Book of Mormon Commentary - 24 Nephi

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
Commentary & Explanation
Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
             CHAPTER 24

The Lord's messenger shall prepare the way for the Second Coming—
Christ shall sit in judgment—Israel is commanded to pay tithes and offerings—A book of remebrance is kept—Compare Malahi 3. [A.D. 34]

1 AND it came to pass that he commanded them that they should write the words which the Father had given unto Malachi, which he should tell unto them. And it came to pass that after they were written he expounded them. And these are the words which he did tell unto them, saying: Thus said the Father unto Malachia— Behold, Ib will asend my bmessengerc, and hed shall prepare the way before mee, and the Lord whom ye seekf shall suddenly ccome to his templeg, even the dmessenger of the covenanth, whom ye delight in; behold, hei shall come, saith the Lord of Hostsj.

Malachi 3
  1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

They Are One God 
   The Book of Mormon clearly teaches that God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Ghost are but 'One God'. Now we know them to be three separate and distinct beings as to their individual persons. How then are they 'One'? This needs be addressed least we conclude the false doctrine of the 'trinity' to be correct. When we are taught that the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are 'One God', this is NOT to make them the same person. It is to our assurance that it 'mattereth not ' between them, that all is done whether from one or the other of them to be 'one and the same' in their joint intent and purpose, which is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.
   Without this assurance of 'oneness', we would be left to quibble amongst them as to cross intents and purposes and operations. They DO NOT differ one from the other in their design, performance or intentions. They act in concert one with the other as 'One God'. The Son gives all glory unto the Father. The Father glorifies the Son. And the Holy Ghost bears witness of them both. They are as a joint presidency, a unified team. Their motion, action and performance is as One. This 'Oneness' between them is essential unto the understanding and belief of man. How could man believe if there were a difference between them, if they varied as to what, when, and however? And if it mattered as to 'who' among them it was who responded unto man? They do not differ in their performances and purposes unto man. We may rest assured of that. And we may also be assured that as we advance to the full maximum extend of our own potential, that one day we may join them in this 'Oneness' which they share, as we become EVEN AS GOD IS. Not that we become fused with them in personage or being, but that we join with them in that eternal purpose of God, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. 		 1a Thus said the Father unto Malachi Now whether the Father so stated this personally to Malachi of himself or he did send his word by his ministering representative, it is the same, being originally from the Father, meaning that the Father of Spirits first spoke to be so given unto Malachi. Exactly how this 'order' of deliverance from the throne of the Father in Heaven is handed down and given unto man is exemplified in the temple endowment ordinance. But then further in the scriptures comes the 'confusion of the pronouns' and to whom each has reference. Perhaps the application was clearer in the original Hebrew, but in the English and even in the various compilations of the Bible text, we are often left to our own understanding, presumption and/or inspiration when so attempting to read the text correctly. And is so unraveling the matter, it becomes clear why it is so much easier to merely understand that 'they', meaning the Godhead, are assured unto us to so operate as 'One God', meaning it mattereth not from or by Whom, it is the same. The following may well represent this matter.
 1b I This, since it is the word of the Father being given as given to Malachi may be 'presumed' to be God the Father of Spirits who we know as Elohim.
 1c my messenger Now the messenger of Elohim, or even Jehovah for that matter, may be considered the Holy Ghost or any such 'ministering angel', which from the perspective of the Father of Spirits might even include Jehovah. For it mattereth not as to the messenger, for whether by the very mouth of God or by one of his 'servants' it is the same.
 1d he This 'messenger' will prepare the way before.
