Helaman 1:2
For behold, Pahoran had died, and gone the way of all the earth; therefore there began to be a serious contention concerning who should have the judgement-seat amongst the brethren, who were the sons of Pahoran.
Helaman 1:3
Now these are their names who contended for the judgement-seat, who also caused the people to contend: Pahoran, Paanchi, and Pacumeni.
Helaman 1:4
Now these are not all the sons of Pahoran (for he had many), but these are those who contended for the judgement-seat; therefore, they caused three divisions amongst the people.
Helaman 1:5
Nevertheless, it came to pass that Pahoran was appointed by the voice of the people to be chief judge and a governor over the people of Nephi.
Helaman 1:6
And it came to pass that Pacumeni, when he saw that he could not obtain the judgement-seat, he united with the voice of the people.
Helaman 1:7
But behold, Paanchi, and that part of the people who were desirous that he should be their governor, was exceedingly angry; therefore, he was about to flatter away those people to rise up in rebellion against their brethren.
Helaman 1:8
And it came to pass as he was about to do this, behold, he was taken, and was tried according to the voice of the people, and condemned to death; for he had raised up in rebellion and sought to destroy the liberty of the people.
Helaman 1:9
Now when those people who were desirous that he should be their governor saw that he was condemned to death, they were therefore angry, and behold, they sent forth one Kishkumen, even to the judgement-seat of Pahoran, and murdered Pahoran as he sat upon the judgement-seat.
Helaman 1:10
And he was pursued by the servants of Pahoran; but behold, the flight of Kishkumen was so speedy that no man could overtake him.
Helaman 1:11
And he went to those who sent him, and they all entered into a covenant, indeed, swearing by their everlasting Maker, that they would tell no man that Kishkumen had murdered Pahoran.
Helaman 1:12
Therefore, Kishkumen was not known amongst the people of Nephi, for he was in disguise at the time that he murdered Pahoran. And Kishkumen and his band who had covenanted with him mingled themselves amongst the people in a manner that they all could not be found; but as many who were found were condemned to death.
Helaman 1:13
And now behold, Pacumeni was appointed according to the voice of the people to be a chief judge and a governor over the people, to reign in the stead of his brother Pahoran; and it was according to his right. And all this was done in the fortieth year of the reign of the judges; and it had an end.
Helaman 1:14
And it came to pass in the forty first year of the reign of the judges, that the Lamanites had gathered together an innumerable army of men, and armed them with swords, and with scimitars and with bows, and with arrows, and with head-plates, and with breastplates, and with all manner of shields of every kind.
Helaman 1:15
And they came down again so that they might pitch a battle against the Nephites. And they were led by a man whose name was Coriantumr; and he was a descendant of Zarahemla; and he was a dissenter from amongst the Nephites; and he was a large and a mighty man.
Helaman 1:16
Therefore, the king of the Lamanites, whose name was Tubaloth, who was the son of Ammoron, supposing that Coriantumr, being a mighty man, could stand against the Nephites, with his strength and also with his great wisdom, insomuch that by sending him forth, he should gain power over the Nephites -
Helaman 1:17
Therefore he stirred them up to anger, and he gathered his armies together and appointed Coriantumr to be their leader, and caused that they should march down to the land of Zarahemla to battle against the Nephites.
Helaman 1:18
And it came to pass that because of so much contention and so much difficulty in the government, that they had not kept sufficient guards in the land of Zarahemla; for they had supposed that the Lamanites did not come into the heart of their lands to attack that great city Zarahemla.
Helaman 1:19
But it came to pass that Coriantumr did march forth at the head of his numerous host, and came upon the inhabitants of the city, and their march was with such exceedingly great speed that there was no time for the Nephites to gather their armies together.
Helaman 1:20
Therefore Coriantumr cut down the watch by the entrance of the city, and marched forth with his whole army into the city, and they slayed everyone who opposed them, insomuch that they took possession of the whole city.
Helaman 1:21
And it came to pass that Pacumeni, who was the chief judge, fled before Coriantumr, even to the walls of the city. And it came to pass that Coriantumr struck him against the wall, insomuch that he died. And thus the days of Pacumeni ended.
Helaman 1:22
And now when Coriantumr saw that he was in possession of the city of Zarahemla, and saw that the Nephites had fled before them and were slain, and were taken, and were cast into prison, and that he had obtained the possession of the strongest hold in all the land, his heart took courage insomuch that he was about to go forth against all the land.
Helaman 1:23
And now he did not wait in the land of Zarahemla, but he marched forth with a large army, even towards the city of Bountiful; for it was his determination to go forth and cut his way through with the sword, so that he might obtain the north parts of the land.
Helaman 1:24
And supposing that their greatest strength was in the center of the land, he therefore marched forth, giving them no time to assemble themselves together except in small bodies; and in this manner, they fell upon them and cut them down to the earth.
Helaman 1:25
But behold, this march of Coriantumr through the center of the land gave Moronihah a great advantage over them, notwithstanding the greatness of the number of the Nephites who were slain.
Helaman 1:26
For behold, Moronihah had supposed that the Lamanites did not come into the center of the land, but that they would attack the cities round about in the borders as they had hereto done; therefore, Moronihah had caused that their strong armies should maintain those parts round about by the borders.
Helaman 1:27
But behold, the Lamanites were not frightened according to his desire, but they had come into the center of the land, and had taken the capital city which was the city of Zarahemla, and were marching through the most capital parts of the land, slaying the people with a great slaughter, both men, women, and children, taking possession of many cities and many strongholds.
Helaman 1:28
But when Moronihah had discovered this, he immediately sent Lehi forth with an army round about to head them before they should come to the land of Bountiful.
Helaman 1:29
And thus, he did; and he headed them before they came to the land of Bountiful, and battled them, insomuch that they began to retreat back towards the land of Zarahemla.
Helaman 1:30
And it came to pass that Moronihah headed them in their retreat, and battled them, insomuch that it became an exceedingly bloody battle; indeed, many were slain, and among the number who were slain, Coriantumr was also found.
Helaman 1:31
And now behold, the Lamanites could not retreat either way, neither on the north, nor on the south, nor on the east, nor on the west, for they were surrounded on every hand by the Nephites.
Helaman 1:32
And thus, Coriantumr had plunged the Lamanites into the midst of the Nephites, insomuch that they were in the power of the Nephites, and he himself was slain, and the Lamanites yielded themselves into the hands of the Nephites.
Helaman 1:33
And it came to pass that Moronihah took possession of the city of Zarahemla again, and caused that the Lamanites who had been taken prisoners should depart out of the land in peace.
Helaman 1:34
And thus, the forty first year of the reign of the judges ended.
Helaman 2:1
And it came to pass in the forty second year of the reign of the judges, after Moronihah had established peace again between the Nephites and the Lamanites, behold, there was no one to fill the judgement-seat; therefore, there began to be a contention again amongst the people concerning who should fill the judgement-seat.
Helaman 2:2
And it came to pass that Helaman, who was the son of Helaman, was appointed to fill the judgement-seat, by the voice of the people.
Helaman 2:3
But behold, Kishkumen, who had murdered Pahoran, laid wait to destroy Helaman also; and he was upheld by his band, who had entered into a covenant that no one should know his wickedness.
Helaman 2:4
For there was one Gadianton, who was exceedingly expert in many words, and also in his craft, to carry on the secret work of murder and robbery; therefore he became the leader of the band of Kishkumen.
Helaman 2:5
Therefore he flattered them, and also Kishkumen, that if they would place him in the judgement-seat, he would grant to those who belonged to his band that they should be placed in power and authority amongst the people; therefore, Kishkumen sought to destroy Helaman.
Helaman 2:6
And it came to pass, as he went forth towards the judgement-seat to destroy Helaman, behold, one of the servants of Helaman, having been out by night, and having obtained, through disguise, a knowledge of those plans which had been laid by this band to destroy Helaman -
Helaman 2:7
And it came to pass that he met Kishkumen, and he gave a sign to him; therefore Kishkumen made the object of his desire known to him, desiring that he would conduct him to the judgement-seat so that he might murder Helaman.
Helaman 2:8
And when the servant of Helaman had known all the heart of Kishkumen, and how it was his object to murder, and also that it was the object of all those who belonged to his band to murder, and to rob, and to gain power, (and this was their secret plan, and their combination) the servant of Helaman said to Kishkumen, "Let us go forth to the judgement-seat."
Helaman 2:9
Now this pleased Kishkumen exceedingly, for he supposed that he should accomplish his design; but behold, the servant of Helaman, as they were going forth to the judgement-seat, stabbed Kishkumen even to the heart, so that he fell dead without a groan. And he ran and told Helaman all the things which he had seen, and heard, and done.
Helaman 2:10
And it came to pass that Helaman sent forth to take this band of robbers and secret murderers, so that they might be executed according to the law.
Helaman 2:11
But behold, when Gadianton had found that Kishkumen did not return, he feared in case he should be destroyed; therefore he caused that his band should follow him. And they took their flight out of the land by a secret way into the wilderness; and thus, when Helaman sent forth to take them, they could be found nowhere.
Helaman 2:12
And more of this Gadianton will be spoken hereafter. And thus the forty second year of the reign of the judges ended over the people of Nephi.
Helaman 2:13
And behold, in the end of this Book, you will see that this Gadianton proved the overthrow, indeed, almost the entire destruction of the people of Nephi.
Helaman 2:14
Behold, I do not mean the end of the Book of Helaman, but I mean the end of the Book of Nephi, from which I have taken all the account which I have written.
Helaman 3:1
And now it came to pass in the forty third year of the reign of the judges, there was no contention amongst the people of Nephi except for a little pride which was in the church, which caused some little dissensions amongst the people, which affairs were settled in the ending of the forty third year.
Helaman 3:2
And there was no contention amongst the people in the forty fourth year; neither was there much contention in the forty fifth year.
