Mormon 8:23-24

Moroni told us to search the words of Isaiah. During the Savior’s ministry among the Nephites, He emphasized the importance of Isaiah’s prophecies. “Ye remember that I spake unto you, and said that when the words of Isaiah should be fulfilled—behold they are written, ye have them before you, therefore search them” (3 Nephi 20:11).

“And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah.

“For surely he spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel; therefore it must needs be that he must speak also to the Gentiles.

“And all things that he spake have been and shall be, even according to the words which he spake” (3 Nephi 23:1-3).

Moroni cannot write the words of Isaiah. This is not a problem as we have Isaiah’s words available to us through both the Old Testament and chapters throughout the Book of Mormon. Moroni makes it clear he is aware of Isaiah’s words. “. Yea, behold I say unto you, that those saints who have gone before me, who have possessed this land, shall cry, yea, even from the dust will they cry unto the Lord; and as the Lord liveth he will remember the covenant which he hath made with them” (Mormon 8:23) (Emphasis mine). Compare this with Isaiah’s words. “And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust” (Isaiah 29:4).

The Lord will remember His covenants made with the Nephites. He knows the prayers that had been offered in the past. “And now behold, this was the desire which I desired of him—that if it should so be, that my people, the Nephites, should fall into transgression, and by any means be destroyed, and the Lamanites should not be destroyed, that the Lord God would preserve a record of my people, the Nephites; even if it so be by the power of his holy arm, that it might be brought forth at some future day unto the Lamanites, that, perhaps, they might be brought unto salvation” (Enos 1:13).

“And behold, these things which we have desired concerning our brethren, yea, even their restoration to the knowledge of Christ, are according to the prayers of all the saints who have dwelt in the land” (Mormon 9:36).

“Behold, there are many things engraven upon the plates of Nephi which do throw greater views upon my gospel; therefore, it is wisdom in me that you should translate this first part of the engravings of Nephi, and send forth in this work.

“And, behold, all the remainder of this work does contain all those parts of my gospel which my holy prophets, yea, and also my disciples, desired in their prayers should come forth unto this people” (D&C 10:45-46).

Through His name, they could move mountains and cause the Earth to quake. They caused prisons to tumble. Jacob taught, “Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea” (Jacob 4:6).

The Lord gave Nephi₂ the power that anything he did in the Lord’s name would come about. “And if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou cast down and become smooth, it shall be done”

(Helaman 10:9).

They could cause the earth to shake and prison walls tumble. Earlier, we read the three Nephite apostles “were cast into prison by them who did not belong to the church. And the prisons could not hold them, for they were rent in twain” (3 Nephi 28:19).

“And it came to pass that [Nephi₂ and Lehi₂] were taken by an army of the Lamanites and cast into prison…

“And after they had been cast into prison many days without food, behold, they went forth into the prison to take them that they might slay them.

“And it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi were encircled about as if by fire, even insomuch that they durst not lay their hands upon them for fear lest they should be burned…

“For they saw that the Lamanites durst not lay their hands upon them; neither durst they come near unto them, but stood as if they were struck dumb with amazement.

“And it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi did stand forth and began to speak unto them, saying: Fear not, for behold, it is God that has shown unto you this marvelous thing, in the which is shown unto you that ye cannot lay your hands on us to slay us.

“And behold, when they had said these words, the earth shook exceedingly, and the walls of the prison did shake as if they were about to tumble to the earth; but behold, they did not fall. And behold, they that were in the prison were Lamanites and Nephites who were dissenters” (Helaman 5:21-23, 25-27).