4 Nephi Verse 41 - They built churches!

I’ve been thinking about this: Why do people feel the need to create another religion or church at all? Why not just stop going to church? Is it because deep down we need to believe in something—but what we’ve been taught feels too hard? So we reshape the commandments to soften any guilt. But do we feel guilt if we just walk away? Yes… at first. Eventually, routines shift, and we stop thinking about what we once knew.

I remember a moment at Lake Powell. We’d spent the whole day in the sun, and that evening I sat on the deck of the boat, soaking in the quiet and pondering. Then the thought hit me: “It’s Sunday. Wow. Not once have I even thought about it being the Sabbath and what I was taught to do on this day.” I almost felt a sense of pride, like, “You’ve come a long way, Connie.”

It had taken years of ignoring the promptings to reach that point where I felt only the slightest nag. How sad that I saw it as progress. Or did I see it as progress at all?  Thankfully, not long after, I could no longer ignore the very promptings I had worked so hard to silence.

I never tried to invent my own religion. Even in that season of darkness, I couldn’t imagine another place to worship—or what exactly I would worship. It didn’t make any sense. I already knew the truth.

And today I ask, “Where would I go?”
I’m where I’m supposed to be, and I will not move.

(4 Nephi 1:41 sparked these thoughts.)

 

3 Nephi 29 – The Good News? You Can Choose!

 

I actually started jotting these thoughts down back on October 23, 2024. This chapter is one worth chewing on, slowly and deliberately.

 

3 Nephi 29 gives us three “Wo’s” to watch for. And a “wo” isn’t something small—it’s a spiritual danger sign flashing red alert.

 

1. Those who spurn the doings of God

 

First, the word itself:
Spurn – to reject with disdain or contempt; to strike, tread, or push away with the foot.

 

Well, there you have it. If that doesn’t describe the world today, I don’t know what does. People reject the Lord, His Church, His miracles—often without a second thought.

 

I once gave a beautiful picture of the Savior to someone I hold dear. I later learned it had been given away. Ouch! That is spurning. And it happens everywhere.

 

2. Those who deny the revelations of God

 

This one is running rampant too. Children raised in homes of faith sometimes step away from that faith as they exercise their agency. I was one of them. I didn’t leap off a spiritual cliff; it was gradual. I hadn’t internalized the teachings of my youth. I don’t think I ever denied revelations outright, (I didn't know much about them, actually), but I definitely didn’t embrace them. That left me perfectly positioned to make serious mistakes and wander off the covenant path for far too long.

 

3. Those who tell lies about the Second Coming to get gain (Such as saying there are no miracles.)

 

How does someone who rejects scripture even begin to explain what’s happening today? Earthquakes, fires, tornadoes, typhoons, and the increasing evil of men covering the earth. And what does the world attribute it all to? Climate change. Get real, folks! Is man so powerful that he can override the Lord’s judgments? We’ve been told these days were coming—and they’re here. Going after climate change solutions is a joke!

 

One example of the gathering: Utah seems to be gathering people at a remarkable pace. Builders can’t keep up. Multi-family dwellings are popping up everywhere. If that’s not a visible clue that something is stirring in preparation for the Second Coming, I don’t know what is.

 

Verse 7 – Cashing in on Satan’s lies

 

Those who profit from deceiving others become, in essence, like a “son of perdition.” No mercy. Eesch! It reminds me a bit of insider trading—there may be a season of success, but it’s short-lived and followed by deep regret.

 

There are evils in the world being openly embraced by enough people that they’re becoming politically influential. Some are even reaching for positions where they could change laws, alter the Constitution, or abolish it as “archaic.” Mind you—these are just my thoughts—but it’s unsettling.

 

Verse 8 – Don’t spurn the Jews

 

The Lord has a soft spot for the Jews, and we should remember that. Israel is being gathered. The number of converts today would have been unimaginable a century ago.

 

Verse 9 – The Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever

 

And don’t think for one second that we can change His mind.

