3 Ne 19:2 it was noised abroad among the people immediately
One can only imagine the
excitement which must have spread like a tidal wave throughout the rest of
society. This night must have been sleepless, filled with anticipation,
exceeding anything they had ever experienced. Even those old enough to remember
the night without darkness which heralded Christ’s birth over thirty-three
years earlier were to have a night of even greater anticipation. How could they
sleep when they were soon to see the resurrected Lord?
Hugh Nibley
“Now
there's a reminder of that exciting passage from Thycidides where it says ‘that
night, no man slept.’ It's like Christmas Eve-the tremendous excitement about
the great thing that's going to happen tomorrow. Everybody is rushing around
spreading the news: The Lord has finally come. He's going to be here
tomorrow…The multitude dispersed. Everybody went home, but they didn't go to
bed…A great thing is going to happen; we're going to receive a great gift
tomorrow. We're going to get the gospel tomorrow. They're all excited about it.
As I said, not a man slept.” (Teachings of the Book of Mormon, lecture 85, p. 355)
3
Ne 19:9 they did pray for that which they most
desired…the Holy Ghost
Jeffrey R. Holland
“As
Christ had not yet appeared to them for this second day (and because the Father
and Son could not permanently be with them—or us—in a telestial world), the
next best companionship came from that member of the Godhead who can be with
mortals permanently—the Holy Ghost. In their ministry these newly called
apostles could not always have the daily, physical presence of the Savior with
them. Nevertheless, because they were to lead the Church of Jesus Christ in
righteousness and be witnesses of his name throughout the Nephite world, they
would surely need the prompting, the protection, the revelation, and the
comfort of that One who is the spiritual extension and telestial representative
of the Father and the Son.
“In
our own time the Prophet Joseph Smith was asked wherein The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints differed from other religions of the day. He
replied that the distinction lay in ‘the gift of the Holy Ghost’ and that all
other considerations ‘were contained in that gift.’ In light of these experiences—ancient or modern, Old World or
New—perhaps all disciples of Christ, all members of his true Church, should
pray for the influence and guidance of the Holy Ghost as that heavenly gift
‘which they most desire.’” (Christ And The New Covenant, p. 278)
Bruce R. McConkie
“This
morning, if I might be guided by the Spirit, I would like to suggest to you a
slogan which, in my judgment, is one which will guide and direct and control
and influence in all the affairs of our lives, in all things both temporal and
spiritual.
“In
the Southern Australian Mission we thought we would choose a slogan that would
guide and direct in our missionary affairs, and then in all else. We knew that
when the Nephite disciples, the twelve, had prayed for that which they most
desired, the record said they most desired that they might have the Holy Ghost.
(See. 3 Nephi 19:9.) So we sought to make their goal our goal, and we chose the
slogan, ‘Seek the Spirit.’
“Now
we knew that Joseph Smith had said: ‘The Holy Ghost is a Revelator, and any man
who has received the Holy Ghost has received revelation.’ So we thought if we
could attune our souls sufficiently to the infinite, to be able to have in our
lives the full exercise of the gift that had been given us in connection with
baptism, that we would be guided aright in all things.
“I
suggest this as the goal which all men in this world should follow-Seek the
Spirit: desire above all things in this life to be guided by the Holy Ghost.” (BYU
Speeches, September 29, 1964, p. 2)
Bruce R. McConkie
“The
greatest gift a man can receive in this life is the gift of the Holy Ghost,
even as the greatest gift he can gain in eternity is eternal life (D&C
14:7).” (Sermons and Writings of Bruce R. McConkie, p. 146)
Ed J. Pinegar
“Why
would the Nephites desire the Holy Ghost so fervently? Elder Parley P. Pratt
answered this question when he described the extraordinary characteristics
of this remarkable power:
‘The
gift of the Holy Ghost . . . quickens all the intellectual faculties,
increases, enlarges, expands, and purifies all the natural passions and
affections, and adapts them by the gift of wisdom to their lawful use. It
inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness, and charity. It
develops beauty of person, form and features. It tends to health, vigor,
animation, and social feeling. It develops and invigorates all the faculties of
the physical and intellectual man. It strengthens, invigorates, and gives tone
to the nerves. In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the
heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being.’ (Key
to Theology, 1978, pp. 101-2)” (Especially for Missionaries, vol. 4, p.
