8 And when they had ministered those same words which Jesus had spoken—nothing varying from the words which Jesus had spoken—behold, they knelt again and prayed to the Father in the name of Jesus.
Why did they minister the same words which Jesus had spoken the day before? Here are two possible reasons:
- Their goal was to help their listeners appreciate the grandeur of what they had experienced the day before. Using the same words helped them to communicate what they had heard and what they had felt as they heard the Savior teach.
- They had been commissioned by the Savior as His representatives. They recognized that they had the responsibility to do what He would do if He were there. They used His words from the day before in order to fulfill that responsibility as perfectly as possible.
I don’t know how they did it. I’m not sure if someone had taken notes the day before, if the experience had been so vivid that His words were imprinted on their minds, or if the Holy Ghost brought the words to their remembrance as they taught. However it happened, using His words was a way of showing their love for Him, their loyalty to Him, and their desire to be like Him.
Today, as I have opportunities to teach the gospel, I will remember the example of these ancient American disciples of the Savior. I will strive to represent the Savior by speaking as He would speak if He were there.
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