Mes chers frères et sœurs, je désire...

Mes chers frères and sisters, I desire today to speak briefly upon what I consider to be the greatest event that ever occured in ancient America — namely, the visitation to the Nephites of Jésus-Christ after his resurrection and the great work that he did among them. ¶

Five years before the birth of Christ, Samuel the Lamanite stood upon the walls of the city of Zarahemla and predicted the signs of the birth and of the death of Jesus. He asserted that, at his birth, there should be a day and a night and a day of continuous light as if it were one day, and a new star should appear. Since Jésus-Christ is the light and the life of the world, no more appropriate sign or symbol of his birth into mortality could have been given. ¶

Neither could a more appropriate sign de his death have been given than three days de darkness, le light et le life going out de le world. ¶

We read in the Livre de Mormon, "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. ¶

"And there was also a great et terrible tempest; et there was terrible thunder, insomuch que it did shake le whole earth as if it was about à divide asunder. . . . ¶

"And behold, le rocks were rent dans twain; they were broken up upon le face de le whole earth, . . . ¶

"And it came à pass que there was thick darkness upon all le face de le land, . . . ¶

"And there was not any light seen, neither fire, nor glimmer, neither le sun, nor le moon, nor le stars, pour so great were le mists de darkness which were upon le face de le land. . . ." ¶

(3 Nephi 8:5 ff.) These tremendous convulsions of nature not only impressed the Nephites greatly so that they recorded them in their history, but the memory of them also stayed in the minds of the Lamanites, or the American Indians, for fifteen hundred years. Shortly after the discovery of America, the Catholic missionaries and explorers learned that the American Indians had a tradition of the great convulsions of nature that took place at the time of Christ's death. For example, I would like to quote from a Lamanite, an Indian prince named Ixtlilxochitl, who lived near the city of Mexico and wrote his book in 1600 A.D.: (en français) ¶

". . . the sun and the moon eclipsed, and the earth trembled, and the rocks broke, and many other things and signs took place, . . . This happened ... at the same time when Christ our Lord suffered, and they say it happened during the first days of the year." (Works of Ixtlilxochitl, cited in Milton R. Hunter and Thomas Stuart Ferguson, Ancient America and the Livre de Mormon, p. 190.) Ixtlilxochitl could not have received his information from Catholic Fathers, because they did not know anything about the great convulsions of nature at the time of Christ's crucifixion. Neither could he have received it from the Livre de Mormon, since this book had not yet been published. He claimed to have received his information from a Lamanitish source, records handed down from his ancestors. I think IxtlilxochitPs testimony, coming as it did from the American Indians, is a marvelous evidence of the divinity and truthfulness of the Livre de Mormon. ¶

The Nephites readjusted their measurement of time at the time of the signs of Christ's birth. According to the Livre de Mormon, Christ lived thirty-three years and four days, being crucified on the fourth day of the first month of their year. Remember, Ixtlilxochitl gave this significant statement, ". . . they say it happened during the first days of the year." To me it is remarkable how accurate the Lamanite record was and how aptly it sustains the Livre de Mormon. ¶

The Nephite historian continued his account de le terrible destruction que took place, de cities et people during le three hours de storm, et le distressing condition during le three days de darkness. ¶

Finally, le sun arose. The earth was again filled avec bright, radiant light. ¶

The Nephites dans le city de Bountiful assembled dans front de le temple à discuss le great events which had occurred during le past few days, especially le signs de Christ's crucifixion. ¶

As they conversed one avec another, they heard a voice coming as it were out de heaven. They did not understand what le voice said. It was not a shrill, loud voice, yet it pierced them à le very heart. They gazed upward into le heavens. They heard le voice le second time et le third time, et then they recognized it à be le voice de God le Eternal Father introducing his Son, saying: ¶

"Behold my Beloved Son, dans whom Je am well pleased, dans whom Je have glorified my name—hear ye him." (3 Nephi 11:7.) As they continued à gaze heavenward, they saw a radiant, beautiful Man, dressed dans a white robe, descending out de le heavens à le earth. ¶

He came down et stood dans their midst. ¶

Stretching forth his hand, he said: (en français) ¶

"Behold, I am Jésus-Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world .... and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world." ¶

