Comments on 3 Nephi 23 v1-5 After a series of selective Isaiah (cf. 20:32-45, 21:8-10, 21:29) and Micah quotes (cf. 20:16-19, 21:12-13) and a quote at length (ch. 22), Jesus recommends the people study the OT Prophets (v. 5) and particularly emphasizes study on the book of Isaiah (v. 1). These prophets have spoken about all things that relate to Israel, so they have commented on the relationship between Israel and the Gentiles as well (v. 2). All of the things they have spoken will be fulfilled (v. 3, cp. 15:6-8). So, Jesus admonishes them to pay attention and write down what he has told them so his words will go to their ancestors through the Gentiles (v. 4). And whoever, Gentiles or Israelite, will receive and pay attention to those written words, will repent and be baptized and be saved (v. 5). v6-14 Jesus is teaching the people the meaning of various Scriptures (v. 6) when an omission in the testimony of one of the prophets is addressed (v. 7-13). After correcting this omission, Jesus returns to expounding the Scriptures and tells the people to teach what they have just learned from him (v. 14). v7-13 Jesus has Nephi bring the written records to him (v. 7) and when Nephi sets them before him he looks at them (v. 8) and asks Nephi whether Samuel's prophesy concerning the resurrection of the dead was fulfilled (v. 9). Nephi responds affirmatively (v. 10), and Jesus asks him why the prophesy wasn't written down (v. 11). At which point Nephi realizes it wasn't (v. 12), and Jesus tells him to write it, and he does so (v. 13). v6 "other scriptures I would that ye should write", it would appear from this statement that while Jesus was expounding the meaning of the scriptures he had to fill some things in, including the omitted detail from Samuel and some of the words of Malachi. After giving them these scriptures, he continues on teaching, cf. 26:1. Thus, it would appear the text from 24:6-26:2 are all a continuation of Jesus' teaching from ch. 20-23 without any real interruption. But, Mormon abridges out a considerable amount of material in 24:6-26:2 and only keeps the two sections of text which Jesus explicitly stated must go to future generations, cf. 26:6-8. So, while ch. 20-23 are extremely detailed recountings of Jesus' teachings, ch. 24-25 are extremely selective recountings of Jesus teachings per 26:2 and 26:6-9. Mormon apparently summarizes the material he omitted in 26:3-5. v7 "bring forth the record which ye have kept", this indicates Jesus was not reading along the Nephite record and expounding their meaning when he discovered something missing. He was teaching them the meaning of various scriptures and came to some point where he knew, presumably by inspiration, their written record was lacking. Verse 8 says Jesus "cast his eyes upon them", indicating he didn't search through them to any great degree, but only looked at them. v9 "my servant Samuel, the Lamanite", some have suggested the omission of this statement by Samuel is potentially indicative of racism or bigotry among the Nephites as Samuel was a Lamanites. This seems unlikely as it was Nephi and his father Nephi who kept the records and they apparently documented everything else which Samuel said. It was in all likelihood an honest oversight. Now, this is not to say the Nephites at the time were not generally bigoted against the Lamanites, as that certainly appears to be the case, cf. Hela. 14:10. It is only to say that Nephi and his father Nephi were not bigots. "Was it not so?", there is no explicit statement in the 3 Nephi account of there being resurrected persons seen, and yet there must have been as Nephi responds affirmatively. It is entirely possible, and even probable, the angels of 17:24-25 and 19:14-15 are in fact resurrected beings (cf. D&C 129:1). If this is the case, then they were seen by many people as predicted. The potential problem with this is the prediction by Samuel (cf. Hela 14:25) and the statement by Jesus in this verse that the resurrected people should be seen "at the day that the Father should glorify his name in me", suggesting the day of his resurrection, and not about a year later when the angels of 17:24-25 and 19:14-15 are seen by the multitides. 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.