This week’s “Come, Follow Me” study guide covers 3 Nephi 12-16, which includes Jesus Christ teaching a discourse similar to the Sermon on the Mount.
Following are a few quotes from past and present Church leaders about these chapters in the Book of Mormon.
3 Nephi 12
“None of us can control nations or the actions of others or even members of our own families. But we can control ourselves. My call today, dear brothers and sisters, is to end conflicts that are raging in your heart, your home and your life. Bury any and all inclinations to hurt others — whether those inclinations be a temper, a sharp tongue or a resentment for someone who has hurt you. The Savior commanded us to turn the other cheek (3 Nephi 12:39), to love our enemies and to pray for those who despitefully use us (3 Nephi 12:44).”
— President Russell M. Nelson, April 2022 general conference, “The Power of Spiritual Momentum”
“Our Heavenly Father is a God of high expectations. His expectations for us are expressed by His Son, Jesus Christ, in these words: ‘I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect’ (3 Nephi 12:48). … He knows what is required, and so, to make our transformation possible, He provides His commandments and covenants, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and most important, the Atonement and Resurrection of His Beloved Son.
“In all of this, God’s purpose is that we, His children, may be able to experience ultimate joy, to be with Him eternally and to become even as He is.”
— Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2011 general conference, “‘As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten’”
“The Savior taught, ‘And blessed are all the pure in heart, for they shall see God’ (3 Nephi 12:8). The promises of the gospel are uplifting and ennobling, even exalting. We receive those promises by covenants which are conditioned on our living lives of purity and morality. When we live right and seek to purify our hearts, we draw closer to God and the Spirit. The condition of our heart determines how much evidence of divinity we see in the world now and qualifies us for the eventual realization of the promise that the pure ‘shall see God.’”
— Elder L. Whitney Clayton, then a General Authority Seventy, October 2007 general conference, “Blessed Are All the Pure in Heart”
“Satan will try to make us believe that our sins are not forgiven because we can remember them. Satan is a liar; he tries to blur our vision and lead us away from the path of repentance and forgiveness. God did not promise that we would not remember our sins. Remembering will help us avoid making the same mistakes again. But if we stay true and faithful, the memory of our sins will be softened over time. This will be part of the needed healing and sanctification process. …
“It is our responsibility to avoid anything that would bring back old sinful memories. When we continue to have a ‘broken heart and a contrite spirit’ (3 Nephi 12:19), we may trust that God will ‘remember [our sins] no more’ (Doctrine and Covenants 58:42).”
— Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2007 general conference, “Point of Safe Return”
3 Nephi 13
“In His sermon to multitudes recorded in the Bible and in the Book of Mormon, the Savior taught that mortal bodies can be full of light or full of darkness. We, of course, want to be filled with light, and our Savior taught us how we can make this happen. We should listen to messages about the truths of eternity. He used the example of our eye, through which we take light into our bodies. If our ‘eye be single’ — in other words, if we are concentrating on receiving eternal light and understanding — He explained, ‘thy whole body shall be full of light’ (Matthew 6:22; 3 Nephi 13:22). But if our ‘eye be evil’ — that is, if we look for evil and take that into our bodies — He warned, ‘thy whole body shall be full of darkness’ (verse 23). In other words, the light or darkness in our bodies depends on how we see — or receive — the eternal truths we are taught.
“We should follow the Savior’s invitation to seek and ask to understand the truths of eternity. He promises that our Father in Heaven is willing to teach everyone the truths they seek (see 3 Nephi 14:8). If we desire this and have our eye single to receive them, the Savior promises that the truths of eternity ‘shall be opened’ unto us (see 3 Nephi 14:7–8).”
— President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, April 2020 general conference, “The Melchizedek Priesthood and the Keys”
“Of all the things the Savior could have said in the Lord’s Prayer, which is remarkably short, it is interesting that He chose to include ‘And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors’ (Matthew 6:12; 3 Nephi 13:11).
“Forgiveness is the very reason God sent His Son, so let us rejoice in His offering to heal us all. The Savior’s Atonement is not just for those who need to repent; it is also for those who need to forgive. If you are having trouble forgiving another person or even yourself, ask God to help you. Forgiveness is a glorious, healing principle. We do not need to be a victim twice. We can forgive.”
— Elder Kevin R. Duncan, General Authority Seventy, April 2016 general conference, “The Healing Ointment of Forgiveness”
“When people try to save face with men, they can unwittingly lose face with God. Thinking one can please God and at the same time condone the disobedience of men isn’t neutrality but duplicity, or being two-faced or trying to ‘serve two masters’ (Matthew 6:24; 3 Nephi 13:24).”
