Parallels between 3 Nephi 19 and the Gospels -- Part 1

3 Nephi 19 is a fascinating chapter. I have previously posted about events in that chapter resembling the day of Pentecost in Acts in the New Testament. What I noticed this time was the striking resemblance between the latter half of the chapter and what happened right before and in the Garden of Gethsemane.

In the latter half of 3 Nephi 19, Jesus asks his disciples to pray. He goes "a little way off from them" and prays to the Father. Then he goes back to the disciples, has some interaction with them before he goes to pray to the Father again. This repeats three times. This exact sequence of events repeated three times happens in Gethsemane too. 

Before we get into the details of that, there is another prallell worth noting. In John 17, as the last thing that happens before Jesus and his disciples go to Gethsemane, Jesus offers his intercessory prayer. Part of that prayer is almost verbatim the same as his prayer(s) to the Father in 3 Nephi 19. With that backdrop, let's go into the details.

The admonition to pray

The passage in 3 Nephi 19 that we will have a closer look at, starts with verse 17

17 And it came to pass that when they had all knelt down upon the earth, he commanded his disciples that they should pray.

18 And behold, they began to pray; and they did pray unto Jesus, calling him their Lord and their God.

Praying directly to Jesus, as the disciples do here, is quite unusual. Later in the chapter, Jesus says that they do so because he is there with them (see verse 22). I will not comment further on that as it is besides the topic of this post. But we can compare this with what happens in the gospels. There are differences between the various accounts. For instance, not all start out with Jesus asking his disciples to pray in Gethsemane. But we read it in Luke 22:39-40

39 And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him.

40 And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.

In Matthew and Mark, the admonition to pray is only given after Jesus comes back.

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Matthew 26:41)

Interestingly, in 3 Nephi 18, the day before the events recorded in 3 Nephi 19, Jesus tells his disciples

Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation (3 Nephi 18:18)

Jesus withdrawing from the disciples to pray

After asking the disciples to pray, Jesus withdraws himself to pray unto the Father. In 3 Nephi, we continue with verse 19 where we left off

And it came to pass that Jesus departed out of the midst of them, and went a little way off from them and bowed himself to the earth, and he said:

In Gethsemane, we find something similar. In Matthew 26:39 

he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed

In Mark 14:35

he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed

In Luke 22:41

And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed

Jesus' intercessory prayer in 3 Nephi 

Then Jesus starts praying. But the prayers in 3 Nephi 19 and in Gethsemane are very different. Obviously it would make no sense for the resurrected Jesus to ask his Father to remove this cup from him in 3 Nephi. Instead, part of his prayer sounds very similar to the intercessory prayer in John 17 that he said right before they went to Gethsemane. Starting off in 3 Nephi 19, Jesus thanks the Father for giving his disciples the Holy Ghost (the pentecostal event mentioned earlier). This is not found in John 17. But then Jesus says

And now Father, 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)

Compare with John 17:20-21

20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us

Another shared phrase is found the second time Jesus prays in 3 Nephi 19

Father, I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me out of the world, because of their faith

Compare with John 17:9

I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

The different responses from the disciples

As mentioned in other previous posts, when we find parallels like these in the scriptures, the learning points are often found in the differences. In this case the response from the disciples are vastly different between these two accounts. In both accounts, Jesus asks his disciples to (watch and) pray. When Jesus has finished praying the first time in 3 Nephi 19, he goes back to his disciples.

24 And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus prayed unto the Father, he came unto his disciples, and behold, they did still continue, without ceasing, to pray unto him; and they did not multiply many words, for it was given unto them what they should pray, and they were filled with desire.

25 And it came to pass that Jesus blessed them as they did pray unto him; and his countenance did smile upon them, and the light of his countenance did shine upon them, and behold they were as white as the countenance and also the garments of Jesus; and behold the whiteness thereof did exceed all the whiteness, yea, even there could be nothing upon earth so white as the whiteness thereof.

