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Book of Mormon Commentary
Helaman Chapter 3
Hel 3:105 And then shall ye know that I am an honest man, and that I am sent unto you from God.
They did as Nephi had suggested, and Seantum confessed. The five who had been brought to
believe while in prison and also Nephi were set free. Some of the Nephites believed because of
Nephi's words and some believed because of the testimony of the five. Some of the people said
Nephi was a prophet; others, that he was a god, "for behold, he has told us the thoughts of our
hearts" (109-111).
NEPHI Is SPIRITED AWAY FROM PERSECUTORS, VER. 112-132
Hel 3:115 Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou
hast with unwearyingness declared the word which I have given unto thee, unto this people.
A division arose among the people, and they left Nephi standing alone. He was cast down. As he
went toward his own house, he pondered on their wickedness and their secret works of darkness.
A voice spoke in blessing to the prophet: "Thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought [to save]
thine own. life" (116) ."1 will bless thee for ever, and I will make thee mighty in word and in
deed" for He knew that Nephi would never "ask that which is contrary to my will" (117). “Behold.
..ye shall have power over this people, and shall smite the earth with famine, and with
pestilence, and destruction, according to the wickedness of this people" (119). “Whatsoever ye
shall seal on earth, shall be sealed in heaven" (120).
Hel 3:124 And now behold, I command you that ye shall go and declare unto this people that, Thus
saith the Lord God, who is Almighty, except ye repent, ye shall be smitten, even unto destruction.
As the prophet Amos had declared, "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, until he revealeth the
secret unto his servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7). The Nephites had been enlightened but were
now in gross darkness. They had been warned by God's servants before, but this further warning
was given in divine mercy. Nephi did not even enter the door of his house, but turned to "the
multitudes who were scattered about upon the face of the land, and began to declare unto them the
word of the Lord" (H. 3:125).
However, notwithstanding the miracle Nephi had done in revealing the murder of the chief judge
and his further preaching, "they did still harden their hearts, and would not hearken unto his
words; [and] they did revile against him." They sought to put him in prison, but God took him "by
the Spirit, and conveyed [him] away out of the midst of them" (129). This experience was similar
to that which later came to Philip, while he ministered in Caesarea ( Acts 8: 39, 40).
While Nephi went from one multitude to another and preached by the power of the Spirit, his
message was rejected, and the contention among the people increased to bloodshed with the
sword.