 

And that’s my parting shot: You can spurn, mock, or dismiss the faith we have in the Second Coming, but it is going to happen. It will be a great and dreadful day of the Lord.

 

Will it be great for you?
Or will it be dreadful?

 

The good news? You can choose.

 

 

 

 

3 Nephi 27 – The Gospel of Jesus Christ

This chapter holds many sermons. Without rambling too much, I had to focus on just one. The Gospel of Jesus Christ.

If Jesus was sent for the purpose of being “lifted up upon the cross…” (3 Nephi 27:14), is that predestination? Who placed it in the hearts of those who crucified Him that He should hang on a cross?

Satan is the master of all evil and was present when the plan was presented, —so why would he play right into the Lord’s plan? That very act—the crucifixion—made it possible for all mankind to be drawn to Jesus and lifted up.

Drawn to the Savior

How does knowing that Jesus was crucified and then lifted out of the grave draw me to Him?

Let’s be real—I could never have done what He did for me. Jesus came when I asked. He blessed me in ways I didn’t even know to ask for. I just wanted out of the mess I was in.

This is the Atonement in action. Jesus wants us to have everything He has—eternal salvation, life with Him and our Eternal Father, Elohim. That will always be an amazing thing to me, and I’m grateful for it every single day.

Becoming Like Jesus

So how do I become more like Him? Verse 19 says, “no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom,” and I was definitely not clean. How does His willingness—and His fulfillment of the task to be crucified—make me clean?

Verse 19 connects beautifully to the Fourth Article of Faith:

1. Faith. Somehow, I still had a glimmer of faith to know that if there was a way out, it would be through Jesus.
2. Repentance. I had a lot to change. Only by focusing on Jesus and trying to be like Him could I let go of the things keeping me away from Him.
3. Baptism. But how is this cleansing actually accomplished? By “washing my garments in His blood because of my faith and repentance.” I was already baptized, so how could I fulfill this again? I didn't need to. That’s the purpose of taking the sacrament each week—to return to that state of being newly baptized.
4. Gift of the Holy Ghost

The Power of the Sacrament

Each week I’m given the opportunity to repent of whatever isn’t Christlike in me—which is plenty and always will be. Taking the sacrament is a covenant with Jesus:

• I promise to remember Him.
• I promise to be willing to take His name upon me.
• I promise to witness of Him and keep His commandments.

In return, He promises that I will “always have His Spirit to be with [me].”

And it really works. The more focused I am on Jesus, the more I feel the Holy Ghost’s presence. Does it get any better than that?

Standing Spotless Before Him

Why does all of this matter? So I can “stand spotless before [Him] at the last day”—the day of judgment.

Spotless! That means I don’t have to dig up past mistakes or sins. I can truly forget the sins of my youth. What a blessing that is in my life every single day.

This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a nutshell. We’re told in many places that anything more or less than this is not His gospel.

Living as He Lived

Letting go of bad habits or addictions can be rough—but not if we replace them with something good. Verse 22 tells us how: do what Jesus did. Live as He lived—love and serve others.

Verse 27 says, “What manner of men (and women) ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am.”

A Personal Connection

There’s so much good in this chapter. In fact, it inspired the first song I ever wrote, He Answers Prayer, based on the verse, “Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”

I can’t read that scripture without being taken back to that first miracle with music—and remembering once again that He truly does answer prayer.

When We Rob Ourselves of God's Gifts

Return Unto Me

Lately, I’ve found myself reflecting on what it really means to “return” to the Lord. Life has a way of showing us how easily we can drift from the things that matter most—sometimes without even realizing it. And yet, every time I open the scriptures, I’m reminded that His invitation is always the same: Come back. It’s not too late.

These verses from 3 Nephi 24:7–10 say it beautifully:

“Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of Hosts. But ye say: Wherein shall we return?
Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say: Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.”

That phrase—“Will a man rob God?”—has always caught my attention. The more I think about it, the more I realize how true it is in ways we don’t always recognize.

