Alma reminded Helaman the commandments of God are strict. “Then
said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at
the strait [GR narrow] gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in,
and shall not be able” (Luke 13:23-24).
Helaman was reminded of the promise they would prosper in
the land if they kept the Lord’s commandments.
“Behold, do ye not remember the words which he spake unto
Lehi, saying that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper
in the land? And again it is said that:
Inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from the
presence of the Lord. Now I would that ye should remember, that inasmuch as the
Lamanites have not kept the commandments of God, they have been cut off from
the presence of the Lord. Now we see
that the word of the Lord has been verified in this thing, and the Lamanites
have been cut off from his presence, from the beginning of their transgressions
in the land” (Alma 9:13-14).
“And insomuch as the children of Lehi have kept his
commandments he hath blessed them and prospered them according to his word” (3
Nephi 5:22).
“Blessed art thou and thy children; and they shall be
blessed, inasmuch as they shall keep my commandments they shall prosper in the
land. But remember, inasmuch as they
will not keep my commandments they shall be cut off from the presence of the
Lord” (Alma 50:20).
Helaman has been entrusted with the sacred records. He must keep and preserve them for a wise purpose
in the Lord, that they may be available for future generations.[1]
Alma was moved by the Spirit to tell Helaman “that if ye transgress the
commandments of God, these things which are sacred shall be taken from
you.”
If he keeps the commandments, and properly cares for the
sacred records, no power on earth or in hell can take the records from him.[2]
The Lord will fulfil all the promises made He made to their
fathers. He would preserve these things
for a wise purpose for future generations. “Behold, verily I say unto you, I
have reserved those things which I have entrusted unto you, my servant Joseph,
for a wise purpose in me, and it shall be made known unto future generations” (D&C
5:9).
Acknowledging that preserving the
records may seem to some a “small and simple” thing, Alma emphasizes that doing
so is nevertheless crucial to ensure the righteousness of the people. To this
end, he witnesses to his son that the Nephite records “[did enlarge] the memory
of this people, yea, and convinced many of the error of their ways, and brought
them to a knowledge of their God unto the salvation of their souls” (Alma
37:8). He further declares that these complementary benefits of remembrance,
repentance, and knowledge unto salvation will eventually extend to other
peoples and to “future generations” (Alma 37:18) as long as the records are
properly preserved.[3]
The Lord has fulfilled one purpose with the records. Thousands of Lamanites were brought to a
knowledge of truth. “And thousands were
brought to the knowledge of the Lord, yea, thousands were brought to believe in
the traditions of the Nephites; and they were taught the records and prophecies
which were handed down even to the present time. 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 23:5-6).
The Lord will also show His power to future generations, so
the records must be preserved.
“And thus prophesied Joseph, saying: Behold, that seer will
the Lord bless; and they that seek to destroy him shall be confounded; for this
promise, which I have obtained of the Lord, of the fruit of my loins, shall be
fulfilled. Behold, I am sure of the
fulfilling of this promise; And his name shall be called after me; and it shall
be after the name of his father. And he
shall be like unto me; for the thing, which the Lord shall bring forth by his
hand, by the power of the Lord shall bring my people unto salvation” (2 Nephi 3:14-15).
“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).
“Therefore repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and
lay hold upon the gospel of Christ, which shall be set before you, not only in
this record but also in the record which shall come unto the Gentiles from the
Jews, which record shall come from the Gentiles unto you. For behold, this is written
for the intent that ye may believe that; and if dye believe that ye will believe this also; and if ye
believe this ye will know concerning your fathers, and also the marvelous works
which were wrought by the power of God among them. And ye will also know that
ye are a remnant of the seed of Jacob; therefore ye are numbered among the
people of the first covenant; and if it so be that ye believe in Christ, and
are baptized, first with water, then with fire and with the Holy Ghost,
following the example of our Savior, according to that which he hath commanded
us, it shall be well with you in the day of judgment. Amen” (Mormon 7:8-10).
Because of their importance, Alma commanded Helaman to be
diligent in keeping the records and keeping the commandments of God.
Alma the Younger teaches us one of
the things they did to become so successful: they used the records from which
the Book of Mormon was taken. When he gave the record that would eventually
become the Book of Mormon to his son Helaman, he taught that without these
plates, “Ammon and his brethren could not have convinced so many thousands …;
yea, these records and their words brought them unto repentance.”
God showed His power through the
plates by fulfilling one purpose, “even … the restoration of many thousands …
to the knowledge of the truth.” Alma then prophesied that God would “still show
forth his power in them unto future generations.” Thus, the
records were preserved, and you and I are part of those future generations.
Just as in the days of old, we can be more powerful priesthood holders by using
the Book of Mormon.[4]
[1] “Nevertheless,
I have received a commandment of the Lord that I should make these plates, for
the special purpose that there should be an account engraven of the ministry of
my people. Upon the other plates should be engraven an account of the reign of
the kings, and the wars and contentions of my people; wherefore these plates
are for the more part of the ministry; and the other plates are for the more
part of the reign of the kings and the wars and contentions of my people.
Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me to make these plates for a wise purpose
in him, which purpose I know not. But the Lord knoweth all things from the
beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the
children of men; for behold, he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his
words. And thus it is. Amen” (1 Nephi 9:3-6).
[2] “At
length the time arrived for obtaining the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the
breastplate. On the twenty-second day of
September, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven, having gone as usual at
the end of another year to the place where they were deposited, the same
heavenly messenger delivered them up to me with this charge: that I should be responsible
for them; that if I should let them go carelessly, or through any neglect of
mine, I should be cut off; but that if I would use all my endeavors to preserve
them, until he, the messenger, should call for them, they should be protected”
(JS-History 1:59).
[3] Memory
and Identity in the Book of Mormon, Steven L. Olsen, Journal of the Book of
Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 22/2 (2013): 50.
[4] Becoming
More Powerful Priesthood Holders, Elder Walter F. González, October 2009
General Conference.
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