— Elder Lynn G. Robbins, then a General Authority Seventy, October 2014 general conference, “Which Way Do You Face?”
“Learn to pray. Pray often. Pray in your mind, in your heart. Pray on your knees. Prayer is your personal key to heaven. The lock is on your side of the veil. And I have learned to conclude all my prayers with ‘Thy will be done’ (3 Nephi 13:10).”
— President Boyd K. Packer, then the president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2009 general conference, “Prayer and Promptings”
“Jesus taught us eternal truth when He taught us to pray: ‘Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. … For, if ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if ye forgive not … neither will your Father forgive your trespasses’ (3 Nephi 13:11, 14–15).
“Therefore, extending forgiveness is a precondition to receiving forgiveness.
“For our own good, we need the moral courage to forgive and to ask for forgiveness. Never is the soul nobler and more courageous than when we forgive. This includes forgiving ourselves.
“Each of us is under a divinely spoken obligation to reach out with pardon and mercy and to forgive one another. There is a great need for this Christlike attribute in our families, in our marriages, in our wards and stakes, in our communities and in our nations.
“We will receive the joy of forgiveness in our own lives when we are willing to extend that joy freely to others. Lip service is not enough. We need to purge our hearts and minds of feelings and thoughts of bitterness and let the light and the love of Christ enter in. As a result, the Spirit of the Lord will fill our souls with the joy accompanying divine peace of conscience.”
— Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2007 general conference, “Point of Safe Return”
3 Nephi 14
“During His ministry the Savior taught with love and clarity the doctrines, principles, and necessary actions that would preserve our lives and strengthen our character. At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, He stated:
“’Therefore, whoso heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, [which] built his house upon a rock —
“’And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock.
“’And every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man, [which] built his house upon the sand —
“’And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell, and great was the fall of it’ (3 Nephi 14:24–27; see also Matthew 7:24–27).
“Brothers and sisters, none of us would knowingly construct our homes, places of work, or sacred houses of worship on sand or rubble or without appropriate plans and materials. Let us accept the Savior’s invitation to come unto Him. Let us build our lives upon a safe and a sure foundation.”
— Elder Dean M. Davies, then the second counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, April 2013 general conference, “A Sure Foundation”
“Are you and I helping our children become agents who act and seek learning by study and by faith, or have we trained our children to wait to be taught and acted upon? Are we as parents primarily giving our children the equivalent of spiritual fish to eat, or are we consistently helping them to act, to learn for themselves, and to stand steadfast and immovable? Are we helping our children become anxiously engaged in asking, seeking and knocking? (See 3 Nephi 14:7.)
“The spiritual understanding you and I have been blessed to receive, and which has been confirmed as true in our hearts, simply cannot be given to our children. The tuition of diligence and of learning by study and also by faith must be paid to obtain and personally ‘own’ such knowledge. Only in this way can what is known in the mind also be felt in the heart.”
— Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2010 general conference, “Watching with All Perseverance”
“The Savior said:
“’Therefore, whoso heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, who built his house upon a rock —
“’And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock.
“’And every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand —
“’And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell, and great was the fall of it’ (3 Nephi 14:24–27).
“It is interesting to notice that the rain descended, the floods came and the winds blew against both houses. Living the gospel does not mean that we will everlastingly escape adversity. Rather, it means that we will be prepared to face and endure adversity more confidently.”
— Elder Rafael E. Pino, General Authority Seventy, April 2009 general conference, “Faith in Adversity”
3 Nephi 15
“At times you will experience sorrow and suffering. Through these difficult moments, the Savior can strengthen you to endure to the end, as He did.
“Jesus willingly took upon Himself all your sin and pain and endured all your anguish and suffering. Through it all, He was not a quitter. He suffered deeply because He loves you deeply. He gave up His life, and three days later, He overcame death and became the first to be resurrected.
“Because the Savior endured to the end, He has power to strengthen you. He said, ‘Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life’ (3 Nephi 15:9).”
— President Russell M. Nelson in the April 2023 For the Strength of Youth article, “Your Savior and the Future before You”
3 Nephi 16
“Our days are days long anticipated in the history of the world. …
“The revelations tell of a great gathering that will take place (see 3 Nephi 16:5). …
“We have been blessed to bring the gospel to our families and our posterity and to assist in preparing for the Second Coming of the Savior. … Our responsibility is not trivial; it is not by chance that we are who we are; the keeping of our covenants in these days of destiny will be a badge of honor throughout all the eternities.”
— Elder Neil A. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2009 general conference, “Come unto Him”
