Nikon D5100 - can't see image in viewfinder?

I have a brand new D5100. I can see the image in the viewfinder that I want to shoot but not in monitor/screen unless I use Live View. I get the full menu display on the screen when I turn it on and it goes black after a few seconds. I CAN see images of photos I have taken - just not when I'm trying to shoot. I'm a novice so I suspect it's something simple I'm missing. Wrote to Nikon support but they may take 24 hrs.

IT works in liveview. You figured that part out, that's it. We tends to use viewfinders with DSLR cameras.

Get adjusted to using the viewfinder. Once you do you will find that live view is actually harder to get good accuracy in live view.
Using live view will kill your battery fast as hell too. DSLR's just plain don't use it unless it's for certain odd situations.
Nothing is wrong with your camera. Just some adjustment from going from a point and shoot to a DSLR

Trying to use a DSLR like a point and shoot by looking at Tue rear screen will give you terrible results unless you are using a tripod. Use the viewfinder… That is how DSLR cameras are supposed to be used.

You can only use the rear LCD as your viewfinder in LiveView mode. Otherwise, you use the small optical viewfinder. Check your manual for settings on how to keep LiveView on longer. Nikon may not bother answering you about this. What's missing is that you failed to read the user's manual.

Carol I have the same issue. None of these people get the questions. All I have in the display as data, no "live picture". Once picture has been taken, only data is displayed?