[Supplement to Gospel Doctrine New Testament lesson 27]

From the resurrected Savior’s words to the three Nephite disciples who were not to die until his second coming, we learn that they “desired the thing which John,” the beloved apostle of Jesus, desired. That John may have been spared death is merely hinted in John 21:20-23:

The Bible passage is unclear about whether John was actually translated, and at least some Christians came to believe that he was not. John corrected this misimpression by noting that Jesus did not tell him he would not die, only that he would “tarry” or remain.

Joseph Smith explained that “translated bodies cannot enter into rest until they have undergone a change equivalent to death. Translated bodies are designed for future missions” (History of the Church 4:425). The early Christian theologian Tertullian (born probably ca. A.D. 160) gave partial support for this when he wrote,

Several early Christian writers noted that John died at an advanced age in the city of Ephesus. [3] Perhaps because of the words of Christ to the three Nephites, Joseph Smith was intrigued about the subject while he was engaged in his revision of the Bible and came to the passage in John 21. Inquiring of the Lord, he learned that John had written an account on parchment that had been buried. The contents of a portion of that record were revealed to Joseph in these words:

The revelation makes it clear that John was, in fact, translated, in order that he might continue to serve the Lord in the flesh. This was partially confirmed at the general conference held in the forepart of June, 1831, when “the Spirit of the Lord fell upon Joseph in an unusual manner, and he prophesied that John the Revelator was then among the Ten Tribes of Israel who had been led away by Shalmaneser king of Assyria to prepare them for their return from their long dispersion to again possess the land of their fathers.” [5]

That this is his role was subsequently confirmed in a revelation given in March 1832 (D&C 77:9, 14).

Early Christian Traditions

In the standard Christian belief, as reflected by Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical History, the apostle John is said to have died at Ephesus. But there are other early Christian documents that tell a different story. The Epistle to the Tarsians 3, attributed to Ignatius (died A.D. 107), [6] notes how Peter, James, Paul, and Stephen were killed, but merely notes that “John was banished to Patmos.” Evidently, the writer had no information on the death of the apostle John.

The Acts of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian: About His Exile and Departure has the apostle mysteriously disappearing, leaving the brethren at Ephesus to reflect on Jesus’ words to Peter concerning him. [7] Introducing some of John’s writings in his own work, Hilary of Poitiers wrote, “Let John speak to us, while he is waiting, just as he is, for the coming of the Lord; John, who was left behind and appointed to a destiny hidden in the counsel of God, for he is not told that he shall not die, but only that he shall tarry” (On the Trinity 6.39). [8]

In the fourth century, St. Augustine, commenting on John 21:19-25, wrote,

By denying reports that John was still alive, Augustine confirmed that some Christians believed that he was. He continued:

In addition to the story of surviving being buried alive, several early Christian texts indicate that John was both imprisoned and given poison to drink but that these did him no harm. [11] One tradition, reported by Tertullian, has him being whipped in Rome, then cast into boiling oil, from which he emerged unscathed (Against the Heretics 36). [12]

We can compare these accounts with the trials endured by the three translated Nephite disciples, who also could not be harmed by imprisonment, burial in the ground, the furnace of fire, or wild beasts (3 Nephi 28:19-22; 4 Nephi 1:30-33).

An Irish pseudepigraphic text preserves the tradition that John lay down in a deep grave prepared for him and prayed, whereupon a brilliant light blinded those who stood by and when they could see again, the apostle had passed on. The text concludes by saying, “As for the body of John, it is in a beautiful golden tomb, and at the end of each year, the best youth, who is without defilement or sin, is chosen, and he goes to cut John’s hair and pare his nails, and when he has completed that task, he partakes of the body and sacrifice of Christ, and he himself ascends to heaven on that day. Thus John’s body remains without putrefaction or corruption. Indeed, it is as if it were in a deep sleep, and it will be thus until Doomsday.” [13]

The text hints that John is not really dead and that those who come into contact with his body are taken to heaven.

A fourth-century Christian document from Egypt, the Discourse on Abbaton, confirms that John had been translated. The preface speaks of “the Holy Apostle Saint John, theologian and virgin, who is not to taste death until the thrones are set in the Valley of Jehoasaphat.” [14]

The text itself has the resurrected Jesus saying, “And as for thee, O My beloved John, thou shalt not die until the thrones have been prepared on the Day of the Resurrection ... I will command Abbaton, [15] the Angel of Death, to come unto thee on that day ... Thou shalt be dead for three and a half hours, lying upon thy throne, and all creation shall see thee. I will make thy soul to return to thy body, and thou shalt rise up and array thyself in apparel of glory.”[16]

A Syriac Christian text includes a vision given to the apostle John in which “our Lord sent to him a man in white raiment,” who told him, “John, behold thou hast been set by our Lord to preach the Gospel of Salvation, along with the three that perform the truth; but ye also shall not be deprived of this gift.” [17] The text does not explain who these three others were, but because the word “ye” denotes plural, it suggests that the four were to be allowed to continue preaching. Latter-day Saints would readily understand the passage to refer to the three Nephites.

Conclusions

While the Bible is unclear about whether the apostle John was translated, the fact is established in both the Book of Mormon and in a revelation to Joseph Smith.  Though some early Christian documents support the view that John died, an important text from Egypt clearly supports the Book of Mormon view.

Notes: