40. Miracles

CHAPTER 40

MIRACLES

It was Timothy!

“He’s dead,” said the man at the front of the mob.  “So much for your crying repentance to us, Nephi.  You’re the one who will be crying tonight!”

Timothy’s dead body lay on its back at his feet.  Nephi wept.

Then Nephi, called upon the Lord, and cried with a loud voice, “Timothy, come forth.”

At Nephi’s command, Timothy rolled over.  He pushed himself up to his hands and feet.  Timothy started to stand up. 

The mob scattered as beasts of the forest among the lion, or as flocks of sheep among a young lion, that, if he goes through both treads down and tears in pieces, and none can deliver.  In an instant, nobody from the unruly crowd of men was seen or heard anywhere near Nephi’s hut.

Timothy rose up as he was restored to life.  Hasai helped him to his feet.  With Nephi, she helped him inside their hut and prepared a place for him to sit.  Timothy asked for water.  Hasai gave him some water in a cup.  He drank all of it.

When it appeared that Timothy had rested long enough to be able to talk, Nephi wanted some answers from his brother.

“The men are all gone now, Timothy,” Nephi stated.  “Hasai and I are here alone with you.  What happened?  What did they do to you?”

Timothy told Nephi and Hasai an incredible story.

“I went to preach today in one of the villages of the tribe of Jacob.  I guess they didn’t like hearing what I was inspired to say to them.”

“What were you inspired to say?” questioned Hasai.

“They were going on and on about the power of Jacob, the man they called king.  Jacob really leads the secret combination that brings so much iniquity to the people.

“Anyway, I told them that Jacob would need to repent before he would receive any real power.  I told them he needed to seek a remission of his sins through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ; as did they all.  This caused much dissension and contention among the people of the village.

“I told the people to repent.  I told them to look upon Christ as their one and only true King.  This cut them to the heart.  They gnashed out at me with their teeth.

“But I was filled with the Holy Ghost, and upon looking up steadfastly into heaven, I said, ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.’  This angered the people and they cried out against me with a loud voice, and stopped their ears.

“The people ran upon me with one accord, and cast me out of their village.  With the approval of Heli'·ves, they stoned me.”

“Wait, wait!” Nephi stopped Timothy in the middle of his story.  “Heli'·ves?  Are you sure it was him?”

“Yes, it was him.  Your old friend from years ago, Nephi.  He’s different now.  He himself did not cast a stone at me.  But he encouraged the others to do so.  In fact, the witnesses laid down their clothes at his feet.  He is one of the leaders in that village.”

Nephi was grieved to learn that his former childhood friend had something to do with Timothy’s death.  “Oh, I see,” groaned Nephi.  “I somehow felt that he would once again come to Christ to be saved, and now --- I don’t know if that’s possible.  Oh, dear.  Maybe … .  But, please go on.  Then, what?”

Timothy continued his account.  “As I was being stoned, I called upon God, saying, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’  I knelt down, and cried with a loud voice, ‘Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.’  After that, I fell asleep.”

“But you were really dead?” Hasai clarified with tears running down her cheeks.

“Oh, yes,” responded Timothy.  “I was definitely in the world of spirits.  But I was told there that I must go back to my body.  And I was told to continue preaching that Jesus is the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Him, though he were dead, yet shall he live.  And whosoever liveth and believeth in Him shall never die.  Believest thou this?”

“Yea, I do believe in this” Hasai replied.  “And by this I know that Jesus Christ has power over death.  Oh grave, where is thy victory?  Oh death, where is thy sting?”

Timothy looked intently at Nephi and said, “Oh, Nephi.  It was so beautiful there in the world of spirits.  I felt overwhelming love and peace.  I knew I was dead.  But I was happy!  It’s impossible to describe my feelings in words alone.  I found myself longing to stay in that paradise.  In fact, I finally understand why father resisted using his power to bring mother back to life.  He must have known that she was happy and that it was going to be all right.”

Timothy’s statement about using power to restore life troubled Nephi.  He confided to his brother.  “Father told me once that he wanted to use his power to bring mother back.  But it was not the will of God, so he didn’t do it.  He also told me that some day in the future I might raise someone from the dead.  I had no idea that it would be you!!  So have I now sinned?  Should you have stayed in the world of spirits?  Was it God’s will that you remain dead?”

“Oh, Nephi.  No!  Not at all!  Absolutely not!  You did everything exactly right according to the will of God.  I was told in the world of spirits that it was God’s will for me to continue to live.  I met somebody there that we both love very much.  He commanded me to go and return to my body.  I saw father there!” 

“Father!!” exclaimed Nephi.  “He was there?”

“Yes, he was there to meet me in the world of spirits.  And he was the one who told me that I must go back.  He said that I still had a mission to finish during my time on the earth.”

“Well, then,” Nephi had a hard time hearing his own words spoken out loud, “that confirms that father is really dead.”

“Of course he is really dead!” Timothy was somewhat perplexed to observe Nephi’s reluctant conclusion.  “You knew he must have died years ago, probably shortly after he disappeared.  I know you still held out hopes that it wasn’t so, much longer than the rest of us.  But you must have come to the realization yourself some time ago that he was really dead.”

“Yes, of course.  I’ve had to reconcile myself to that obvious outcome for quite some time,” admitted Nephi.  “Still, I was hoping … .  And I was hoping to somehow find out about how his mission had concluded.”

“That’s what I need to tell you next!”  Timothy’s face brightened with delight.  “There’s more!  Father told me that I must remember to tell you that his last mission was successful.  He said you would want to know that.  Father was thrilled that his mission ended well.

“And then he said to remind you, though, to not write about his mission in the sacred records.  Only to write about how the prophecy of Samuel is fulfilled when many saints are seen who will be raised from the dead.  He said you should remember that.”

“My goodness,Timothy!  You really did see father in the world of spirits, didn’t you?  How else would you know that those were the two things that father requested of me before he left?”

Nephi had to face the truth.  His father had not been able to come back in over thirty years because he was dead.  There was no reason to keep watching for him any longer. 

Angels ministered to Nephi daily and told him to prepare for future visits by other heavenly messengers.  The angels promised that someday Christ would show Himself unto him after His ascension into heaven.  But nothing was ever told to him about his own father.

Nephi couldn’t admit this to his brother --- but he was jealous!  He was jealous and slightly upset that his brother had been privileged to see their father --- and he had not.

Nephi turned to Hasai and announced decisively, “We’re moving to the land Bountiful right away.”