 1e me Now here the unraveling of the 'confusion of the pronouns' becomes of interest. This 'me' is presumed to be Jesus Christ as it is Jesus Christ who is speaking to the Nephites about this matter. It is NOT in reference to the Father of Spirits, Elohim, because according to the law of ministration, Elohim only anounces or introduces and all such actual administrations to this second estate is performed by those who pertain unto it (D&C 130:5), meaning those 'spirit children' who do come unto it and are a part of it. This is further clarified to be Jesus Christ by the next reference.
 1f the Lord whom ye seek The Lord whom we are to seek after is he who is the 'Only Way' that we might come unto the Father. He is our advocate, mediator and intercessor who stands for us in the presence of the Father. He is Jehovah who is the same as Jesus Christ. He is the God of this Earth, our only one and true God as pertaining to this Second Estate. He is our Lord and his Lord is our Father of our Spirits. Thus the preceding 'me' does unmistakenably have reference to Jesus who is speaking to the Nephites concerning the word given Malachi from the Father, Elohim, concerning the mission of Jesus Christ.
 1g his temple The Temple is the House of the Lord, meaning the house of Jehovah who is the appointed God of this Second Estate so anointed by the very hand of the Father of Spirits, Elohim, unto this position. Thus the temple is the house of Jesus Christ, he being the same who is Jehovah, the ministering God chosen from among us of the whole of this second estate.
 1h messenger of the covenant The Son of God, Jehovah, even Jesus Christ, is the 'messenger of the covenant'—that covenant which was made before the foundation of the earth, the oath and covenant of the Father unto his children that having kept their first estate to provide them a Redeemer according to the keeping of the second estate. This is the covenant as handed down by the 'Fathers' from God to Adam and through Adam down to Abrham and so forth. It is the 'everlasting covenant' and Jesus Christ is in whom it is fulfilled. He is the 'messenger of the covenant', he who bears it upon his shoulders, he who does atone for mankind. We delight in him, in glad tidings of great joy because of him; our God unto Salvation, Jesus who in the Hebrew is Jehoshua—Jehovah in whom is Salvation.
 1i he Now this particular 'he' becomes a bit ambiguous. In the first respect it ought to further reference Jesus Christ/Jehovah the Son. But the mission of the Son is so interwoven with the performances of the Holy Ghost performed in the names of both the Father and the Son, that it might also infer the processes of sanctification performed by the Holy Ghost as stressed in the next verse. But these performances of the Spirit are from God, either/or or both being the Son and the Father to such extent that the wisdom of ensuring us that they do act a 'One God' for the purposes and benefit of man, that we might rest assured the it mattereth not unto us. That is, Chirst will come, but he will come by the power of the Holy Ghost, from conception to death, the spirit doeth attend him. And we may rest assured that all is in accord with the mind and will of the Father. The three members of the Godhead so acting in concert to the end of the same intent and purpose as One God.
 1j saith the Lord of Hosts This is a name associated with Jehovah, who is the same as Jesus Christ. It ] is also a name jointly applied to the Father, as the Father may be referenced by the same names applicable to the Son as the Son gives all glory to the Father and all is done according to the mind and the will of the Father. Jesus Christ, even Jehovah, having submitted to the mind, will and intent of the His and our Father of Spirits in all things. Thus if the Lord of Hosts hath said it, it is the same being both from the Father and the Son, the Son performing the mind and will of the Father, they acting in concert as One God, nothing varying between them. In this we may be assured. There are not cross purposes between the Father of Spirit who we understand to be Elohim and His Son Jehovah—the same is Jesus Christ, he being the Firstborn spirit Son of the Father of the first estate, and the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh by and through the power of the Holy Ghost which spans the relationship between God and Man, the Father and the Son with mankind to the intent and purpose of bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. 		 1a Mal. 3:1 (1-18)
   b D&C 45:9
   c Isa. 59:20-21; 3 Ne. 20:22; 3 Ne. 21:25
   d TG Jesus Christ, Messenger of the Covenant

