Helaman 12:1-4

Mormon breaks into his account of Nephi₂ at this point. He has a purpose and message for us today.

A striking example of how Mormon integrates the complementary characteristics of prospering into his abridgment involves his extended editorial lament on the natural depravity of mankind (Helaman 12), which is inserted between his accounts of the largely frustrated ministries of Nephi, the son of Helaman (Helaman 5–11), and of Samuel the Lamanite (Helaman 13–15). In this brief but poignant commentary, Mormon identifies the conditions of prosperity—material abundance, wealth, adequate defense, peace, safety, welfare, happiness—that the Nephites have taken for granted or perverted, thus placing them in a position of spiritual and temporal jeopardy (Helaman 12:1–3). That Mormon mentions “prospering” three times in the enumeration of this list suggests that he intends his commentary to be understood in terms of the covenant of the promised land … The point here is that prosperity in the Book of Mormon is a unified concept, not a collection of disparate qualities. Mormon testifies that those who feel that they can selectively emphasize certain qualities and ignore others are not keeping the spirit of the covenant and cannot qualify for its blessings.^[1]

Chapter 12

Men are unstable and foolish and quick to do evil—The Lord chastens his people—The nothingness of men compared with the power of God—In the day of judgment men shall gain everlasting life or everlasting damnation. About 6 B.C.

we can see that the Lord in his great infinite goodness doth bless and ^aprosper those who put their ^btrust in him.

Through his infinite goodness, the Lord blesses and prospers those who trust Him. “And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper” (2 Chronicles 26:5).

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

“But his delight is in the law of the LORD [HEB teaching, direction, doctrine]; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

“And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper” (Psalms 1:1-3).

“How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.

“They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures” (Psalms 36:7-8).

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also has become my salvation” (2 Nephi 22:2).

“I say unto you, if ye have come to a knowledge of the goodness of God, and his matchless power, and his wisdom, and his patience, and his long-suffering towards the children of men; and also, the atonement which has been prepared from the foundation of the world, that thereby salvation might come to him that should put his trust in the Lord, and should be diligent in keeping his commandments, and continue in the faith even unto the end of his life, I mean the life of the mortal body” (Mosiah 4:6).

But, man will be false and unsteady in his faith in the Lord.

When the Lord blesses the people with prosperity, keeping them safe from their enemies, ensuring the welfare of His people, they turn against him and “trample under their feet the Holy One” (Helaman 12:2).

Earlier in his abridgment, Mormon would write, “Thus we see how quick the children of men do forget the Lord their God, yea, how quick to do iniquity, and to be led away by the evil one” (Alma 46:8).

David warned us, “Trust not in oppression [OR extortion], and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them” (Psalms 62:10).

“And now my beloved brethren, I say unto you, can ye withstand these sayings; yea, can ye lay aside these things, and trample the Holy One under your feet; yea, can ye be puffed up in the pride of your hearts; yea, will ye still persist in the wearing of costly apparel and setting your hearts upon the vain things of the world, upon your riches” (Alma 5:53).

“And it would be better for them if they had not been born. For do ye suppose that ye can get rid of the justice of an offended God, who hath been trampled under feet of men, that thereby salvation might come” (3 Nephi 28:35).

When the people who had been enjoying prosperity, the Lord will punish the people with death, terror, famine, and pestilence. This is what it takes for the wicked to return to obeying the Lord.

“And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through [IE as burnt sacrifices to Moloch] the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the LORD” (Ezekiel 20:26).

“Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith”

(Mosiah 23:21).

“Verily I say unto you, that I, the Lord, will chasten them and will do whatsoever I list, if they do not repent and observe all things whatsoever I have said unto them” (D&C 98:21).

“In the day of their peace they esteemed lightly my counsel; but, in the day of their trouble, of necessity they feel after me” (D&C 101:8).

“When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned [OR repented] and enquired [OR earnestly sought] early after God” (Psalms 78:34).

“[W]hile human beings are, as some Mormons are fond of repeating, “gods in embryo” in the sense that they are the spirit offspring of a divine being, the Book of Mormon teaches that humans are also devils in embryo in the sense that, without a savior, they would naturally devolve into diabolical, not divine, beings.’”[2]

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[1] Prospering in the Land of Promise, Steven L. Olsen, FARMS Review 22/1 (2010): 240-242.

[2] J. Frederick Voros, Jr. quoted in “Common-Sense” Meets the Book of Mormon: Source, Substance, and Prophetic Disruption, Terryl L. Givens, FARMS Review 20/1 (2008): 37.

Helaman 11:20-38

The famine caused the people to repent and keep the Lord’s commandments. They began to prosper in the land.

Over the next two years, the church spread throughout the land. Both Nephites and Lamanites belonged to the church. There was peace throughout the land.