26 And Jesus said unto them: Pray on; nevertheless they did not cease to pray.

Contrast that with Matthew 26:40

And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

Jesus had specifically asked them to "watch". The Greek word is gregoreo and literally means to stay awake. The disciples in the Old World failed to follow his admonition. The disciples in the New World prayed, as he instructed, "without ceasing" and were immediately blessed as a consequence. 

There is much more to say about this, so I will split this post and save the rest for part 2. This post only presents an overview of the parallels. The next post will discuss what we can learn after having identified them. As a final indicator, however, that these parallels between 3 Nephi 19 and the New Testament are not just coincidental, I quote the last two verses of 3 Nephi 19 with an explicit reference to the Jews.

35 And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying he came again to the disciples, and said unto them: So great faith have I never seen among all the Jews; wherefore I could not show unto them so great miracles, because of their unbelief.
36 Verily I say unto you, there are none of them that have seen so great things as ye have seen; neither have they heard so great things as ye have heard.

These verses indicates that faith made the difference discussed in this last section, but we will get more into that in part 2. 

 

 

Cast out -- Part 2

In part 1, we saw several examples of messengers with the word of God being cast out. This resulted in the wicked people casting them out being destroyed and the word being preserved. One of the outcasts we read about is Jesus Christ himself, who is also known as "the Word". But the pattern looks a bit different in this case. 

When Nephi sees the coming of Christ in a vision

And I beheld that he went forth ministering unto the people, in power and great glory; and the multitudes were gathered together to hear him; and I beheld that they cast him out from among them. (1 Nephi 11:28)

According to the pattern discussed in part 1, we would expect to see those who cast him out destroyed. But it is Christ who dies

32 And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Son of the everlasting God was judged of the world; and I saw and bear record.
33 And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world. (1 Nephi 11)

He is also judged of the world. When Nephi's vision is over, he explains the meaning of what he and his father saw to his brothers

33 Wherefore, if they should die in their wickedness they must be cast off also, as to the things which are spiritual, which are pertaining to righteousness; wherefore, they must be brought to stand before God, to be judged of their works; and if their works have been filthiness they must needs be filthy; and if they be filthy it must needs be that they cannot dwell in the kingdom of God; if so, the kingdom of God must be filthy also.

34 But behold, I say unto you, the kingdom of God is not filthy, and there cannot any unclean thing enter into the kingdom of God; wherefore there must needs be a place of filthiness prepared for that which is filthy.

35 And there is a place prepared, yea, even that awful hell of which I have spoken, and the devil is the preparator of it; wherefore the final state of the souls of men is to dwell in the kingdom of God, or to be cast out because of that justice of which I have spoken.

36 Wherefore, the wicked are rejected from the righteous, and also from that tree of life, whose fruit is most precious and most desirable above all other fruits; yea, and it is the greatest of all the gifts of God. (1 Nephi 15)

When Nephi saw the tree of life in 1 Nephi 11, he asked for an interpretation and saw the Savior in a vision. He saw Jesus Christ being cast out and judged of the world. But he also saw that all this would lead to the resurrection and judgment, where the wicked would be judged by him and cast out from the tree of life. There is neat symmetry here.

We see the same in Abinadi's speech.

And thus the flesh becoming subject to the Spirit, or the Son to the Father, being one God, suffereth temptation, and yieldeth not to the temptation, but suffereth himself to be mocked, and scourged, and cast out, and disowned by his people. (Mosiah 15:5)

Again, it is the outcast who dies in this specific case

Yea, even so he shall be led, crucified, and slain, the flesh becoming subject even unto death, the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father. (Mosiah 15:7)

But it all happens for a reason. 

The time shall come when all shall see the salvation of the Lord; when every nation, kindred, tongue, and people shall see eye to eye and shall confess before God that his judgments are just. And then shall the wicked be cast out, and they shall have cause to howl, and weep, and wail, and gnash their teeth; and this because they would not hearken unto the voice of the Lord; therefore the Lord redeemeth them not. (Mosiah 16:1-2)

There is a certain irony at play: The Savior is cast out and suffers physical death, leading to the resurrection. Those who cast him out will be among the resurrected and brought to stand in front of him on judgment day to be cast out and suffer spiritual death.

