3 Nephi 11

Jesus Christ did show himself unto the people of Nephi, as the multitude were gathered together in the land Bountiful, and did minister unto them; and on this wise did he show himself unto them. Comprising chapters 11 to 26 inclusive.

Textual: This chapter heading comes from the original text, up to the point where the modern chapters are indicated. We have seen these headings before in the Book of Mormon. These introductory headers were part of the plate text.

Introductory Headers in the Book of Mormon: An introductory header is some text that is added to the beginning of a text to provide some foreknowledge of the information that comes in the text. These headers have been added into our modern versions of the Book of Mormon, and are the material in italic font that follows the chapter number and precedes the text. Although they exist for all chapters in the modern text, there are relatively few in the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon. These introductory texts are part of the extant Original Manuscript, and may be found at the beginning of Helaman, and 3 Nephi, the only beginnings of chapters that remain in the original. (Royal Skousen. The Original Manuscript of the Book of Mormon. FARMS, Provo, 2001).

Since there are some of these introductory headers that were apparently part of the plate text, we should understand how and when they were used. There are two ways that these headers appear. They appear at the beginnings of named books, and they appear inside of named books.

The book headers present an interesting case because they do not exist at the beginning of all books. We find the first at the beginning of 1 Nephi. We have one at 2 Nephi and Jacob, but we do not find another until the beginning of the book of Alma. They are then found at the beginning of every book (Helaman, 3 Nephi, 4 Nephi) until the book of Mormon, where it does not exist. There are no more headers after this point (none on Ether nor Moroni).

The distribution of the introductory headers is curious. It appears that there are differences in authors in creating the headers. We have Nephi (the first) consistently adding headers. We have Jacob adding a header. None of the rest of the writers on the small plates adds any form of header.

In Mormon’s text we have Mormon consistently adding headers with two exceptions, Mosiah and Mormon. Mosiah is a simple case as we have lost the original beginning of the book of Mosiah. It would appear safe to posit that it would have had an introductory text. These texts summarize the contents, and they are remnants of Mormon’s authorial construction of the text. When we get to his own book, the material is not conceived in advance, and therefore it is impossible to create a header that looks forward to the contents of his own book.

When Moroni picks up the editorial task, he does not add the introductory material. He would not add it to his own in any case for the same reason that Mormon does not, but he also leaves off the material from Ether, where it could easily have been added.

In the small plate tradition, both Nephi and Jacob are writing constructed texts, and have the time to write after the events. Therefore they may enter these headers. The rest of the writers on the small plates appear to have had much less forethought in what they wrote. Both Enos and Jarom add single chapter texts that may not have seemed to require any introductory roadmap. Omni is such a collection of short entries that it is clear that the original book had little forethought.

The book introductions appear to be an individualized trait of an author, and linked to the extent of the material to be presented, and dependent upon the planning of that material before writing. Mormon is the most obvious and consistent of the writers in providing this type of header.

Mormon is the only author who supplies internal headers. These accompany chapter divisions rather than book divisions. Mormon uses them in the following locations:

Mosiah 9: The introduction to the inserted record of Zeniff.

Alma 7: Alma speaking to the people of Gideon “according to his own record.”

Alma 9: Alma and Amulek speaking to the people of Ammonihah.

Alma 17: The account of the sons of Mosaiah.

Alma 21: Aaron and Muloki to the Lamanites.

Alma 36, 38, and 39: Alma’s discourses to his sons

Helaman 7: The prophecy of Nephi

Helaman 14: The prophecy of Samuel (a title, no header text).

3 Nephi 11: The appearance of Christ to the Nephites in Bountiful.

Mormon uses these internal chapter headers to separate sections of text from the rest of his narrative. Some of these, such as the records of Zeniff, the sons of Mosiah (probably the record of Ammon) and the record of Aaron and Muloki, appear to be record traditions outside the formal plates of Nephi from which Mormon is taking his information. However, the change of source is not the only reason, as there is text from Nephi (son of Nephi, son of Helaman) that is used without header.

Mormon appears to use these internal chapter headers to highlight and separate textual material. Although he does not do this with all inserted texts, they are nevertheless markers of particular inserted texts that Mormon wishes to highlight.

3 Nephi 11:1

1 And now it came to pass that there were a great multitude gathered together, of the people of Nephi, round about the temple which was in the land Bountiful; and they were marveling and wondering one with another, and were showing one to another the great and marvelous change which had taken place.