Helaman 3:3
And it came to pass in the forty sixth, indeed, there was much contention and many dissensions; in which there were an exceedingly great many who departed out of the land of Zarahemla and went forth to the land northward to inherit the land.
Helaman 3:4
And they travelled an exceedingly great distance, insomuch that they came to large bodies of water and many rivers.
Helaman 3:5
Indeed, and they even spread forth into all parts of the land, into whatever parts it had not been rendered desolate and without timber, because of the many inhabitants who had before inherited the land.
Helaman 3:6
And now, no part of the land was desolate, unless it was for timber; but because of the greatness of the destruction of the people who had inhabited the land before, it was called desolate.
Helaman 3:7
And there being only a little timber upon the face of the land, nevertheless the people who went forth became exceedingly expert in the working of cement; therefore, they built houses of cement, in which they dwelled.
Helaman 3:8
And it came to pass that they multiplied and spread and went forth from the land southward to the land northward, and spread insomuch that they began to cover the face of the whole earth, from the sea south to the sea north, from the sea west to the sea east.
Helaman 3:9
And the people who were in the land northward dwelt in tents, and in houses of cement, and they allowed whatsoever tree should spring up upon the face of the land that it should grow up, so that in time, they might have timber to build their houses, indeed, their cities, and their temples, and their synagogues, and their sanctuaries, and all manner of their buildings.
Helaman 3:10
And it came to pass, as timber was exceedingly scarce in the land northward, they sent forth much by the way of shipping.
Helaman 3:11
And thus, they enabled the people in the land northward that they might build many cities, both of wood and cement.
Helaman 3:12
And it came to pass that there were many of the people of Ammon, who were Lamanites by birth, who also went forth into this land.
Helaman 3:13
And now there are many records kept of the proceedings of this people, by many of this people, which are particular and very large, concerning them.
Helaman 3:14
But behold, a hundredth part of the proceedings of this people, indeed, the account of the Lamanites and the Nephites, and their wars, and contentions, and dissensions, and their preaching, and their prophecies, and their shipping and their building of ships, and their building of temples, and synagogues and their sanctuaries, and their righteousness, and their wickedness, and their murders, and their robbing, and their plundering, and all manner of abominations and whoredoms, cannot be contained in this work.
Helaman 3:15
But behold, there are many books and many records of every kind, and they have been kept chiefly by the Nephites.
Helaman 3:16
And they have been handed down from one generation to another by the Nephites, even until they have fallen into transgression and have been murdered, plundered, and hunted, and driven forth, and slain, and scattered upon the face of the earth, and mixed with the Lamanites until they are no longer called the Nephites, becoming wicked, and wild, and ferocious, indeed, even becoming Lamanites.
Helaman 3:17
And now I return again to my account; therefore, what I have spoken had passed after there had been great contentions, and disturbances, and wars, and dissensions, amongst the people of Nephi.
Helaman 3:18
The forty sixth year of the reign of the judges ended;
Helaman 3:19
And it came to pass that there was still great contention in the land, indeed, even in the forty seventh year, and also in the forty eighth year.
Helaman 3:20
Nevertheless, Helaman filled the judgement-seat with justice and equity; indeed, he observed to keep the statutes, and the judgements, and the commandments of God; and he did do that which was right in the sight of God continually; and he did walk after the ways of his father, insomuch that he prospered in the land.
Helaman 3:21
And it came to pass that he had two sons. He gave the name of Nephi to the eldest, and to the youngest, the name of Lehi. And they began to grow up to the Lord.
Helaman 3:22
And it came to pass that the wars and contentions began to cease in a small degree amongst the people of the Nephites, in the latter end of the forty eighth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.
Helaman 3:23
And it came to pass in the forty ninth year of the reign of the judges, there was continual peace established in the land, all except for the secret combinations which Gadianton the robber had established in the more settled parts of the land, which at that time were not known to those who were at the head of government; therefore they were not destroyed out of the land.
Helaman 3:24
And it came to pass that in this same year, there was exceedingly great prosperity in the church, insomuch that there were thousands who joined themselves to the church and were baptized to repentance.
Helaman 3:25
And the prosperity of the church was so great, and the blessings which were poured out upon the people were so many, that even the high priests and the teachers themselves were astonished beyond measure.
Helaman 3:26
And it came to pass that the work of the Lord prospered to the baptizing and uniting to the church of God, many souls, indeed, even tens of thousands.
Helaman 3:27
Thus, we may see that the Lord is merciful to all who will, in the sincerity of their hearts, call upon His holy name.
Helaman 3:28
Indeed, thus we see that the gate of heaven is open to all, even to those who will believe in the name of Jesus Christ, who is the son of God.
Helaman 3:29
Indeed, we see that whosoever will lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which will divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a straight and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked -
Helaman 3:30
And land their souls, indeed, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to no longer go out.
Helaman 3:31
And in this year, there was continual rejoicing in the land of Zarahemla, and in all the regions round about, even in all the land which was possessed by the Nephites.
Helaman 3:32
And it came to pass that there was peace and exceedingly great joy in the remainder of the forty ninth year; indeed, and there was also continual peace and great joy in the fiftieth year of the reign of the judges.
Helaman 3:33
And in the fifty first year of the reign of the judges, there was also peace, except for the pride which began to enter into the church - not into the church of God, but into the hearts of the people who professed to belong to the church of God -
Helaman 3:34
And they were lifted up in pride, even to the persecution of many of their brethren. Now this was a great evil, which caused the humbler part of the people to suffer great persecutions, and to wade through much affliction.
Helaman 3:35
Nevertheless, they fasted and prayed often, and grew stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, to the filling their souls with joy and consolation, indeed, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification comes because of the yielding their hearts to God.
Helaman 3:36
And it came to pass that the fifty second year ended in peace also, except for the exceedingly great pride which had gotten into the hearts of the people; and it was because of their exceedingly great riches and their prosperity in the land; and it grew upon them from day to day.
Helaman 3:37
And it came to pass in the fifty third year of the reign of the judges, Helaman died, and his eldest son Nephi began to reign in his stead. And it came to pass that he filled the judgement-seat with justice and equity; indeed, he kept the commandments of God, and walked in the ways of his father.
Helaman 4:1
And it came to pass in the fifty fourth year, there were many dissensions in the church, and there was also a contention amongst the people, insomuch that there was much bloodshed.
Helaman 4:2
And the rebellious part was slain and driven out of the land, and they went to the king of the Lamanites.
Helaman 4:3
And it came to pass that they endeavored to stir up the Lamanites to war against the Nephites; but behold, the Lamanites were exceedingly afraid, insomuch that they would not listen to the words of those dissenters.
Helaman 4:4
But it came to pass in the fifty sixth year of the reign of the judges, there were dissenters who went up from the Nephites to the Lamanites; and they succeeded with those others in stirring them up to anger against the Nephites; and they were preparing for war all that year.
Helaman 4:5
And in the fifty seventh year, they came down against the Nephites to battle, and they commenced the work of death; indeed, insomuch that in the fifty eighth year of the reign of the judges, they succeeded in obtaining possession of the land of Zarahemla; indeed, and also all the lands, even to the land which was near the land of Bountiful.
Helaman 4:6
And the Nephites and the armies of Moronihah were driven even into the land of Bountiful;
Helaman 4:7
And there, they fortified against the Lamanites from the west sea even to the east; it being a day's journey for a Nephite, on the line which they had fortified and stationed their armies to defend their north country.
Helaman 4:8
And thus, those dissenters of the Nephites, with the help of a numerous army of the Lamanites, had obtained all the possession of the Nephites which was in the land southward. And all this was done in the fifty eighth and ninth years of the reign of the judges.
Helaman 4:9
And it came to pass in the sixtieth year of the reign of the judges, Moronihah succeeded with his armies in obtaining many parts of the land; indeed, they regained many cities which had fallen into the hands of the Lamanites.
Helaman 4:10
And it came to pass in the sixty first year of the reign of the judges, they succeeded in regaining even half of all their possessions.
Helaman 4:11
Now this great loss of the Nephites, and the great slaughter which was amongst them, would not have happened had it not been for their wickedness and their abomination which was amongst them; indeed, and it was amongst those also who professed to belong to the church of God.
Helaman 4:12
And it was because of the pride of their hearts, because of their exceeding riches, indeed, it was because of their oppression to the poor, withholding their food from the hungry, withholding their clothing from the naked, and smiting their humble brethren upon the cheek, making a mockery of that which was sacred, denying the [Holy] Spirit of prophecy and revelation, murdering, plundering, lying, stealing, committing adultery, rising up in great contentions, and deserting away into the land of Nephi, amongst the Lamanites -
Helaman 4:13
And because of their great wickedness, and their boastings in their own strength, they were left in their own strength; therefore, they did not prosper, but were afflicted and struck, and driven before the Lamanites, until they had lost possession of almost all their lands.
Helaman 4:14
But behold, Moronihah preached many things to the people because of their iniquity, and also Nephi and Lehi, who were the sons of Helaman, preached many things to the people, indeed, and prophesied many things to them concerning their iniquities, and what should come to them if they did not repent of their sins.
Helaman 4:15
And it came to pass that they did repent, and inasmuch as they repented, they began to prosper.
Helaman 4:16
For when Moronihah saw that they repented, he ventured to lead them forth from place to place, and from city to city, even until they had regained half of their property and half of all their lands.
Helaman 4:17
And thus, the sixty first year of the reign of the judges ended.
Helaman 4:18
And it came to pass in the sixty second year of the reign of the judges, that Moronihah could no longer obtain possessions over the Lamanites.
Helaman 4:19
Therefore, they abandoned their design to obtain the remainder of their lands, for the Lamanites were so numerous that it became impossible for the Nephites to obtain more power over them; therefore, Moronihah employed all his armies in maintaining those parts which he had taken.
Helaman 4:20
And it came to pass, because of the greatness of the number of the Lamanites, the Nephites were in great fear in case they should be overpowered, and trodden down, and slain, and destroyed.