While there are many examples of the righteous cast out from among the wicked on earth, we never see the wicked cast out by the righteous. The wicked are only cast out on the final day of judgment, when there is no probation any longer. Here on earth, God's people is even instructed not to cast out anyone.

therefore if ye know that a man is unworthy to eat and drink of my flesh and blood ye shall forbid him. Nevertheless, ye shall not cast him out from among you, but ye shall minister unto him and shall pray for him unto the Father, in my name (3 Nephi 18:29-30)

The act of casting out may seem brutal in any circumstance, but when studying this topic, I see God's mercy on display. 

• Even though Samuel the Lamanite was cast out, God asked him to return to give them a chance to be warned about the consequences of casting out the righteous and the prophets. "never hath any of them been destroyed save it were foretold them by the prophets of the Lord."(2 Nephi 25:9). They are always warned first.
• When there is anyone righteous left among them, God will spare the people (see Genesis 18:23-33)
• When there is none righteous left and they are ripe in iniquity, God destroys them to cleanse his vineyard and give others a chance
• When the roles are reversed and there are wicked among the righteous, the righteous are asked not to cast them out but minister unto them instead
• The only time when the wicked are described as cast out from the righteous, is on judgment day. This is of necessity because no unclean thing can enter into the kingdom of God

In the next part, we will see how "cast out" applies on a personal level

Physical and spiritual healing

I love Lord Wilmore's idea of miracles being physical miracles in their own right, but also symbols of the greatest miracle of all: The salvation through Christ and covenants and the ministry of angels.

One type of miracle that we read about frequently in the scriptures is healing from sickness. It is very often connected with one or several senses: Restoring eyesight or the ability to hear or speak, for instance. Reflecting on this, I have found multiple scriptures supporting the view that accounts of physical healing also point to the spiritual healing offered by Christ. Here are some examples:

The gospel of John

In John chapter 9, Jesus heals a man that was born blind and restores his sight. He also says in verse 5:

I am the light of the world.

In John chapter 11, Jesus raises Lasarus from the dead. In verse 25, he says:

I am the resurrection, and the life

Obviously, these statements mean something more than the literal, physical implication. Jesus is performing miracles to help someone in need but at the same time he point us to the greatest miracle of all that can help all mankind.

Isaiah 6

This is the chapter describing the calling of the prophet Isaiah. In verse 9 and 10, God gives Isaiah the following instructions:

9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.

10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

Much poetry in Isaiah as usual. A parallelism in verse 9 and chiasmus in verse 10, seen by the reversed order of the colored words. The colored words are recurring key elements as we shall soon see. Healing is often linked to eyes, ears and heart. John 9 in the example above deals with one of them, eyes/vision.

Obviously, Isaiah is using symbols and not talking about a literal healing of senses. But using the physical senses as symbols we see how the physical and spiritual healing go hand in hand. In fact, John 12, the chapter after the last one quoted above, quotes this passage from Isaiah arguing that it was fulfilled when the people saw Jesus' miracles and still didn't believe. (See John 12:37-40). So when people saw Jesus heal the blind, for instance, they still didn't believe, implying that they "shut their (spiritual) eyes" as Isaiah prophecied - a reversal of the very act that Jesus performed when he opened the eyes of the blind man. 

This Isaiah passage is quoted no less than three times in the New Testament. Gileadi's comment to these verses:

The verb “go” denotes Jehovah’s actual commission of Isaiah as his prophet. The terms “these people” or “this people” (ha‘am hazzeh), however, reflect the people’s repudiation of their covenant relationship with Jehovah that is commonly expressed by the possessive “my people” (‘ammi). When they grow alienated, they see things their way, not his (Isaiah 55:8-9). Hence the words, “Go on hearing, but not understanding; Go on seeing, but not perceiving.” As Jehovah forewarns, a wayward people’s typical response when a prophet appeals to them to repent is to harden their hearts and dull their senses.

