Editing Book of Mormon (section)

====Jesus====
{{see also|Godhead (Latter Day Saints)}}
On its title page, the Book of Mormon describes its central purpose as being the "convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations."{{sfn|Turner|2016|p=36}} Although much of the Book of Mormon's internal chronology takes place prior to the birth of Jesus, prophets in the book frequently see him in vision and preach about him, and the people in the narrative worship Jesus as "pre-Christian Christians."{{sfn|Givens|2002|pp=46–47, 199}}{{sfn|Turner|2016|p=29}} For example, the book's first narrator [[Nephi, son of Lehi|Nephi]] describes having a vision of the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus, said to have taken place nearly 600 years prior to Jesus' birth.{{sfn|Hardy|2010|p=53}} Late in the book, a narrator refers to converted peoples as "children of Christ".{{sfn|Turner|2016|p=32}} By depicting ancient prophets and peoples as familiar with Jesus as a Savior, the Book of Mormon universalizes Christian salvation as being accessible across all time and places.{{sfn|Turner|2016|p=33}}{{sfn|Hardy|2010|p=7}} By implying that even more ancient peoples were familiar with Jesus Christ, the book presents a "polygenist Christian history" in which Christianity has multiple origins.<ref name="Fenton-2019" />

[[File:The Glorious Appearing of Jesus to the Nephites by William Armitage.PNG|thumb|right|An artistic depiction of the climactic moment in the Book of Mormon, the visitation of Jesus to the Nephites|246x246px]]In the climax of the book, Jesus visits some early inhabitants of the Americas after his resurrection in an extended bodily [[theophany]].<ref name="Hardy-2016">{{cite interview|last=Hardy|first=Grant|subject-link=Grant Hardy|interviewer=Blair Hodges|title=Understanding ''Understanding the Book of Mormon'' with Grant Hardy|url=https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1588&context=jbms|work=[[Journal of Book of Mormon Studies|Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture]]|volume=25|date=2016}}</ref>{{sfn|Turner|2016|p=29}} During this ministry, he reiterates many teachings from the [[New Testament]], re-emphasizes salvific baptism, and introduces the ritual consumption of bread and wine "in remembrance of [his] body", a teaching that became the basis for modern Latter-day Saints' "memorialist" view of their sacrament ordinance (analogous to communion).{{sfn|Turner|2016|pp=30–32}} Jesus's ministry in the Book of Mormon resembles his portrayal in the [[Gospel of John]], as Jesus similarly teaches without parables and preaches faith and obedience as a central message.{{sfn|Hardy|2010|p=196}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Stendahl |first=Krister |url=https://rsc.byu.edu/book/reflections-mormonism |title=Reflections on Mormonism: Judaeo-Christian Parallels |publisher=[[Religious Studies Center]] |year=1978 |isbn=0-88494-358-5 |editor-last=Madsen |editor-first=Truman G. |pages=139–154 |chapter=The Sermon on the Mount and Third Nephi |author-link=Krister Stendahl |chapter-url=https://rsc.byu.edu/reflections-mormonism/sermon-mount-third-nephi}}</ref>

Barnes argues that the Book of Mormon depicts Jesus as a "revolutionary new character" different from that of the New Testament in a portrayal that is "constantly, subtly revising the Christian tradition".{{Sfn|Barnes|2012|p=501}} According to historian John Turner, the Book of Mormon's depiction provides "a twist" on Christian trinitarianism, as Jesus in the Book of Mormon is distinct from God the Father—as he prays to God during a post-resurrection visit with the Nephites—while also emphasizing that Jesus and God have "divine unity," with other parts of the book calling Jesus "the Father and the Son".{{sfn|Turner|2016|p=35}} Beliefs among the churches of the [[Latter Day Saint movement]] range between [[social trinitarianism]] (such as among Latter-day Saints)<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Paulsen|first1=David L.|url=https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199778362.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780199778362|title=The Oxford Handbook of Mormonism|last2=Boyd|first2=Hal R.|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|year=2015|isbn=9780199778362|editor-last=Givens|editor-first=Terryl L.|editor-link=Terryl Givens|pages=246–259|language=English|chapter=The Nature of God in Mormon Thought|doi=10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199778362.001.0001|editor-last2=Barlow|editor-first2=Philip L.|editor-link2=Philip Barlow|chapter-url=https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199778362.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780199778362-e-18|url-access=subscription}} "Therefore, the Mormon conception of the Godhead is more akin to what contemporary Christian theologians call Social Trinitarianism" (253).</ref> and traditional [[Trinity|trinitarianism]] (such as in [[Community of Christ]]).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Community of Christ|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Community-of-Christ|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211112034607/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Community-of-Christ|archive-date=November 12, 2021|access-date=November 24, 2021|website=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]}} "The Community of Christ believes in the Trinity". Last revised April 15, 2004.</ref>