Episode 45:

Helaman 7-10

Ye shall become meat for dogs

7 ^1-3 In 23 BCE, Nephi, the son of Helaman, returned from his preaching mission. It was a total disaster. Everyone rejected all of his words.

¹⁰ Nephi climbed a tower in the city of Zarahemla. ¹¹ When some people saw him up there pouring out his soul to God, they told everyone about it, and a large crowd came to see what was happening. ^12-29 When Nephi saw the people who had gathered below him, he opened his mouth and began to insult them. He told them that the devil has a hold on their hearts; that they had ignored the voice of the good shepherd; that they would become dog food; that they were greedy liars who did all kinds of iniquities and wicked abominations.

If you can believe all that, you can believe me, too

8 ^1-9 After Nephi had insulted the people of Zarahelma, some of the judges who belonged to Gadianton's secret band tried to stir up anger against him. But some of the people came to Nephi's defense. ^10-12 So Nephi began speaking again. He talked about how Moses parted the Red Sea and drowned the Egyptians; and said that if they believed that, they should believe anything that he has to say, too. ^13-15 Then Nephi told them that Moses said that the Son of God would come; that God sent fiery serpents to kill the people, and that Moses saved them by making a bronze serpent and putting it on a pole; ^17-18 that Abraham knew about Jesus's coming, as it was known for many thousands of years; ^19-21 that Zenos, Zenock, Elias, Isaiah, and Jeremiah prophesied about the destruction of Jerusalem; that all of the sons of Zedekiah were killed except for Mulek (who built a boat and sailed to the New World); ²² that Lehi was driven out of Jerusalem for prophesying about its coming destruction; and that Nephi and all the other Nephite prophets testified about the coming of Christ. ²⁴ Whoever denies any of these things is a liar and a sinner.

²⁷ Nephi ended his speech by saying, “If you go to the judgment-seat, you’ll find a judge lying in his own blood, murdered by his brother. ²⁸ Both of these brothers belong to Gadianton’s secret band, who seek to destroy the souls of men.”

Another sign of Nephi

9 ^1-3 After Nephi’s speech, five men ran to the judgment seat. When they arrived, they found that the chief judge was dead, lying in his own blood. ^4-5 When they saw this, they fell to the ground. ^6-9 When the judge's servants found out that he had been murdered, they told the people. All of the people then ran to the judgement-seat, where they saw the five men face-down on the ground. They assumed that these five were the murderers, figuring that God had smitten them so they couldn't get up and run away. So they cast them into prison.

^10-15 The next day the people assembled to mourn, fast, and bury the late great chief judge. The judges summoned the five men who were imprisoned and when they arrived they told the judges what they had seen at the judgment-seat. (A dead judge lying in his own blood.)

^16-20 The judges called for Nephi and accused him of paying someone to murder the judge so it would look like he was a prophet by predicting the murder.

^21-22 Nephi began his defense by calling his accusers fools, uncircumcised of heart, blind, stiff-necked, and sinful. He said they should howl and mourn, since they'll soon be destroyed unless they repent.

^25-36 Then Nephi said that he'd show them another sign, telling them to go to the house of Seantum (the brother of the murdered judge, Seezoram) and ask him if he murdered his brother. He’ll say that he's innocent but check the skirts of his cloak for blood. He'll tremble and look pale, so you'll know he's guilty. And then he'll confess and say that I knew all this by the power of God.

^37-41 And everything happened just like Nephi said it would: Seantum denied and then confessed. The five men were released, as was Nephi. Some people believed the words of Nephi, some believed the testimony of the five, some said that Nephi was a prophet, and some said that he was a god.

Nephi becomes the first pope

10 ^2-5 As Nephi walked home, a voice spoke to him saying that he is blessed for doing all the things that he has done and for saying the things that God told him to say. It praised him for being unafraid, for not seeking his own life, but seeking God’s will and keeping his commandments. Because Nephi had done these things, God will bless him forever, and make him mighty in word, deed, faith and works. God knows Nephi will never ask anything contrary to God's will.

^6-10 The voice identified itself as God and told Nephi that Nephi was Nephi. God said, in the presence of his angels, that Nephi will have absolute power over the Nephites, and that Nephi will smite the earth with famine, pestilence and destruction because the people are so wicked. God told him that whatever he seals on earth will be sealed in heaven. And that he (Nephi) has the power to rip apart temples, smooth mountains, and smite people. ¹¹ The voice ended by telling Nephi to tell the people that they will be destroyed unless they repent.

^12-17 After the voice stopped speaking, Nephi returned to the multitudes that were scattered about upon the face of the land. He delivered God's message -- that unless they repent they'll be "smitten even unto destruction." By this time, however, the people had forgotten all about Nephi's "great miracle" from the last chapter, so they hardened their hearts and tried to put Nephi in prison. But God wouldn't let them do it. Nephi was teleported away by the Spirit out of the midst of them. The Spirit beamed Nephi from one place to another so that Nephi could deliver the message to all of the people pretty much at the same time.

¹⁸ After Nephi delivered God's message, there were contentions among the people insomuch that they began to slay one another with the sword. And thus ended the year 21 BCE.