Seminary: 91 3 Nephi 20-21

Background: Jesus instituted the sacrament. The Twelve Disciples ministered unto the people teaching and baptizing them.


How often do you need to eat?

How long can a person go without eating?

What happens if you do not eat enough?

What happens if you eat the wrong things?

How often do you need spiritual nourishment?

What happens if you nourish your spirit with the wrong things?

How does spiritual nourishment help you?

3 Nephi 20:3-9

What event happened in these verses?

When was the last time they had taken the sacrament? (the previous day)

What do you think would be the value in partaking of the Sacrament so soon?

What ordinance does the Sacrament renew? (baptism)

Many of the people were not baptized when they first received the Sacrament so this was their first renewal of their baptismal covenants.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks:

“To those brothers and sisters who may have allowed themselves to become lax in this vital renewal of the covenants of the sacrament, I plead in words of the First Presidency that you ‘come back and feast at the table of the Lord, and taste again the sweet and satisfying fruits of fellowship with the saints’ (‘An Invitation to Come Back,’ Church News, 22 Dec. 1985, 3). Let us qualify ourselves for our Savior’s promise that by partaking of the sacrament we will ‘be filled’ (3 Nephi 20:8; see also 3 Nephi 18:9), which means that we will be ‘filled with the Spirit’ (3 Nephi 20:9). That Spirit-the Holy Ghost-is our comforter, our direction finder, our communicator, our interpreter, our witness, and our purifier-our infallible guide and sanctifier for our mortal journey toward eternal life.

“Any who may have thought it a small thing to partake of the sacrament should remember the Lord’s declaration that the foundation of a great work is laid by small things, for ‘out of small things proceedeth that which is great’ (D&C 64:33). Out of the seemingly small act of consciously and reverently renewing our baptismal covenants comes a renewal of the blessings of baptism by water and by the Spirit, that we may always have His Spirit, that we may always have His Spirit to be with us. In this way all of us will be guided, and in this way all of us can be cleaned” (Ensign, Nov. 1996, 61).

How do you think that life would be different if they were not able to take the Sacrament each week?

After the Lord gave them the sacrament, he proceeded to teach them that they are of the House of Israel.

What does ‘House of Israel’ mean?

Who belongs to it?

What is the Abrahamic Covenant?

What role do the Gentiles have in gathering the scattered Israel?

The Lord taught the Nephites that they House of Israel will have a falling away. The Gentiles will receive the gospel and will join the House of Israel and will be the vehicle of gathering the scattered Israel back into the covenant.