Helaman 1
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Helaman 1:1 | And now behold, it came to pass in the commencement of the fortieth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, there began to be a serious difficulty among the people of the Nephites. | Now, at the start of the fortieth year of the judges ruling over the Nephites, a serious problem began to arise among the Nephite people. |
| Helaman 1:2 | For behold, Pahoran had died, and gone the way of all the earth; therefore there began to be a serious contention concerning who should have the judgment-seat among the brethren, who were the sons of Pahoran. | Pahoran had died, just like everyone eventually does, and now there was a big argument among his sons about who should take his place as chief judge. |
| Helaman 1:3 | Now these are their names who did contend for the judgment-seat, who did also cause the people to contend: Pahoran, Paanchi, and Pacumeni. | Here are the names of those who competed for the judge’s seat and caused the people to argue: Pahoran, Paanchi, and Pacumeni. |
| Helaman 1:4 | Now these are not all the sons of Pahoran, (for he had many) but these are they who did contend for the judgment-seat; therefore, they did cause three divisions among the people. | These aren’t all of Pahoran’s sons, because he had many, but these are the ones who fought for the judgment seat. This caused three divisions among the people. |
| Helaman 1:5 | Nevertheless, it came to pass that Pahoran was appointed by the voice of the people to be chief judge and a governor over the people of Nephi. | Even so, Pahoran was chosen by the people’s vote to be the chief judge and governor over the Nephites. |
| Helaman 1:6 | And it came to pass that Pacumeni, when he saw that he could not obtain the judgment-seat, he did unite with the voice of the people. | When Pacumeni saw he couldn’t get the judgment seat, he decided to go along with the people’s choice. |
| Helaman 1:7 | But behold, Paanchi, and that part of the people that were desirous that he should be their governor, was exceedingly wroth; therefore, he was about to flatter away those people to rise up in rebellion against their brethren. | But look, Paanchi and the people who wanted him to be their leader were really angry. So, he tried to persuade those people to rebel against their brothers. |
| Helaman 1:8 | And it came to pass as he was about to do this, behold, he was taken, and was tried according to the voice of the people, and condemned unto death; for he had raised up in rebellion and sought to destroy the liberty of the people. | Just as he was about to do this, he was caught, tried by the people’s will, and sentenced to death because he had started a rebellion and tried to destroy the people’s freedom. |
| Helaman 1:9 | Now when those people who were desirous that he should be their governor saw that he was condemned unto death, therefore they were angry, and behold, they sent forth one Kishkumen, even to the judgment-seat of Pahoran, and murdered Pahoran as he sat upon the judgment-seat. | When the people who wanted him to be their governor saw that he was sentenced to death, they got angry. They sent a man named Kishkumen to Pahoran’s judgment seat, and Kishkumen killed Pahoran as he sat there. |
| Helaman 1:10 | And he was pursued by the servants of Pahoran; but behold, so speedy was the flight of Kishkumen that no man could overtake him. | Pahoran’s servants chased after him, but Kishkumen ran so fast that no one could catch him. |
| Helaman 1:11 | And he went unto those that sent him, and they all entered into a covenant, yea, swearing by their everlasting Maker, that they would tell no man that Kishkumen had murdered Pahoran. | He went to the people who sent him, and they all made a promise, swearing by their eternal Creator, that they wouldn’t tell anyone that Kishkumen had killed Pahoran. |
| Helaman 1:12 | Therefore, Kishkumen was not known among the people of Nephi, for he was in disguise at the time that he murdered Pahoran. And Kishkumen and his band, who had covenanted with him, did mingle themselves among the people, in a manner that they all could not be found; but as many as were found were condemned unto death. | Kishkumen was not recognized by the Nephites because he was in disguise when he killed Pahoran. He and his group, who had made a pact with him, mixed in with the people in a way that made them hard to find; but those who were found were sentenced to death. |
| Helaman 1:13 | And now behold, Pacumeni was appointed, according to the voice of the people, to be a chief judge and a governor over the people, to reign in the stead of his brother Pahoran; and it was according to his right. And all this was done in the fortieth year of the reign of the judges; and it had an end. | Pacumeni was chosen by the people’s vote to be the chief judge and governor, taking over for his brother Pahoran. This was his rightful position. This all happened in the fortieth year of the judges ruling, and then it ended. |
| Helaman 1:14 | And it came to pass in the forty and first year of the reign of the judges, that the Lamanites had gathered together an innumerable army of men, and armed them with swords, and with cimeters and with bows, and with arrows, and with head-plates, and with breastplates, and with all manner of shields of every kind. | In the forty-first year of the judges’ reign, the Lamanites gathered an enormous army and armed them with swords, scimitars, bows, arrows, helmets, breastplates, and all kinds of shields. |
| Helaman 1:15 | And they came down again that they might pitch battle against the Nephites. And they were led by a man whose name was Coriantumr; and he was a descendant of Zarahemla; and he was a dissenter from among the Nephites; and he was a large and a mighty man. | They came down again to fight the Nephites. Their leader was a man named Coriantumr, who was a descendant of Zarahemla and had left the Nephites. He was a large and powerful man. |
| Helaman 1:16 | Therefore, the king of the Lamanites, whose name was Tubaloth, who was the son of Ammoron, supposing that Coriantumr, being a mighty man, could stand against the Nephites, with his strength and also with his great wisdom, insomuch that by sending him forth he should gain power over the Nephites— | So, the king of the Lamanites, Tubaloth, who was the son of Ammoron, thought that Coriantumr, being a strong and wise man, could challenge the Nephites. He believed that by sending Coriantumr, they could gain power over the Nephites. |
| Helaman 1:17 | Therefore he did stir them up to anger, and he did gather together his armies, and he did appoint Coriantumr to be their leader, and did cause that they should march down to the land of Zarahemla to battle against the Nephites. | He made them angry and gathered his armies. He appointed Coriantumr as their leader and led them to march down to Zarahemla to fight the Nephites. |
| Helaman 1:18 | And it came to pass that because of so much contention and so much difficulty in the government, that they had not kept sufficient guards in the land of Zarahemla; for they had supposed that the Lamanites durst not come into the heart of their lands to attack that great city Zarahemla. | Because there was so much fighting and trouble in the government, they didn’t have enough guards in Zarahemla. They thought the Lamanites wouldn’t dare come into the heart of their land to attack the great city of Zarahemla. |
| Helaman 1:19 | But it came to pass that Coriantumr did march forth at the head of his numerous host, and came upon the inhabitants of the city, and their march was with such exceedingly great speed that there was no time for the Nephites to gather together their armies. | Coriantumr marched at the front of his large army and attacked the people in the city so quickly that the Nephites didn’t have enough time to gather their troops. |
| Helaman 1:20 | Therefore Coriantumr did cut down the watch by the entrance of the city, and did march forth with his whole army into the city, and they did slay every one who did oppose them, insomuch that they did take possession of the whole city. | Coriantumr cut down the guards at the entrance of the city, marched in with his entire army, and killed everyone who opposed them, eventually taking over the whole city. |
| Helaman 1:21 | And it came to pass that Pacumeni, who was the chief judge, did flee before Coriantumr, even to the walls of the city. And it came to pass that Coriantumr did smite him against the wall, insomuch that he died. And thus ended the days of Pacumeni. | Pacumeni, who was the chief judge, ran away from Coriantumr, all the way to the city walls. But Coriantumr caught up to him and killed him by striking him against the wall. And that was the end of Pacumeni. |
| Helaman 1:22 | And now when Coriantumr saw that he was in possession of the city of Zarahemla, and saw that the Nephites had fled before them, and were slain, and were taken, and were cast into prison, and that he had obtained the possession of the strongest hold in all the land, his heart took courage insomuch that he was about to go forth against all the land. | When Coriantumr saw that he had taken over the city of Zarahemla and that the Nephites had run away, been killed, and captured, and that he now held the strongest fort in the land, he felt encouraged and was ready to attack the entire region. |
| Helaman 1:23 | And now he did not tarry in the land of Zarahemla, but he did march forth with a large army, even towards the city of Bountiful; for it was his determination to go forth and cut his way through with the sword, that he might obtain the north parts of the land. | He didn’t stay long in Zarahemla. Instead, he marched with a large army towards Bountiful, determined to fight his way through with the sword to take control of the northern parts of the land. |
| Helaman 1:24 | And, supposing that their greatest strength was in the center of the land, therefore he did march forth, giving them no time to assemble themselves together save it were in small bodies; and in this manner they did fall upon them and cut them down to the earth. | Thinking their strongest point was in the center of the land, he marched forward, giving them no time to gather together except in small groups. In this way, they attacked them and defeated them. |
| Helaman 1:25 | But behold, this march of Coriantumr through the center of the land gave Moronihah great advantage over them, notwithstanding the greatness of the number of the Nephites who were slain. | But look, Coriantumr’s march through the middle of the land gave Moronihah a big advantage over them, even though many Nephites were killed. |
| Helaman 1:26 | For behold, Moronihah had supposed that the Lamanites durst not come into the center of the land, but that they would attack the cities round about in the borders as they had hitherto done; therefore Moronihah had caused that their strong armies should maintain those parts round about by the borders. | Moronihah thought the Lamanites wouldn’t dare come into the center of the land, but would instead attack the border cities like they always had. So, Moronihah had their strong armies guard the border areas. |
| Helaman 1:27 | But behold, the Lamanites were not frightened according to his desire, but they had come into the center of the land, and had taken the capital city which was the city of Zarahemla, and were marching through the most capital parts of the land, slaying the people with a great slaughter, both men, women, and children, taking possession of many cities and of many strongholds. | But look, the Lamanites weren’t scared as he hoped. They entered the heart of the land, took the capital city of Zarahemla, and were marching through the main areas, killing many men, women, and children, and taking over many cities and strongholds. |
| Helaman 1:28 | But when Moronihah had discovered this, he immediately sent forth Lehi with an army round about to head them before they should come to the land Bountiful. | When Moronihah found out, he quickly sent Lehi with an army to intercept them before they reached the land of Bountiful. |
| Helaman 1:29 | And thus he did; and he did head them before they came to the land Bountiful, and gave unto them battle, insomuch that they began to retreat back towards the land of Zarahemla. | So he did, and he intercepted them before they reached the land of Bountiful, and fought them, causing them to start retreating back towards Zarahemla. |
| Helaman 1:30 | And it came to pass that Moronihah did head them in their retreat, and did give unto them battle, insomuch that it became an exceedingly bloody battle; yea, many were slain, and among the number who were slain Coriantumr was also found. | Moronihah intercepted them as they tried to retreat and engaged them in a very bloody battle. Many people were killed, including Coriantumr. |
| Helaman 1:31 | And now, behold, the Lamanites could not retreat either way, neither on the north, nor on the south, nor on the east, nor on the west, for they were surrounded on every hand by the Nephites. | The Lamanites couldn’t escape in any direction because the Nephites had them completely surrounded. |
| Helaman 1:32 | And thus had Coriantumr plunged the Lamanites into the midst of the Nephites, insomuch that they were in the power of the Nephites, and he himself was slain, and the Lamanites did yield themselves into the hands of the Nephites. | Coriantumr had led the Lamanites right into the middle of the Nephites’ territory, putting them at the mercy of the Nephites. Coriantumr was killed, and the Lamanites surrendered to the Nephites. |
| Helaman 1:33 | And it came to pass that Moronihah took possession of the city of Zarahemla again, and caused that the Lamanites who had been taken prisoners should depart out of the land in peace. | Moronihah retook the city of Zarahemla and let the captured Lamanites leave peacefully. |
| Helaman 1:34 | And thus ended the forty and first year of the reign of the judges. | And that’s how the forty-first year of the judges’ rule came to an end. |
Helaman 2
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Helaman 2:1 | And it came to pass in the forty and second year of the reign of the judges, after Moronihah had established again peace between the Nephites and the Lamanites, behold there was no one to fill the judgment-seat; therefore there began to be a contention again among the people concerning who should fill the judgment-seat. | In the 42nd year of the judges’ reign, after Moronihah had restored peace between the Nephites and the Lamanites, there was no one to take the judgment-seat. This caused people to start arguing about who should fill the position. |
| Helaman 2:2 | And it came to pass that Helaman, who was the son of Helaman, was appointed to fill the judgment-seat, by the voice of the people. | Helaman, the son of Helaman, was chosen by the people to take the judgment seat. |
| Helaman 2:3 | But behold, Kishkumen, who had murdered Pahoran, did lay wait to destroy Helaman also; and he was upheld by his band, who had entered into a covenant that no one should know his wickedness. | But look, Kishkumen, who had killed Pahoran, was planning to kill Helaman too. He was supported by his group, who had promised that no one would find out about his evil deeds. |
| Helaman 2:4 | For there was one Gadianton, who was exceedingly expert in many words, and also in his craft, to carry on the secret work of murder and of robbery; therefore he became the leader of the band of Kishkumen. | There was a man named Gadianton who was very skilled with words and in his sneaky ways, doing secret work like murder and robbery. Because of this, he became the leader of Kishkumen’s group. |
| Helaman 2:5 | Therefore he did flatter them, and also Kishkumen, that if they would place him in the judgment-seat he would grant unto those who belonged to his band that they should be placed in power and authority among the people; therefore Kishkumen sought to destroy Helaman. | So he sweet-talked them, and also Kishkumen, promising that if they made him the judge, he’d give his supporters power and authority. Because of this, Kishkumen plotted to kill Helaman. |
| Helaman 2:6 | And it came to pass as he went forth towards the judgment-seat to destroy Helaman, behold one of the servants of Helaman, having been out by night, and having obtained, through disguise, a knowledge of those plans which had been laid by this band to destroy Helaman— | As he headed to the judgment-seat to kill Helaman, one of Helaman’s servants, who had been out during the night and had disguised himself to learn the plans of this group to kill Helaman, discovered their scheme. |
| Helaman 2:7 | And it came to pass that he met Kishkumen, and he gave unto him a sign; therefore Kishkumen made known unto him the object of his desire, desiring that he would conduct him to the judgment-seat that he might murder Helaman. | He met Kishkumen, who gave him a sign. Kishkumen then told him his desire—to be taken to the judgment-seat so he could kill Helaman. |
| Helaman 2:8 | And when the servant of Helaman had known all the heart of Kishkumen, and how that it was his object to murder, and also that it was the object of all those who belonged to his band to murder, and to rob, and to gain power, (and this was their secret plan, and their combination) the servant of Helaman said unto Kishkumen: Let us go forth unto the judgment-seat. | When Helaman’s servant learned that Kishkumen’s intention was to kill and that all his followers also aimed to kill, rob, and gain power with their secret plan, he said to Kishkumen, “Let’s go to the judgment seat.” |
| Helaman 2:9 | Now this did please Kishkumen exceedingly, for he did suppose that he should accomplish his design; but behold, the servant of Helaman, as they were going forth unto the judgment-seat, did stab Kishkumen even to the heart, that he fell dead without a groan. And he ran and told Helaman all the things which he had seen, and heard, and done. | Kishkumen was very pleased because he thought he was going to succeed. But as he and Helaman’s servant were on their way to the judgment seat, the servant stabbed Kishkumen in the heart, killing him instantly without a sound. Then the servant quickly went back and told Helaman everything that had happened. |
| Helaman 2:10 | And it came to pass that Helaman did send forth to take this band of robbers and secret murderers, that they might be executed according to the law. | Helaman sent out people to capture the band of robbers and secret murderers so they could be executed according to the law. |
| Helaman 2:11 | But behold, when Gadianton had found that Kishkumen did not return he feared lest that he should be destroyed; therefore he caused that his band should follow him. And they took their flight out of the land, by a secret way, into the wilderness; and thus when Helaman sent forth to take them they could nowhere be found. | When Gadianton realized that Kishkumen hadn’t come back, he got scared that he might have been caught. So, he had his group follow him, and they secretly fled into the wilderness. When Helaman sent people to capture them, they couldn’t find them anywhere. |
| Helaman 2:12 | And more of this Gadianton shall be spoken hereafter. And thus ended the forty and second year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi. | We’ll talk more about Gadianton later. This is how the forty-second year of the judges ended over the people of Nephi. |
| Helaman 2:13 | And behold, in the end of this book ye shall see that this Gadianton did prove the overthrow, yea, almost the entire destruction of the people of Nephi. | In the end of this book, you’ll see that Gadianton was the reason for the downfall, and almost complete destruction, of the Nephite people. |
| Helaman 2:14 | Behold I do not mean the end of the book of Helaman, but I mean the end of the book of Nephi, from which I have taken all the account which I have written. | I’m not talking about the end of the book of Helaman, but the end of the book of Nephi, where I got all the information I’ve written down. |
Helaman 3
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Helaman 3:1 | And now it came to pass in the forty and third year of the reign of the judges, there was no contention among the people of Nephi save it were a little pride which was in the church, which did cause some little dissensions among the people, which affairs were settled in the ending of the forty and third year. | In the forty-third year of the judges’ reign, there wasn’t much conflict among the Nephites except for a bit of pride within the church, which caused some minor disagreements among the people. These issues were resolved by the end of the forty-third year. |
| Helaman 3:2 | And there was no contention among the people in the forty and fourth year; neither was there much contention in the forty and fifth year. | There was no fighting among the people in the forty-fourth year, and there wasn’t much fighting in the forty-fifth year either. |
| Helaman 3:3 | And it came to pass in the forty and sixth, yea, there was much contention and many dissensions; in the which there were an exceedingly great many who departed out of the land of Zarahemla, and went forth unto the land northward to inherit the land. | In the forty-sixth year, there was a lot of conflict and many people disagreed. A great number of them left the land of Zarahemla and went to the land to the north to settle there. |
| Helaman 3:4 | And they did travel to an exceedingly great distance, insomuch that they came to large bodies of water and many rivers. | They traveled really far, until they reached large lakes and many rivers. |
| Helaman 3:5 | Yea, and even they did spread forth into all parts of the land, into whatever parts it had not been rendered desolate and without timber, because of the many inhabitants who had before inherited the land. | They spread out to all parts of the land that weren’t already desolate and without trees because so many people had lived there before. |
| Helaman 3:6 | And now no part of the land was desolate, save it were for timber; but because of the greatness of the destruction of the people who had before inhabited the land it was called desolate. | Now, no part of the land was empty except where there was only timber. But because of the great destruction of the previous inhabitants, it was called desolate. |
| Helaman 3:7 | And there being but little timber upon the face of the land, nevertheless the people who went forth became exceedingly expert in the working of cement; therefore they did build houses of cement, in the which they did dwell. | Since there wasn’t much wood in the area, the people who went there became really skilled at working with cement. So, they built and lived in cement houses. |
| Helaman 3:8 | And it came to pass that they did multiply and spread, and did go forth from the land southward to the land northward, and did spread insomuch that they began to cover the face of the whole earth, from the sea south to the sea north, from the sea west to the sea east. | They multiplied and spread out, moving from the south to the north. They expanded so much that they started covering the whole land, from the southern sea to the northern sea, and from the western sea to the eastern sea. |
| Helaman 3:9 | And the people who were in the land northward did dwell in tents, and in houses of cement, and they did suffer whatsoever tree should spring up upon the face of the land that it should grow up, that in time they might have timber to build their houses, yea, their cities, and their temples, and their synagogues, and their sanctuaries, and all manner of their buildings. | The people who lived in the land to the north stayed in tents and houses made of cement. They let any tree that sprouted up grow so that eventually they would have timber to build their houses, cities, temples, synagogues, sanctuaries, and all kinds of buildings. |
| Helaman 3:10 | And it came to pass as timber was exceedingly scarce in the land northward, they did send forth much by the way of shipping. | Since there was a severe shortage of timber in the northern land, they sent a lot of it by ship. |
| Helaman 3:11 | And thus they did enable the people in the land northward that they might build many cities, both of wood and of cement. | They helped the people in the land to the north build many cities out of wood and cement. |
| Helaman 3:12 | And it came to pass that there were many of the people of Ammon, who were Lamanites by birth, did also go forth into this land. | Many of the people of Ammon, who were originally Lamanites, also went to this land. |
| Helaman 3:13 | And now there are many records kept of the proceedings of this people, by many of this people, which are particular and very large, concerning them. | There are many detailed and comprehensive records kept by many people about what has happened to us. |
