3 Nephi 7 (15 - 16 LE) - Covenant of Christ

Book of Mormon

Covenant of Christ

Paragraph 1

15 And now it came to pass that when Jesus had ended these sayings, he cast his eyes round about on the multitude and said unto them, Behold, ye have heard the things which I have taught before I ascended to my Father. Therefore, whoso remembereth these sayings of mine and doeth them, him will I raise up at the last day.

Paragraph 1

15 When Jesus finished saying this, He looked around at the large crowd and said to them: You’ve now heard what I taught before I ascended to My Father. Therefore anyone who remembers these teachings of Mine and obeys them, I’ll raise that person up on the last day.

Paragraph 2

² And it came to pass that when Jesus had said these words, he perceived that there were some among them who marveled, and wondered what he would concerning the law of Moses, for they understood not the saying that old things had passed away and that all things had become new. ³ And he said unto them, Marvel not that I said unto you that old things had passed away and that all things had become new. ⁴ Behold, I say unto you that the law is fulfilled that was given unto Moses. ⁵ Behold, I am he that gave the law, and I am he who covenanted with my people Israel. Therefore, the law in me is fulfilled, for I have come to fulfill the law; therefore, it hath an end. ⁶ Behold, I do not destroy the prophets, for as many as have not been fulfilled in me, verily I say unto you, shall all be fulfilled. ⁷ And because I said unto you that old things hath passed away, I do not destroy that which hath been spoken concerning things which are to come. ⁸ For behold, the covenant which I have made with my people is not all fulfilled, but the law which was given unto Moses hath an end in me. ⁹ Behold, I am the law and the light. 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. ¹⁰ Behold, I have given unto you the commandments; therefore, keep my commandments. And this is the law and the prophets, for they truly testified of me.

Paragraph 2

²When Jesus had said this, He could tell some of them were surprised and wondered what He intended for the Law of Moses, since they didn’t understand what He meant that old things had come to an end and all things had become new. ³And He explained to them: Don’t be surprised I said that old things had come to an end and everything had become new. ⁴I assure you the Law that was given to Moses is now completed. ⁵I Am the one who gave the Law, and I Am the one who covenanted with My people Israel. Therefore the Law is now completed by My coming to conclude the Law. Therefore it now ends. ⁶I haven’t destroyed what the prophets foretold, since anything not yet accomplished by Me will all happen, I promise you. ⁷When I said old things have ended, I don’t mean that those prophecies yet to happen won’t occur. ⁸Because there are still covenants I’ve made with My people that aren’t yet fulfilled, but the Law given to Moses ends with Me. ⁹I Am the Law and the light. Look to Me and endure to the end, and you will live; indeed, I’ll give eternal life to all who endure to the end. ¹⁰I’ve given you the commandments. Therefore keep My commandments; they’re what the law and the teachings of the prophets intended, because they truthfully pointed to Me.

Paragraph 3

¹¹ And now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words, he said unto those twelve whom he had chosen, ¹² Ye are my disciples, and ye are a light unto this people, who are a remnant of the house of Joseph. ¹³ And behold, this is the land of your inheritance, and the Father hath given it unto you. ¹⁴ And not at any time hath the Father given me commandment that I should tell it unto your brethren at Jerusalem; ¹⁵ neither at any time hath the Father given me commandment that I should tell unto them concerning the other tribes of the house of Israel whom the Father hath led away out of the land. ¹⁶ This much did the Father command me that I should tell unto them, ¹⁷ that other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd. ¹⁸ And now because of stiffneckedness and unbelief, they understood not my word; therefore, I was commanded to say no more, of the Father, concerning this thing unto them. ¹⁹ But verily I say unto you that the Father hath commanded me, and I tell it unto you, that ye were separated from among them because of their iniquity; therefore, it is because of their iniquity that they know not of you. ²⁰ And verily I say unto you again that the other tribes hath the Father separated from them, and it is because of their iniquity that they know not of them. ²¹ And verily I say unto you that ye are they of whom I said, Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd. ²² And they understood me not, for they supposed it had been the gentiles; for they understood not that the gentiles should be converted through their preaching. ²³ And they understood me not, that I said, They shall hear my voice, and they understood me not that the gentiles should not at that time hear my voice, that I should not manifest myself unto them save it were by the holy ghost. ²⁴ But behold, ye have both heard my voice and seen me, and ye are my sheep, and ye are numbered among those whom the Father hath given me. 16 And verily, verily I say unto you that I have other sheep which are not of this land, neither of the land of Jerusalem, neither in any parts of that land round about whither I have been to minister. ² For they of whom I speak are they who have not as yet heard my voice, neither have I at any time manifested myself unto them. ³ But I have received a commandment of the Father that I shall go unto them, and that they shall hear my voice and shall be numbered among my sheep, that there may be one fold and one shepherd; therefore, I go to shew myself unto them.

