The Three Nephites & the Doctrine of Translation | 10 Characteristics Explained (LDS)

Send us Fan MailWhat is the LDS (Latter-day Saint) doctrine of translation, and what does it teach us about the three Nephites? In this episode, Tia Smith reads and unpacks Clyde J. Williams's study "The Three Nephites and the Doctrine of Translation," which lays out what scripture and latter-day prophets reveal about translated beings. Joseph Smith taught that translation is a power belonging to the Melchizedek Priesthood — and that translated beings are not taken directly into God's eternal fullness, but are held in reserve as ministering angels of the terrestrial order. The article walks through ten characteristics of the three Nephites drawn from 3 Nephi 28: they will never taste the pains of death, are changed in the twinkling of an eye, feel no pain but still sorrow for sin, had their calling and election made sure, received unspeakable knowledge, were first transfigured and then translated, cannot be harmed by evil men, can show or hide themselves at will, cannot be tempted by Satan, and will remain until Christ comes in glory. Tia connects this to why so few are translated today, and why the enormous work of the last days and the Millennium — which only mortals can perform — points to the pattern's meaning for us. The heart of it is the three Nephites' desire: to bring souls to Christ while the world stands.Q: What is the doctrine of translation in the LDS Church?A: Joseph Smith taught that translation is a power belonging to the Melchizedek Priesthood, and that it is one of the truths kept hidden until the last days. This episode, reading Clyde J. Williams's study, explains that translated beings are not taken immediately into God's eternal fullness; their place is of the terrestrial order, held in reserve to serve as ministering angels until their bodies are changed at the resurrection.Q: Who are the three Nephites and why were they translated?A: The three Nephites were three of the twelve Nephite disciples chosen by the resurrected Jesus Christ (3 Nephi 28) who desired to remain on earth to bring souls to Christ until He comes again, rather than come immediately into His kingdom at death. This episode teaches that their translated state was granted because of that righteous desire, and that the Lord withheld their names, which have not been revealed.Q: What's the difference between a translated being and a resurrected being?A: This episode explains that translation is a long-term change of the body that removes the pains of death and suffering but is not the final change of the resurrection. Reading Clyde J. Williams, Tia Smith notes the three Nephites appear to have been first transfigured — a more temporary change to behold spiritual things — and then translated, with their glorious resurrection reserved for the Second Coming.Q: Are people still being translated today, and if not, why?A: This episode teaches that after the days of Melchizedek, translation largely ceased, with a few exceptions such as Moses, Elijah, John the Beloved, and the three Nephites; the faithful instead die and continue their work in the spirit world. Tia Smith connects this to the last days, suggesting that because only mortals can perform saving ordinances, the vast work still ahead may call for the pattern of body-renewal to return.▶️ WATCH & LISTEN🎬 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thinningoftheveil🌐 Website: https://www.thinningoftheveil.com🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thinning-of-the-veil/id1753511394🟢 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6jWCfMHkZXwnSwy2b98J4M🎵 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a0a45561-d4c2-46d3-af8d-a1e967a21a25📖 BOOKPatterns of Revelation — Spiritual Foundations for Hearing God's Voice: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BW36MG9B📱 CONNECTInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinning.of.the.veilFacebook Group (Gathering of the Gatherers): https://www.facebook.com/groups/1429562078443774Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/thinningoftheveil💛 SUPPORT THE SHOWVenmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/thinningoftheveilPayPal: https://paypal.me/thinningoftheveil✉️ Have you had a thinning of the veil experience? Email [email protected] — your testimony may be exactly what someone needs to hear.#ThinningOfTheVeil #SpiritWorld #TempleWork #FamilyHistory #LDS #LatterDaySaints #GatheringOfIsrael #MinisteringAngels #FamilySearch #PersonalRevelationCITATIONS:Clyde J. Williams, "The Three Nephites and the Doctrine of Translation," in The Book of Mormon: 3 Nephi 9–30, This Is My Gospel (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, 1993), 237–51. : https://rsc.byu.edu/book-mormon-3-nephi-9-30-my-gospel/three-nephites-doctrine-translationSupport the show