Come, Follow Me
Want to Be “Blessed and Happy”?
The people of 4 Nephi lived in happiness and unity for almost 200 years. What led to their happy state? Can we experience it, too?
Imagine a community of people who don’t contend with one another. They are completely happy, and nobody commits any crimes. They don’t get jealous of each other, nor do they separate themselves by labels or groups. Instead, they are united in Jesus Christ, and they keep His commandments.
One group of people just like this was described in 4 Nephi in the Book of Mormon. And they lived that way for almost 200 years!
On pages 2–5 of this magazine, President Russell M. Nelson explains that 4 Nephi gives us a pattern for living in peace and blissful unity. But what happened that helped the Nephites live happily for so long? Can we do the same thing today?
Their Experience with Christ
Flip back in time a few pages to 3 Nephi, and you’ll find the reason the Nephites were so happy and united in Christ.
The people had been visited by the Savior following His Resurrection. During His visit, Jesus Christ healed those who were sick and afflicted. He blessed people individually and prayed to Heavenly Father for them (see 3 Nephi 17). Jesus taught the commandments. He asked the people to repent, be baptized, and receive the Holy Ghost (see 3 Nephi 27).
Jesus invited the people to come to Him, one by one, to feel the prints in His hands, feet, and side. They each went to Jesus “until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety” that He was the prophesied Savior (see 3 Nephi 11:15).
After the Savior’s visit to the Nephites, “the people were all converted unto the Lord” (4 Nephi 1:2). So, how can we experience this conversion without seeing and touching Christ?
An Apostle’s Experience with Christ
Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–1985) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles testified that one day he would see Jesus Christ and touch the marks in His hands and feet. He also testified, “I shall not know any better then than I know now that [Christ] is God’s Almighty Son, that He is our Savior and Redeemer.” He didn’t need to see Jesus Christ to know Him and experience conversion.
True conversion “requires us to do and to become.” The Savior asked the Nephites to follow His commandments and become like Him (see 3 Nephi 27). While they followed Him, they remained converted to Christ and were greatly blessed for it (see 4 Nephi 1:18).
Your Experience with Christ
You can’t yet touch the Savior’s hands and feet like the Nephites did, but you can walk in His footsteps (see 3 Nephi 27:21). Jesus Christ lives, and He invites you to have personal experiences with Him.
You can come to know Christ by keeping His commandments and doing what He would do. You can feel the power of His Atonement by repenting daily. He will bless you, heal you, and plead to the Father for you, like He did with the Nephites. As you come to know the Savior and work toward personal conversion, your life can look more like those of the people in 4 Nephi—happy, peaceful, blessed, and filled with the love of God.