Gold and the Two Ways -- part 4a

Gold and the Two Ways in the Book of Mormon

Parts 1, 2, and 3 are found here: Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. We're looking at references to gold and riches and the like in the scriptures in the context of the doctrine of the two ways. In this post, we'll look at some of the references found in the Book of Mormon. This is a big topic, so I will break this into two parts. In this first part, we'll review scriptures from the Book of Mormon just as we've done for the Bible in the first three sections of this series. In the next part we'll take a slight detour and discuss the specific Book of Mormon theme related to treasures becoming slippery during ties of covenant rebellion.

Gold and treasure in the Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon gives us numerous references to gold (59), treasure (15), and riches (43).  I'm sure there are additional terms with a meaning close enough to add to that tally. Since this is not meant to be a comprehensive review of all references, but just a cursory overview of some of the references which also make reference to the doctrine of the Two Ways, I'll focus on those references which best fit the theme.

For the following list, I'll forego quoting the verses to leave room for more total references in this post:

• 2 Nephi 9:42 -- God despises the prideful and rich unless "they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility."
• Jacob 2:13, 18-19 -- Obtaining riches has led to pride, stiff necks, and high heads. Seek for the kingdom of God before seeking riches. Then seek riches for the intent to do good.
• Mosiah 2:12 -- "I ... have not sought gold nor silver nor and manner of riches of you."
• Mosiah 4:19 -- "Are we not all beggars?" We all depend on God for all the substance we have, including gold, silver, and riches.
• Alma 1:16, 29-30 -- Priestcrafts are associated with a love of the vain things of the world, riches, honor. Meanwhile the righteous cared for the poor and "did not set their hearts upon riches" but were "liberal to all." The "steadiness of the church" brought about exceeding riches.
• Alma 4:6, 8 -- The people wax proud because of their riches, gold, and silver. The church began to be lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and to "set their hearts upon riches" and "they began to be scornful, one towards another."
• Alma 7:6 -- (Alma to the righteous people of Gideon) "I trust that ye are not lifted up in the pride of your hearts; yea, I trust that ye have not set your hearts upon riches and the vain things of the world."
• Alma 15:16 -- Amulek forsook all his riches for the word of God and was rejected by his friends and kindred.
• Alma 39:14 -- "Seek not after riches nor the vain things of this world."
• Alma 45:24 -- Pride because of "exceedingly great riches" leads the people to not give heed to the word or walk uprightly before God.
• Helaman 4:12 -- Pride of the heart and riches lead to "oppression to the poor"
• Helaman 5:7-8 -- Do that which is good, not to boast, but to lay up for yourselves a treasure in heaven (the "precious gift of eternal").
• Helaman 6:17 -- Prosperity leads to setting their hearts upon riches, leading the people to commit secret murders to get gain, rob, and plunder. (Cain is directly mentioned in verse 27.)
• Helaman 7:21, 26: Wo comes to the wicked unless they repent. They seek to "get gain, to be praised of men, yea, and [to] get gold and silver." Pride enters the heart and "has lifted you up beyond that which is good because of your exceedingly great riches!"
• 3 Nephi 6: 10, 12, 15 -- Riches lead to pride and classes, differing chances for learning. Satan had great power, tempting the people "to seek for power, and authority, and riches, and the vain things of the world."
• 3 Nephi 13:19-21 -- Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.
• 4 Nephi 1:43 -- Riches lead to pride and vanity.

A few thoughts about these verses:

There is a direct connection between riches and having a heart set upon the things of the world. Compare this to the command given to Joseph Smith by Moroni to obtain the plates (which were hidden in the ground) only to further God's work on earth, not for worldly gain. We'll talk about that in the next part in more depth.

Notice the contrasting symbolism between Jacob 2:13 and Alma 45:24 -- riches lead to "stiff necks" and high heads" and also causes the people to refuse to "walk uprightly before God."

Notice also how Amulek is described in Alma 15:16.  It's a perfect analog to the description Jacob gives in 2 Nephi 9:42.

