These connections are very intriguing. Critics sometimes claim that Joseph Smith simply quoted long passages of the bible to fill up space of for some other reason. This example doesn't fit that kid of explanation, since the text demonstrates numerous parallels but doesn't contain long passages of quoted text.
Here are a few examples of the connections between Samuel and Jesus, from the paper:
Helaman 13
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Matthew 23
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| 24. Yea, woe unto this people because of this time which has arriven that ye do cast out the prophets and do mock them and cast stones at them and do slay them and do all manner of iniquity unto them, even as they did of old time. | 29. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, |
| 25. And now when ye talk, ye say: If our days had been in the days of our fathers of old, we would not have slain the prophets; we would not have stoned them and cast them out. | 30. And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. |
26. Behold, ye are worse than they …
| 32. Fill ye up then the the measure of your fathers. |
| 26. … if a prophet come among you and declareth unto you the word of the Lord, which testifieth of your sins and iniquities, ye are angry with him, and cast him out and seek all manner of ways to destroy him … | 34. ¶ Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill … |
| 29. O ye wicked and ye perverse generation, ye hardened and ye stiffnecked people, how long will ye suppose that the Lord will suffer you? Yea, how long will ye suffer yourselves to be led by foolish and blind guides? Yea, how long will ye choose darkness rather than light? | 16. Woe unto you, ye blind guides.…
24. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
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| 33. O that I had repented and had not killed the prophets and stoned them and cast them out … | 37. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee … |
Helaman 15:1
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Matthew 23:38
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| 1. …I declare unto you that except ye shall repent, your houses shall be left unto you desolate. | 38. Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. |
Helaman 15
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Matthew 24
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| 2. Yea, except ye repent, your women shall have great cause to mourn in the day that they shall give suck. For ye shall attempt to flee and there shall be no place for refuge. Yea, and woe unto them which are with child, for they shall be heavy and cannot flee. Therefore, they shall be trodden down and shall be left to perish. | 19. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
20. But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
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The paper then concludes by suggesting that both Samuel and Christ might be referencing lost writings of the prophet Zenos, who is quoted by Nephi and whose writings are found on the Brass Plates.
Note these connections between Samuel's other words and the Zenos quotes from Nephi, from the paper:
1 Nephi 19
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Helaman 14
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| 1 Nephi 19:10 | …the three days of darkness… | Helaman 14:20, 27 | …no light…for the space of three days…
… darkness should cover the face of the whole earth for the space of three days…
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| 1 Nephi 19:10 | …a sign given of his death… | Helaman 14:20 | …a sign of his death… |
1 Nephi 19:11
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…thunderings and the lightings of his power, by tempest…
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Helaman 14:21,
23, 26, 27
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…thunderings and lightnings…
…there shall be great tempests…
…thunderings and lightnings…
…while the thunder and the lightning lasted, and the tempest…
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1 Nephi 19:11
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…by mountains which shall be carried up…
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Helaman 14:23
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…there shall be many places which are now called valleys which shall become mountains…
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1 Nephi 19:12
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…and the rocks of the earth must rend…
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Helaman 14:21-22
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…and the rocks which is upon the face of the earth … shall be broken up. Yea, they shall be rent in twain…
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Keeping in mind the likely order of translation, a naturalistic theory would need to assume that Joseph Smith made up the words of Samuel the Lamanite and added connections to the New Testament, then later invented words from a completely made up prophets for Nephi to quote, including prophecies that match other words spoken by Samuel. All in one draft, no take-backs!
Impressive stuff.
