Following His resurrection in the Old World, concurrent with His many appearances there as attested to in the book of Acts, Jesus Christ appeared to "other sheep" all around the world, for of them He had said "them also I must bring". (John 10:16, 3 Nephi 15:21-24, Doctrine & Covenants 10:57-67)
One of those appearances was recorded among the ancient inhabitants of America. Just as John the Revelator foretold, the account of Jesus' ministry among them has since been brought to us as by an angel seen "[flying] in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people..." (Revelation 14:6)
This "everlasting gospel", which was brought to us by the angel Moroni, was received in 1824 and published in 1830 as "The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ". The remainder of this article will be a recounting of the resurrected Jesus' ministry among the Nephites for study and comparison with that which is recorded in the New Testament.
Three Days of Darkness Prophesied
In ancient America, the prophets long foretold of the sign of the Savior's death, saying there would be earthquakes and fires and tornadoes and three days of darkness.
Throughout the six hundred years preceding the Savior, there are a handful of other references to the Savior's death and the destruction and darkness that would follow. But there is none so specific and detailed as that given by Samuel the Lamanite approximately 38 years before it happened:
"But behold, as I said unto you concerning another sign, a sign of his death, behold, in that day that he shall suffer death the sun shall be darkened and refuse to give his light unto you; and also the moon and the stars; and there shall be no light upon the face of this land, even from the time that he shall suffer death, for the space of three days, to the time that he shall rise again from the dead. Yea, at the time that he shall yield up the ghost there shall be thunderings and lightnings for the space of many hours, and the earth shall shake and tremble; and the rocks which are upon the face of this earth, which are both above the earth and beneath, which ye know at this time are solid, or the more part of it is one solid mass, shall be broken up... And behold, there shall be great tempests, and there shall be many mountains laid low, like unto a valley, and there shall be many places which are now called valleys which shall become mountains, whose height is great. And many highways shall be broken up, and many cities shall become desolate. And many graves shall be opened, and shall yield up many of their dead; and many saints shall appear unto many... And he said unto me that while the thunder and the lightning lasted, and the tempest, that these things should be, and that darkness should cover the face of the whole earth for the space of three days..." (Helaman 14:20-27)
Three Days of Darkness Fulfilled
In prophesying of the Savior coming into the world, Isaiah had said:
"The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined... For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:2-6)
When the destruction had ended, the Savior spoke out of heaven to the inhabitants of ancient America, saying: "O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you? ...Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God... I am the light and the life of the world..." (3 Nephi 9:13-18)
Behold, My Beloved Son
As the darkness began to dissipate, the people marvelled at all that had changed around them:
Jesus Christ Establishes His Church
Although the church was had among the Nephites, it appears much of it had been lost by this time. The Savior restored His church among them, re-instating the ordinances of baptism and introducing the sacrament, and acknowledging the prophet Nephi.
Jesus Forbids Contention
For some reason, it seems commonplace for believers of different Christian sects to contend one with another, but the Savior has made it clear that there is to be no such contention in His church, that teaching and helping people accept the Savior should be done through the expounding of truth and the by witness of the Holy Ghost rather than through the artifice of debate:
Other Sheep I Have
During His mortal ministry, the Savior had told the Jews He had other sheep who would "hear [His] voice" and to whom He would be the "one shepherd" - in other words, He would visit and teach them personally:
"...other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." (John 10:16)
In teaching the Nephites, he identifies them as being among those "other sheep". (see 3 Nephi 15 and 3 Nephi 17:4)
Miracles
While among the Nephites, Jesus healed them, as He had done at Jerusalem. (3 Nephi 17:5-10) He fed the thousands miraculously. (3 Nephi 20:3-7) He caused angels to come down and minister to their little children.
Behold Your Little Ones
Prophecy Concerning The Latter-Day Work
One of the things the Lord did while He was among the Nephites was promise them that they and others of Jewish descent could watch for a day when records of American prophets would come forth, and they could know that this signaled the beginning of the Lord's work in the latter days.
