3 Ne 17:1-18:39
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Contents
Summary
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Relationship to Third Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 17-18 to the rest of Third Nephi is discussed at Third Nephi.
Story.
Message.
Discussion
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- 3 Ne. 18:36-37: Giving power to confer the Holy Ghost. Here Mormon tells us that Jesus gave his disciples power to give the Holy Ghost to others. This was accomplished by touching each of the disciples with his hand one by one. (3 Ne. 18:36-37). Though not recorded here, Moroni tells us in his "Priesthood Handbook" at the end of the Book of Mormon that the touching consisted of laying on hands and that the words spoken at this time were "Ye shall call on the Father in my name, in mighty prayer; and after ye have done this ye shall have power that to him upon whom ye shall lay your hands, ye shall give the Holy Ghost; and in my name shall ye give it, for thus do mine apostles." (Moro 2:1-3). What Mormon shows us "hereafter," as promised in here, is that when the disciples later went forth to minister to the people, the Holy Ghost did in fact fall upon the people they baptized. (3 Ne 26:17; 3 Ne 28:18).
Unanswered questions
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Prompts for life application
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Prompts for further study
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- 3 Ne. 17:4: Jesus tells the Nephites that he is going to leave and visit the lost tribes of Israel. Are there any accounts of these visits?
- 3 Ne. 18:5: How do we reconcile Jesus' statement here that one shall be given the power to administer the sacrament with the revealed practice of any worthy priest (see D&C 20:46) or worthy Melchizedek priesthood holder having this power?
- 3 Ne. 18:13: What does it mean to do more or less than these things?
- 3 Ne. 18:31: What does it mean to not number someone among Jesus's people? Is the word number here used in the same sense in which Jesus's sheep are numbered? In what sense are Jesus's sheep numbered?
Resources
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- 3 Ne. 17:6-10. Dallin H. Oaks, "He Heals the Heavy Laden," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 6–9.
- 3 Ne. 17:21-25. Margaret S. Lifferth, "Behold Your Little Ones," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 74–76. Sister Lifferth offers the following perspective: "Remember that before the Savior's appearance, there were tempests, earthquakes, fires, and three days of profound darkness (see 3 Nephi 8). I have often thought about the children who experienced these events. And I can only imagine the fear and concern in the hearts of the parents... How eager those parents must have been to bring their children to the Savior... This account reminds us that it is the Savior who is the great protector, the ultimate teacher, and the eternal source of love and healing."
- 3 Ne. 17:21-25. M. Russell Ballard, "Great Shall Be the Peace of Thy Children," Ensign, Apr 1994, 59. Elder Ballard reminds us, "we are the ones God has appointed to encircle today's children with love and the fire of faith and an understanding of who they are."
Notes
Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.