FROM ASKGRAMPS.COM:
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)
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