Helaman's Attitude
An attitude that we commonly speak of and observe, especially in the young of this generation, is that of entitlement. Elder Oaks described it this way, “The ancient evil of greed shows its face in the assertion of entitlement: I am entitled to this or that because of who I am—a son or a daughter, a citizen, a victim, or a member of some other group. Entitlement is generally selfish. It demands much, and it gives little or nothing.” One of the great figures of the Book of Mormon who showed us how to live with an attitude devoid of this sense of entitlement was Helaman, the son of Alma. He had, especially in his actions during the war between the Nephites and the Lamanites, an incredibly unselfish attitude in which he sought only to serve and trust in the Lord. When Alma taught Helaman near the end of Alma’s life, he said, “I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day” (Alma 36:3). Helaman lived with an immense faith in the Lord and chose to focus on that trust in God instead of what he may have thought was owed to him.
I think we first see the unselfishness when Helaman took it upon himself to convince the people of Ammon not to fight. We read that when those former Lamanites contemplated breaking their covenant, “Helaman feared lest by so doing they should lose their souls” and he worked to convince them not to do so (Alma 53:15). He could have let it at that and with an attitude of entitlement of his own comfort said, “That’s not my problem; I don’t deserve to be affected by their former bad choices. I’m entitled to better.” But instead he not only convinced them to not fight but offered in their place to go at the head of their sons. It was truly a great sacrifice on his part, and his experiences show even further how he portrayed selflessness and the opposite of an attitude of entitlement. In the midst of the war as they were precariously holding on to the cities they had recaptured, Helaman wrote to Moroni and told him how he “did send an embassy to the governor of our land, to acquaint him concerning the affairs of our people,” requesting more provisions and help in the war in this very dangerous time. The situation got so bad that he said, “we did wait in these difficult circumstances for the space of many months, even until we were about to perish for the want of food” (Alma 58:4, 7). But his letter didn’t portray the least bit of complaint or “wo is me” kind of attitude. They were on the verge of starvation and losing to the innumerable number of Lamanites, and he simply said, “The cause of these our embarrassments, or the cause why they did not send more strength unto us, we knew not…. Therefore we did pour out our souls in prayer to God, that he would strengthen us and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies” (Alma 58:10). He did not lament about what he “deserved” or should have received from the government; he simply stated their condition as it was and put his trust in the Lord. And because he chose faith in God instead of frustration with man, he was able to miraculously recapture the city of Manti without losing any of his men. Most of us in his situation would have lamented not receiving what we deserved and were entitled to—support from the government. We would have struggled to see anything past the difficulties and lack of help from those who were supposed to help us. But Helaman, instead of complaining, put his trust in the Lord and pulled off a miracle. He had indeed truly taken to heart his father’s counsel to trust in the Lord and at the end of the war would be able to repeat what his father said to him, “And I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind, yea, and in all manner of afflictions” (Alma 36:27).
I think we first see the unselfishness when Helaman took it upon himself to convince the people of Ammon not to fight. We read that when those former Lamanites contemplated breaking their covenant, “Helaman feared lest by so doing they should lose their souls” and he worked to convince them not to do so (Alma 53:15). He could have let it at that and with an attitude of entitlement of his own comfort said, “That’s not my problem; I don’t deserve to be affected by their former bad choices. I’m entitled to better.” But instead he not only convinced them to not fight but offered in their place to go at the head of their sons. It was truly a great sacrifice on his part, and his experiences show even further how he portrayed selflessness and the opposite of an attitude of entitlement. In the midst of the war as they were precariously holding on to the cities they had recaptured, Helaman wrote to Moroni and told him how he “did send an embassy to the governor of our land, to acquaint him concerning the affairs of our people,” requesting more provisions and help in the war in this very dangerous time. The situation got so bad that he said, “we did wait in these difficult circumstances for the space of many months, even until we were about to perish for the want of food” (Alma 58:4, 7). But his letter didn’t portray the least bit of complaint or “wo is me” kind of attitude. They were on the verge of starvation and losing to the innumerable number of Lamanites, and he simply said, “The cause of these our embarrassments, or the cause why they did not send more strength unto us, we knew not…. Therefore we did pour out our souls in prayer to God, that he would strengthen us and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies” (Alma 58:10). He did not lament about what he “deserved” or should have received from the government; he simply stated their condition as it was and put his trust in the Lord. And because he chose faith in God instead of frustration with man, he was able to miraculously recapture the city of Manti without losing any of his men. Most of us in his situation would have lamented not receiving what we deserved and were entitled to—support from the government. We would have struggled to see anything past the difficulties and lack of help from those who were supposed to help us. But Helaman, instead of complaining, put his trust in the Lord and pulled off a miracle. He had indeed truly taken to heart his father’s counsel to trust in the Lord and at the end of the war would be able to repeat what his father said to him, “And I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind, yea, and in all manner of afflictions” (Alma 36:27).
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