Paragraph 3

¹¹When Jesus said that, He said to the twelve He had chosen: ¹²You are My disciples, and you are a light to this people, who are a remnant of Joseph’s family. ¹³This is your inherited land; the Father has given it to you. ¹⁴And the Father has never commanded Me to tell that to your fellow Israelites at Jerusalem. ¹⁵Nor has the Father ever commanded Me to tell them about the other tribes of the house of Israel the Father led away from the land. ¹⁶But the Father did command Me to tell them this: ¹⁷I have other sheep that aren’t part of this fold. I will visit them and they will also hear My voice, and I will make all My sheep into one fold, following one Shepherd. ¹⁸Now because of stubbornness and unbelief they didn’t understand what I said. Therefore the Father commanded Me not to say anything else about this subject to them. ¹⁹But truly I tell you the Father has commanded Me, and I’m telling it to you, that you were separated away from them because of their iniquity. Therefore it’s because of their iniquity that they don’t know about you. ²⁰Moreover, and I’m telling you this truth: the Father has separated other tribes away from them. And it’s because of their iniquity that they don’t know about them. ²¹Now I tell you truthfully that you are the ones I spoke of when I said: I have other sheep that aren’t part of this fold; I will visit them, and they will also hear My voice; then I will make all My sheep into one fold, following one Shepherd. ²²And they didn’t understand Me, since they thought I was talking about the Gentiles. They didn’t understand that the Gentiles were to be converted through their preaching. ²³And they didn’t understand Me when I said that they would hear My voice. And they didn’t understand Me that the Gentiles wouldn’t hear My voice at this time, and that I wouldn’t reveal Myself to them except by the Holy Ghost. ²⁴But you’ve both heard My voice and seen Me, and you are My sheep, and you are included with those the Father has given to Me. 16 And again I testify to you I have other sheep that don’t live in this land, nor in the land of Jerusalem, nor in any of the areas where I went to minister. ²The ones I’m speaking about are those who haven’t heard My voice yet; and I haven’t revealed Myself to them either. ³But I’ve received a commandment from the Father to go to them: that they’re to hear My voice and be included among My sheep, so there can be one fold following one Shepherd. Therefore I will go in order to reveal Myself to them.

Paragraph 4

⁴ And I command you that ye shall write these sayings after I am gone, that if it so be that my people at Jerusalem — they who have seen me and been with me in my ministry — do not ask the Father in my name that they may receive a knowledge of you by the holy ghost, and also of the other tribes whom they know not of, that these sayings which ye shall write shall be kept and shall be manifested unto the gentiles; that through the fullness of the gentiles, the remnant of their seed, who shall be scattered forth upon the face of the earth because of their unbelief, may be brought in, or may be brought to a knowledge of me, their Redeemer. ⁵ And then will I gather them in from the four quarters of the earth, and then will I fulfill the covenant which the Father hath made unto all the people of the house of Israel. ⁶ And blessed are the gentiles because of their belief in me, in and of the holy ghost, which witness unto them of me and of the Father. ⁷ Behold, because of their belief in me, saith the Father, and because of the unbelief of you, O house of Israel, in the latter day shall the truth come unto the gentiles, that the fullness of these things shall be made known unto them.

Paragraph 4

⁴And I command you to write these words when I leave, so that if My people at Jerusalem — those who saw Me and were with Me during My ministry — if they don’t ask the Father in My name to learn about you by the Holy Ghost, and about the other lost tribes also, then what you will write will be protected until they will be given to the Gentiles. Then through the fullness of the Gentiles a remnant of their descendants can be recovered from those scattered across the earth because of their unbelief. They will learn to know Me, their Redeemer. ⁵Then I’ll gather them in from the four quarters of the earth; and I’ll keep the covenant the Father has made to all the people of the house of Israel. ⁶The Gentiles will be blessed because of their belief in Me, through and as a result of the Holy Ghost, which testifies to them of Me and of the Father. ⁷The Father says: Because of their belief in Me and because of your unbelief, O house of Israel, in the latter days the truth will come to the Gentiles, so that the fullness of these things will be revealed to them.

