Helaman 6

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

CHAPTER 6

The righteous Lamanites preach to the wicked Nephites—Both peoples prosper during an era of peace and plenty—Lucifer, the author of sin, stirs up the hearts of the wicked and the Gadianton robbers in murder and wickedness—The robbers take over the Nephite government. About 29–23 B.C.

  1 And it came to pass that when the sixty and second year of the reign of the judges had ended, all these things had happened and the Lamanites had become, the more part of them, a righteous people, insomuch that their ^arighteousness did exceed that of the Nephites, because of their firmness and their steadiness in the faith. So evidence of righteousness is “firmness and steadiness in the faith”.  Is it firmness in The Faith (church/religion), or firmness in the faith in Jesus Christ....? Technically, there shouldn't be a difference, but sometimes there is in our hearts and actions. I believe for these Lamanites, there was no difference. I think their past "sins" could have contributed to their "firmness and steadiness". Their desire for forgiveness for their past lives of hatred and even murder would cause them to never want to lose their forgiveness status before the Lord. Maybe it's harder to stay good, than to have been bad and converted to good and then stay good....
  2 For behold, there were many of the Nephites who had become ^ahardened and impenitent and grossly wicked, insomuch that they did reject the word of God and all the preaching and prophesying which did come among them. Evidence of unrighteousness: “hardened; unrepentant; grossly wicked; rejecting the word of God and all preaching and prophesying”
  3 Nevertheless, the people of the church did have great joy because of the conversion of the Lamanites, yea, because of the church of God, which had been established among them. And they did ^afellowship one with another, and did rejoice one with another, and did have great joy. We should find joy in going to church and meeting with our brothers and sisters “in” the gospel. If we are to not be “like” the world, and a “peculiar people” then we should breathe a sigh of relief when we meet together to finally be among “our own” who believe what we believe. Maybe there needs to be more celebration about our departure from Babylon and the respite we feel when we're together...or should feel. Of course, if we are like the world, then we won't feel any relief or joy going to church. The way I feel when my sisters come to PLAYgroup is a bit like these people felt and that, to be honest, I should also feel at church. True "joy" comes in the knowledge of Jesus Christ and His Atonement that makes salvation possible. That knowledge is probably what they found collective joy in. 
  4 And it came to pass that many of the Lamanites did come down into the land of Zarahemla, and did declare unto the people of the Nephites the manner of their ^aconversion, and did exhort them to faith and repentance. Do we have record of Lamanites preaching to Nephites before this? What was the “manner of their conversion”? Is this about Lehi and Nephi and the prison and being encircled by fire? 
  5 Yea, and many did ^apreach with exceedingly great power and authority, unto the bringing down many of them into the depths of humility, to be the humble followers of God and the Lamb. There is the power of the word again that can change hearts!  Have we ever heard someone preach with this kind of “power and authority” that can change hard hearts? What is lacking that we don’t find many or any with this power? Why do not the apostles have this power? Does it come from extraordinary experiences? Is that what is lacking? What brings those? The Lamanites weren’t particularly righteous when they had their experience. Perhaps it is more about timing and God’s purposes and people being given “chances” to change when they are ready or firm in their iniquity... I feel like this has to come. Maybe it will come with the return of the Davidic Servant and the 3 Nephites and John the Revelator...maybe part of the meaning of the "half hour of silence" is that we have been without this kind of preaching on the earth...
  6 And it came to pass that many of the Lamanites did go into the land northward; and also Nephi and Lehi went into the land northward, to preach unto the people. And thus ended the sixty and third year.
  7 And behold, there was peace in all the land, insomuch that the Nephites did go into whatsoever part of the land they would, whether among the Nephites or the Lamanites.
  8 And it came to pass that the Lamanites did also go whithersoever they would, whether it were among the Lamanites or among the Nephites; and thus they did have free intercourse one with another, to ^abuy and to sell, and to get gain, according to their desire.
  9 And it came to pass that they became exceedingly rich, both the Lamanites and the Nephites; and they did have an exceeding plenty of ^agold, and of silver, and of all manner of precious metals, both in the land south and in the land north. This is another scriptural evidence that righteousness brings temporal prosperity. We are in a severe drought right now. We need to repent before/as we pray for rain. God will prosper us if we worship Him. The earth is the Lord's...and there is enough...and to spare! We did get a lot of rain/snow. Did we repent?
 10 Now the land south was called ^aLehi, and the land north was called ^bMulek, which was after the ^cson of Zedekiah; for the Lord did bring Mulek into the land north, and Lehi into the land south.
