#41 "He Did Expound All Things unto Them"

3 Nephi 22-26
Christ is still speaking to the people and teaching them the basics of the gospel.
In 3 Nephi 23:5-6 it says He searched the prophets and expounded the scriptures to them.
23:7 He commands Nephi to bring forth the record that had been kept of this people up to this point, and because they didn’t record some things that Samuel the Lamanite had prophesied that had been fulfilled He requests that they record them.
23:9-10 The thing He makes sure is recorded is that there were many saints that arose from the dead and appeared too many at the time of the Lord’s resurrection.
* The same exact thing was recorded in New Testament Matt. 27:52. So to summarize, Nephi was to record the dead rising, the apostles in Jerusalem recorded the same thing that happened in their land, that of resurrected beings appearing to them. Also I believe that the people in Alma 63, Hagoths people that left in many different directions, also recorded their events. I also believe that the lost 10 tribes were keeping their record, which probably has similar events. Also our church leaders today are also keeping a record of the happenings in our time.
So why would it matter that this small thing was in there or not? Why was this necessary?
When it comes time to gather together, I’m guessing our records may be swapped and read and they will all be similar enough that they will testify of one another and bring us all together and fill in any holes that we may feel is missing such as Alma 63-Where did all those people end up? It will be an exciting time exchanging stories won’t it?

You know something else that can be exciting? Learning things you already know in a new way. The way I learned the next couple principles is through nuts! Who likes walnuts? Good for you I can’t stand them, but that doesn’t mean I can’t use them to learn from. Here is a bag of walnuts with the shell and the outer cover on, how many of you would still like walnuts looking at them like this? How many would be happy to receive these walnuts? Sure why not-if you like to eat them, what is so bad about taking off the outer shell to get to the nut right? (Except for the fact that they stain your hands-as seen on mine, Keith’s and kids hands) Okay, but now what if I told you I had a bag of nuts that already had the outer cover off and all you had to do was shell them. Which bag of the two would you prefer? The 2nd bag-less work no stains right? Now what if I told you I have a bag of already shelled walnuts-cracked and ready to eat or bake with? Now of the 3 bags which bag would you prefer? Of course these bags are still desirable because of what they are (unless you’re me and you hate walnuts) If that is the case why do we continue to choose the walnuts with the shell and outer covering? Keep this in mind as Christ teaches us some things. Christ is going to teach them/us more things that He sees as crucial to adding to the Nephite records for our day.
*If you had to guess what they’d be what do you think He’d put in there? Of all the scriptures we have, stories, prophecies, doctrine-what do you think he’d pick? 1st he quotes Isaiah then He pick Malachi’s words. So let’s look at these in a little more detail.

He tells us in 23:1-3 why He chose Isaiah’s words
1- It is a commandment that we search them 2-they are great 3-(v2)they pertain to the house of Israel (us-the lord’s people) 4-they will be for gentiles 5-they speak of things past and future.
The reason He quotes Malachi-they’ve never read his words-Malachi wasn’t written till 200 years after Lehi left Jerusalem so we must really need what He has to offer.
So let’s go to Ch 22 Isaiah’s words- This same chapter is in the Old Testament-why do we have it again? I don’t know but, that doesn’t really matter does it? Let’s go through it quick
22:2 It speaks of missionary work- expand your tent, take in your neighbors, and share the gospel.
22:3 It tells us of things that will be. Cities will be deserted by war, disease, catastrophes and he’s telling us we will rebuild and inhabit again.
22:8 Even though He turns away from us, because of our sin; He will turn back and have mercy on us again.
22:9 He swears to us just like He did Noah, that even though our country will be in upheaval He will not leave us alone.
22:14 He promises to protect us from enemies.
22:16 He reminds us that He has power. He created all men-those who create and those who destroy, but He can do what He wants with them.
*Now kind of a strange chapter to insert here if you ask me, but then I thought of the nuts. The ones with the outer covering is like this chapter, We have it here, we read it, and chances are we will just pass over it as just another bizarre chapter that we don’t get. Or we can follow the commandment to study it and dissect it just as we sort of did and we may get more meaning from it (hold up nuts w/ shells only) But how can we get the actual nut (holding up nuts de-shelled) out of it? We personalize it to ourselves. In our day we are coming to the end when Christ will come again. Do you think we have yet to see more war, catastrophes, enemies who persecute us? I think the end is sooner than we think. Do we have enough Faith in the power of missionary work, and Christ that He can destroy our enemies? We need to pray, ponder and live this Chapter until we get our nut!
Ch 24 Again another chapter we can glance over and say oh that was nice we have this weird bag of nuts with the outer cover on them. Or can we dissect (bag shelled) and personalize (nuts w/o shell)
24:1 Behold send messenger (Joseph Smith) who will prepare the way 24:2 It is through living the gospel we will recognize the Savior and be cleansed for His coming.
*How are we cleansed? By making offerings
24:7He explains one of our main problems why we aren’t ready for Him yet-why we aren’t getting nuts? We have gone away from ordinances and He points out which one exactly. 24:8 tithes and offerings
24:9 we are cursed-what curse? He tells us what we are missing out on (nuts all de-shelled) Which curse do we have: We aren’t getting to the nut of tithing. The nut in 24:10 is Meat in my house-temporal blessings, also opening the windows of heaven-getting revelation and 24:11 That our fruit won’t be picked until it’s time-He won’t let bad things happen to us until we are ready for them.
*I know you say but sister Rusch I am paying my tithing and we still aren’t getting those things. Well the Lord tells us why.
24:14 Are we paying our tithing like this? “Okay here is my check-I sure wish I could keep this $, I’m not sure I see the point in giving this up when we are struggling. (holding up nuts with outer cover)
Or are we paying our tithing like this? 24:15 “Here is my tithing; I’m grateful now where are those blessings you promised? (holding up nuts with shell)
24:16 or are we paying like this? (holding up nuts without shell) Here is my tithing, and I am grateful for all things that we have, and go on with live as if we’ve already received so much we dare not ask for more.
I had a humbling experience where this was concerned. We were struggling financially and I said to Keith, “The Lord promised us he’d take care of us temporally-why isn’t he and my dear husband-had a rebuke for me that was needed and believe me He doesn’t get it right too often. He said, “He is-our garden has never looked better. Look how much food we have and as I thought about the windows of Heaven-I also knew I have been blessed with much revelation, where this class is concerned, but also as I have needed revelation in my life in other areas, I have received that too. I knew I had some repenting to do so I could get my nut, just as Keith had got his.
Why repent? 24:16 So I could be named in Lord’s book of remembrance.

There are many things He also tells them about the 2nd coming which we don’t have time to cover today so I’d just like to end with 26:8-9
He gives us these words, in hopes that we might desire to get to the nut.
26:9 When they have received this-received His words (prophets words) 1st and exhibited faith in taking off the outer and getting to the shell-then if we believe because we’ve applied it with gratefulness, then shall He give us the nut-greater meaning, more revelation, which is, exactly why He taught us how he did, why we had to get through the outer covering and shell before we got to the nut. I testify that for each of us, that knowledge, that nut, will be different! We can truly have the nut everyday if we study, ponder, pray, and most importantly, live the gospel and it’s ordinances in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.