| Helaman 3:14 | But behold, a hundredth part of the proceedings of this people, yea, the account of the Lamanites and of the Nephites, and their wars, and contentions, and dissensions, and their preaching, and their prophecies, and their shipping and their building of ships, and their building of temples, and of synagogues and their sanctuaries, and their righteousness, and their wickedness, and their murders, and their robbings, and their plundering, and all manner of abominations and whoredoms, cannot be contained in this work. | But look, not even a hundredth of everything these people did—the Lamanites and the Nephites, with their wars, arguments, disagreements, their preaching and prophecies, their shipbuilding, their construction of temples, synagogues, and sanctuaries, their acts of righteousness and wickedness, their murders, robberies, plundering, and all kinds of abominations and immoralities—can be included in this work. |
| Helaman 3:15 | But behold, there are many books and many records of every kind, and they have been kept chiefly by the Nephites. | But look, there are lots of books and records of all kinds, mostly kept by the Nephites. |
| Helaman 3:16 | And they have been handed down from one generation to another by the Nephites, even until they have fallen into transgression and have been murdered, plundered, and hunted, and driven forth, and slain, and scattered upon the face of the earth, and mixed with the Lamanites until they are no more called the Nephites, becoming wicked, and wild, and ferocious, yea, even becoming Lamanites. | The Nephites passed down their traditions for generations, but eventually, they fell into sin. They were murdered, robbed, hunted, driven away, killed, and scattered across the earth. They mixed with the Lamanites and stopped being called Nephites, becoming wicked, wild, and ferocious like the Lamanites. |
| Helaman 3:17 | And now I return again to mine account; therefore, what I have spoken had passed after there had been great contentions, and disturbances, and wars, and dissensions, among the people of Nephi. | I’m going back to my account now. What I talked about happened after there had been lots of arguments, disturbances, wars, and conflicts among the Nephite people. |
| Helaman 3:18 | The forty and sixth year of the reign of the judges ended; | The forty-sixth year of the rule of the judges came to an end. |
| Helaman 3:19 | And it came to pass that there was still great contention in the land, yea, even in the forty and seventh year, and also in the forty and eighth year. | There was still a lot of fighting in the land, even in the forty-seventh year and the forty-eighth year. |
| Helaman 3:20 | Nevertheless Helaman did fill the judgment-seat with justice and equity; yea, he did observe to keep the statutes, and the judgments, and the commandments of God; and he did do that which was right in the sight of God continually; and he did walk after the ways of his father, insomuch that he did prosper in the land. | Still, Helaman judged fairly and justly; yes, he made sure to follow God’s laws, judgments, and commandments. He always did what was right in God’s eyes, living in the ways his father had taught him, and because of that, he prospered in the land. |
| Helaman 3:21 | And it came to pass that he had two sons. He gave unto the eldest the name of Nephi, and unto the youngest, the name of Lehi. And they began to grow up unto the Lord. | He had two sons. He named the older one Nephi and the younger one Lehi. As they grew up, they followed the Lord. |
| Helaman 3:22 | And it came to pass that the wars and contentions began to cease, in a small degree, among the people of the Nephites, in the latter end of the forty and eighth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi. | The wars and conflicts started to lessen a bit among the Nephites towards the end of the 48th year of the judges’ reign over the people of Nephi. |
| Helaman 3:23 | And it came to pass in the forty and ninth year of the reign of the judges, there was continual peace established in the land, all save it were the secret combinations which Gadianton the robber had established in the more settled parts of the land, which at that time were not known unto those who were at the head of government; therefore they were not destroyed out of the land. | In the forty-ninth year of the judges’ reign, there was peace throughout the land, except for the secret groups that Gadianton the robber had formed in the more populated areas. These groups were not yet known to the leaders of the government, so they weren’t eliminated. |
| Helaman 3:24 | And it came to pass that in this same year there was exceedingly great prosperity in the church, insomuch that there were thousands who did join themselves unto the church and were baptized unto repentance. | This same year, there was a lot of prosperity in the church. Thousands of people joined the church and were baptized, repenting of their sins. |
| Helaman 3:25 | And so great was the prosperity of the church, and so many the blessings which were poured out upon the people, that even the high priests and the teachers were themselves astonished beyond measure. | The church was so successful, and the people received so many blessings, that even the high priests and teachers were amazed. |
| Helaman 3:26 | And it came to pass that the work of the Lord did prosper unto the baptizing and uniting to the church of God, many souls, yea, even tens of thousands. | The Lord’s work succeeded in baptizing and bringing many people, even tens of thousands, into the church of God. |
| Helaman 3:27 | Thus we may see that the Lord is merciful unto all who will, in the sincerity of their hearts, call upon his holy name. | So we can see that the Lord shows mercy to everyone who sincerely calls on His holy name. |
| Helaman 3:28 | Yea, thus we see that the gate of heaven is open unto all, even to those who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God. | Yes, this shows that the gate of heaven is open to everyone who believes in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. |
| Helaman 3:29 | Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked— | Yes, we can see that anyone who wants to can grab hold of the word of God, which is alive and strong. It will cut through all the tricks and traps of the devil and guide followers of Christ on a straight and narrow path through the deep sorrow set to destroy the wicked. |
| Helaman 3:30 | And land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out. | They will find themselves, yes, their eternal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all our holy ancestors, never to leave again. |
| Helaman 3:31 | And in this year there was continual rejoicing in the land of Zarahemla, and in all the regions round about, even in all the land which was possessed by the Nephites. | This year, everyone in Zarahemla and the surrounding areas celebrated continuously, and all the Nephite lands were filled with joy. |
| Helaman 3:32 | And it came to pass that there was peace and exceedingly great joy in the remainder of the forty and ninth year; yea, and also there was continual peace and great joy in the fiftieth year of the reign of the judges. | There was peace and great joy for the rest of the forty-ninth year, and the peace and joy continued into the fiftieth year of the judges’ reign. |
| Helaman 3:33 | And in the fifty and first year of the reign of the judges there was peace also, save it were the pride which began to enter into the church—not into the church of God, but into the hearts of the people who professed to belong to the church of God— | In the fifty-first year of the judges’ reign, there was peace, except for the pride that started to creep into the Church—not the Church of God, but into the hearts of those who claimed to be part of it. |
| Helaman 3:34 | And they were lifted up in pride, even to the persecution of many of their brethren. Now this was a great evil, which did cause the more humble part of the people to suffer great persecutions, and to wade through much affliction. | They became prideful and started persecuting many of their brothers. This was a great evil that caused the more humble people to suffer a lot and go through many hardships. |
| Helaman 3:35 | Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God. | Even so, they fasted and prayed often, and they grew stronger and stronger in their humility and firmer and firmer in their faith in Christ, filling their souls with joy and comfort. Yes, their hearts were purified and made holy because they gave their hearts to God. |
| Helaman 3:36 | And it came to pass that the fifty and second year ended in peace also, save it were the exceedingly great pride which had gotten into the hearts of the people; and it was because of their exceedingly great riches and their prosperity in the land; and it did grow upon them from day to day. | The fifty-second year also ended in peace, except for the huge pride that had taken over the hearts of the people. This was because of their great wealth and prosperity in the land, and it kept growing day by day. |
| Helaman 3:37 | And it came to pass in the fifty and third year of the reign of the judges, Helaman died, and his eldest son Nephi began to reign in his stead. And it came to pass that he did fill the judgment-seat with justice and equity; yea, he did keep the commandments of God, and did walk in the ways of his father. | In the fifty-third year of the judges’ reign, Helaman died, and his eldest son Nephi took over. Nephi ruled with justice and fairness, obeying God’s commandments and following his father’s example. |
Helaman 4
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Helaman 4:1 | And it came to pass in the fifty and fourth year there were many dissensions in the church, and there was also a contention among the people, insomuch that there was much bloodshed. | In the fifty-fourth year, there were many disagreements in the church. The people argued so much that it led to a lot of bloodshed. |
| Helaman 4:2 | And the rebellious part were slain and driven out of the land, and they did go unto the king of the Lamanites. | The rebellious people were killed or driven out of the land, and they went to the king of the Lamanites. |
| Helaman 4:3 | And it came to pass that they did endeavor to stir up the Lamanites to war against the Nephites; but behold, the Lamanites were exceedingly afraid, insomuch that they would not hearken to the words of those dissenters. | They tried to get the Lamanites to go to war against the Nephites, but the Lamanites were really scared and wouldn’t listen to those dissenters. |
| Helaman 4:4 | But it came to pass in the fifty and sixth year of the reign of the judges, there were dissenters who went up from the Nephites unto the Lamanites; and they succeeded with those others in stirring them up to anger against the Nephites; and they were all that year preparing for war. | In the fifty-sixth year of the reign of the judges, some of the Nephites left and joined the Lamanites. They managed to stir up anger against the Nephites, and they spent the whole year preparing for war. |
| Helaman 4:5 | And in the fifty and seventh year they did come down against the Nephites to battle, and they did commence the work of death; yea, insomuch that in the fifty and eighth year of the reign of the judges they succeeded in obtaining possession of the land of Zarahemla; yea, and also all the lands, even unto the land which was near the land Bountiful. | In the 57th year, the Nephites were attacked, and the fighting began. By the 58th year of the judges’ reign, the attackers had taken control of Zarahemla and even the lands up to Bountiful. |
| Helaman 4:6 | And the Nephites and the armies of Moronihah were driven even into the land of Bountiful; | The Nephites and the armies of Moronihah were pushed back all the way to the land of Bountiful. |
| Helaman 4:7 | And there they did fortify against the Lamanites, from the west sea, even unto the east; it being a day—s journey for a Nephite, on the line which they had fortified and stationed their armies to defend their north country. | They built up defenses against the Lamanites from the west sea to the east. It was a day’s journey for a Nephite along the fortified line where they stationed their armies to protect the northern territory. |
| Helaman 4:8 | And thus those dissenters of the Nephites, with the help of a numerous army of the Lamanites, had obtained all the possession of the Nephites which was in the land southward. And all this was done in the fifty and eighth and ninth years of the reign of the judges. | The Nephite dissenters, with the help of a large Lamanite army, took over all the Nephite lands in the south. This happened during the fifty-eighth and fifty-ninth years of the judges’ reign. |
| Helaman 4:9 | And it came to pass in the sixtieth year of the reign of the judges, Moronihah did succeed with his armies in obtaining many parts of the land; yea, they regained many cities which had fallen into the hands of the Lamanites. | In the sixtieth year of the judges’ rule, Moronihah and his armies succeeded in reclaiming many parts of the land and many cities that had fallen to the Lamanites. |
| Helaman 4:10 | And it came to pass in the sixty and first year of the reign of the judges they succeeded in regaining even the half of all their possessions. | In the sixty-first year of the judges’ rule, they managed to recover half of their possessions. |
| Helaman 4:11 | Now this great loss of the Nephites, and the great slaughter which was among them, would not have happened had it not been for their wickedness and their abomination which was among them; yea, and it was among those also who professed to belong to the church of God. | The Nephites suffered a great loss and many were killed because of their wickedness and abominations. This happened even among those who claimed to be members of the church of God. |
| Helaman 4:12 | And it was because of the pride of their hearts, because of their exceeding riches, yea, it was because of their oppression to the poor, withholding their food from the hungry, withholding their clothing from the naked, and smiting their humble brethren upon the cheek, making a mock of that which was sacred, denying the spirit of prophecy and of revelation, murdering, plundering, lying, stealing, committing adultery, rising up in great contentions, and deserting away into the land of Nephi, among the Lamanites— | It was because of their pride and extreme wealth. They oppressed the poor, withheld food from the hungry, denied clothing to the naked, struck their humble brothers, mocked sacred things, denied the spirit of prophecy and revelation, committed murder, plundered, lied, stole, committed adultery, caused great conflicts, and deserted to the land of Nephi among the Lamanites. |
| Helaman 4:13 | And because of this their great wickedness, and their boastings in their own strength, they were left in their own strength; therefore they did not prosper, but were afflicted and smitten, and driven before the Lamanites, until they had lost possession of almost all their lands. | Because of their great wickedness and bragging about their own strength, they were left to rely on themselves. As a result, they didn’t succeed; instead, they were afflicted, beaten, and driven by the Lamanites until they lost almost all their lands. |
| Helaman 4:14 | But behold, Moronihah did preach many things unto the people because of their iniquity, and also Nephi and Lehi, who were the sons of Helaman, did preach many things unto the people, yea, and did prophesy many things unto them concerning their iniquities, and what should come unto them if they did not repent of their sins. | But listen, Moronihah preached a lot to the people because of their wickedness. Nephi and Lehi, Helaman’s sons, also preached a lot and prophesied about their sins and what would happen if they didn’t repent. |
| Helaman 4:15 | And it came to pass that they did repent, and inasmuch as they did repent they did begin to prosper. | They repented, and as they repented, they started to prosper. |
| Helaman 4:16 | For when Moronihah saw that they did repent he did venture to lead them forth from place to place, and from city to city, even until they had regained the one-half of their property and the one-half of all their lands. | When Moronihah saw that they had repented, he took the risk to lead them from place to place and from city to city until they had recovered half of their property and half of all their lands. |
| Helaman 4:17 | And thus ended the sixty and first year of the reign of the judges. | And so ended the sixty-first year of the judges’ rule. |
| Helaman 4:18 | And it came to pass in the sixty and second year of the reign of the judges, that Moronihah could obtain no more possessions over the Lamanites. | In the sixty-second year of the judges’ rule, Moronihah couldn’t gain any more land from the Lamanites. |
| Helaman 4:19 | Therefore they did abandon their design to obtain the remainder of their lands, for so numerous were the Lamanites that it became impossible for the Nephites to obtain more power over them; therefore Moronihah did employ all his armies in maintaining those parts which he had taken. | So, the Nephites gave up trying to take back the rest of their lands because the Lamanites were just too many, and it became impossible for the Nephites to gain more power over them. So, Moronihah put all his focus and armies on defending the parts they had already taken. |
| Helaman 4:20 | And it came to pass, because of the greatness of the number of the Lamanites the Nephites were in great fear, lest they should be overpowered, and trodden down, and slain, and destroyed. | Because there were so many Lamanites, the Nephites were really scared they might be overpowered, crushed, killed, and wiped out. |
| Helaman 4:21 | Yea, they began to remember the prophecies of Alma, and also the words of Mosiah; and they saw that they had been a stiffnecked people, and that they had set at naught the commandments of God. | They started to remember what Alma had prophesied and also what Mosiah had said. They realized they had been stubborn and had ignored God’s commandments. |
| Helaman 4:22 | And that they had altered and trampled under their feet the laws of Mosiah, or that which the Lord commanded him to give unto the people; and they saw that their laws had become corrupted, and that they had become a wicked people, insomuch that they were wicked even like unto the Lamanites. | They had changed and disrespected the laws of Mosiah, which the Lord had commanded him to give to the people. They realized their laws were corrupted and that they had become so wicked, they were as bad as the Lamanites. |
| Helaman 4:23 | And because of their iniquity the church had begun to dwindle; and they began to disbelieve in the spirit of prophecy and in the spirit of revelation; and the judgments of God did stare them in the face. | Because they were so sinful, the church started to fall apart. People stopped believing in prophecy and revelation, and they couldn’t ignore God’s judgments staring them in the face. |
| Helaman 4:24 | And they saw that they had become weak, like unto their brethren, the Lamanites, and that the Spirit of the Lord did no more preserve them; yea, it had withdrawn from them because the Spirit of the Lord doth not dwell in unholy temples— | They realized that they had become weak, just like their relatives, the Lamanites. The Spirit of the Lord was no longer with them because it doesn’t stay with those who aren’t righteous. |
| Helaman 4:25 | Therefore the Lord did cease to preserve them by his miraculous and matchless power, for they had fallen into a state of unbelief and awful wickedness; and they saw that the Lamanites were exceedingly more numerous than they, and except they should cleave unto the Lord their God, they must unavoidably perish. | So the Lord stopped protecting them with His miraculous and unmatched power because they had fallen into unbelief and terrible wickedness. They realized that the Lamanites were much more numerous than they were, and unless they stayed close to the Lord their God, they would inevitably perish. |
| Helaman 4:26 | For behold, they saw that the strength of the Lamanites was as great as their strength, even man for man. And thus had they fallen into this great transgression; yea, thus had they become weak, because of their transgression, in the space of not many years. | Look, they saw that the Lamanites were just as strong as they were, man for man. They had fallen into a big transgression; yes, they had become weak because of their wrongdoing, and it didn’t take many years for that to happen. |
Helaman 5
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Helaman 5:1 | And it came to pass that in this same year, behold, Nephi delivered up the judgment-seat to a man whose name was Cezoram. | In that same year, Nephi handed over the judgment seat to a man named Cezoram. |
| Helaman 5:2 | For as their laws and their governments were established by the voice of the people, and they who chose evil were more numerous than they who chose good, therefore they were ripening for destruction, for the laws had become corrupted. | Their laws and governments were set up by the voice of the people, and there were more people choosing evil than good. Because of this, they were heading for destruction as their laws had become corrupted. |
| Helaman 5:3 | Yea, and this was not all; they were a stiffnecked people, insomuch that they could not be governed by the law nor justice, save it were to their destruction. | Yes, and that wasn’t all; they were stubborn people and couldn’t be governed by law or justice, except to their own ruin. |
| Helaman 5:4 | And it came to pass that Nephi had become weary because of their iniquity; and he yielded up the judgment-seat, and took it upon him to preach the word of God all the remainder of his days, and his brother Lehi also, all the remainder of his days; | Nephi was worn out by their wickedness, so he gave up his position as judge and dedicated the rest of his life to preaching the word of God. His brother Lehi did the same for the rest of his life. |
| Helaman 5:5 | For they remembered the words which their father Helaman spake unto them. And these are the words which he spake: | They remembered what their father Helaman had told them. This is what he said to them. |
| Helaman 5:6 | Behold, my sons, I desire that ye should remember to keep the commandments of God; and I would that ye should declare unto the people these words. Behold, I have given unto you the names of our first parents who came out of the land of Jerusalem; and this I have done that when you remember your names ye may remember them; and when ye remember them ye may remember their works; and when ye remember their works ye may know how that it is said, and also written, that they were good. | Listen, my sons, I want you to remember to follow God’s commandments. I also want you to tell the people what I’m telling you now. I’ve given you the names of our first ancestors who left Jerusalem. I did this so that when you remember your names, you think of them too. And when you think of them, you’ll remember what they did. By remembering their actions, you’ll understand that they were good people, as it is written. |
| Helaman 5:7 | Therefore, my sons, I would that ye should do that which is good, that it may be said of you, and also written, even as it has been said and written of them. | So, my sons, I want you to do what is good, so that people will speak well of you and write about you, just as they have about others. |
| Helaman 5:8 | And now my sons, behold I have somewhat more to desire of you, which desire is, that ye may not do these things that ye may boast, but that ye may do these things to lay up for yourselves a treasure in heaven, yea, which is eternal, and which fadeth not away; yea, that ye may have that precious gift of eternal life, which we have reason to suppose hath been given to our fathers. | And now my sons, I have something more to ask of you: Please don’t do these things so you can brag about them, but do them to store up treasures in heaven that last forever. This way, you can receive the precious gift of eternal life, which we believe our ancestors have received. |
| Helaman 5:9 | O remember, remember, my sons, the words which king Benjamin spake unto his people; yea, remember that there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, who shall come, yea, remember that he cometh to redeem the world. | Remember, my sons, the words that King Benjamin spoke to his people. Remember that there is no other way for us to be saved except through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who will come to redeem the world. |
