Mighty Works and Miraculous Indications

In the most recent general conference, President Nelson made this bold statement, "Our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, will perform some of His mightiest works between now and when He comes again. We will see miraculous indications that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, preside over this Church in majesty and glory. But in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost."  This gives us both great hope for the events of the future as well as great cause to reflect on our own ability to hear and hearken to the voice of the Lord.  While we of course don't know exactly the kinds of events he is referring to, I believe that we can learn something of what we might expect in the Book of Mormon account of the years leading up to the coming of the Savior. 

               It seems to me that this statement from President Nelson could have been made by Samuel the Lamanite when he spoke to the Nephites about five years before the sign of the coming of the Savior.  By that I mean that from the time of Samuel's prophecies until the time the Savior did come among the people, the Lord did indeed preside over His people in "majesty and glory" and they saw some of His "mightiest works" in that approximate 40-year period.  In fact, Samuel did tell the people that there would be "many signs and wonders in heaven," so much so that they would "all be amazed, and wonder, insomuch that [they would] fall to the earth" (Helaman 14:6-7).  He told them of the powerful signs of the Savior's death and that "many [would] see greater things than these," seeing "signs and these wonders should come to pass upon all the face of this land" (Helaman 14:28).  Shortly after the prophecies of Samuel, Mormon recorded that "there were great signs given unto the people, and wonders; and the words of the prophets began to be fulfilled" (Helaman 14:13).  Among the signs that the people saw was the incredible day when the sun went down without any darkness, indicating that indeed the Savior had been born.  This sign also saved the believers from being put to death by the unbelievers, an indication indeed that the Lord was presiding over His Church in majesty and glory. 

               There were other miraculous indications to the people that God was watching over them during this time period, especially in the events of the war with the Gadianton robbers.  The Nephites and Lamanites, threatened with destruction, were able to gather together tens of thousands of people into a communal area to protect themselves against the vicious robbers.  Mormon wrote that "they did put up their prayers unto the Lord their God, that he would deliver them in the time that their enemies should come down against them to battle" (3 Nephi 3:25).  He did indeed deliver them, and so miraculous was the series of events that "they did break forth, all as one, in singing, and praising their God for the great thing which he had done for them, in preserving them from falling into the hands of their enemies....  And their hearts were swollen with joy, unto the gushing out of many tears, because of the great goodness of God in delivering them out of the hands of their enemies" (3 Nephi 4:31, 33).  Indeed they saw "some of His mightiest works" in preserving them from those who sought their destruction, just as we can expect to see in the coming years.

            The people saw yet "mighty works" and great miracles in this period shortly before the Savior's arrival as they observed the prophet Nephi.  We read that "in the name of Jesus did he cast out devils and unclean spirits; and even his brother did he raise from the dead, after he had been stoned and suffered death by the people.”  The people who were “converted did truly signify unto the people that they had been visited by the power and Spirit of God, which was in Jesus Christ, in whom they believed” (3 Nephi 7:19, 21).  The people had devils cast out and “were healed of their sicknesses and their infirmities” and witnessed great miracles in the final days prior to the Savior’s coming.  Surely all of their experiences are a type of the kinds of mighty works of the Lord that President Nelson prophesied we will see in the coming days.