Helaman 16

Believers and Unbelievers

Many people heard Samuel the Lamanite speak from the city wall. Those who believed his words went looking for Nephi. When they found him, they confessed their sins openly, holding nothing back, and asked to be baptized. But those who didn’t believe Samuel’s message were furious. They threw stones at him on the wall and shot arrows, trying to bring him down. But the Spirit of the Lord protected him—not a single stone or arrow could touch him. When people saw that no one could hit him, even more believed his words and went to Nephi to be baptized.

Nephi was busy baptizing, prophesying, and preaching repentance to the people. He performed miracles and amazing signs to show them that Christ would soon come. He told them about things that would happen soon, so that when these things came true, they would remember they’d been warned ahead of time and would believe. Everyone who trusted Samuel’s words came to Nephi to be baptized, confessing their sins and turning away from their old lives.

But most people didn’t believe Samuel. When they realized they couldn’t hit him with stones or arrows, they shouted to their commanders: 'Arrest this man! He’s possessed by the devil. That’s why we can’t hit him—the devil’s power is protecting him. Grab him and tie him up!' As they rushed forward to seize him, Samuel jumped down from the wall and escaped their territory. He returned to his own country and began preaching and prophesying among his own people.

The Nephites never heard from him again. That’s how things stood with the people.

Years of Growing Darkness

The eighty-sixth year of the judges' reign ended.

The eighty-seventh year also ended. Most people remained proud and wicked, though a smaller group walked carefully before God. Things continued much the same in the eighty-eighth year. Not much changed in the people’s affairs, except they grew harder in their evil and did more and more things against God’s commands in the eighty-ninth year.

Signs Appear, Hearts Harden

But in the ninetieth year, amazing signs and wonders appeared to the people. The prophets' words began coming true. Angels appeared to wise men and announced joyful news. In this year, the scriptures began to be fulfilled.

Yet people hardened their hearts—all except the most faithful believers among both Nephites and Lamanites. They started relying on their own strength and wisdom, saying: 'Sure, they might have gotten a few lucky guesses out of so many predictions. But we know all these great and marvelous things they’ve talked about can’t possibly happen.' They began arguing and debating with each other: 'It’s not reasonable that someone called Christ would actually come. And if he is the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth like they say, why won’t he show himself to us the way he will to people in Jerusalem?' 'Why won’t he appear in this land just like he will in Jerusalem?' 'Look, we know this is just a corrupt tradition our ancestors passed down to make us believe in some great miraculous event that’s supposed to happen—but not here, somewhere far away in a land we’ve never seen. This way they can keep us ignorant, because we can’t see with our own eyes whether it’s true.' 'Through clever tricks and the mysterious schemes of evil forces, they’ll create some great mystery we can’t understand. They’ll use it to keep us enslaved to their words and to them, because we depend on them to teach us. If we give in to them, they’ll keep us ignorant our whole lives.'

The people imagined many more foolish and empty ideas. They were deeply troubled, because Satan stirred them up to constant wickedness. He spread rumors and stirred up conflict across the whole land to harden people’s hearts against what was good and against what was coming. Despite all the signs and wonders performed among God’s people, despite all the miracles they witnessed, Satan got a powerful grip on people’s hearts throughout the land.

The ninetieth year of the judges' reign ended. Here ends the book of Helaman, according to the record of Helaman and his sons.