As we read the scriptures, one of the patterns that we can see is that people were happiest when they remembered their God and obeyed his commandments, even when times were tough. Another pattern that we see is that Heavenly Father never gave up on children, even when they had forgotten Him. He did then back then, and does this now, by sending prophets to warn and guide us.
In the April 2018 General Conference talk, “Am I a Child of God,” Brian K. Taylor said, “When you feel hurt, lost, scared, upset, sad, hungry, or hopelessly abandoned in life’s extremities -- open the Book of Mormon and you will come to know that [God] will never desert us. He never has, and he never will. He cannot do it. It is not his character [to do so].”
When I opened my scriptures to this week’s Come Follow Me study, Helaman 13-16, this pattern was reaffirmed for me yet again, in Samuel the Lamanite for three main reasons:
Samuel, a Lamanite, was a prophet of God
The Lamanites are famous for being offspring of Laman and Lemuel, and raising generations that had been wrongly taught and sought revenge for false grievances that their fathers had taught to them.
Yet, the Lord acknowledges that the Lamanites did not have the benefit of the light and knowledge that Nephi and his brother Jacob taught their descendants and their people because of Laman and Lemeul. Therefore, they were given opportunities, through prophets, to learn the truth and to repent.
It says in 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.”
As the Lamanites were brought to the light and knowledge of their Father in Heaven, just like Alma was brought to the knowledge as he listened to Abinadi preach repentance to King Noah, the Lamanites slowly became converted. Samuel the Lamanite is a product of that missionary work and the Lord’s patience and willingness to give the Lamanaties time to learn the truth.
Alma 16:14 reminds us, as Alma and Amulek went forth to preach, “they did impart the word God, without any respect of persons, continually.” God loves ALL of his children equally.
The Lord asked Samuel to try again.
In Helaman 13:3, after Samuel’s preaching landed on deaf ears, and he decided to return to his own land, it says, “But behold, the voice of the Lord came unto him, that he should return again, and prophesy unto the people whatsoever things should come into his heart.”
Time, and time again, the Lord has shown a love and a determination to give people the opportunity to Hear Him. In the Book of Mormon, we see this with Laman and Lemuel, with Lehi, Nephi, and angels of God giving Laman and Lemuel so many opportunities to learn and repent. We see this as Alma is told to return to Ammonihah to preach, with the sons of Mosiah, and now, with Samuel in the great city of Zarahemla, which was once filled with some of the most humble, obedient followers of God.
The Lord never deserts his people. He hears the prayers of those that are obedient and he gives those that aren’t obedient the opportunity to repent. The words of the prophet are for everyone.
Samuel reminds the people that the Lord loves them
In Helaman 14:3, Samuel says, “... 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.”
At the time of Samuel’s visit, it is the 87th year of the reign of the judges, since King Mosiah passed away and became the last king. In the 50th year of the reign of the judges, 37 years prior, the people of Zarahemla were obedient and had peace, and it says in Helaman 3:31, they had “continual rejoicing.” By the 51st year, pride had begun to creep in, and it says in Helaman 3:34 that there was “a great evil.”
Yet, despite their trials, for those who held fast to God, it says, “Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.” (Helaman 3:35).
Our Father in Heaven loves us dearly. He sends prophets to remind us how to seek happiness in our lives as we face our many trials. He loves all of us, no matter our ancestry or our choices. If we seek Him, if we turn to the scriptures and to our prophet for guidance, then we can be like the people of Zarahemla, who even when surrounded by evil, fasted and prayed often, and their souls were filled with joy.
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