Alma 37

The Sacred Records Passed Down

Helaman, my son, I’m giving you the records that have been entrusted to me.

I’m also telling you to keep a record of our people, just as I’ve done, on the plates of Nephi. Keep all these things sacred, just as I have kept them. There’s a wise purpose behind it all.

These plates of brass contain engravings—the records of the Holy Scriptures and the genealogy of our ancestors, going all the way back to the beginning. Our ancestors prophesied that these records would be handed down from one generation to the next, kept and preserved by the Lord’s hand, until they spread to every nation, tribe, language, and people—so everyone can discover the mysteries written on them. If they’re kept, they’ll stay bright. They will stay bright. And so will all the other plates that contain sacred writings.

You might think this sounds foolish. But I’m telling you: through small and simple things, great things happen. Small means often confuse the wise. The Lord God works through ordinary means to accomplish his great and eternal purposes. Through very small things, the Lord confuses the wise and brings about the salvation of many souls.

Up until now, it’s been God’s wisdom to preserve these records. They’ve expanded our people’s memory, convinced many of the error of their ways, and brought them to know their God and be saved. I’m telling you, if it weren’t for these records on these plates, Ammon and his brothers couldn’t have convinced so many thousands of Lamanites that their fathers' traditions were wrong. These records and their words brought them to repentance—they brought them to know the Lord their God and to celebrate Jesus Christ, their Redeemer. Who knows? Maybe they’ll be the means of bringing many thousands more—even many thousands of our own stubborn Nephite brothers, who are now hardening their hearts in sin—to know their Redeemer.

These mysteries haven’t been fully revealed to me yet, so I’ll leave it at that. It’s enough to say they’re preserved for a wise purpose—a purpose known to God. He plans wisely over all his works. His paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round.

The Weight of Responsibility

Remember, remember, my son Helaman—how strict are the commandments of God! He says: 'If you keep my commandments, you’ll thrive in the land. But if you don’t keep them, you’ll be cut off from my presence.'

Remember, my son, that God has entrusted you with these sacred things. He has kept them sacred, and he will continue to keep and preserve them for a wise purpose—so he can show his power to future generations.

I tell you by the Spirit of prophecy: if you disobey God’s commandments, these sacred things will be taken from you by the power of God. You’ll be handed over to Satan, who will scatter you like chaff in the wind. But if you keep God’s commandments and handle these sacred things according to what the Lord tells you—because you must ask the Lord about everything you do with them—then no power on earth or in hell can take them from you. God is powerful enough to fulfill every word he speaks.

He keeps every promise he makes to you. He’s kept the promises he made to our ancestors. He promised them that he would preserve these records for a wise purpose—so he could show his power to future generations. One purpose has already been fulfilled: many thousands of Lamanites have been restored to the knowledge of the truth. He’s shown his power through them, and he’ll continue to show his power through them to future generations. So they’ll be preserved.

So I’m telling you, my son Helaman, be careful to do everything I’ve said. Be diligent in keeping God’s commandments as they are written.

The Twenty-Four Plates and Secret Works

Now I’m going to talk to you about those twenty-four plates. Keep them so that the mysteries and works of darkness—the secret operations of those people who were destroyed—can be revealed to our people. All their murders, robberies, plunderings, wickedness, and evil practices need to be made known. And preserve these interpreters.

The Lord saw that his people started working in darkness—committing secret murders and other evils. So the Lord said if they didn’t repent, they’d be destroyed off the face of the earth. The Lord said: 'I’ll prepare for my servant Gazelem a stone that will shine light in the darkness, so I can reveal to my people who serve me the works of their brothers—their secret works, their works of darkness, their wickedness and evil practices.'

My son, these interpreters were prepared so that the word of God could be fulfilled when he said: 'I will bring all their secret works and evil practices from darkness into light. Unless they repent, I’ll destroy them off the face of the earth. I’ll expose all their secrets and evil practices to every nation that later possesses this land.'

My son, we can see they didn’t repent. So they’ve been destroyed, and God’s word has been fulfilled. Their secret evils have been brought out of darkness and made known to us.

I’m telling you: keep all their oaths, covenants, and agreements related to their secret evils hidden from our people. Keep all their signs and wonders secret, so our people don’t learn about them and fall into darkness themselves and be destroyed. There’s a curse on this whole land: destruction will come upon all these workers of darkness, by the power of God, when they’re fully ripe. I don’t want our people to be destroyed. So keep these secret plans—their oaths and covenants—hidden from our people. Only reveal their wickedness, murders, and evil practices. Teach them to hate such wickedness, evil, and murder. Also teach them that these people were destroyed because of their wickedness, evil practices, and murders.

They murdered all the prophets of the Lord who came among them to warn them about their sins. The blood of those murdered prophets cried out to the Lord their God for vengeance against their killers. And so God’s judgments came upon these workers of darkness and secret combinations. The land is cursed forever against these workers of darkness and secret combinations—cursed to their destruction—unless they repent before they’re fully ripe.

Teach Them to Hate Evil

My son, remember what I’ve told you: don’t share those secret plans with our people. Instead, teach them to hate sin and evil forever.

Preach repentance to them, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Teach them to humble themselves and be gentle and lowly in heart. Teach them to resist every temptation of the devil through their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Teach them never to get tired of doing good, but to be gentle and lowly in heart. That’s how they’ll find rest for their souls.

Learn Wisdom in Your Youth

Remember, my son, and learn wisdom while you’re young. Learn to keep God’s commandments in your youth.

Call on God for all your support. Let everything you do be for the Lord. Wherever you go, go in the Lord. Let your thoughts be directed to the Lord. Place your heart’s affections on the Lord forever. Ask the Lord about everything you do, and he’ll guide you for good. When you lie down at night, give yourself to the Lord so he can watch over you while you sleep. When you wake up in the morning, let your heart be full of gratitude to God. If you do these things, you’ll be lifted up at the last day.

The Liahona: A Symbol of Christ’s Word

Now, my son, I want to talk to you about the thing our ancestors called a ball, or director. Our fathers called it the Liahona, which means compass. The Lord made it.

No one can make something so skillfully crafted. It was made to show our ancestors which way to travel in the wilderness. It worked for them according to their faith in God. If they had faith to believe that God could make those spindles point the way they should go, then it happened. So they had this miracle, and many other miracles worked by God’s power, day after day. But because these miracles were worked through small means, they didn’t appreciate the marvelous things it showed them. They became lazy and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence. Then those marvelous works stopped, and they didn’t make progress on their journey. They stayed stuck in the wilderness instead of traveling a direct route. They suffered hunger and thirst because of their disobedience.

My son, I want you to understand that these things are symbolic. Just as our ancestors were lazy about paying attention to this compass—and these were physical things—they didn’t thrive. It’s the same with spiritual things. It’s just as easy to pay attention to the word of Christ, which will point you on a straight course to eternal joy, as it was for our ancestors to pay attention to this compass, which pointed them on a straight course to the promised land. Don’t you see the parallel? Just as surely as this compass brought our ancestors to the promised land when they followed its direction, the words of Christ will carry us beyond this valley of sorrow to a far better land of promise—if we follow their direction.

My son, don’t be lazy just because the way is easy. That’s what happened with our ancestors. The way was prepared for them so that if they would look, they could live. It’s the same with us. The way is prepared, and if we will look, we can live forever.

My son, take care of these sacred things. Look to God and live. Go to our people and declare the word. Be steady. My son, farewell.