Below are the quotes that were used in the video.
President Russell M. Nelson: “How do we work against the forces of division and contention? How do we achieve unity?
“Fortunately, 4 Nephi in the Book of Mormon gives us an example. This chapter briefly records the way the people lived after the Savior had visited them, taught them, and established His Church among them. This account shows how these people achieved a blissful and peaceful unity, and it gives us a pattern we can follow to attain this same unity ourselves.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2024/10/03-a-pattern-for-unity-in-jesus-christ)
A Pattern for Peace and Unity: Conversion
"In 4 Nephi 1:1, we read: “The disciples of Jesus had formed a church of Christ in all the lands round about. And [people] did come unto them, and did truly repent of their sins.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2024/10/03-a-pattern-for-unity-in-jesus-christ)
"The record in 4 Nephi goes on to state that those who came to the Church and repented of their sins “were baptized in the name of Jesus; and they did also receive the Holy Ghost” (4 Nephi 1:1). They had entered into a covenant—a special, binding relationship—with God.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2024/10/03-a-pattern-for-unity-in-jesus-christ)
"Our covenant relationship with God gives us a common cause and a common identity."
"The account in 4 Nephi continues: “There were no contentions and disputations among them, and every man did deal justly one with another.
“And they had all things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift” (4 Nephi 1:2–3).” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2024/10/03-a-pattern-for-unity-in-jesus-christ)
"The next lesson from 4 Nephi comes in this simple expression: “They did walk after the commandments which they had received from their Lord and their God” (4 Nephi 1:12).” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2024/10/03-a-pattern-for-unity-in-jesus-christ)
"Next, we learn that the people in 4 Nephi “[continued] in fasting and prayer, and in meeting together oft both to pray and to hear the word of the Lord” (4 Nephi 1:12).” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2024/10/03-a-pattern-for-unity-in-jesus-christ)
“The record in 4 Nephi then gives us what is perhaps the grand key to all of this—the thing without which real unity is not attainable: “There was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people” (4 Nephi 1:15).” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2024/10/03-a-pattern-for-unity-in-jesus-christ)
"Personal peace is reached when we, in humble submissiveness, truly love God. This is the first and great commandment. Loving God more than anyone or anything else is the condition that brings true peace, comfort, confidence, and joy. As we develop love of God and Jesus Christ, love of family and neighbor will naturally follow.
"Finally, the people in 4 Nephi exhibited a sign of unity that deserves our attention: “There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God” (4 Nephi 1:17).
“…They viewed themselves—and everyone else—according to their relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2024/10/03-a-pattern-for-unity-in-jesus-christ)
Elder Spencer J. Condie: “One question often raised about Mormon’s abridgement is, why is 4 Nephi such a brief book, with only four pages covering a period of 285 years? A corollary question is, if, during the first 166 years after the visit of Christ to the Nephites, “there could not be a happier people’ (4 Nephi 1:16), why do we not have a much more detailed record of their recipe for righteousness?
“A partial answer may be found in the fact that 3 Nephi does contain this recipe for righteousness. Fourth Nephi then records the natural consequences of righteousness, as “they did walk after the commandments which they had received from their Lord and their God,’ and “there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people’ (4 Nephi 1:3, 12, 15).” (Heroes From the Book of Mormon, p. 172-3).
Recipe for Righteousness:
Elder Paul B. Pieper: “In the process of taking the Savior’s name upon us, we must understand that the cause or Christ and of His Church are one and the same. They cannot be separated. Similarly, our personal discipleship to the Savior and active membership in His Church are also inseparable. If we falter in our commitment to one, our commitment to the other will be diminished, as surely as night follows day.” (“All Must Take upon Them the Name Given of the Father” General Conference, October 2018).
President Russell M. Nelson: “What’s in a name or, in this case, a nickname? When it comes to nicknames of the Church, such as the “LDS Church,” the “Mormon Church,” or the “Church of the Latter-day Saints,” the most important thing in those names is the absence of the Savior’s name. To remove the Lord’s name from the Lord’s Church is a major victory for Satan. When we discard the Savior’s name, we are subtly disregarding all that Jesus Christ did for us—even His Atonement.
“My dear brothers and sisters, I promise you that if we will do our best to restore the correct name of the Lord’s Church, He whose Church this is will pour down His power and blessings upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints, the likes of which we have never seen. We will have the knowledge and power of God to help us take the blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people and to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord.” (“The Correct Name of the Church,” General Conference October 2018).
Elder Bruce R. McConkie: “I have thought since that our united prayer must have been like that of the Nephite disciples the Lord’s Twelve in that day and for that people who “were gathered together and were united in mighty prayer and fasting’ to learn the name that the Lord had given to his Church (3 Ne. 27:1-3). In their day the Lord came personally to answer their petition; in our day he sent his Spirit to deliver the message.
