LESSON PLAN FOR HELAMAN 1-6

Watch the video presentation on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/3R-YnulNhwM

ICEBREAKER

I begin this lesson by talking about snakes. There are basically 3 types of venomous snakes in North America. Can you name them? Rattlesnakes, Coral Snakes, and the Cottonmouth. And yes, if you are bitten by one of these snakes, it is recommended that you get to a hospital as soon as possible to receive treatment with an antivenin. These antivenins are capable of countering the venom and saving your life.

Now why do you think a snake was chosen to represent Satan in the scriptures? Why is that a good symbol for him? Snakes are subtle, move smoothly and quietly, they are hard to see coming, low to the ground in the dust. They have forked tongues like saying one thing but meaning another. The way they attack is with venom, that kills slowly over time. So overall a fairly good symbol. Not that I have anything personal against actual snakes, I think they’re wonderful creatures, but I can see why they would be a good representation for the devil.

Well, just a few weeks ago I took a trip with my family up through Wyoming to see some Pioneer Heritage sites, Devil’s Tower, Mount Rushmore, and then we went out to spend a day in the Badlands. Near the trailhead there was a sign that said, “Beware of Rattlesnakes”. And you know what, I thought to myself, oh yeah, maybe out in the distance, if you got off trail, you might run into a rattlesnake but not right here by the parking lot with all these people here. The heat I was worried about though. It was a really hot day, so I had lots of extra water. There were quite a few cliffs on the hike, so I was worried about my younger children navigating the trail safely. But snakes were really the least of my concerns. So, we walked down the trail about 100 yards when my 7-year-old son said, “Look Dad, a snake”. And I turned around and sure enough, coiled in a corner within striking distance was a large rattlesnake. I couldn’t believe it. That close to the trailhead, with tons of people walking by. I had totally missed it. I wasn’t even looking for it. Now thankfully nobody got bit, but it could have been a real possibility being as close to the trail as it was. Case in point, sometimes the most dangerous things we’ll face in life are the things we’re not even looking for; things that we’re not prepared for.

TRANSITION

I think that’s a lot like the situation the Nephites are facing in the Book of Helaman. Hypothetically speaking, if you were to stop and ask the average Nephite on the streets of Zarahemla what they considered to be the biggest threat to their well-being and safety, what do you think they would say? Remember what we’ve been studying the last few weeks at the end of the book of Alma. Don’t you think they’d say Lamanites? I mean, they’ve just come off of one of the worst periods of warfare their society has ever seen. That outward threat of war would probably be their biggest concern. And granted, in the first few chapters of Helaman you do have some Lamanite aggression and warfare. But those problems are resolved rather quickly and don’t draw as much of Helaman’s attention. BUT, you are going to see that by the end of the Book of Helaman, it’s not the Lamanites that are going to bring down Nephite society. In fact, spoiler alert, by chapter 5, the Lamanite Problem is going to disappear completely. It won’t even be an issue anymore. Later we’ll take a look at how and why that happens. But there are other problems, much more subtle and hard to detect, that are really going to cause the Nephites the most heartache and loss. I call these problems, snake problems. They're the kinds of things that sneak up on you, are harder to detect, and can poison you slowly by degrees. The biggest issues in our lives aren’t always going to be the big, obvious, and most intimidating threats. In the Book of Helaman, I see three of them. In fact, let’s call this the 3 headed snake of Helaman. It’s these three things that are basically going to destroy Nephite society and not Lamanite aggression.

THREE HEADED SNAKE OF HELAMAN

So first see if you can identify them. Look for them in the following references.

• PROBLEM #1

• 1:2/1:18/2:1/3:3/3:19/4:1

• PROBLEM #2

• 1:11-12/2:4/2:8/2:13/3:23

• PROBLEM #3

• 3:1/3:33-34/3:36/4:12

PROBLEM #1

1:2/1:18/2:1/3:3/3:19/4:1

So, what was problem #1. Contention. Contention amongst the Nephites themselves. Specifically, political contention. In chapter 1 they contend over who should be their next leader, because Pahoran dies. Three of Pahoran’s sons are all vying for the judgment seat and it causes three divisions among the people. Well, Pahoran II is elected by the voice of the people. But what happens? Paanchi can’t accept defeat. So, he stirs his supporters up in rebellion against his brother. He’s discovered though, tried and condemned to death. Well, his supporters won’t stand for that and they have a man named Kishkumen secretly murder Pahoran. This crime will eventually lead to our second problem that we’ll talk about in a second. But isn’t that exactly how contention works? You did something to us that we didn’t like, so we are going to get you back. We’ll do the same thing to you.