3 Nephi 11:2

2 And they were also conversing about this Jesus Christ, of whom the sign had been given concerning his death.

This verse figures into the polemics circulating around the timing of the Messiah’s appearance to the Nephites. Brown suggests that the response to disaster as close in time as three days prior is not the occasion for milling around the temple and talking, but rather for the work of saving the wounded and reconstructing life. (S. Kent Brown. From Jerusalem to Zarahemla. Brigham Young University, Provo, 1998, p. 151).Tvedtnes notes that the destruction occurred in the lands southward and the lands northward, but there is no indication that the devastation was total. This leaves the possibility that Bountiful was in effect the “eye of the storm” and was able to avoid most of the damages. (John A. Tvetdnes. The Most Correct Book. Cornerstone, Salt Lake City and Phoenix, 1999, pp. 259-62)

Tvedtnes is undoubtedly correct that the damage was not universal, and that Bountiful may have been spared much of the destruction. This would even be likely if, as suggested earlier, we have the unique event of two nearly simultaneous volcanic events, one to the north and one to the south of the indicated lands. The problem is that whether there is damage or not simply mutes an argument against the later date, but it still comes up against Mormon’s statement.

Both suggestions accept this description as an accurate depiction, when it is actually more likely that what we have is a literary transition into the event. Nephi is again writing after the fact, and constructing his account of the arrival of the Messiah just as he constructed the account of the destructions. The description of the destructions required that the text be written later, and have access to widespread information. The description of Jesus’ visit is likewise a constructed text, a point that will be examined more in detail as we proceed through the texts of that appearance.

The construction of the account, the fact that we do not have Nephi’s transition between the text of the destruction and the text of the arrival, all suggest that it is difficult to use this introduction as evidence of the actual events and timing. This is a literary introduction. There were people in the city of Bountiful who were not at the temple at this point in time. There were people near the temple who were not discussing the words of the Messiah. There were countless numbers of things happening that Nephi does not mention. What he does mention is selected from the universe of possible information to lead us into the more important information that is the arrival of the Savior.

It suits Nephi’s purposes to lead into this marvelous appearance by having the people somewhat prepared for it. They are therefore prepared in physical location; they are at the temple. They are prepared in mental expectations; they are discussing the Messiah. Into this favorable and faithful scenario, Nephi has the Messiah appear.

3 Nephi 11:3

3 And it came to pass that while they were thus conversing one with another, they heard a voice as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round about, for they understood not the voice which they heard; and it was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the center, insomuch that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it did pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their hearts to burn.

3 Nephi 11:4

4 And it came to pass that again they heard the voice, and they understood it not.

3 Nephi 11:5

5 And again the third time they did hear the voice, and did open their ears to hear it; and their eyes were towards the sound thereof; and they did look steadfastly towards heaven, from whence the sound came.

The imagery of the “small voice” that requires that we open our ears to hear is one that continues to instruct us in the way that we listen to God. Elder Eyring developed this imagery of the small voice in a conference talk in 1991:

“It is the Spirit which will bear record to your heart as you read the scriptures, as you hear the Lord’s authorized servants, and as God speaks directly to your heart. You can listen and hear if you believe that the scriptures are accurate when they describe the Holy Ghost this way:

“Yea, thus saith the still small voice, which whispereth through and pierceth all things, and often times it maketh my bones to quake while it maketh manifest.” (DC 85:6)

Now, I testify it is a small voice. It whispers, not shouts. And so you must be very quiet inside. That is why you may wisely fast when you want to listen. And that is why you will listen best when you feel, “Father, thy will, not mine, be done.” You will have a feeling of “I want what you want.” Then, the still small voice will seem as if it pierces you. It may make your bones to quake. More often it will make your heart burn within you, again softly, but with a burning which will lift and reassure.

You will act after you have listened because when you hear his voice by the Spirit you will always feel that you are impelled to do something. (Henry B. Eyring. “To Draw Closer to God.” Conference Report, Ensign May 1991, p. 67).

Textual: The construction of the text is obvious in these verses. The people are conversing with one another and they hear something. They do not understand once. They hear a second time and do not understand. The third time they hear.

This is another repetition of the symbolic three in Nephi’s account. We had three hours, even though he couldn’t mark hours. We had three days, even though there was no way to tell the difference between day and night. Now we have three times that the voice comes. This triple occurrence of the voice stands in dramatic contrast to the universally heard voice at the end of the destruction. After the world had fallen apart, after there were tremendous noises so that they might even have had ringing in their ears, during the ending of the thick and fearful darkness, the people hear the voice of God. They hear it the first time, and they hear it clearly.

Now they are quietly conversing, and appear to be faithful. Yet the must wait three times, and then hear only when they “did open their ears to hear it.” Nephi is telling us both that this is another “three” occasion that points to the Messiah. The number three has tended to occur in the Book of Mormon in symbolic contexts revolving around the Atoning Messiah. Nephi is also telling us that the people had to believe before they could have this manifestation.

This idea that they had to have faith to see the Lord is echoed later by Moroni:

Ether 12:7

7 For it was by faith that Christ showed himself unto our fathers, after he had risen from the dead; and he showed not himself unto them until after they had faith in him; wherefore, it must needs be that some had faith in him, for he showed himself not unto the world.

