Ministering, Baptism, and Preparation for the Lord's Return
Book of Mormon Notes - Friday, February 23, 2024, 3 Nephi 19
Mormon’s record makes it clear that the Nephites who were gathered at the Temple in Bountiful had much greater faith in Christ than any of the Jews in regions of Jerusalem during the life of Christ. Because of their greater faith in Him, our Lord was able to teach them greater things and manifest greater miracles among them.
After He ascended again into Heaven, the Nephites began to spread the good news that Jesus had ministered unto them and that He would return again the next day.
What is ministering?
What is ministry?
The LDS Bible Dictionary gives this definition of “Ministry”:
The work of the ministry is to do the work of the Lord on the earth—to represent the Lord among the people, preach the gospel, and administer the ordinances thereof. The chosen servants and appointed officers in the Church of Jesus Christ are put on earth by Him to conduct the work necessary for the salvation of mankind. A minister “called of God, as was Aaron” (Heb. 5:4), and endowed with the holy priesthood, represents the Lord when he is performing his official duties and is the Lord’s agent. Therefore, what he does “according to the will of the Lord is the Lord’s business” (D&C 64:29). The Lord has given apostles, prophets, evangelists, high priests, seventies, elders, bishops, priests, teachers, deacons, helps, and governments “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (the Church), until all have reached the spiritual stature of Christ, the whole body being “fitly joined together” by that which every part supplieth. See 1 Cor. 12:12–28; Eph. 4:11–16; D&C 20; 107. Other references are Acts 11:30; 14:23; 15:6; 16:4; 20:17, 28; 21:18; Philip. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:8–12; James 5:14.
And the LDS Guide to the Scriptures contains this definition of “Minister”:
See also Priesthood; Service
To do the work of the Lord on the earth. God’s chosen servants must be called of God in order to minister in His work. When true ministers do the Lord’s will, they represent the Lord in their official duties and act as His agents (D&C 64:29), thus conducting the work necessary for the salvation of mankind. The Lord has given apostles, prophets, evangelists, high priests, seventies, elders, bishops, priests, teachers, deacons, helps, and governments for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the ministry (1 Cor. 12:12–28; Eph. 4:11–16; D&C 20; 107).
The Lord hath chosen him to minister in the name of the Lord, Deut. 18:5.
Men shall call you the Ministers of our God, Isa. 61:6.
The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, Matt. 20:26–28.
I have appeared to make thee a minister and a witness, Acts 26:16–18.
God is not unrighteous to forget your labor of love in that ye have ministered to the Saints, Heb. 6:10.
If any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth, 1 Pet. 4:10–11.
They taught, and did minister one to another, 3 Ne. 26:19.
It is the duty of the Twelve to ordain evangelical ministers, D&C 107:39–40.
A high priest may be set apart unto the ministering of temporal things, D&C 107:71–72.
These seventy are to be traveling ministers, D&C 107:93–97.
Elders are ordained to be standing ministers to my church, D&C 124:137.
In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Russel M. Nelson, the Lord’s prophet, recently called for a higher and holier approach to caring for others:
For months we have been seeking a better way to minister to the spiritual and temporal needs of our people in the Savior’s way.
We have made the decision to retire home teaching and visiting teaching as we have known them. Instead, we will implement a newer, holier approach to caring for and ministering to others. We will refer to these efforts simply as “ministering.”
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland and Sister Jean B. Bingham then elaborated upon the purpose and meaning of ministering.
In essence, ministering is what Jesus Christ did during His visit to the Nephites at the Temple in Bountiful. Even after miraculous healing, blessings, manifestations, and angelic visitations, our Lord was just getting started.
Can you imagine if Jesus appeared to a group of people and then promised to return the next day? How far would you travel to see Him? Would you believe those who were sent to deliver the message? Many messengers worked through the night to spread the good news of the Savior’s visit and of His promise to return the next day. An even greater multitude was then gathered together to await the Lord’s return.
Thus, many people had returned to their homes to ponder the Lord’s teachings and miracles, and many others had gathered more people to the place where Jesus should show Himself again unto the multitude. The multitude was so great that Jesus’ twelve chosen disciples divided them into twelve groups in order to teach them and prepare them for Christ’s return.
Mormon provides us with the names of Jesus’ twelve chosen disciples in the Promised Land of America: Nephi, Timothy (brother of Nephi, whom Nephi raised from the dead), Jonas (son of Timothy), Mathoni, Mathonihah (brother of Mathoni), Kumen, Kumenonhi, Jeremiah, Shemnon, Jonas, Zedekiah, and Isaiah.
Who on earth could have ever come up with names like Nephi, Mathoni, Mathonihah, Kumen, Kumenonhi, and Shemnon? The names Timothy, Jonas, Jeremiah, Jonas, Zedekiah, and Isaiah are familiar Old and New Testament names. But the rest? The answer is that the parents of these Twelve gave them their names, and that they were, and are real people. Nine of them have long since gone the way of all the earth, but as we shall see, three of them were blessed with a very special ministry from the Lord.
