In Helaman 5, we find not just an interesting insight into the names of Helaman's two sons, but a cultural parallel on covenant naming. Mormon makes the following commentary:
For they remembered the words which their father Helaman spake unto them. And these are the words which he spake:
Behold, my sons, I desire that ye should remember to keep the commandments of God; and I would that ye should declare unto the people these words. Behold, I have given unto you the names of our first parents who came out of the land of Jerusalem; and this I have done that when you remember your names ye may remember them; and when ye remember them ye may remember their words; and when ye remember their words ye may know how that it is said, and also written, that they were good. (Helaman 5:5-7)
According to Jennifer Lane, to understand the significance in the Old Testament [and the Book of Mormon] of the idea of "giving a name," it is essential to appreciate the importance of names to the Israelites. The Hebrew word sem, usually translated "name," can also be rendered "remembrance" or "memorial," indicating that the name acts as a reminder to its bearers and others. The name shows both the true nature of its bearer and indicates the relationship that exists between entities. . . .
In Genesis 48:14-16 we find a very similar description of covenant naming in the patriarchal birthright blessing of Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, by their grandfather Israel (Jacob):
And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head . . . And he blessed Joseph, and said:
God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, the Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads, and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
Thus, in the same manner as Helaman named his sons, Jacob blessed his grandsons Ephraim and Manasseh, recalling the memory of his redemption, and gave them not only his name, but the names of Abraham and Isaac. [Jennifer Clark Lane, "The Lord Will Redeem His People: Adoptive Covenant and Redemption in the Old Testament and Book of Mormon," in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, Vol. 2/2, Fall 1993, pp. 42-44]
Note* We know that the Nephite "first parents," Lehi and Nephi, were descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob though Joseph (1 Nephi 5:14). We also are told by Nephi, the son of Lehi that the "fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved" (1 Nephi 6:4). In commenting on what Helaman had done in naming his sons Lehi and Nephi, one might wonder if Mormon was alluding to the covenants established not only in the beginning of Nephite history, but also from ancient times in the house of Israel. In other words, if the ancient patriarch Lehi was a representative of Manasseh (Alma 10:3), could Nephi have been considered a covenant representative of Ephraim? If so, then as mentioned above, the ancient covenant blessing which flowed through Jacob and Joseph of old to Ephraim and Mannaseh would be the same covenant blessing that Helaman later would bestow on his sons Nephi and Lehi. It is not insignificant that Helaman charged his sons not only to remember that their names represented their ancestors Lehi and Nephi, but these names also represented "their words." It was Helaman's hope that the names of Lehi and Nephi would be a constant stimulus to his sons so that ultimately they might come to "know HOW that it is said, and also written, that they were good." [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]
[Helaman 5:6-8] (Climax)
According to Donald Perry, parallelism is universally recognized as the characteristic feature of biblical Hebrew poetry. (p. i)
Climactic forms occur when, in successive clauses or sentences, the same word or words are found at the end of one expression and at the beginning of the next. Climax is a form of staircase parallelism, because it demonstrates to the reader a gradual ascent through the recurrence of several identical words. This duplication of words creates a continuation of thought from one sentence to the next, which adds power through repetition to the discourse, while at the same time connecting the lines into an inseparable body. Climax has been correctly called "gradation," as the structure of a passage presents a feeling of ascension, of going up from one level to the next, by steps. (p. xvii)
An example of this climactic form is found in Helaman 5:6-8 where Helaman is speaking to his sons Nephi and Lehi:
Behold, my sons, I desire that ye should remember to keep the commandments of God; and I would that ye should declare unto the people these words.
Behold, I have given unto you the
names of our first parents who came out of the land of Jerusalem; and this I have done that when you remember your
names ye may remember
them. and when ye remember
them, ye may remember their
works; and when ye remember their
works ye may know how that it is said, and also written, that they were
good. Therefore, my sons, I would that ye should do that which is
good, that it may be said of you, and also
written, even as it has been said and
written of them. And now my sons, behold I have somewhat more to
desire of you, which
desire is, that ye may not do
these things that ye may boast, but that ye may do
these things to lay up for yourselves a treasure in heaven, yea, which is
eternal, and which fadeth not away; yea, that ye may have that precious gift of
eternal life, which we have reason to suppose hath been given to our fathers.
[Donald W. Parry, The Book of Mormon Text Reformatted according to Parallelistic Patterns, p. 348]