37:1 And now, my son Helaman, I command you that ye take the records
which have been entrusted with me;
37:2 And I also command you that ye keep a record of this people,
according as I have done, upon the plates of Nephi, and keep all these
things sacred which I have kept, even as I have kept them; for it is
for a wise purpose that they are kept.
37:3 And these plates of brass, which contain these engravings, which
have the records of the holy scriptures upon them, which have the
genealogy of our forefathers, even from the beginning—
37:4 Behold, it has been prophesied by our fathers, that they should be
kept and handed down from one generation to another, and be kept and
preserved by the hand of the Lord until they should go forth unto every
nation, kindred, tongue, and people, that they shall know of the
mysteries contained thereon.
37:5 And now behold, if they are kept they must retain their
brightness; yea, and they will retain their brightness; yea, and also
shall all the plates which do contain that which is holy writ.
37:6 Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I
say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought
to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.
37:7 And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and
eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the
wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls.
37:8 And now, it has hitherto been wisdom in God that these things
should be preserved; for behold, they have enlarged the memory of this
people, yea, and convinced many of the error of their ways, and brought
them to the knowledge of their God unto the salvation of their souls.
37:9 Yea, I say unto you, were it not for these things that these
records do contain, which are on these plates, Ammon and his brethren
could not have convinced so many thousands of the Lamanites of the
incorrect tradition of their fathers; yea, these records and their
words brought them unto repentance; that is, they brought them to the
knowledge of the Lord their God, and to rejoice in Jesus Christ their
Redeemer.
37:10 And who knoweth but what they will be the means of bringing many
thousands of them, yea, and also many thousands of our stiffnecked
brethren, the Nephites, who are now hardening their hearts in sin and
iniquities, to the knowledge of their Redeemer?
37:11 Now these mysteries are not yet fully made known unto me;
therefore I shall forbear.
37:12 And it may suffice if I only say they are preserved for a wise
purpose, which purpose is known unto God; for he doth counsel in wisdom
over all his works, and his paths are straight, and his course is one
eternal round.
37:13 O remember, remember, my son Helaman, how strict are the
commandments of God. And he said: If ye will keep my commandments ye
shall prosper in the land—but if ye keep not his commandments ye shall
be cut off from his presence.
37:14 And now remember, my son, that God has entrusted you with these
things, which are sacred, which he has kept sacred, and also which he
will keep and preserve for a wise purpose in him, that he may show
forth his power unto future generations.
37:15 And now behold, I tell you by the spirit of prophecy, that if ye
transgress the commandments of God, behold, these things which are
sacred shall be taken away from you by the power of God, and ye shall
be delivered up unto Satan, that he may sift you as chaff before the
wind.
37:16 But if ye keep the commandments of God, and do with these things
which are sacred according to that which the Lord doth command you,
(for you must appeal unto the Lord for all things whatsoever ye must do
with them) behold, no power of earth or hell can take them from you,
for God is powerful to the fulfilling of all his words.
37:17 For he will fulfil all his promises which he shall make unto you,
for he has fulfilled his promises which he has made unto our fathers.
37:18 For he promised unto them that he would preserve these things for
a wise purpose in him, that he might show forth his power unto future
generations.
37:19 And now behold, one purpose hath he fulfilled, even to the
restoration of many thousands of the Lamanites to the knowledge of the
truth; and he hath shown forth his power in them, and he will also
still show forth his power in them unto future generations; therefore
they shall be preserved.
37:20 Therefore I command you, my son Helaman, that ye be diligent in
fulfilling all my words, and that ye be diligent in keeping the
commandments of God as they are written.
37:21 And now, I will speak unto you concerning those twenty-four
plates, that ye keep them, that the mysteries and the works of
darkness, and their secret works, or the secret works of those people
who have been destroyed, may be made manifest unto this people; yea,
all their murders, and robbings, and their plunderings, and all their
wickedness and abominations, may be made manifest unto this people;
yea, and that ye preserve these interpreters.
37:22 For behold, the Lord saw that his people began to work in
darkness, yea, work secret murders and abominations; therefore the Lord
said, if they did not repent they should be destroyed from off the face
of the earth.
