With Power and Great Glory

President Nelson made this incredible statement in this most recent general conference: “But, my dear brothers and sisters, so many wonderful things are ahead. In coming days, we will see the greatest manifestations of the Savior’s power that the world has ever seen. Between now and the time He returns ‘with power and great glory,’ He will bestow countless privileges, blessings, and miracles upon the faithful.” This is similar to what he said in his first general conference as the prophet: “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.” These statements remind me of the words of the Savior given to us through the prophet Moroni: “Come unto me, O ye house of Israel, and it shall be made manifest unto you how great things the Father hath laid up for you, from the foundation of the world; and it hath not come unto you, because of unbelief.” He continued, “Behold, when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you” (Ether 4:15). As we have faith in Him we will see “great and marvelous things” which have been saved for these last days to prepare the world for His Second Coming. As Isaiah declared and the Savior reiterated in our days, “Since the beginning of the world have not men heard nor perceived by the ear, neither hath any eye seen, O God, besides thee, how great things thou hast prepared for him that waiteth for thee” (Doctrine and Covenants 133:45). As we wait for Him with faith we will find the “great things” He has prepared for the faithful in these last days.

                To put these statements in perspective, I think it is instructive just to consider what “great things” He already has accomplished that will apparently even be surpassed in our days. During His earthly ministry, He “walked the roads of Palestine, healing the sick, causing the blind to see, and raising the dead.” He miraculously raised from the dead the daughter of Jairus, the son of the widow of Nain, and Lazarus. He fed the five thousand with “but five loaves, and two fishes” and again he fed “four thousand men, beside women and children” with seven loaves “and a few little fishes” (Matthew 14:17; 15:34, 38). In the midst of a terrible storm “he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm” (Mark 4:39). He “healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils” (Mark 1:34). Among those healed during his mortal ministry include the invalid at the pool of Bethesda “which had an infirmity thirty and eight years,” the “man which was blind from his birth” who was given sight, the “man sick of palsy” who rose up and walked, the woman “which had an issue of blood twelve years,” and countless others (John 5:5, 9:1; Matthew 9:2; Mark 5:25). Matthew recorded at one point, “great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all” (Matthew 12:15). Similarly among the Nephites, He healed all who came to Him: “And it came to pass that when he had thus spoken, all the multitude, with one accord, did go forth with their sick and their afflicted, and their lame, and with their blind, and with their dumb, and with all them that were afflicted in any manner; and he did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto him” (3 Nephi 17:9). In addition to all of these healings (and many more) that He has performed, in the Old Testament we have numerous stories of the miracles He worked as Jehovah: He caused the Red Sea and Jordan River to part, He provided water out of the rock and manna from heaven for the Israelites, He brought down the walls of Jericho, stopped the tens of thousands of Assyrians at the walls of Jerusalem to preserve the city, and caused the children of Israel to miraculously win many other battles against much larger and more powerful enemies. This is a very insufficient list but gives a small sense of the kinds of miracles He has performed for His people. Knowing this, President Nelson’s statement assures us that we have much to look forward to in the future indeed!