Egyptian Names in the Book of Helaman

According to the Prophet Moroni, a testimony of the truthfulness of all things, including the Book of Mormon, comes through the Holy Ghost. (Moroni 10:4) I can testify through personal experience that this is true. While one does not gain a testimony of the Book through intellectual study, once one has the testimony, it can be strengthened by such study. I gained my testimony by Moroni's formula when I was 17 years old and, being somewhat scholarly myself, have enjoyed the study of Book of Mormon scholars ever since.

One field of research that I find fascinating is the study of the etymology of Near Eastern words in the Book. Names of people and places are particularly of interest because the name often gives clues into the history and character of the individual. For example, Nephi's name is of Egyptian origin (nfr), which means goodly, fine, or fair/beautiful. When Nephi wrote that he had been born of goodly parents,  he was making a pun of his own name. (https://knowhy.bookofmormoncentral.org/knowhy/what-is-so-good-about-nephis-name) His name tells us a lot about the man.

In the Book of Helaman, we find a civil conflict which occurs following the death of the Chief Judge, Pahoran, and involving three of his sons: Pahoran, Paanchi, and Pacumeni.  These names, according to scholars such as Hugh Nibley are derived from Egyptian words.  For example, the preface pa means the.  So Pa-followed by a descriptive word, tells us something about the man. 

Pa-horan: horan is associated with the Egyptian governor of Syria, Pahura.  The name Pahoran most likely refers to the governor or Chief Judge of the Nephites.  

Pa-anchi: anchi is related to ankh, the Egyptian symbol of life or for the living god.  The hieroglyph ankh was commonly used to describe oaths the the living God. (Remember Nephi's oath with Zoram? - as the Lord liveth and as I live . . . .)

According to Book of Mormon scholar, Matt Bowen, Paanchi's rebellion as described in the Book of Helaman set up the tradition of blood oaths and secrecy that became the hallmark of all secret combination, including the Gadianton Robbers who were involved with the assassination of Pahoran the Younger.  It is interesting that there was a similar plot in ancient Egypt by a man named Kherihor (Korihor?) to usurp the throne of Pharaoh.  He then put his own son, Paanchi, on the throne.

For further information on the use of Egyptian names in the Book of Mormon, see the following link.  

Egyptian names in the Book of Mormon

BTW, the third brother, Pacumeni, was the dark horse, so to speak.  Unlike his brother, Paanchi, he supported his elder brother, Pahoran, in his appointment as Chief Judge.  When Pahoran was assassinated, Pacumeni was chosen by the will of the people to fill his place. The implication of his name cumeni refers to being hidden.  So, over-simplification, I admit, we have The Governor, the Blood Oath Conspirator, and the Hidden One or, as I said, the dark horse.

Are these names important?  Now ask yourself: Could an 19th Century American farm boy have written this book?

© Kathleen Rawlings Buntin Danielson August 2020

SWAN SONG - ALMA THE YOUNGER

I have grown to love Alma the Younger during these past months. He went from being a sinner and seeking to destroy the Church - to a penitent young man, a missionary, a wise prophet and loving father.


Alma is a Book of Mormon hero worthy of emulation. One thing I have noted throughout the Book is the importance of the final words of a prophet.  Lehi left his final words for his sons and grandchildren. Benjamin gave his final words from a tower when he handed over the governing of the Nephites to his son, Mosiah. Alma also gave his final counsel to his son, Helaman, who would become the leader of the Church in his stead.  What he said resonates with me today.

It was the 19th year of the reign of the judges when he called his son Helaman to come to him.  He began by asking questions:

• Believest thou the words which I spake unto you concerning those records which have been kept?
• Believest thou in Jesus Christ, who shall come?

To each question, Helaman answered in the affirmative.  He told his Alma that he believed everything which his father had taught him. (Alma 45: 2-5) Then the questions became even more personal as he sought a commitment from his son.

• Will you keep my commandments?

Of course Helaman understood as do we that Alma was speaking of the commandments he taught which were had from the Lord, Jesus  Christ.  Alma wanted his son to pattern his life after that of the Savior who was to come. (Alma 45: 6-7) 

Alma promised Helaman that if he continued on this path, the Lord will bless him to prosper in the land.  We often think that prosper means financial prosperity.  It can include that, but it is much more.  It includes all of the intangibles such as testimony, family, love, and all of the fruits of the gospel.

What does it mean to prosper in the land?

