Three Nephite Sightings

[Pyreaux]

Three Nephites

To begin, The Three Nephites come from 3 Nephi 28 in the Book of Mormon. Jesus Christ arrived in the Western hemisphere and chose Twelve Nephite disciples, grants nine of His disciples the desire to come quickly to Him after death, but three request to remain on Earth until His Second Coming (similar to the apostle John 21:20–23). Christ blesses them to tarry in the flesh until his second coming (3 Nephi 28:4-9), they can show themselves unto whatsoever man seems to them as good. There is an ever-increasing body of stories circulating among the people of three or two strangers, sometimes in white, who suddenly appear (not miraculously but no one sees to know where the come from) to individuals in physical distress, helps them solve their problems, and then suddenly disappear the way they came, not to be seen again. Like three big guys protect a woman, healing illnesses, leading a person to a difficult to find library book or family history resource.

"Translated" State: Temporary Immortality, they aren't quite Resurrected Beings. When they do resurrect, they won’t suffer pain or death as mortals do. Immune to prison, fire, wild beasts, and other harm. Freedom to travel and preach to all people.

LDS Folklore and Legends:

Over time, many unofficial stories arose in the early LDS and testimonies emerged of mysterious strangers doing good deeds that are ultimately attributed to the Three Nephites. These stories usually feature: 1-3 strangers, helping someone in need; often stranded travelers, struggling farmers, missionaries, etc. The strangers disappear mysteriously after the good deed. The upon retrospection the helped person realizes the man was “not ordinary”—perhaps even divine. The tale often become secondhand or thirdhand folktales. You know someone who knows someone.

Common settings include: Frontier Utah life, early LDS missionary efforts elsewhere, natural disasters or life-threatening situations. Remote places with no plausible help nearby.

Usually in disguise, they are only identified by their unidentifiability and their elusiveness. Three Nephites never identify themselves and disappear, no records. Usually they'll present as missionaries. Yet they don’t eat, rest, or stay, unlike normal missionaries. There are thousands of Three Nephites stories collected by folklorists like William A. Wilson. BYU and other LDS institutions have recorded many of these, showing how faith and folklore blend.

Eastwood Hatton and the Three Nephites

 

My family has a Three Nephite account.  Somewhere in bath county Kentucky. I don't remember the year, before the World Wars, but the family remembers it clearly. Young Eastwood Hatton is gravely ill. Then, without warning, two LDS missionaries appear at the door on foot. Only say they were there to bless Eastwood.

They enter the home, lay hands upon Eastwood’s head, and give him a blessing in the name of Jesus Christ. When the blessing is over, they leave quietly, walking away the same direction they came. Eastwood recovers completely. No one knows where they came from, nor where they went, and are never seen again. Attempts to track down the missionaries evidently fails. The family believes these men were not ordinary missionaries, but possibly even two of the Three Nephites. Their sudden arrival, the healing, and the vanishing without a trace all point to something divine. The story has passed down through the family.

So, How 'boutit?

Have any of you have an encounter with the Three Nephites or heard of a story in your family about the Three Nephites or mysterious visitors who helped someone and disappeared without a trace? I’d love to hear if your family has similar stories. If you aren't LDS, perhaps you've met an angel, or The Wandering Jew, or St. John. Please share if you’re comfortable.

[CV75]

6 hours ago, Pyreaux said:

Three Nephites

To begin, The Three Nephites come from 3 Nephi 28 in the Book of Mormon. Jesus Christ arrived in the Western hemisphere and chose Twelve Nephite disciples, grants nine of His disciples the desire to come quickly to Him after death, but three request to remain on Earth until His Second Coming (similar to the apostle John 21:20–23). Christ blesses them to tarry in the flesh until his second coming (3 Nephi 28:4-9), they can show themselves unto whatsoever man seems to them as good. There is an ever-increasing body of stories circulating among the people of three or two strangers, sometimes in white, who suddenly appear (not miraculously but no one sees to know where the come from) to individuals in physical distress, helps them solve their problems, and then suddenly disappear the way they came, not to be seen again. Like three big guys protect a woman, healing illnesses, leading a person to a difficult to find library book or family history resource.

