The First and the Last

1 Nephi 13:42

And the time cometh that he shall manifest himself unto all nations, both unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles; and after he has manifested himself unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles, then he shall manifest himself unto the Gentiles and also unto the Jews, and the last shall be first, and the first shall be last.

Two distinct dispensations: the dispensation of the Jews, which culminated in Christ and the Apostles, and the dispensation of the Gentiles, which began with Joseph Smith and will culminate in Christ's second coming. The purpose of a dispensation is to dispense or share. Thus, the Jews shared with the Gentiles in their dispensation, and the Gentiles will share with the Jews in theirs.

Those who think they should be the first into the kingdom may be the last to enter because of their pride, while those who feel unworthy may enter first because of their humility. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

God Will Do His Own Teaching

Image
1 Nephi 15:11 Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you. President Nelson has said, "God will do His own teaching." If we need to know anything that affects our salvation or our happiness, whether it's about the temple, the scriptures, the church, the gospel, the commandments, or our behavior, God will reveal it to us if we ask with a genuine desire and the intention to act on what we learn.  God does not respond to idle curiosity, but He never leaves a true desire unfulfilled when properly petitioned. He is both a loving Father and a master Teacher. According to His own will, and in His own time and way, He will surely give us what we truly need for our salvation and happiness. 
Read more

Fruit of the Tree

Image
1 Nephi 15:36 Wherefore, the wicked are rejected from the righteous, and also from that tree of life, whose fruit is most precious and most desirable above all other fruits; yea, and it is the greatest of all the gifts of God. And thus I spake unto my brethren. Amen. Nephi puts the fruit of the tree of life into perspective. The love of God, as evidenced in the Atonement of Jesus Christ, bears a most valuable and desirable fruit, even my salvation. I am valuable to God because I am part of His family. My salvation and exaltation are His one and only priority, and He and His Beloved Son have paid dearly to enable me to bear fruit and to be the fruit of Their labors.  Thus, I am precious and desirable above all else in the universe, not because I am all that special in and of myself, but because God loves me and has set my price--the price of redemption through the suffering and death of His Son.  Knowing that, I ought to value myself as highly as God values me. I cannot take Hi...
Read more

Covenant Keepers

Image
1 Nephi 14:14 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory. This verse makes two points about the Lord's "covenant people." 1. Our covenants rather than our lineage determine whether we are the Lord's people. We become the children of Christ through making and keeping covenants. 2. Nephi saw the power of God come upon the covenant keepers. God wants to give His covenant keepers great power to perform His work. His power is manifested all around us. We will encounter His power, however, only if we are engaged in His work and not our own. If I want power, I must inquire what impossible thing God wants me to do and then do that thing in faith and diligence. 
Read more