Helaman 4:21
Indeed, they began to remember the prophecies of Alma, and also the words of Mosiah; and they saw that they had been a stiff-necked people, and that they had set the commandments of God at nothing;
Helaman 4:22
And that they had altered and trampled under their feet the laws of Mosiah, or that which the Lord commanded him to give to the people; and they saw that their laws had become corrupted, and that they had become a wicked people, insomuch that they were wicked even like the Lamanites.
Helaman 4:23
And because of their iniquity, the church had begun to dwindle; and they began to disbelieve in the [Holy] Spirit of prophecy and in the Spirit of revelation; and the judgements of God stared them in the face.
Helaman 4:24
And they saw that they had become weak like their brethren, the Lamanites, and that the [Holy] Spirit of the Lord no longer preserved them; indeed, it had withdrawn from them because the [Holy] Spirit of the Lord does not dwell in unholy temples -
Helaman 4:25
Therefore, the Lord ceased to preserve them by His miraculous and matchless power, for they had fallen into a state of disbelief and awful wickedness; and they saw that the Lamanites were exceedingly more numerous than them, and unless they should cleave to the Lord their God, they must unavoidably perish.
Helaman 4:26
For behold, they saw that the strength of the Lamanites was as great as their strength, even man for man. And thus, they had fallen into this great transgression; indeed, they had thus become weak because of their transgression, in the space of not many years.
Helaman 5:1
And it came to pass that in this same year, behold, Nephi delivered up the judgement-seat to a man whose name was Cezoram.
Helaman 5:2
For as their laws and their governments were established by the voice of the people, and those who chose evil were more numerous than those who chose good, therefore they were ripening for destruction, for the laws had become corrupted.
Helaman 5:3
Indeed, and this was not all; they were a stiff-necked people, insomuch that they could not be governed by the law nor justice, unless it were to their destruction.
Helaman 5:4
And it came to pass that Nephi had become weary because of their iniquity; and he yielded up the judgement-seat, and took it upon himself to preach the word of God all the remainder of his days, and his brother Lehi also, all the remainder of his days;
Helaman 5:5
For they remembered the words which their father Helaman spoke to them. And these are the words which he spoke,
Helaman 5:6
"Behold, my sons, I desire that you should remember to keep the commandments of God; and I willed that you should declare these words to the people. Behold, I have given the names of our first parents to you who came out of the land of Jerusalem; and I have done this so that when you do remember names, you may remember them; and when you remember them, you may remember their works; and when you remember their works, you may know how that it is said, and also written, that they were good.
Helaman 5:7
Therefore, my sons, I willed that you should do that which is good, so that it may be said of you, and also written, even as it has been said and written of them.
Helaman 5:8
And now my sons, behold I have something more to desire of you, which desire is, that you may not do these things so that you may boast, but that you may do these things to lay up a treasure in heaven for yourselves, indeed, which is eternal, and which does not fade away; indeed, so that you may have that precious gift of eternal life, which we have reason to suppose has been given to our fathers.
Helaman 5:9
O remember, remember, my sons, the words which king Benjamin spoke to his people; indeed, remember that there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, who will come; indeed, remember that he comes to redeem the world.
Helaman 5:10
And also remember the words which Amulek spoke to Zeezrom, in the city of Ammonihah; for he said to him that the lord should surely come to redeem his people, but that he should not come to redeem them in their sins, but to redeem them from their sins.
Helaman 5:11
And he has power given to him from the Father to redeem them from their sins because of repentance; therefore he has sent his angels to declare the tidings of the conditions of repentance, which brings to the power of the redeemer, to the salvation of their souls.
Helaman 5:12
And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our redeemer, who is Christ, the son of God, that you must build your foundation; so that when the devil will send forth his mighty winds, indeed, his shafts in the whirlwind, indeed, when all his hail and his mighty storm will beat upon you, it will have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless woe, because of the rock upon which you are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build, they cannot fall."
Helaman 5:13
And it came to pass that these were the words which Helaman taught to his sons; indeed, he taught them many things which are not written, and also many things which are written.
Helaman 5:14
And they did remember his words; and therefore they went forth, keeping the commandments of God, to teach the word of God amongst all the people of Nephi, beginning at the city of Bountiful;
Helaman 5:15
And from thereforth to the city of Gid; and from the city of Gid to the city of Mulek;
Helaman 5:16
And even from one city to another, until they had gone forth amongst all the people of Nephi who were in the land southward; and from there into the land of Zarahemla, amongst the Lamanites.
Helaman 5:17
And it came to pass that they preached with great power, insomuch that they confounded many of those dissenters who had gone over from the Nephites, insomuch that they came forth and confessed their sins and were baptized to repentance, and immediately returned to the Nephites to endeavor to repair the wrongs which they had done to them.
Helaman 5:18
And it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi preached to the Lamanites with such great power and authority, for they had power and authority given to them so that they might speak, and they also had what they should speak given to them -
Helaman 5:19
Therefore they spoke to the great astonishment of the Lamanites, to the convincing them, insomuch that there were eight thousand of the Lamanites who were in the land of Zarahemla and round about baptized to repentance, and were convinced of the wickedness of the traditions of their fathers.
Helaman 5:20
And it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi proceeded from there to go to the land of Nephi.
Helaman 5:21
And it came to pass that they were taken by an army of the Lamanites and cast into prison; indeed, even in that same prison in which Ammon and his brethren were cast by the servants of Limhi.
Helaman 5:22
And after they had been cast into prison many days without food, behold, they went forth into the prison to take them so that they might slay them.
Helaman 5:23
And it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi were encircled about as if by fire, even insomuch that they did not lay their hands upon them for fear in case they should be burned. Nevertheless, Nephi and Lehi were not burned; and they were as standing in the midst of fire and were not burned.
Helaman 5:24
And when they saw that they were encircled about with a pillar of fire, and that it did not burn them, their hearts took courage.
Helaman 5:25
For they saw that the Lamanites did not lay their hands upon them; neither did they come near to them, but stood as if they were struck dumb with amazement.
Helaman 5:26
And it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi stood forth and began to speak to them, saying, "Do not fear, for behold, it is God who has shown this marvelous thing to you, in which it is shown to you that you cannot lay your hands on us to slay us."
Helaman 5:27
And behold, when they had said these words, the earth shook exceedingly, and the walls of the prison shook as if they were about to tumble to the earth; but behold, they did not fall. And behold, those who were in the prison were Lamanites and Nephites who were dissenters.
Helaman 5:28
And it came to pass that they were overshadowed with a cloud of darkness, and an awful solemn fear came upon them.
Helaman 5:29
And it came to pass that a voice came as if it were above the cloud of darkness, saying, "Repent, repent, and seek no more to destroy my servants whom I have sent to you to declare good tidings."
Helaman 5:30
And it came to pass when they heard this voice, and beheld that it was not a voice of thunder, neither was it a voice of a great tumultuous noise, but behold, it was a still voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper, and it pierced even to the very soul.
Helaman 5:31
And notwithstanding the mildness of the voice, behold, the earth shook exceedingly, and the walls of the prison trembled again, as if it were about to tumble to the earth; and behold, the cloud of darkness, which had overshadowed them, did not disperse.
Helaman 5:32
And behold, the voice came again, saying, "Repent, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand; and seek no more to destroy my servants." And it came to pass that the earth shook again, and the walls trembled.
Helaman 5:33
And also again the third time, the voice came, and spoke marvelous words to them which cannot be uttered by man; and the walls trembled again, and the earth shook as if it were about to divide asunder.
Helaman 5:34
And it came to pass that the Lamanites could not flee because of the cloud of darkness which overshadowed them; indeed, and they were also immovable because of the fear which came upon them.
Helaman 5:35
Now there was one among them who was a Nephite by birth, who had once belonged to the church of God but had dissented from them.
Helaman 5:36
And it came to pass that he turned himself about, and behold, he saw the faces of Nephi and Lehi through the cloud of darkness; and behold, they shined exceedingly, even as the faces of angels. And he beheld that they lifted their eyes to heaven; and they were in the attitude as if talking or lifting their voices to some being whom they beheld.
Helaman 5:37
And it came to pass that this man cried to the multitude so that they might turn and look. And behold, there was power given to them so that they turned and looked; and they beheld the faces of Nephi and Lehi.
Helaman 5:38
And they said to the man, "Behold, what do all these things mean, and who is it with whom these men converse?"
Helaman 5:39
Now the man's name was Aminadab. And Aminadab said to them, "They converse with the angels of God."
Helaman 5:40
And it came to pass that the Lamanites said to him, "What will we do, so that this cloud of darkness may be removed from overshadowing us?"
Helaman 5:41
And Aminadab said to them, "You must repent, and cry to the voice, even until you will have faith in Christ, who was taught to you by Alma, and Amulek, and Zeezrom; and when you will do this, the cloud of darkness will be removed from overshadowing you."
Helaman 5:42
And it came to pass that they all began to cry to the voice of him who had shaken the earth; indeed, they cried even until the cloud of darkness was dispersed.
Helaman 5:43
And it came to pass that when they cast their eyes about and saw that the cloud of darkness was dispersed from overshadowing them, behold, they saw that they were encircled about, indeed, every soul by a pillar of fire.
Helaman 5:44
And Nephi and Lehi were in the midst of them; indeed, they were encircled about; indeed, they were as if in the midst of a flaming fire, still it did not harm them, neither did it take hold upon the walls of the prison; and they were filled with that joy which is unspeakable and full of glory.
Helaman 5:45
And behold, the Holy Spirit of God came down from heaven, and entered into their hearts, and they were filled as if with fire, and they could speak forth marvelous words.
Helaman 5:46
And it came to pass that a voice came to them, indeed, a pleasant voice, as if it were a whisper, saying,
Helaman 5:47
"Peace, peace to you, because of your faith in my Well Beloved, who was from the foundation of the world."
Helaman 5:48
And now, when they heard this, they cast up their eyes as if to behold from where the voice came; and behold, they saw the heavens open; and angels came down out of heaven and ministered to them.
