Have there been any sightings of the Three Nephites?
Question
Hello Gramps,
I was wondering about the Three Nephites that are still walking upon the earth. After reading about John the Beloved, I thought I would ask the same about the Three Nephites. Have there been any documented sightings of them.
Trish
Answer
Dear Trish,
Here is an account of a contemporary and rather dramatic occurrence recounted at the April 1954 General Conference of the Mormon Church that could be attributed to the Three Nephites.
“A short time ago, when a committee was sent there [to Israel] by President Truman, they were told by Chaim Weizmann, the first president of Israel, that it was their belief in a mystical force that would return the Jews to the land of Israel, that had kept them alive.
In the Jewish Hope, of September 1950, was an article by Arthur U. Michelson. I will not take time to read it, but he tells of a visit he made to Jerusalem, when he heard the experience of the Jewish army. They had only one cannon, and were facing the Arabs with their well-trained and equipped army, and so when they used this cannon, they moved it from place to place so the enemy would think they had many, and every time the cannon was fired, they would beat tin cans in order to make a lot of noise so that the enemy would think they had many cannons. I want to read what he said about what happened when the armies of Israel were about to give up:
“One of the officials has told me how much the Jews had to suffer. They had hardly anything with which to resist the heavy attacks of the Arabs who were well organized and equipped with the latest weapons. Besides, they had neither food nor water, because all their supplies were cut off.
“At this critical moment, God showed them that he was on their side, for he performed one of the greatest miracles that ever happened. The Arabs suddenly threw down their arms and surrendered. When their delegation appeared with the white flag, they asked, ‘Where are the three men and where are all the troops we saw?’ The Jews told them that they did not know anything of the three men, for this group was their entire force. The Arabs said that they saw three persons, with long beards and flowing white robes who warned them not to fight any longer, otherwise they would all be killed. They became so frightened that they decided to give up. What an encouragement this was for the Jews to realize that God was fighting for them.
“And then he told about another case when one man with a white robe and a long beard appeared, and they all saw him, and they gave up their arms. Now I do not know, but the Lord said that he would do something for the Jews in the latter days, and when he permitted the Three Nephites to tarry upon this land, he said:
“And behold they will be among the Gentiles, and the Gentiles shall know them not.
They will also be among the Jews, and the Jews shall know them not.
And it shall come to pass, when the lord seeth fit in his wisdom that they shall minister unto all the scattered tribes of Israel, and unto all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, and shall bring out of them unto Jesus many souls, that their desire may be fulfilled, and also because of the convincing power of God which is in them. (3 Ne. 28:27-29.)” (Elder Legrand Richards, Conference Report, April 1954, Afternoon Meeting, p.55-56)
We may add the words of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Mormon Church today, so said,
“These three Nephites continue in their translated state today, just as when they went throughout the lands of Nephi. At one point Mormon was about to reveal their names to his latter-day readers, but he was forbidden by the Lord from doing so. Nevertheless, these three ministered to Mormon and Moroni, and they are yet ministering to Jew, Gentile, and the scattered tribes of Israel, even all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people. (Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant: The Messianic Message of the Book of Mormon, p.307)
Gramps
According to my mother’s journal, when I was 6 months old I had kidney failure. I was in the hospital in an oxygen tent. My mother called the mission home to ask them to send missionaries to give me a blessing when our home teachers were unavailable. A few minutes later she met two elders she described both with white hair. They gave me a short blessing and then gave my mother a blessing that she could not record the words of. The elders wished her well and left the room. She was going to ask them their names again because she only caught a glimpse of their name tags. But when she stepped out of the room the elders were gone. A few minutes later two other elders showed up saying they were sent from the mission home. When my mother asked if they knew the other elders, and after describing them to the elders present, they said there were no elders in their area or zone that matched their description.
There are other stories around, but it is difficult to sort the truth from folklore when the sources are undocumented. I remember one I thought was from a reliable source, but as the years passed I no longer remember who told it or where I read it, so if I said anything, it would only contribute to folklore.
When I was planning a trip to Boston a man knocked on my door. He was wearing a more native style but he was white. Brown orange hair. I was on southwest.com trying to find a flight and the man came to my door and told me about some irrelevant stuff. When he left (i thought he was crazy so i never asked him to leave) he told me too close my window. Suddenly out if no where a storm came from a clear sky and knocked out yhe power. I missed my trip to boston. Two days later the boston bombings occurred.
If they aren’t preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, they probably aren’t the three Nephites.
Unless they are looking to find and encourage people who are already doing so.
In 1975 As I started my mission in Bogota Colombia I determined to read a chapter a day of B of M and on finishing would stay on knees that night until I would recieve a spiritual manifestation(I was 19). Eight months later while in the city of Cucuta,on the 15th of March,1976, I finished Moroni 10. That night after a fallen through appointment we were walking on the street when a man passed . After continuing for a while I had a strong impression that we needed to go back and talk to him. After running about a block we stopped him and asked if we could make an appointment to visit his family. He said he didn’t live inCucuta but seeing a table in a nearby restaurant suggested that we sit and give him our message.At that moment I began to feelexplosions in my body that I had never felt before. He said his name was Jonas not using a last name. When we asked what he was doing in Cucuta he said that he traveled the world with his father and uncle giving seminars about math science astronomy and physics but had come to Cucuta to ” visit their ancestors” . While we gave him the 1st discussion the burning of my busom continued. Tears gushed down my cheeks. We finished ,he politely said goodbye and we went to our apartment. When we got home I immediately opened B of M to read names of disciples Nephi his brother Timothy, and his son Jonas.
Can you describe the man?
are you sure the name jonas is in the book of mormon?
Carl,
Careful study from all angles leads me to believe that “The Three” are those you named. For instance, among others, is the fact that Nephi, if not one, should have died around 56 AD per Christ’s announcement of the other 9 longevity, and Nephi’s age…..but nothing is mentioned of his death….we are talking about the President of the Church at that time, the keeper of the Plates. You would think something would be said of this great man’s passing and the handing down of the plates to his rightous son per standard practice…..but nither….gee…..interesting is it not?…go look, nothing mentioned in the fast forward verses. Personally I do not believe there was a Nephi III; Amos would have been the next son in line if Jonas could not, for some reason 😉 , receive the Plates. Do the Three exist today…..it’s my conviction, Yes verily!