Alma 37
Alma2 Gives Helaman1 the Records
Alma 37:1–5
1 And now, my son Helaman, I command you that ye take the records which have been entrusted with me;
2 And I also command you that ye 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.
3 And 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—
4 Behold, it has 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.
5 And 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.
The first part of Alma2’s blessing dealt with Helaman1’s duty to God. This part is his duty to his people. The first duty is to keep a record, as Alma2 has done. This refers to the large plates rather than the personal record on which this blessing was found. The large plates are the official record of the people, and those are now officially passed from Alma2 to Helaman1. In addition to the charge to write, there is a charge to preserve. As record keeper, there was a dual responsibility to both create a record and to preserve the records that had been passed down.
One of the important records in the collection was the brass plates. They were the same plates that Nephi had taken from Laban in Jerusalem, and which had come across the ocean. They preserved the genealogy of the forefathers, which was the link to the Old World and was probably considered to be one form of validation of the Nephite right to rule. These records were passed down through the kings or the official record keepers.
Verse 5 suggests that “if they are kept, they must retain their brightness.” Whether they are “bright” because of the doctrine they contain, or because they were cared for, or through some other means, the suggestion is that they were not tarnished by time. They were a record that was sacred not only for the text on them, but as a sacred artifact. In the Old World, Israel had the Arc of the Covenant containing important sacred relics. For the Nephites, the brass plates served that function, in addition to preserving the words of the Old World prophets.
Alma 37:6–7
6 Now 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.
7 And the Lord God 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.
Although we see the idea that small things may bring to pass great things in other statements in the Book of Mormon, the issue for this statement is not the meaning but rather what the “small and simple” thing was. The reference has to be the brightness of the brass plates mentioned in the previous verse (verse 5). The brass plates are undeniably old. They have been in the New World for nearly five hundred years at this point, and we have no way of knowing how old the oldest of the plates were when Nephi retrieved them from Laban.
Thus, they could be expected to be dimmed by time, yet they were not. It was not a big thing, but something Alma2 considered “small and simple.” Nevertheless, the brightness served as a sign of their sacred value. Alma2 uses the brass plates as his object lesson that “the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes.” At times there might be great miracles, but most often God works more subtly. Perhaps in our lives there are times when his hand is so subtle that we don’t even notice his guidance until long after the fact.
Alma 37:8–10
8 And now, it has 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.
9 Yea, 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.
10 And 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, who are now hardening their hearts in sin and iniquities, to the knowledge of their Redeemer?
When the Spirit justified killing Laban to retrieve the brass plates, he said: “Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief” (1 Nephi 4:13). Alma2 tells Helaman1 that the brass plates have more than fulfilled their promise of preserving the teachings necessary to understand and fulfill their covenant with Yahweh, even more than just teaching the Nephites that the teachings of the brass plates had convinced “so many thousands of the Lamanites.”
The small and simple thing of preserving the brass plates led to the preservation of the covenant among the Nephites, the conversion of many thousands of the Lamanites, and the important teaching that they were “to rejoice in Jesus Christ their Redeemer.” Alma2 hopes that if those teaching can turn the hearts of many thousands of the Lamanites, they may also do so for those many Nephites who had been hardening their hearts against the Nephite teachings. The most recent and relevant example may have been the Zoramites in Antionum, but Alma2 had given up the judgment seat to preach in other locations, such as Ammonihah.
Alma 37:11–15
11 Now these mysteries are not yet fully made known unto me; therefore I shall forbear.
12 And 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.
13 O remember, remember, my son Helaman, how strict are the commandments of God. And he said: 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.
14 And now remember, my son, that God has entrusted you with these things, which are sacred, which he has kept sacred, and also which he will keep and preserve for a wise purpose in him, that he may show forth his power unto future generations.
15 And 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.
Although Alma2 has hopes that the preservation of the records might also help turn the hearts of the Nephites who were falling away, he leaves that as his hope. What he knows is that the records are “preserved for a wise purpose.” The preserved records undoubtedly refer to more than the brass plates at this point. Alma2 had begun by telling Helaman1, as the record keeper, to continue to keep the large plates, and, at the end of this section, he is certainly returning to those plates, as well as to the more recently mentioned plates of brass.
When Alma2 began speaking to Helaman1 in our chapter 36, he began with the statement: “My 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” (Alma 36:1). The idea of Helaman1 personally prospering was repeated in Alma 36:30. Now, in verse 13, Alma2 again declares the foundational Nephite covenant: “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.”
Verses 14 and 15 elaborate on the two aspects of the promise of the land. The first is that they will prosper upon principles of righteousness. Therefore, Helaman1 is to keep the sacred records that will teach the people what they should do to remain faithful.
The negative aspect of the promise of the land is that if the people do not keep Yahweh’s commandments, they “shall be cut off from his presence.” Verse 15 declares that one way in which that will happen is that the people will have “these things which are sacred” taken away. Not having the scriptures, they will fall even farther from God and “shall be delivered up unto Satan.” Mormon, who was copying this statement from Alma2‘s record, would know that the Nephite people would eventually fulfill this sad prophecy. They would be destroyed, and the world (for over a thousand years) would not have access to any of their records.
