Who Are the "Other Sheep" Christ Spoke About in John 10:16?

Welcome to Day 30 of our 60-Day Challenge! But before we tackle today’s question, let’s take a moment to reflect on the question from Day 29 - Who are the “other sheep” that Jesus Christ spoke about in John 10:16?

Now, before you jump to the most common answer—the Gentiles—I want you to pause for a moment. Because what if I told you that’s not the full answer?

What Does John 10:16 Actually Say?

Jesus, speaking to his disciples in Jerusalem, said:

"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."
– John 10:16

Most mainstream Christian churches interpret this to mean that the gospel would be extended beyond the Jews to the Gentiles—which is partly true. After all, Paul and the apostles later took the gospel to the Gentiles.

But here’s where things get interesting:

Jesus says “I HAVE other sheep.”

• This means that at the time he was speaking, these “other sheep” already existed somewhere.

He also says, “Them also I must bring.”

• This implies that he himself would personally minister to them, just as he did with his disciples.

He says, “They shall hear my voice.”

• This is not just about people being converted through missionaries—it suggests a direct visit from Christ.

So, where did Christ go after his resurrection?

The Restored Church’s Answer: The Book of Mormon’s “Other Sheep”

According to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, John 10:16 is a direct reference to Christ’s visit to the people in the Americas after his resurrection.

How do we know? Because we have the record of that visit in The Book of Mormon.

Jesus Christ Appears to the Nephites

In 3 Nephi 15-16, after his resurrection, Christ descended from heaven and visited the Nephites, the ancient inhabitants of the Americas.

He told them directly:

“Ye are they of whom I said: 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.”
– 3 Nephi 15:21

That’s it. That’s the missing piece.

While Jesus was in Jerusalem, his "other sheep" were living in another land. And after his resurrection, he personally visited them, taught them, and established his church among them—just as he had done in Israel.

Did Christ Visit Others Beyond the Americas?

Here’s where things get even more exciting.

In 3 Nephi 16:1-3, Jesus tells the Nephites that there are yet more “other sheep” that he must visit.

“And verily, verily, I say unto you, 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.”

This means there are even more groups of God’s children that Christ personally ministered to.

Could Christ have visited other civilizations across the world?

Many ancient cultures have legends of a great white-robed God who visited them, promised to return, and brought a message of peace.

Coincidence? Or further proof that Christ’s gospel was revealed to more people than just those in the Old World?

Ancient Legends That Align with Christ’s Visit

Interestingly, there are folk traditions from around the world that suggest Christ may have visited other peoples:

🔹 The Ancient Slavs – An old Russian folk tale describes how Christ appeared to humble villagers, calling them his people. Their name, Kristiane, is similar to the word for “Christian.”

🔹 The Chinese and Indian Traditions – Some ancient Eastern writings speak of a wise teacher from the West who brought a divine message of peace and light.

🔹 The Indigenous Peoples of the Americas – Numerous tribes in North, Central, and South America have stories of a great white-robed God who visited their ancestors and promised to return.

Could these be remnants of Christ’s visits to his “other sheep” around the world?

What This Means for Us Today

Christ’s words in John 10:16 were not just poetic symbolism. They were literal.

His ministry didn’t stop at Jerusalem. It extended across the world, fulfilling the prophecy that his gospel would be for all people.

And it continues today.

How? Through The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

This sacred record is proof that Christ personally ministered to the Nephites and restored his gospel among them—just as he did in Jerusalem.

Through modern revelation, we understand that Christ’s true church has been restored once again in our time, and the gathering of all his sheep into one fold is happening now.

Next Up: Question 30

Now that we understand who Christ’s other sheep were, here’s the next question to ponder:

- Why do so many ancient North, Central, and South American traditions speak of a great God who visited their ancestors and promised to return?

- And why did European explorers (like the Spanish Conquistadors) exploit this belief to conquer indigenous peoples?

The answers might surprise you.

Do some research, and we’ll break it down in the next lesson!

Transcription:

    Hi, my name is Joe Cirillo with Gospel First, and thanks for your decision to follow me on this exciting journey to find Christ's restored church in our day. But before I give you question 30, did you get the answer to question 29? Who are the other sheep that are not of this fold referred to by Christ in John chapter 10 verse 16?

As I said, here's a little hint, it's not the Gentiles. And then it reads, 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. Now John chapter 10 verse 16 is commonly interpreted by Christian churches as a message about the inclusion of Gentiles into God's plan of salvation, uniting both Jews and non Jews under Christ as the one shepherd.

In this traditional view, Jesus refers to the other sheep as non Jews who will also become part of God's people. Emphasizing the universal nature of His message and the eventual unity of all believers. This interpretation is shared by the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant churches who see this verse as a call for the global church to be one flock under Christ.

Now, in some Christian traditions, particularly evangelical and missionary oriented groups, the verse is also seen as a mandate for spreading the gospel to unreached peoples, viewing the other sheep as those who are not. who have not yet heard or accepted the message of Christ. But the Restored Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, interprets John chapter 10, verse 16, in a unique way compared to the traditional Christian views.

The Church teaches that the other sheep Jesus refers to in this verse are the ancient inhabitants of the Americas, specifically the Nephites, as described in the Book of Mormon. After his resurrection, Jesus Christ visited the people in the Americas, as recorded in 3 Nephi chapter 15 and 16. During his visit, Christ told the Nephites that they were the other sheep he had mentioned to his disciples in Jerusalem.

The restored church teaches that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, revealing his dealings with peoples outside of the biblical narrative. Now, this passage also reinforces the idea that Christ's gospel is meant for all people across the world, and it provides scriptural backing for the global missionary efforts.

Christ continues to gather other sheep by bringing people into the restored gospel. In 3rd Nephi chapter 16 verses 1 to 3 in the Book of Mormon, his prophecy of one united flock under one shepherd is fulfilled, and it says, And verily, verily, I say unto you, 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, whether 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 the commandment of the Father, that I shall go unto them, and that they shall hear my voice, and shall be numbered among my sheep, that there may be one fold and one shepherd.

Therefore, I go to show myself unto them. Now, there's uh, an ancient folklore or folk tale about how Jesus came to visit the Russian people also after the resurrection. This painting here was inspired by an ancient folk tale that said, after Christ's death, he visited the Slavic people, ancestors of the Russians, to bring his gospel.

The people who listened to Christ were the humble and lowly in the farms and countryside. They took upon themselves his name. Which when written phonetically, uh, in our characters, It is the name called Christianity, which when written phonetically in our characters, rather than the Cyrillic, is Christianity.

The word for peasant in Russian is Christianity. Those who believe in him took upon themselves his name. So as you can see, if we are all God's children, why wouldn't Christ go visit his other sheep in other parts of the world? So here's question 30. Why do many ancient North, Central, and South American Indian traditions speak of a great god who visited their ancestors and promised to return?

And why did explorers and conquistadors attribute their ability to conquer the indigenous people of the Americas to the belief that they were this returning great god? And I'd love to hear your thoughts.