Watch video presentation at: https://youtu.be/w8C6t_Wj1Zk
ICEBREAKER
For an Icebreaker I like to relate this little scene from C.S. Lewis’s “The Chronicles of Narnia”. It happens near the beginning of “The Silver Chair”. And in that book, a girl named Jill finds herself in Narnia. And the first thing she notices is that she is incredibly thirsty. And as she walks through the trees, she hears the sound of running water from a nearby stream. She follows the sound and finds the stream, but as she walks towards it, she stops dead in her tracks because right there at the streams edge lies a giant lion. He stares at her and then says, “If you’re thirsty, you may drink”. Because, animals can talk in Narnia. She hesitates and then asks:
"May I—could I—would you mind going away while I do?" said Jill.
The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl. And as Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have asked the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience.
The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic.
"Will you promise not to—do anything to me, if I do come?" said Jill.
"I make no promise," said the Lion.
Jill was so thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come a step nearer.
"Do you eat girls?" she said.
"I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms," said the Lion. It didn't say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.
"I daren't come and drink," said Jill.
"Then you will die of thirst," said the Lion.
"Oh dear!" said Jill, coming another step nearer. "I suppose I must go and look for another stream then."
"There is no other stream," said the Lion.
TRANSITION
This reminds me of a very important principle I feel is taught in 3 Nephi 8. Keep that story in mind as we study here, and then we’ll come back to it. Chapter 8:5-18 relates the account of the great destruction prophesied by Samuel the Lamanite back in Helaman. Storms, fires, earthquakes, whirlwinds, and for about the space of three hours, cities are leveled, sunk, buried, and burned, completely altering the face of the land. And after all of that destruction, there is darkness. A thick mist or vapor of darkness covers the land. And Mormon really seems to emphasize the fact that it's dark.
MARKING ACTIVITY
Read 3 Nephi 8:19-23 and mark every single phrase that suggests darkness, and let’s count them up.
Wow. What number did you come up with? I came up with 18. 18 different ways to say that it was dark. Do you get the message? It’s almost impossible to miss it. If there is anything that Mormon wants you as the reader to understand is that they could not see light, no matter how hard they tried to do it on their own. Even with their exceedingly dry wood. It was impossible to see light.
VISUALIZE
Now put yourself in their shoes at this moment. What do you think it must have been like during those three days? What do you imagine their experience was like?
Remember the cities have been destroyed. Verse 17 tells us that the face of the whole earth had become deformed. So, there you are, in the darkness, feeling your way around. And what do you find? Rubble? broken pottery? tree branches? bodies? You’re disoriented, you don’t know which way is North, South, East or West. Nothing familiar to grab on to. You’re completely lost, there’s nowhere to go, you’re alone, perhaps hurt, incredibly frightened, helpless, remorseful, thinking of past sins. There is a creepy, feeling, you’re trying to find family members and friends. You can hear other people weeping and mourning. But remember it’s three days of this. Eventually you decide to just sit there. There’s nothing for you to do except think. It becomes monotonous, overpowering, and you become filled with despair.
THERE IS NO OTHER LIGHT
There is a lesson in the darkness that we all can learn from.
As they sit there in that despair and gloom, they hear a voice; and it’s the voice of Christ. This is in chapter 9, and the voice begins by giving them kind of a news report about what has happened and begins to list all the cities that have been destroyed and how. And within that message, Jesus introduces himself. Now Jesus compares himself to many different things in the scriptures. There are quite a few the "I Am” statements he uses. Can you name some of them? I am the way, I am the truth, I am the good shepherd, I am the bread of life, I am the true vine, I am the living water. Which of all the I am statements do you think he might use to introduce himself here, in these circumstances? Just take a guess. Then check your answer against 3 Nephi 9:18. How does he introduce himself? I am the light, and the life of the world. He’s the light. And in the depths of that darkness, do you understand why he chose that one here?
There is a lesson in that. What message do you think both Mormon and Jesus want us to get from this story, and the people who experienced it as well?
There is no other light but Christ’s. Without Christ, without his gospel, without his atonement, our lives will forever be filled with blackness. We were told that the people attempted to create their own light. The scriptures mentioned candles, and torches, and fires and their exceedingly dry wood. But that didn’t work. They couldn’t create their own light, no matter how hard they tried. The same is true of us spiritually. Even with the exceedingly dry wood of our own ingenuity, and effort, and diligence, and intellect. It won’t work. Without Christ and his truth, we too will remain in spiritual darkness. It’s not until we realize this truth that we can truly become committed disciples of Christ. As long as I think that the answers, and the happiness, and the truth lies somewhere else out there, I can never devote myself entirely to Him.