| Helaman 5:10 | And remember also the words which Amulek spake unto Zeezrom, in the city of Ammonihah; for he said unto him that the Lord surely should come to redeem his people, but that he should not come to redeem them in their sins, but to redeem them from their sins. | And remember what Amulek said to Zeezrom in Ammonihah; he told him that the Lord would surely come to save his people, but not to save them in their sins, rather to save them from their sins. |
| Helaman 5:11 | And he hath power given unto him from the Father to redeem them from their sins because of repentance; therefore he hath sent his angels to declare the tidings of the conditions of repentance, which bringeth unto the power of the Redeemer, unto the salvation of their souls. | He has been given power by the Father to save people from their sins because they repent. So, He sent His angels to tell them the conditions of repentance, which brings the Redeemer’s power and salvation to their souls. |
| Helaman 5:12 | And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall. | Now, my sons, always remember that you need to build your foundation on our Redeemer, Christ, the Son of God. That way, when the devil sends his powerful winds, storms, and troubles your way, they won’t be able to drag you down into misery and endless sorrow because you’re built on a solid foundation. A foundation like this will never let you fall. |
| Helaman 5:13 | And it came to pass that these were the words which Helaman taught to his sons; yea, he did teach them many things which are not written, and also many things which are written. | Here are the words Helaman taught his sons. He taught them many things, some of which are written down and some that are not. |
| Helaman 5:14 | And they did remember his words; and therefore they went forth, keeping the commandments of God, to teach the word of God among all the people of Nephi, beginning at the city Bountiful; | They remembered what he said, so they went out to teach God’s word to everyone in Nephi, starting in the city of Bountiful, while keeping God’s commandments. |
| Helaman 5:15 | And from thenceforth to the city of Gid; and from the city of Gid to the city of Mulek; | From there, to the city of Gid; and from the city of Gid to the city of Mulek. |
| Helaman 5:16 | And even from one city to another, until they had gone forth among all the people of Nephi who were in the land southward; and from thence into the land of Zarahemla, among the Lamanites. | They traveled from city to city among all the Nephites in the southern land, and then they went to the land of Zarahemla to be among the Lamanites. |
| Helaman 5:17 | And it came to pass that they did preach with great power, insomuch that they did confound many of those dissenters who had gone over from the Nephites, insomuch that they came forth and did confess 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. | They preached with such great power that they confused many of the dissenters who had left the Nephites. So much so that these dissenters came forward, confessed their sins, and were baptized to show their repentance. They immediately returned to the Nephites to try to make up for the wrongs they had done. |
| Helaman 5:18 | And it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi did preach unto the Lamanites with such great power and authority, for they had power and authority, given unto them that they might speak, and they also had what they should speak given unto them— | Nephi and Lehi preached to the Lamanites with great power and authority, because they were given the power and authority to speak, and they were also given what they should say. |
| Helaman 5:19 | Therefore they did speak unto the great astonishment of the Lamanites, to the convincing them, insomuch that there were eight thousand of the Lamanites who were in the land of Zarahemla and round about baptized unto repentance, and were convinced of the wickedness of the traditions of their fathers. | So, they spoke so impressively to the Lamanites that eight thousand of them in and around Zarahemla were baptized and convinced to repent and recognize the wrongness of their ancestors’ traditions. |
| Helaman 5:20 | And it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi did proceed from thence to go to the land of Nephi. | Nephi and Lehi left that place and went to the land of Nephi. |
| Helaman 5:21 | And it came to pass that they were taken by an army of the Lamanites and cast into prison; yea, even in that same prison in which Ammon and his brethren were cast by the servants of Limhi. | The Lamanite army captured them and put them in prison—the same prison where Ammon and his brothers were thrown by Limhi’s servants. |
| Helaman 5:22 | And after they had been cast into prison many days without food, behold, they went forth into the prison to take them that they might slay them. | After they had been in prison for many days without food, they went into the prison to get them so they could kill them. |
| Helaman 5:23 | And it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi were encircled about as if by fire, even insomuch that they durst not lay their hands upon them for fear lest they should be burned. Nevertheless, Nephi and Lehi were not burned; and they were as standing in the midst of fire and were not burned. | Nephi and Lehi were surrounded by what looked like fire, so much so that people were afraid to touch them, fearing they might get burned. But Nephi and Lehi weren’t burned; they stood in the middle of the fire and were unharmed. |
| Helaman 5:24 | And when they saw that they were encircled about with a pillar of fire, and that it burned them not, their hearts did take courage. | When they saw the pillar of fire around them, and realized it wasn’t burning them, their hearts were filled with courage. |
| Helaman 5:25 | For they saw that the Lamanites durst not lay their hands upon them; neither durst they come near unto them, but stood as if they were struck dumb with amazement. | The Lamanites didn’t dare touch them or come near, but stood there completely stunned. |
| Helaman 5:26 | And it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi did stand forth and began to speak unto them, saying: Fear not, for behold, it is God that has shown unto you this marvelous thing, in the which is shown unto you that ye cannot lay your hands on us to slay us. | Nephi and Lehi stood up and said, “Don’t be afraid. God has shown you this amazing thing, proving that you can’t harm us.” |
| Helaman 5:27 | And behold, when they had said these words, the earth shook exceedingly, and the walls of the prison did shake as if they were about to tumble to the earth; but behold, they did not fall. And behold, they that were in the prison were Lamanites and Nephites who were dissenters. | And look, after they said these words, the earth shook a lot, and the walls of the prison trembled as if they were going to fall down; but they didn’t. And look, the people in the prison were Lamanites and Nephites who had left their people. |
| Helaman 5:28 | And it came to pass that they were overshadowed with a cloud of darkness, and an awful solemn fear came upon them. | A dark cloud overshadowed them, and they were filled with intense fear. |
| Helaman 5:29 | And it came to pass that there came a voice as if it were above the cloud of darkness, saying: Repent ye, repent ye, and seek no more to destroy my servants whom I have sent unto you to declare good tidings. | Then a voice, as if from above the darkness, said: “Repent, repent, and stop trying to destroy my servants who I sent to bring you good news.” |
| Helaman 5:30 | And it came to pass when they heard this voice, and beheld that it was not a voice of thunder, neither was it a voice of a great tumultuous noise, but behold, it was a still voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper, and it did pierce even to the very soul— | When they heard this voice, they saw that it wasn’t a loud, thundering noise. Instead, it was a calm and gentle whisper that pierced right to their souls. |
| Helaman 5:31 | And notwithstanding the mildness of the voice, behold the earth shook exceedingly, and the walls of the prison trembled again, as if it were about to tumble to the earth; and behold the cloud of darkness, which had overshadowed them, did not disperse— | Even though the voice was gentle, the earth shook violently, and the prison walls trembled again, almost collapsing. The dark cloud that hung over them didn’t go away. |
| Helaman 5:32 | And behold the voice came again, saying: Repent ye, repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand; and seek no more to destroy my servants. And it came to pass that the earth shook again, and the walls trembled. | Listen, the voice came again, saying: Repent, repent, because the kingdom of heaven is near; and stop trying to destroy my servants. Then the earth shook again, and the walls trembled. |
| Helaman 5:33 | And also again the third time the voice came, and did speak unto them marvelous words which cannot be uttered by man; and the walls did tremble again, and the earth shook as if it were about to divide asunder. | And for the third time, the voice spoke to them, saying incredible things that no man could repeat. The walls shook again, and the ground quaked as if it were going to split apart. |
| Helaman 5:34 | And it came to pass that the Lamanites could not flee because of the cloud of darkness which did overshadow them; yea, and also they were immovable because of the fear which did come upon them. | The Lamanites couldn’t run away because a cloud of darkness covered them, and they were paralyzed with fear. |
| Helaman 5:35 | Now there was one among them who was a Nephite by birth, who had once belonged to the church of God but had dissented from them. | There was a guy among them who was a Nephite by birth. He used to be part of the church of God but had left. |
| Helaman 5:36 | And it came to pass that he turned him about, and behold, he saw through the cloud of darkness the faces of Nephi and Lehi; and behold, they did shine exceedingly, even as the faces of angels. And he beheld that they did lift their eyes to heaven; and they were in the attitude as if talking or lifting their voices to some being whom they beheld. | He turned around, and saw through the darkness the faces of Nephi and Lehi; their faces were shining brightly, like those of angels. He saw that they were looking up to heaven and seemed to be talking or calling out to someone they could see. |
| Helaman 5:37 | And it came to pass that this man did cry unto the multitude, that they might turn and look. And behold, there was power given unto them that they did turn and look; and they did behold the faces of Nephi and Lehi. | A man called out to the crowd to turn and look. And look, they were given the power to turn and see. And they saw the faces of Nephi and Lehi. |
| Helaman 5:38 | And they said unto the man: Behold, what do all these things mean, and who is it with whom these men do converse? | They said to the man, “Look, what do all these things mean, and who are these men talking to?” |
| Helaman 5:39 | Now the man—s name was Aminadab. And Aminadab said unto them: They do converse with the angels of God. | The man’s name was Aminadab. Aminadab told them, “They are talking with the angels of God.” |
| Helaman 5:40 | And it came to pass that the Lamanites said unto him: What shall we do, that this cloud of darkness may be removed from overshadowing us? | The Lamanites said to him, “What can we do to get rid of this darkness that’s covering us?” |
| Helaman 5:41 | 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. | Aminadab told them, “You need to repent and call out to the voice until you have faith in Christ, who was taught to you by Alma, Amulek, and Zeezrom. When you do this, the darkness that is overshadowing you will go away.” |
| Helaman 5:42 | And it came to pass that they all did begin to cry unto the voice of him who had shaken the earth; yea, they did cry even until the cloud of darkness was dispersed. | They all began to cry out to the voice that had shaken the earth, and they kept crying until the dark cloud went away. |
| Helaman 5:43 | 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. | When they looked around and saw that the dark cloud had lifted, they noticed that each of them was surrounded by a pillar of fire. |
| 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. | Nephi and Lehi were in the middle of them, surrounded on all sides. It was like they were in the middle of a blazing fire, but it didn’t hurt them or damage the walls of the prison. They were filled with an indescribable joy and glory. |
| Helaman 5:45 | 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. | And look, the Holy Spirit of God came down from heaven and entered their hearts, filling them with what felt like fire, and they were able to speak amazing words. |
| Helaman 5:46 | And it came to pass that there came a voice unto them, yea, a pleasant voice, as if it were a whisper, saying: | Then they heard a voice, a gentle whisper, saying: |
| Helaman 5:47 | Peace, peace be unto you, because of your faith in my Well Beloved, who was from the foundation of the world. | Peace be with you because of your faith in my Beloved, who existed from the beginning of the world. |
| Helaman 5:48 | 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. | When they heard this, they looked up to see where the voice was coming from; and they saw the heavens open and angels came down from heaven and served them. |
| Helaman 5:49 | 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. | Around three hundred people saw and heard these things. They were told to go out and not be amazed or doubt. |
| Helaman 5:50 | And it came to pass that they did go forth, and did minister unto the people, declaring throughout all the regions round about all the things which they had heard and seen, insomuch that the more part of the Lamanites were convinced of them, because of the greatness of the evidences which they had received. | So they went out and taught the people, sharing everything they had seen and heard throughout all the regions around them. Most of the Lamanites were convinced because of the overwhelming evidence they had received. |
| Helaman 5:51 | And as many as were convinced did lay down their weapons of war, and also their hatred and the tradition of their fathers. | And all who were persuaded laid down their weapons of war, their hatred, and the traditions of their fathers. |
| Helaman 5:52 | And it came to pass that they did yield up unto the Nephites the lands of their possession. | The Nephites took over the lands that belonged to them. |
Helaman 6
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Helaman 6:1 | And it came to pass that when the sixty and second year of the reign of the judges had ended, all these things had happened and 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. | After the sixty-second year of the judges’ rule ended, all these events had taken place, and the Lamanites had mostly become a righteous people. In fact, they were even more righteous than the Nephites because of their firm and steady faith. |
| Helaman 6:2 | For behold, there were many of the Nephites who had become hardened and impenitent and grossly wicked, insomuch that they did reject the word of God and all the preaching and prophesying which did come among them. | Many of the Nephites became stubborn and refused to repent; they were extremely wicked and rejected God’s word and all the preaching and prophesying that came to them. |
| Helaman 6:3 | Nevertheless, the people of the church did have great joy because of the conversion of the Lamanites, yea, because of the church of God, which had been established among them. And they did fellowship one with another and did rejoice one with another, and did have great joy. | Even so, the members of the church were really happy because the Lamanites had converted, and because the church of God was established among them. They spent time together, celebrated together, and were filled with great joy. |
| Helaman 6:4 | And it came to pass that many of the Lamanites did come down into the land of Zarahemla, and did declare unto the people of the Nephites the manner of their conversion, and did exhort them to faith and repentance. | Many of the Lamanites traveled to Zarahemla and told the Nephites about their conversion. They encouraged the Nephites to have faith and repent. |
| Helaman 6:5 | Yea, and many did preach with exceedingly great power and authority, unto the bringing down many of them into the depths of humility, to be the humble followers of God and the Lamb. | Yes, many preached with great power and authority, which humbled many people and made them devoted followers of God and Jesus. |
| Helaman 6:6 | And it came to pass that many of the Lamanites did go into the land northward; and also Nephi and Lehi went into the land northward, to preach unto the people. And thus ended the sixty and third year. | Many of the Lamanites went up north; Nephi and Lehi went there too to preach to the people. That’s how the sixty-third year ended. |
| Helaman 6:7 | And behold, there was peace in all the land, insomuch that the Nephites did go into whatsoever part of the land they would, whether among the Nephites or the Lamanites. | There was peace throughout the land, so the Nephites could travel wherever they wanted, whether among their own people or the Lamanites. |
| Helaman 6:8 | And it came to pass that the Lamanites did also go whithersoever they would, whether it were among the Lamanites or among the Nephites; and thus they did have free intercourse one with another, to buy and to sell, and to get gain, according to their desire. | The Lamanites went wherever they wanted, whether it was among the Lamanites or the Nephites. They traded freely with each other to buy, sell, and make money as they wished. |
| Helaman 6:9 | And it came to pass that they became exceedingly rich, both the Lamanites and the Nephites; and they did have an exceeding plenty of gold, and of silver, and of all manner of precious metals, both in the land south and in the land north. | The Lamanites and Nephites became very wealthy; they had plenty of gold, silver, and all kinds of precious metals in both the southern and northern lands. |
| Helaman 6:10 | Now the land south was called Lehi and the land north was called Mulek, which was after the son of Zedekiah; for the Lord did bring Mulek into the land north, and Lehi into the land south. | The southern land was called Lehi and the northern land was called Mulek, named after Zedekiah’s son. The Lord brought Mulek to the northern land and Lehi to the southern land. |
| Helaman 6:11 | And behold, there was all manner of gold in both these lands, and of silver, and of precious ore of every kind; and there were also curious workmen, who did work all kinds of ore and did refine it; and thus they did become rich. | And look, there was all sorts of gold, silver, and precious metals in both of these lands. There were also skilled workers who refined all kinds of ore, and that’s how they became rich. |
| Helaman 6:12 | They did raise grain in abundance, both in the north and in the south; and they did flourish exceedingly, both in the north and in the south. And they did multiply and wax exceedingly strong in the land. And they did raise many flocks and herds, yea, many fatlings. | They grew a lot of grain, both in the north and the south, and they really thrived in both areas. Their population grew, and they became very strong in the land. They also raised many flocks and herds, including lots of fat animals. |
| Helaman 6:13 | Behold their women did toil and spin, and did make all manner of cloth, of fine-twined linen and cloth of every kind, to clothe their nakedness. And thus the sixty and fourth year did pass away in peace. | The women worked hard and made all kinds of cloth, from fine linen to all sorts of other materials, to cover themselves. And so, the sixty-fourth year passed by peacefully. |
| Helaman 6:14 | And in the sixty and fifth year they did also have great joy and peace, yea, much preaching and many prophecies concerning that which was to come. And thus passed away the sixty and fifth year. | In the sixty-fifth year, they experienced great joy and peace. There was a lot of preaching and many prophecies about things to come. And that’s how the sixty-fifth year passed. |
| Helaman 6:15 | And it came to pass that in the sixty and sixth year of the reign of the judges, behold, Cezoram was murdered by an unknown hand as he sat upon the judgment-seat. And it came to pass that in the same year, that his son, who had been appointed by the people in his stead, was also murdered. And thus ended the sixty and sixth year. | In the sixty-sixth year of the judges’ rule, Cezoram was murdered by someone unknown while he was on the judgment seat. In that same year, his son, who was chosen by the people to take his place, was also murdered. And so, the sixty-sixth year ended. |
| Helaman 6:16 | And in the commencement of the sixty and seventh year the people began to grow exceedingly wicked again. | At the beginning of the sixty-seventh year, the people started becoming really wicked again. |
| Helaman 6:17 | For behold, the Lord had blessed them so long with the riches of the world that they had not been stirred up to anger, to wars, nor to bloodshed; therefore they began to set their hearts upon their riches; yea, they began to seek to get gain that they might be lifted up one above another; therefore they began to commit secret murders, and to rob and to plunder, that they might get gain. | The Lord had blessed them with worldly riches for so long that they hadn’t experienced anger, wars, or bloodshed. Because of this, they started to focus on their wealth and wanted to outdo each other. This led them to commit murders, robbery, and plunder to get more wealth. |
| Helaman 6:18 | And now behold, those murderers and plunderers were a band who had been formed by Kishkumen and Gadianton. And now it had come to pass that there were many, even among the Nephites, of Gadianton—s band. But behold, they were more numerous among the more wicked part of the Lamanites. And they were called Gadianton—s robbers and murderers. | Now, those murderers and thieves were part of a gang started by Kishkumen and Gadianton. There were many Nephites who joined Gadianton’s gang, but most of the gang members were from the more wicked part of the Lamanites. They were known as Gadianton’s robbers and murderers. |
| Helaman 6:19 | And it was they who did murder the chief judge Cezoram, and his son, while in the judgment-seat; and behold, they were not found. | They murdered the chief judge Cezoram and his son while they were in the judgment seat, and they were never found. |
| Helaman 6:20 | And now it came to pass that when the Lamanites found that there were robbers among them they were exceedingly sorrowful; and they did use every means in their power to destroy them off the face of the earth. | When the Lamanites discovered there were robbers among them, they were very upset and did everything they could to get rid of them completely. |
| Helaman 6:21 | But behold, Satan did stir up the hearts of the more part of the Nephites, insomuch that they did unite with those bands of robbers, and did enter into their covenants and their oaths, that they would protect and preserve one another in whatsoever difficult circumstances they should be placed, that they should not suffer for their murders, and their plunderings, and their stealings. | But look, Satan influenced most of the Nephites so much that they joined the groups of robbers and made secret pacts and promises to protect each other, no matter what challenges they faced, so they wouldn’t be punished for their murders, thefts, and other crimes. |
| Helaman 6:22 | And it came to pass that they did have their signs, yea, their secret signs, and their secret words; and this that they might distinguish a brother who had entered into the covenant, that whatsoever wickedness his brother should do he should not be injured by his brother, nor by those who did belong to his band, who had taken this covenant. | They had their secret signs and words so they could recognize a fellow member who had made the same covenant. This way, no matter what bad things a member did, he wouldn’t be harmed by any other member of the group. |
| Helaman 6:23 | And thus they might murder, and plunder, and steal, and commit whoredoms and all manner of wickedness, contrary to the laws of their country and also the laws of their God. | This allowed them to murder, rob, steal, and commit all kinds of immoral acts, in direct violation of the laws of their nation and the commandments of their God. |
