3 Nephi 18
Jesus Institutes the Sacrament
3 Nephi 18:1–4
1 And it came to pass that Jesus commanded his disciples that they should bring forth some bread and wine unto him.
2 And while they were gone for bread and wine, he commanded the multitude that they should sit themselves down upon the earth.
3 And when the disciples had come with bread and wine, he took of the bread and brake and blessed it; and he gave unto the disciples and commanded that they should eat.
4 And when they had eaten and were filled, he commanded that they should give unto the multitude.
Comments
The break in the chapter separates this event from the important context of the blessing of the children that proceeds it. While they are not directly connected, it is important to remember that this is a people who were tired and had been directed to go home. They had refused, and Christ stayed.
After the emotional drain of the blessing on the children, Jesus had the twelve bring bread and wine to him. He broke the bread and blessed it. He gave it to the disciples, and then to the entire congregation. We don’t have the information on how much bread and wine the disciples were to bring, but there were about “two thousand and five hundred souls” (3 Nephi 17:25) present. It is doubtful that the twelve could carry what was needed for that many people.
Therefore, we are probably seeing a repetition of the feeding of the multitude as Jesus had done in the Old World. When Jesus had earlier asked them to bring those needing to be healed, he had said: “For I perceive that ye desire that I should show unto you what I have done unto your brethren at Jerusalem, for I see that your faith is sufficient that I should heal you” (3 Nephi 17:8). Perhaps the miraculous feeding of the multitude was another fulfilment of the desire that Jesus do for them as he had done to those in Jerusalem.
3 Nephi 18:5–9
5 And when the multitude had eaten and were filled, he said unto the disciples: Behold there shall one be ordained among you, and to him will I give power that he shall break bread and bless it and give it unto the people of my church, unto all those who shall believe and be baptized in my name.
6 And this shall ye always observe to do, even as I have done, even as I have broken bread and blessed it and given it unto you.
7 And this shall ye do in remembrance of my body, which I have shown unto you. And it shall be a testimony unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you.
8 And it came to pass that when he said these words, he commanded his disciples that they should take of the wine of the cup and drink of it, and that they should also give unto the multitude that they might drink of it.
9 And it came to pass that they did so, and did drink of it and were filled; and they gave unto the multitude, and they did drink, and they were filled.
Comments
Only after they had eaten is it made clear that in addition to this being a miracle, it was also a model for their future partaking of the sacrament. In verse 5, Jesus notes that there will be those who will have the power to break bread and bless it. Of course, we know that this is a power that would have been given to the twelve, but the implications are that there would be even more who could perform that sacrament.
Before the distribution of the wine, it was made clear that there was a sacred context in which these common food items became symbols. They were no longer just food to assuage hunger or thirst, but the symbols that indicated that spiritual hunger and thirst were fulfilled in the mission of Jesus, the Christ.
3 Nephi 18:10–11
10 And when the disciples had done this, Jesus said unto them: Blessed are ye for this thing which ye have done, for this is fulfilling my commandments, and this doth witness unto the Father that ye are willing to do that which I have commanded you.
11 And this shall ye always do to those who repent and are baptized in my name; and ye shall do it in remembrance of my blood, which I have shed for you, that ye may witness unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you.
Comments
Jesus instructs the twelve that this sacrament was something that should be repeated: “this shall ye always do to those who repent and are baptized.” Although that might indicate that it was to be done prior to baptism, modern readers understand that this is an oft-repeated event to renew the covenants we made at the time of our baptism.
The Nephite people had been familiar with the concept of a church as a gathering of believers inside a society that also included non-believers. The people gathered at Bountiful were certainly all believers now, even if there might have been some who were not believers before.
3 Nephi 18:12–14
12 And I give unto you a commandment that ye shall do these things. And if ye shall always do these things blessed are ye, for ye are built upon my rock.
13 But whoso among you shall do more or less than these are not built upon my rock, but are built upon a sandy foundation; and when the rain descends, and the floods come, and the winds blow, and beat upon them, they shall fall, and the gates of hell are ready open to receive them.
