3 Nephi 26

Verses 1-5: Our Eternal Destiny

What does this teach me about the atonement?

What an outpouring of direct teachings from the Savior! Perhaps He shared here because He knew an uncorrupted account of it would come later, through the Prophet Joseph.  

Sadly, we only have an abridged third person account, but there's a wise purpose behind that which will come up again in this chapter.  Much will be made about what's NOT written.

In these few verses, we learn about the final judgment, and the mercy, justice and holiness which is in Christ. This relates to the atonement in that through it, Christ became the only means by which any of us could be judged as "good".  He was the only wholly good person who ever lived, whose every action grew from the constructive force of love.  He absorbed our "badness" into His goodness by suffering it with us, so that if we just borrow His holy name, as He repeatedly pleads with us to do, we can be deemed good too. And not only "deemed" good, but eventually become good. This way the eternal, implacable law of justice which demands that some appropriate effect rebound upon the doers of deceitful, destructive acts, is fulfilled by Christ.  At the same time, the mercy, which the cause of love and joy demands, is also fulfilled by Christ.  It is the greatest miracle ever to take place.

Why will every person stand before God to be judged? What does this accomplish?  It allows unrest to cease. The mere action of standing in God's presence, is like the magical waterfall at Gringott's Bank that washes away all facades.  No excuses or self-deception can withstand His "His-ness".  We will, as a matter of course, acknowledge to ourselves and to Him what we've become.  I believe we will instantly know whether His presence is an appropriate place for us to stay. If not, it will be a blessed relief to escape. In His wisdom and mercy, He's prepared comfy spots for all of us. 

Lesson for me?

Recently I've been experiencing some discouragement and depression.  I need to remember that the Savior desires to save me from (not all suffering, for I must taste the bitter to appreciate the sweet) that suffering which I unnecessarily add to life's inherent challenges: the suffering of a hopeless and false (courtesy of the "Father of Lies") negative inner narrative.  Let it go.  Just keep the Savior in mind and offer the best, most loving response to that which shows up each moment- internally and externally.  The Savior wants me back, and this means I must let Him train me to find joy in His presence.

Verses 6-21: Words so Awesome They're Illegal

 

This section speaks repeatedly of the limiting of information.

How does this relate to the atonement?

The atonement is our salvation. It's the unspeakable act that opens the door to our spiritual knowledge, which is always commensurate with our spiritual progress. We could not progress spiritually without it because there would be no leaving behind our misdeeds.  They would always characterize us.  So why was it illegal (not lawful, verse 18) to write some things down?  In our lowly mortal state, we can scarcely understand the things of God. They are beyond us. But the Lord meets us where we are and provides just enough knowledge to coax us into the next phase of our journey, through the grace of the atonement's power.  I believe that if an accurate and detailed description, as far as words can convey, of the glory and majesty of God, the wonder that awaits us beyond this world, was provided to us, it would seem strange.

Let's imagine that we somehow received a photograph of the mansions of Heaven, which we could look at as long as we like.  Without the motion of the Spirit moving through us, filling us with joy and light, the photo would turn cold, pale and ordinary, just as a verbal description would.  It would be something like observing a group of people dancing, but not being able to hear or feel the music 🎶: odd, alienating. We could be told about the procedures of Heaven, the way the earth was made, the composition of our spirits, whatever mystery you can name, and if we attempted to understand them, being who we are now, they would lose their splendor in our estimation, simply because we haven't acquired the capability to comprehend the splendor.

The danger then would be that our frail minds just might conclude that Heaven is not worth the effort!  We've seen what it has to offer, what it's all about (so we think), but our favorite sins are more attractive.

This is why certain, sacred things are withheld.  This is why our faith is tried.  This is why the gospel is filled with mystery and surprise.  If we can trust the Lord enough and feel His love enough to believe that what awaits us is wonderful beyond imagining, so it will be.

Lesson for me?

*As verse 9 implies, I need to believe the knowledge that's already been provided me before I can obtain more.  True belief means practice, so I must review the personal commandments I've been blessed with and recommit to living them.

Here's a summarized list of personal lessons culled from my notes (I stopped halfway through Alma so there's much more, but this is enough to sit with for today):

*CHOOSE faith 

*Remember the Savior

*Believe He can save you.

*Act out of love. Always.

*Don't shrink in parenting.