| Helaman 6:24 | And whosoever of those who belonged to their band should reveal unto the world of their wickedness and their abominations, should be tried, not according to the laws of their country, but according to the laws of their wickedness, which had been given by Gadianton and Kishkumen. | And anyone in their group who told the world about their evil deeds and terrible acts would be judged, not by the country’s laws, but by the rules of their own wicked group made by Gadianton and Kishkumen. |
| Helaman 6:25 | Now behold, it is these secret oaths and covenants which Alma commanded his son should not go forth unto the world, lest they should be a means of bringing down the people unto destruction. | These secret oaths and agreements are what Alma told his son to keep from the world, so they wouldn’t lead to the people’s destruction. |
| Helaman 6:26 | Now behold, those secret oaths and covenants did not come forth unto Gadianton from the records which were delivered unto Helaman; but behold, they were put into the heart of Gadianton by that same being who did entice our first parents to partake of the forbidden fruit— | Those secret oaths and covenants didn’t come to Gadianton from the records given to Helaman. Instead, they were put into Gadianton’s heart by the same being who tempted our first parents to eat the forbidden fruit. |
| Helaman 6:27 | Yea, that same being who did plot with Cain, that if he would murder his brother Abel it should not be known unto the world. And he did plot with Cain and his followers from that time forth. | Yeah, that same being who conspired with Cain, promising that if he killed his brother Abel it would be kept secret. And he continued to plot with Cain and his followers from that time on. |
| Helaman 6:28 | And also it is that same being who put it into the hearts of the people to build a tower sufficiently high that they might get to heaven. And it was that same being who led on the people who came from that tower into this land; who spread the works of darkness and abominations over all the face of the land, until he dragged the people down to an entire destruction, and to an everlasting hell. | It’s the same being who convinced people to build a tower tall enough to reach heaven. It was that same being who led the people from that tower to this land, spreading darkness and evil everywhere, eventually leading them to complete destruction and eternal damnation. |
| Helaman 6:29 | Yea, it is that same being who put it into the heart of Gadianton to still carry on the work of darkness, and of secret murder; and he has brought it forth from the beginning of man even down to this time. | Yes, it’s the same one who influenced Gadianton to continue his evil deeds and secret murders. He’s been causing this trouble ever since humanity began and is still doing it now. |
| Helaman 6:30 | And behold, it is he who is the author of all sin. And behold, he doth carry on his works of darkness and secret murder, and doth hand down their plots, and their oaths, and their covenants, and their plans of awful wickedness, from generation to generation according as he can get hold upon the hearts of the children of men. | Look, he is the source of all sin. He promotes deeds of darkness and secret killings, passing down their schemes, oaths, and wicked plans from generation to generation as he takes hold of people’s hearts. |
| Helaman 6:31 | And now behold, he had got great hold upon the hearts of the Nephites; yea, insomuch that they had become exceedingly wicked; yea, the more part of them had turned out of the way of righteousness, and did trample under their feet the commandments of God, and did turn unto their own ways, and did build up unto themselves idols of their gold and their silver. | Now, he had a strong influence over the Nephites, to the point that they became really wicked. Most of them abandoned the path of righteousness, ignored God’s commandments, followed their own desires, and made idols out of their gold and silver. |
| Helaman 6:32 | And it came to pass that all these iniquities did come unto them in the space of not many years, insomuch that a more part of it had come unto them in the sixty and seventh year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi. | All these iniquities came upon them in just a few years, to the point where most of it had happened by the sixty-seventh year of the judges’ rule over the Nephites. |
| Helaman 6:33 | And they did grow in their iniquities in the sixty and eighth year also. | They continued to increase in their wickedness in the sixty-eighth year too. |
| Helaman 6:34 | And thus we see that the Nephites did begin to dwindle in unbelief, and grow in wickedness and abominations, while the Lamanites began to grow exceedingly in the knowledge of their God; yea, they did begin to keep his statutes and commandments, and to walk in truth and uprightness before him. | So we see that the Nephites started to lose their faith and become more wicked, while the Lamanites began to grow a lot in their knowledge of God. They started to follow His laws and commandments and live truthfully and righteously before Him. |
| Helaman 6:35 | And thus we see that the Spirit of the Lord began to withdraw from the Nephites, because of the wickedness and the hardness of their hearts. | So we can see that the Spirit of the Lord started to leave the Nephites because of their wickedness and stubborn hearts. |
| Helaman 6:36 | And thus we see that the Lord began to pour out his Spirit upon the Lamanites, because of their easiness and willingness to believe in his words. | So we see that the Lord began to pour out His Spirit on the Lamanites because they were open and willing to believe His words. |
| Helaman 6:37 | And it came to pass that the Lamanites did hunt the band of robbers of Gadianton; and they did preach the word of God among the more wicked part of them, insomuch that this band of robbers was utterly destroyed from among the Lamanites. | The Lamanites hunted down Gadianton’s band of robbers. They preached the word of God to the worst of them until the robbers were completely eradicated from among the Lamanites. |
| Helaman 6:38 | And it came to pass on the other hand, that the Nephites did build them up and support them, beginning at the more wicked part of them, until they had overspread all the land of the Nephites, and had seduced the more part of the righteous until they had come down to believe in their works and partake of their spoils, and to join with them in their secret murders and combinations. | On the other hand, the Nephites built up and supported those wicked people, starting with the worst of them, until they had spread all across the Nephite lands. They convinced most of the righteous people to believe in their actions, benefit from their stolen goods, and join in their secret murders and conspiracies. |
| Helaman 6:39 | And thus they did obtain the sole management of the government, insomuch that they did trample under their feet and smite and rend and turn their backs upon the poor and the meek, and the humble followers of God. | They took full control of the government, so much so that they oppressed the poor, the meek, and the humble followers of God. |
| Helaman 6:40 | And thus we see that they were in an awful state, and ripening for an everlasting destruction. | So we see that they were in a terrible state and headed for eternal destruction. |
| Helaman 6:41 | And it came to pass that thus ended the sixty and eighth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi. | And that’s how the sixty-eighth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi ended. |
Helaman 7
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Helaman 7:1 | Behold, now it came to pass in the sixty and ninth year of the reign of the judges over the people of the Nephites, that Nephi, the son of Helaman, returned to the land of Zarahemla from the land northward. | In the sixty-ninth year of the judges’ reign over the Nephites, Nephi, the son of Helaman, came back to Zarahemla from the northern land. |
| Helaman 7:2 | For he had been forth among the people who were in the land northward, and did preach the word of God unto them, and did prophesy many things unto them; | He had traveled to the people in the northern land to preach the word of God to them and to prophesy many things to them. |
| Helaman 7:3 | And they did reject all his words, insomuch that he could not stay among them, but returned again unto the land of his nativity. | They ignored everything he said, so he couldn’t stay with them and went back to his homeland. |
| Helaman 7:4 | And seeing the people in a state of such awful wickedness, and those Gadianton robbers filling the judgment-seats—having usurped the power and authority of the land; laying aside the commandments of God, and not in the least aright before him; doing no justice unto the children of men; | Seeing the people in such terrible wickedness, with the Gadianton robbers taking over the judgment seats and seizing power and authority in the land; ignoring God’s commandments and not being righteous before Him, and doing no justice for the people. |
| Helaman 7:5 | Condemning the righteous because of their righteousness; letting the guilty and the wicked go unpunished because of their money; and moreover to be held in office at the head of government, to rule and do according to their wills, that they might get gain and glory of the world, and, moreover, that they might the more easily commit adultery, and steal, and kill, and do according to their own wills— | Accusing good people just because they are good; letting criminals go free because they have money; and allowing them to hold high positions in the government to do whatever they want so they can gain wealth and fame, and so they can more easily commit adultery, steal, kill, and follow their own desires. |
| Helaman 7:6 | Now this great iniquity had come upon the Nephites, in the space of not many years; and when Nephi saw it, his heart was swollen with sorrow within his breast; and he did exclaim in the agony of his soul: | This great wickedness had come to the Nephites in just a few years. When Nephi saw it, his heart was filled with sorrow, and he cried out in the agony of his soul. |
| Helaman 7:7 | Oh, that I could have had my days in the days when my father Nephi first came out of the land of Jerusalem, that I could have joyed with him in the promised land; then were his people easy to be entreated, firm to keep the commandments of God, and slow to be led to do iniquity; and they were quick to hearken unto the words of the Lord— | I wish I could have lived when my father Nephi first left Jerusalem and arrived in the promised land. Back then, the people were easy to get along with, dedicated to following God’s commandments, slow to do wrong, and quick to listen to the Lord’s words. |
| Helaman 7:8 | Yea, if my days could have been in those days, then would my soul have had joy in the righteousness of my brethren. | If only I had lived back then, my soul would have found joy in the righteousness of my brothers. |
| Helaman 7:9 | But behold, I am consigned that these are my days, and that my soul shall be filled with sorrow because of this the wickedness of my brethren. | But I accept that this is my life now, and my heart will be heavy with sorrow because of the wickedness of my brothers. |
| Helaman 7:10 | And behold, now it came to pass that it was upon a tower, which was in the garden of Nephi, which was by the highway which led to the chief market, which was in the city of Zarahemla; therefore, Nephi had bowed himself upon the tower which was in his garden, which tower was also near unto the garden gate by which led the highway. | One day, Nephi was on a tower in his garden, which was near the highway leading to the main market in Zarahemla. He knelt on this tower near the garden gate by the highway. |
| Helaman 7:11 | And it came to pass that there were certain men passing by and saw Nephi as he was pouring out his soul unto God upon the tower; and they ran and told the people what they had seen, and the people came together in multitudes that they might know the cause of so great mourning for the wickedness of the people. | Some men saw Nephi praying intensely to God on the tower. They ran to tell others, and soon a large crowd gathered to find out why he was mourning so deeply for the people’s wickedness. |
| Helaman 7:12 | And now, when Nephi arose he beheld the multitudes of people who had gathered together. | When Nephi stood up, he saw the crowds of people who had gathered. |
| Helaman 7:13 | And it came to pass that he opened his mouth and said unto them: Behold, why have ye gathered yourselves together? That I may tell you of your iniquities? | He spoke up and asked them, “Why have you all gathered here? I want to tell you about your wrongdoings.” |
| Helaman 7:14 | Yea, because I have got upon my tower that I might pour out my soul unto my God, because of the exceeding sorrow of my heart, which is because of your iniquities! | I’m standing on my tower, pouring out my heart to God because I’m so sad about your sins! |
| Helaman 7:15 | And because of my mourning and lamentation ye have gathered yourselves together, and do marvel; yea, and ye have great need to marvel; yea, ye ought to marvel because ye are given away that the devil has got so great hold upon your hearts. | Because of my sadness and sorrow, you have all come together and are wondering why. Yes, you have good reason to be amazed—you should be amazed—because you’ve let the devil get such a strong grip on your hearts. |
| Helaman 7:16 | Yea, how could you have given way to the enticing of him who is seeking to hurl away your souls down to everlasting misery and endless wo? | Why did you let yourself get tempted by someone who wants to drag your souls into eternal misery and endless suffering? |
| Helaman 7:17 | O repent ye, repent ye! Why will ye die? Turn ye, turn ye unto the Lord your God. Why has he forsaken you? | Please repent! Why do you choose to die? Turn back to the Lord your God. Why has He left you? |
| Helaman 7:18 | It is because you have hardened your hearts; yea, ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd; yea, ye have provoked him to anger against you. | You’ve hardened your hearts, and you won’t listen to the voice of the good shepherd. You’ve made him angry with you. |
| Helaman 7:19 | And behold, instead of gathering you, except ye will repent, behold, he shall scatter you forth that ye shall become meat for dogs and wild beasts. | Look, if you don’t repent, instead of bringing you together, he will scatter you and you’ll end up as food for dogs and wild animals. |
| Helaman 7:20 | O, how could you have forgotten your God in the very day that he has delivered you? | How could you forget God on the very day He delivered you? |
| Helaman 7:21 | But behold, it is to get gain, to be praised of men, yea, and that ye might get gold and silver. And ye have set your hearts upon the riches and the vain things of this world, for the which ye do murder, and plunder, and steal, and bear false witness against your neighbor, and do all manner of iniquity. | But look, it’s all about trying to make money and gain praise from others, and to get gold and silver. You have become obsessed with wealth and the superficial things of this world. For these, you commit murder, steal, lie, and do all sorts of wicked things. |
| Helaman 7:22 | And for this cause wo shall come unto you except ye shall repent. For if ye will not repent, behold, this great city, and also all those great cities which are round about, which are in the land of our possession, shall be taken away that ye shall have no place in them; for behold, the Lord will not grant unto you strength, as he has hitherto done, to withstand against your enemies. | This is why bad things will happen to you unless you repent. If you don’t, this great city and all the other great cities around it, which are in our land, will be taken away, and you won’t have a place in them anymore. The Lord won’t give you the strength to stand against your enemies like He has before. |
| Helaman 7:23 | For behold, thus saith the Lord: I will not show unto the wicked of my strength, to one more than the other, save it be unto those that repent of their sins, and hearken unto my words. Now therefore, I would that ye should behold, my brethren, that it shall be better for the Lamanites than for you except ye shall repent. | Listen, this is what the Lord says: I won’t show my strength to wicked people more than to others, except to those who repent and listen to my words. So, my brothers, you should know that the Lamanites will be better off than you, unless you repent. |
| Helaman 7:24 | For behold, they are more righteous than you, for they have not sinned against that great knowledge which ye have received; therefore the Lord will be merciful unto them; yea, he will lengthen out their days and increase their seed, even when thou shalt be utterly destroyed except thou shalt repent. | Listen, they are more righteous than you because they haven’t sinned against the great knowledge that you have. So, the Lord will be merciful to them; He will make their lives longer and give them many descendants, even when you are completely destroyed unless you repent. |
| Helaman 7:25 | Yea, wo be unto you because of that great abomination which has come among you; and ye have united yourselves unto it, yea, to that secret band which was established by Gadianton! | You are in big trouble because of the terrible wickedness that has come among you; and you have joined it, yes, that secret group started by Gadianton! |
| Helaman 7:26 | Yea, wo shall come unto you because of that pride which ye have suffered to enter your hearts, which has lifted you up beyond that which is good because of your exceedingly great riches! | Yes, trouble is coming your way because you’ve let pride into your hearts. Your immense wealth has made you arrogant beyond what is good. |
| Helaman 7:27 | Yea, wo be unto you because of your wickedness and abominations! | Trouble’s coming your way because of your wickedness and terrible actions! |
| Helaman 7:28 | And except ye repent ye shall perish; yea, even your lands shall be taken from you, and ye shall be destroyed from off the face of the earth. | “If you don’t repent, you will perish. Your lands will be taken from you, and you will be wiped off the face of the earth.” |
| Helaman 7:29 | Behold now, I do not say that these things shall be, of myself, because it is not of myself that I know these things; but behold, I know that these things are true because the Lord God has made them known unto me, therefore I testify that they shall be. | I don’t say these things on my own authority, because I didn’t figure them out by myself. But I know they’re true because the Lord God revealed them to me. So I testify that they will happen. |
Helaman 8
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Helaman 8:1 | And now it came to pass that when Nephi had said these words, behold, there were men who were judges, who also belonged to the secret band of Gadianton, and they were angry, and they cried out against him, saying unto the people: Why do ye not seize upon this man and bring him forth, that he may be condemned according to the crime which he has done? | Now, when Nephi had said these things, some men who were judges and part of the secret Gadianton group got angry. They shouted to the people, “Why don’t you grab this man and bring him forward so he can be judged for what he’s done?” |
| Helaman 8:2 | Why seest thou this man, and hearest him revile against this people and against our law? | Why are you paying attention to this man and listening to him speak against these people and our law? |
| Helaman 8:3 | For behold, Nephi had spoken unto them concerning the corruptness of their law; yea, many things did Nephi speak which cannot be written; and nothing did he speak which was contrary to the commandments of God. | Nephi talked to them about how their law was corrupt. Nephi said many things that can’t be written down, but he didn’t say anything that went against God’s commandments. |
| Helaman 8:4 | And those judges were angry with him because he spake plainly unto them concerning their secret works of darkness; nevertheless, they durst not lay their own hands upon him, for they feared the people lest they should cry out against them. | The judges were angry with him because he spoke clearly about their secret evil deeds, but they didn’t dare to touch him because they were afraid the people would rise up against them. |
| Helaman 8:5 | Therefore they did cry unto the people, saying: Why do you suffer this man to revile against us? For behold he doth condemn all this people, even unto destruction; yea, and also that these our great cities shall be taken from us, that we shall have no place in them. | So they called out to the people, saying: Why do you let this man speak against us? Look, he says everyone here is condemned and will be destroyed; yes, and that our great cities will be taken from us, and we will have no place in them. |
| Helaman 8:6 | And now we know that this is impossible, for behold, we are powerful, and our cities great, therefore our enemies can have no power over us. | Now we know this can’t happen. We are strong, and our cities are big, so our enemies can’t defeat us. |
| Helaman 8:7 | And it came to pass that thus they did stir up the people to anger against Nephi, and raised contentions among them; for there were some who did cry out: Let this man alone, for he is a good man, and those things which he saith will surely come to pass except we repent; | They stirred up the people to anger against Nephi and caused disputes among them. Some people said, “Leave this man alone. He is a good man, and what he says will come true unless we repent.” |
| Helaman 8:8 | Yea, behold, all the judgments will come upon us which he has testified unto us; for we know that he has testified aright unto us concerning our iniquities. And behold they are many, and he knoweth as well all things which shall befall us as he knoweth of our iniquities; | Yes, look, all the judgments he warned us about will come upon us because we know he told us the truth about our sins. And we have many sins, and he knows everything that will happen to us just as he knows our sins. |
| Helaman 8:9 | Yea, and behold, if he had not been a prophet he could not have testified concerning those things. | Yes, and look, if he hadn’t been a prophet, he couldn’t have testified about those things. |
| Helaman 8:10 | And it came to pass that those people who sought to destroy Nephi were compelled because of their fear, that they did not lay their hands on him; therefore he began again to speak unto them, seeing that he had gained favor in the eyes of some, insomuch that the remainder of them did fear. | The people who wanted to harm Nephi were too scared to touch him, so he started talking to them again. He realized that some people were starting to like him, which made the others afraid. |
| Helaman 8:11 | Therefore he was constrained to speak more unto them saying: Behold, my brethren, have ye not read that God gave power unto one man, even Moses, to smite upon the waters of the Red Sea, and they parted hither and thither, insomuch that the Israelites, who were our fathers, came through upon dry ground, and the waters closed upon the armies of the Egyptians and swallowed them up? | So he had to speak to them more, saying: Look, my brothers, haven’t you read that God gave power to one man, Moses, to strike the waters of the Red Sea, and they parted, so the Israelites, our ancestors, crossed on dry ground, and then the waters closed on the Egyptian armies and swallowed them up? |
| Helaman 8:12 | And now behold, if God gave unto this man such power, then why should ye dispute among yourselves, and say that he hath given unto me no power whereby I may know concerning the judgments that shall come upon you except ye repent? | So, if God gave this man such power, why are you arguing among yourselves and saying that He hasn’t given me any power to know about the judgments that will come upon you if you don’t repent? |
| Helaman 8:13 | But, behold, ye not only deny my words, but ye also deny all the words which have been spoken by our fathers, and also the words which were spoken by this man, Moses, who had such great power given unto him, yea, the words which he hath spoken concerning the coming of the Messiah. | But look, you not only reject what I’m saying, but you also reject everything our ancestors said, and the teachings of Moses, a man with extraordinary power given by God. Yes, you even dismiss what he said about the coming of the Messiah. |
