One of the marvelous contributions of modern revelation (including the Book of Mormon) is an insight into the nature of Christ’s eternal gospel, the revelation to the Church and to the world that Christian prophets have taught Christian doctrine and administered Christian ordinances since the days of Adam.
The name of the Messiah—revealed to us as Jesus Christ, meaning literally “Jehovah is salvation, the anointed one”—was known from the very beginning of earth’s history.
God spoke to Adam as follows:
“I made the world, and men before they were in the flesh. And [God] also said unto him: If thou wilt turn unto me, and hearken unto my voice, and believe, and repent of all thy transgressions, and be baptized, even in water in the name of mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth, which is Jesus Christ, ... ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
(Moses 6:51-52.)
Enoch, whose name and city are associated with transcendent righteousness, pleaded in behalf of the people of the earth:
“I ask thee, O Lord, in the name of thine Only Begotten, even Jesus Christ, that thou wilt have mercy upon Noah and his seed, that the earth might never more be covered by the floods”
(Moses 7:50).
Noah called upon a wicked generation:
“Believe and repent of your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, even as our Fathers, and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost”
(Moses 8:24).
Likewise, the brother of Jared, the spiritual leader among that colony which left the eastern hemisphere at the time of the confusion of tongues at the Tower of Babel was told:
“Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ.”
(Ether 3:14.)