3 Nephi 28

What Do You Want?

After Jesus said these things, he spoke to his disciples one at a time, asking each one, 'What do you want from me before I return to the Father?' All but three answered, 'We want to finish our ministry after living a full life, and then come quickly to be with you in your kingdom.' He said to them, 'You’re blessed because you asked for this. When you’re seventy-two years old, you’ll come to me in my kingdom, and you’ll find rest with me.'

When he finished speaking to them, he turned to the three and asked, 'What do you want me to do for you when I go to the Father?' Their hearts were heavy. They didn’t dare tell him what they wanted. He said to them, 'I know what you’re thinking. You want the same thing John, my beloved disciple, asked of me during my ministry, before the Jews crucified me.' 'So you’ll be even more blessed. You’ll never die, but you’ll live to see everything the Father does for humanity until it’s all fulfilled—until I return in glory with the powers of heaven.' 'You’ll never feel the pain of death. When I come in my glory, you’ll be changed in an instant—from mortal to immortal. Then you’ll be blessed in my Father’s kingdom.' 'And you’ll have no pain while you live in the flesh, no sorrow except for the world’s sins. I’ll do all this because of what you asked. You wanted to keep bringing people to me as long as the world lasts.' 'This will give you complete joy. You’ll be seated in my Father’s kingdom. Your joy will be full, just as the Father has given me complete joy. You’ll be like me, and I’m like the Father—the Father and I are one.' 'The Holy Spirit testifies of both the Father and me. The Father gives the Holy Spirit to all people because of me.'

Caught Up to Heaven

When Jesus finished speaking, he touched each one of them with his finger—except the three who would remain—and then he left. The heavens opened, and the nine were caught up into heaven. They saw and heard things beyond words. They were forbidden to speak about it. They weren’t given power to describe what they saw and heard. They couldn’t tell if they were in their bodies or outside them. It felt like they’d been transformed—changed from flesh into an immortal state where they could see the things of God. Later, they came back down to earth and continued their ministry. But they didn’t teach about what they’d heard and seen, because they’d been commanded not to in heaven.

The Three Disciples’ Ministry

I don’t know if the three were mortal or immortal from the day they were transformed. But I know this from the record: they traveled across the land and taught all the people. They brought many into the church who believed their preaching and baptized them. Everyone who was baptized received the Holy Spirit. People who didn’t belong to the church threw them into prison. But the prisons couldn’t hold them—the walls split apart. They were thrown into the earth. But they struck the ground with God’s word, and by his power they were delivered from the depths. So their enemies couldn’t dig pits deep enough to hold them. Three times they were thrown into a furnace and came out unharmed. Twice they were thrown into a den of wild animals. But the beasts played with them like a child playing with a lamb, and they weren’t hurt. So they traveled among all the Nephites, preaching the gospel of Christ to everyone in the land. People were converted to the Lord and united with Christ’s church. That generation was blessed, just as Jesus promised.

Mormon’s Testimony

I, Mormon, will stop speaking about these things for now.

I was about to write the names of those who would never die, but the Lord wouldn’t let me. So I won’t write their names—they’re hidden from the world. But I’ve seen them, and they’ve ministered to me. They’ll be among the Gentiles, and the Gentiles won’t recognize them. They’ll also be among the Jews, and the Jews won’t know who they are.

When the Lord sees fit, they’ll minister to all the scattered tribes of Israel and to all nations, peoples, languages, and cultures. They’ll bring many people to Jesus, fulfilling their desire. And they’ll succeed because God’s convincing power is in them. They’re like God’s angels. If they pray to the Father in Jesus' name, they can appear to anyone they choose. Great and marvelous things will be done by them before the great day comes when everyone must stand before Christ’s judgment seat. Even among the Gentiles, they’ll perform great and marvelous work before that judgment day. If you had all the scriptures describing Christ’s marvelous works, you’d know from his own words that these things must happen.

Trouble awaits those who won’t listen to Jesus' words or to the people he’s chosen and sent. Whoever rejects Jesus' words and the words of those he’s sent rejects him. So he won’t receive them on the last day. It would be better if they’d never been born. Do you really think you can escape the justice of an offended God—a God who’s been trampled underfoot so that salvation could come?

The Nature of Their Change

Now, about those three the Lord chose—the ones caught up into heaven—I said earlier that I didn’t know if they were changed from mortal to immortal. Since I wrote that, I asked the Lord about it. He showed me that their bodies had to be changed. Otherwise they would have to die. So to keep them from dying, their bodies were changed so they wouldn’t suffer pain or sorrow, except for the world’s sins. This change wasn’t the same as what will happen on the last day. But they were changed enough that Satan had no power over them. He couldn’t tempt them. They were made holy in the flesh, so that nothing on earth could hold them. They would remain in this state until Christ’s judgment day. On that day they’ll receive an even greater change and be welcomed into the Father’s kingdom, never to leave again—dwelling with God forever in heaven.