| Helaman 8:14 | Yea, did he not bear record that the Son of God should come? And as he lifted up the brazen serpent in the wilderness, even so shall he be lifted up who should come. | Didn’t he testify that the Son of God would come? Just like he lifted up the bronze serpent in the wilderness, the one who is coming will be lifted up the same way. |
| Helaman 8:15 | And as many as should look upon that serpent should live, even so as many as should look upon the Son of God with faith, having a contrite spirit, might live, even unto that life which is eternal. | Just as looking at that serpent saved their lives, anyone who looks to the Son of God with faith and a humble heart can have eternal life. |
| Helaman 8:16 | And now behold, Moses did not only testify of these things, but also all the holy prophets, from his days even to the days of Abraham. | And now, look, not only did Moses testify about these things, but so did all the holy prophets, from his time all the way back to Abraham. |
| Helaman 8:17 | Yea, and behold, Abraham saw of his coming, and was filled with gladness and did rejoice. | Yes, and look, Abraham saw that he would come and was filled with happiness and rejoiced. |
| Helaman 8:18 | Yea, and behold I say unto you, that Abraham not only knew of these things, but there were many before the days of Abraham who were called by the order of God; yea, even after the order of his Son; and this that it should be shown unto the people, a great many thousand years before his coming, that even redemption should come unto them. | Yes, and listen, I’m telling you that Abraham not only knew about these things, but there were many people chosen by God long before Abraham’s time; yes, even according to the order of His Son; and this was so it could be shown to the people, thousands of years before His coming, that redemption would come to them. |
| Helaman 8:19 | And now I would that ye should know, that even since the days of Abraham there have been many prophets that have testified these things; yea, behold, the prophet Zenos did testify boldly; for the which he was slain. | I want you to know that since Abraham’s time, many prophets have spoken about these things. The prophet Zenos spoke boldly about it and was killed because of it. |
| Helaman 8:20 | And behold, also Zenock, and also Ezias, and also Isaiah, and Jeremiah, (Jeremiah being that same prophet who testified of the destruction of Jerusalem) and now we know that Jerusalem was destroyed according to the words of Jeremiah. O then why not the Son of God come, according to his prophecy? | Look, Zenock, Ezias, Isaiah, and Jeremiah (yes, the same Jeremiah who predicted Jerusalem’s destruction) all prophesied. And now we know that Jerusalem was destroyed just like Jeremiah said it would be. So why wouldn’t the Son of God come, just like he prophesied? |
| Helaman 8:21 | And now will you dispute that Jerusalem was destroyed? Will ye say that the sons of Zedekiah were not slain, all except it were Mulek? Yea, and do ye not behold that the seed of Zedekiah are with us, and they were driven out of the land of Jerusalem? But behold, this is not all— | And now, are you going to argue that Jerusalem wasn’t destroyed? Are you going to say that all of Zedekiah’s sons weren’t killed, except for Mulek? And don’t you see that the descendants of Zedekiah are with us, having been driven out from Jerusalem? But that’s not all… |
| Helaman 8:22 | Our father Lehi was driven out of Jerusalem because he testified of these things. Nephi also testified of these things, and also almost all of our fathers, even down to this time; yea, they have testified of the coming of Christ, and have looked forward, and have rejoiced in his day which is to come. | My father Lehi was forced to leave Jerusalem because he testified about these things. Nephi also testified about these things, as did almost all of our ancestors up to this time. They all spoke of Christ’s coming and looked forward to it, rejoicing in the day it would happen. |
| Helaman 8:23 | And behold, he is God, and he is with them, and he did manifest himself unto them, that they were redeemed by him; and they gave unto him glory, because of that which is to come. | And look, God is with them and showed Himself to them, so they were saved by Him. They praised Him for what was coming. |
| Helaman 8:24 | And now, seeing ye know these things and cannot deny them except ye shall lie, therefore in this ye have sinned, for ye have rejected all these things, notwithstanding so many evidences which ye have received; yea, even ye have received all things, both things in heaven, and all things which are in the earth, as a witness that they are true. | Now that you know these things and can’t deny them without lying, you’ve sinned because you’ve rejected all of this despite so much proof. You’ve received everything, both from heaven and from earth, as proof that these things are true. |
| Helaman 8:25 | But behold, ye have rejected the truth, and rebelled against your holy God; and even at this time, instead of laying up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where nothing doth corrupt, and where nothing can come which is unclean, ye are heaping up for yourselves wrath against the day of judgment. | But look, you have rejected the truth and rebelled against God. Even now, instead of storing up treasures in heaven where they can’t decay or be defiled, you’re storing up wrath for the judgment day. |
| Helaman 8:26 | Yea, even at this time ye are ripening, because of your murders and your fornication and wickedness, for everlasting destruction; yea, and except ye repent it will come unto you soon. | You are heading for destruction because of your murders, sexual sin, and wickedness. If you don’t repent, it will happen soon. |
| Helaman 8:27 | Yea, behold it is now even at your doors; yea, go ye in unto the judgment-seat, and search; and behold, your judge is murdered, and he lieth in his blood; and he hath been murdered by his brother, who seeketh to sit in the judgment-seat. | Look, it’s right at your doorstep. Go to the judgment-seat and look—your judge has been murdered and is lying in a pool of blood. He’s been killed by his brother, who now wants to take his place. |
| Helaman 8:28 | And behold, they both belong to your secret band, whose author is Gadianton and the evil one who seeketh to destroy the souls of men. | Both of them are part of your secret group, led by Gadianton and the devil, who wants to destroy people’s souls. |
Helaman 9
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Helaman 9:1 | Behold, now it came to pass that when Nephi had spoken these words, certain men who were among them ran to the judgment-seat; yea, even there were five who went, and they said among themselves, as they went: | Listen, when Nephi finished speaking, some men went straight to the judgment seat. Five of them talked amongst themselves as they went. |
| Helaman 9:2 | Behold, now we will know of a surety whether this man be a prophet and God hath commanded him to prophesy such marvelous things unto us. Behold, we do not believe that he hath; yea, we do not believe that he is a prophet; nevertheless, if this thing which he has said concerning the chief judge be true, that he be dead, then will we believe that the other words which he has spoken are true. | Let’s find out if this man is really a prophet and if God told him to say these amazing things to us. We don’t believe he is, but if what he said about the chief judge being dead is true, then we’ll believe the other things he’s said are true too. |
| Helaman 9:3 | And it came to pass that they ran in their might, and came in unto the judgment-seat; and behold, the chief judge had fallen to the earth, and did lie in his blood. | They ran with all their strength to the judgment seat, and when they arrived, they saw the chief judge had fallen to the ground, lying in his own blood. |
| Helaman 9:4 | And now behold, when they saw this they were astonished exceedingly, insomuch that they fell to the earth; for they had not believed the words which Nephi had spoken concerning the chief judge. | When they saw this, they were so shocked that they fell to the ground because they hadn’t believed what Nephi had said about the chief judge. |
| Helaman 9:5 | But now, when they saw they believed, and fear came upon them lest all the judgments which Nephi had spoken should come upon the people; therefore they did quake, and had fallen to the earth. | But now, when they saw, they believed. They were afraid that all of Nephi’s prophecies would come true, so they trembled and fell to the ground. |
| Helaman 9:6 | Now, immediately when the judge had been murdered—he being stabbed by his brother by a garb of secrecy, and he fled, and the servants ran and told the people, raising the cry of murder among them; | As soon as the judge was murdered—stabbed by his brother in secret—he fled. The servants ran and told the people, shouting that a murder had happened. |
| Helaman 9:7 | And behold the people did gather themselves together unto the place of the judgment-seat—and behold, to their astonishment they saw those five men who had fallen to the earth. | And the people gathered together at the judgment seat. To their surprise, they saw the five men who had fallen to the ground. |
| Helaman 9:8 | And now behold, the people knew nothing concerning the multitude who had gathered together at the garden of Nephi; therefore they said among themselves: These men are they who have murdered the judge, and God has smitten them that they could not flee from us. | And now look, the people didn’t know anything about the crowd that had gathered at Nephi’s garden. So, they said among themselves, “These must be the ones who killed the judge, and God has struck them down so they couldn’t escape from us.” |
| Helaman 9:9 | And it came to pass that they laid hold on them, and bound them and cast them into prison. And there was a proclamation sent abroad that the judge was slain, and that the murderers had been taken and were cast into prison. | They grabbed them, tied them up, and threw them into prison. Then a proclamation was sent out saying that the judge had been killed and the murderers were caught and put in prison. |
| Helaman 9:10 | And it came to pass that on the morrow the people did assemble themselves together to mourn and to fast, at the burial of the great chief judge who had been slain. | The next day, the people gathered together to mourn and fast at the burial of the great chief judge who had been killed. |
| Helaman 9:11 | And thus also those judges who were at the garden of Nephi, and heard his words, were also gathered together at the burial. | And so, the judges who were at Nephi’s garden and heard him speak also gathered at the burial. |
| Helaman 9:12 | And it came to pass that they inquired among the people, saying: Where are the five who were sent to inquire concerning the chief judge whether he was dead? And they answered and said: Concerning this five whom ye say ye have sent, we know not; but there are five who are the murderers, whom we have cast into prison. | So they asked the people, “Where are the five who went to check if the chief judge is dead?” The people replied, “We don’t know about the five you sent, but we’ve imprisoned five who are the murderers.” |
| Helaman 9:13 | And it came to pass that the judges desired that they should be brought; and they were brought, and behold they were the five who were sent; and behold the judges inquired of them to know, concerning the matter, and they told them all that they had done, saying: | The judges wanted to bring them in, so they did. When they arrived, the judges saw they were the five who had been sent. The judges asked them about the situation, and they explained everything they had done. |
| Helaman 9:14 | We ran and came to the place of the judgment-seat, and when we saw all things even as Nephi had testified, we were astonished insomuch that we fell to the earth; and when we were recovered from our astonishment, behold they cast us into prison. | We ran to the judgment seat and saw that everything was just as Nephi had said it would be. We were so shocked that we fell to the ground. After we got over our astonishment, they threw us in prison. |
| Helaman 9:15 | Now, as for the murder of this man, we know not who has done it; and only this much we know, we ran and came according as ye desired, and behold he was dead, according to the words of Nephi. | As for the murder of this man, we don’t know who did it. All we know is that we ran and came as you asked, and when we got here, he was already dead, just like Nephi said. |
| Helaman 9:16 | And now it came to pass that the judges did expound the matter unto the people, and did cry out against Nephi, saying: Behold, we know that this Nephi must have agreed with some one to slay the judge, and then he might declare it unto us, that he might convert us unto his faith, that he might raise himself to be a great man, chosen of God, and a prophet. | The judges explained the situation to the people and accused Nephi, saying: Look, we believe Nephi must have conspired with someone to kill the judge so he could tell us about it and try to convert us to his faith. That way, he could make himself appear as a great man, chosen by God, and as a prophet. |
| Helaman 9:17 | And now behold, we will detect this man, and he shall confess his fault and make known unto us the true murderer of this judge. | Now, we’ll identify this guy, and he’ll admit his mistake and tell us who actually killed the judge. |
| Helaman 9:18 | And it came to pass that the five were liberated on the day of the burial. Nevertheless, they did rebuke the judges in the words which they had spoken against Nephi, and did contend with them one by one, insomuch that they did confound them. | The five were freed on the day of the burial. They criticized the judges for what they had said about Nephi, and argued with them one by one, which left the judges speechless. |
| Helaman 9:19 | Nevertheless, they caused that Nephi should be taken and bound and brought before the multitude, and they began to question him in divers ways that they might cross him, that they might accuse him to death— | Even so, they had Nephi captured, tied up, and brought before the crowd. They started questioning him in various ways, trying to trap him so they could sentence him to death. |
| Helaman 9:20 | Saying unto him: Thou art confederate; who is this man that hath done this murder? Now tell us, and acknowledge thy fault; saying, Behold here is money; and also we will grant unto thee thy life if thou wilt tell us, and acknowledge the agreement which thou hast made with him. | They said to him: “You are working with him; who is the man that committed this murder? Now tell us, and admit your fault. Look, here is money; and we will spare your life if you tell us and confirm the agreement you made with him.” |
| Helaman 9:21 | But Nephi said unto them: O ye fools, ye uncircumcised of heart, ye blind, and ye stiffnecked people, do ye know how long the Lord your God will suffer you that ye shall go on in this your way of sin? | But Nephi said to them, “You fools, with hearts that are stubborn and blind! How long do you think the Lord will let you continue in your sinful ways?” |
| Helaman 9:22 | O ye ought to begin to howl and mourn, because of the great destruction which at this time doth await you, except ye shall repent. | You should start to cry and mourn because great destruction is coming for you unless you repent. |
| Helaman 9:23 | Behold ye say that I have agreed with a man that he should murder Seezoram, our chief judge. But behold, I say unto you, that this is because I have testified unto you that ye might know concerning this thing; yea, even for a witness unto you, that I did know of the wickedness and abominations which are among you. | You say that I made a deal with someone to kill Seezoram, our chief judge. But I’m telling you, I only said this so you would know about it; yes, as proof that I knew about the evil and horrible things going on among you. |
| Helaman 9:24 | And because I have done this, ye say that I have agreed with a man that he should do this thing; yea, because I showed unto you this sign ye are angry with me, and seek to destroy my life. | Because I did this, you say I agreed with someone to make it happen. Because I showed you this sign, you are angry with me and want to kill me. |
| Helaman 9:25 | And now behold, I will show unto you another sign, and see if ye will in this thing seek to destroy me. | Now look, I’ll show you another sign and see if you’ll try to destroy me because of it. |
| Helaman 9:26 | Behold I say unto you: Go to the house of Seantum, who is the brother of Seezoram, and say unto him— | Listen, go to Seantum’s house. He’s Seezoram’s brother, and tell him… |
| Helaman 9:27 | Has Nephi, the pretended prophet, who doth prophesy so much evil concerning this people, agreed with thee, in the which ye have murdered Seezoram, who is your brother? | Has Nephi, the so-called prophet who talks so much about bad things happening to us, agreed with you in your plan to kill your brother Seezoram? |
| Helaman 9:28 | And behold, he shall say unto you, Nay. | And look, he will tell you, “No.” |
| Helaman 9:29 | And ye shall say unto him: Have ye murdered your brother? | And you will ask him: Did you kill your brother? |
| Helaman 9:30 | And he shall stand with fear, and wist not what to say. And behold, he shall deny unto you; and he shall make as if he were astonished; nevertheless, he shall declare unto you that he is innocent. | He will stand there, scared and not knowing what to say. He’ll deny everything, acting shocked, but he will still claim he’s innocent. |
| Helaman 9:31 | But behold, ye shall examine him, and ye shall find blood upon the skirts of his cloak. | But look, check him out, and you’ll see blood on the edges of his cloak. |
| Helaman 9:32 | And when ye have seen this, ye shall say: From whence cometh this blood? Do we not know that it is the blood of your brother? | When you see this, you’ll ask: Where did this blood come from? Don’t we know it’s the blood of your brother? |
| Helaman 9:33 | And then shall he tremble, and shall look pale, even as if death had come upon him. | And then he will tremble and look pale, as if he’s seen a ghost. |
| Helaman 9:34 | And then shall ye say: Because of this fear and this paleness which has come upon your face, behold, we know that thou art guilty. | And then you’ll say: Because you’re so scared and pale, we can tell you’re guilty. |
| Helaman 9:35 | And then shall greater fear come upon him; and then shall he confess unto you, and deny no more that he has done this murder. | Then he will become more afraid and finally admit to you that he committed the murder; he won’t deny it anymore. |
| Helaman 9:36 | And then shall he say unto you, that I, Nephi, know nothing concerning the matter save it were given unto me by the power of God. And then shall ye know that I am an honest man, and that I am sent unto you from God. | Then he will say to you, “I, Nephi, know nothing about this except what God has revealed to me. Then you will know that I am an honest man and that I am sent by God.” |
| Helaman 9:37 | And it came to pass that they went and did, even according as Nephi had said unto them. And behold, the words which he had said were true; for according to the words he did deny; and also according to the words he did confess. | They went and did as Nephi told them. And guess what? Nephi was right; he denied what he said he would deny, and confessed what he said he would confess. |
| Helaman 9:38 | And he was brought to prove that he himself was the very murderer, insomuch that the five were set at liberty, and also was Nephi. | He was proven to be the murderer, so the five men were set free, and Nephi was too. |
| Helaman 9:39 | And there were some of the Nephites who believed on the words of Nephi; and there were some also, who believed because of the testimony of the five, for they had been converted while they were in prison. | Some of the Nephites believed Nephi’s words, and others believed because of the testimony of the five, who had been converted while they were in prison. |
| Helaman 9:40 | And now there were some among the people, who said that Nephi was a prophet. | Some people among the crowd said that Nephi was a prophet. |
| Helaman 9:41 | And there were others who said: Behold, he is a god, for except he was a god he could not know of all things. For behold, he has told us the thoughts of our hearts, and also has told us things; and even he has brought unto our knowledge the true murderer of our chief judge. | Some people said, “Look, he must be a god because otherwise, he couldn’t know everything. He’s told us what we’re thinking, and he also told us important things. He even revealed who really killed our chief judge.” |
Helaman 10
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Helaman 10:1 | And it came to pass that there arose a division among the people, insomuch that they divided hither and thither and went their ways, leaving Nephi alone, as he was standing in the midst of them. | A division arose among the people, and they scattered in all directions, leaving Nephi alone, standing in their midst. |
| Helaman 10:2 | And it came to pass that Nephi went his way towards his own house, pondering upon the things which the Lord had shown unto him. | Nephi went home, thinking about what the Lord had shown him. |
| Helaman 10:3 | And it came to pass as he was thus pondering—being much cast down because of the wickedness of the people of the Nephites, their secret works of darkness, and their murderings, and their plunderings, and all manner of iniquities—and it came to pass as he was thus pondering in his heart, behold, a voice came unto him saying: | As he was thinking about this and feeling very sad because of the wickedness of the Nephites—their secret dark deeds, murders, thefts, and all kinds of sins—as he was pondering it all in his heart, suddenly a voice came to him and said: |
| Helaman 10:4 | Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments. | Nephi, you’re blessed for what you’ve done. I’ve seen how tirelessly you’ve shared my word with these people. You haven’t feared them or sought your own life but have sought to do my will and keep my commandments. |
| Helaman 10:5 | And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will. | You’ve done this so diligently, so I will bless you forever. I will make you powerful in what you say and do, in your faith and actions. Everything you ask will happen, because you won’t ask for anything that goes against my will. |
| Helaman 10:6 | Behold, thou art Nephi, and I am God. Behold, I declare it unto thee in the presence of mine angels, that ye shall have power over this people, and shall smite the earth with famine, and with pestilence, and destruction, according to the wickedness of this people. | Look, you are Nephi, and I am God. I tell you now, in front of my angels, that you will have power over these people. You will bring famine, disease, and destruction upon the land according to the wickedness of these people. |
| Helaman 10:7 | Behold, I give unto you power, that whatsoever ye shall seal on earth shall be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven; and thus shall ye have power among this people. | Look, I’m giving you power so that whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will be released in heaven. This way, you’ll have authority among this people. |
| Helaman 10:8 | And thus, if ye shall say unto this temple it shall be rent in twain, it shall be done. | So, if you say to this temple that it should be split in two, it will happen. |
| Helaman 10:9 | And if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou cast down and become smooth, it shall be done. | And if you say to this mountain, “Be cast down and made smooth,” it will happen. |
| Helaman 10:10 | And behold, if ye shall say that God shall smite this people, it shall come to pass. | And look, if you say that God will punish these people, it will happen. |
| Helaman 10:11 | And now behold, I command you, that ye shall go and declare unto this people, that thus saith the Lord God, who is the Almighty: Except ye repent ye shall be smitten, even unto destruction. | Now listen, I’m telling you to go and tell these people that the Lord God Almighty says: If you don’t repent, you will be struck down and destroyed. |
