CHRIST APPEARS IN THE LAND BOUNTIFUL--THE TESTIMONY OF THE
FATHER--JESUS CALLS TWELVE DISCIPLES--HIS TEACHINGS TO THEM AND TO
THE MULTITUDE.
(III. NEPHI CHAP. 11 TO 14.)
Some time after the tribulations that marked the sacrifice of the Lord
of life and glory, exactly how long we know not, a multitude assembled
near the temple which was in the land Bountiful. The sacred building,
it seems, was not destroyed in the late overwhelming convulsions.
Possibly many of the high priesthood had assembled there to call
upon the Lord, and to officiate in the duties of their calling. At
any rate, those whom Jesus deemed worthy to be his twelve disciples,
by some inspiration, gathered there. With the rest of the multitude
they conversed on the marvelous changes that had been wrought by the
desolating earthquakes and their attendant horrors. They also spake one
to another with regard to the Savior, of whose death the three days of
unexampled, impenetrable darkness had been a sign.
While thus engaged a strange, sweet voice fell upon their ears, yet it
pierced them to the centre, that their whole frames trembled. At first
they wist not what it said or whence it came nor even when the words
were again repeated did they understand. But when they came a third
time they understood their glorious import, and knew that it was the
voice of God. He said unto them, Behold my beloved Son, in whom I am
well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name: hear ye him. Obedient
to this heavenly voice they cast their eyes upward, and to their joyous
astonishment beheld the Messiah, clothed in a white robe, descending
out of heaven.
Even yet they did not comprehend who it was, but thought him an angel.
As he descended to the earth and stood in their midst, their wondering
eyes were all turned toward him, but for awe not a mouth was opened
nor was a limb moved. Then the Redeemer stretched forth his hand and
said unto the multitude: Behold I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets
testified should come into the world; and behold, I am the life and
light of the world; and I have drunk out of the bitter cup which the
Father hath given to 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.
Then the whole multitude fell to the earth, they remembered the sayings
of the prophets, they realized that their God stood in the midst of
them.
Again the risen Redeemer spake: Arise, said he, and come forth unto me
that you 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.
Now they who heard him from the first to the last went forth and
assured themselves that it was he of whom the prophets had spoken. Then
with shouts of praise they cried: Hosanna! blessed be the name of the
Most High God. And they fell down at his feet and worshiped him.
Jesus next called Nephi to him, then eleven others, and gave them
authority to baptize the people, at the same time strictly charging
them as to the manner in which they performed this ordinance, that
all disputes on this point might cease among the believers. The names
of the Twelve whom he chose were: Nephi, his brother Timothy, whom he
had beforetime raised from the dead, also his son Jonas, and Mathoni,
Mathonihah, Kumen, Kumenonhi, Jeremiah, Shemnon, Jonas, Zedekiah and
Isaiah. These Twelve are to sit in the great day of judgment as the
judges of the seed of Lehi, and be themselves judged by the Twelve
Apostles whom Jesus had called from among the Jews.
After Jesus had chosen the Twelve, he commenced to teach the people the
principles of the fullness of the gospel. Step by step he led them over
the same precious ground of universal truth as he had his followers in
the temple at Jerusalem, by the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and on the
hillsides of Judea and Samaria. Sometimes, through the difference of
the inspired translation of the Book of Mormon from the worldly-wise
one of the Bible, a slight difference is noticeable in the wording
of the instructions, but as a rule these differences are trivial,
the advantage being with the Nephites, whose greater faith drew from
the Savior deeper truths than Judah had received, or caused him to
display greater manifestations of his omnipotence and boundless love.
From the believers he would turn to the Twelve, and give them special
instructions as his ministers, then again he would shed forth his words
of mercy, truth and divine wisdom upon the multitude; and by and by
again address the disciples. So he continued day by day until all was
revealed, either to the multitude or to the Twelve, that was necessary
for the eternal salvation of the obedient.
Some have wondered why Jesus should have given so many of the same
teachings to the Nephites as he did to the Jews. The reason is that
those teachings were perfect and could not be improved. They were
universal, that is, they were adapted to the wants of all peoples,
whether of Israel or of the Gentiles, whether of Judah or Joseph. They
were a portion of the everlasting gospel and had to be preached to
all the world as a witness, to those who dwelt in America as well as
those of Asia, Africa and Europe. Thus we find in the teachings given
to the Nephites what we term the first principles of the gospel--faith,
repentance and baptism; we also find those divine lessons of love,
truth, humility and duty that glorified the Savior's "Sermon on the
Mount." These we shall not reproduce but will draw attention to other
teachings of the Savior not recorded by the Four Evangelists; that is
they are not to be found in their writings as at present contained in
the New Testament.