Helaman 5:49
And there were about three hundred souls who saw and heard these things; and they were bidden to go forth and not marvel, neither should they doubt.
Helaman 5:50
And it came to pass that they went forth and ministered to the people, declaring throughout all the regions round about all the things which they had heard and seen, insomuch that the greater part of the Lamanites were convinced by them because of the greatness of the evidences which they had received.
Helaman 5:51
And as many who were convinced, laid down their weapons of war, and also their hatred and the tradition of their fathers.
Helaman 5:52
And it came to pass that they yielded up the lands of their possession to the Nephites.
Helaman 6:1
And it came to pass that when the sixty second year of the reign of the judges had ended, all these things had happened and the Lamanites had become, the greater part of them, a righteous people, insomuch that their righteousness exceeded that of the Nephites, because of their firmness and their steadiness in the faith.
Helaman 6:2
For behold, there were many of the Nephites who had become hardened and impenitent and grossly wicked, insomuch that they rejected the word of God and all the preaching and prophesying which came amongst them.
Helaman 6:3
Nevertheless, the people of the church had great joy because of the conversion of the Lamanites, indeed, because of the church of God, which had been established amongst them. And they did fellowship with one another, and rejoiced with one another, and had great joy.
Helaman 6:4
And it came to pass that many of the Lamanites came down into the land of Zarahemla, and declared the manner of their conversion to the people of the Nephites, and exhorted them to faith and repentance.
Helaman 6:5
Indeed, and many preached with exceedingly great power and authority, to the bringing down of many of them into the depths of humility, to be the humble followers of God and the lamb.
Helaman 6:6
And it came to pass that many of the Lamanites went into the land northward; and also Nephi and Lehi went into the land northward, to preach to the people. And thus the sixty third year ended.
Helaman 6:7
And behold, there was peace in all the land, insomuch that the Nephites went into whatsoever part of the land they would, whether amongst the Nephites or the Lamanites.
Helaman 6:8
And it came to pass that the Lamanites also went wherever they would, whether it was amongst the Lamanites or amongst the Nephites; and thus, they had free intercourse with one another, to buy and to sell, and to get gain, according to their desire.
Helaman 6:9
And it came to pass that they became exceedingly rich, both the Lamanites and the Nephites; and they had an exceeding plenty of gold, and of silver, and of all manner of precious metals, both in the land south and in the land north.
Helaman 6:10
Now the land south was called Lehi, and the land north was called Mulek, which was after the son of Zedekiah; for the Lord brought Mulek into the land north, and Lehi into the land south.
Helaman 6:11
And behold, there was all manner of gold in both these lands, and of silver, and of precious ore of every kind; and there were also curious workmen, who worked all kinds of ore and refined it; and thus, they became rich.
Helaman 6:12
They raised grain in abundance, both in the north and in the south; and they flourished exceedingly, both in the north and in the south. And they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong in the land. And they raised many flocks and herds, indeed, many fatlings.
Helaman 6:13
Behold their women toiled and spun, and made all manner of cloth, of fine-twined linen and cloth of every kind, to clothe their nakedness. And thus, the sixty fourth year passed away in peace.
Helaman 6:14
And in the sixty fifth year, they also had great joy and peace, indeed, much preaching and many prophecies concerning that which was to come. And thus, the sixty fifth year passed away.
Helaman 6:15
And it came to pass that in the sixty sixth year of the reign of the judges, behold, Cezoram was murdered by an unknown hand as he sat upon the judgement-seat. And it came to pass that in the same year, that his son, who had been appointed by the people in his stead, was also murdered. And thus the sixty sixth year ended.
Helaman 6:16
And in the commencement of the sixty seventh year, the people began to grow exceedingly wicked again.
Helaman 6:17
For behold, the Lord had blessed them so long with the riches of the world that they had not been stirred up to anger, to wars, nor to bloodshed; therefore they began to set their hearts upon their riches; indeed, they began to seek to get gain so that they might be lifted up above one another; therefore they began to commit secret murders, and to rob and to plunder, so that they might get gain.
Helaman 6:18
And now behold, those murderers and plunderers were a band who had been formed by Kishkumen and Gadianton. And now it had come to pass that there were many, even amongst the Nephites, of Gadianton's band. But behold, they were more numerous amongst the more wicked part of the Lamanites. And they were called Gadianton's robbers and murderers.
Helaman 6:19
And it was they who murdered the chief judge Cezoram, and his son, while in the judgement-seat; and behold, they were not found.
Helaman 6:20
And now it came to pass that when the Lamanites found that there were robbers amongst them, they were exceedingly sorrowful; and they used every means in their power to destroy them off the face of the earth.
Helaman 6:21
But behold, Satan stirred up the hearts of the greater part of the Nephites, insomuch that they united with those bands of robbers, and entered into their covenants and their oaths, so that they would protect and preserve one another in whatsoever difficult circumstances they should be placed, so that they should not suffer for their murders, and their plundering, and their stealing.
Helaman 6:22
And it came to pass that they had their signs, indeed, their secret signs, and their secret words; and this [was so] that they might distinguish a brother who had entered into the covenant, that whatsoever wickedness his brother should do, he should not be injured by his brother, nor by those who belonged to his band, who had taken this covenant.
Helaman 6:23
And thus, so they might murder, and plunder, and steal, and commit whoredoms and all manner of wickedness, contrary to the laws of their country and also the laws of their God.
Helaman 6:24
And whosoever of those who belonged to their band should reveal their wickedness and their abominations to the world, should be tried, not according to the laws of their country, but according to the laws of their wickedness, which had been given by Gadianton and Kishkumen.
Helaman 6:25
Now behold, it is these secret oaths and covenants which Alma commanded his son should not go forth to the world, in case they should be a means of bringing down the people to destruction.
Helaman 6:26
Now behold, those secret oaths and covenants did not come forth to Gadianton from the records which were delivered to Helaman; but behold, they were put into the heart of Gadianton by that same being who enticed our first parents to partake of the forbidden fruit -
Helaman 6:27
Indeed, that same being who plotted with Cain, that if he would murder his brother Abel, it should not be known to the world. And he plotted with Cain and his followers from that time forth.
Helaman 6:28
And it is also that same being who put it into the hearts of the people to build a tower sufficiently high so that they might get to heaven. And it was that same being who led on the people who came from that tower into this land; who spread the works of darkness and abominations over all the face of the land, until he dragged the people down to an entire destruction, and to an everlasting Hell.
Helaman 6:29
Indeed, it is that same being who put it into the heart of Gadianton to still carry on the work of darkness, and of secret murder; and he has brought it forth from the beginning of man even down to this time.
Helaman 6:30
And behold, it is he who is the author of all sin. And behold, he carries on his works of darkness and secret murder, and hands down their plots, and their oaths, and their covenants, and their plans of awful wickedness, from generation to generation, accordingly as he can get hold upon the hearts of the children of men.
Helaman 6:31
And now behold, he had gotten a great hold upon the hearts of the Nephites; indeed, insomuch that they had become exceedingly wicked; indeed, the greater part of them had turned out of the way of righteousness, and trampled under their feet the commandments of God, and turned to their own ways, and built up idols of their gold and their silver to themselves.
Helaman 6:32
And it came to pass that all these iniquities came to them in the space of not many years, insomuch that a greater part of it had come to them in the sixty seventh year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.
Helaman 6:33
And they grew in their iniquities in the sixty eighth year also, to the great sorrow and lamentation of the righteous.
Helaman 6:34
And thus we see that the Nephites began to dwindle in disbelief, and grow in wickedness and abominations, while the Lamanites began to grow exceedingly in the knowledge of their God; indeed, they began to keep His statutes and commandments, and to walk in truth and uprightness before Him.
Helaman 6:35
And thus, we see that the [Holy] Spirit of the Lord began to withdraw from the Nephites, because of the wickedness and the hardness of their hearts.
Helaman 6:36
And thus, we see that the Lord began to pour out his [Holy] Spirit upon the Lamanites, because of their easiness and willingness to believe in His words.
Helaman 6:37
And it came to pass that the Lamanites hunted the band of robbers of Gadianton; and they preached the word of God amongst the more wicked part of them, insomuch that this band of robbers was utterly destroyed from amongst the Lamanites.
Helaman 6:38
And it came to pass on the other hand, that the Nephites built them up and supported them, beginning at the more wicked part of them, until they had overspread all the land of the Nephites, and had seduced the greater part of the righteous until they had come down to believe in their works and partake of their spoils, and to join with them in their secret murders and combinations.
Helaman 6:39
And thus, they obtained the sole management of the government, insomuch that they trampled under their feet and struck and tore and turned their backs upon the poor and the meek, and the humble followers of God.
Helaman 6:40
And thus, we see that they were in an awful state, and ripening for an everlasting destruction.
Helaman 6:41
And it came to pass that the sixty eighth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi thus ended.
Helaman 7:1
Behold, now it came to pass in the sixty ninth year of the reign of the judges over the people of the Nephites, that Nephi, the son of Helaman, returned to the land of Zarahemla from the land northward.
Helaman 7:2
For he had been forth amongst the people who were in the land northward, and preached the word of God to them, and prophesied many things to them;
Helaman 7:3
And they rejected all his words, insomuch that he could not stay amongst them, but returned again to the land of his nativity.
Helaman 7:4
And seeing the people in a state of such awful wickedness, and those Gadianton robbers filling the judgement-seats - having usurped the power and authority of the land; laying aside the commandments of God, and not in the least aright before him; doing no justice to the children of men;
Helaman 7:5
Condemning the righteous because of their righteousness; letting the guilty and the wicked go unpunished because of their money; and moreover to be held in office at the head of government, to rule and do according to their wills, so that they might get gain and glory of the world, and moreover, so that they might more easily commit adultery, and steal, and kill, and do according to their own wills -
Helaman 7:6
Now this great iniquity had come upon the Nephites, in the space of not many years; and when Nephi saw it, his heart was swollen with sorrow within his breast; and he exclaimed in the agony of his soul:
Helaman 7:7
O that I could have had my days in the days when my father Nephi first came out of the land of Jerusalem, that I could have joyed with him in the promised land; then his people were easy to be entreated, firm to keep the commandments of God, and slow to be led to do iniquity; and they were quick to listen to the words of the Lord -
Helaman 7:8
Indeed, if my days could have been in those days, then my soul would have had joy in the righteousness of my brethren.
