These are tender scenes of a compassionate God wanting to heal all the crippled, diseased, and afflicted bodies and souls—because their faith was sufficient that he could do it. Where faith was lacking, the Savior could do no mighty miracles among the people of the Old World, and he even marveled at their unbelief (Mark 6:5–6). Note how he could “see” the strength of their faith. The people fell to the earth and worshipped him; then their little children were brought to him, and he himself knelt down and prayed things too powerful and sacred to record—things that eyes have never seen, ears have never heard, tongues have never spoken, “neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak; and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father.” The fulness of joy caused an outpouring of tears. Even Jesus was so full of emotion that he wept. Undoubtedly one of the reasons that God himself was so emotional was his joy in placing his hands on the head of each of the children and pronouncing blessings upon each, one by one. Imagine the scene, as heaven and earth connected, the veil was lifted, and the fire or glory of God enveloped every soul!
One day at the Provo Utah Temple, Brother Ogden stopped by the office of his friend, temple recorder Kurt Jensen. Brother Jensen looked up and asked: “You’re a grandfather. When one of your grandchildren is blessed or baptized, where do you want to be?”
“There at the ordinance, of course.”
“Well,” Brother Jensen said, “I was reading in 3 Nephi 17, where the children are surrounded by fire, and angels came down and ministered to them. Who do you think those angels were? Wouldn’t they be the grandparents and great-grandparents? Who in all the universe would most want to be there for such a sacred occasion?”
That the things that were said and done were so sacred as to prohibit them from being recorded suggests the kind of ordinances and promises that occur in latter-day temples—sealings of husbands and wives, sealings of children to parents, sealings that guarantee exaltation to committed disciples, and promises of inexpressible power. No wonder divine messengers, including family members of the children, came in the midst of fire. God himself dwells in everlasting fire (see commentary at Helaman 5:23–50).