I Nephi 12:7-10

[pam]

1 Nephi 12

7 And I also saw and bear record that the Holy Ghost fell upon twelve others; and they were ordained of God, and chosen.

8 And the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold the Twelve Disciples of the Lamb, who are chosen to minister unto thy seed.

9 And he said unto me: Thou rememberest the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb? Behold they are they who shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel; wherefore, the twelve ministers of thy seed shall be judged of them; for ye are of the house of Israel.

10 And these twelve ministers whom thou beholdest shall judge thy seed. And, behold, they are righteous forever; for because of their faith in the Lamb of God their garments are made white in his blood.


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Quotes for Discussion

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>3 Times the Lord established His Church<O:p</O:p
· During his mortal ministry (Matthew 10:1-6)
· During his ministry among the Nephites (3 Nephi 19:4-6)
· In this dispensation (D&C 107:23) Edited January 29, 2009 by pam

[rameumptom]

Sometimes I don't think LDS recognize or appreciate the importance of the fact that God works through patterns. Here is a pattern, where the Lord establishes His Church with apostles and prophets.

Many people in each of these instances (Jerusalem, Zarahemla, and today) find or even seek reasons to disbelieve the teachings of living apostles. Apostles in all periods have been threatened, imprisoned, tortured, and killed, often by those who once were "faithful" members. Paul had to warn about ravening wolves entering in after he left. John warned the 7 churches about apostasy, and even of being "lukewarm." The 3 Nephites had to leave the Nephite people once they became so wicked that they were no longer welcome among the people. Many of the original Twelve in this dispensation were imprisoned or killed (David W Patten, Parley P Pratt) for doing the Lord's will.

I find it very interesting that in 1 Ne 1, Lehi sees the Twelve descend with Christ. This also appears in the ancient writing, Ascension of Isaiah (there are several similarities between Lehi and Isaiah). Lehi recognized the Twelve as authorities/elders over the House of Israel, as had been the pattern since the original 12 patriarch-sons of Jacob.

[Hemidakota]

Verses 6-12 - The Savior's glorious Nephite ministry is found in 3 Nephi 11-28.

Verse 8 - [The twelve disciples of the Lamb] The Nephite Twelve, though generally designated in the Book of Mormon as disciples, were, of course, Apostles in the full and complete sense of the word. They were called, ordained, and "sent forth" to be special witnesses of the name of Christ to the Nephite people. Regarding the manner in which the Nephite Twelve were to bestow the Holy Ghost, the Nephite record attests: "And he called them by name, saying: Ye shall call on the Father in my name, in mighty prayer; and after ye have done this ye shall have power that to him upon whom ye shall lay your hands, ye shall give the Holy Ghost; and in my name shall ye give it, for thus do mine apostles" (Moroni 2:2; italics added). Joseph Smith wrote to John Wentworth that the Book of Mormon "tells us that our Savior made his appearance upon this continent after his resurrection; that He planted the Gospel here in all its fulness, and richness, and power, and blessing; that they had Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, Teachers, and Evangelists; the same order, the same priesthood, the same ordinances, gifts, powers, and blessing, as were enjoyed on the eastern continent" (HC 4:538).

Verse 9 - [The twelve ministers of thy seed shall be judged] "Yea behold, I write unto all the ends of the earth," Mormon explained a millennium after the time of Nephi, "yea, unto you, twelve tribes of Israel, who shall be judged according to your works by the twelve whom Jesus chose to be his disciples in the land of Jerusalem. And I write also unto the remnant of this people, who shall also be judged by the twelve whom Jesus chose in this land; and they shall be judged by the other twelve whom Jesus chose in the land of Jerusalem." (Mormon 3:18-19.)

Verse 10 - [because of their faith ... their garments are made white] To have one's garments made white in the blood of the Lamb is to be made free from sin and its effects, this through sincere repentance and submission to the will of the Master. It is to be cleansed and sanctified, to be made pure and holy-fit to dwell in the presence of God and angels. Such a state comes through subscribing to the ordinances of the gospel and thereafter yielding one's heart unto God. (See Alma 13:12; Helaman 3:35; 3 Nephi 27:19-20; Moses 6:59-60.) These are persons whose garments are free from the blood (sins—2 Nephi 9:44) of the world because of the blood of him who overcame the world, "they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:14).

Verse 11 - [Three generations pass away in righteousness] Here Nephi became a prophetic witness of the "golden age" of the Nephites, the nearly two-hundred-year span of time wherein men "did deal justly one with another" and wherein "there were not rich and poor, bond and free" (4 Nephi 1:2-3)-no inequality or inequity.

Verse 12 - [Many ... who passed away in righteousness] During the Nephite "mini-millennium" there were no contentions or divisions among the people. Within about 160 years after the ministry of the Savior, however, one group began to call itself Lamanites. By a.d. 210 pride entered into the Church "and from that time both they did have their goods and their substance no more common among them." (4 Nephi 1:20, 24-25.)

Reference: Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 1, by Robert L. Millet, Joseph Fielding McConkie

[pam]

The one thing I got from this is: I had forgotten about Christ setting up his Church with the Nephites. We talk so often about the Church being set up during His time on earth and during this dispensation, but don't discuss very often the 2nd time.

[prospectmom]

I think the second time is so special ... promises kept....