Never have I showed myself unto man whom I have created, for never has man believed in me as thou hast.

Ether 315.

Hey listeners, this is Xander from Book of Mormon Central, and today's podcast addresses the question, why did Jesus say,

Never have I showed myself unto men?

What starts out in Ether 2 through 3 as a question and answer session about how to build ocean-worthy barges ends with Jesus revealing himself to the brother of Jared in an extraordinary theophony.

Consistent with a pattern found in ancient temple worship, the Lord first revealed

only part of his body, his finger, from behind the veil, and then afterward his entire

premortal personages. Regarding the significance of this sacred encounter, Jesus declared,

Never have I showed myself on the man whom I have created, for never has

man believed in me as thou hast. This statement has perplexed many readers and scholars of the Book

of Mormon. Does it mean that none of the righteous men and women who lived before the brother

of Jared were visited in person by Jesus Christ? While straightforward,

this interpretation doesn't seem possible because there is scriptural evidence that prophets who

lived before the brother of Jared, such as Enoch, had in fact entered into the presence of the

Lord. That being the case, what could Jesus have meant?

Over the years, various possible interpretations have been proposed.

A matter of degree.

Some commentators, including Joseph Fielding Smith and Bruce Armacconkey, have understood that

Jesus revealed himself in a unique manner or to an unprecedented degree when speaking to the brother of Jared.

To help convey this idea, Elder McConkey rephrased either 315 as follows.

Never have I shown myself in the manner and form now involved.

Never has there been such a complete revelation

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