"Therefore, when these works and the works which shall be wrought among you hereafter shall come forth from the Gentiles, unto your seed which shall dwindle in unbelief because of iniquity; For thus it behooveth the Father that it should come forth from the Gentiles, that he may show forth his power unto the Gentiles, for this cause that the Gentiles, if they will not harden their hearts, that they may repent and come unto me and be baptized in my name and know of the true points of my doctrine, that they may be numbered among my people, O house of Israel; And when these things come to pass that thy seed shall begin to know these things—it shall be a sign unto them, that they may know that the work of the Father hath already commenced unto the fulfilling of the covenant which he hath made unto the people who are of the house of Israel. And when that day shall come, it shall come to pass that kings shall shut their mouths; for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider. For in that day, for my sake shall the Father work a work, which shall be a great and a marvelous work among them; and there shall be among them those who will not believe it, although a man shall declare it unto them." (2 Nephi 21:5-9)
The Testimony of Two Nations
For naysayers, the natural reaction to this is: "Old Joe Smith plagiarized the New Testament!". But those who knew him personally defended Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, testifying of his divine prophetic calling and the divine origin of the book
Personal History of Parley P. Pratt - an early LDS convert
Brigham Young - The Early Years
His friends and people wrote a powerful eulogy for Joseph and his brother, Hyrum when they were assasinated. In it, they defended each and reiterated the divinity of their earthly mission and the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. (see Doctrine and Covenants 135)
Under the direction of the Lord, and in fulfillment of ancient prophecy, Joseph Smith asked several people to bear witness to the existence of the plates from which the Book of Mormon had been translated and of the divinity of the work as revealed to them by an angel of God. (see Testimony of Three Witnesses, Testimony of Eight Witnesses)
Within the pages of the Book of Mormon, the Lord gives to his ancient prophets in America His reasons for providing His gospel in multiple places throughout the earth, for giving the world "another Bible". (see Revelation 14:6, Isaiah 29:11, Ezekiel 37:16-17) For this information, and to learn more about how the Book of Mormon came to be, read my article: The Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon.
There will be those who think the reason for Joseph Smith putting these things in the Book of Mormon was to give it credibility next to the Bible. But it was in fact the Lord who spoke these things to the Jews both in the Old World and in the New, and the fact that they appear in the records of another people actually lends credibility to the Bible. This shows that God really is the "same God yesterday, today and tomorrow", and that He meant what He said when He instructed His apostles in the Old World saying, "Teach my gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue and people, baptizing the in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." (see Matthew 28:19) The fact that other peoples got to hear the voice of the Lord shows us that He loves people of every nation, race, color, gender, and ethnicity equally.
God's Work Among Men Continues
As for me, as an avid student of the scriptures and being familiar with the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught in the Bible, I can reiterate what I've heard said before about the Book of Mormon: no servant of the devil would ever write such a thing, and no man of God would ever write such a thing unless he were commanded by God to do so. Our loving Heavenly Father is deeply committed to the salvation of all his children equally, and has spoken many times in many nations to that end, though we know it not. In other words, many people beside the Jews heard the Savior's voice speak the words of His gospel, and they came and felt the nail prints in His hands and in His feet. This account teaches us that, as He has stated multiple times in both the Book of Mormon and the Bible, His work among men continued after His resurrection, and it has resumed in our day, for He is the same God, yesterday, today and tomorrow. (see Malachi 3:6, James 1:17, 1 Nephi 10:17-19, Mormon 9:9)
Also of Interest
General Apostasy and Restoration Foretold
General Apostasy and Restoration Fulfilled
How to Pray
How to Obtain a Spiritual Witness
Get a free copy of the Book of Mormon
Meet with LDS missionaries
Come to church with us!
One of those appearances was recorded among the ancient inhabitants of America. Just as John the Revelator foretold, the account of Jesus' ministry among them has since been brought to us as by an angel seen "[flying] in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people..." (Revelation 14:6)
This "everlasting gospel", which was brought to us by the angel Moroni, was received in 1824 and published in 1830 as "The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ". The remainder of this article will be a recounting of the resurrected Jesus' ministry among the Nephites for study and comparison with that which is recorded in the New Testament.
Three Days of Darkness Prophesied
In ancient America, the prophets long foretold of the sign of the Savior's death, saying there would be earthquakes and fires and tornadoes and three days of darkness.
