Seminary
3 Nephi 12:1–16: “Blessed Are Ye”

“3 Nephi 12:1–16: ‘Blessed Are Ye,’” Book of Mormon Student Manual (2024)

“3 Nephi 12:1–16,” Book of Mormon Student Manual

3 Nephi 12:1–16

“Blessed Are Ye”

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Christ teaching in the Americas

Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want to bless us. We can be certain that as we follow Their counsel, we will receive Their blessings according to Their timing and in Their way. When teaching the Nephites, Jesus proclaimed many of the blessings we can receive. This lesson can help you prepare to receive the blessings the Savior spoke of as you strive to follow His counsel.

Blessed

Imagine a worldly magazine article entitled “The Five Most Blessed People of the Year.”

  • What specific blessings would you expect the article to focus on as the criteria for choosing the people?

Now imagine a Liahona magazine article with the same title.

  • What specific blessings would you expect the article to talk about as the greatest blessings anyone could have?

  • Why do you think the Savior and His Church teach us to place the highest value on different blessings than many in the world seek?

In 3 Nephi 12–14, Jesus Christ taught the Nephites a sermon very similar to His Sermon on the Mount in the New Testament. President Joseph Fielding Smith (1876–1972) said that the Sermon on the Mount is “the greatest [sermon] that was ever preached, so far as we know” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith [2013], 234).

Today, as you study the part of the Savior’s sermon called the Beatitudes, you will have the opportunity to learn ways that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ desire to bless you. President Harold B. Lee (1899–1973) referred to the Savior’s Beatitudes as “the constitution for a perfect life” and explained that “in his Sermon on the Mount the Master has given us somewhat of a revelation of his own character, which was perfect, … and in so doing has given us a blueprint for our own lives” (Decisions for Successful Living [1973], 56–57). As you study, ponder why the blessings Christ offers in this sermon are of far greater worth than any of the blessings the world has to offer.

The Beatitudes in the Americas

Read 3 Nephi 12:1–12 and mark the word “blessed” and any blessings you find that the Savior outlines in these verses. Note that the word “blessed” in these verses means extremely fortunate or divinely favored.

  • Considering all the blessings the Savior outlined in these verses, what does this tell you about Him and His Father?

One truth we can learn from this passage is that Heavenly Father and Jesus delight to bless us as we strive to follow Their counsel.

Read 3 Nephi 12:1–2 and consider marking what the Savior asks us to do if we seek the blessings He and His Father offer us.

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icon, record

  1.  Answer the following questions:

    • Why do you think God blesses those who “give heed unto the words of [the] twelve whom [He has] chosen”? (3 Nephi 12:1).

    • How has God blessed you or others you know for heeding the words of prophets and apostles?

Seeking after blessings

Read 3 Nephi 12:3–12 again, this time looking for which conditions the Savior linked to each blessing. Consider marking these conditions differently from how you marked the blessings, such as by using different colors or circling instead of highlighting.

Choose one blessing from these verses that you would like to obtain. Notice the action or condition that leads to that blessing. Study that action or condition by using available resources, such as the Guide to the Scriptures, Gospel Library app, Topical Guide, or footnotes.

You could also use the Beatitudes chart located in the “Optional: Want to Learn More?” section of this lesson.

  • What did you learn about what is required of those who desire the blessing you studied?

  • How has the Savior demonstrated that action or condition? How could His example help you better understand how you can seek that blessing?

Remember that because Heavenly Father loves us, He will bless us according to His timing and in His way. (See Doctrine and Covenants 88:64.)

  1. Complete the following activity:

    Now that you have identified a blessing you desire and studied how to invite it into your life, make a plan for how you can seek that blessing. The following questions could be helpful:

    • What specific things could you do to seek that blessing?

    • When do you plan to start?

    • What obstacles could get in the way, and how could you overcome them?