“Helaman 14: Signs of the Savior,” Book of Mormon Student Manual (2024)
“Helaman 14,” Book of Mormon Student Manual
Helaman 14
Signs of the Savior
Heavenly Father sends prophets to help His children believe in His Beloved Son, such as when He instructed Samuel the Lamanite to prophesy to the Nephites. As part of his prophecies, Samuel told of signs that would announce the birth and death of Jesus Christ. This lesson can help you strengthen your belief in Jesus Christ as you understand signs God has given us.
Announcements
Think of events in your life that are so important that you will announce them to friends and family ahead of time. In many cultures, formal announcements of graduation, marriage, significant birthdays, and other events are created and sent out weeks or months in advance.
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What are some reasons people would send these announcements before the day of the event?
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What are some events that Heavenly Father has chosen to announce beforehand through His prophets? Why do you think those events are so important to make known?
Through Samuel the Lamanite’s prophecies, God announced to the Nephites important future events and signs that would accompany them.
Read Helaman 14:12, looking for reasons God commanded Samuel to prophesy of these signs.
One truth we can learn is that knowing signs God has given can affirm our belief in Jesus Christ.
How do you think witnessing the signs given by Samuel to announce the birth and death of Jesus Christ would have affected you? Ponder what signs or experiences God has given you to confirm your belief in the Savior. These might include signs that precede the Savior’s Second Coming.
Signs of the Savior’s birth and death
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Complete the following:
Using the following prophecies, create announcements for the Nephites in Samuel’s day of the birth and death of the Savior. Strive to capture the excitement of the Savior’s birth and the weight of His death. Also include why people should prepare for these coming events.
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Signs of His birth: Helaman 14:2–8
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Signs of His death: Helaman 14:14–15, 20–27
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Ponder the following questions:
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Why do you think signs involving light and darkness announced the Savior’s birth and death?
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How might seeing these signs have affirmed the Nephites’ belief in the Savior?
Signs of the Second Coming
Just as Heavenly Father used signs to prepare the ancient Nephites for the coming of His Son, He uses signs in our day to help us prepare for the Second Coming of His Son.
To help you become familiar with or remember some of the signs preceding the Second Coming, read the following scripture passages and match them with the description of the sign. If you would like to study more signs, see “Signs of the Times” in the Guide to the Scriptures (scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org).
The correct answers are found at the end of the lesson.
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Answer at least two of the following questions:
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How have you seen some of the signs of the Savior’s Second Coming fulfilled?
Before answering the following question, ponder how your belief in the Savior has been affected by the restored Church of Jesus Christ, the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, missionary work, and temples.
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How has the fulfillment of these signs affirmed your faith in the Savior?
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According to Helaman 14:13, 28–29, why is it so important for us to believe in Christ?
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In what ways has your belief in Jesus Christ been a blessing to you?
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As you study 3 Nephi 1–10 in coming lessons, you will read about the fulfillment of the signs Samuel gave of the Savior’s birth and death. The people in Samuel’s day who believed the prophecies and prepared for the coming of Christ had very different experiences from those who did not.
In your study journal, write about your belief in the Savior and the experiences that led you to it. You might also include how you can strengthen that belief (for example, by continuing to study the Book of Mormon or by attending the temple).
Matching activity answer key: 1-d, 2-b, 3-a, 4-c, 5-e