Today's Favorite Verse: Alma 37:15-16

Today's Favorite Verse: Alma 37:15-16

"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. 

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."

Alma is giving his son Helaman the charge to keep the record of this people. He is given the plates of Nephi, brass plates, the twenty-four Jaredite plates, the Urim and Thummin or interpreters, and the Liahona, which was a ball or director and compass. Each of these items Alma gives his son Helaman the story behind them and the need to preserve them. When he mentions he would be delivered up to Satan if he transgressed the commandments of God and didn't treat these things sacred I was reminded of Moroni giving Joseph Smith this same warning, as he delivered the gold plates and other sacred items into his care.  

"Again, he told me, that when I got those plates of which he had spoken—for the time that they should be obtained was not yet fulfilled—I should not show them to any person; neither the breastplate with the Urim and Thummim; only to those to whom I should be commanded to show them; if I did I should be destroyed. While he was conversing with me about the plates, the vision was opened to my mind that I could see the place where the plates were deposited, and that so clearly and distinctly that I knew the place again when I visited it.

At length the time arrived for obtaining the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the breastplate. On the twenty-second day of September, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven, having gone as usual at the end of another year to the place where they were deposited, the same heavenly messenger delivered them up to me with this charge: that I should be responsible for them; that if I should let them go carelessly, or through any neglect of mine, I should be cut off; but that if I would use all my endeavors to preserve them, until he, the messenger, should call for them, they should be protected.

I soon found out the reason why I had received such strict charges to keep them safe, and why it was that the messenger had said that when I had done what was required at my hand, he would call for them. For no sooner was it known that I had them, than the most strenuous exertions were used to get them from me. Every strategem that could be invented was resorted to for that purpose. The persecution became more bitter and severe than before, and multitudes were on the alert continually to get them from me if possible. But by the wisdom of God, they remained safe in my hand. When, according to arrangements, the messenger called to them, I delivered them up to him; and he has them in this charge until this day, being the second day of May, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight."

(Joseph Smith-History 1:42, 59-60)

The other thing I noticed was both are given the same assignment on the treatment of the twenty-four plates from the Jaredites. Helaman is told that "only their wickedness and their murders and their abominations shall ye make known unto them (verse 29). Which sounds like the part we have in the book of Ether. Joseph received the gold plates and could only translate a third of it because the other two-thirds were sealed. All their secret works won't be brought to light until the Lord feels the time is right. My new thought on that was at that point some may look at themselves and realize they had already been deceived by the adversary. Finding themselves involved in oaths and secret combinations not realizing were the true source came from. For you wouldn't expose something that you've kept hidden, unless the purpose was to identify its already there. 

Day 1895