Helaman 12

People’s Hearts Are Not Steady

We can see how people’s hearts are not steady or true. The Lord is very good. He blesses people who trust in him. He helps them do well. We can see what happens when he helps his people do well. He gives them more crops and animals. He gives them gold, silver, and all kinds of nice things. He keeps them alive. He saves them from their enemies. He makes their enemies kind so they won’t start wars. He does everything to make his people happy and safe. But that’s when they make their hearts hard. They forget the Lord their God. They step on the Holy One. They do this because life is easy. They have so much.

We can see that people won’t remember God unless he teaches them hard lessons. He has to visit them with death, fear, hunger, and sickness. If he doesn’t, they won’t remember him.

People Are Quick to Do Evil

People are so foolish and empty and evil and bad! They are quick to do wrong. They are slow to do good. They are quick to listen to the devil. They are quick to care about worthless things in the world. They are quick to become proud. They are quick to brag and do all kinds of evil. But they are slow to remember the Lord their God. They are slow to listen to his advice. They are slow to walk in wise ways! They don’t want the Lord their God to rule over them. He made them! But they don’t care, even though he is so good and kind to them. They ignore his advice. They don’t want him to guide them.

God’s Power Over the Earth

People are worth so little! They are worth less than the dust of the earth. The dust of the earth moves around and splits apart when our great God commands it. When he speaks, the hills and mountains shake. By his power, they break apart and become flat like a valley. By his power, the whole earth shakes. By his power, the ground shakes all the way to the center.

If he tells the earth to move, it moves. If he tells the earth to go backward to make the day longer, it happens. When he commands, the earth goes backward. To people it looks like the sun stands still. This is true. It’s the earth that moves, not the sun. If he tells the deep waters to dry up, it happens. If he tells a mountain to rise up and fall on a city and bury it, it happens.

God’s Power to Curse and Save

If a man buries treasure in the earth, God can curse it. He might curse it because of the evil of the man who hid it. When he curses it, it becomes cursed. If the Lord says the treasure is cursed so no one will ever find it, then no one will ever get it. If the Lord tells a man he is cursed forever because of his sins, it happens. If the Lord says a man will be cut off from his presence because of his sins, he will make it happen.

It will be terrible for anyone who hears this. This is for people who keep doing evil. They can’t be saved. So God has told people they can change. This way people can be saved.

Change and Be Saved

People who change and listen to the Lord their God are blessed. They are the ones who will be saved. I pray that God will help people change and do good. Then they can receive God’s kindness. They will get kindness based on what they do.

I want all people to be saved. But we read that on the last great day, some people will be thrown out. They will be sent away from the Lord’s presence. They will go to a place of endless sadness. The words say: People who do good will have life forever. People who do evil will have punishment forever. That’s how it is. Amen.