Helaman 14:11-13

Brant Gardner

Helaman 13:4 noted that Samuel had climbed to the wall to preach, and we are reminded of that fact in verse 11. This will become important in Helaman 16:2.

Samuel declares that he has come to preach 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.” Those are multiple titles given to the same person, just as we understand Jesus to be the mortal name for Jehovah in the heavens.

“Jesus Christ” would have been understood as the name of the Messiah to come to earth. Since the name “Jesus,” in Hebrew, would mean “Jehovah saves,” it was an appropriate name that may or may not have been understood as a personal name rather than a description.

“Son of God” applies to Jehovah while in His mortal mission, at least for the Nephites prior to His mortal mission. Modern readers understand it literally, but that understanding seems to come later for the Nephites.

The “Father of heaven and earth” is not a surprising designation, but it is one that exists as a Maya descriptor for a god as well. The phrase can be translated as “sacred one of heaven and sacred one of earth.” The designation of “Father of heaven” isn’t the same as “Father in heaven,” and it is found only in the Book of Mormon.

“Creator of all things from the beginning” also occurs only in the Book of Mormon. It is import to remember that this is a descriptor of Jehovah as creator, reinforcing their understanding that Jehovah is their God, and that it will be Jehovah who personally comes to earth to become “Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”

Book of Mormon Minute

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