The Book of Mormon records the power of the personal ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Introduction:
The Book of Mormon tells of the great destruction that came to the western hemisphere as a sign of the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. After this destruction, a great multitude were gathered around the temple in the land Bountiful. They were the righteous survivors to whom the Savior would appear in person to teach His gospel and establish His Church. They would have the privilege of feeling His wounds and falling at His feet in worship. They would hear Him pray, see Him bless their little ones, listen to His words, and receive the sacrament at His hands.
Of this group of people the Lord said, "And now, behold, my joy is great, even unto fulness, because of you, and also this generation; yea, and even the father rejoiceth, and also all the holy angels, because of you and this generation; for none of them are lost" (3 Nephi 27:30)
The personal ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ made such an impression on these faithful souls that they and their children for the next two hundred years remained true to the teachings of the gospel.
We are blessed with the account of this impressive ministry in the Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi, chapters 11-30. If we study these chapters with a sincere heart and with real intent, we too will feel the spiritual power of the Savior's personal ministry.
The Power of His Words
The first indication the Nephites had that the Savior would be amonog them was a voice from heaven. Twice they heard a voice that pierced them to their very souls, yet they could not understand it. But the third time they heard and understood as God, our Heavenly Father, introduced His Son and directed that they listen to His teachings (see 3 Nephi 11:7). The resurrected Lord then descended out of heaven, clothed in white, to stand in their midst. What an awe-inspiring miracle this must have been!
Jesus first bore his testimony to his own identity and mission:
10 Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.
11 And behold, I am the light and life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning.
12 And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words the whole multitude fell to the earth; for they remembered that it had been prophesied among them that Christ should show himself to them after his ascension into heaven.
13 And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto them saying:
14 "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."
(3 Nephi 11:10-14)
Then the Lord Jesus Christ recognized his prophet Nephi and gave to him, and to others whom the Lord called, the power to baptize. Jesus explained the method of baptism and the words which were to be spoken:
25 Having authority given me of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
(3 Nephi 11:25)
Jesus warned His disciples to do as He instructed and not waste effort in disputations about doctrine:
29 For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.
(3 Nephi 11:29)
The Savior affirmed the importance of baptism by His immediate concern about it. He said:
33 And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God.
(3 Nephi 11:33)
After explaining the doctrine of baptism to His disciples, He turned to the multitude and began teaching them His gospel. He used words similar to those He used to teach His followers in Palestine.
3 Yea, blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
6 and blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost.
7 And blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
10 And blessed are all they who are persecuted for my name's sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
(3 Nephi 12:3, 6, 7, 10)
He gave instructions for the taking of alms:
3 But when thou doest alms let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth;
4 That thine alms may be in secret; and thy Father who seeth in secret, himiself shall reward thee openly.
(3 Nephi 13:3-4)
He gave instructions concerning prayer:
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repititions, as the heathen, for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them, for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him.
(3 Nephi 13:6-8)
He taught about the fast:
16 Moreover, when ye fast be not as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance, for they disfigure their faces that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.
17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face.
18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father, who is in secret; and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
(3 Nephi 13:16-18)
And then He gave powerrful instructions to those who might be tempted by material things:
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break though and steal;
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break though nor steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
(3 Nephi 13:19-21)
When Jesus had finished His sermon, He said:
(3 Nephi 15:1)
He then taught the people about the other tribes of Israel and also taught from the writings of Isaiah and Malachi. The power of Jesus's words drew multitudes to listen to Him. The Lord instructed them for three full days:
1 And now it came to pass that when Jesus had told these thiings he expounded them unto the multitude; and he did expound all things unto them, both great and small.
(3 Nephi 26:1)
So great were His teachings that Mormon noted as he attempted to condense the information to fit into his record: "And now there cannot be written in this book even a hundreth part of the thiings Jesus did truly teach unto the people" (3 Nephi 26:6).
What was the effect of the words of Jesus on those who listened?
17 And it came to pass tht the disciples whom Jesus had chosen began from that time forth to baptize and to teach as many as did come unto them; and as many as were baptized in the name of Jesus were filled with the Holy Ghost.
18 And many of them saw and heard unspeakable things, which are not lawful to be written.
19 And they taught, and did minister one to another; and they had all things common among them, every man dealing justly, one with another.
20 And it came to pass that they did do all things even as Jesus had commanded them.
21 And they who were baptized in the name of Jesus were called the church of Christ.
(3 Nephi 26:17-21)
The Power of His Deeds
The power of Jesus's personal ministry lay not in words alone. His physical presence and loving deeds exemplified the gospel He taught. One of His first acts was to confer the priesthood upon the disciples He had chosen to assist Him in His ministry.
22 And again the Lord called others, and said unto them likewise; and he gave unto them power to baptize. And he said unot them; On this wise shall ye baptize; and there shall be no disputations among you.
(3 Nephi 11:22)
After the Lord had taught the people His gospel and explained many other things to them, He became concerned that they were weary.
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.
(3 Nephi 17:2)
Jesus suggested that they go home, ponder on the things He had told them, and prepare to return the next day for more instruction. But apparently the joy of being in the Lord's presence was so great that no one wanted to leave.