"Translated" State: Temporary Immortality, they aren't quite Resurrected Beings. When they do resurrect, they won’t suffer pain or death as mortals do. Immune to prison, fire, wild beasts, and other harm. Freedom to travel and preach to all people.

LDS Folklore and Legends:

Over time, many unofficial stories arose in the early LDS and testimonies emerged of mysterious strangers doing good deeds that are ultimately attributed to the Three Nephites. These stories usually feature: 1-3 strangers, helping someone in need; often stranded travelers, struggling farmers, missionaries, etc. The strangers disappear mysteriously after the good deed. The upon retrospection the helped person realizes the man was “not ordinary”—perhaps even divine. The tale often become secondhand or thirdhand folktales. You know someone who knows someone.

Common settings include: Frontier Utah life, early LDS missionary efforts elsewhere, natural disasters or life-threatening situations. Remote places with no plausible help nearby.

Usually in disguise, they are only identified by their unidentifiability and their elusiveness. Three Nephites never identify themselves and disappear, no records. Usually they'll present as missionaries. Yet they don’t eat, rest, or stay, unlike normal missionaries. There are thousands of Three Nephites stories collected by folklorists like William A. Wilson. BYU and other LDS institutions have recorded many of these, showing how faith and folklore blend.

Eastwood Hatton and the Three Nephites

 

My family has a Three Nephite account.  Somewhere in bath county Kentucky. I don't remember the year, before the World Wars, but the family remembers it clearly. Young Eastwood Hatton is gravely ill. Then, without warning, two LDS missionaries appear at the door on foot. Only say they were there to bless Eastwood.

They enter the home, lay hands upon Eastwood’s head, and give him a blessing in the name of Jesus Christ. When the blessing is over, they leave quietly, walking away the same direction they came. Eastwood recovers completely. No one knows where they came from, nor where they went, and are never seen again. Attempts to track down the missionaries evidently fails. The family believes these men were not ordinary missionaries, but possibly even two of the Three Nephites. Their sudden arrival, the healing, and the vanishing without a trace all point to something divine. The story has passed down through the family.

So, How 'boutit?

Have any of you have an encounter with the Three Nephites or heard of a story in your family about the Three Nephites or mysterious visitors who helped someone and disappeared without a trace? I’d love to hear if your family has similar stories. If you aren't LDS, perhaps you've met an angel, or The Wandering Jew, or St. John. Please share if you’re comfortable.

I am one of them but am not allowed to talk about it. Sorry.

[blackstrap]

Yes, my father told of two different occasions in which he interacted with a man that he considered to be one of the three. No healing was involved but other types of blessings followed their meeting. 

This happened nearly 100 years ago .

[Robert F. Smith]

22 hours ago, Pyreaux said:

Three Nephites

.......................... perhaps you've met an angel, or The Wandering Jew, or St. John. ...............

There is an interesting confluence of the legends of the Grail, Merlin the Magician, King Arthur, Rip Van Winkle, Sleeping Beauty, Charlemagne, St. John the Divine, Honi the CircleMaker, the Wandering Jew, the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus, and the Three Nephites, as shown by Joseph Gaer, The Legend of the Wandering Jew (1961), 88-94.  Gordon Thomasson adds that this would clearly include Islamic legends of Hidden Imams and Jewish legends of the Thirty-Six Righteous, for whose prayers alone God allows the world to continue in existence (cf. Alma 10:22-23). 

[Bernard Gui]

A MAN CALLED CLEMENTE

As recollected and written by my mother Mamacita Gui, January 1, 1997

This story covers a span of twenty nine years from 1932 to 1961. The characters involved are a little Indian boy named Eugene Naranjo, his mother, a little Indian girl named Isabel, and a man who called himself Clemente.