Throughout the six hundred years preceding the Savior, there are a handful of other references to the Savior's death and the destruction and darkness that would follow. But there is none so specific and detailed as that given by Samuel the Lamanite approximately 38 years before it happened:
"But behold, as I said unto you concerning another sign, a sign of his death, behold, in that day that he shall suffer death the sun shall be darkened and refuse to give his light unto you; and also the moon and the stars; and there shall be no light upon the face of this land, even from the time that he shall suffer death, for the space of three days, to the time that he shall rise again from the dead. Yea, at the time that he shall yield up the ghost there shall be thunderings and lightnings for the space of many hours, and the earth shall shake and tremble; and the rocks which are upon the face of this earth, which are both above the earth and beneath, which ye know at this time are solid, or the more part of it is one solid mass, shall be broken up... And behold, there shall be great tempests, and there shall be many mountains laid low, like unto a valley, and there shall be many places which are now called valleys which shall become mountains, whose height is great. And many highways shall be broken up, and many cities shall become desolate. And many graves shall be opened, and shall yield up many of their dead; and many saints shall appear unto many... And he said unto me that while the thunder and the lightning lasted, and the tempest, that these things should be, and that darkness should cover the face of the whole earth for the space of three days..." (Helaman 14:20-27)
Three Days of Darkness Fulfilled
When the time had come for the prophecies to be fulfilled, many signs had indicated the Savior's birth. They knew it would be about thirty-three years from His birth until the sign of His death would be given:
"...the people began to look
with great earnestness for the sign which had been given by the prophet
Samuel, the Lamanite, yea, for the time that there should be darkness for the space of three days over the face of the land. And there began to be great doubtings and disputations among the people, notwithstanding so many signs had been given." (3 Nephi 8:3-4)
In chapter eight, the events surrounding the Savior's death began to unfold in ancient America, and before their very eyes, the people saw this prophecy fulfilled in every detail. The account tells not only of the darkness that covered the land for three days, but also of the cause:
"And it came to pass that
there was thick darkness upon all the face of the land, insomuch that
the inhabitants thereof who had not fallen could feel the vapor of darkness; And
there could be no light, because of the darkness, neither candles,
neither torches; neither could there be fire kindled with their fine and
exceedingly dry wood, so that there could not be any light at all; And
there was not any light seen, neither fire, nor glimmer, neither the
sun, nor the moon, nor the stars, for so great were the mists of
darkness which were upon the face of the land. And it came to pass that it did last for the space of three days that there was no light seen..." (3 Nephi 8:20-23)
Notice that the vapors and the mists of darkness were so thick that no light could be seen - no candles, no fire, no sun, no moon, no stars - nothing. I believe Mormon, in recounting these events, meant for there to be some significance in the complete absence of light preceding the Savior's visit among them.
The Light and the Life of the World
I am reminded of Isaiah's love of the Savior whom he considered to be the joy and the light of his life:
"Behold, the Lord God will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? [...] Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow." (Isaiah 50:9-11)
In prophesying of the Savior coming into the world, Isaiah had said:
"The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined... For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:2-6)
When the destruction had ended, the Savior spoke out of heaven to the inhabitants of ancient America, saying: "O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you? ...Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God... I am the light and the life of the world..." (3 Nephi 9:13-18)
Behold, My Beloved Son
As the darkness began to dissipate, the people marvelled at all that had changed around them:
"...there were a great multitude gathered together, of the people of Nephi, round about the temple which was in the land Bountiful; and they were marveling and wondering one with another, and were showing one to another the great and marvelous change which had taken place. And they were also conversing about this Jesus Christ, of whom the sign had been given concerning his death." (3 Nephi 11:1-2)
It was
out of the midst such great darkness that, for the first time, the people
saw not only the sun, but also a great light:
"And it came to pass that while they were thus conversing one with another, they heard a voice
as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round about, for
they understood not the voice which they heard; and it was not a harsh
voice, neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it
being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the center,
insomuch that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to
quake; yea, it did pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their
hearts to burn. And it came to pass that again they heard the voice, and they understood it not. And again the third time they did hear the voice, and did open
their ears to hear it; and their eyes were towards the sound thereof;
and they did look steadfastly towards heaven, from whence the sound
came. And behold, the third time they did understand the voice which they heard; and it said unto them: Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him. And it came to pass, as they understood they cast their eyes up again towards heaven; and behold, they saw a Man descending
out of heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe; and he came down and
stood in the midst of them; and the eyes of the whole multitude were
turned upon him, and they durst not open their mouths, even one to
another, and wist not what it meant, for they thought it was an angel
that had appeared unto them. And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people, saying: Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world. And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning. And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words the whole multitude fell to the earth; for they remembered that it had been prophesied among them that Christ should show himself unto them after his ascension into heaven. And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto them saying: Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world. And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did
feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this
they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and
did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a
surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by
the prophets, that should come. And when they had all gone forth and had witnessed for themselves, they did cry out with one accord, saying: Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God! And they did fall down at the feet of Jesus, and did worship him." (3 Nephi 11:3-17)
Jesus Christ Establishes His Church
Although the church was had among the Nephites, it appears much of it had been lost by this time. The Savior restored His church among them, re-instating the ordinances of baptism and introducing the sacrament, and acknowledging the prophet Nephi.
