The blessing given to Nephi by the Lord was beginning to be fulfilled immediately. He also immediately did what the Lord requested. He did not go to his house but to warn the people of the impending destruction (vv. 12–14). This reminds us of President Spencer W. Kimball’s motto, “do it now.” The blessing of power over the people was demonstrated when they were not able to take him and cast him into prison. Being conveyed out of their midst by the Spirit (v. 17) was a blessing given to Elijah (see 1 Kings 18:8–15). It was also experienced by Phillip in the New Testament times (see Acts 8:36–40).
We learn another characteristic of a prophet, the tenth one in this reading. Miracles will attend and protection will be with a prophet (Helaman 10:16–17). Elisha, Elijah’s successor in the Old Testament, had many miracles associated with his life (see 2 Kings 3–7). Peter, the prophet of the New Testament church, as he passed through all quarters of the church, healed and even raised a woman from the dead (see Acts 9:32–41). Joseph Smith cast the devil out of Newell Knight (HC, 1:82–83), and healed the sick in Montrose, Iowa. Miracles are not published, but many miracles have been performed throughout the history of the church.
The events summarized in verses 17 through 19 are probably a general treatise of the seventieth and seventy-first year of the judges, since all of the events in Helaman 7:1–10:16 were apparently a record of the sixty-ninth year. Nephi had returned in the sixty-ninth year (see Helaman 7:1), and all the following events happened as he saw the conditions of the people in Zarahemla and went to his garden to pray (see Helaman 7:4–10). Although the seventieth year is not mentioned, it seems to be covered with the seventy-first year (Helaman 10:19).