Nephi Takes the Records
The ninety-first year came and went—six hundred years since Lehi left Jerusalem. Lachoneus was now Chief Judge and governor of the land. Nephi son of Helaman left Zarahemla, putting his oldest son Nephi in charge of the brass plates and all the sacred records that had been kept since Lehi’s departure from Jerusalem. Then he left, and no one knows where he went. His son Nephi took over keeping the records—the history of our people.
The Prophecy Under Attack
As the ninety-second year began, the prophecies started coming true in bigger ways. Greater signs and miracles began happening among the people.
But some started saying, “The time has passed. Samuel the Lamanite’s words won’t come true.” They mocked the believers: “See? The time is up. Samuel’s prophecy failed. Your hope and faith were all for nothing.” They stirred up a huge commotion across the land. The believers grew deeply worried that maybe the prophecies wouldn’t come to pass after all. But they kept watching faithfully for that promised day and night—the day that would be like one continuous day without darkness—so they’d know their faith hadn’t been wasted.
A Death Sentence
The unbelievers set a date: if the sign Samuel predicted didn’t appear by then, all believers would be executed.
When Nephi saw this evil rising in his people, his heart broke. He went out, threw himself on the ground, and cried out desperately to God for his people—for those who were about to be killed because they believed in their ancestors’ teachings. He pleaded with the Lord all day long. Then the Lord’s voice came to him:
The Lord’s Promise
“Lift your head. Take courage. The time has come. Tonight the sign will appear, and tomorrow I enter the world. I’m coming to show everyone that I’ll fulfill everything I’ve promised through my holy prophets. I’m coming to my own people to complete everything I’ve revealed since the world began—to do the will of the Father and the Son, because of me in the flesh. The time is here. Tonight you’ll see the sign.“
The Night Without Darkness
Everything the Lord told Nephi came true. As the sun set, darkness never came. People were stunned—night arrived, but there was no darkness. Many who hadn’t believed the prophets collapsed as if dead. They realized their plot to destroy the believers had failed—the sign was already happening. They began to understand that the Son of God would appear soon. In fact, people everywhere—from west to east, in the northern lands and southern lands—were so overwhelmed they fell to the ground. They remembered the prophets had been testifying about these things for years. The sign was here. And they began to fear because of their wickedness and unbelief. All through that night there was no darkness—it was as bright as midday. When the sun rose the next morning right on schedule, they knew this was the day the Lord would be born, just as the sign had promised. Everything happened exactly as the prophets had said—down to the smallest detail. A new star also appeared, just as predicted.
Peace and New Challenges
But from that point on, Satan began spreading lies among the people, trying to harden their hearts so they wouldn’t believe the signs and wonders they’d witnessed. Despite these lies and deceptions, most people believed and turned to the Lord. Nephi and many others went out baptizing people who wanted to turn from their sins. Many found forgiveness, and peace returned to the land.
There were no conflicts, except for a few people who started teaching that the law of Moses was no longer needed. They tried to prove it from scripture, but they were misreading what it said. Before long though, they came around. They realized their mistake when they learned the law hadn’t been fulfilled yet—it had to be completed entirely. Not one tiny piece could be left undone. That same year they recognized their error and admitted they’d been wrong. So the ninety-second year ended, bringing good news to the people because the signs came exactly as all the holy prophets had foretold.
The Gadianton Threat Grows
The ninety-third year also passed peacefully, except for the Gadianton robbers living in the mountain strongholds who terrorized the land. Their hideouts and secret places were so well fortified that the people couldn’t defeat them. They committed many murders and slaughtered many people. In the ninety-fourth year, the robbers’ numbers grew dramatically because many Nephite deserters fled to join them. This caused great grief among the Nephites who stayed faithful. The Lamanites also had reason to grieve. Many of their children grew up and were led away by Zoramites who used lies and smooth talk to recruit them into the Gadianton robbers. So the Lamanites suffered too. Their faith and righteousness began declining because of the wickedness spreading through the younger generation.