Helaman: a brief theological introduction

The Book of Mormon: brief theological introductions #8

by Kimberly Matheson Berkey

"Now is the time and the day of your salvation . . ."

Alma the Younger is forever changed by an overwhelming personal experience with God’s mercy—a mercy capable of overpowering justice and giving Alma the means to exercise faith unto repentance. Driven by his new desire to share the joy that God’s mercy brings, Alma confronts the apostate Korihor, preaches a sermon on faith to the Zoramite outcasts, and encourages and consoles his sons. His ministry cannot be understood apart from the miraculous transformation initiated and powered by God’s mercy.

In this brief introduction to the second half of the book of Alma, philosopher Mark Wrathall painstakingly works out the logic of Alma’s understanding of faith, justice, mercy, and the final judgment and restoration of all things, encouraging readers to receive salvation today.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Lds, Theology, Church

132 pages, Paperback

Published November 17, 2020

Reviews

[conor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kimberly Matheson Berkey's volume on the book of Helaman is not for the faint of heart. Her analysis of Helaman is incisive and, like the content of the book, bleak. Though Berkey finds a way to transform this bleakness into something insightful. To use the stories relayed throughout this book of scripture to remind us of what we should and should not do. I found myself continually caught in the trap of wishing to simply point to some existing group today as the modern day Gadianton robbers, doing exactly what Berkey argues the text warns us against--missing the real, invisible antagonists that lie before us and therefore opening myself up to tragedy.

I was also quite intrigued by Berkey's analysis of Nephi, particularly her discussion of the different ways that Nephi and Samuel exercise their prophetic role/gifts for the Nephites. A fantastic addition to the series.

[Joey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Berkey is a bit preachy in this eighth volume of the "brief theological introduction" series, in a way the authors of the other books have avoided. Readers find themselves chastised a little for our collective habit of seeking security in bank accounts to the neglect of the needy, and generally choosing to ignore our individual deep-seeded flaws in favor of judging our neighbors, which is more comfortable.

Still, Berkey's aggressive urgency works, and I somewhat surprised myself by appreciating the energy with which she infused her volume. She builds her approach around the theme of invisibility, particularly the Nephites' unwillingness to face up to the social and spiritual problems lurking beneath the prosperous surface of their society. She notes the Gadianton robbers flourished along the Nephites while the Lamanites quickly eradicated them. Berkey suggests the Nephites justified their failure to act by vilifying the Lamanites, while the Lamanites looked inwardly more honestly.

This wasn't my favorite volume in the series so far but it was still excellent, and also stood out for its unique tone that directly challenges readers to do something different, not just think differently, based on the scriptural content of Helaman.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

"What have we left buried and overlooked? What have we failed to see? And how do we develop the eyesight required to see the things that God would have us keep clearly in view?"
"When the book of Helaman challenges us to attend to what is hidden, it has something especially invisible in mind: ourselves."

[Joshua Hubbard · Rating 4 out of 5]

8.4/10 This was a very interesting read thanks to a recommendation from a dear friend of mine. I found this to be a really cool and insightful study guide for the book of Helaman and I would love to read the whole Book of Mormon with the entire collection. For a book that I’ve read 20+ times, I found so many of the discussions to provoke new and unique thoughts! The literature is a little dense but so is scripture, and might I add that it is well worth the effort.

[Tyler Critchfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remarkable. Another gem in this series.

[RK Bitton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit more difficult to get through than others but there is still a pay off. The concept of critically searching our lives for what we are missing as the Nephites didn’t do was strong. As is the concept of weaponizing the gospel against others instead of using it for our improvement.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t remember the last book outside of scripture that had such a powerful call to humility and repentance. A disarming reminder to examine our biases and self-justifications.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this book after finishing the previous volume on the tail end of Alma in preparation for the Come Follow Me lessons coming up in Helaman. There are still two more weeks of lessons on Alma actually, so I kind of jumped the gun I suppose. This book had a more complete approach than the volume on Alma. The previous volume took a thematic approach. It didn't cover all of Alma 31-63 (nothing on the Stripling warriors or the title of liberty for instance), and it didn't necessarily cover the verses in order. The volume on Helaman by Berkey breaks the book down into five chapters, one for each of the original five chapters from Joseph Smith's translation.

