3 Nephi 19

After Jesus Christ ascended into heaven the crowd dispersed. Every man took his wife and children and returned home. Before darkness fell word spread across the land that Jesus Christ had personally come and ministered to the Nephite people, and that he would return the following day. Throughout the night the word spread further, and many people traveled all night long to be present when Jesus Christ arrived again.

The next morning the crowd gathered around Nephi and the other eleven disciples before breaking into twelve groups. Each of the twelve disciples taught one of the twelve groups. The disciples had them kneel on the ground and pray to the Father in heaven in the name of Jesus Christ. After that the disciples arose and ministered to the people, saying exactly the same words that Jesus Christ had told them to use, the day before. They prayed for what they most desired, that they would receive the Holy Ghost. After prayer the disciples went to the water with the crowd behind them. Nephi was the first to immerse himself in the water to be baptized. Then he baptized all the other disciples.

When the twelve disciples had been baptized the Holy Ghost fell upon them, filling them with his spirit and with his fire. A fire came down from heaven and encircled them, followed by a host of angels who came down and ministered to them. The whole crowd witnessed this spectacle and bore witness of its occurrence. While the angels were ministering to the disciples Jesus Christ himself arrived. He stood amidst the group of disciples and also ministered to them.

Jesus Christ then spoke to the crowd and commanded them to kneel down on the ground again. When everyone was kneeling he commanded his disciples to pray. They prayed to Jesus Christ, calling him their Lord and God.

Jesus then walked a short distance away from his disciples. He bowed down and said, “Thank you Father for giving the Holy Ghost to these disciples that I have chosen. They have been chosen in particular among all the people of the world because of their belief in me. I pray that you will give the Holy Ghost to everyone who believes in their words. You can see that they believe in me and that they pray to me because I am with them. Now I pray on their behalf, in hopes that those who will believe in what they say, will also believe in me. I pray that I may be in them as you, my Father, are in me. I pray that we may be one.”

After Jesus Christ finished praying to his Father he returned to his disciples and found them still praying to him, unceasingly, just as he had told them to do. He blessed and smiled on them as they prayed, and the brilliant light of his appearance shone upon them. In so doing they became as white as the brilliant white of Jesus Christ’s clothing, a whiteness that was brighter than anything on earth.

“Pray on,” Jesus Christ said to them. And they continued praying.

Again Jesus Christ walked a short distance away and separated himself from them. He bowed down again and said, “Thank you Father for purifying those whom I have chosen. I pray for them and also for those who believe their words. I pray that those who have faith in my disciples words may be purified in me just as my disciples have been. I pray for those people of this world that you have given to me. I pray that they may be purified in me, that I may be in them, as you, my Father, are in me. I pray that we may be one, and that I may be glorified in them.”

Having said this Jesus Christ returned to his disciples and still found them praying ceaselessly to him. Jesus Christ smiled on them again, and they were as brilliantly white as he was. He stepped away again and prayed to his Father. He prayed this time in words that cannot be spoken or written. Even so the crowd witnessed this and understood the meaning of these unspeakable words in their hearts.

When he finished praying he again came back to his disciples and said to them, “I have never seen such great faith among all the Jews. I couldn’t show them miracles like these because of their failure to believe. None of them have seen or heard anything as great as what I have shown to you.”