14 Therefore blessed are ye if ye shall keep my commandments, which the Father hath commanded me that I should give unto you.
Comments
Earlier, Jesus had noted the need to build upon a rock rather than on a sandy foundation (3 Nephi 11:40). He repeats that theme here but defines what that rock is. Jesus has given them commandments of what they should do: “If ye shall always do these things blessed are ye, for ye are built upon my rock.”
Jesus had also declared that it was his doctrine that all should repent and be baptized (3 Nephi 11:30–35). To the commandments of repentance and baptism, Jesus added the sacrament as a frequent reminder of those commandments, and of baptismal covenants. This was the rock. This was the foundation. When Jesus declared his doctrine, he also declared that his doctrine was the rock upon which their religious lives should be built.
3 Nephi 18:15–16
15 Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always, lest ye be tempted by the devil, and ye be led away captive by him.
16 And as I have prayed among you even so shall ye pray in my church, among my people who do repent and are baptized in my name. Behold I am the light; I have set an example for you.
Comments
Jesus commends prayer. This is not given as a commandment, but as an important aspect of their religious life. Prayer would open the communication between the person and God. In this case, the declaration that they should pray was directed to all, but then also indicated that “so shall ye pray in my church.” The great prayer that they heard from Jesus was the clearest model, although the Sermon at the Temple also provided instructions on prayer.
Prayer was to be both individual and communal, and in both cases was to be done to be heard of God rather than of men. The Nephites had long known to pray, so this was not a new commandment. In Alma 33:3–11, Alma2 commends the words of Zenos as a model for prayer. Jesus was indicating that the need for prayer had not been fulfilled, even thou the law of Moses had been.
Instructions for Meeting Together
3 Nephi 18:17–23
17 And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words unto his disciples, he turned again unto the multitude and said unto them:
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.
21 Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your wives and your children may be blessed.
22 And behold, ye shall meet together oft; and ye shall not forbid any man from coming unto you when ye shall meet together, but suffer them that they may come unto you and forbid them not;
23 But ye shall pray for them, and shall not cast them out; and if it so be that they come unto you oft ye shall pray for them unto the Father, in my name.
Comments
Jesus turns from the twelve and addresses the congregation. The declaration that “whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you” is a promise that our righteous prayers will be heard. The key is the phrase: “which is right.” There are certainly times when we may believe that we are praying righteously, but the answer we desire does not come. There is something in God’s wisdom which knows that, for an unknowable divine reason, it isn’t right.
Verse 22 tells the congregation how to deal with those who might come to join with them who are not currently part of their congregation. They are to be accepted and prayed for.
The important piece of this instruction for the Nephites was: “Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name.” That is the clearest teaching that there is a distinction between the Father and Jesus. This is no longer the assignment of titles based on heaven or earth, where Yahweh is Father while in Heaven, but Son while on earth. This is an instruction to pray to the being that Jesus considers his father, and to do so in Jesus’s name. That makes absolutely clear that the Nephites are to learn a new understanding of their God.
Only at the time of Jesus’s appearance do the Nephites begin to learn of the Godhead as opposed to the belief only in Yahweh.
3 Nephi 18:24–25
24 Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do. Behold ye see that I have prayed unto the Father, and ye all have witnessed.
25 And ye see that I have commanded that none of you should go away, but rather have commanded that ye should come unto me, that ye might feel and see; even so shall ye do unto the world; and whosoever breaketh this commandment suffereth himself to be led into temptation.
Comments
In the Sermon at the Temple, Jesus had told the congregation (as he had in Jerusalem) that they were light to others (Matthew 5:14; 3 Nephi 12:14). Jesus reprises that teaching. They are to hold up their light, and it is Jesus as the Christ who is that light. Even after Christ is no longer in their presence, they are to symbolically invite all to come to Christ, “that [they] might feel and see” as this people had.
3 Nephi 18:26–29
26 And now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words, he turned his eyes again upon the disciples whom he had chosen, and said unto them:
27 Behold verily, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you another commandment, and then I must go unto my Father that I may fulfil other commandments which he hath given me.
