3 Nephi 19

3 Nephi 19:1

1 And now it came to pass that when Jesus had ascended into heaven, the multitude did disperse, and every man did take his wife and his children and did return to his own home.

3 Nephi 19:2

2 And it was noised abroad among the people immediately, before it was yet dark, that the multitude had seen Jesus, and that he had ministered unto them, and that he would also show himself on the morrow unto the multitude.

The indication that the information about the visit of the Savior was “noised abroad…before it was yet dark” further suggests that some of the events listed were not litearally accurate in their description of all participating. As indicated, several of the separate events could have taken the entire time. In the near equatorial land of the Book of Mormon, days and nights are relatively consistently twelve hours of daylight and twelve hours of night. In the pre-electric world, night and darkness fell quickly, and more encompassingly that we are used to.

What this verse does tell us is that this was such an exciting experience that it needed to be shared. Beyond this, however, it reminds us that there were kin relations who had been out in their fields on the day the Atoning Messiah appeared in the city center of Bountiful. To whom would we tell such news?

Of course we would tell anyone we met, but whom might we meet? First, we would not be likely to meet any of our enemies, as we would have placed some distance between them and us. We certainly would not go out of our way to give the message to anyone who might first kill us. As we go to our homes outside of the city into the fields, whom would we meet? We would not meet all that many people, as the dwellings might be scattered about in the fields. What we must do, therefore, is go out of our way to tell someone, and the people to whom we are closest are kin. In the ancient world there might be some friendships, but bonds of kinship were much stronger. Thus we may be certain that those who received the message that night were family members who had not happened to “go to town” on that most special of all days.

Having heard the most wonderful gospel, the people went to make sure that their family received it.

3 Nephi 19:3

3 Yea, and even all the night it was noised abroad concerning Jesus; and insomuch did they send forth unto the people that there were many, yea, an exceedingly great number, did labor exceedingly all that night, that they might be on the morrow in the place where Jesus should show himself unto the multitude.

It is entirely possible that many of the people did spend the entire night notifying outlying kin. The excitement of the event would have provided adrenaline sufficient to make sleeping even difficult for some. This work of notification produced “an exceedingly great number,” but it was a number necessarily limited by footspeed, distance, and darkness. It would have been assisted by the fact that they were going to kin, and knew where to go to find them. It is not likely that they were able to go to another city and back, even if the city were relatively close, as there would not have been time to go and mobilize that city. It is also less likely that they would have kin in the other city, and therefore it probably would not have occurred to them to try.

3 Nephi 19:4

4 And it came to pass that on the morrow, when the multitude was gathered together, behold, Nephi and his brother whom he had raised from the dead, whose name was Timothy, and also his son, whose name was Jonas, and also Mathoni, and Mathonihah, his brother, and Kumen, and Kumenonhi, and Jeremiah, and Shemnon, and Jonas, and Zedekiah, and Isaiah—now these were the names of the disciples whom Jesus had chosen—and it came to pass that they went forth and stood in the midst of the multitude.

It is virtually certain that the people did not arrive at a specific time. They came in as they could, and many came as early as they could, just in case the Messiah were already there. As they arrived, they were met by the twelve who had been set apart by the Savior. It is fitting that they should be met by the twelve, for these were men who had been specifically appointed to stand in the stead of the Savior. Of course it was not the same, but still these were men who had the message to give. They were not who the Savior was, but they understood the message that the Savior intended to teach the people.

Translation: Most of the names given here are easily classified as names that come from the particular Nephite New World milieu of from the brass plates. In this larger list of names we have the name of Timothy which is anomalous because it is a name of Greek origin rather than Hebrew or New World. The best explanation remains that of Hugh Nibley from 1957:

“The occurrence of the names Timothy and Lachoneus in the Book of Mormon is strictly in order, however odd it may seem at first glance. Since the fourteenth century B.C. at latest, Syria and Palestine had been in constant contact with the Aegean world; and since the middle of the seventh century, Greek mercenaries and merchants closely bound to Egyptian interest (the best Egyptian mercenaries were Greeks) swarmed throughout the Near East. Lehi's people, even apart from their mercantile activities, could not have avoided considerable contact with these people in Egypt and especially in Sidon, which Greek poets even in that day were celebrating as the great world center of trade. It is interesting to note in passing that Timothy is an Ionian name, since the Greeks in Palestine were Ionians (hence the Hebrew name for Greeks: "Sons of Javanim"), and—since "Lachoneus" means "a Laconian"—that the oldest Greek traders were Laconians, who had colonies in Cyprus (Book of Mormon Akish) and of course traded with Palestine. (Hugh Nibley, An Approach to the Book of Mormon. Council of the Twelve Apostles, Salt Lake City, 1957, p. 250.)

