Episode 53: The trip to Bountiful

3 Nephi 10-11

How oft have I gathered you as a hen gathereth her chicks?

10 ^1-2 Everyone heard Jesus's speech in the last chapter. After his speech, they were so astonished that they stopped wailing and howling about all the people Jesus killed, and it was quiet for a while. ^3-7 Then the voice began speaking again, and again everyone heard it. It repeated the same question four times: "How oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings?" (It was probably Jesus, since Jesus used the same metaphor in Matthew 23:37.)

⁴ Jesus said that he would have liked to have gathered the people from the great cities that he had just killed, as a hen gathers its chickens under its wings. But the people in those cities wouldn't let him, so he had to kill them. ⁵ He said that he would also like to gather the Israelites that live in Jerusalem under his wings like he was a hen gathering chickens. ⁶ Then Jesus said he would like to gather the people who survived his mass killings like they were chickens, and he'll do that if they repent. ⁷ But if they (the surviving Nephites or "Israelites") don't repent, then he will have to kill them too.

⁸ After Jesus stopped speaking, the people began to weep and howl again because of all their family and friends that Jesus had killed. ^9-10 But after three days, the darkness went away, the earth stopped shaking, the rocks stopped splitting, and those dreadful groanings went away. And the mourning, weeping, wailing, and howling of the people that weren't killed by Jesus finally stopped, their mourning turned into joy, and they began to thank the Lord Jesus (for not killing them like he did so many of their family and friends).

^12-13 The more righteous part of the people weren't killed by Jesus, those that listened to the prophets without stoning them, and who didn't shed any saint blood. These righteous people weren't drowned, burned, or crushed to death; they weren't carried away by whirlwinds or killed by smoke or darkness.

¹⁴ You've just got to understand: the people that Jesus killed by fire, smoke, tempests, whirlwinds, ground-swallowings, and whatnot were required by the scriptures. Jesus had to kill these people in these horrific ways or else the scriptures wouldn't be properly fulfilled.

¹⁶ Zenos and Zenock said these things would happen to the remnant of their seed. And we are a remnant of their seed.

¹⁷ Jacob also testified about the remnant of Joseph's seed. And we are all just a remnant of his seed. And wasn't there something about Joseph's seed in Lehi's plates?

Jesus's trip to Bountiful

11 ^1-3 One day a crowd gathered around the temple in the land of Bountiful, marveling and wondering about the great and marvelous things they'd seen lately and talking about Jesus. While they were doing this, a voice came out of the sky. So they cast their eyes about while listening to the voice. It was not a harsh or loud voice, but a small voice that shook their bodies, pierced their souls, and caused their hearts to burn. ⁴ And they hear the voice again, but again they couldn't understand it. ⁵ But this time they opened their ears, looked up at the sky, and understood what the voice said. ⁷ Here's what the voice said: "Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." So this time the sky voice isn't Jesus, it's his father!

⁸ Then the crowd saw a man coming down from the sky! He was dressed in a white robe and looked like an angel. ^10-11 The man in white introduced himself. His name was Jesus Christ.

^13-14 Jesus told the people to go ahead and stick their fingers in his side and feel the nail holes in his feet and hands. That way they'd know that he is the God of Israel and the God of the whole earth.

^15-16 So everyone in the land of Bountiful went up, one by one, to Jesus and stuck their fingers in his side and felt his nail holes until they all knew for sure who they were dealing with. It was Jesus, all right. No question about it.

¹⁷ When everyone was done with that, they all cried out in unison: "Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God!"

^18-22 When the multitude finished, one by one, fingering Jesus's wounds, Jesus called for Nephi. So Nephi went up and Jesus gave him the power to baptize, which is a bit strange since Nephi had baptized pretty much everyone already.

^28-32 Jesus said that he wants everyone to agree on everything with regard to religion. He says that whoever argues with anyone about anything is "of the devil."

³³ Salvation is a very simple thing to Jesus: if you believe in him and have been baptized, you go to heaven; if you don't believe in him and are not baptized, you are damned to hell. ³⁵ He who believes in Jesus believes in the Father, who will visit the believer with fire and the Holy Ghost.

^39-41 And that's all there is to it. Repent, get baptized, and become like a little child. To believe more or less than this is evil.