Arise and Come Forth

3 Nephi 11:14-15

Jesus said,

14 Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my 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.

 15 And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come.

After Jesus was resurrected, He appeared a few times unto several people in the Old World, Jerusalem. Jesus then appeared to the Nephites in America. A multitude was gathered together and heard a voice that said, "Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name--hear ye him."

When they heard this declaration from God the Father, they didn't understand it initially. They heard the same statement two more times and then they understood. Jesus descended out of heaven and stood in the midst of them, and they thought it was an angel. Jesus introduced himself, declared His atonement, and invited each person to come unto Him and feel the sacred wound prints in His hands, wrists, feet, and side. This they did, one-by-one, until they all had felt the sacred marks in His body resulting from His infinite atonement. The Holy Ghost bore record that this was indeed Jesus, the Christ, the one who had atoned for the sins of the world a short while back. As they felt the prints in His hands and feet, the Spirit overcame them such that they knew for a certainty that it was Jesus who had been crucified and resurrected. Jesus became the first fruits of them that slept.

They were humbly overwhelmed. Jesus visited this multitude because of their faith in Him, believing that he would come in fulfillment of prophecy. As they looked at Him, "His eyes were as a flame of fire."

Jesus continues to invite us to "Arise and come forth" unto Him daily and know that He is the Savior and Redeemer of this world and all worlds created without number. He is the Savior and Redeemer of all, due to His infinite atonement. His influence never ceases.