MIRACLES AMONG THE NEPHITES--THE MIRACLES OF CHRIST--JOHN AND THE
THREE NEPHITES--TRANSLATIONS.
The subject of spiritual gifts leads us to the kindred one of miracles.
The Book of Mormon teaches in very strong language that God is a God of
miracles. Were it not so he would cease to be an unchangeable Being. He
would be a partial God, blessing one people more than another.
Such is the teaching of the Book of Mormon on this point; and we find
in the history of the Nephite people many remarkable manifestations of
the marvelous power of God, either shown through the instrumentality
of his acknowledged servants, or by the direct interposition of divine
power.
Some of the miracles recorded in the annals of the Nephites bear a
strong resemblance to others narrated in the Bible. There is nothing
extraordinary in this: it is altogether reasonable to believe that in
the healing of the sick, for instance, there would be incidents in
common in many cases. Nor are the miracles of the Book of Mormon any
more difficult of belief than those of the Bible. In fact, we are of
the opinion that had the people of this dispensation been taught as
persistently to believe the Book of Mormon as they have the Bible,
the miracles of the first-named book would require less faith or
explanation than some found in the latter.
The miracles of the Book of Mormon consist largely in the healing of
the sick, the deliverance of God's servants, and the punishment of the
wicked. Some of them are given in great detail, others are referred
to in the most meagre language. Among those of which we have spoken
at length in earlier portions of this work are the judgments that
came upon the impious anti-Christs Sherem[25] and Korihor:[26] the
deliverance of Alma and Amulek from the prison in Ammonihah;[27] the
restoration of the lawyer Zeezrom to health;[28] the deliverance of
Nephi and Lehi; and the baptism with fire and the Holy Ghost of the
Lamanites in the prison in the city of Lehi-Nephi;[29] the famine
caused and terminated by Nephi's prayer;[30] and the wonders that
attended the ministrations of Ammon and his brethren during their
mission among the Lamanites.[31] Of these we shall make no further
mention. Nor shall we again review the miraculous signs and wonders
that attended the earthly birth[32] and death[33] of the Messiah.
Neither do we think it necessary to take more than a passing glance at
the miracles performed by Christ during his visits to the Nephites and
the other wonders that glorified those days. But we will now refer, at
slightly great length, to a few miraculous circumstances that do not
come so prominently into view in the historical narrative.
In the Book of Alma reference is made to an occurrence which reminds
us strongly of Daniel at the court of king Belshazzar. What is said
is very brief and leaves the reader in entire darkness as to when and
where the event took place. But from the context we are led to the
conclusion that it took place in the land of Nephi, and certainly
not later than the days of the first Mosiah. The Prophet Amulek, in
the opening of his address to his fellow citizens of Ammonihah, to
prove his standing in their midst, refers to his ancestry. Among
his forefathers was one Aminadi, a Nephite, who interpreted certain
writing, written by the finger of God upon the walls of a temple.
Nothing more is told us of this exceedingly interesting and important
event, and we are left to conjecture as to what circumstances led
to this divine interposition, and whether the words so miraculously
written were of instruction, comfort or reproof (_Alma x. 2._)
The raising of Timothy to life by his brother Nephi after he had been
stoned to death, is another miraculous circumstance which is only
casually mentioned. Both these brothers were afterwards chosen by
Jesus among the Twelve whom he selected as his disciples. The raising
of the dead in the name of Christ manifested how great must have been
the power with heaven possessed by this Nephi, as it was doubtless
by others of his family--notably his father--before the time of the
ministration of the Savior to this people.
The miracles that attended the ministry of the Savior on this land
were, many of them, of the same character as the wondrous works he
performed among the Jews; only frequently more marvelous and more
glorious, on account of the greater faith of the Nephites. He healed
the sick, cast out devils, raised the dead in Bountiful as he did
in Judea and Galilee. But there were other manifestations that were
somewhat different; that, so far as the record goes, were entirely
dissimilar. In the land of Jerusalem Jesus miraculously fed five
thousand by increasing the store of loaves and fishes that had
been provided; in Bountiful he administered the emblems of his body
and blood when neither the disciples nor the multitude had brought
either bread or wine. Angels ministered to men during his labors
among the Jews; they did so more abundantly during his visits to the
Nephites. Again, though we are told in the Bible of the holy Redeemer
blessing little children, we nowhere read therein of the glorious
manifestations, the outpouring of the Spirit, the ministry of the
angels, the baptism of fire that took place when the risen Redeemer
condescended to bless the little ones of the Nephites.
Great were the wonders that attended the labors of the three Nephite
disciples who were to tarry on earth unto the end. Death had no power
over them; they passed through the most terrible ordeals unhurt. Swords
would not slay them; fire would not burn them; savage beasts would not
harm them; prisons could not hold them; chains could not bind them;
the grave could not entomb them; the earth would not conceal them. No
matter how much they were abused or maltreated they triumphed over all
their persecutors.
The age in which the three ministered was a peculiar one. Under
ordinary circumstances the superhuman powers shown by them would have
brought the wicked to repentance. But the happy age of peace and
innocence that had followed the Savior's ministry was fast passing
away; the people were hardening their hearts; they were relapsing
into iniquity with their eyes open; they were sinning knowingly and
understandingly. Angels from heaven would not have converted them; they
had given themselves up to Satan, and every manifestation of the power
of God in behalf of his servants only made them more angry, and more
determined upon the destruction of those who sounded in their ears the
unwelcome message of divine wrath. The hurricane might demolish the
dungeon; the earthquake overthrow the walls of the prison; the earth
refuse to close when the disciples were cast into it; these protests
of nature simply caused their hardened hearts to conjure up fresh
methods of torture and devise new means to destroy those whom they so
intensely, and yet so unwarrantably, hated. But they ever failed; the
three Nephites still live.
Of what change passed upon John, the Apostle, or how it was brought
about that he should not taste of death, we are not told; but so far as
the three Nephites are concerned we are informed that they were caught
up into heaven, and there experienced a change that is not explained;
and that they there saw and heard unspeakable things. Mormon, writing
about them, says:
And now behold, as I spake concerning those whom the Lord had chosen,
yea, even three who were caught up into the heavens, that I knew not
whether they were cleansed from mortality to immortality.
But, behold, since I wrote, I have inquired of the Lord, and he hath
made it manifest unto me, that there must needs be a change wrought
upon their bodies, or else it needs be that they must taste of death;
Therefore that they might not taste of death, there was a change
wrought upon their bodies, that they might not suffer pain or sorrow,
save it were for the sins of the world.
Now this change was not equal to that which should take place at the
last day; but there was a change wrought upon them, insomuch that Satan
could have no power over them, that he could not tempt them, and they
were sanctified in the flesh, that they were holy, and that the powers
of the earth could not hold them;
And in this state they were to remain until the judgment day of Christ;
and at that day they were to receive a greater change, and to be
received into the kingdom of the Father to go no more out, but to dwell
with God eternally in the heavens.
In the Bible we read of two men who lived before the Savior's
advent--Moses and Elijah--who did not taste of death; we also read in the
Book of Mormon of two--Alma and Nephi--who were translated.
FOOTNOTES:
[25] Chapter vi.
[26] Chapter xxvi.
[27] Chapter xxiv.
[28] Chapter xxv.
[29] Chapter xxxvii.
[30] Chapter xxxviii.
[31] Chapter xix.
[32] Chapter xl.
[33] Chapter xli.