Pure Gold upon Pure Gold

Book of Mormon Notes - Friday, October 6, 2023, Alma 37

After teaching his son Helaman (was Helaman the eldest son? … let’s pay attention to that as we continue…) about the Brass Plates, the Plates of Nephi, and small and simple things, Alma the Younger moves to the next precious and sacred item that he will entrust to Helaman’s care: the twenty-four Jaredite plates.

If we pause for a minute to consider the order of Alma’s presentation, or at least the order in which he recorded, or someone recorded, his presentation of the sacred items to his son Helaman, then perhaps we can learn something about those sacred items and about their placement in the Book of Mormon.

As I mentioned previously, it makes perfect sense for Alma to begin at the beginning with the most foundational record for the Nephite civilization, namely the Brass Plates. It also makes sense for Alma to move next to the Nephite record. As a modern day comparison, this might be a bit like a sensible reading of the Standard Works of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, beginning with the Old and New Testaments (and the Pearl of Great Price), then the Book of Mormon, and then the Doctrine and Covenants. The Brass Plates were the foundation for everything, from Adam to the time of Lehi. Then the Nephite records - including Nephi’s small plates - were the foundation for contemporary scripture and history. The Jaredite record was somewhat like the Brass Plates because it too contained the story of God’s dealings with His people from the time of Adam up until the destruction of the Jaredites. In a way, the 24 Jaredite Plates were the “Brass Plates” for the Jaredites.

Today we are blessed with the foundational scripture that is similar to the Brass Plates: the Old Testament. But the Brass Plates had much more in them than we now have in the Old Testament. Furthermore, the Brass Plates had not been altered or mistranslated. We are also blessed with a portion of the Jaredite record, the “Brass Plates” for the Jaredites. Someday we will have the Plates of Brass in their purity, and we may also have the entire original and foundational record for the Jaredites, the Plates of Gold, or Ore (If I recall correctly, both Gold and Ore are used to describe the 24 Jaredite plates - but I’ll have to check that too) - and not just Moroni’s abridgment of them. There are so many records that have yet to come forth, but we need to appreciate the records that we have already been given. Remember the wagon loads of plates that Brigham Young described in his discourses?

Oliver Cowdery went with the Prophet Joseph when he deposited the plates...When Joseph got the plates, the angels instructed him to carry them back to the hill Cumorah, which he did. Oliver says that when Joseph and Oliver went there, the hill opened, and they walked into a cave, in which there was a large and spacious room. He says he did not think, at the time, whether they had the light of the sun or artificial light; but that it was just as light as day. They laid the plates on a table; it was a large table that stood in the room. Under the table there was a pile of plates as much as two feet high, and there were all together in this room more plates than probably many wagon loads; they were piled up in the corners and along the walls. The first time they went there the sword of Laban hung upon the wall; but when they went again it had been taken down and laid upon the table across the gold plates; it was unsheathed, and on it was written these words: "This sword will never be sheathed again until the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our God and his Christ." I tell you this as coming not only from Oliver Cowdery, but others who were familiar with it... (Brigham Young, JD 19:38; Also JD 4:105)

In any case, Alma the Younger moves from a discussion of small and simple things to the presentation of the Jaredite record to his son. The Brass Plates and the Nephite plates were and are sacred and significant, but if we think about what the Jaredite record meant to the Nephites, perhaps we can gain an even greater appreciation for the abridgment of this same record that we have, thanks to the diligent efforts of Mormon’s son Moroni (through whom Mormon may have fulfilled his supposedly sinful wish to be an angel and to cry repentance unto every people). In some ways, as the Jaredite record was to the Nephites, the Nephite record is to us today. This is because the Nephites were the inheritors of the Promised Land who received the record of the previous civilization - the Jaredites - who had inherited the land previously, degenerated because of pride and rebellion against God, and then been destroyed. The Nephites may have read the Jaredite record as a warning to their own civilization, just as we can now read both the Nephite and the Jaredite record as a warning to our own civilization.

What were these 24 plates that Alma presented to his son and conferred into his custody? Remember the story that King Limhi recounted to the original adventurer and explorer Ammon (not the missionary to the Lamanites)?

