Alma XVII

The commandments of Alma to his son Helaman.

36My son, give ear to my words, for I swear unto you that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God, ye shall prosper in the land. 2I would that ye should do as I have done in remembering the captivity of our fathers, for they were in bondage and none could deliver them except it were the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob; and he surely did deliver them in their afflictions.

3And now, O my son Helaman, behold, thou art in thy youth, and therefore I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words and learn of me, for I do know that whomsoever shall put his trust in God shall be supported in their trials and their troubles and their afflictions and shall be lifted up at the last day. 4And I would not that ye think that I know of myself— not of the temporal but of the spiritual, not of the carnal mind but of God.

5Now behold, I say unto you: If I had not been born of God, I should not have known these things. But God hath by the mouth of his holy angel made these things known unto me, not of any worthiness of myself. 6For I went about with the sons of Mosiah seeking to destroy the church of God. But behold, God sent his holy angel to stop us by the way. 7And behold, he spake unto us as it were the voice of thunder, and the whole earth did tremble beneath our feet. And we all fell to the earth, for the fear of the Lord came upon us. 8But behold, the voice said unto me: Arise. And I arose and stood up and beheld the angel. 9And he said unto me: If thou wilt of thyself be destroyed, seek no more to destroy the church of God.

10And it came to pass that I fell to the earth; and it was for the space of three days and three nights that I could not open my mouth, neither had I the use of my limbs. 11And the angel spake more things unto me, which were heard by my brethren, but I did not hear them. For when I heard the words, if thou wilt be destroyed of thyself, seek no more to destroy the church of God, I was struck with such great fear and amazement lest perhaps that I should be destroyed that I fell to the earth and I did hear no more. 12But I was racked with eternal torment, for my soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree and racked with all my sins. 13Yea, I did remember all my sins and iniquities, for which I was tormented with the pains of hell. Yea, I saw that I had rebelled against my God and that I had not kept his holy commandments. 14Yea, and I had murdered many of his children —or rather led them away unto destruction— yea, and in fine, so great had been my iniquities that the very thoughts of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror. 15O, thought I , that I could be banished and become extinct, both soul and body, that I might not be brought to stand in the presence of my God to be judged of my deeds.

16And now for three days and for three nights was I racked, even with the pains of a damned soul. 17And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world. 18Now as my mind catched hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who art in the gall of bitterness and art encircled about by the everlasting chains of death. 19And now behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more. Yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.

20And O what joy and what marvelous light I did behold! Yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pains. 21Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there can be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as was my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy. 22Yea, and methought I saw, even as father Lehi saw, God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God. Yea, and my soul did long to be there. 23But behold, my limbs did receive their strength again, and I stood upon my feet and did manifest unto the people that I had been born of God.

24Yea, and from that time even until now I have labored without ceasing that I might bring souls unto repentance, that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste, that they might also be born of God and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 25Yea, and now behold, O my son, the Lord doth give me exceeding great joy in the fruits of my labors; 26for because of the word which he hath imparted unto me, behold, many hath been born of God and hath tasted as I have tasted and hath seen eye to eye as I have seen. Therefore they do know of these things of which I have spoken as I do know; and the knowledge which I have is of God.

27And I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind, yea, and in all manner of afflictions. Yea, God hath delivered me from prisons and from bonds and from death. Yea, and I do put my trust in him and he will still deliver me. 28And I know that he will raise me up at the last day to dwell with him in glory. Yea, and I will praise him forever. For he hath brought our fathers out of Egypt, and he hath swallowed up the Egyptians in the Red Sea, and he led them by his power into the promised land; yea, and he hath delivered them out of bondage and captivity from time to time. 29Yea, and he hath also brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem, and he hath also by his everlasting power delivered them out of bondage and captivity from time to time, even down to the present day. And I have always retained in remembrance their captivity; yea, and ye also had ought to retain in remembrance, as I have done, their captivity.