*Take the time to teach children to love and serve one another.

*Make a promise/goal, acknowledge it to another, follow through. Repeat ad infinitum. 

*Help the suffering.

*In the cause of the Savior, don't shrink from suffering, persecution or fear.

*soft, open heart + heed & diligence = knowledge... Obey impressions to do good without hesitation (stop bargaining for more time/ease!)

*Share the gospel freely (Boast only in the Lord.).

*Live in awe.

*Do your best in each moment.

*Give your will, your desires, your "identity" (everything!) to God.

*Help others toward penitence with great and true love, instead of allowing them "comfortable ignorance" which will surely turn later to discomfort.

*Don't wish for different circumstances. You're here for good reason.

*Remember your own deliverance from the bondage of sin.

*Read the scriptures as a family every day.

*As I serve faithfully like Ammon without shrinking from the task or worrying about people's impressions of me, and without self-pity, or seeking to take glory to myself, I will be blessed with that kind of outrageous power as is required for the task.

*Rather than shed the blood of a brother or sister, I will give up my own life. Rather than take away from a brother or sister I will give to them. Rather than spend my days in idleness I will labor abundantly with my hands and every other resource I've been blessed with.

*Don't withhold your efforts because you don't, in that moment, feel a "sign" motivating you. You've learned enough that you should be willing to press forward even when all feels dark.

3 Nephi 25

 

Verses 1-3: The Gardener

What does this teach me about the atonement?

I sense tenderness in the Savior's voice this time when He speaks of the proud and the wicked being burned as stubble.  His great hope is for His garden to flourish! When it does not, He must do the requisite tending.  He took on a universe of suffering in order to minimize ours.  It's all part of His mission. Anyone who would elect to suffer so for that purpose, cannot be accused of capricious vengeance. Never. He sees all and knows when it's best for one strain of the garden to cease proliferation (when it has become a cancer that's destroying itself).

But if we allow it, He will heal us and raise us up in the shelter of His tender care (as "calves in the stall," benign and gentle).

Lesson for me?

*When I indulge in pride, attempting to one-up others in my mind, or in interactions, I am destroying myself and my joy. I must let go and be a calf in the Savior's stall.

Verse 4: The Law of Moses

What does this teach me about the atonement?

The atonement benefits those who keep the Savior in mind and follow Him.  This is what the Law of Moses was designed to prepare the people to do.  It teaches the principles of sacrifice and invites order and structure to the people's lives.  After talking to my knowledgeable husband, I have a better idea of why it's mentioned here: I think the Savior is saying that, while the law with its strict accords and swift retribution has been fulfilled, in letter, with the Savior's great sacrifice, the principles are in force, and consequences will eventually be borne out, largely at His second coming, if not before.

Lesson for me?

*Remember that our God is a God of justice as well as mercy, and wants His children home under optimal conditions.  He will see to it that all is right in the end.

Verses 5-6: Promise of Elijah 

What does this teach me about the atonement?

Again, the atonement was all about a grand family reunion.  The atonement powers the ministry and progression  of prophets, often with unique emphases.  Elijah's domain is the power of sealing families into eternal lines.  He came to restore that power to Joseph Smith and the modern day church of Christ. I found a very thorough discussion of this here:

http://scriptures.byu.edu/gettalk.php?ID=1410

D&C 2:1-3 reads, 

"And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises 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".

In other words, our life on earth is a profound waste if we do not take the opportunity to bind our families together for eternity.

(I don't say that this precludes actual destruction because I think it probable that physical destruction will accompany the Savior's next appearance as well... only that a deeper meaning can be found in His words.)

Because Jesus loves us so much, enough to suffer and die for us, he wants us to maintain our relationships with those dearest to our hearts.

I want to ponder and understand more about why the sealing ordinance is necessary to preserve these relationships.  

I believe the sealing ordinance (this is just a temporal, prosaic interpretation because I'm sure there's more to it than I can comprehend in my current state) makes our family relations more intentional. It is a covenant: a 3 way promise between yourself, your spouse and the Lord, which extends naturally to your offspring.  By going through it, we commit to them, in the presence of witnesses, our intention to love them for eternity.  Those who are dead, who have the ordinance performed by proxy, have the option to accept and endorse it, or reject it.  Not electing to have the ordinance indicates that we don't value the relationship or our spiritual progress enough to preserve it.  Without the intentionality of commitment, and the other covenants and requirements of worthiness associated with the ordinance, our natural man tendencies would mean the natural deterioration of our loving bonds.  In short, we have to want it.