It strikes me how clearly Jesus' words in 3 Nephi 13 fulfill the prophecy of slippery treasure from Helaman 13. This is a foreshadowing of the Nephites brought upon themselves by their covenant rebellion. Their record, also hidden in the ground, has come forth to us in order to gather God's people throughout the earth in the latter days.  Will we be wiser than they and lay up treasure in heaven rather than setting our hearts upon riches?

Amulek and his kin

Amulek's story is intriguing. He wasn't actively fighting against the church and didn't have the dramatic conversion story like Alma, but he too needed a change of heart and was visited by an angel. Initially he was not living the way he should even though he had a certain knowledge of the gospel, just like most people in Ammonihah at the time it seems. As he said himself

I was called many times and I would not hear; therefore I knew concerning these things, yet I would not know (Alma 10:6)

That is an interesting description and may apply to many of us on different levels, perhaps.

One thing we learn about Amulek's background is that he had "many kindreds and friends".

And behold, I am also a man of no small reputation among all those who know me; yea, and behold, I have many kindreds and friends (Alma 10:4)

His life changed forever on the fourth day in the seventh month in the tenth year. On this particular day he was "journeying to see a very near kindred" (Alma 10:7). But he was told by an angel to go back and receive a prophet of the Lord. Amulek obeyed, took care of Alma, who in turn blessed his kindred

For behold, he hath blessed mine house, he hath blessed me, and my women, and my children, and my father and my kinsfolk; yea, even all my kindred hath he blessed, and the blessing of the Lord hath rested upon us according to the words which he spake. (Alma 10:11)

Amulek became a great missionary and entrusted companion of Alma. Whatever blessing Alma pronounced on the rest of his kindred did not bring about the same response on their part. Ultimately, Amulek was rejected by his kindred and friends.

And it came to pass that Alma and Amulek, Amulek having forsaken all his gold, and silver, and his precious things, which were in the land of Ammonihah, for the word of God, he being rejected by those who were once his friends and also by his father and his kindred (Alma 15:16)

Instead, Alma points Amulek to Christ, his true kinsman. This post describes the ancient Israelite concept of a kinsman-redeemer. Especially the term, "redeem his people", conveys that idea. When Amulek had been taught by Alma, he went along with him to preach to the people of Ammonihah and he testified of Christ:

And he shall come into the world to redeem his people (Alma 11:40)

This post shows how Alma-2 likely got this expression from his father, Alma-1, who in turn got it from Abinadi.

I don't know if Amulek himself or Mormon, who wrote the abridgment of this story, had it in mind, but I like the fact that Amulek, having "many kindreds" got his life turned around when he was on his way to one of them. When he accepted the gospel, they turned their backs on him, but he found and turned to his true kinsman-redeemer instead. It's as if the angel and Alma wanted to show him who his true kinsman was: Christ who would never reject him.

Similarly, he also described having many friends, but they also rejected him. Instead, Alma showed him true friendship.

Now as I said, Alma having seen all these things, therefore he took Amulek and came over to the land of Zarahemla, and took him to his own house, and did administer unto him in his tribulations, and strengthened him in the Lord. (Alma 15:18)

Internal consistency in prophecies about Ammonihah

Alma and Amulek preach in the city of Ammonihah, where there is much wickedness. In Alma 9:18, Alma says:

18 But behold, I say unto you that if ye persist in your wickedness that your days shall not be prolonged in the land, for the Lamanites shall be sent upon you; and if ye repent not they shall come in a time when you know not, and ye shall be visited with utter destruction; and it shall be according to the fierce anger of the Lord.

In Alma 10:22-23, Amulek says:

22 Yea, and I say unto you that if it were not for the prayers of the righteous, who are now in the land, that ye would even now be visited with utter destruction; yet it would not be by flood, as were the people in the days of Noah, but it would be by famine, and by pestilence, and the sword.

23 But it is by the prayers of the righteous that ye are spared; now therefore, if ye will cast out the righteous from among you then will not the Lord stay his hand; but in his fierce anger he will come out against you; then ye shall be smitten by famine, and by pestilence, and by the sword; and the time is soon at hand except ye repent.

The people have been warned: If they don't repent, the Lamanites will visit them with utter destruction. It has not happened yet, only because of the prayers of the righteous. But if they cast out the righteous, the Lord will not "stay his hand".