37:23 And the Lord said: I will prepare unto my servant Gazelem, a
stone, which shall shine forth in darkness unto light, that I may
discover unto my people who serve me, that I may discover unto them the
works of their brethren, yea, their secret works, their works of
darkness, and their wickedness and abominations.
37:24 And now, my son, these interpreters were prepared that the word
of God might be fulfilled, which he spake, saying:
37:25 I will bring forth out of darkness unto light all their secret
works and their abominations; and except they repent I will destroy
them from off the face of the earth; and I will bring to light all
their secrets and abominations, unto every nation that shall hereafter
possess the land.
37:26 And now, my son, we see that they did not repent; therefore they
have been destroyed, and thus far the word of God has been fulfilled;
yea, their secret abominations have been brought out of darkness and
made known unto us.
37:27 And now, my son, I command you that ye retain all their oaths,
and their covenants, and their agreements in their secret abominations;
yea, and all their signs and their wonders ye shall keep from this
people, that they know them not, lest peradventure they should fall
into darkness also and be destroyed.
37:28 For behold, there is a curse upon all this land, that destruction
shall come upon all those workers of darkness, according to the power
of God, when they are fully ripe; therefore I desire that this people
might not be destroyed.
37:29 Therefore ye shall keep these secret plans of their oaths and
their covenants from this people, and only their wickedness and their
murders and their abominations shall ye make known unto them; and ye
shall teach them to abhor such wickedness and abominations and murders;
and ye shall also teach them that these people were destroyed on
account of their wickedness and abominations and their murders.
37:30 For behold, they murdered all the prophets of the Lord who came
among them to declare unto them concerning their iniquities; and the
blood of those whom they murdered did cry unto the Lord their God for
vengeance upon those who were their murderers; and thus the judgments
of God did come upon these workers of darkness and secret combinations.
37:31 Yea, and cursed be the land forever and ever unto those workers
of darkness and secret combinations, even unto destruction, except they
repent before they are fully ripe.
37:32 And now, my son, remember the words which I have spoken unto you;
trust not those secret plans unto this people, but teach them an
everlasting hatred against sin and iniquity.
37:33 Preach unto them repentance, and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ;
teach them to humble themselves and to be meek and lowly in heart;
teach them to withstand every temptation of the devil, with their faith
on the Lord Jesus Christ.
37:34 Teach them to never be weary of good works, but to be meek and
lowly in heart; for such shall find rest to their souls.
37:35 O, remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in
thy youth to keep the commandments of God.
37:36 Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy
doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the
Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the
affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.
37:37 Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee
for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord,
that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the
morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these
things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.
37:38 And now, my son, I have somewhat to say concerning the thing
which our fathers call a ball, or director—or our fathers called it
Liahona, which is, being interpreted, a compass; and the Lord prepared
it.
37:39 And behold, there cannot any man work after the manner of so
curious a workmanship. And behold, it was prepared to show unto our
fathers the course which they should travel in the wilderness.
37:40 And it did work for them according to their faith in God;
therefore, if they had faith to believe that God could cause that those
spindles should point the way they should go, behold, it was done;
therefore they had this miracle, and also many other miracles wrought
by the power of God, day by day.
37:41 Nevertheless, because those miracles were worked by small means
it did show unto them marvelous works. They were slothful, and forgot
to exercise their faith and diligence and then those marvelous works
ceased, and they did not progress in their journey;
37:42 Therefore, they tarried in the wilderness, or did not travel a
direct course, and were afflicted with hunger and thirst, because of
their transgressions.
37:43 And now, my son, I would that ye should understand that these
things are not without a shadow; for as our fathers were slothful to
give heed to this compass (now these things were temporal) they did not
prosper; even so it is with things which are spiritual.
37:44 For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ,
which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was
for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto
them a straight course to the promised land.
37:45 And now I say, is there not a type in this thing? For just as
surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course,
to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their
course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of
promise.
37:46 O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of
the way; for so was it with our fathers; for so was it prepared for
them, that if they would look they might live; even so it is with us.
The way is prepared, and if we will look we may live forever.
37:47 And now, my son, see that ye take care of these sacred things,
yea, see that ye look to God and live. Go unto this people and declare
the word, and be sober. My son, farewell.