Helaman 15

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

CHAPTER 15

The Lord chastened the Nephites because He loved them—Just like any loving parent, God corrects us out of love. Don’t ever lose sight of that....God loves always and perfectly. “the law” administers the punishment and it exists to teach us to choose correctly. The book "Original Grace" by Adam Miller presents the idea that the work of Justice is Grace - to do that which is needed, not what is deserved. To give good for good and good for evil. Converted Lamanites are firm and steadfast in the faith—If you are truly converted, you will be firm and steadfast in the faith. The Lord will be merciful unto the Lamanites in the latter days. Have we seen this yet? I don’t think so...About 6 B.C.

  1 And now, my beloved brethren, behold, I declare unto you that except ye shall repent your houses shall be left unto you ^adesolate. I think this refers to no posterity...
  2 Yea, except ye repent, your women is he only talking to men? shall have great cause to mourn in the day that they shall give suck; for ye shall attempt to flee and there shall be no place for ^arefuge; yea, and wo unto them which are ^bwith child, for they shall be heavy and cannot flee; therefore, they shall be trodden down and shall be left to perish.
  3 Yea, wo unto this ^apeople who are called the ^bpeople of Nephi except they shall repent, when they shall see all these signs and wonders which shall be showed unto them; for behold, they have been a chosen people of the Lord; yea, the people of Nephi hath he loved, and also hath he ^cchastened them; yea, in the days of their iniquities hath he chastened them because he loveth them. I like to think that we (members of the church who’ve made covenants with God) are also “a chosen people”. I hope that we will also be given great signs in order that we many believe and repent because we are loved by God in this same way. And that we will be chastened before our just judgements.
  4 But behold my brethren, the ^aLamanites hath he hated because their deeds have been evil continually, and this because of the iniquity of the ^btradition of their fathers. But behold, salvation hath come unto them through the preaching of the Nephites; and for this intent hath the Lord ^cprolonged their days. It sounds like maybe God prolongs your days if he knows you will repent? How hard to hear that God has "hated" your people. We usually don't assign "hate" to God. It makes me think he's trying to say that our choices bring "love/blessings" from God or his "hate" or lack of blessings. Kind of helps, but not really...
  5 And I would that ye should behold that the ^amore part of them are in the path of their duty, and they do walk circumspectly before God, and they do observe to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments according to the law of Moses.
  6 Yea, I say unto you, that the more part of them are doing this, and they are striving with ^aunwearied diligence that they may bring the remainder of their brethren to the knowledge of the truth; therefore there are many who do add to their numbers daily. Notice, they are not just not being naughty...they are keeping the commandments and maybe even more important, they are “striving in with unwearied diligence” to bring their brethren to the knowledge of the truth. Hmmm....am I doing the same? And now, this Lamanites is trying to bless the Nephites as the Nephites in the past of blessed them.
  7 And behold, ye do know of yourselves, for ye have witnessed it, that as many of them as are brought to the knowledge of the truth, and to know of the wicked and abominable traditions of their fathers, and are led to believe the holy scriptures, yea, the prophecies of the holy prophets, which are written, which  leadeth them to faith on the Lord, and unto repentance, which faith and repentance bringeth a ^achange of heart unto them—born again?
  8 Therefore, as many as have come to this, ye know of yourselves are ^afirm and steadfast in the faith, "no more disposition to do evil" and in the thing wherewith they have been made free. "the truth shall make you free" So what did the Lamanites have to know in order to change? :
1. hear the truth
2. see the wicked and abominable traditions of their father
3. believe the holy scriptures
4. believe the prophecies of the holy prophets (not so much their teachings, but their prophecies) the greatest being that Christ would come and atone for their sins and be resurrected making repentance possible.
5. have faith on the Lord unto repentance which IS a change of heart or bringeth this change of heart. 
  9 And ye know also that they have ^aburied their weapons of war, and they fear to take them up lest by any means they should sin; yea, ye can see that they fear to sin— Do you have a healthy “fear of sin”? for behold they will suffer themselves that they be trodden down and slain by their enemies, and will not lift their swords against them, and this because of their ^bfaith in Christ. our faith in Christ needs to lead us to not fear death if it comes because we are keeping our covenants.
 10 And now, because of their ^asteadfastness when they do believe in that thing which they do believe, for because of their firmness when they are once enlightened, behold, the Lord shall bless them and prolong their days, notwithstanding their iniquity— of the past...
 11 Yea, even if they should dwindle in unbelief the Lord shall ^aprolong their days, until the time shall come which hath been spoken of by our fathers, and also by the prophet ^bZenos, and many other prophets, concerning the ^crestoration of our brethren, the Lamanites, again to the knowledge of the truth— so the Lamanites can reject the truth they now know, like the Nephites are doing, but they will not be “utterly destroyed” because of the prophecies of the prophets (which are a  promise) that their ancestors will be restored to the truth in the latter days. Why do you think they get this promise and the Nephites don’t? This is a prophecy we need to look forward to. The Lamanites WILL be restored to the truth in our day.
 12 Yea, I say unto you, that in the latter times the ^apromises of the Lord have been extended to our brethren, the Lamanites; and notwithstanding the many afflictions which they shall have, and notwithstanding they shall be ^bdriven to and fro upon the face of the earth, and be hunted, and shall be smitten and scattered abroad, having no place for ^crefuge, the Lord shall be ^dmerciful unto them.
 13 And this is according to the prophecy, that they shall again be ^abrought to the true knowledge, which is the knowledge of their Redeemer, and their great and true ^bshepherd, and be numbered among his ^csheep.
 14 Therefore I say unto you, it shall be ^abetter for them than for you except ye repent. If the Nephites are prideful...this thought could tick them off...
 15 For behold, ^ahad the mighty works been shown unto them which have been shown unto you, yea, unto them who have dwindled in unbelief because of the traditions of their fathers, ye can see of yourselves that they never would again have dwindled in unbelief.
 16 Therefore, saith the Lord: I will not utterly destroy them, but I will cause that in the day of my wisdom they shall ^areturn again unto me, saith the Lord. The “day of my wisdom” surely must almost be here...how is it that they shall
 “return”? Is it because of the end time servant? Is it the millions pouring in to this land through the border illegally? Isaiah is filled with language of "in that day" which I think is His day of judgment. But here we have his "day of my wisdom". Is that tied specifically to the Lamanite's return? 
 17 And now behold, saith the Lord, concerning the people of the Nephites: If they will not repent, and observe to do my will, I will utterly ^adestroy them, saith the Lord, because of their unbelief notwithstanding the many mighty works which I have done among them; and as surely as the Lord liveth shall these things be, saith the Lord. We have to pay attention to prophecy. ALL the words of the Lord WILL be fulfilled. Make NO mistake about it. What are the prophecies concerning the Gentiles in our day? One is that they will reject the fullness of the gospel, except for a remnant (think 10 virgins? ) We must all make a decision as to which part of this prophecy we will land on...