Alma 37
I didn't mention it in my last post so I will here. Please read the chapter being discussed either before hand or while you are reading this post; it will help immensely in understanding it. You can use your own scriptures or simply click the link at the beginning of the post...on to the discussion of Alma 37.
In this chapter Alma continues to teach Helaman repeating a few times earlier teachings for emphasis - primarily to obey the commandments and you will prosper in the land. This chapter also has Alma passing down a few very sacred duties to his son.
In the first few verses we read that Alma is entrusting Helaman with the care of the plates that have been handed down since Lehi and Nephi. Alma takes the time to explain that by such little things can great things be accomplished. Hindsight is 20/20 - we know how important the plates are now but it is hard to say how trivial they may have seemed to people in Alma's time. Alma certainly saw contemporary importance to his people as he points out that the words on the plates had been used to teach his own people and that they were used when the sons of Mosiah preached to the Lamanites bringing many converts.
6 Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.
7 And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls.
8 And now, it has hitherto been wisdom in God that these things should be preserved; for behold, they have enlarged the memory of this people, yea, and convinced many of the error of their ways, and brought them to the knowledge of their God unto the salvation of their souls.
9 Yea, I say unto you, were it not for these things that these records do contain, which are on these plates, Ammon and his brethren could not have convinced so many thousands of the Lamanites of the incorrect tradition of their fathers; yea, these records and their words brought them unto repentance; that is, they brought them to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and to rejoice in Jesus Christ their Redeemer.
10 And who knoweth but what they will be the means of bringing many thousands of them, yea, and also many thousands of our stiffnecked brethren, the Nephites, who are now hardening their hearts in sin and iniquities, to the knowledge of their Redeemer?
After entrusting Helaman with the plates, Alma again reminds Helaman to obey the Lord adding that if he doesn't he will be 'cut off from his presence'. Alma also states again that the purpose of keeping the plates is a wise purpose to the Lord and reiterates how the plates have already been useful in converting Lamanites. He reminds Helaman that the Lord has promised to preserve the plates for future generations and that the Lord has promised to take care of those that follow his counsel. Alma also gives Helaman a warning that this important calling can be taken from him if he falls into iniquity and that Satan does not preserve those that follow him:
14 And now remember, my son, that God has entrusted you with these things, which are sacred, which he has kept sacred, and also which he will keep and preserve for a wise purpose in him, that he may show forth his power unto future generations.
15 And now behold, I tell you by the spirit of prophecy, that if ye transgress the commandments of God, behold, these things which are sacred shall be taken away from you by the power of God, and ye shall be delivered up unto Satan, that he may sift you as chaff before the wind.
16 But if ye keep the commandments of God, and do with these things which are sacred according to that which the Lord doth command you, (for you must appeal unto the Lord for all things whatsoever ye must do with them) behold, no power of earth or hell can take them from you, for God is powerful to the fulfilling of all his words.
17 For he will fulfil all his promises which he shall make unto you, for he has fulfilled his promises which he has made unto our fathers.
18 For he promised unto them that he would preserve these things for a wise purpose in him, that he might show forth his power unto future generations.
Alma exhorts and commands Helaman to be diligent in keeping the commandments of the Lord. I have lost count of how many times he has done this in the last 2 chapters. This is Alma's good son if you will. The next 2 chapters Alma will be talking to his other sons. Why do you suppose Alma is repeating this so often to a son that is already obedient? Why do our modern prophets repeat the same lessons to us time after time?
Helaman is also entrusted with the 24 Plates and the Urim and Thummim, calling them interpreters. The 24 plates are the history of the Jaredites that were brought to the Americas during the Tower of Babel fiasco. These plates are a dark contrast to what has been written in the Plates of Nephi. These are a people that fell into secret works and combinations. Helaman is told to preach only holiness to the people and keep the dark secrets from the people. Alma demonstrates to Helaman that this promised land is also a cursed land. It is important for us to remember that every blessing is a 2 sided coin - rather it always has a cursing to go with it. Secret combinations will later cause the downfall of the Nephites as well and we are heavily warned of them in the latter parts of the Book of Mormon. We are told that they will be abundant in the Last Days.
Note that Alma tells Helaman 3 times to keep the secret oaths safe and to teach the people to have "everlasting hatred" to sin:
27 And now, my son, I command you that ye retain all their oaths, and their covenants, and their agreements in their secret abominations; yea, and all their signs and their wonders ye shall keep from this people, that they know them not, lest peradventure they should fall into darkness also and be destroyed.
29 Therefore ye shall keep these secret plans of their oaths and their covenants from this people, and only their wickedness and their murders and their abominations shall ye make known unto them; and ye shall teach them to abhor such wickedness and abominations and murders; and ye shall also teach them that these people were destroyed on account of their wickedness and abominations and their murders.
32 And now, my son, remember the words which I have spoken unto you; trust not those secret plans unto this people, but teach them an everlasting hatred against sin and iniquity.
Helaman is told a few times that the land is curse to any that work in darkness:
28 For behold, there is a curse upon all this land, that destruction shall come upon all those workers of darkness, according to the power of God, when they are fully ripe; therefore I desire that this people might not be destroyed.
31 Yea, and cursed be the land forever and ever unto those workers of darkness and secret combinations, even unto destruction, except they repent before they are fully ripe.
Helaman is commanded to preach faith, repentance, meekness, and to rely on their faith in Christ to withstand temptations, to "never be weary of good works", and again counsels Helaman to learn wisdom in his youth (must be kind of important).
Helaman is given charge of the Liahona, the name given to the compass that was given to Lehi. This Liahone worked by faith and diligence to keeping commandments. Alma understands this to be an object lesson of spiritual matters and teaches that like following a compass is easy but because of the easiness we may get slothful. He compares it to the Israelites that wouldn't 'look and live' when attacked by the serpents:
44 For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land.
45 And now I say, is there not a type in this thing? For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise.
46 O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way; for so was it with our fathers; for so was it prepared for them, that if they would look they might live; even so it is with us. The way is prepared, and if we will look we may live forever.
47 And now, my son, see that ye take care of these sacred things, yea, see that ye look to God and live. Go unto this people and declare the word, and be sober. My son, farewell.
Looking to God requires that we have faith and hope or in others words we look and see the path and hold onto the iron rod so we can live or reach the tree of life.
The path is the way (faith), the iron rod is the truth(hope), and the tree is the love of God or charity, demonstrated by the ultimate sacrifice through Christs Atonement.
John 14:6
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Alma 38:9
And now, my son, I have told you this that ye may learn wisdom, that ye may learn of me that there is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ. Behold, he is the life and the light of the world. Behold, he is the word of truth and righteousness.
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