3 Nephi 19:5

5 And behold, the multitude was so great that they did cause that they should be separated into twelve bodies.

The presence of twelve men representing God, and a physical division into twelve must have had religious significance for the people. The division into different divisions would also have been roughly along kin lines in any case. People tend to cluster according to existing relationships. If there is no strong kin unit, they will cluster along lines of friends. In a kin-oriented society, we would expect kin to locate with close kin, but those close kin would be close to another, and another, and the effect would naturally spread. The divisions into twelve would not represent twelve different tribes as it might in Israel, but there would have been a sufficient linkage between the natural divisions an kin lines to reinforce the symbolism of the division, even if the real reason for the division was to make it easier to for the group to be taught.

3 Nephi 19:6

6 And the twelve did teach the multitude; and behold, they did cause that the multitude should kneel down upon the face of the earth, and should pray unto the Father in the name of Jesus.

It is no surprise that after the teaching the entire multitude would be enjoined in prayer. There would be few times on this earth more obvious for prayer than a large body of people desiring with all their heart to repeat the experience of the previous day.

3 Nephi 19:7

7 And the disciples did pray unto the Father also in the name of Jesus. And it came to pass that they arose and ministered unto the people.

3 Nephi 19:8

8 And when they had ministered those same words which Jesus had spoken—nothing varying from the words which Jesus had spoken—behold, they knelt again and prayed to the Father in the name of Jesus.

3 Nephi 19:9

9 And they did pray for that which they most desired; and they desired that the Holy Ghost should be given unto them.

It is unclear what action was performed at this time. The twelve had already been preaching, and now after prayer they minister to the people. The combination of ministering and the exact repetition of the worlds that Jesus had spoken indicates an ordinance more than a teaching occasion. Our hint here is that “they desired that the Holy Ghost should be given unto them.” In this context, it would appear that the particular ministration was giving the gift of the Holy Ghost, for that is also what appears to have been given to the twelve on the previous day. (3 Nephi 18:36-37).

This is only slightly problematic for modern audiences, particularly because the very next event will be mass baptisms. It would appear that the order of things is wrong, as we understand that we are baptized first, and then given the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

It is most probable that the people who were in Bountiful were already believing members of the church, and that they had gathered together in Bountiful on the basis of that commonality. They would already have been baptized, and therefore able to receive the next ordinance. Of course this explanation raises yet another question, for we also understand in modern practice that one need only be baptized once. However, re-baptism was not unusual in the early modern church.

“Elder Andrus left Salt Lake City more than two months before Elder Snow and on 30 May arrived in St. Louis where he was met by Orson Pratt and Horace S. Eldridge. While waiting for Erastus Snow he kept busy. In one of his letters to the Deseret News he reported:

I began to feel after the Saints and found many disaffected and the Holy Spirit came upon me, when I thought of the best plan to save the most: and I counseled them to renew their covenants by rebaptism, and by making new records as the old were imperfect. I also opened the door to those who had been cut off, only forbidding such as were forbidden by all laws this side of the mountains. The result is, the Saints are rejoicing and bear testimony that they have never felt better in their lives; and about twenty-five more have been baptized, some of whom had been cut off. . . .” (The Saints and St. Louis, 1831-1857: an Oasis of Tolerance and Security by Stanley B. Kimball Fn, BYU Studies, vol. 13 (1972-1973), Number 4 - Summer 1973 512.)

“The Church-wide home missionaries created the style and traditional procedures which were used in subsequent missionary work to the Saints, and which persisted after the cause of home missionary work had withered. In 1855, a widespread vigorous missionary work was conducted both by regular officers of the Church and special missionaries. The need for reform was preached from the pulpit and taught in the homes. Repentance and rebaptism were the results of this concerted effort to bring the Mormons to a more spiritual style of living. James S. Brown described his labors as a missionary during the reformation by indicating that from 1856 to 1859 he baptized or rebaptized 400 persons and visited with the catechism from house to house.” (Missionaries To the Saints by A. Glen Humpherys , BYU Studies, vol. 17 (1976-1977), Number 1 - Autumn 1976 76.)

