"There Could Not Be a Happier People" - 3 Nephi 27 - 4 Nephi

As I was reading this week's "Come Follow Me" recommended reading, 3 Nephi 27 - 4 Nephi,  the themes of 1) follow Jesus Christ,  2) prayer, and 3) unity quickly came to mind.

The opening verse in this section, 3 Nephi 27:1, states that as the disciples of Jesus were teaching and baptizing in the Savior's name, they "were united in mighty prayer and fasting." This verse encompasses all three of those themes, as the disciples were teaching in the way the Savior taught, praying in the way the Savior taught, and unified together in their purpose. 

In the October 2020 General Conference talk, "Watch Ye Therefore and Pray Always," President M. Russell Ballard powerfully stated, "During the past few months I have had the impression come to me that the best way to help the current world situation is for all people to rely more fully upon God and to turn their hearts to Him through sincere prayer. Humbling ourselves and seeking heaven's inspiration to endure or conquer what is before us will be our safest and surest way to move confidently forward through these troubling times."

In the same talk, President Ballard reminds us, "The Savior taught us not to limit who we pray for." 

We need more faith in the Savior, more prayers, and more striving for unity as we head into particularly troubling times. Yet, the Savior promises us, "And whoso taketh upon him my name, and endureth to the end, the same shall be saved at the last day." (3 Nephi 27:6). I also love this promise because it is for everyone. Nobody is excluded from this promise, regardless of race, gender, how we were raised, what trials we've had in life, or what mistakes we have made, if we turn to the Lord and trust in the Lord. This is reaffirmed in the same chapter in verse 16, "... whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day ..."

Christ with the Three Nephite Disciples by Gary L. Kapp

In the October 2020 General Conference talk, "By Union of Feeling We Obtain Power with God," Sharon Eubank said, "Each of us is going to have deeply wounding experiences, things that should never happen. Each of us will also, at various times, allow pride and loftiness to corrupt the fruit we bear. But Jesus Christ is our Savior in all things. His power reaches to the very bottom and is reliably there for us when we call on Him. We all beg for mercy for our sins and failures. He freely gives it. And He asks us if we can give that same mercy and understanding to each other.

In the April 2018 General Conference talk, "With One Accord," Reyna I. Aburto referenced when the Savior was on earth as discussed in the Bible, as well as this time in 3 Nephi and 4 Nephi. 

She said, "In order to reach our sublime destiny, we need each other, and we need to be unified. The Lord has commanded us, 'Be one; and if ye are not one year not mine.' Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of unity with His Father. They are one in purpose, in love, and in works, with 'the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father.'"

Later she adds. "Miracles happen when the children of God work together guided by the Spirit to reach out to others in need."

The people that saw Jesus Christ and were taught by him and by the twelve disciples were full of joy and wanted to follow his teachings and his example. This is after hundreds of years of warring and contention in the land that eventually ended in 3 Nephi 8 with the city of Zarahemla being burned down, the city of Moroni sunk into the sea and its people drowned, the city of Moronihah destroyed by an earthquake that turned the city into a mountain, and other great destruction for a people and a land that would not repent.

When Jesus visited, the repentant and humbled people came together, followed him, listened to him, and experienced many miracles in the name of Jesus, from healing the sick, to having the deaf become able to hear. The great city Zarahemla, which did "take fire" (3 Nephi 8) among many other cities that were destroyed because of their wickedness, was "built again."

"And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people." (4 Nephi 1:15). 

Unfortunately, in the scriptures, we constantly see the pride cycle at work, where the people forget the source of their blessings and begin to sin and create destruction again. In this case, the peace from having personally been visited by the Lord lasted for about 200 years. On the one hand, this was much longer than other previous times of peace throughout the land, which in some cases, lasted only for one year before they forgot and became prideful. On the other hand, they did eventually forget. We see the importance of record-keeping, and how carefully the Lord instructed his prophets to guard the records that became the Book of Mormon. We also see the importance of teaching our children so they can remember and know how to find peace.

How are you striving to follow Jesus Christ, seek him through prayer, and find unity with those around you? Here are a few things I've been doing recently.

1. One of the ways I am trying to follow Jesus Christ better is to committing to saying a five-minute prayer each day. This not my only prayer of the day but this is my prayer where I try a little harder to remember that I'm "calling home" and to really talk. I make it a point to look at a clock and make sure that by the time my personal prayer is over, five minutes has passed. Yes, prayers shouldn't be timed but neither should they be rote and sometimes saying a prayer with that new parameter can help. This is something that our Stake President challenged us to do a while back (a 5-10 minute prayer each day), and that we were reminded of in our last Stake Conference meeting.

