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Book of Mormon Commentary
3 Nephi Chapter 10
Search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah. For surely he spake as touching all
things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel; therefore it must needs be that he
must speak also to the Gentiles" (27,28).
Jesus then admonished them to "write the things which I have told you, and according to the time
and the will of the Father, they shall go forth unto the Gentiles" (30). The Nephites were faithful in
the task of writing. It was considered a sacred responsibility with great possibility for the salvation
of man to repent and be baptized (31).
3 Ne 10:32 Search the prophets, for many there be that testify of these things.
Paul wrote to Timothy: .'Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to
be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (11 Tim. 2:15). Jesus said to the Nephites:
"Behold, other scriptures I would that ye should write, that ye have not" (III N. 10:33). Then he
asked Nephi to “bring forth the record which ye have kept" (34). Jesus scanned his record and saw
that the testimony of what Samuel, the Lamanite, said was incomplete. He had commanded
Samuel to testify that when "the Father should glorify his name in me," through the resurrection,
"that there were many saints who should arise from the dead, and should appear unto many, and
should minister unto them" (36). The disciples admitted that Samuel had prophesied “according to
thy words” (38). “How be it that ye have not written this thing?" Jesus then commanded that it
should be written (41).
It may seem strange that Jesus would notice this missing item.
However, he had "commanded. ..that he [Samuel] should testify" of this event, and it was of some
importance. Matthew recorded this event. "The bodies of the saints which slept, arose, who were
many, and came out of the graves after his resurrection ...and appeared unto many" (Matt. 27:56,
57). This is the only place in the Gospels where the word "saints" is used. Luke used it (Acts 9:13;
26:10), and Paul made frequent reference to "saints" (Rom. 1:7; I Cor. 1:2).
Since only Matthew records the raising of many saints after Jesus arose, it was important that
Nephi's record should contain the account of Samuel's prophecy on this point. For "in the mouth of
two or three witnesses shall every word be established" (11 Cor. 13:1). (See also Gen. 7:63.)