What did the people of Ammonihah do? Alma 14:7:

And they spit upon him, and cast him out from among them, and also all those who believed in the words which had been spoken by Alma and Amulek; and they cast them out, and sent men to cast stones at them.

Alma 15:15

But as to the people that were in the land of Ammonihah, they yet remained a hard-hearted and a stiffnecked people; and they repented not of their sins,

Basically exactly what they were warned against.

What happened next? Alma 16:2-3

2 For behold, the armies of the Lamanites had come in upon the wilderness side, into the borders of the land, even into the city of Ammonihah, and began to slay the people and destroy the city.

3 And now it came to pass, before the Nephites could raise a sufficient army to drive them out of the land, they had destroyed the people who were in the city of Ammonihah

Basically, exactly what was prophesied

A deep dive into Helaman 5, part 2 of 2

In part 1, I made note of numerous examples of internal consistency found in just the first 13 verses of Helaman 5.  The remainder of the chapter also includes references to other chapters as well as an incident which is later referred to twice.

Verses 14-52 -- The missionary experiences of Nephi-2 and Lehi-2

In these verses we learn about the missionary experiences of Nephi and Lehi.

In verse 14-16, they begin preaching in the city of Bountiful and then head south through Mulek and Gid until they come to Zarahemla.  This reflects the internally consistent geography of the the Nephite lands -- Bountiful is north of Zarahemla, which is first mentioned in detail in Alma 22:29-33.

Note that the land of Zarahemla is now held by the Lamanites, a detail we learn about in Helaman 4:5.

In verse 17, Nephi and Lehi confound Nephite dissenters who "had gone over from the Nephites", which we learned about back in Alma 63.

In verses 20-21, the brothers head to the Land of Nephi and end up being cast into the same prison that "Ammon and his brethren" were held by the "servants of Limhi".  This refers back to an incident we read about in Mosiah 7:6-8.

Then something remarkable happens.  A group of men come to the prison to slay their captives, and a miraculous event takes place that very clearly foreshadows the visit of the Resurrected Christ to the Nephites.  Here are some parallels:

Helaman 5	3 Nephi 8-17
27 words, the earth shook exceedingly, and the walls of the prison did shake as if they were about to tumble to the earth;	8:6 ...and there was terrible thunder, insomuch that it did shake the whole earth as if it was about to divide asunder.
28 And it came to pass that they were overshadowed with a cloud of darkness, and an awful solemn fear came upon them.	8:20 And it came to pass that there was thick darkness upon all the face of the land, insomuch that the inhabitants thereof who had not fallen could feel the vapor of darkness;
29 And it came to pass that there came a voice as if it were above the cloud of darkness,	9:1 And it came to pass that there was a voice heard among all the inhabitants of the earth, upon all the face of this land,
43 And it came to pass that when they cast their eyes about, and saw that the cloud of darkness was dispersed from overshadowing them, behold, they saw that they were encircled about, yea every soul, by a pillar of fire… 48 And now, when they heard this they cast up their eyes as if to behold from whence the voice came; and behold, they saw the heavens open; and angels came down out of heaven and ministered unto them.	17:24 And as they looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven, and they saw the heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them.
45 And behold, the Holy Spirit of God did come down from heaven, and did enter into their hearts, and they were filled as if with fire, and they could speak forth marvelous words.	9:20 ...And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not.
49 And there were about three hundred souls who saw and heard these things; and they were bidden to go forth and marvel not, neither should they doubt.	17:25 And the multitude did see and hear and bear record; and they know that their record is true for they all of them did see and hear, every man for himself; and they were in number about two thousand and five hundred souls; and they did consist of men, women, and children.

It seems very clear to me that the prison experience is foreshadowing the destruction, vapor of darkness, and visitation detailed in 3 Nephi.

It is also worth noting that in a completely unrelated part of the Book of Mormon, reference is made to the missionary work of Nephi and Lehi. Moroni delivers a masterful sermon on faith, found in Ether 12, in which he references back to the experiences of Nephi-2 and Lehi-2 among the Lamanites:

14 Behold, it was the faith of Nephi and Lehi that wrought the change upon the Lamanites, that they were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost.