2. My calling is that I am an adult Sunday School teacher. I committed to myself when we stopped having in-person church that I would try to do my calling anyway by blogging some of my thoughts. This made me make sure to read not only the scriptures, but the lesson plans, maybe a little more closely and thoughtfully.

3. I have been trying to pause more in my prayers, and write down the things that come into my mind when I ask, "What should I start doing? What should I stop doing? Who needs my help today?" I don't always remember to ask those questions, and I don't always pause, but I am trying to do these things better and more thoughtfully. Sometimes a thought pops into my mind that I'm not sure if it's just what I was thinking about, or if it's divine inspiration. I feel it helps to write it down and ponder on it as I read scriptures and pray.

4. I have been reading and pondering my patriarchal blessing along with my scriptures as I've sought answers to questions. Here are some additional thoughts about patriarchal blessings here (on the Church of Jesus Christ website). 

We are ALL Children of the Covenant: 3 Nephi 20-26

Today's Come Follow Me Study was called, "Ye are Children of the Covenant" and covers 3 Nephi 20-26. That sounds a little exclusive but we learn in 3 Nephi 20:25-27 that, as the Individuals and Families manual explains, "anyone who is baptized and makes covenants with His is also of the house of Israel," and therefore, can have the same blessings, "no matter who you descend from or where you live. In other words, when Jesus speaks to the house of Israel, He is talking about you."

In the October 2020 talk "Eyes to See," Michelle D. Craig stated, "Jesus Christ sees people deeply. He sees individuals, their needs, and who they can become. Where others saw fishermen, sinners, or publicans, Jesus saw disciples; where others saw a man possessed by devils, Jesus looked past the outward distress, acknowledged the man, and healed him."

In the October 2020 talk "Hearts Knit in Righteousness and Unity," Quentin L. Cook stated, "With our all-inclusive doctrine, we can be an oasis of unity and celebrate diversity. Unity and diversity are not opposites. We can achieve greater unity as we foster an atmosphere of inclusion and respect for diversity. … The Savior’s ministry and message have consistently declared all races and colors are children of God. We are all brothers and sisters."

What scriptures stuck out for you as you studied? Here are a few that really spoke to me this time with a quick comment about each:

3 Nephi 20:1 "... And he commanded them that they should not cease to pray in their hearts."

We are constantly reminded that we can and should pray always, that this pathway is open for all to communicate with our Father in Heaven, that prayers are not reserved only for times of trial. However, I felt it was also very powerful that in the October 2020 talk, "Watch Ye Therefore, and Pray Always," M. Russell Ballard said, "During the past few months I have had the impression come to me that the best way to help the current world situation is for all people to rely more fully upon God and to turn their hearts to Him through sincere prayer. Humbling ourselves and seeking heaven's inspiration to endure or conquer what is before us will be our safest and surest way to move confidently forward through these troubling times."

3 Nephi 21:8 "And when that day shall come, it shall come to pass that kings shall shut their mouths; for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they not heard shall they consider."

There is so much more in the world to come, so much more faith to give, and so many more miracles that will occur, so great that even kings "shall shut their mouths," I believe, in amazement. 

3 Nephi 22:7 "For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee."

Our Lord will never forsake us, though it may feel like it sometimes. Later, in 3 Nephi 26:11, he says, "I will try the faith of my people." In General Conference 2020, in the talk, "God Will Do Something Unimaginable," Dieter F. Uchtdorf says, "In a way, we are seeds. And for seeds to reach their potential, they must be buried before they can sprout. It is my witness that though at times we may feel buried by the trials of life or surrounded by emotional darkness, the love of God and the blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ will bring something unimaginable to spring forth."

3 Nephi 22:10-11 "For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of any peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted! Behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires."

I was especially touched by this scripture as I thought about a world where I am seeing a war between those that are prideful and selfish and teaching this behavior to others in leadership roles, and those that are striving to be kind and Christlike. The footnote for this scripture explains that "kindness" here means "Israel, blessings of." This covenant is available for anyone that wants it, for our Lord is merciful.

3 Nephi 23:1 "And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah."

I think about leaders like Henry B. Eyring, who has read the scriptures every day for many decades, on repeat, and is constantly learning new things from the scriptures. It was the Savior himself who told us to search the scriptures diligently. 

3 Nephi 23:7-14 - "And it came to pass that he said unto Nephi; Bring forth the record which ye have kept ... Verily I say unto you, I commanded my servant Samuel, the Lamanite, that he should testify unto this people, that at the day that the Father should glorify his name in me ... ... And Jesus said unto them; How be it that ye have not written this thing, that many saints did arise and appear unto many did minister unto them?

