12. The few people upon the western hemisphere—and they were the more righteous part both of the Nephites and the Lamanites—who survived that terrible period of destruction which lasted during the time that Jesus hung upon the cross,[78] and the three succeeding days of darkness, were gathered together about the temple in the land Bountiful.[79] And as they were pointing out to each other the changes that had occurred because of the earthquakes and other convulsions of the elements, while the Messiah suffered upon the cross, they heard a voice speaking unto them as if from heaven. They at first did not understand the voice they heard; but the third time it spoke they understood it, and it made their hearts burn within them and their whole frame to quake, and these are the words which the voice spake: "Behold my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name; hear ye him." And looking up into heaven from whence the voice came, they saw a man descending clothed in a white robe. The multitude were breathlessly silent, for they supposed an angel had appeared unto them; but as soon as Jesus was in their midst he stretched out his arm and said: "Behold I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified should come into the world. * * * I am the light and 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."
13. At this announcement the people fell prostrate and worshiped him. But he commanded them to arise and come unto him that they might thrust their hands into his side, and feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet, that they might know that he was the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth who had been slain for the sins of the world.[80] (See notes 5, 6, and 7, end of section). This the people did, and then again they worshiped him, and shouted aloud: "Hosanna! blessed be the name of the Most High God!"
14. The Church Established in America.—After these things, Jesus proceeded to teach them his gospel and establish his church among them. It will be sufficient to say here that the Messiah taught the people on the western continent the same great moral truths that he taught the Jews; that he established the same ordinances for the salvation of the people; that he chose Twelve Apostles to whom he committed power to preach his gospel, and administer in its ordinances; that a church was organized which was called the Church of Christ; that Jesus bore record of the great truth of the resurrection of the dead; that the Saints enjoyed the same spiritual graces and powers that the church in Palestine did, only more abundantly because of their greater faith; that two years after the appearance of Messiah all the people on the continent accepted the gospel and were baptized; that they had all things common and were a blessed and prosperous people among whom were no strifes or jealousies or contentions, and every man did deal justly one with another.
15. They increased rapidly in numbers and went forth and built up the waste places, and rebuilded many of the cities which had been ruined by the earthquakes and by fires. They walked no more after the ordinances of the law of Moses, but they practiced the principles of the doctrines of the gospel of Christ, and thus the first century of the Christian era passed away.
16. All the members of the first quorum of the twelve whom Jesus called on the western hemisphere died within the first century of the Christian era, except the three to whom he had granted the privilege, as he did unto John the beloved disciple,[81] of remaining on the earth until he should come in his glory. The places of those who died were filled by ordaining others, and thus the quorum of apostles was perpetuated.[82]
NOTES.
1. The Gospels but Fragmentary Histories.—Although skeptics have dwelt with disproportioned persistency upon a multitude of discrepancies in the four-fold narrative of Christ's trial, condemnation, death, and resurrection, yet these are not of a nature to cause the slightest anxiety to a Christian scholar; nor need they awaken the most momentary distrust in anyone who—even if he have no deeper feelings in the matter—approaches the gospels with no preconceived theory, whether of infallibility or of dishonesty, to support and merely accept them for that which, at the lowest, they claim to be—histories, honest and faithful, up to the full knowledge of the writers, but each, if taken alone, confessedly fragmentary and obviously incomplete. After repeated study, I declare, quite fearlessly, that though the slight variations are numerous—though the lesser particulars cannot in every instance be rigidly and minutely accurate—though no one of the narratives taken singly would give us an adequate impression—yet, so far from there being, in this part of the gospel story, any irreconcilable contradiction, it is perfectly possible to discover how one evangelist supplements the details furnished by another, and perfectly possible to understand the true sequence of the incidents by combining into one whole the separate indications which they furnish.—Canon Farrar.
2. The Bible Corrupted by the Gentiles.—And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that they [the Gentiles] did prosper in the land [America] and I beheld a book [the Bible], and it was carried forth among them. And the angel said unto me, Knowest thou the meaning of the book? And I said unto him, I know not. * * * And he said unto me, The book which thou beholdest, is a record of the Jews, which contains the covenants of the Lord which he hath made unto the house of Israel. * * * Thou hast beheld that the book proceeded forth from the mouth of a Jew; and when it proceeded forth from the mouth of the Jew, it contained the plainness of the gospel of the Lord, of whom the twelve apostles bear record; and they bear record according to the truth which is in the Lamb of God; wherefore these things go forth from the Jews in purity, unto the Gentiles, according to the truth which is in God; and after they go forth by the hand of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, from the Jews unto the Gentiles, thou seest the foundation of a great and abominable church, which is most abominable above all other churches; for behold, they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb, many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away; and all this have they done, that they might pervert the right ways of the Lord; that they might blind the eyes and harden the hearts of the children of men. * * * Because of these things which are taken away out of the gospel of the Lamb, an exceeding great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them.—Vision of Nephi—I Nephi xiii.
3. Missing Parts of the Scripture.—No better evidence can be given that the Jewish scriptures are fragmentary and corrupted than the fact that reference is made in them to books and scriptures which are not now extant—that have been destroyed. The following are a such references taken from the New Testament:
Scriptures of Abraham's Time.—"And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham" (Gal. iii:8). The Christian world says, "Moses was God's first pen," but it appears from the above quotation that some one wrote scriptures even before Abraham's days, and he read them, learned the gospel from them and also learned that God would justify the heathen through faith.
Prophecy of Enoch.—Speaking of characters who were like "raging waves of the sea foaming out their own shame," Jude says: "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam prophesied of these, saying, Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all," etc. (Jude 14, 15). From this it appears that Enoch had a revelation concerning the glorious coming of the Son of God to judgment. May not the prophecy of Enoch have been among the scripture with which Abraham was acquainted?
Another Epistle of Jude.—"When I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered unto the Saints." (Jude 3). We have but one epistle of Jude. Would not the epistle on the "common salvation" be as important as the one and the only one we have from Jude's pen?
Another Epistle to the Ephesians.—In Ephesians iii and 3rd, Paul alludes to another epistle which he had written to that people, but of which the world has no knowledge except this reference which is made by its author. This epistle contained a revelation from God.
An Epistle to the Laodiceans.—"When this epistle [Colossians] is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans,