Nephi, son of Helaman: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Figure in the Book of Mormon}} |
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{{About|Nephi, the son of Helaman, the Book of Mormon Prophet||Nephi (disambiguation)}} |
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{{Religious text primary|date=January 2011}} |
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{{Figures in the Book of Mormon}}According to the [[Book of Mormon]], '''Nephi''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|n|iː|f|aɪ}} {{respell|NEE|fy}}), along with his brother [[Lehi, son of Helaman|Lehi]], was a [[Nephite]] missionary. His father was Helaman, and his sons include two of the twelve [[Nephite]] disciples at the time that [[Christ]] visited the Americas. |
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==Early life== |
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Nephi was the eldest son of Helaman, another Nephite prophet. Little is known about the activities of his early life, beyond his birth year of 54 BC. Except, he is said to have begun "to grow up unto the Lord" in the 48th year of the "[[Book of Mosiah#A New Government|reign of the judges]]", which likely corresponds to 44 BC.<ref name="Helaman3:21">''Book of Mormon''. {{Sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|version=1981|book=Helaman|chapter=3|verse=21|range=-22}}.</ref> This year marked the a turning point in the affairs of the people, as two years of "much contention"<ref>''Book of Mormon'', {{Sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|version=1981|book=Helaman|chapter=3|verse=3}}</ref><ref>''Book of Mormon'', {{Sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|version=1981|book=Helaman|chapter=3|verse=17|range=-19}}.</ref> "began to cease, in a small degree."<ref name="Helaman3:22">''Book of Mormon'', {{Sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|version=1981|book=Helaman|chapter=3|verse=22}}</ref> In the 49th year of the reign of the judges (c. 43 BC), there was "continual peace established in the land" outside the activities of the [[Gadianton robbers]]. The church to which Nephi's father was a prophet saw "great prosperity" in the same year, with tens of thousands being baptized and united to "the Church of God."<ref name="Helaman3:23-26">''Book of Mormon'', {{Sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|version=1981|book=Helaman|chapter=3|verse=23|range=-26}}</ref> The next three years (50-52 ROJ, 42-40 BC) also passed in "continual peace and great joy", but the pride of the "hearts of the people who professed to belong to the church of God" began to grow due to their prosperity.<ref name="Helaman3:32-36">''Book of Mormon'', {{Sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|version=1981|book=Helaman|chapter=3|verse=32|range=-36}}</ref> |
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==Tenure as Chief Judge== |
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In this period of prosperity within the Church, Helaman died and Nephi began to govern in his stead. He is said to have followed in the footsteps of his father, that "he did fill the judgment-seat with justice and equity; yea, he did keep the commandments of God."<ref name="Helaman3:37">''Book of Mormon'', {{Sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|version=1981|book=Helaman|chapter=3|verse=37}}</ref> |
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Despite his apparent honor in rule, there were contentions among the people and many dissented from the Nephite nation, eventually resulting in war between the Nephites and the Lamanites. By 59 ROJ (33 BC), the Lamanites were victorious in driving the Nephite armies, headed by Moronihah, entirely out of the land southward.<ref name="Helaman4:1-8">''Book of Mormon'', {{Sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|version=1981|book=Helaman|chapter=4|verse=1|range=-8}}</ref> |
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==Post-judgeship preaching== |
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In the same year, 'Nephi delivered up the judgment-seat to a man whose name was Cezoram,' being weary of the iniquity of the people, who consisted more of those choosing evil than those choosing good. He dedicated the remainder of his life to preaching the gospel along with his brother Lehi,<ref name="Helaman5:1-4">''Book of Mormon'', {{Sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|version=1981|book=Helaman|chapter=5|verse=1|range=-4}}</ref> being motivated by the preaching of their father that 'it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation ... a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.'<ref name="Helaman5:6-12">''Book of Mormon'', {{Sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|version=1981|book=Helaman|chapter=5|verse=6|range=-12}}</ref> Their preaching started in the city of Bountiful and then proceeding to the cities of Gid and Mulek, and then to all of the Nephite cities in the land southward. From there, they went "into the land of Zarahemla, among the Lamanites."<ref name="Helaman5:14-16">''Book of Mormon'', {{Sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|version=1981|book=Helaman|chapter=5|verse=14|range=-16}}</ref> |
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These preachings are described as being with much power and authority, even to the point of having the words they should speak given them by revelation. Their preaching resulting in much success, first among those Nephites who had dissented and later among the Lamanites. The repentant Nephites were "confounded, ... [confessed] their sins and were baptized unto repentance, and immediately returned to the Nephites to endeavor to repair unto them the wrongs which they had done." The Lamanites were astonished and convinced, with 8,000 of them "in the land of Zarahemla and round about baptized unto repentance, and were convinced of the wickedness of the traditions of their fathers."<ref name="Helaman5:17-19">''Book of Mormon'', {{Sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|version=1981|book=Helaman|chapter=5|verse=17|range=-19}}</ref> |
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===Prison in the Land of Nephi=== |
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After their great success in the land of Zarahemla, Nephi and Lehi proceeded to the land of Nephi where they were captured by an army of Lamanites and put in prison - the same prison in which [[Ammon]] and his brothers, previous Nephite missionaries, had been held - where they were denied food for "many days."<ref name="Helaman5:20-22">''Book of Mormon'', {{Sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|version=1981|book=Helaman|chapter=5|verse=20|range=-22}}</ref> At the time they were to be taken from prison and executed, however, they were protected by a 'pillar of fire' and the Lamanites were "struck dumb" with amazement and were afraid of being burned. Nephi and Lehi seized this opportunity to spread their missionary message, and told the people to "[f]ear not" and that the "marvelous thing" was of God.<ref name="Helaman5:22-26">''Book of Mormon'', {{Sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|version=1981|book=Helaman|chapter=5|verse=22|range=-26}}</ref> |
