On the Morrow Come I Into the World

The people began to watch for the sign prophesied by Samuel ~ that day and a night and a day that would be as one day.  The believers looked forward to the sign that their long-awaited Messiah/Christ had been born in the land of their forefathers.  The non-believers looked forward to it not happening so that they could prove to their brethren that a belief in Messiah was pointless.

Things had become so bad, that the non-believers actually set a date.  The time had passed, they said, and the prophecy was not fulfilled.  If, by that date they had set, the sign did not come, then they would put to death all who believed.

Nephi had left the land of Zarahemla and no one knew where he was, but he left his eldest son, Nephi, as prophet and high priest of the Church.  This prophet Nephi was, of course, sick in his heart at the wickedness of the Nephites that would lead to such an evil act as killing all who believed in Messiah.

The day before the appointed execution date, he went off by himself to pray.

And it came to pass that he cried mightily unto the Lord all that day; and behold, the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying:

 

 

Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets.

 

And it came to pass that the words which came unto Nephi were fulfilled, according as they had been spoken; for behold, at the going down of the sun there was no darkness; and the people began to be astonished because there was no darkness when the night came.

 

And it came to pass that 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; and they knew that it was the day that the Lord should be born, because of the sign which had been given.

 

And it came to pass also that a new star did appear, according to the word.  (3 Nephi 1: 12, 13, 15, 19, 21)

 

A joyous Christmas Eve in the Americas!  May you have a joyous Christmas Eve in your homes today!

 

Text copyright December 2013, Gebara Education

 

Pictures from:

Book cover from www.itsamadmadmadmadworld.blogspot.com

Star of Bethlehem from multiple sources on the web

A believer witnessing the new star with her child from www.stepbystep.alancminer.com