The locale is an Indian Pueblo named Santa Clara situated near the Rio Grande river in New Mexico. During the Spanish Colonial era, Catholic missions were established on or near Indian Pueblos all along the Rio Grande. The Spanish assigned a patron saint to each pueblo, and many were named after their saint; such as Santo Domingo, San Felipe, San Juan, and Santa Clara. Every year each pueblo celebrates a Feast Day in honor of their patron saint.

Catholicism was forced upon these people by the Spanish Padres, and so many of the Indians practice dual religions even today. Feast Days begin with an early Catholic mass. Feasting and sacred dancing follows throughout the day. Visitors are invited into homes, and relatives who are living elsewhere return for the occasion -- uniting families.

When Isabel was a small child, her mother died. Eugene's mother took Isabel into her home to care for her as her own. The year was 1932, and the nation was in the middle of the Great Depression. Food was scarce, but the Feast Day had to be celebrated. In the afternoon the dancers emerged from the kiva, a sacred place in the earth, to perform at the Pueblo. Eugene was one of the singers to the loud beating of the drums. The performers were surrounded by a ring of family members and visitors. A stranger appeared in the crowd. He was carrying a large leather bag. Eugene's mother told Eugene to invite this stranger to their house to eat of the feast. The man tells them his name is Clemente. Over the next few years Clemente always arrived on the Feast Day which is on the 12th of August, and he would only visit Eugene's home.

He loved the children and was very kind to them. He told them many stories and taught them many things, and always carried the large leather bag. One time Isabel asked Clemente what he carried in the bag. He told her that it was full of records and very heavy. He never let the bag out of his sight nor anyone to touch it; however, once he allowed Isabel to touch the bag, but it was much too heavy for her to lift.

Clemente would tell the children of his being in trenches with soldiers, or traveling from Taos that same morning which was quite a distance from Santa Clara in those days. Another story he told them was about visiting the San Juan Pueblo. He was hungry and needed shelter one night, so he knocked on the door of a prosperous appearing home and asked for food. The woman was unkind and sent him away. He then stopped at a poorer house and was taken in for the night. The next year when he traveled through San Juan, the once prosperous family was having financial hardships, and the struggling family that took him in was faring quite well.

As Clemente left one morning, the mother called the children to the window. They watched as he walked down the highway and were amazed because they both noticed he seemed to be walking a few inches above the ground. 

Eugene and Isabel grew up. They loved each other and so were married. They moved to Utah to seek employment. The following years brought three daughters and one son into the family. Eugene provided for them and enjoyed hunting and fishing on the weekends.

Soon after the family settled in Utah, the Relief Society Visiting Teachers from the Church of Latter-Day Saints began to visit and LDS [Ward] Teachers came regularly. Isabel was very receptive, but Eugene would not even remain in the house when they came. He wanted nothing to do with them. A window was left open on one warm day when they came to visit. As Eugene left the house, he overheard something that caught his ear; so he knelt down under the window and listened. He soon recognized that what they were telling Isabel and teaching his children were the same teachings he had heard when Clemente visited them while he was growing up. Eugene continued his weekend fishing or hunting.

Then, one Sunday morning as he and Isabel were driving to his favorite fishing hole, he asked Isabel what she was reading. She replied, "The Book of Mormon.” Eugene turned the car around and headed back for town telling Isabel he was going to church. Isabel suspected he was returning to the Catholic Church; but instead, Eugene drove up and parked at an LDS Chapel. Not long after that, they were both baptized.

Soon after their LDS baptism, they decided to move back to Santa Clara, New Mexico, to take the Gospel to their own people. Here they were not really accepted. Their children were spat upon, ridiculed, and mistreated by the other children. This went on for a few years, then things changed; they became very well respected and influential at the Pueblo. Eugene was elected judge, which is a very highly respected position. In the meantime, Eugene started to build a house for his family but didn't know how to make or lay adobe walls, the thick mud and straw bricks used for construction in northern New Mexico. Clemente suddenly appeared and told Eugene to go to San Juan Pueblo, for there he would find a man to help him with the adobes and would not charge very much for his labor. After the house was finished, Clemente came for another visit wanting to bless the house.

