After Christ told the multitude He would be leaving to visit
the lost ten tribes, he looked at the Nephites assembled. They were in tears
and he discerned they wanted Him to remain with them longer.
“Christ’s expansive emotions are also etched in tears of
joy. Modern fabrications can picture the triumph of the Resurrection but offer
no basis for the weeping of a glorified being. Even the canonical Gospels
cautiously disclose Jesus’ mortal tears—only at the triumphal entry and at the
raising of Lazarus, though Paul knew of Jesus’ tears in trial, probably
Gethsemane (Hebrews 5:7). The sorrow of Lazarus’ family and friends
precipitated Jesus’ sorrow (John 11:35–36). Jesus’ empathy for his Nephite
Church was similar. Twice their tears of love and gratitude are mentioned (3
Nephi 17:5, 10), and twice his responsive ‘compassion’ (3 Nephi 17:6–7). In the
midst of their prayers and full faith, and the blessing of their children,
Jesus himself wept after exclaiming, ‘And now behold, my joy is full’ (3 Nephi
17:20–22). In daily life such joyful tears are the release of the long strain
of expectation, the fulfillment of hope. One would hardly expect Jesus to lack
the emotions expressed by idealistic mortals. So a significant dimension of
Third Nephi is the Lord of experience. Christ’s character there has substance
and actuality.”[1]
Seeing the multitude, He was filled with compassion towards
them. He asked them to bring the sick and afflicted to Him. He would heal those brought to Him.
“[D]uring Christ’s visit to the Nephites in the land
Bountiful, beyond the healing he provided to the ‘lame, or blind, or halt, or
maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are
afflicted in any manner’ (3 Nephi 17:7), he taught his disciples that they must
minister to the unworthy with the hope that ‘they will return and repent, and
come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall heal them’ (3 Nephi
18:32).”[2]
He also perceived they desired to see what He had done among
the Jews. It was through their faith they would be healed. “For behold, I am
God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the
same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men
save it be according to their faith” (2 Nephi 27:23).
Here we see the importance of faith. With faith, Christ told them they would be
healed because of their faith. If they
had no faith “God can do no miracle among them; wherefore, he showed not himself
until after their faith” (Ether 12:12).
After the Savior told them to bring the sick forward, they
did so. “For behold, the time cometh,
and is not far distant, that with power, the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth, who
was, and is from all eternity to all eternity, shall come down from heaven
among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay, and shall
go forth amongst men, working mighty miracles, such as healing the sick,
raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, the blind to receive their sight,
and the deaf to hear, and curing all manner of diseases” (Mosiah 3:5).
He would heal all who were afflicted. “The multitude also
included a number of people who were sick, lame, dumb, and blind (see
3 Nephi 17:9). When Jesus healed the sick, at least some of them ‘were
brought forth unto him’ (3 Nephi 17:9). In other words, they had to be
taken to him by others. It is unlikely that these sick and afflicted, some of
whom were dependent on others to get around, would have been present at a
chance meeting of curious survivors. It is more likely that they were brought
by loving relatives to an announced religious gathering at the temple.”[3]
All who were healed, as well as those who were healthy, fell
at the Savior’s feet and worshiped Him.
Many came forth and kissed His feet and bathed them with their tears.
“And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when
she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster
box of ointment,
“And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash
his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed
his feet, and anointed them with the ointment…
“Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I
came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.” (Luke 7:37-38, 45).
“Throughout His mortal life the Savior taught that we should
care for one another and help one another. He healed the sick, caused the lame
to walk, restored sight to the blind, and unstopped the ears of the deaf. He
taught the people the gospel. He blessed the people and performed many mighty
miracles.
“There are opportunities everywhere to help those in need. I
submit to you that at some time in our lives, each of us will be poor in some
way and will need the help of another person. For ‘are we not all beggars?’”[4]
[1] Imitation
Gospels and Christ’s Book of Mormon Ministry, Richard Lloyd Anderson, Reprinted
by permission from C. Wilfred Griggs, ed., Apocryphal
Writings and the Latter-day Saints (Provo:
BYU Religious Studies Center, 1986), 53-107.
[2] “According
to Their Language, unto Their Understanding”: The Cultural Context of
Hierophanies and Theophanies in Latter-day Saint Canon, Mark Alan Wright, Studies in the Bible and Antiquity 3
(2011): 60.
[3] The
Great and Marvelous Change: An Alternate Interpretation, Clifford P. Jones,
Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other
Restoration Scripture 19/2 (2010): 57.
[4] His
Arm Is Sufficient, Sister Barbara Thompson, April 2009 General Conference.
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