Trinity Misunderstanding 
   When man falls from communication, revelation and inspiration of the Spirit, then they are left unto themselves as to their understanding. Then the precepts and contrivances of men enters in. Now because of the apostasy of the early Christian church, a false understanding of the nature of God was developed by man. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost are three separate and distinct persons. They are separte beings. But in Jesus Christ who is the same as Jehovah, there is found the conceptual seed when planted in the uninspired mind which has led to man's misunderstanding. Just as a man may be a father, a son and even a brother, so it is with Jesus Christ.
   Jesus Christ was the Firstborn spirit son of God the Father of Spirits relative to our preexistant first estate. We all are sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father, the Father of Spirits whom we shall name as Elohim. Since we share this common birth of the spirit with Jesus Christ who is the same as Jehovah, the Firstborn spirit of the Father, this also makes him our 'Brother' in the spirit. Now the 'second estate' of man is a 'fallen' estate, a temporary state or experience, testing and maturation wherein the spirit takes upon itself a temporal body to the intent of becoming even as God the Father is. It is where the spirit learns and is tested concerning whether the body will rule the spirit or the spirit will fully master the body and what our the true character is either unto good or evil there being this nature of an opposition in all things. It is the right or wrong to every 'moral' question.
   Now in passing from the eternal state into this temporal temporary state of devlopment from spirit to celestialized God, we who have not so passed need to come. But the Father of Spirits has already been and will not so return, having advance in his celestial state beyond it. And only those who do so pertain unto it, meaning only those who are the spirit children of the Father of Spirits, who have so become a part of the second estate, may so minister unto it (D&C 130:5). Certainly the Father who is beyond it does not retrogress back to it. That would be contary to the principle of 'eternal progression'. Therefore to effect the second estate, from its very creation to the end thereof, the Father has chosen and selected one from among us, his spirit children to be and act as the 'Ministering God of this Second Estate'. God the Father of Spirit did so select and choose. And he correctly and rightfully chose the Firstborn, the heir of the Father. And that was our elder brother Jehovah. That is our Father's Son is Jehovah, who is our brother.
   Now understanding how it is that Jehovah in spirit is both the Son of the Father and also our brother is important. But now we turn to how it is that Jehovah, who is the same as Jesus Christ, is also our father. Now all things of this second estate are ministered by one who is participant in it, even from the creation thereof. So it was that all things pertaining unto this second temporal estate were created by the hand of the Son, as directed by the Father of course. But here in is how it is that Jehovah, Jesus, also becomes the 'Father of this second estate Creation'. The earth and all the heavens thereof and all things in it that are, were created by the Son, he so pertaining unto it. And they were created by the power of God, which was bestowed upon the Son by his Father. The earth, the oceans, the plants and the animals all had their 'temporal' second estate creation by the hand of Jehovah, the Son. Even including the forming of the temporal body of man into which the spirit of man was placed. That body was so created by the hand of Jehovah the Son. He was not he Father of that Spirit but he was the maker of the body. And as maker of the temporal body, he is the 'father' of it, being the 'father' of Adam's temporal creation.
