Mormon accounts for the remainder of the Savior’s ministry to the Nephites in this chapter, but is very clear that this only contains the hundredth part of what Jesus actually taught the people. He taught them for three days in this second visit to them.
Mormon was anxious to include as much as he could within the record about Jesus’s teachings but it was forbidden for him to offer anything more than a basic summary of the thing that had transpired. Three days are hence summarized into one smaller chapter.
The Savior near the beginning of the chapter offers a comment on his editing of the scriptures that were available to the Nephites, stating: “for it was wisdom in him that they should be given unto future generations.” So I’m sitting with this for a moment, the wisdom of the Father. The order, the timing, the manner in which He orders things for the benefit of His children. This causes me to consider also the timing of things, or the manner in which God has ordered thing within my own life.
After his editing work is submitted, the Savior then expounds on the scripture that has been included and, according to Mormon’s account, the Savior teaches them about things from the beginning of the world until the end of it, pointing to the final judgement and resurrection.
Mormon then wants to include much of the details from what the Savior is teaching the people, but it is forbidden him. So instead he includes instructions on how to obtain it: believe in the lesser part of the things which Mormon had recorded, and then shall the greater things be revealed unto you. (verse 9)
The footnote in verse 9 leads me to consider the “greater things” that will yet be revealed to the gentiles. The question that is in my mind is: when will this happen? The answer is in Ether 4:6: “They shall not go forth unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord.”
(Returning back to this verse this morning makes me thing that we’ve got a bit of a ways to go in this matter if it is the Gentiles that need to be penitent and clean before the Lord. Humbug! It’s as if I’d have to do some work or something to make this happen. Ha!)
But whenever it is that we will be permitted access to the greater things, that great revelation that is still contained in the sealed part of the golden plates, that doesn’t seem to be the point here. The point that Mormon would have us consider is in verse 13:
Therefore, I would that ye should behold that the Lord truly did teach the people, for the space of three days; and after that he did show himself unto them oft, and did break bread oft, and bless it, and give it unto them.
A brief description of those three days is what the remainder of the chapter attempts to illustrate. Many sick were healed and babes did speak things which were forbidden that they should be recorded. The net effect of these events were disciples who were now absolutely riveted to the Christ through testimony and covenant.
At the beginning and end of this chapter the phrase “all things” is used multiple times. At the beginning, we learn that Jesus expounded “all things” to the people. Then at the end, the people had “all things” in common.