“For many years [in the nineteenth century] it had been common for members to rededicate themselves to building up the Kingdom through rebaptism. This practice was not considered essential to salvation but was a symbol of rededication. On other occasions the Saints were rebaptized as a symbolic gesture related to blessings for their health, entry into the United Order, preparation for marriage and even for going to the temple if they had not been there for some time.” (The Practice of Rebaptism at Nauvoo by D. Michael Quinn Fn, BYU Studies, vol. 18 (1977-1978), Number 2 - Winter 1978 226.)

While rebaptism is no longer practiced, there is no reason to assume that it could not have been practiced by the Nephites. In their case, there was an additional reason for being baptized again. Although their baptism was for remission of sins, it was a baptism where the symbolic force was that of water for cleansing. After the resurrection of the Savior, the Christian baptism took on an additional symbolic context of the death and resurrection. Thus the Nephites were renewing covenants, and transforming their religious practice from the pre-Christian symbolism to the post-Christian symbolism. It was fitting that they should renew their covenants by renewing a baptism that was now even more intimately connected to the Atonement and the Savior.

3 Nephi 19:10

10 And when they had thus prayed they went down unto the water's edge, and the multitude followed them.

3 Nephi 19:11

11 And it came to pass that Nephi went down into the water and was baptized.

3 Nephi 19:12

12 And he came up out of the water and began to baptize. And he baptized all those whom Jesus had chosen.

This self-baptism of the head of the church was a reenactment of Alma’s baptism at the waters of Mormon (Mosiah 18:14-16). As similar process ushered in the ordinance of baptism by priesthood authority in the modern church (Joseph Smith-History:72-73.)

3 Nephi 19:13

13 And it came to pass when they were all baptized and had come up out of the water, the Holy Ghost did fall upon them, and they were filled with the Holy Ghost and with fire.

As the twelve come up out of the water they are filled with the Spirit. This event was also echoed in the experience of Joseph and Oliver in the beginning of this dispensation:

Joseph Smith-History:73

73 Immediately on our coming up out of the water after we had been baptized, we experienced great and glorious blessings from our Heavenly Father. No sooner had I baptized Oliver Cowdery, than the Holy Ghost fell upon him, and he stood up and prophesied many things which should shortly come to pass. And again, so soon as I had been baptized by him, I also had the spirit of prophecy, when, standing up, I prophesied concerning the rise of this Church, and many other things connected with the Church, and this generation of the children of men. We were filled with the Holy Ghost, and rejoiced in the God of our salvation.

3 Nephi 19:14

14 And behold, they were encircled about as if it were by fire; and it came down from heaven, and the multitude did witness it, and did bear record; and angels did come down out of heaven and did minister unto them.

This image of the effect of the presence of the spirit echoes the experience with the children in 3 Nephi 17:24. The similar experience from the previous day tells us that this experience would be seen in a larger context of the spirit rather than a specific acknowledgement of the role of the twelve. It was a powerful witness of the Spirit, but not a particular witness of the function of these twelve.

3 Nephi 19:15

15 And it came to pass that while the angels were ministering unto the disciples, behold, Jesus came and stood in the midst and ministered unto them.

There is no indication of the method of Jesus’ arrival. His first arrival was in full view of all as he descended. In contrast, when he ascended it was in a cloud and camouflaged from the general multitude. In this arrival it is quite probable that he also visibly descended, but that his particular descent was unnoticed among the many descensions of the angels who ministered to the twelve.

3 Nephi 19:16

16 And it came to pass that he spake unto the multitude, and commanded them that they should kneel down again upon the earth, and also that his disciples should kneel down upon the earth.

3 Nephi 19:17

17 And it came to pass that when they had all knelt down upon the earth, he commanded his disciples that they should pray.

The first instruction to the assembled body on this second day is that they kneel and pray. This is an interesting contrast to the first day when the praying ended the session. Even though there were more people on this day, it is still probable that the majority were there on the previous day. Even had they not been, the experience that they would have communicated as they gathered relatives would have prepared those new people for the experience of being in the presence of the Savior. Thus it was appropriate to pick up with the spiritual atmosphere that ended the previous day.

We should note that while the Lord instructs the people to pray, he does not tell them what to pray about. While it is absolutely certain that are prayers may have a topic, or perhaps requests of the Lord, it is also important to understand that prayer can go beyond words and beyond meanings. Alma instructed on prayer:

Alma 34:27

27 Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you.

