“Touched with His Hand the Disciples”

Alan C. Miner

After recording that Jesus "touched with his hand the disciples" and that "the disciples bare record that he gave them power to give the Holy Ghost," Mormon notes to the reader that "I will show unto you hereafter that this record is true" (3 Nephi 18:37). According to Donl Peterson, it is unclear in what manner Mormon "will show" these things. In chapter 19 which follows, Mormon gives an account of the disciples baptizing people upon whom soon afterward the Holy Ghost "did fall." Yet one might ask, Did Mormon's comment ("I will show you") refer to (1) the fact Mormon showed in chapter 19 that the Twelve actually baptized and that the Holy Ghost fell on those people because the Twelve had that power; or (2) the fact that Mormon intended to include the manner of the Savior's authorization to the Twelve later on in his writings. If the latter was intended, we find that Moroni included the details of this authorization in his writings:

. . . as he laid his hands upon them . . . he called them by name saying: Ye shall call on the Father in my name, in mighty prayer; and after ye have done this ye shall have power that to him upon whom ye shall lay your hands, ye shall give the Holy Ghost; and in my name shall ye give it, for thus do mine apostles. (Moroni 2:1-2)

[H. Donl Peterson, Moroni: Ancient Prophet Modern Messenger, p. 59]

Step by Step Through the Book of Mormon: A Cultural Commentary

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