Berkey does a good job of helping us re-imagine Helaman, which sometimes doesn't seem like a spiritual tale. It's political intrigue and Gadianton robbers, with Samuel the Lamanite appearing at the tail-end, and while he does prophesy of Christ, we focus on the dramatic components, the climbing the wall and the arrow-shooting and the like. Berkey does a good job at re-centering the important theological components, arguing that Helaman's core message is our distraction at outer appearances while being completely blind to our own inner failings. She makes Helaman sound like the section of the Book of Mormon that is relevant to us. This is us, this is who we are right now. And she writes it as a counter-narrative to traditional approaches that focus on the political intrigues of the Gadianton Robbers a la Benson. She says the most important part of the Robbers isn't their political agenda but their secretive methods. There were two components that really stuck out to me: her use of Paul's verse on seeing through a glass darkly in connection with Helaman, and the section on Helaman 12 that centers on a hymn to the earth. Really powerful stuff.

A really great read, I'm going to read Helaman now with some of these themes in mind.

[Brady Kronmiller · Rating 4 out of 5]

“We won't be ready to see the face of God until we've spent a lifetime studying our own, learning intimately all its blemishes and sun spots, and until we've spent more time creating laugh lines or drying tears than applying makeup or styling our hair... We ought to select
mirrors that will magnify our warts and wrinkles, helping us to see that we are not as consecrated as we think, not as generous to the poor, never as gracious and forgiving and tender as we hope. The gospel is precisely such a mirror, a tool designed for self-reflection and repentance. If we weaponize these mirrors against others rather than turning them
thoughtfully on ourselves, we can be sure that we have fallen into the same distortions that characterize the Nephites in the book of Helaman.”

“Our reading of the book of Helaman leaves us with an inescapable conclusion: you and I are wrong. Profoundly, devastatingly wrong about a great many things—many of them quite important. We hold the incorrect assumptions, misinterpret the intentions of others, and accept as truths things that are not, in fact, true. Even more damningly,… we offload our errors onto images we've constructed of others, pitting ourselves against a wicked world and convincing ourselves that we're the righteous ones.”

“The book of Helaman encourages readers to turn a self- critical eye on themselves… to look in the mirror of prophetic words to see where we fall short and where God is staring pointedly back at us.”

[Julee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily, one of my favorites in this series produced by BYU'S Maxwell Institute. It has changed how I will read the text of Helaman's record going forward as well as refined my focus on its central themes.

In part, the author astutely concludes,

The book of Helaman encourages us to shed light on those invisible corners, to make a habit of self-critique, and to loosen our grip on our certainties....

If we come away from our reading of Helaman shaking our heads at the blindness and willful stupidity of the Nephites, patting ourselves on the back for noticing what they failed to see, or eagerly sleuthing for secret enemies lurking in the shadows, we will have missed the message of this text. The message of Helaman is not to "be hypervigilant against threat" but rather "you are not as good at assessing threats as you think you are." The book of Helaman encourages readers to turn a self-critical eye on themselves, their relationships, and their treasures; to look in the mirror of prophetic words to see where we fall short and where God is staring pointedly back at us; to excavate the invisible corners of our hearts and clear room for heaven to surprise us.

Discipleship is a matter of training our vision to view unflinchingly the truths about ourselves that we want most to bury and the realities about the world that we want most to avoid. Christ shied away from neither....

[William Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I put this down for a while, but found it easy to jump back in. The Book of Helaman tends to get lost between the end of the war chapters in Alma and the visit of Christ in 3 Nephi, with the exceptions of Samuel the Lamanite’s ministry and the scripture mastery verses about building our lives on a Christ-centered foundation, but Berkey succeeds in enlivening and demonstrating relevance throughout this briefer book.

Berkey’s main thrust is a recurrent theme of vision that she painstakingly points out as interwoven through the narrative, prompting discussions of honest self-reflection and appraisal, the relative willingness of Nephites and Lamanites to see the root causes of events and cycles of adversity and prosperity, and the human tendency to deflect our sight from uncomfortable truths toward justifications for selfish behavior or palliative assurances that “all is well in Zion.” Her nuanced discussion of the relationship between faith, knowledge, and signs or miracles was all very insightful and also impactful to me.

I was particularly taken with this idea from the conclusion that helps encapsulate Berkey’s ideas about a core message of the Book of Helaman: “Discipleship is a matter of training our vision to view unfinchingly the truths about ourselves that we want most to bury and the realities about the world that we want most to avoid.” It certainly bears reflection.

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pointed, Precise, Re-orienting

This citation sums it up:
“The message of Helaman is not “be hypervigilant against threat” but rather “you are not as good at assessing threats as you think you are.” The book of Helaman encourages readers to turn a self-critical eye on themselves, their relationships, and their treasures; to look in the mirror of prophetic words to see where we fall short and where God is staring pointedly back at us; to excavate the invisible corners of our hearts and clear room for heaven to surprise us.”