And the king said unto him: Being grieved for the afflictions of my people, I caused that ^aforty and three of my people should take a journey into the wilderness, that thereby they might find the land of Zarahemla, that we might appeal unto our brethren to deliver us out of bondage.

And they were lost in the wilderness for the space of ^amany days, yet they were diligent, and found not the land of Zarahemla but returned to this land, having traveled in a land among many waters, having discovered a land which was covered with ^bbones of men, and of beasts, and was also covered with ruins of buildings of every kind, having discovered a land which had been peopled with a people who were as numerous as the hosts of Israel.

And for a testimony that the things that they had said are true they have brought ^atwenty-four plates which are filled with engravings, and they are of pure gold. (Mosiah 8:7-9)

There it is: pure gold. Engravings upon pure gold. Pure gold upon pure gold - perhaps foreshadowing the pure gold that is the Book of Mormon that was also engraven upon plates of pure gold.

But Mormon later describes this same meeting between King Limhi and the Explorer Ammon as follows:

And it came to pass that there was no more disturbance between the Lamanites and the people of Limhi, even until the time that ^aAmmon and his brethren came into the land.

And the king having been without the gates of the city with his guard, ^adiscovered Ammon and his brethren; and supposing them to be priests of Noah therefore he caused that they should be taken, and bound, and cast into ^bprison. And had they been the priests of Noah he would have caused that they should be put to death.

But when he found that they were not, but that they were his brethren, and had come from the ^aland of Zarahemla, he was filled with exceedingly great joy.

Now king Limhi had sent, previous to the coming of Ammon, a ^asmall number of men to ^bsearch for the land of Zarahemla; but they could not find it, and they were lost in the wilderness.

Nevertheless, they did find a land which had been peopled; yea, a land which was covered with dry ^abones; yea, a land which had been peopled and which had been destroyed; and they, having supposed it to be the land of Zarahemla, returned to the land of Nephi, having arrived in the borders of the land not many days before the ^bcoming of Ammon.

And they brought a ^arecord with them, even a record of the people whose bones they had found; and it was engraven on plates of ore. (Mosiah 21:22-27)

A record of the Jaredites… on plates of ore. There it is.

Ammon informed King Limhi that the king of Zarahemla, King Mosiah, had a gift from God whereby he could translate ancient records. Imagine Joseph Smith translating these passages… and the process of better understanding his own gift of seer-ship. Mosiah had been prepared by the Lord to translate the Jaredite record that King Limhi’s explorers had found in the land of the Jaredites, or in the land where the Jaredites had once prospered, but then been destroyed:

And it came to pass that Mosiah received them with joy; and he also received their records, and also the records which had been found by the people of Limhi. (Mosiah 22:14)

Notice that Mormon presents King Mosiah’s reception of the records in the same order that Alma the Younger presents them to his son Helaman. King Mosiah was instrumental in adding to the growing cannon of Nephite scripture because he translated the 24 plates that contained the record of the Jaredites. Later, Mormon’s son Moroni received all of these records and sacred items from his father, just as Helaman had received all of these records and sacred items from his father, and Moroni abridged the record that King Mosiah had translated from the Jaredite language into the Nephite language (reformed Egyption):

And now I, Moroni, proceed to give an account of those ancient inhabitants who were destroyed by the hand of the Lord upon the face of this north country.

And I take mine account from the twenty and four plates which were found by the people of Limhi, which is called the Book of Ether.

And as I suppose that the first part of this record, which speaks concerning the creation of the world, and also of Adam, and an account from that time even to the great tower, and whatsoever things transpired among the children of men until that time, is had among the Jews—

Therefore I do not write those things which transpired from the days of Adam until that time; but they are had upon the plates; and whoso findeth them, the same will have power that he may get the full account.

But behold, I give not the full account, but a part of the account I give, from the tower down until they were destroyed. (Ether 1:1-5)

Whoso findeth them… wow! That will be an exciting discovery: the original Jaredite record in full!

And who kept this Jaredite record?

