Sunday Thoughts

Even though it's not Sunday, I had some thoughts on Sunday that I wanted to blog.  In our Sunday School class we are finishing up with 3 Nephi.  Has everyone loved Sunday School for the past month or so as we have discussed 3 Nephi?  I have never seen so many tears in Gospel Doctrine.  Our teacher asked us to think about what we have taken from it this time through.  Someone shared that a new member in our ward who is Chinese somehow missed in translation that Christ appears to the Nephites in the Book of Mormon, so as she was reading The Book of Mormon for the first time, her reaction was so sweet to 3 Nephi.  She said, "I knew he'd come! I knew it!"

I have been studying The Gospels in the New Testament at the same time as we have been studying 3 Nephi.  It really has made me reflect on the similarities and the differences in what we see the Savior do while he was here on the earth.  Among the Nephites he healed them, ministered to them, showed love and taught the gospel.  He did the same things among the Jews, except that there are a lot more times in the New Testament when we hear him condemning people as hypocrites and blind to things spiritual.  As I considered this, I realized that what he said to people was based on how they accepted him.  The Nephites were humble and receptive.  Not all the Jews were at all accepting of Jesus and his message.  There were many who were skeptical and fearful of his popularity.  I think it's the same for us.  The message we receive from Christ has much to do with how we accept him in our hearts. 

I'm sad to be leaving 3 Nephi.  Mormon is always so sad and Ether too and then Moroni ending with a few more words because he isn't dead yet is sweet, but sad too.