Samuel Prophesies of the Destruction of the Nephites
READ Helaman 13:1-4 and Helaman 16:1-5
Why did the Lord send an “outsider” to preach His word when Nephi
II was right there ministering to the Nephites?
READ Helaman 13:5, 9-10
What does Samuel mean by the “sword of justice”?
Why is Samuel prophesying of a destruction 400 years away?
READ Helaman 13:6-7
What was it about the angel’s message that had Samuel excited to
share it with the Nephites?
READ Helaman 13:8
Why does the Lord say He will withdraw from them because of the
hardness of their hearts, rather than because of their wickedness?
What does it mean that the Lord will take away His word from the
Nephites?
READ Helaman 13:11-14
Why is the Lord sparing Zarahemla?
When will Zarahemla’s fate be sealed?
Why might they finally cast out the righteous?
READ Helaman 13:17-23
What does it mean to have your heart set upon riches?
How are riches a
"false god?"
Why are they cursed “for the peoples’ sake”?
What does it mean to “hide one’s treasures up unto the Lord”?
What does it mean to “hide one’s treasures up in the earth”?
If riches seem to
lead so inevitably to pride and the worship of them (and then to wickedness),
why does the Lord prosper His people at all?
Among the eight sins
we talked about two sessions ago that lead to a fullness of iniquity and
destruction, what are the primary sins that the Nephites are committing?
READ Helaman 13:24-29
What are the Nephites
doing to true prophets who declare the word of the Lord which they claim they
heard directly from Him?
What are the Nephites
doing to those who tell them that all is well?
READ Helaman 13:30-33
Why are they repenting in the days of their poverty?
READ Helaman 13:36-38
Are they really surrounded by demons and dark angels and what does
that mean?
Why will the day of their probation be past at that point?
Are they damned for what they obtained and kept to themselves or
for what they tried to but failed to obtain?
Why can’t you find happiness in doing iniquity?
What are the similarities between making one’s calling and
election sure and making one’s destruction sure?
Samuel Prophesies of Christ’s Mortal Ministry
READ Helaman 14:2-4, 28
Why did the Nephites get a sign that all the people could see,
while in Israel the sign of the star could only be read by those few who were
looking for it and knew how to interpret it?
How did the Nephites know that the sign was given and what does
this imply about the sign?
READ Helaman 14:5-6
How did the “Christmas star” just arise at this time and then
disappear?
What were the “many” other “signs and wonders” seen in the heavens
and why were they given?
READ Helaman 14:7-8
Why will people be so amazed that they will literally fall to the
earth when they see the sign of Christ’s birth occur?
Why would anyone NOT believe in Christ after witnessing such an
obvious and objective sign coming true?
READ Helaman 14:9-10
Are the Nephites racist?
Why did the Lord choose a Lamanite to give the Nephites this vital
message if they would inherently doubt him because he was a Lamanite?
READ Helaman 14:11-13
What do the Nephites need to believe: Samuel’s prophecy of Nephite
destruction, or his prophesy of the signs of Christ’s coming, or his testimony
of Christ’s ability to redeem them if they will repent and come unto Him?
READ Helaman 14:14-19
Why did Christ have to die and what is the implication?
What happens to those who are cut off, at any time, from the
presence of the Lord?
Who will suffer the second spiritual death, being cut off again
from God’s presence and His righteousness?
READ Helaman 14:20-27
What is the symbolism of the sign of Christ’s death?
READ Helaman 14:29-31 and Helaman 15:1-3
Why are the signs given?
How is all iniquity done “unto themselves” when people’s poor
choices and sins hurt others, too?
Lessons from the Lamanite Conversion
READ Helaman 15:4-10
What does it mean that the Lord has hated someone when He is
supposed to be a god of love?
Samuel says “a” change of heart; should it be “the” change of
heart?
Why is Samuel still talking about the Ammonites burying of their
swords, which occurred 80 years prior?
READ Helaman 15:11-16
What does it imply that Zenos, Samuel and “many other prophets”
have witnessed of the restoration of the Lamanites to the truth in the Last
Days?
READ Helaman 15:17
Why will the Lord utterly destroy those that have been offered the
Fullness of the Gospel but have rejected it?
Lessons from the Nephite Reaction to Samuel
READ Helaman 16:6-8
Where else in the Book of Mormon do we read about a prophet coming
out of nowhere to preach repentance or destruction to the people?
READ Helaman 16:13-23
What are the two reactions to the great signs, wonders and words
of the prophets beginning to be fulfilled?
Moroni talks about the Gentiles’ destruction and assimilation of
the few repentant souls into Israel in the last days; why did the Lord want
Mormon to include the prophesy of Samuel the Lamanite in a book meant for our
day?
Following this analogy further, who is Samuel called to preach to?
How might we identify a modern day Samuel – coming to preach to us
from outside the official and recognized Church hierarchy?