| Helaman 10:12 | And behold, now it came to pass that when the Lord had spoken these words unto Nephi, he did stop and did not go unto his own house, but did return unto the multitudes who were scattered about upon the face of the land, and began to declare unto them the word of the Lord which had been spoken unto him, concerning their destruction if they did not repent. | And now, after the Lord spoke to Nephi, he didn’t go home. Instead, he went back to the people spread across the land and began telling them what the Lord had said about their destruction if they didn’t repent. |
| Helaman 10:13 | Now behold, notwithstanding that great miracle which Nephi had done in telling them concerning the death of the chief judge, they did harden their hearts and did not hearken unto the words of the Lord. | Even though Nephi performed a great miracle by predicting the chief judge’s death, the people hardened their hearts and ignored the words of the Lord. |
| Helaman 10:14 | Therefore Nephi did declare unto them the word of the Lord, saying: Except ye repent, thus saith the Lord, ye shall be smitten even unto destruction. | So Nephi told them what the Lord said: “Unless you repent,” says the Lord, “you will be struck down and destroyed.” |
| Helaman 10:15 | And it came to pass that when Nephi had declared unto them the word, behold, they did still harden their hearts and would not hearken unto his words; therefore they did revile against him, and did seek to lay their hands upon him that they might cast him into prison. | After Nephi told them the word, they still hardened their hearts and wouldn’t listen to him. They insulted him and tried to grab him to throw him in prison. |
| Helaman 10:16 | But behold, the power of God was with him, and they could not take him to cast him into prison, for he was taken by the Spirit and conveyed away out of the midst of them. | But look, God’s power was with him, so they couldn’t capture and imprison him. The Spirit took him away from them. |
| Helaman 10:17 | And it came to pass that thus he did go forth in the Spirit, from multitude to multitude, declaring the word of God, even until he had declared it unto them all, or sent it forth among all the people. | He went out, guided by the Spirit, moving from crowd to crowd, sharing God’s word with everyone until he had reached all the people. |
| Helaman 10:18 | And it came to pass that they would not hearken unto his words; and there began to be contentions, insomuch that they were divided against themselves and began to slay one another with the sword. | They wouldn’t listen to his words, and arguments started among them until they turned against each other and began killing one another with swords. |
| Helaman 10:19 | And thus ended the seventy and first year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi. | And that’s how the seventy-first year of the judges ruling over the Nephite people came to an end. |
Helaman 11
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Helaman 11:1 | And now it came to pass in the seventy and second year of the reign of the judges that the contentions did increase, insomuch that there were wars throughout all the land among all the people of Nephi. | In the 72nd year of the judges’ rule, conflicts increased so much that there were wars all over the Nephites’ land. |
| Helaman 11:2 | And it was this secret band of robbers who did carry on this work of destruction and wickedness. And this war did last all that year; and in the seventy and third year it did also last. | It was this secret group of robbers that carried out these acts of destruction and wickedness. This war went on all year, and it continued into the seventy-third year as well. |
| Helaman 11:3 | And it came to pass that in this year Nephi did cry unto the Lord, saying: | This year, Nephi prayed to the Lord, saying: |
| Helaman 11:4 | O Lord, do not suffer that this people shall be destroyed by the sword; but O Lord, rather let there be a famine in the land, to stir them up in remembrance of the Lord their God, and perhaps they will repent and turn unto thee. | Lord, please don’t let this people be destroyed by war; instead, send a famine to remind them of You, their God, so they might repent and turn back to You. |
| Helaman 11:5 | And so it was done, according to the words of Nephi. And there was a great famine upon the land, among all the people of Nephi. And thus in the seventy and fourth year the famine did continue, and the work of destruction did cease by the sword but became sore by famine. | And so it was done as Nephi said. There was a great famine in the land affecting all the Nephites. In the seventy-fourth year, the famine continued, and while the destruction by sword stopped, the suffering from the famine became severe. |
| Helaman 11:6 | And this work of destruction did also continue in the seventy and fifth year. For the earth was smitten that it was dry, and did not yield forth grain in the season of grain; and the whole earth was smitten, even among the Lamanites as well as among the Nephites, so that they were smitten that they did perish by thousands in the more wicked parts of the land. | This destruction kept going into the 75th year. The land was so dry that it didn’t produce any grain when it was supposed to; everywhere was hit hard, both among the Lamanites and the Nephites, causing thousands to die in the more wicked parts of the land. |
| Helaman 11:7 | And it came to pass that the people saw that they were about to perish by famine, and they began to remember the Lord their God; and they began to remember the words of Nephi. | The people realized they were about to die from the famine, and they started to remember the Lord their God; they also began to recall Nephi’s words. |
| Helaman 11:8 | And the people began to plead with their chief judges and their leaders, that they would say unto Nephi: Behold, we know that thou art a man of God, and therefore cry unto the Lord our God that he turn away from us this famine, lest all the words which thou hast spoken concerning our destruction be fulfilled. | The people started begging their chief judges and leaders to tell Nephi: “Look, we know you’re a man of God, so please pray to the Lord to end this famine, or everything you’ve said about our destruction will come true.” |
| Helaman 11:9 | And it came to pass that the judges did say unto Nephi, according to the words which had been desired. And it came to pass that when Nephi saw that the people had repented and did humble themselves in sackcloth, he cried again unto the Lord, saying: | The judges told Nephi what had been decided. When Nephi saw that the people had repented and humbled themselves in sackcloth, he prayed to the Lord again, saying: |
| Helaman 11:10 | O Lord, behold this people repenteth; and they have swept away the band of Gadianton from amongst them insomuch that they have become extinct, and they have concealed their secret plans in the earth. | Lord, look at these people; they’ve repented and gotten rid of the Gadianton robbers completely, burying their secret plans. |
| Helaman 11:11 | Now, O Lord, because of this their humility wilt thou turn away thine anger, and let thine anger be appeased in the destruction of those wicked men whom thou hast already destroyed. | Lord, because they are humble, will you turn away your anger and be satisfied with the destruction of those wicked men you have already destroyed? |
| Helaman 11:12 | O Lord, wilt thou turn away thine anger, yea, thy fierce anger, and cause that this famine may cease in this land. | Lord, will you please turn away your anger, your fierce anger, and end this famine in our land? |
| Helaman 11:13 | O Lord, wilt thou hearken unto me, and cause that it may be done according to my words, and send forth rain upon the face of the earth, that she may bring forth her fruit, and her grain in the season of grain. | Lord, will You listen to me and make it happen according to my words? Please send rain on the earth so it can produce fruit and grain in its season. |
| Helaman 11:14 | O Lord, thou didst hearken unto my words when I said, Let there be a famine, that the pestilence of the sword might cease; and I know that thou wilt, even at this time, hearken unto my words, for thou saidst that: If this people repent I will spare them. | Lord, you listened to me when I asked for a famine to stop the war. I know you’ll listen to me now too, because you said that if the people repent, you’ll spare them. |
| Helaman 11:15 | Yea, O Lord, and thou seest that they have repented, because of the famine and the pestilence and destruction which has come unto them. | Yes, Lord, you see that they have repented because of the famine, pestilence, and destruction that came upon them. |
| Helaman 11:16 | And now, O Lord, wilt thou turn away thine anger, and try again if they will serve thee? And if so, O Lord, thou canst bless them according to thy words which thou hast said. | Lord, will you turn away your anger and give them another chance to serve you? If they do, you can bless them as you promised. |
| Helaman 11:17 | And it came to pass that in the seventy and sixth year the Lord did turn away his anger from the people, and caused that rain should fall upon the earth, insomuch that it did bring forth her fruit in the season of her fruit. And it came to pass that it did bring forth her grain in the season of her grain. | In the seventy-sixth year, the Lord turned away his anger from the people and made it rain, which allowed the earth to produce fruit in its season and grain in its season. |
| Helaman 11:18 | And behold, the people did rejoice and glorify God, and the whole face of the land was filled with rejoicing; and they did no more seek to destroy Nephi, but they did esteem him as a great prophet, and a man of God, having great power and authority given unto him from God. | The people celebrated and praised God, and there was joy all over the land. They stopped trying to harm Nephi and instead respected him as a great prophet and a man of God, with significant power and authority from God. |
| Helaman 11:19 | And behold, Lehi, his brother, was not a whit behind him as to things pertaining to righteousness. | And look, Lehi, his brother, was just as righteous as he was. |
| Helaman 11:20 | And thus it did come to pass that the people of Nephi began to prosper again in the land, and began to build up their waste places, and began to multiply and spread, even until they did cover the whole face of the land, both on the northward and on the southward, from the sea west to the sea east. | So it happened that the Nephites started to prosper again in their land. They rebuilt the areas that had been abandoned and their population grew and spread out, eventually covering the whole land from the west sea to the east sea, both to the north and the south. |
| Helaman 11:21 | And it came to pass that the seventy and sixth year did end in peace. And the seventy and seventh year began in peace; and the church did spread throughout the face of all the land; and the more part of the people, both the Nephites and the Lamanites, did belong to the church; and they did have exceedingly great peace in the land; and thus ended the seventy and seventh year. | The seventy-sixth year ended in peace, and the seventy-seventh year began the same way. The church spread across the entire land, and most people, both Nephites and Lamanites, were part of the church. They had great peace in the land, and that’s how the seventy-seventh year ended. |
| Helaman 11:22 | And also they had peace in the seventy and eighth year, save it were a few contentions concerning the points of doctrine which had been laid down by the prophets. | They also had peace in the seventy-eighth year, except for a few disputes about the teachings given by the prophets. |
| Helaman 11:23 | And in the seventy and ninth year there began to be much strife. But it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi, and many of their brethren who knew concerning the true points of doctrine, having many revelations daily, therefore they did preach unto the people, insomuch that they did put an end to their strife in that same year. | In the seventy-ninth year, there was a lot of conflict. But Nephi, Lehi, and many of their friends who understood the true teachings and received daily revelations preached to the people, ending the conflict that same year. |
| Helaman 11:24 | And it came to pass that in the eightieth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, there were a certain number of the dissenters from the people of Nephi, who had some years before gone over unto the Lamanites, and taken upon themselves the name of Lamanites, and also a certain number who were real descendants of the Lamanites, being stirred up to anger by them, or by those dissenters, therefore they commenced a war with their brethren. | In the eightieth year of the judges’ rule over the Nephites, some people who had left the Nephites years ago and joined the Lamanites, taking on their name, and some who were actual descendants of the Lamanites, got angry because of these dissenters. They started a war with their own people. |
| Helaman 11:25 | And they did commit murder and plunder; and then they would retreat back into the mountains, and into the wilderness and secret places, hiding themselves that they could not be discovered, receiving daily an addition to their numbers, inasmuch as there were dissenters that went forth unto them. | They committed murder and theft, then they retreated back into the mountains and wild areas, hiding so they couldn’t be found. Every day, more people who opposed the main group joined them. |
| Helaman 11:26 | And thus in time, yea, even in the space of not many years, they became an exceedingly great band of robbers; and they did search out all the secret plans of Gadianton; and thus they became robbers of Gadianton. | Over time, and not too many years later, they became a huge gang of robbers. They learned all the secret plans of Gadianton, and that’s how they became Gadianton’s robbers. |
| Helaman 11:27 | Now behold, these robbers did make great havoc, yea, even great destruction among the people of Nephi, and also among the people of the Lamanites. | Now listen, these robbers caused a lot of trouble and destruction among the Nephites and the Lamanites. |
| Helaman 11:28 | And it came to pass that it was expedient that there should be a stop put to this work of destruction; therefore they sent an army of strong men into the wilderness and upon the mountains to search out this band of robbers, and to destroy them. | They realized they needed to stop the destruction, so they sent an army of strong men into the wilderness and mountains to find and destroy the band of robbers. |
| Helaman 11:29 | But behold, it came to pass that in that same year they were driven back even into their own lands. And thus ended the eightieth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi. | But look, that same year they were pushed back to their own lands. And that’s how the eightieth year of the judges’ rule over the people of Nephi ended. |
| Helaman 11:30 | And it came to pass in the commencement of the eighty and first year they did go forth again against this band of robbers, and did destroy many; and they were also visited with much destruction. | At the beginning of the eighty-first year, they went out again against the band of robbers and defeated many of them, but they also suffered a lot of destruction. |
| Helaman 11:31 | And they were again obliged to return out of the wilderness and out of the mountains unto their own lands, because of the exceeding greatness of the numbers of those robbers who infested the mountains and the wilderness. | They had to go back from the wilderness and the mountains to their own lands because there were just too many robbers in the mountains and wilderness. |
| Helaman 11:32 | And it came to pass that thus ended this year. And the robbers did still increase and wax strong, insomuch that they did defy the whole armies of the Nephites, and also of the Lamanites; and they did cause great fear to come unto the people upon all the face of the land. | And so this year ended. The robbers kept growing stronger, to the point that they challenged all the armies of the Nephites and Lamanites, causing great fear among all the people across the land. |
| Helaman 11:33 | Yea, for they did visit many parts of the land, and did do great destruction unto them; yea, did kill many, and did carry away others captive into the wilderness, yea, and more especially their women and their children. | Yes, they traveled to many areas of the land, causing great destruction; they killed many people and took others, especially women and children, captive into the wilderness. |
| Helaman 11:34 | Now this great evil, which came unto the people because of their iniquity, did stir them up again in remembrance of the Lord their God. | This great disaster that came upon the people because of their wickedness reminded them once again of the Lord their God. |
| Helaman 11:35 | And thus ended the eighty and first year of the reign of the judges. | And that’s how the eighty-first year of the judges’ rule came to an end. |
| Helaman 11:36 | And in the eighty and second year they began again to forget the Lord their God. And in the eighty and third year they began to wax strong in iniquity. And in the eighty and fourth year they did not mend their ways. | In the eighty-second year, they started to forget the Lord their God again. In the eighty-third year, they grew even more sinful. By the eighty-fourth year, they didn’t change their ways. |
| Helaman 11:37 | And it came to pass in the eighty and fifth year they did wax stronger and stronger in their pride, and in their wickedness; and thus they were ripening again for destruction. | In the eighty-fifth year, their pride and wickedness grew stronger and stronger, and they were getting ready for destruction again. |
| Helaman 11:38 | And thus ended the eighty and fifth year. | And that’s how the eighty-fifth year came to an end. |
Helaman 12
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Helaman 12:1 | And thus we can behold how false, and also the unsteadiness of the hearts of the children of men; yea, we can see that the Lord in his great infinite goodness doth bless and prosper those who put their trust in him. | We can see how unreliable and fickle people’s hearts are, but the Lord, in His infinite goodness, blesses and helps those who trust in Him. |
| Helaman 12:2 | Yea, and we may see at the very time when he doth prosper his people, yea, in the increase of their fields, their flocks and their herds, and in gold, and in silver, and in all manner of precious things of every kind and art; sparing their lives, and delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; softening the hearts of their enemies that they should not declare wars against them; yea, and in fine, doing all things for the welfare and happiness of his people; yea, then is the time that they do harden their hearts, and do forget the Lord their God, and do trample under their feet the Holy One—yea, and this because of their ease, and their exceedingly great prosperity. | We can see that when God prospers his people—making their fields, flocks, and herds grow, giving them gold, silver, and all kinds of valuable things, protecting their lives, saving them from their enemies, and making their enemies not want to fight them—then they often forget the Lord. Despite all this prosperity and ease, they harden their hearts and forget about God, even treating Him with disrespect. |
| Helaman 12:3 | And thus we see that except the Lord doth chasten his people with many afflictions, yea, except he doth visit them with death and with terror, and with famine and with all manner of pestilence, they will not remember him. | And so we see that unless the Lord gives his people many hardships, including death, terror, famine, and all kinds of diseases, they won’t remember him. |
| Helaman 12:4 | O how foolish, and how vain, and how evil, and devilish, and how quick to do iniquity, and how slow to do good, are the children of men; yea, how quick to hearken unto the words of the evil one, and to set their hearts upon the vain things of the world! | Oh, how foolish, vain, evil, and devilish people are! How quick they are to do wrong and how slow to do good. They’re so eager to listen to the evil one and focus on the meaningless things of the world! |
| Helaman 12:5 | Yea, how quick to be lifted up in pride; yea, how quick to boast, and do all manner of that which is iniquity; and how slow are they to remember the Lord their God, and to give ear unto his counsels, yea, how slow to walk in wisdom—s paths! | Wow, people are so quick to become arrogant and brag, and to do all sorts of bad things. But they’re really slow to remember the Lord their God and listen to His advice, and they’re really slow to walk in the right paths! |
| Helaman 12:6 | Behold, they do not desire that the Lord their God, who hath created them, should rule and reign over them; notwithstanding his great goodness and his mercy towards them, they do set at naught his counsels, and they will not that he should be their guide. | Look, they don’t want the Lord their God, who created them, to rule over them. Despite His great kindness and mercy towards them, they reject His advice and don’t want Him to guide them. |
| Helaman 12:7 | O how great is the nothingness of the children of men; yea, even they are less than the dust of the earth. | Oh, how insignificant people are; they’re even less significant than the dust of the earth. |
| Helaman 12:8 | For behold, the dust of the earth moveth hither and thither, to the dividing asunder, at the command of our great and everlasting God. | The dust of the earth moves here and there, splitting apart, at the command of our great and eternal God. |
| Helaman 12:9 | Yea, behold at his voice do the hills and the mountains tremble and quake. | Yes, when he speaks, the hills and mountains shake and tremble. |
| Helaman 12:10 | And by the power of his voice they are broken up, and become smooth, yea, even like unto a valley. | And by the power of his voice they are broken up and become smooth, just like a valley. |
| Helaman 12:11 | Yea, by the power of his voice doth the whole earth shake; | Yes, the whole earth shakes at the sound of His voice. |
| Helaman 12:12 | Yea, by the power of his voice, do the foundations rock, even to the very center. | Yes, by the power of his voice, the foundations tremble, all the way to the core. |
| Helaman 12:13 | Yea, and if he say unto the earth—Move—it is moved. | Yes, and if he tells the earth to move, it moves. |
| Helaman 12:14 | Yea, if he say unto the earth—Thou shalt go back, that it lengthen out the day for many hours—it is done; | Yes, if he commands the earth to go back and make the day longer by many hours, it will happen. |
| Helaman 12:15 | And thus, according to his word the earth goeth back, and it appeareth unto man that the sun standeth still; yea, and behold, this is so; for surely it is the earth that moveth and not the sun. | So, just like He said, the earth moves backward, and to people, it looks like the sun stands still. Yes, this is true; it’s the earth that moves, not the sun. |
| Helaman 12:16 | And behold, also, if he say unto the waters of the great deep—Be thou dried up—it is done. | And look, if He commands the waters of the deep ocean to dry up, it happens. |
| Helaman 12:17 | Behold, if he say unto this mountain—Be thou raised up, and come over and fall upon that city, that it be buried up—behold it is done. | If he tells this mountain to get up, move over, and fall on that city to bury it, it will happen. |
| Helaman 12:18 | And behold, if a man hide up a treasure in the earth, and the Lord shall say—Let it be accursed, because of the iniquity of him who hath hid it up—behold, it shall be accursed. | If someone hides a treasure in the ground and the Lord declares it cursed because of the sinner who hid it, then it will indeed be cursed. |
| Helaman 12:19 | And if the Lord shall say—Be thou accursed, that no man shall find thee from this time henceforth and forever—behold, no man getteth it henceforth and forever. | And if the Lord says, “Be cursed so that no one will find you from now on and forever,” then no one will find it from now on and forever. |
| Helaman 12:20 | And behold, if the Lord shall say unto a man—Because of thine iniquities, thou shalt be accursed forever—it shall be done. | And look, if the Lord tells someone, “Because of your sins, you will be cursed forever,” it will happen. |
| Helaman 12:21 | And if the Lord shall say—Because of thine iniquities thou shalt be cut off from my presence—he will cause that it shall be so. | If the Lord says, “Because of your sins, you will be cut off from my presence,” he will make it happen. |
| Helaman 12:22 | And wo unto him to whom he shall say this, for it shall be unto him that will do iniquity, and he cannot be saved; therefore, for this cause, that men might be saved, hath repentance been declared. | And woe to anyone who hears this, because it applies to those who do wrong and cannot be saved. This is why repentance was taught, so people can be saved. |