Contention leads to all sorts of issues. This division and dissension have an unfortunate consequence to it. Look at 1:18.

Because of so much difficulty in the government, they don’t keep sufficient guards in the land of Zarahemla, and consequently, when they are attacked, they suffer great loss. Can you see a principle with regard to contention here?

Contention and disunity make us weak; more susceptible to our enemies. As Jesus once said and as Abraham Lincoln famously quoted “A house divided against itself cannot stand”.

Is this issue relevant to our day? I don’t wish to make any political statements here, but it’s hard not to see the parallels to our own day, specifically in my own country of the United States. Contention in the government, disunity amongst the people, rebellion, hatred, infighting. These are certainly relevant issues. And I don’t care if you’re democrat, or republican, or liberal, or conservative, the problem is universal and stems from all directions. And, of course, we all want to point the finger at the other side. And I know that many of my listeners come from other countries and I’m sure you see the same kinds of things. In fact, in some places in the world, this contention is played out violently and destructively. But there is no doubt, that contention and disunity make us weak as a society and vulnerable not only to foreign powers but vulnerable to spiritual powers of darkness as well.

From a personal standpoint. Contention in marriages, families, wards, schools, and the workplace brings weakness and vulnerability to those institutions as well.

Have you ever seen that? Have you ever seen contention weaken or destroy?

When my children fight and argue with each other, it just ruins the spirit of the whole house and takes away its peace. They’re frustrated with each other; we get frustrated and short with them as parents. It weakens our family unity and our ability to feel the Spirit. I remember having some contention with some of my companions on my mission. It made us weak and unsuccessful in our efforts to teach the gospel. I’ve seen contention amongst ward members hamper the effectiveness of organizations within the ward.

Contention between neighbors can get ugly. It is a snake that can easily creep in and slowly poison us.

PROBLEM #2

1:11-12/2:4/2:8/2:13/3:23

Secret combinations. Helaman 1 is such a sad chapter. It’s where we witness the Genesis of one of the worst problems we’re going to encounter in the Book of Mormon. The beginnings of this secret society that aims to control and gain power through fear, bribery, deceit and murder. This is certainly one of those deadly snakes that slithers slowly into Nephite society to spread its deadly venom with great subtlety. Mormon is going to signal our attention to this snake directly in Helaman 2:13-14.

13 And behold, in the end of this book ye shall see that this Gadianton did prove the overthrow, yea, almost the entire destruction of the people of Nephi.

14 Behold I do not mean the end of the book of Helaman, but I mean the end of the book of Nephi, from which I have taken all the account which I have written.

See. He’s saying. This is the real problem here! While the Nephites were so worried about Lamanite aggression, this is what they really should have been focused on and worried about preparing for. It’s very hard to deal with or eliminate a problem that you can’t see, that is hidden, that is secret, and the Gadianton robbers will prove to be one of the greatest hinderments to Nephite progress and righteousness for many, many years.

Can you think of any modern-day Secret Combinations? That would be any group or organization that seeks to gain power over others through clandestine works of wickedness. Organized crime, drug trafficking, human trafficking, gangs, dishonest business practices, industries that only seek to better their own prosperity at the expense of the health and well-being of others, terrorism. Secret combinations are alive and well in our society and we’ve got to be on our guard to protect ourselves from them.

On a more personal level—are there secret combinations in our lives? Things that we seek to hide from others? Addictions, bad habits, lies, secret indulgences or relationships. Those things that we try to keep secret from others. Like Adam and Eve after they partook of the fruit. Satan encouraged them to hide their nakedness with fig leaves and hide from God. I can’t imagine fig leaves would do a very good job of hiding our nakedness for very long, and it’s just silly to think we can hide from God who is all knowing and all powerful. Like it says in D&C 1:3 And the rebellious shall be pierced with much sorrow; for their iniquities shall be spoken upon the housetops, and their secret acts shall be revealed.”

It’s better to get those things out into the open to be dealt with, worked on, and remedied. When Adam and Eve were willing to come forward and confess their misdeeds, God was able to provide them with a better covering for their nakedness. Coats of animals skins, which would have required the sacrifice of an animal to provide that covering. I believe that was symbolic of Jesus Christ, who would also be sacrificed in order to provide us with an adequate covering for our sins. I have no idea if this was the case, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the animal whose skins Adam and Eve wore was a lamb. That would certainly fit God’s symbolism wouldn’t it?