“And as it was with our Nephite brethren of old, so it was with us. We too had come together in the spirit of true worship and with unity of desire. We were all fasting and…There was a marvelous outpouring of unity, oneness, and agreement in council…
“It was during that prayer that the revelation came. The Spirit of the Lord rested mightily upon us all; we felt something akin to what happened on the day of Pentecost and at the dedication of the Kirtland Temple. From the midst of eternity, the voice of God, conveyed by the power of the Spirit, spoke to his prophet…” (Sermons and Writings of Bruce R. McConkie, pp. 159-161).
Elder Richard G Scott: “We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become each day. Righteous character is a precious manifestation of what you are becoming. Righteous character is more valuable than any material object you own, any knowledge you have gained through study, or any goals you have attained no matter how well lauded by mankind. In the next life your righteous character will be evaluated to assess how well you used the privilege of mortality.” (“The Transforming Power of Faith and Character,” General Conference, Oct 2010).
President Ezra Taft Benson: “That man is greatest and most blessed and joyful whose life most closely fits the pattern of the Christ. This has nothing to do with earthly wealth, power, or prestige. The only true test of greatness, blessedness, joyfulness is how close a life can come to being like the Master, Jesus Christ. He is the right way, the full truth, and the abundant life.” (“Jesus Christ—Gifts and Expectations” [Brigham Young University devotional, Dec. 10, 1974]).
Elder Bruce R. McConkie: “Some mortals have been translated. In this state they are not subject to sorrow or to disease or to death. No longer does blood (the life-giving element of our present mortality) flow in their veins. Procreation ceases. If they then had children, their offspring would be denied a mortal probation, which all worthy spirits must receive in due course.
“They have power to move and live in both a mortal and an unseen sphere. All translated beings undergo another change in their bodies when they gain full immortality. This change is the equivalent of a resurrection. All mortals, after death, are also resurrected.
“In the resurrected state they are immortal and eternal in nature, and those among them who are privileged to live in the family unit have spirit children.
Millennial man will live in a state akin to translation. His body will be changed so that it is no longer subject to disease or death as we know it, although he will be changed in the twinkling of an eye to full immortality when he is a hundred years of age. He will, however, have children, and mortal life of a millennial kind will continue.” (Millennial Messiah, p. 644)
Idea for teaching:
● Why make the recipe in the first place?
Through Christ, He promises that the recipe leads to a “… fulness of joy” (3 Nephi 27:31). The hope is that Christ will say to you: “… my joy is great, even unto fullness, because of you” (3 Nephi 27:30).
“Fortunately, 4 Nephi in the Book of Mormon gives us an example. This chapter briefly records the way the people lived after the Savior had visited them, taught them, and established His Church among them. This account shows how these people achieved a blissful and peaceful unity, and it gives us a pattern we can follow to attain this same unity ourselves.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2024/10/03-a-pattern-for-unity-in-jesus-christ)
A Pattern for Peace and Unity: Conversion
"In 4 Nephi 1:1, we read: “The disciples of Jesus had formed a church of Christ in all the lands round about. And [people] did come unto them, and did truly repent of their sins.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2024/10/03-a-pattern-for-unity-in-jesus-christ)
"The record in 4 Nephi goes on to state that those who came to the Church and repented of their sins “were baptized in the name of Jesus; and they did also receive the Holy Ghost” (4 Nephi 1:1). They had entered into a covenant—a special, binding relationship—with God.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2024/10/03-a-pattern-for-unity-in-jesus-christ)
"Our covenant relationship with God gives us a common cause and a common identity."
"The account in 4 Nephi continues: “There were no contentions and disputations among them, and every man did deal justly one with another.
“And they had all things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift” (4 Nephi 1:2–3).” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2024/10/03-a-pattern-for-unity-in-jesus-christ)
"The next lesson from 4 Nephi comes in this simple expression: “They did walk after the commandments which they had received from their Lord and their God” (4 Nephi 1:12).” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2024/10/03-a-pattern-for-unity-in-jesus-christ)
"Next, we learn that the people in 4 Nephi “[continued] in fasting and prayer, and in meeting together oft both to pray and to hear the word of the Lord” (4 Nephi 1:12).” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2024/10/03-a-pattern-for-unity-in-jesus-christ)
“The record in 4 Nephi then gives us what is perhaps the grand key to all of this—the thing without which real unity is not attainable: “There was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people” (4 Nephi 1:15).” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2024/10/03-a-pattern-for-unity-in-jesus-christ)
"Personal peace is reached when we, in humble submissiveness, truly love God. This is the first and great commandment. Loving God more than anyone or anything else is the condition that brings true peace, comfort, confidence, and joy. As we develop love of God and Jesus Christ, love of family and neighbor will naturally follow.
"Finally, the people in 4 Nephi exhibited a sign of unity that deserves our attention: “There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God” (4 Nephi 1:17).
“…They viewed themselves—and everyone else—according to their relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2024/10/03-a-pattern-for-unity-in-jesus-christ)
Elder Spencer J. Condie: “One question often raised about Mormon’s abridgement is, why is 4 Nephi such a brief book, with only four pages covering a period of 285 years? A corollary question is, if, during the first 166 years after the visit of Christ to the Nephites, “there could not be a happier people’ (4 Nephi 1:16), why do we not have a much more detailed record of their recipe for righteousness?