Helaman 7:9
But behold, I am consigned that these are my days, and that my soul will be filled with sorrow because of this wickedness of my brethren.
Helaman 7:10
And behold, now it came to pass that it was upon a tower, which was in the garden of Nephi, which was by the highway which led to the chief market, which was in the city of Zarahemla; therefore, Nephi had bowed himself upon the tower which was in his garden, which tower was also near to the garden gate by which the highway led.
Helaman 7:11
And it came to pass that there were certain men passing by and saw Nephi as he was pouring out his soul to God upon the tower; and they ran and told the people what they had seen, and the people came together in multitudes so that they might know the cause of so great of a mourning for the wickedness of the people.
Helaman 7:12
And now, when Nephi arose, he beheld the multitudes of people who had gathered together.
Helaman 7:13
And it came to pass that he opened his mouth and said to them, "Behold, why have you gathered yourselves together? So that I may tell you of your iniquities?
Helaman 7:14
Indeed, because I have got upon my tower so that I might pour out my soul to my God, because of the exceeding sorrow of my heart, which is because of your iniquities!
Helaman 7:15
And because of my mourning and lamentation, you have gathered yourselves together and marvel; indeed, and you have great need to marvel; indeed, you should marvel because you are given away so that the devil has gotten so great of a hold upon your hearts.
Helaman 7:16
Indeed, how could you have given way to the enticing of him who is seeking to hurl away your souls down to everlasting misery and endless woe?
Helaman 7:17
O repent, repent! Why will you die? Turn, turn to the Lord your God. Why has He forsaken you?
Helaman 7:18
It is because you have hardened your hearts; indeed, you will not listen to the voice of the good shepherd; indeed, you have provoked Him to anger against you.
Helaman 7:19
And behold, instead of gathering, unless you will repent, behold, He will scatter you forth so that you will become meat for dogs and wild beasts.
Helaman 7:20
O, how could you have forgotten your God in the very day that He has delivered you?
Helaman 7:21
But behold, it is to get gain, to be praised by men, indeed, and so that you might get gold and silver. And you have set your hearts upon the riches and the vain things of this world, for which you murder, and plunder, and steal, and bear false witness against your neighbor, and do all manner of iniquity.
Helaman 7:22
And for this cause, woe will come to you unless you will repent. For if you will not repent, behold, this great city, and also all those great cities which are round about, which are in the land of our possession, will be taken away so that you will have no place in them; for behold, the Lord will not grant strength to you, as He has hereto done, to withstand against your enemies.
Helaman 7:23
For behold, thus the Lord says, 'I will not show My strength to the wicked, to one more than the other, unless it is to those who repent of their sins and listen to My words.' Now therefore, I willed that you should behold, my brethren, that it will be better for the Lamanites than for you unless you will repent.
Helaman 7:24
For behold, they are more righteous than you, for they have not sinned against that great knowledge which you have received; therefore the Lord will be merciful to them; indeed, He will lengthen out their days and increase their seed, even when you will be utterly destroyed, unless you will repent.
Helaman 7:25
Indeed, woe to you because of that great abomination which has come amongst you; and you have united yourselves to it, indeed, to that secret band which was established by Gadianton!
Helaman 7:26
Indeed, woe will come to you because of that pride which you have allowed to enter your hearts, which has lifted you up beyond that which is good because of your exceedingly great riches!
Helaman 7:27
Indeed, woe to you because of your wickedness and abominations!
Helaman 7:28
And unless you repent, you will perish; indeed, even your lands will be taken from you, and you will be destroyed from off the face of the earth.
Helaman 7:29
Behold now, I do not say that these things will be, of myself, because it is not of myself that I know these things; but behold, I know that these things are true because the Lord God has made them known to me, therefore I testify that they will be."
Helaman 8:1
And now it came to pass that when Nephi had said these words, behold, there were men who were judges, who also belonged to the secret band of Gadianton, and they were angry, and they cried out against him, saying to the people, "Why do you not seize this man and bring him forth, so that he may be condemned according to the crime which he has done?
Helaman 8:2
Why do you see this man, and hear him revile against this people and against our law?"
Helaman 8:3
For behold, Nephi had spoken to them concerning the corruptness of their law; indeed, Nephi spoke many things which cannot be written; and he spoke nothing which was contrary to the commandments of God.
Helaman 8:4
And those judges were angry with him because he spoke plainly to them concerning their secret works of darkness; nevertheless, they did not lay their own hands upon him, for they feared the people in case they should cry out against them.
Helaman 8:5
Therefore they cried to the people, saying, "Why do you allow this man to revile against us? For behold, he condemns all this people, even to destruction; indeed, and also that our great cities will be taken from us, so that we will have no place in them.
Helaman 8:6
And now we know that this is impossible, for behold, we are powerful, and our cities [are] great, therefore our enemies can have no power over us."
Helaman 8:7
And it came to pass that thus they stirred up the people to anger against Nephi, and raised contentions amongst them; for there were some who cried out, "Leave this man alone, for he is a good man, and those things which he says will surely come to pass unless we repent;
Helaman 8:8
Indeed, behold, all the judgements will come upon us which he has testified to us; for we know that he has testified aright to us concerning our iniquities. And behold, they are many, and he knows all things as well which will befall us as he knows of our iniquities;
Helaman 8:9
Indeed, and behold, if he had not been a prophet he could not have testified concerning those things.
Helaman 8:10
And it came to pass that those people who sought to destroy Nephi were compelled because of their fear, so that they did not lay their hands on him; therefore, he began again to speak to them, seeing that he had gained favor in the eyes of some, insomuch that the remainder of them feared.
Helaman 8:11
Therefore he was constrained to speak more to them saying, "Behold, my brethren, have you not read that God gave power to one man, even Moses, to strike upon the waters of the Red Sea, and they parted here and there, insomuch that the Israelites, who were our fathers, came through upon dry ground, and the waters closed upon the armies of the Egyptians and swallowed them up?
Helaman 8:12
And now behold, if God gave such power to this man, then why should you dispute amongst yourselves, and say that He has given to me no power whereby I may know concerning the judgements that will come upon you unless you repent?
Helaman 8:13
But behold, you not only deny my words, but you also deny all the words which have been spoken by our fathers, and also the words which were spoken by this man, Moses, who had such great power given to him, indeed, the words which he has spoken concerning the coming of the Messiah.
Helaman 8:14
Indeed, did he not bear record that the son of God should come? And as he lifted up the brazen serpent in the wilderness, even so will he be lifted up who should come.
Helaman 8:15
And as many who should look upon that serpent should live, even so as many who should look upon the son of God with faith, having a contrite spirit, might live, even to that life which is eternal.
Helaman 8:16
And now behold, Moses did not only testify of these things, but also all the holy prophets, from his days even to the days of Abraham.
Helaman 8:17
Indeed, and behold, Abraham saw of his coming, and was filled with gladness and rejoiced.
Helaman 8:18
Indeed, and behold I say to you, that Abraham not only knew of these things, but there were many before the days of Abraham who were called by the order of God; indeed, even after the order of his son; and this [was so] that it should be shown to the people, a great many thousand years before his coming, that even redemption should come to them.
Helaman 8:19
And now I willed that you should know, that even since the days of Abraham, there have been many prophets who have testified these things; indeed, behold, the prophet Zenos testified boldly; for which he was slain.
Helaman 8:20
And behold, also Zenock, and also Ezias, and also Isaiah, and Jeremiah, (Jeremiah being that same prophet who testified of the destruction of Jerusalem), and now we know that Jerusalem was destroyed according to the words of Jeremiah. O then why will the son of God not come, according to his prophecy?
Helaman 8:21
And now will you dispute that Jerusalem was destroyed? Will you say that the sons of Zedekiah were not slain, all except Mulek? Indeed, and do you not behold that the seed of Zedekiah are with us, and they were driven out of the land of Jerusalem? But behold, this is not all -
Helaman 8:22
Our father Lehi was driven out of Jerusalem because he testified of these things. Nephi also testified of these things, and also almost all of our fathers, even down to this time; indeed, they have testified of the coming of Christ, and have looked forward, and have rejoiced in his day which is to come.
Helaman 8:23
And behold, he is God, and he is with them, and he manifested himself to them, so that they were redeemed by him; and they gave glory to him, because of that which is to come.
Helaman 8:24
And now, seeing you know these things and cannot deny them unless you will lie, therefore you have sinned in this, for you have rejected all these things, notwithstanding so many evidences which you have received; indeed, you have even received all things, both things in heaven, and all things which are in the earth, as a witness that they are true.
Helaman 8:25
But behold, you have rejected the truth, and rebelled against your holy God; and even at this time, instead of laying up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where nothing corrupts, and where nothing can come which is unclean, you are heaping up wrath for yourselves against the Day of Judgement.
Helaman 8:26
Indeed, even at this time, you are ripening, because of your murders and your fornication and wickedness, for everlasting destruction; indeed, and unless you repent, it will come to you soon.
Helaman 8:27
Indeed, behold, it is now even at your doors; indeed, go into the judgement-seat, and search; and behold, your judge is murdered, and he lies in his blood; and he has been murdered by his brother, who seeks to sit in the judgement-seat.
Helaman 8:28
And behold, they both belong to your secret band, whose author is Gadianton and the evil one who seeks to destroy the souls of men."