| Helaman 12:23 | Therefore, blessed are they who will repent and hearken unto the voice of the Lord their God; for these are they that shall be saved. | So, those who repent and listen to the Lord their God are blessed, because they will be saved. |
| Helaman 12:24 | And may God grant, in his great fulness, that men might be brought unto repentance and good works, that they might be restored unto grace for grace, according to their works. | May God, in His great fullness, help people come to repentance and do good things, so they can be restored to grace upon grace, based on their works. |
| Helaman 12:25 | And I would that all men might be saved. But we read that in the great and last day there are some who shall be cast out, yea, who shall be cast off from the presence of the Lord; | I wish that everyone could be saved. But we know that on the final day, some will be cast out—away from the presence of the Lord. |
| Helaman 12:26 | Yea, who shall be consigned to a state of endless misery, fulfilling the words which say: They that have done good shall have everlasting life; and they that have done evil shall have everlasting damnation. And thus it is. Amen. | Yes, those who will be sent to a state of endless misery, fulfilling the words that say: Those who have done good will have everlasting life; and those who have done evil will have everlasting damnation. And that’s how it is. Amen. |
Helaman 13
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Helaman 13:1 | And now it came to pass in the eighty and sixth year, the Nephites did still remain in wickedness, yea in great wickedness, while the Lamanites did observe strictly to keep the commandments of God, according to the law of Moses. | In the eighty-sixth year, the Nephites were still very wicked, while the Lamanites strictly followed God’s commandments according to the law of Moses. |
| Helaman 13:2 | And it came to pass that in this year there was one Samuel, a Lamanite, came into the land of Zarahemla, and began to preach unto the people. And it came to pass that he did preach, many days, repentance unto the people, and they did cast him out, and he was about to return to his own land. | In this year, a Lamanite named Samuel came to the land of Zarahemla and started preaching to the people. He preached repentance for many days, but they cast him out, so he was about to return to his own land. |
| Helaman 13:3 | But behold, the voice of the Lord came unto him, that he should return again, and prophesy unto the people whatsoever things should come into his heart. | But then, the Lord told him to go back and tell the people whatever came to his mind. |
| Helaman 13:4 | And it came to pass that they would not suffer that he should enter into the city; therefore he went and got upon the wall thereof, and stretched forth his hand and cried with a loud voice, and prophesied unto the people whatsoever things the Lord put into his heart. | They wouldn’t let him enter the city, so he climbed up on the wall. He raised his hand and shouted, sharing whatever the Lord put in his heart. |
| Helaman 13:5 | And he said unto them: Behold, I, Samuel, a Lamanite, do speak the words of the Lord which he doth put into my heart; and behold he hath put it into my heart to say unto this people that the sword of justice hangeth over this people; and four hundred years pass not away save the sword of justice falleth upon this people. | Samuel the Lamanite said, “Listen to me! I am Samuel, a Lamanite, and I’m speaking the words the Lord has put in my heart. The Lord has told me to tell you that the sword of justice is hanging over you, and in less than four hundred years, it will fall upon you.” |
| Helaman 13:6 | Yea, heavy destruction awaiteth this people, and it surely cometh unto this people, and nothing can save this people save it be repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ, who surely shall come into the world, and shall suffer many things and shall be slain for his people. | Great destruction is coming for these people, and it will definitely happen. The only thing that can save them is if they repent and have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who will come into the world, suffer many things, and be killed for his people. |
| Helaman 13:7 | And behold, an angel of the Lord hath declared it unto me, and he did bring glad tidings to my soul. And behold, I was sent unto you to declare it unto you also, that ye might have glad tidings; but behold ye would not receive me. | An angel of the Lord told me this and he brought happiness to my soul. I was sent to share this with you so that you might be happy too, but you wouldn’t listen to me. |
| Helaman 13:8 | Therefore, thus saith the Lord: Because of the hardness of the hearts of the people of the Nephites, except they repent I will take away my word from them, and I will withdraw my Spirit from them, and I will suffer them no longer, and I will turn the hearts of their brethren against them. | So, this is what the Lord says: Because the Nephites are so stubborn, unless they change their ways, I will take away my word from them, and I will remove my Spirit from them. I won’t help them anymore, and I will turn their own people against them. |
| Helaman 13:9 | And four hundred years shall not pass away before I will cause that they shall be smitten; yea, I will visit them with the sword and with famine and with pestilence. | In less than four hundred years, I will make sure they are struck down. I will bring war, hunger, and disease upon them. |
| Helaman 13:10 | Yea, I will visit them in my fierce anger, and there shall be those of the fourth generation who shall live, of your enemies, to behold your utter destruction; and this shall surely come except ye repent, saith the Lord; and those of the fourth generation shall visit your destruction. | I’ll visit them in my fierce anger. Some of their enemies’ descendants, four generations later, will live to see their complete destruction. This will definitely happen unless they repent, says the Lord. Those descendants will witness their downfall. |
| Helaman 13:11 | But if ye will repent and return unto the Lord your God I will turn away mine anger, saith the Lord; yea, thus saith the Lord, blessed are they who will repent and turn unto me, but wo unto him that repenteth not. | But if you repent and return to the Lord your God, I will stop being angry, says the Lord. Yes, the Lord says, blessed are those who repent and return to me, but woe to those who do not repent. |
| Helaman 13:12 | Yea, wo unto this great city of Zarahemla; for behold, it is because of those who are righteous that it is saved; yea, wo unto this great city, for I perceive, saith the Lord, that there are many, yea, even the more part of this great city, that will harden their hearts against me, saith the Lord. | Yes, Zarahemla is in trouble. It’s being saved because of the good people living there. But still, I say, Zarahemla is in trouble because I can see that most of its people will turn against me, says the Lord. |
| Helaman 13:13 | But blessed are they who will repent, for them will I spare. But behold, if it were not for the righteous who are in this great city, behold, I would cause that fire should come down out of heaven and destroy it. | But blessed are those who repent; I will spare them. But if it weren’t for the righteous people in this great city, I would send fire from heaven to destroy it. |
| Helaman 13:14 | 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; yea, wo be unto this great city, because of the wickedness and abominations which are in her. | Listen, the city is spared because of the righteous people. But the Lord says the time will come when you will reject the righteous among you, and then you will be ready for destruction. This great city will be in trouble because of its wickedness and terrible actions. |
| Helaman 13:15 | Yea, and wo be unto the city of Gideon, for the wickedness and abominations which are in her. | Yes, and woe to the city of Gideon because of the wickedness and abominations that are in it. |
| Helaman 13:16 | Yea, and wo be unto all the cities which are in the land round about, which are possessed by the Nephites, because of the wickedness and abominations which are in them. | Yes, and it will be terrible for all the cities in the land around here, which are inhabited by the Nephites, because of the wickedness and terrible things happening in them. |
| Helaman 13:17 | And behold, a curse shall come upon the land, saith the Lord of Hosts, because of the people—s sake who are upon the land, yea, because of their wickedness and their abominations. | Listen, a curse will come upon this land, says the Lord of Hosts, because of the people who live here. Because of their wickedness and terrible actions. |
| Helaman 13:18 | And it shall come to pass, saith the Lord of Hosts, yea, our great and true God, that whoso shall hide up treasures in the earth shall find them again no more, because of the great curse of the land, save he be a righteous man and shall hide it up unto the Lord. | The Lord of Hosts, our great and true God, says that anyone who buries treasures in the earth won’t be able to find them again because of the curse on the land, unless they are a righteous person and hide it unto the Lord. |
| Helaman 13:19 | For I will, saith the Lord, that they shall hide up their treasures unto me; and cursed be they who hide not up their treasures unto me; for none hideth up their treasures unto me save it be the righteous; and he that hideth not up his treasures unto me, cursed is he, and also the treasure, and none shall redeem it because of the curse of the land. | For the Lord says he wants people to dedicate their treasures to Him, and those who don’t will be cursed. Only the righteous will do this. Whoever doesn’t set aside their treasures for Him will be cursed, along with the treasure itself, and no one will be able to redeem it because of the curse on the land. |
| Helaman 13:20 | And the day shall come that they shall hide up their treasures, because they have set their hearts upon riches; and because they have set their hearts upon their riches, and will hide up their treasures when they shall flee before their enemies; because they will not hide them up unto me, cursed be they and also their treasures; and in that day shall they be smitten, saith the Lord. | The time will come when people will hide their treasures because they love their riches. They will hide their treasures when they run from their enemies. Because they didn’t hide them for me, they and their treasures will be cursed. On that day, they will be struck down, says the Lord. |
| Helaman 13:21 | Behold ye, the people of this great city, and hearken unto my words; yea, hearken unto the words which the Lord saith; for behold, he saith that ye are cursed because of your riches, and also are your riches cursed because ye have set your hearts upon them, and have not hearkened unto the words of him who gave them unto you. | Listen up, people of this great city, and pay attention to my words. Yes, listen to what the Lord says. He says you’re cursed because of your riches, and your riches are cursed because you’ve set your hearts on them and haven’t listened to the one who gave them to you. |
| Helaman 13:22 | Ye do not remember the Lord your God in the things with which he hath blessed you, but ye do always remember your riches, not to thank the Lord your God for them; yea, your hearts are not drawn out unto the Lord, but they do swell with great pride, unto boasting, and unto great swelling, envyings, strifes, malice, persecutions and murders, and all manner of iniquities. | You don’t remember the Lord your God for the things He has blessed you with. Instead, you always think about your riches and never thank the Lord for them. Your hearts are not turned to the Lord but are filled with pride, leading to boasting, envy, strife, malice, persecution, murder, and all sorts of wickedness. |
| Helaman 13:23 | For this cause hath the Lord God caused that a curse should come upon the land, and also upon your riches, and this because of your iniquities. | Because of this, the Lord God has brought a curse upon the land and your riches because of your sins. |
| Helaman 13:24 | Yea, wo unto this people, because of this time which has arrived, 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. | Yes, woe to this people because of the time that has come. You cast out the prophets, mock them, throw stones at them, and even kill them. You commit all sorts of evil against them, just like people did in the past. |
| Helaman 13:25 | 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. | Now you say: If we had lived when our ancestors did, we wouldn’t have killed the prophets; we wouldn’t have stoned them or thrown them out. |
| Helaman 13:26 | Behold ye are worse than they; for as the Lord liveth, 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; yea, you will say that he is a false prophet, and that he is a sinner, and of the devil, because he testifieth that your deeds are evil. | Look, you’re worse than them. As surely as the Lord lives, if a prophet comes to you and tells you the Lord’s words, pointing out your sins and wrongdoings, you get angry with him, throw him out, and try every possible way to destroy him. Yes, you’ll say that he’s a false prophet, a sinner, and of the devil, just because he says your actions are evil. |
| Helaman 13:27 | But behold, if a man shall come among you and shall say: Do this, and there is no iniquity; do that and ye shall not suffer; yea, he will say: Walk after the pride of your own hearts; yea, walk after the pride of your eyes, and do whatsoever your heart desireth—and if a man shall come among you and say this, ye will receive him, and say that he is a prophet. | But listen, if someone comes to you and says: Do this, and it’s not wrong; do that and you won’t suffer; they might say: Follow your own desires; follow what you see and do whatever you want—and if someone comes and says this, you will accept them and call them a prophet. |
| Helaman 13:28 | Yea, ye will lift him up, and ye will give unto him of your substance; ye will give unto him of your gold, and of your silver, and ye will clothe him with costly apparel; and because he speaketh flattering words unto you, and he saith that all is well, then ye will not find fault with him. | You’ll praise him and give him your possessions; you’ll offer him your gold and silver, and dress him in expensive clothes. Because he tells you nice things and assures you that everything is fine, you won’t criticize him. |
| Helaman 13:29 | 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? | You wicked and misguided generation, stubborn and unyielding people, how long do you think the Lord will put up with you? How long will you let yourselves be led by foolish and blind leaders? How long will you choose darkness over light? |
| Helaman 13:30 | Yea, behold, the anger of the Lord is already kindled against you; behold, he hath cursed the land because of your iniquity. | Yes, look, the Lord is already angry with you. He has cursed the land because of your sins. |
| Helaman 13:31 | 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 look, the time will come when He curses your riches, making them so slippery that you can’t hold onto them; and when you’re in poverty, you won’t be able to keep them. |
| Helaman 13:32 | And in the days of your poverty ye shall cry unto the Lord; and in vain shall ye cry, for your desolation is already come upon you, and your destruction is made sure; and then shall ye weep and howl in that day, saith the Lord of Hosts. And then shall ye lament, and say: | When you’re in need, you’ll call out to the Lord, but it will be too late because your ruin has already come, and your downfall is certain. You will cry and wail on that day, says the Lord of Hosts. You will mourn and say: |
| Helaman 13:33 | O that I had repented, and had not killed the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out. Yea, in that day ye shall say: O that we had remembered the Lord our God in the day that he gave us our riches, and then they would not have become slippery that we should lose them; for behold, our riches are gone from us. | Oh, if only I had repented and not killed the prophets or stoned and cast them out. Yes, at that time you’ll say: Oh, if only we’d remembered the Lord our God when He gave us our riches, then they wouldn’t have become so easy to lose; because look, our riches are gone. |
| Helaman 13:34 | Behold, we lay a tool here and on the morrow it is gone; and behold, our swords are taken from us in the day we have sought them for battle. | We leave a tool here, and by tomorrow it’s gone. Our swords are also taken when we need them for battle. |
| Helaman 13:35 | Yea, we have hid up our treasures and they have slipped away from us, because of the curse of the land. | Yes, we hid our treasures, but they disappeared because the land is cursed. |
| Helaman 13:36 | O that we had repented in the day that the word of the Lord came unto us; for behold the land is cursed, and all things are become slippery, and we cannot hold them. | “Oh, if only we had repented when God’s word came to us! Now, the land is cursed, and everything has become so unstable that we can’t hold onto anything.” |
| Helaman 13:37 | Behold, we are surrounded by demons, yea, we are encircled about by the angels of him who hath sought to destroy our souls. Behold, our iniquities are great. O Lord, canst thou not turn away thine anger from us? And this shall be your language in those days. | Look, we’re surrounded by demons, yes, we’re completely encircled by the angels of the one who’s trying to destroy our souls. Our sins are huge. Lord, can’t you please turn away your anger from us? This will be your prayer in those days. |
| Helaman 13:38 | But behold, your days of probation are past; ye have procrastinated the day of your salvation until it is everlastingly too late, and your destruction is made sure; yea, for ye have sought all the days of your lives for that which ye could not obtain; and ye have sought for happiness in doing iniquity, which thing is contrary to the nature of that righteousness which is in our great and Eternal Head. | But look, your time to prepare is over; you delayed your chance for salvation until it was too late, and now your destruction is certain. You spent your life chasing things you could never get and seeking happiness in doing wrong, which is against the nature of the righteousness of our great and Eternal Head. |
| Helaman 13:39 | O ye people of the land, that ye would hear my words! And I pray that the anger of the Lord be turned away from you, and that ye would repent and be saved. | Listen, everyone! I hope you hear my words! I pray that the Lord’s anger will turn away from you, and that you will repent and be saved. |
Helaman 14
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Helaman 14:1 | And now it came to pass that Samuel, the Lamanite, did prophesy a great many more things which cannot be written. | Samuel, the Lamanite, prophesied many more things that we can’t write down. |
| 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. | Listen, he said to them: “I’m giving you a sign. In five years, the Son of God will come to redeem everyone who believes in His name.” |
| Helaman 14:3 | And behold, this will I give unto you for a sign at the time of his coming; for behold, there shall be great lights in heaven, insomuch that in the night before he cometh there shall be no darkness, insomuch that it shall appear unto man as if it was day. | Here is a sign for you about his coming: there will be such great lights in the sky that the night before he comes, it won’t get dark; it will seem like it’s daytime. |
| Helaman 14:4 | Therefore, there shall be one day and a night and a day, as if it were one day and there were no night; and this shall be unto you for a sign; for ye shall know of the rising of the sun and also of its setting; therefore they shall know of a surety that there shall be two days and a night; nevertheless the night shall not be darkened; and it shall be the night before he is born. | There will be a day, a night, and another day where it will seem like one continuous day without any night. This will be a sign for you; you will see the sunrise and sunset, so you will definitely know that there are two days and a night. However, the night won’t be dark, and this will be the night before He is born. |
| Helaman 14:5 | And behold, there shall a new star arise, such an one as ye never have beheld; and this also shall be a sign unto you. | Look, a new star will appear, one like you’ve never seen before; and this will also be a sign for you. |
| Helaman 14:6 | And behold this is not all, there shall be many signs and wonders in heaven. | And that’s not all; there will be many signs and wonders in the sky. |
| Helaman 14:7 | And it shall come to pass that ye shall all be amazed, and wonder, insomuch that ye shall fall to the earth. | You will all be amazed and wonder so much that you’ll fall to the ground. |
| Helaman 14:8 | And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall believe on the Son of God, the same shall have everlasting life. | Anyone who believes in the Son of God will have eternal life. |
| Helaman 14:9 | And behold, thus hath the Lord commanded me, by his angel, that I should come and tell this thing unto you; yea, he hath commanded that I should prophesy these things unto you; yea, he hath said unto me: Cry unto this people, repent and prepare the way of the Lord. | Listen, the Lord sent an angel to command me to come and tell you this. He told me to prophesy these things to you. He said to me, “Tell these people to repent and prepare for the coming of the Lord.” |
| Helaman 14:10 | And now, because I am a Lamanite, and have spoken unto you the words which the Lord hath commanded me, and because it was hard against you, ye are angry with me and do seek to destroy me, and have cast me out from among you. | Now, because I’m a Lamanite and have shared the words the Lord told me to, and because they were tough for you to hear, you’re mad at me and want to destroy me. You’ve kicked me out from among you. |
| Helaman 14:11 | And ye shall hear my words, for, for this intent have I come up upon the walls of this city, that ye might hear and know of the judgments of God which do await you because of your iniquities, and also that ye might know the conditions of repentance; | You are going to hear what I have to say. I came up on the walls of this city so that you could hear about the judgments of God coming because of your sins, and also so you could understand what you need to do to repent. |
| Helaman 14:12 | And also that ye might know of the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and of earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and that ye might know of the signs of his coming, to the intent that ye might believe on his name. | So you can know about the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of everything from the start, and so you can recognize the signs of His coming and believe in His name. |
| Helaman 14:13 | And if ye believe on his name ye will repent of all your sins, that thereby ye may have a remission of them through his merits. | If you believe in His name, you will repent of all your sins, so you can be forgiven through His merits. |
| Helaman 14:14 | And behold, again, another sign I give unto you, yea, a sign of his death. | And here’s another sign I’ll give you â a sign of His death. |
| Helaman 14:15 | For behold, he surely must die that salvation may come; yea, it behooveth him and becometh expedient that he dieth, to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, that thereby men may be brought into the presence of the Lord. | He has to die so that salvation can come. It is necessary for him to die to bring about the resurrection of the dead, so that everyone can be brought into the presence of the Lord. |
| Helaman 14:16 | Yea, behold, this death bringeth to pass the resurrection, and redeemeth all mankind from the first death—that spiritual death; for all mankind, by the fall of Adam being cut off from the presence of the Lord, are considered as dead, both as to things temporal and to things spiritual. | Yes, this death leads to the resurrection and saves all humanity from the first death—that spiritual death; because all people, being separated from the presence of the Lord due to Adam’s fall, are considered dead in both physical and spiritual matters. |