It reminds me of that powerful scene in John 6 where Jesus is teaching a multitude of people in the synagogue of Capernaum. And he’s taught some rather difficult things for the people to accept. And they complain and say, “This is an hard saying, who can hear it” and they turn their backs on Christ and walk out. Jesus has told them that he is the bread of life, and they seem to respond back and say “And I’m very sure that your bread is good and healthy and right for some. But it’s a little too hard for me, a little too grainy, I’m going to go out and find my own bread. Or Jesus says, I am the way, and they say, “Sure, sure, but your way is quite narrow and difficult to stay on. Instead, I prefer to go out and find my own way. Jesus says, I am the light of the world. And they say, "Your light may be right for some, but I’m going to go out and make my own." Kindle my own fire, light my own candle, create my own torch. And Jesus seems to sadly reply back to each. “You don’t understand. There is no other bread. Eat or die. There is no other way. Walk my path, or forever be lost. There is no other light. Receive mine, or forever feel your way through darkness. Like Jill and Aslan. Aslan represents Christ in Lewis’s books. Drink from his stream, or die. There is no other stream.
Now at that heartbreaking moment in John 6, as all the other former disciples are filing out the door, Jesus turns to the apostles and asks “Will ye also go away?”. And I love Peter’s answer. He gets it. He understands this principle taught in the darkness to the Nephites. Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life”. So, Peter in a sense says, Lord, I know your way is difficult, your bread a little hard to swallow, your light, a bit bright for our eyes. But where else can we go? The world cannot provide what you can. See, Peter has come to the moment of true commitment. It’s a moment that we all must arrive at if we wish to become true disciples of Christ.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
So a question to ponder here:
Are you committed to Christ? Are you a “to whom shall we go” disciple? Do you look for truth, or happiness, or guidance from other sources? Or have you come to the realization that there is no other source besides Christ?
I know of a man who thought money would bring him light and happiness. It didn’t.
I know of a woman who thought drug use would bring her light and happiness. It didn't
I know of a man who thought attaining the highest position in his career would bring him light and happiness. It didn’t.
I know of a woman who thought having an affair would bring her light and happiness. It didn’t.
I know many boys and girls who think certain music, movies, clothing styles, and language will bring them light and happiness and popularity, but in their place find only emptiness and a loss of the Spirit.
CONCLUSION
Please, don’t try to find light in places where it is impossible to find it. There is no other way. There is no other bread. There is no other stream. There is no other light. The sooner we come to that realization, the better.
LEAVING THE DARKNESS
ICEBREAKER
To continue that thought into the next section of the lesson you could try the following simple object lesson. Turn out all the lights, cover the windows, and try to black out the room as much as possible and then have your class sit in the darkness for a while and imagine what it would have been like for the people who had survived the destruction. Then, turn on a small light. A flashlight, or a cell phone even and watch what happens. Ask them “What did your eyes do immediately after I turned on the light? And what they should notice is that their eyes were instantly drawn to that light. We almost can’t help it.
TRANSITION
In 3 Nephi 9, while the people are sitting in the darkness and they hear that voice, it extends an invitation. And you could do this section of the lesson as a study question handout. The handout is available at https://www.etsy.com/shop/TeachingWithPower.
THE INVITATION
What is it? See if you can find a repeated message in the following words spoken in the darkness:
9:14, 9:20, 9:22
It’s come unto me. Right? That’s the Lord’s invitation. To go towards that light. When you’re in the dark, even the smallest amount of light is comforting. We are naturally drawn to it. It’s real, it’s tangible. Darkness is not tangible. It’s just mere void. It’s the absence of light. That’s the difference between Satan’s power and God’s. Satan has nothing to provide us. His promises, his offerings, his so-called rewards are just empty. They are void of life and substance. If you were in total darkness, and somebody lit a candle or turned on a flashlight, even if it were a mile away, your eyes would immediately focus on it and you would naturally be drawn towards it.
