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An inside look into my favorite Book of Mormon scripture–3 Nephi 11:14-15

My most beloved and favorite scripture

Many years ago, in 1995 to be exact, I received a call to serve as a Welfare Service and Proselyting missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was called to serve for 18 months in the Guayaquil Ecuador North Mission speaking Spanish. I was excited, nervous, scared, and calm –all at the same time.

Within the first, I began to notice we invited the people we were teaching to read the same chapter in the Book of Mormon. My companion (and trainer), Sister Chadwick, had a cute way of folding down the corner of the page. We always marked 3 Nephi 11 (the chapter when Christ visits the people living on the American continent after His resurrection).

Time and time again, we would arrive for our second lesson only to find out that hadn’t had time to read the assigned chapter. So we would begin our lesson by reading 3 Nephi 11:1-15 with them. I don’t remember this chapter ever standing out before, but as we read this chapter over and over again, I began to love it more and more.

I vividly remember the hot, humid day at the beginning of May in the costal city of Manta in Ecuador. My companion and I were sitting in a home, on wooden boxes with a dirt floor, reading 3 Nephi 11. As we read, I was suddenly overcome with emotion when we arrived at verses 14-15 of 3 Nephi 11 were it says:

3 Nephi 11:14-15

Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world. And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come.

It was if, Jesus Christ, Himself, was standing in front of me, inviting me to…

ARISE

COME

THRUST

FEEL

KNOW

 

Jesus Christ was inviting me to come and to know Him intimately and personally in a way I had never imagined before.

 

This scripture became my mission scripture– I loved each and every time we were able to read this chapter with those searching for Jesus Christ. I love reading how each and every person in the multitude (which was about 2500 people), each had a personal interaction with Jesus Christ where they came to know Him as their Savior and Redeemer. 

 

They were able to touch His hands, touch His feet, and thrust their hands into His side and to know for themselves this was Jesus Christ.

Our Invitation today

We, too, can come to know Jesus Christ in very intimate and personal ways. We can come to know the marks in His hands and feet and bathe His feet with out tears. We can testify and witness that we know Jesus the God of Israel and the God of us all.

This is my go-to favorite scripture. I have shared it time and time again, since my mission, as a reminder that we can all come to Jesus Christ, and to know Him and to trust Him.

Jesus Christ's invitation and learning styles

I love this account for another reason–Jesus allowed the multitude to learn all about Him according to their personal learning styles. Let me explain:

 

  • INDIVIDUAL LEARNERS: Jesus allowed the multitude to come up individually, one by one, to be with Him and have personal interaction with Him (3 Nephi 11:14-15)
  • SOCIAL LEARNERS: Jesus appeared to a multitude of people standing around the temple who were talking together about the signs and wonders they had seen (3 Nephi 11:3, 12, 15)
  • HANDS-ON LEARNERS: Jesus allowed everyone to come and touch Him (3 Nephi 11:15)
  • BOOK LEARNERS: Jesus announced who He was and the multitude remembered the prophesies that had been told to them by earlier prophets (3 Nephi 11:10-12)
  • STEM LEARNERS: Jesus invited them to come one by one, in an orderly manner until all had a chance to be with Him. (3 Nephi 11:14-15)
  • MUSICAL LEARNERS: After all had their personal interaction with Jesus, it says: “And when they had all gone forth and had witnessed for themselves, they did cry out with one accord, saying: Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God! And they did fall down at the feet of Jesus, and did worship him.” (3 Nephi 11:16-17)
  • NATURE LEARNERS: Right before this experience, the multitude was talking one with another about all the great changes that had just happened (3 Nephi 11:1). They looked to the skies when they heard the voice (3 Nephi 11:5)
  • VISUAL LEARNERS: What greater visual learning can you have than to have Jesus Christ standing right in front of you? Right there where they could see and touch! (3 Nephi 11:1-17)

What type of learner are you?

What are Learning Styles?

Identify your learning styles and find joy in your scripture study

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