Peace continued the next year. There were disagreements over points of doctrine.

After three years, the disagreements increased. Nephi and Lehi and other in the church knew the true points of doctrine. They received revelations daily. They resolved the disagreements and put an end to the problems.

After four years, we see the return of the Nephite dissenter. They had become a part of the Lamanites, considering themselves Lamanites. The dissenters were able to convince the Lamanites to begin a war with the Nephites.[1]

The designations Lamanite and Nephite are frequently used in the Book of Mormon more to signify one’s loyalty than one’s genealogy ... Nephite dissenters, for example, fell under the general category of “Lamanites” once they were thus allied, and no doubt other, non-Nephite populations, did so as well. And the same is true for groups that allied themselves with the Nephites; they took on the designation “Nephites” even though genetically unrelated to any in Lehi’s party; see, for example, John L. Sorenson, “When Lehi’s Party Arrived in the Land, Did They Find Others There?” JBMS 1/1 (1992): 1–34.[2]

They began to murder and plunder, they retreat back to their secret hiding places. Dissenters were added to their numbers daily.

After destroying the Gadianton robbers, it only took a few years before they returned. “[A]t one point, when the Gadianton robbers were under intense military pressure, they “concealed their secret plans in the earth” (Helaman 11:10). (The reference here is, quite plainly, to written materials, perhaps even to secret books.) Unfortunately, only a few years later, when they had regained their strength and self-confidence, ‘they did search out all the secret plans of Gadianton’ once again (Helaman 11:26).”[3]

The robbers caused chaos and destruction among both the Nephites and Lamanites.  It was decided they must be defeated.  An army was sent to find them and destroy them.

They were unsuccessful in their efforts and driven back to their lands.  They again went against the robbers.  While destroying many, they suffered severe losses.

They again had to retreat from the wilderness and the mountains.[4]  The robbers had far more people to fight than did the Nephites. 

The robbers continued to gain strength.  They were able to defeat whole armies of both the Nephites and Lamanites.  They spread fear and terror throughout the land.  They continued to raid throughout the land, bring destruction wherever they went.  The killed man and took women and children as prisoners.

Defeat, once again, caused the people to realize this was happening because of their wickedness.  This caused them to remember the Lord.  It was as though the Lord told them, “I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early” (Hosea 5:15).

Here, we see a form of progression parallelism.

And in the eighty and second year

they began again to forget the Lord their God.[5]

And in the eighty and third year

they began to wax strong in iniquity.

And in the eighty and fourth year

they did not mend their ways.

And it came to pass in the eighty and fifth year

they did wax stronger and stronger in their pride, and in their wickedness.

(Helaman 11:36–37)

The odd lines (lines one, three, five, and seven) are parallel with the identification of the subsequent years of the reign of the judges: eighty and second year, eighty and third year, and continuing to the eighty and fifth year. The even lines (lines two, four, six, and eight) are parallel with a listing of iniquities: forgetting God, waxing strong in iniquity, failing to repent, and being prideful and wicked.

In a single passage of scripture, a view of the deteriorating condition of the Nephite nation is portrayed with parallel lines that also set forth a progression of the sense. With each succeeding year, the people become more and more wicked, moving from simple forgetfulness to becoming iniquitous, to refusing to repent to becoming more and more prideful and wicked. By creating progression parallelism the writer set forth an important truth in a dramatic way.[6]

“And thus we see that they were in an awful state, and ripening for an everlasting destruction” (Helaman 6:40).

“And thus ended the eighty and fifth year” (Helaman 11:38).

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[1] Around 25 years earlier, dissenters had unsuccessfully tried to convince the Lamanites to go to war against the Nephites. “And it came to pass that they did endeavor to stir up the Lamanites to war against the Nephites; but behold, the Lamanites were exceedingly afraid, insomuch that they would not hearken to the words of those dissenters” (Helaman 4:3).

[2] Were the Ammonites Pacifists? Duane Boyce, Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 18/1 (2009): Footnote 4, pg. 45.

[3] Exploratory Notes on the Futuwwa and Its Several Incarnations, Daniel C. Peterson, pg. 305.

[4] “And it came to pass that the ninety and third year did also pass away in peace, save it were for the Gadianton robbers, who dwelt upon the mountains, who did infest the land; for so strong were their holds and their secret places that the people could not overpower them; therefore they did commit many murders, and did do much slaughter among the people” (3 Nephi 1:27).

[5] “And now I say unto you that it was expedient that there should be a law given to the children of Israel, yea, even a very strict law; for they were a stiffnecked people, quick to do iniquity, and slow to remember the Lord their God;” (Mosiah 13:29).

