The Book of Mormon
~AD 34

3 Nephi 24

Jesus commands the people to record Malachi's words, then expounds on them. The prophecy speaks of a messenger preparing the way before the Lord comes to his temple. It warns of refining fire and promises judgment on the wicked. The prophecy addresses robbing God through withholding tithes, promising blessings for obedience. Those who fear the Lord are remembered as jewels.

The Coming Messenger

He told them to write down what the Father had given to Malachi, which he would now share with them. After it was written, he explained it to them. This is what he told them, quoting what the Father said to Malachi: 'I’m sending my messenger ahead to prepare the way for me. Then the Lord you’re looking for will suddenly arrive at his temple—the messenger of the covenant you’ve been longing to see. He’s coming,' says the Lord of hosts.

'But who can handle the day he arrives? Who will be able to stand when he appears? He’ll be like a refiner’s fire, like the harsh soap that scrubs things clean. He’ll sit down like someone refining and purifying silver. He’ll purify the priests, the sons of Levi, purging them the way you purge gold and silver. Then they’ll be able to bring offerings to the Lord that are truly right. The offerings from Judah and Jerusalem will please the Lord again, like they did in the old days, in years long past.

The Day of Judgment

I’ll come close to you for judgment. I’ll be a swift witness against sorcerers, adulterers, and liars. Against those who cheat workers out of their wages, who oppress widows and orphans, who push away strangers, and who don’t fear me,' says the Lord of hosts. I am the Lord—I don’t change. That’s why you descendants of Jacob haven’t been wiped out.

Robbing God

Ever since your ancestors' time, you’ve turned away from my commands and haven’t kept them. Come back to me, and I’ll come back to you,' says the Lord of hosts. But you say, 'How are we supposed to come back? 'Would anyone rob God? Yet you’ve been robbing me.' But you say, 'How have we robbed you?' 'In tithes and offerings. You’re under a curse because you’ve robbed me—this whole nation has.

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there’s food in my house. Test me on this,' says the Lord of hosts. 'See if I won’t open the windows of heaven and pour out so much blessing you won’t have room for it all. I’ll stop the devourer from destroying your crops. Your vines won’t drop their fruit early in the fields,' says the Lord of hosts. All nations will call you blessed, because you’ll be a wonderful land,' says the Lord of hosts.

Harsh Words and Faithful Hearts

'Your words have been harsh against me,' says the Lord. Yet you say, 'What have we said against you?' 'You’ve said, 'It’s pointless to serve God. What do we gain by keeping his commands and walking around depressed before the Lord of hosts?' Now we think the proud are the happy ones. People who do evil get ahead. Those who test God get away with it.''

Then those who feared the Lord talked often with each other. The Lord listened and heard them. A book of remembrance was written in his presence—a record of those who feared the Lord and thought about his name. 'They’ll be mine,' says the Lord of hosts, 'on the day when I gather my treasured ones. I’ll spare them the way a man spares his own son who serves him. Then you’ll see clearly the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between someone who serves God and someone who doesn’t.'

Influences

  • 24:1 — Malachi 3:1 (KJV)
    Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
  • 24:1 — John 13:3 (KJV)
    Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;
  • 24:2 — Malachi 3:2 (KJV)
    But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:
  • 24:3 — Malachi 3:3 (KJV)
    And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.
  • 24:4 — Malachi 3:4 (KJV)
    Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.
  • 24:5 — Malachi 3:5 (KJV)
    And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.
  • 24:6 — Malachi 3:6 (KJV)
    For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
  • 24:7 — Malachi 3:7 (KJV)
    Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?
  • 24:8 — Malachi 3:8 (KJV)
    Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
  • 24:9 — Malachi 3:9 (KJV)
    Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
  • 24:10 — Malachi 3:10 (KJV)
    Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
  • 24:11 — Malachi 3:11 (KJV)
    And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.
  • 24:12 — Malachi 3:12 (KJV)
    And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.
  • 24:13 — Malachi 3:13 (KJV)
    Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?
  • 24:14 — Malachi 3:14 (KJV)
    Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?
  • 24:15 — Malachi 3:15 (KJV)
    And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.
  • 24:16 — Malachi 3:16 (KJV)
    Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.
  • 24:17 — Malachi 3:17 (KJV)
    And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
  • 24:18 — Malachi 3:18 (KJV)
    Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.
3 Nephi 233 Nephi 25