Nephi Died?

[Justice]

Good point, pam. (grabbing quad, turning to index) There are four distinct men named Nephi listed in the Book of Mormon, says the index (one suggestion I've heard and liked is to go through your BoM and mark the superscript numbers from the index to distinguish different people of the same name). No offense to Justice, but I think he/she may be conflating different Nephis.

As far as I'm aware, the only ones who've remained on the earth without tasting of death would be John the Beloved and the Three Nephites (all apostles who specifically requested that blessing from Christ).

I don't know the exact verses, but I will get them if you need me to. Nephi, the son of Helaman was given the ability to do whatsoever he would. He is the one who caused the drought. He left the Nephites and it says they don't know where he went. This is at the end of Helaman. 3 Nephi is the record of Nephi the son of Nephi, who Christ made an Apostle.

Hemi, I believe 3 Nephi 19: 4 offers some insight to who the 3 Nephites were. Obviously, they are not named, so we can't be sure, but if you read that verse I think there are 3 that stand out as the most likely.

3 Nephi 19:

4 And it came to pass that on the morrow, when the multitude was gathered together, behold, Nephi and his brother whom he had raised from the dead, whose name was Timothy, and also his son, whose name was Jonas, and also Mathoni, and Mathonihah, his brother, and Kumen, and Kumenonhi, and Jeremiah, and Shemnon, and Jonas, and Zedekiah, and Isaiah—now these were the names of the disciples whom Jesus had chosen—and it came to pass that they went forth and stood in the midst of the multitude.

For 3 of the APostles to want the same thing it stands to reason that they would be like-minded. These 3 are family.

What do you think Hemi?

[FlaviusHambonius]

If that is the case, than we can leave out ministering spirits who do this type of tasking....:)

Very true, but I wouldn't rule it out (translated beings participating) under certain conditions. Probably rarely but nonetheless possible--just speculation on my part.

[MarginOfError]

I don't know the exact verses, but I will get them if you need me to. Nephi, the son of Helaman was given the ability to do whatsoever he would. He is the one who caused the drought. He left the Nephites and it says they don't know where he went. This is at the end of Helaman. 3 Nephi is the record of Nephi the son of Nephi, who Christ made an Apostle.

Hemi, I believe 3 Nephi 19: 4 offers some insight to who the 3 Nephites were. Obviously, they are not named, so we can't be sure, but if you read that verse I think there are 3 that stand out as the most likely.

3 Nephi 19:

4 And it came to pass that on the morrow, when the multitude was gathered together, behold, Nephi and his brother whom he had raised from the dead, whose name was Timothy, and also his son, whose name was Jonas, and also Mathoni, and Mathonihah, his brother, and Kumen, and Kumenonhi, and Jeremiah, and Shemnon, and Jonas, and Zedekiah, and Isaiah—now these were the names of the disciples whom Jesus had chosen—and it came to pass that they went forth and stood in the midst of the multitude.

For 3 of the APostles to want the same thing it stands to reason that they would be like-minded. These 3 are family.

What do you think Hemi?

That seems like a logical grab at nothing to me...no offense. Recall also, that James and John of the Jerusalem Twelve were family, but they did not both want to remain on the earth. I think it's be difficult to make any definite conclusions as to which three became the Three Nephites, since there are 220 possible combinations of three from those twelve.

[Justice]

Yep. I did say that it didn't prove anything.

I do feel it is the best evidence given in the Book of Mormon, though, leaning toward any of the 12.

Also, combine this with my original post on this thread, and it does present a "little" evidence.

[FlaviusHambonius]

If that is the case, than we can leave out ministering spirits who do this type of tasking....:)

Mark McConkie:

Translated beings are assigned special ministries, some to remain among mortals, as seems to be the case of John and the Three Nephites, or for other purposes, as in the case of Moses and Elijah, who were translated in order to appear with physical bodies hundreds of years later on the mount of transfiguration prior to the resurrection of Christ. Had they been spirits only, they could not have laid hands on the mortal Peter, James, and John (cf. D&C 129:3-8). Why those of Enoch's city were translated, we are not specifically informed, although the Prophet Joseph Smith explained the role of translated beings thus: "Many have supposed that the doctrine of translation was a doctrine whereby men were taken immediately into the presence of God, and into an eternal fullness, but this is a mistaken idea. Their place of habitation is that of the terrestrial order, and a place prepared for such characters He held in reserve to be ministering angels unto many planets, and who as yet have not entered into so great a fullness as those who are resurrected from the dead" (TPJS, p. 170).

The scriptures do not define differences between transfiguration and translation, but it appears that transfiguration is more temporary, as in Matthew 17:1-9 and Moses 1:11, occurring primarily to permit one to behold spiritual things not possible in the mortal condition.

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I could be wrong but it appears that besides ministering spirits, that ministering angels or translated beings can and do perform some of the same acts.

It's not an exclusive ministering (spirits) task.

ministering: to give aid or service (~to the sick)

[pam]

Pam, I can tell you, there is a sister locally who can recite the three Nephites name.

As in speculating?

[Hemidakota]

Very true, but I wouldn't rule it out (translated beings participating) under certain conditions. Probably rarely but nonetheless possible--just speculation on my part.

Only the reason I brought this up is the tasking for those types of embodied spirits, is to instruct the heirs of salvation [those who are sealed up to the Firstborn and callings may sure]. When ever I hear someone claiming to have witnessed one of these four, I will ask certain questions in private to determine if it did happened.

[Hemidakota]

As in speculating?

There is no speculation here when this individual had more than the usual three ministered unto her.

[Hemidakota]

That seems like a logical grab at nothing to me...no offense. Recall also, that James and John of the Jerusalem Twelve were family, but they did not both want to remain on the earth. I think it's be difficult to make any definite conclusions as to which three became the Three Nephites, since there are 220 possible combinations of three from those twelve.

Awe...the love for exercising math probability.

[TruthSeekerToo]

Wow, so Hemi, you suppose that Hagoth and his crew were also translated? That was an interesting keyword search.

[Hemidakota]

Do you?

[volgadon]

No. Neither are there grounds to assume the same for Samuel and even less for Aminadi.