The Book of Helaman: An Endtime Guide – Helaman 13-16

​This week in our review of the Book of Mormon, we’ll close out our look at the Book of Helaman.  When we look at the entire Book of Helaman what you should see is an Endtime theme. The Book of Mormon writers know that the restoration of Israel and the salvation of Humanity rest on the realization of the covenant that God made with Abraham. Here in Helaman, God is providing a road map to accomplish just that as the Messiah’s first coming is a type for His second coming. Helaman provides us with key guides to prepare those who are called AND chosen to be His Endtime leaders who will execute this great gathering of the righteous at the end of the world. So this week, we’ll review our past posts on Helaman and consider key take-aways within the context of an Endtime setting and how Samuel, a Lamanite prophet, that we see in chapters 13 to 16 fits into this Endtime theme as a type of God’s Servant. 

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Preface
By and large the Book of Mormon is an Endtime prophecy. We know that because when we analyze 1 Nephi chapters 13 and 14 very little is mentioned with its impact on religion during the latter-days. When we consider concepts in the Book of Mormon like a Marvelous Work and a Wonder, the Work of the Father, the Church of the Lamb and the extensive quoting of Isaiah, we must conclude that the Book of Mormon is taking us to an Endtime setting when the restoration of all things and the fullness of the Gospel will occur.

Book of Mormon 1830 >

LATTER-DAYS ​1 Nephi 13,14 ​>

ENDTIMES Marvelous Work/Wonder Work of the Father Church of the Lamb Writings of Isaiah Restoration of All Things Fullness of the Gospel

That being said, the Book of Mormon has been generally misinterpreted. Another misinterpretation of the Book of Mormon that has limited its power is that it has been interpreted as being anti-Torah, anti-the Law. However, this view does not square with the Book of Mormon. One of the constants that we see in the Book of Mormon is the living of the Torah, whether under the Melchizedek Priesthood – 3:20 or under the Levitical Priesthood - 15:5. Moreover, when we look at the Book of Mormon’s underlying overall theme, the progression of concepts looks more like this –

PROGRESSION OF THE BOOK OF MORMON'S OVERALL THEME

Book of Mormon ​V

Testimony that Yeshua as the Messiah ​V

Isaiah's Hebrew Gospel ​V

God's Endtime Servant ​V

Restoration of All Things/Fullness of the Gospel V

Sealing of the 144,000 High Priests ​V

Endtime of Restoration of Israel ​V

The Millennial Age

What is unique about the Book of Helaman is that it is facilitating the realization of key aspects of this Endtime restoration – a restoration of the Law, an ascension guide for those who will be the 144,000 and a type of the Endtime servant in the character of Samuel, the Lamanite prophet. 

​The Law: A Covenant of Life and a Covenant with Death
We see here again at the end of the Book of Helaman a direct reference to the Law at 14:31.

​Helaman 14:31	​Deuteronomy 30:15,19
​31 He hath given unto you that ye might know good from evil, and he hath given unto you that ye might choose life or death; and ye can do good and be restored unto that which is good, or have that which is good restored unto you; or ye can do evil, and have that which is evil restored unto you.	​15 ¶ See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; 19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

​The Book of Helaman also conveys the concepts of living Torah under the Melchizedek or Levitical priesthoods.  Notice the wording here in these two verses from Helaman.

​Torah under Melchizedek Priesthood (Fathers as Kings and Priests)	​Torah under Levitical Priesthood (Administration under the Lineage of Levi)
​Helaman 3:20	​Helaman 15:5
20 Nevertheless Helaman did fill the judgment-seat with justice and equity; yea, he did observe to keep the statutes, and the judgments, and the commandments of God; and he did do that which was right in the sight of God continually; and he did walk after the ways of his father, insomuch that he did prosper in the land.	5 And I would that ye should behold that the more part of them are in the path of their duty, and they do walk circumspectly before God, and they do observe to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments according to the law of Moses.

​When we consider these verses in Helaman, we should see a restoration of the Law during the End of times.
 
 
The Ascension of Nephi, Son of Helaman
Beyond a restoration of the Law under the Melchidezek Priesthood for Believers in Yeshua as the Messiah, the Book of Helaman provides us with an “ascension guide” for those who will be God’s Endtime 144,000 missionaries who will sweep the earth with power to gather Zion. When we look at the guide that is set out in the Book of Helaman our key take-aways include.
 
Zion/Jerusalem/Pure In Heart
Those who ascend to Zion/Jerusalem at the end of the world will turn to the Law and “choose life”, which we see here at Helaman 14:31 and similarly at Deu 30:15,19.  These will be persecuted by other members of the church and its leaders – one of Isaiah’s Endtime three tests.
 
Sons/Daughters/Elect
For those who are Zion, who perfect their lives and cultivate the attributes of the Messiah who are savior-kings, these can be expected to be imprisoned, having been stripped of all their rights – losing everything, like we see here with Nephi.  
 
Seraphim/Angels/Joint Heirs
Those who are Zion and God’s Elect who overcome Satan and death ascend to be God’s Savior-Angels. These will be His 144,000 missionaries who gather Zion with power.
 
I have just skimmed over this ascension sequence that we see in Nephi, but these chapters are so important that they deserve a serious and in-depth study!
 
 
Samuel, a Lamanite Prophet, as an Endtime Type
Our last major theme that we see here in Helaman with chapter 13 through 16 is that Samuel the Lamanite prophet is a type of God’s Endtime Servant.
 
Endtime True and False Prophets
The first topic we see here in chapter 13 is Samuel teaching how to identify a true and false prophet. We can apply this teaching to Endtime prophets. Essentially, he teaches that true prophets call people to repentance and conversely false prophets placate the people and tell them how good they are and heap praise and money on these false prophets.  Moreover, when we read between the lines, Samuel is not only telling us that he is a true prophet but in the context of the entire Book of Helaman as an Endtime theme, Samuel is a type of Endtime prophets, which include God’s Endtime Servant. And when we factor in an Endtime restoration of the Law, we can see that the vast major of Believers will need to repent and return to the Law.
 
An Endtime Judgment
By and large chapter fourteen correlates with an Endtime judgement.  Samuel spends most of chapter 14 outlining destruction at Yeshua’s first coming, but by extension we can see an Endtime judgment here.  Samuel closes chapter 14 by admonishing Believers to “choose life” at verse 31, which a direct reference with Deuteronomy 30:15,19.  So, Samuel is linking an Endtime judgement of life or death with the Law.
 
Endtime Restoration of Israel
When we get to chapter 15, we see an Endtime restoration of ethnic Israel in the example of the Lamanites, who are genetically Israelites.
 
An Endtime Separation of the Righteous and Wicked
Our last major theme we see in chapter 16 is a separation of the righteous and the wicked, which indicates a widening gulf between the righteous and the wicked.  We will see this same separation during the Endtimes between the righteous and the wicked.