For Alma, even when prayer is not formal, or verbal, the heart can be in the attitude of prayer, an attitude of righteous yearning for the things of God. It is this type of prayer that was commanded. Each person would find their own needs, topics, or requests, but the command in this case was not to ask but rather to pray. The Lord asks the people to pray so that their hearts and minds might be put into the proper receptive frame to receive the message he would impart.

3 Nephi 19:18

18 And behold, they began to pray; and they did pray unto Jesus, calling him their Lord and their God.

This particular verse is the source of several comments and explanations. It is the focus of interest because of two things. First, the Nephites are praying to Jesus, rather than to the Father, and secondly, Jesus does not stop them. The question is therefore why Jesus would have allowed this “incorrect” prayer. A survey of LDS commentary on this topic shows relative agreement on the topic:

McConkie and Millet suggest:

“The Savior had previously instructed the Nephites concerning the proper language of prayer (see 3 Nephi 13:9). They knew that they should pray "unto the Father, in my name" (see 3 Nephi 18:23), yet under the influence of the Spirit they prayed to Jesus "calling him their Lord and their God." He was and is both Redeemer and God. In reverential worship they directed their prayers to the Savior, and he did not stop them nor correct them. It appears that, in this case, it was appropriate because a resurrected God stood in their very presence (see verse 22). Elder Bruce R. McConkie has written: "Jesus was present before them as the symbol of the Father. Seeing him, it was as though they saw the Father; praying to him, it was as though they prayed to the Father. It was a special and unique situation that as far as we know has taken place only once on earth during all the long ages of the Lord's hand-dealings with his children." (Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, 4 vols. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1987-1992], 4: 135.)

McConkie and Millet appear to follow Bruce R. McConkie’s suggestion that this was a special instance, and allowable as a special instance. Thus it is not the way we are to pray, but understandable because Jesus was there among them in obvious glory.

Elsewhere, Bruce R. McConkie suggests that perhaps there was an analogous situation with the Old World twelve while Jesus was among them:

“Perhaps it is a situation similar to that which is involved in receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost; as long as Jesus was with the disciples they did not enjoy the full manifestations of the Holy Ghost. (John 16:7.) Perhaps as long as Jesus was personally with them many of their petitions were addressed directly to him rather than to the Father. Such was the course followed by the Nephites when the resurrected and glorified Lord ministered among them. They prayed directly to him and not to the Father. "When they had all knelt down upon the earth," the record says, Jesus "commanded his disciples that they should pray. And behold, they began to pray; and they did pray unto Jesus, calling him their Lord and their God." Then Jesus, in a prayer of his own to the Father, said, "They pray unto me because I am with them." (3 Ne. 19:17-18, 22.) Perhaps, also, there was a matter of propriety which would keep prayers from being said in Jesus' name as long as he was present and going "from grace to grace" (D. & C. 93:13) in working out his own salvation. In any event, prayers in his name were to commence "at that day" (v. 26), meaning after his resurrection. (Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-1973], 1: 758.)

Donald Perry appears to agree that this was an exceptional occasion and that it was allowable because the resurrected Savior stood before them:

“The command to pray to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ has been accepted without reservation by the Latter-day Saints in this dispensation. In 1916, Joseph F. Smith declared that "we . . . accept without any question the doctrines we have been taught by the Prophet Joseph Smith and by the Son of God Himself that we pray to God, the Eternal Father, in the name of His Only Begotten Son" (Conference Report [Oct 1916] 6). It is therefore not appropriate to pray to any other being than the Father.

If the instructions are crystal clear concerning to whom we must address our prayers, then why did the Nephites pray directly to Jesus, as recorded in 3 Nephi 19:18? The answer in part lies in the fact that Jesus is a resurrected deity. "And they did pray unto Jesus, calling him their Lord and their God." A second explanation for the multitude's praying to Jesus is found in his words to Heavenly Father, "they pray unto me because I am with them" (3 Nephi 19:22). It is also possible that the Saints began praying to Jesus as a natural reaction to and an acknowledgement of his glory.” (Donald W. Parry, "Pray Always": Learning to Pray as Jesus Prayed.” Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate, Jr., eds., Third Nephi 9-30: This Is My Gospel [Provo: BYU Religious Studies Center, 1993], 141.)