30But behold, my son, this is not all. For ye had ought to know as I do know that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land; and ye had ought to know also that inasmuch as ye will not keep the commandments of God, ye shall be cut off from his presence. Now this is according to his word.

37And now my son Helaman, I command you that ye take the records which have been entrusted with me. 2And I also command you that ye shall keep a record of this people, according as I have done, upon the plates of Nephi and keep all these things sacred which I have kept, even as I have kept them —for it is for a wise purpose that they are kept— 3and these plates of brass, which contain these engravings, which have the records of the holy scriptures upon them, which have the genealogy of our forefathers, even from the beginning. 4And behold, it hath been prophesied by our fathers that they should be kept and handed down from one generation to another, and be kept and preserved by the hand of the Lord until they should go forth unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, that they shall know of the mysteries contained thereon. 5And now behold, if they are kept, they must retain their brightness. Yea, and they will retain their brightness— yea, and also shall all the plates which do contain that which is holy writ.

6Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me. But behold, I say unto you that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass. And small means in many instances doth confound the wise. 7And the Lord doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes. And by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls.

8And now it hath hitherto been wisdom in God that these things should be preserved. For behold, they have enlarged the memory of this people, yea, and convinced many of the error of their ways and brought them to the knowledge of their God, unto the salvation of their souls. 9Yea, I say unto you: Were it not for these things that these records do contain, which are on these plates, Ammon and his brethren could not have convinced so many thousands of the Lamanites of the incorrect tradition of their fathers. Yea, these records and their words brought them unto repentance; that is, they brought them to the knowledge of the Lord their God and to rejoice in Jesus Christ their Redeemer. 10And who knoweth but what they will be the means of bringing many thousands of them —yea, and also many thousands of our stiffnecked brethren, the Nephites, which are now hardening their hearts in sins and iniquities— to the knowledge of their Redeemer.

11Now these mysteries are not yet fully made known unto me; therefore I shall forebear. 12And it may suffice if I only say they are preserved for a wise purpose, which purpose is known unto God. For he doth counsel in wisdom over all his works, and his paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round.

13O remember, remember, my son Helaman, how strict is the commandments of God! And he saith: If ye will keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land. But if ye keep not his commandments, ye shall be cut off from his presence. 14And now remember, my son, that God hath entrusted you with these things which are sacred, which he hath kept sacred, and also which he will keep and preserve for a wise purpose in him, that he may shew forth his power unto future generations.

15And now behold, I tell you by the spirit of prophecy that if ye transgress the commandments of God, behold, these things which are sacred shall be taken away from you by the power of God; and ye shall be delivered up unto Satan, that he may sift you as chaff before the wind. 16But if ye keep the commandments of God and do with these things which are sacred according to that which the Lord doth command you —for you must appeal unto the Lord for all things whatsoever ye must do with them— behold, no power of earth or hell can take them from you, for God is powerful to the fulfilling of all his words. 17For he will fulfill all his promises which he shall make unto you, for he hath fulfilled his promise which he hath made unto our fathers. 18For he promised unto them that he would preserve these things for a wise purpose in him, that he might shew forth his power unto future generations. 19And now behold, one purpose hath he fulfilled, even to the restoration of many thousands of the Lamanites to the knowledge of the truth. And he hath shewn forth his power in them. And he will also still shew forth his power in them unto future generations. Therefore they shall be preserved. 20Therefore I command you, my son Helaman, that ye be diligent in fulfilling all my words and that ye be diligent in keeping the commandments of God as they are written.

21And now I will speak unto you concerning those twenty four plates, that ye keep them, that the mysteries and the works of darkness and their secret works —or the secret works of those people which have been destroyed— may be made manifest unto this people —yea, all their murders and robbings and their plunderings and all their wickedness and abominations may be made manifest unto this people— yea, and that ye preserve these directors. 22For behold, the Lord saw that his people began to work in darkness —yea, work secret murders and abominations— therefore the Lord said if they did not repent, they should be destroyed from off the face of the earth. 23And the Lord said: I will prepare unto my servant Gazelem a stone which shall shine forth in darkness unto light, that I may discover unto my people which serve me— that I may discover unto them the works of their brethren, yea, their secret works, their works of darkness, and their wickedness and abominations.

