Nephites and also of the Lamanites, and began to depend upon
their own strength and upon their own wisdom, saying:
Helaman 16:16
16 Some things they may have guessed right, among so many; but
behold, we know that all these great and marvelous works cannot
come to pass, of which has been spoken.
Helaman 16:17
17 And they began to reason and to contend among themselves,
saying:
Helaman 16:18
18 That it is not reasonable that such a being as a Christ shall
come; if so, and he be the Son of God, the Father of heaven and
of earth, as it has been spoken, why will he not show himself
unto us as well as unto them who shall be at Jerusalem?
Helaman 16:19
19 Yea, why will he not show himself in this land as well as in
the land of Jerusalem?
Helaman 16:20
20 But behold, we know that this is a wicked tradition, which
has been handed down unto us by our fathers, to cause us that we
should believe in some great and marvelous thing which should
come to pass, but not among us, but in a land which is far
distant, a land which we know not; therefore they can keep us in
ignorance, for we cannot witness with our own eyes that they are
true.
Helaman 16:21
21 And they will, by the cunning and the mysterious arts of the
evil one, work some great mystery which we cannot understand,
which will keep us down to be servants to their words, and also
servants unto them, for we depend upon them to teach us the word;
and thus will they keep us in ignorance if we will yield
ourselves unto them, all the days of our lives.
Helaman 16:22
22 And many more things did the people imagine up in their
hearts, which were foolish and vain; and they were much
disturbed, for Satan did stir them up to do iniquity continually;
yea, he did go about spreading rumors and contentions upon all
the face of the land, that he might harden the hearts of the
people against that which was good and against that which should
come.
Helaman 16:23
23 And notwithstanding the signs and the wonders which were
wrought among the people of the Lord, and the many miracles which
they did, Satan did get great hold upon the hearts of the people
upon all the face of the land.
Helaman 16:24
24 And thus ended the ninetieth year of the reign of the judges
over the people of Nephi.
Helaman 16:25
25 And thus ended the book of Helaman, according to the record
of Helaman and his sons.
THIRD BOOK OF NEPHI
THE SON OF NEPHI, WHO WAS THE SON OF HELAMAN
And Helaman was the son of Helaman, who was the son of Alma, who was the son of Alma, being a descendant of Nephi who was the son of Lehi, who came out of Jerusalem in the first year of the reign of Zedekiah, the king of Judah.
3 Nephi 1 Chapter 1
3 Nephi 1:1
1 Now it came to pass that the ninety and first year had passed
away and it was six hundred years from the time that Lehi left
Jerusalem; and it was in the year that Lachoneus was the chief
judge and the governor over the land.
3 Nephi 1:2
2 And Nephi, the son of Helaman, had departed out of the land of
Zarahemla, giving charge unto his son Nephi, who was his eldest
son, concerning the plates of brass, and all the records which
had been kept, and all those things which had been kept sacred
from the departure of Lehi out of Jerusalem.
3 Nephi 1:3
3 Then he departed out of the land, and whither he went, no man
knoweth; and his son Nephi did keep the records in his stead,
yea, the record of this people.
3 Nephi 1:4
4 And it came to pass that in the commencement of the ninety and
second year, behold, the prophecies of the prophets began to be
fulfilled more fully; for there began to be greater signs and
greater miracles wrought among the people.
3 Nephi 1:5
5 But there were some who began to say that the time was past
for the words to be fulfilled, which were spoken by Samuel, the
Lamanite.
3 Nephi 1:6
6 And they began to rejoice over their brethren, saying: Behold
the time is past, and the words of Samuel are not fulfilled;
therefore, your joy and your faith concerning this thing hath
been vain.
3 Nephi 1:7
7 And it came to pass that they did make a great uproar
throughout the land; and the people who believed began to be very
sorrowful, lest by any means those things which had been spoken
might not come to pass.
3 Nephi 1:8
8 But behold, they did watch steadfastly for that day and that
night and that day which should be as one day as if there were no
night, that they might know that their faith had not been vain.
3 Nephi 1:9
9 Now it came to pass that there was a day set apart by the
unbelievers, that all those who believed in those traditions
should be put to death except the sign should come to pass, which
had been given by Samuel the prophet.
3 Nephi 1:10
10 Now it came to pass that when Nephi, the son of Nephi, saw
this wickedness of his people, his heart was exceedingly
sorrowful.
3 Nephi 1:11
11 And it came to pass that he went out and bowed himself down
upon the earth, and cried mightily to his God in behalf of his