The topic turns again to the land being cursed (v. 30). The curse is two-fold concerning riches: first, they will become slippery that you cannot hold them; and secondly, in the days of poverty you cannot retain them (v. 31. Samuel speaks of the second one first, the days of poverty (v. 32–33). Hindsight is always better than foresight. Their riches may have been lost because of poor management, inflation, or other reasons, but the main reason is that they had not remembered the Lord and had killed the prophets (v. 33). Their tools and swords also became “slippery” (vv. 31, 34) and are added to their riches. The tools and swords may have been stolen or lost, not remembering where they were left, but the treasures that were hid up would slip away (vv. 34–35). The Lord was involved here. As spoken of by Mormon in chapter 12, the Lord apparently spoke and the treasure was moved, or the earth relocated it at the Lord’s command (see Helaman 12:18–19). President Brigham Young relates an interesting experience that certainly has a connection to the land of the Nephites being cursed.
I presume there are some present who have heard me narrate a circumstance with regard to the discovery of a gold mine in Little Cottonwood Canyon, and I will here say that the specimens taken from it, which I have in my possession today, are as fine specimens of gold as ever were found on this continent. A man whom some of you will well know, brought to me a most beautiful nugget. I told him to let the mine alone.
When General Conner came here, he did considerable prospecting; and in hunting through the Cottonwoods, he had an inkling that there was gold there. Porter, as we generally call him, came to me one day, saying, “They have struck within four inches of my lode, what shall I do?” He was carried away with the idea that he must do something. I therefore told him to go with the other brethren interested, and make his claim. When he got through talking I said to him, “Porter, you ought to know better; you have seen and heard things which I have not, and are a man of long experience in this Church. I want to tell you one thing; they may strike within four inches of that lode as many times as they have a mind to, and they will not find it.” They hunted and hunted, hundreds of them did; and I had the pleasure of laughing at him a little, for when he went there again, he could not find it himself.” (Laughter.)
Sometimes I take the liberty of talking a little further with regard to such things. Orin P. Rockwell is an eyewitness to some powers of removing the treasure of the earth. He was with certain parties that lived near by where the plates were found that contain the records of the Book of Mormon. There were a great many treasures hid up by the Nephites. Porter was with them one night where there were treasures, and they would find them easy enough, but they could not obtain them.
I will tell you a story which will be marvelous to most of you. It was told me by Porter, whom I would believe just as quickly as any man that lives. When he tells a thing he understands, he will tell it just as he knows it; he is a man that does not lie. He said that on this night, when they were engaged hunting for this old treasure, they dug around the end of a chest for some twenty inches. The chest was about three feet square. One man who was determined to have the contents of that chest, took his pick and struck into the lid of it, and split through the chest. The blow took off a piece of the lid, which a certain lady kept in her possession until she died. That chest of money went into the bank. Porter describes it so (making a rumbling sound); he says this is just as true as the heavens are. I have heard others tell the same story. I relate this because it is marvelous to you. But to those who understand these things, it is not marvelous. [Journal of Discourses, 19:37–38]
All things had become slippery (v. 36). It apparently pertained to more than tools, swords, and treasures.
The Nephites beings surrounded by the devil’s angels (v. 37) may be describing the time of the Nephite destruction in the fourth generation, or the destruction at the time of Christ’s crucifixion, or both. The veil of light would obviously be taken away, and that would leave them subject to the darkness of Satan’s world. The Lord even foretells their language.