All segment titles and their associated verse designations are derived from the section headings that appear in The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, Maxwell Institute Study Edition - edited by Grant Hardy and published by the BYU Maxwell Institute. Verses are organized into sense lines that are parallel to the verse texts in The Book of Mormon: the Earliest Text - as edited by Royal Skousen and published by Yale. Audio clips are derived from Book of Mormon chapter mp3 audio recordings provided by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the official Church website.
Unit 79
Segment 7 of 9 [#518]
Samuel Contrasts the Nephites and the Lamanites
Helaman 15:1 - Helaman 15:17
Duration: 4:45
Helaman 15:1
And now, my beloved brethren,
behold, I declare unto you
that except ye shall repent
your houses shall be left unto you desolate.
Helaman 15:2
Yea, except ye repent,
your women shall have great cause to mourn
in the day that they shall give suck;
for ye shall attempt to flee and there shall be no place for refuge;
yea, and wo unto them which are with child,
for they shall be heavy and cannot flee;
therefore, they shall be trodden down and shall be left to perish.
Helaman 15:3
Yea, wo unto this people who are called the people of Nephi
except they shall repent, when they shall see all these signs and wonders
which shall be showed unto them;
for behold, they have been a chosen people of the Lord;
yea, the people of Nephi hath he loved,
and also hath he chastened them;
yea, in the days of their iniquities hath he chastened them because he loveth them.
Helaman 15:4
But behold my brethren, the Lamanites hath he hated
because their deeds have been evil continually,
and this because of the iniquity of the tradition of their fathers.
But behold, salvation hath come unto them through the preaching of the Nephites;
and for this intent hath the Lord prolonged their days.
Helaman 15:5
And I would that ye should behold
that the more part of them are in the path of their duty,
and they do walk circumspectly before God,
and they do observe to keep his commandments
and his statutes and his judgments
according to the law of Moses.
Helaman 15:6
Yea, I say unto you, that the more part of them are doing this,
and they are striving with unwearied diligence
that they may bring the remainder of their brethren to the knowledge of the truth;
therefore there are many who do add to their numbers daily.
Helaman 15:7
And behold, ye do know of yourselves,
for ye have witnessed it,
that as many of them as are brought to the knowledge of the truth,
and to know of the wicked and abominable traditions of their fathers,
and are led to believe the holy scriptures,
yea, the prophecies of the holy prophets, which are written,
which leadeth them to faith on the Lord, and unto repentance,
which faith and repentance bringeth a change of heart unto them —
Helaman 15:8
Therefore, as many as have come to this,
ye know of yourselves are firm and steadfast in the faith,
and in the thing wherewith they have been made free.
Helaman 15:9
And ye know also that they have buried their weapons of war,
and they fear to take them up lest by any means they should sin;
yea, ye can see that they fear to sin —
for behold they will suffer themselves
that they be trodden down and slain by their enemies,
and will not lift their swords against them,
and this because of their faith in Christ.
Helaman 15:10
And now, because of their steadfastness
when they do believe in that thing which they do believe,
for because of their firmness when they are once enlightened,
behold, the Lord shall bless them and prolong their days,
notwithstanding their iniquity —
Helaman 15:11
Yea, even if they should dwindle in unbelief
the Lord shall prolong their days,
until the time shall come which hath been spoken of by our fathers,
and also by the prophet Zenos, and many other prophets,
concerning the restoration of our brethren, the Lamanites, again
to the knowledge of the truth—
Helaman 15:12
Yea, I say unto you, that in the latter times
the promises of the Lord have been extended to our brethren, the Lamanites;
and notwithstanding the many afflictions which they shall have,
and notwithstanding they shall be driven to and fro upon the face of the earth,
and be hunted, and shall be smitten and scattered abroad,
having no place for refuge,
the Lord shall be merciful unto them.
Helaman 15:13
And this is according to the prophecy,
that they shall again be brought to the true knowledge,
which is the knowledge of their Redeemer,
and their great and true shepherd,
and be numbered among his sheep.
Helaman 15:14
Therefore I say unto you,
it shall be better for them than for you except ye repent.
Helaman 15:15
For behold, had the mighty works been shown unto them
which have been shown unto you,
yea, unto them who have dwindled in unbelief
because of the traditions of their fathers,
ye can see of yourselves
that they never would again have dwindled in unbelief.
Helaman 15:16
Therefore, saith the Lord: I will not utterly destroy them,
but I will cause that in the day of my wisdom
they shall return again unto me, saith the Lord.
Helaman 15:17
And now behold, saith the Lord, concerning the people of the Nephites:
If they will not repent, and observe to do my will,
I will utterly destroy them, saith the Lord, because of their unbelief
notwithstanding the many mighty works which I have done among them;
and as surely as the Lord liveth shall these things be, saith the Lord.
The End of Unit 79 - Segment 7