A LAMANITE

 

 

I was anxious to get to Samuel the Lamanite in the Book of Mormon. I have always admired his tenacity in preaching to the Nephites. It’s the only point in their history where the tables were turned and a Lamanite was fired up by the missionary zeal. I scoured a couple of reliable sources that would give me an insight into this man. Of course, I found nothing.

Samuel appeared suddenly in 6 B.C. from nowhere and disappeared the same way (Helaman 12:2; 16:7,8). No parentage, no conversion story, no place of abode, but what a valiant Lamanite! It sends shivers up my spine.

And then this…..my eyes were opened and I saw the man. Samuel had a pure heart. On his way back to his own land after the Nephites cast him out of Zarahemla, the voice of the Lord instructed him to return and to prophesy ‘whatsoever things should come into his heart’ (Helaman 13:3). Mormon reiterated twice that Samuel prophesied whatever the Lord put into his heart (v 4,5).

The Scriptures speak a lot about the heart as a conduit of the spirit. God looks on the heart and not on the appearance and thereby chooses His servants (1 Samuel 16:7). There are numerous scriptures that verify that the Lord works with the heart of the children of men such as: ‘I will tell you in your mind and in your heart’ (D&C 8:2) or ‘Speak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts (D&C 100:5).

The Lord who knows the hearts of all men (Acts 1:24) would not put prophecies, revelations, and words of holiness into any heart that was not pure. In Samuel’s heart He placed four important points of His message to the Nephites: 1. Know the judgments of God; 2. Know the conditions of repentance; 3. Know the coming of Jesus Christ; 4. Know of the signs of His coming.

Samuel’s dedication and obedience at all cost reminds me of Alma who was cast out of Ammonihah and who returned upon the Lord’s instruction. So determined was Alma to deliver his message that he found another way to enter the city unnoticed (Alma 8:18).

Such was the determination of Samuel who returned to Zarahemla and climbed upon the wall of the city and ‘prophesied whatsoever things the Lord put into his heart’ even as the stones and arrows flew with no effect as ‘the Spirit of the Lord was with him’ (Helaman 13:4; 16:2).

It amazes me how the Saviour will not cease to warn people of their impending doom. While the Nephites were reveling in their unrighteousness just six years before the prophecies of the birth of Christ were fulfilled, He ensured that He had valiant servants who would cry repentance unceasingly.

When Samuel left Zarahemla, some who believed his words went to Nephi for baptism, who was frantically crying repentance, showing signs and working miracles among the people so they would believe that Christ was coming (Helaman 16:3,4).

I have often thought that the Saviour’s tolerance and mercy toward us is excessive but as I reflected on it a thought came to me that He could have never subjected himself to such an unjust death if He was any other way. For this I will be eternally grateful. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Samuel the Lamanite by Briana Shawcroft)