December 14 - Jesus Teaching in the Western Hemisphere

Jesus Teaching in the Western Hemisphere

After Jesus' Resurrection, He visited the Nephites in the land of Bountiful. Jesus had the people come to Him one by one to feel the prints of the nails in His hands and feet. He wanted them to know He was the resurrected Savior. The Nephites fell down and worshiped Him.

Jesus gave Nephi and eleven other men the power to baptize and give the gift of the Holy Ghost. He taught them how to baptize and told them to teach the gospel to the Nephites.

Jesus asked the multitude to listen to these twelve men and be baptized. He then taught them what He had taught the Jews in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus said the Nephites were the other sheep He had spoken of in Jerusalem.

Jesus healed the sick and prayed with the people. As He blessed their children, angels came down from heaven and ministered to them.

Jesus taught the Nephites about the sacrament. He told them to pray for themselves, their families, and others.

At the end of the day, Jesus left the Nephites. The next morning Jesus' chosen disciples divided the multitude into twelve groups and taught them. Nephi was baptized, then baptized the other eleven disciples. They were then filled with the Holy Ghost. Angels came and ministered to them, and suddenly Jesus appeared and ministered to them.

Jesus had the multitude kneel and asked the disciples to pray. Then He also prayed. During one of His prayers the Savior's words were so marvelous they could not be written or spoken by mortals.

After administering the sacrament again, Jesus continued teaching the Nephites. He told them about the importance of the scriptures. He talked about His Second Coming and commanded the people to pay tithes and offerings. Jesus taught the Nephites for three days and met with them many times after that.

One day the disciples were fasting and praying, trying to decide what to call the Church. Jesus appeared to them and told them that because it was His Church, it should be named after Him. Jesus ended His ministry among the Nephites by blessing His disciples.

What do you think the Nephites thought and felt when Christ told them that they were the other sheep he had spoken of in Jerusalem? 

(3 Nephi 15:21)