Alma Instructs His Son Helaman

Alma continued, “My son, Helaman, I command you to take the records that have been entrusted to me. I also command you to keep a record of this people, as I have done, upon Nephi’s large plates. Preserve all these sacred things (Laban’s sword, the Liahona, the interpreters) as I have, for these things are kept for a wise purpose. These brass plates contain the records of the holy scriptures and the genealogy of our forefathers back to Adam and Eve. Our forefathers prophesied that the brass plates would be handed down from one generation to another. They will be preserved by the hand of the Lord until they are read by all people in every nation. All people will read them in their own language and come to know the mysteries contained in them. The brass plates, and all other plates that contain holy writings, will be preserved, and will always retain their brightness.

“You may think that I am foolish to say these things, but I know that by small and simple things great things are brought to pass. At many times, small things confound the wisdom of the world. This is how the Lord God works, using very small means to bring about His great and eternal purposes, confounding the wise while bringing His salvation to many souls.

“God has shown His wisdom in preserving these things (the records of the holy scriptures), for they have reminded this people of their forefathers and have given them a knowledge of their God. The words engraved on them have convinced many of their sinful ways, bringing them to repentance and the salvation of their souls. The words of these records brought them to repentance—to the knowledge of the Lord their God, so they may rejoice in Jesus Christ, their Redeemer. If it were not for these records, Ammon and his brethren could not have convinced thousands of Lamanites that their forefathers’ traditions were false.

“Because of these plates, who knows how many more thousands of Lamanites will be converted, or how many thousands of our stubborn fellow Nephites will be brought to know their Redeemer? Now these mysteries are not yet fully made known to me, so I will not speculate any further. It is enough to say that these plates will be preserved for wise purposes known by God. For He counsels in wisdom over all His works. His paths are straight and His course is one eternal round (a continuing cycle). Oh remember, remember, my son, Helaman, how strict God’s commandments are. He has said, ‘If you keep my commandments, you will prosper in the land. Otherwise, you will be cut off from my presence.’ Remember, God has trusted you with the sacred things that He will preserve for His wise purposes, to show His power to future generations.

“I tell you by the spirit of prophecy, that if you transgress God’s commandments, these sacred things will be taken from you by His power, and you will be delivered to Satan, who will then do with you as he pleases. But if you keep God’s commandments, and always ask the Lord what to do with these sacred things, then no power of earth or hell can take them from you, for God is powerful in fulfilling all His words. He will fulfill all His promises to you, just as He fulfilled the promises He made to our forefathers. He promised them that He would preserve these sacred things for His wise purposes—to show His power to future generations.

“He has already fulfilled one wise purpose by restoring thousands of Lamanites to the knowledge of the truth. He has shown the Lamanites His power and will show His power to their descendants, in order to preserve them. This is why I command you, Helaman, to be diligent in fulfilling all my words, and to be diligent in keeping God’s commandments as they are written. Keep these interpreters and these twenty-four gold plates so that the existence of the Jaredites’ mysteries, secret works of darkness, murder, robbery, plunder, and wickedness may be made known to our people. For when the Lord saw His people beginning to work in darkness, to commit secret murders and abominations, He said, ‘If they do not repent, they will be destroyed off the face of the earth. I will prepare for my servant, Gazelem, a stone that will shine and bring what is in darkness into the light. Then my people who serve me will know that their brethren practiced secret works of darkness.’

“And now, my son Helaman, these interpreters were prepared to fulfill God’s word, which is: ‘I will bring all their secret works of darkness into the light, and unless they repent, I will sweep them off the face of the earth, and then bring a knowledge of all their secret sins to every nation that will live in this land.’

“Now we see that the Jaredites did not repent, and that is why they have been destroyed. So far, God’s word has been fulfilled, for their secret abominations have been brought out of darkness and made known to us. And now my son, I command you to keep all their oaths, covenants, agreements, and secret abominations, as well as their signs and wonders, hidden from our people. For if our people were to use them, they would fall into darkness and be destroyed. For there is a curse upon all this land, that when they are fully ripe, destruction will come upon all the workers of darkness, according to God’s power. And I do not wish for this people to be destroyed. So keep these secret plans, oaths, and covenants away from this people, and only tell them about the wickedness, murders, and abominations of those who have gone before them. Teach them to abhor these things and that all the people on the face of this land were once destroyed because of such things.

“For the Jaredites murdered all of the Lord’s prophets who told them of their sinfulness. And the murdered prophets cried to the Lord their God for vengeance upon their murderers. Then God’s judgments came upon these workers of darkness and secret combinations.

“This land is forever cursed to those who work in darkness and secret combinations, even to their destruction, unless they repent before they are fully ripe. Remember my words, Helaman. Do not give those secret plans to our people, but teach them an everlasting hatred against sin and iniquity. Preach repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Teach them to humble themselves, to become meek and lowly in heart, and to resist every temptation of the devil by their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Teach them to never be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart, for such will find rest to their souls.

“Remember all these things, my son. Learn to be wise—to keep God’s commandments—while you are still young. Pray to God for all your support. Wherever you go, let all that you do be for the Lord. Let all your thoughts and the affections of your heart be toward the Lord forever. Counsel with Him in all that you do, and He will direct you for good. At night, pray to the Lord, that He may watch over you in your sleep. And when you arise in the morning, let your heart be full of thanks to God. If you do these things, you will be lifted up to Him at the last day.

“And now, I want to tell you about the Liahona that the Lord made, which means, ‘A compass.’ No mortal could make anything like the Liahona. It was made to show our forefathers which way to go in the wilderness. It worked according to their faith in God, and its spindles pointed the way they should go. Day by day, this and many other miracles were shown to them. Even though these miracles were performed in small ways, our forefathers were shown God’s marvelous power. When they forgot to use their faith and diligence, those marvelous works stopped, and they did not progress in their journey. When they transgressed, they did not travel in a straight course, which caused them to suffer from hunger and thirst. I want you to understand, my son, that a lack of faith in this temporal thing, the Liahona, is a symbol of a lack of faith in spiritual things. For it is just as easy to follow Christ’s words, which point a straight course toward eternal bliss, as it was for our forefathers to follow the directions of this compass, which pointed a straight course for them toward the promised land. This Liahona was an example for us. For just as surely as it brought our forefathers to this promised land, Christ’s words will carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise.

“Oh my son, let us not be careless or take things too lightly because the way is easy, as it was for our forefathers. All they had to do was look and they would live. So it is with us. The way is prepared, and if we will look to Christ, we will live forever with Him.

“And now, my son, see that you take care of these sacred things. See that you look to God and live. Go among this people and declare the word. Be careful and serious minded. Farewell, my son.”