This point also becomes an issue in the timing, with Brown suggesting that time was required to develop faith, and Tvedtnes noting that only some required faith according to the text, and certainly some did ((S. Kent Brown. From Jerusalem to Zarahemla. Brigham Young University, Provo, 1998, p. 149-50).; John A. Tvetdnes. The Most Correct Book. Cornerstone, Salt Lake City and Phoenix, 1999, pp. 265).

Two things allow us to come down in favor of Brown’s reading of the time. The first is Nephi’s symbolic construction that echoes the statement that the people had to come to faith. The second is the very words of the Messiah during the destruction. The message at that time was one of repentance (see 3 Nephi 9:20-22, 3 Nephi 10:4-7). The message to repent is hardly required if the only survivors are true believers. The message to repent would not make much sense if they were not given time to allow for repentance.

Regardless of the way this passage is used in the timing discussion, it is still important to recognize in it the intentional construction of the author. This is a scene that is presented to lead us to the more important event that is announced by that voice.

3 Nephi 11:6

6 And behold, the third time they did understand the voice which they heard; and it said unto them:

3 Nephi 11:7

7 Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him.

The Savior is introduced to the people in the New World similarly to the introduction in the Old World:

Matthew 17:5

5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

Matthew’s text is written as part of the events on the mount of transfiguration. While a similar introduction occurs in both Mark and Luke, both of those texts have only “This is my beloved Son: hear him.” (Mark 9:7, Luke 9:35). All three synoptic writers, however, have the phrases “in whom I am well pleased” when the God introduces Jesus at the time of his baptism (Matthew 3:17, Mark 1:11, Luke 3:22).

Any of these phrase might serve as the basic textual model for the Book of Mormon, but Matthew 17:5 is the best fit, containing both the phrase “in whom I am well pleased” and the command “hear him.” Even though the language is built on the Matthean phrase, the Book of Mormon text adds “in whom I have glorified my name.” This is appropriate after the resurrection as it comes in the New World, but was not appropriate in the New World, as this statement came at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in the Old World.

3 Nephi 11:8

8 And it came to pass, as they understood they cast their eyes up again towards heaven; and behold, they saw a Man descending out of heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe; and he came down and stood in the midst of them; and the eyes of the whole multitude were turned upon him, and they durst not open their mouths, even one to another, and wist not what it meant, for they thought it was an angel that had appeared unto them.

“…they durst not open their mouths.” What other more human reaction could their have been to this spectacular event. These people had been speaking, now they were silent. They had been speaking about the Messiah, and here he was in their midst. Their world had changed in this short period of time. They were conversing, now they are quiet.

Nephi heightens the drama of the situation by noting that even with the annunciation of the Son of God by the Father himself, there were those who did not yet understand that it really was the Son. It might have been an angel representing the Son.

Vocabulary: The word “wist” is an obsolete verb form in English. It is undoubtedly used in this text in imitation of KJV speech patterns, although it does appear in the 1828 edition of Webster’s Dictionary (An American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, electronic edition, © 1998 Deseret Book Company.) The meaning is to “to be or become aware (of); learn; know.” The present form of the verb was “wit.” (Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary. Britannica World Language Edition. New York, 1959).

Cultural: Christ descends dressed in white. When the modern reader sees this passage we immediately understand that the clothing is symbolic of the purity of the risen Lord. There would have been a different cultural assumption for a people who lived in Mesoamerica. As in Asia, the Mesoamerican association of white was with death. Thus one descending in white would be declaring that this was one who was, or had, died. This is an important part of the message, however. See the comment following verse 14.

3 Nephi 11:9

9 And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people, saying:

3 Nephi 11:10

10 Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.

As answer to the possible doubts, Jesus now self-identifies. He has been introduced by his Father, he now proclaims himself. He is Jesus the Messiah.(Monte S. Nyman. “The Designations Jesus Gives Himself in 3 Nephi.” Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate, Jr., eds., Third Nephi 9-30: This Is My Gospel [Provo: BYU Religious Studies Center, 1993], 43.) At this point we must remember that Christ is a title, the Greek form having the same meaning as the word Messiah that we receive through the Hebrew rather than the Greek. Jesus is identifying himself, and his title to these people. This is absolutely important, as they have been awaiting the Messiah. Jesus is declaring that it is he for whom they have been waiting. It is he about whom they were just discussing.

The fulfillment of hundreds of years of prophecy now stands before them, miraculously descended from heaven before their eyes.

3 Nephi 11:11

11 And behold, I am the light and the 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.

As part of Jesus’ self-introduction he reaffirms his role. The “bitter cup” imagery appears only once before in the Book of Mormon in a completely different context. Alma uses the phrase when speaking to his son:

Alma 40:26

26 But behold, an awful death cometh upon the wicked; for they die as to things pertaining to things of righteousness; for they are unclean, and no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of God; but they are cast out, and consigned to partake of the fruits of their labors or their works, which have been evil; and they drink the dregs of a bitter cup.

The imagery is that of an unpleasant experience. Certainly the two “drinkings” of the “bitter cup” are not to be equated, as the experience of the wicked with the bitter cup is certainly not the same as for Jesus. It is possible, however, that the bitter cup expresses the consequences of sin which Jesus did suffer for us, and in that way the terms would be similar.

