“We Believe That the Other Words Which He Has Spoken Are True”

“In setting forth the test for one who prophesies, Moses said, ’If the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken.’ (Deu 18:22) Nephi’s prediction of the murder of the chief judge was easy enough to check. ’Now we will know of a surety whether this man be a prophet…’ (Hel 9:2) Five men went to check and found things precisely as Nephi had said they would be. Isn‘t it interesting that the five who went were five who were converted when they saw proof of Nephi’s prophetic ability? Others in the group were unmoved even after Nephi’s predictions were totally proven. Still others, impressed by the irrefutable power that Nephi demonstrated, were not converted to the source of Nephi’s power but instead superstitiously concluded that he was a God. (See Hel 9:41) Fortunately, there were some who were converted by the testimony of the five men who first believed Nephi or by the preaching of Nephi himself. (See Hel 9:39)” (Book of Mormon Student Manuel, 1981, p. 367)