In 1931, the CBS radio network inaugurated a new religious radio broadcast, the “Church of the Air,” produced and broadcast from New York City. Two half-hour programs were aired each Sunday, one by Catholic speakers, and one which alternated among Protestants, Jews, and whoever else might have been asked to take part. This radio time was extended by invitation of the network – the time was not for sale. Latter-day Saints were occasionally invited to participate. Following is a speech given by apostle Melvin J. Ballard, on 4 October 1936.
New Witnesses for Christ
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a sacred mission to perform in the world. One of the most important features of that mission is to provide new witnesses to this doubtful and skeptical generation that Jesus is indeed the Christ, the very Son of the living God, who died for man and is still interested in them and presides under his Father over the destinies of this world. We proclaim with John that by him, as the Father’s representative, was the world made. In the character of Jehovah before he dwelt among men in the flesh, he was the Spokesman of his Father, Elohim, delivering the commandments, inspiring the prophets and ultimately coming to dwell among men in the flesh, thereafter to be called Jesus Christ. he gave himself as a ransom to save the world and mankind; first, from the consequences of the fall which brought mortality and death. he brings us to immortal and eternal life. And through our obedience to his Gospel he redeems us from the consequences of our own sins.
But his interest in this world did not end when he had performed his great sacrifice. he is the Savior of all men, no matter where or when they have lived upon the earth. To his disciples at Jerusalem he said, “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” (John 10:16) It is generally agreed now that when he spoke those words there was a mighty multitude of people living in this western world. he was their Savior and knew of their existence.
Prominent among the witnesses this Church produces to support the testimony of the disciples at Jerusalem concerning Christ and his ministry is the testimony of a nation living upon this western hemisphere which was visited by him after his resurrection. Unto them he said, ‘ye are the other sheep of whom I spake.” Great destructions had occurred in this land at the crucifixion of Christ. The multitude who survived were standing about one of the temples marveling at the great changes which had taken place. The following account of this visit is recorded in the Book of Mormon, the Bible of America, Third Nephi, 11th chapter:
“And it came to pass that while they were thus conversing one with another, they heard a voice as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round about, for they understood not the voice which they heard; and it was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the center, insomuch that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it did pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their hearts to burn.
“And it came to pass that again they heard the voice, and they understood it not.
“And again the third time they did hear the voice, and did open their ears to hear it; and their eyes were towards the sound thereof; and they did look steadfastly towards heaven, from whence the sound came.
“And behold, the third time they did understand the voice which they heard; and it said unto them:
“Behold my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name – hear ye him.
“And it came to pass, as they understood they cast their eyes up again towards heaven; and behold, they saw a Man descending out of heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe; and he came down and stood in the midst of them; and the eyes of the whole multitude were turned upon him, and they durst not open their mouths, even one to another, and wist not what it meant, for they thought it was an angel that had appeared unto them.
“And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people saying:
“Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.
“And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning.
“And it came to pas that when Jesus had spoken these words the whole multitude fell to the earth; for they remembered that it had been prophesied among them that Christ should show himself unto them after his ascension into heaven.
“And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto them saying:
“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.
“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 so, 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.
“And when they had all gone forth and had witnessed for themselves, they did cry out with one accord, saying?:
“Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God! And they did fall down at the feet of Jesus, and did worship him.” (E Nephi 11:3-17)
Jesus Christ spent three glorious days with the peoples of America. He organized his Church and taught them the same doctrine he had delivered to his disciples in Jerusalem. As he left them he promised to come again. This historic visitation is supported by the traditions of all the Indians of America who have the same story that their fathers were visited a long time ago by a fair God who taught his Gospel and blessed them promising to return again. The conquest of Peru and Mexico by a handful of white men was possible because of this tradition of the promised return of the white God.
And now another witness which this Church furnishes that Jesus Christ not only lives but that he is as deeply interested in this generation as he was in them of old is the witness of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery that on the third day of April, 1836, one hundred years ago, in the Kirtland Temple, built by divine command to provide a place for the Lord’s appearance, the following event occurred:
“We saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit, before us; and under his feet was a paved work of pure gold, in color like amber.
“His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying:
“I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father.” (Doctrine and Covenants 110:2-4.)
He further announced that the purpose of his visit and the sending of prophets of ancient times, who held keys of authority, was to inaugurate the dispensation of the fulness of times spoken of by the prophets, wherein all keys and authority of all former dispensations were to be reintroduced among men in the building and establishment of Christ’s kingdom triumphant in the earth to which he would come to rule and reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords for a thousand years, as the prophets had foretold. Jesus announced in this dispensation, therefore, that the hour had come when a great and marvelous work was about to commence among men, wherein everything would be shaken and only the truth would stand, and that the prophecies of old were about to be fulfilled, when the Spirit of God would be poured out upon all flesh and old men should dream dreams and young men should see visions (Joel 2:29), and that as a result of it men would see wonders in the heavens and upon the earth.
What has happened in this world since that visitation a hundred years ago is in part at least a realization of the promise, for greater human progress has been made in the development of science in the last hundred years than in all the preceding ages combined. Surely the Spirit of God has been poured out upon all flesh, and men have caught visions of the secrets of God and the materialization of these visions has produced wonders in the heavens and upon the earth. The Lord’s hand is in all that is now going forward. The conflict between good and evil will be fierce but out of every struggle will come the victory of the right and of the truth. Every man-made institution that stands in the way of God’s purposes will be shaken and fall to the earth, and his Kingdom shall come and his will be done upon earth as it is in heaven.
Let all believers in Christ doubt not, for he delayeth not his coming, neither has he gone afar and forgotten us. Let us all join in continuing the glorious warfare to win this world for Christ, its rightful Ruler.
I bear witness that I know that he lives and that he is the Redeemer of the world. When that day shall come that I may stand in his presence and hear his voice, or like the doubting Thomas thrust my hand into his wounded side and hands, I shall not know any better then than I do today that he lives and that he has visited the earth in this age in the reintroduction of his glorious Gospel in its fulness and that it shall be triumphant in the earth. God speed the consummation of this happy event. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.