GOSPEL
DOCTRINE LESSON
Supplements for
LDS Sunday School Courses for the Book of Mormon
(Including
Information for
Preparing Gospel Doctrine Lessons in Hebrew)
by Daniel Rona
Lesson Number 37
"Whosever Will Come, Him Will I Receive" (3 Nephi 8-11)
On both sides of the earth, eastern and western, the signs given of the Savior’s death and atonement agony had already been foreshadowed in ancient Israel. In the Book of Mormon, terrible storms and an unusual darkness fulfilled their prophets predictions. Examples of similar signs are contained in the plagues of Egypt when the Children of Israel sought deliverance from the cruel Pharaoh. The plagues included storms and darkness. These were signs to assist in recognizing the Messiah, The Deliverer, one who would provide salvation in the future.
"And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.
And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt.
So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.
And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field." (Exodus 9:22-25)
"But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go.
And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.
And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:
They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings." (Exodus 10:20-23)
In the Land of Israel, physical phenomena also occurred that parallels signs given to ancient Israel as well as what occurred in the Book of Mormon lands.
Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.
And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.
The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.
Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;" (Matthew 27:45-51)
The number of times that the number "three" is used is also a powerful metaphor. As mentioned in previous lesson supplements, the term "three days and three nights" is used often as a lesson of salvation. Most of the ninety-one scriptural references Latter-day Saints use are a type or sign of being saved. In Judaism, the holiest day of the year is Yom Kippur. It is preceded by ten days of repenting which are followed by a day of fasting. The entire country shuts down. This includes radio and television. All shops are closed. Transportation is discontinued. Most significantly, the Book of Jonah is read. He is told to go north (up) to Nineveh, instead he goes south (down) to Jaffa where his boat journey results in a terrible storm. He is thrown overboard, goes down and spends three days and three nights in the belly of a great fish before he comes up and is delivered. Hundreds of years later, Jesus used that experience as the only sign he would give the Pharisees of his Messianic role.
". . . he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matthew 12:39-40)
Jonah knew that "Salvation is of the Lord," (Jonah 2:9). A Hebrew way of saying that would be "Jeho" (shortened version of Jehovah - The Lord) and "Shua" (shortened version of salvation). Together they make "Jehoshua." That name has been derived into Greek and Latin and eventually into English as "Jesus." He identified himself to the Nephites.
"And it came to pass, as they understood they cast their eyes up again towards heaven; and behold, they saw a Man descending out of heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe; and he came down and stood in the midst of them; and the eyes of the whole multitude were turned upon him, and they durst not open their mouths, even one to another, and wist not what it meant, for they thought it was an angel that had appeared unto them.
And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people, saying:
Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.
And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning.
And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words the whole multitude fell to the earth; for they remembered that it had been prophesied among them that Christ should show himself unto them after his ascension into heaven." ( Nephi 11:8-12)
Those who had already made the "leap of faith" before the signs were saved. They experienced the fulfillment of signs that they did not seek but recognized through their faith and repentance . . . and they were received unto Him.