“They Saw a Man Descending Out of Heaven”

“They saw a Man descending out of heaven.” Tribes of ancient America believed in Quetzalcoatl, whose name means “bird-serpent.” He descended out of the sky like a bird, and he was as the serpent raised up on a pole to heal the people (see further in commentary at Alma 33:19–20).

Jesus’ descent to the Nephites provides a pattern for how he will come at his second coming. When he ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives after his resurrection, two angelic witnesses said: “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

Christ’s Coming to America as a Pattern for the Second Coming

Scripture References to Christ’s Coming to the Nephites	Events	Scripture References to the Future Coming of Christ
3 Nephi 2:14–16	Lamanites become righteous	D&C 49:24
3 Nephi 3:4	There are wars and rumors of wars	D&C 49:24
3 Nephi 3:22	The righteous gather together	D&C 45:26
3 Nephi 6:17–18; 7:7	Increased wickedness	D&C 115:6
3 Nephi 7:14	People reject the prophets	Joseph Smith–Matthew 1:30
3 Nephi 8:4	Increased skepticism concerning his coming	D&C 1:14
3 Nephi 8:6, 10–19	Earthquakes and other disturbances accompany his coming	D&C 45:26, 48
3 Nephi 8:20–23	Darkness covers the earth	D&C 45:42
3 Nephi 8:24–25	Christ comes as a thief in the night	2 Peter 3:10
3 Nephi 11:8	Christ comes from heaven in glory	D&C 29:11; 133:42–49
3 Nephi 9:1–13; 10:12	The wicked are destroyed at his coming; the righteous are preserved	D&C 5:19; 29:11
3 Nephi 11:1–11	Christ appears at his temple(s)	Malachi 3:1–2
3 Nephi 11:14	Christ shows the wounds in his body	Zechariah 13:6; D&C 45:51–52
3 Nephi 23:9–11	Christ’s coming begins a resurrection of the righteous	D&C 88:96–98
3 Nephi 10:12	Those prepared for Christ’s coming are those who sustain the prophet	D&C 45:32; 124:45–46

Verse by Verse: The Book of Mormon: Vol. 2

References