[6] Poetic Parallelisms in the Book of Mormon, Donald W. Parry, The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship Brigham Young University, pg. xxix.

Easter Sunday

Today, we celebrate the end of Christ’s mission. He had suffered in Gethsemane, taking our sins upon Himself. He was arrested, given a mock trial, and found guilty. He was sentenced to death for His supposed offenses.

He had faced temptation like no one else. The devil threw everything at Him, hoping He would sin and fail. He resisted temptation and did not sin.

He suffered in Gethsemane. He did not want to go through this suffering. He prayed, “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). He suffered so much, “blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people” (Mosiah 3:7).

He was nailed to a cross. He was placed where He could be seen by all who passed by. Crucifixion was a humiliating and excruciatingly painful form of death. He was mocked by many. In His last moments, He was alone. He had to be alone. God had withdrawn to the farthest part of Heaven because of His suffering. He cried, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).

He had the power to save Himself. But, He had to willingly sacrifice His life. He was the Lamb without flaw.

Then, the time had arrived. He knew he had succeed. He cried, “[i]t is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30). He had won. He defeated sin and we could now repent and return to our Father’s presence.

One more thing had to be done. He had to conquer death. He was placed in a borrowed grave. A stone was placed in front of the tomb to prevent His disciples from stealing His body. He remained there for three days.

On the third day, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb. The stone had been moved and the tomb was empty. She saw two angels. She asked where they had placed the Savior’s body. She received the most profound and triumphant words ever spoken. “He is not here: for he is risen, as he said” (Matthew 28:6).

She walked away. “[s]he turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master” (John 20:14-16).

Sin had been conquered. Now, death lost its sting. Though we die, we will once again live through Christ’s resurrection.

Today we celebrate Christ’s completion of His mission in life. We look to Christ as our Savior, our Redeemer for salvation.

And all this was done for us.

Helaman 11:1-19

Chapter 11

Nephi persuades the Lord to replace their war with a famine—Many people perish—They repent, and Nephi importunes the Lord for rain—Nephi and Lehi receive many revelations—The Gadianton robbers entrench themselves in the land. About 20–6 B.C.

Contentions among the people continued. Civil wars broke out among the Nephites. The Gadianton robbers were responsible for this conflict.

Seeing this, Nephi cried to the Lord.

He pleaded with the Lord, asking him not to destroy the Nephites by war. He asked the Lord send a famine into the land. He hoped this would cause the people to repent and turn to the Lord.[1]

“Researchers have indeed found evidence for changes in climate; drought afflicted parts of the area beginning as early as the first century B.C. and grew worse until A.D. 300–400 before starting to reverse itself around A.D. 500. Perhaps the severe drought recorded in Helaman 11:4–13 and the deforestation of the land northward emphasized in Helaman 3 were precursors in the Nephite record of the advent of this era of climatic stress.”[2]

The Lord, having promised Nephi he would fulfill his every request, send a famine among the Nephites. Civil wars ceased. It was a major famine.

Three years later, the famine continued. There was no rain and the crops planted by the people did not grow. Not only did the Nephites suffer, the Lamanites also experienced the drought. Thousands did in the wicked parts of the land.

The Lord used famines in Biblical times. For example, Elijah asked the Lord for a famine.

“AND Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word” (1 Kings 17:1).

James would write about this famine. “Elias [Greek for Elijah] was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it ^brained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months” (James 5:17).

Isaiah wrote about famines. “Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst” (Isaiah 50:2).

As the people saw the death and suffering they remember Nephi’s words. They began to turn to God. They begin to ask their leaders to go to Nephi. Acknowledge he was a man of God. Ask him to end the famine lest they be destroyed.

The Nephite leaders did as the people asked. They went to Nephi, telling him the people had repented of their sins and humbled themselves before the Lord. They asked him to pray to the Lord that the famine would end.

Nephi agreed. He went before the Lord in prayer. He told him the people had repented. They had gotten rid of the Gadianton robbers. They have buried their secrets in the earth.

He asked the Lord to turn away His anger as the people had repented. They had destroyed the wicked men. He asked Him to let His anger be appeased by their actions.

Nephi asked the Lord to listen to his prayer, that the famine end because of his words.  He asked that He send rain to the land.  Let the crops grow and the famine end.  The Lord listened to his request for a famine to end the wars.  He is sure the Lord will end the famine.  The people had repented and the Lord said he would spare the people if they did this.

“Yea, O Lord, and thou seest that they have repented, because of the famine and the pestilence and destruction which has come unto them” (Helaman 11:15).

After nearly four years of famine, the Lord caused rain to fall upon the earth.  Crops grew and trees bore fruit.  The people rejoice and thanked the Lord for ending the famine.  Nephi was esteemed as a prophet and a man of God, having received great power from Him. 