I have paid special attention this time through reading the Book of Mormon to see how keeping records is important, and what kind of records are important, not petty lists of grievances but what you want to teach your posterity. In the Book of Mormon, there are frequently spans of 100s of years where nothing in the history is recorded, and times where a prophet writes that they are only touching on a small piece of what has happened. Samuel the Lamanite is a well-known and much beloved story for children that grow up reading the Book of Mormon, and we almost didn't have this story. The Savior himself had to ask, essentially "why has this not been recorded?" It makes me especially grateful for what we have, but also thoughtful about what I want to make sure to record.

3 Nephi 24:5-6 "... and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers ... and against those that oppress ... and fear not me, saith the Lord of Hosts. ... For I am the Lord, I change not."

While I am seeing a lot of good in the world today, I have also been extremely concerned about what I see as a rise of evil powers/practices and people that are believing in them a little too readily. This scripture gives me assurance that the Lord changes not and in the long run, the righteous will be able to overcome.

3 Nephi 25:1 "For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name, shall the Son of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth and grow up as calves in the stall."

Today feels a bit like a literal and metaphorical burning as I can hear the helicopters and airplanes overhead working to put out a fire in the canyon nearby our home, and I can see the impact of Covid-19 and other stressors in lives around the world. While, as Uchtdorf said, "things might get worse before they get better," I am grateful for the reassurance that "the Son of Righteousness" shall "arise with healing in his wings."

In the same talk I referenced above, Uchtorf says, "Focus on the things you can do and not on the things you cannot do. You muster your faith. And you listen for the guiding word of the Lord and His prophet to lead you to safety."

I'm so grateful for the scriptures, the treasure box full of wisdom and comfort that they give me every time I open and read with an open mind and willingness to learn.

Preparing, Pondering, and Prayer - 3 Nephi 17-19

One of the themes that stood out for me as I studied 3 Nephi 17-19 was how the Savior taught about prayer, both by reiteration and by example. He emphasized this in 3 Nephi 17 and 18, as he spoke to the multitude of 2,500 men, women, and children.

Christ Praying with the Nephites, by Ted Henninger

In 3 Nephi 17:3, the Savior said, "Therefore, go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the morrow, and I come unto you again."

The Savior then reiterated asking of the Father by being an example, as he knelt down and prayed before the multitude.

In 3 Nephi 17:16-17, it says "And after this manner do they bear record: The eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard, before, so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak unto the Father; And no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak; and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father."

The Savior specifically called out that his prayer was a model for the multitude in 3 Nephi 18:15-16 as he emphasizes that we need to "watch and pray always," and that he is "the light, I have set an example for you."

He talked in 3 Nephi 19:7-10 about praying in the Lord's name, praying as individuals, and praying as families. In 3 Nephi 19, he said the word "pray" over 20 times as he both prayed to the Father and taught about prayer.

He also emphasized that if someone was unworthy to take the sacrament, we shouldn't cast them out but "minister unto him and ... pray for him unto the Father." (3 Nephi 18:30, 32). 

Reflecting upon the current state of the world, and in the October 2020 session of General Conference last weekend, Elder M. Russell Ballard stated, "During the past few months I have had the impression come to me that the best way to help the current world situation is for all people to rely more fully upon God and to turn their hearts to Him through sincere prayer. Humbling ourselves and seeking heaven's inspiration to endure or conquer what is before us will be our safest and surest way to move confidently forward through these troubling times." (Watch Ye Therefore, and Pray Always.)

He continues, "The world's current chaotic situation may seem daunting as we consider the multitude of issues and challenges. But it is my fervent testimony that if we will pray and ask Heavenly Father for needed blessings and guidance, we will come to know how we can bless our families, neighbors, communities, and even the countries in which we live. The Savior prayed and then He 'went about doing good" ... He continues to reach out to us."

Guidance from the Savior: Come Follow Me Study for 3 Nephi 12-16

3 Nephi 12-16 covers the time when the Savior returned to earth and ministered and taught among the people. It's valuable to see what he taught during this short visit versus what he taught in the Gospels in the Bible, when he lived on the earth and had a little more time to get his message across. In 3 Nephi, when the Savior is visiting the Nephites, we see many recognizable verses that are a repeat, word per word, in some cases, of guidance he gave before he was crucified. 

Jesus Teaching in the Western Hemisphere

For example, the Beatitudes in 3 Nephi 12:1-12 are the same ones he shared in Matthew 5:1-12. In both cases, he follows the Beatitudes with the analogy about how we are like a light that should not be placed under a bushel, in both 3 Nephi 12:14-16, and Matthew 5:14-16. 