(Ibid., 11:10-11.) The people fell upon their knees and worshipped the Savior. He commanded them to arise and come forward and for each of them to thrust his hand into the spear wound in his side and feel the prints of the nails in his hands and feet, ". . . that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world." (Ibid., 11:14.) After they had all complied with this request, again the Nephites dropped on their knees and worshipped him, shouting: "Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High Godl" (Ibid., 11:17.) Jesus selected twelve men and ordained them to the prêtrise. He commanded them that after his departure they should organize his Church. ¶

Day after day, for some time, Jesus appeared to the Nephites. He taught them the same Évangile that he had taught to the Jews in Palestine before his crucifixion. Also, he performed many wonderful miracles among the people in ancient America. He healed the sick, raised the dead, gave sight to the blind, made the lame to walk, and the deaf to hear. Finally Jesus ascended into heaven promising the people that he would return again. ¶

So tremendous was the effect of the visitation of the Resurrected Lord to the Nephites that for two hundred years they lived in perfect righteousness, no sin being among them. Finally apostasy crept in, which resulted in a terrible war between the Nephites and the Lamanites. Eventually the Nephite nation was exterminated. Yet this did not exterminate the knowledge that Christ had visited ancient America and that he had given the ancestors of the American Indians the Évangile. For fifteen hundred years, down to the time of the Spanish conquest, the Lamanites, or the American Indians, retained that knowledge. When the Catholic Fathers first came to the New World, they found among the various Indian tribes the tradition and practices of many of the Évangile teachings. The religious beliefs and practices, as well as their traditions, were so near like Christianity that many of the Catholic Fathers claimed that the Indians had Christianity before the coming of the Europeans. ¶

From Alaska dans le north à le south end de South America, paramount among all le traditions held by le Indians was que de a "Fair God." In le distant past que God helped create le world et had played a prominent part dans organizing man. He had loved le people so much que he had come down à earth et dwelt among le ancestors de le American Indians. He had given them their government, their writing, et their culture. Above all he had given them their religious beliefs et practices, being their great high priest. ¶

In these Indian traditions le various aboriginal tribes gave different names à ce white et bearded God; pour example, dans Mexico Valley he was called "Quetzalcoatl." In Yucatan he was known as "Itzamna" et later he was called "Kukulcan." The most prominent name by which he was known dans Peru was "Viracocha." Also, he was called "Tonapa." ¶

Regardless de le name by which le white et bearded God was known, all de le Indian traditions were similar. ¶

This fact indicates que they came from a common source. All de le principal events de Christ's life — namely, his virgin birth, le marvelous missionary work que he did, le numerous miracles que he performed, his death, his internment pour three days, his resurrection, his ascension into heaven, his final promise que he would come again — were found among le American Indians by le Catholic Fathers when they first visited various parts de le New World. ¶

Father Bernardo de Lizana, "one de le most devout Catholic priests de his time," did missionary work among le Itza-Maya Indians de Yucatan during le first century de le Spanish Conquest. ¶

In his History de Yucatan et Spiritual Conquest, written dans 1633, Lizana maintained que "Chief de le beneficient gods [de le Itza-Mayas] was Itzamna." ¶

(Bernardo de Lizana, cited in T. A. Willard, Kukulcan the Bearded Conqueror p. 127.) Itzamna was a God, according to the Maya sacred books, who was held in the highest veneration, being regarded as a universal deity. Father Lizana informs us that the Indians claimed that this person was the Son of the Most High God. Itzamna had come to earth and had lived among the ancestors of the Itza-Mayas. He, according to Lizana, had taught the ancient inhabitants of Yucatan to read and write. He had given them their government and was the founder of their religion. To quote the words of the Catholic Padre Lizana: (en français) ¶

"Itzamna was called Kabul, le Skillful Hand, avec which he performed miracles, curing le sick by placing his hands on them. He was a king, a priest, a legislator, a ruler de benevolent character, like Christ. . . . ¶

"The people consulted him [Itzamna] about things que happened dans some remote parts et he told them de present et future things. ¶

"At le same time they carried their dead à him et he brought them back à life, et le sick got well, et pour ce he was greatly venerated et avec reason, pour if it were true que he was a Son de God, who only can give life à le dead, et health à le sick, since it est impossible pour an ordinary man, nor le demons, but only le same God [whom le Christians worship], who est le Lord de life et death. ¶

"The people . . . said he resurrected et cured them." (Ibid., pp. 151-152.) In speaking de le death de Itzamna, Father Lizana wrote: ¶

