Beattitudes

I really enjoyed examining and learning more about 3 Nephi 12 this past week. It was really interesting to look at the verses 3-10 as a story of conversion and progress through faith. I found the steps towards to perfection to be enlightening and comforting, and it really impacted me.

The way we read the verses in this chapter are interesting because instead of looking at is as the Lord declaring who will be blessed, he is actually giving steps to reach perfection.

The first step from imperfect to perfection like Christ is vs. 3:

"3 Yea, blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

This verse can be read as where you begin in the process. You don't have a strong testimony, but you recognize that and know that you need to move forward.

The second step is described in vs. 4:

"4 And again, blessed are all they that mourn, for they shall be comforted."

In this verse, after realizing you are "poor in spirit" you mourn for the sins that you have committed and reflect on your imperfections. This mourning process if still comforted by knowledge of the possible changes you can make from the place you are in.

"5 And blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

In vs. 5, we receive step three, which is humility. When you are meek, you are ready to be taught and are open to change. Because you have recognized that you are of little faith, and have this feeling of remorse, you are humbled and ready to learn more and change. After you experience this level of humility, you are moved onto step four. This step is described in vs. 6:

"6 And blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost."

This step tells of the growing desire to learn and be strengthened that follows the humble attitude. When you are finally humbled, you receive a strong hunger for the gospel and are ready to be taught and active. Before this point, you are slowly moving towards perfection and now you are actively moving towards it.

Step number five is when you really start to move beyond yourself and look more towards others. This step is described in vs. 7:

"7 And blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."

In this step, you are being asked to be merciful to others and to yourself. You need to be like Christ and forgive others for their transgressions, just like Christ forgave you. You also need to forgive yourself for the sins you have made, because Christ has already forgiven you. This ability to forgive others and forgive yourself makes you more perfect through your Christ-like attribute of forgiveness.

Step six is a really big step that is very important for the progression to perfection. This is described in vs. 8:

"8 And blessed are all the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

In this verse, we learn that it you are pure in heart, you shall see God. This step is another realization moment. To reach this step, you must be pure in heart - which is helped by forgiving others. When you are pure in heart, you also can see God's hand in your life. When you realize how much God has helped your life, you will have the strongest faith and this faith will drive you to bring others into the church - which is step seven. Step seven is described in vs. 9:

"9 And blessed are all the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God."

In vs. 9, you have finally reached the point where you are going out and sharing the gospel with others. When you are "peacemaker", you are making peace in everyone's hearts by sharing the gospel with them. When you share the gospel, you are a missionary and are called a Children of God because you are sharing his work. This step is really important because it opens others to the greatness of the gospel. When you share the gospel with others, you are opened up to criticism and that leads you to step eight, which is in vs. 10-12:

"10 And blessed are all they who are persecuted for my name’s sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 And blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake;
12 For ye shall have great joy and be exceedingly glad, for great shall be your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets who were before you."

In these verses, you can see how you can be persecuted for your faith. But with this persecution, you can be strengthened and rewarded. If you are tested by others and persevere, you will be stronger and closer to perfection. At this step, you are constantly being challenged and sometimes you will be pushed to your limits and you faith will be broken. When this happens, you restart the steps and through the repetition of steps, you continue to grow closer to God and to perfection. But, if stay strong and are remembering the journey and the steps you have taken, you will be on the path to perfection still.

These steps that are outlined in 3 Nephi 12 are a great reminder of how you can return to the Lord when you fall away. They are comforting because they show how the Lord has created a way for you to be perfect just like Him because that is what he wants. Repentance is the key to this process and it is the greatest gift and we are blessed for Christ's sacrifice through the Atonement. The Atonement is especially important to reflect on as we get close to Easter. I am really thankful for the Atonement and for the Plan of Salvation. I am happy that we always have a way to grow closer to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

caroline