King Limhi later testified to his people that God “fed [Israel] with Manna that they might not perish in the wilderness” (Mosiah 7:19). In the New Testament, the Savior himself verified, to the unbelieving Jews, the miracle of manna, and its relationship to him.
30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? 31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. [John 6:30–35]
Paul says “they did all eat the same spiritual meat” (1 Corinthians 10:3), undoubtedly referring to the manna. He also says that “the golden pot that had manna” was a memorial kept in the ark of the covenant (Hebrews 9:4).
A prevalent theory explaining away this miracle is that there is a bush in the desert, with which Moses was familiar, that naturally secrets a honey-like substance that was eaten by the desert travelers, and the children of Israel attributed it to be coming from God (see footnote 1). This theory does not explain how the excess that was “left of it till morning, … bred worms, and stank” except on the day before the Sabbath when it “did not stink, neither was there any worm therein” (Exodus 16:19– 24).
Water Came from the Rock Smitten by Moses
2 Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD?
3 And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?
4 And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.
5 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.
6 Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. [Exodus 17:2–6]