John W. Welch adds some other possibilities:

"Here in verse 18 the disciples pray to Jesus instead of God the Father."

Well, let's look at chapter 19. In verse 6 he says they should "pray unto the Father in the name of Jesus. And the disciples did pray unto the Father also in the name of Jesus." Now, verse 18: "And behold, they began to pray; and they did pray unto Jesus, calling him their Lord and their God." I think that if you read both passages together, they are praying to Jesus in a way but knowing that they are praying to the Father through him. The way I've always understood that is to read verse 18 in the context of all of the instructions that have been given.

"In a dedicatory prayer Joseph Smith prays to Christ also in the Doctrine and Covenants."

I suppose it is proper, if you wish to pray to Jesus in some sense. Jesus is God; he is a member of the trinity. I don't mean that in a sectarian sense, but he is a member of the Godhead. Some prayers are prayers of thanksgiving; some prayers are simply prayers of expression of devotion. One could certainly pray to any exalted being in that sense, I suppose. (John W. Welch. “3 Ne. 19:13 Nephi 19 - 4 Nephi 1: Understanding the Sermon at the Temple and Zion Society.” Hugh Nibley, Teachings of the Book of Mormon--Semester 1: Transcripts of Lectures Presented to an Honors Book of Mormon Class at Brigham Young University, 1988--1990 [Provo: Foundation for Ancient Re 156.)

The result of this survey of solutions to the question yields some commonalities. The first is that the command is quite clear that we should pray to the Father in the name of the Son, and not directly to the Son. Since this is a prayer to the Son, and it was allowed by the Savior, it is therefore an exceptional case, and to be explained by the exceptional circumstances of the occasion. This appears to work well until we arrive at John W. Welch’s comment that Joseph Smith prayed directly to Jesus in a dedicatory prayer in the Doctrine and Covenants. That observation would yield another occasion on which the “order” of prayer was technically violated, and therefore calls into question the whole solution.

Interestingly enough, however, it is that very dedicatory prayer that gives us the hints that provide a more complete solution to this particular issue. On March 27, 1836 Joseph Smith gave the dedicatory prayer for the Kirtland Temple. As he prays he is very obviously addressing the Father, as we would expect. This is explicit in several examples, such as DC 109:4;10;14;22, etc. However, in the middle of addressing the Father, Joseph Smith changes the address, and specifically addresses Jehovah (DC 109:34, 42). It is this address to Jehovah is that is likely Welch’s reference to Joseph addresses Jesus (as there is no address to Jesus with the name Jesus).

The issue comes from our understanding that the premortal name of Jesus was Jehovah:

“Jesus of Nazareth, who in solemn testimony to the Jews declared Himself the I Am or Jehovah, who was God before Abraham lived on earth, was the same Being who is repeatedly proclaimed as the God who made covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the God who led Israel from the bondage of Egypt to the freedom of the promised land, the one and only God known by direct and personal revelation to the Hebrew prophets in general.

The identity of Jesus Christ with the Jehovah of the Israelites was well understood by the Nephite prophets, and the truth of their teachings was confirmed by the risen Lord who manifested Himself unto them shortly after His ascension from the midst of the apostles at Jerusalem. This is the record: "And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto them saying, Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world." (James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ: A Study of the Messiah and His Mission According to Holy Scriptures Both Ancient and Modern [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1983], 36.)

With this understanding, John W. Welch reads the dedicatory prayer and sees in it a switch from the Holy Father the Jehovah, and therefore sees a shift in the direction of prayer from the Father to Jesus in his premortal designation as Jehovah. The problem with this reading is that it not likely to have been the way that Joseph Smith used the term. (Thomas Alexander. Mormons in Transition. University of Illinois Press, Urbana and Chicago, 1986, p. 279-80 gives a brief indication of the codification of this doctrine in the late 1800’s) There was no clear understanding of the relationship between Jesus Christ and the name Jehovah until it was delineated and espoused by James E. Talmage. Although that has become the official understanding of the church (see the article on Jehovah – Jesus Christ in the Encyclopedia of Mormonism,) this was not a clearly understood principle at the time Joseph Smith gave the dedicatory prayer. Indeed, reading through that prayer suggests that he was using the appellation Jehovah as a title for the Father during that prayer. For instance, we verses 29-43 of DC 109 are united with the common address “O Lord,” but the specific “Lord” is both “Holy Father,” and “Jehovah.” The easiest way to read this passage is to understand that they were exchangeable titles for Joseph at that time.