And from thus comes the uninspired confusion of the false doctrine of the trinity. For indeed Jehovah was and is the Son. He is the Firstborn of the father unto the spirit and he is also the 'Only Begotten of the Father' in the flesh. And until that time when he came to earth and was born unto Mary, he did remain as a spirit being. Thus he is 'Spirit' and is so called as the Spirit of God in many respects as to his being and operation. For the influence of his spirit is had and felt among man. And as we have also set forth. he is also to be considered as being the 'Father' in various certain qualified applications. In fact Jehovah shares with Elohim the distinction of Father in every respect except that he IS NOT the father of our spirits. That is as the Father of Spirit, Elohim so directs, Jehovah, the Son does perform. And in such Jehovah shares with the Father the distinction of father. Jehovah is the 'Father of Creation'. He is the 'Father of man's temporal body'. He is the molder of that clay, that dust from whence man of this second estate is made. And Jehovah as Jesus Christ is further our Gospel Father in that through the ordinances and performances of the gospel, we are born again in and through him spiritually (not meaning the spirit) and enlightened in the ways which lead us back to God.
Thus it is that Jehovah, even Jesus Chirst is effectually operative as to the Spirit of Christ, he is the Son of God and he is the Father in many respects except that he is NOT the same as the Father of Spirits. He was the Great and Almighty God Jehovah of the Old Testament, who at that time was but a God of Spirit. He was and is the same as Jesus Christ. That is upon his birth into the world he became an embodied spirit and grew and developed as man though Son of God. And upon his resurrection he advanced to that next phase of this second estate becoming a gloried being of spirit immortaly housed in a body of flesh and bone. He being the appointed and anointed and now glorified God, the Only God of this Second Estate so ordained unto such by the hand of the Father. Now men with such limited understandings and lack of the inspiration mistakenly fused this Jehovah the God of this second estate with Elohim, the Father of Spirits and the very Eternal Father in Heaven, which was and is his and our Father of our Spirits. King David understood the distinction as he spoke of the Lord of his Lord. Of course his Lord was Jehovah, the Lord and God of this temporal second estate. And the Lord or his Lord was of course Elohim. the Father of us all as to the spirit.
But to the multiply roles which Jehovah the Christ has and does perform, men have mistakenly added the incomprehensible and false concept of him also being the Father of Spirits. And thus they have made him to be the Father of himself in some mystical manner of creation. And not only this, the have also combined into him the separate being and role played by the Holy Ghost. Thus making it that by the Holy Ghost he is giving witness of himself. While their is the Spirit of Christ which is influencial and Christ still has his spirit within his body, and though certainly Christ is the Son of God, and is also the Father in many senses of that word. Jehovah who is Christ, the God of this second estate earth, IS NOT the same being as God the Father of Spirits. Nor is he the same being as the Holy Ghost. And though God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost are but 'One God' is motion, purpose and intent, so unified in what they do. They ARE NOT the same person or being fused into one. And just as we may become one with them is essence of performance and intent, we will never become fused with them into one single being. That is uncomprehensible and simply not true. Members of the same team may become one in intent and purpose and action, but that never makes those individual members just one person. They will always retained their individuality in being separate and distinct persons.
2 But who may aabide the day of his coming, and who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a brefiner's fire, and like fuller's soap.
3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; and he shall apurify the bsons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may coffer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.