Lesson for me?

*Recommit to a weekly family blog post as a means of family history.  Set a stopwatch when you go on Facebook for any reason, and do not return to it until you've spent that same amount of time on FamilySearch, with an eye toward preparing names for the temple. Get the kids doing it as well, as a Sunday activity.

3 Nephi 24

Verses 1-9: The Refiner

What does this teach me about the atonement?

 

Once again we see the Savior defer to the words of a prophet, Malachi, whom He has inspired- demonstrating the way He can change and sanctify those who are open to Him, and help them become like Him- to the extent that their words are the ones He chooses to preach directly to His people.

Never before have I sensed such love in His sternness.  M. Scott Peck, an inspired thinker but not LDS, defines love as a willingness to work for the spiritual growth of another. This is the Savior here. And why not?  If some discomfort is requisite but the result is a people who stop hurting and cheating on each other and start examining themselves, that's what needs to happen! His words speak for themselves here:

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 fuller’s soap.

 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, and fear not me, saith the Lord of Hosts.

He loves the people enough to try to influence them to stop the hurt. May I be guilty of such "judgment" as well if it will truly be of service. 

I haven't mentioned the atonement by name yet, but this is all part of it!  The atonement encompasses all of the work, sacrifice and pleading He does to change us and save us, and that's what we see here.  The atonement, His own voluntary suffering, is what gives the weight, power and authority to His stirring words.  In His mention of tithing, He invites the people to give of themselves in a way that will help them repent of their prior mistreatment of one another.

Lesson for me?

*I'm getting the impression that I need to have greater courage to correct my children.  But just as the Savior's suffering gave authority to His rebuke, I need to pay a greater price in sacrifice myself as I proceed. This is not to say I need to be the martyr and take on more work, but that I need to sacrifice the pride or whatever it is inside me that causes me to flare up in anger at certain speech and behavior from them. I need to pay the price of seeing my anger and choosing not to let it direct my response- the price of offering correction in love rather than a misguided urge to overpower them in an absurd contest of will- the price of humility, patience and longsuffering.  Then my requests for kindness and service to one another will be purer, more effective and not beget the same resentment.  And as David was saying yesterday, I can begin today. I don't need to predicate my courage on the perfect application of my sacrifice, but move ahead with all of it in mind, with the hope and faith that all will eventually work to the good. 

Verses 10-12: Promises 

What does this teach me about the atonement?

(My phone is so accustomed to writing that question that I can now execute the whole thing in six taps 🤗.)

I can almost detect a tone of slight exasperation in verse ten when I read it with this in mind. The debt we owe the Lord is absolutely inconceivable and we're all so clueless. He knows this and still promises blessings beyond our wildest imaginings, blessings of prosperity which the world won't be able to help but notice as we sacrifice a very small portion of what He's provided us.  We will always be in His debt, but all He wants is our happiness.

Lesson for me?

*Just remember the foregoing when you start to get cranky and feel sorry for yourself.  Nothing doing.  You have no difficulty that will not eventually be transformed to joy as you keep buggering on.  All will be well.  BELIEVE IT.

Verses 13-15: Self-Deception

What does this teach me about the atonement?

This is the saddest part.  The Savior stands there, bearing the wounds of His crucifixion, having atoned for us, and He has to point out how we're all whining and complaining and saying, "What's in it for me?", and imagining that crooked people have it better than us. This kind of direct rebuke is necessary to help them stop such "stinking thinking".

Lesson for me?

*Really a restatement of the previous one: stop whining and get on with serving, loving and living.

Verses 16-18: Book of Remembrance 

What does this teach me about the atonement?

I'm not sure exactly what the book refers to, but I think the point is that Christ would not perform the atonement in vain- meaning that those who love Him, who think and speak of Him, will be set down on record and will not be forgotten. The atonement will redeem them that truly receive it.

Lesson for me?

*Continue to reverence the Lord and think upon His name, so that you might be one of His 💎 jewels .

3 Nephi 23

Verses 1-14: Scriptures

What does this teach me about the atonement?

