Comments on 3 Nephi 17 v1-4 Jesus announces that it is time for him to leave (v. 1) because he has to go and visit the other remnants of Israel to teach them as well (v. 4). He recognizes the people cannot grasp all of what he has just taught them (cf. 15:11-16:20) concerning the redemption of Israel (v. 2). So, he tells them to think about what he has taught them so far and to pray for understanding, so that when he comes tomorrow they'll be prepared (v. 3). When Jesus returns the next day he gives an even longer and more complicated discourse on the redemption of Israel, cf. 20:10-26:5. v5-25 Jesus manifests the Messianic characteristics of intercession. In the OT the Messiah is presented as one who protects and spares his people from pain and suffering (cf. Isa. 10:1-10), as well as one who takes other's pain, suffering, and sin upon himself (cf. Isa. 53). Here we see Jesus healing the sick and lame (v. 7-10) and obtaining particular blessings for the little children (v. 11-25). Note Jesus' attention here is turned to the more vulnerable people in the society, the physically infirm and little children. These are the ones who inspire the most compassion in him. The Lord has always had compassion on the vulnerable and downtrodden in society, cf. Exod. 22:22, Deut. 14:29, Ps. 68:5, Prov. 22:22, Isa. 1:17, Isa. 35:6, Isa. 49:13, Matt. 11:5, James 1:27, D&C 58:11. v5-10 After Jesus tells them he needs to leave, the people don't want him to go, so much so they are weeping (v. 5). Jesus is touched with compassion for the people (v. 6), and offers to stay a little longer to heal their sick and lame (v. 7) because he perceives they want him to perform those miracles which were predicted the Messiah would perform (v. 8, cp. Mosiah 3:5). The healthy people, presumably family members, assist the sick and lame so they can approach Christ and he heals them (v. 9). After they are healed those healed as well as those who assisted them fall down and worship Christ in gratitude for the healings performed (v. 10). v11-25 Jesus next turns his attention to the little children among the crowd by summoning all of them to him (v. 11). The crowds make way for the children, and those who cannot make it up on their own are carried up and set down in his presence (v. 12). After all of the children are with him he tells the surrounding adults to all kneel (v. 13). After they all kneel, Jesus expresses his concern over the wickedness of the people of Israel (v. 14), and then kneels down and prays to the Father for these people in words so great and overwhelming they cannot be written down (v. 15-17). After praying Jesus rises up, but the people cannot because they are overpowered by his prayer and their joy overcomes them (v. 18). Jesus tells them to stand (v. 19), and they are presumably given divine support and strength so they may stand, and they do. Jesus then praises them for their faith, and tells them his joy is full (v. 20). His emotions are so strong he weeps. He picks up and blesses the children individually, and afterwards is again overcome with joy and weeps (v. 21-22). He then speaks to the adults, and tells them to witness the little children (v. 23) as the heavens open and angels come down to minister to the little children (v. 24). All present, some 2500 people, witness the event (v. 25). In this section of text Jesus goes from being "troubled because of the wickedness...of Israel" (v. 14) to saying "my joy is full" (v. 20) after praying for this Nephite remnant. His general concern over Israel's present scattered and apostate condition is allayed by the good condition of this small branch of Josephites. After so much work and effort on his part to arrange a special covenant with Israel in a pre-mortal setting and then to accomplish the Atonement in a mortal setting, it is understandable why he is upset. Jesus has invested so much time, effort, pain, and suffering into something the very people he did it for are generally choosing not to take advantage of. This is why this smaller branch of righteous Josephites would be of great solace to him. v14 "I am troubled", cp. 27:32 for why he is troubled. "because of the wickedness of the people of the house of Israel", Jesus is probably not referring to the people present as he elsewhere remarks their faith is considerable, cf. v. 8, v. 20, 19:35. He is probably referring to the scattered and disbelieving condition of Israel in general. However, the prayer occurs in the midst of the context of blessing the little children as he summons them to him in v. 11- 13 and then blesses them in v. 21. So, the complaint against the wickedness of Israel must be connected to the children. I would assume the complaint follows the standard OT line, which is picked up in the BofM, that parents can lead their children on to do wickedness (cf. Exod, 34:6-7, Deut. 5:9-10, 2 Ne. 4:3-6, D&C 98:45-47). The Lord's grief would then be over the innocent children being corrupted by their wicked parents. This reading is supported by Jesus' statement regarding his joy in v. 20 and the parallel statement in 27:30-32 where he has joy over the current generation because none of them are lost, but laments the future ones who abandon him paralleling his lament in v. 14. v15-17 We are left uninformed in the present text what it is Jesus prays to the Father about. It is so stunning and overwhelming the people are overpowered by it and cannot even stand afterwards per v. 18. However, we are informed later in 27:30-31 that this entire generation will be saved in the Kingdom. It seems likely that his concern over Israel in general, as expressed in v. 14, motivated him to obtain a promise or reassurance from the Father that this remnant of righteous Lehites will be saved in the Kingdom. As this remnant is the more righteous remnant of the Lehites (cf. 9:13), obtaining such a promise or this kind of reassurance from the Father wouldn't have been unreasonable. If this is the case, then it certainly is something that would inspire overwhelming joy in them as seen in v. 18. v20 "my joy is full", cp. 27:30-31 for why he is filled with joy. v24 "encircled about with fire", if we compare this event with the others in the BofM where people are encircled with light (cp. 19:25, Hela. 5:23-24, Hela. 5:44-45) it is plain what the meaning is: the little children are sanctified by the Spirit. Copyright © 2001 by S. Kurt Neumiller . All rights reserved. No part of this text may be reproduced in any form or by any means for commercial gain without the express written consent of the author. Digital or printed copies may be freely made and distributed for personal and public non-commercial use.