As a sign of the Lord's keen interest in the scriptures He pointed out to the Nephites they had neglected to include Samuel the Lamanite's prophecy in their records. He admonished them to "search the prophets" who had testified of Him. (3 Ne. 23: 5.) Samuel the Lamanite was an outsider, whose ethnic identity was with the largely apostate enemies of the Nephites. His genealogy was not kept among the Nephites. He did not live among them. Where he came from and where he went afterwards was apparently unknown to the Nephites. None of that mattered to the Lord, because the Lord sent him.
Samuel had no Nephite credentials. Everything necessary to assess his relevance is summed up by the Lord: "Verily, I say unto you, I commanded my servant Samuel, the Lamanite, that he should testify unto this people[.]" (3 Ne. 23: 9.)
When he spoke, Samuel modestly stated his credential: "Behold, I, Samuel, a Lamanite, do speak the words of the Lord which he doth put into my heart[.]" (Hel. 13: 5.) And, "behold, an angel of the Lord hath declared it unto me[.]" (Hel. 13: 7.)
Samuel warned them they were condemned because of their love of riches. (Hel. 13: 20-22.) This love caused them to be filled with "great pride, unto boasting, and unto great swelling, envyings, strifes, malice, persecutions, and murders, and all manner of iniquities." (Id. v. 22.) Samuel warned them they boast they would have accepted the true prophets and not persecuted them (Hel. 13: 25), but they were worse than their predecessors because "if a prophet come among you and declareth unto you the word of the Lord, which testifieth of your sins and iniquites, ye are angry with him, and cast him out and seek all manner of ways to destroy him; yea, you will say that he is a false prophet, and that he is a sinner, and of the devil, because he testifieth that your deeds are evil." (Hel. 13: 26.) In contrast, when a man comes to declare the people are righteous, and do not need to repent, but all is well with them, such a man "ye will receive him, and say that he is a prophet. Yea, ye will lift him up, and ye will give unto him of your substance; ye will give unto him of your gold, and of your silver, and ye will clothe him with costly apparel; and because he speaketh flattering words unto you, and he saith that all is well, then ye will not find fault with him." (Hel. 13: 27-28.)
Though the Nephites rejected him, and he fled from among them, when the Lord came He acknowledged He had sent Samuel. He criticized the Nephite records for neglecting to include the full extent of Samuel's prophecy, asking "How is it that ye have not written this thing[?]" (3 Ne. 23: 11.) The content of scriptures should always reflect the Lord's words, no matter the source He elects to speak them.
This example from the Book of Mormon is a clear warning intended for our day. Christ's admonition to "Search the prophets" is just as important an admonition now as it was then. So the challenge remains to keep ourselves ready, and listen to the words of the Prophets. It is our common misconception, however, that there will never be another Samuel the Lamanite who is an outsider and without credentials to be given a message for us by the Lord. We expect that if there is a message for our day it will come from the head of the church, not some obscure outsider, like Samuel. We imagine it is always safe to disregard such characters. It is curious, however, that the Book of Mormon, which is the "most correct book" includes this odd departure as an example. It is odd the Nephites never figured out our system. It is so much better than theirs was. We really are a royal generation, the most blessed of all who have ever lived! We never face such a test, because we imagine we have an authorized source of truth, an institutional charisma that can never fail, and through which we can never be led astray. The Lord has made it so much easier for us in our day. It somehow makes sense to us, but leaves me wondering if the Lord ought not apologize to the Nephites for making it so much harder for them. Then there is that unfortunate recent announcement by the church a few days ago about church leaders speaking "in the absence of revelation" which complicates these questions.
It makes me wonder if our eternal salvation depends on sorting out the truth from error. Or, alternatively, if it matters in the more immediate unfolding history preliminary to the Second Coming and the whole earth being cursed if we get it wrong.
