Helaman
18 verses
A division arose among the people, and they separated and went their own ways, leaving Nephi alone as he stood among them.
And it came to pass that there arose a division among the people, insomuch that they divided hither and thither and went their ways, leaving Nephi alone, as he was standing in the midst of them.
Nephi went on his way toward his own house, thinking about the things the Lord had shown him.
And it came to pass that Nephi went his way towards his own house, pondering upon the things which the Lord had shown unto him.
As he was thinking about these things—feeling very discouraged because of the wickedness of the Nephite people, their secret works of darkness, their murders, their thefts, and all kinds of sin—as he was pondering in his heart, a voice came to him saying:
And it came to pass as he was thus pondering—being much cast down because of the wickedness of the people of the Nephites, their secret works of darkness, and their murderings, and their plunderings, and all manner of iniquities—and it came to pass as he was thus pondering in his heart, behold, a voice came unto him saying:
You are blessed, Nephi, for what you have done. I have seen how tirelessly you have declared the word I gave you to this people. You have not been afraid of them, and you have not tried to save your own life, but you have sought my will and tried to keep my commandments.
Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments. Helaman 10:5 And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will.
You are Nephi, and I am God. I declare to you in the presence of my angels that you will have power over this people, and you will strike the earth with famine, pestilence, and destruction according to the wickedness of this people.
Behold, thou art Nephi, and I am God. Behold, I declare it unto thee in the presence of mine angels, that ye shall have power over this people, and shall smite the earth with famine, and with pestilence, and destruction, according to the wickedness of this people.
I give you power that whatever you seal on earth will be sealed in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. In this way, you will have power among this people.
Behold, I give unto you power, that whatsoever ye shall seal on earth shall be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven; and thus shall ye have power among this people.
So, if you say to this temple that it will be split in two, it will happen.
And thus, if ye shall say unto this temple it shall be rent in twain, it shall be done.
And if you say to this mountain, "Be cast down and become smooth, " it will be done.
And if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou cast down and become smooth, it shall be done.
If you say that God will strike this people, it will happen.
And behold, if ye shall say that God shall smite this people, it shall come to pass.
Now I command you to go and tell this people that the Lord God, who is the Almighty, says: Unless you repent, you will be struck down and destroyed.
And now behold, I command you, that ye shall go and declare unto this people, that thus saith the Lord God, who is the Almighty: Except ye repent ye shall be smitten, even unto destruction.
When the Lord had spoken these words to Nephi, he stopped and did not go to his own house, but returned to the multitudes who were scattered across the land and began to declare to them the word of the Lord that had been spoken to him, warning them of their destruction if they did not repent.
And behold, now it came to pass that when the Lord had spoken these words unto Nephi, he did stop and did not go unto his own house, but did return unto the multitudes who were scattered about upon the face of the land, and began to declare unto them the word of the Lord which had been spoken unto him, concerning their destruction if they did not repent.
Even though Nephi had performed a great miracle by telling them about the death of the chief judge, they hardened their hearts and did not listen to the words of the Lord.
Now behold, notwithstanding that great miracle which Nephi had done in telling them concerning the death of the chief judge, they did harden their hearts and did not hearken unto the words of the Lord.
So Nephi told them the word of the Lord, saying: Unless you repent, the Lord says you will be struck down and destroyed.
Therefore Nephi did declare unto them the word of the Lord, saying: Except ye repent, thus saith the Lord, ye shall be smitten even unto destruction.
When Nephi had declared the word to them, they still hardened their hearts and would not listen to him. They spoke against him and tried to seize him so they could throw him into prison.
And it came to pass that when Nephi had declared unto them the word, behold, they did still harden their hearts and would not hearken unto his words; therefore they did revile against him, and did seek to lay their hands upon him that they might cast him into prison.
The power of God was with him, and they couldn’t take him to throw him into prison, because he was taken by the Spirit and carried away from among them.
But behold, the power of God was with him, and they could not take him to cast him into prison, for he was taken by the Spirit and conveyed away out of the midst of them.
He went forward in the Spirit, moving from group to group, declaring the word of God until he had shared it with everyone or sent it out among all the people.
And it came to pass that thus he did go forth in the Spirit, from multitude to multitude, declaring the word of God, even until he had declared it unto them all, or sent it forth among all the people.
They would not listen to his words, and arguments began among them, so much that they turned against each other and started killing one another with swords.
And it came to pass that they would not hearken unto his words; and there began to be contentions, insomuch that they were divided against themselves and began to slay one another with the sword.
And that is how the seventy-first year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi ended.
And thus ended the seventy and first year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.