Christ has returned to minister to the Nephites. The
multitude had been kneeling and praying, but they stood in His presence. He
commanded to once again kneel.
When all had kneeled, He commanded the disciples to pray. They
began their prayer, praying to Jesus, calling Him Lord and their God. While
they prayed, the Savior went off and knelled and began to pray.
He thanked the Father for given the twelve the gift of the
Holy Ghost because of their faith and belief. He asked the Father to give all
who believed in Him the gift of the Holy Ghost.
He continued His prayer for his twelve and all who believe
in their words. He wanted them to “believe in me, that I may be in them as
thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one” (3 Nephi 19:23).
“And as in John 17, he sought for the conversion and
faithfulness of the pure in heart (3 Nephi 19:23, 28). The above petitions go
beyond the exemplary prayer of the Sermon on the Mount and the ceremonial
prayer establishing the sacrament of bread and wine in portraying a personality
of breadth, a challenging likeness of the Lord.”[1]
4 And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus prayed unto
the Father, he came unto his disciples, and behold, they did still continue,
without ceasing, to pray unto him; and they did not multiply many words, for it
was given unto them what they should pray, and they were filled with desire.
When He had finished His prayer to the Father, He returned
and saw His disciples were still praying.
“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they
think that they shall be heard for their much speaking” (Matthew 6:7).
“The most meaningful and spiritual prayers I have
experienced contained many expressions of thanks and few, if any, requests. As
I am blessed now to pray with apostles and prophets, I find among these
modern-day leaders of the Savior’s Church the same characteristic that
describes Captain Moroni in the Book of Mormon: these are men whose hearts
swell with thanksgiving to God for the many privileges and blessings which He
bestows upon His people (see Alma 48:12). Also, they do not multiply many
words, for it is given unto them what they should pray, and they are filled
with desire (see 3 Nephi 19:24). The prayers of prophets are childlike in their
simplicity and powerful because of their sincerity.”[2]
They were given what they should say and they prayed with a
heart filled with desire. “And now, because thou hast done this with such
unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty
in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be
done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is
contrary to my will” (Helaman 10:5).
“He that asketh in the Spirit asketh according to the will
of God” (D&C 46:30).
“When the resurrected Savior viewed his devout followers
engaged in prayer, "they did not multiply many words, for it was given
unto them what they should pray, and they were filled with desire" (3
Nephi 19:24). Inspired prayers do not require the multiplying of words. Rather,
true petitioners are "filled with desire." This role of
"desire" in discipleship is likewise another topic for another time.
Can God give us desire or is it something only we can bring to the altar of
faith?”[3]
He blessed them as they prayed to Him. His countenance
shined on them. By smiling at them, the shine of His countenance was passed to
them. We read, His countenance “did
exceed all whiteness, yea, even there could be nothing upon the earth so white
as the whiteness thereof” (3 Nephi 16:25).
“After His Resurrection, Jesus Christ visited His other
sheep. He called and ordained twelve disciples, and with that authority, they
ministered to the people. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself stood among them. The
Lord asked them to kneel and pray. I am not sure if the newly called and
ordained twelve disciples were overwhelmed with their calling, but the
scripture says, ‘It came to pass that Jesus blessed them as they did pray unto
him; and his countenance did smile upon them, and the light of his countenance
did shine upon them.’”[4]
Divine messenger, sent from God, shine with blinding
whiteness. It represents righteous
power. It also represents purity in spirit. Describing the whiteness of the
Savior or His divine servants is always mentioned in the scriptures and in
other records.
“There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? Lord,
lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us” (Psalms 4:6).
“Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant,
and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is
desolate, for the Lord’s sake” (Daniel 9:17).
“And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as
the sun, and his raiment was white as the light” (Matthew 17:2).
“But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in
stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly
behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to
be done away” (2 Corinthians 3:7).
“For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when
there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased” (2 Peter 1:17).
[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] Pray
Always, Elder David A. Bednar, October 2008 General Conference.
[3] King
Benjamin's Sermon: A Manual for Discipleship, Elder Neal A. Maxwell, Reprinted
from John W. Welch and Stephen D. Ricks, eds., King Benjamin's Speech: “That Ye May Learn Wisdom” (Provo, Utah:
FARMS, 1998), 1—22.
[4] Tested
and Tempted—but Helped, Elder Hugo Montoya, October 2015 General
Conference.
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