Paragraph 5

⁸ But woe, saith the Father, unto the unbelieving of the gentiles, for — notwithstanding that they have come forth upon the face of this land, and have scattered my people who are of the house of Israel, and my people who are of the house of Israel have been cast out from among them and have been trodden under feet by them; ⁹ and because of the mercies of the Father unto the gentiles, and also the judgments of the Father upon my people who are of the house of Israel — verily, verily I say unto you that after all this — and I have caused my people who are of the house of Israel to be smitten, and to be afflicted, and to be slain, and to be cast out from among them, and to become hated by them, and to become a hiss and a byword among them — ¹⁰ and, thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you: At that day when the gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fullness of my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations, and if they shall do all these things, and shall reject the fullness of my gospel, Behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fullness of my gospel from among them. ¹¹ And then will I remember my covenant which I have made unto my people, O house of Israel, and I will bring my gospel unto them. ¹² And I will shew unto thee, O house of Israel, that the gentiles shall not have power over you, but I will remember my covenant unto you, O house of Israel, and ye shall come unto the knowledge of the fullness of my gospel. ¹³ But if the gentiles will repent and return unto me, saith the Father, behold, they shall be numbered among my people, O house of Israel. ¹⁴ And I will not suffer my people who are of the house of Israel to go through among them and tread them down, saith the Father. ¹⁵ But if they will not turn unto me and hearken unto my voice, I will suffer them — yea, I will suffer my people, O house of Israel — that they shall go through among them and shall tread them down and they shall be as salt that hath lost its savor, which is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and to be trodden underfoot of my people, O house of Israel.

Paragraph 5

⁸But woe, says the Father, to the unbelieving Gentiles, because despite having come to this land and scattering My people who are part of the house of Israel: And My people of the house of Israel will have been banished from their society and been trampled underfoot by them. ⁹But because of the Father’s mercy to the Gentiles and also the Father’s judgments imposed on My people of the house of Israel, I promise you that after all this, including that I will cause My people of the house of Israel to be driven, afflicted, killed, and banished from their society, and to be hated, mocked, and ridiculed by them. ¹⁰The Father commands Me to tell you: At the time when the Gentiles sin against My gospel and reject the fullness of My gospel and are filled with pride to their very center above all nations, more proud of themselves than anyone on earth, and are full of all kinds of lying, deceit, mischief, all kinds of hypocrisy, murder, priestcraft, whoredoms, and secret abominations — if they do all these things and reject the fullness of My gospel, says the Father, I’ll take the fullness of My gospel away from them. ¹¹Then I’ll return to the covenant I made with My people of the house of Israel, and I’ll bring them My gospel. ¹²And I’ll show you, O house of Israel, that the Gentiles no longer have power over you, but I’ll keep My covenant with you, O house of Israel, and you’ll understand the fullness of My gospel. ¹³But if the Gentiles repent and return to Me, says the Father, they’ll be included with My people of the house of Israel. ¹⁴And I won’t let My people, who are part of the house of Israel, go among them and trample them down, says the Father. ¹⁵But if they won’t return to Me and obey My voice, I’ll let My people, O house of Israel, go through them and trample them down. They’ll be like salt that’s become useless, which is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by My people, O house of Israel.

Paragraph 6

¹⁶ Verily, verily I say unto you, thus has the Father commanded me, that I should give unto this people this land for their inheritance, ¹⁷ and when the words of the prophet Isaiah shall be fulfilled, which say: ¹⁸ Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice, with the voice together shall they sing, for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion. ¹⁹ Break forth into joy, sing together ye waste places of Jerusalem, for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. ²⁰ The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of God.

Paragraph 6

¹⁶In truth I tell you: The Father has commanded Me to give this people this land as their inheritance. ¹⁷And then the prophet Isaiah’s words will be fulfilled, which say: ¹⁸Your watchmen will raise their voice, with a chorus together they’ll sing, for they’ll see eye to eye when the Lord brings back Zion. ¹⁹Announce with joy, sing together you abandoned places of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem. ²⁰The Lord has shown His power before the eyes of all the nations and everywhere to the end of the earth will see the salvation of God.