Helaman 7

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

The Prophecy of Nephi, the Son of Helaman—God threatens the people of Nephi that he will visit them in his anger, to their utter destruction except they repent of their wickedness. God smiteth the people of Nephi with pestilence; they repent and turn unto him. Samuel, a Lamanite, prophesies unto the Nephites.

Comprising chapters 7 through 16.

CHAPTER 7

Nephi is rejected in the north and returns to Zarahemla—He prays upon his garden tower and then calls upon the people to repent or perish. About 23–21 B.C.

  1 Behold, now it came to pass in the sixty and ninth year of the reign of the judges over the people of the Nephites, that Nephi, the son of Helaman, returned  to the land of Zarahemla from the land northward.
  2 For he had been forth among the people who were in the land northward, and did preach the word of God unto them, and did prophesy many things unto them;
  3 And they did ^areject all his words, insomuch that he could not stay among them, sometimes you just have to leave... but returned again unto the land of his nativity. I assume this was "mighty" preaching. I guess it doesn't change all hard hearts...
  4 And seeing the people in a state of such awful wickedness, and those Gadianton robbers filling the judgment-seats—having ^ausurped the power and authority of the land; laying aside the commandments of God, and not in the least aright before him; doing no justice unto the children of men;
  5 Condemning the righteous because of their righteousness; letting the guilty and the wicked go ^aunpunished because of their ^bmoney; and moreover to be held in office at the head of government, to rule and do according to their wills, that they might get gain and glory of the ^cworld, and, moreover, that they might the more easily commit adultery, and steal, and kill, and do according to their own wills—Pretty much describes our day!
  6 Now this great iniquity had come upon the Nephites, in the space of ^anot many years; I'm amazed at the wicked changes in our land in just one year as well, and in the beliefs of so many within the church...and when Nephi saw it, his heart was swollen with sorrow within his breast; and he did exclaim in the agony of his soul:
  7 Oh, that I could have had my days in the days when my father Nephi first came out of the land of Jerusalem, that I could have ^ajoyed with him in the promised land; then were his people easy to be entreated, ^bfirm to keep the commandments of God, and slow to be led to do iniquity; and they were quick to hearken unto the words of the Lord—if you like checklists...

1. easy to be entreated (respond to an earnest request)
2. firm to keep the commandments of God
3. slow to be led to do iniquity
4. quick to hearken to the words of the Lord (from the prophet, the Spirit)

  8 Yea, if my days could have been in those days, then would my soul have had joy in the righteousness of my brethren.
  9 But behold, I am consigned that these are my days, and that my soul shall be filled with ^asorrow because of this the wickedness of my brethren.
 10 And behold, now it came to pass that it was upon a tower, which was in the ^agarden of Nephi, which was by the highway which led to the chief market, which was in the city of Zarahemla; therefore, Nephi had bowed himself upon the tower which was in his garden, which tower was also near unto the garden gate by which led the highway. What was the purpose of this "tower"? Was it for prayer? If not, why did Nephi choose to pray upon it and not somewhere else? Were there no mountains nearby? Is there something special about being as high as possible when you pray? Just curious...
 11 And it came to pass that there were certain men passing by and saw Nephi as he was pouring out his soul unto God upon the ^atower; what happened to "praying in secret"? Did he want to be heard? and they ran and told the people what they had seen, and the people came together in multitudes that they might know the cause of so great mourning for the wickedness of the people.
 12 And now, when Nephi arose he beheld the multitudes of people who had gathered together.
 13 And it came to pass that he opened his mouth and said unto them: Behold,  ^awhy have ye gathered yourselves together? That I may tell you of your iniquities?  
 14 Yea, because I have got upon my tower Was it his tower? It does say it was in the "garden of Nephi" ... I guess it could be his own garden and not a public space named after a former Nephi (which is what I assumed...) that I might pour out my soul unto my God, because of the exceeding sorrow of my heart, which is because of your iniquities!
 15 And because of my ^amourning and lamentation ye have gathered yourselves together, and do marvel; yea, and ye have great need to marvel; yea, ye ought to marvel because ye are given away that the devil has got so great hold upon your hearts.
 16 Yea, how could you have given way to the enticing of him who is seeking to hurl away your souls down to ^aeverlasting misery and endless wo? They certainly understand the workings of Satan and how he hates them. Why then yield to him?
 17 O repent ye, repent ye! ^aWhy will ye die? Turn ye, turn ye unto the Lord your God. Why has he forsaken you?
 18 It is because you have hardened your hearts; yea, ye will not ^ahearken unto the voice of the ^bgood shepherd; yea, ye have ^cprovoked him to anger against you.
 19 And behold, instead of ^agathering you, except ye will repent, behold, he shall scatter you forth that ye shall become meat for dogs and wild beasts.
 20 O, how could you have ^aforgotten your God in the very day that he has delivered you?
 21 But behold, it is to get ^again, to be ^bpraised of men, yea, and that ye might get gold and silver. And ye have set your hearts upon the ^criches and the vain things of this world, for the which ye do murder, and plunder, and steal, and bear ^dfalse witness against your neighbor, and do all manner of iniquity.
 22 And for this cause ^awo shall come unto you except ye shall repent. For if ye will not repent, behold, this ^bgreat city, and also all those great cities which are round about, which are in the land of our possession, shall be taken away that ye shall have no place in them; for behold, the Lord will not grant unto you ^cstrength, as he has hitherto done, to withstand against your enemies.
 23 For behold, thus saith the Lord: I will not show unto the wicked of my strength, to one more than the other, save it be unto those who repent of their sins, and hearken unto my words. Conversely, He WILL show His strength to those who repent and obey His words.  Now therefore, I would that ye should behold, my brethren, that it shall be ^abetter for the Lamanites than for you except ye shall repent.
 24 For behold, they are more righteous than you, for they have not sinned against that great knowledge which ye have received; therefore the Lord will be merciful unto them; yea, he will ^alengthen out their days and increase their seed, even when thou shalt be utterly ^bdestroyed except thou shalt repent.
 25 Yea, wo be unto you because of that great abomination which has come among you; and ye have united yourselves unto it, yea, to that ^asecret band which was established by Gadianton!
 26 Yea, ^awo shall come unto you because of that pride which ye have suffered to enter your hearts, which has lifted you up beyond that which is good because of your exceedingly great riches!
 27 Yea, wo be unto you because of your wickedness and abominations!
 28 And except ye repent ye shall perish; yea, even your lands shall be taken from you, and ye shall be destroyed from off the face of the earth.
 29 Behold now, I do not say that these things shall be, of myself, because it is not of myself that I ^aknow these things; but behold, I ^bknow that these things are true because the Lord God has made them known unto me, therefore I testify that they shall be. Now there is some bold preaching! Oh how we need that kind of preaching today! When will it come???