This lack of modern clarity of terminology helps us understand the Nephites’ prayer to Jesus. This was not Jesus the man, this was their Atoning Messiah. Beginning with the original manuscript’s designation of Mary as the “mother of God” (see 1 Nephi 11:18 and subsequent commentary), the Nephites had understood their coming Messiah to be their God. While Jesus has made it clear in his language during his appearance that there is a distinction between the Father and the Son, this was not a distinction that had been clear up to this point in Nephite history. Indeed, we see a shift in the Christology of the Nephites beginning with this appearance, where the references to Jesus as the Father are replaced by the correct understanding of the separation of Jesus and God the Father. The Nephites are therefore praying to their Messiah who was always understood to be their God. It is for this reason that they were “calling him their Lord and their God.” Jesus would not have stopped them from praying to him because he comprehended that their understanding was in transition. There may be some who had understood immediately and implicitly the distinction between the Father and the Son, but there would be others for whom this was not yet a concept that had become apparent. From this time forth it would, but on this day, the second day for most and the first experience for many, that concept was not yet clear.

Even though those who had been with the Messiah on the previous day had learned the distinction, there were many who had just arrived on this day, and would not yet have known the difference. Even for those who had so recently learned the difference, there was still the miraculous presence of the Messiah in their midst. Who but God could have come and done what the Messiah had done? There was time enough for doctrine. At this very moment what counted was the yearning in the hearts – that un-subjected prayer that they were praying, a prayer that must have been a soul-felt yearning for the spirit of this obviously deified being who stood among them.

3 Nephi 19:19

19 And it came to pass that Jesus departed out of the midst of them, and went a little way off from them and bowed himself to the earth, and he said:

3 Nephi 19:20

20 Father, I thank thee that thou hast given the Holy Ghost unto these whom I have chosen; and it is because of their belief in me that I have chosen them out of the world.

Although all of the people are praying, these early acts of the Savior on this day are directed to the twelve exclusively. When Jesus prays, he prays specifically for the twelve. This is not immediately clear in this verse, but is indicated because he says “I thank thee that thou hast given the Holy Ghost unto these whom I have chosen.” The immediate antecedent to this statement is the manifestation of the Holy Ghost to the twelve, noted in verses 13-14 above. The twelve, therefore, are identified as “these whom I have chosen.”

While the gift of the Holy Ghost to the twelve did not create a distinction for them specifically apart from the manifestation to the children on the previous day, Jesus actions as this time do serve to highlight the special function of the twelve as representatives of the Messiah.

3 Nephi 19:21

21 Father, I pray thee that thou wilt give the Holy Ghost unto all them that shall believe in their words.

Jesus prays that the Spirit will accompany the teachings of the Twelve, and that they will have the power to confer that gift upon the believers. Of course he has ordained them with the power to do this. Here is prays that they will correctly use that power, and that those who listen will understand that it has been given to them. This is the public announcement of the private ordination.

3 Nephi 19:22

22 Father, thou hast given them the Holy Ghost because they believe in me; and thou seest that they believe in me because thou hearest them, and they pray unto me; and they pray unto me because I am with them.

This verse is most often cited as an explanation for the reason that the people are praying to Jesus. Indeed this is so, but this verse is directly related to the twelve. At this particular point, the subject of the verse is the twelve. We must understand the verse as it relates to the twelve.

First, Jesus acknowledges his Father as the fount of the gift of the Spirit. Jesus does not claim to have given it to the twelve, but he specifically notes that it comes from the Father. The second point is that the Gift of the Holy Ghost comes because of belief in the Atoning Messiah. This is what Jesus means when he notes “thou has given them the Holy Ghost because they believe in me.” God is the source of the Gift, but a requirement for the Gift is the belief in Jesus Christ.

What evidence is there that the twelve believe? Jesus notes that there is the greatest of all possible evidences. They are praying to Jesus. What greater evidence might there be that the twelve believe with a fullness of purpose? They believe not in Jesus the man, nor in Jesus the resurrected man. They believe in Jehovah the Messiah. They have believed that he would come, and the now believe him here. This is the evidence. God can hear those prayers, and they are sufficient evidence of the belief of the apostles.