 11 And behold, there was all manner of gold in both these lands, and of silver, and of precious ore of every kind; and there were also curious workmen, who did ^awork all kinds of ore and did refine it; and thus they did become rich.
 12 They did raise grain in abundance, both in the north and in the south; and they did flourish exceedingly, both in the north and in the south. And they did multiply and wax exceedingly strong in the land. And they did raise many flocks and herds, yea, many fatlings.
 13 Behold their women did toil and spin, and did ^amake all manner of ^bcloth, of fine-twined linen and cloth of every kind, to clothe their nakedness. And thus the sixty and fourth year did pass away in peace.
 14 And in the sixty and fifth year they did also have great joy and peace, yea, much preaching and many prophecies concerning that which was to come. And thus passed away the sixty and fifth year. What was to come? Jesus? Other things? Their future destruction at His coming or the war of extinction hundreds of years in the future? 
 15 And it came to pass that in the sixty and sixth year of the reign of the judges, behold, ^aCezoram was murdered by an unknown hand as he sat upon the judgment-seat. And it came to pass that in the same year, that his son, who had been appointed by the people in his stead, was also murdered. And thus ended the sixty and sixth year. Remember, even during periods of apparent peace and prosperity that men meet in “secret chambers” plotting to destroy the freedom and peace of their fellow man. Some say that the apocryphal book of Edzra says that we'll have two presidents that die in quick succession. They think it will be Biden and Harris. Today I was thinking that if that happened, Mike Johnson, a Christian Speaker of the House would be president. If he picked Trump as his VP and then resigned, Trump could be president until the 24 election. Wouldn't that be something! 
 16 And in the commencement of the sixty and seventh year the people began to grow exceedingly wicked again. Does “exceeding” prosperity bring “exceeding” wickedness? 
 17 For behold, the Lord had blessed them so long 7 years? with the ^ariches of the world that they had not been stirred up to anger, to wars, nor to bloodshed; therefore they began to set their hearts upon their riches; yea, they began to seek to get gain that they might be lifted up one above another; therefore they began to commit ^bsecret murders, and to rob and to plunder, that they might get gain. Why do they feel the need to get gain in this manner when God has been so generous with them? Does God bless people differently and the ones who have less lust after more? Or the ones who have more see it as a means to power and want more power so they have to maintain their greater wealth status? As our Declaration of Independence states: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" We are all given the right to "pursue happiness" but it isn't an automatic gift. We have to pursue it. In their prosperous condition, many many had chosen to pursue material wealth and others hadn't. Lacking a true Zion heart, the wealthy didn't choose to give to those who chose not to labor like they did, and then there would be those that lusted after the wealth of others but had no desire to work like they did, thus being tempted to rob and plunder for it. You can see how if we chose not to live above others in means, that the temptation to join these secret bands would disappear. There would be nothing to lust after since no one would have more. But it is the not having more or less that is the answer, but the desire to give to one another according to our wants and needs. I don't think in a true zion society everyone has the same. I don't think everyone even wants the same. 
 18 And now behold, those murderers and plunderers were a band who had been formed by Kishkumen and ^aGadianton. And now it had come to pass that there were many, even among the Nephites, of Gadianton’s band. But behold, they were more numerous among the more wicked part of the Lamanites. And they were called Gadianton’s robbers and murderers.
 19 And it was they who did murder the chief judge ^aCezoram, and his son, while in the judgment-seat; and behold, they were not found.
 20 And now it came to pass that when the Lamanites found that there were robbers among them they were exceedingly sorrowful; and they did use every means in their power to destroy them off the face of the earth.
 21 But behold, Satan did stir up the ^ahearts of the more part of the Nephites, insomuch that they did unite with those bands of robbers, and did enter into their covenants and their oaths, that they would protect and preserve one another in whatsoever difficult circumstances they should be placed, that they should not suffer for their murders, and their plunderings, and their ^bstealings. Probably emboldened to join when they saw how much they "got away with"...
 22 And it came to pass that they did have their signs, yea, their ^asecret signs, and their ^bsecret words; and this that they might distinguish a brother who had entered into the covenant, that whatsoever wickedness his brother should do he should not be injured by his brother, nor by those who did belong to his band, who had taken this covenant. Satan counterfeits God’s secret signs and tokens.
 23 And thus they might murder, and plunder, and steal, and comit whoredoms and all manner of wickedness, contrary to the laws of their country and also the laws of their God.
 24 And whosoever of those who belonged to their band should reveal unto the world of their ^awickedness and their abominations, should be tried, not according to the laws of their country, but according to the laws of their wickedness, which had been given by Gadianton and Kishkumen. Satan has his own form of government...
