Three Witnesses

"...though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true..." (John 8:14)

That's the Savior speaking, and I have long been fascinated by this verse. I do believe Him, but I often wondered: how is that possible? Because, the law of witnesses is still in force; if the Savior would submit to baptism just to fulfill the law, surely he would be willing to obey the law of witnesses.

And lo and behold, look what I read this morning:

32 And this is my ^adoctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear ^brecord of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the ^cHoly Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me. (3 Nephi 11:32)

I think that the Holy Ghost should have already been testifying to the hearts of the people Jesus was talking to; the Holy Ghost would have testified to them of the Father (and of the Father's testimony) and of the Son. Jesus was just repeating what they should have already been able to feel. And, indeed, as I looked up the original verse to put in this posting, look what I found (both of the following excerpts are from John 8):

12 ¶ Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the ^alight of the world: he that followeth me shall not ^bwalk in ^cdarkness, but shall have the light of life.

13 The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.

14 Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know ^awhence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell ^bwhence I come, and whither I go.

"[W]hence [He] and whither [he would] go"; it seems pretty clear that He is talking about heaven, where he was with Heavenly Father. And indeed, in verse 18, that is exactly who He says is His second witness.

18 I am one that bear witness of myself, and the ^aFather that sent me beareth ^bwitness of me.

19 Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know
me, nor my Father: if ye had ^aknown me, ye should have known my Father also.

We ourselves (and here I refer to other believing Christians, along with myself) are not like the Pharisees, but are in the position of the people Jesus tells the Nephites about in the beginning of 3 Nephi chapter 12. Not the ones he talks about in verse 1:

...blessed are ye if ye shall believe in me and be baptized, after that ye have seen me and know that I am.

We are the ones referred to in verse 2:

2 And again, more blessed are they who shall ^abelieve in your words because that ye shall testify that ye have seen me, and that ye know that I am. Yea, blessed are they who shall ^bbelieve in your ^cwords, and ^dcome down into the depths of humility and be baptized, for they shall be visited ^ewith fire and with the Holy Ghost, and shall receive a remission of their sins.

It is very nice to be "more blessed," don't you think?