2-3)
3 Ne 19:12 he baptized all those whom Jesus had chosen
Briefly, it is important to
understand that only the Twelve were baptized at this time. On day 2 of
Christ’s visit, the multitude was too large for them all to be baptized at
once. This was to take place later (see 3 Ne 28:18).
3 Ne 19:14 they were encircled about as if it were by fire…and angels
did come down
The Twelve didn’t have to
wait long for the thing which they most desired.
They were given the Holy Ghost in a baptism by fire which exceeded even the
Pentecostal outpouring in the Old World (Acts 2). During this powerful
outpouring of the Spirit, the Savior appeared in the
midst of them.
3 Ne 19:18 they began to pray…unto Jesus, calling him their Lord and
their God
In praying directly to
Jesus, the Twelve deviated from the previously established pattern of praying
to the Father in the name of Jesus. Christ explained that they did this because I am with them (v. 22). Hereby, we learn
that praying directly to Jesus is acceptable under certain conditions.
When Joseph Smith dedicated
the Kirtland temple, his dedicatory prayer is initially addressed to the
Father, but then he later addresses Jehovah, then the Father again. During one
prayer, he switches back and forth from the Father to the Son several times
(see DC 109). Although not according to the established pattern, this prayer
was given to him by direct revelation and no one should question the propriety
of its content. A careful study of this prayer demonstrates that the remarks
are directed to Jehovah for two reasons, as an appeal for mercy, and because it
was to be his house (DC 109:5). In both instances, the prayer addressed
directly to Jesus emphasizes his role as the Mediator, the source of mercy for
those who would, without him, be forever banished from his presence by the laws
of justice.
3 Ne 19:19 Jesus…went a little way off…and bowed himself to the earth
In response to the prayers
of the Twelve, Christ immediately finds a place to pray to the Father on their
behalf. In the first of three prayers uttered on behalf of the Twelve,
primarily, the Savior demonstrates his role as the Mediator. If theTwelve are
praying to him, then he will pray to the Father for them. As Paul stated, For there is…one mediator between God and men, the
man Christ Jesus (1 Tim 2:5).
On behalf of the righteous
disciples, he thanked the Father for giving them the Holy Ghost which came
because of their faith, and he prayed that they might be one. Such is the
prayer of the Mediator for the righteous. For the repentant sinner, the Lord
may plead somewhat differently:
‘Listen to him who is
the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him—
Saying: Father, behold
the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased;
behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest
that thyself might be glorified;
Wherefore, Father,
spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and
have everlasting life.’ (DC 45:3-5)
How do we receive this great
privilege? To have the Lord plead our case before the Father? In both
instances, the secret was the simple concept of faith in Jesus Christ. Those
who believe in his name will be privileged to hear him plead their case before
the Father, that the blood he spilt in righteousness may spare those whose
righteousness has fallen short.
Joseph Smith
“The
saints have a sure foundation laid for the exercise of faith unto life and
salvation, through the atonement and mediation of Jesus Christ; by whose blood
they have a forgiveness of sins, and also a sure reward laid up for them in
heaven, even that of partaking of the fullness of the Father and the Son
through the Spirit. As the Son partakes of the fullness of the Father through
the Spirit, so the saints are, by the same Spirit, to be partakers of the same
fullness, to enjoy the same glory; for as the Father and the Son are one, so,
in like manner, the saints are to be one in them. Through the love of the
Father, the mediation of Jesus Christ, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, they
are to be heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ.” (Lectures on
Faith, p. 49)
3 Ne 19:22 thou seest that they believe in me because thou hearest
them
Jeffrey R. Holland
“…it
is significant that one of the ultimate evidences God has of our belief in
Deity is that we are seen and heard praying. Christ noted this evidence on
behalf of the Nephites. To the Father he said, ‘Thou
seest that they believe in me because thou hearest them.’ (v. 22)
Disciples of Christ should be seen and heard in prayer. It is the key to the
miraculous manifestations of heaven and the personal companionship of the Holy
Comforter(s).” (Christ And The New Covenant, p. 280)
3 Ne 19:23 I pray unto thee for them… that we may be one
Jeffrey R. Holland
“That
is, of course, a variation on the great intercessory prayer Christ offered for
his disciples on the eve of his crucifixion in the Old World, praying that his
followers might be unified with the Father and the Son, as well as with each
other, and be taken from the adverse temptations and evil influences of the
world. (Jn 17)
“From
the Savior's language, we see clearly it is the Holy Ghost that provides such
unity, a doctrinal point not so clearly communicated in the New Testament
account.” (Christ And The New Covenant, p. 280)
Hugh Pinnock
“I
was speaking with a remarkable business leader and teacher of Christianity in
New York City a few weeks ago—a man who is actively working with some 220
different Christian denominations. He continued to comment upon the
effectiveness of the Latter-day Saint church. He said many wonderful things
about our members, about their dedication and the certainty of their beliefs.
