Three Disciples to Remain on Earth

Event 171

Reference: 3 Ne. 28:1-40

AND it came to pass when Jesus had said these words, hespake unto his disciples, one by one, saying unto them:MormonSee Mal. 4:1-6Land northwardand landsouthwardA.D. 34What is it that ye desire of me, after that I am gone to the Father?Jesus Christ2 And they all spake, save it were three, saying:MormonWe desire that after we have lived unto the age of man, that ourministry, wherein thou hast called us, may have an end, that wemay speedily come unto thee in thy kingdom.Nine Disciples3 And he said unto them:MormonBlessed are ye because ye desired this thing of me; therefore, afterthat ye are seventy and two years old ye shall come unto me in mykingdom; and with me ye shall find rest.Jesus Christ4 And when he had spoken unto them, he turned himselfunto the three, and said unto them:MormonWhat will ye that I should do unto you, when I am gone unto theFather?Jesus Christ5 And they sorrowed in their hearts, for they durst not speakunto him the thing which they desired. 6 And he said untothem:MormonBehold, I know your thoughts, and ye have desired the thing whichJohn, my beloved, who was with me in my ministry, before that Iwas lifted up by the Jews, desired of me. 7 Therefore, moreblessed are ye, for ye shall never taste of death; but ye shall live tobehold all the doings of the Father unto the children of men, evenuntil all things shall be fulfilled according to the will of the Father,when I shall come in my glory with the powers of heaven.Jesus Christ8 And ye shall never endure the pains of death; but when I shallcome in my glory ye shall be changed in the twinkling of an eyefrom mortality to immortality; and then shall ye be blessed in thekingdom of my Father. 9 And again, ye shall not have pain whileye shall dwell in the flesh, neither sorrow save it be for the sins ofthe world; and all this will I do because of the thing which ye havedesired of me, for ye have desired that ye might bring the souls ofmen unto me, while the world shall stand.10 And for this cause ye shall have fulness of joy; and ye shall sitdown in the kingdom of my Father; yea, your joy shall be full,even as the Father hath given me fulness of joy; and ye shall beeven as I am, and I am even as the Father; and the Father and I are one; 11 And the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me;and the Father giveth the Holy Ghost unto the children of men,because of me.Jesus ChristSee Mal. 4:1-6Land northwardand landsouthwardA.D. 3412 And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken thesewords, he touched every one of them with his finger save itwere the three who were to tarry, and then he departed. 13And behold, the heavens were opened, and they werecaught up into heaven, and saw and heard unspeakablethings. 14 And it was forbidden them that they should utter;neither was it given unto them power that they could utterthe things which they saw and heard; 15 And whether theywere in the body or out of the body, they could not tell; forit did seem unto them like a transfiguration of them, thatthey were changed from this body of flesh into an immortalstate, that they could behold the things of God.Mormon16 But it came to pass that they did again minister upon theface of the earth; nevertheless they did not minister of thethings which they had heard and seen, because of thecommandment which was given them in heaven. 17 Andnow, whether they were mortal or immortal, from the day oftheir transfiguration, I know not; 18 But this much I know,according to the record which hath been given—they did goforth upon the face of the land, and did minister unto all thepeople, uniting as many to the church as would believe intheir preaching; baptizing them, and as many as werebaptized did receive the Holy Ghost.19 And they were cast into prison by them who did notbelong to the church. And the prisons could not hold them,for they were rent in twain. 20 And they were cast down intothe earth; but they did smite the earth with the word of God,insomuch that by his power they were delivered out of thedepths of the earth; and therefore they could not dig pitssufficient to hold them. 21 And thrice they were cast into afurnace and received no harm. 22 And twice were they castinto a den of wild beasts; and behold they did play with thebeasts as a child with a suckling lamb, and received noharm.23 And it came to pass that thus they did go forth among allthe people of Nephi, and did preach the gospel of Christunto all people upon the face of the land; and they wereconverted unto the Lord, and were united unto the church ofChrist, and thus the people of that generation were blessed,according to the word of Jesus. 24 And now I, Mormon, make an end of speakingconcerning these things for a time. 25 Behold, I was about towrite the names of those who were never to taste of death,but the Lord forbade; therefore I write them not, for theyare hid from the world. 26 But behold, I have seen them, andthey have ministered unto me.MormonSee Mal. 4:1-6Land northwardand landsouthwardA.D. 3427 And behold they will be among the Gentiles, and theGentiles shall know them not. 28 They will also be amongthe Jews, and the Jews shall know them not. 29 And it shallcome to pass, when the Lord seeth fit in his wisdom thatthey shall minister unto all the scattered tribes of Israel, andunto all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, and shallbring out of them unto Jesus many souls, that their desiremay be fulfilled, and also because of the convincing powerof God which is in them.30 And they are as the angels of God, and if they shall prayunto the Father in the name of Jesus they can showthemselves unto whatsoever man it seemeth them good. 31Therefore, great and marvelous works shall be wrought bythem, before the great and coming day when all peoplemust surely stand before the judgment-seat of Christ; 32 Yeaeven among the Gentiles shall there be a great andmarvelous work wrought by them, before that judgmentday.33 And if ye had all the scriptures which give an account ofall the marvelous works of Christ, ye would, according tothe words of Christ, know that these things must surelycome. 34 And wo be unto him that will not hearken unto thewords of Jesus, and also to them whom he hath chosen andsent among them; for whoso receiveth not the words ofJesus and the words of those whom he hath sent receivethnot him; and therefore he will not receive them at the lastday; 35 And it would be better for them if they had not beenborn. For do ye suppose that ye can get rid of the justice ofan offended God, who hath been trampled under feet ofmen, that thereby salvation might come?36 And now behold, as I spake concerning those whom theLord hath chosen, yea, even three who were caught up intothe heavens, that I knew not whether they were cleansedfrom mortality to immortality— 37 But behold, since Iwrote, I have inquired of the Lord, and he hath made itmanifest unto me that there must needs be a changewrought upon their bodies, or else it needs be that they must taste of death; 38 Therefore, that they might not taste ofdeath there was a change wrought upon their bodies, thatthey might not suffer pain nor sorrow save it were for thesins of the world.MormonSee Mal. 4:1-6Land northwardand landsouthwardA.D. 3439 Now this change was not equal to that which shall takeplace at the last day; but there was a change wrought uponthem, insomuch that Satan could have no power over them,that he could not tempt them; and they were sanctified inthe flesh, that they were holy, and that the powers of theearth could not hold them.40 And in this state they were to remain until the judgmentday of Christ; and at that day they were to receive a greaterchange, and to be received into the kingdom of the Father togo no more out, but to dwell with God eternally in theheavens.