“I Go Unto the Father Because It Is Expedient That I Should Go Unto the Father for Your Sakes”

Alan C. Miner

In 3 Nephi 18:35 Christ says, "I go unto the Father because it is expedient that I should go unto the Father for your sakes." John Welch asks, What is expedient about his returning? He is returning and reporting, and it is "expedient"--a word that is used always in the Book of Mormon in connection with the efficacy of saving ordinances. Check the use of that unusual word. It doesn't mean expedient in a sense of "just pragmatic," ("this is an expedient kind of solution, a short cut to get out of a problem"). No, it's expedient meaning "expediting, efficient, effective." [John W. Welch, "Christ at the Nephite Temple," in Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 4, p. 132]

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

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