Life and Light of the World: Jesus self-declares himself the “light of the world” in the New Testament:

John 9:5

5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

John 8:12

12 ¶ Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

The particular pairing of “light and life of the world” is unique to the Book of Mormon, and is found in Mosiah 16:9 and Alma 38:9 as well as the current verse. While this pairing is unique to the Book of Mormon, the conception that Jesus was the life of the world is certainly Biblical. It is interesting that each of these separate concepts, that Jesus is the light of the world and that Jesus is the life of the world, are uniquely Johnanine texts.

John 12:46

46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

John 6:33

33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

The Bitter Cup: The scriptural reference for this phrase comes from a combination of scripture and common phrasing. From scripture we have:

Matthew 26:39-42

39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

The obvious difference is that Matthew has a cup, but not a “bitter” cup. Nevertheless, this phrase, “bitter cup” appears to have entered into typical phraseology and common use. We may see that particular combination coming from Joseph Smith’s experience.

The rest of the passage is unique to the Book of Mormon.

3 Nephi 11:12

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 unto them after his ascension into heaven.

The falling to the earth is indicative of being overcome by the spirit. In this occasion we have no description of appearing as dead, but the falling to the earth motion was apparently an understood action that showed the presence of the power of the spirit. Certainly if Alma the Younger fell to the earth when he was visited, all these people should also fall to the earth when the Messiah visited them. Nephi’s specific conclusion is to affirm that now the people remember that there were prophecies that the Messiah should come, and they realize that those prophecies have been fulfilled. The people had been conversing about the Messiah, but some thought it was an angel who had come to them. Now they all understand who it is, and they witness that understanding with the falling to the earth sign.

3 Nephi 11:13

13 And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto them saying:

3 Nephi 11:14

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.

One of the points that had been emphasized in Nephite preaching was the death of the Messiah. This had to have been an unusual doctrine, for they also understood the Messiah to be Jehovah, and Jehovah to be God. Thus they preached the death and resurrection of their god. Jesus stands in their midst and proclaims that he is the Messiah, and therefore he must be the one who has died, and been resurrected. He calls the people to him to witness that he has wounds that would have led to his death. This is an important aspect of the New World appearance, because unlike the Old World, they do not know him as a mortal, and were not witnesses to his death (only to the terrible events that marked his death). Thus Jesus offers to them the proof of the death.

This provides an interesting reverse parallel to the appearance of the Lord in the Old World. There his death was known, and the presentation of the wounds verified that it was truly he who lived. In the New World, he was obviously alive, and the wounds were presented to show that he had truly died.

Cultural: The Book of Mormon shows that there were many occasions where the mission of the Atoning Messiah was denied, even when the people retained some belief in the Mosaic law. Among the Lamanites, the understanding of the Atoning Messiah was completely absent. However, the understanding of life coming through a dying god was a widespread belief in Mesoamerica. In Aztec belief the current world was created through the death of two gods at Teotihuacán. The idea that life came from death lay behind the terrible practice of human sacrifice. All of these beliefs existed prior to the coming of the Messiah, so we cannot suppose that they are distorted remembrances of that visit. However, we should understand that the people were at least able to understand the concept and therefore able to receive the message if other conditions were favorable to faith.

3 Nephi 11:15

15 And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come.

The mathematics of this episode indicate that “until they had all gone forth,” is either hyperbole or we are dealing with a longer period of time than a single day. If each person were to spend a minute with the Lord, only 720 people could come to the Lord in 12 hours of daylight. Obviously cutting the amount of time spent would decrease the amount of time required, but when we consider that in addition to this event we have various sermons and have no indication of the ending of a session with the Lord until the end of our chapter 18, then we appear to have more events than will fit into a day.

It is most probable that the problem is not simply one of the timing of the personal contact with the Savior, but of all of the events listed for the “first day.” The nature of the discourses presented suggests that Nephi is again crafting his account, and the “first day” is more symbolic than literal. The Messiah may have spent more time with the Nephites prior to the ascension indicated in 3 Nephi 18:39.

The other possibility is that the “until they had all gone forth,” indicated something less than all who were present, and this event took much less time that it could have. Nevertheless, we still have the various sermons to fit into a day. Given that Nephi has already shown that he is willing to create an account that deals with different spaces and times when he recorded the events of destruction, we should be willing to allow him the leeway to have given us a generalized accounting rather than a specific one. We must remember that for Nephi the message was much more important than the technical timing of the delivery of the message.

3 Nephi 11:16

16 And when they had all gone forth and had witnessed for themselves, they did cry out with one accord, saying:

Variant: In the Printer’s manuscript and the 1830 edition, this verse began: “It came to pass that…” This phrase was removed in the corrected Printer’s manuscript and has not appeared in the text beginning with the 1837 edition. (Book of Mormon Critical Text. FARMS, 1987, 3:1033).

