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Helaman 5
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5:1 And it came to pass that in this same year, behold, Nephi delivered
up the judgment-seat to a man whose name was Cezoram.
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And it came to pass
(5:1, 4, 13, 17, 18, 20, 21, 23, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 36, 37, 40, 42, 46, 50, 52)
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5:2 For as their laws and their governments were established by the voice of the people, and they
who chose evil were more numerous than they who chose good, therefore they were ripening for destruction, for
the laws had become corrupted.
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5:3 Yea, and this was not all; they were a stiffnecked people, insomuch that they could not be governed
by the law nor justice, save it were to their destruction.
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5:4 And it came to pass that Nephi had become weary because of their iniquity; and he yielded up
the judgment-seat, and took it upon him to preach the word of God all the remainder of his days, and his
brother Lehi also, all the remainder of his days;
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5:5 For they remembered the words which their father Helaman spake unto them. And these are the
words which he spake:
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5:6 Behold, my sons, I desire that ye should remember to keep the commandments of God; and I would that
ye should declare unto the people these words. Behold, I have given unto you the names of our first parents who
came out of the land of Jerusalem; and this I have done that when you remember your names ye may remember them;
and when ye remember them ye may remember their works; and when ye remember their works ye may know how that it
is said, and also written, that they were good.
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5:7 Therefore, my sons, I would that ye should do that which is good, that it may be said of you, and
also written, even as it has been said and written of them.
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5:8 And now my sons, behold I have somewhat more to desire of you, which desire is, that ye may not
do these things that ye may boast, but that ye may do these things to lay up for yourselves a treasure in
heaven,
yea, which is eternal, and which fadeth not away; yea, that ye may have that precious gift of eternal life, which
we have reason to suppose hath been given to our fathers.
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But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth
corrupt ... -- Mt.6:20
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5:9 O remember, remember, my sons, the words which king Benjamin spake unto his people;
yea, remember that there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus
Christ, who shall come, yea, remember that he cometh to redeem the world.
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The only way anyone can be saved is "through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ." This statement was
supposedly made in 30 BCE!
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5:10 And remember also the words which Amulek spake unto Zeezrom, in the city of Ammonihah; for he
said unto him that the Lord surely should come to redeem his people, but that he should not come to redeem them
in their sins, but to redeem them from their sins.
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5:11 And he hath power given unto him from the Father to redeem them from their sins because of
repentance; therefore he hath sent his angels to declare the tidings of the conditions of repentance, which
bringeth unto the power of the Redeemer, unto the salvation of their souls.
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5:12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ,
the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea,
his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no
power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built,
which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.
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5:13 And it came to pass that these were the words which Helaman taught to his sons; yea, he did
teach them many things which are not written, and also many things which are written.
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5:14 And they did remember his words; and therefore they went forth, keeping the commandments of
God, to teach the word of God among all the people of Nephi, beginning at the city Bountiful;
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5:15 And from thenceforth to the city of Gid; and from the city of Gid to the city of Mulek;
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5:16 And even from one city to another, until they had gone forth among all the people of Nephi who
were in the land southward; and from thence into the land of Zarahemla, among the Lamanites.
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5:17 And it came to pass that they did preach with great power, insomuch that they did confound many
of those dissenters who had gone over from the Nephites, insomuch that they came forth and did confess their sins
and were baptized unto repentance, and immediately returned to the Nephites to endeavor to repair unto them the
wrongs which they had done.
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5:18 And it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi did preach unto
the Lamanites with such great power and authority, for they had power and authority, given unto them that
they might speak, and they also had what they should speak given unto them --
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5:19 Therefore they did speak unto the great astonishment of the Lamanites, to the convincing them,
insomuch that there were eight thousand of the Lamanites who were in the land of Zarahemla and round about
baptized unto repentance, and were convinced of the wickedness of the traditions of their fathers.
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5:20 And it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi did proceed from
thence to go to the land of Nephi.
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5:21 And it came to pass that they were taken by an army of the Lamanites and cast into prison;
yea, even in that same prison in which Ammon and his brethren were cast by the servants of Limhi.
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5:22 And after they had been cast into prison many days without food, behold, they went forth into
the prison to take them that they might slay them.
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5:23 And it came to
pass that Nephi and Lehi were encircled
about as if by fire, even insomuch that they durst not lay their hands upon them for fear lest they should
be burned. Nevertheless, Nephi and Lehi were not burned; and they were
as standing in the midst of fire and were not burned.
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Lehi and Nephi stood in the middle of a raging fire, but were not burned.
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5:24 And when they saw that they were encircled about with a pillar of fire, and that it burned
them not, their hearts did take courage.
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5:25 For they saw that the Lamanites durst not lay their hands upon them; neither durst they come
near unto them, but stood as if they were struck dumb with amazement.
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5:26 And it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi did stand forth and
began to speak unto them, saying: Fear not, for behold, it is God that has shown unto you this marvelous thing,
in the which is shown unto you that ye cannot lay your hands on us to slay us.
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5:27 And behold, when they had said these words, the earth shook exceedingly, and the walls of the
prison did shake as if they were about to tumble to the earth; but behold, they did not fall. And behold,
they that were in the prison were Lamanites and Nephites who were dissenters.
