3 Nephi 21:1-7 The gathering of Israel

“The coming forth of the Book of Mormon is a sign to the entire world that the Lord has commenced to gather Israel and fulfil covenants He had made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob….The Book of Mormon is central to this work. It declares the doctrine of the gathering. It causes people to learn about Jesus Christ, to believe his gospel, and to join His Church. In fact, if there were no Book of Mormon, the promised gathering of Israel would not occur. (Russell M Nelson, Gathering of Scattered Israel)

3 Nephi 22:4 Thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth

“Scriptures are written in general to give guidance and information regarding our relationship to Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost. Scriptures also offer specific guidance and information when we pray for personal comfort and support.

“I recall a particular time when 3 Nephi 22:4 brought me to my knees in tears over an answer to a prayer that I had previously been diligently seeking.

“I had only recently become baptized, when I was beset by distress over thinking about my sinful past. Truly I had been rejoicing over the promise of forgiveness following repentance and baptism, yet, now I agonized for nearly two weeks over past sins.

“I found that my despair had taken hold of me, so I decided to spend a day fasting and reading the Book of Mormon.

“I was enjoying reading the attendant lamentations and explanations that were so offered by the verses. When I came to verse 4 of 3 Nephi, chapter 22, the general quality of the reading became very personal regarding my obsession over past sins.

“As I continued reading to the end of the chapter, my sobbing increased, and for a few brief moments my mind comprehended the Savior’s personal forgiveness of me. A great peace came over me and the descriptions of the Savior’s relationship to the past, present and future of Zion took on their literal and prophetic value.” (Catherine Cinelli, Church News, 01/20/96)

3 Nephi 22:11 Lay thy foundations with sapphires

“In the midst of a troubling world, the foundations I rely on come by my covenants with the Lord. They are indeed like sapphires and are treasures beyond price….They are the restored principles and ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ which are available to righteous women and men alike through the power of the holy priesthood of God. They include baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, the sacrament, and temple covenants.” (Aileen H. Clyde, Ensign, May 1995)

3 Nephi 22:13 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord

“The world is not a safe place. It is not a place where children will feel peace, hope, and direction unless they are taught to love and follow the Savior. Please help them know that these great blessings can be theirs, and show them what they need to do to receive these blessings” (Patricia P Pinegar in Conference Report, Oct. 1999).

3 Nephi 23:1 Great are the words of Isaiah

“Isaiah is the most quoted prophet in the New Testament. The Lord Himself quoted Isaiah seven times, the Apostles forty times more. In addition there are ninety partial quotes or paraphrases of Isaiah’s words.

“Isaiah is the most quoted prophet in the Doctrine and Covenants. Sixty-six quotations from thirty-one chapters of Isaiah attest to the singular importance of this great prophet.

“All of this confirms that the Lord had a purpose in preserving Isaiah’s words” (Boyd K Packer, Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled [1991], 280).

3 Nephi 23:5 Search the Prophets

“The Lord is not trifling with us when he gives us these things, for ‘unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required’ (Luke 12:48). Access to these things means responsibility for them. We must study the scriptures according to the Lord’s commandments (see 3 Nephi 23:1-5); and we must let them govern our lives.” (Teachings of Spencer W Kimball, page 127).

3 Nephi 23:6 Other scriptures I would that ye should write

“…when [the Lord] came to the Nephites he made a big thing about keeping records. He went through the records himself and made sure that all the prophecies were mentioned. Samuel the Lamanite had prophesied something that was fulfilled. You didn’t put it down here, he says to Nephi. Nephi’s face turned red and he said, Well, we’ll see that it gets put down! (cf. 3 Nephi 23:6-13). It was very embarrassing, believe me, when the Lord himself was there! But he wants those records complete.” (Hugh Nibley, Temple And Cosmos, p. 321 – 322)

3 Nephi 24:1 I will send my messenger

“The spirit of Elias is to prepare the way for a greater revelation of God, which is the Priesthood of Elias, or the Priesthood that Aaron was ordained unto. And when God sends a man into the world to prepare for a greater work, holding the keys of the power of Elias, it was called the doctrine of Elias, even from the early ages of the world. John’s mission was limited to preaching and baptizing; but what he did was legal; and when Jesus Christ came to any of John’s disciples, He baptized them with fire and the Holy Ghost.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 335-6)

3 Nephi 24:8 Tithing

“I … suggest five reasons why all of us, rich or poor, longtime member or newest convert, should faithfully pay our tithes and offerings.

