A Memorable Night by Apostle Jefferson Silva Madeira

On Saturday, January 11, 2025, at the request of Brother Maurício Artur Berger, some elders and fellow believers traveled together to Zion’s Refuge – Southern Unit, located in the city of Agudo, RS, for a meaningful occasion. The gathering was prompted by a special event taking place in the city the following Sunday, the 12th, with the purpose of bringing a message of hope to those present.

The atmosphere of the early days was recreated, evoking with deep appreciation the inspiration of the pioneers of the 19th-century restoration; in this work that is a second invitation to participation. It was a precious opportunity to be together, once again, and to convey the continuity of the restoration work and the message of The Sealed Book of the Plates of Mormon; united alongside Brother Maurício, anointed of the Lord, to strengthen the work of the Church of Christ.

As dusk fell at Zion’s Refuge, we began preparing for the church’s weekly online meeting, scheduled for 8 p.m. Minutes after the meeting began, the internet at the location where the broadcast was taking place went down unexpectedly and didn’t come back. After a brief wait and given the impossibility of resuming the broadcast, the meeting was officially canceled.

But on that night, when technology failed us, Brother Maurício guided us all to go outdoors. Moved by faith, the sky transformed into our stage of spiritual connection, where we contemplated various manifestations of small white lights crossing the horizon. Spotting lights crossing the sky of Zion’s Refuge became something frequent for almost all who visit.

Without the meeting, the online gathering of the saints could not take place, and we experienced a singular experience that night. Something beyond what we already knew and that transcended the limits of the ordinary.

Around 8:30 p.m., we were surprised by the manifestation of a formation of green lights lined up in the sky, with a vibrant emerald color, forming a surprisingly aligned and spaced convoy. I estimate that around 40 to 50 bright green lights passed above us, separated by a considerable distance from each other, creating an intriguing spectacle in the sky. They were organized, meticulously aligned, following one after the other. They seemed to emerge one by one from an invisible portal, as I couldn’t see where they were coming from. They simply appeared, one at a time, maintaining the flow and speed, until the formation disappeared over the horizon.

We were all surprised. It was a great sequence of lights, never seen before there. The internet outage, minutes before, seemed then not to have been a simple coincidence. However, little did we know that the night still had greater surprises in store.

That intriguing spectacle brought a mix of admiration and unease to all of us, for, according to the teaching of Brother Maurício Artur Berger, only the white lights are unquestionable signs of our Creator. The green lights, on the other hand, suggested the presence of something beyond, something that seeks to thwart the work of God. When the white lights disappeared, we realized that something was really not right. The signs became warnings when the white lights, which we are certain are from God, ceased to appear.

We pondered some hypotheses: would that manifestation of the opponents of the work be a response to the union of the elders with the anointed of God in a consecrated place? Would it be an attempt to intimidate?

After some time, we returned inside the house. It was around 11 p.m., and while we were preparing to sleep, some already lying down or even asleep after a day of travel, Maurício and his wife, Rafaela Berger, showed signs of restlessness in view of the events of that night. Picking up their flashlights, they warned us that they would go to the central stone of the refuge to reflect.

About half an hour later, they returned visibly euphoric, reporting that large bubbles of white light had manifested in the sky before them. Maurício also said that he saw a specific bubble of light, which he associated with the same light that Moroni uses in his designs, the same one that precedes his manifestation. He received and interpreted the sign as a direct call from Moroni, that they should go up to Morro Agudo at that exact moment. Wow! It was an impressive moment!

Then, as they were preparing to go up Morro Agudo, it was almost midnight, Maurício called us outside with the hope that Moroni’s light would appear again in the sky, so that we could see it too.

All of us who had gotten up, including me, quickly went out to the side of the house, overcome with expectation to see it too. And, in a short time, we witnessed the extraordinary: a huge bubble of white light, intensely bright, like I had never seen before, emerged from among the clouds and appeared. It was a moment of pure wonder for me.

