The last several chapters have shown how quickly the Nephites would switch from righteousness to wickedness. By now, the reader should be able to recognize when Mormon steps in to editorialize. He almost always begins with a phrase like, “and thus we see,” or in this case, “And thus we can behold.” Accordingly, Helaman 12 represents Mormon’s commentary on this time period of vacillation. During this chapter, Mormon discusses the pride cycle, the nothingness of man, the power of God, a little bit of astronomy, and the judgments of God.
As a commentator, it is humbling to see the wisdom of Mormon’s perceptive commentary. While the rest of us make our humble attempts to add some small piece of insight, Mormon’s commentary puts us to shame. He is so filled with the spirit of prophecy and revelation that his commentary on the scriptures is scripture in and of itself. Therefore, the reader is asked to excuse the weakness of those of us who presume to make commentary on his commentary. The following quote puts scriptural commentaries, such as this one, into the proper perspective.
Elder Ronald E. Poelman
"There are many commentaries available, and they have a valid use, but they are not a substitute for the scriptures…Unfortunately, many people use them as a substitute. This analogy may help to demonstrate how much better it is to read the Bible rather than just read a commentary:
"When I used to travel on business, if I had any spare time, I liked to go to art museums. I would buy a little guide book when I first arrived at the museum and read through it before I went to see the exhibits so I could understand what I was going to see, something about the artists, and the work itself. Such reading enhanced my appreciation of the real thing. But if, having read the guide book, I had said, ‘I know all about what’s in the museum,’ and left I would have missed the experience of seeing the real art exhibits and having my mind and soul stirred by them.
“But that’s what some members of the Church do. They’ll read the commentaries as a substitute for the real thing. They will teach the commentary instead of the scriptures. The fact is that the real thing…has the promise of the Spirit associated with it, whereas the commentaries are just another exercise and are useful to help us into the real thing. But the real thing is the scripture themselves. There is a spirit in them that, if we’re open to it, will not only help us to understand but will also give us the witness that these things are true. That makes all the difference in our behavior.” (Church News 01/01/94)