Although Isaiah’s role as a hardener of his people’s hearts seals upon them Jehovah’s condemnation, there exists a redeeming side to his prophetic ministry. “Seeing” with the eyes, “hearing” with the ears, “understanding” in the heart, and “repenting” at the same time constitutes Jehovah’s formula for “healing” or salvation. A remnant of Jehovah’s people—a “holy offspring” comprised of those who repent (v 13)—thus survives destruction in his Day of Judgment. Typifying them are Isaiah’s disciples, for whom Jehovah provides sanctuary at the time others suffer covenant curses (Isaiah 8:13-17).

King Benjamin

In the very beginning of his speech to the people, King Benjamin has a special request to the crowd

My brethren, all ye that have assembled yourselves together, you that can hear my words which I shall speak unto you this day; for I have not commanded you to come up hither to trifle with the words which I shall speak, but that you should hearken unto me, and open your ears that ye may hear, and your hearts that ye may understand, and your minds that the mysteries of God may be unfolded to your view. (Mosiah 2:9)

In the next chapter, King Benjamin speaks of Christ's coming to earth

5 For behold, the time cometh, and is not far distant, that with power, the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth, who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity, shall come down from heaven among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay, and shall go forth amongst men, working mighty miracles, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and curing all manner of diseases.
6 And he shall cast out devils, or the evil spirits which dwell in the hearts of the children of men. (Mosiah 3:5-6)

This is another example of senses used in a spiritual sense and a physcial sense. The physical healing is also symbol of spiritual healing and just a few verses later

And lo, he cometh unto his own, that salvation might come unto the children of men (Mosiah 3:9)

Jesus in America

My final example is also mentioning physical and spiritual healing in two successive chapters. When Jesus says "now I go unto the father" in 3 Nephi 17:4, the people wants him to stay a bit longer and he does. He asks:

Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy. (3 Nephi 17:7)

The people bring their sick and afflicted to Jesus and he heals them. In the next chapter, Jesus says:

Nevertheless, ye shall not cast him out of your synagogues, or your places of worship, for unto such shall ye continue to minister; for ye know not but what they will return and repent, and come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall heal them; and ye shall be the means of bringing salvation unto them. (3 Nephi 18:32)

Jesus repeats "I will/shall heal them" but this time it is about spiritual healing and salvation. A few verses later he also repeats "now I go unto the father" (3 Nephi 18:35) and this time he does. Demonstrating his healing power was one of the things that he wanted to do before leaving. 

The Great Healer, Jesus Christ, touched some people with his physical healing 2000 years ago both in Palestine and America. But if that were the whole point, he really didn't reach out to many of Heavenly Father's children. However, the point is to reach the whole world, all mankind, with healing power that the physical miracles merely foreshadowed. When we walk the covenant path, we need ears to hear, eyes to see and a soft heart. Whatever we lack, we can come unto Him and be healed. His great spiritual healing power reaches you and me today. 

שָׁמַר -- shamar: to keep, watch, preserve, part 2

In my last post, I reviewed various words translated from "shamar" in the Old Testament.  In this post, we'll look at how those same terms are used in the Book of Mormon.

I'll post many examples below, but one example stood out to me as I undertook this study, from the words of King Benjamin to his sons:

5 I say unto you, my sons, were it not for these things, which have been kept and preserved by the hand of God, that we might read and understand of his mysteries, and have his commandments always before our eyes, that even our fathers would have dwindled in unbelief, and we should have been like unto our brethren, the Lamanites, who know nothing concerning these things, or even do not believe them when they are taught them, because of the traditions of their fathers, which are not correct.

6 O my sons, I would that ye should remember that these sayings are true, and also that these records are true. And behold, also the plates of Nephi, which contain the records and the sayings of our fathers from the time they left Jerusalem until now, and they are true; and we can know of their surety because we have them before our eyes.

7 And now, my sons, I would that ye should remember to search them diligently, that ye may profit thereby; and I would that ye should keep the commandments of God, that ye may prosper in the land according to the promises which the Lord made unto our fathers. (Mosiah 1)

I appreciate the balance in this passage:

• The scriptures have been "kept and preserved by the hand of God"...
• ...in order to allow the covenant people to have His commandments "before [their] eyes" (observe)...
• ...so that they can "keep the commandments"...
• ...in order to prosper (be preserved) in the land of promise.

