Manifest Himself Unto Them

One of the themes found in the words of Nephi is that the Savior will manifest Himself unto us. He wrote of when the Savior would come in the meridian of time: “The Messiah shall be manifested in body unto the children of men” (1 Nephi 15:13). He also wrote about the Jews in Jerusalem, “The day cometh that the Only Begotten of the Father, yea, even the Father of heaven and of earth, shall manifest himself unto them in the flesh” (2 Nephi 25:12). He recorded these words of his brother Jacob: “And he also has shown unto me that the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, should manifest himself unto them in the flesh; and after he should manifest himself they should scourge him and crucify him, according to the words of the angel who spake it unto me” (2 Nephi 6:9). Nephi knew and had seen in vision that Jesus Christ would come down from heaven and manifest Himself to the children of men in the flesh. He also wrote, “After he had been slain he should rise from the dead, and should make himself manifest, by the Holy Ghost, unto the Gentiles” (1 Nephi 10:11). He prepared his future posterity with the promise of His physical manifestation: “This is the doctrine of Christ, and there will be no more doctrine given until after he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh. And when he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh, the things which he shall say unto you shall ye observe to do” (2 Nephi 32:6). Nephi had seen this in vision and that promise was fulfilled in the visit of the Savior to his descendants as recorded in 3 Nephi.   

Not only would he manifest Himself to the Gentiles shortly after His death, but Nephi also testified that the Savior would manifest Himself to us in the last days. He foresaw, “And the time cometh that he shall manifest himself unto all nations, both unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles; and after he has manifested himself unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles, then he shall manifest himself unto the Gentiles and also unto the Jews, and the last shall be first, and the first shall be last” (1 Nephi 13:42). Of the Gentiles he further prophesied, “The Lamb of God in that day that he shall manifest himself unto them in word, and also in power, in very deed” (1 Nephi 14:1). In general this manifestation in the last days would not be of His physical body like in the meridian of time, but it would be through His power and word and deeds: “And that he manifesteth himself unto all those who believe in him, by the power of the Holy Ghost; yea, unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, working mighty miracles, signs, and wonders, among the children of men according to their faith” (2 Nephi 26:13). He recorded this testimony of his father to his brother Joseph about their seed: “The Messiah should be made manifest unto them in the latter days, in the spirit of power, unto the bringing of them out of darkness unto light” (2 Nephi 3:5). We have the promise that the Savior will manifest Himself unto us, not through our physical eyes but through His power shown as a result of the exercise of our faith.

                When Alma came out of his coma-like experience, he declared his conversion to the Lord and taught this: “I rejected my Redeemer, and denied that which had been spoken of by our fathers; but now that they may foresee that he will come, and that he remembereth every creature of his creating, he will make himself manifest unto all” (Mosiah 27:30). I think that declaration could be interpreted in at least three ways. The Savior would indeed manifest Himself to the Nephites when He would come as Nephi had prophesied. Thus all who were alive and at Bountiful would see Him. Second, He will manifest Himself to all right now if we will but have the faith necessary to seek Him, just as Nephi promised would happen in the last days. Lastly, each of us will die and stand before the Savior in the next life, so that indeed He will manifest Himself to all and be our judge after this life. This is consistent with what Alma said next, “Yea, every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess before him. Yea, even at the last day, when all men shall stand to be judged of him, then shall they confess that he is God.” One day it is certain that He will manifest Himself in very body to us, but what matters most is that we seek Him individually before then so that we can indeed experience His miracles, signs, and wonders in this life.