3 Nephi 18

Jesus Christ asked his disciples to bring him some bread and wine. Then he asked the Nephites to sit on the ground. When the disciples returned he took the bread, broke it with his hands, and blessed it. He gave some of the broken bread to each of his disciples and asked them to eat it. He then asked the disciples to go out among the crowd and give each of them some bread also.

After everyone had received and eaten their bread he said to his disciples, “I will ordain one of you with the power to break the bread, bless it, and give if to the people of my church who are baptized in my name. I want you to break the bread, bless it, and give it out just as you have seen me do. Do this in remembrance of my body that I have shown to you. This is meant as a testimony to my Father that you always remember me. As long as you remember me you will have my Spirit with you.”

Jesus Christ then asked his disciples to drink the wine that they had brought to him in a cup. He asked that they also give wine to the crowd to drink in the same way.

After the disciples and the crowd had all tasted the wine he said to his disciples, “You are blessed because of your actions. By fulfilling my commandments you bear witness to my Father that you are willing to abide by my instructions. Give wine in this way to those who repent and are baptized in my name, in remembrance of my blood that I have shed for you. When you do this you bear witness to my Father, that you always remember me. As long as you remember me you will have my Spirit with you.

“I give you this commandment to do these things. If you do as I have commanded, you will be blessed, because in doing so you demonstrate that you are built upon my rock. Any of you who do more or less than this are not built upon my rock, but are built upon a sandy foundation that will fall down when the rain arrives, when the floods come, and when the winds blow. When you fall, the gates of hell are open to receive you.

“You will be blessed only if you keep the commandments that my Father has told me to give you. You must always watch out and pray or else the devil’s temptations will take you captive. Just as I have prayed amongst you, I ask that you pray in my church among my people who repent and are baptized in my name. I am the light and this is my example to you.”

After saying these words to his disciples, Jesus Christ turned to the crowd and said, “You must always watch out and pray because Satan wants to have you. He wants to harvest your souls like so much wheat. You must always pray to my Father in my name. If you want something from my Father, ask for it in my name. If it is right, and if you believe that you will receive it, it will be given to you. Pray for your families in my name, and your wives and children will be blessed.

“I want you to meet together often and not prevent any man from joining you in your meetings. Invite everyone, pray for them, and do not cast them out. If they come, pray for them in my name and in the name of my Father. Hold up your light so that it may shine for the world to see. I am the light that you will hold up. Do as you have seen me do, and pray to my Father. You have seen that I have asked all of you to come to me, to feel me, and to see me. This is what I want you to do in the world. Whoever breaks this commandment will surely be led into temptation.”

Jesus Christ turned once again to his disciples, and said, “I will give you one more commandment and then I must go to my Father to fulfill other commandments he has given to me. Do not allow anyone to knowingly take the bread and wine that represent my body and blood if they are unworthy. Those who eat and drink my flesh and blood, and aren’t worthy of it, will eat and drink damnation of their soul. If you know a man is unworthy to eat and drink my flesh and blood you must forbid it. Even so, you must not cast him out from among you. You must pray to my Father for him, and if he repents and is baptized in my name, then you should give him my flesh and blood. If he doesn’t repent, he will not be counted among my people because he might destroy them. I know all of my sheep, and all of them are counted. Do not cast him out of your churches or your places of worship, or stop ministering to him. They may yet repent and come to me with clean hearts. If they do, I will heal them and you will be the means of bringing salvation to them.

“Keep these commandments so that you will not be condemned, because pity to the man who my Father condemns. I give you these commandments because of the conflicts that have arisen among your people in the past, but if there are no conflicts among you, you will be blessed. Now I must go to my Father.”

When Jesus Christ finished speaking he touched each of his chosen disciples with his hand, one by one, and spoke something to each of them. The crowds didn’t hear what he said, but the disciples testified that he gave them the power to give the Holy Ghost. Later, I will show you that this is true.

After Jesus Christ touched each of the disciples, a great cloud came and overshadowed the crowd so they couldn’t see him. While he was hidden from sight he ascended back into heaven.