In fact, the Book of Mormon proverb (alluded to in verse 7) demonstrates this balanced keeping/preservation between God and His covenant people.

"Shamar" in the Book of Mormon

The various words translated from "shamar" show up many times in the Book of Mormon.  Below is a sampling of a few of these. Notice the balance between the responsibilities of the covenant people and the blessings promised to the faithful by God:

• Keep
• 11 But I am like as yourselves, subject to all manner of infirmities in body and mind; yet I have been chosen by this people, and consecrated by my father, and was suffered by the hand of the Lord that I should be a ruler and a king over this people; and have been kept and preserved by his matchless power, to serve you with all the might, mind and strength which the Lord hath granted unto me. (Mosiah 2)
• As ye have kept my commandments, and also the commandments of my father, and have prospered, and have been kept from falling into the hands of your enemies, even so if ye shall keep the commandments of my son, or the commandments of God which shall be delivered unto you by him, ye shall prosper in the land, and your enemies shall have no power over you. (Mosiah 2:31)
• Beware

• 32 But, O my people, beware lest there shall arise contentions among you, and ye list to obey the evil spirit, which was spoken of by my father Mosiah. (Mosiah 2)

• 15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. (3 Nephi 14)

• Take heed
• 11 "...therefore, take heed that ye do not transgress, that the name be not blotted out of your hearts." (Mosiah 5) 
• 14 Wherefore, take heed, my beloved brethren, that ye do not judge that which is evil to be of God, or that which is good and of God to be of the devil. (Moroni 7)
• Observe
• 6 "And now, this commandment they observe to keep; wherefore, because of this observance, in keeping this commandment, the Lord God will not destroy them, but will be merciful unto them..." (Jacob 3)
• "6 And this shall ye always observe to do, even as I have done, even as I have broken bread and blessed it and given it unto you." (3 Nephi 18)
• To mark
• 14 "...Wherefore, because of their blindness, which blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they must needs fall..." (Jacob 4)
• 16 And again: I will set a mark upon him that fighteth against thee and thy seed. (Alma 3)
• Preserve
• 17 "...he will preserve the righteous by his power..." (1 Nephi 17)
• 3 "...I should preserve these plates and hand them down unto my seed, from generation to generation." (Jacob 1)
• 11 "... I, Mormon, pray to God that they may be preserved from this time henceforth. And I know that they will be preserved; for there are great things written upon them, out of which my people and their brethren shall be judged at the great and last day..." (Words of Mormon 1)

What the Book of Mormon teaches about the relationship between the Eternal Father and His Son, Jesus Christ (and each of us), part 1

10 And for this cause ye shall have fulness of joy; and ye shall 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)

This is a big topic, hard to cover in a single post. This will likely become a series of two posts. Even so, I won't be able to fully describe everything I've learned in the process  Rather, I'll plan to summarize what I consider to be the most important findings I made while studying this topic. I've included a list of passages I studied so you can see what material I am drawing on to base my conclusions.

One somewhat unexpected pattern I found while studying about the relationship between the Father and the Son was the central importance of unity. Although I set out to learn more about two perfected Beings, I also ended up learning about their desires for me (and everyone).  Here is a pattern I discovered:

1. The Father and the Son are perfectly united.
2. They desire each of us to be perfectly united with them.
3. They have established a perfect plan to produce that unity with them. This includes faith, repentance, ordinances, miracles, spiritual gifts, and the confirming/purifying influence of the Holy Ghost.
4. The only aspect of their plan that is in question is our willingness to follow it.

Here is a list of passages I studied:

• 1 Nephi 1
• Mosiah 15:1-9
• 3 Nephi 9:14-17
• 3 Nephi 11:11-41
• 3 Nephi 12:17-20, 48
• 3 Nephi 15:1
• 3 Nephi 16 
• 3 Nephi 17:14-25
• 3 Nephi 18:1-11
• 3 Nephi 19 (esp. v. 23)
• 3 Nephi 20 (esp. vv. 19-25)
• 3 Nephi 21 (esp. v. 27)
• 3 Nephi 27:13-30
• 3 Nephi 28:10-11
• Moroni 7:2-3, 48