As you read these scriptures, which of the Savior's teachings spoke to you today?

How do these scriptures lift you up and give you comfort?

I love all of the familiar guidance I see in these chapters, from the reminder to serve from our heart and not for show, to the reassurance that if we seek the Lord in righteous prayer, he will answer.

In 3 Nephi 13:19-21 we are reminded not to lay up for ourselves treasures upon earth "where moth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal" but to to lay up our treasures in heaven "For where your treasure is, there will your heart also be." 

My sister lives in Oregon, the state that has suffered from one of the most destructive fires on record in the state of Oregon, burning somewhere around 1 million acres of land (twice the state's yearly average in just one month). She personally knows many people that have lost their home, and at one point, had to evacuate her own home with her children. She has shared with me so many stories of neighbors helping neighbors, and the gratitude so many feel for their lives, even while suffering the devastating loss of their homes. Their treasures are their families, their memories, and how they are serving one another through this tragedy. 

3 Nephi 8-11 "Arise and Come Forth Unto Me" Come Follow Me Study

A detail from Jesus Christ Visits the Americas, by John Scott
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/image/jesus-nephites-8ddd1aa?lang=eng

3 Nephi 8-11 covers an incredible moment in the history of the scriptures, when over 600 years of prophecies are fulfilled, regarding the coming of the Savior. When he finally appears, in 3 Nephi 11:8, the people "durst not open their mouths, even one to another ... for they thought it was an angel that appeared unto them."

Then the Savior speaks in 3 Nephi 11:10-11, saying,

"Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world." 

"And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning." 

When we have no exact timeline on prophecies, imagine how it felt for those that had been specifically warned by Samuel the Lamanite, when the Savior came only 34 years after his warnings.

At first, with some of the early signs, some of the people made excuses, and chose to ignore them, but by 3 Nephi 8, when the great city of Zarahemla caught fire, the city of Moroni sank into the sea, and so forth, there could be no more denying these signs. It says in 3 Nephi 8:24-25, 

"And in one place they were heard to cry, saying: O that we had repented before this great and terrible day, and then would our brethren been spared ... And in another place they were heard to cry and mourn, saying: O that we had repented before this great and terrible day, and hand not killed and stoned the prophets, and cast them out; then would our mothers and our fair daughters, and our children have been spared, and not have been buried up in that great city Moronihah. And thus were the howling of the people great and terrible."

While these great tragedies could have been avoided if the people had only listened to the repeated warnings of the very prophets they killed and ran off, the Lord was always merciful. He repeatedly sent new prophets and gave people the opportunity to repent. I have talked about this in my last few posts so I won't keep repeating the same scriptures again but one of the truths that the scriptures teach me is that it is because our Father in Heaven loves us so much that he kept sending and keeps sending prophets to warn and guide us. The guidance is not unusual or difficult to follow. I think some people depict or think of religious as oppressive or controlling but when you look at the commandments, e.g. love others, don't covet what others have, don't murder, don't be prideful, it's not about oppression about but using our free agency for good.

In 3 Nephi 11:29, the Savior says,

"For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to content with anger, one with another."

How are we responding to the great issues in the world today? Do we respond with love and compassion? Or do we respond with contention and anger, and an unwillingness to try to understand another perspective? Do we put labels on our righteousness and condemn another in anger? Do we say, "I'm a Nephite therefore I am more [righteous/fill in the blank] than you?" Or do we say go forth with "a broken heart and a contrite spirit" (3 Nephi 9:20) and look to be more like the Savior in what we say and do? 

I love the analogy of the hen gathering her chickens under her wings repeatedly (3 Nephi 10:4-6). He did that for us, and does that for us, repeatedly and protectively. We have such a loving Father in Heaven, we just have to listen and follow. It's easy to forget but we have a Perfect Example we never did, and we experienced our trials tenfold, thus he has personal empathy and compassion for us. 

We can Come unto Christ as we remember that we have the opportunity and the wish from our Father to be a light unto the world, and to follow in the Savior's footsteps.

3 Nephi 1-7: Come Follow Me - "Lift Up Your Head and Be of Good Cheer" - Unity

We see in 3 Nephi 1-7 that the war between good and evil continues, and in fact, is so great that it leads to a battle that is described as “there never was known so great a slaughter among all the people of Lehi since he left Jerusalem.” (3 Nephi 4:11) Think of all the great battles that have happened in the scriptures up to this point. Previous scriptures have talked about rivers turning dark with the blood of the dead. Thousands and thousands have died, yet this battle is the greatest slaughter to have happened in the 600 years since Lehi took his people to the Promised Land. In our day, this was their World War I.