God has something real to offer. We could add verse 13 to our list where he uses a different word but a similar message. Return unto me. Why? So that I can heal you. In 14, so that I can give you eternal life. Come, so that I can receive you and bless you. In 20, come, so that I can baptize you with fire and the Holy Ghost, so I can fill your life with the warmth and light and power of the Spirit. In 22 come, and so that I can receive you and save you.
What does that look like in the real world? How do we come to Christ if we feel we are in spiritual darkness? Maybe it looks like calling your bishop to speak about repentance. Maybe it looks like falling to your knees for the first time in years and praying with true sincerity. Maybe it looks like getting back to church. Maybe it looks like recommitting yourself to the commandments and building your faith. Maybe it looks like abandoning bad habits and sins. Maybe it looks like getting baptized and joining yourself to Christ’ Church. There are many different manifestations of Coming unto Christ. But in all cases, the blessings are real, the healing comes.
A BROKEN HEART
So in the darkness. I come unto Christ. But I come in a certain way. How do I come according to 9:20 and 22?
I come with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And I come as a little child.
What does it mean to come with a broken heart?
Here are my thoughts. When we hear the phrase broken heart, images of torn valentines or unrequited love may come to mind. But is that what Jesus is talking about here? What on earth would Jesus want with a bunch of sad hearts. No. I like the way I’ve heard my Father explain it. I know I’ve talked about this before, but my Dad worked on a cattle ranch when he was young. And I’m intrigued by his description of how they would break horses. Sometimes they would find wild horses out on the prairie and they would bring them back to the corrals to break them. That’s the word they use. How did they do it? They would rope the horse and fit a bridle to it and then secure that rope to a cedar post sunk deep into the middle of the corral. And then they would step back and let the horse go. And the horses would buck and pull and hang on that rope to try and free themselves. But eventually they would tire and realize they were only hurting themselves, so they would let the rope go slack. Then, they would walk over to the horse and touch it, and talk to it, and pat it’s back. Sometimes that would set them off again and so they would back off and let the horse fight. Then the next step would be to unhitch the horse from the post and try to lead it. Sometimes the horse would see that it was free, and it would run and break loose, So they would simply rope it again and tie it to the post. And on and on like this until, you could lay the end of the rope in your open palm and walk, and the horse would follow, would they determine that the horse was broken. I believe that may be part of what the Lord means when he says to come unto him with a broken heart, and a contrite spirit. A broken heart is a tame heart, a humble heart, a heart submissive to a loving master. Contrite means something similar. It means to be repentant and willing to follow.
Now I think that some might be bothered by the word “broken”. “Breaking” something may carry some negative connotations with it. Perhaps a better word would be taming our hearts because it’s not about controlling us, forcing us, or dominating us for God's use. It’s about lifting us to the full measure of our potential. Guiding our development as Gods in embryo and offering us a better alternative to the “wild” where we are vulnerable to attack, hunger, and aimless wandering. Like the rancher with his horses.
What does the rancher provide the wild horse? He feeds it. He shelters it. He gives it meaningful work and purpose. He loves his horses. They are valuable to him. That’s what God wants to do for us. But, our "natural man" hearts are wild, undisciplined, selfish, only acting in their own best interest and seeking out the satisfaction of their impulses. Our hearts need to be tamed or broken. So stop fighting against the Lord’s leadership. Stop bucking against his commandments. Stop pulling away from the principles and truths that are set deep in the foundation of universal natural law. We only hurt ourselves when we do that.
AS A LITTLE CHILD
There’s another way he wants us to come unto him. In verse 22. He’s going to give us another metaphor. Come unto me as a little child. Why would he want us to be like a child? I love this discussion. Remember he wants us to be childlike not childish. There’s a fine distinction there. What childlike qualities do you think God wants us to emulate?
Here are a few suggestions.
They’re innocent and sinless”. We too can be innocent like this if we appropriately access the power of Christ’s atonement.
They are loving. One of my favorite things about being a father is saying good night to my little children. My daughter in particular will just reach her little arms around my neck and say I love you daddy and give me a big kiss on the cheek. Ah, it just melts my heart every time. Children can be so loving; I think Christ would have us be that way also.
They are trusting. If you tell them about Santa Claus, or the Easter bunny, or the tooth fairy, they believe you. If you tell a child to do something, more than likely they will do it. If you tell a child to jump and you will catch them, more than likely they will do it without even thinking. We too need to develop that childlike faith in our Heavenly Father and his commandments
They are eager to volunteer. If you go to the primary and ask for a volunteer, how will they react? They will jump and raise their hands excitedly and say “Pick me! Pick me!” When we are given commandments, or callings, or opportunities to serve. Being called to serve a mission, what would be the childlike way of responding?
