Continuing in the series of “lists of ten,” this post identifies ten miracles recorded in the Book of Mormon. Again, this is not to say that there are only ten miracles on record, but rather is an arbitrary sampling of some that I, for whatever reason, found to be important or intriguing.

The criteria for selecting was a matter I put a little thought into; the Book of Mormon, being a religious text, deals with a great amount of spiritual content, and accounts for many individuals’ encounters with God. While these things could be considered miracles in their own rights, the miracles I mention here of a more public nature—manifestations of God’s power that are apparent to all present, and while the witnesses may very well have been righteous, they are not necessarily rewards for obedience, but are universal displays of God’s power. Events like the death of Sherem or the muting of Korihor, however, while being acts of God, do not qualify in this miracle criteria because they would best be classified as cursings.

1. The 16 Stones of the Brother of Jared
   The Brother of Jared has several struggles in his ship-building activities, one of which was the lack of light in the barges. Jared prepares 16 stones, and asks the Lord to illuminate them by touching them. The spiritual hand of the Lord pierces the veil, and touches the stones, which light up as requested. Jared brings back the stones to his people, and they are distributed among their eight barges, and from what we can tell, lasts them the length of their journey.
2. The Jaredites’ Guiding Cloud
   Prior to the Jaredites’ journey to the promised land, the Brother of Jared had led his people to the valley of Nimrod. From here, the Lord appeared as a cloud, and guided the Jaredites out of the valley of Nimrod and to the “great sea which divideth the lands.” This form of divine manifestation is reminiscent of the cloud by day and pillar of fire by night that would later lead the Israelites to the promised land.
3. The Flavor of the Lehites’ Raw Meat
   As the Lehites traveled through the wilderness, they were commanded not to build fires to cook their meat, perhaps to avoid the smoke trail that increases visibility to thieves. We learn that the men did in fact hunt meat, so we can assume that it was eaten raw. This conjures up a variety of unpleasant thoughts, but we they are put to rest by the revelation that their raw food miraculously became “sweet,” and apparently was enjoyable to all who consumed it—even the murmurers.
4. The Deep Sleep of the Guards at Helam
   Alma and his followers had established themselves in Helam after leaving the Waters of Mormon. The city began to thrive, but it wasn’t long before Alma’s former colleague, Amulon, now joined by Lamanites, occupy the land and force Alma’s people into slavery. After a significant time of oppression, the Lord finally saw fit to deliver them, and all of Amulon’s guards miraculously became overcome with a deep sleep. Thanks to this, Alma was able to lead his people out of the city and eventually found his way to Zarahemla.
5. Alma and Amulek Prison Walls
   A number of significant events transpired during Alma and Amulek’s ministry in Ammonihah; they preached the Gospel, converted Zeezrom, their followers were executed, and they were thrown in jail, where they were beaten and abused. After being taunted by the prison guards, Alma prays for deliverance. Suddenly, Alma and Amulek break their bonds, and an earthquake rocks the prison, causing the walls to collapse, killing all the guards.
6. Ammon’s Clairvoyance
   Ammon’s missionary adventures begin with an encounter with King Lamoni. After impressing him with his defensive powers, Ammon is interrogated by Lamoni, who finds himself at a a loss for words. Ammon is miraculously able to read Lamoni’s thoughts, and tells Lamoni what he is thinking. Lamoni is additionally impressed, and sees Ammon as the “Great Spirit.” This leads to increased credibility for Ammon, and a very successful missionary harvest in the region.
7. The Survival of Helaman’s Army
   Perhaps one of the best known miracles in the Book of Mormon is the survival of Helaman’s Ammonite army. Helaman leads his troops in a military campaign to regain southern territorial holdings. Along with Antipus and his army, lures the Lamanites out of the city of Antiparah and engages them on a chase past the City by the Sea. When the Lamanites realize it was an ambush, a terrible battle breaks out. Miraculously, Helaman’s soldiers’ lives are all protected, and not a single one dies. A similar event occurs at the Battle of Cumeni, where Helaman’s army had been joined by an additional 60 Ammonites.
8. Nephi and Lehi’s Ring of Fire
   In a story similar to that of Alma and Amulek’s in Ammonihah, brothers Nephi and Lehi are thrown in prison when they travel to the Lamanite lands to preach the gospel. They are also sentenced to death, but at the moment they are summoned to have the execution carried out, they were “encircled about as if by fire,” and the guards did not dare fetch them. The prison walls shake and everything becomes enveloped in a thick darkness. The shaken guards begin to believe, and after their change of heart, a glorious pentecostal sequence of events ensues, leading to successful missionary activity in the area.
9. Raising Timothy from the Dead
   An often overlooked Book of Mormon miracle is the raising of Timothy from dead, a miracle which rivals the magnitude of Jesus’ crowning miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead. Unfortunately, we know very little of the circumstances surrounding the miracle, only that it was a part of a suite of spiritual occurrences that were a part of Nephi’s spiritual ministry. We later learn that Timothy became one of the twelve Nephite disciples of Christ.
10. The Healings of Jesus
    The capstone event of the Book of Mormon is the personal ministry of Jesus Christ. Among his teachings and his introductions of the rites of the higher law, Jesus calls for all those who are sick or afflicted to come forth unto him. We learn that “he did heal them, every one,” and thus, confirming the overarching message of the Book of Mormon, he made them whole.