I love that He quotes and recommends the words of one of His followers. He is so determined to make "apprentices" of us that He's willing to feature the inspired words of one of us mere mortals in His sermons! And then to praise them and command the people to study them. This is the atonement in action.  The Savior, through His atoning power, intends to make much more of us than we could imagine.  He inspired Isaiah with some of the most important language in all eternity. His grace made it possible.

In verse 5 He summarizes His basic doctrine and again refers the people to the teachings of His trusted servants. 

The rest of the chapter consists of Him again referring to His servants, and training the people to continue creating scripture themselves for the benefit of all who would succeed them.  He wants every possible volunteer to participate in His saving work.

Lesson for me?

*Continue to love and study the scriptures, and also the words of both ancient and modern prophets. Additionally, keep recording your own experiences of the Lord's hand in your life.  This is another way you can be an instrument in the Lord's hands to gather and tend His flock.

 

3 Nephi 22

Verses 1-17: Beautiful Promises

 

What does this teach me about the atonement?

The atonement is at the heart of everything the Savior says here.  The whole reason He undertook it was to make all the things happen He's describing here. 

I understand the first verse to mean that a people, the house of Israel, who has suffered enough to be considered "desolate" will, in the end, through the atonement's power, have a greater multiplicity of blessings than anyone would expect- more than other strains  of people who may seem to have a favored life (represented here by the "married wife").

The second verse provides active imagery of the idea of preparing for happy growth and proliferation.

And the loving reassurances continue from there.  Promises of safety, protection, and peace from a loving Savior. The verses about jewels could indicate prosperity or beautiful surroundings, but most of all, the symbols of His undying love, or all these.  We won't all have great material wealth in this life, but I believe that those who love and trust the Savior will have their lives adorned with feelings of love and great joy, just as the Savior describes the adornment of their edifices with jewels. I KNOW I HAVE. And I know that's what I feel when I read those verses.

One crowning promise:

10 For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.

This mercy comes by the power of the atonement.

Lesson for me?

*Remember that, as a covenant daughter, you are privy to all of these promised blessings.  Remember how He rightfully compares His love to the most prized and precious treasures on earth, and that it's experienced as such. Live with this in mind.

3 Nephi 21

Verses 1-29: A Sign and a Marvelous Work

What does this teach me about the atonement?

The theme I discovered in the last chapter continues:

He really is the gardener.  He does everything possible to protect and preserve those strains of life who will let Him, and to minimize the proliferation of those who would destroy the seedlings who reach for Him.  

In this metaphor, the atonement could be compared to the sunlight and the rain and the gardener's skilled and caring hand: it's what allows us to grow into something beautiful.

He goes more into detail about the restoration here: about how His servant Joseph Smith will bring forth His teachings to the gentiles, who will then share them with the Native Americans: the Lamanite and Nephite descendants.  This is the sign He mentions that will show that our Lord and Savior is preparing for His greatest family reunion.  I am one of the gentiles mentioned here who gets to see the Lord's power and be numbered among the house of Israel. I feel the warmth of the Spirit very strongly as I consider the Savior calling His servant Joseph to see to a new flock.  He loves us so much, and Joseph Smith was and is a good man.

This chapter can be summed up by the following verse:

28 Yea, and then shall the work commence, with the Father among all nations in preparing the way whereby his people may be gathered home to the land of their inheritance.

He wants to gather us to our heavenly home as well.  It is such an elegantly beautiful plan: heaven is not heaven if the people in it have not been transformed to have heavenly thoughts, feelings and behaviors.  Heavenly people have learned to conform to the true, the loving and the beautiful, by the atonement's power, and let it change them.  They have learned, through covenant making and keeping, enabled by grace, to be whole, true, integrated, dependable and faithful- and most importantly, they are bursting with love. Conversely, If people have participated with Satan in deceiving themselves and adopting hurtful and destructive patterns, heaven can't be heaven for them or those around them.  That's why repentance is vital, and the atonement's best gift.

Lesson for me?

What changes would Heavenly Father and the Savior have me make in my life this very moment?

Believe in this work. Don't harden your heart. And on a second reading, this stood out, from verse 4: "they should be established in this land, and be set up as a free people".

This leads me to want to make sure that my info is updated so that I'm all set up to vote.  It is God's will for us to be a free people. So I need to participate in preserving freedom. 

(I wrote this before Election Day, but too late to update my address info and make it out to vote 🙁.)