What Jesus also teaches the people at this time is that God hears our fervent prayers, even if we don’t have the name right. Of course we should understand the true nature of God, but if we do not yet fully understand, it is our faithfulness and intend that carry our prayers heavenward. Even if temporarily misdirected, God still hears and understands those prayers and their importance. Jesus is therefore indicating to God that the prayers show true belief in the Savior, even if they are not completely accurate in the address of the prayer. The heartfelt utterance is still the same. The internal yearnings are still the same. These are true believers.

3 Nephi 19:23

23 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.

We pray in Jesus name because he is the reason that we have access to God. Without the atonement, we would be unreconcilably impure, and therefore excluded from God’s presence, for “there cannot any unclean thing enter into the kingdom of God.” (1 Nephi 15:34.) It is only through the Atonement that our uncleanness is made clean, and therefore only through his name, as representation of his atonement, that we may approach God in prayer.

As the mediator between us and God, Jesus opens the door to our ability to pray to the Father. In this case as the twelve and the multitude pray to him, he redirects their prayers to the Father. When Jesus says that: “I pray unto thee for them,” he is redirecting their efforts. They are praying, and the only one able to answer those prayers is the father. Therefore Jesus prays for them directly. In this instance he literally becomes the mediator that his atonement is for all of our prayers.

The prayer that the people offer, and that Jesus opens to all who accept the gospel, is to become “in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one.” This language echoes Jesus’ teaching in the New Testament:

John 17:20-22

20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

As in the Old World, so in the New. Jesus prays that those who believe will become one with the Father, as is Jesus. What is this “oneness?” It clearly cannot mean a corporeal unity, but must be indicative of a conceptual unity. It is a recognition that while there may be diverse people, we can all be of “one heart.” (see 1 Chronicles 12:38; 2 Chronicles 30:12; Jeremiah 32:39; Ezekiel 11:19; Acts 4:32; 2 Nephi 1:21).

3 Nephi 19:24

24 And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus prayed unto the Father, he came unto his disciples, and behold, they did still continue, without ceasing, to pray unto him; and they did not multiply many words, for it was given unto them what they should pray, and they were filled with desire.

The twelve are apparently gathered in a single area so that Jesus can approach them specifically. Once again we see the twelve as examples of those who are praying directly to their Messiah. The twelve continue to pray. The interesting part of the verse is that “they did not multiply many words.” This does not appear to refer to “vain repetations” or “much words” against which the multitude had been counseled in the Sermon (3 Nephi 13:7). The point here is not to teach a contrasting order of prayer as it was in the Sermon, but rather simply to point out that: “it was given unto them what they should pray, and they were filled with desire.” It is that desire that becomes the focus of their prayers, not words. This is precisely what Paul tried to teach to the Romans:

Romans 8:26

26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

These twelve do not have “many words,” but they do have a tremendous desire that forms the perhaps unutterable part of their prayer.

3 Nephi 19:25

25 And it came to pass that Jesus blessed them as they did pray unto him; and his countenance did smile upon them, and the light of his countenance did shine upon them, and behold they were as white as the countenance and also the garments of Jesus; and behold the whiteness thereof did exceed all the whiteness, yea, even there could be nothing upon earth so white as the whiteness thereof.

Jesus approaches the twelve and “blesses” them. We do not know what kind of blessing it is that they have received, but it has something to do with a purification, as evidenced in the next verse. After this blessing the twelve undergo a visual transformation. They become “white.” Just as fire is a visual image of the presence of the Spirit, so the light and whiteness used to describe heavenly beings is an indication of the presence of, and influence of, the spirit. When Jesus underwent his transfiguration we have similar language:

Matthew 17:2

2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

When the Spirit overcomes one, it can make its presence known in the form of light, an intense white light that appears to radiate from the person. That was the experience of Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, and it happens to the twelve on this occasion. Their great faith transfigures them into a more spiritual being, and that spirituality is visually manifest through light. Note the description of the angel who rolled back the stone on Jesus’ sepulcher:

Matthew 28:2-3

2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:

The whiteness is not the color of anything other than the color of this intense light.

3 Nephi 19:26

26 And Jesus said unto them: Pray on; nevertheless they did not cease to pray.

The twelve are praying, and Jesus encourages them to continue. He has approached them, and it would not be unreasonable that they would stop praying to turn their direct attention to whatever he had to say to them. Nevertheless, Jesus tells them to continue before they yet stopped. The emphasis is on the continuation of the action.

