“All Manner of Miracles Did They Work Among the Children of Men”

Brant Gardner

Reference: Mormon’s language in verse 4 parallels King Benjamin’s prophecy of the Messiah’s coming: “For behold, the time cometh, and is not far distant, that with power, the Lord Omnipotent… shall come down from heaven among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay, and shall go forth amongst men, working mighty miracles, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and curing all manner of diseases” (Mosiah 3:5). The Savior performed the prophesied miracles of healing, and the twelve continued this healing mission. This verse echoes Matthew 11:5: “The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.” While Joseph’s vocabulary was influenced by the New Testament, the extended version here and that in Mosiah suggests that the core phrase is Mormon’s and that he is repeating the language to highlight the fulfilled prophecy.

Second Witness: Analytical & Contextual Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 6

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