“A partial answer may be found in the fact that 3 Nephi does contain this recipe for righteousness. Fourth Nephi then records the natural consequences of righteousness, as “they did walk after the commandments which they had received from their Lord and their God,’ and “there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people’ (4 Nephi 1:3, 12, 15).” (Heroes From the Book of Mormon, p. 172-3).
Recipe for Righteousness:
- “Built on my gospel” (3 Nephi 27:8).
- The Father “will bless the church for my sake” (3 Nephi 27:7).
- Be “united in mighty prayer and fasting” (3 Nephi 27:7).
- Become “even as I am” (3 Nephi 27:27).
- Prophets and Apostles minister to us today (3 Nephi 28:26-29).
- “One by one” (3 Nephi 28:1).
Elder Paul B. Pieper: “In the process of taking the Savior’s name upon us, we must understand that the cause or Christ and of His Church are one and the same. They cannot be separated. Similarly, our personal discipleship to the Savior and active membership in His Church are also inseparable. If we falter in our commitment to one, our commitment to the other will be diminished, as surely as night follows day.” (“All Must Take upon Them the Name Given of the Father” General Conference, October 2018).
President Russell M. Nelson: “What’s in a name or, in this case, a nickname? When it comes to nicknames of the Church, such as the “LDS Church,” the “Mormon Church,” or the “Church of the Latter-day Saints,” the most important thing in those names is the absence of the Savior’s name. To remove the Lord’s name from the Lord’s Church is a major victory for Satan. When we discard the Savior’s name, we are subtly disregarding all that Jesus Christ did for us—even His Atonement.
“My dear brothers and sisters, I promise you that if we will do our best to restore the correct name of the Lord’s Church, He whose Church this is will pour down His power and blessings upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints, the likes of which we have never seen. We will have the knowledge and power of God to help us take the blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people and to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord.” (“The Correct Name of the Church,” General Conference October 2018).
Elder Bruce R. McConkie: “I have thought since that our united prayer must have been like that of the Nephite disciples the Lord’s Twelve in that day and for that people who “were gathered together and were united in mighty prayer and fasting’ to learn the name that the Lord had given to his Church (3 Ne. 27:1-3). In their day the Lord came personally to answer their petition; in our day he sent his Spirit to deliver the message.
“And as it was with our Nephite brethren of old, so it was with us. We too had come together in the spirit of true worship and with unity of desire. We were all fasting and…There was a marvelous outpouring of unity, oneness, and agreement in council…
“It was during that prayer that the revelation came. The Spirit of the Lord rested mightily upon us all; we felt something akin to what happened on the day of Pentecost and at the dedication of the Kirtland Temple. From the midst of eternity, the voice of God, conveyed by the power of the Spirit, spoke to his prophet…” (Sermons and Writings of Bruce R. McConkie, pp. 159-161).
Elder Richard G Scott: “We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become each day. Righteous character is a precious manifestation of what you are becoming. Righteous character is more valuable than any material object you own, any knowledge you have gained through study, or any goals you have attained no matter how well lauded by mankind. In the next life your righteous character will be evaluated to assess how well you used the privilege of mortality.” (“The Transforming Power of Faith and Character,” General Conference, Oct 2010).
President Ezra Taft Benson: “That man is greatest and most blessed and joyful whose life most closely fits the pattern of the Christ. This has nothing to do with earthly wealth, power, or prestige. The only true test of greatness, blessedness, joyfulness is how close a life can come to being like the Master, Jesus Christ. He is the right way, the full truth, and the abundant life.” (“Jesus Christ—Gifts and Expectations” [Brigham Young University devotional, Dec. 10, 1974]).
Elder Bruce R. McConkie: “Some mortals have been translated. In this state they are not subject to sorrow or to disease or to death. No longer does blood (the life-giving element of our present mortality) flow in their veins. Procreation ceases. If they then had children, their offspring would be denied a mortal probation, which all worthy spirits must receive in due course.
“They have power to move and live in both a mortal and an unseen sphere. All translated beings undergo another change in their bodies when they gain full immortality. This change is the equivalent of a resurrection. All mortals, after death, are also resurrected.
“In the resurrected state they are immortal and eternal in nature, and those among them who are privileged to live in the family unit have spirit children.
Millennial man will live in a state akin to translation. His body will be changed so that it is no longer subject to disease or death as we know it, although he will be changed in the twinkling of an eye to full immortality when he is a hundred years of age. He will, however, have children, and mortal life of a millennial kind will continue.” (Millennial Messiah, p. 644)
Idea for teaching:
● Why make the recipe in the first place?
Through Christ, He promises that the recipe leads to a “… fulness of joy” (3 Nephi 27:31). The hope is that Christ will say to you: “… my joy is great, even unto fullness, because of you” (3 Nephi 27:30).