Helaman 9:1
Behold, now it came to pass that when Nephi had spoken these words, certain men who were amongst them ran to the judgement-seat; indeed, there were even five who went, and they said amongst themselves, as they went,
Helaman 9:2
"Behold, now we will know of a surety whether this man is a prophet and God has commanded him to prophesy such marvelous things to us. Behold, we do not believe that he has; indeed, we do not believe that he is a prophet; nevertheless, if this thing which he has said concerning the chief judge is true, that he is dead, then we will believe that the other words which he has spoken are true."
Helaman 9:3
And it came to pass that they ran in their might and came into the judgement-seat; and behold, the chief judge had fallen to the earth, and laid in his blood.
Helaman 9:4
And now behold, when they saw this, they were exceedingly astonished, insomuch that they fell to the earth; for they had not believed the words which Nephi had spoken concerning the chief judge.
Helaman 9:5
But now, when they saw, they believed, and fear came upon them in case all the judgements which Nephi had spoken should come upon the people; therefore, they quaked and had fallen to the earth.
Helaman 9:6
Now, immediately when the judge had been murdered - being stabbed by his brother by a garb of secrecy, and he fled, and the servants ran and told the people, raising the cry of murder amongst them;
Helaman 9:7
And behold the people gathered themselves together to the place of the judgement-seat - and behold, to their astonishment, they saw those five men who had fallen to the earth.
Helaman 9:8
And now behold, the people knew nothing concerning the multitude who had gathered together at the garden of Nephi; therefore they said amongst themselves, "These men are those who have murdered the judge, and God has struck them so that they could not flee from us.
Helaman 9:9
And it came to pass that they laid hold on them and bound them and cast them into prison. And there was a proclamation sent abroad that the judge was slain, and that the murderers had been taken and were cast into prison.
Helaman 9:10
And it came to pass that on the morrow, the people assembled themselves together to mourn and to fast, at the burial of the great chief judge who had been slain.
Helaman 9:11
And thus, those judges who were also at the garden of Nephi, and heard his words, were also gathered together at the burial.
Helaman 9:12
And it came to pass that they inquired amongst the people, saying, "Where are the five who were sent to inquire concerning the chief judge whether he was dead?" And they answered and said, "Concerning the five whom you say you have sent, we do not know; but there are five who are the murderers, whom we have cast into prison."
Helaman 9:13
And it came to pass that the judges desired that they should be brought; and they were brought, and behold, they were the five who were sent; and behold, the judges inquired of them to know concerning the matter, and they told them all that they had done, saying,
Helaman 9:14
"We ran and came to the place of the judgement-seat, and when we saw all things even as Nephi had testified, we were astonished insomuch that we fell to the earth; and when we were recovered from our astonishment, behold, they cast us into prison.
Helaman 9:15
Now, as for the murder of this man, we do not know who has done it; and we only know this much, we ran and came accordingly as you desired, and behold, he was dead, according to the words of Nephi."
Helaman 9:16
And now it came to pass that the judges expounded the matter to the people, and cried out against Nephi, saying, "Behold, we know that this Nephi must have agreed with someone to slay the judge, and then he might declare it to us, so that he might convert us to his faith, so that he might raise himself to be a great man, chosen by God, and a prophet.
Helaman 9:17
And now behold, we will detect this man, and he will confess his fault and make known to us the true murderer of this judge."
Helaman 9:18
And it came to pass that the five were liberated on the day of the burial. Nevertheless, they rebuked the judges in the words which they had spoken against Nephi, and contended with them one by one, insomuch that they confounded them.
Helaman 9:19
Nevertheless, they caused that Nephi should be taken and bound and brought before the multitude, and they began to question him in diverse ways so that they might cross him, so that they might accuse him to death -
Helaman 9:20
Saying to him, "You are confederate; who is this man who has done this murder? Now tell us, and acknowledge your fault; saying, 'Behold here is money;' and we will also grant your life to you if you will tell us, and acknowledge the agreement which you have made with him."
Helaman 9:21
But Nephi said to them, "O you fools, you uncircumcised of heart, you blind, and you stiff-necked people, do you know how long the Lord your God will allow you that you will go on in this your way of sin?
Helaman 9:22
O you should begin to howl and mourn, because of the great destruction which awaits you at this time, unless you will repent.
Helaman 9:23
Behold, you say that I have agreed with a man that he should murder Seezoram, our chief judge. But behold, I say to you, that this is because I have testified to you that you might know concerning this thing; indeed, even for a witness to you, that I knew of the wickedness and abominations which are amongst you.
Helaman 9:24
And because I have done this, you say that I have agreed with a man that he should do this thing; indeed, because I showed this sign to you, you are angry with me, and seek to destroy my life.
Helaman 9:25
And now behold, I will show another sign to you, and see if you will seek to destroy me in this thing.
Helaman 9:26
Behold I say to you, go to the house of Seantum, who is the brother of Seezoram, and say to him -
Helaman 9:27
Has Nephi, the pretended prophet, who prophesies so much evil concerning this people, agreed with you, in which you have murdered Seezoram, who is your brother?'
Helaman 9:28
And behold, he will say to you, 'No.'
Helaman 9:29
And you will say to him, 'Have you murdered your brother?'
Helaman 9:30
And he will stand with fear and not know what to say. And behold, he will deny [it] to you; and he will make [it] as if he were astonished; nevertheless, he will declare to you that he is innocent.
Helaman 9:31
But behold, you will examine him, and you will find blood upon the skirts of his cloak.
Helaman 9:32
And when you have seen this, you will say, 'From where does this blood come? Do we not know that it is the blood of your brother?'
Helaman 9:33
And then will he tremble, and will look pale, even as if death had come upon him.
Helaman 9:34
And then will you say, 'Because of this fear and this paleness which has come upon your face, behold, we know that you are guilty.'
Helaman 9:35
And then greater fear will come upon him; and then will he confess to you and deny no more that he has done this murder.
Helaman 9:36
And then will he say to you, that I, Nephi, know nothing concerning the matter unless it were given to me by the power of God. And then will you know that I am an honest man, and that I am sent to you from God."
Helaman 9:37
And it came to pass that they went and did even according as Nephi had said to them. And behold, the words which he had said were true; for according to the words, he did deny; and also according to the words, he did confess.
Helaman 9:38
And he was brought to prove that he himself was the very murderer, insomuch that the five were set at liberty, and Nephi was also.
Helaman 9:39
And there were some of the Nephites who believed in the words of Nephi; and there were some also, who believed because of the testimony of the five, for they had been converted while they were in prison.
Helaman 9:40
And now there were some amongst the people, who said that Nephi was a prophet.
Helaman 9:41
And there were others who said, "Behold, he is a god, for unless he was a god, he could not know of all things. For behold, he has told us the thoughts of our hearts, and has also told us things; and he has even brought the true murderer of our chief judge to our knowledge."
Helaman 10:1
And it came to pass that there arose a division amongst the people, insomuch that they divided here and there and went their ways, leaving Nephi alone, as he was standing in the midst of them.
Helaman 10:2
And it came to pass that Nephi went his way towards his own house, pondering upon the things which the Lord had shown to him.
Helaman 10:3
And it came to pass as he was thus pondering - being greatly cast down because of the wickedness of the people of the Nephites, their secret works of darkness, and their murdering, and their plundering, and all manner of iniquities - and it came to pass as he was thus pondering in his heart, behold, a voice came to him saying,
Helaman 10:4
"You are blessed, Nephi, for those things which you have done; for I have beheld how you have with unwearyingly declared the word which I have given to you to this people. And you have not feared them, and have not sought your own life, but have sought My will, and to keep My commandments.
Helaman 10:5
And now, because you have done this with such unwearingness, behold, I will bless you forever; and I will make you mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; indeed, even so that all things will be done to you according to your word, for you will not ask that which is contrary to My will.
Helaman 10:6
Behold, you are Nephi, and I am God. Behold, I declare it to you in the presence of My angels, that you will have power over this people, and will strike the earth with famine, and with pestilence, and destruction, according to the wickedness of this people.
Helaman 10:7
Behold, I give power to you, so that whatsoever you will seal on earth will be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever you will loose on earth will be loosened in heaven; and thus, you will have power amongst this people.
Helaman 10:8
And thus, if you will say to this temple, it will be torn in two, it will be done.
Helaman 10:9
And if you will say to this mountain, 'Be cast down and become smooth,' it will be done.
Helaman 10:10
And behold, if you will say that God will strike this people, it will come to pass.
Helaman 10:11
And now behold, I command you, that you will go and declare to this people, that thus the Lord God says, who is the Almighty, 'Unless you repent, you will be struck, even to destruction.'"
Helaman 10:12
And behold, now it came to pass that when the Lord had spoken these words to Nephi, he stopped and did not go to his own house, but returned to the multitudes who were scattered about upon the face of the land, and began to declare to them the word of the Lord which had been spoken to him, concerning their destruction if they did not repent.
Helaman 10:13
Now behold, notwithstanding that great miracle which Nephi had done in telling them concerning the death of the chief judge, they hardened their hearts and did not listen to the words of the Lord.
Helaman 10:14
Therefore Nephi declared to them the word of the Lord, saying, "Unless you repent, thus the Lord says, you will be struck even to destruction."
Helaman 10:15
And it came to pass that when Nephi had declared the word to them, behold, they still hardened their hearts and would not listen to his words; therefore, they reviled against him, and sought to lay their hands upon him so that they might cast him into prison.
Helaman 10:16
But behold, the power of God was with him, and they could not take him to cast him into prison, for he was taken by the [Holy] Spirit and conveyed away out of the midst of them.
Helaman 10:17
And it came to pass that he thus went forth in the [Holy] Spirit, from multitude to multitude, declaring the word of God, even until he had declared it to them all, or sent it forth amongst all the people.
Helaman 10:18
And it came to pass that they would not listen to his words; and there began to be contentions, insomuch that they were divided against themselves and began to slay one another with the sword.
Helaman 10:19
And thus the seventy first year of the reign of the judges ended over the people of Nephi.
Helaman 11:1
And now it came to pass in the seventy second year of the reign of the judges that the contentions increased, insomuch that there were wars throughout all the land amongst all the people of Nephi.
