Helaman 14:18-27

¹⁸ Yea, and it bringeth to pass the condition of repentance, that whosoever repenteth the same is not hewn down and cast into the fire; but whosoever repenteth not is hewn down and cast into the fire; and there cometh upon them again a spiritual death, yea, a second death, for they are cut off again as to things pertaining to righteousness.  ¹⁹ Therefore repent ye, repent ye, lest by knowing these things and not doing them ye shall suffer yourselves to come under condemnation, and ye are brought down unto this second death.

Helaman 14:18 – 19 (Emphasis mine)

We see an example of the use of imagery by Samuel in the first line.  Richard Rust explains, “Samuel's words give force to that concept by comparing an unrepentant person to an unproductive tree: ‘Whosoever repenteth not is hewn down and cast into the fire; . . . for they are cut off again as to things pertaining to righteousness’ (Helaman 14:18). In saying this, Samuel may be quoting from Zenos's allegory of the tame and wild olive trees: "the trees of my vineyard are good for nothing save it be to be hewn down and cast into the fire" (Jacob 5:42).”[1]

So those that refuse to repent will be cut down and cast into a fire.  They are cut off and suffer the second death.  The righteous do not suffer the second death.

²⁰ But behold, as I said unto you concerning another sign, a sign of his death, behold, in that day that he shall suffer death the sun shall be darkened and refuse to give his light unto you; and also the moon and the stars; and there shall be no light upon the face of this land, even from the time that he shall suffer death, for the space of three days, to the time that he shall rise again from the dead.  ²¹ Yea, at the time that he shall yield up the ghost there shall be thunderings and lightnings for the space of many hours, and the earth shall shake and tremble; and the rocks which are upon the face of this earth, which are both above the earth and beneath, which ye know at this time are solid, or the more part of it is one solid mass, shall be broken up; ²² Yea, they shall be rent in twain, and shall ever after be found in seams and in cracks, and in broken fragments upon the face of the whole earth, yea, both above the earth and beneath.

²³ And behold, there shall be great tempests, and there shall be many mountains laid low, like unto a valley, and there shall be many places which are now called valleys which shall become mountains, whose height is great. ²⁴ And many highways shall be broken up, and many cities shall become desolate.

²⁵ And many graves shall be opened, and shall yield up many of their dead; and many saints shall appear unto many. ²⁶ And behold, thus hath the angel spoken unto me; for he said unto me that there should be thunderings and lightnings for the space of many hours. ²⁷ And he said unto me that while the thunder and the lightning lasted, and the tempest, that these things should be, and that darkness should cover the face of the whole earth for the space of three days.

Helaman 14:20 – 27 (Emphasis mine)

Samuel than gives signs concerning Christ’s death. The signs would be:

·         The Sun, Moon, and stars will not give light for three days, until He rises from the dead.

·         There will be thunderings and lightnings for the space of many hours.

·         The earth shall shake and treble.

·         The rocks both above and beneath the earth will be broken up.

·         There will be great tempests.

·         There shall be many mountains laid low.

·         There shall be many valleys becoming mountains.

·         Highways shall be broken up.

·         Cities will become desolate.

In the midst of these signs, Samuel suddenly mentions “many graves shall be opened, and shall yield up many of their dead” (v. 25).  He makes no other mention but continue discussing the devastations.  D. Lynn Johnson writes that “the prophecy of the resurrection of the saints (Helaman 14:25) is out of chronological order in the reiteration of the events connected with the death of the Savior. It is placed in the midst of the description of the natural violence of that time, rather than after the darkness lifted, which is when it would have occurred. Indeed, McConkie and Millet point out the problem by noting, ‘The rise of many Saints from the graves was not, strictly speaking, a sign of his death, but rather took place at the time of the Lord's resurrection.’ Placing verse 25 after verse 27 would restore the proper order. The inconsistency can be explained by assuming that verse 25 was inserted years later in response to the Savior's reminder.”[2]

Here is the “Savior’s reminder” mentioned:

Verily I say unto you, I commanded my servant Samuel, the Lamanite, that he should testify unto this people, that at the day that the Father should glorify his name in me that there were many saints who should arise from the dead, and should appear unto many, and should minister unto them.  And he said unto them: Was it not so?

And his disciples answered him and said: Yea, Lord, Samuel did prophesy according to thy words, and they were all fulfilled.

And Jesus said unto them: How be it that ye have not written this thing, that many saints did arise and appear unto many and did minister unto them?

And it came to pass that Nephi remembered that this thing had not been written.

And it came to pass that Jesus commanded that it should be written; therefore it was written according as he commanded.

3 Nephi 23:9 - 13

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[1] "Not Cast Off Forever" – Imagery, Richard Dilworth Rust, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed August 27, 2012.

[2] The Missing Scripture, D. Lynn Johnson, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed August 27, 2012.