PROBLEM #3

3:1/3:33-34/3:36/4:12

Pride and materialism. This is one of those things you see coming up over and over again in this portion of the Book of Mormon. Sometimes it’s referred to as the pride cycle. The Nephites are righteous, and therefore they begin to prosper. Once they begin to prosper, they begin to forget God and become prideful. They say, “Because I have more than my fellow man, I must be better than my fellow man”.

Just look at the progression here.

• In 3:1 it says that the people were righteous except for the “little pride” which was in the church.

• Then 3:33 the word “little” is dropped and now it is just “the pride” which began to enter into the church.

• Then verse 34 tells us that they are “lifted up in pride”.

• Until finally in vs 36 we see that it has become exceedingly great pride.

Do you see that slow progression there? Vs, 36 highlights that truth when we are told that this pride did grow upon them from day to day.

Just like a snake slowly slithering in and poisoning by degrees.

Is there evidence of this problem in our society? At least in my country. Yes. Probably one of the biggest issues we face. There is a lot of pride and materialism out there. There is a great focus on things, having things, and more things than somebody else. Pride is going to come up again later in the Book of Helaman and so, if you don’t mind, I think I’ll save a larger discussion on the topic of Pride for next week.

THE ANTIVENOMS

But let’s start to take a look at some solutions here. Remember that the scriptures will never offer us a problem without the solution being somewhere nearby. There are antivenoms to these venoms. And now I’d like to point your attention to them.

There are a couple of key words that stand out to me in these chapters. Things that we must do to protect ourselves from the 3 headed snake. Let’s try a quick activity. Here is a list of verbs that I think are key to protecting ourselves from the vile venoms. I’ll scramble them up here and give you the key references where they are used.

UNITE

1:6

The first antivenom is to unite. I think this represents the specific antivenin to contention and it’s demonstrated by one of Pahoran’s sons in Helaman 1:6. I call this the Pacumeni solution. He too wanted to obtain the judgment seat, but he loses. And how does he react?

When he saw that he could not obtain the judgment seat, he did unite with the voice of the people. He didn’t throw a fit. He didn’t get angry. He didn’t rise up in rebellion or try to find a way to secretly undermine his brother. He united with the majority and supported his new leader, for the good of society. That is the kind of attitude that leads to peace and unity. If the issue is not a matter of right or wrong, but preference or even politics, then let’s strive not to become so divisive and contentious and undermining. So, you're going out to eat as a family and trying to decide where to go. The majority picks Olive Garden when we wanted to go to for Chinese. So, do we throw a fit, and complain, and have a sour attitude the whole time and make everybody’s experience miserable, or do we unite with the voice of the people and make good out of a less than ideal circumstance for us. When our boss makes a decision that we don’t specifically agree with, do we talk about it behind their back, and passively sabotage their plans so we can say “I told you so”, or do we unite with their voice and try our best to make it successful for the good of the company. When our candidate doesn’t get elected, do we do everything in our power to undermine them and oppose them, so much that our goal is no longer as much about serving the good of society as it is about pulling that person down, or do we strive to do the best we can to work with the opposition while striving to offer what we feel to be a better alternative in the next election without becoming negative, hateful, and uncooperative. It’s so easy to become contentious, bet better to be a Pacumeni.

CALL

3:27

Another thing I can do to protect myself is to call; call upon his holy name. Those that call upon God in sincerity are less likely to contend with others because they’ll have a higher perspective of what’s really important and will have a more generous and forgiving character. They won’t feel the need to unite with secret combinations because they recognize that God is all knowing and that nothing really is secret. And they won’t struggle with pride so much because it takes a humble person to pray, to recognize that there is a power far higher than themselves.

BELIEVE

3:28

Next. I need to believe on the name of Jesus Christ. Those that have faith in Christ won’t contend because they know that God will make all things just in the end. They won’t need to keep things secret because they have faith in Christ’s atonement to cover those things that Satan tempts them to hide, and they won’t have pride because they will have Christ’s example of great humility to emulate.

LAY HOLD

Next Lay hold. What can I lay hold on?

