Thus was the word of God carried to the Gentiles. But Jesus did not Himself minister to them during his earth-life. While yet ministering to those who followed Him in the Holy Land, however, Jesus uttered a strange declaration. He said, "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth {295} me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." [Sidenote: A puzzling question.] From the time that Jesus made this statement until the restoration of the Gospel in the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times, it has never been fully understood by men. That Jesus is the Good Shepherd is clear enough. He has earned the undisputed right to that title by the devoted sacrifice He made for His sheep. But what did He mean by "other sheep" not of the fold of Palestine, who must also hear His voice, that there might be one fold, as there was one shepherd? Where else did Jesus personally minister besides the Holy Land and Paradise? These questions have puzzled many; and because of failure to find any other adequate answer, the "other sheep" have been usually interpreted to mean, the Gentiles. But how the Gospel came to the Gentiles has been pointed out. They could not have been the "other sheep," who were to hear the voice of Jesus. Who, then, were the "other sheep." [Sidenote: Forty days.] You will remember that after His resurrection Jesus appeared at ten different times to His disciples in Palestine. It seems, however, that between the resurrection and the ascension there elapsed a period of about forty days. What did Jesus do during those forty days? Of course, we cannot hope to be able ever to account for all those days, nor would it help us much perhaps to do so. {296} But it was during that interesting but shrouded period of forty days that Jesus visited the other sheep. [Sidenote: In the land of the Nephites.]