“This phrase appears 12 times in the Book of Mormon and is used positively and negatively in its expression. For example, ‘the people began to wax strong in wickedness and abominations’ (3 Nephi 2:3).
“To wax means to come to be or to increase in size, strength, or intensity. Thus, to ‘wax strong’ is to increase in strength or capacity” (Brewster, Doctrine and Covenants Encyclopedia, 627).