“I Will Be in the Midst of You”

When two disciples returned to Jerusalem after walking with the resurrected Savior on the road to Emmaus, they found the apostles in a small meeting with other believers. “And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you” (Luke 24:36; see also John 20:19).

One week later, as the apostles gathered again, “then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you” (John 20:26).

The phrase “in the midst” means something more formal and intentional than “amongst” or “with.” The Greek term mesos (μέσος), means literally “in the middle” and implies not just being present but being the central character in the scene. When Jesus wanted the apostles to be more childlike, He “called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:2, italics added). And John uses the same phrase to describe the physical placement of Jesus’s cross:

They crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.

John 19:18, italics added

Mormon uses the same phrase multiple times to describe the Savior’s ministry in the Americas:

• His initial appearance: “They saw a Man descending out of heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe; and he came down and stood in the midst of them; and the eyes of the whole multitude were turned upon him” (3 Nephi 11:8).
• As He ministers to the children: “They brought their little children and set them down upon the ground round about him, and Jesus stood in the midst” (3 Nephi 17:12-13).
• His arrival on the second day: “While the angels were ministering unto the disciples, behold, Jesus came and stood in the midst and ministered unto them” (3 Nephi 19:15).
• A subsequent visit to just the twelve disciples: “They were praying unto the Father in his name; and Jesus came and stood in the midst of them” (3 Nephi 27:2).

Jesus used the same phrase as He promised the Nephites and the Lamanites that He would one day return to the earth:

And the powers of heaven shall be in the midst of this people; yea, even I will be in the midst of you.

3 Nephi 20:22; see also 3 Nephi 21:25

This promise was reiterated in an 1831 revelation:

The Lord, even the Savior, shall stand in the midst of his people, and shall reign over all flesh.

Doctrine and Covenants 133:25

What will that look like? It’s hard to fathom. He appeared to hundreds of people in Jerusalem (1 Corinthians 15:5-8) and thousands in the Americas (3 Nephi 17:25). But when He returns to the earth in glory, we have been promised that “all flesh shall see it together” (Isaiah 40:5; Russell M. Nelson, “The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again,” October 2024 general conference). It’s not entirely clear to me how 8.2 billion people on a spherical planet will all see the same thing at the same time, but I believe it will happen somehow. We will all see Him return, we will all know that He has returned, and we will all feel that He is in our midst, not far away and unreachable, but very close.

Until that day, we can take comfort in His promise:

Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Matthew 18:20

We may not see Him, but He is aware of us and is with us in meaningful ways as we remember and worship Him.

Today, I will look forward to our promised reunion with Jesus. I will visualize the joy of seeing Him return to earth and recognizing that He is now physically in our midst.