3:29 I can lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and wiles of the devil. What’s the imagery there? The scriptures and words of the prophets are like a what? A sword. If I lay hold upon that sword, I won’t be defeated. I’ll cut through the lies. Or, I lay hold upon the word because it will lead me in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery. What’s the imagery there? The scriptures and the words of the prophets are like a what? Maybe two things. Like an iron rod, that I lay hold on to get me through the mists of darkness. Or it’s a compass that’s leading me, a Liahona, that guides me through the wilderness of life. I’ve got to lay hold on those things.

If I do, then I won’t be contentious because God’s word will help me to keep my priorities in order. They will protect me from secret combinations because, like a sword they will cut through the lies and the deceit. And maybe most importantly. If I’m laying hold upon the scriptures, there won’t be any room in my arms to hold on to riches and things. There’s an interesting use of the word hold in the Book of Helaman. There’s somebody who wants to get a hold of something of yours. It’s Satan. What does he want to get a hold of? Helaman 6:30 He wants to get hold upon your hearts. If you lay hold on riches, you open up the way for Satan to get a hold of your hearts because pride and materialism and an obsession with wealth are on his side. But if you turn away from those things and lay hold on something far better, far more valuable, the word of God, then he can’t reach your heart. Later in Helaman, Samuel the Lamanite tells us another problem with laying hold on riches. Helaman 13:31. They get slippery, so that you can’t really hold onto them. You can’t retain them. But the word of God, is firm, you can hold onto it forever. So, which will you lay hold on?

YIELD

3:35

We could have also added the words purify and sanctify as well. As long as we’re on the subject of hearts here. Rather than allowing the devil to get a hold of my heart. I can do three better things with it. According to 3:35, I can purify it, sanctify it and yield it to God. In the scriptures, the heart is a symbol for our will. We can seek to gratify our own will, or we can yield our heart, our will to God. We say, as Christ once did, “Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done”. That’s the ultimate example of yielding. And that attitude will purify and sanctify our hearts.

REMEMBER

5:6

Remembering is one of the most powerful antidotes we have at our disposal. In chapter 5, look for all the remembers. What things should we remember?

:6 Remember to keep the commandments

:6 Also in verse 6, I really like this one. Remember who you are named after and live up to those names. Helaman called his sons Nephi and Lehi. He did that for a reason. So that every time they heard their name, they would remember them, and how good they were, and that their works were good. He wanted them to live up to those names. My father believed in this principle as well and he named me Benjamin after King Benjamin. And I hope to live up to that name. I’ve given my own children names of individuals that I wish for them to live up to. Caleb and Joshua from the Old Testament, Elder Holland, and Seth. And even if your parents didn’t give you a name like that, if you’ve been baptized, you’ve taken upon yourself the name of Christ. Now that’s a name we all strive to live up to.

I love the President George Albert Smith story, where he had a dream that he met his grandfather who he was named after. His grandfather stopped him and asked, “What have you done with my name?” After thinking for a while, he looked up and with confidence said, “I have never done anything with your name of which you need be ashamed”. I hope to be able to say something similar to King Benjamin someday.

:9 Remember the words of the prophets, like King Benjamin

:9 Remember the atonement, that it is only Christ that can redeem the world

:10 Remember that Christ redeems us from our sins, and not in our sins

Remembering these things will help keep us safe from contention, secret combinations, pride and many, many other vices.

There is another remember in verse 12 but I believe that verse deserves attention all on its own. There is a different word that I want to focus on in that verse.

BUILD

5:12

And it’s build. I need to remember to build something. What do I build? I build my foundation upon the Rock of our Redeemer. Now I like the word build because it suggests effort and work on my part. I have to do something in order to establish myself firmly on the bedrock of Christ. What are those things I need to do? The other verbs we just talked about is a good place to start. I think it also means to center your faith on Christ. Remember the Anti-Nephi-Lehies who were converted unto the Lord. Those were people who built their foundation on Christ. We don’t build our foundation on missionaries, or other members, or leaders, or our parents, or the social structure of the church, because all of those things could possibly falter. But if I build my faith on Christ, I can never fall. Christ never faileth. How else do I build upon the rock? In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ tells the parable of the wise and the foolish man. The wiseman built his house upon the rock. And then he taught that the wise man represented those that not only hear his words but do them as well. That’s another way I build on his rock. I do what he taught, not just hear or believe even. 3 Nephi 18 suggests another way I build upon the rock. After instituting the sacrament, he says in verse 12, And if ye shall always do these things blessed are ye, for ye are built upon my rock. So, remembering Christ through worthily partaking of the sacrament is another way I build upon the rock. And why can’t you fall if you build your foundation on the Rock of Christ? In Moses 7:53 the Lord tells us something about that rock. That it is "broad as eternity”. How can you fall off a rock that is as broad as eternity? It’s impossible. And we’re going to need that firm foundation because it says that “when” the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, and his hail, and his mighty storm”. Not if, but when, then you won’t be dragged down to the gulf of misery and endless wo.