Mormon then mentions Nephi’s brother, Lehi, who had not been mentioned much in the book of Helaman at this point.  “Lehi, his brother, was not a whit behind him as to things pertaining to righteousness” (Helaman 11:19).

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[1] This is occurring around 20 B.C.

[2] Last-Ditch Warfare in Ancient Mesoamerica Recalls the Book of Mormon, John L. Sorenson, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 9/2 (2000): 50.

Helaman 10:11-19

The Lord had promised Nephi anything he desired to happen would happen. If he asked the Lord for a famine, He would send a famine. The Lord gave him this power because he knew he would not abuse it.

After receiving this promise from the Lord, he stopped heading towards his home. He returned and began preaching to the people scattered throughout the land. He declared the word of the Lord, warning the Nephites to repent or be destroyed.

Nephi found those hearing his words would not listen to them. His previous miracle, finding the assassin of the chief judge, was ignored by the people. Nephi experienced what the Savior experienced during his ministry.

“But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.

“And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.

“And he marvelled because of their unbelief [OR lack of faith]. And he went round about the villages, teaching” (Mark 6:4-6).

Even though the people rejected his words, he continued to warn them to repent or they would be destroyed. He continued preaching a message he had in the past. “For behold, they are more righteous than you, for they have not sinned against that great knowledge which ye have received; therefore the Lord will be merciful unto them; yea, he will lengthen out their days and increase their seed, even when thou shalt be utterly destroyed except thou shalt repent” (Helaman 7:24).

The people reject Nephi’s words. They scorned and censured him, and they attempted to throw him into prison.

The scriptures are full of examples of the wicked reviling the righteous. “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake [GR on account of me]” (Matthew 5:11).

“Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously” (1 Peter 2:23).

“O, my beloved brethren, give ear to my words. Remember the greatness of the Holy One of Israel. Do not say that I have spoken hard things against you; for if ye do, ye will revile against the truth; for I have spoken the words of your Maker. I know that the words of truth are ^chard against all uncleanness; but the righteous fear them not, for they love the truth and are not shaken” (2 Nephi 9:40).

“Wo unto them that turn aside the just for a thing of naught and revile against that which is good, and say that it is of no worth! For the day shall come that the Lord God will speedily visit the inhabitants of the earth; and in that day that they are fully ripe in iniquity they shall perish” (2 Nephi 28:16).

The power of God was with Nephi and the wicked could not cast him into prison.  Like Philip, Nephi was conveyed away from them by the Spirit.

“And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

“But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Cæsarea” (Acts 8:39-40).

Nephi continued preaching to the people (“he did go forth in the Spirit” Helaman 10:17).  He eventually declared the word “among all the people” (Helaman 10:17).

Nephi’s words were rejected by the people.  The people became divided against each other, and civil war broke out, with Nephite killing Nephite with their swords.

Helaman 10:1-10

Chapter 10

The Lord gives Nephi the sealing power—He is empowered to bind and loose on earth and in heaven—He commands the people to repent or perish—The Spirit carries him from congregation to congregation. About 21–20 B.C.

After finding the assassin of the chief judge, the people became divided over Nephi. Eventually they left, leaving Nephi alone. Nephi left and went home. All the while, he was pondering the things the Lord showed him. He was following the words of David. “Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation” (Psalms 5:1). “I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings” (Psalms 77:12). “I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways” (Psalms 119:15). “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands” (Psalms 143:5).

The Lord has told us, “But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right” (D&C 9:8).

Joseph Smith and Sydney Rigdon received Section 76 after pondering on the Lord’s words. “And while we meditated upon these things, the Lord touched the eyes of our understandings and they were opened, and the glory of the Lord shone round about” (D&C 76:19).

Elder Richard G. Scott combines scripture and narration masterfully in a text about Nephi, son of Helaman. The flow from quotation to commentary is so natural and smooth that the reader is absorbed into the thought processes Elder Scott wishes to stimulate: “‘And it came to pass that Nephi went his way towards his own house, pondering upon the things which the Lord had shown unto him’ (Helaman 10:2). As is characteristically the case, that pondering opened a channel of communication that brought additional understanding and truth to Nephi.”[1]

Nephi was pondering about the Nephites. He was saddened by their wickedness. He knew about their secret works, murders, and all manner of iniquities. He was in need of the Lord’s inspiration.

“Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day” (Psalms 25:5).

“And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make [HEB strengthen] fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not” (Isaiah 58:11).

“And now the spirit of [Alma₁] was again troubled; and he went and inquired of the Lord what he should do concerning this matter, for he feared that he should do wrong in the sight of God” (Mosiah 26:13).

While thus pondering, a voice came to him.

“Blessed[2] art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will,[3] and to keep my commandments.