| Helaman 14:17 | But behold, the resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind, yea, even all mankind, and bringeth them back into the presence of the Lord. | But look, Jesus’ resurrection redeems all of humanity and brings everyone back into God’s presence. |
| Helaman 14:18 | Yea, and it bringeth to pass the condition of repentance, that whosoever repenteth the same is not hewn down and cast into the fire; but whosoever repenteth not is hewn down and cast into the fire; and there cometh upon them again a spiritual death, yea, a second death, for they are cut off again as to things pertaining to righteousness. | Yes, repentance creates the conditions for salvation. Anyone who repents will not be cut down and thrown into the fire, but those who do not repent will be. For them, it means experiencing spiritual death again, being cut off from righteousness once more. |
| Helaman 14:19 | Therefore repent ye, repent ye, lest by knowing these things and not doing them ye shall suffer yourselves to come under condemnation, and ye are brought down unto this second death. | So repent, repent, because if you know these things and don’t do them, you’ll end up condemning yourselves and facing this second death. |
| Helaman 14:20 | But behold, as I said unto you concerning another sign, a sign of his death, behold, in that day that he shall suffer death the sun shall be darkened and refuse to give his light unto you; and also the moon and the stars; and there shall be no light upon the face of this land, even from the time that he shall suffer death, for the space of three days, to the time that he shall rise again from the dead. | Listen, like I mentioned before about another sign, a sign of his death: on the day he dies, the sun will go dark and won’t shine on you; the same goes for the moon and the stars. There will be no light on the land from the time he dies until three days later when he rises again. |
| Helaman 14:21 | Yea, at the time that he shall yield up the ghost there shall be thunderings and lightnings for the space of many hours, and the earth shall shake and tremble; and the rocks which are upon the face of this earth, which are both above the earth and beneath, which ye know at this time are solid, or the more part of it is one solid mass, shall be broken up; | Yes, when he dies, there will be thunder and lightning for many hours, and the earth will shake and tremble. The rocks on the earth, both above and below ground, which you know are mostly solid, will be broken apart. |
| Helaman 14:22 | Yea, they shall be rent in twain, and shall ever after be found in seams and in cracks, and in broken fragments upon the face of the whole earth, yea, both above the earth and beneath. | Yes, they will be torn apart, and from then on, they will be found in seams, cracks, and broken pieces all over the earth—both above and below the ground. |
| Helaman 14:23 | And behold, there shall be great tempests, and there shall be many mountains laid low, like unto a valley, and there shall be many places which are now called valleys which shall become mountains, whose height is great. | There will be huge storms, and many mountains will be flattened into valleys, and many places that are now called valleys will become tall mountains. |
| Helaman 14:24 | And many highways shall be broken up, and many cities shall become desolate. | Many roads will be destroyed, and many cities will become empty. |
| Helaman 14:25 | And many graves shall be opened, and shall yield up many of their dead; and many saints shall appear unto many. | Many graves will open, and many of the dead will come forth; and many saints will appear to many people. |
| Helaman 14:26 | And behold, thus hath the angel spoken unto me; for he said unto me that there should be thunderings and lightnings for the space of many hours. | And look, this is what the angel told me: he said there would be thunder and lightning for many hours. |
| Helaman 14:27 | And he said unto me that while the thunder and the lightning lasted, and the tempest, that these things should be, and that darkness should cover the face of the whole earth for the space of three days. | He told me that during the thunder, lightning, and storm, these things would happen, and darkness would cover the whole earth for three days. |
| Helaman 14:28 | And the angel said unto me that many shall see greater things than these, to the intent that they might believe that these signs and these wonders should come to pass upon all the face of this land, to the intent that there should be no cause for unbelief among the children of men— | The angel told me that many will witness greater things than these so that they might believe that these signs and wonders will happen across the whole land. This is so that there will be no reason for doubt among the people. |
| Helaman 14:29 | And this to the intent that whosoever will believe might be saved, and that whosoever will not believe, a righteous judgment might come upon them; and also if they are condemned they bring upon themselves their own condemnation. | This is so that anyone who believes can be saved, and for those who don’t believe, a fair judgment will come upon them. If they are condemned, it’s because they brought it upon themselves. |
| Helaman 14:30 | And now remember, remember, my brethren, that whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto himself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself; for behold, ye are free; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God hath given unto you a knowledge and he hath made you free. | Remember, remember, my brothers, that whoever dies, dies for themselves; and whoever sins, sins for themselves; because you are free and allowed to make your own choices. God has given you knowledge and made you free. |
| Helaman 14:31 | He hath given unto you that ye might know good from evil, and he hath given unto you that ye might choose life or death; and ye can do good and be restored unto that which is good, or have that which is good restored unto you; or ye can do evil, and have that which is evil restored unto you. | God has given you the ability to know right from wrong, and to choose between life and death. You have the option to do good and be rewarded with good things, or do bad and face the consequences of those bad actions. |
Helaman 15
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Helaman 15:1 | And now, my beloved brethren, behold, I declare unto you that except ye shall repent your houses shall be left unto you desolate. | And now, my beloved brothers, listen: I’m telling you that if you don’t repent, your homes will be left empty and abandoned. |
| Helaman 15:2 | 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 wo 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. | If you don’t repent, your women will have great reason to mourn on the day they need to nurse their babies; you will try to run away, but there will be nowhere to hide. And it’s going to be especially hard for pregnant women, because they will be heavy and unable to run. They will be trampled and left to die. |
| Helaman 15:3 | Yea, wo unto this people who are called the people of Nephi except they shall repent, when they shall see all these signs and wonders which shall be showed unto them; for behold, they have been a chosen people of the Lord; yea, the people of Nephi hath he loved, and also hath he chastened them; yea, in the days of their iniquities hath he chastened them because he loveth them. | Woe to the people called the people of Nephi unless they repent when they see all the signs and wonders shown to them. They have been chosen by the Lord; He loves the people of Nephi and has also disciplined them. During their wrongdoings, He disciplined them because He loves them. |
| Helaman 15:4 | But behold my brethren, the Lamanites hath he hated because their deeds have been evil continually, and this because of the iniquity of the tradition of their fathers. But behold, salvation hath come unto them through the preaching of the Nephites; and for this intent hath the Lord prolonged their days. | But listen, my brothers: the Lord has hated the Lamanites because they’ve constantly done evil things, and this is due to the sinful traditions of their ancestors. But look, they’ve found salvation through the teachings of the Nephites, and for this reason the Lord has extended their lives. |
| Helaman 15:5 | And I would that ye should behold that the more part of them are in the path of their duty, and they do walk circumspectly before God, and they do observe to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments according to the law of Moses. | I want you to see that most of them are doing their duty, walking carefully before God, and keeping His commandments, statutes, and judgments as taught in the law of Moses. |
| Helaman 15:6 | Yea, I say unto you, that the more part of them are doing this, and they are striving with unwearied diligence that they may bring the remainder of their brethren to the knowledge of the truth; therefore there are many who do add to their numbers daily. | Yes, most of them are doing this. They’re working tirelessly to help the rest of their brothers understand the truth. As a result, more and more people are joining them every day. |
| Helaman 15:7 | And behold, ye do know of yourselves, for ye have witnessed it, that as many of them as are brought to the knowledge of the truth, and to know of the wicked and abominable traditions of their fathers, and are led to believe the holy scriptures, yea, the prophecies of the holy prophets, which are written, which leadeth them to faith on the Lord, and unto repentance, which faith and repentance bringeth a change of heart unto them— | And look, you know it for yourselves because you’ve seen it: everyone who learns the truth and understands the wrong and terrible traditions of their ancestors, and believes in the holy scriptures and the prophecies of the holy prophets, is led to have faith in the Lord and to repent, and that faith and repentance change their hearts. |
| Helaman 15:8 | Therefore, as many as have come to this, ye know of yourselves are firm and steadfast in the faith, and in the thing wherewith they have been made free. | So, you know that those who have reached this point are strong and unwavering in their faith because of what has set them free. |
| Helaman 15:9 | And ye know also that they have buried their weapons of war, and they fear to take them up lest by any means they should sin; yea, ye can see that they fear to sin—for behold they will suffer themselves that they be trodden down and slain by their enemies, and will not lift their swords against them, and this because of their faith in Christ. | You know that they have buried their weapons of war and are afraid to take them up again because they don’t want to sin. Yes, you can see they fear sinning—look, they’ll allow themselves to be trampled and killed by their enemies rather than fight back, all because of their faith in Christ. |
| Helaman 15:10 | And now, because of their steadfastness when they do believe in that thing which they do believe, for because of their firmness when they are once enlightened, behold, the Lord shall bless them and prolong their days, notwithstanding their iniquity— | Now, because they stay true to their beliefs once they are enlightened, the Lord will bless them and give them longer lives, despite their wrongdoing. |
| Helaman 15:11 | Yea, even if they should dwindle in unbelief the Lord shall prolong their days, until the time shall come which hath been spoken of by our fathers, and also by the prophet Zenos, and many other prophets, concerning the restoration of our brethren, the Lamanites, again to the knowledge of the truth— | Yes, even if they start to lose their faith, the Lord will extend their lives until the time comes that our fathers and the prophet Zenos, along with many other prophets, have spoken about—the time when our brothers, the Lamanites, will be brought back to the knowledge of the truth. |
| Helaman 15:12 | Yea, I say unto you, that in the latter times the promises of the Lord have been extended to our brethren, the Lamanites; and notwithstanding the many afflictions which they shall have, and notwithstanding they shall be driven to and fro upon the face of the earth, and be hunted, and shall be smitten and scattered abroad, having no place for refuge, the Lord shall be merciful unto them. | Yes, I’m telling you, in the later days, the Lord’s promises have been given to our brothers, the Lamanites. Even though they will have many hardships, and will be driven around the world, hunted, hit, and scattered, with no place to call home, the Lord will still be merciful to them. |
| Helaman 15:13 | And this is according to the prophecy, that they shall again be brought to the true knowledge, which is knowledge of their Redeemer, and their great and true shepherd, and be numbered among his sheep. | This is part of the prophecy that they will be brought back to the true knowledge, which is knowing their Redeemer and their great and true shepherd, and be counted among his sheep. |
| Helaman 15:14 | Therefore I say unto you, it shall be better for them than for you except ye repent. | That’s why I’m telling you, it will be better for them than for you unless you repent. |
| Helaman 15:15 | For behold, had the mighty works been shown unto them which have been shown unto you, yea, unto them who have dwindled in unbelief because of the traditions of their fathers, ye can see of yourselves that they never would again have dwindled in unbelief. | If the amazing things that you have seen were shown to people who turned away from belief because of their traditions, you can imagine that they never would have turned away again. |
| Helaman 15:16 | Therefore, saith the Lord: I will not utterly destroy them, but I will cause that in the day of my wisdom they shall return again unto me, saith the Lord. | So, the Lord says: I won’t completely destroy them, but when the time is right, they will come back to me, says the Lord. |
| Helaman 15:17 | And now behold, saith the Lord, concerning the people of the Nephites: If they will not repent, and observe to do my will, I will utterly destroy them, saith the Lord, because of their unbelief notwithstanding the many mighty works which I have done among them; and as surely as the Lord liveth shall these things be, saith the Lord. | Listen, this is what the Lord says about the Nephites: If they don’t repent and do what I ask, I will completely destroy them because of their disbelief, despite all the great things I have done for them. And as surely as the Lord lives, this will happen. |
Helaman 16
| Verse | Original | 7th Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Helaman 16:1 | And now, it came to pass that there were many who heard the words of Samuel, the Lamanite, which he spake upon the walls of the city. And as many as believed on his word went forth and sought for Nephi; and when they had come forth and found him they confessed unto him their sins and denied not, desiring that they might be baptized unto the Lord. | Now, many people heard the words of Samuel, the Lamanite, as he spoke from the walls of the city. Those who believed him went and sought out Nephi. When they found him, they confessed their sins and expressed their desire to be baptized to follow the Lord. |
| Helaman 16:2 | But as many as there were who did not believe in the words of Samuel were angry with him; and they cast stones at him upon the wall, and also many shot arrows at him as he stood upon the wall; but the Spirit of the Lord was with him, insomuch that they could not hit him with their stones neither with their arrows. | Many people didn’t believe Samuel’s words and got angry with him. They threw stones at him and shot arrows while he was standing on the wall. But the Spirit of the Lord was with him, so none of their stones or arrows could hit him. |
| Helaman 16:3 | Now when they saw that they could not hit him, there were many more who did believe on his words, insomuch that they went away unto Nephi to be baptized. | When they saw they couldn’t hit him, more people believed his words and went to Nephi to be baptized. |
| Helaman 16:4 | For behold, Nephi was baptizing, and prophesying, and preaching, crying repentance unto the people, showing signs and wonders, working miracles among the people, that they might know that the Christ must shortly come— | Nephi was baptizing, prophesying, and preaching, urging the people to repent. He was showing signs, doing miracles so people would know that Christ would come soon. |
| Helaman 16:5 | Telling them of things which must shortly come, that they might know and remember at the time of their coming that they had been made known unto them beforehand, to the intent that they might believe; therefore as many as believed on the words of Samuel went forth unto him to be baptized, for they came repenting and confessing their sins. | Samuel told them about things that would happen soon so they could remember when they happened that they had been warned ahead of time and believe. So, those who believed Samuel’s words went to him to be baptized, repenting and confessing their sins. |
| Helaman 16:6 | But the more part of them did not believe in the words of Samuel; therefore when they saw that they could not hit him with their stones and their arrows, they cried unto their captains, saying: Take this fellow and bind him, for behold he hath a devil; and because of the power of the devil which is in him we cannot hit him with our stones and our arrows; therefore take him and bind him, and away with him. | Most of them didn’t believe what Samuel said. So, when they saw they couldn’t hit him with their stones and arrows, they called out to their leaders, “Catch this guy and tie him up! He must have a devil because we can’t hit him with our stones and arrows because of the power of the devil in him. Capturing him and getting rid of him is the only way.” |
| Helaman 16:7 | And as they went forth to lay their hands on him, behold, he did cast himself down from the wall, and did flee out of their lands, yea, even unto his own country, and began to preach and to prophesy among his own people. | As they were about to grab him, he jumped off the wall and escaped back to his own country, where he started preaching and prophesying to his own people. |
| Helaman 16:8 | And behold, he was never heard of more among the Nephites; and thus were the affairs of the people. | And he was never heard from again among the Nephites; and that’s how things went for the people. |
| Helaman 16:9 | And thus ended the eighty and sixth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi. | And that’s how the eighty-sixth year of the judges’ rule over the Nephites ended. |
| Helaman 16:10 | And thus ended also the eighty and seventh year of the reign of the judges, the more part of the people remaining in their pride and wickedness, and the lesser part walking more circumspectly before God. | And so ended the eighty-seventh year of the judges’ rule. Most people stayed prideful and wicked, but a smaller group lived more carefully and faithfully before God. |
| Helaman 16:11 | And these were the conditions also, in the eighty and eighth year of the reign of the judges. | These were the conditions in the eighty-eighth year of the judges’ reign. |
| Helaman 16:12 | And there was but little alteration in the affairs of the people, save it were the people began to be more hardened in iniquity, and do more and more of that which was contrary to the commandments of God, in the eighty and ninth year of the reign of the judges. | There was very little change in the people’s situation, except that they became more wicked and increasingly disobeyed God’s commandments in the eighty-ninth year of the judges’ rule. |
| Helaman 16:13 | But it came to pass in the ninetieth year of the reign of the judges, there were great signs given unto the people, and wonders; and the words of the prophets began to be fulfilled. | In the ninetieth year of the judges’ reign, there were amazing signs and wonders shown to the people, and the prophecies started to come true. |
| Helaman 16:14 | And angels did appear unto men, wise men, and did declare unto them glad tidings of great joy; thus in this year the scriptures began to be fulfilled. | Angels appeared to wise men and told them joyful news. This year, the scriptures started coming true. |
| Helaman 16:15 | Nevertheless, the people began to harden their hearts, all save it were the most believing part of them, both of the Nephites and also of the Lamanites, and began to depend upon their own strength and upon their own wisdom, saying: | But the people started to become stubborn and closed off, except for those who were the most faithful among both the Nephites and the Lamanites. They began to rely on their own strength and wisdom. |
| Helaman 16:16 | Some things they may have guessed right, among so many; but behold, we know that all these great and marvelous works cannot come to pass, of which has been spoken. | Some of the things they guessed might be right, considering how much they guessed. But listen, we know that all these amazing things they’ve talked about just can’t happen. |
| Helaman 16:17 | And they began to reason and to contend among themselves, saying: | They started discussing and arguing with each other, saying: |
| Helaman 16:18 | That it is not reasonable that such a being as a Christ shall come; if so, and he be the Son of God, the Father of heaven and of earth, as it has been spoken, why will he not show himself unto us as well as unto them who shall be at Jerusalem? | It doesn’t make sense that a Christ would come. If he’s really the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, like people say, why wouldn’t he show himself to us just like he’s supposed to show himself to the people in Jerusalem? |
| Helaman 16:19 | Yea, why will he not show himself in this land as well as in the land of Jerusalem? | Why won’t He show Himself here like He did in Jerusalem? |
| Helaman 16:20 | But behold, we know that this is a wicked tradition, which has been handed down unto us by our fathers, to cause us that we should believe in some great and marvelous thing which should come to pass, but not among us, but in a land which is far distant, a land which we know not; therefore they can keep us in ignorance, for we cannot witness with our own eyes that they are true. | But look, we know this is a bad tradition passed down from our ancestors to make us believe in some big and amazing event that is supposed to happen, but not here, rather in a faraway land that we know nothing about. So, they can keep us in the dark because we can’t see for ourselves if it’s true. |
| Helaman 16:21 | And they will, by the cunning and the mysterious arts of the evil one, work some great mystery which we cannot understand, which will keep us down to be servants to their words, and also servants unto them, for we depend upon them to teach us the word; and thus will they keep us in ignorance if we will yield ourselves unto them, all the days of our lives. | By using the deceit and dark arts of the devil, they will do something we can’t understand, which will make us remain as servants to their words and to them, since we rely on them to teach us. This way, they will keep us ignorant if we give in to them for our entire lives. |
| Helaman 16:22 | And many more things did the people imagine up in their hearts, which were foolish and vain; and they were much disturbed, for Satan did stir them up to do iniquity continually; yea, he did go about spreading rumors and contentions upon all the face of the land, that he might harden the hearts of the people against that which was good and against that which should come. | The people let their hearts fill with stupid and pointless thoughts. They were very upset because Satan kept pushing them to do bad things all the time. He went around spreading rumors and causing fights everywhere, trying to make people angry and hateful towards anything good and what was to come. |
| Helaman 16:23 | And notwithstanding the signs and the wonders which were wrought among the people of the Lord, and the many miracles which they did, Satan did get great hold upon the hearts of the people upon all the face of the land. | Despite the signs, wonders, and many miracles performed among the Lord’s people, Satan still managed to greatly influence the hearts of the people all across the land. |
| Helaman 16:24 | And thus ended the ninetieth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi. | And that’s how the ninetieth year of the judges’ reign over the people of Nephi came to an end. |
| Helaman 16:25 | And thus ended the book of Helaman, according to the record of Helaman and his sons. | And so, the book of Helaman ends, based on the accounts of Helaman and his sons. |
Book of Mormon Simplified 