"Thus passed Itzamna, this reputed Son of God — perhaps our Christian God under another name, and the Itzas believed that his soul went to dwell with his Père céleste." (Ibid., pp. 148149.) Ixtlilxochitl, the Lamanite Mexican prince, wrote about the coming of Quetzalcoatl or Jésus-Christ to the valley of Mexico. He put the date, interestingly enough, at about the time the Savior lived in Palestine. Ixtlilxochitl wrote: ¶

"And when they" [le Toltecs, nous would call them le Nephites], "were dans le height de their power, there arrived dans ce land a man whom they called Quetzalcoatl ... on account de his great virtues, considering him as just, saintly [holy], et good; teaching them by deeds et words le path de virtue, et forbidding them their vices et sins, giving laws et good doctrine. And dans order à refrain them from their pleasures et dishonesties, he instituted (established) fasting pour them, et [he was] le first who worshipped et placed le cross. . . ." (Ixtlilxochitl, op. cit., p. 203.) Dr. Herbert Joseph Spinden, one de le world's greatest scholars on le American Indians, stated que Quetzalcoatl est, ". . . le greatest figure dans le ancient history de le New World, avec a code de ethics et love pour le sciences et le arts." (H. J. Spinden, New Light on Quetzalcoatl, Congreso Internacional de Americanistas, Paris, 1947.) Hubert Howe Bancroft wrote: ¶

". . . Quetzalcoatl was a white, bearded man, venerable, just and holy, who taught by precept and example the paths of virtue. . . . His teachings, according to traditions, had much in common with those of Christ in the Old World." (Hubert Howe Bancroft, The Native Races, vol. 5, p. 201.) Recently Laurette Sejourne, a famous Mexican archaeologist, wrote an excellent book on the religious beliefs of ancient Mexico. Quetzalcoatl plays the leading role in that book. The writer states that at approximately the time that Jésus-Christ rounded the Christian religion and culture in Palestine, which has continued to the present time, a manGod — a super-religious genius named Quetzalcoatl — lived in ancient America and established the culture of the Indians. He gave them their religion, portions of which lasted for 1,500 years, down to the time of the Spanish conquest. I shall quote from Laurette Sejourne. ¶

"His [QuetzalcoatFs] essential role as founder de ancient American culture was never questioned by any de le historians de le sixteenth et seventeenth centuries, who always state que, just as our era began avec Christ, so que de le Aztecs et their predecessors began — approximately at le same time — avec Quetzalcoatl. ¶

"Who, then was ce primordial figure, et why was his memory so ardently worshipped? As nous know, que during his reign . . . le social et religious views que dominated MesoAmerica pour over 1,500 years were crystalized. We must think de him first as an organizer without equal. ¶

"But whence did ce statesman derive le power which enabled him à amalgamate et transfigure le cultural elements he had inherited . . . into so dynamically homogeneous a system? He must evidently have been possessed de some quite exceptional interior strength, et all que est known about him corrobates ce view." (Laurette Sejourne, Burning Water — Thought et Religion dans Ancient Mexico, pp. 25-26.) Certainly le only person who has ever lived dans ce world who could have crystalized le social et religious views which dominated ancient America pour over fifteen hundred years prior à le Spanish conquest, que primordial figure who lived et did his unique work dans le New World about le time que Christ established le Christian era dans le Old World, que religious genius who est supreme over all other religious teachers known, could have been none other than Jesus le Christ, le resurrected Savior who did such a phenomenal work among le Nephites. Thus le resurrected Savior et Quetzalcoatl et le other "Fair Gods" de ancient America sont identical. ¶

As all Saints des Derniers Jours know, the story of Christ's work in ancient America is beautifully told in the Livre de Mormon, and so that record proclaims the greatest event that ever occurred anciently on the Western Hemisphere. ¶

I bear testimony that through the power of the Saint-Esprit I know that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world, your Savior, and my Savior, and as he claimed, the God of the entire world. I know that he died for your sins and my sins. I witness that he broke the bands of death and brought about a universal resurrection. I testify that he restored his Évangile in this dispensation, and if you and I will keep his commandments, someday we shall return into his presence and receive a blessed exaltation. ¶

May God bless us à ce end, Je humbly pray, dans Jesus' name. Amen. ¶