Who Was Present At Pentecost?

[theplains]

According to the May 1973 edition of the Friend magazine, "On the day of Pentecost when 

the Jews celebrate the Feast of the Harvest, the twelve apostles met together". I found

some commentary from a non-LDS source that at least 120 were present.

 

What do you think?  Was it only 12 who received the special gift or were there more?

 

Thanks,

Jim

 

[awyatt]

What do you think?  Was it only 12 who received the special gift or were there more?

In the <em>Friend</em> Article you cited it says in the 2nd paragraph that 120 people met together that day.

-Allen

[mfbukowski]

Acts 1

King James Version (KJV)

¹³ And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.

¹⁴ These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

¹⁵ And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)

 

Edited March 20, 2014 by mfbukowski

[Storm Rider]

 

According to the May 1973 edition of the Friend magazine, "On the day of Pentecost when 

the Jews celebrate the Feast of the Harvest, the twelve apostles met together". I found

some commentary from a non-LDS source that at least 120 were present.

 

What do you think?  Was it only 12 who received the special gift or were there more?

 

Thanks,

Jim

 

 

Hello Jim, when I first read your post I thought to myself, "Who goes back and reads old Friend magazines?"  It was a puzzle with no easy answers that came to mind.  I assume that you got it from a source that is most diligent in the review and analysis of all LDS texts?  Of course it was even more disturbing that an immediate response demonstrated that the article did not limit it to just the Twelve and thus there was no discrepancy.  

 

I don't think that the published materials of the Church are perfect and I suspect that they get things wrong sometimes. What is more unfortunate is when groups and sources simple create criticisms out of whole cloth.

 

My take-away is that I still don't need to read the Friend magazines from decades past and when I do get the urge to do so I shall read the entire article myself rather than believe the statements of others.  It is just too easy to check it out and I should if I have an interest.  

 

The object is to focus on that which feeds our spirits and hearts and impresses upon us daily the need to reflect the grace of the Savior in the lives of others.  

[theplains]

Hello Jim, when I first read your post I thought to myself, "Who goes back and reads old Friend magazines?"  

 

Actually, I am reading "Mine Errand from the Lord" by Boyd K. Packer (2008). It mentioned

on page 93 that on the day of Pentecost, the Twelve were assembled in a house. The Twelve

were filled with the Holy Ghost and were fully empowered and they spoke 18 (?) different

languages (he provides a link to Acts 2:7-11).  Wanting to provide a more accessible link to

the forum readers, I went to lds.org. There I found the reference to the 'old' Friends magazine.

That was about the only one I could find.  

 

I believe that more than just the 12 apostles spoke in tongues that special day.

 

What do you believe?

 

Thanks,

Jim

 

[Storm Rider]

Jim, it is good that that questions arise and sources of truth motivate the question.  

 

I went back and read Acts chapters 1 and 2.  A few things stood out to me:

 

1. The events did not seem to occur on a single day, but over a few weeks.  The Apostles, less Judas, were with the Savior and he gave them commandments (this is interesting because Jesus felt the need to give specific commandments to them - he doesn't appear to reiterate the two great commandments, but something else). Jesus also tells them they will receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost. He also says they will receive power and then the baptism of the Holy Ghost. They are back in Jerusalem and were assembled with the existing 11 apostles and with women and Mary, the mother of Jesus. They continue in prayer and supplication in the upper room - they were told they would receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost and to wait for it. At a later time Peter stands up among 120 disciples to speak - I assume they are no longer in the upper room and must be out where such a large group can assemble together.  
2. At this point he recounts the death of Judas and the need to ordain another apostle, Matthias was chosen.
3. They remain in a state of one accord in one location - this may have been after the day where Matthias was chosen and I believe it was because they are back in a house. At this point the baptism of the Holy Ghost occurs at one time and they began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit directed them.
4. This speaking in tongues about the wonderful works of god is talked about in the community in Jerusalem and devout men from many lands came to observe the Apostles; they all hear in their own language even though the men speaking were Galileans.  
5. They testify of Christ and 3,000 respond to the instruction to repent, be baptized, and receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  This group sold their goods, held things in common, and continued in the edification of the saints. 

The initial baptism of the Holy Ghost does not appear to be experienced by the 120 disciples, but by the much smaller subset. It may have been experienced only by the Apostles themselves given the way the scripture read that Peter stood up among them and spoke to the crowds. 

 

There is an awful lot of information there and it is addressed in a rather brief manner.