No prejudice, if I put a white child, and a black child, and Hispanic child, and an Asian child, and poor, and rich, and Christian, and Muslim, and Jewish baby in a room with toys. What would happen. Would they care about any of that? No, they would play together and have fun and not think about any of those labels of adulthood.
They forgive easily, I can put my son in a time out for bad behavior and be really frustrated and angry with him, and then 5 minutes later it’s as if nothing ever happened. They can get in a fight with their siblings, and then again, 5 minutes later, it’s water under the bridge.
My favorite quality, they imitate. My children will sometimes come and do exactly what I’m doing. I remember mowing the lawn one time and my son coming out with his little plastic lawn mower doing the exact same motions as me. Walking just a few feet behind me as I went back and forth across the lawn. We too need to learn how to imitate.
If we wonder what we need to do or become in order to return to our Heavenly Father’s presence, we need look no further than the little children around us. They are the perfect object lesson for our imitation. So let's go out and be childlike!
LIKE A BABY CHICK
There is yet another metaphor given for how we can come unto him in the first verses of chapter 10. I won’t spend as much time here, but I sometimes like to ask my students what animal they think Christ would compare himself to. They say things like lions, eagles, or even a lamb. But then I send them into chapter 10 verse 4-6 and ask them "what animal did he choose here?" And they are sometimes surprised to find that of all the animals he could have chosen from, he said he most like a chicken. Jesus is like a chicken. OR a mother hen to be more exact. A mother hen that calls her chicks to come unto her so that she can protect them. And what does a mother hen have to offer her chicks as protection? Her life. That’s it. Do you see the parallel to Christ? So how else do we come unto Him? Like a baby chick to its mother’s wing. And what’s the phrase we can add here to our question of how to come unto him? It’s in verse 6. With full purpose of heart. No half measures here will do. It’s with “to whom shall we go” commitment.
So, the message. Come unto Him, with a broken heart, as a little child, like a baby chick, and with full purpose.
ONE BY ONE
Now for my favorite part of this lesson. What will Christ do if I come unto Him in that way? The answer is chapter 11. And for an Icebreaker, I always like to begin with a brief discussion of astronomy. I ask, “How big is the universe?” And then I pull out a dime from my pocket and I say. If I were to take this dime and go outside at night and hold it up to the night sky at arm’s length and turn it on its side. There would be a portion of space behind that dime that would be covered. In that space, if I were to magnify it many, many, many times over. What would you find in that space? This is what you would find. This is a picture taken from the Hubble telescope of deep space. All those points of light, all those shapes you see, aren’t stars. Those are galaxies, each with billions of stars and planets within them. Trillions of solar systems. And that’s just one tiny portion of space. Imagine that every space of the entire night sky in every direction is filled with the same kind of pictures. And I ask you: How does that make you feel? I’ll tell you how it makes me feel. It makes me feel very small. Insignificant. It makes me wonder if myself, my life, this world, this little dust speck in the vast expanse of space really matters. Have you ever felt like that before? Ever had those thoughts? If you have. Read 3 Nephi 11. There is a message for you and me there that I believe will help.
TRANSITION
What will Christ do If I come unto Him? 3 Nephi 11’s answer. He will come to me. He will manifest himself in my life. For the Nephites in this particular moment, it was a real physical appearance. For us, at least for the time being, he'll manifest himself to us in a spiritual way, but the effect is essentially the same.
SEARCH
But how will come to you? Please read 3 Nephi 11:14-17.
My favorite phrase in that entire section. He comes to us “one by one”. In the grand expanse of space, with all those galaxies, and worlds, and planets, and individuals on those worlds, God is still a "one by one” God. You matter to Him! As an individual. All lives matter, to Him. We should not forget that. When it comes to the way we view each other, and the way we view ourselves. The worth of souls is great in the sight of God. The worth of individual souls is great in the sight of God.
