Nephi summarizes the Book of Mormon message to the Jews as when they “shall begin to believe in Christ … they shall begin to gather in upon the face of the land.” The key word in Nephi’s message is “begin.” The Doctrine and Covenants teaches the same time pattern. In the dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland temple, given by revelation (see Section Heading), it was asked:
62 We therefore ask thee to have mercy upon the children of Jacob, that Jerusalem, from this hour, may begin to be redeemed;
63 And the yoke of bondage may begin to be broken off from the house of David;
64 And the children of Judah may begin to return to the lands which thou didst give to Abraham, their father. [D&C 109:62–64; italics added]
The building of that temple was the beginning of the gathering (see chapter 15). The attitude of Jewish people toward Jesus Christ has certainly mellowed in the past century. While he was not even mentioned in their homes and synagogues before, he is now spoken of more openly and many think of him as a great teacher, philosopher, or even a prophet. At the same time, there are now around five million or so of the Jewish people who have gathered to the modern nation of Israel. Nephi’s prophecy is also beginning to be fulfilled.