“And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all[4] things shall be done unto thee according to thy word,[5] for thou shalt not[6] ask that which is contrary to my will.

“Behold, thou art Nephi, and I am God. Behold, I declare it unto thee in the presence of mine angels, that ye shall have power over this people, and shall smite the earth with famine, and with pestilence, and destruction, according to the wickedness of this people.

“Behold, I give unto you power, that whatsoever ye shall seal[7] on earth shall be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven; and thus shall ye have power among this people.

“And behold, if ye shall say that God shall smite this people, it shall come to pass” (Helaman 10:4-10).

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[1] Review of Heroes from the Book of Mormon (1995), by Deseret Book, Cristie B. Gardner, FARMS Review of Books 9/1 (1997): 12

[2] “And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome” (Acts 23:11).

[3] “And again, be patient in tribulation until I come; and, behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, and they who have sought me early shall find rest to their souls” (D&C 54:10).

[4] “And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you” (3 Nephi 18:20).

“Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

“Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you;

“And if ye ask anything that is not expedient for you, it shall turn unto your condemnation” (D&C 88:63-65).

[5] “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” (Enos 1:12).

[6] “Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh.  Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness.  Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God” (2 Nephi 4:35).

[7] “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19).

Helaman 9:21-41

After being accused of being part of a conspiracy to assassinate the chief-judge, Nephi responded.

He begins by calling them fools. “I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn” (Psalms 75:4).

“And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people” (Luke 24:19).

“Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye” (Acts 7:51).

He calls them “uncircumcised of heart” (verse 21). What does this mean?

“Being ‘uncircumcised of heart’ (2 Nephi 9:33). In ancient Israel, a man who was uncircumcised was breaking a covenant with God (Genesis 17:11, 14). With this understanding, what does it mean to be ‘uncircumcised of heart’? Lying and committing murders and whoredoms (2 Nephi 9:34–36).”[1]

They are a blind and stiffnecked people. How long do they think the Lord will tolerate their sins? They should mourn because of the destruction that waits them because of their sins. “And your tires shall be upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet: ye shall not mourn nor weep; but ye shall pine away for your iniquities, and mourn one toward another” (Ezekiel 24:23).

“Yea, I say unto you, great are the reasons which we have to mourn; for behold how many of our brethren have been slain, and their blood has been spilt in vain, and all because of iniquity” (Mosiah 7:24).

You claim, Nephi continued, I agreed with someone he should murder the chief judge. He testified to what had happened as a witness he knew of their wickedness and abominations.

They were angry with Nephi because he gave them a sign and want him dead. Well, he said, I will give you another sign. Let’s see if you will still want me dead. “Signs appear only rarely in the narrative action of the Book of Mormon, and when they do occur they are generally punitive, given to demonstrate the falsity of an anti-Christ (Jacob 7:14–15; Alma 30:43–50) or to convict an unbelieving audience of a prophet’s credentials (Helaman 9:24–25).”[2]

Go to the house of Seantum, Seezoram’s brother. Ask him, has Nephi, who claims to be a prophet, has told us you are your brother’s assassin.

He will deny it. Ask him directly if he assassinated his brother.

He won’t know how to answer the question. Eventually, he will pretend to be surprised at the question and declare his innocence.

Next, demand to inspect his clothing. You will find blood on his cloak.

Ask him how it got there. He will go pale, like death had come over him.

Based on his reaction, tell him you know he’s guilty. He will eventually confess to the assassination. He will also tell you not only did I have nothing to do with the assassination, the only way he could know is through the power of God.

They followed Nephi’s instructions. Everything he said would happen happened.

After the confession, Nephi, as well as the five who were sent to verify Nephi’s prophecy, were set free.

Other claimed Nephi was a god. That is the only way he could know all things. We know the source of Nephi’s knowledge – the Lord. “Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart” (Psalms 44:21).

“The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3).

“O how great the holiness of our God! For he knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it” (2 Nephi 9:20).

“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.” (1 Nephi 9:6).

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[1] Book of Mormon: Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual, (1999), 33–36.

[2] Temporality and Fulfillment in 3 Nephi 1, Kimberly M. Berkey, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 24 (2015): 71.

Helaman 9:1-20

Chapter 9

Messengers find the chief judge dead at the judgment seat—They are imprisoned and later released—By inspiration Nephi identifies Seantum as the murderer—Nephi is accepted by some as a prophet. About 23–21 B.C.

After Nephi had told the mob about the assassination of the chief judge by his brother, five were sent to discover what happened.

As the five went to see what had occurred, they discussed the situation. They didn’t believe Nephi was a prophet, yet, if they found the chief judge dead, they would believe all his words.