3 Nephi 20

Verses 1-9: A Second Sacrament

What does this teach me about the atonement?

This reinforces the lesson that the atonement saves us. This time the Savior produced bread and wine miraculously.  So why did the Savior decide to miraculously produce a second sacrament? For what purpose?  The symbolism is clear: the Savior provides every necessity of life.  We can safely entrust ourselves to His care. But why wouldn't He perform the miracle the first time, and have the disciples get the bread and wine the second time- setting the pattern of what needs to continue during His absence?

Faith precedes the miracle. That's the answer.  The people partook of the sacrament and were purified through faith, and then the Savior truly showed them that He would provide for them spiritually.

As He told them:  "He that eateth this bread eateth of my body to his soul; and he that drinketh of this wine drinketh of my blood to his soul; and his soul shall never hunger nor thirst, but shall be filled." Soul food 😬🤓.

In actuality- food for the spirit.  As we ritually remember Him, His spirit is with us, and we can have peace in this world of sorrows.

Lesson for me?

*These lessons are getting repetitive, but that's ok! It gets ever simpler and more profound. Just let go. Just fall at His feet and know that you are safe in His hands as you just keep going, doing all the good that occurs to you, one step at a time.

Verses 10-46: A Covenant People 

What does this teach me about the atonement?

The Savior references His atonement in this section with these words:

 26 The Father having raised me up unto you first, and sent me to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities; and this because ye are the children of the covenant

The atonement is what allows this turning from iniquity.

This section is very involved, and I don't have the knowledge to provide historical or anthropological interpretations.  As I read His words, though, applying what I know about who He is, I feel the love in them.

Because He atoned for us, He has the power to hold a family reunion of His covenant people! As I imagine being in His presence, I sense the eagerness He has to gather His people in fatherly love.

He really is the gardener.  He does everything possible to protect and preserve those strains of life who will let Him, and to minimize the proliferation of those who would destroy the seedlings who reach for Him.  That's what this is all about.

Lesson for me?

*When you choose to do what you know isn't right for the sake of pleasure, ease, pride, etc., you are trading a priceless gemstone for an  ice cream cone and changing from a blossom to a weed. You are resisting the refining influence of that gardener who would have you bloom into radiant magnificence and make you a part of everything joyous and beautiful.  Don't do it.

 

3 Nephi 19

Verses 1-18: Christ's Church in Ancient America Begins

What does this teach me about the atonement?

This is the beginnings of the atonement's fruits, meaning that its power is beginning to multiply and to change people. I love the portrayal of the people's excitement at Jesus's coming, and the image of the people being divided into twelve bodies and ministered to by the twelve.  We see that Christ's power and influence is being transferred to His representatives on earth, and that they are teaching and caring for them as Christ would. This is the way Christ works.  He authorizes the spiritual transactions, beginning with baptism, through the assistance of His companion, the Holy Ghost.  The symbolic cleansing of baptism sets the stage for the transformative power of the atonement in our lives.  Our baptism is our invitation for Christ to reinvent us: born again as His child. 

I remember finding it rather odd, at first that Jesus should come and command them to pray when He's right there with them. I thought prayer seemed redundant in a way.  But now it makes perfect sense to me.  Jesus is training them for their spiritual survival and self-sufficiency (none of us are actually self-sufficient, but they needed to know how to sustain themselves when Jesus would no longer be physically present.). Communication with the Father, in Christ's name, is our lifeline.  It is the breath of our spiritual life. 

Lesson for me?

*Pray always, and love it. Don't neglect this vital part your day.  It's even more important than breakfast.

Verses 19-36: Faith and Christ's Prayer 

What does this teach me about the atonement?

Christ prays several times in this section, and first He speaks of belief, and then of faith. So I'm wondering, as a side question: is there any difference between belief and faith? I'm getting the impression that belief is to accept the truth of something, and faith contains that element, with the additional element of some degree of trust or reliance on that which you put your belief in: a belief that aligning with that something will result in good. In that sense, faith is a more highly developed form of belief. That feels right to me. Belief, as He states in His prayer, is what caused Christ to choose those disciples. And He prays that those who hear their teachings will believe their words, and receive the Holy Ghost. They believed, and prayed, and received the Holy Ghost. It seems that the Holy Ghost transforms belief into faith.  Then they prayed in faith and became visibly, radiantly clean. So as Christ said in His prayer, faith purifies us. His atonement made it so. Our faith cleanses us through the power of the atonement. Without it, none of us could begin our "apprenticeship" with Christ. We'd be stuck in our fallen state.  

