According to the theory of Randall Spackman, if one assumes that Lehi escaped from Jerusalem as soon after the siege was lifted as possible, then Lehi would have begun his year count with the new moon of January 19 or 25J, 587 B.C.E. (1,507,046). After 600 years, 7,200 moons or 212,620.23 (600 x 354.36705) days had passed away, the 601st year of Lehi’s prophetic period would have begun with the new moon of March 8 or 10J, 5 B.C.E. (1,719,666). In the “commencement” of this long-awaited year, the sign of the Messiah’s birth was seen in the heavens and He was born at Bethlehem. [Randall P. Spackman, “Introduction to Book of Mormon Chronology: The Principal Prophecies, Calendars, and Dates,” F.A.R.M.S., p. 33]
3 Nephi 1:13 On this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world ([Illustration] Table VIII Summary of the Principal Events, Dates and Calendars. [Randall P. Spackman, “Introduction to Book of Mormon Chronology: The Principal Prophecies, Calendars, and Dates,” F.A.R.M.S., p. 71]
“On This Night Shall the Sign Be Given”
John Lefgren notes that the Midrash Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic writings commenting on the Old Testament, indicates that the Messiah would appear on Passover. Is it any wonder that Joseph and Mary were unable to find appropriate shelter? Bethlehem is about five miles south of the walls of Jerusalem. The overflow Passover crowds had apparently filled even the city of David. The birth of Christ at the beginning of the Passover feast is of significance. In the reckoning of Deity this was not coincidental. The birth of the Messiah occurred at that time of the year when God’s covenant with Israel was most remembered and honored by the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The fixing of the Jewish Passover month to the spring lunar cycle of 1 B.C. shows that Christ came into the world on Nisan 14--the same day, in the Hebrew calendar of the Galileans, in which they were eating the Passover meal and in which Christ’s disciples would eventually eat the Last Supper. Nisan 14 was also the same day, in the Hebrew calendar of the Judaeans, on which they would slay the Paschal lamb and on which Christ would eventually be slain. The Gregorian calendar would have identified the night of Christ’s birth as April 5-6, 1 B.C. The Julian calendar places the birth on April 7-8, 1 B.C. (See illustration--Table 1, Table 2)
D&C 20:1 says the following:
The rise of the Church of Christ in these last days, being one thousand, eight hundred and thirty years since the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the flesh … in the fourth month, and on the sixth day of the month which is called April
If we accept the first verse of the twentieth section of the Doctrine and Covenants as having a specific and literal meaning, then April 6 (and possibly April 6, 1 B.C.) has historic and religious significance as the birthdate of Christ. (See illustration--Table 4) [John C. Lefgren, April Sixth, pp. 14-25]
3 Nephi 1:13 On this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world ([Illustration] Table 1 Birth of Christ as Observed in Palestine in l B.C. [John C. Lefgren, April Sixth, pp. 22-23]
3 Nephi 1:13 On this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world ([Illustration] Table 2 Birth of Christ as Observed in America [John C. Lefgren, April Sixth, pp. 28-29]
3 Nephi 1:13 On this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world ([Illustration] Table 4 Dates of Christ’s Birth, Death, and Resurrection, and the Organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. [John C. Lefgren, April Sixth, pp. 61-62]
Bruce Warren notes that in 1987, Dennis O. Clawson found that the Olmec-Maya Long Count calendar date for Thursday, 6 April, 1 B.C. correlated with 7.17.17.17.13 1 Ben 6 Mak. The year 1 Ben in Maya is equivalent to 1 Acatl or 1 Reed in the Central Mexican calendars of Mesoamerica. Thus, the birthday of the Man-God aspect of the deity Quetzalcoatl is 1 Ben or 1 Acatl or 1 Reed.
Another striking thing about the Mesoamerican date of April 6, 1 B.C. is that this calendar round combination can only occur on April 6 once every 1507 years. Interestingly, the Aztecs rebuilt their temple to Quetzalcoatl in A.D. 1507. (Burr Carwright Brundage, A Rain of Darts: The Medica Aztecs. University of Texas Press: Austin, 1972:337.)
This amazing parallel to the Book of Mormon account of the Messiah in Ancient America and the unique but detailed correlation with both the Olmec-Maya Long count calendar and the Mesoamerican Calendar round is startling to say the least. [Bruce Warren, Ancient America Foundation Newsletter, No. 3 December 1994, pp. 5-7]
3 Nephi 1:13 On this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world ([Illustration] Table 1: New Calendar. [Bruce Warren, Ancient America Foundation Newsletter, No. 3 December 1994, pp. 8-9]
[Illustration]: Christ’s 14 of Nisan Death Date Possibilities. [Bruce W. Warren, Blaine M. Yorgason and Harold Brown, New Evidences of Christ in Mesoamerica, 1999]
3 Nephi 1:13 On this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world ([Illustration] Table 2: Christ’s Birth and Death Dates [Bruce Warren, Ancient America Foundation Newsletter, No. 3 December 1994, p. 9]