The final days of the Nephite nation

Then came the most sobering part of the interview.  Alma told his son that he had seen the future of the Nephites and it wasn't a pretty picture.  He wanted Helaman to understand, but not to share, the prophecy at that time.  To have done so would have been to dishearten the Nephites at a crucial time in their history.  Thankfully, Helaman was later able to share the story for our benefit.  Mormon chose to include it because he lived 400 years after the coming of Christ to America and he saw the tragic fulfillment of this prophecy.

• The Nephites would dwindle in unbelief.  They would lose their faith.
• As a result, the Lord's protecting hand would be withdrawn and the people would experience war, pestilence, famine and bloodshed until the Nephites as a people would become extinct. (Alma 45:11)
• Those who lived would choose to become Lamanites. (Alma 45:14) In reading Mormon's account of this time, it would not be a great leap since the Nephites had become even more wicked than the Lamanites. The day of grace had passed with them. (Mormon 2:15)
• When they lost their faith, the fell into the works of darkness, and lasciviousness, and all manner of iniquitities. (Alma 45: 12)
• Thus saith the Lord God - Cursed shall be the land, yea, this land, unto every nation, kindred, tongue and people, unto destruction which do wickedly, when they are fully ripe . . . it will be a cursing . . . upon the land, for the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance. (Alma 45:16)

~ ~ ~

How close are we to sharing their fate? It is a challenge to stay positive in the face of the wickedness that surrounds us.  We are in the last days and are experiencing wars and rumors of wars (spreading fear and terror) and pestilence (such as COVID).  We hear of earthquakes and starvation, plagues of locust in Africa, horrible fires in America, including natural fires in forests and man-set fires in cities. There are super hurricanes, earthquakes in diverse places, tidal waves, even atomic accidents.  Those who have eyes to see and ears to hear cannot in any degree doubt that these are the tribulations of the last days.

I personally take comfort in knowing the I am in the hands of the Lord and the world is in the hands of living prophets.  One of the most optimist prophets of recent days was President Gordon B. Hinkley. He admonished us not to be gloomy.  Not to be drawn into the trauma drama of the world. He gave us a simple formula to leave Babylon and stay firm the gospel. (See poster below)

Remember who you are and what you stand for.

© Kathleen Rawlings Buntin Danielson August 2020

AS THE LORD LIVETH - OATHS IN ANCIENT ISREAL

There  is a scene in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince when Narissa Malfoy asks Snape to help her son, Draco in a dangerous task, even taking over the task should Draco fail.  She asks Snape to swear and oath with her, the unbreakable vow. If either party breaks the vow, the penalty is death.

Modern readers may have a problem getting their minds around the concept of an oath so strong, no one would dare break it, but in fact there are such oaths in the Middle East that were present historically and, in some places, still exist.  One such oath is found in the Book of First Nephi, chapter 4.

After obtaining the Plates of Brass through disguising himself as Laban, Nephi leaves the city with Laban's servant, Zoram.  When Zoram realizes that Nephi is not his master, he tries to run back into the city.  Nephi, who is described as young but very strong, restrains him. In  retelling the incident, Nephi wrote:

. . . I spake with him, that if he would hearken unto my words, as the Lord liveth, and as I live, even so that . . . we would spare his life.  . . . that he need not fear; that he should be a free man like unto us if he would go down in the wilderness with us. . . And Zoram did take courage at the words which I spake . . . and he made an oath unto us that he would tarry with us from that time forth. (1 Nephi 4: 32, 33, 35)

Zoram kept his oath and he stayed with Nephi to the end of his days. The key words of the oath are as the Lord liveth and I liveth.  When one person in this culture of ancient Israel makes that oath, he is swearing, not only on his own life, but on the life of the Lord God.  No believer would make such an oath lest he suffer spiritual death.  

When the battle between the Nephites under the command of Captain Moroni and the Lamanites under the command of Zarahemnah, reached such a fever pitch, Moroni realized that if they continued to fight, they would wipe out Zarahemnah's entire army.  The Nephites were well armed and wore armor.  Lamanite soldiers had only loincloths. The Nephites had no desire to shed useless blood for no reason other than to shed blood; therefore, Moroni told his army to stand down and he halted the battle.  He spoke with Zarahemnah about the Lamanites laying down their weapons and taking an oath to never war again.  Zarahemnah laid down his sword, but refused to take the oath. This clip from Book of Mormon Central explains why.  It is clear that though he was a Lamanite and hated the Nephites, he knew that such an oath would bind him to Moroni for eternity. Some of the Lamanites took the oath and were release to go home.  Others didn't

Zarahemnah and the Oath 

When Zarahemnah refused to take the oath, he picked up his sword to attack Moroni.  He was stopped and his sword broken. The Lamanites continued to battle until one of Moroni's men cut off Zarahemnah's scalp and held it on the tip of his sword.  Zarahemnah finally realized that he would lose his own life and his army would be destroyed.    He agreed to make the oath with Moroni.  