Unity

As you read through these passages, notice how often it is mentioned that the Father and the Son are "one."  Often, this unity is also extended to righteous disciples, or at least an invitation is given to us to become one with them. Here are a few examples:

14 Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.
15 Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father in me; and in me hath the Father glorified his name. (3 Nephi 9)

27 And after this manner shall ye baptize in my name; for behold, verily I say unto you, that the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost are one; and I am in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father and I are one. ...36 And thus will the Father bear record of me, and the Holy Ghost will bear record unto him of the Father and me; for the Father, and I, and the Holy Ghost are one. 37 And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in nowise receive these things. (3 Nephi 11)

23 And now Father, 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)

10 ...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)

Another common statement is that the will of Christ was united, or "swallowed up," with the will of the Father.

7 Yea, even so he shall be led, crucified, and slain, the flesh becoming subject even unto death, the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father. (Mosiah 15)

11 And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning. (3 Nephi 11)

We'll end this part on that note. It is abundantly clear to me that mortality is all about surrendering our own will to that of God's will.  When we are baptized, we lay down the old creature, and arise anew as a spiritual being, willing to follow Christ in all things.  When we partake of the sacrament, we promise to always remember Him.

In the next post in this series, we'll look in more detail at what it means to be united, and how covenants fit into this picture.

Filled -- Part 2

My search for the use of "filled" in the Book of Mormon and research to understand the possible Hebrew root, was triggered by this verse

And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled (3 Nephi 27:16)

The puzzling part is that "filled" is not followed by "with" as is usually the case in the Book of Mormon. But there are other verses similar to this one. We will have a look at those

And it came to pass that Alma ate bread and was filled (Alma 8:22)

That was pretty straight forward since in this instance it is physical food filling Alma. Moving on...

And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst. (Alma 32:42)

Alma is talking about the fruit of the tree of life. Again, it is about eating but in a more metaphorical sense. Another one:

4 And when they had eaten and were filled, he commanded that they should give unto the multitude.

5 And when the multitude had eaten and were filled, he said unto the disciples… (3 Nephi 18:4-5)

This is when Christ administers the sacrament among the Nephites. The next day, he tells the multitude

He that eateth this bread eateth of my body to his soul; and he that drinketh of this wine drinketh of my blood to his soul; and his soul shall never hunger nor thirst, but shall be filled. (3 Nephi 20:8)

In the very next verse it does say "filled with the Spirit" so we don't have to wonder. Also, regarding Alma 32, in another account of the tree of life, Lehi's soul is filled "with exceedingly great joy" (1 Nephi 8:12). But in the shared quotes it is interesting to see the same expression as in Alma 8, when Amulek gave Alma bread to eat. To me, it indicates that the way your soul is filled with joy or the Holy Ghost when you feast on something spiritual is comparable to the way your body is filled when you eat food.

I really don't understand the metaphysics of it all, I just know that we have a spirit inside of us somehow and that spirit is matter. I also notice some scriptures about the "place" inside of us, in addition to the "filled" scriptures. For instance, a scripture I recently shared in another post

For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance even until death, behold, ye have become subjected to the spirit of the devil, and he doth seal you his; therefore, the Spirit of the Lord hath withdrawn from you, and hath no place in you, and the devil hath all power over you; and this is the final state of the wicked. (Alma 34:35)

There are several similar scriptures and I will not quote all of them, but here is another example

But behold, there are many that harden their hearts against the Holy Spirit, that it hath no place in them (2 Nephi 33:2)

Another interesting verse indicates that the Spirit of he Lord has no place in us because that space is filled with something else

And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil—for behold, they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for behold, they chose evil works rather than good; therefore the spirit of the devil did enter into them, and take possession of their house (Alma 40:13)

I guess when this happens, you are filled too in a way, but it is not expressed that way. Possibly because it doesn't really satisfy their soul like food does to the body, it just occupies space to prevent the Spirit of the Lord from entering. Keep in mind from yesterday's post that the Hebrew root for filled, "male", also can be translated into "complete", "accomplish" or "endow".

There is another aspect I have found and my research, but I think I will make a third part to share that.