Sorry for not getting back to you, there are other things that need my attention.
You asked previously if the LDS worship Jesus Christ and I gave you conflicting answers, but corrected myself as hopefully you previously saw. My confusion is that our emphasis is always on the Father and all our actions are to the Father as He has commanded, through His Son. Still, we worship Christ as our Savior, God’s only Begotten and our Eldest Brother.
Now, you cite 3d Nephi 19 about where he is among the Nephites after great calamities and after he has taught them a few things. It is clear that the people are praying to Christ, but at the same time, Christ separates himself from the groups and prays to his Father. One thing you overlooked is that in the previous chapter, 18, Jesus taught them how to pray:
“19 Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name;”
Why are they praying to Christ, their Lord and God after being commanded to pray to God the Father is an interesting question. He doesn’t reprimand them at all at any time so I consider it a non issue. Is it a contradiction? I don’t think so since Christ taught them how to pray and obviously he was pleased with their prayers even if they were to him and not to the Father. AT that same time, HE prayed to HIS Father as he previously commanded them.
Without gloss, I can think of reasons why he didn’t reprimand them, some would be because Christ is resurrected at this point and had completed his earthly mission, taking his place at the right hand of God. Further, they were ever so grateful to have their Savior among them that perhaps being sticklers for what they were just taught wasn’t a high priority at that time. I do know that as Christ taught them to pray to the Father in his name, so is how we are to pray to this day.
I am sure you will take exception with my response or come up with some rebuttal, but it really is a non issue within the LDS Church as it is very clear that Christ taught what prayer is and could well have made a big deal about their prayers as you found had he felt it important.
You have GOT to be kidding!!!
OK, put this scenario in your head. Your eldest brother is the most respected LDS missionary in the world. And you look up to him perhaps higher than anyone.
You do something repeatedly and incessantly in relating to him--something not forbidden by Scripture. In fact, after you do these things, his reaction is: that Josh's elder brother blessed Josh...and his countenance did smile upon Josh, and the light of his countenance did shine upon Josh and he did smile upon Josh. [Words italicized above are directly from 3 Nephi 19 in response to Jesus being directly prayed to]
Now, I'm watching the interaction between you and your brother. And then I say to you, "Hey, Josh, did you see your brother's blessing, his bright countenance, and constant smiling upon you as you continued to do XYZ?"
And your reaction? "Boy, I wonder why he didn't reprimand me? Obviously he was pleased with me. Boy, I guess he decided not to be a stickler with me over that."
Now that's a contradictory opinion: Knowing full well that the divine one is pleased with you very specifically over ongoing, incessant prayer; and yet you still wondering why, "Why no reprimand? I guess he just wasn't being a stickler."
Not only do you fail to recognize obvious contradictions in the Book of Mormon, but this brainwashing: You see with your very own eyes that an action is pleasing to Jesus. Yet what? You don't trust your own vision. Why? Because your general authorities have told you not to. Why don't you ask God for direct wisdom about whether or not it's OK to pray directly to Jesus? Have you ever done that?
And during this Christmas season, as we think about the Christ child, why don't you consider praying directly to him...ongoing...incessantly...as these Nephite characters did.