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exceedingly (5:27, 31, 36)
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5:28 And it came to pass that they were overshadowed with a cloud of darkness, and an awful solemn
fear came upon them.
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5:29 And it came to pass that there came a voice
as if it were above the cloud of darkness, saying:
Repent ye, repent ye, and seek no more to destroy my servants whom I have sent unto you to declare good tidings.
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A voice came from out of the sky saying ...
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5:30 And it came to pass when they heard this voice, and beheld that it was not a voice of thunder,
neither was it a voice of a great tumultuous noise, but behold, it was a still voice of perfect mildness, as if
it had been a whisper, and it did pierce even to the very soul --
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5:31 And notwithstanding the mildness of the voice, behold the earth shook
exceedingly, and the walls
of the prison trembled again, as if it were about to tumble to the earth; and behold the cloud of darkness, which
had overshadowed them, did not disperse --
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The earth shook exceedingly.
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5:32 And behold the voice came again, saying:
Repent ye, repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is
at hand; and seek no more to destroy my servants. And it came to pass that
the earth shook again, and the
walls trembled.
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"And behold the voice came again, saying: ..." (And the earth shook again.)
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Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
-- Mt.3:2
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5:33 And also again the third time the voice came, and did speak unto them marvelous words which
cannot be uttered by man; and the walls did tremble again, and the earth shook as if it were about to divide
asunder.
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And the voice came for the third time speaking "marvelous words." And (of course) the earth shook again.
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5:34 And it came to pass that the Lamanites could not flee because of the cloud of darkness which
did overshadow them; yea, and also they were immovable because of the fear which did come upon them.
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5:35 Now there was one among them who was a Nephite by birth, who had once belonged to the church of
God but had dissented from them.
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5:36 And it came to pass that he turned him about, and behold, he saw through the cloud of darkness
the faces of Nephi and Lehi; and behold, they did shine exceedingly, even
as the faces of angels. And he beheld that they did lift their eyes to heaven; and they were in the attitude
as if talking or lifting their voices to some being whom they beheld.
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The faces of Nephi and Lehi "did shine exceedingly." (Just like
the faces of angels!)
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5:37 And it came to pass that this man did cry unto the multitude, that they might turn and look. And
behold, there was power given unto them that they did turn and look; and they did behold the faces of Nephi
and Lehi.
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5:38 And they said unto the man: Behold, what do all these things mean, and who is it
with whom these men do converse?
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5:39 Now the man's name was Aminadab. And Aminadab said unto them: They
do converse with the angels of God.
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Nephi and Lehi "converse with the angels of God."
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5:40 And it came to pass that the Lamanites said unto him: What shall we do, that this cloud of
darkness may be removed from overshadowing us?
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5:41 And Aminadab said unto them: You must repent, and cry unto the voice, even until ye shall have faith
in Christ, who was taught unto you by Alma, and Amulek, and Zeezrom; and when ye shall do this, the cloud of
darkness shall be removed from overshadowing you.
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5:42 And it came to pass that they all did begin to cry unto the voice of him who had shaken the
earth; yea, they did cry even until the cloud of darkness was dispersed.
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Everyone shouted to the voice in the clouds and "the cloud of darkness was dispersed."
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5:43 And it came to pass that when they cast their eyes about, and saw that the cloud of darkness
was dispersed from overshadowing them, behold, they saw that they were encircled about, yea every soul, by a
pillar of fire.
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Everyone was encircled with a pillar of fire, yet they were not burned.
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5:44 And Nephi and Lehi were in the midst of them; yea, they
were encircled about; yea, they were as if in the midst of a flaming fire, yet it did harm them not, neither
did it take hold upon the walls of the prison; and they were filled with that joy which is unspeakable and full
of glory.
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... rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory ...
-- 1 Pet.1:8
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5:45 And behold, the Holy Spirit of God did come down from heaven, and did enter into their hearts,
and they were filled as if with fire, and they could speak forth marvelous words.
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The Holy Spirit came down from heaven and entered the peoples' hearts. "And they could speak forth marvelous
words."
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5:46 And it came to pass that there came a voice unto them,
yea, a pleasant voice, as if it were a
whisper, saying:
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And "a pleasant voice" came from out of the sky, saying ...
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5:47 Peace, peace be unto you, because of your faith in my Well Beloved, who was from the foundation
of the world.
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5:48 And now, when they heard this they cast up their eyes as if to behold from whence the voice
came; and behold, they saw the heavens open; and angels came down out of heaven and ministered unto them.
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And then the sky opened and angels came out "and ministered unto them."
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5:49 And there were about three hundred souls who saw and heard these things; and they were bidden to
go forth and marvel not, neither should they doubt.
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5:50 And it came to pass that they did go forth, and did minister unto the people, declaring
throughout all the regions round about all the things which they had heard and seen, insomuch that the more
part of the Lamanites were convinced of them, because of the greatness of the evidences which they had received.
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5:51 And as many as were convinced did lay down their weapons of war, and also their hatred and the
tradition of their fathers.
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5:52 And it came to pass that they did yield up unto the Nephites the lands of their possession.
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