Alma — Chapter 37
Alma to Helaman, continued.
1 Now, my son Helaman, I command you to take the records which were given to me.
2 I command you to keep a record of this people on the plates of Nephi, and keep all these things holy just as I have. There is a wise reason to keep these holy records.
3 These brass plates have the writings of the holy scriptures on them, along with the genealogy of our ancestors from the beginning.
4 Our ancestors prophesied that these plates should be kept and handed down from one generation to another, and that the Lord would keep and protect them until they go to every nation and family and people. Everyone will know about the mysteries they hold.
5 If they are kept, they will stay bright, as will all the plates with holy writing on them.
6 Now, you may think I am being foolish, but great things happen because of small and simple things, and small things sometimes surprise the wise.
7 The Lord God works to make his great and eternal plans happen, and by small things the Lord surprises the wise and saves many souls.
8 Up to this time God has thought it best to keep these things because they have helped our people remember, and showed them when they were wrong, and brought them to know God so they could be saved.
9 Yes, I tell you, that if it were not for the writing on these plates, Ammon and his brothers could not have shown so many thousands of Lamanites that their ancestors’ teachings were wrong. Yes, these records and their words brought them to repentance — that is, brought them to know the Lord their God, and to have joy in their Savior Jesus Christ.
10 Who knows but that these things will be the way for many thousands more of them, and thousands of our brothers and sisters, the Nephites (now that they are hardening their hearts in sin and wickedness), to know our Savior?
11 I have not been told all the answers to these mysteries, so I will not say anymore about this.
12 I will only say that they are kept for a wise reason which God knows. He works in wisdom, and his ways are straight, and his path is an eternal circle.
13 O remember, my son Helaman, that God’s commandments are very strict. He said: “If you keep my commandments, you will prosper in the land.” But if you don’t keep his commandments, you will be cut off from him.
14 Now remember, my son, that God has trusted you with these holy things, which he himself made holy and will keep and protect for a wise reason, so he can show his power to future generations.
15 Now I tell you by the spirit of prophecy, that if you break God’s commandments, God’s power will take these holy things away from you, and you will be given over to Satan, who will blow you around like dry grass in the wind.
16 But if you keep God’s commandments and do what God commands you to do with these holy things (and you must ask God what you should do with them), no power on earth or in hell can take them away from you, because God has the power to make what he says come true.
17 He will keep all the promises he makes to you, just as he has kept the promises he made to our ancestors.
18 He promised them he would keep these things for his own wise purpose, so he could show his power to future generations.
19 One of his plans has come true. Many thousands of Lamanites have come back to the truth. He showed his power through these things, and he will show his power through these things to future generations, so these things will be kept.
20 So I command you, my son Helaman, to work hard to do what I have said. Work hard to keep God’s commandments as they have been written.
21 Now I will tell you about those twenty-four plates you will keep, so the mysteries and secret works of darkness of those people who were destroyed will be shown to this people. Yes, this people will learn about all their murders, and robbing, and wickedness, and sins. Yes, and you must keep the Urim and Thummim.
22 You see, the Lord saw that his people began to work in darkness and commit secret murders and wickedness. So the Lord said that if they did not repent, they would be destroyed from off the earth.
23 The Lord said: “I will make a stone for my servant Gazelem to shine light in the darkness, so I may show my people who serve me the secret works of darkness and wickedness and sins of their brothers and sisters.”
24 Now, my son, the Urim and Thummim were made so God’s word would come true, when he said:
25 “I will bring all their secret works and sins out of darkness and into light. If they do not repent, I will destroy them from off the earth. I will also show their secrets and sins to every nation which lives on this land.”
26 Now, my son, we know they did not repent, so they were destroyed, as God said, and their secret sins have been brought out of darkness and shown to us.
27 Now, my son, I command you to keep all their promises and agreements and secret wickedness away from this people. Keep all their signs and wonders away from this people, so they will not learn what they are, so they will not fall into darkness and be destroyed, too.
28 There is a curse on this land that all who work in darkness will be destroyed by God’s power when they are completely wicked. I don’t want to see this people destroyed,
29 So keep the secret plans and promises away from this people, and tell them only about that people’s wickedness and murders and sins. Teach them to hate such wickedness and sins and murders, and teach them that those people were destroyed because of their wickedness and sins and murders.
30 You see, they murdered all the Lord’s prophets who came among them to tell them about their sins. The blood of those they murdered cried to the Lord their God for justice against their murderers, so God’s judgments came on those people who worked in darkness and secret combinations.
31 Yes, this land will be cursed forever and ever to those who work in darkness and in secret combinations. They will be destroyed when they are completely wicked, unless they repent.
32 Now remember what I have said to you, my son. Do not give these secret plans to this people, but teach them to hate sin and wickedness forever.
33 Teach them repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Teach them to be humble and meek in heart. Teach them to fight against the devil through their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
34 Teach them not to get tired of doing good works, but to be meek and humble in heart. This way they will find rest for their souls.
35 O remember, my son, and learn wisdom while you are young. Yes, learn to keep God’s commandments while you are young.
36 Yes, pray to God for all your help. Yes, let everything you do be done in the Lord. Wherever you go, let it be in the Lord. Yes, think your thoughts to the Lord. Yes, love the Lord forever.
37 Ask the Lord about everything you do, and he will lead you in the right way. Yes, when you lie down at night, lie down to the Lord so he will protect you while you sleep. And when you get up in the morning, let your heart be full of thanks to God. If you do these things, you will be saved at the last day.
38 Now, my son, I have something to say about the thing our ancestors called the Liahona, or compass, which the Lord made.
39 No person can make such a thing. It was made to show our ancestors which way to go in the desert.
40 It worked for them when they had faith in God. If they had faith to believe that God could make the pointers show the way they should go, then it happened. So they had this miracle, as well as many other miracles that God’s power did for them day by day.
41 Those miracles were done by small things, so they got lazy, and forgot to have faith and to work hard. Then the miracles stopped, and they did not get anywhere in their travels.
42 So they stopped in the wilderness, or did not travel the best way, and were hungry and thirsty because of their sins.
43 Now, my son, I want you to understand that these earthly things show other, spiritual things. Just as our ancestors were lazy about using this compass, and did not prosper, it is the same with spiritual things.
44 You see, it is just as easy to pay attention to Christ’s gospel, which will show you the way to eternal happiness, as it was for our ancestors to pay attention to this compass, which would show them the way to the promised land.
45 Isn’t there a symbol here? Just as this compass brought our ancestors to the promised land when they followed it, if we follow Christ’s gospel, it will bring us through this life of sadness to a much better promised land.
46 O my son, let us not be lazy because the way is so easy. It was the same for our ancestors. The way was prepared — if they would only look, they would live. It is the same with us. The way is prepared, and if we look, we will live forever.
47 Now, my son, take care of these holy things. Yes, look to God, and live. Go to this people and teach the gospel, and be serious. My son, goodbye.
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