3 Nephi 11:17

17 Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God! And they did fall down at the feet of Jesus, and did worship him.

This event must be a summary description for effect rather than a literal description of the events. It is doubtful that the entire multitude would have passed by the Messiah, felt the wounds, then waited politely for all others, and only then decided to proclaim him as the Messiah and fall to the ground to worship. This passage is here to show the intent of the event rather than the specifics of the event. All of the people did worship the Messiah. All had witnessed that this was the dying and resurrected God who had been prophesied. All did proclaim blessed the name of the Most High God. It was simply most probable that this happened all along during the process, and did not wait for the single event as Nephi describes it. Nevertheless, the intent of Nephi’s passage is accurate. He intends to show that all worshipped. He is accurate in the worshipping, but he has altered the time sequencing to emphasize the true message.

Translation: Hosanna is Hebrew meaning “save we pray.” (Smith’s Bible Dictionary. Spire Book, New Jersey, 1970). Joseph Smith would have known of this term from his basic cultural knowledge. It is certain that the people shouted something worshipful, but it is not certain that it would have been in Hebrew. The presence of the word here should be seen as part of the translation process, not as evidence of an underlying Hebrew language on the plates.

3 Nephi 11:18

18 And it came to pass that he spake unto Nephi (for Nephi was among the multitude) and he commanded him that he should come forth.

3 Nephi 11:19

19 And Nephi arose and went forth, and bowed himself before the Lord and did kiss his feet.

Nephi was a powerful prophet, a righteous man who had performed powerful miracles in Jesus’ name (3 Nephi 7:18-20). Of course Jesus would know him, and would recognize him among the crowd. As with the gospel of John, we have this description in the third person, even though Mormon has told us that it is Nephi’s account from which this record is taken. When Nephi wrote, he chose not to aggrandize himself by the use of the first person.

What is important aside from the supreme importance of the Savior’s recognition of a faithful servant, is the historical information we must glean from this event. Obviously, Nephi was there. “There,” was in Bountiful, not Zarahemla. Nephi’s family home was in Zarahemla. That is where we have the description of his father preaching upon his tower by the wall by the road leading to the principle market (Helaman 7:10). There is no reason to believe that Nephi would have abandoned that home prior to the burning of Zarahemla.

Nephi’s presence in Bountiful requires two different solutions, depending upon the way one were to read the timing of the appearance of the Messiah after the destruction. If the Messiah appeared soon after the destruction, then Nephi had been on a missionary journey and happened to be in Bountiful. If, on the other hand, the Messiah had appeared as Mormon indicated, then it is more likely that Nephi abandoned his home because Zarahemla had been burned, and he relocated to the new center of the Nephites, Bountiful. This is the preference of this commentary.

3 Nephi 11:20

20 And the Lord commanded him that he should arise. And he arose and stood before him.

3 Nephi 11:21

21 And the Lord said unto him: I give unto you power that ye shall baptize this people when I am again ascended into heaven.

“Reading these verses, one may wonder whether Nephi did not already have priesthood authority and whether the ordinance of baptism was not already being practiced among the Nephites. The answer to both questions would be yes. Nephi already had authority, and baptism was already being practiced. The doctrinal significance of these verses is not merely to reiterate the importance of baptism by the proper priesthood authority but rather to demonstrate the establishment of a new gospel dispensation among the Nephites and the accompanying ordinations and ordinances that a new dispensation necessitated.” (Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, 4 vols. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1987-1992], 4: 56.)

Certainly baptisms had been performed since the time of Alma as a sign of entry into the church. Baptism was known as early as the first Nephi. However, baptism took on a new perspective with the risen Messiah. In addition to the sign of entrance into the church, the baptism is now also a sign of accepting the atoning sacrifice. It is the same expansion of meaning that happened in the Old World with the baptism of John became the baptism of Jesus. The New Testament baptism has a richer symbolic context precisely because it is attached to the atonement. In particular, the New Testament baptism added the symbolism of death and resurrection that was completely dependent upon the understanding of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

“There is nothing strange in the fact that when the Lord came to the Nephites, Nephi was baptized and so was everybody else although they had been baptized before.

The Church among the Nephites before the coming of Christ was not in its fulness and was under the law of Moses. The Savior restored the fulness and gave to them all the ordinances and blessings of the gospel. Therefore, it actually became a new organization, and through baptism they came into it. (III Nephi 9:15-22; 11:10-40; 12:18-19; 15:4-10.)

We have a similar condition in this dispensation. The Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were baptized by command of the Angel John the Baptist. (P. of G. P., Joseph Smith 2:68-72.) Several others were baptized before the organization of the Church. However, on the day the church was organized, all who had been previously baptized were baptized again, not for the remission of sins, but for entrance into the Church. In each case the reason was the same. (See Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. II, p. 336.)”

(Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 5 vols. [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1957-1966], 3: 206.)

