The Great and Marvelous Change: An Alternate Interpretation

The customary interpretation of 3 Nephi 11:1 has been that those around the temple in Bountiful were showing one another the “great and marvelous change” that had taken place in the land as a result of the physical destruction attending the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. However, Jones argues that the phrase “the great and marvelous change” used here refers to the infinite Atonement itself—the singular (then-recent) event that fulfilled the law of Moses and changed once and for all the eternal prospects for all of God's children. By examining the context in which this scripture appears and by interpreting related verses—especially those which emphasize the way in which most revelation is received—Jones argues that the atonement of Jesus Christ and the individuals’ subsequent change of heart would have been the main topic of their discussion and would therefore be an appropriate understanding of the scripture.