THIRD NEPHI
THE BOOK OF NEPHI
THE soN OF NEPHI, WHO WAS THE soN OF HELAMAN
THE soN OF NEPHI, WHO WAS THE soN OF HELAMAN
CHAPTER 13
Jesus teaches the Nephites the Lord’s Prayer—They are to lay up treasures in heaven—The Twelve in their ministry are commanded to take no thought for temporal things—Compare Matthew 6. [A.D. 34]
1 aVERILY, verily, I say that I would that ye should do alms [ "hqdx tsidekeh", righteousness, was a common word for alms among the Jews ] unto the poor; but take heed that ye do not your alms before men [ In this case "alms" is referring to a the continuous
practice of worship. so if you are doing it to be seen then what is the value - that you are holier than someone else? What is gained if you do not worship the Father with real intent, do you think that he knows? ] to be seen of them; [ The intent of your worship is to be seen by me, not to communicate with God. So your reward then is that you are seen. When the real reward that you should be seeking is to be able to speak with God. ] otherwise ye have no reward of your Father who is in heaven. [ Why? Because you made no real attempt to connect with God. ]
2 Therefore, when ye shall do your alms [ When you worship. ] do not sound a trumpet before you, [ Do not call attention to what you are doing. It is very likely that this was literally practiced among the Pharisees, who seemed to live on the
public esteem, and were excessively self-righteous and vain. Having something
to distribute by way of alms, it is very probable they caused this to
be published by blowing a trumpet or horn, under pretense of collecting
the poor; though with no other design than to gratify their own ambition. ] as will hypocrites [ Those who say one thing but do something different, those who want you to believe they are righteous when really all they care about is that others see them as righteous. What are things that we do today that can make us hypocrites without trying to be such? ] do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. [ In other words you cannot have it both ways -
either you can have your reward here or in the next life - we are the ones
who decide where we will get rewarded. The real issue is much deeper
though. It revolves around the idea of what is motivating the giver.
Is he/she motivated by the real desire to help someone in need - if so
then they don't require public adulation - the Lord will bless them for their acts of kindness, and that is good enough. What do we do to the beggar when you call attention
to him before you do your act of kindness? Is that the Lords way to humiliate
the poor? ]
3 But when thou doest alms [ The righteous things that you do. ] let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth; [ Do not make a big deal about it, keep it to yourself. Do not even let yourself feel boasted up for doing something, just be grateful that you could help - that you could be and instrument in the Lord's hand, be grateful that he trusted you enough to let you be such for him. ]
4 That thine alms may be in secret; and thy Father who seeth in secret, [ We should ever remember that the eye
of the Lord is upon us, and that he sees not only the act, but also every
motive that led to it. ] himself shall reward thee openly. [ How are we rewarded openly? We
receive the fullest proofs of his acceptance after we have done our work by
faith, he then will manifest his approbation in our heart, by the witness of
his Spirit. We just feel better - that is about as open as it gets. ]
5 And when thou prayest [ Jesus begins to teach his disciples the true order of
prayer. WHAT IS PRAYER? Prayer
is the soul's sincere desire, Unuttered or expressed, The motion of a
hidden fire That trembles in the breast: Prayer is the burden of a sigh,
The falling of a tear, The upward gleaming of an eye, When none but God is
near Prayer is the simplest form of speech That infant lips can try; Prayer,
the sublimest strains that reach The Majesty on high: Prayer is the Christian's
vital breath, The Christian's native air, His watch-word at the gates
of death. ] thou shalt not do as the hypocrites, [ This is what not to do. ] for they love to pray, standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. [ The
Jewish phylacterical prayers were long, and the canonical hours obliged
them to repeat these prayers wherever they happened to be; and the Pharisees,
who were full of vain glory, contrived to be overtaken in the streets
by the canonical hour, that they might be seen by the people, and applauded
for their great and conscientious piety. ] Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. [ Which is what? That they were seen of men. ]
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, [ Don't just go into your closet, but shut
the door. Why
would you want to shut the door? If it is a communication
with God - we need it quite to hear his response back. If the prayer is about us and God in a communication then there should only be us and God the hear and are a part of the process. ] pray to thy Father who is in secret; [Secret
to who? The our Father in heaven is a secret to the world
at large. The world is too profane and treacherous to be of the secret. We
must shut the door against it: endeavor to forget it, with all the affairs
which busy and amuse it. Prayer requires retirement, at least of the heart;
for this may be fitly termed the closet in the house of God, which house
the body of every real Christian is, 1 Cor. iii. 16. To this closet we
ought to retire even in public prayer, and in the midst of company.] and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions,
[ Prayer requires more of the heart than of the tongue.