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After Nephi and Lehi tried to console the people, the "earth shook exceedingly" and the people were "overshadowed with a cloud of darkness" which caused an "awful solemn fear" to come upon them.<ref name="Helaman5:27-28">''Book of Mormon'', {{Sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|version=1981|book=Helaman|chapter=5|verse=27|range=-28}}</ref> This was followed by a "voice of perfect mildness" that is said to have pierced "even to the very soul" when it twice times urged the people to repent and not to "destroy my servants whom I have sent unto you to declare good tidings" and once spoke "marvelous words which cannot be uttered by man", interspersed with more earthquakes.<ref name="Helaman5:29-33">''Book of Mormon'', {{Sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|version=1981|book=Helaman|chapter=5|verse=29|range=-33}}</ref> |
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During these happenings, a man who was a [[Nephite]] by birth "who had once belonged to the church of God but had dissented" named [[Aminadab]] observed Nephi and Lehi apparently conversing with "the angels of God" and explained the phenomenon to the Lamanites, who were frozen with fear. [[Aminadab]] also explained that the cloud of darkness could be removed if they would "repent, and cry unto the voice, even until ye shall have faith in Christ." The people followed this instruction, and the cloud of darkness was dispersed. Not only that, but they also were encircled by fire, were filled with the 'Holy Spirit of God' and again they heard the voice, this time urging them to be at peace. Nephi and Lehi, who were among them, urged them to "go forth and marvel not, neither should they doubt."<ref name="Helaman5:34-49">''Book of Mormon'', {{Sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|version=1981|book=Helaman|chapter=5|verse=34|range=-49}}</ref> |
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Upon the preaching of these three hundred witnesses, the majority of the Lamanites "were convinced" and "did lay down their weapons of war, and also their hatred and the tradition of their fathers" and "did yield up unto the Nephites the lands of their possession."<ref name="Helaman5:50-52">''Book of Mormon'', {{Sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|version=1981|book=Helaman|chapter=5|verse=50|range=-52}}</ref> |
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===Preaching in the North=== |
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By 63 RJ (29 BC), the Lamanites "had become, the more part of them, a righteous people, insomuch that their righteousness did exceed that of the Nephites, because of their firmness and their steadiness in the faith" and Nephi and Lehi went with many Lamanite missionaries into the land northward (also known as the land of Mulek) to preach.<ref name="Helaman6:1-6">''Book of Mormon'', {{Sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|version=1981|book=Helaman|chapter=6|verse=1|range=-6}}</ref> In 69 RJ (23 BC), however, Nephi was forced to return to the land of Zarahemla, as those in the land northward rejected "all his words."<ref name="Helaman7:1-3">''Book of Mormon'', {{Sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|version=1981|book=Helaman|chapter=7|verse=1|range=-3}}</ref> |
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==Nephi's parallels to Elijah== |
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[[Grant Hardy]], in his ''Annotated Book of Mormon'', notes that the Nephi in Helaman has several things in common with the Biblical figure of [[Elijah]]. Both traveling prophets perform miracles and call on God to bring famine to the land (as well as other parallels).{{sfn|Hardy|2023|pp=503-505}} |
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==See also== |
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*[[Aminadab]] |
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{{S-start}} |
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{{S-bef|before = Helaman, son of Helaman}} |
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{{S-ttl|title = [[Nephites#Judges|Chief Judge]] of the [[Nephites]]| years = the 53rd-62nd years of the [[Nephites#Judges|reign of the judges]],<br />or 39-30 BC.}} |
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{{S-aft|after = [[List of Book of Mormon people#C|Cezoram]]}} |
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{{S-bef|before = Helaman, son of Helaman}} |
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{{S-ttl|title = [[Nephite]] [[Plates of Nephi#Caretakers|record keeper]]| years = the 53rd-92nd years of the reign of the judges,<br />or 39-1 BC}} |
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{{S-aft|after = [[Nephi the Disciple]]}} |
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{{S-end}} |
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==References== |
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{{Reflist|21em}} |
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==References== |
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*{{Cite book |last=Berkey |first=Kimberly Matheson |title=Helaman: A Brief Theological Introduction |publisher=Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship |year=2020 |isbn=978-0-8425-0019-7 |language=en}} |
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*{{Cite Q|Q122259222|ref={{sfnref|Hardy|2023}}}} |
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==External links== |
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* The ''Book of {{Sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|version=1981|book=Helaman}}'' on [[Wikisource]] |
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* [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/triple-index/nephi-2?lang=eng Book of Mormon Index entry on Nephi, son of Helaman] |
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[[Category:Book of Mormon prophets]] |
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[[Category:Angelic visionaries]] |
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[[Category:Miracle workers]] |
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Latest revision as of 00:20, 19 April 2024
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