He blessed it to be a haven for the family and to become a holy place. This was the last they ever saw of Clemente. Many LDS missionaries have been sheltered and fed in that home. Church meetings were held there as the few members developed into a branch with Eugene as Branch President. The branch then became part of the Española Ward with Eugene as a Bishop's Counselor and later a High Councilman.

It was the 1970's when my husband [Bernard Sr.] and I were on a mission to the Lamanites at Santa Clara where we first met Branch President Eugene and his wife Isabel holding meetings in their home. Isabel worked as Primary President, Relief Society President, and as a teacher in the MIA. In later years the couple were temple workers at the Arizona Temple. Isabel still works there as Eugene passed away around 1992.

Their children have all attended Brigham Young University. The oldest daughter traveled with the Lamanite Generation, and the son and second daughter have both fulfilled missions. One year Eugene and Isabel traveled to Salt Lake City to meet with the General Authorities. They related their story and all these happenings and asked if Clemente could possibly be one of the three Nephites mentioned in the Book of Mormon.

The Authorities would only say that they could not say, but that Clemente's mission with them was completed.

Edited June 28, 2025 by Bernard Gui

[marineland]

On 6/24/2025 at 12:34 AM, Pyreaux said:

To begin, The Three Nephites come from 3 Nephi 28 in the Book of Mormon. Jesus Christ arrived in the Western hemisphere and chose Twelve Nephite disciples, grants nine of His disciples the desire to come quickly to Him after death, but three request to remain on Earth until His Second Coming (similar to the apostle John 21:20–23). Christ blesses them to tarry in the flesh until his second coming (3 Nephi 28:4-9), they can show themselves unto whatsoever man seems to them as good. There is an ever-increasing body of stories circulating among the people of three or two strangers, sometimes in white, who suddenly appear (not miraculously but no one sees to know where the come from) to individuals in physical distress, helps them solve their problems, and then suddenly disappear the way they came, not to be seen again. Like three big guys protect a woman, healing illnesses, leading a person to a difficult to find library book or family history resource.

Over time, many unofficial stories arose in the early LDS and testimonies emerged of mysterious strangers doing good deeds that are ultimately attributed to the Three Nephites.

Are there any stories which attribute these good deeds to John instead?

[Amulek]

On 6/23/2025 at 11:34 PM, Pyreaux said:

Have any of you have an encounter with the Three Nephites or heard of a story in your family about the Three Nephites or mysterious visitors who helped someone and disappeared without a trace? I’d love to hear if your family has similar stories.

Not a Three Nephite story, but I do know a guy who ran into a man in SLC who was part of a group which identified themselves as The 4th Nephite. They were essentially a group of affluent members who pooled their resources together and would then go around performing random acts of kindness. In his case, they ended up purchasing him a good winter coat and a new laptop to use for college. This would have been in the early 2000's, so it was a pretty generous gift, especially for a starving college student. He was profoundly grateful, and it made a pretty big impact on his life. 

 

On 6/23/2025 at 11:34 PM, Pyreaux said:

If you aren't LDS, perhaps you've met an angel, or The Wandering Jew, or St. John.

Or even Jonathon Smith (a.k.a., Michael Landon).  

 

Edited June 25, 2025 by Amulek

[MustardSeed]

It’s difficult for me to accept the literalness of the existence of three immortals.  I don’t say this to argue, but rather just in case anyone else isn’t comfortable stating so and might feel better knowing that other card carrying members aren’t all in on this one. 

[blackstrap]

Then there is Enoch who, with his entire city, was taken up to heaven without tasting death and is supposed to return at the Second Coming. Also, the scriptures imply that Moses was taken without death. 

Personally , it would be a case of  " be careful what you wish for " because living for about 2000 years and watching all your friends and family pass on etc. could get depressing, unless one was able to move back and forth between the spirit and mortal worlds at will. 

