Helaman 3

 (All of my own thoughts are in red type 7/20 green6/21 9/22 Brown 11/23)   

 CHAPTER 3

Many Nephites migrate to the land northward—They build houses of cement and keep many records—Tens of thousands are converted and baptized—The word of God leads men to salvation—Nephi the son of Helaman fills the judgment seat. About 49–39 B.C.

  1 And now it came to pass in the forty and third year of the reign of the judges, there was no contention among the people of Nephi save it were a little pride which was in the church, which did cause some little dissensions among the people, which affairs were settled in the ending of the forty and third year. little pride causes little dissensions. This is the time to nip it in the bud... Notice it was "in" the church, not "outside" the church. The church should be the last place we find contention...if we're living what we believe...Also, it's easier to settle dissensions when they are still "little". Also, the root of dissension is PRIDE; probably on all sides. I think it takes 2 to contend.
 2 And there was no contention among the people in the forty and fourth year; neither was there much contention in the forty and fifth year. What does a year with "no" contention look like? I think it's not so much about people agreeing on everything as it is just honoring agency - both ways.
 3 And it came to pass in the forty and sixth, yea, there was much contention and many dissensions; in the which there were an exceedingly great many who departed out of the land of Zarahemla, and went forth unto the land northward to inherit the land. So we went from “little” to “much” in just 3 years. You don’t have much time to procrastinate or ignore the “little” things...
 4 And they did travel to an exceedingly great distance, insomuch that they came to ^alarge bodies of water and many rivers.
 5 Yea, and even they did spread forth into all parts of the land, into whatever parts it had not been rendered desolate and without timber, because of the many inhabitants who had before inherited the land. Is this how North America  becomes inhabited if the original BOM lands were in Central America? And if the original lands were North America, then did they move into the Canadian area here?
  6 And now no part of the land was desolate, save it were for timber; but because of the greatness of the ^adestruction of the people who had before inhabited the land it was called ^bdesolate. Are they talking about the Jaradites?
  7 And there being but little timber upon the face of the land, nevertheless the people who went forth became exceedingly ^aexpert in the working of cement; therefore they did build houses of cement, in the which they did dwell. Seems like cement would last for awhile, even if it crumbled over time, there should still be some remnants? 
  8 And it came to pass that they did multiply and spread, and did go forth from the land southward to the land northward, and did spread insomuch that they began to cover the face of the whole earth, from the sea south to the sea north, from the ^asea west to the sea east. I can see the east/west seas, but what about the north south seas?
  9 And the people who were in the land northward did dwell in ^atents, and in houses of cement, and they did suffer whatsoever tree should spring up upon the face of the land that it should grow up, that in time they might have timber to build their houses, yea, their cities, and their temples, and their ^bsynagogues, and their sanctuaries, and all manner of their buildings. Sounds like they preferred timber...Notice they had temples. Was this the biblical Solomon type for sacrifice? Did they received ordinances?
 10 And it came to pass as timber was exceedingly scarce in the land northward, they did send forth much by the way of ^ashipping.
 11 And thus they did enable the people in the land northward that they might build many cities, both of wood and of cement.
 12 And it came to pass that there were many of the ^apeople of Ammon, who were Lamanites by birth, did also go forth into this land.
 13 And now there are many ^arecords kept of the proceedings of this people, by many of this people, which are particular and very large, concerning them.
 14 But behold, a ^ahundredth part of the proceedings of this people, yea, the account of the Lamanites and of the Nephites, and their wars, and contentions, and dissensions, and their preaching, and their prophecies, and their shipping and their building of ships, and their building of ^btemples, and of synagogues and their ^csanctuaries, and their righteousness, and their wickedness, and their murders, and their robbings, and their plundering, and all manner of  abominations and whoredoms, cannot be contained in this work.
 15 But behold, there are many books and many ^arecords of every kind, and they have been kept chiefly by the Nephites. Hoping we have these records restored...
 16 And they have been ^ahanded down from one generation to another by the Nephites, even until they have fallen into transgression and have been murdered, plundered, and hunted, and driven forth, and slain, and ^bscattered upon the face of the earth, and mixed with the Lamanites until they are ^cno more called the Nephites, becoming wicked, and wild, and ferocious, yea, even becoming Lamanites. Remember that the Nephite DNA is the same as the Lamanite DNA...all coming from Lehi and Sariah, and Zoram and Ishmael.  And the Nephite DNA was mixed with the Lamanite DNA, so we have remnants of both still on the earth. In essence, the promises made to the children of Laman and Lemuel now include the children of Nephi as well since they are a mixture of both seeds. 
 17 And now I return again to mine account; therefore, what I have spoken had passed after there had been great contentions, and disturbances, and wars, and dissensions, among the people of Nephi.
 18 The forty and sixth year of the reign of the judges ended;
 19 And it came to pass that there was still great contention in the land, yea, even in the forty and seventh year, and also in the forty and eighth year.
 20 Nevertheless ^aHelaman did fill the judgment-seat with justice and equity; yea, he did observe to keep the statutes, and the judgments, and the commandments of God; and he did do that which was right in the sight of God continually; and he did walk after the ways of his father, insomuch that he did prosper in the land. A righteous leader has great influence on the quality of life among their people, even if the people themselves are not the most righteous...
