Christ'S Visit To The American Continent...

[Katzpur]

My husband and I were discussing this topic this evening and neither of us were sure exactly when Christ's visit to the Americas took place and how long he was here. I had always assumed that it was after his 40-day post-resurrection ministry in the Holy Land, perhaps immediately after He was seen ascending into Heaven. My husband had always thought that it was closer to the day He was resurrected (i.e. the first Easter morning), due to the fact that the Book of Mormon account seems to imply that the visit immediately followed the three days of darkness. But if that were the case, He'd have had to be absent for at least part of the 40 days He was supposedly in the Holy Land.

I had also assumed that He must have spent considerable time in the Americas, having to establish His Church here, ordain twelve and, of course, educate them in the specifics of His gospel. My husband says he assumed His visit here to have only been a couple of days in duration.

What do LDS scholars have to say on these questions?

Edited October 28, 2012 by Katzpur

[Brant Gardner]

It isn't settled. I have seen arguments for soon after his resurrection to one year later. Mormon indicates that it was a year later, and combined with other evidence, that is my take on the topic. As I remember, S. Kent Brown also suggested a year later. I believe John Tvedtnes was one preferring soon after the resurrection.

[Katzpur]

It isn't settled. I have seen arguments for soon after his resurrection to one year later. Mormon indicates that it was a year later, and combined with other evidence, that is my take on the topic. As I remember, S. Kent Brown also suggested a year later. I believe John Tvedtnes was one preferring soon after the resurrection.

Mormon must have not stated that really clearly, then, if it isn't settled. Do you have a chapter and verse for that? I can't imagine John Tvedtnes saying it was soon after the Resurrection if Mormon clearly indicated that it was much later. And what about how long His visit was for?

[Darren10]

I believe John Tvedtnes was one preferring soon after the resurrection.

Since his view agrees with mine, he must be right.

[Darren10]

Mormon must have not stated that really clearly, then, if it isn't settled. Do you have a chapter and verse for that? I can't imagine John Tvedtnes saying it was soon after the Resurrection if Mormon clearly indicated that it was much later. And what about how long His visit was for?

As for how long His visit, I've always viewd it as a couple of days. I imagine that in his godly glory, Jesus Christ would be able to accomplish in the New World what He accomplished in the old World in far less time.

[blackstrap]

Is it assumed that Christ was present continuously for the 40 days in Israel? I always supposed that He came and went at will and so it would be in Mormon lands.

[lithpblithh]

WARNING: I don't know what I'm talking about.

* The storm starts on Nephite calendar 34th year first month fourth day (Any guesses how this relates to hebrew or mayan agricultural/sacred calendars? Nisan is close but I think off by a month)

3 Ne. 8:5 And it came to pass in the thirty and fourth year, in the

first month, on the fourth day of the month, there arose a great storm,

such an one as never had been known in all the land.

* there was darkness for some period of time, perhaps three whole days, perhaps some portion of three days.

* during the darkness they hear Jesus Christ talking

I've destroyed a bunch of your wicked people and...

3 Ne. 9:15 Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the

heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the

Father from the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father in me;

and in me hath the Father glorified his name.

* the next morning the darkness ends

3 Ne. 10:9 And it came to pass that thus did the three days pass away.

And it was in the morning, and the darkness dispersed from off the face

of the land, and the earth did cease to tremble, and the rocks did cease

to rend, and the dreadful groanings did cease, and all the tumultuous

noises did pass away.

* some time later, before the end of that year, Jesus appears

3 Ne. 10:18 And it came to pass that in the ending of the thirty and

fourth year, behold, I will show unto you that the people of Nephi who

were spared, and also those who had been called Lamanites, who had been

spared, did have great favors shown unto them, and great blessings

poured out upon their heads, insomuch that soon after the ascension of

Christ into heaven he did truly manifest himself unto them--

* Talmage thinks it's at least 40 days later

"About six weeks or more after the events last considered, a great

multitude of the Nephites had assembled at the temple in the land called

Bountiful,"

I don't know the details of the 40 days in Israel well enough to have an

opinion on whether they could overlap.

* Here's a possible timeline.

