The Disciple Whom Jesus Loves, Part 4

In Part 4 of The Disciple Whom Jesus Loves, Elder John recalls the miraculous moment when Jesus called Peter, James, John, and Andrew to follow Him. After teaching a crowd from Simon Peter’s boat, Jesus asked Peter to go out into deeper water and cast his nets again—despite an unproductive night of fishing. To everyone’s amazement, the nets were quickly filled to overflowing, a miracle that humbled Peter to his knees. He confessed his unworthiness, but Jesus looked beyond who Peter had been to who he could become, calling him and the others to a new purpose: to become fishers of men. The moment was captured in the stirring musical number “Follow Me,” as Jesus extended His invitation to leave behind their old lives and walk into the unknown with Him.

Elder John then transitions to the first journey they took with Jesus—to a wedding in Cana. The disciples are introduced to Mary, Jesus’ mother, who carries a quiet strength and an awareness of what lies ahead. Amid the joy of the wedding feast, the wine unexpectedly runs low. In a quiet but powerful exchange, Mary turns to Jesus for help. Though Jesus initially resists, saying His hour has not yet come, Mary simply tells the servants, “Do whatever He tells you,” confident that He will act. The servants obey, filling six massive jars with water. There is no dramatic sign, no heavenly command—just faithful action, and then transformation.

The episode culminates in Jesus’ first public miracle: turning water into wine. The master of the banquet is astonished, praising the groom for saving the best wine for last. In a joyful, Broadway-style finale with Middle Eastern musical undertones, the wedding guests celebrate the miracle, recognizing it as something extraordinary. Elder John, looking back, now understands that nothing Jesus did was ever “just” a moment—it was always layered with meaning. This first sign in Cana confirmed for the disciples that they were not merely following a teacher, but the very Son of God, ushering in a new way of life, filled with mystery, mercy, and transformation.