I like to show this picture when I talk about this verse. In Quebec Canada in 1996, heavy rains caused a nearby river to flood. Ten people were killed, and hundreds of homes were swept away. But not this little white house. For four days, the floods raged around it, wiping out everything nearby. How did it survive? It was built on a firm foundation. On a rock. I want my faith to be like that little White House. I want to be the type of disciple that no matter what the adversary, or the world throws at me, that I will stand firm.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

As usual. A few questions you might consider asking sometime during this lesson.

• When have you seen contention, secret combinations, or pride cause problems?

• Which of the seven verbs have you found to be most helpful? Could you share an experience?

• Which of the seven verbs do you need to improve on?

• How will you do it?

CONCLUSION

Well I wish I had better news for you here, but things don’t seem to get any better for the Nephites by the end of the Book of Helaman. The three headed snake succeeds in poisoning the majority of them. They were so focused on what they perceived to be the big threat, the Lamanites, that they let their guard down. The seemingly “smaller” things are what got them in the end. Let’s not make the same mistake. Do we get so worked up and anxious about what’s happening in the world, or in politics, or in the media that we neglect the spiritual dangers right in front of us. For many years, in my youth during the Cold War, The Soviet Union was the big threat on everybody’s mind; what people most feared. But that danger disappeared in the early 90’s almost overnight. But really, in hindsight, it seems the real danger during that time, the snake, was the steady decline of morality in our media and family values. Perhaps now we worry so much about the threat of global terrorism, that we’ve neglected to protect ourselves adequately from the dangers of the internet and the rise of secularism. Do we worry so much about what’s happening in the White House, that we neglect to watch closely the dangers within our own house? Do we worry so much about the threat of war, that we neglect the spiritual war within our own souls? You could look at this in another way too. Are we so focused on avoiding the big sins, that we ignore the smaller ones? Do we pat ourselves on the back for doing so well at living the Word of Wisdom and paying our tithing, that we totally ignore the fact that pride is slipping into our lives, that we’re mistreating others and feeling superior to them? Are we so confident in our righteousness because we live the law of chastity and attend our church meetings, that we ignore the more subtle temptations of dishonesty, ingratitude, or laziness, each of which could ultimately poison our spirits? I hope we can keep our eyes open to all the dangers that surround us. To be prepared for the subtle temptations, as well as the big ones. I hope that we can unite, call, believe, lay hold on, yield, remember, and build. Then, we can enjoy the views and the beauty of our hike of through the Badlands of life without suffering from the deadly bites and venom of Satan’s snakes.

HELAMAN 5-LESSONS IN THE DARKNESS

ICEBREAKER

Now, there is another antivenom spoken of in these chapters that is so key and beautifully taught that I like to give it its own lesson or section. And it comes from chapter 5. And I usually open this lesson with a story. If you’re teaching, you could relate a time when you found yourself in complete darkness.

Ever had a terrifying experience in the dark?

The story that I tell is actually kind of an embarrassing one. When I was in college, my roommates and I decided to go out and explore a cave system called the Nutty Putty caves out near Utah Lake. I had never been and since I’ve always loved the outdoors, I was very excited. So off we went, me trusting in my roommate who had been there before. When we got down into the cave, we started exploring a section called the maze, which should have been a red flag for me right there. and we got deep down into the cave when my headlamp started to go dim, as well as one of my roommates. And of course, being the genius’s that we were, none of us had brought extra batteries or a map. So, we decided to try to head back to the surface. But on the way back, we got horribly lost and turned around with all of our lights dimming. We eventually decided to stop, turn off all our lights to conserve our batteries, and decide what we were going to do. And, oh what a terrible feeling, to be lost in the dark deep under the earth. I felt so stupid for allowing myself to get into that situation. I would have given anything for more light and guidance. In a cave like that, it is pitch black, your eyes never adjust to the dark, it’s just complete and total blackness. And I was afraid.

