3 Nephi 28
1 And it came to pass when Jesus had said these words, he spake unto his
disciples, one by one, saying unto them: What is it that ye desire of me, after
that I am gone to the Father?
2 And they all spake, save it were three, saying: We desire that after we
have lived unto the age of man, that our ministry, wherein thou hast called
us, may have an end, that we may speedily come unto thee in thy kingdom.
3 And he said unto them: Blessed are ye because ye desired this thing of me;
therefore, after that ye are seventy and two years old ye shall come unto me
in my kingdom; and with me ye shall find rest.
4 And when he had spoken unto them, he turned himself unto the three, and
said unto them: What will ye that I should do unto you, when I am gone unto
the Father?
5 And they sorrowed in their hearts, for they durst not speak unto him the
things which they desired.
6 And he said unto them: Behold, I know your thoughts, and ye have
desired the thing which John, my beloved, who was with me in my ministry,
before that I was lifted up by the Jews, desired of me.
7 Therefore, more blessed are ye, for ye shall never taste of death; but ye
shall live to behold all the doings of the Father unto the children of men, even
until all things shall be fulfilled according to the will of the Father, when I
shall come in my glory with the powers of heaven.
8 And ye shall never endure the pains of death; but when I shall come in my
glory ye shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye from mortality to
immortality; and then shall ye be blessed in the kingdom of my Father.
9 And again, ye shall not have pain while ye shall dwell in the flesh, neither
sorrow save it be for the sins of the world; and all this will I do because of
the thing which ye have desired of me, for ye have desired that ye might
bring the souls of men unto me, while the world shall stand.
10 And for this cause ye shall have fulness of joy; and ye shall sit down 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 be even 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.
12 And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words, he touched
every one of them with his finger save it were the three who were to tarry,
and then he departed.
13 And behold, the heavens were opened, and they were caught up into
heaven, and saw and heard unspeakable things.
14 And it was forbidden them that they should utter; neither was it given
unto them power that they could utter the things which they saw and heard;
15 And whether they were in the body or out of the body, they could not
tell; for it did seem unto them like a transfiguration of them, that they were
changed from this body of flesh into an immortal state, that they could
behold the things of God.
16 But it came to pass that they did again minister upon the face of the
earth; nevertheless they did not minister of the things which they had heard
and seen, because of the commandment which was given them in heaven.
17 And now, whether they were mortal or immortal, from the day of their
transfiguration, I know not;
18 But this much I know, according to the record which hath been given —
they did go forth upon the face of the land, and did minister unto all the
people, uniting as many to the church as would believe in their preaching;
baptizing them, and as many as were baptized did receive the Holy Ghost.
19 And they were cast into prison by them who did not belong to the
church. And the prisons could not hold them, for they were rent in twain.
20 And they were cast down into the earth; but they did smite the earth with
the word of God, insomuch that by his power they were delivered out of the
depths of the earth; and therefore they could not dig pits sufficient to hold
them.
21 And thrice they were cast into a furnace and received no hard.
22 And twice were they cast into a den of wild beasts; and behold they did
play with the beasts as a child with a suckling lamb, and received no harm.
23 And it came to pass that thus they did go forth among all the people of
Nephi, and did preach the gospel of Christ unto all people upon the face of
the land; and they were converted unto the Lord, and were united unto the
church of Christ, and thus the people of that generation were blessed,
according to the word of Jesus.
24 And now I, Mormon, make an end of speaking concerning these things
for a time.
25 Behold, I was about to write the names of those who were never to taste
of death, but the Lord forbade; therefore I write them not, for they are hid
from the world.
26 But behold, I have seen them, and they have ministered unto me.
27 And behold they will be among the Gentiles, and the Gentiles shall know
them not.
28 They will also be among the Jews, and the Jews shall know them not.
29 And it shall come to pass, when the Lord seeth fit in his wisdom that they
shall minister unto all the scattered tribes of Israel, and unto all nations,
kindreds, tongues and people, and shall bring out of them unto Jesus many
souls, that their desire may be fulfilled, and also because of the convincing
power of God which is in them.
30 And they are as the angels of God, and if they shall pray unto the Father
in the name of Jesus they can show themselves unto whatsoever man it
seemeth them good.
31 Therefore, great and marvelous works shall be wrought by them, before
the great and coming day when all people must surely stand before the
judgment-seat of Christ;
32 Yea even among the Gentiles shall there be a great and marvelous work
wrought by them, before that judgment day.
33 And if ye had all the scriptures which give an account of all the
marvelous works of Christ, ye would, according to the words of Christ,
know that these things must surely come.
34 And wo be unto him that will not hearken unto the words of Jesus, and
also to them whom he hath chosen and sent among them; for whoso
receiveth not the words of Jesus and the words of those whom he hath sent
receiveth not him; and therefore he will not receive them at the last day;
35 And it would be better for them if they had not been born. For do ye
suppose that ye can get rid of the justice of an offended God, who hath been
trampled under feet of men, that thereby salvation might come?
36 And now behold, as I spake concerning those whom the Lord hath
chosen, yea, even three who were caught up into the heavens, that I knew
not whether they were cleansed from mortality to immortality —
37 But behold, since I wrote, I have inquired of the Lord, and he hath made
it manifest unto me that there must needs be a change wrought upon their
bodies, or else it needs be that they must taste of death;
38 Therefore, that they might not taste of death there was a change wrought
upon their bodies, that they might not suffer pain nor sorrow save it were for
the sins of the world.
39 Now this change was not equal to that which shall take place at the last
day; but there was a change wrought upon them, insomuch that Satan could
have no power over them, that he could not tempt them; and they were
sanctified in the flesh, that they were holy, and that the powers of the earth
could not hold them.
40 And in this state they were to remain until the judgment day of Christ;
and at that day they were to receive a greater change, and to be received into
the kingdom of the Father to go no more out, but to dwell eternally in the
heavens.