Signs and Wonders

Near the time of the birth of Christ the Nephites in the Book of Mormon were given many miraculous signs from God as prophesied from Samuel. The signs started with him: when he finished preaching, “Many as there were who did not believe in the words of Samuel were angry with him; and they cast stones at him upon the wall, and also many shot arrows at him as he stood upon the wall; but the Spirit of the Lord was with him, insomuch that they could not hit him with their stones neither with their arrows.” This was a powerful witness to them that his words were indeed true. In addition to Samuel, Nephi was “showing signs and wonders, working miracles among the people, that they might know that the Christ must shortly come.” As the time of the Savior’s birth continued to draw near, “There were great signs given unto the people, and wonders; and the words of the prophets began to be fulfilled. Angels did appear unto men, wise men, and did declare unto them glad tidings of great joy.” Mormon summarized that there were “signs and wonders which were wrought among the people of the Lord” with “many miracles” performed (Helaman 16:2, 4, 13-14, 23). All these miracles and signs were given to witness of the greatest miracle that was coming imminently: the Son of God was to be born on the earth. That event was witnessed by the Nephites with this miraculous sign: “At the going down of the sun there was no darkness;… there was no darkness in all that night, but it was as light as though it was mid-day. And it came to pass that the sun did rise in the morning again, according to its proper order” (3 Nephi 1:15, 19). What an incredible time this must have been for the believers of that day to witness so many wonders and signs testifying of the coming of Jesus Christ!

                What is perhaps most instructive in this account is how the devil sought to discredit all these heavenly manifestations, and this should serve as a warning to us. When the signs started to occur, the wicked “began to reason and to contend” that they were coincidences: “Some things they may have guessed right, among so many; but behold, we know that all these great and marvelous works cannot come to pass…. They will, by the cunning and the mysterious arts of the evil one, work some great mystery which we cannot understand, which will keep us down to be servants to their words.” Interestingly, it was the devil that they blamed for the signs and wonders from heaven when it was the evil one who was hardening their hearts and inspiring that thought: “They were much disturbed, for Satan did stir them up to do iniquity continually; yea, he did go about spreading rumors and contentions upon all the face of the land, that he might harden the hearts of the people against that which was good and against that which should come” (Helaman 16:16, 21-22). He spread rumors and hardened their hearts against the things which were good, causing them to disbelieve the signs that were right before them. After the day and night and day without darkness, the devil immediately sought to discredit it: “And it came to pass that from this time forth there began to be lyings sent forth among the people, by Satan, to harden their hearts, to the intent that they might not believe in those signs and wonders which they had seen” (3 Nephi 1:22). Surely these descriptions are a warning for us today, for the devil does the same today as he seeks to discredit all things spiritual.

   So, we must be vigilant against unbelief for we expect to see the same kinds of signs and wonders in our day as we similarly wait for the Second Coming of the Savior. Here is what President Nelson promised in a 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.” We must watch for those manifestations that will be like what the Nephites saw in the days of Nephi and Samuel the Lamanite. And we cannot let the devil dissuade us of their realities when his rumors and lyings are sent forth.