TRANSITION

Well I think of that experience when I read Helaman chapter 5. You can approach this story almost like a parable. Lots of symbolic meaning here dealing with light and dark. I think the most important thing you can do as a teacher here is to help your students visualize the story and liken it to themselves. And really the only way to do this story justice is to go verse by verse. I’ll also often call a student up to be an artist for the class and to illustrate the story as we go. Just stick figures are fine. But have them draw some of the major elements of the story on the board for us to consider.

LESSONS IN THE DARKNESS

I start by dividing the board into three sections, or you could give them a handout that I’ll make available to you. At the top of section 1 I write WHEN. At the top of section 2, IF. And at the top of Section 3 THEN. Explain that as we read the story, we’ll fill them in as we go. We’ll divide the story up into three sections as well. 5:22-28, 5:29-42, and 5:43-50.

WHEN

Our first section is going to establish our WHEN. So, as we read, keep these question in mind.

• How would you describe the state of Nephi and Lehi in this section?

• How would you describe the state of the Lamanites in this section?

Let’s see what you noticed. First of all, Nephi and Lehi. True they begin trapped, hungry, and in peril. But as soon as verse 23 begins, that all changes. They are encircled about with fire, but not burned. So, visualize that. These two figures in the prison surrounded by this glorious light and fire and warmth. And how does it make them feel? It gives them courage.

The Lamanites on the other hand, what happens to them? They are overshadowed by darkness. And that darkness makes them feel what? Fear. And I’m going to cheat a little bit and steal another word from the next section in vs. 34. There we learn that the darkness made them immovable. They couldn’t move. They were trapped, paralyzed there.

Now have your artist draw a representation of that. Here’s how it might look. At this point I might ask if they feel this teaches them anything visually. Light and fire are almost always symbols for the Spirit, the gospel, all righteousness. All the good qualities of fire: warmth, light, comfort, but not the negative, they aren’t burned. And that light gives them courage. They are protected from their enemies.

The Lamanites on the other hand are plunged into darkness. And that darkness brings a different emotion: fear. I think we can all relate to that. Darkness brings fear and traps us, impedes our progress and paralyzes us in place. And the spirit whispers to us, do you get the point? Are you listening with your spiritual ears? This is a physical visual representation of their inner spiritual states.

Righteous Nephi and Lehi surrounded with light and warmth and protection, filling them with courage. That’s what righteousness brings. We sing a primary song. Teach me to walk in the light. We also sing a hymn. The Spirit of God like a fire is burning.

The darkness of sin and unbelief and ignorance and hatred fills us with fear. Fear of what? Fear of the consequences, fear that there is no purpose, fear that people will discover our sins, fear of death, fear that it might be true. Lots of awful solemn fear comes from being in that darkness.

So, on our chart lets write this: WHEN we are in darkness. And that darkness can represent all those things we just mentioned. Sin, unbelief, hatred, etc.

IF

Now the rest of the story is going to teach us how to get out of the darkness. What must we do to remove darkness from our lives?

Have someone read section 2 while the rest look for and mark the answers to that question.

And what must we do?

vs. 29 Repent

vs. 30 Listen to the voice.

And here we have a beautiful description of the voice of God. Sometimes we portray God with a deep bellowing voice, but here we find that it was not a voice of thunder, or of great tumultuous noise, but a still voice of perfect mildness, like a whisper, yet it pierces to the soul. So, it is powerful, but calm.

Now I love this next scene. Talk about a visual. There they are in the darkness, trapped. And one man, by the name of Aminidab turns around and he sees something through the darkness. What is it that has power to pierce the darkness of sin and fear?

He sees the faces of Nephi and Lehi shining through the clouds. And what does Aminadab tell the others they need to do in the darkness? Turn and look. Look at the faces of the prophets. And they do. Now they are still in the mists of darkness but at least they can see something. And what are the faces of Nephi and Lehi doing? They are looking up, speaking with some being above them. Visually, what have we just learned about the prophets. The prophets are full of light. Turning away from the world and looking to them will shine light into our lives. And who do the prophets speak to? God. And God speaks to them. Now what is the most natural thing to do when you see somebody looking up? You look up also. In fact, there is a fun prank you can try to test this for yourselves. You get a group of your friends together and stand outside looking up and pointing and say. “Can you see it?” Yeah, that’s amazing, I totally see it.” And then wait for other people to walk by. What will happen is that they will stop, and they will automatically look up as well. They won’t be able to help it. And they’ll ask what? What is it? And you just keep pointing and saying that. That thing up there. Wait for more and more people to arrive, and pretty soon you can slip away while they are all standing and pointing. Anyway, the point is, when somebody looks up, it causes us to look up also. Looking to the prophets will lead us to God as well.

