The Book of Mormon

Week 25: Jesus Christ’s ministry Among the People of Nephi, part 2

3 Nephi 19–30

25 April 2024

• The words doctrine and gospel have very specific definitions in the Book of Mormon. Noel Reynolds explores this in two articles: “The Gospel of Jesus Christ as Taught by the Nephite Prophets,” BYU Studies 31, no. 3 (Summer 1991): 31–50; “The True Points of My Doctrine,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 5, no. 2 (1996): 26–56.

• When Christ was with the Nephites, he felt it was important to bless each of the children one by one and pray to the Father for them. Those children were to become the second generation of the Zion people that Christ was forming; as such, their preparation was vital. See M. Gawain Wells, “The Savior and the Children in 3 Nephi,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 14, no. 1 (2005): 62–73, 129.

• Popular tales and legends of appearances of the Three Nephites have circulated among Latter-day Saints since the beginning of the Restoration. These stories have been studied by numerous folklorists, including William A. Wilson, “Freeways, Parking Lots, and Ice Cream Stands: The Three Nephites in Contemporary Society,” Dialogue 21, no. 3 (Autumn 1988): 13–25.