3 Nephi 12:1–16

“Blessed Are Ye”

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.

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.)

2. 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?

Optional: Want to Learn More?

Why do God’s blessings not always come in the way we expect?

President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency taught:

Faith means trust—trust in God’s will, trust in His way of doing things, and trust in His timetable. …

Indeed, we cannot have true faith in the Lord without also having complete trust in the Lord’s will and in the Lord’s timing. (Dallin H. Oaks, “Timing,” Ensign, Oct. 2003, 12)

What can help me better understand the Beatitudes?

The Beatitudes

Reference	Attribute
Reference 3 Nephi 12:3	Attribute Poor in spirit. To be humble, or “to recognize gratefully [one’s] dependence on the Lord—to understand that [one has] constant need for His support. Humility is an acknowledgment that [one’s] talents and abilities are gifts from God” (True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference [2004], 86).
Reference 3 Nephi 12:4	Attribute Mourn. To feel and express sorrow about something. A person may mourn for the trials of mortality that they and others experience. A person may also mourn because of sorrow for sin.
Reference 3 Nephi 12:5	Attribute Meek. To be “Godfearing, righteous, humble, teachable, and patient under suffering” (Guide to the Scriptures, “Meek, Meekness,” scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org).
Reference 3 Nephi 12:6	Attribute Hunger and thirst after righteousness. To have a great desire to know and do the will of God.
Reference 3 Nephi 12:7	Attribute Merciful. To be “compassionate, respectful, forgiving, gentle, and patient, even when you are aware of others’ shortcomings” (True to the Faith, 103).
Reference 3 Nephi 12:8	Attribute Pure in heart. To be counted among those who “love the Lord, who seek to follow Him and keep His commandments, who are striving to live virtuous lives and endure faithfully to the end. The pure in heart are those who control their thoughts to keep themselves free from immoral fantasies and deeds” (Sheldon F. Child, “Words of Jesus: Chastity,” Ensign or Liahona, Jan. 2003, 44).
Reference 3 Nephi 12:9	Attribute Peacemaker. “To help people find common ground when others are seeing differences” (Henry B. Eyring, “Learning in the Priesthood,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2011, 63).
Reference 3 Nephi 12:10–12	Attribute Persecuted for Christ’s name’s sake. To be willing to obey and defend Jesus Christ and His teachings, even when one may be mocked or mistreated for doing so.