Helaman 11:2
And it was this secret band of robbers who carried on this work of destruction and wickedness. And this war lasted all that year; and in the seventy third year, it also lasted.
Helaman 11:3
And it came to pass that in this year, Nephi did cry to the Lord, saying,
Helaman 11:4
"O Lord, do not allow that this people will be destroyed by the sword; but O Lord, rather let there be a famine in the land, to stir them up in remembrance of the Lord their God, and perhaps they will repent and turn to You."
Helaman 11:5
And so it was done, according to the words of Nephi. And there was a great famine upon the land, amongst all the people of Nephi. And thus, in the seventy fourth year, the famine continued, and the work of destruction ceased by the sword but became sore by famine.
Helaman 11:6
And this work of destruction also continued in the seventy fifth year. For the earth was struck so that it was dry, and did not yield forth grain in the season of grain; and the whole earth was struck, even amongst the Lamanites as well as amongst the Nephites, so that they were struck so that they perished by thousands in the more wicked parts of the land.
Helaman 11:7
And it came to pass that the people saw that they were about to perish by famine, and they began to remember the Lord their God; and they began to remember the words of Nephi.
Helaman 11:8
And the people began to plead with their chief judges and their leaders, that they would say to Nephi, "Behold, we know that you are a man of God, and therefore, cry to the Lord our God so that He turn this famine away from us, in case all the words which you have spoken concerning our destruction is fulfilled."
Helaman 11:9
And it came to pass that the judges said to Nephi according to the words which had been desired. And it came to pass that when Nephi saw that the people had repented and did humble themselves in sackcloth, he cried again to the Lord, saying,
Helaman 11:10
"O Lord, behold, this people repents; and they have swept away the band of Gadianton from amongst them insomuch that they have become extinct, and they have concealed their secret plans in the earth.
Helaman 11:11
Now, O Lord, because of their humility, will You turn away Your anger, and let Your anger be appeased in the destruction of those wicked men whom You have already destroyed?
Helaman 11:12
O Lord, will You turn away Your anger, indeed, Your fierce anger, and cause that this famine may cease in this land?
Helaman 11:13
O Lord, will You listen to me, and cause that it may be done according to my words, and send forth rain upon the face of the earth, so that she may bring forth her fruit, and her grain in the season of grain?
Helaman 11:14
O Lord, You did listen to my words when I said, 'Let there be a famine, so that the pestilence of the sword might cease;' and I know that You will, even at this time, listen to my words, for You said that, 'If this people repents, I will spare them.'
Helaman 11:15
Indeed, O Lord, and You see that they have repented, because of the famine and the pestilence and destruction which has come to them.
Helaman 11:16
And now, O Lord, will You turn away Your anger, and try again if they will serve You? And if so, O Lord, You can bless them according to Your words which You have said."
Helaman 11:17
And it came to pass that in the seventy sixth year, the Lord did turn away His anger from the people, and caused that rain should fall upon the earth, insomuch that it brought forth her fruit in the season of her fruit. And it came to pass that it brought forth her grain in the season of her grain.
Helaman 11:18
And behold, the people rejoiced and glorified God, and the whole face of the land was filled with rejoicing; and they no longer sought to destroy Nephi, but they esteemed him as a great prophet, and a man of God, having great power and authority given to him from God.
Helaman 11:19
And behold, Lehi, his brother, was not a whit behind him as to things pertaining to righteousness.
Helaman 11:20
And thus, it came to pass that the people of Nephi began to prosper again in the land, and began to build up their waste places, and began to multiply and spread, even until they covered the whole face of the land, both on the north and on the south, from the west sea to the east sea.
Helaman 11:21
And it came to pass that the seventy sixth year ended in peace. And the seventy seventh year began in peace; and the church spread throughout the face of all the land; and the greater part of the people, both the Nephites and the Lamanites, belonged to the church; and they had exceedingly great peace in the land; and thus the seventy seventh year ended.
Helaman 11:22
And they also had peace in the seventy eighth year, except for a few contentions concerning the points of doctrine which had been laid down by the prophets.
Helaman 11:23
And in the seventy ninth year, there began to be much strife. But it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi, and many of their brethren who knew concerning the true points of doctrine, having many revelations daily, therefore they preached to the people, insomuch that they put an end to their strife in that same year.
Helaman 11:24
And it came to pass that in the eightieth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, there were a certain number of the dissenters from the people of Nephi, who had gone over to the Lamanites some years before, and taken upon themselves the name of Lamanites, and also a certain number who were real descendants of the Lamanites, being stirred up to anger by them, or by those dissenters, therefore they commenced a war with their brethren.
Helaman 11:25
And they committed murder and plundered; and then they would retreat back into the mountains, and into the wilderness and secret places, hiding themselves so that they could not be discovered, receiving an addition to their numbers daily, inasmuch as there were dissenters that went forth to them.
Helaman 11:26
And thus in time, indeed, even in the space of not many years, they became an exceedingly great band of robbers; and they did search out all the secret plans of Gadianton; and thus they became robbers of Gadianton.
Helaman 11:27
Now behold, these robbers made great havoc, indeed, even great destruction amongst the people of Nephi, and also amongst the people of the Lamanites.
Helaman 11:28
And it came to pass that it was expedient that there should be a stop put to this work of destruction; therefore, they sent an army of strong men into the wilderness and upon the mountains to search out this band of robbers, and to destroy them.
Helaman 11:29
But behold, it came to pass that in that same year, they were driven back even into their own lands. And thus the eightieth year of the reign of the judges ended over the people of Nephi.
Helaman 11:30
And it came to pass in the commencement of the eighty first year, they went forth again against this band of robbers, and destroyed many; and they were also visited with much destruction.
Helaman 11:31
And they were again obliged to return out of the wilderness and out of the mountains to their own lands, because of the exceeding greatness of the numbers of those robbers who infested the mountains and the wilderness.
Helaman 11:32
And it came to pass that this year thus ended. And the robbers still increased and grew strong, insomuch that they defied the whole armies of the Nephites, and also of the Lamanites; and they caused great fear to come to the people upon all the face of the land.
Helaman 11:33
Indeed, for they visited many parts of the land, and did great destruction to them; indeed, killed many, and carried away others captive into the wilderness, indeed, and more especially their women and their children.
Helaman 11:34
Now this great evil, which came to the people because of their iniquity, stirred them up again in remembrance of the Lord their God.
Helaman 11:35
And thus the eighty first year of the reign of the judges ended.
Helaman 11:36
And in the eighty second year, they began again to forget the Lord their God. And in the eighty third year, they began to grow strong in iniquity. And in the eighty fourth year, they did not mend their ways.
Helaman 11:37
And it came to pass in the eighty fifth year, they grew stronger and stronger in their pride, and in their wickedness; and thus they were ripening again for destruction.
Helaman 11:38
And thus the eighty fifth year ended.
Helaman 12:1
And thus we can behold how false, and also the unsteadiness of the hearts of the children of men; indeed, we can see that the Lord, in His great infinite goodness, blesses and prospers those who put their trust in Him.
Helaman 12:2
Indeed, and we may see at the very time when He does prosper His people, indeed, in the increase of their fields, their flocks and their herds, and in gold, and in silver, and in all manner of precious things of every kind and ore; sparing their lives, and delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; softening the hearts of their enemies so that they should not declare wars against them; indeed, and in fine, doing all things for the welfare and happiness of His people; indeed, then is the time that they harden their hearts, and forget the Lord their God, and trample the Holy One under their feet - indeed, and this [is] because of their ease, and their exceedingly great prosperity.
Helaman 12:3
And thus, we see that unless the Lord chastens His people with many afflictions, indeed, unless He visits them with death and with terror, and with famine and with all manner of pestilence, they will not remember Him.
Helaman 12:4
O how foolish, and how vain, and how evil, and devilish, and how quick to do iniquity, and how slow to do good, are the children of men; indeed, how quick to listen to the words of the evil one, and to set their hearts upon the vain things of the world!
Helaman 12:5
Indeed, how quick to be lifted up in pride; indeed, how quick to boast, and do all manner of that which is iniquity; and how slow are they to remember the Lord their God, and to give ear to His counsels, indeed, how slow to walk in wisdom's paths!
Helaman 12:6
Behold, they do not desire that the Lord their God, who has created them, should rule and reign over them; notwithstanding His great goodness and His mercy towards them, they set His counsels at nothing, and they do not will that He should be their guide.
Helaman 12:7
O how great is the nothingness of the children of men; indeed, they are even less than the dust of the earth.
Helaman 12:8
For behold, the dust of the earth moves here and there, to the dividing asunder at the command of our great and everlasting God.
Helaman 12:9
Indeed, behold, at His voice, the hills and the mountains tremble and quake.
Helaman 12:10
And by the power of His voice, they are broken up and become smooth, indeed, even like a valley.
Helaman 12:11
Indeed, by the power of His voice, the whole earth shakes;
Helaman 12:12
Indeed, by the power of His voice, the foundations rock, even to the very center.
Helaman 12:13
Indeed, and if He says to the earth, "Move," it is moved.
Helaman 12:14
Indeed, if He says to the earth, "You will go back, so that it lengthens out the day for many hours," it is done;
Helaman 12:15
And thus, according to His word, the earth goes back, and it appears to man that the sun stands still; indeed, and behold, this is so; for surely it is the earth that moves and not the sun.
Helaman 12:16
And behold, also, if He says to the waters of the great deep, "Be dried up," it is done.
Helaman 12:17
Behold, if He says to this mountain, "Be raised up, and come over and fall upon that city, so that it is buried up," behold, it is done.
Helaman 12:18
And behold, if a man hides up a treasure in the earth, and the Lord will say, "Let it be accursed, because of the iniquity of him who has hidden it up," behold, it will be accursed.
Helaman 12:19
And if the Lord will say, "Be accursed, so that no man will find you from this time henceforth and forever," behold, no man gets it henceforth and forever.
