​This week in our review of the Book of Mormon, we’ll continue with chapters 5 to 12 of Helaman.  Last week we saw how Nephi achieved the Zion/Jerusalem category of blessedness that we see in Isaiah’s Ladder to Heaven.  This week we’ll see what Nephi did to achieve the next level to become God’s Sons/Daughters/Servant or God’s Elect.  The period of Nephi’s ascent to achieve God’s Elect started when he obtained the judgement-seat at 3:37 to when he sees God at 5:36. It is this group of scriptures from 3:37 to 5:36 that we will evaluate this week.

This week in the Book of Mormon we’ll review Helaman chapters 5 to 12.  Many readers of this week’s reading get drawn-in by the account of “secret combinations” that threaten freedom, but the real story that should catch your attention is the process of ascension that we see with Helaman’s son, Nephi. Nephi’s ascension to God is an excellent example of an ascension sequence that we see in Isaiah’s Ladder to Heaven.  Nephi eventually receives God’s power to seal or bind actions with Heaven– the same as Peter the Apostle, Matt. 16:19, but what did Nephi do to achieve this blessed state.  Since this is such a great example of ascension, we’ll cover this week’s reading in multiple posts. This week we’ll review the Ladder to Heaven that Dr. Gileadi sets out in his book Isaiah Decoded.  Next, we’ll cover an overview of the levels of blessedness that Nephi ascends. And, finally, we’ll look at what Nephi did to ascend the first spiritual level of blessedness on the Ladder to Heaven.

​This week in our review of the Book of Mormon we’ll look at chapters 1 to 4 of the Book of Helaman, but we’ll focus on chapters 3 and 4 where we see that Helaman obtains the judgement-seat and executes his office under Torah law – 3:20.  We also see that the Law is the basis for Helaman being prosperous along with the Nephites for whom he is the chief judge.  The prosperity that these Nephites experience are the blessings of the Law or what can be called a covenant of life.  What many people don’t realized is the Covenant that God made with Israel is two covenants.  One is receiving the blessings of the Law or a covenant of life and the other is a covenant with death, whom God curses. So, being in covenant with God is not to be taken lightly.  This week we’ll see how these two covenants play out with Helaman and his people, then we’ll look at how these two covenants happen in America since she is also in covenant with God.

This week in our review of the Book of Mormon we’ll review chapters 51 to the end of Alma – chapter 63.  What we see in these chapters is a recurring sequence of events that cycle into a repeating series of war and peace. These repeating events in history are called history cycles or cycles of history. Various authors have advanced cycles of history.  For instance, Alexander Tytler is credited with the Cycle of Democracy, and Henning Prentis for the Cycle of Liberty and Bondage.  Strauss and Howe in their book, The Fourth Turning, sets out a Cycle of Institutions and Individualism. In the Old Testament, we see a Cycle of Apostasy and Restoration.  But here in Alma we see a Cycle of War and Peace.  So, this week we’ll look at these cyclical events in Alma and consider how God will resolve these perpetual cycles of history.

​This week in the Book of Mormon we’ll review chapters 46 to 50 of Alma.  What we see in these five chapters are multiple attempts to take control of the Nephite government by Amalickiah, who sought to overthrow the Nephite government and set himself up as a king. The Nephites were successful in preserving their government under the leadership of Moroni who rallied the people to affirm their covenant with God 46:21, which is a covenant of life.  This week well examine this covenant of life and look at it in the past, present and future.