These Twelve taught the multitude exactly what the Lord commanded them to teach. In preparation for the Savior’s return, the people knelt and prayed. The Twelve ministered to the people in their twelve groups, prayed for Holy Ghost, and led the people to be baptized. What did they pray for?
And they did pray for that which they most desired; and they desired that the aHoly Ghost should be given unto them. (3 Nephi 19:9)
The events in this chapters, in my opinion, correspond in a special way with Lehi and Nephi’s visions of the Tree of Life. There are many parallels to consider, but one of the most important is that like these disciples of Christ in Bountiful, Nephi , son of Lehi, desired the Holy Ghost. It is also significant that these disciples of Christ followed the example that Jesus Christ had set by being baptized in order to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Nephi, the chief of the Twelve disciples whom Jesus had chosen, was the first to be baptized. Nephi then baptized those whom Jesus had chosen. The baptism of the Twelve disciples of Christ was followed by a miraculous manifestation of the Holy Ghost:
And it came to pass when they were all baptized and had come aup out of the water, the bHoly Ghost did fall upon them, and they were filled with the Holy Ghost and with fire.
And behold, they were aencircled 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. (3 Nephi 19:13-14)
Will you be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost?
I was baptized in a cold lake in Michigan in late September. The water was very cold, but I remember how warm and happy I felt right after I was baptized. After my father baptized me and wrapped me in a warm towel, I felt the warmth and approval of my Heavenly Father, and the blessings of the Holy Ghost. My small, eight year old body was filled with the Holy Ghost and with fire, warming me from the inside even though the weather outside was chilly. I did not see angels that came down to minister, but angels were there, including my parents, brothers, and friends.
Since that time I have witnessed many baptisms of new converts to the Church of Jesus Christ. Invariably it is a beautiful experience and the Holy Ghost is shed forth upon everyone, especially the convert and the person who administers baptism. Baptism is a special gift and a way to demonstrate our willingness to follow Jesus Christ, as Nephi, son of Lehi taught:
Wherefore, I would that ye should remember that I have spoken unto you concerning that aprophet which the Lord showed unto me, that should baptize the bLamb of God, which should take away the sins of the world.
And now, if the Lamb of God, he being aholy, should have need to be bbaptized by water, to fulfil all righteousness, O then, how much more need have we, being unholy, to be cbaptized, yea, even by water!
And now, I would ask of you, my beloved brethren, wherein the Lamb of God did fulfil all righteousness in being baptized by water?
Know ye not that he was holy? But notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be aobedient unto him in keeping his commandments.
Wherefore, after he was baptized with water the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the aform of a bdove.
And again, it showeth unto the children of men the straitness of the path, and the narrowness of the agate, by which they should enter, he having set the bexample before them.
And he said unto the children of men: aFollow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we bfollow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?
And the Father said: Repent ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my Beloved Son.
And also, the voice of the Son came unto me, saying: He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father agive the Holy Ghost, like unto me; wherefore, bfollow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do.
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall afollow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no bhypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real cintent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are dwilling to take upon you the ename of Christ, by fbaptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the gbaptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the htongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel. (2 Nephi 31:4-13)
I know that this is true.
As we read of the baptism of Christ and of the Nephite disciples gathered in Bountiful, we may recall the baptism of Alma and his people at the waters of Mormon. We may also recall that Nephi had already seen the baptism of Christ in vision:
And I looked and beheld the Redeemer of the world, of whom my father had spoken; and I also beheld the prophet who should prepare the way before him. And the Lamb of God went forth and was baptized of him; and after he was baptized, I beheld the heavens open, and the Holy Ghost come down out of heaven and abide upon him in the form of a dove. (1 Nephi 11:27)
Matthew records the same event:
Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:13-17)
Mark records:
And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was abaptized of John in Jordan.
And straightway coming aup out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a bdove descending upon him:
And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Mark 1:9-11)
And Luke records:
Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being abaptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
And the aHoly Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a bdove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. (Luke 3:21-22)
Lehi taught that many things about John the Baptist and this sacred event:
And my father said he should baptize in aBethabara, beyond Jordan; and he also said he should bbaptize with water; even that he should baptize the Messiah with water. (1 Nephi 10:9)
The Apostle John recorded this testimony of the same event:
These things were done in aBethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the aLamb of God, which taketh away the bsin of the world.
This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
And John abare record, saying, I saw the bSpirit descending from heaven like a cdove, and it abode upon him.
aAnd I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the bHoly Ghost.
And I saw, and bare arecord that this is the Son of God. (John 1:28-34)
Notice too the name of the place Bethabara in both the Book of Mormon and the KJV Bible.