3 Nephi 11:22

22 And again the Lord called others, and said unto them likewise; and he gave unto them power to baptize. And he said unto them: On this wise shall ye baptize; and there shall be no disputations among you.

The others who are called were at least the twelve who are named in 3 Nephi 19:4. Of course the Lord could have called more, but because of time constraints it is probable that it was just this twelve, who also had the authority to confer the right upon others.

It appears that the mode of baptism had been the source of some disputation. The Lord mentions here that he will instruct them to avoid disputations, and he reiterates the disputations in verse 28. We have seen none of these issues in the Book of Mormon to this point, which simply indicates the incomplete nature of the picture we have of this people. There are certainly many more things about them of which we are similarly unaware because of what Mormon elected to tell us.

This text on the mode of baptism is placed between the appearance of the Lord to the masses and his discourse to the masses that repeats the Sermon on the Mount. It is therefore somewhat unusual that in between two events that are clearly meant for the people as a whole that there should be a session that separates out a selected group and presents essential operating instructions for an ecclesiastical rite. Obviously this information was communicated to the disciples, and obviously it was necessary. It may be, however, that the placement in the text is due to Nephi’s reconstruction more than the actual sequencing events. Nephi is obviously writing after the fact, and for Nephi the baptism of the people as a means of accepting this Messiah would be conceptually important. It would be important enough that he might move it earlier in the sequence to give it importance of place. We must remember that Nephi is writing a religious history, not a chronicle. The spiritual matters were much more important that the temporal matters, and certainly more important that the sequencing of events.

3 Nephi 11:23

23 Verily I say unto you, that whoso repenteth of his sins through your words, and desireth to be baptized in my name, on this wise shall ye baptize them—Behold, ye shall go down and stand in the water, and in my name shall ye baptize them.

These instructions are being given because of disputations. We do not know what those disputations might have been. The evidence from the text suggests that this much of the instruction was certainly understood. The Savior indicates here that there are two aspects to the baptism that must occur. The first is a prior repentance, and the second that they “go down and stand in the water.” Both of these aspects of baptism are present in the Nephite understanding of baptism.

As an example of the need for repentance prior to baptism we have 2 Nephi 31:11-15 and Alma 7:13-16. The best example of the importance of “going down in” to the water comes from Alma’s baptisms at the waters of Mormon:

Mosiah 18:12-16

12 And now it came to pass that Alma took Helam, he being one of the first, and went and stood forth in the water, and cried, saying: O Lord, pour out thy Spirit upon thy servant, that he may do this work with holiness of heart.

13 And when he had said these words, the Spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he said: Helam, I baptize thee, having authority from the Almighty God, as a testimony that ye have entered into a covenant to serve him until you are dead as to the mortal body; and may the Spirit of the Lord be poured out upon you; and may he grant unto you eternal life, through the redemption of Christ, whom he has prepared from the foundation of the world.

14 And after Alma had said these words, both Alma and Helam were buried in the water; and they arose and came forth out of the water rejoicing, being filled with the Spirit.

15 And again, Alma took another, and went forth a second time into the water, and baptized him according to the first, only he did not bury himself again in the water.

16 And after this manner he did baptize every one that went forth to the place of Mormon; and they were in number about two hundred and four souls; yea, and they were baptized in the waters of Mormon, and were filled with the grace of God.

There must have been some disputations with those who leaned to the beliefs of perhaps the Nehors. The true Nephite record holds the same information as given by the Savior at this time.

3 Nephi 11:24

24 And now behold, these are the words which ye shall say, calling them by name, saying:

3 Nephi 11:25

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.

Certainly all previous baptisms had been performed by authority from God, but perhaps we have in this prayer a new emphasis on the source of the authority. This is also perhaps a reason for a language difference between the Book of Mormon prayer and that found the Doctrine and Covenants.

“Some students have raised the question as to why the words of the baptismal prayer in the Book of Mormon differ slightly from the prayer listed in the Doctrine and Covenants. In this dispensation the Lord has counseled us to use these words in baptizing a person, after calling the candidate by name: "Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." (D&C 20:73.) The only difference in the two prayers is the introductory statement. In the Book of Mormon the disciples were counseled to say "having authority given me of Jesus Christ," whereas in this dispensation we are told to say "having been commissioned of Jesus Christ."

One possible explanation for this difference may be associated with the problem of translation. For example, it is not always possible to translate exact words into other languages; thus, the baptismal prayer is not exactly the same in all languages. Another possibility for explaining this difference is that the disciples in the Book of Mormon received their authority directly from Jesus Christ; therefore, they rightfully could say "having authority given me of Jesus Christ." However, in this dispensation priesthood bearers have been given the power to baptize from John the Baptist, who was commissioned by Jesus Christ to come to earth and restore this authority. Therefore, in this dispensation we use the words "having been commissioned of Jesus Christ.” (Daniel H. Ludlow, A Companion to Your Study of the Book of Mormon [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1976], 262.)