Lesson for me?

*Let this passage fill you with hope!  These people were purified simply because they believed, prayed and had faith in Jesus. This made them radiant and Jesus smiled on them with warmth and joy. Just keep cheerful faith in Christ, pray, and keep trying. This will bring you joy now and infinite joy to come.

3 Nephi 18

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/3-ne/18?lang=eng

Verses 1-14: The Sacrament 

What does this teach me about the atonement?

The atonement provides the power to save us, and the sacrament is how we partake of that power- literally and figuratively. Because the atonement's power can only be fully activated in our lives by our acknowledgment of it, the Savior instituted a ritual by which His gift to us could be received again and again and again.  By actually taking the tokens into our bodies, we symbolically invite Him into our lives. And by degrees, we are changed.

He speaks of building upon His rock.  His "rock" is the sturdy truths of His doctrine, and His doctrine centers on the atonement. Our "building" is the construction of an eternal soul fit for God's presence. So, given that the atonement is the only thing that frees us from the sins that drag us down, without the atonement that construction literally cannot take place.  That's why the metaphor is so very apt.

Lesson for me?

The Savior says in this section that partaking of the sacrament shows Heavenly Father that we remember Christ.  Given everything that Christ has done for me, I can work harder to get to sacrament meeting on time, and not miss the opportunity to show Him that I remember Him.  And as I partake, I can remember the purpose of the sacrament, which is to point me toward Christ, that I might have the joy He longs to provide me.  

Verses 15-21: Watch and Pray

What does this teach me about the atonement?

The Savior felt the full force of all evil. He familiarized Himself with its effects without succumbing to them.  He knows well that the joy the people feel in His presence, fueled by His power, may easily be eclipsed by the wiles of Satan.  Christ loves us and knows our weaknesses.  He knows we can be taken in by Satan's distortions and deceptions.  Satan has so many means of twisting the truth and taking our focus away from the Savior.  Like me in a bad mood times a gazillion, Satan hates happy people.  The only counterfeit of delight available to him consists of spreading his misery.  Thus, what we learn here about the atonement is that, since it was all about saving us from suffering, this speech the Savior makes is an essential appendage to it; for if we don't join with the force that beat evil, and instead allow evil to claim us, evil wins. Christ's victory is no victory if His overriding mission to save us from suffering fails. We have our agency.

Lesson for me?

*Pray personally, as a couple, and as a family, and be watchful for Satan's favorite tools (as identified in the great story of Satan's garage sale): discouragement and doubt. As long as I choose to believe and keep trying, all will be well.  

Verses 22-34: Fellowship 

What does this teach me about the atonement?

The Savior feels a deep and abiding concern about every soul for whom He atoned. If we truly love and would follow Him, we must not reject or exclude any of these precious souls.  The Savior wants His followers to associate with one another, pray for one another and attend to one another's needs.

The Savior also commands that none partake of the sacrament unworthily.  This is because to affect to honor the Savior by partaking of the sacred tokens of His atonement, having committed grievous sins and not repenting, is mockery of the Savior. It amounts to looking Him in the face and telling Him, "I see you there, but I neither believe you nor want you."  This attitude is naturally antithetical to repentance and progress, and so the "damnation to his soul," the Savior mentions is a literal consequence: a halting of progression.

 Lesson for me?

*Instead of worrying about how others are treating you, remember the Savior's charge that all are to be included, and make an effort at church to be mindful of everyone around you.  Smile, say hi, ask about them, introduce yourself, and remember people in your ward family who are having challenges in your prayers.  It's another way to show the Savior your gratitude and love.

Verses 35-39: Setting Apart

What does this teach me about the atonement?

The Savior's atonement is the crowning event in His mission to glorify the Father.  Because the Father's glory is to bring us joy, and because the Savior loves us, He made that His own work and glory as well: to bestow upon us all the power and attendant joy that He's attained.  The atonement set the stage for humankind to progress, so He seeks out apprentices.  He laid His hands on His disciples and prepared them to go and care for His flocks.  This work continues today in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Lesson for me?

