-that the wickedness and
abominations of the people might be hidden from the face of the earth.
Those who had lived to hear were declared to be the more righteous of
the inhabitants; and to them hope was offered on conditions of more
thorough repentance and reformation.

The identity of the Voice was thus made known: "Behold, I am Jesus
Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all
things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am
in the Father, and the Father in me; and in me hath the Father glorified
his name." The Lord commanded that the people should no longer serve Him
with bloody sacrifices and burnt offerings; for the law of Moses was
fulfilled; and thenceforth the only acceptable sacrifice would be the
broken heart and the contrite spirit; and such should never be rejected.
The humble and repentant the Lord would receive as His own. "Behold," He
said, "for such I have laid down my life, and have taken it up again;
therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved."

The Voice ceased; and through the space of many hours of continuing
darkness vociferous lamentations were hushed, for the people were
convicted of their guilt and silently wept in astonishment over what
they had heard, and in hopeful anticipation of the salvation that had
been offered. A second time the Voice was heard, as in sorrow over those
who had refused to accept the Savior's succor; for often had He
protected them, more often would He have so done had they been willing,
and yet in the future would He cherish them, "as a hen gathereth her
chickens under her wings" if they would repent and live in
righteousness. On the morning of the third day the darkness dispersed,
seismic disturbances ceased, and the storms abated. As the pall was
lifted from the land the people saw how profound had been the
convulsions of earth, and how great had been their loss of kindred and
friends. In their contrition and humiliation they remembered the
predictions of the prophets, and knew that the mandate of the Lord had
been executed upon them.[1460]

Christ had risen; and following Him many of the righteous dead on the
western continent rose from their graves, and appeared as resurrected,
immortalized beings among the survivors of the land-wide destruction;
even as in Judea many of the saints had been raised immediately after
the resurrection of Christ.[1461]

FIRST VISITATION OF JESUS CHRIST TO TH