“First, do so for the sake of your children. … Teach your children that many of the blessings of the Church are available to them because you and they give tithes and offerings to the Church. …

“Second, pay your tithing to rightfully claim the blessings promised those who do so. …

“Third, pay your tithing as a declaration that possession of material goods and the accumulation of worldly wealth are not the uppermost goals of your existence. …

“Fourth, pay your tithes and offerings out of honesty and integrity because they are God’s rightful due. …

“This leads to a fifth reason to pay our tithes and offerings. We should pay them as a personal expression of love to a generous and merciful Father in Heaven. Through His grace, God has dealt bread to the hungry and clothing to the poor. At various times in our lives, that will include all of us, either temporally or spiritually” (Jeffrey R Holland in Conference Report, Oct. 2001).

3 Nephi 24:10 Windows of Heaven

“The imagery of the ‘windows’ of heaven used by Malachi is most instructive. Windows allow natural light to enter into a building. In like manner, spiritual illumination and perspective are poured out through the windows of heaven and into our lives as we honour the law of tithing.” (David A Bednar, Windows of Heaven)

3 Nephi 25:1 Neither root nor branch

“Elijah restored the sealing powers whereby ordinances that were sealed on earth were also sealed in heaven. … Without that link no family ties would exist in the eternities, and indeed the family of man would have been left in eternity with ‘neither root [ancestors] nor branch [descendants]’” (Jeffrey R Holland, Christ and the New Covenant[1997], 297–98).’ 

3 Nephi 26:2 These scriptures

“These scriptures…are primarily for our benefit. We live in the day of which they speak; we are the children in whose hearts the promises have been planted; we are the ones who are striving so to live that we will abide the day of His coming. And it is in our day that Elijah has come, according to the promises, bringing again the sealing power so that legal administrators may bind on earth and have it sealed eternally in the heavens — for all of which the Lord be praised.” (Bruce R McConkie, The Mortal Messiah, book 4, p. 368)

3 Nephi 26:3 He did expound all things

“After reciting these scriptures to the people, the Savior…then explained all things to them ‘from the beginning until the time that he should come in his glory’ (3 Nephi 26:3). It seems likely that, having just quoted these verses about Elijah’s promised return, the Lord then explained something about Elijah’s mission, what it meant and why it was necessary. Because that mission and the keys of the sealing power that form such an integral part of it pertain so much to the sacred work carried on in the holy temples of the Lord, it is not surprising that the text of 3 Nephi does not give us more detail about the Lord’s explanations. They were probably things of such a sacred nature as to be learned by us only in the temple.” (Byron R. Merrill, Elijah: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow, chap. 16)

3 Nephi 26:9 Then shall the greater things be made manifest

“I have had many people ask me through the years, ‘When do you think we will get the balance of the Book of Mormon records?’ And I have said, ‘How many in the congregation would like to read the sealed portion of the plates?’ And almost always there is a 100-percent response. And then I ask the same congregation, ‘How many of you have read the part that has been opened to us?’ And there are many who have not read the Book of Mormon, the unsealed portion. We are quite often looking for the spectacular, the unobtainable. I have found many people who want to live the higher laws when they do not live the lower laws” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball [1982], 531–32).

3 Nephi 26:14 He did teach and minister unto the children

“We are left to wonder at the marvelous messages given to these children that could in any way have been ‘greater than he had revealed unto the people.’ He had spoken of faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, prayer, the sacrament, the law of Moses, the scattering and gathering of Israel, the Book of Mormon, the fulness of the covenant, the work of the priesthood, and his own second coming-to name just a few of the principal topics! What he told the children that was greater than these is a question of surpassing wonder. On that astonishing note Christ ascended into heaven, concluding the second day.” (Jeffrey R Holland, Christ And The New Covenant, p. 299)