.” (Jeffrey R Holland, Christ And The New Covenant, p. 280)

3 Nephi 19:24 They did not multiply many words

‘The most meaningful and spiritual prayers I have experienced contained many expressions of thanks and few, if any, requests. As I am blessed now to pray with apostles and prophets, I find among these modern-day leaders of the Savior’s Church the same characteristic that describes Captain Moroni in the Book of Mormon: these are men whose hearts swell with thanksgiving to God for the many privileges and blessings which He bestows upon His people (see  Alma 48:12 Also, they do not multiply many words, for it is given unto them what they should pray, and they are filled with desire (see  3 Nephi 19:24 The prayers of prophets are childlike in their simplicity and powerful because of their sincerity.’ (David A Bednar, General Conference, October 2008)

3 Nephi 19:33 Hearts

‘When we understand more than we know with our minds, when we understand with our hearts, then we know that the Spirit of the Lord is working upon us’ (Harold B. Lee, Stand Ye in Holy Places [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1974], p. 92)