 21 And it came to pass that he had two sons. He gave unto the eldest the name of ^aNephi, and unto the youngest, the name of Lehi. And they began to grow up unto the Lord. Is Helaman of Nephite lineage or Lamanite? I'll have to trace that back. Either way, the naming of these two was by choice...Interesting the oldest was Nephi and not Lehi...
 22 And it came to pass that the wars and contentions began to cease, in a small degree, among the people of the Nephites, in the latter end of the forty and eighth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.
 23 And it came to pass in the forty and ninth year of the reign of the judges, there was continual peace established in the land, all save it were the ^asecret combinations which ^bGadianton the robber had established in the more settled parts of the land, which at that time were not known unto those who were at the head of government; therefore they were not destroyed out of the land. At this time they met in their secret chambers to patiently plot the destruction of their enemies...same as it is/was today. I just read the summary version of "The Creature from Jekyll Island" which is the history of the Federal Reserve. The Gadianton's have been working among the people of this nation since it's beginning. They are almost ready to pull their trigger to try to permanently overthrow this government and the governments of all nations. 
 24 And it came to pass that in this same year there was exceedingly great prosperity in the church, insomuch that there were thousands who did ^ajoin themselves unto the church and were baptized unto repentance. Seems like the "prosperity" in the church was increase in numbers, not money...
 25 And so great was the prosperity of the church, and so many the blessings which were poured out upon the people, that even the high priests and the teachers were themselves astonished beyond measure.
 26 And it came to pass that the work of the Lord did prosper unto the baptizing and uniting to the church of God, many souls, yea, even tens of thousands.
 27 Thus we may see that the Lord is merciful unto all who will, in the sincerity of their hearts, call upon his holy name.
 28 Yea, thus we see that the ^agate of heaven is open unto ^ball, even to those who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God. So...there's this thing called "critical race theory" and "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" that has made it's way into every aspect of our culture and even our church. It states that "privilege" is a race thing and "systemic" and there are "victims" of oppressed because of it that can't escaped unless you reverse discriminate the privileged class. At BYU, a professor just taught that the Gadiantons really were just an oppressed "class" with "grievances" they were acting on. Bunch of crap! God teaches equal opportunity, not equal outcome. Because of agency there will never be equal outcome. It's an eternal principle. 
 29 Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the ^aword of God, which is ^bquick and powerful, which shall ^cdivide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow  course across that everlasting ^egulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked—We live in a time when it seems that the 'everlasting gulf of misery has been prepared to engulf...the wicked? I thought it was going to say this gulf was prepared by the wicked for the righteous. But perhaps God allows it, because it becomes the means for the wicked's own destruction. We need to trust that if we "lay hold upon the word of God" that it truly is "quick and powerful and can divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and wiles of the devil and that IT will lead us across this gulf of misery. 
 30 And land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the ^aright hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out.
 31 And in this year there was continual rejoicing in the land of Zarahemla, and in all the regions round about, even in all the land which was possessed by the Nephites.
 32 And it came to pass that there was peace and exceedingly great joy in the remainder of the forty and ninth year; yea, and also there was continual peace and great joy in the fiftieth year of the reign of the judges.
 33 And in the fifty and first year of the reign of the judges there was peace also, save it were the pride which began to enter into the church—not into the church of God, but into the hearts of the people who ^aprofessed to belong to the church of God—Notice the distinction! The Church (leaders/organization?) is not the same as the people who "profess to belong" perhaps in name only. Those not truly converted are the source of the contention...Baptism wasn't the distinction of those who really belonged to the church of God. Interesting..
 34 And they were lifted up in ^apride, even to the persecution of many of their brethren. Now this was a great evil, which did cause the more humble part of the people to suffer great persecutions, and to wade through much affliction.
 35 Nevertheless they did ^afast and ^bpray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their ^chumility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the ^dpurifying and the sanctification  of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their ^fyielding their hearts unto God. We have been told that persecution is coming. We must look beyond that to our real goal of purification and sanctification. Persecution will be God's tool to bring that to pass IF we fast and pray often, become even more humble and firmer in our faith of Christ. The end product is that we will be filled with joy and consolation, and become purified and sanctified in preparation for ZION!!! Learn how to "yield your heart to God!" Notice the sanctification come BECAUSE they yielded their hearts to God. That "yielding" was probably concerning the persecution and the natural man desire to strike back, withhold love, or feel sorry for themselves. We need to understand this process!
 36 And it came to pass that the fifty and second year ended in peace also, save it were the exceedingly great pride which had gotten into the hearts of the people; and it was because of their exceedingly great ^ariches and their prosperity in the land; and it did grow upon them from day to day. What did this "growing" look like?
 37 And it came to pass in the fifty and third year of the reign of the judges, ^aHelaman died, and his eldest son ^bNephi began to reign in his stead. And it came to pass that he did fill the judgment-seat with justice and equity; yea, he did keep the commandments of God, and did walk in the ways of his father. Notice how much can happen in just ten years!