3 Nephi 13:24

Brant Gardner

There are no changes from Matthew 6:24.

This verse is a section conclusion. Jesus has been talking about the things that we might do that could be recognized by others, or by God. What he says here is that we cannot have both. We cannot perform our religion to be praised and recognized by others and still receive God’s approval. The two are antithetical. If we perform for others, we receive only the reward that others give. If we perform with an eye single to God, then God rewards us.

In the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon, this verse ended a chapter. Orson Pratt wanted to make the texts that were clearly parallel easier to compare, so he used the New Testament chapter breaks rather than this one. It appears that the Book of Mormon chapter division highlighted the information given in verse 25 that Jesus began to address the disciples rather than the whole congregation.

Book of Mormon Minute

References