That Their Desire May Be Fulfilled

Most people familiar with the story of the Savior visiting the people of Nephi and the subsequent 200-year period of peace and righteousness would probably assume that by the time the Savior departed the people were all converted to the Lord. But this was not quite true. Though we have very few details about this period, Mormon summarized the two years following the Savior’s departure in these words, “And it came to pass that the thirty and fourth year passed away, and also the thirty and fifth, and behold the disciples of Jesus had formed a church of Christ in all the lands round about. And as many as did come unto them, and did truly repent of their sins, were baptized in the name of Jesus; and they did also receive the Holy Ghost. And it came to pass in the thirty and sixth year, the people were all converted unto the Lord, upon all the face of the land” (4 Nephi 1:1-2). So, it appears that during this period there was intensive missionary efforts where those who had been with the Savior worked to establish the church and preach the gospel to the land round about. Their missionary efforts were so successful that after the space of two years all the people on the face of the land were at that point converted unto the Lord. This was indeed a miraculous occurrence. The missionaries of course were helped by the fact that those who were still alive after the great destruction were the more righteous people, but still we should recognize that this must have been one of the greatest missionary success stories of all time—everyone was converted.

               I believe that the driving force behind these successful missionary efforts was the three Nephites who had chosen to remain on the earth. Mormon described them this way: “They did go forth upon the face of the land, and did minister unto all the people, uniting as many to the church as would believe in their preaching; baptizing them, and as many as were baptized did receive the Holy Ghost.” He also wrote, “And it came to pass that thus they did go forth among all the people of Nephi, and did preach the gospel of Christ unto all people upon the face of the land; and they were converted unto the Lord, and were united unto the church of Christ, and thus the people of that generation were blessed, according to the word of Jesus.” They certainly had some extra help given that their bodies had been changed in some way to remain on the earth and that the Savior had blessed them in order to perform their 2000+ year mission, but most importantly they had a burning desire to preach the gospel. The Savior summarized: “Ye have desired that ye might bring the souls of men unto me, while the world shall stand.” With that desire they led the way by taking the gospel to all the people of the Nephites and Lamanites in those first two years, and since then they have continued through the centuries to preach the gospel in ways that only the Lord knows about. I believe that their story shows that what matters most in our efforts to preach the gospel is indeed desire. The Lord summarized what these three would accomplish in these words, “And it shall come to pass, when the Lord seeth fit in his wisdom that 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” (3 Nephi 28:9, 18, 23, 29). It was because of their desire that they were able to bring unto Jesus many souls. Surely the same principle applies to us: “If [we] have desires to serve God [we] are called to the work” and can bring souls unto Him through our desire to serve (Doctrine and Covenants 4:3).