Alma 37:16–20
16 But 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.
17 For he will fulfil all his promises which he shall make unto you, for he has fulfilled his promises which he has made unto our fathers.
18 For he promised unto them that he would preserve these things for a wise purpose in him, that he might show forth his power unto future generations.
19 And 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 shown forth his power in them, and he will also still show forth his power in them unto future generations; therefore they shall be preserved.
20 Therefore 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.
Although Mormon knew that the records would eventually be lost, that event was in Helaman1’s distant future. For Helaman1, his task in his lifetime was to ensure their preservation, that thereby his people would be able to retain their knowledge of their covenants with God, and to, particularly, retain their understanding of the coming Messiah.
Verse 19 shows that even at this time the Lord had let Alma2 know that some form of their records would be preserved for the salvation of future populations just as they had served to convert the many thousands of the Lamanites during the mission of the sons of Mosiah2.
Verse 20 ends the command to preserve the large plates and the brass plates. In the next verse, Alma2 turns to yet another record.
Alma2 Tells Helaman1 about the Jaredite Plates
Alma 37:21–22
21 And 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 who 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 interpreters.
22 For 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.
When Alma2 speaks of murders, robbings, and plunderings among the Jaredites, he uses similar language in ways that are typically applied to the Lamanites. These are definitions of the way that people can be contrary to God. However, the Jaredites, whose story is contained on the twenty-four plates of Ether, are even worse, for they have “their secret works, or the secret works of those people who have been destroyed.” The Jaredites were a people who had once had a covenant with Yahweh, but who strayed from their covenants. They were destroyed. Thus, their works of darkness, if repeated, would lead to the destruction of the Nephites.
Even though King Mosiah2 had read the translation of the plates, which had also been read to the people of Zarahemla (see Mosiah 28:11–18), Alma2 considered the contents of the plates to be dangerous, and therefore will counsel Helaman1 to keep that information from further public scrutiny.
Alma 37:23–25
23 And 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 who 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.
24 And now, my son, these interpreters were prepared that the word of God might be fulfilled, which he spake, saying:
25 I 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 that shall hereafter possess the land.
King Mosiah2 had translated the plates “by the means of those two stones which were fastened into the two rims of a bow” (Mosiah 28:13). In verse 23, Alma2 declares that there was a stone, “which shall shine forth in darkness unto light,” that could be used to discover the secret works of the Jaredites. In other words, the stone could be used to translate and interpret the plates.
Lest we become confused with the singular word stone, verse 24 clarifies that this named instrument, Gazelem, was “these interpreters [which] were prepared that the word of God might be fulfilled.” These interpreters accompanied the plates from the time they were hidden, so that they might be understood (see Ether 4:5).
It should be noted that Gazelem may also refer to Joseph Smith as the future translator rather than be the name of the stone. There is no simple explanation for the singular word “stone” and the plural “interpreters.” Modern scholarly evidence indicates that Joseph Smith did use a singular stone during the translation, and perhaps this translation foreshadowed the use of the stone (singular) rather than the interpreters.
Alma 37:26–29
26 And now, my son, we see that they did not repent; therefore they have been destroyed, and thus far the word of God has been fulfilled; yea, their secret abominations have been brought out of darkness and made known unto us.
27 And 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 keep from this people, that they know them not, lest peradventure they should fall into darkness also and be destroyed.
28 For 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.
29 Therefore 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 these people were destroyed on account of their wickedness and abominations and their murders.
The twenty-four plates containing the book of Ether described the history and the secret abominations of the Jaredite people, secrets which brought about their destruction. Therefore, Alma2 tells Helaman1 to keep the information secret. Since the original plates could only be read by means of the interpreters, Helaman1 is to keep the plates and the interpreters safe. However, Mosiah2 had already made a translation, and while that translation is not mentioned specifically, it, too, would have had to have been kept from any further dissemination among the Nephites. Even when Mormon told the story from his perspective nearly five hundred years later, he declined to include that information during the story when he described Mosiah2 reading it to the people (see Mosiah 28:19).
When Alma2 says that “ye retain all their oaths” (verse 27), the intent of the word retain is to hold back, a usage that we see in describing a retaining wall.
Alma 37:30–31
30 For behold, they murdered all the prophets of the Lord who came among them to declare unto them concerning their iniquities; and the blood of those whom they murdered did cry unto the Lord their God for vengeance upon those who were their murderers; and thus the judgments of God did come upon these workers of darkness and secret combinations.
31 Yea, and 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.
Alma2 continues to describe the sins of the Jaredites. One of the factors demonstrating how far they had gone away from God was that they had “murdered all the prophets of the Lord who came among them to declare unto them concerning their iniquities.” They not only would not repent, but they also killed those who preached repentance to them.
The only good lesson that Alma2 takes from the Jaredites is associated with their bad example. When modern readers approach the book of Ether, we note the faith of the brother of Jared. We find inspiration in that early part of the text. Alma2 did not focus on that part at all. There is no hint that the Jaredites were ever righteous. The message that Alma2 took from the book of Ether, and the message that Mormon will use as he shapes his own narrative, is that they were a people who abandoned God and whose secret combinations led to their destruction. They are the example of what such actions would mean for the Nephites, should they follow that path, which Alma2 makes explicit in verse 31.