The eloquence of prayer consists in the fervency of desire, and the simplicity
of faith. The abundance of fine thoughts, studied and vehement motions,
and the order and politeness of the expressions, are things which compose
a mere human harangue, not an humble and Christian prayer. Our Father
in Heaven knows what we need before we ask him - so the purpose of prayer
is not to ask for the same things over and over in meaningless repetition
that they might be heard of God, but to reconcile ourselves to Gods plans
for us. ] as the heathen, for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them, for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him. [ If our Father already
knows what we need before we pray, what is the point of asking? 1)
It says that he already knows what we need, he knows what is best for us That
may not be what we are asking for. So part one it is to reconcile our will
to the will of our Father D&C 46:30; D&C 50:29. 2) If he knows
what we need then why do we need to ask, Why does he not just give us what
is best without our asking? There is a principle upon
which all laws are predicated - it is the law of agency - our father in heaven
is not going to interceed in every little event - we are here to learn to make
decisions for ourselves - we must ask for some things from him in order that
he does not violate the law of agency. ]
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed [ Consecrated to a sacred use, or to religious exercises; treated as sacred; reverenced. ] be thy name.
10 Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. [ How else might we say that? Help me that I might be submissive to do those things which the Lord would have me do. If Heaven is ruled by him, then help my life to be ruled by him as well. ]
11 And forgive us our debts, [ Debts to what? Our loans? No our mistakes. Note the second part here suggesting that if we want the Lord to forgive us then we need to be forgiving of others. IV of Matt 6: "trespasses" sins, faults, offenses. ] as we forgive our debtors.
12 And lead us not into temptation, [ What might we suggest that he is implying? That he will grant us his spirit to help us make good choices, ones that will keep us from getting into bad situations. So that we do no put our selves in places where we are or can be tempted more than the normal daily temptations. The process of temptation is often as follows: 1) An evil thought.
2) A strong imagination, or impression made on the imagination, by the thing to which we are tempted. 3) Delight in viewing it. 4) Consent of the will to perform it. Thus lust is conceived, sin is finished, and death brought forth. A man may be tempted without entering into the temptation: entering into it implies giving way, closing in with, and embracing it. ] but deliver us from evil. [ Or at least give us the promptings that we are in not such a good place, inspire us to do and be better. ]
16 Moreover, when ye fast be not as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance, for they disfigure their faces that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.
18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father, who is in secret; and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal;
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.
22 The light of the body is the eye; if, therefore, thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If, therefore, the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon.
25 And now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words he looked upon the twelve whom he had chosen, and said unto them: Remember the words which I have spoken. For behold, ye are they whom I have chosen to minister unto this people. [ The calling of apostle has always been to be a special witness of Jesus Christ. ] Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, [ Put me (God) first. This is so much easier said than done. ] what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26 Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field how they grow; [ What is unique about lilies? ] they toil not, neither do they spin;
29 And yet I say unto you, that even solomon, in all his glory, [ The robes that solomon wore as well as the robes of state worn by the eastern kings were usually white, as were those of the nobles among the Jews, that therefore the lily was chosen for the comparison. ] was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, even so will he clothe you, if ye are not of little faith.
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?