Poetry: Helaman’s Heart and a Jaredite Barge
Compiled by Jim Richards

The Bible has influenced and inspired some of the world’s greatest literature and art. Now, as the restored gospel spreads across the globe, it is exciting to see literature and art that is inspired by the Book of Mormon. This additional testament of Jesus Christ is also an additional source where artists can find stories, people, and ideas to inspire their work. In the following poems, Nicki Lynn Fortney takes us into the heart of Helaman as he contemplates his stripling warriors, and into a Jaredite barge as they venture across the sea. I hope you enjoy the journey.

The Light Of Morning
(Alma 56:41-48)

In the morning on the third day of the seventh month
The Serpent’s call came upon us.
Holding my ear to the ground,
My heart fled before the fear of invasion.
How tight can the light of morning hold the focus of mind? 

The enemy overcame my knowledge of numbers.
Do armies gather to hold these masses, now?
Only a legend of dreams replies in whispers.
And the light of morning beheld my sons,
My sons marching their youth into courage. 

Captain, can you recall the fervor and contagion of hope
They carried in reply to the call of arms?
“Our god is with us, our god is with us,”
An echo that encircled our fear and routed our unbelief. 

The liberty of their fathers held their hearts
And rehearsing their mothers’ words, even now I hear:
               “We do not doubt our mothers knew it:
               Fear not, our god is with us;
               Doubt not, our god will deliver us.” 

-----

Upon The Waters 

The light holds true, driven as we are
        upon the waters.
No whale can mar nor monster break us
        upon the waters.
We raise our voices praising our God all day
        upon the waters.
And when night comes we cease not our songs
        upon the waters.
Buried, tight as a dish, no hurt can come
        upon the waters.
We cry to come forth to him who walks
        upon the waters.
The mountain waves break over us
        upon the waters.
And a furious wind begins to blow
        upon the waters.
And we are now three-hundred and forty-four days
        upon the waters.
Shores of a promised land beckon to us
        upon the waters.
We will covenant our lives upon that land
        upon the waters. 

-----

About the Poet
Nicki Lynn Fortney lives in Billings, Montana and works as a manager at Words of Wisdom (LDS) Bookstore.  She received a BA degree in English from BYU in 1981.  She enjoys riding horses, living in a tipi, reading books, playing the violin, writing poetry, and doing family history research. She is an enrolled member of the Gros Ventre Tribe.

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Jim Richards, Meridian Magazine's Poetry Editor, grew up in Salt Lake City as the fourth child in a family of ten. He spent each summer in Montana, where he developed a deep love for mountains, lakes, and forests and activities such as hiking, waterskiing, and riding motorcycles. He has enjoyed various experiences abroad, including a semester in Jerusalem, a mission to Costa Rica, an excursion through southern Europe, and a term studying theater in London. He completed his B.A. and M.A. in English at BYU, and is currently a doctoral Cambor Fellow in the creative writing program at the University of Houston. His poetry has appeared in Literature and Belief, BYU Studies, and elsewhere. He lives with his wife and two sons in Houston, where he serves as second counselor in the bishopric of the Spring Branch Ward.

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