Tag: Helaman

The contrast that Samuel shows between the Nephites and the Lamanites and their crossing trajectories should help us to see that history is something to learn from, not something to be trapped by or to rewrite. The berries can choose to repent just as the Lamanites had. The Lamanites can free themselves from their past…

Samuel sounds like a parent who has told their children the message they intended to convert and then feels compelled to go on and acknowledge the fact that their message is largely being rejected while trying to emphasize that it is the choice of the listener to learn, grow, and benefit or reject and stagnate.

It seems clear that Samuel had read the words of Ether – at least those parts that had been shared with the people. When he warms the people of Zerahemla what destruction looks like it seems that he is reading directly from the record of Ether.

Even though Nephi bemoans the fickleness of man he comes around to describing why the repentance that so many are refusing should be seen as a lifeline and a gift to be sought rather than a burden to be avoided.

The chaos and confusion of social breakdown as people kill (and doubtless loot) indiscriminately naturally benefits the lawless suck as the Gadiantons. In such times they assert control and, like she, people gather to them and strengthen them.

Notice that before he had any particular promises from the Lord Nephi was already reaching with unwearyingness. He has first down the Lord that he would be a reliable servant before the Lord elevated his priesthood power that all things would be as he said.

I get the impression that the judges selected the 5 who would go check on the chief judge and they selected 5 whom they knew were among those who didn’t believe Nephi. Their intent was to prove him wrong and confirm the opposition against him.

Nephi was able to keep speaking because the wicked judges were afraid to act themselves and those who listened to them were halted because of others who believed Nephi who were willing to speak up in his defense.

The sorrow that Nephi feels here is the same sorrow which was the only unhappy thing that the three Nephites were promised after they were transformed. It is the one sorrow that the righteous can never be free of while those around them are not also seeking righteousness.

As the Lamanites got more righteous the Nephites began to embrace wickedness. It’s interesting that there was little in the way of both tending toward one direction or the other.