The Holy of Holies was said by the ancients to be a place of supreme joy. It was characterized by the joy of the Lord, and in this case, here was Jesus and all of these people celebrating with eternal joy. He turned to the children and blessed them one by one, and after that, he turned to the parents and he said, “Behold your little ones.” I do not think he was saying, “Look at your kids. Aren’t they cute?” He was saying in effect, “Behold, your little ones; they are now yours in a way that they were not before.” This blessing was confirmed in the presence of God, of Jesus himself, of witnesses, and of angels who then came down and ministered unto the children. It is an amazing thing to imagine the Lord Himself administering such a blessing to the parents and these children whom he loved so completely.
If we look at this afternoon of healing “every one” and at the blessing of the parents and their children “one by one” (17:9, 21) through a temple lens, one can appreciate even deeper why everyone can and must go through the temple one by one and personally do, step by step, the whole sequence of ordinances. And likewise, why we do proxy work for the dead, each of them one by one.
Such ordinances and blessings are individual matters, and covenants are made individually and personally with the Lord. Richard Holzapfel has explained, “According to the Book of Mormon model, ministering often occurs ‘one by one’ as disciples come in contact with the Savior and with one another. In many cases a personal ‘touch’ is a symbolic means of transmitting God’s love and power to an individual.” Elder Holzapfel also said,
Third Nephi, sometimes referred to as the fifth Gospel in Latter-day Saint circles, describes Christ’s post-Resurrection ministry to the Nephites in terms similar to those used in the four New Testament Gospels. It emphasizes the individual experiences of the Nephite people with the resurrected Messiah, noting their direct physical contact with as well as His laying on of hands as the symbolic act of transmitting authority and power (Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, “One by One: The Fifth Gospel’s Model of Service,” in A Book of Mormon Treasury: Gospel Insights from General Authorities and Religious Educators (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, 2003), 378–388).
Elder Ronald A. Rasband likewise recalled in a Conference talk, ““Certainly, there is a very profound and tender personal message here. Jesus Christ ministers to, and loves us all, one by one” (Ronald A. Rasband, “One by One,” Ensign, November 2000).
Book of Mormon Central, “Why Did Jesus Minister to the People One by One? (3 Nephi 17:21), KnoWhy 209 (October 14, 2016).