Distraction, willing blindness, and hubris. As contrasted with attending to what is indeed real, looking for the invisible, and ever acknowledging my errant ability to assess truth.

Time and again the author has inspired me to embed insights and associated thoughts into oft-rehearsed scriptures hoping that review and rehearsal will affect thoughts and behavior.

I want to be different. I want to be changed.

[Peter Andrus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book has overtaken the Enos, Jarom, Omni book as my favorite of the series so far. It was so good. My favorite discussion is the one where she talks about how we are much less effective at discovering the secret combinations in our own lives that we are in pointing them out in the lives of others.

It is easy to sit back and criticize how others treat people in a less than Christlike manner. Do we apply that same lens to ourselves? Are we truly giving? Charitable? Empathetic?

Whenever points is how we roll ourselves to spend lots of money on travel or worldly possessions, but then Are spending on charitable giving. I read this portion while I was on a European vacation with my family. It was quite a sobering wake up call, and it has been On my mind ever since. I appreciate hearing these difficult words. I know it will affect a change in me.

[Carl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty disappointing book, and I'm not sure why. Kim is whip smart and a careful reader of the text. There are a few insights into the overall project of the book of Helaman that I found greatly useful in how I think about the book, but most of the rest of it just didn't do it for me. I don't know why. So I give it 3 stars, but I suspect that's just my own idiosyncrasies coming to the forefront. Not every book has to resonate with every reader, and this one didn't with me. There's no accounting for taste, even in matters of theology.

[Jackson Switzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heck of a good book. "What wants to escape our attention? What are we only too happy to overlook? It's there that the real story--and the real threat--lies." It had the effect on me Berkey believes Mormon hoped the Book of Helaman would have on us, turning me inward and making me wonder whether I'm seeing myself clearly--or, more strongly stated, making me wonder which parts of myself I'm not seeing clearly.

[James V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. It’s easy to take Helaman as more of the same, picking up where Alma leaves off, but Berkey makes it clear how that might be a mistake. Her tour of each of the original five chapters does much to heighten the spiritual stakes that might be hiding from our view if we’re overly focused on other things we think we know about Helaman (a great theme she explores throughout the book in its own right).

[Susan Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Divided into the original sections, the analysis has the reader contemplate more in-depth connections between the prophets in the New World and the prophets in the Old World, with applications for the modern day. Some insights are more useful than others and while theological examinations are interesting, without references to the living seers and prophets, this isn't a book for those seeking conversion.

[Janae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Enlightening and insightful. This is definitely one of my favorite books in this series. The need for self-reflection is real. We are our own worst enemies as we miss our own blind spots and focus on what others are "doing wrong." I've been changed by reading this book and will continue to be changed as I reflect upon it more and live the teachings of Christ.

[Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although a philosopher, Berkey does not utilize a specific perspective in her examination. In one sense, her presentation resembles an introduction to a philosophy course. While I have preferred the specific lens approach used by prior authors, Berkey presents some fruitful insights that makes this a worthwhile read.

[David Barney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this read. I liked how the author set up the book and then proceeded to present the interesting or important topics. I liked the emphasis of us as individuals to look at ourselves and not be taken in by how great we may think we are.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This really intrigued me. I think I’ve underlined more passages in this, than any of the others. I don’t necessarily agree with every idea she espouses, but I loved hearing them and many I’ll have to think more about.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting comparison between the teachings of Nephi (son of Nephi, grandson of Helaman) and Samuel the Lamanite. Also, nice insights about hubris- dangers and blindness of relying on our own knowledge and wealth instead of trusting in Lord.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book does a great job making Helaman relevant to our day—and will force you to confront uncomfortable truths about yourself. Berkey doesn't hold back on the comparisons between us and the Nephites, which doesn't make us look too good.

[Courtney Hatch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great entry in this series. While the other books are organized thematically, this one is written chronologically going chapter by chapter which isn’t as much my style but the content is still great!

[Cameron Archibald · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know many others loved this book but it was a little in the clouds for me. I had a harder time grasping the concepts and relating them to the text. I did like the authors treatment of the book as a mirror to our society. A nice bundle of insights that I had never considered before.

[Chanel Earl]

This was enlightening. It contained some new ideas and now ways of looking at old ideas.

[Louise Hartvigsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably my favorite of this series so far. So many insights that challenge how to view the stories from Helaman.

[Brad Rees · Rating 4 out of 5]

2023- Mar.

[Ryan Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this one was pretty good. It helped me see the Book of Helaman in a new light. It offered a useful corrective to how we usually relate to this account of secret combinations.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great writing. Great perspectives.