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 Lord’s Messenger Will Come

Jesus told them to write down the words the Father had given to Malachi. He told them to write these words. After they wrote them down, he explained them. These are the words he told them: The Father said to Malachi: I will send my messenger. He will get things ready before I come. Then the Lord you are looking for will come to his temple. He is the messenger of the promise you are excited about. He will come, says the Lord of hosts.

But who can handle the day when he comes? Who will be able to stand when he shows up? He is like a fire that makes things pure. He is like strong soap that cleans. He will sit like someone who makes silver pure and clean. He will make the sons of Levi pure. He will clean them like gold and silver. Then they can bring offerings to the Lord that are right. Then the offerings from Judah and Jerusalem will please the Lord. It will be like it was in the old days and in years past.

God Will Judge the Wicked

I will come close to you to judge. I will be a fast witness against those who do magic, against those who cheat on their wives or husbands, and against those who lie when they promise. I will be against those who don’t pay workers their fair pay, who hurt widows and kids without parents, and who push away strangers. They don’t respect me, says the Lord of hosts.

I am the Lord. I don’t change. That’s why you sons of Jacob are not destroyed.

Return to God

From the time of your fathers, you have turned away from my rules. You have not kept them. Come back to me, and I will come back to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you said: How should we come back? Will a man steal from God? But you have stolen from me. You say: How have we stolen from you? You stole my tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse. You have stolen from me. This whole nation has done it.

Bring all the tithes to the storehouse. Then there will be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord of hosts. I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so big you won’t have room for it all. I will stop the bugs that eat your crops. They won’t destroy what grows in your fields. Your vines won’t drop their fruit too early, says the Lord of hosts. All nations will say you are blessed. You will be a wonderful land, says the Lord of hosts.

The People Complain

Your words have been harsh against me, says the Lord. But you say: What have we said against you? You have said: It’s useless to serve God. What good does it do that we have kept his rules and walked around sad before the Lord of hosts? We call the proud people happy. Those who do bad things are successful. They test God and nothing bad happens to them.

Those Who Respect the Lord

Then those who respected the Lord talked to each other often. The Lord listened and heard them. A book was written in front of him to remember those who respected the Lord and who thought about his name. They will be mine, says the Lord of hosts. On that day when I gather my treasures, I will be kind to them. I will treat them the way a man treats his own son who serves him. Then you will come back and see the difference between those who are right and those who are wrong. You will see the difference between someone who serves God and someone who doesn’t serve him.

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