Giving the authority to grant the gift of the Holy Ghost was visibly manifest, but the people didn’t hear the words. Therefore, they only later learned that this was what had passed when Jesus touched the disciples.
Jesus ascended. “The disciples saw and did bear record that he ascended again into heaven.” The twelve were his earthly testators. They would certainly attest that he had come among them, but the most important part of their testimony was that he had ascended to Heaven. Thus, the God had descended to earth, but is now back in Heaven, doubly declaring that the teachings Jesus gave while with them were from God, even though they were given on earth.
This ends a chapter in the 1830 edition.