~ ~ ~

Moroni's army had spiritual armor as well as physical armor.  The Apostle Paul would later describe spiritual armor as what we will need to battle the unseen enemies of thrones and principalities. (Ephesians 6)

I want to note that most of the armor is protective, just like the physical armor.   The only offensive weapon is the sword - the word of God - Christ - and the Holy Ghost.  If we must fight evil in our day (and we must) we must protect ourselves and use the Spirit in relaying the truth to others (not  Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media sites). I challenge myself to a Facebook fast.  Will you  join with me?

© Kathleen Rawlings Buntin Danielson August 2020

I CAN DO HARD THINGS - THE WAR CHAPTERS

Hard things - This week's scripture reading will be a challenge for me.  These 9 chapters of Alma are sometimes called the "War Chapters."  I cannot read them without seeing Satan's hands in the war we are fighting today - and yes, we are at war! 

The War Chapters

I'd like to begin by quoting the Come Unto Me lesson manual for families and individuals:

Reading about the wars between the Nephites and Lamanites might be more meaningful to you if you look for parallels to your personal spiritual battles.  As you read Alma 43-52, notice what the Nephites did that made the successful (or unsuccessful). Then ponder how you can use what you learn to help you win your spiritual battles.  

I repeat: we are in a war, a war that began for the souls of men before the earth was created.  The war in which Satan and those who follow him are cast out of the presence of God for seeking to deny mankind its agency and seeking power and glory over God. The war that continues on earth today.  Satan has never changed his objectives - the captivity and misery of man and the thwarting of God's Plan.  He may alter techniques and move the battlefield, but he never changes his objective.  

In our war today, it is easy for one who has the Gift of the Holy Ghost to discern good from evil, no matter how Satan tries to frame it.  Those without the Spirit are easily deceived. Those without the Spirit frame sexual sins as "alternative lifestyles"; they speak of the out-and-out attack on America as "peaceful protest"; they spin and lie and mislead.  It is so blatant and obvious to those who see it as God sees it that it makes one wonder what in the world they are thinking! The point is, they are not thinking.  They are being strung along by lies and deceit and corruption until they don't know the difference between a man and a woman or a child and an adult. Someone under age is a child.  Sexual predation against such is never consensual because a child is cognitively unable to understand enough to give consent. That the verbal members of our society have been strung along so far that they accept such ridiculous notions as men can choose to be women and women, men - which flies in the face of, not just faith, but of biology and common sense.  It you have a Y chromosome, you are a man, no matter how you think you should be allowed to identify as something else.

The lesson goes on to say:

Notice how the Lamanites and the Nephite dissenters tried to defeat the Nephites.  These things can warn you about how the adversary might try to attack you.

This situation is not political alone.  It is not simply a difference of opinion.  It goes far beyond that.  We are in a war with the powers of Satan and those among us who are dissenters from God.  In the days of Captain Moroni, they did not succeed.  But the lies stayed alive and in the days of Mormon, they did succeed in the total destruction of the Nephite nation when the majority of the Nephites dissented from Jesus Christ and became even more wicked than their enemies. I see that today as American's rage against Americans.

I don't have a national pulpit from which to preach.  I have done posts on Social Media, but have found that those who are against the Lord have been so skewed by Satan that they cannot recognize the truth when it is presented.  Instead, people divide into stark camps of hatred and attack from behind, even when there is no evidence to support their claims.  These people make up their minds that they are going to hate a certain leader, and then go digging in the muck trying to find buried skeletons. So I will use Social Media only to post links to my blog. In my private life, I will do my best with the time I have been given, even though my best may be as small as a Hobbit.

We all have done things of which we are not proud.  Hopefully, as we mature, those things become fewer.  There is not a person outside of the Savior who doesn't have at least one skeleton in the closet. But to make a unrighteous judgment call based on mistakes that have been corrected is more than cruel; it is life-destroying.  

A story is told of two brothers who fought.  One was so off in his thinking that he sought to take his brother's life.  Over the course of many years, he changed, repented, and like the prodigal son came to himself.  One day while out in the streets, he was approached by two women who recognized him.  One of them said, "Aren't you the man who tried to kill his own brother?"  To which the man answered, "That was I but it is not I."  

Think about it.

© Kathleen Rawlings Buntin Danielson August 2020