I don't know if anything says whether Jesus had died when the ruckus

starts. For here I presume he hadn't.

friday 12am: Jesus Gethsemane

thursday 4pm: New World ruckus/darkness starts

friday 3pm: Jesus dies

friday 7am: new world darkness continues

sunday 5am: jesus resurrected early Sunday morning, let's say 5am, ~38 hours later

saturday 9pm: New World, maybe voice is heard sometime around here.

Sunday morning darkness goes away. So Thursday evening, all of Friday

and Saturday it's dark.

I'm sure people more knowledgeable have spent more time putting together

a good timeline so if anyone has a link please share.

[Robert F. Smith]

Gordon Thomasson and Benjamin Urrutia have suggested that, in III Nephi 10:18 - 11:1ff, Jesus himself comes as the Divine King at the New Year, leaving and replaced by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Feast of Weeks = Whitsuntide), as in the Old World: III Nephi 26:13-21; cf. 28:13-14!

Compare, however, S. Kent Brown, "Jesus Among the Nephites: When Did It Happen," A Symposium on the New Testament (SLC: CES, 1984), 74-77 = “When Did Jesus Visit the Americas?” in From Jerusalem to Zarahemla: Literary and Historical Studies of the Book of Mormon (Provo: BYU Religious Studies Center, 1998), 146–156, online at http://rsc.byu.edu/archived/jerusalem-zarahemla-literary-and-historical-studies-book-mormon/when-did-jesus-visit-americ

Brown notes the obvious: That Jesus came nearly a year later. Moreover, Thomasson and Urrutia could be accommodated by having Jesus stay long enough to leave by Whitsunday of the year after he had left the Old World, i.e., another evangelium quadraginta dierum.

[Doctrine 612]

About one year take a few weeks. 3 nephi 8:5, 3 nephi 10:18.

5 And it came to pass in the ^athirty and fourth year, in the first month, on the fourth day of the month, there arose a great ^bstorm, such an one as never had been known

in all the land.

18 And it came to pass that in the ending of the thirty and fourth year, behold, I will show unto you that the people of Nephi who were spared, and also those who had been called ^aLamanites, who had been spared, did have great favors shown unto them, and great ^bblessings poured out upon their heads, insomuch that soon after the ^cascension of Christ into heaven he did truly manifest himself unto them—

[The Nehor]

He could easily use the rotation of the earth to visit the other group while the first group slept. Poor Jesus must have got less sleep himself though.

I am also not convinced that resurrected beings are limited to one location at any given time.

[Cold Steel]

He could easily use the rotation of the earth to visit the other group while the first group slept.

That's what I've always thought. Jesus easily could have visited both concurrently. I don't think the church or biblical records state that he was with the Jerusalem group the entire 40 days teaching them the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. Remember, too, that his visit made such an impression on the survivors of the American group that they became an ideal society for the next two hundred years. It's hard to believe that Jesus would visit them, leave and come back a year later. It would be something of an anticlimax.

I am also not convinced that resurrected beings are limited to one location at any given time.

That's hard to believe, but some of our prophets have promised that each of us would have a personal sit-down priesthood review with the Savior. How could that happen with so many priesthood holders? I still don't think a person can be in two places at once, but the question remains. Hmmmm.

.

[rpn]

But their years and our years may not have the same time within them.

[nosmelone]

I to would believe it was at the end of the 34th year and after the 40 day ministry but if you take into the account all of the ancient traditional stories (the Book "He Walked the Americas" ) for instance I believe that he visited multiple times to multiple people in the new world but I suppose his visit to Bountiful was probably the only one where he called 12 diciples.

Edited October 30, 2012 by nosmelone

[Doctrine 612]

But their years and our years may not have the same time within them.

They had 12 months starting in april.

also one year is a good amount of time for all the people in the land that heard his voice to gather to the land bountiful to await christ comming.

Edited October 31, 2012 by Doctrine 612

[Freedom]

personally, if my city was just destroyed and loved ones were buried, I would not go to the temple to meet the savior. I would stay and help the injured. They were not wandering around trying to save people, they were calmly commenting on all the changes that had taken place. It does not seem logical to have the savior visit so soon after a natural disaster and expect his disciples to sit in meetings for hour after hour while their loved ones are languishing.