Page:A dictionary of the Book of Mormon.pdf/193

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been validated.
183
Jesus Christ.

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 should perform this ordinance, that all disputes on this point might cease among the believers. (See Twelve Disciples.)

After Jesus had chosen the Twelve, he commenced to teach the people the principles of the fulness of the Gospel. Step by step He led them over the same precious ground of universal truth as He had done his followers in Galilee, Judea and Samaria. Sometimes, through the difference of the inspired translation of the Book of Mormon and 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. Then He left them to the care and ministry of the chosen Disciples.

Some have wondered why Jesus should have given so many of the same teachings to the Ne-