The prophecy of
Samuel, the Lamanite, to the Nephites.
Comprising chapters 13
to 15 inclusive.
Chapter 13
Samuel the Lamanite
prophesies the destruction of the Nephites unless they repent—They and their
riches are cursed—They reject and stone the prophets, are encircled about by
demons, and seek for happiness in doing iniquity. About 6 B.C.
After his commentary in chapter 12, Mormon returns to his
abridgement of the records. He begins by introducing a new person, a Lamanite
named Samuel. We know nothing about him. He suddenly appears in the record and
disappears as quickly.
“[W]hy, although he is clearly one of the greatest of the
Lehite prophets, do we know nothing about the life of Samuel the Lamanite
before he comes to the Nephite city of Zarahemla? Probably for the same reason
that we know nothing about him after he leaps from the city wall and returns to
prophesy among his own people: the Book of Mormon is a Nephite lineage history.
Samuel almost certainly preached and prophesied before he stood on that Nephite
wall and almost certainly continued to preach and prophesy thereafter, but the
Book of Mormon is interested in him only insofar as he impinges upon the
Nephites.”[1]
The Nephites continued in their wickedness. The Lamanites,
on the other hand, were a righteous people. “AND it came to pass that when the
sixty and second year of the reign of the judges *had ended, all
these things had happened and the Lamanites had become, the more part of them,
a righteous people, insomuch that their righteousness did exceed that of the
Nephites, because of their firmness and their steadiness in the faith” (Helaman
6:1).
Samuel had been preaching in his land. He eventually came to
the land of Zarahemla. There, he preached repentance to the Nephites.[2]
This did not go over well with the Nephites and they chased him out of the
Land. He began returning to his land. “Now when our hearts were depressed, and
we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst
thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I
will give unto you success” (Alma 26:27).
As he was leaving, the voice of the Lord spoke to him,
telling him to return and prophesy what ever comes into his heart to the
Nephites. It is not unusual for the Lord to command His servants to give His
message. “And I went up by revelation, and communicated [GR reported] unto them
that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were
of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain” (Galatians 2:2).
“And behold, I am sent to command thee that thou return to
the city of Ammonihah, and preach again unto the people of the city; yea,
preach unto them. Yea, say unto them, except they repent the Lord God will destroy
them” (Alma 8:16).
“And the voice of the Lord came to Ammon, saying: Thou shalt
not go up to the land of Nephi, for behold, the king will seek thy life; but
thou shalt go to the land of Middoni; for behold, thy brother Aaron, and also
Muloki and Ammah are in prison” (Alma 20:2).
Samuel attempted to enter the city, but he was stopped and
not allowed to enter. Instead, he got on a wall surrounding the city and began
to preach “whatever things the Lord put in his heart” (Helaman 13:4) to the
people. “For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which
speaketh in you” (Matthew 10:20).
“And [Abinadi] spake with power and authority from God; and
he continued his words…” (Mosiah 13:6).
“Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the
Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might
know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true;
for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this
is the spirit of revelation which is in me” (Alma 5:46).
“And their meetings were conducted by the church after the
manner of the workings of the Spirit, and by the power of the Holy Ghost; for
as the power of the Holy Ghost led them whether to preach, or to exhort, or to
pray, or to supplicate, or to sing, even so it was done.” (Moroni 6:9).
[1] Editor’s
Introduction: Of “Galileo Events,” Hype, and Suppression: Or, Abusing Science
and Its History, Daniel C. Peterson, FARMS Review 15/2 (2003): xlviii.
[2] “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” (3 Nephi 23:9-10).
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