The Three Nephites as Successful Missionaries

Mormon gave this description of the three Nephites who were granted to remain upon the earth: “They shall minister unto all the scattered tribes of Israel, and unto all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, and shall bring out of them unto Jesus many souls, that their desire may be fulfilled, and also because of the convincing power of God which is in them.”  So what souls will they bring unto Jesus?  They must be doing much work across the world that we nothing about.  And they have quite a unique ability to minister: “And they are as the angels of God, and if they shall pray unto the Father in the name of Jesus they can show themselves unto whatsoever man it seemeth them good.”  So apparently if they pray it, they can show themselves to whomever wherever they may be—surely they are doing “great and marvelous works” before “the great and coming day when all people must surely stand before the judgment-seat of Christ” (3 Nephi 28:29-31).  We shouldn’t forget when we say that we have about 70,000 missionaries that we have three others also making a very large impact for good, though we may not get to see what they are doing. 

               I believe the two reasons given in the above verses for why the three Nephites would be able to bring many souls to Jesus is instructive for us: “that their desire may be fulfilled” and “because of the convincing power of God which is in them.”  Because they had such a strong desire to bring souls to Christ, the were given the opportunity to fulfill that desire by reaching a far greater number of people than mortals could do.  This example validates Alma’s statement when he wished to be able to bring more souls to Christ: “For I know that he granteth unto men according to their desire” (Alma 29:1-4).  Alma’s desire was very similar to that of these three Nephites: “O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!”  The three Nephites, in a way, were given that trump to declare the gospel to all people, for they could declare it to anyone they wished.  Alma was, the book of Mormon suggests, taken up into have without tasting death, and like the three Nephites the Lord may have had some special purpose for him after his mortal life on the earth to declare repentance to the world. 

            The second reason the three Nephites are able to be so successful as missionaries is the “convincing power of God which is in them.”  They have a power to do missionary work simply because they had such “convincing power”—in other words, they are able to teach in a way that changes hearts.  Likely their teaching is like that of Nephi, son of Nephi, who was one of their fellow apostles: “It were not possible that they could disbelieve his words, for so great was his faith on the Lord Jesus Christ that angels did minister unto him daily” (3 Nephi 7:18).  So if we want to be successful missionaries in our own sphere of influence, we must similarly develop great desires and strengthen our own convictions to have that kind of power.