Helaman 15:7-17

⁷ And behold, ye do know of yourselves, for ye have witnessed it, that as many of them as are brought to the knowledge of the truth, and to know of the wicked and abominable traditions of their fathers, and are led to believe the holy scriptures, yea, the prophecies of the holy prophets, which are written, which leadeth them to faith on the Lord, and unto repentance, which faith and repentance bringeth a change of heart unto them—⁸ Therefore, as many as have come to this, ye know of yourselves are firm and steadfast in the faith, and in the thing wherewith they have been made free. ⁹ And ye know also that they have buried their weapons of war, and they fear to take them up lest by any means they should sin; yea, ye can see that they fear to sin—for behold they will suffer themselves that they be trodden down and slain by their enemies, and will not lift their swords against them, and this because of their faith in Christ.

Helaman 15:7 – 9 (Emphasis mine)

Samuel tells the Nephites that many Lamanites are brought to the knowledge of the truth.  They learn the traditions of their fathers led them away.  They accept the scriptures, the prophets, and their prophecies.

Richard Rust writes:

Conversely, the fathers of the Lamanites, Laman and Lemuel, began false traditions, saying Nephi was a liar and a robber (Alma 20:13). For the converted Lamanites, the Nephite fathers become their fathers as they accept the gospel through the Nephites. Thus Samuel the Lamanite says that those Lamanites who "know of the wicked and abominable traditions of their fathers, and are led to believe the holy scriptures … have been made free" (Helaman 15:7–8). The time shall come, he continues, "which hath been spoken of by our fathers [meaning the Nephite prophets whom Samuel adopted as his fathers] … concerning the restoration of our brethren, the Lamanites, again to the knowledge of the truth" (Helaman 15:11).[1]

Those who have come to a knowledge of the truth, and are steadfast in the truth are free.  Mormon wrote about the Lamanites converted by Ammon and his brethren, “And as sure as the Lord liveth, so sure as many as believed, or as many as were brought to the knowledge of the truth, through the preaching of Ammon and his brethren, according to the spirit of revelation and of prophecy, and the power of God working miracles in them—yea, I say unto you, as the Lord liveth, as many of the Lamanites as believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away” (Alma 23:6).

¹⁰ And now, because of their steadfastness when they do believe in that thing which they do believe, for because of their firmness when they are once enlightened, behold, the Lord shall bless them and prolong their days, notwithstanding their iniquity—¹¹ Yea, even if they should dwindle in unbelief the Lord shall prolong their days, until the time shall come which hath been spoken of by our fathers, and also by the prophet Zenos, and many other prophets, concerning the restoration of our brethren, the Lamanites, again to the knowledge of the truth—

¹² Yea, I say unto you, that in the latter times the promises of the Lord have been extended to our brethren, the Lamanites; and notwithstanding the many afflictions which they shall have, and notwithstanding they shall be driven to and fro upon the face of the earth, and be hunted, and shall be smitten and scattered abroad, having no place for refuge, the Lord shall be merciful unto them. ¹³ And this is according to the prophecy, that they shall again be brought to the true knowledge, which is the knowledge of their Redeemer, and their great and true shepherd, and be numbered among his sheep. ¹⁴ Therefore I say unto you, it shall be better for them than for you except ye repent.

Helaman 15:10 – 14 (Emphasis mine)

The Lord will bless and prolong the days of the Lamanites because of the firmness if obeying the commandments of the Lord.  These promises will also be extended to the Lamanites “in the later times” (v. 12).  This is because of the promises the Lord has made.  This was a great desire of Enos’s heart when he prayed to the Lord.  “And it came to pass that after I had prayed and labored with all diligence, the Lord said unto me: I will grant unto thee according to thy desires, because of thy faith.  And now behold, this was the desire which I desired of him—that if it should so be, that my people, the Nephites, should fall into transgression, and by any means be destroyed, and the Lamanites should not be destroyed, that the Lord God would preserve a record of my people, the Nephites; even if it so be by the power of his holy arm, that it might be brought forth at some future day unto the Lamanites, that, perhaps, they might be brought unto salvation—“ (Enos 1:12 - 13).

¹⁵ For behold, had the mighty works been shown unto them which have been shown unto you, yea, unto them who have dwindled in unbelief because of the traditions of their fathers, ye can see of yourselves that they never would again have dwindled in unbelief. ¹⁶ Therefore, saith the Lord: I will not utterly destroy them, but I will cause that in the day of my wisdom they shall return again unto me, saith the Lord. ¹⁷ And now behold, saith the Lord, concerning the people of the Nephites: If they will not repent, and observe to do my will, I will utterly destroy them, saith the Lord, because of their unbelief notwithstanding the many mighty works which I have done among them; and as surely as the Lord liveth shall these things be, saith the Lord.

Helaman 15:15 – 17 (Emphasis mine)

Had the Lamanites had all the mighty works shown to them that had been shown to the Nephites, they would have never again doubted, in spite of the traditions of their fathers.  The Lord will not destroy them, because they will eventually return to Him.

The Nephites, on the other hand, will be destroyed if they do not repent.  They have received the Lord’s might works, yet they still turn against Him.  They must repent.

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[1] "Their Fathers" - Letters and Autobiography, Richard Dilworth Rust, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed September 6, 2012.