“He
reported, ‘One of the most remarkable characteristics of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints is that you seem to be working together. You are
headed in the same direction. As one, you concentrate upon doing that which you
believe Jesus wants you to do. You all study the same doctrine. You respond to
your leaders. You are unified.’
“That
was a great lesson! Even though I already realized much of what he said, to
hear it from a man who had more contact with other churches than almost anyone
added special meaning to the importance of our like-mindedness and the bonds of
our harmony.
“You
see, one of the facets that makes us different is that we strive for
compatibility. We sustain our leaders and generally follow their counsel and
direction. There are many reasons to be unified, but perhaps the greatest
reason is that we have been asked to be one. In the Doctrine and Covenants, the
Lord asks us to assemble ourselves together to agree upon his word (see D&C 41:2). Joseph Smith stated, ‘Unity is
power’ (History of the Church,
6:198), when speaking about stability in governments. Just so, unity adds power
in the Church and in our families.
“Let
us turn again to the Book of Mormon, where the Savior is preaching to his other
sheep. Jesus is praying with those in the Western Hemisphere, ‘And now Father, I pray unto thee for them, and also for
all those who shall believe on their words…that they may believe in me, that I
may be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one’ (3 Ne. 19:23;
italics added).
“Yes,
we can almost see Jesus standing before those ancient Americans as he
continues, ‘Father, I pray not for the world, but
for those whom thou hast given me out of the world, because of their faith,
that they may be purified in me, that I may be in them as thou, Father, art in
me, that we may be one, that I may be glorified in them’ (3 Ne. 19:29).
It was this same Jesus, as Jehovah of the Old Testament, who inspired these
words, ‘Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for
brethren to dwell together in unity!’ (Ps. 133:1).
“How
do we glorify Jesus? How do we say thank you for the Atonement? How do we state
gratitude for the ordinances and the covenants? How do we express appreciation
for his teachings? Of course, we do it by loving God, by loving our neighbor,
by living the commandments, and also by being one.” (Conference Report,
Apr. 1989, “The Blessings of Being Unified”)
3 Ne 19:24 it was given unto them what they should pray
Neal A. Maxwell
“If
we can achieve a significant milestone in discipleship, we will find that ‘he that asketh in the Spirit asketh according to the will
of God; wherefore it is done even as he asketh.’ (D&C 46:30.) In
that stage of advanced allegiance, Jesus' disciples prayed not only ‘without ceasing’ but ‘they
did not multiply many words, for it was given unto them what they should pray,
and they were filled with desire.’ (3 Nephi 19:24.)
“Some
of us seem to ‘multiply words’ even in brief
pro-forma prayers; the above insights serve as sobering reminders as to how far
that milestone—which marks pure motivation—is down the straight and narrow
path; yet what exquisite ecstasy awaits those of us who will press forward and
so purify ourselves so that our behavior is based on Christ-like motives.”(A
Time To Choose, p. 29 – 30)
Neal A. Maxwell
“Our
prayers will be better if they are in fact inspired prayers.” (Men and Women
of Christ, p. 98)
3 Ne 19:25 they were as white as the countenance and also the
garments of Jesus
Having just been surrounded
by angels, filled with the Holy Ghost, and having just prayed again, the Twelve
were transfigured such that their entire bodies exuded the brilliance of
resurrected beings. Truman Madsen explains this process:
“Artists
have often depicted this recognition of light as divine beauty by the halo, the
nimbus, and the golden circle above the head. But that is at best a token of
the promise and the actuality. For ‘whole bodies’ are promised illumination,
and the light not only hovers over but also surrounds and engulfs the entire
personality until it is gloriously beautiful. It was, after all, every one of
the multitude, and all of each of them, even the seams of their clothing, that
became scintillant with white light in the presence of Christ during that
‘ineffable outpouring of prayer,’ as Elder James E. Talmage calls it, in the 3
Nephi narrative (see 3 Nephi 19:25). Modern men and women of God who have
witnessed such radiance of soul say it is ‘like a search light turned on
within.’ It is ‘the same glorious spirit,’ the Prophet once wrote, ‘gives them
the likeness of glory and bloom. … No man can describe it to you-no man can
write it.’ (Teachings, p. 368) Aesthetic delight, then, whatever else it
is, is delight in light. And it is surely significant that the whole color
spectrum, every vivid color of the rainbow, harmonizes in white light which, in
turn, harmonizes in Christ.” (Truman G. Madsen, The Radiant Light, p.