 25 Now behold, it is these secret ^aoaths and covenants which Alma commanded his son should not go forth unto the world, lest they should be a means of bringing down the people unto destruction.
 26 Now behold, those ^asecret oaths and covenants did not come forth unto Gadianton from the ^brecords which were delivered unto Helaman; but behold, they were put into the heart of ^cGadianton by that ^dsame being who did entice our first parents to partake of the forbidden fruit— Satan will actually appear to people (or his minions) to reveal these secret oaths and covenants when they are lost or hidden to the world. 
 27 Yea, that same being who did plot with ^aCain, that if he would murder his brother Abel it should not be known unto the world. And he did plot with Cain and his followers from that time forth. But it was known to the world...why did others follow this band and believe that their deeds wouldn't be known?
 28 And also it is that same being who put it into the hearts of the people to ^abuild a tower sufficiently high that they might get to heaven. And it was that same being who led on the people who came from that tower into this land; who spread the works of darkness and abominations over all the face of the land, until he dragged the people down to an ^bentire destruction, and to an everlasting hell. He lures them in with the promise of power and wealth, just to ultimately drag them down to destruction. That is the great "secret" to his "combination" that his own followers don't see...
 29 Yea, it is that same being who put it into the heart of ^aGadianton to still carry on the work of darkness, and of secret murder; and he has brought it forth from the beginning of man even down to this time. Don't think for a minute that this is not happening now.
 30 And behold, it is he who is the ^aauthor of all sin. And behold, he doth carry on his works of darkness and secret murder, and doth hand down their plots, and their oaths, and their covenants, and their plans of awful wickedness, from generation to generation according as he can get hold upon the hearts of the children of men.
 31 And now behold, he had got great hold upon the hearts of the Nephites; yea, insomuch that they had become exceedingly wicked; yea, the more part of them had turned out of the ^away of righteousness, and did ^btrample under their feet the commandments of God, and did turn unto their own ways, and did build up unto themselves ^cidols of their gold and their silver.  What idols have we turned to that we have built ourselves?
 32 And it came to pass that all these iniquities did come unto them in the space of ^anot many years, insomuch that a more part of it had come unto them in the sixty and seventh year Look what can happen in one year, for that matter, look what has happened in just 5 months during COVID! of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi. There is no explanation for this quick turn other than rebellion. I am thinking now that the prophecy that the gospel will be taken from the Gentiles and be given to the Jews when the Gentiles reject the fullness of the gospel, refers to the members of the church, not the citizens of the US. I thought there might be a great awakening and conversion and then a rebellion, but now it feels like that won’t happen, but it’s just the members of the church in great numbers that reject the “fullness” they have received. I still am not settled with the idea that we aren't going to get a "great awakening" and more light and knowledge revealed that we will then reject...still feel this could be coming soon!
 33 And they did grow in their iniquities in the sixty and eighth year also, to the great sorrow and lamentation of the righteous.
 34 And thus we see that the ^aNephites did begin to dwindle in unbelief, and grow in wickedness and abominations, while the Lamanites began to grow exceedingly in the knowledge of their God; yea, they did begin to keep his statutes and commandments, and to walk in truth and uprightness before him. How did they grow in their knowledge of God?
 35 And thus we see that the Spirit of the Lord began to ^awithdraw from the Nephites, because of the wickedness and the hardness of their hearts.
 36 And thus we see that the Lord began to pour out his ^aSpirit upon the Lamanites, because of their easiness and ^bwillingness to believe in his words. We have had millions of “Lamanites” come into the country illegally under Biden. Will this happen to them as the Gentiles become more and more wicked? Will they have some kind of mass conversion experience? Will the “end-time servant” come and preach to them with great power and authority and convert them? 
 37 And it came to pass that the Lamanites did hunt the band of robbers of Gadianton; and they did preach the word of God among the more wicked part of them, insomuch that this band of robbers was utterly destroyed from among the Lamanites. by conversion or death
 38 And it came to pass on the other hand, that the Nephites did build them up and support them, beginning at the more wicked part of them, until they had overspread all the land of the Nephites, and had seduced the more part of the righteous until they had come down to believe in their works and partake of their spoils, and to join with them in their secret murders and combinations.
 39 And thus they did obtain the sole management of the government, insomuch that they did trample under their feet and smite and rend and turn their backs upon the ^apoor and the meek, and the humble followers of God.
 40 And thus we see that they were in an awful state, and ^aripening for an everlasting destruction. Seems like we would need to see this before WE are ripe for destruction... Feels like the Gads have the sole management of the government today...
 41 And it came to pass that thus ended the sixty and eighth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.