General Comments on ch. 29-30 These two chapters largely repeat the message of ch. 21. However, in ch. 21 Jesus' target audience was natural Israel and the message is largely one of encouragement and redemption, here Mormon's message is one of warning and woe to the Gentiles. Mormon is expanding on the theme of 28:27-35, where the three disciples will perform a great and marvelous work among the Gentiles. If the Gentiles reject the great and marvelous work and continue to rebel against the Lord they will be punished when Israel is redeemed. Comments on 3 Nephi 29 v1-3 The delivery of these words to the Gentiles is a sign that the Lord has begun the gathering of Israel (v. 1, cp. 21:1-7) according to the predictions of all the OT Prophets (v. 2, cp. 21:8-21). Mormon then warns the Gentiles away from thinking the words spoken by these prophets are meaningless, because the Lord will keep the covenants made with Israel (v. 3, cp. 21:26-29). v4-7 Mormon then predicts the Gentiles will generally reject the great and marvelous work of the Lord because of greed. They will spurn and reject the great and marvelous work, to their own condemnation (v. 4), because they deny Christ (v. 5) and all his revelations and works (v. 6). The Gentiles who do this become like the son of Perdition who sold out Christ for personal profit, so they will obtain no mercy from him (v. 7). v8-9 Where the Gentiles were formerly used to punish and afflict the Israelites as part of a covenant malediction (cf. 1 Ne. 13), when the remnants of Israel return to the Lord then their persecution of Israel must stop (v. 8). Nothing they do can change the Lord's will or stop Him from fulfilling His promises (v. 9). As indicated in v. 4-7, the Gentile nations are committing all the same sins Israel has committed over the years: secularism, materialism, priestcraft, and rebellion. But, in addition to this, the Gentiles have persecuted Israel. The result is the Lord will not spare them, cp. Ezek. 35:1-5. While the Gentiles haven't gotten any worse than Israel, they have no covenant to protect them when they do go bad. The underlying premise is that of the times of the Gentiles (cf. Acts 10, D&C 45:24-30). The gospel has been granted to them because of Israel's apostasy and Judah's intransigence. But, rather than redeem Israel, the majority of them have used it to promote themselves at Israel's expense. The Gentiles have grown arrogant in obtaining the gospel, so they think it is their's by right and Israel be damned. However, that is not the Lord's attitude. He remembers His covenant with Israel, and will redeem them as He promised He would, without or without the help of the Gentiles. Copyright © 2001 by S. Kurt Neumiller . All rights reserved. No part of this text may be reproduced in any form or by any means for commercial gain without the express written consent of the author. Digital or printed copies may be freely made and distributed for personal and public non-commercial use.