Jesus Christ succinctly shared the Beatitude blessings of the covenant path in Matthew 5-7 and 3 Nephi 12-16. Fulfillment of the Beatitudes’ promises seems to occur later—after death or the Savior’s Second Coming. The record of 3 Nephi demonstrates that the people at the temple in Bountiful actually received fulfillment of the Beatitudes’ blessings during their mortal lives.
Below are the Beatitudes’ promises in 3 Nephi and a passage representing (to me) the fulfillment of those promises. More “fulfillment” verses apply to each Beatitude, but for simplicity’s sake, I chose the following.
Promise:
3 Nephi 12: 1-2 [T]hey may baptize you with water; and after that ye are baptized with water, behold I will baptize you with fire and with the Holy Ghost; therefore blessed are ye if ye shall believe in me and be baptized, after that ye have seen me and know that I am.
And again, more blessed are they who shall in your words because that ye shall testify that ye have seen me, and that ye know that I am. Yea, blessed are they who shall in your , and down into the depths of humility and be baptized, for they shall be visited fire and with the Holy Ghost, and shall receive a remission of their sins.
A Fulfillment:
3 Nephi 19:11 And it came to pass that Nephi went down into the water and was baptized. And he came up out of the water and began to baptize . . . .
And it came to pass when they were all baptized and had come up out of the water, the Holy Ghost did fall upon them, and they were filled with the Holy Ghost and with fire. And behold, they were encircled about as if it were by fire; and it came down from heaven, and the multitude did witness it, and did bear record; and angels did come down out of heaven and did minister unto them.
Promise:
3 Nephi 12:3 Yea, blessed are the who unto me, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
A Fulfillment:
3 Nephi 20:22 And behold, this people will I establish in this land, unto the fulfilling of the covenant which I made with your father Jacob; and it shall be a New Jerusalem. And the powers of heaven shall be in the midst of this people; yea, even I will be in the midst of you.
Promise:
3 Nephi 12:4 And again, blessed are all they that , for they shall be .
A Fulfillment:
3 Nephi 17:17-18 [N]oone can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard Him pray for us unto the Father. And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying unto the Father, he arose; but so great was the joy of the multitude that they were overcome.
Promise:
3 Nephi 12:5 And blessed are the , for they shall inherit the .
A Fulfillment:
3 Nephi 16:16 [T]hus had the Father commanded me—that I should give unto this people this land for their inheritance.
Promise:
3 Nephi 12:6 And blessed are all they who do and after , for they shall be with the Holy Ghost.
A Fulfillment:
3 Nephi 19:13 [T]he Holy Ghost did fall upon them, and they were filled with the Holy Ghost and with fire.
Promise:
3 Nephi 12:7 And blessed are the , for they shall obtain mercy.
A Fulfillment:
3 Nephi 17:7 Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them heather. Heave ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy.
Promise:
3 Nephi 12:8 And blessed are all the in heart, for they shall God.
A Fulfillment:
3 Nephi 11:8,15 [T]hey saw a Man descending out of heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe; and he came down and stood in the midst of them; and the eyes of the whole multitude were turned upon him. . . . And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people saying: Behold, I am Jesus Christ whom the prophets testified shall come into the world. . . .
And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come.
Promise:
3 Nephi 12:9 And blessed are all the , for they shall be called the of God.
A Fulfillment:
3 Nephi 20:26 The Father having raised me up unto you first, and sent me to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities; and this because ye are the children of the covenant—
Promise:
3 Nephi 12:10-12 And blessed are all they who are for my name’s sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. And blessed are ye when men shall you and persecute, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake; For shall have great joy and be exceedingly glad, for great shall be your in heaven; for so they the prophets who were before you.
A Fulfillment:
3 Nephi 12:20 Therefore come unto me and be ye saved; for verily I say unto you, that except ye shall keep my commandments, which I have commanded you at this time, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
3 Nephi 26:21 And it came to pass that they did do all things even as Jesus had commanded them.
Learning that this entire community received promised blessings for covenant living inspires faith that the Lord will fulfill His word and promises in our day, too.
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