When we step away from the covenants we’ve made with the Lord, especially those made in His holy temples, it really isa kind of robbery. But not just of God—it’s a robbery of ourselves.

We lose the blessings that come from covenant keeping: the protection from the adversary, the peace that comes from serving the Lord, the quiet joy of doing temple work for our kindred dead (that one’s huge!), and the incredible power that flows through priesthood covenants. It’s hard to even describe all that’s lost when those things are missing.

One thing I’ve noticed personally is how much strength and inspiration I receive when I’m in the temple. I walk out with power to do hard things. Ideas come that I never would’ve thought of on my own. Without that, I’d feel robbed—plain and simple.

When I first started turning my life back toward the covenant path, I asked my dad for a priesthood blessing. That wasn’t something we did much in my home growing up. I’d seen him give blessings for the sick, but not for personal guidance.

During that blessing, my dad quoted 3 Nephi 24:10:

“If I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

He told me that if I kept moving forward on the path I’d started, that promise would be mine. And it has been. Honestly, I’m amazed almost every day at the blessings that have come because I chose to return.

I found a note in my scriptures from January 3, 2022, at 8:27 a.m. (yes, I time-stamped it!):

“Even those who have gone against their ordinances and not kept them are not beyond the reach of the Savior. He beckons all to return.”

I love that reminder.

A few verses later, in 3 Nephi 24:11, the Lord says:

“And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground…”

I once wrote a little note beside that verse: “What are the fruits of my ground?” My answer? My children and grandchildren.

Right now, it feels like Satan’s having a bit of a field day with my family. It’s hard to watch. But I have absolute faith that the Lord will bring them back. I know the effort required—it’s not easy—but I also know the sooner we turn toward Him, the easier it is.

They’ve wandered for a long time, but they are covenant children.

So, I keep my eyes on the Savior. I trust His timing. I trust His promises.

And I believe with all my heart—they will be saved.

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We all have our own version of “returning.” For some, it’s rebuilding faith after a long detour. For others, it’s learning to trust again after disappointment. But the Lord’s promise is constant: if we will return to Him, He will return to us. And when He does, the windows of heaven really do open—often in ways we never could have imagined.

Serve the Lord First

 

Serve the Lord First

3 Nephi 20:41–42

Last night, while reading President Oaks’ biography In the Hands of the Lord, I highlighted this line:

“When you are in the work of the Lord, the obstacles before you are never as great as the power behind you.”

This morning, my scripture study took me to 3 Nephi 20:41–42:

“Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord… for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel shall be your rearward.”

Those two thoughts came together so beautifully. I’ve always been fascinated by how the Lord fulfills that promise—to go before us and to stand behind us when we’re about His work. I’m not a prophet, but I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, and I try to lift where I stand and be about His business in whatever small way I can.

Bishop Williams used to say, “Give the Lord an hour and He’ll give you back two.” I’ve seen that truth proven many times, but one day in particular stands out.

My schedule that day was packed. I had errands to run and was preparing to speak at a stake meeting that evening. Still, I felt prompted to call a sister in our ward who was very ill, with several young children and a home that needed her. During our conversation, words slipped out of my mouth before I even thought about them:

“How can I help you today?”

Immediately I thought, What did I just say? My day was already packed. But she quietly said her laundry room was piled high and her family was running out of clean clothes.

So, I gathered up basket after basket of laundry and spent the entire day washing, folding, and returning it. I knew I hadn’t prepared for my talk as much as I’d hoped (and anyone who’s worked with Young Women knows how much we like to prepare!).

But the miracle came that evening. The Lord truly went before me and behind me. My talk flowed better than I could have planned, the Spirit was strong, and I came home exhausted but deeply grateful—with a full heart and a quiet testimony reaffirmed:

When we put the Lord’s work first, everything else falls into place.

Sometimes it’s easy to think we don’t have the time or strength to do one more thing for someone else. But when that quiet prompting comes, I’m reminded that the Lord’s work always multiplies what little we have to give.