3 Nephi 19:27

27 And he turned from them again, and went a little way off and bowed himself to the earth; and he prayed again unto the Father, saying:

3 Nephi 19:28

28 Father, I thank thee that thou hast purified those whom I have chosen, because of their faith, and I pray for them, and also for them who shall believe on their words, that they may be purified in me, through faith on their words, even as they are purified in me.

Jesus’ attention is still focused on the twelve. Now his focus is on this transformation. What he calls it, is a “purification.” The blessing initiated the transformation to the light of the Spirit, and must indicate something of greater impact that the cleansing power of baptism, which had also “purified” them from sin through the atonement. This purification is more intense, and so complete that their whole appearance is enveloped in the heavenly light.

3 Nephi 19:29

29 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.

In the context of these events and the language used, the reference for “those whom thou hast given me out of the world” in this case is the twelve. It is they who have become purified. In the sequencing of events, it would appear that this purification was a preliminary to becoming one with Jesus and the Father.

Jesus prays in behalf of the twelve that: “I might be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one.” (verse 23)

Jesus then approaches the twelve and blesses them. (verse 25)

The twelve are transformed with light. (verse 25)

Jesus turns to pray again, thanking the Father for purifying them. (verse 27-29)

Jesus prays that they may be one (verse 29)

Jesus returns to the twelve, and “did smile upon them.” (verse 30).

Jesus turns to pray again, and prays things that cannot be written. (Verse 32)

The sequencing of events suggests a building up of actions and blessings that culminate in the desired goal of having the twelve be “in him” and Jesus was “in” the Father. The last “action” is that Jesus “did smile upon them.” This would appear to be passive. It may have been some unheard or unstated action. Clearly it was a benediction upon the faith for the twelve, and after this “smiling” Jesus prays unspeakable things. This suggests that the event of true oneness happened at this point, and as with the earlier stages in this transformation, Jesus would then turn to give thanks to his Father that the events had happened as Jesus had prayed for.

This is not a state that is recorded for any other men, though it would not be surprising if it had also happened to the Old World twelve after Christ’s resurrection. Nevertheless, something of this experience is unusual, as Jesus declares that something has happened that no others have experienced (verse 36).

3 Nephi 19:30

30 And when Jesus had spoken these words he came again unto his disciples; and behold they did pray steadfastly, without ceasing, unto him; and he did smile upon them again; and behold they were white, even as Jesus.

The smile of the Savior is the only action we have in this part of the sequence, but it appears to translate into something more than a simple smile. Certainly it was a recognition of the faith of the twelve, but it may have been a more active blessing, one that effected the ultimate oneness for which he had prayed.

3 Nephi 19:31

31 And it came to pass that he went again a little way off and prayed unto the Father;

3 Nephi 19:32

32 And tongue cannot speak the words which he prayed, neither can be written by man the words which he prayed.

3 Nephi 19:33

33 And the multitude did hear and do bear record; and their hearts were open and they did understand in their hearts the words which he prayed.

3 Nephi 19:34

34 Nevertheless, so great and marvelous were the words which he prayed that they cannot be written, neither can they be uttered by man.

After this last encounter with the twelve Jesus again turns to pray. This time we do not have a record of any of the content of the prayer, only that it is too “great and marvelous” to be written. The fact that this entire episode terminates in something so special that it cannot be written, or even repeated, suggests that those present witnessed a singular event in the history of mankind. Although we do not know what Jesus prayed, the pattern of his prayers during this process indicates that it would have been a prayer of thanksgiving to God for what had just occurred.

3 Nephi 19:35

35 And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying he came again to the disciples, and said unto them: So great faith have I never seen among all the Jews; wherefore I could not show unto them so great miracles, because of their unbelief.

3 Nephi 19:36

36 Verily I say unto you, there are none of them that have seen so great things as ye have seen; neither have they heard so great things as ye have heard.

The uniqueness of this experience is declared to the population. In the back of the mind, these New World saints must have had desires to know how they compared to those who were so privileged to live a lifetime with this Messiah in the flesh. No doubt they felt some remote twinges of jealously that those of the Old World had had so many years with this Messiah with whom they had spent not even a whole 24 hours. Nevertheless, Jesus lets them know that the power of their faith is superior to even those of the closest of his followers in the Old world: “there are none of them that have seen so great things as ye have seen; neither have they heard so great things as ye have heard.” Those of the Old World had their own particular blessings, but there were blessings enjoyed by this multitude that were special and theirs alone.

Textual: There is no chapter break at this point in the 1830 edition.