I watched fascinated. The light moved smoothly between the clouds, crossing through them, passing through them, and finally came to disappear. Less than a minute later, it reappeared and, this time, turned off and on its light as if it were sending us signals.

My heart filled with happiness. My faith strengthened in a deeper way. Upon seeing from afar that great bubble of white and shining light, I was overcome with intense emotion and a genuine feeling of gratitude for being there. It was a mix of grace, wonder, reverence, and joy to see that luminous sphere crossing through the clouds and offering us a sign of light. I had never witnessed anything like it, completely out of the ordinary for me. It was a moment that will remain stored in my memory forever. I am deeply grateful.

After that, adrenaline was already contagious to everyone. While Maurício and Rafaela quickly adjusted their backpacks with water bottles, flashlights, and other important items to climb Morro Agudo, Maurício deemed it necessary to invite brother Joni Batista to join them as a witness, so that that moment could be validated by someone else besides him and Rafaela, confirming what would occur on the hill. At that unexpected moment, Joni was the only one with active priesthood among those who had the physical conditions to climb the steep hill, into the woods. With enthusiasm, Joni promptly accepted the invitation to join Maurício and Rafaela in the ascent.

Then I, Jeferson, decided that I would stay outside waiting for them and continue to observe the skies. My brothers in Christ, João Vendemiatti, Thiago Vigeta, and Diego Ferreira thought the same. I prepared a chimarrão for us, we pulled out some chairs and sat down on the lawn, attentive, with the expectation of seeing again that great and shining bubble of white light from Moroni descending in the distance towards the hill.

To our surprise, what we witnessed throughout the night, without interruption, were numerous smaller lights, all white, with varying intensities of brightness, surrounding the region of Morro Agudo and the hills around there. All of them moved in the same area. They danced in the sky, some faster and others passing more slowly. At certain moments, four would pass at once; at others, two would circle together; sometimes four or more would cross the sky at the same time. It was an intense and continuous movement of lights, in the same place, for hours. Equally intriguing.

Sometimes, for brief moments, there was almost no movement; at other times, we would see only one light at a time, until they would reappear frequently over the hill. It was, in fact, an intense manifestation of lights throughout the early hours of the 12th, all following the same direction and disappearing behind the Hill. As we watched, we commented that they seemed to be circling around the hill, like sentinels in continuous movement, carrying out a kind of patrol. It was evident that something very grand was happening that night, and we were there, witnessing everything. It seemed, from what we could perceive, that they were protecting that place, preventing the enemies of the Kingdom from remaining there. Meanwhile, we knew that Maurício, Rafaela, and Joni continued to climb the hill.

There we were, sitting on the lawn, talking about doctrine and other relevant topics, while the lights crossed that part of the hill and circled the sky non-stop, offering us a true spectacle of small white lights. It was impossible not to be impressed by the magnitude of what we were experiencing.

The feeling of being in the presence of something grand remained constant. Surrounded by that extraordinary environment, we watched the lights with attention and reflected deeply on everything that was happening.

We remained about four hours out there since they left towards Morro Agudo. It was four hours following the movements in the sky, which for me passed as if they were only twenty minutes.

In the end, we couldn’t see that grand light of Moroni again, but it was an incredible dawn. Being there, experiencing everything, was simply unforgettable. Without a doubt, it was truly memorable night.

When Maurício, Rafaela, and Joni returned, they withdrew to take a bath and rest. They were not allowed to share what they had seen and experienced during the ascent to Morro Agudo, but their smiles revealed everything to us.

In the end, the feeling that filled us was gratitude. Gratitude for living in a time when the restoration continues to advance in new steps, revealing signs and fulfilling promises.

And that initial manifestation of the entourage, aligned in shades of green, which had appeared earlier before everyone, culminated in something greater: the manifestation of the Army of God. Which allowed us to see how present He is in His work, acting with power and dissipating opposing forces.