Internal consistency in Samuel's prophecies - Part 1

The prophecies of Samuel the Lamanite are sometimes very specific and Mormon as usual makes sure to record the fulfillment of the prophecies. There are many examples of internal consistency from Samuel's sermon in Helaman 13-15.

Example 1: 400 year prophecy in Helaman 13:9

And four hundred years shall not pass away before I will cause that they shall be smitten 

This is also consistent with Alma 45:10

Behold, I perceive that this very people, the Nephites, according to the spirit of revelation which is in me, in four hundred years from the time that Jesus Christ shall manifest himself unto them, shall dwindle in unbelief.

But the fulfillment is recorded in Mormon 8

6 Behold, four hundred years have passed away since the coming of our Lord and Savior.

7 And behold, the Lamanites have hunted my people, the Nephites, down from city to city and from place to place, even until they are no more; and great has been their fall; yea, great and marvelous is the destruction of my people, the Nephites.

Example 2: The fate of Zarahemla in Helaman 13:13-14

But behold, if it were not for the righteous who are in this great city [Zarahemla], behold, I would cause that fire should come down out of heaven and destroy it. But behold, it is for the righteous’ sake that it is spared. But behold, the time cometh, saith the Lord, that when ye shall cast out the righteous from among you, then shall ye be ripe for destruction

Even though various cities suffer different fates at the sign of Christ's death, Zarahemla is burned. 3 Nephi 9:3

Behold, that great city Zarahemla have I burned with fire, and the inhabitants thereof

Example 3: Slippery treasures in Helaman 13:31-32

And behold, the time cometh that he curseth your riches, that they become slippery, that ye cannot hold them; and in the days of your poverty ye cannot retain them. And in the days of your poverty ye shall cry unto the Lord

The fulfillment is described in Mormon 2:10-11

10 And it came to pass that the Nephites began to repent of their iniquity, and began to cry even as had been prophesied by Samuel the prophet; for behold no man could keep that which was his own, for the thieves, and the robbers, and the murderers, and the magic art, and the witchcraft which was in the land.

11 Thus there began to be a mourning and a lamentation in all the land because of these things, and more especially among the people of Nephi

Example 4: Specific wording of future lamentations in Helaman 13:32:33

And then shall ye lament, and say: O that I had repented, and had not killed the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out.

Compare with 3 Nephi 8:25

And in another place they were heard to cry and mourn, saying: O that we had repented before this great and terrible day, and had not killed and stoned the prophets, and cast them out.

Example 5: Keeping track of the timeline in Helaman 14:2

And behold, he said unto them: Behold, I give unto you a sign; for five years more cometh, and behold, then cometh the Son of God to redeem all those who shall believe on his name.

This one's complicated. we need to go back to Helaman 13:1, just before Samuel started prophecying

And now it came to pass in the eighty and sixth year

So we should expect the sign of Christ's birth no sooner than the 91st year. Now we see what happened in 3 Nephi 1:4-5

4 And it came to pass that in the commencement of the ninety and second year, behold, the prophecies of the prophets began to be fulfilled more fully; for there began to be greater signs and greater miracles wrought among the people.

5 But there were some who began to say that the time was past for the words to be fulfilled, which were spoken by Samuel, the Lamanite.

Then, right after, in 3 Nephi 1:12-13

the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying: Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world

This is yet another example of keeping track of the timeline.

More to come in part 2.