What does 3 Nephi 19:25 have to do with the priestly blessing in Numbers 6:24–27? Not too long ago, a little silver scroll was found in Jerusalem in a tomb that was excavated. A road crew was digging a highway and excavating a road and uncovered a burial chamber. In the excavation, a small silver scroll was discovered, which had been worn as an amulet around the neck of a young woman who had been buried. The date of the tomb and the script on this scroll was from the 7th Century BC, and on it, written in tiny letters, were the words of the Aaronic Priesthood blessing in Numbers 6:24–27.
This discovery becomes the earliest biblical text that we have. It is verbatim; it is exactly the same as this Hebrew text that has come down to us. This would have been the same text that was on the Brass Plates. And this makes people now rethink much about the dating of that priestly text in particular, but other texts like it as well.
This text, this blessing, was spoken twice every day in the temple in Jerusalem at the time of the daily offering. Morning and night after the offering was given, the high priest would bless all the people. This is a good reason to think that this second-day gathering is again happening at the temple. We do not know what the Savior said. The text does not give us the words, but in 3 Nephi 19:24–25, it says “and it came to pass that Jesus blessed them.” What kind of words would he have used? Here is the traditional high priestly blessing:
Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them. (Numbers 6:23–27)
There are important echoes in the text of 3 Nephi 19 with these words. The Nephite record says: “His countenance did smile upon them and the light of his countenance did shine upon them.” The face of God is emphasized three times in this text. The face, the countenance, is what the ancient blessing was all about: That you may see his face, that he will smile upon you with his face of approval, that you will know that he loves you, that he accepts you. That is the effect of the blessings of the priesthood and of these ordinances, that when they are effective in your life, you will know that the Lord smiles upon you, that he loves you, and that he can and will be gracious and good to you. What greater blessing could there be?
Book of Mormon Central, “Why Did Jesus Allude to the Priestly Blessing in Numbers 6? (3 Nephi 19:25), KnoWhy 212 (October 19, 2016).