3 Nephi 11:26

26 And then shall ye immerse them in the water, and come forth again out of the water.

The true mode of baptism is by immersion. This was certainly the form of baptism performed by John the Baptist (Joan E. Taylor. The Immerser: John the Baptist within Second Temple Judaism. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids. 1997, p. 49-50) and clearly existed as the preferred mode of baptism into the early second century AD (“The Didache.” Early Christian Fathers. Ed. Cyril C. Richardson. Macmillan Pulbishing Co., Inc. New York, 1970, p. 174). The evidence of Mosiah 18:12-16, cited above, confirms that it was also the Nephite practice.

3 Nephi 11:27

27 And after this manner shall ye baptize in my name; for behold, verily I say unto you, that the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost are one; and I am in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father and I are one.

This is the first time the Book of Mormon has a statement that links the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. While each of the names/titles has appeared earlier, none have had this clear association of unity among the three. As was noted above, the earliest understanding of the Nephites was that the Father was Jehovah, and that the Son was Jehovah. The relationships among the members of the Godhead were apparently not as important for the early Nephites as they were right after the appearance of the Messiah. However, from this point on there is a deeper clarification of the three and their interrelationships. The simple connection of the Messiah to the one God is replaced with the relationship among the Godhead, just as it was for the Apostles in the Old World.

3 Nephi 11:28

28 And according as I have commanded you thus shall ye baptize. And there shall be no disputations among you, as there have hitherto been; neither shall there be disputations among you concerning the points of my doctrine, as there have hitherto been.

3 Nephi 11:29

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.

This ends the unit on instructions for baptism. Clearly there had been disagreements, but we have none of them recorded. What is added here is the information that “contention is not of me, but is of the devil.” The reason for this is that contentions have always been divisive in Nephite society. The problem exceeds differences of opinions, for these are opinions that are linked to definitions of reality, and therefore such contentions have (in the Book of Mormon) led to dangerous social and political schisms.

3 Nephi 11:30

30 Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away.

3 Nephi 11:31

31 Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, I will declare unto you my doctrine.

Rhetorical: The movement of this discourse is artfully turned in these two verses. The discussion begins because there are disputations, and baptism is the one that is discussed. Jesus notes that contention is of the devil, not of him. In these two verses, he creates a contrast between the contentions and doctrine. The shift in the discourse is signaled by the paired phrasing “this is not my doctrine” and “I will declare unto you my doctrine.” As the doctrine is presented, it returns to the theme of repentance and baptism, but now not as the subject of contention, but the heart of Jesus’ doctrine.

3 Nephi 11:32

32 And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me.

3 Nephi 11:33

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 11:34

34 And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned.

3 Nephi 11:35

35 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and I bear record of it from the Father; and whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also; and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost.

The doctrine is simple: repentance and baptism. There are those to requirements. As Jesus presents this essential doctrine, he also gives the authority of that doctrine. This is not just Jesus’ doctrine, but it is the doctrine of the Father and the Holy Ghost. Where the earlier Book of Mormon texts have this Atoning Messiah as the Father in a symbolic way, the Father now takes on a new and separate role. The Godhead is being taught, and taught as a unified force behind the law of God.

The formula of the doctrine is equally simple: repent and be baptized and be saved, or do not repent and be baptized, and be damned. There is a very simple dichotomy. There are no multiple shades of argument. There can be no contentions. There is only salvation and damnation, and salvation hinges on the essential doctrine of repentance and baptism. Is it really this simple?

“The Book of Mormon is said to contain the fulness of the gospel (see D&C 20:9; 27:5; 35:12, 17; 42:12). Some have wondered how the Lord and his prophets could state this, when in fact the Book of Mormon contains no specific reference to such matters as eternal marriage, degrees of glory in the resurrection, vicarious work for the dead, and so forth. Again, let us focus upon what the gospel is. The Book of Mormon contains the fulness of the gospel in the sense that it teaches the doctrine of redemption—that salvation is in Christ and in him alone—and the principles of the gospel (faith, repentance, rebirth, enduring, resurrection, and judgment) more plainly and persuasively than any other book of scripture. The Book of Mormon does not necessarily contain the fulness of gospel doctrine. Rather, it is a sacred repository of eternal truth relative to the most fundamental and far-reaching doctrine of all—the doctrine of Christ (see Benson 18-19).

We have received a divine commission from our Lord to teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom (see D&C 88:77). What is it that we should teach? Above and beyond all that might be said in sermons and lessons and seminars and discussions, what should be the walk and talk of the Latter-day Saints? Simply stated, we are to teach the gospel. Our primary message, like Paul's must be "Jesus Christ and him crucified" (1 Cor 2:2). If we have any hope of preserving the faith of our fathers among our people, of building firmly on the rock of revelation and the doctrines Joseph Smith taught, then we must ground and settle ourselves in Jesus Christ and his atoning sacrifice. We must, of course, teach all the doctrines of the gospel when it is appropriate to do so. But above all, we must see to it that "we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, . . . that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins" (2 Nephi 25:26). (Robert L. Millet. “This is My Gospel.” Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate, Jr., eds., Third Nephi 9-30: This Is My Gospel [Provo: BYU Religious Studies Center, 1993], 19-20.)

