III Nephi VIII

17behold now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words he looked round about again on the multitude and he saith unto them behold my time is at hand 2I perceive that ye are weak that ye cannot understand all my words which I am commanded of the Father to speak unto you at this time 3therefore go ye unto your homes and ponder upon the things which I have said and ask of the Father in my name that ye may understand and prepare your minds for the morrow and I come unto you again 4but now I go unto the Father and also to shew myself unto the lost tribes of Israel for they are not lost unto the Father for he knoweth whither he hath taken them 5and it came to pass that when Jesus had thus spoken he cast his eyes round about again on the multitude and behold they were in tears and did look steadfastly upon him as if they would ask him to tarry a little longer with them 6and he saith unto them behold my bowels is filled with compassion towards you 7have ye any that are sick among you bring them hither have ye any that are lame or blind or halt or maimed or leprous or that are withered or that are deaf or that are afflicted in any manner bring them hither and I will heal them for I have compassion upon you my bowels is filled with mercy 8for I perceive that ye desire that I should shew unto you what I have done unto your brethren at Jerusalem for I see that your faith is sufficient that I should heal you 9and it came to pass that when he had thus spoken all the multitude with one accord did go forth with their sick and their afflicted and their lame and with their blind and with their dumb and with all they that were afflicted in any manner and he did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto him 10and they did all both they which had been healed and they which were whole bow down at his feet and did worship him and as many as could come for the multitude did kiss his feet insomuch that they did bathe his feet with their tears 11and it came to pass that he commanded that their little children should be brought 12so they brought their little children and sat them down upon the ground round about him and Jesus stood in the midst and the multitude gave way till they had all been brought unto him 13and it came to pass that when they had all been brought and Jesus stood in the midst he commanded the multitude that they should kneel down upon the ground 14and it came to pass that when they had knelt upon the ground Jesus groaned within himself and saith Father I am troubled because of the wickedness of the people of the house of Israel 15and when he had said these words he himself also knelt upon the earth and behold he prayed unto the Father and the things which he prayed cannot be written and the multitude did bear record which heard him 16and after this manner do they bear record the eye hath never seen neither hath the ear heard before so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak unto the Father 17and no tongue cannot speak neither can there be written by any man neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father 18and it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying unto the Father he arose but so great was the joy of the multitude that they were overcome 19and it came to pass that Jesus spake unto them and bade them arise 20and they arose from the earth and he saith unto them blessed are ye because of your faith and now behold my joy is full 21and when he had said these words he wept and the multitude bare record of it and he took their children one by one and blessed them and prayed unto the Father for them 22and when he had done this he wept again 23and he spake unto the multitude and saith unto them behold your little ones 24and as they looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven and they saw the heavens open and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire and they came down and encircled those little ones about and they were encircled about with fire and the angels did minister unto them 25and the multitude did see and hear and bear record and they know that their record is true for they all of them did see and hear every man for himself and they were in number about two thousand and five hundred souls and they did consist of men women and children 18and it came to pass that Jesus commanded his disciples that they should bring forth some bread and wine unto him 2and while they were gone for bread and wine he commanded the multitude that they should sit themselves down upon the earth 3and when the disciples had come with bread and wine he took of the bread and brake and blessed it and he gave unto the disciples and commanded that they should eat 4and when they had eat and were filled he commanded that they should give unto the multitude 5and when the multitude had eaten and were filled he saith unto the disciples behold there shall one be ordained among you and to him will I give power that he shall break bread and bless it and give it unto the people of my church unto all they which shall believe and be baptized in my name 6and this shall ye always observe to do even as I have done even as I have broken bread and blessed it and gave it unto you 7and this shall ye do in remembrance of my body which I have shewn unto you and it shall be a testimony unto the Father that ye do always remember me and if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you 8and it came to pass that when he had said these words he commanded his disciples that they should take of the wine of the cup and drink of it and that they should