5 And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus spoken, he cast his eyes round about again on the multitude, and beheld they were in tears, and did look steadfastly upon him as if they would ask him to tarry a little longer with them.
(3 Nephi 17:5)
Jesus had great compassion for them. He recognized the depth of their love for Him and called for them to bring their lame, blind, deaf, and any who were afflicted that He might heal them.
9 And it came to pass that when he had thus spoke, all the multitude, with one accord, did go forth with their sick and their afflicted, and their lame, and with their blind, and with their dumb, and with all them that were afflicted in any manner; and he did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto him.
10 And they did all, both they who had been healed and they who were whole, bow down at his feet, and did worship him; and as many as could come for the multitude did kiss his feet, insomuch that they did bathe his feet with their tears.
(3 Nephi 17:9-10)
After the marvelous miracles of healing, the Savior called for the people to bring their little children to Him. Then, as he stood in the midst of these innocent little ones, He requested that all should kneel. He also knelt and prayed to the Father for the people. The multitude heard His prayer and testified:
17 And no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak; and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father.
(3 Nephi 17:17)
When Jesus had finished praying, He asked the people to arise.
20 And they arose from the earth, and he said unto them: Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full.
21 And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.
22 And when he had done this he wept again;
23 And he spake unto the multitude, and said unto the; Behold your little ones.
24 And as they looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven, and they saw the heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them.
25 And the multitude did see and hear and bear record; and they know that their record is true for they all of them did see and hear, every man for himself; and they were in number about two thousand and five hundred souls; and they did consist of men, women, and children.
(3 Nephi 17:20-25)
After this heavenly manifestation, the Lord told the people to sit down while His disciples went to get bread and wine. When the disciples returned, Jesus instituted the sacrament among the Nephites. He instructed them to take the bread and wine in remembrance of Him and as a witness unto the father that they would do the things that he had commanded them (see 3 Nephi 18:1-2).
Then Jesus warned the people to pray always for themselves and their families and to meet together often (see 3 Nephi 18:21-22). Before He left that day, He touched the disciples whom He had chosen one by one and spoke to each one as He touched them. In this way, He gave the disciples power to confer the Holy Ghost upon other (see 3 Nephi 18:36-37). The concern Jesus showed by His words and by His touch demonstrated the love He had for the Nephites - the same love He extends to all of His father's children.
The Power of His Love
The mission of Jesus Christ was a mission of love. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
Jesus came to earth in perfect meekness and love to do the will of the Father, even giving His life on the cross to that all God's children might be redeemed. President Ezra Taft Benson stated: "In Gethsemane and on Calvary, He worked out the infinite and eternal atonement. It was the greatest single act of love in recorded history."
The prophet Nephi testified of the Lord's great love when he said, "[The Lord] doeth not anything save it e for the benefit of the world; for He loveth the world, even that He layeth down His own life that He may draw all men unto Him" (2 Nephi 26:24).
How comforting the Savior's love must have been to those Nephites who had seen so much destruction and grief. Jesus stood in their midst, sharing His gospel, healing their sick blessing their children. They surely recognized His love for them as He prayed to the father on their behalf and then wept, so great was His joy at their faithfulness. The time He spent with them in person was short, but He assured them that He would always be near them and reminded them to pray often.
18 Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation; for Satan desireth to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.
19 Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name;
20 And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you.
(3 Nephi 18:18-20)
As His earthly ministry among the Nephites csame to an end, the Savior summarized His mission and His gospel for the people.
13 Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you--that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me.
14 And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil--
15 And for this cause have I been lifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their works.
16 And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world.
(3 Nephi 27:13-16)
Jesus encouraged the people to use his life as their example.
27 And know ye that ye shall be judges of this people, according to the judgment which I shall give unto you, which shall be just. Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am.
(3 Nephi 27:27)
The Nephites saw what kind of man Jesus was. They knew He was obedient to the will of His father. They felt His love for them. They saw His tireless ministry among them. They heard His words of encouragement and instruction. They believe His promises of salvation and eternal life. He said to them:
48 Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.
(3 Nephi 12:48)
Because of His great love for us, our Savior wants us all to become perfect so that we can receive a fulness of joy throughout all eternity.
Conclusion
When Jesus was with the Nephites, He encourages them to record what was happening.
23 Write the things which ye have seen and heard, save it be those which are forbidden.
24 Write the works of this people, which shall be, even as hath been written, of that which hath been.
25 For behold, out of the books which have been written, and which shall be written, shall this people be judged, for by them shall their works be known unto men.
26 And behold, all things are written by the Father; therefore out of the books which shall be written shall the world be judged.
The books that were written by the Nephie prophets became part of the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. This book has the power to bring men to Christ and His Church. The gospel of Jesus Christ in its fulness is contained in this book. The personal ministry of the Savior among the Nephites is recorded with clarity and power. The nature and personality of Christ are as moviingly portrayed in this book as anywhere in the scriptures.
If we read, study, and ponder this book, we can gain the same testimony that was expressed by President Ezra Taft Benson: "Not many years hence Christ will come again. He will come in power and might as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And ultimately every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ. But I testify now that Jesus is the Christ, that Joseph Smith is His prophet, that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and that His church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, is true, and that Christ is at its helm."
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