Hard Deadlines and Good Cheer.

3 Nephi 1

Deadlines can be scary, especially when missing it results in something horrible.   I have never had a hard deadline that was quite as bad as the following,  but the Nephites in this chapter did.

"Now it came to pass that there was a day set apart by the unbelievers, that all those who believed in those traditions should be put to death except the sign should come to pass, which had been given by Samuel the prophet.

10 Now it came to pass that when Nephi, the son of Nephi, saw this wickedness of his people, his heart was exceedingly sorrowful.

11 And it came to pass that he went out and bowed himself down upon the earth, and cried mightily to his God in behalf of his people, yea, those who were about to be destroyed because of their faith in the tradition of their fathers. 

I love that it doesn't say, "Nephi prayed for himself."  He was facing death just like all the other believers, but cried mightily to his God in behalf of his people.

 12 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:

How long did Nephi pray before the voice of the Lord came unto him?  All day long?  He certainly received a wonderful answer to his prayer. 

 13 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.

 14 Behold, I come unto my own, to fulfil all things which I have made known unto the children of men from the foundation of the world, and to do the will, both of the Father and of the Son—of the Father because of me, and of the Son because of my flesh. And behold, the time is at hand, and this night shall the sign be given.

 15 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 nodarkness; and the people began to be astonished because there was no darkness when the night came."

Luckily, those who were planning to destroy the believers fell to the earth and had second thoughts about it when the night was as bright as midday.   How awkward it must have been for them when they met a believer in the market the next day.  

Did the believers hold a grudge against those who would have destroyed them?  Apparently not, for there was no contention for a few years and "the more part of the people did believe, and were converted to the Lord."  (vs. 22)

But the Gandianton Robbers who dwelt in the mountains were still murdering and slaughtering the people (vs. 27) and worse yet, soon they were causing sorrow to the Nephites by absorbing their dissenters and also to the Lamanites by leading away their children.  

Seventy five years before, the sons of Helamen conquered the enemy with their faith and righteousness.  What, other than the span of years,  was the difference between these generations?