3 Nephi 7:14-15 - Actions and Consequences

“14 And it came to pass in the thirty and first year that they were divided into tribes, every man according to his family, kindred and friends; nevertheless they had come to an agreement that they would not go to war one with another; but they were not united as to their laws, and their manner of government, for they were established according to the minds of those who were their chiefs and their leaders. But they did establish very strict laws that one tribe should not trespass against another, insomuch that in some degree they had peace in the land; nevertheless, their hearts were turned from the Lord their God, and they did stone the prophets and did cast them out from among them.

15 And it came to pass that Nephi—having been visited by angels and also the voice of the Lord, therefore having seen angels, and being eye-witness, and having had power given unto him that he might know concerning the ministry of Christ, and also being eye-witness to their quick return from righteousness unto their wickedness and abominations;”

There is a distinct parallel between the occurrences found in Helaman the first part of 3 Nephi to today’s environment. Just as Christ manifested Himself to them long ago, He will similarly return to the earth in our day. As we investigate the behaviors and consequences of the people in these books, we can gain a better understanding of how God wants us to act today.

Specifically, in these verses we see a stark contrast between those who divided into tribes and Nephi. Many of the people settled into tribes because the government was corrupted. Ironically enough, it was the same evil that broke the government that now caused the people to “stone the prophets” and “cast them out from among them.” Instead of humbling themselves, they turned to anger which eventually led to their destruction. While we may not necessarily witness people actually killing the modern-day prophet, there are many examples of people attempting to slander and revile him. Essentially, they “stone” his authority and cast out his teachings from all faucets of their lives.

Conversely, Nephi shows us how believers can survive in tumultuous environments. It is significant that angels visited him to comfort. While we may not see physical beings around us, we can have faith that they are indeed there. Nephi was also given power, the Priesthood, to “know the ministry of Christ” meaning that He saw the acts that Christ performed while in the flesh. We can read about those accounts in the scriptures and by acting upon those teachings we can be strengthened by God. Ultimately, it is our choice to follow God or not. This is a decision that needs to be made as His coming is imminent.