Remember, Nephi had told them, “Yea, behold it is now even at your doors; yea, go ye in unto the judgment–seat, and search; and behold, your judge is murdered, and he lieth in his blood; and he hath been murdered by his brother, who seeketh to sit in the judgment–seat” (Helaman 8:27).

When they arrived, they found the chief judge dead, lying in his blood. They were amazed. They fell to the earth because they didn’t believe his prophecy.

They now believed Nephi and his prophecy, seeing the dead chief judge. This brings to mind the Savior’s response to Thomas, who believed Christ had been resurrected only after he saw him and touched him. “Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:29).

The chief judge had been assassinated by his brother. When his servants saw what had happened, they ran and told the people, telling them the fate of the chief judge. When the people arrived, they saw the five men whom had been sent to see if the chief judge was dead.

They came to an expected conclusion. The five were responsible for assassinating the chief judge. They proclaimed God had smitten them so they could not flee. Unfortunately for the five, the people did not know they had been sent by the mob[1] at Nephi’s garden.

The five were bound and thrown into prison. A proclamation was sent forth throughout the land the chief judge had been assassinated and those responsible were in prison. The next day, the people assembled to fast and mourn when the chief judge was buried.

Those at Nephi’s garden heard about the assassination of the chief judge and left. They also attended the burial of the chief judge.

Now, those who were at Nephi’s garden started to ask about the five sent to see if the chief judge was dead. They knew nothing about the five, but they had caught and jailed the five responsible for the assassination.

The judges had the five brought before them. When they were brought before the judges, they were asked to tell their side of the story.

They told their story. They had been a part of the mob at Nephi’s garden. They were sent to verify if the chief judge was alive or dead. When they saw him dead, they were so amazed, they fell to the earth. When they recovered, they were thrown into prison.

They told the judges they had no idea who had assassinated the judge. They were there at the request of the mob and found him dead. They had verified the truth of Nephi’s words.

The judges considered to matter and concluded Nephi had been a part of the plot to assassinate the chief judge. After he knew he was dead, he pretended to “prophesy” the chief judge was dead. This was done to convert the people and have they accept him as a prophet. They decided to question Nephi, confident he would confess to his part in the assassination and tell the judges who was the assassin.

The five were set free.  But, they rebuked the judges.  They contended with them, and confounded them. Even so, they had Nephi bound and brought before a mob, questioning him, hoping he would be forced to confess.  They desired to put him to death.

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[1] “And it came to pass that there were certain men passing by and saw Nephi as he was pouring out his soul unto God upon the tower; and they ran and told the people what they had seen, and the people came together in multitudes that they might know the cause of so great mourning for the wickedness of the people” (Helaman 7:11).

Helaman 8:17-28

Nephi continues prophesying about Christ. Abraham, Nephi told them, saw Christ’s coming and rejoices. “Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad” (John 8:53, 56)

Many who saw these thing came before Abraham. They were called after the order of God. “But Melchizedek having exercised mighty faith, and received the office of the high priesthood according to the holy order of God, did preach repentance unto his people. And behold, they did repent; and Melchizedek did establish peace in the land in his days; therefore he was called the prince of peace, for he was the king of Salem; and he did reign under his father. “Now, there were many before him, and also there were many afterwards, but none were greater; therefore, of him they have more particularly made mention” (Alma 13:18-19).

Since the days of Abraham, many prophets prophesied concerning the coming of Christ. He refers to a prophet found on the brass plates, Zenos. He was killed for his prophesies concerning Christ. Amulek has also referred to the prophet Zenos, as well as Zenock. “My brother [Alma₂] has called upon the words of Zenos, that redemption cometh through the Son of God, and also upon the words of Zenock; and also he has appealed unto Moses, to prove that these things are true” (Alma 34:7).

Nephi explained the prophets Zenock[1], Ezias[2], Isaiah[3], and Jeremiah[4] prophesied concerning the coming of Christ.

“Nephi and his brothers referred to Jerusalem as ‘that great city’ (1 Nephi 2:13). Their opposing views about it became a point of contention that tore Lehi’s family in two, and their memories of it influenced the cultural perspective of their descendants in the New World for dozens of generations … Among the Nephites it exemplified the dire consequences of unbelief (Helaman 8:20).”[5]

Nephi challenges them to dispute Jerusalem was destroyed. Will they deny all the sons of Zedekiah were killed^[6], except Mulek^[7]?

“Since the Hebrew long-form name Berekhyahu could apparently be expressed in a hypocoristic (short form) version like Barukh, Smith reasoned that perhaps the long form Malkiyahu could have a short form like Mulek. In that event, the ‘Malkiyahu son of the king’ in Jeremiah 38:6 could well have been the Book of Mormon’s Mulek, son of King Zedekiah (see Helaman 8:21).”[8] (Note – the entire article is well worth reading).

