The Book of Mormon, a companion book of scripture to the Bible, reveals the surprising news that people on the American continent knew that Jesus Christ was born and they knew when He died. This is a fundamental part of the doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (which church is often inadvertently referred to as the “Mormon Church”). Really, though, if we thought about it, this news might not be so surprising. First, we know God can do anything. Secondly, we know Jesus Christ is not just the Savior of the small group of people He taught in His mortal life. He is the Savior of the world and it seems reasonable to think that God let people in other parts of the world know that the Savior had come. We may not have records of all these cases, but we certainly believe God loved those children in far-flung places enough to tell them.
One group we do have record of Him telling lived on the American continent. The specific people whose record we have were not the only people on the continent. The Book of Mormon teaches that God has, from time to time, led different groups of people to the American continents, a land He had preserved as blessed and sacred. However, the Book of Mormon contains the records of only a small percentage of the people who have lived on these continents.
Which Ancient Americans Knew of Jesus’ Death?
Here we will focus on one of the most powerful parts of the Book of Mormon. One group discussed in this book came to the Americas when a patriarch and prophet from Jerusalem, named Lehi, fled because people wanted to kill him for the prophecies he taught. God led Lehi’s family to the American continent. Of Lehi’s four original sons, two were valiant and two were wicked. In time, the men divided into two groups with their followers.
Prophets continued to prophesy to both groups over centuries. One of the things the prophets taught is that Jesus Christ would come to earth. The people were given the signs of His birth and of His death.
The signs of the Savior’s birth were pleasant. There would be a day and a night and a day without any darkness. There would be a new star in the sky.
Signs of Jesus’ Crucifixion in the Americas
The signs of Christ’s crucifixion were not so nice. In fact, they were pretty scary. The people who knew the signs began paying attention 33 years after the birth of the Savior and watching for the prophesied signs of His death. The fulfillment began with a terrible storm, worse than any they had seen before. The thunder was so loud people were afraid the entire earth would split.
Lightning caused the city of Zarahemla to catch fire. Another city sank into the ocean, drowning the people who lived there. A city suddenly rose up so the people found themselves living on a mountain. A great deal of the landscape began to change, and the destruction was powerful.
All of this destruction occurred in just three hours, although many insisted it had to have been longer. However, it was merely three fiercely terrifying hours. Then it became quiet and darkness fell. It was a darkness like no other, though. No one could bring light into it. Candles, fires, nothing could pierce the darkness. The moon and stars were not visible. Even more frightening was the fact that morning did not seem to come. Three days passed without any light. People were crying and wishing they had repented already, for they feared it was too late. They understood that the deaths of many of the people were the result of the increasing wickedness that had begun to occur among the people. The darkness symbolized the death of Jesus Christ–the light of the world being taken out of the world at His death..
In the darkness something extraordinary happened—and that is the subject of the next article. Can’t wait to find out? Read the story for yourself:
The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.