Malachi 3
  2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:
  3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.

 2a 3 Ne. 25:1
   b Deut. 4:24; Zech. 13:9; D&C 128:24;
     TG Earth, Cleansing of;
     TG Jesus Christ, Second Coming
 3a TG Purification
   b Deut. 10:8; D&C 84:31-34; D&C 128:24
   c D&C 13:1
4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years.
5 And I will come anear to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the bsorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false cswearers, and against those that doppress the hireling in his wages, the widow and the efatherless, and that turn aside the fstranger, and fear not me, saith the Lord of Hosts.
6 For aI am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Malachi 3
  4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.
  5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.
  6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

 5a Ezek. 43:7 (1-7)
   b TG Sorcery
   c Hosea 10:4; D&C 104:5 (4-5);
     TG Swearing
   d Ps. 94:6; TG Oppression
   e Ps. 10:14; Ps. 68:5; James 1:27; D&C 138:8
   f TG Stranger
 6a 2 Ne. 6:7; Moses 1:6
7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine aordinances, and have not kept them. bReturn unto me and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of Hosts. But ye say: Wherein shall we return?

Malachi 3
  7 ¶ Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?

 7a TG Ordinance
   b 1 Sam. 7:3; Hel. 13:11; 3 Ne. 10:6 (5-7);
     Moro. 9:22

Wherein Shall We Return?
~
In Tithes and Offerings

In such a materialistic world as which we live it, it might seem to be but a materialistic answer to how one returns unto God as to pay money and the materialistic things in order to obtain heaven. Can heaven really be bought with the things of this world? We of the world place such a high value upon the things of the world, that is the material, the temporal and physical things of nature, yet God really cares but little for such things. His purpose is to bring us to care less for them and more for him and things spiritual than for such things that are of a carnal and physical nature. So is it any wonder that the Lord requires of man a forsaking of these things and offering of these things unto him as wherein those of Israel shall return unto the Lord? The Lord God Jehovah is the creator of all things of this second estate. The earth and the heavens thereof are the Lord's. He created these things for our benefit, for the purpose to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. All that we are and have, from the very breath of life to the least partical of food and sustenance has the Lord given unto us. But his purpose in this is unto the benefit of our eternal soul, that spirit which lies within, That we might come again and return unto heaven and exaltation in the eternity to come. Thus he asks of us that we do place the things of this world, the material, temporal, physical things of nature second and subserviant unto God. From the very beginning and the law of sacrifice, it had to be the first and the best of the material things of this world which are offered and given unto the Lord, just as it is our whole mind and body, our heart and soul, our broken heart and contrite spirit that he expects and requires of us, that in him we might live and gain eternal life. We must place the things of this earth second. We must learn to rule over them and not become subserviant unto them. Thus in the mode of this discipline the Lord asks of us to 'sacrifice', to give of that which he has given him, not that he has need of it, but that we have need of placing the things of this world secondary to the things of the spirit, secondary to the things of God, secondary and to the control of that spirit from God that resides within; thus placing things temporal unto subjection to and the control of that which is spiritual and of God.

8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say: Wherein have we robbed thee? In atithes and bofferings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse, for ye have robbed mea, even this whole nation.
10 Bring ye all the atithes into the storehouse, that there may be bmeat in my house; and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the cwindows of heaven, and pour you out a dblessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Malachi 3
  8 ¶ Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
  9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
  10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

 9a ye have robbed me When the sacrifice of man to God was that of animal sacrifice which was burnt and gone, it was perhaps easier to think that the sole purpose of the offering was unto God for it was gone from man so expressly in the smoke which ascended up to heaven and the ashes which did fall back and return unto the earth. It was done in the complete understanding that is was given up unto the Lord. Yet the concept of tithes and offerings being offered unto the Lord's storehouse does but add an additional element to the 'sacrifice' of man. And that is that man is to sacrifice unto God for the building up of the kingdom of God upon this earth that his kingdom might come and this earth be raised to it eternal glory with God. It is actually a higher form of giving and sacrifice which prepares men for the ultimate phase of consecration of all unto the Lord. The Lord created this earth that it might eventually become raised to the glory of God. All that is of and in this earth and the heaven thereof are the Lord's. He did create it. It all, including ourselves shall be returned unto him, which will be so exalted unto God and God's purposes.    8a TG Tithing
     b Neh. 10:32; TG Sacrifice
 10a D&C 64:23; D&C 119:4 (1-7)
     b TG Food
     c Gen. 7:11
     d TG Blessing
11 And I will rebuke the adevourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the fields, saith the Lord of Hosts.
12 And all nations shall call you blessed, for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of Hosts.

Malachi 3
  11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.
  12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.

 11a D&C 86:3
13 Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say: What have we spoken against thee?
14 Ye have asaid: It is bvain to serve God, and what doth it profit that we have kept his cordinances and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts?
15 And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.

Malachi 3
  13 ¶ Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?
  14 Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?
  15 And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.

 14a Job 16:11-17; Jer. 20:7-8;
       Heb. 1:2 (1-4);
     b Mal. 3:14-15
     c TG Ordinance
16 Then they that feared the Lord aspake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard; and a book of bremembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.
17 And they shall be amine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I amake up my jewels; and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
18 Then shall ye return and adiscern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

Malachi 3
  16 ¶ Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.
  17 And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
  18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

 16a 4 Ne. 1:12; Morm. 6:5-6
     b D&C 85:9 (7-9); Moses 6:5;
       TG Book of Remembrance
 17a Lev. 20:26
     b D&C 101:3
 18a TG Discernment, Spiritual
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