Note the contrasting parallels in this short sentence. The crying is balanced by the visions (asking and receiving) and the daytime is balanced by the nighttime. Of further interest is that Nephi specifically says that his prayers are answered by "visions." It is a hallmark of Nephi's writing that very few visions are noted. However, there is certainly one very lengthy recording of a vision that qualifies. Nephi may be waxing more poetic than historical here, but he is not inaccurate. At least one vision was given him (though there was no indication that it was at night - this is poetry, after all).