And the Lord spake unto Ether, and said unto him: Go forth. And he went forth, and beheld that the words of the Lord had all been fulfilled; and he finished his record; (and the hundredth part I have not written) and he hid them in a manner that the people of Limhi did find them. (Ether 15:33)

Who was this Ether? We will learn more about him as we continue our study of the Book of Mormon.

These are a few things that we know about the Jaredite record prior to and following Alma the Younger’s presentation of the record (translated by King Mosiah) to his son Helaman. Thus Helaman must have received not only the original 24 gold plates (or plates of ore), but also King Mosiah’s translation thereof. And King Mosiah’s original translation must have contained the entire record of the Jaredites, which Alma, Helaman, and other Nephite prophets read and understood. Moroni must have received both the original record and the translation as well, but he also had the interpreters, so he may not have had to rely entirely upon King Mosiah’s translation - he could go straight to the source!

Just as a quick side note, I don’t think that the number 24 - as in 24 gold plates - is coincidental. The number 24 is found elsewhere in the Book of Mormon.

How did Alma the Younger present the Jaredite record to his son Helaman? Very carefully.

And significantly, Alma the Younger presented the interpreters along with the Jaredite record as well.

This is how Alma presented the Jaredite record to Helaman:

And now, I will speak unto you concerning those ^atwenty-four plates, that ye keep them, that the ^bmysteries and the works of darkness, and their secret works, or the secret works of those people who have been destroyed, may be made ^cmanifest unto this people; yea, all their murders, and robbings, and their plunderings, and all their wickedness and abominations, may be made manifest unto this people; yea, and that ye preserve these ^dinterpreters.

For behold, the Lord saw that his people began to work in darkness, yea, work secret murders and abominations; therefore the Lord said, if they did not repent they should be destroyed from off the face of the earth.

And the Lord said: I will prepare unto my servant Gazelem, a ^astone, which shall shine forth in darkness unto light, that I may ^bdiscover unto my people who serve me, that I may discover unto them the works of their brethren, yea, their secret works, their works of darkness, and their wickedness and abominations.

And now, my son, these ^ainterpreters were prepared that the word of God might be fulfilled, which he spake, saying:

I will ^abring forth out of darkness unto light all their secret works and their abominations; and except they repent I will ^bdestroy them from off the face of the earth; and I will bring to light all their secrets and abominations, unto every nation that shall hereafter possess the land.

And now, my son, we see that they did not repent; therefore they have been destroyed, and thus far the word of God has been fulfilled; yea, their ^asecret abominations have been brought out of darkness and made known unto us.

And now, my son, I command you that ye retain all their oaths, and their covenants, and their agreements in their secret abominations; yea, and all their ^asigns and their wonders ye shall ^bkeep from this people, that they know them not, lest peradventure they should fall into darkness also and be destroyed.

For behold, there is a ^acurse upon all this land, that destruction shall come upon all those workers of darkness, according to the power of God, when they are fully ripe; therefore I desire that this people might not be destroyed.

Therefore ye shall keep these secret plans of their ^aoaths and their covenants from this people, and only their wickedness and their murders and their abominations shall ye make known unto them; and ye shall teach them to ^babhor such wickedness and abominations and murders; and ye shall also teach them that these people were destroyed on account of their wickedness and abominations and their murders.

For behold, they ^amurdered all the prophets of the Lord who came among them to declare unto them concerning their iniquities; and the blood of those whom they murdered did cry unto the Lord their God for vengeance upon those who were their murderers; and thus the judgments of God did come upon these workers of darkness and secret ^bcombinations.

Yea, and ^acursed be the land forever and ever unto those workers of darkness and secret combinations, even unto destruction, except they repent before they are fully ^bripe.

And now, my son, remember the words which I have spoken unto you; trust not those secret plans unto this people, but teach them an everlasting ^ahatred against sin and iniquity.

^aPreach unto them repentance, and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ; teach them to humble themselves and to be ^bmeek and lowly in heart; teach them to ^cwithstand every ^dtemptation of the devil, with their faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Teach them to never be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart; for such shall find ^arest to their souls. (Alma 37:21-34)

To be continued…