Book of Mormon Commentary - 3 Nephi 9

by Don R. Hender


Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
Commentary & Explanation
Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
             CHAPTER 9

In the darkness the voice of Christ proclaims the destruction of many people and cities for their wickedness—He also proclaims his divinity, announces that the law of Moses is fulfilled, and invites men to come unto him and be saved. [A.D. 34]

1 AND it came to pass that there was a avoice heard among all the inhabitants of the earth, upon all the face of this landa, crying:
2 Wo, wo, wo unto this people; wo unto the inhabitants of the whole earth except they shall arepent; for the devil blaugheth, and his angels rejoice, because of the slain of the fair sons and daughters of my people; and it is because of their iniquity and abominations that they are fallen!

 1a there was a voice heard among all the inhabitants of the earth, upon all the face of this land Now when Christ does come, when he comes at his Second Coming, which is unto all the world, this will be the case. For all will hear together the pronouncement out of heaven. And in their own language will they hear. And there will be no private anouncement at that coming, but it will be unto all the world, to every nation, kindred, tongue and people. Thus it is of interest that all of the inhabitants of the promised land, all who were upon this land, did hear it together, all at one time together. And while his visitation was unto the city of Bountiful, and the temple thereof, was but that he, like we, is able to be in one place at one time. But the anouncement and proclamation of his coming will be general unto all the world. In the day of today's media, world wide broadcasts are possible. And the 'vision' of his coming will be seen by all. But certainly the personage of his comeing will be unto one place, it will be at one place that he will come in his person.  1a 1 Ne. 19:11
 2a TG Repentance
   b Moses 7:26

3 Behold, that great city Zarahemla have I aburned with fire, and the inhabitants thereofa.
4 And behold, that great city Moroni have I caused to be asunk in the depths of the sea, and the inhabitants thereof to be drowned.
5 And behold, that great city aMoronihah have I covered with earth, and the inhabitants thereof, to hide their iniquities and their abominations from before my face, that the blood of the prophets and the saints shall not come any more unto me against them.

 3a that great city Zarahemla have I burned with fire, and the inhabitants thereof In the Land or Nation of Zarahemla, south of the narrow neck of land, the primary building resource was that of timber. And they built all their large and primary structures with timber for the Nephites who had gone north of the narrow neck had to learn to build with stone and cement. And even then, because they were primarily trained and skilled in building with timber, they did ship great quantities of timber from the south to the north in order to still build thier buildings of timber (See Helaman 3:5-11). This is way the 'whole' of Zarahemla and the inhabitants thereof could be destoryed by fire, timber burns readily and completely to the ground, and Zarahemla in the south was a city structured primarily of timber.  3a Matt. 11:20; Hel. 13:12; 3 Ne. 8:14-24
 4a 3 Ne. 8:9; 4 Ne. 1:9
 5a 3 Ne. 8:25 (10, 25)

6 And behold, the city of Gilgal have I caused to be sunk, and the inhabitants thereof to be buried up in the depths of the earth;
7 Yea, and the city of Onihah and the inhabitants thereof, and the city of Mocum and the inhabitants thereof, and the city of aJerusalem and the inhabitants thereof; and bwaters have I caused to come up in the stead thereof, to hide their wickedness and abominations from before my face, that the cblood of the prophets and the saints shall dnot come up any more unto me against them.
8 And behold, the city of Gadiandi, and the city of Gadiomnah, and the city of Jacob, and the city of Gimgimno, all these have I caused to be sunk, and made ahills and valleys in the places thereof; and the inhabitants thereof have I bburied up in the depths of the earth, to hide their wickedness and abominations from before my face, that the blood of the prophets and the saints should not come up any more unto me against them.

 7a Alma 21:1; Alma 24:1
   b Ezek. 26:19
   c Rev. 16:6 (5-7)
   d Jonah 1:2
 8a 1 Ne. 19:11; 3 Ne. 10:13-14; Moses 7:14
   b Num. 16:32; Hel. 12:17; 3 Ne. 8:10, 25

9 And behold, that great city Jacobugath, which was inhabited by the people of king Jacob, have I caused to be burned with fire because of their sins and their awickedness, which was above all the wickedness of the whole earth, because of their bsecret murders and combinations; for it was they that did cdestroy the peace of my people and the government of the land; therefore I did cause them to be burned, to ddestroy them from before my face, that the blood of the prophets and the saints should not come up unto me any more against them.
10 And behold, the city of Laman, and the city of Josh, and the city of Gad, and the city of Kishkumen, have I caused to be burned with fire, and the inhabitants thereof, because of their wickedness in casting out the prophets, and stoning those whom I did send to declare unto them concerning their wickedness and their abominations.
11 And because they did cast them all out, that there were none righteous among them, I did send down afire and destroy them, that their wickedness and abominations might be hid from before my bface, that the blood of the prophets and the saints whom I sent among them might not cry unto me cfrom the ground against them.

   9a Gen. 6:5-6; Morm. 4:12 (10-12);
       D&C 112:23; Moses 7:36-37;
       Moses 8:22, 28-30
     b Hel. 6:17-38; 3 Ne. 6:23
     c 3 Ne. 7:11 (9-13)
     d Gen. 6:13; 1 Ne. 17:31; 2 Ne. 1:17;
       Mosiah 12:8
 11a 2 Kings 1:10 (9-16); Hel. 13:13
     b Deut. 31:18
     c Gen. 4:10

12 And amany great destructions have I caused to come upon this land, and upon this people, because of their wickedness and their abominations.
13 O all ye that are aspared because ye were more brighteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may cheal you?
14 Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will acome unto me ye shall have beternal life. Behold, mine carm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.