[bluebell]

And the literal resurrection of Christ and all the righteous who died before Him.  Lots of 'not possible according to science' stuff going on.

[MustardSeed]

Ooof. 
I believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ but I can’t get with the idea of three nephites.  
 

[Stargazer]

19 hours ago, marineland said:

Are there any stories which attribute these good deeds to John instead?

Well, there's at least one official occurrence. This was on a date that was unfortunately not written down at the time (but would have been between May 15 and August 1830), when Peter, James, and John appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery and conferred upon them the keys to the Melchizedek priesthood.

Except in that instance, the personages in question never identify themselves, and it seems reasonable that John is one of them. For whatever reason, the Three Nephites are more at the forefront of the thoughts of Latter-day Saints than John is. But since they are all on the same errand, it doesn't make a practical difference which ones of them are doing the work at any particular time or place.

In writing about them hundreds of years after they were set apart, Mormon wrote parenthetically: "Behold, I was about to write the names of those who were never to taste of death, but the Lord forbade; therefore I write them not, for they are hid from the world. But behold, I have seen them, and they have ministered unto me."

If you read the entire 28th chapter of 3 Nephi you can get a good overview.

From a Q&A article in the church's New Era magazine for November 2017: 

Are John the Beloved and the Three Nephites actually still on the earth? If so, what are they doing?

"Yes, the Savior granted to John the Beloved and the Three Nephites their desire to tarry on the earth. What they’re doing is bringing souls unto the Lord until He comes again (see D&C 7:2; 3 Nephi 28:9).

"The Savior told John that he would “prophesy before nations, kindreds, tongues and people” and become “as flaming fire and a ministering angel [and] minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation who dwell on the earth” (D&C 7:3, 6; see also John 21:20–23). Mormon said that the Three Nephites would be among the Gentiles and Jews, who would “know them not” (3 Nephi 28:27–28).

"We don’t know anything more specific about the activities of these men. We know only that they have been transfigured so that they will not taste of death and that, whatever they are doing, it is for the purpose of bringing people to the Savior."

Edited June 26, 2025 by Stargazer

[Stargazer]

3 hours ago, MustardSeed said:

Ooof. 
I believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ but I can’t get with the idea of three nephites.  
 

I won't try to argue with you about this. But I will just point out that if you believe in Christ's resurrection, as well as him raising at least three people from the dead in the New Testament (Lazarus, Jairus's daughter, and the young man of Nain), the lesser miracle of him granting temporary immortality to four of his servants would seem to be of the same order of magnitude, and well within His capability. And then of course there are Moses and Elijah.

[bluebell]

4 hours ago, MustardSeed said:

Ooof. 
I believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ but I can’t get with the idea of three nephites.  
 

Oh no, I wasn't meaning that you didn't!  Sorry!  I know you believe very much in the resurrection of Jesus Christ!   I just meant there is so much weird stuff in Christianity in general that you can see how things like the idea of 'the three nephites' (and all the myths surrounding them) really run wild in the LDS church.  I've heard so many growing up but none that I felt really made sense.  

The one that was most prevalent when I was a teen was the 'vanishing hitchhiker' who stayed in the car just long enough to tell the person that they had better get their year's supply of food storage before it was too late.  That was in the early 90s and late 80s.  

[MustardSeed]

13 minutes ago, Stargazer said:

I won't try to argue with you about this. But I will just point out that if you believe in Christ's resurrection, as well as him raising at least three people from the dead in the New Testament (Lazarus, Jairus's daughter, and the young man of Nain), the lesser miracle of him granting temporary immortality to four of his servants would seem to be of the same order of magnitude, and well within His capability. And then of course there are Moses and Elijah.

It’s easier for me to believe that things were different when Christ was among us. 
this particular story seems really, well, to use a crude word, weird. 
 

