Hel 5:1-5

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The Book of Mormon > Helaman > Chapter 5

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Contents
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Questions

  • Why all the angel references? Is this the only "angel" text in the Book of Mormon? Why is it placed here? Does it show a longing for the outpouring of miracles in the past, similar to what members of the church feel today? Did Mormon make these connections as he abridged the text, or was it in Helaman/Nephi/whoever's orginal record, and Mormon luckily managed to keep the important details?
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Lexical notes

Helaman was the father of Nephi and Lehi from this chapter.

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Exegesis

Verse 5 begins the thematic of angelic visitation that pervades this chapter. Although many references point explicitly to the Savior's visit to the Americas in 3 Nephi 8-18, many also point to Nephite historical accounts of angelic encounters. We will deal first with the historical experiences, and second with the anticipation of Christ's visit to the Nephites.

  • Parallels with other Nephite prophets who saw angels
    • v. 4 ~ Nephi yields up the judgment seat in favor of preaching the gospel, similar to Alma (Alma 4:18-19), whose angel experience is recorded in Alma 36:6
    • v. 6 ~ Helaman tells his sons that they are named for Lehi and Nephi who came out of Jerusalem, both of whom conversed with angels (1 Ne 1:5-15, 11:14)
    • v. 10 ~ Amulek's words are recounted; Amulek's angel = Alma 10:7
    • v. 10 ~ Zeezrom; no explicity mention of an angelic encounter for Zeezrom, but he seems to have an experience similar to Alma's--bedridden and miserable until repentance occurs and his sins are forgiven (Alma 15:3-12). Is it possible that he also similarly experiences an angel or messenger sent from God? Perhaps Alma acts as that messenger?
  • Events and Details that parallel Nephite historical angel encounters
    • "A pillar of fire" (Hel 5:24,44)--the only other time that a pillar of fire is mentioned in the Book of the Mormon is in the first chapter, with Lehi. This phraseology could descend from Exodus, but it also points explicitly to Lehi's vision of the heavens and the throne of God, including "numberless concourses of angels" (1 Ne 1:8)
    • "The earth shook" (Hel 5:27,31,33)--this is similar to the shaking of the earth that accompanies Alma's angel experience
      • How does this connect with the jail-escape stories in Acts?
      • Another jail-escape: Alma and Amulek leaving Ammonihah (which is specifically referenced in Hel 5:10!), as recounted in Alma 14:23-29
    • "The faces...did shine exceedingly" (Hel 5:36)--Abindadi was sent as a messenger from God, paralleling Nephi and Lehi sent as angels? Also points to Moses? (Mosiah 13:5)
    • "Encircled about," "in the midst of" (Hel 5:44)--reminiscent of Lehi's vision of the angels encircling God's throne; the image of a circle, and eternal round, etc.
      • Alma: "encircled about by the bands of death" (Alma 5:7), "encircled about with the matchless bounty of his love" (Alma 26:25), "encircled them in the arms of safety" (Alma 34:16)
    • Unspeakable Tongues--"marvelous words which cannot be uttered by man" (Hel 5:33), "they could speak forth marvelous words" (Hel 5:45)--speaking with the tonges of angels? Points back to 2 Nephi 32:3
    • Specific mention of the word "angel"
      • "The faces of Nephi and Lehi...did shine exceedingly, even as the faces of angels" (Hel 5:36)
      • "They do converse with the angels of God" (Hel 5:39)
      • "Angels came down out of heaven and ministered unto them" (Hel 5:48).

It seems likely that Nephi and Lehi are being rendered as angels--their names, explicit references to other men who've encountered angels, their roles as messengers of God, and their apparently easy conversance with the heavens. Even more explicit than the past historical encounters, however, is the anticipation of Christ's visitation.

  • "Shake the whole earth as if it was about to divide asunder" (3 Ne 8:6), "quakings of the earth" (3 Ne 8:19)
  • "The earth shook," (Hel 5:27), "the earth shook exceedingly" (Hel 5:31), "the earth shook again" (Hel 5:32), "the earth shook as if it were about to divide asunder" (Hel 5:33)
  • "There was darkness upon the face of the land" (3 Ne 8:19), "there was thick darkness upon all the face of the land" (3 Ne 8:20), "the darkness was dispersed" (3 Ne 10:9)
  • "They were overshadowed with a cloud of darkness, and an awfuul solemn fear came upon them" (Hel 5:28), "the cloud of darkness...did not disperse" (Hel 5:31), "cloud of darkness" and "fear" (Hel 5:34), "the cloud of darkness shall be removed from overshadowing you" (Hel 5:41), "the cloud of darkness was dispersed" (Hel 5:43)
  • "A voice heard" (3 Ne 9:1), "there came a voice" (3 Ne 10:3), "a voice as if it came out of heaven" (3 Ne 11:3), "they heard the voice and they understood it not" (3 Ne 11:4), "again the third time they did hear the voice" (3 Ne 11:5)
  • "There came a voice as if it were above the cloud of darkness" (Hel 5:29), "the third time the voice came" (Hel 5:33)
  • "It was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the center, insomuch that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it did pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their hearts to burn" (3 Ne 11:3)
  • "It was not a voice of thunder, neither was it a voice of a great tumultuous noise, but behold, it was a still voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper, and it did pierce even to the very soul" (Hel 5:30)
  • "Except they shall repent" (3 Ne 9:2), "that the blood of the prophets and the saints shall not come any more unto me" (3 Ne 9:5-11), "repent of your sins" (3 Ne 9:13), "the Father commandeth all men, everwhere, to repent and believe in me" (3 Ne 11:32), "ye must repent" (3 Ne 11:37, 38)
  • "Repent ye, repent ye, and seek no more to destroy my servants" (Hel 5:29), "you must repent" (Hel 5:41)
  • "Him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost" (3 Ne 9:20), "I will baptize you with fire and with the Holy Ghost" (3 Ne 12:1), "they shall be visited with fire and with the Holy GHost, and shall receive a remission of their sins" (3 Ne 12:2), "they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost" (3 Ne 12:6)
  • "The Holy Spirit of God did come down from heaven and did enter into their hearts, and they were filled as if with fire" (Hel 5:45)
  • "Round about him, and Jesus stood in the midst" (3 Ne 17:12), "Jesus stood in the midst" (3 Ne 17:13), "midst of fire" (3 Ne 17:24), "encircled about with fire" (3 Ne 17:24)
  • "Encircled about, as if by fire" (Hel 5:23), "standing in the midst of fire" (Hel 5:23), "they were encircled about" (Hel 5:44), "as if in the mdist of a flaming fire" (Hel 5:44)
  • "They saw the heavens open, and they saw angels descending" (3 Ne 17:24), "angels did minister unto them" (3 Ne 17:24)
  • "They did lift their eyes to heaven...as if talking or lifting their voices to some being whome they beheld" (Hel 5:36), "they do converse with the angels of God" (Hel 5:39), "they saw the heavens open; and angels came down out of heaven and ministered unto them" (Hel 5:48)
  • "Cannot be written" (3 Ne 17:15), "No tongue can speak" (3 Ne 17:17)
  • "Marvelous words which cannot be uttered by man" (Hel 5:33)
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