 Compare this with Helaman 5:

44 And Nephi and Lehi were in the midst of them; yea, they were encircled about; yea, they were as if in the midst of a flaming fire, yet it did harm them not, neither did it take hold upon the walls of the prison; and they were filled with that joy which is unspeakable and full of glory.
45 And behold, the Holy Spirit of God did come down from heaven, and did enter into their hearts, and they were filled as if with fire, and they could speak forth marvelous words.

In addition to this, there is a subtle little detail worth mentioning, tucked away in this story. Aminadab (which is a biblical name meaning "my kinsmen are noble"), is a Nephite dissenter living among the Lamanites. In the midst of the mist of darkness, he offers an explanation to the men in the prison as to what Nephi and Lehi are doing, then tells the men what they ought to do:

41 And Aminadab said unto them: You must repent, and cry unto the voice, even until ye shall have faith in Christ, who was taught unto you by Alma, and Amulek, and Zeezrom; and when ye shall do this, the cloud of darkness shall be removed from overshadowing you.

In typical Nephite fashion, Aminadab offers the three names of men who have taught the people about Christ.  One of them is Zeezrom, the lawyer who contends with Amulek in Ammonihah back in Alma 11. (Did you happen to recall that Amulek is descended from a man named Aminadi? See Alma 10:2.) Do you recall what became of Zeezrom after this experience?  I've read the Book of Mormon many times, and I could recall off the top of my head that he left Ammonihah and came down with a fever (see Alma 15:3). Then Alma baptizes him. In all the times I read the Book of Mormon, I missed this subtle detail, though (until I went looking for it) -- Zeezrom became a missionary. From Alma 15:

12 And Alma baptized Zeezrom unto the Lord; and he began from that time forth to preach unto the people.

Here is another mention of Zeezrom as a missionary, from Alma 31:

5 And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God.
6 Therefore he took Ammon, and Aaron, and Omner; and Himni he did leave in the church in Zarahemla; but the former three he took with him, and also Amulek and Zeezrom, who were at Melek; and he also took two of his sons.

Isn't that wonderful?  The same two men contending with each other in Alma 11 are now missionary companions among the Zoramites!

One final note, in Alma 37, Alma-2 reminds his son Helaman that the records helped Ammon bring thousands of the Lamanites to a knowledge of their redeemer.  Then he adds this:

10 And who knoweth but what they will be the means of bringing many thousands of them, yea, and also many thousands of our stiffnecked brethren, the Nephites, who are now hardening their hearts in sin and iniquities, to the knowledge of their Redeemer?

This, of course is exactly what happens in Helaman 5 (see verses 17-19).

Summary and Conclusion

What can be made of all of these connections between verses in Helaman 5 and so many other chapters in the Book of Mormon?  I think it is significant evidence that Joseph Smith could not have held all of this information in his head at one time, without notes of some kind.

Let's summarize what we found in this chapter alone:

Hel. 5:	Connects with	Relevant details	# of chapters apart
1	Helaman 6	Cezoram, the chief judge,  is murdered.	1
2	Mosiah 29:25-27	“Voice of the people”	68
4	Helaman 3	Nephi and Lehi are brothers	2
4	Alma 4	Giving up the judgment seat to preach the word	64
6	1 Nephi 2	Nephi and Lehi	78
6-8	2 Nephi 33:4	“Remember/Good/ eternal life”	131
9	Mosiah 3:17	Quotes King Benjamin	94
10	Alma 11:36-40	Quotes Amulek	57
12	2 Nephi 28:28	“Rock of our redeemer”	126
12	2 Nephi 1	“Gulf of misery and endless wo”	98
13	Alma 37:27	“Things which are not written”	31
14-16	Alma 22:29-33	Geography of Bountiful	46
16	Helaman 4:5	Lamanites occupy Zarahemla	1
17	Alma 63	Nephite dissenters among Lamanites	5
20-21	Mosiah 7:6-8	Ammon’s prison	90
27-49	3 Nephi 8-17	Foreshadowing Christ’s visit	18
44	Ether 12:14	Lamanites baptized with fire	63
41	Alma 15:12; 31:6	Zeezrom preaches	53, 37
17-19	Alma 37:10	Alma-2 predicts future missionary success	31