Helaman 13

Reading Assignment: Helaman 13

Learning Activities:

1) Introduction
A few years before the Savior’s birth, the Lord sent a Lamanite prophet named Samuel to preach repentance to the Nephites at Zarahemla. The prophet Samuel was a second witness of Jesus Christ, along with the prophet Nephi. He forewarned the Nephites of their destruction if they did not repent. Samuel confronted them about their tendency to reject the prophets and their disposition to seek happiness in doing iniquity. He announced the signs that would mark the birth and death of Jesus Christ. He also taught that all mankind, through the redemption of Jesus Christ, will be brought back into God’s presence for judgment.
2) Read Helaman 13:1–8, 11 to understand why Samuel preached to the Nephites and what the Lord directed him to say. These verses illustrate the principle: Prophets receive and speak the messages God puts into their hearts. What message did God put into Samuel’s heart? According to Helaman 13:7, what effect did Samuel hope his message would have on the Nephites?

3)Helaman 13:17–23

Principle: When we do not remember the Lord, we are more susceptible to pride and iniquity.

  • Which verses do you feel teach the above principle?
  • What curse did Samuel say would come upon the Nephites?
  • According to Samuel, what were the Nephites not doing when they set their hearts upon their riches?
  • What are ways youth today might set their hearts upon riches—possessions, practices, and desires—that can lead to pride and iniquity?
  • Why do you think it is essential to “remember the Lord your God in the things with which he hath blessed you”? (verse 22).
4) Helaman 13:24–30

Principle: If we reject the words of the Lord’s prophets, we will experience regret and sorrow.
  • Which verses do you feel teach the above principle?
  • What excuses did Samuel say the Nephites used for rejecting the Lord’s prophets?
  • Why do you think people often accept false prophets in the way Samuel described?
  • Answer the next two questions by studying the most recent general conference talks in the Ensign or Liahona:
  • What are some of the specific teachings of our living prophets and apostles?
  • What are some specific problems prophets and apostles have warned us to avoid?

Want More?

Helaman 13:23–29. Following the living prophet

Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles emphasized the importance of following living prophets and apostles:

“My dear brothers and sisters, please pay attention to those things that the leaders of the Church have taught. … Apply the teachings that will help you and your family. Let all of us, regardless of our family circumstances, bring into our homes the teachings of the prophets and the apostles to strengthen our relationships with each other and with our Father in Heaven and with the Lord Jesus Christ. I promise you in the name of the Lord that if you will listen not just with your ears but also with your heart, the Holy Ghost will manifest the truth unto you of the messages delivered by [the President of the Church], his counselors, the Apostles, and other leaders of the Church. The Spirit will prompt you to know what you should do as individuals and as families in order to follow our counsel, that your testimonies might be strengthened and that you might have peace and joy” (M. Russell Ballard, “His Word Ye Shall Receive,” Ensign, May 2001, 67).

Helaman 13:38. Happiness cannot be found in doing iniquity

Samuel warned the Nephites that if they persisted in seeking happiness in doing iniquity, they would be destroyed. Elder Richard G. Scott (1928–2015) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that happiness comes only through righteousness:

Elder Richard G. Scott

“Have you noticed how Satan works to capture the mind and emotions with flashing images, blaring music, and the stimulation of every physical sense to excess? He diligently strives to fill life with action, entertainment, and stimulation so that one cannot ponder the consequences of his tempting invitations. Think of it. Some are tempted to violate the most basic commandments of God because of seductive actions portrayed as acceptable. They are made to seem attractive, even desirable. There seems to be no serious consequence, rather apparent lasting joy and happiness. But recognize that those performances are controlled by scripts and actors. The outcome of decisions made is likewise manipulated to be whatever the producer wants.

“Life is not that way. Yes, moral agency allows you to choose what you will, but you cannot control the outcome of those choices. Unlike the false creations of man, our Father in Heaven determines the consequences of your choices. Obedience will yield happiness, while violation of His commandments will not” (Richard G. Scott, “How to Live Well amid Increasing Evil,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2004, 102).

Helaman 13:38–39. “Everlastingly too late”

Helaman 13:38 records Samuel the Lamanite’s words regarding the Nephites who would live about 400 years later and would procrastinate their repentance until it was too late. President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) taught:

President Spencer W. Kimball

“It is true that the great principle of repentance is always available, but for the wicked and rebellious there are serious reservations to this statement. For instance, sin is intensely habit-forming and sometimes moves men to the tragic point of no return. Without repentance there can be no forgiveness, and without forgiveness all the blessings of eternity hang in jeopardy. As the transgressor moves deeper and deeper in his sin, and the error is entrenched more deeply and the will to change is weakened, it becomes increasingly near-hopeless, and he skids down and down until either he does not want to climb back or he has lost the power to do so” (Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness [1969], 117).

We learn from Helaman 13:39 that Samuel prayed that the Nephites who lived in his day “would repent and be saved.” There is hope for all who will choose to repent. Through repentance, we can receive the Lord’s forgiveness and prevent our hearts from becoming hardened. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the First Presidency taught:

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

“During my training to become an airline captain, I had to learn how to navigate an airplane over long distances. Flights over huge oceans, crossing extensive deserts, and connecting continents need careful planning to ensure a safe arrival at the planned destination. Some of these nonstop flights can last up to 14 hours and cover almost 9,000 miles.

“There is an important decision point during such long flights commonly known as the point of safe return. Up to this point the aircraft has enough fuel to turn around and return safely to the airport of departure. Having passed the point of safe return, the captain has lost this option and has to continue on. That is why this point is often referred to as the point of no return.

“… Satan wants us to think that when we have sinned we have gone past a ‘point of no return’—that it is too late to change our course. …

“… To make us lose hope, feel miserable like himself, and believe that we are beyond forgiveness, Satan might even misuse words from the scriptures that emphasize the justice of God, in order to imply that there is no mercy. …

“Christ came to save us. If we have taken a wrong course, the Atonement of Jesus Christ can give us the assurance that sin is not a point of no return. A safe return is possible if we will follow God’s plan for our salvation” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Point of Safe Return,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2007, 99).