"And it came to pass that he spake unto Nephi (for Nephi was among the multitude) and he commanded him that he should come forth. And Nephi arose and went forth, and bowed himself before the Lord and did kiss his feet. And the Lord commanded him that he should arise. And he arose and stood before him. And the Lord said unto him: I give unto you power that ye shall baptize this people when I am again ascended into heaven." (3 Nephi 1 :18-21)
While there, He also gave them the gift of the Holy Ghost, and he instituted the ordinance of the sacrament. (3 Nephi 18:1-11, 37)
While there, He also gave them the gift of the Holy Ghost, and he instituted the ordinance of the sacrament. (3 Nephi 18:1-11, 37)
Jesus Forbids Contention
For some reason, it seems commonplace for believers of different Christian sects to contend one with another, but the Savior has made it clear that there is to be no such contention in His church, that teaching and helping people accept the Savior should be done through the expounding of truth and the by witness of the Holy Ghost rather than through the artifice of debate:
"For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another. Behold,
this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one
against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away. Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, I will declare unto you my doctrine. And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy 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. And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God. (see also Joseph Smith History 1:19)
Jesus Teaches His Gospel to the Nephites
Among the Nephites, the Savior taught many doctrines that will be familiar to students of the New Testament.
- The importance of becoming as a little child and of building on the rock of the redeemer. (3 Nephi 11:37-40, see also Matthew 18:1-6, Matthew 7:24-27)
- Calling of twelve "disciples" to perform the function of apostles in the new world. (see 3 Nephi 12:1)
- The Beattitudes. (3 Nephi 12:3-12, compare Matthew 5:3-12)
- Being the salt of the earth. (3 Nephi 12:13-16, compare Matthew 5:13-16)
- His coming to fulfill the law of Moses, that much of the law would remain in effect, such as His commandments. (3 Nephi 12:17-20, compare Matthew 5:17-20) He taught them that, not only did He still expect them to keep the commandments included in the law of Moses, He expected them to keep the spirit of the law as well as the letter. This new level of obedience is sometimes referred to as "the higher law".
- He also taught them to love their enemies. (3 Nephi 12:21-46, compare Matthew 5:21-47)
- He had restored His church in their time, and that they would need His power and His help if ever they were going to succeed at living the gospel He had given them. (3 Nephi 12:47-48, compare Matthew 5:47-48)
- Importance of avoiding hypocrisy; "let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth". (3 Nephi 13:1-6, compare Matthew 6:1-6)
- The importance of genuine communication with God through prayer as opposed to rote prayers; a pattern for how to pray (3 Nephi 13:7-13, compare Matthew 6:7-13)
- The importance of forgiveness. (3 Nephi 13:14-15, compare Matthew 6:14-15)
- The true spirit of fasting. (3 Nephi 13:16-18, compare Matthew 6:16-18)
- The critical importance of focusing on and seeking out spiritual things - the treasures and joys of heaven rather than the treasures and pleasures of earth. (3 Nephi 13:19-23, Matthew 6:19-23)
- No man can serve two masters" (3 Nephi 13:24, compare Matthew 6:24)
- seek first the kingdom and all else will be added unto us (3 Nephi 13:25-34, compare Matthew 6:25-34)
- For with what judgement ye judge... (3 Nephi 14:1-2, compare Matthew 7:1-2)
- Criticism/The beam and the mote (3 Nephi 14:3-5, compare Matthew 7:3-5)
- treatment of sacred things (3 Nephi 14:6, compare Matthew 7:6)
- the critical importance of asking God (3 Nephi 14:7-11, compare Matthew 7:7-11)
- the Golden Rule: do unto others (3 Nephi 14:12, compare Matthew 7:12)
- following the strait and narrow way (3 Nephi 14:13-14, compare Matthew 7:13-14)
- false prophets/by their fruits shall ye know them (3 Nehpi 14:15-20, compare Matthew 7:15-20)
- importance of at least trying to actually do the will of the Father (3 Nephi 14:21-23, compare Matthew 7:21-23)
- following His teachings is building on the Rock (3 Nephi 14:26-27, compare Matthew 7:26-27)
Other Sheep I Have
During His mortal ministry, the Savior had told the Jews He had other sheep who would "hear [His] voice" and to whom He would be the "one shepherd" - in other words, He would visit and teach them personally:
"...other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." (John 10:16)
In teaching the Nephites, he identifies them as being among those "other sheep". (see 3 Nephi 15 and 3 Nephi 17:4)
Miracles
While among the Nephites, Jesus healed them, as He had done at Jerusalem. (3 Nephi 17:5-10) He fed the thousands miraculously. (3 Nephi 20:3-7) He caused angels to come down and minister to their little children.
