Book of Mormon Commentary CofC - Odessa, Missouri Community ...

Book of Mormon Commentary
3 Nephi Chapter 8
The New Testament writers of the Four Gospels quote Jesus as avoiding the use of the word
"wine" in connection with the Communion.
Matthew said, "He took the cup, and gave thanks. ...I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the
vine" (Matt. 26:23,26). Similar expressions are used by the others. The Book of Mormon use of
the word "wine" should be understood as unfermented or "new wine," in the light of all this.
"Blessed are ye if ye have no disputations among you" ( 68).
3 Ne 8:70 And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of these sayings, he touched with his
hand the disciples whom he had chosen, one by one, even until he had touched them all, and spake unto
them as he touched them;
Only the disciples heard what he said, and they testified "that he gave them power to give the Holy
Ghost" (71; Mi. 2:2).
Immediately thereafter "there came a cloud and overshadowed the multitude, that they could not
see Jesus" (III N. 8:73). "He departed from them, and ascended into heaven. And the disciples saw
and did bear record that he ascended again into heaven" (74, 75).
The skeptic asks, "Where is heaven?" In relation to this earth, we do not know the exact dwelling
place of God. Whether it is a planet or somewhere in space has never been revealed. The
scriptures reveal only that he "came down out 0£" and "ascended into" heaven (H. 2:113; III N.
9:15; III N. 5:13, 21; E. 6:3; III N. 9:1). John uses the term, "ascend up" (3:13; 6:62). Luke quotes
the angels saying, "Why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from
you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11).
Some assume that Jesus rebaptized those disciples previously baptized by Nephi and others before
A.D. 34. Also that he did not recognize the validity of their ordinations (III N. 3 :62- 70). There is
no statement of Jesus in the Book of Mormon to justify this claim. He did say, "Whoso cometh
unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy
Ghost" (III N. 4:50). He gave Nephi and others power to baptize by immersion after he ascended
(III N. 5:21-26). He said, "There shall one be ordained among you" (III N. 8:32) to baptize and
administer the bread and wine (III N. 8:37-40, 70; Mi. 2:1, 2). This does not imply that his work
before A.D. 34 and Alma's authority to ordain and baptize about 147 B.C. (Mos. 9:46, 51) were
invalidated.