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Cannot Understand - Try Weak

3 Nephi 17:2

I perceive that ye are weak, that ye cannot understand all my words which I am commanded of the Father to speak unto you at this time.

Have you ever come across something that you cannot understand in the Gospel? In the day Christ was among the Nephites preaching his word He percieved them as 'weak'. Sometimes I wonder about the deeper meaning of that. Could it be that they were physically weak? Maybe their minds were weak? Was it that they were drained from the sight of all that was happening that they were mesmerized by Him more than what he was saying? Were they just not paying attention? What in fact made them weak? Note, He did not say they were sinful or evil or doing something wrong, they were just weak.

Weak - Understand Cannot

I read many times this scripture and every time I read it, I imagined Christ talking to the multitude and the people watching each other's faces because they could not understand the words Christ was speaking. Because the Savior is so wise, instead of repeating himself as some people would normally do, he commanded them to go to their homes, ponder and pray for understanding. I do not think he meant the word "weak" in a bad sense, I think he mainly tried to say they were not ready to hear the words he was going to speak to them.

Cannot Understand - Try Weak Studies Doctrine Mormon

One thing that stands out to me is that He was commanded to tell them, but because he perceived them to not be ready He bid them to prepare (pray, ponder, discuss). This one example shows me that we are to disseminate information to those that are ready. I can't tell you the number of times I have been asked to give one message, but felt prompted not to because I saw the person was not ready for it. The same goes with callings and other 'tasks'.