Worthy of highest celebrationare the words and events recorded in the sacred book of 3 Nephi, the pinnacle of the Book of Mormon. This text truly documents one of the most glorious and crowning moments in all of history. The more I study the book of 3 Nephi, the more I come to see it as the Holy of Holies of the Book of Mormon, and the more I come to appreciate it metaphorically as the most sacred inner chamber of the Nephite record.
The book of 3 Nephi opens to view the most sublime public experiences ever enjoyed by Lehi’s branch of the house of Israel. 3 Nephi allows attentive readers a glimpse at the temple in Bountiful, the radiant appearance of the resurrected Savior and Redeemer, the Creator of all things from the beginning. Indeed, it would seem that everything in 3 Nephi has been composed to echo and to call to mind the solemnity of the presence of the Lord, which was traditionally associated in ancient Israel with Jehovah’s appearance in the inner sanctum of the temple, his holy house.
It gives hope for the resurrection and subsequently for entering into the Celestial Kingdom. Mormon knew that Jesus could conquer death, an essential part of the atonement of Jesus Christ, because Mormon had seen the three Nephites. When Jesus blessed the three Nephites, it demonstrated that Jesus had power over life and death. This book is not only a theological treatise but also an action-filled record in which amazing things happened. It is visual in nature, as Jesus heals people, lets them touch him, and blesses the children, and it has a universal message of love.
B. H. Roberts once said that in order for the truth to be known, it must be articulated, and the clearer the truth is articulated, the more able the Holy Ghost will be to bear testimony of its truth. As one progresses through the Book of Mormon, one gets closer and closer to the inner-sanctum of the temple, in the Holy of Holies. All that has gone before is a prelude to, and a preparation for, bringing the people and the readers to that point where they could stand with prophets and priests in the presence of God.
Several General Authorities have spoken about 3 Nephi. President N. Eldon Tanner said:
Nowhere in scriptures do we have a more beautiful or detailed record of God’s dealings with man. This will do more than anything else to bring peace and happiness to the world and to the individual seeking such a way of life.
He concluded, “3 Nephi gives us additional information in more detail than the Four Gospels in the New Testament, and preserves the doctrines, teaching, and compassion of the Lord.”
President Ezra Taft Benson said, “It is clear that 3 Nephi contains some of the most moving and powerful passages in all of scripture. It testifies of Jesus Christ, his prophets, and the doctrines of salvation.” He encouraged discussion of its sacred contents to determine how readers can liken the teachings unto themselves and apply them.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said:
That appearance and that declaration constituted the focal point, the supreme moment in the entire history of the Book of Mormon. This was the day that everyone had talked of, they had sung of, dreamed of, and prayed for, that he was actually there. The day of days, the God who turns every dark night into morning light had arrived. We have called it the crowning jewel of the Book of Mormon.”
Robert J. Matthews, a former professor of Ancient Scripture at BYU said, “Third Nephi offers greater insight into the activity and scope of Jesus’ work than that found in the Bible alone.”
Neal A. Lambert, a Professor at BYU offered a beautiful statement:
Any study of the Book of Mormon must acknowledge the remarkable complexity and sophistication of this unique book. We must assume that the selection and arrangement of the words and events are not random or accidental, but rather ordered and intentional, giving to the text an integrity that invites careful consideration and analysis, even when it may not follow our usual expectations. To put it in other words, 3 Nephi is not only remarkably complex, but also remarkably efficient.
Ed J. Pinegar calls it a “resplendent portrait of what it means to live the gospel, to enjoy the blessings of bringing souls to him and to know the happiness that can come alone from the love of God and obedience to his commandments.”
That was just a small sample of statements that aim to define what a beautiful, amazing book this is. 3 Nephi is the word of God. It reports truly the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the events that those people were blessed with, and the promises that everyone can have equally.
Book of Mormon Central, “Why Has 3 Nephi Been Called ‘the Focal Point, the Supreme Moment’ in the Book of Mormon?” (3 Nephi 11:10),” KnoWhy 201 (October 4, 2016).
John W. Welch, “Seeing Third Nephi as the Holy of Holies of the Book of Mormon,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 19, no. 1, (2010): 36.
N. Eldon Tanner, “Christ in America,” General Conference (April 1975).
Ezra Taft Benson, “The Savior’s Visit to America,” General Conference (April 1987).
Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant: The Messianic Message of the Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book Company, 2009), 250–251.
Robert J. Matthews, “Jesus the Savior in 3 Nephi,” in The Book of Mormon: 3 Nephi 9–30, This Is My Gospel, ed. Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate Jr. (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1993), 25–39.
Neal A. Lambert, “The Symbolic Unity of Christ’s Ministry in 3 Nephi,” in The Book of Mormon: 3 Nephi 9–30, This Is My Gospel, ed. Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate Jr. (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1993), 195–209.
Ed J. Pinegar, Teachings and Commentary on the Book of Mormon (American Fork, UT: Covenant Communications, 2003).