Monday, December 19, 2005

The three Nephites

I know that thinking about things like the three Nephites and who they were is pretty much a waste of time, but sometimes I like to think about them. I think it's ok to look at these kinds of things enough to be interested in them, but to make it a "hobby" is not such a good idea.

On that note, I wanted to share a theory I came up with as I was reading 3rd Nephi where the 12 desciples are named.


3 Ne. 19: 4
4 And it came to pass that on the morrow, when the multitude was gathered together, behold, Nephi and his brother whom he had raised from the dead, whose name was Timothy, and also his son, whose name was Jonas, and also Mathoni, and Mathonihah, his brother, and Kumen, and Kumenonhi, and Jeremiah, and Shemnon, and Jonas, and Zedekiah, and Isaiah—now these were the names of the disciples whom Jesus had chosen—and it came to pass that they went forth and stood in the midst of the multitude.


I noticed that Timothy had been raised from the dead, in my mind that automatically made him a candidate to be one of the three Nephites. Who better to have the desire to not want to taste death than someone who had already been dead? I immediately thought that perhaps Nephi, his brother, and Jonas, Nephi's son, were the other two. Let's keep it in the family right? I read further, and the text does mention Nephi's death, so I guess it wasn't Nephi. I still think that Timothy is a prime candidate.

I guess it doesn't matter anyway does it, if it did, we would be told who they were.

6 comments:

Eric Nielson said...

This would make a great 'where are they now' wouldn't it. Nice theory, exactly as good as any I have heard.

Unknown said...

I heard there was a book about John the Revelator called my "name is John". I have never read it, but it was about him helping people.

I often wonder what they (the three nephites and John) are doing these days you know?

Anonymous said...

Or, since maybe Timothy did taste death, he would rather be in the Spirit world... Maybe he liked it there there?

And when the Savior said "never taste of death" does that mean past and present?

I too like to ponder these things ;)

Unknown said...

The thought that Timothy would have had a stronger desire to return to live with God because he had already had a little taste is a possiblity too.

I for one would probably be in that boat. If I had been in the situation where I had had a small taste, I would definitely want to go back.

As a matter of fact, it's hard for me to comprehend the desire of the three Nephites, who were in the presence of the Savior, to stay on Earth. They must have had a strong love of the people and of the work that they were comitted to.

If I only had the fraction of the faith...

hansenkd said...

You probably won't see this, but Nephi the son of Nephi (who was the son of Nephi) could very well be one of the three. His death is, in fact, not mentioned. In 4 Nephi, the Nephi that that book is named for dies over 100 years after the coming of Christ. So that cannot be Nephi the disciple. It is a different Nephi, the third in a line of three. The second, Nephi the disciple, could very well be one of the three, and in fact his death is not mentioned.

Unknown said...

Interesting theory, i'll have to look into that.

Thanks.