ETA oh haha bluebell said weird first so I’m good lol

Edited June 26, 2025 by MustardSeed

[Stargazer]

7 minutes ago, MustardSeed said:

It’s easier for me to believe that things were different when Christ was among us. 
this particular story seems really, well, to use a crude word, weird. 

LOL, one of my daughters once said something similar about unusual spiritual things.

Although I feel the need to point out that when the three Nephites were called to that service, Christ was among them.

7 minutes ago, MustardSeed said:

ETA oh haha bluebell said weird first so I’m good lol

It's a perfectly good and appropriate word for the topic. Definition of weird from the Cambridge dictionary: "very strange and unusual, unexpected, or not natural" 

Here's another weird something...

Our chapel here in Worthing, England, apparently has a ghost. Or poltergeist, I don't know which. My wife told me about a time over twelve years before when she was there alone one day. She was the Primary president getting something or other ready for Sunday. She heard a voice say "Hello!" quite distinctly, but there was nobody there. She had heard of previous minor "spookings" I guess I will call it, and figured it must be the ghost. She was a bit disconcerted, and decided to leave then and there. What do I think about that? Something odd happened when I happened to be there by myself just a few years ago, so I am not a complete unbeliever in that regard. It also doesn't worry me. 

As for the three Nephites, when I re-read the chapter of the Book of Mormon that Mormon wrote to tell about them, I get a spiritual confirmation of the story's reality. To start with, why couldn't it be true? John's own testimony about his promise from the Lord in the gospel of John says something similar to that of the Nephites, and Elijah was carried into heaven in a chariot of fire, not tasting of death. There's precedent, at least. 

[MustardSeed]

3 minutes ago, Stargazer said:

LOL, one of my daughters once said something similar about unusual spiritual things.

Although I feel the need to point out that when the three Nephites were called to that service, Christ was among them.

It's a perfectly good and appropriate word for the topic. Definition of weird from the Cambridge dictionary: "very strange and unusual, unexpected, or not natural" 

Here's another weird something...

Our chapel here in Worthing, England, apparently has a ghost. Or poltergeist, I don't know which. My wife told me about a time over twelve years before when she was there alone one day. She was the Primary president getting something or other ready for Sunday. She heard a voice say "Hello!" quite distinctly, but there was nobody there. She had heard of previous minor "spookings" I guess I will call it, and figured it must be the ghost. She was a bit disconcerted, and decided to leave then and there. What do I think about that? Something odd happened when I happened to be there by myself just a few years ago, so I am not a complete unbeliever in that regard. It also doesn't worry me. 

As for the three Nephites, when I re-read the chapter of the Book of Mormon that Mormon wrote to tell about them, I get a spiritual confirmation of the story's reality. To start with, why couldn't it be true? John's own testimony about his promise from the Lord in the gospel of John says something similar to that of the Nephites, and Elijah was carried into heaven in a chariot of fire, not tasting of death. There's precedent, at least. 

Makes sense.  Can’t get with it but I accept your POV. 

[Bernard Gui]

The Three Nephites hung around for quite a while….

The 12 disciples were necessary for Christ's Church in the Americas. Jesus chose them and ordained them. They were given authority to preach, baptize, give the Gift of the Holy Ghost, administer the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, perform miracles, organize churches throughout the land, ordain others to Priesthood offices, etc. When asked by Jesus what was the desire of their hearts, three of them asked that He allow them to tarry on the Earth until He comes again so that they could minister to the people of the Earth. He granted them their desire and caused a change in their bodies so that they would not die. We believe John the Beloved (Revelator) received the same gift.

