3 Nephi 18

Jesus Gives the Sacrament

Jesus told his disciples to bring some bread and wine to him. While they were gone to get the bread and wine, he told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When the disciples came back with the bread and wine, he took the bread and broke it. He blessed it. Then he gave it to the disciples and told them to eat. When they had eaten enough, he told them to give some to the crowd.

When the crowd had eaten enough, he said to the disciples: 'One of you will be chosen to do this. I will give him power to break bread and bless it. He will give it to the people in my church. He will give it to everyone who believes and is baptized in my name.' 'Always do this the way I have done it. I broke the bread and blessed it. Then I gave it to you.' 'Do this to remember my body. I have shown it to you. This will show the Father that you always remember me. If you always remember me, you will have my Spirit with you.'

After he said this, he told his disciples to take the cup of wine and drink it. He also told them to give it to the crowd so they could drink it too. They did this. They drank from it until they had enough. Then they gave it to the crowd. The crowd drank until they had enough.

When the disciples had done this, Jesus said to them: 'God blesses you for this. You are following my commandments. This shows the Father that you are willing to do what I have told you.' 'Always do this for people who turn from their sins and are baptized in my name. Do it to remember my blood that I shed for you. This shows the Father that you always remember me. If you always remember me, you will have my Spirit with you.'

'I tell you to do these things. If you always do them, God blesses you. You are built on my rock.' 'But anyone who does more or less than these things is not built on my rock. They are built on sand. When the rain comes down and the floods come and the winds blow and beat against them, they will fall. The gates of hell are already open to receive them.' 'God blesses you if you keep my commandments. The Father told me to give these commandments to you.'

Watch and Pray Always

'I tell you the truth: You must watch and pray all the time. If you don’t, the devil will tempt you. He will lead you away as his prisoner.' 'I have prayed with you. Pray this same way in my church. Pray with my people who turn from their sins and are baptized in my name. I am the light. I have set an example for you.'

After Jesus spoke these words to his disciples, he turned back to the crowd and said to them: 'I tell you the truth: You must watch and pray all the time. If you don’t, you will be tempted. Satan wants to have you. He wants to sift you like wheat.' 'So you must always pray to the Father in my name.' 'Ask the Father anything in my name that is right. Believe that you will receive it. It will be given to you.'

'Pray with your families to the Father. Always pray in my name so that your wives and children will be blessed.' 'You will meet together often. Don’t stop anyone from coming to you when you meet together. Let them come to you. Don’t stop them.' 'Pray for them. Don’t send them away. If they come to you often, pray for them to the Father in my name.'

'Hold up your light so it can shine to the world. I am the light you should hold up. Do what you have seen me do. You see that I have prayed to the Father. You all saw this.' 'You see that I didn’t tell anyone to go away. I told you to come to me so you could feel and see. Do the same thing for the world. Anyone who breaks this commandment lets himself be led into temptation.'

Instructions for the Disciples

After Jesus spoke these words, he turned his eyes back to the disciples he had chosen. He said to them: 'I tell you the truth: I am giving you another commandment. Then I must go to my Father. I need to do other commandments he has given me.'

'This is the commandment I give you: Don’t let anyone eat my flesh and drink my blood in the wrong way when you give it to them.' 'Anyone who eats and drinks my flesh and blood in the wrong way brings harm to his soul. So if you know a man is not worthy to eat and drink my flesh and blood, you must stop him.' 'But don’t send him away from you. Help him. Pray for him to the Father in my name. If he turns from his sins and is baptized in my name, then welcome him. Give him my flesh and blood.' 'But if he doesn’t turn from his sins, don’t count him as one of my people. He must not destroy my people. I know my sheep. They are counted.' 'But don’t send him out of your synagogues or your places of worship. Keep helping him. You don’t know if he will return and turn from his sins. He might come to me with all his heart. I will heal him. You will help bring him salvation.'

'Keep these words I have told you. Then you won’t be condemned. It will be very bad for anyone the Father condemns.' 'I give you these commandments because you have been arguing with each other before. God blesses you if you don’t argue with each other.'

'Now I am going to the Father. I need to go to the Father for your sake.'

Jesus Returns to Heaven

After Jesus finished saying these things, he touched each disciple he had chosen with his hand. He touched them all one by one. He spoke to them as he touched them. The crowd did not hear the words he spoke. So they did not write it down. But the disciples wrote that he gave them power to give the Holy Ghost. I will show you later that this writing is true.

After Jesus had touched them all, a cloud came and covered the crowd. They could not see Jesus. While they were covered by the cloud, he left them and went up into heaven. The disciples saw him and wrote that he went up into heaven again.