Sixteen Stones on the Mountain
The brother of Jared climbed the mountain they called Shelem—named for how high it stood. He’d prepared eight vessels for the journey, and now he carried sixteen small stones up with him. He’d melted them from rock until they were white and clear as glass. At the top of the mountain, he cried out to the Lord:
'Lord, you’ve told us we have to cross these floodwaters. Please don’t be angry with me for my weakness. I know you’re holy and live in heaven, and we’re not worthy to stand before you. Ever since the fall, our nature has been bent toward evil. But you’ve commanded us to call on you, so we can receive what we need.' 'You struck us down because of our sins and drove us out. We’ve been wandering in the wilderness for years now. But you’ve been merciful to us. Lord, look at me with compassion. Turn your anger away from your people. Don’t make them cross this raging ocean in darkness. Look at these stones I’ve melted from the rock.' 'I know you have all power. You can do whatever you want for our good. So touch these stones with your finger and prepare them to shine in the darkness. Let them give us light in the vessels we’ve made, so we can see as we cross the sea.' 'You can do this. We know you’re able to show great power—power that seems small to us because we don’t understand.'
The Lord’s Finger
When the brother of Jared finished speaking, the Lord reached out his hand and touched the stones, one by one, with his finger. In that moment, the veil was pulled back from the brother of Jared’s eyes. He saw the Lord’s finger—and it looked like a human finger, with flesh and blood. He fell to the ground, overcome with fear.
The Lord saw him lying there and said, 'Get up. Why have you fallen?'
He answered, 'I saw your finger, and I was afraid you might strike me down. I didn’t know you had flesh and blood.'
The Lord said, 'Because of your faith, you’ve seen that I will take on flesh and blood. No one has ever come before me with faith as great as yours. If they had, they would have seen my finger too. Did you see more than this?'
He answered, 'No, Lord. Show yourself to me.'
The Lord said, 'Will you believe the words I’m about to speak?'
He answered, 'Yes, Lord. I know you speak the truth. You’re a God of truth—you can’t lie.'
Jesus Reveals Himself
Then the Lord revealed himself and said, 'Because you know these things, you’re redeemed from the fall. You’re brought back into my presence. That’s why I’m showing myself to you.'
'I’m the one who was prepared from the foundation of the world to save my people. I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me, all people will have light forever—everyone who believes in my name. They’ll become my sons and daughters.'
'I’ve never shown myself to anyone I’ve created, because no one has believed in me the way you have. Do you see that you’re created in my image? All people were created in my image from the beginning.'
'This body you’re looking at now is my spiritual body. I created people to look like my spiritual body. Just as I’m appearing to you in the spirit, I will appear to my people in the flesh.'
Moroni’s Commentary
Now I, Moroni, can’t give a full account of everything written here, so I’ll just say this: Jesus showed himself to this man in the spirit—in the same form and likeness he would later show himself to the Nephites.
He ministered to him just as he ministered to the Nephites. Through all the great works the Lord showed him, this man came to know he was God.
Because of what he knew, he couldn’t be kept from seeing beyond the veil. When he saw the finger of Jesus, he fell down in fear—because he knew it was the Lord’s finger. His faith turned into something more—he knew, without any doubt.
With this perfect knowledge of God, nothing could keep him from seeing beyond the veil. So he saw Jesus, and Jesus ministered to him.
Sealed Until the Proper Time
Then the Lord said to the brother of Jared, 'Don’t let what you’ve seen and heard go out into the world until the time comes when I glorify my name in the flesh. Keep these things to yourself. Don’t show them to anyone.'
'When you come to me, write these things down and seal them up so no one can interpret them. Write them in a language that can’t be read.'
'I’m giving you these two stones. Seal them up along with the things you write.'
'I’ve made the language you’ll write in impossible to understand. But in my own time, I’ll make these stones work like magnifying glasses, so people can read what you’ve written.'
A Vision of All Things
After the Lord said this, he showed the brother of Jared all the people who had ever lived on earth, and all who would live. The Lord held nothing back from his sight—not even to the ends of the earth.
The Lord had told him before: if he would believe, the Lord could show him everything. And so the Lord couldn’t hold anything back from him, because this man knew the Lord could show him all things.
The Lord said, 'Write these things down and seal them up. In my own time, I’ll reveal them to the world.'
Then the Lord commanded him to seal up the two stones he’d received and not show them to anyone until the Lord would reveal them to the world.
Influences
- 3:1 — Revelation 21:21 (KJV)And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
- 3:4 — John 11:22 (KJV)But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
- 3:9 — Philemon 1:6 (KJV)That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.
- 3:12 — John 11:27 (KJV)She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
- 3:13 — Acts 28:29 (KJV)And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.
- 3:14 — Acts 10:21 (KJV)Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come?
- 3:14 — Matthew 13:35 (KJV)That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.
- 3:14 — Acts 22:8 (KJV)And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.
- 3:17 — Revelation 22:19 (KJV)And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
- 3:17 — Ephesians 3:6 (KJV)That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
- 3:19 — Acts 11:12 (KJV)And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house:
- 3:20 — Acts 24:22 (KJV)And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of that way, he deferred them, and said, When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter.
- 3:20 — Luke 8:28 (KJV)When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.
- 3:21 — Matthew 18:7 (KJV)Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
- 3:21 — John 16:2 (KJV)They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
- 3:21 — Luke 7:22 (KJV)Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.
- 3:24 — Matthew 4:3 (KJV)And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
- 3:25 — Daniel 4:35 (KJV)And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?