Unbelievers shoot arrows and throw rocks at Samuel, but they can’t hit him. He escapes and goes home. Those who believe his words find Nephi, who teaches and baptizes them. Those who don’t believe rationalize away his prophesies with far-fetched theories about prophets manufacturing signs to keep them in submission.
Chapter Outline
- Samuel escapes; believers are baptized by Nephi (v. 1-8)
- Contrast between believers and unbelievers (v. 9-25)
My Takeaways
- Don’t be intimidated if others view your beliefs as “unreasonable.”
- To be wise: be observant, find good sources of truth, and be receptive to spiritual guidance from God.
Featured Blog Posts
❖ Contrast between believers and unbelievers – Helaman 16:9-25
Walking More Circumspectly Before God – Helaman 16:10
10 And thus ended also the eighty and seventh year of the reign of the judges, the more part of the people remaining in their pride and wickedness, and the lesser part walking more circumspectly before God. (Helaman 16:10) The word “circumspect” comes from two Latin words: circum (“around, about”) and specere (“to look”). It means to be cautious,…
Some Things They May Have Guessed Right – Helaman 16:15-16
15 Nevertheless, the people began to harden their hearts, all save it were the most believing part of them, both of the Nephites and also of the Lamanites, and began to depend upon their own strength and upon their own wisdom, saying:16 Some things they may have guessed right, among so many; but behold, we…
Reasonableness
As they grappled with “signs and wonders” which called into question their unbelief (Helaman 16:4, 23), many of the Nephites, and even some of the Lamanites, resorted to high-pressure arguments to rationalize their inflexibility. Here are some of those arguments: “Some things they may have guessed right, among so many” (Helaman 16:16). If you predict…
Samuel the Lamanite and Occam’s Razor
The people who chose not to believe Samuel after seeing his miraculous avoidance of their stones and arrows concocted far-fetched theories to explain away what they had seen. The simplest explanation isn’t always right, but it’s a good place to start.
New Testament Parallels
Wise Men
Not all of the wise men in the world at the time of Jesus’s birth made the trek to Jerusalem. As Matthew records, sometime after the birth of the Savior, a group of wise men came “from the east” to Jerusalem, seeking a baby whom they identified as the “King of the Jews.” They said…
How Does the Gospel Bring Us Joy?
The angel who appeared to King Benjamin declared that his message would bring joy to Benjamin and to his people: I am come to declare unto you the glad tidings of great joy. For the Lord hath heard thy prayers, and hath judged of thy righteousness, and hath sent me to declare unto thee that…
All Posts Referencing Helaman 16
- Wise Men: We Have Seen His Star (12/27/2025)
- Confession (6/6/2025)
- A Book of Mormon Nativity (12/25/2024)
- Samuel the Lamanite and Occam’s Razor (9/15/2024)
- “If Ye Will Repent…” (9/11/2024)
- “I Only Remain” (7/2/2022)
- Wise Men (12/25/2020)
- Signs and Wonders – 3 Nephi 2:1-3 (9/12/2020)
- Reasonableness (9/4/2020)
- How Does the Gospel Bring Us Joy? (12/23/2019)
- What Is Wisdom? (12/13/2019)
- How Can I Recognize the Temptations of the Devil? (8/18/2019)
- Some Things They May Have Guessed Right – Helaman 16:15-16 (4/21/2017)
- Walking More Circumspectly Before God – Helaman 16:10 (9/26/2015)