The Twelve Beatitudes & The Doctrine of Christ
Jesus’s teachings contain a series of progressive steps (and corresponding blessings) detailing how to come unto Him and become perfected in Him. These are the twelve “beatitudes.” Nephi prophesied “plain and precious truths” would be systematically stripped from the record, causing a stumbling block. In the latter days, God restored the first missing beatitudes to unlock “the gate by which we should enter” to this path of discipleship.
What Are the Twelve Beatitudes?
| # | Matthew 5:3-11 | JST Matt 5/3 Ne 12 | References | Principle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | n/a | Offering: “who shall believe on me” (compare JST & BoM) Blessing: Opportunity for #3 ↓ | JST Matt 4:17-24; Matt 16:13-18; 1 Ne 10:17-19; 2 Ne 28:31; Alma 32:23,26 | Faith in Christ |
| 2 | n/a | Offering: [more blessed are] “they who shall believe on your words, when ye shall testify that ye have seen me and that I am.” (compare JST & BoM) Blessing: Opportunity for #3 ↓ | same ^ | Faith in Christ |
| 3 | n/a | Offering: “blessed are they who shall believe on your words, and come down into the depth of humility, and be baptized in my name” Blessing: “be visited with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and shall receive a remission of their sins.” | Moroni 8:25-26 | Faith in Christ, repentance, baptisms of water, fire, and Holy Ghost |
| 4 | Offering: “the poor in spirit“ Blessing: “theirs is the kingdom of heaven” | Offering: “the poor in Spirit who come unto Jesus Christ“ Blessing: < same | Mos 2:21-25; Mos 4:11-12; Alma 26:11-12,21-22; Moses 1:10; JST Matt 3:28-29,38-39; Rom 8:14-17 | Broken heart & contrite spirit leads to adoption into the family of Christ, inheritance of the Kingdom |
| 5 | Offering: “they that mourn“ Blessing: “they shall be comforted” | < same | Mos 18:8-10 | Living the baptismal covenant leads to 1st & 2nd Comforters |
| 6 | Offering: “the meek“ Blessing: “they shall inherit the earth” | < same | 1 Ne 22:17; Psalm 37:7-11 | Broken heart & contrite spirit |
| 7 | Offering: “they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness“ Blessing: “they shall be filled” | Offering: “all they that do hunger and thirst after righteousness“ Blessing: “they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost“ | 2 Ne 31:20; 2 Ne 32:3 | Faith, repentance, baptism in the name of the Son (water, fire, spirit) |
| 8 | Offering: “the merciful“ Blessing: “they shall obtain mercy” | < same | Mos 18:8; 3 Ne 13:11,14-15; Matt 6:12,14-15; Acts 7:60; Alma 32:13 | Broken heart & contrite spirit, acting as Christ would to others |
| 9 | Offering: “the pure in heart“ Blessing: “they shall see God” | Offering: “all the pure in heart“ Blessing: < same | 2 Tim 2:22; 1 Pet 1:22; 3 Ne 8:1 | Broken heart & contrite spirit, real intent, faith, repentance, 2nd Comforter |
| 10 | Offering: “the peace makers“ Blessing: “they shall be called the children of God” | Offering: “all the peace makers“ Blessing: < same | Mos 15:9-19 | Whosoever is born again & endures to the end, the same is made & remains a child of God |
| 11 | Offering: “they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake“ Blessing: “theirs is the kingdom of heaven” | Offering: “all they that are persecuted for my name’s sake“ Blessing: < same | 1 Ne 1:19-20; 1 Ne 11:28; 2 Ne 9:18-19 | Price of being born again; becoming a true servant & witness of Jesus Christ |
| 12 | Offering: “ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake“ Blessing: “Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven” | Offering: < same Blessing: “For ye shall have great joy, and be exceeding glad; for great shall be your reward in heaven” | same ^ | same ^ |
Table showing the twelve beatitudes, the offering and blessings associated with each one
JST Matthew 5 / 3 Nephi 12 Comparison
| # | JST Matthew 5:3-4 | 3 Nephi 12:1-2 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Offering: “who shall believe on me” Blessing: “be visited with fire and the Holy Ghost, and shall receive a remission of their sins.” | Offering: “if ye shall believe in me and be baptized, after that ye have seen me and know that I am.” Blessing: < same |
| 2 | Offering: [more blessed are they] “who shall believe on your words, when ye shall testify that ye have seen me and that I am… who shall believe on your words, and come down into the depth of humility, and be baptized in my name“ Blessing: same ^ | Offering: [more blessed are they] “who shall believe 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 believe in your words, and come down into the depths of humility and be baptized” Blessing: same ^ |
Comparing the JST Matthew and Book of Mormon accounts of the first of the twelve beatitudes