Alma 37:32–34
32 And 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.
33 Preach 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.
34 Teach them to never be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart; for such shall find rest to their souls.
Alma2 began transitioning from his declaration of the sins of the Jaredites to what Helaman1 should do for his own people. Of course, the first message was to keep the Jaredite record from them so that they would not be tempted by the secret combinations. The next is to continue to preach repentance to the Nephite people. That shift in message is clear from verses 32 and 33. The lesson turns from the darker theme of the destruction of the Nephites to the more important theme of teaching the Nephites what is important.
Not only should they not learn to do as the Jaredites did, but there are also positive actions that they should learn to do; actions that will move them closer to Yahweh rather than further away. They are to be humble: humility contrasts with pride that exalts one person above another. The message that all should treat each other equally and respectfully is a theme that runs throughout the Book of Mormon.
They are to perform good works. Since this is linked, in verse 34, to being “meek and lowly in heart,” it suggests that the definition of good works is how we treat our fellow man. Verse 33 tied the phrase “meek and lowly in heart” to being humble, which is the opposite of Nephite pride. Nephite pride always took the form of social inequity, of thinking that one person was better than another. Thus, Alma2 reaffirms the essentials of Nephite social understanding, and tells Helaman1 to preach the fundamental principle of being humble and of doing good works.
Alma 37:35–37
35 O, remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God.
36 Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever 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.
37 Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, 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 do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.
What is Alma2‘s definition of wisdom? It is to keep the commandments of God. Alma2 has already emphasized the Nephite promise of the land, which is that they will prosper if they keep the commandments. Alma2 is telling Helaman1 that he desires that he should prosper, both personally, and as a representative of his people. If they keep the commandments, they will prosper, therefore it is wise to do so.
On a personal level, how might one do that? Alma2 suggests that it includes recognizing God’s hand in one’s life and keeping oneself open to God’s influence. Therefore, one should pray (“cry unto God for all thy support”) continually (“whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord”). One should listen for the answer to prayer (“counsel with the Lord in all thy doings”) and if one’s thoughts and actions are always guided by both the commandments and an openness to God’s spirit, then one may “be lifted up at the last day.”
Alma2 Gives Helaman1 the Liahona
Alma 37:38–42
38 And 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.
39 And behold, there cannot any man work after the manner of so curious a workmanship. And behold, it was prepared to show unto our fathers the course which they should travel in the wilderness.
40 And it did work for them according to their faith in God; therefore, if they 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.
41 Nevertheless, because those miracles were worked by small means it did show unto them marvelous works. They were slothful, and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence and then those marvelous works ceased, and they did not progress in their journey;
42 Therefore, they tarried in the wilderness, or did not travel a direct course, and were afflicted with hunger and thirst, because of their transgressions.
Verse 38 is the first time we learn that the “ball, or director” had been called the Liahona. Why does this information come so late in the text? Part of the answer is that it may or may not have been mentioned in the part of the translation of Mormon’s text that was lost (the 116 pages). Perhaps it was known then. Nevertheless, it was apparently known better as the “ball or director,” since that is the term Alma2 expects Helaman1 to know. The name Liahona was apparently a word with a lost meaning, as Alma2 declares that it means, “being interpreted, a compass.” Rather than an object name, it may have simply been a description in a language, or at least a word in that language, which had lost its meaning by Alma2‘s day, where the word “ball, or director” had not.
Verses 39 through 42 recount the way that the Liahona worked. Alma2 tells this part of the story to Helaman1 because by his day the Liahona was simply a sacred artifact. It appears to have ceased to function in the New World. Thus, Helaman1 may not have understood what its original function was. Alma2 needs to make certain that Helaman1 knows how it worked so that it can become the object lesson he wants to teach.
Alma 37:43–47
43 And 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.
44 For 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.
45 And now I say, is there not a type in this thing? For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise.
46 O 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.
47 And 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.
Alma2 specifically declares that the Liahona is a “shadow.” That word is often linked with “type,” as in “type and shadow.” The meaning is that it is a symbol, or a type, of something else. In this case, the physical artifact becomes a model for the spiritual relationship one has with the God to whom one is to pray and whose commandments are to be kept (the subject of verses 38–42 above).
The lesson is that the Liahona could guide their fathers to food, or the correct path, but that it required faith to make it work, and it required faith to look to the Liahona to learn what the correct path might be. Thus, “it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss.”
In Lehi1’s dream, the guide for the path was the iron rod. It led to the joy of the fruit of the tree of life. Alma2 does not use that imagery, but rather uses the Liahona to serve that same function. Perhaps the Liahona was among the sacred records that had been entrusted to Helaman1, and therefore it was something that may have been there in the room with them. That is conjecture. Regardless, the message was the same. There has been prepared for humanity both the way to life eternal, and the guide that will help point us while on the way.
This ends a chapter in the 1830 edition.