3 Nephi 11:36

36 And thus will the Father bear record of me, and the Holy Ghost will bear record unto him of the Father and me; for the Father, and I, and the Holy Ghost are one.

This new understanding of the relationship among the members of the Godhead is reiterated. There is still unity. There is still oneness of purpose. Nothing in the oneness of God has essentially changed, but the Nephites are now privy to the greater understanding that also accompanied the Savior’s mission to the Old World. Now the Godhead is clearly taught.

3 Nephi 11:37

37 And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in nowise receive these things.

3 Nephi 11:38

38 And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.

The command to repent and be baptized is linked with the innocence of children. In these two verses we have a slightly altered parallelsim:

And again I say unto you,

ye must repent,

and become as a little child,

and be baptized in my name,

or ye can in nowise receive these things.

And again I say unto you,

ye must repent,

and be baptized in my name,

and become as a little child,

or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.

The only thing that saves these two verses from being exact repetitions is the reversal of the order of becoming as a little chilled and the command to be baptized. This order was changed to avoid having direct duplication, but duplication was the intent. This is an important principle, so it is repeated. It is repeated in a slightly different order so that we may know that the repetition is intentional, and for emphasis.

Textual: The New Testament reference for becoming as a child is Matthew 18:2-3

Matthew 18:2-4

2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,

3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

“By becoming his humble followers, we can properly teach our children to follow us as their parents and, in turn, to follow Christ. Our main goal should be to become disciples of Christ in all of our contacts with our children. Becoming his disciples is the foundation of all parenting, and having right hearts is the essence of discipleship. For this reason, the Lord taught that we must "become as a little child" in order to enter his kingdom (see 3 Ne. 11:37). He doesn't want us to be childish, but childlike. It's the heart of a child he wants us to have, because "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh" (Matt. 12:34). A child's heart is "submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love" (Mosiah 3:19). A child's heart is compassionate; it can sympathize with others, sense their needs, and respond to them. With such a heart or with such attitudes and characteristics, we "will not have a mind to injure one another, but to live peaceably" (Mosiah 4:13)”. (Douglas E. Brinley and Daniel K. Judd, Eternal Families [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1996].)

3 Nephi 11:39

39 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.

Textual: The very clear referent for this verse comes from Matthew:

Matthew 16:18

18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

In the Book of Mormon version as well as that of Matthew, we have the three essential elements, a rock, something that is being built, and the gates of hell. Of course the difference between the two is the nature of the “rock.” In Matthew the most obvious reference is to Peter. In the Book of Mormon the “rock” is the gospel. The difference is not nearly as great as it might appear, for while the Matthean phrase appears to be correlated to Peter, it is actually built upon the passage that precedes this one:

Matthew 16:13-17

13 ¶ When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

Of course the thing being built is the church and kingdom. On what should the church be built? In Matthew it is built revelation that Jesus is the Messiah. In the Book of Mormon it is the revealed doctrine of that Messiah.

M’Neile explains:

“In this case the words are addressed to Peter as an individual, not as bishop of Rome. But if he is the ‘rock,’ ταύτη is strange after the direct σύ εί. It would be more natural if the lord were speaking of him in the third person to the other disciples. Nor is it more natural if the ‘rock’ is Jesus Himself. The reference is probably to the truth which the apostle had proclaimed; the fact of the Lord’s Messiahship was to be the immovable bed-rock on which his ‘ecclesia’ would stand secure.” (Alan Hugh M’Neile, D.D. The Gospel According to St. Matthew. Macmillan and Co., LTD. New York, 1961, p. 241).

The next interesting aspect of the passage is the “gates of hell.” This is certainly a known image from the Old World, but not as well known from the New. The gates of hell are the gates that hold in the dead in the land of the dead. When those gates are attacked by the atonement and the resurrection, they will not be able to against the power of the atonement.

3 Nephi 11:40

40 And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them.

Textual: This passage again owes its imagery and vocabulary to Matthew:

Matthew 7:24-27

24 ¶ Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

In the Book of Mormon we have imagery from different sections of Matthew that have been combined. In this case, it is the symbol of the rock that ties the different passages together. While the vocabulary is certainly Matthean, the concept of the difference in a foundation built on rock as opposed to sand would be well understood by a people as adept at building with stone as were the Nephites (and many Mesoamericans). Thus the language may have been influenced by Matthew, but the meaning was completely comprehensible and appropriate in the New World context.

3 Nephi 11:41

41 Therefore, go forth unto this people, and declare the words which I have spoken, unto the ends of the earth.

After the explanation of Christ’s doctrine comes the command to declare it. The value of the doctrine is such that all should understand it, and the command is given to preach that doctrine to others.

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