Helaman 5:35-41

³⁵ Now there was one among them who was a Nephite by birth, who had once belonged to the church of God but had dissented from them. ³⁶ And it came to pass that he turned him about, and behold, he saw through the cloud of darkness the faces of Nephi and Lehi; and behold, they did shine exceedingly, even as the faces of angels.  And he beheld that they did lift their eyes to heaven; and they were in the attitude as if talking or lifting their voices to some being whom they beheld. ³⁷ And it came to pass that this man did cry unto the multitude, that they might turn and look.  And behold, there was power given unto them that they did turn and look; and they did behold the faces of Nephi and Lehi. ³⁸ And they said unto the man: Behold, what do all these things mean, and who is it with whom these men do converse?

Helaman 5:35 – 38 (Emphasis mine)

Suddenly, a Nephite dissenter, Aminadab, looked towards Lehi₄ and Nephi₂, and saw their faces “did shine exceedingly, even as the faces of angels” (v. 36).   As they stood, they “did lift their eyes to heaven” and it looked as though they were talking to someone not seen.

Aminadab called to the multitude, telling them to look.  They beheld Lehi₄ and Nephi₂ and asked what this all means and to whom are they talking?

³⁹ Now the man's name was Aminadab.  And Aminadab said unto them: They do converse with the angels of God. ⁴⁰ And it came to pass that the Lamanites said unto him: What shall we do, that this cloud of darkness may be removed from overshadowing us? ⁴¹ And Aminadab said unto them: You must repent, and cry unto the voice, even until ye shall have faith in Christ, who was taught unto you by Alma, and Amulek, and Zeezrom; and when ye shall do this, the cloud of darkness shall be removed from overshadowing you.

Helaman 5:39 – 41 (Emphasis mine)

Aminadab told them they converse with angels.  They he told them, to remove the cloud of darkness, they must repent and “cry unto the voice, even until ye shall have faith in Christ” (v. 41). 

The wicked being surrounded by a “cloud of darkness” was a part of Lehi’s dream of the tree of life.  “And it came to pass that there arose a mist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were lost” (1 Nephi 8:23).  An angel would tell Nephi₁ “the mists of darkness are the temptations of the devil, which blindeth the eyes, and hardeneth the hearts of the children of men, and leadeth them away into broad roads, that they perish and are lost” (1 Nephi 8:23).

This is reinforced by Aminadab’s call to the people to remember what they had been taught by Alma₁, Amulek, and Zeezrom.  The people had not accepted these teachings at that point.  The darkness represented the spiritual darkness in which they lived.  Repent and have faith on Christ, Aminadab told them.  Do what they need to do to remove this spiritual darkness from their hearts.

Richard Dilworth Rust said:

“Helaman's sons Nephi and Lehi--whose names are particularly appropriate since they are representing the ‘fathers’ to the Lamanites--are taken by Lamanites who initially are bloodthirsty but ignorant. These Lamanites are contrasted with the apostate Nephites who earlier had imprisoned Alma and Amulek. Feeling imperiled by the shaking earth and frightened by the voice which speaks to them three times, the Lamanites ask the crucial question: ‘What shall we do, that this cloud of darkness may be removed from overshadowing us?’ (Helaman 5:40). The answer is, ‘Repent … until ye shall have faith in Christ’ (Helaman 5:41).”[1]  (Emphasis mine)

Matthew Roper discusses Aminadab reminding them they had been taught the truth.

“In what is a key element of their conversion, the Nephite dissenter Aminadab reminds his fellow Lamanites that Alma, Amulek, and Zeezrom had taught them faith in Christ nearly 45 years earlier (Helaman 5:41), presumably during the mission to the Zoramites. Shortly after this mission, the Zoramites who remained unconverted ‘became Lamanites’ (Alma 43:4). Assuming that some of the dissenters in the prison had heard these prophets preach to the Zoramites, several elements of the prison narrative in Helaman 5 would have both recalled and graphically reinforced for them those earlier prophetic teachings.”[2] (Emphasis mine)

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[1] Annual FARMS Lecture, Richard Dilworth Rust, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed June 29, 2012.

[2] Was Aminadab a Zoramite? Matthew Roper, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed June 29, 2012.