 12a Hel. 14:24; 3 Ne. 8:14 (8-10, 14);
       3 Ne. 10:7 (4-7)
 13a 3 Ne. 10:6, 12; 3 Ne. 27:31
     b Gen. 18:26
     c Jer. 3:22; Jer. 17:14; Matt. 13:15;
       3 Ne. 18:32
 14a 1 Ne. 1:14; 2 Ne. 26:25 (24-28);
       Alma 5:34 (33-36)
     b John 3:16
     c Isa. 59:16; Alma 19:36

15 Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I acreated the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them area. I was with the Father from the beginning. aI am in the Father, and the Father in me; and in me hath the Father glorified his name.
16 I came unto my own, and my own areceived me not. And the scriptures bconcerning my coming are fulfilled.
17 And as many as have received me, to them have I agiven to become the sons of God; and even so will I to as many as shall believe on my name, for behold, by me bredemption cometh, and cin me is the dlaw of Moses fulfilled.

 15a I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are Jesus Christ was the creator of the whole of this temporal second estate. He is the Father of this creation. 'The Father', the Lord of our Lord of this estate, was He who was the Father of Spirits of the first estate which before this second estate. This second estate has a beginning and an end, thus Christ who is the same as Jehovah stands as Alpha, the beginning, and as Omega, the end. This meaning the beginning and end of this temporal second estate. And he it is who is the Father of it, being its creator, the creator of all things that in it is. He it is who formed man, meaning the temporal being after the image of God according to the directions of the Father. And he it is who placed the spirit of man into this temporal creation. And thus he is the Father of it, the Father of this creation. Thus is it correct to call Jehovah who is Jesus Christ also by the name of Father, for he is the Father of this temporal creation and all things in it which are. And this includes man which was created from the dust of this temporal estate. Thus he stands as the 'Father' of the temporal man of flesh and bone, he being the creator of this temple which houses our Spirit which was born of God the Father of Spirits, who was also his Father, he being the Firstborn in the spirit, in that first estate.  15a John 1:3 (1-3); Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2 (1-3);
       Mosiah 15:4; Hel. 14:12; Ether 4:7;
       D&C 14:9
     b 3 Ne. 11:27 (7, 11, 27); 3 Ne. 19:23, 29
 16a John 1:11; D&C 6:21
     b 3 Ne. 15:5
 17a John 1:12;
       TG Man, Potential to Become like Heavenly
       Father; TG Sons and Daughters of God
     b Ps. 107:2; TG Jesus Christ, Redeemer
     c 3 Ne. 15:8 (2-8)
     d Heb. 8:13; 3 Ne. 12:19, 46-47

18 I am the alight and the life of the world. I am bAlpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.
19 And ye shall offer up unto me ano more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings.
20 And ye shall offer for a asacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirita. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I abaptize with fire and with the Holy Ghostb, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not.

 20a ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit The Law of Moses and animal sacrifice had ended. Now instead of such an outward offering unto the Lord as a bullock or lamb, the sacrifice which the Lord requires is that of 'a broken heart and a contrite spirit'. A broken heart is one which has been broken both from the sorrows of sin unto repentance and the sorrows of the afflictions of this mortal existance. The Lord will bind un that heart and heal it. And the matter of a 'contrite spirit' is one which is come before the Lord in humility and meekness. Meekness meaning the coming to the Lord willing to submit to His mind and will in all things. Such submissiveness unto the Lord is NOT a sign of weakness, but rather the sign of great strength in the Lord to submit oneself to living according to the mind and will of God, to boldly stand before the world without the fear of man and to step forth before the world as a light unto the world of the gospel of Jesus Christ both in word and in the example of action.
 20b whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost This is a promise beyond that of the baptism of rebirth symbolized by being baptized by water. Often a person is not fully converted nor has he fully come before the Lord with a broken heart and contrite spirit at the time of his first baptism. This often takes the process of time to come to that full complete state of total compliance unto the Lord. Thus the 'baptism' of the Holy Ghost is often a gradual one which begins with one's first baptism but does not come full strength but by time and by the degree to which man does bring to the ordinance of the sacrament where the baptismal covenant is continueously renewed and intensified until a complete baptism by fire is to be found when one has completely yield himself over to the will of God in all things even unto sanctification by the Holy Spirit. To this end one needs only to ask themselves just how often they have come to the ordinance with the full intent and purpose to consciencously lay before the Lord their sacrifice of a broken heart and contrite spirit? If you are not fully aware and fully particant in that process and understanding, then most likely you have not come to that stage of comliance with the commandment of God to so bring unto him that sacrifice because how can you so bring what you do not understand is required of you?
 18a TG Jesus Christ, Light of the World
     b Rev. 1:8; TG Jesus Christ, Firstborn
 19a Mosiah 13:27; Alma 34:13;
       3 Ne. 15:4 (2-10)
 20a Ps. 51:17; Omni 1:26; 3 Ne. 12:19;
       D&C 64:34
     b TG Holy Ghost, Baptism of

21 Behold, I have come unto the world to bring aredemption unto the world, to save the world from sin.
22 Therefore, whoso arepenteth and cometh unto me bas a clittle child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God. Behold, for such I have dlaid down my life, and have taken it up again; therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved.

 21a TG Jesus Christ, Atonement through
 22a TG Repentance
     b Mark 10:15
     c Mosiah 3:19; 3 Ne. 11:37-38
     d John 10:15-18; TG Jesus Christ, Death of
       TG Self-sacrifice


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