28 And now behold, this is the commandment which I give unto you, that ye shall not suffer any one knowingly to partake of my flesh and blood unworthily, when ye shall minister it;
29 For whoso eateth and drinketh my flesh and blood unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to his soul; therefore if ye know that a man is unworthy to eat and drink of my flesh and blood ye shall forbid him.
Comments
As with the law of Moses, there were community rules for living the law of Christ. In modern days, we understand that there is an organization known as a church, within which there are laws establishing how that community of believers is to be governed. That need was also present when the church and the community were essentially the same. Thus, there were laws laid down to define the boundaries of the community.
One of those was participation in the sacrament. It was to be done worthily, or as believers. The idea that it was to be done worthily must have meant that one was willing to obey the doctrine of Christ, which was repentance and baptism. It does not mean that those of us who might most need the sacrament to renew our covenants after repentance should not partake.
3 Nephi 18:30–32
30 Nevertheless, ye shall not cast him out from among you, but ye shall minister unto him and shall pray for him unto the Father, in my name; and if it so be that he repenteth and is baptized in my name, then shall ye receive him, and shall minister unto him of my flesh and blood.
31 But if he repent not he shall not be numbered among my people, that he may not destroy my people, for behold I know my sheep, and they are numbered.
32 Nevertheless, ye shall not cast him out of your synagogues, or your places of worship, for unto such shall ye continue to minister; for ye know not but what they will return and repent, and come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall heal them; and ye shall be the means of bringing salvation unto them.
Comments
How should the twelve handle situations where there were those among them who were not believers, or who had not undergone repentance? The instruction was to be patient and try to bring all souls to repentance, and then baptism. However, those who would not, “shall not be numbered among my people, that [they] may not destroy my people.”
The process of numbering someone among his people has an earthly component and a heavenly one. The earthly component allowed for the need to declare that someone might not be included in the community. The heavenly component would be that only those numbered with the Good Shepherd’s sheep would inherit the kingdom.
Still, the hope was always to attempt to teach the gospel. Nevertheless, the Nephites were painfully aware of the problems of apostates among their congregation, as those who opposed their religion had often caused literal destructions through wars.
3 Nephi 18:33–35
33 Therefore, keep these sayings which I have commanded you that ye come not under condemnation; for wo unto him whom the Father condemneth.
34 And I give you these commandments because of the disputations which have been among you. And blessed are ye if ye have no disputations among you.
35 And now I go unto the Father, because it is expedient that I should go unto the Father for your sakes.
Comments
These commandments finally conclude the lessons of the day. Jesus would return the next day, but this time he really was leaving. Even in leaving, he makes it clear that “it is expedient that I should go unto the Father for your sakes.” No matter how much the people might have desired that he stay, they really were in need of a break. Even though there would be some who would sleep little, they needed time to process and understand what had transpired in that most miraculous day.
Authority Given to the Twelve
3 Nephi 18:36–39
36 And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of these sayings, he touched with his hand the disciples whom he had chosen, one by one, even until he had touched them all, and spake unto them as he touched them.
37 And the multitude heard not the words which he spake, therefore they did not bear record; but the disciples bare record that he gave them power to give the Holy Ghost. And I will show unto you hereafter that this record is true.
38 And it came to pass that when Jesus had touched them all, there came a cloud and overshadowed the multitude that they could not see Jesus.
39 And while they were overshadowed he departed from them, and ascended into heaven. And the disciples saw and did bear record that he ascended again into heaven.
Comments
Giving the authority to grant the gift of the Holy Ghost was visibly manifest, but the people didn’t hear the words. Therefore, they only later learned that this was what had passed when Jesus touched the disciples.
Jesus ascended. “The disciples saw and did bear record that he ascended again into heaven.” The twelve were his earthly testators. They would certainly attest that he had come among them, but the most important part of their testimony was that he had ascended to Heaven. Thus, the God had descended to earth, but is now back in Heaven, doubly declaring that the teachings Jesus gave while with them were from God, even though they were given on earth.
This ends a chapter in the 1830 edition.
