“Samuel the Prophet,” Book of Mormon Stories (2023)
Samuel the Prophet
Teaching about Jesus’s birth and death
A Lamanite prophet named Samuel went to teach the Nephites in Zarahemla. He taught about repentance. The Nephites would not listen and threw him out of the city.
Samuel was about to go back to his people. But the Lord told him to return to teach the Nephites.
The Lord told Samuel He would tell him what to say. Samuel obeyed the Lord. He returned to Zarahemla. But the Nephites would not let him into the city.
Samuel climbed the city wall. He said the things the Lord put into his heart. He warned the people they would be destroyed because they were doing bad things. He said that only repentance and faith in Jesus Christ could save them. He said Jesus, the Son of God, would be born in five years.
Helaman 13:4–11; 14:2, 8, 12–18
Samuel said there would be signs of Jesus’s birth. He told the people to look for the signs. One sign would be a night with no darkness. Other signs would be that a new star and many wonderful things would appear in the sky.
Samuel wanted people to have faith in Jesus. He said Jesus would die and be resurrected so that all people can be saved if they repent.
Samuel said there would be signs of Jesus’s death. People would not be able to see the sun, moon, or stars. There would be no light for three days.
There would be thunder and lightning. Earthquakes would come, and cities would be destroyed.
Some people believed Samuel, but many Nephites were angry with him. They threw stones and shot arrows at him. The Lord protected Samuel as he stood on the wall. None of the stones and arrows could hit him.
When no one could hit Samuel, many more people believed his words. But most of the people were still angry. They tried to take Samuel and tie him up. Samuel escaped and went home. He kept teaching his people.
The Nephites who believed Samuel repented and were baptized by the prophet Nephi. They believed in Jesus and watched for the signs of Jesus’s birth that Samuel had told them about.