How did this happen, when there were people that were trying to live righteously? Why does the "Come Follow Me" manual focus on the theme of "Lift Up Your Head and Be of Good Cheer?"

It says in 3 Nephi 2:11, “... for the Gadianton robbers had become so numerous, and did slay so many of the people, and did lay waste to so many cities, and did spread so much death and carnage throughout the land, that it became expedient that all the people, both the Nephites and the Lamanites, should take up arms against them.”

Through pride and greed, the Nephites had weakened their defenses enough that the Gadianton robbers could not only grow, but thrive secretly. Yet,t he Nephites did have reason to cheer. They re-learned unity. When the Nephites united and listened to the prophet Gidgiddoni, they were protected and they thrived as they grouped themselves together in a safe area, and protected each other from the robbers. Sure, they had to live away from their homes for ten years but the Gadianton robbers learned that they were dependent on stealing and robbing from the Nephites, and when the Nephites were united in their stronghold, the robbers were unable to take from them. The robbers eventually died by the thousands, unable to defeat them in battle, unable to find food to sustain themselves.

In 3 Nephi 4:33, it says of the Nephites, “And their hearts were swollen with joy, unto the gushing out of many tears, because of the great goodness of God in delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; and they knew it was because of their repentance and their humility that they had been delivered from an everlasting destruction.” 

In 3 Nephi 5:1, it says, “And now behold, there was not a living soul among all the people of the Nephites who did doubt in the least the words of all the holy prophets who had spoken; for they knew that it must needs be that they must be fulfilled.”

They therefore did “forsake all their sins, and their abominations, and their whoredoms, and they did serve God with all diligence day and night.” (3 Nephi 5:3).

We see the strength of unity in this experience. We also, unfortunately, see the downside of lack of unity when by 3 Nephi 7, the people have “divided one against another,” so that it became clan against clan, with uncomfortable treaties between each clan but no loyalty to the whole or to their God. 

In April 2018 General Conference, in “With One Accord,” Sister Reyna I. Aburto states:

Every one of our paths is different, yet we walk them together. Our path is not about what we have done or where we have been; it is about where we are going and what we are becoming, in unity. When we counsel together guided by the Holy Ghost, we can see where we are and where we need to be. The Holy Ghost gives us a vision that our natural eyes cannot see, because “revelation is scattered among us,”18 and when we put that revelation together, we can see more.

As we work in unity, our purpose should be to look for and do the Lord’s will; our incentive should be the love we feel for God and for our neighbor;19 and our greatest desire should be to “labor diligently,”20 so we can prepare the way for the glorious return of our Savior. The only way we will be able to do so is “with one accord.”

In 3 Nephi 7, we meet Jacob, who has made himself king over the secret combinations, and we also see that Nephi has so great of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, “that angels did minister unto him daily.” Many were converted and unified, while many chose to divide. Our Heavenly Father shored up his prophets and sought in earnest to bring people to Him while the devil was doing the opposite.

When we are  unified together, under God, we can overcome our differences. I see the great love our Father in Heaven has for us, that he repeatedly and patiently sends prophets and leaders to remind us, over and over again, to focus on what matters most.

I am reminded by the talk “Deep In Our Heart,” from Elder Douglas D. Homes. He says, “The gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest cause in the world. President Ezra Taft Benson said: ‘We are commanded by God to take this gospel to all the world. That is the cause that must unite us today. Only the gospel will save the world from the calamity of its own self-destruction. Only the gospel will unite men [and women] of all races and nationalities in peace. Only the gospel will bring joy, happiness, and salvation to the human family.’27”

While I am deeply saddened that after 10 years away from their homes, and after so much unity, the Nephites began to fall to “secret combinations,” the last scripture in the chapter also provides some reassurance. 3 Nephi 7:26: “And there were many in the commencement of this year that were baptized unto repentance; and thus the more part of the year did pass away.”

We truly can "lift up our head and be of good cheer" as we understand that the Lord sends prophets to guide and protect us, that we can unify together. We see the examples provide by Sister Aburto in "With One Accord," of people helping people through great and devastating trials. We can gather ourselves together and be strengthened in Christ, and we can strengthen each other.

Helaman 13-16 - Glad Tidings of Great Joy - God will Never Desert Us - Come Follow Me

 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].” 

Samuel the Lamanite

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:

1. 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.

2. 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.                                                                                                                                                       

3. 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).

Conclusion

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.