“That We May Be One” – 3 Nephi 19:23, 29

At the Last Supper, Jesus offered a prayer which is often called the Intercessory Prayer, because He pleaded with His Father on behalf of His apostles. In the following passage, He pleads not only for them but for all who believe in Him:

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us…

That they may be one, even as we are one.

John 17:20-22

Not long after, on the second day of His ministry on the American continent, the Savior offered a similar prayer on behalf of the people who had gathered to hear Him:

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, 29

After quoting these two prayers, President Russell M. Nelson said, “We too can pray for unity. We can pray to be of one heart and one mind with the Lord’s anointed and with our loved ones. We can pray for mutual understanding and respect between ourselves and our neighbors. If we really care for others, we should pray for them” (“Lessons from the Lord’s Prayers,” General Conference, April 2009).

Today, I will pray for others. I will pray for those with whom I disagree. I will pray for mutual understanding and respect. I will pray that we may be one, even as Jesus Christ and His Father are one.