24And now my son, these directors were prepared that the word of God might be fulfilled which he spake, saying: 25I will bring forth out of darkness unto light all their secret works and their abominations. And except they repent, I will destroy them from off the face of the earth. And I will bring to light all their secrets and abominations unto every nation which shall hereafter possess the land. 26And now my son, we see that they did not repent; therefore they have been destroyed. And thus far the word of God hath been fulfilled; yea, their secret abominations have been brought out of darkness and made known unto us.

27And now my son, I command you that ye retain all their oaths and their covenants and their agreements in their secret abominations; yea, and all their signs and their wonders ye shall retain from this people, that they know them not, lest peradventure they should fall into darkness also and be destroyed. 26For behold, there is a curse upon all this land, that destruction shall come upon all those workers of darkness, according to the power of God, when they are fully ripe. Therefore I desire that this people might not be destroyed. 29Therefore ye shall keep these secret plans of their oaths and their covenants from this people. And only their wickedness and their murders and their abominations shall ye make known unto them. And ye shall teach them to abhor such wickedness and abominations and murders.

And ye shall also teach them that those people were destroyed on account of their wickedness and abominations and their murders. 30For behold, they murdered all the prophets of the Lord which came among them to declare unto them concerning their iniquities. And the blood of those which they murdered did cry unto the Lord their God for vengeance upon those which were their murderers. And thus the judgments of God did come upon them workers of darkness and secret combinations. 31Yea, cursed be the land forever and ever unto those workers of darkness and secret combinations, even unto destruction, except they repent before they are fully ripe.

32And now my son, remember the words which I have spoken unto you. Trust not those secret plans unto this people, but teach them an everlasting hatred against sin and iniquity. 33Preach unto them repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ. Teach them to humble themselves and to be meek and lowly in heart. Teach them to withstand every temptation of the devil, with their faith on the Lord Jesus Christ. 34Teach them to never be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart, for such shall find rest to their souls.

35O remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God. 36Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support. Yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord. And withersoever thou goest, let it be in the Lord. Yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord. Yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever. 37Counsel the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good. Yeah, when thou liest down at night, lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep. And when thou risest in the morning, let thy heart be full of thanks unto God. And if ye always do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.

38And now my son, I have somewhat to say concerning the thing which our fathers call a ball or director —or our fathers called it Liahona, which is being interpreted a compass— and the Lord prepared it. 39And behold, there cannot any man work after the manner of so curious a workmanship. And behold, it was prepared to shew unto our fathers the course which they should travel in the wilderness. 40And it did work for them according to their faith in God. Therefore if thy had faith to believe that God could cause that those spindles should point the way they should go, behold, it was done. Therefore they had this miracle —and also many other miracles— wrought by the power of God day by day. 41Nevertheless, because those miracles were worked by small means —nevertheless it did shew unto them marvelous works— they were slothful and forgat to exercise their faith and diligence. And then those marvelous works ceased, and they did not progress in their journey. 42Therefore they tarried in the wilderness, or did not travel a direct course, and were afflicted with hunger and thirst because of their transgression.

43And now my son, I would that ye should understand that these things are not without a shadow. For as our fathers were slothful to give heed to this compass —now these things were temporal— they did not prosper; even so it is with things which are spiritual. 44For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land. 45And now I say: Is there not a type in this thing? for just assuredly as this director did bring our fathers by following its course to the promised land, shall the word of Christ, if we follow its course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise.

46O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way, for so was it with our fathers. For so was it prepared for them that if they would look, they might live. Even so it is with us: the way is prepared; and if we will look, we may live forever.

47And now my son, see that ye take care of these sacred things. Yea, see that ye look to God and live. Go unto this people and declare the word, and be sober. My son, farewell.