26-7)
3 Ne 19:28 I thank thee that thou hast purified those whom I have
chosen
In Christ’s second
intercessory prayer among the Nephites, he acknowledges that his disciples have
been purified. Their purification is evidenced in the transfiguring light which
had enveloped them. Later in the prayer, the Savior twice states that they
were, ‘purified in me.’ This verse teaches us
about purification. The Twelve had partaken of the sacrament, been baptized,
prayed until they were given the Holy Ghost, and they had exhibited faith. The
result was a purification that made their countenances shine with brilliance.
Moses wrote, ‘by the water ye keep the commandment;
by the spirit ye are justified, and by the blood ye are sanctified’
(Moses 6:60). Purification and sanctification are scriptural synonyms. It is
through Christ’s blood that we are sanctified, therefore, it is through him
that we are purified. One sister described this process as follows:
“’Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax
stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of
Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the
purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh
because of their yielding their hearts unto God.’ - Hel. 3:35.
“As
I travel along the road of this earthly life, I am constantly faced with many
obstacles as well as many joys. Over and over again, I find myself pleading
with Heavenly Father to help soften my heart. Whether it is to be more patience
toward my children, or more tolerant towards others, my pleas for help have
always seemed to be the same.
“One
morning as I knelt in my personal prayers, I found myself again petitioning
Heavenly Father for this familiar request when I felt prompted to pick up the
scriptures. What I came across was, to me, astounding.
“I
realized that what I had been longing for was this very purification and
sanctification of heart of which this beautiful scripture speaks so plainly. I
also realized that the way to obtain this wonderful purification (or softening)
was to fast and pray often and to yield my heart unto God. I understood that
there was more expected of me than just asking for Heavenly Father’s help. I
needed to do my part and submit my every action and thought to His will. Now I
ask myself, is my behavior consistent with yielding my heart to God’s will?”
(Carla Edington, Church News, 09/13/97)
3 Ne 19:33 their hearts were open and they did understand in their
hearts
Dallin H. Oaks
“In
describing the state of the inner man, the scriptures commonly use the word
heart. This word occurs over a thousand
times in the standard works, almost always as a figurative expression.
“Heart
is often used to identify the extent to which one is receptive to the message
of the gospel. Nephi said, ‘The Lord . . . did visit me, and did soften my heart that
I did believe’ (1 Nephi 2:16). A
later Nephi described his preaching to a people who ‘did
harden their hearts and did not hearken unto the words of the Lord’ (Helaman
10:13)
“Heart
is sometimes used as a synonym for mind.
Speaking of the multitude who heard the risen Lord on this continent,
the Book of Mormon says, ‘neither can the hearts of
men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus
speak’ (3 Nephi 17:17). ‘Their hearts were open and they did understand in their
hearts the words which he prayed’ (3 Nephi 19:33).
“Heart
is also used in contrast to mind, with mind apparently connoting the powers of
reasoning (the intellectual) and heart connoting the powers of intuition (the
spiritual). President Harold B. Lee
used those two words in this contrasting sense when he said: ‘When we
understand more than we know with our minds, when we understand with our
hearts, then we know that the Spirit of the Lord is working upon us’ (Harold B.
Lee, Stand Ye in Holy Places [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1974],
p. 92).” (Pure in Heart, Preface)
3 Ne 19:35 So great faith have I never seen among all the Jews
“This
greater ability of the Nephites to receive the gospel is shown also in the fact
that in the New Testament there are about forty parables which Jesus used
because so many of the Jews were slow to perceive spiritual things, whereas in
3 Nephi Jesus used no parables among the Nephites because he was able to give
them the gospel in direct and plainly spoken words.” (Book of
Mormon Symposium Series, 3 Ne 9-30, edited by PR Cheesman, MS Nyman, and CD
Tate, Jr., 1988, p. 29)