“So Great Was the Joy of the Multitude That They Were Overcome”

Brant Gardner

At this point Jesus has the adults stand. Of course they might be standing from their kneeling position, but it is more likely that they had fallen to the ground. Verse 18 indicates that “they were overcome,” and that condition in the Book of Mormon indicates that they would have fallen to the ground. Jesus now has them arise, and this would likely be a signal that the subject was changing. The prayer would therefore have been directed to the parents. Now Jesus turns to the children.

Multidimensional Commentary on the Book of Mormon

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