*You can place your confidence in the Lord's servants on earth, however imperfect.  He calls them and enables them.  The structure or organization is a beautiful work of art.  You can also consider yourself among them as you carry out your sacred responsibilities at home and at church- one of Christ's apprentices.  Let this enlivened perspective lend meaning and purpose to even mundane seeming tasks, and be joyful.

3 Nephi 17

Verses 1-4: Go and Ponder

What does this reveal about the atonement?

Christ's atonement allows for our spiritual progress and increase of knowledge, which go hand in hand. His great gift is all about giving us everything He has and is- even though we don't deserve it, and that includes, and also necessitates, a deep personal understanding of the gospel and the Savior's mission. This is what He desires for each individual present when He instructs them to go to their homes and ponder and pray for understanding.

Lesson for me?

*I can carry out this commandment every day by continuing to seek understanding through pondering and prayer. In this way I can begin to claim the inestimable blessings He holds in store for me.

Verses 6-10: Healing

What does this teach me about the atonement?

This entire passage is symbolic of the spiritual healing Christ offers to all of us. We all have spiritual blind and deaf spots. We are spiritually and  emotionally halt and maimed, and spiritually lame.  And he heals us all!

When He tells the multitude that He has compassion for them, He means it. He literally and perfectly knows their pain.  Thus He finds joy in this healing work.

Lesson for me?

*As I go about my daily interactions, I can emulate my Savior by taking the attitude of a compassionate healer- trying to understand others' feelings as best I can, and helping to heal their pain through love.

Verses 11-25: Prayer & Little Ones

What does this teach me about the atonement?

This is perhaps the most beautiful account of the Savior's interaction with His beloved children in all of scripture. This demonstrates the attitude of One who sacrificed all for the love of another. The little ones are meant to represent all of us. By bringing them all forward, He shows us our spiritual potential. We are all little ones in His eyes: Gods and Goddesses in infancy. By focusing on Him and taking His perspective, we become what He knows we can be with His help. "Become as a little child," He instructs, a continual beginner. Because He atoned for us and gave us repentance, we can be made innocent again. We can try and fail, taking stumbling steps on the path of  discipleship, maturing by degree under His loving parentage, eventually becoming as He is.

The prayer He offered with words defying reduction to man's alphabets, begetting a joy our language has no words for, gave the multitude a tiny taste of what awaits them if they continue in Christ and His doctrine. And then He wept for the joy He felt in loving them and looking on their joy. That's the joy He's promised all of us.

Lesson for me?

*Just as "The eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard, before, so great and marvelous things as [the multitude] saw and heard Jesus speak unto the Father, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him (1 Corinthians 2:9)." 

That scripture came to reassure my heart once during a time of great despair and discouragement, and here it is again, just to give me energy to keep buggering on.  Don't ever trade inconceivable joy for a moment's pleasure, excitement or ease or a fleeting feeling of power over others. Stay with Christ and His love. 

3 Nephi 16

Verses 1-5: Gathering of Israel

What does this teach me about the atonement ?

We know nothing of the full extent of the souls Christ atoned for. Even so, He desires unity and love among them all. He has many branches dispersed so that if one is cut off by apostasy, adopting traditions that preclude faith, He may start afresh to plant seeds of faith among a new "crop". The goal is salvation and eternal life for His precious, beloved children, whatever their heritage and locale. 

Lesson for me?

*Remember Christ's love for His children everywhere. Pray for the missionary effort across the globe (and even in the next life!) and for your own missionary opportunities. 

Verses 5-20: Jews, Gentiles & the Latter Days

What does this reveal about the atonement? 

The atonement imparted the redeeming power for Christ to save and gather His people. Thanks to Him, they'll receive all the grace and saving knowledge they're open to accepting.  Christ has felt the weight and consequences of every sin He enumerates here. When one society rejects Him, He begins again with another. His endeavor is tireless and fueled by compassion. Thanks to Him, repentance is always available to us.

The same lessons from the first part of the chapter echo through the rest as well. Christ has different "strains" of people for the purposes of gospel dispersal and "germination", but in the end, all of His covenant children are "one fold", the House of Israel.

Lesson for me?

*You are His covenant daughter, and your persistence in that covenant, and your commitment to glorifying the Father by carrying out His will does more good than you can know or even imagine at this time. You are and will be an instrument of salvation affecting generations of His children. Remember the grandeur of the plan you're a part of.