8.20.2009

pgs. 454 and 455...he commanded them that they should write the words which the Father had given unto Malachi...

3 And all things that he spake have been and ashall be, even according to the words which he spake.
4 Therefore give heed to my words; write the things which I have told you; and according to the time and the will of the Father athey shall go forth unto the Gentiles.
5 And whosoever will hearken unto my words and repenteth and is baptized, the same shall be saved. Search the aprophets, for many there be that testify of these things.
6 And now it came to pass that when Jesus had said these words he said unto them again, after he had expounded all the scriptures unto them which they had received, he said unto them: Behold, other scriptures I would that ye should write, that ye have not.
7 And it came to pass that he said unto aNephi: Bring forth the record which ye have kept.
8 And when Nephi had brought forth the records, and laid them before him, he cast his eyes upon them and said:
9 Verily I say unto you, I commanded my servant aSamuel, the Lamanite, that he should testify unto this people, that at the day that the Father should glorify his name in me that there were bmany csaints who should darise from the dead, and should appear unto many, and should minister unto them. And he said unto them: Was it not so?
10 And his disciples answered him and said: Yea, Lord, Samuel did prophesy according to thy words, and they were all fulfilled.
11 And Jesus said unto them: How be it that ye have not awritten this thing, that many bsaints did arise and appear unto many and did minister unto them?
12 And it came to pass that Nephi remembered that this thing had not been written.
13 And it came to pass that Jesus commanded that it should be awritten; therefore it was written according as he commanded.
14 And now it came to pass that when Jesus had aexpounded all the scriptures in one, which they had written, he commanded them that they should bteach the things which he had expounded unto them.
THIRD NEPHI
THE BOOK OF NEPHI
THE SON OF NEPHI, WHO WAS THE SON OF HELAMAN
CHAPTER 24
The Lord’s messenger shall prepare the way for the Second Coming—Christ shall sit in judgment—Israel is commanded to pay tithes and offerings—A book of remembrance is kept—Compare Malachi 3. [A.D. 34]
1 And it came to pass that he commanded them that they should write the words which the Father had given unto Malachi, which he should tell unto them. And it came to pass that after they were written he expounded them. And these are the words which he did tell unto them, saying: Thus said the Father unto Malachi—Behold, I will asend my bmessenger, and he shall prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly ccome to his temple, even the dmessenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in; behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts.
2 But who may aabide the day of his coming, and who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a brefiner’s fire, and like fuller’s soap.
3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; and he shall apurify the bsons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may coffer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.
4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years.
5 And I will come anear to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the bsorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false cswearers, and against those that doppress the hireling in his wages, the widow and the efatherless, and that turn aside the fstranger, and fear not me, saith the Lord of Hosts.
6 For aI am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine aordinances, and have not kept them. bReturn unto me and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of Hosts. But ye say: Wherein shall we return?
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say: Wherein have we robbed thee? In atithes and bofferings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse, for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
10 Bring ye all the atithes into the storehouse, that there may be bmeat in my house; and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the cwindows of heaven, and pour you out a dblessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
11 And I will rebuke the adevourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the fields, saith the Lord of Hosts.
12 And all nations shall call you blessed, for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of Hosts.
13 Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say: What have we spoken against thee?
14 Ye have asaid: It is bvain to serve God, and what doth it profit that we have kept his cordinances and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts?
15 And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.
16 Then they that feared the Lord aspake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard; and a book of bremembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.
17 And they shall be amine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I bmake up my jewels; and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
18 Then shall ye return and adiscern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

I learned a little about the timeline of Malachi's writings in my study of chapter 24. Malachi is the last recorded prophet from the Old Testament. He lived almost 200 years after Lehi and his people left Jerusalem so these people with whom Christ is visiting would not have known his prophecies. They must have been very important and significant for the Savior to teach them again.

I also found this quote on fast offerings (which are mentioned in verses 8-12) that I have never heard before:

“One of the important things the Lord has told us to do is to be liberal in our payment of fast offerings. I would like you to know that there are great rewards for so doing—both spiritual and temporal rewards. The Lord says that the efficacy of our prayers depends upon our liberality to the poor” (Marion G. Romney in Conference Report, Mar.–Apr. 1979, p. 135; or Ensign, May 1979, p. 95).
Calculating fast offerings has always been a little tricky for me. Tithing is so easy to figure because it is just a straight 10%. I've always thought fast offerings were just the amount you would have spent on your meals during that fast but I have recently learned that it can be much more than that. It can be whatever amount you feel inclined to give and can even be paid as an offering in connection with a blessing you are seeking. This is wonderful but also so vague that it really requires one to be close to the Spirit to know if the Lord is pleased with the amount of the offering.