also give unto the multitude that they might drink of it 9and it came to pass that they did so and did drink of it and were filled and they gave unto the multitude and they did drink and they were filled 10and when the disciples had done this Jesus saith unto them blessed are ye for this thing which ye have done for this is fulfilling my commandments and this doth witness unto the Father that ye are willing to do that which I have commanded you 11and this shall ye always do unto those who repent and are baptized in my name and ye shall do it in remembrance of my blood which I have shed for you that ye may witness unto the Father that ye do always remember me and if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you 12and I give unto you a commandment that ye shall do these things and if ye shall always do these things blessed are ye for ye are built upon my rock 13but whoso among you shall do more or less than these are not built upon my rock but are built upon a sandy foundation and when the rain descends and the floods come and the winds blow and beat upon them they shall fall and the gates of hell is already open to receive them 14therefore blessed are ye if ye shall keep my commandments which the Father hath commanded me that I should give unto you 15verily verily I say unto you ye must watch and pray always lest ye be tempted by the devil and ye are led away captive by him 16and as I have prayed among you even so shall ye pray in my church among my people which do repent and are baptized in my name behold I am the light I have set an example before you 17and it came to pass that when Jesus had spake these words unto his disciples he turned again unto the multitude and saith unto them 18behold verily verily I say unto you ye must watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation for Satan desireth to have you that he may sift you as wheat 19therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name 20and whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name which is right believing that ye shall receive and behold it shall be given unto you 21pray in your families unto the Father always in my name that your wives and your children may be blessed 22and behold ye shall meet together oft and ye shall not forbid any man from coming unto you when ye shall meet together but suffer them that they may come unto you and forbid them not 23but ye shall pray for them and shall not cast them out and if it so be that they come unto you oft ye shall pray for them unto the Father in my name 24therefore hold up your light that it may shine unto the world behold I am the light which ye shall hold up that which ye have seen me do behold ye see that I have prayed unto the Father and ye all have witnessed 25and ye see that I have commanded that none of you should go away but rather have commanded that ye should come unto me that ye might feel and see even so shall ye do unto the world and whosoever breaketh this commandment suffereth himself to be led into temptation 26and now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words he turned his eyes again upon the disciples whom he had chosen and saith unto them 27behold verily verily I say unto you I give unto you another commandment and then I must go unto my Father that I may fulfill other commandments which he hath given me 28and now behold this is the commandment which I give unto you that ye shall not suffer any one knowingly to partake of my flesh and blood unworthily when ye shall minister it 29for whoso eateth and drinketh my flesh and blood unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to his soul therefore if ye know that a man is unworthy to eat and drink of my flesh and blood ye shall forbid him 30nevertheless ye shall not cast him out from among you but ye shall minister unto him and shall pray for him unto the Father in my name and if it so be that he repenteth and is baptized in my name then shall ye receive him and shall minister unto him of my flesh and blood 31but if he repenteth not he shall not be numbered among my people that he may not destroy my people for behold I know my sheep and they are numbered 32nevertheless ye shall not cast him out of your synagogues or your places of worship for unto such shall ye continue to minister for ye know not but what they will return and repent and come unto me with full purpose of heart and I shall heal them and ye shall be the means of bringing salvation unto them 33therefore keep these sayings which I have commanded you that ye come not under condemnation for woe unto him whom the Father condemneth 34and I give you these commandments because of the disputations which hath been among you beforetimes and blessed are ye if ye have no disputations among you 35and now I go unto the Father because it is expedient that I should go unto the Father for your sakes 36and it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of these sayings he touched with his hand the disciples whom he had chosen one by one even until he had touched them all and spake unto them as he touched them 37and the multitude heard not the words which he spake therefore they did not bear record but the disciples bare record that he gave them power to give the Holy Ghost and I will shew unto you hereafter that this record is true 38and it came to pass that when Jesus had touched them all there came a cloud and overshadowed the multitude that they could not see Jesus 39and while they were overshadowed he departed from them and ascended into heaven and the disciples saw and did bear record that he ascended again into heaven