3 Nephi 1

I always think that 3 Nephi is when we get the third prophet named Nephi.
Here is how I remember it:

1st and 2nd books of Nephi = Nephi son of Lehi
Book of Helaman = Nephi son of Helaman
3rd book of Nephi = Nephi son of Nephi who was son of Helaman

The Nephi we have been dealing with in Helaman passes all of the plates and
records to his son Nephi, leaves the land and is never seen again. Was he
translated? A great debate begins in the land over all the prophecies of
the night that would still seem as day and be the sign of the Savior's
birth. People mock those who believe in the prophecy and then decide
they've had enough of it and declare that if it doesn't happen by a certain
day, all those who believed the prophecy would be put to death.

Nephi undoubtedly becomes desperate and pleads to the Lord for his people.
Imagine if we lived in a country (not unlike Germany in World War II or
most Muslim nations today) that would put us to death if we openly stated
our belief in the restored gospel. Right now, I have a friend in the
Jerusalem Center and he is the branch president of a little branch in
Bethlehem. The wife of one of the branch members is Arab but believes in
the church. If she were to be baptized, she would be put to death. Her
only hope is to permanently move to the U.S. or some other similar
democratic country.

So all those who believe will be put to death the next day if the prophesied
sign doesn't happen. The Lord reassures Nephi that it will and it did, and
those who were going to put the believers to death now realize that they are
the ones who are in deep trouble. Nearly everyone becomes converted, but
since conversions based on miracles and signs are seldom sure, it isn't long
before the people begin returning to their old ways.

I want to say something about the timing of Nephi's prayer and then the sign
of the Savior's birth occuring on the very day designated as the day to
execute all believers. This isn't unusual. I had a similar experience in
my life where I had reached the point where I felt I couldn't go on with the
way things were and told the Lord so. I had prayed about my situation many
times for a very long time, but had finally reached the point to where
something had to give and I didn't it want it to be me. The very next day
the Lord answered my prayers. With the Nephites, it was important that
those who were wicked would be caught in their own snare. The Lord
basically allowed them enough rope to hang themselves on.

It's interesting that as soon as the signs appear, Satan goes to work to
discount them. Whenever you have a spiritual experience, you can be sure
that Satan will immediately begin to place doubts in your mind that what
happened was not of the Lord, was just a coincidence or a happening that
would have occurred naturally anyway.