3 Nephi 1:

4 And when he had spoken unto them, he turned himself unto the three, and said unto them: What will ye that I should do unto you, when I am gone unto the Father? 5 And they sorrowed in their hearts, for they durst not speak unto him the thing which they desired. 6 And he said unto them: Behold, I know your thoughts, andye have desired the thing which John, my beloved, who was with me in my ministry, before that I was lifted up by the Jews, desired of me. 7 Therefore, more blessed are ye, for ye shall never taste of death; but ye shall live to behold all the doings of the Father unto the children of men, even until all things shall be fulfilled according to the will of the Father, when I shall come in my glory with the powers of heaven. 8 And ye shall never endure the pains of death; but when I shall come in my glory ye shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye from mortality to immortality; and then shall ye be blessed in the kingdom of my Father. 9 And again, ye shall not have pain while ye shall dwell in the flesh, neither sorrow save it be for the sins of the world; and all this will I do because of the thing which ye have desired of me, for ye have desired that ye might bring the souls of men unto me, while the world shall stand...

14 And it came to pass that the seventy and first year passed away, and also the seventy and second year, yea, and in fine, till the seventy and ninth year had passed away; yea, even an hundred years had passed away, and the disciples of Jesus, whom he had chosen, had all gone to the paradise of God, save it were the three who should tarry; and there were other disciples ordained in their stead; and also many of that generation had passed away....

34 Nevertheless, the people did harden their hearts, for they were led by many priests and false prophets to build up many churches, and to do all manner of iniquity. And they did smite upon the people of Jesus; but the people of Jesus did not smite again. And thus they did dwindle in unbelief and wickedness, from year to year, even until two hundred and thirty years had passed away. 35 And now it came to pass in this year, yea, in the two hundred and thirty and first year, there was a great division among the people. 36 And it came to pass that in this year there arose a people who were called the Nephites, and they were true believers in Christ; and among them there were those who were called by the Lamanites—Jacobites, and Josephites, and Zoramites; 37 Therefore the true believers in Christ, and the true worshipers of Christ, (among whom were the three disciples of Jesus who should tarry) were called Nephites, and Jacobites, and Josephites, and Zoramites...

41 And thus did two hundred and fifty years pass away, and also two hundred and sixty years. 42 And it came to pass that the wicked part of the people began again to build up the secret oaths and combinations of Gadianton. 43 And also the people who were called the people of Nephi began to be proud in their hearts, because of their exceeding riches, and become vain like unto their brethren, the Lamanites. 44 And from this time the disciples began to sorrow for the sins of the world. 45 And it came to pass that when three hundred years had passed away, both the people of Nephi and the Lamanites had become exceedingly wicked one like unto another.

Mormon 1: (about 325 AD)

13 But wickedness did prevail upon the face of the whole land, insomuch that the Lord did take away his beloved disciples, and the work of miracles and of healing did cease because of the iniquity of the people. 14 And there wereno gifts from the Lord, and the Holy Ghost did not come upon any, because of their wickedness and unbelief.

Mormon 8: (about 415 AD)

10 And there are none that do know the true God save it be the disciples of Jesus, who did tarry in the land until the wickedness of the people was so great that the Lord would not suffer them to remain with the people; and whether they be upon the face of the land no man knoweth. 11 But behold, my father and I have seen them, and they have ministered unto us.

Edited July 9, 2025 by Bernard Gui

[california boy]

2 hours ago, bluebell said:

The one that was most prevalent when I was a teen was the 'vanishing hitchhiker' who stayed in the car just long enough to tell the person that they had better get their year's supply of food storage before it was too late.  That was in the early 90s and late 80s.  

I remember that story being repeated regularly. It was met to scare you into making sure you had a years supply.  It worked for me. We started buying wheat in 5 gallon tins.  Almost a half century later and it is still stored in my x wife’s garage.   
 

Guess it wasn’t as urgent as one of the three Nephites thought it was.  But hey, after living on this Earth for 2,000 years he would probably like to wrap this whole phase up and go right to the second coming 

[Calm]

3 hours ago, MustardSeed said:

It’s easier for me to believe that things were different when Christ was among us. 
this particular story seems really, well, to use a crude word, weird. 

For me, it’s the necessity of them.  Christ’s resurrection is obviously necessary based on the most basic Christian doctrines.  His raising of the dead during his ministry seems necessary to me to demonstrate his power over life and death in a very immediate way.

