Samuel begins preaching to the Nephites. He identifies
himself by name, making it clear he is a Lamanite. He is speaking the words the
Lord inspires him to say. The sword of justice is hanging over the Nephites. In
four hundred yeast, this sword will fall upon the Nephites
“Behold it is time, yea, the time is now at hand, that
except ye do bestir yourselves in the defence of your country and your little
ones, the sword of justice doth hang over you; yea, and it shall fall upon you
and visit you even to your utter destruction” (Alma 60:29).
“And thus ended the fifteenth year, and thus were the people
in a state of many afflictions; and the sword of destruction did hang over
them, insomuch that they were about to be smitten down by it, and this because
of their iniquity” (3 Nephi 2:19).
Destruction will come upon the Nephites because of their
wickedness. Alma told Helaman much the same thing.
And these are the words: Behold, I
perceive that this very people, the Nephites, according to the spirit of
revelation which is in me, in four hundred years from the time that Jesus
Christ shall manifest himself unto them, shall dwindle in unbelief.
Yea, and then shall they see wars
and pestilences, yea, famines and bloodshed, even until the people of Nephi
shall become extinct—
Yea, and this because they shall
dwindle in unbelief and fall into the works of darkness, and lasciviousness,
and all manner of iniquities; yea, I say unto you, that because they shall sin
against so great light and knowledge, yea, I say unto you, that from that day,
even the fourth generation shall not all pass away before this great iniquity
shall come.
And when that great day cometh,
behold, the time very soon cometh that those who are now, or the seed of those
who are now numbered among the people of Nephi, shall no more be numbered among
the people of Nephi.
But whosoever remaineth, and is not
destroyed in that great and dreadful day, shall be numbered among the
Lamanites, and shall become like unto them, all, save it be a few who shall be
called the disciples of the Lord; and them shall the Lamanites pursue even
until they shall become extinct. And now, because of iniquity, this prophecy
shall be fulfilled (Alma 45:10-14).
The only way they can be saved from the destruction is
through repentance and faith on our Savior. He will suffer much and be slain
for the people.
[Samuel] views his own role
primarily as a prophet preaching repentance and opens his discourse with the
announcement that “nothing can save this people save it be repentance and faith
on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Helaman 13:6). Not even delivering the two signs
distracts him from his intent; sandwiched between them is a lengthy theological
aside about the possibility of repentance through Jesus Christ and his
resurrection (Helaman 14:11–19). Part of the reason Samuel insists on directing
Nephite attention to the present, then, is that repentance is the present task
with which the Nephites ought to be occupied in light of the Messiah’s arrival,
and if they reside in the fantasies of past or future, they will never get to
work on the task at hand.[1]
Samuel declares what he says has been revealed to him by an
angel. “And it shall be made known unto just and holy men, by the mouth of
angels, at the time of his coming, that the words of our fathers may be
fulfilled, according to that which they have spoken concerning him, which was
according to the spirit of prophecy which was in them” (Alma 13:26).
The words of the angel brought good tidings to his soul. “How
beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings,
that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth
salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! (Isaiah 52:7).
He was sent to declare these glad tidings to the Nephites,
but they refused to receive his words. “Which of the prophets have not your
fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming
of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers” (Acts
7:52).
“And wo be unto him that will not hearken unto the words of
Jesus, and also to them whom he hath chosen and sent among them; for whoso
receiveth not the words of Jesus and the words of those whom he hath sent
receiveth not him; and therefore he will not receive them at the last day” (3
Nephi 28:34).
The Lord has said because of the wickedness of the people,
except they repent, he will withdraw His Spirit and will turn the hearts of the
Lamanites against them. “Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in
the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him,
and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your
transgressions: for my name is in
him” (Exodus 23:20-21).
If they fail to repent, within four hundred years, they will
be destroyed by the sword, famine, and pestilence. Samuel’s words echo Alma’s. “And these are the words: Behold, I perceive
that this very people, the Nephites, according to the spirit of revelation
which is in me, in four hundred years from the time that Jesus Christ shall
manifest himself unto them, shall dwindle in unbelief” (Alma 45:10).
Verses 5-9 are an example chiasmus. Here’s the chiasmus.
5 And he said unto them: Behold, I, Samuel, a Lamanite, do
speak the words of the Lord which he doth put into my heart; and behold he hath
put it into my heart to say unto this people that the sword of justice hangeth
over this people; and four hundred years pass not away save the sword of
justice falleth upon this people.
6 Yea, heavy destruction awaiteth
this people, and it surely cometh unto this people, and
nothing can save this people save
it be
6’ repentance and
faith on the Lord Jesus Christ, who surely shall come into the
world, and shall
suffer many things and shall be slain for his people.
7 And behold, an angel of the Lord
hath declared it unto me, and he did bring glad tidings to my soul.
7’ And behold, I
was sent unto you to declare it unto you also, that ye might
Have glad
tidings; but behold ye would not receive me.
8 Therefore, thus saith the Lord:
Because of the hardness of the hearts of the people of the Nephites, except
they repent I will take away my word from them, and
8’ I will withdraw my Spirit from
them, and I will suffer them no longer, and I will turn the
hearts of their brethren against
them.
9 And four hundred years shall not pass away before I will
cause that they shall be smitten; yea, I will visit them with the sword and
with famine and with pestilence.
[1] Temporality
and Fulfillment in 3 Nephi 1, Kimberly M. Berkey, Journal of Book of Mormon
Studies 24 (2015): 76.
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