What set Jesus’ three Nephite disciples apart from his nine disciples was that they “desired the thing which John, my beloved, who was with me in my ministry, before that I was lifted up by the Jews, desired of me,” which was “that ye might bring the souls of men unto me, while the world shall stand” (3 Nephi 28:6, 9). As a consequence, while the nine inherited Jesus’ kingdom after living to a good old age, the three inherited the Father’s kingdom (3 Nephi 28:3, 8).
The “desire” of John and the three Nephite disciples qualified them to be translated and thus empowered to accomplish their task. The same was true of Alma the younger and, we may assume, of Nephi the son of Helaman and of all other translated beings past or future. In other words—as God is no respected of persons but is the same yesterday, today, and forever—those who attain a translated state and the sealing power that accompanies it operate from that desire.
Unless the desire to bring souls to Jesus while the world shall stand is backed up by a deep commitment to offer this sacrifice—as such would not be an easy task—talk of being translated in our day would amount to mere folly and wishful thinking. And yet, many persons in our day are indeed projected to bring as many as they can to the Church of the Firstborn and thus to physical deliverance in God’s Day of Judgment (Doctrine & Covenants 77:11; Isaiah 49:22–23).
And if so, they will inherit the same glory as John, the three Nephite disciples, and other translated beings—like them to “have a fulness of joy” and to “sit down in the kingdom of my Father; yea, your joy shall be full, even as the Father hath given me fulness of joy; and ye shall be even as I am, and I am even as the Father; and the Father and I are one” (3 Nephi 28:10). That promise—to serve as saviors of worlds like Jesus—is the highest a soul may obtain in this life.
