# Helaman 5

*Paraphrase*

### Nephi Steps Down

That same year, Nephi stepped down as chief judge and handed the position to a man named Cezoram.

Since the government was based on the people’s vote, and those who chose evil now outnumbered those who chose good, the nation was heading for disaster. The laws themselves had become corrupt. But that wasn’t all. The people were so stubborn that they couldn’t be governed by law or justice—the system itself was leading them toward destruction.

Nephi had grown weary of their wickedness. So he gave up the chief judge’s seat and committed himself to preaching God’s word for the rest of his life. His brother Lehi did the same.

### Helaman’s Words to His Sons

They remembered what their father Helaman had told them. These were his words:

“My sons, I want you to keep God’s commandments. And I want you to tell the people this: I gave you the names of our first ancestors who came from Jerusalem. I did this so that when you remember your names, you’ll remember them—and when you remember them, you’ll remember their deeds. And when you remember what they did, you’ll know what has been said and written about them: that they were good. So, my sons, I want you to do good—so that people will say and write the same things about you that have been said and written about them. Now, there’s something more I want from you: don’t do these things to show off. Do them to store up treasure in heaven—treasure that lasts forever and never fades. Do them so you can have the gift of eternal life, which we believe was given to our ancestors.”

“Remember—remember, my sons—what King Benjamin told his people. Remember that there’s no other way for people to be saved except through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who is yet to come. Remember, he’s coming to redeem the world. And remember what Amulek told Zeezrom in the city of Ammonihah. He said the Lord would surely come to redeem his people—but not to redeem them in their sins. He would redeem them from their sins. The Father has given him power to redeem people from their sins when they repent. That’s why he sent his angels—to tell everyone the conditions for repentance, which brings them to the Redeemer’s power and the salvation of their souls. Now, my sons, remember—remember this: you must build your foundation on the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God. Then when the devil sends his fierce winds, when he shoots his arrows in the whirlwind, when his hail and mighty storms beat down on you—they’ll have no power to drag you down into misery and endless suffering. Because you’re built on a rock, a sure foundation. When people build on that, they can’t fall.”

These were the words Helaman taught his sons. He taught them many other things too—some that were written down and some that weren’t.

### A Powerful Mission

His sons remembered what he said. So they went out, keeping God’s commandments, teaching his word among all the Nephite people. They started in the city of Bountiful,

then went to the city of Gid, and from Gid to the city of Mulek. They traveled from city to city until they’d reached all the Nephites in the southern lands. Then they went to the land of Zarahemla, where the Lamanites lived.

They preached with such power that they completely overwhelmed many of the Nephite deserters. These people confessed their sins, were baptized as a sign of repentance, and immediately returned to the Nephites, trying to make up for the wrongs they’d done. Nephi and Lehi preached to the Lamanites with tremendous power and authority. They’d been given the power and authority to speak, and they’d been given the very words to say. They spoke with such conviction that the Lamanites were completely amazed. Eight thousand Lamanites in and around Zarahemla were baptized and turned from the wicked traditions they’d inherited from their ancestors.

From there, Nephi and Lehi headed to the land of Nephi.

### Imprisoned in the Land of Nephi

A Lamanite army captured them and threw them in prison—the same prison where Ammon and his brothers had been held by the servants of Limhi.

After they’d been locked up for many days without food, their captors came to the prison to kill them. But Nephi and Lehi were surrounded by what looked like fire. The guards were too afraid to touch them—they thought they’d be burned. Yet Nephi and Lehi weren’t burned at all. They stood in the middle of the fire, completely unharmed.

When the guards saw them surrounded by a pillar of fire that didn’t burn them, they found their courage. They realized the Lamanites were too afraid to lay hands on Nephi and Lehi or even come near them. Everyone just stood there, struck dumb with amazement.

Nephi and Lehi stepped forward and began speaking to them: “Don’t be afraid. Look—God has shown you this incredible thing to prove that you can’t kill us.”

### The Voice in the Darkness

As soon as they said this, the ground shook violently and the prison walls trembled as if they were about to collapse. But they didn’t fall. Everyone in the prison—Lamanites and Nephite deserters alike—felt it.

Then they were covered by a cloud of darkness, and a terrible, heavy fear fell on them. A voice came from above the cloud of darkness: “Turn away from evil. Turn away, and stop trying to destroy my servants whom I sent to bring you good news.”

When they heard this voice, they realized it wasn’t thunder. It wasn’t a loud, chaotic sound. It was a quiet voice, perfectly gentle—almost like a whisper. And yet it cut straight to their souls. Despite the gentleness of the voice, the earth shook violently again, and the prison walls trembled as if about to collapse. But the cloud of darkness covering them didn’t lift.

The voice came again: “Turn from your sins. Turn from them, for the kingdom of heaven is near. Stop trying to destroy my servants.” The earth shook again, and the walls trembled. Then a third time the voice spoke—words so amazing they can’t be written down. The walls trembled again, and the earth shook as if it would split apart.

The Lamanites couldn’t run away because of the cloud of darkness covering them. They couldn’t move at all—they were frozen with fear.

### Aminadab Sees Through the Darkness

Among them was a man who’d been born a Nephite. He’d once belonged to the church of God but had left it.

This man turned around and looked through the cloud of darkness. He saw Nephi and Lehi’s faces—and they were shining brilliantly, like the faces of angels. They were looking up to heaven, as if they were speaking to someone they could see. The man shouted to the crowd to turn and look. They were given power to turn and look—and they saw Nephi and Lehi’s faces.

They asked him, “What does all this mean? Who are they talking to?” The man’s name was Aminadab. He told them, “They’re talking with angels of God.”

The Lamanites asked him, “What should we do to make this cloud of darkness go away?” Aminadab said, “You have to repent. Cry out to the voice—keep crying out until you have faith in Christ, who was taught to you by Alma, Amulek, and Zeezrom. When you do that, the cloud of darkness will lift.”

So they all began crying out to the voice that had shaken the earth. They kept crying out until the cloud of darkness disappeared.

### Surrounded by Fire

When they looked around and saw the cloud had lifted, they realized something astonishing: every single one of them was surrounded by a pillar of fire.

Nephi and Lehi were in the middle of them, surrounded by fire. They looked like they were standing in the middle of flames—yet the fire didn’t hurt them at all. It didn’t even touch the prison walls. They were filled with joy beyond words, joy full of glory. The Holy Spirit of God came down from heaven and entered their hearts. They were filled as if with fire, and they could speak amazing words.

Then a voice came to them—a pleasant voice, like a whisper: “Peace. Peace be with you, because of your faith in my beloved, who has been since the foundation of the world.”

When they heard this, they looked up to see where the voice was coming from. They saw the heavens open, and angels came down and helped them.

### Three Hundred Witnesses

About three hundred people saw and heard these things. They were told to go out and not be surprised or doubtful about what they’d experienced.

So they went out and served the people, telling everyone in all the surrounding regions what they’d heard and seen. Most of the Lamanites believed them because of the overwhelming evidence. Everyone who believed put down their weapons of war, along with their hatred and the traditions they’d inherited from their ancestors. They gave the Nephites back the lands they’d taken from them.

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*Source: [The Book of Mormon](https://bookofmormon.com/paraphrase/helaman/5)*
