Following the Savior’s ascension to heaven after his initial post-resurrection appearance in the Ancient Americas, Nephi and the disciples began teaching and ministering as Jesus Christ instructed.
The Book of Mormon Videos episode released Friday, Nov. 11, depicts the people sharing their experiences with each other and praying together after learning from the disciples.
Nephi baptizes those who believe in the Savior and who wish to repent of their sins.
The Savior visits Nephi and his people a second time and prays to Heavenly Father with gratitude and a plea for unity.
“Father, I pray unto thee for them, and also for all those who shall believe on their words, that they may believe in me, that I may be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one” (3 Nephi 19:23).
The video shows the Savior commending the people for their faith in Him that allowed Him to perform miracles that were greater than those from His mortal ministry among the Jews.
After observing them in prayer, the Savior tells the Nephites to “pray on” (3 Nephi 19:26).
This eight-minute episode and the rest of those released as part of the Book of Mormon Videos series can be watched at BookofMormonVideos.com.
3 Nephi is the ‘culmination’ of the Book of Mormon Videos project
The selection process that determined which stories would be included in the Book of Mormon Videos series involved many Church leaders and representatives from different departments of the Church.
Bill Elliott, media director for the Church’s Priesthood and Family Department, said 3 Nephi and its description of the Savior’s visit to the Ancient Americas was always seen as the most important part to include, even when it was hard to choose which other stories would be filmed.
“It’s really hard to cut anything. … But we figured out what we would do. We started with 1 Nephi, and then we worked through there through 2 Nephi and Jacob, and have worked our way through 3 Nephi — which was the culmination, the biggest part,” Elliott said. “That was going to be our most important thing, obviously, with the Savior’s visit.”
He shared his thoughts on a dusty, hot summer morning at the Motion Picture Studio in Provo, Utah, while filming for season five of the Book of Mormon Videos on June 17.
Elliott and the thousands of other individuals who have participated in the project have worked hard for years to bring the stories of the Book of Mormon to life, and he said he is proud of the work the whole team has done. But watching the videos is not the thing he hopes for most.
“My own feeling has always been that this is not about replacing the scriptures,” he said. “This is a springboard to studying the scriptures.”
Elliott said he saw cast and crew members bear testimony of Heavenly Father’s guidance in their lives throughout the project. Many of them stepped away from other jobs and responsibilities to work on this project, he said. And they did it because of the importance of the message.
“It’s not just about making films. It’s about sharing the testimony of the Savior with the world.”
Episode release schedule
Book of Mormon Videos have been or will be released on the following schedule:
- Oct. 7: “Jesus Christ Teaches and Gives Power to Baptize” | 3 Nephi 11–12
- Oct. 14: “Jesus Christ Teaches How to Live the Higher Law” | 3 Nephi 12–14
- Oct. 21: “Jesus Christ Testifies of One Fold and One Shepherd” | 3 Nephi 15–16
- Oct. 28: “Jesus Christ and Angels Minister with Compassion” | 3 Nephi 17
- Nov. 4: “Jesus Christ Introduces the Sacrament” | 3 Nephi 18
- Nov. 11: “The Disciples Minister and Jesus Christ Prays for the People” | 3 Nephi 19
- Nov. 18: “Jesus Christ Explains How He Will Gather Israel” | 3 Nephi 20–23
- Nov. 25: “Jesus Christ Declares the Name of His Church and His Doctrine” | 3 Nephi 27