Behold Your Little Ones
The Lord commanded the multitude to kneel and pray, and that the little children should be brought forward. Jesus wept for them and blessed them and prayed for them, and then He said, "Behold your little ones...". Angels came down and ministered to them. (3 Nephi 11:25)
Prophecy Concerning The Latter-Day Work
One of the things the Lord did while He was among the Nephites was promise them that they and others of Jewish descent could watch for a day when records of American prophets would come forth, and they could know that this signaled the beginning of the Lord's work in the latter days.
"Therefore, when these works and the works which shall be wrought among you hereafter shall come forth from the Gentiles, unto your seed which shall dwindle in unbelief because of iniquity; For thus it behooveth the Father that it should come forth from the Gentiles, that he may show forth his power unto the Gentiles, for this cause that the Gentiles, if they will not harden their hearts, that they may repent and come unto me and be baptized in my name and know of the true points of my doctrine, that they may be numbered among my people, O house of Israel; And when these things come to pass that thy seed shall begin to know these things—it shall be a sign unto them, that they may know that the work of the Father hath already commenced unto the fulfilling of the covenant which he hath made unto the people who are of the house of Israel. And when that day shall come, it shall come to pass that kings shall shut their mouths; for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider. For in that day, for my sake shall the Father work a work, which shall be a great and a marvelous work among them; and there shall be among them those who will not believe it, although a man shall declare it unto them." (2 Nephi 21:5-9)
The Testimony of Two Nations
For naysayers, the natural reaction to this is: "Old Joe Smith plagiarized the New Testament!". But those who knew him personally defended Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, testifying of his divine prophetic calling and the divine origin of the book
Personal History of Parley P. Pratt - an early LDS convert
Brigham Young - The Early Years
His friends and people wrote a powerful eulogy for Joseph and his brother, Hyrum when they were assasinated. In it, they defended each and reiterated the divinity of their earthly mission and the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. (see Doctrine and Covenants 135)
Under the direction of the Lord, and in fulfillment of ancient prophecy, Joseph Smith asked several people to bear witness to the existence of the plates from which the Book of Mormon had been translated and of the divinity of the work as revealed to them by an angel of God. (see Testimony of Three Witnesses, Testimony of Eight Witnesses)
Within the pages of the Book of Mormon, the Lord gives to his ancient prophets in America His reasons for providing His gospel in multiple places throughout the earth, for giving the world "another Bible". (see Revelation 14:6, Isaiah 29:11, Ezekiel 37:16-17) For this information, and to learn more about how the Book of Mormon came to be, read my article: The Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon.
There will be those who think the reason for Joseph Smith putting these things in the Book of Mormon was to give it credibility next to the Bible. But it was in fact the Lord who spoke these things to the Jews both in the Old World and in the New, and the fact that they appear in the records of another people actually lends credibility to the Bible. This shows that God really is the "same God yesterday, today and tomorrow", and that He meant what He said when He instructed His apostles in the Old World saying, "Teach my gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue and people, baptizing the in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." (see Matthew 28:19) The fact that other peoples got to hear the voice of the Lord shows us that He loves people of every nation, race, color, gender, and ethnicity equally.
God's Work Among Men Continues
As for me, as an avid student of the scriptures and being familiar with the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught in the Bible, I can reiterate what I've heard said before about the Book of Mormon: no servant of the devil would ever write such a thing, and no man of God would ever write such a thing unless he were commanded by God to do so. Our loving Heavenly Father is deeply committed to the salvation of all his children equally, and has spoken many times in many nations to that end, though we know it not. In other words, many people beside the Jews heard the Savior's voice speak the words of His gospel, and they came and felt the nail prints in His hands and in His feet. This account teaches us that, as He has stated multiple times in both the Book of Mormon and the Bible, His work among men continued after His resurrection, and it has resumed in our day, for He is the same God, yesterday, today and tomorrow. (see Malachi 3:6, James 1:17, 1 Nephi 10:17-19, Mormon 9:9)
Also of Interest
General Apostasy and Restoration Foretold
General Apostasy and Restoration Fulfilled
How to Pray
How to Obtain a Spiritual Witness
Get a free copy of the Book of Mormon
Meet with LDS missionaries
Come to church with us!
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