I can see the benefit for those who knew John and the 3 disciples, but once they became strangers to those they helped, I do not see how they are actual testaments to Christ’s power over life and death.

Most of the stories have too many shared qualities with urban myths for me to accept them as anything but low probability ‘maybes’.  I think there is a massive desire in most of us to have guardian spirits and these stories feed that need.

My guess is if the 3 Nephites are active in this day and age, actually interacting with mortals in meaningfully different ways than a random kind stranger, those they interact with aren’t inclined to share the experience.

Edited June 26, 2025 by Calm

[Calm]

2 hours ago, MustardSeed said:

She heard a voice say "Hello!" quite distinctly, but there was nobody there. She had heard of previous minor "spookings"

There is a very good chance it is sounds in her ears (tinnitus) or something else that gets written by her brain as someone saying hello.  It used to happen all the time to me anytime I was in a quiet place.  “Hello” is a very familiar path in the brain for most of us, I am guessing.  It shouldn’t be surprising if it is often the default response when the brain is unsure of what it’s hearing.

Since my tinnitus got worse so it is constant instead of intermittent, it hardly ever happens.  The sound tinnitus now makes is very clear on what it is.  No guessing or filling in gaps by the brain needed.

I also use to hear complicated pieces of music playing.  If only they could have somehow been transcribed or recorded, I bet I could have made some extra cash off of them because some were quite beautiful.  Also, now all I hear is a high pitched squeal.

I do believe there are times when the Spirit speaks directly to us.  I have had it happened, I believe, three times.  The first was “your daughter has diabetes”.  There was always a very significant purpose to it though.

Edited June 26, 2025 by Calm

[Rain]

46 minutes ago, Calm said:

For me, it’s the necessity of them.  Christ’s resurrection is obviously necessary based on the most basic Christian doctrines.  His raising of the dead during his ministry seems necessary to me to demonstrate his power over life and death in a very immediate way.

I can see the benefit for those who knew John and the 3 disciples, but once they became strangers to those they helped, I do not see how they are actual testaments to Christ’s power over life and death.

Most of the stories have too many shared qualities with urban myths for me to accept them as anything but low probability ‘maybes’.  I think there is a massive desire in most of us to have guardian spirits and these stories feed that need.

My guess is if the 3 Nephites are active in this day and age, actually interacting with mortals in meaningfully different ways than a random kind stranger, those they interact with aren’t inclined to share the experience.

It's interesting that all the stories are easy things the 3 can do.  Sit in a car for a few minutes.  Give someone a blessing.  You never hear about the hard things they can do like spend heartbreaking hours, day after day after day, helping people in rehab.  I know some people would bring up aging pr something, but realistically, they could stick around for a few years and no one would know they weren't aging.  

[bluebell]

I couldn't remember what the purpose was for the 3 remaining alive until Christ's return so I looked it up:

"....for ye have desired that ye might bring the souls of men unto me, while the world shall stand."

It sounds like missionary work is kind of their primary responsibility (which would like be done while helping in other ways too).  Warning members about food storage doesn't seem to be in their job description.

[ZealouslyStriving]

Moroni 7:27

"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased because Christ hath ascended into heaven, and hath sat down on the right hand of God, to claim of the Father his rights of mercy which he hath upon the children of men?"

[Pyreaux]

21 hours ago, MustardSeed said:

It’s difficult for me to accept the literalness of the existence of three immortals.  I don’t say this to argue, but rather just in case anyone else isn’t comfortable stating so and might feel better knowing that other card carrying members aren’t all in on this one. 

Well, I'm certain 80% of the time its indeed just members or even total strangers listening to the spirit and timely helping out. Like if it happened on Christmas, I don't think Santa Claus literally exists, but I'm not sure there wasn't ever a Santa, or there are no Christmas miracles that happen, even material blessings, by some sort of actual divine being that may as well be Santa, even though 80% of the time is just kind people willing to take no credit and it gets attributed to Santa. I do like to think the world may have more in it we don't see.

 

Edited June 26, 2025 by Pyreaux