Lorenzo Snow Greeting 835 people one-by-one (May 18, 1899) and Jesus allowing 2,500 to feel His wounds in 3 Nephi

  

Thursday, 18^th May. At 9 a.m. The Sunday School children met in S^t George Tabernacle and were most lovingly addressed by President Lorenzo Snow. At the close of his greetings and brief address, the assemblage, on invitation, passed in single file,--and shook hands with Lorenzo Snow—the President—Prophet, Seer and Revelator of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The number thus passing in review and greeting were eight hundred and thirty five (835) A mother and her babe afterwards. (James Godson Bleak, The Annals of the Southern Mission, May 18, 1899, in The Annals of the Southern Mission: A Record of the History of the Settlement of Southern Utah, ed. Aaron McArthur and Reid L. Neilson [Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2019], 810)

 

This reminded me of a similar event in the Book of Mormon:

 

And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come. (3 Nephi 11:15)

 

And the multitude did see and hear and bear record; and they know that their record is true for they all of them did see and hear, every man for himself; and they were in number about two thousand and five hundred souls; and they did consist of men, women, and children. (3 Nephi 17:25)

 

Some critics (e.g., Ed Decker) have claimed that this is an impossibility, though they often do not quote the latter verse, which states the total number of the “multitude” was 2,500. If Lorenzo Snow can greet and shake hands with 835 people without it taking an inordinate amount of time, Jesus allowing the people to feel his wounds (note: some of the 2,500 included children, as we read in 3 Nephi 17:25 [cf. 3 Nephi 17:11, 12, 21]) is not a huge stretch, let alone an impossibility or near-impossibility on the Book of Mormon.