In verse 40 they ask what they need to do to remove the cloud of darkness from them.

Verse 41 Repent, cry unto the voice even until ye shall have faith in Christ, who was taught unto you by Alma, and Amulek and Zeezrom. So again, the idea is emphasized, look to the words and the teachings of the prophets.

So, in our chart, when we find ourselves in darkness, we must repent, and cry unto God, but above all, in this story at least, we must look to the shining faces of God’s servants. We must believe on their words, we must look to their example, we must trust in their connection with heaven.

THEN

And if we do, our last section. Let’s read this looking for the results of looking to the faces in the darkness.

:43 the darkness was dispersed.

But not only that. It’s not just that the darkness goes away. They too are encircled about, every soul, with fire. That same fire that surrounded Nephi and Lehi, surrounds them as well now.

And how did it make them feel? No more awful, solemn fear.

But joy, glory, the Holy Spirit fills their hearts, they feel peace, and angels come and minister to them.

And now, they aren’t paralyzed anymore, but energized and mobilized. Now they go forth teaching and preaching the gospel to all around them. And they teach so powerfully, that the entire Lamanite nation is converted. Wonderful story.

So, can see the principle of the story here? Can you see our final antivenom? We could add another word to list. That word would be LOOK. Look to the prophets. Their words, their leadership, their example shines through the clouds of a dark world. And looking to them will lead us out of that darkness and into that same light that they enjoy, if we choose to follow them. Now our picture can look like this.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

So now I’d like to ask you a question. Is that principle true for you? When has looking to the prophets brought light, and peace, and joy and the Spirit into your life?

For me personally, I can think of many times in my life where the counsel of a prophet has gotten me through a dark time. I’ll just give on example. When I was a teenager, I was going through what I perceived to be a dark time in my life. Feeling a little lost, afraid, and immovable. And I remember attending a priesthood session in the tabernacle and hearing Gordon B. Hinckley give a talk. And that talk caught my attention because he started by telling some sports stories where famous professional ball players were remembered for dropping the ball. And then he encouraged us, as young men, not to drop the ball, spiritually, but to play well for the Lord’s team and live a purer, cleaner, more Christ centered life. I left the tabernacle that night with a newfound enthusiasm and purpose. Looking to his face brought me out of the darkness and into the light. That light gave me courage, joy, and peace.

I would hope that you could all think of times when the words of the prophets helped you out the darkness.

CONCLUSION

We are so fortunate as members of the church to be led by living prophets. I think we could all agree that we live in dark times. Sometimes, I think it’s easier for members of the church to get frustrated with political leaders because, just look who we have to compare them to. We are spoiled with such amazing leadership in the church. This chapter reminds me of a promise found in Doctrine and Covenants 21:4-6

4 Wherefore, meaning the church, thou shalt give heed unto all his (the prophets) words and commandments which he shall give unto you as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me;

5 For his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith.

6 For by doing these things the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name’s glory.

I’d like to conclude my story of being in the cave. We decided, sitting there in the darkness, as a group, that we should pray for help and to know what to do. We decided to call. Call upon God for help. I was chosen to offer that prayer. And I know that not all prayers are answered in this way, but I’m not making this up, as soon as I said Amen, we heard other voices in the cave. We shouted to those voices for help until we finally met up with this other group. Embarrassingly, it was a troop of cub scouts, who had extra batteries, who had brought a map and knew the right direction to exit the cave. So that’s the time I was rescued by the cub scouts. But I can’t tell you how good it felt to see a light coming our direction, how good it felt to exit the cave and stand in the warm brilliant light of day. That’s what it’s like to look to the prophets after a time of darkness in your life. I love the living prophets. Can you think of a greater group of men anywhere in the world? And you know what. They really do shine. When I hear them speak, I can tell, I can sense their connection with heaven. They almost do shine literally as they speak. I invite you, like Aminidab, to turn and look to them in your times of darkness and just hang on until the comforting, courage-inspiring flames of the Spirit surround and protect you. That’s my prayer for all of us.