Nephi informs us Lehi was driven from Jerusalem for testifying of Christ. “No doubt Lehi’s testimony of their wickedness antagonized the Jews and contributed to his exile, but according to Nephi the son of Helaman, Lehi was driven out of Jerusalem specifically because he testified of the ‘coming of Christ’ (Helaman 8:22).”[9]

Nephi₁ also testified of Christ. Throughout Nephite history, many have prophesied concerning the coming of Christ.

Christ is God. He was with them and manifested himself to them. They were redeemed by Christ and gave him the glory because of his coming mission.

Nephi made it clear that, with the knowledge of these things, they deny Christ, they are lying. They have sinned and rejected truth in spite of the evidences they have received. “Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets” (2 Kings 17:13).

They had received all things, both in heaven and earth as a witness these things are true. “And [the angel] also spake concerning the prophets, how great a number had testified of these things, concerning this Messiah, of whom he had spoken, or this Redeemer of the world” (1 Nephi 10:5).

“But Alma said unto him: Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator” (Alma 30:44).

They have rejected truth and rebelled against God. “Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee” (Psalms 5:10).

“And now, I say unto you, my brethren, that after ye have known and have been taught all these things, if ye should transgress and go contrary to that which has been spoken, that ye do withdraw yourselves from the Spirit of the Lord, that it may have no place in you to guide you in wisdom's paths that ye may be blessed, prospered, and preserved—

“I say unto you, that the man that doeth this, the same cometh out in open rebellion against God; therefore he listeth to obey the evil spirit, and becometh an enemy to all righteousness; therefore, the Lord has no place in him, for he dwelleth not in unholy temples.

“Therefore if that man repenteth not, and remaineth and dieth an enemy to God, the demands of divine justice do awaken his immortal soul to a lively sense of his own guilt, which doth cause him to shrink from the presence of the Lord, and doth fill his breast with guilt, and pain, and anguish, which is like an unquenchable fire, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever” (Mosiah 2:36-38).

They should have been laying up treasures in heaven. “And now my sons, behold I have somewhat more to desire of you, which desire is, that ye may not do these things that ye may boast, but that ye may do these things to lay up for yourselves a treasure in heaven, yea, which is eternal, and which fadeth not away; yea, that ye may have that precious gift of eternal life, which we have reason to suppose hath been given to our fathers” (Helaman 5:8).

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal;

“But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (3 Nephi 13:19-21).

Instead, they are facing wrath on judgement day. “Wo unto all those that discomfort my people, and drive, and murder, and testify against them, saith the Lord of Hosts; a generation of vipers shall not escape the damnation of hell.

“Behold, mine eyes see and know all their works, and I have in reserve a swift judgment in the season thereof, for them all;

“For there is a time appointed for every man, according as his works shall be” (D&C 121:23-25).

Because of their murders and sexual sins as well as wickedness they are ripening for destruction. If they fail to repent, their destruction will soon come.

Nephi informs them their destruction is at their doors. He told them to go to the judgement-seat. They will find the chief judge had been murdered. The murderer was his brother. He wanted to sit in the judgement seat.

They both belong to their secret band, the Gadianton robbers. Their true leader was the devil, who wants to destroy the souls of man.

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[1] And the God of our fathers, who were led out of Egypt, out of bondage, and also were preserved in the wilderness by him, yea, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, yieldeth himself, according to the words of the angel, as a man, into the hands of wicked men, to be lifted up, according to the words of Zenock, and to be crucified, according to the words of Neum, and to be buried in a sepulchre, according to the words of Zenos, which he spake concerning the three days of darkness, which should be a sign given of his death unto those who should inhabit the isles of the sea, more especially given unto those who are of the house of Israel (1 Nephi 19:10).

[2] Ezias is a prophet not mentioned in the Old Testament. He falls into the category of “lost scripture.”

[3] See Isaiah 53.

[4] For behold, the Spirit of the Lord ceaseth soon to strive with them; for behold, they have rejected the prophets, and Jeremiah have they cast into prison. And they have sought to take away the life of my father, insomuch that they have driven him out of the land (1 Nephi 7:14).

[5] Insights: A Window on the Ancient World, Volume 23 – 2003, pg. 1.

[6] “Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah” (Jeremiah 39:6).

[7] “Behold, it came to pass that [Mosiah₁] discovered that the people of Zarahemla came out from Jerusalem at the time that Zedekiah, king of Judah, was carried away captive into Babylon” (Omni 1:15).

[8] Has the Seal of Mulek Been Found?, Jeffrey R. Chadwick, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 12/2 (2003): 74.

[9] Painting Out the Messiah: The Theologies of Dissidents, John L. Clark, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 11/1 (2002):19.

