I was blindsided in a Book of Mormon Sunday School class by an idea I'd never heard before.  The instructor cited two scriptures, and declared that nearly a whole year had elapsed between the time of the great storm and the appearance of the Savior to the Nephites.  I had never before heard or entertained such an idea.

3 Nephi 8:5 states that the great storm commenced "in the thirty and fourth year, in the first month, on the fourth day of the month."

Mormon, the chronicler, then says in 3 Nephi 10:18-19, "that in the ending of the thirty and fourth year, behold, I will show unto you that the people of Nephi who were spared, and also those who had been called Lamanites, who had been spared, did have great favors shown unto them and great blessings poured out upon their heads, insomuch that soon after the ascension of Christ into heaven he did truly manifest himself unto them--

"Showing his body unto them, and ministering unto them; and an account of his ministry shall be given hereafter.  Therefore for this time I make an end of my sayings."

Those last two verses precede the account of the Savior's appearance, making it appear to the class instructor that "the ending of the thirty and fourth year" came before the Savior manifested Himself to the people.

I suppose that's possible, but the next verses in the chapter that follows give a different impression:

"A great multitude gathered together ... round about the temple ... and they were marveling and wondering one with another, and were showing one to another the great and marvelous change which had taken place."

Those people were obviously stunned and awestruck.  They were the more righteous of the Nephites; and following the great destruction, their thoughts went to the temple where like-minded people were likely to gather.  It was then that they heard a voice from heaven, and the Savior descended.

I think what Mormon was saying in the last two verses of the tenth chapter was that "I'm going to quit writing for a while now, and when I resume, I will show you that the Nephites and Lamanites did receive great blessings by the end of that year."

I didn't contradict the instructor.  I needed time to digest and research what I'd heard.  The point wasn't anything that would affect anyone's testimony, so it wasn't important that I say anything.  But after researching the matter, I think that all the evidence points to the fact that Jesus appeared immediately after His resurrection.

After preaching to the Nephites, He told them that "I have other sheep which are not of this land, neither of the land of Jerusalem, neither in any parts of that land round about whither I have been to minister.

"For they of whom I speak are they who have not as yet heard my voice; neither have I at any time manifested myself unto them.

"But I have received a commandment of the Father that I shall go unto them, and that they shall hear my voice ..."  (3 Nephi 16:1-3).

That makes it sound as if the Nephites were perhaps the first of many people that Jesus needed to visit following His resurrection.

I suppose some time could have elapsed between the storm and the Savior's appearance, but I am of the opinion that the time was a matter of hours rather than of weeks or months.  I suspect that it was important that Jesus visit all of His scattered sheep as quickly as possible so that the impact of what had just happened would not have worn off.