VISUALIZE
I want you to visualize that moment. How many people are there in Bountiful experiencing this? 3 Nephi 17:25. 2500 people. That’s a large group. And yet, he gives each individual time with him. He gives all of them that personal moment of connection and attention. I’m not exactly sure how that must have taken place. Did they form a long line? Did they come up in small groups? Was it like a testimony meeting? Whatever way it happened, they all were given that moment. How much time that must have taken, and for heaven’s sake don’t turn it into a math equation, sufficeth to say that it took a long time. And in that experience, do you think some individuals might have lingered? Would they have embraced him? Would some have looked into his eyes for a look of forgiveness? And if they lingered, do you think Christ would have declined them? Would he have said, “hey look, we’ve got a lot of people here, I need to move on? Or do you think he would have provided them with the moment and the time that he knew they needed, as an individual. That’s what I believe he did. Because I believe that’s how he works with us. And don’t ask me how he does it. The answer to that question is beyond our limited human understanding. How he can be just as personal and close present in my life as he is in yours and the billions of his other children. But it works. We can connect with him personally, and he with us, on a daily, even hourly basis, or more.
If we jump ahead really briefly to 3 Nephi 17:21 we see this principle taught again. He tells them that it’s time for him to go, but that he’ll back the next day. And still, look how they react?
17:5
5 And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus spoken, he cast
his eyes round about again on the multitude, and beheld they were
in tears, and did look steadfastly upon him as if they would ask
him to tarry a little longer with them.
And what does he do? Does he pull out his agenda and say, well, you know I’m so busy, I’ve got to go report to my Father, and I’ve got the lost tribes to visit, other worlds to go to, I’m booked”. No, he stays, and gives them two more chapters. And at one point, he gathers all the little children together and blesses them. How? 3 Nephi 17:21
21 And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude
bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one,
and blessed them and prayed unto the Father for them.
One by one. That’s just how he works. He’s a one by one Savior. I know and I promise you, that he will work with you in the exact same way.
TOUCH THE WOUNDS IN MY SIDE, MY HANDS, AND MY FEET
One more point. What was the experience he gave each of them? 3 Nephi 11:14 He invites them to touch the tokens of his sacrifice; his atonement. The wounds in his hands and feet and side. And I love this point that I’ve heard my father make. When you picture that moment. Which of the three tokens do you envision? Hands, feet, or side? In pictures and art, which of the three is most often depicted? I envision the hands, don’t you? Reaching out and seeing and feeling those nail prints in his palms and wrists. But, without looking, which of the three do you think he invites them to touch first? Now check your answer. It’s his side, right? And when it says thrust your hands into my side, he doesn’t mean the wound, but to put your hands into his robe and feel the wound. Now picture that, envision what that would be like. To slowly reach your hand out, and part his robe and place your hand right against his side, right next to his heart. That’s a deeply personal gesture and moment isn’t it. That he would allow you to do that shows you just how close and meaningful you are to Him. That you have that kind of a bond. And then imagine at that moment, he would stretch forth his arms and reveal the wounds in his hands and wrists. Picture a look of uttermost love and compassion in his eyes as he does this. And with great awe and wonder you would contemplate his incredible depth of commitment to you, as an individual to make that sacrifice. At that overwhelming point, you perhaps wouldn’t be able to stand anymore, and you would fall at his feet in adoration and worship. And there would be the third tokens, the wounds in his feet.
So how will he come to you? One by one, and as your personal Savior. Not just the Savior, but your Savior. I believe that this personal moment awaits all true disciples of Christ. Not just on a spiritual or metaphorical level. But in reality, and one day it will be my turn, and your turn to touch the tokens and bear witness with your own eyes and hands of his love and devotion and willingness to sacrifice for you. So yes, we are to Come unto Him as he calls “Come, follow me”. But let’s not forget, he will also come unto us as well.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
Have you ever felt the protective “mother hen” influence of the Savior in your life?
How has the Savior manifested himself to you?
How does it make you feel to know that the Savior is a one by one God and knows and loves you personally?
What do you look forward to most when you think of one day meeting the Savior in person?
CONCLUSION
Well, we have a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks. We get to learn directly from the lamb of God, and boy, does he ever have some incredible lessons to teach us. I love how the land is described by the people after the destruction and darkness have ceased. I think the land itself teaches a lesson. In 3 Nephi 11:1 the people marvel and wonder and the great and marvelous change which had taken place. It was a new world to them, the old had passed away and all things had become new. I believe that’s what happens when we invite Christ into our lives. He will bring great and marvelous changes to it. In the coming weeks, Christ himself will show us how.
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