There are many similarities between the Savior’s visit to the ancient inhabitants of America and His Second Coming, including the wars, political turmoil and natural disasters which preceded it and the generations of peace which followed it. However, today, I’m thinking about one significant difference between the two events: Not everyone saw Him the first time. Many of the people who were later converted to the gospel didn’t interact with the Savior personally during His post-resurrection American ministry. How do I know this?
- At the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said to the multitude, “Blessed are they who shall believe in your words because that ye shall testify that ye have seen me, and that ye know that I am” (3 Nephi 12:2). The following day, with a much larger audience, He prayed for the people who were present “and also for all those who shall believe on their words” (3 Nephi 19:21, 23).
- After the Savior’s departure, the twelve disciples whom He had chosen “began from that time forth to baptize and to teach as many as did come unto them” (3 Nephi 26:17). It’s certainly possible that these included people who had seen Jesus, but the narrator tells us that they “did minister unto all the people, uniting as many to the church as would believe in their preaching” (3 Nephi 28:18). It sounds like their reach was much broader than those who had seen for themselves.
- In fact, even after the incredible experience of being with the Savior, the twelve disciples endured much persecution and abuse. They were cast into prison, buried alive, thrown into a furnace (three times!), and cast into a den of wild beasts. (See 3 Nephi 28:19-22.) I’m sure they’ve had interesting postmortal conversations with Daniel and with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego!*
- The Savior’s visit happened at the end of the 34th year after His birth. (See 3 Nephi 10:18.) The narrator tells us that the church grew during the 35th year, but that it was only in the 36th year that “the people were all converted unto the Lord, upon all the face of the land” (4 Nephi 1:1-2).
In contrast, when Jesus returns to the earth in our day, there will be no ambiguity. There will be no need to convince anyone that it has happened. We will all be witnesses of it.
Isaiah prophesied:
The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
Isaiah 40:5
What is the consequence of this difference? Much of the work which came after His coming in ancient America, including sharing the gospel and becoming united as believers, must precede His arrival this time.
President Russell M. Nelson recently said:
Brothers and sisters, now is the time for you and for me to prepare for the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. …
In a coming day, Jesus Christ will return to the earth as the millennial Messiah. So today I call upon you to rededicate your lives to Jesus Christ. I call upon you to help gather scattered Israel and to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord. I call upon you to talk of Christ, testify of Christ, have faith in Christ, and rejoice in Christ!
“The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again,” General Conference, October 2024
After President Nelson delivered this talk, the Tabernacle Choir sang George Frideric Handel’s setting of Isaiah’s prophesy from the oratorio The Messiah. As you listen to this performance, notice how Handel dramatizes the prophet’s words. “The glory of the Lord” sounds triumphant, while “shall be revealed,” cascades downward to multiple destinations, like revelation pouring from heaven. The phrase “all flesh shall see it together” appears in many overlapping fragments, perhaps representing the diversity of people around the world, but when “the mouth of the Lord” appears, it is always steady, like a firm, unchanging foundation or anchor.
Today, I will prepare for the Savior’s Second Coming. I will share the principles of the gospel and my testimony of Christ freely, just as the disciples of Christ did after His ministry among them. I will strive to develop greater unity with other people.
*It is possible that this passage refers to the persecutions endured by the three disciples after the generations of peace. (See 4 Nephi 1:30-33.) However, according to the account in 3 Nephi 28, those persecutions preceded the time when all of the people “were converted unto the Lord, and were united unto the church of Christ” (3 Nephi 28:23).
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