EVIDENCE: Christ. Foreknowledge of Christ’s Advent (see 2 Nephi 10:3, Alma 7:10–12; Mosiah 3:5–10; Helaman 8:13–20)

Ed J. Pinegar, Richard J. Allen

Long before the birth of the Savior, prophets in the Book of Mormon testified of His coming and described important events in His life. In fact, in this book aptly subtitled “Another Testament of Jesus Christ,” we read prophecies about His birth, His mother’s name, His baptism, His teachings, His miraculous healings, His casting out of devils, His temptations and suffering, His crucifixion, and, finally, His resurrection. The Book of Mormon also declares that many prophets in the Old World knew and prophesied about details in Christ’s life many years before his birth. Critics of the Book of Mormon state that the specifics of Christ’s life could not possibly have been known before he was born, but we learn from ancient documents that early Christians believed otherwise. For example, in the twelfth chapter of the Epistle of Barnabas, we read that Moses knew that the Messiah would be named Jesus. (See Echoes, 242–246.)

Commentaries and Insights on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 1

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