Helaman 8:11-16

The group of robbers had been demanding the mob take hold of Nephi. It turns out, many in the multitude were listening to his words. They gave up their attempt to take Nephi.

Nephi continued to speak.

Nephi continues, using Moses as an example.

Through the power of God, Moses was able to part the Red Sea. “But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea” (Exodus 14:16).

“And thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps, as a stone into the mighty waters” (Nehemiah 9:11).

“Now ye know that Moses was commanded of the Lord to do that great work; and ye know that by his word the waters of the Red Sea were divided hither and thither, and they passed through on dry ground” (1 Nephi 17:26).

“Therefore, lift up your heads, and rejoice, and put your trust in God, in that God who was the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob; and also, that God who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, and caused that they should walk through the Red Sea on dry ground, and fed them with manna that they might not perish in the wilderness; and many more things did he do for them” (Mosiah 7:19).

“Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.

“Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation; behold, this is the spirit by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground” (D&C 8:2-3).

“And calling upon the name of God, he beheld his glory again, for it was upon him; and he heard a voice, saying: Blessed art thou, Moses, for I, the Almighty, have chosen thee, and thou shalt be made stronger than many waters; for they shall obey thy command as if thou wert God” (Moses 1:25).

The Israelites were able to pass upon dry ground. The Egyptians were swallowed up in the waters when they closed.

There is a deviation from the original printer’s manuscript. “In the printer’s manuscript for Helaman 8:11, the text reads ‘God gave power unto one man even report Moses to smite upon the waters of the Red Sea and they departed hither and thither.’ The 1830 typesetter thought departed must be an error, so he replaced it with the expected parted. Yet the [Oxford English Dictionary] explains that the verb depart once had the now obsolete meaning of ‘to put asunder, sunder, separate, part’ (see definitions 3a–3d), with citations from 1297 through 1677.^[1]

If God gave Moses this power, Nephi asks, why should you dispute, among yourselves, whether or not God gave me this power? Why should you question your need to repent?[2]

The reality is the wicked are not only denying Nephi’s words, but they are denying the words spoken by previous prophets.

Moses did bear record the Son of God should come. He refers to Moses lifting up a brazen serpent.

And the LORD sent fiery [OR poisonous] serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.

 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived (Numbers 21:6-9).

Nephi₁ would write:

And now, my brethren, I have spoken plainly that ye cannot err. And as the Lord God liveth that brought Israel up out of the land of Egypt, and gave unto Moses power that he should heal the nations after they had been bitten by the poisonous serpents, if they would cast their eyes unto the serpent which he did raise up before them, and also gave him power that he should smite the rock and the water should come forth; yea, behold I say unto you, that as these things are true, and as the Lord God liveth, there is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ, of which I have spoken, whereby man can be saved” (2 Nephi 25:20).

15 And as many as should look upon that serpent should ^alive, even so as many as should look upon the Son of God with faith, having a contrite spirit, might ^blive, even unto that life which is eternal.

Those who were bit by the serpents could be healed if they would look upon the brazen serpent. “And he did straiten them in the wilderness with his rod; for they hardened their hearts, even as ye have; and the Lord straitened them because of their iniquity. He sent fiery flying serpents among them; and after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished” (1 Nephi 17:41).

So, we should look to Christ, having a contrite spirit. We will receive eternal life. 

It is clear that the righteous peoples of the Book of Mormon understood the symbol of the serpent in much the same way that many of their Old Testament forebears did. However, it is monumentally significant that these American Israelites also knew, even from the earliest periods of their own history, that the ultimate meaning behind the symbol of the serpent was the Lord Jesus Christ and his saving and life-giving power. They understood the true intent of the symbol some 600 years before the Messiah himself appeared in mortality to articulate the message of the serpent’s being raised up in Moses’ day.

Later on, another prophet named Nephi (son of Helaman) also made reference to the image of the serpent lifted up in the wilderness by Moses and its clearly intended association with the Son of God, the Messiah, the giver of eternal life. In fact, it seems fair to say that Nephi, son of Helaman, described even more clearly than Nephi, son of Lehi, the messianic implications and significance of the brazen serpent symbol.[3]

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[1] Insights: A Window on the Ancient World, Volume 25, 2005, pg. 4.

[2] “And except ye repent ye shall perish; yea, even your lands shall be taken from you, and ye shall be destroyed from off the face of the earth.

“Behold now, I do not say that these things shall be, of myself, because it is not of myself that I know these things; but behold, I know that these things are true because the Lord God has made them known unto me, therefore I testify that they shall be” (Helaman 7:28-29).

[3] Serpent Symbols and Salvation in the Ancient Near East and the Book of Mormon, Andrew C. Skinner, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 10/2 (2001): 52.