Jesus’ commandments to the Nephites to “search the prophets” (3 Nephi 23:5) and “search” the words of Isaiah (3 Nephi 20:11; 23:1) are a deliberate challenge. Although Jesus was with them, teaching them directly, yet they were to delve deeply into the words of the prophets for an understanding of divine truth. To facilitate this, Jesus not only quoted at length from Micah and Isaiah, who prophesied of a time far distant, he also revealed to them the words of Malachi, who lived long after Lehi left Jerusalem, and “expounded them unto the multitude” (3 Nephi 26:1). Following that, Jesus “did expound all things unto them… even from the beginning until the time that he should come in his glory” (3 Nephi 26:1, 3).
This puts to rest the notion that there is no need to pay much attention to “dead prophets” when the living prophets will tell us all we need to know. Jesus said, “These scriptures, which ye had not with you, the Father commanded me that I should give unto you; for it was wisdom in him that they should be given unto future generations” (3 Nephi 26:2). In fact, Mormon keeps emphasizing how Jesus “expounded all the scriptures unto them” until he had “expounded all the scriptures in one,” those they had previously received and those he now gave them, “both great and small” (3 Nephi 23:6, 14; 26:1).
There is a vast difference between searching the scriptures and not doing so, between having a solid grounding in the Hebrew prophets and not having one (cf. 2 Nephi 32:3–7). In the New Testament, as in the Book of Mormon, Jesus similarly counseled the people to “search the scriptures” (John 5:39), which consisted of the law and the prophets. Those who believed in Christ, both Jew and Gentile, were those who “received the word with all readiness of mind” and “searched the scriptures daily” (Acts 17:11–12). By searching the scriptures, the people in Jacob’s day could discern the deception of Sherem, the antichrist (Jacob 7:23), and the Zoramites could distinguish truth from error (see Alma 33:2).
Because we are living in the time of which Jesus and the ancient prophets spoke, how much greater is our need to search their writings so that we will not be deceived but rather believe what the scriptures actually say? Refusing to search the prophecies makes people “willingly ignorant” of what will transpire when Jesus comes again and will catch them unprepared (2 Peter 3:2–10).
Certainly, Jesus will not acknowledge those who don’t search the prophecies, who are satisfied with popular notions, assuming that is all they need to know (see 3 Nephi 14:22–27). If, as Nephi says, “by denying him [Christ] ye also deny the prophets and the law” (2 Nephi 25:28), then the reverse is also true: by denying the prophets, we deny Christ.
There is a breakthrough in understanding that comes when we search the scriptures diligently. This understanding is not something one person can give another but is achieved individually. As Jesus taught, it is absolutely essential to have as one’s foundation the writings of the Hebrew prophets, in particular the words of Isaiah. Without building upon that foundation, one can never “put it all together.” One can never comprehend all the scriptures “in one,” both “great and small.” As Jesus reminds us, “Out of the books which have been written, and which shall be written, shall this people be judged” and “shall the world be judged” (3 Nephi 27:25–26).
Another commonly accepted myth is that we are not to inquire into the mysteries. Those who don’t understand the mysteries of God are those who “see but see not, who hear but hear not, neither understand” (cf. Matthew 13:11–15). Rather, God’s people are to “open your ears that ye may hear, and your hearts that ye may understand, and your minds that the mysteries of God may be unfolded to your view” (Mosiah 2:9).
The scriptures “have been kept and preserved by the hand of God, that we might read and understand of his mysteries, and have his commandments always before our eyes” (Mosiah 1:5). As “ministers of Christ,” we are “stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Corinthians 4:1). To have the mysteries of God unfolded to us makes us rich (D&C 6:7; 11:7).
In a revelation given to the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord said, “I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end. Great shall be their reward and eternal shall be their glory. And to them will I reveal all mysteries, yea, all the hidden mysteries of my kingdom from days of old, and for ages to come, will I make known unto them the good pleasure of my will concerning all things pertaining to my kingdom.
“Yea, even the wonders of eternity shall they know, and things to come will I show them, even the things of many generations. And their wisdom shall be great, and their understanding reach to heaven; and before them the wisdom of the wise shall perish, and the understanding of the prudent shall come to naught. For by my Spirit will I enlighten them, and by my power will I make known unto them the secrets of my will—yea, even those things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the heart of man” (D&C 76:5–10).
As we read in Mormon’s account, Jesus revealed precisely such mysteries to the Nephites at Bountiful, many of whom “saw and heard unspeakable things, which are not lawful to be written” (3 Nephi 26:18). Moreover, Mormon makes clear that we as “Gentiles” have thus far received but “the lesser part of the things which he [Jesus] taught the people” because we have not yet sufficiently “believed” them (3 Nephi 26:7–11). If and when we believe them, “then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them” (3 Nephi 26:9).
To this, we respond, “Of course we believe them!” And so we deceive ourselves into thinking that it is enough to be good members of the Church, to read the Book of Mormon and yet forget Jesus’ commandment to “search the prophets.”