THIRD NEPHI
THE BOOK OF NEPHI
THE SON OF NEPHI, WHO
WAS THE SON OF HELAMAN
And Helaman was the
son of Helaman, who was the son of Alma, who was the son of Alma, being a
descendant of Nephi who was the son of Lehi, who came out of Jerusalem in the
first year of the reign of Zedekiah, the king of Judah.
Chapter 1
Nephi the son of
Helaman departs out of the land, and his son Nephi keeps the records—Though
signs and wonders abound, the wicked plan to slay the righteous—The night of
Christ's birth arrives—The sign is given and a new star arises—Lyings and
deceivings increase, and the Gadianton robbers slaughter many. About A.D. 1–4
As we being the book of 3 Nephi, 600 years have passed since
Lehi left Jerusalem. A man name Laconeus was the chief judge and governor.
And aNephi, the son of Helaman,
had departed out of the land of Zarahemla, giving charge unto his son bNephi, who was his eldest
son, concerning the cplates
of brass, and dall the
records which had been kept, and all those things which had been kept sacred
from the departure of Lehi out of Jerusalem.
At this time, Nephi passes the plates, Liahona,
sword of Laban, and all sacred things he possessed to his son, Nephi3.
The plates had been passed down father-to-son through most
of the history of the Nephites. One exception was Amaleki. Amaleki tells us, “And
it came to pass that I began to be old; and, having no seed, and knowing king
Benjamin to be a just man before the Lord, wherefore, I shall deliver up these
plates unto him…” (Omni 1: 5). Benjamin passed the plates to his son, Mosiah
(see Mosiah 1:16-17).
Mosiah’s sons left Zarahemla for their missionary journeys
to the Lamanites, so he had no son to pass the records on to. He turned to Alma2,
who had been chosen the first chief judge, and gave him the records and sacred
things in his possession.
For reasons we don’t know, Alma2 had offered the records
to Nephihah, the second chief judge of the people.
“And it came to pass that in the same year that the people
of Nephi had peace restored unto them, that Nephihah, the second chief judge,
died, having filled the judgment–seat with perfect uprightness before God.
Nevertheless, he had refused Alma to take possession of
those records and those things which were esteemed by Alma and his fathers to
be most sacred; therefore Alma had conferred them upon his son, Helaman” (Alma
50:37-38).
He refused them. Alma2 then passed them on to his
eldest son, Helaman1.
Why was Helaman1 not his first choice? One
possible explanation…
“The rest of Alma’s lecture to
Helaman is a charge to receive, safeguard, and update the sacred records in his
possession (Alma 37), so it comes a s something of a surprise when we learn
after some fourteen chapters later, after Alma’s death, that Helaman had not
been his first choice to be the next keeper of the records … [Helaman] seems to
have failed in his most important responsibility as record keeper—to ensure the
smooth transmission of the plates in his possession … Helaman dies before he
makes the traditional and proper arrangements (presumably because he still had
more work to do): ‘And Helaman died in the thirty and fifth year of the reign
of the judges over the people of Nephi.
And it came to pass in the commencement of the thirty and sixth year …
that Shiblon took possession of those sacred things which has been delivered
unto Helaman by Alma’ (Alma 62:52-63:1).”[1]
“AND now, my son Helaman, I command you that ye take the
records which have been entrusted with me;
“And I also command you that ye keep a record of this
people, according as I have done, upon the plates of Nephi, and keep all these
things sacred which I have kept, even as I have kept them; for it is for a wise
purpose that they are kept.
“And these plates of brass, which contain these engravings,
which have the records of the holy scriptures upon them, which have the
genealogy of our forefathers, even from the beginning” (Alma 37:1-3).
The records were next passed to his brother, Shiblon. “Helaman
dies before he makes the traditional and proper arrangements (presumably
because he still had more work to do): ‘And Helaman died in the thirty and
fifth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi. And it came to pass in the commencement of
the thirty and sixth year … that Shiblon took possession of those sacred things
which has been delivered unto Helaman by Alma’ (Alma 62:52-63:1).”[2]
Finally, Helaman1’s son, Helaman2,
received the records before the death of Shiblon. “Therefore it became
expedient for Shiblon to confer those sacred things, before his death, upon the
son of Helaman, who was called Helaman, being called after the name of his
father. “Now behold, all those engravings which were in the possession of
Helaman were written and sent forth among the children of men throughout all
the land, save it were those parts which had been commanded by Alma should not
go forth” (Alma 63:11-1 ).
The introductory verses to 3 Nephi are different then the
introductory verses to other books. “Although
3 Nephi, like most books within the Book of Mormon, opens with a transition
between record keepers (3 Nephi 1: –3), this first chapter seems in most other
respects an unlikely place to begin a new book.3 Third Nephi 1 shares a high
degree of continuity with the book of Helaman, opening in medias res and borrowing
both its plot and its main characters from events set in motion in the
preceding book. For instance, although Samuel the Lamanite had announced an
imminent sign in the book of Helaman, the narration of that sign’s arrival is
reserved for 3 Nephi 1, and although Samuel’s announcement had drawn sharp
critique from an unbelieving contingent of his audience, we do not learn what
befalls those individuals until, again, the opening chapter of 3 Nephi.”[3]
After passing the records and sacred things, Nephi2
left the land and, like Alma2, nothing is known about him after he
departs.
[1] Understanding the Book of Mormon, Grant
Hardy, Kindle Edition, Location 3169 to 3212.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Temporality
and Fulfillment in 3 Nephi 1, Kimberly M. Berkey, Journal of Book of Mormon
Studies 24 (2015): 56-57.
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