Helaman 12:20
And behold, if the Lord will say to a man, "Because of your iniquities, you will be accursed forever," it will be done.
Helaman 12:21
And if the Lord will say, "Because of your iniquities, you will be cut off from My presence" He will cause that it will be so.
Helaman 12:22
And woe to him to whom He will say this, for it will be to him who will do iniquity, and he cannot be saved; therefore, for this cause, so that men might be saved, repentance has been declared.
Helaman 12:23
Therefore, blessed are those who will repent and listen to the voice of the Lord their God; for these are those who will be saved.
Helaman 12:24
And may God grant in His great fullness that men might be brought to repentance and good works, so that they might be restored to grace for grace, according to their works.
Helaman 12:25
And I willed that all men might be saved. But we read that in the great and Last Day, there are some who will be cast out, indeed, who will be cast off from the presence of the Lord;
Helaman 12:26
Indeed, who will be consigned to a state of endless misery, fulfilling the words which say, "Those who have done good will have everlasting life; and those who have done evil will have everlasting damnation." And thus it is. Amen.
Helaman 13:1
And now it came to pass in the eighty sixth year, the Nephites still remained in wickedness, indeed, in great wickedness, while the Lamanites strictly observed to keep the commandments of God, according to the law of Moses.
Helaman 13:2
And it came to pass that in this year, there was one Samuel, a Lamanite, came into the land of Zarahemla, and began to preach to the people. And it came to pass that he preached repentance to the people for many days, and they cast him out, and he was about to return to his own land.
Helaman 13:3
But behold, the voice of the Lord came to him, so that he should return again and prophesy to the people whatsoever things should come into his heart.
Helaman 13:4
And it came to pass that they would not allow that he should enter into the city; therefore, he went and got upon the wall and stretched forth his hand and cried with a loud voice, and prophesied to the people whatsoever things the Lord put into his heart.
Helaman 13:5
And he said to them, "Behold, I, Samuel, a Lamanite, speak the words of the Lord which He puts into my heart; and behold, He has put it into my heart to say to this people that the sword of justice hangs over this people; and four hundred years do not pass away unless the sword of justice falls upon this people.
Helaman 13:6
Indeed, heavy destruction awaits this people, and it surely comes to this people, and nothing can save this people except repentance and faith on the lord Jesus Christ, who will surely come into the world, and will suffer many things and will be slain for his people.
Helaman 13:7
And behold, an angel of the Lord has declared it to me, and he brought glad tidings to my soul. And behold, I was sent to you to declare it to you also, so that you might have glad tidings; but behold, you would not receive me.
Helaman 13:8
Therefore, the Lord thus says, 'Because of the hardness of the hearts of the people of the Nephites, unless they repent, I will take My word away from them, and I will withdraw My [Holy] Spirit from them, and I will allow them no longer, and I will turn the hearts of their brethren against them.
Helaman 13:9
And four hundred years will not pass away before I will cause that they will be struck; indeed, I will visit them with the sword and with famine and with pestilence.
Helaman 13:10
Indeed, I will visit them in My fierce anger, and there will be those of the fourth generation who will live, of your enemies, to behold your utter destruction; and this will surely come unless you repent,' the Lord says; and those of the fourth generation will visit your destruction.
Helaman 13:11
But if you will repent and return to the Lord your God, I will turn My anger away,' the Lord says; 'Indeed,' the Lord thus says, 'Blessed are those who will repent and turn to Me, but woe to him who does not repent.
Helaman 13:12
Indeed, woe to this great city of Zarahemla; for behold, it is because of those who are righteous that it is saved; indeed, woe to this great city, for I perceive,' the Lord says, 'That there are many, indeed, even the greater part of this great city, that will harden their hearts against Me,' the Lord says.
Helaman 13:13
But blessed are those who will repent, for I will spare them. But behold, if it were not for the righteous who are in this great city, behold, I would cause that fire should come down out of heaven and destroy it.
Helaman 13:14
But behold, it is for the righteous' sake that it is spared. But behold, the time comes,' the Lord says, 'That when you will cast out the righteous from amongst you, then will you be ripe for destruction; indeed, woe to this great city, because of the wickedness and abominations which are in her.
Helaman 13:15
Indeed, and woe to the city of Gideon, for the wickedness and abominations which are in her.
Helaman 13:16
Indeed, and woe to all the cities which are in the land round about, which are possessed by the Nephites, because of the wickedness and abominations which are in them.
Helaman 13:17
And behold, a curse will come upon the land,' the Lord of hosts says, 'Because of the people's sake who are upon the land, indeed, because of their wickedness and their abominations.
Helaman 13:18
And it will come to pass,' the Lord of hosts says, 'Indeed, our great and true God, that whoever will hide up treasures in the earth, will no longer find them again, because of the great curse of the land, unless he is a righteous man and will hide it up to the Lord.
Helaman 13:19
For I will,' the Lord says, 'That they will hide up their treasures to Me; and cursed are those who do not hide up their treasures to Me; for none hides up their treasures to Me except the righteous; and he who does not hide up his treasures to Me, he is cursed, and also the treasure, and none will redeem it because of the curse of the land.
Helaman 13:20
And the day will come that they will hide up their treasures, because they have set their hearts upon riches; and because they have set their hearts upon their riches, and will hide up their treasures when they will flee before their enemies; because they will not hide them up to Me, they and also their treasures are cursed; and on that day, they will be struck,' the Lord says.
Helaman 13:21
Behold, the people of this great city, and listen to my words; indeed, listen to the words which the Lord says; for behold, He says that you are cursed because of your riches, and your riches are also cursed because you have set your hearts upon them, and have not listened to the words of Him who gave them to you.
Helaman 13:22
You do not remember the Lord your God in the things with which He has blessed you, but you always do remember riches, not to thank the Lord your God for them; indeed, your hearts are not drawn out to the Lord, but they swell with great pride, to boasting, and to great swelling, envying, strife, malice, persecutions, and murders, and all manner of iniquities.
Helaman 13:23
For this cause, the Lord God has caused that a curse should come upon the land, and also upon your riches, and this [is] because of your iniquities.
Helaman 13:24
Indeed, woe to this people, because of this time which has arrived, that you cast out the prophets, and mock them, and cast stones at them, and slay them, and do all manner of iniquity to them, even as they did of old time.
Helaman 13:25
And now when you talk, you say, 'If our days had been in the days of our fathers of old, we would not have slain the prophets; we would not have stoned them and cast them out.'
Helaman 13:26
Behold you are worse than them; for as the Lord lives, if a prophet comes among you and declares the word of the Lord to you, which testifies of your sins and iniquities, you are angry with him, and cast him out and seek all manner of ways to destroy him; indeed, you will say that he is a false prophet, and that he is a sinner, and of the devil, because he testifies that your deeds are evil.
Helaman 13:27
But behold, if a man will come among you and will say, 'Do this, and there is no iniquity; do that and you will not suffer;' indeed, he will say, 'Walk after the pride of your own hearts; indeed, walk after the pride of your eyes, and do whatsoever your heart desires' - and if a man will come among you and say this, you will receive him, and say that he is a prophet.
Helaman 13:28
Indeed, you will lift him up, and you will give to him of your substance; you will give your gold to him, and your silver, and you will clothe him with costly apparel; and because he speaks flattering words to you, and he says that all is well, then you will not find fault with him.
Helaman 13:29
O you wicked and perverse generation; you hardened and you stiff-necked people, how long will you suppose that the Lord will allow you? Indeed, how long will you allow yourselves to be led by foolish and blind guides? Indeed, how long will you choose darkness rather than light?
Helaman 13:30
Indeed, behold, the anger of the Lord is already kindled against you; behold, He has cursed the land because of your iniquity.
Helaman 13:31
And behold, the time comes that He curses your riches, so that they become slippery, so that you cannot hold them; and in the days of your poverty, you cannot retain them.
Helaman 13:32
And in the days of your poverty, you will cry to the Lord; and you will cry in vain, for your desolation has already come upon you, and your destruction is made sure; and then you will weep and howl on that day,' the Lord of hosts says. And then will you lament, and say,
Helaman 13:33
O that I had repented, and had not killed the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out.' Indeed, on that day you will say, 'O that we had remembered the Lord our God in the day that He gave us our riches, and then they would not have become slippery so that we should lose them; for behold, our riches are gone from us.
Helaman 13:34
Behold, we lay a tool here and tomorrow it is gone; and behold, our swords are taken from us in the day we have sought them for battle.
Helaman 13:35
Indeed, we have hidden up our treasures and they have slipped away from us, because of the curse of the land.
Helaman 13:36
O that we had repented in the day that the word of the Lord came to us; for behold the land is cursed, and all things have become slippery, and we cannot hold them.
Helaman 13:37
Behold, we are surrounded by demons, indeed, we are encircled about by the angels of him who has sought to destroy our souls. Behold, our iniquities are great. O Lord, can you not turn away Your anger from us?' And this will be your language in those days.
Helaman 13:38
But behold, your days of probation have past; you have procrastinated the day of your salvation until it is everlastingly too late, and your destruction is made sure; indeed, for you have sought all the days of your lives for that which you could not obtain; and you have sought for happiness in doing iniquity, which thing is contrary to the nature of that righteousness which is in our great and Eternal Head.
Helaman 13:39
O you people of the land, that you would hear my words! And I pray that the anger of the Lord is turned away from you, and that you would repent and be saved."
Helaman 14:1
And now it came to pass that Samuel, the Lamanite, prophesied a great many more things which cannot be written.
Helaman 14:2
And behold, he said to them, "Behold, I give a sign to you; for five more years come, and behold, then the son of God comes to redeem all those who will believe in his name.
Helaman 14:3
And behold, I will give this to you for a sign at the time of his coming; for behold, there will be great lights in heaven, insomuch that in the night before he comes, there will be no darkness, insomuch that it will appear to man as if it was day.
Helaman 14:4
Therefore, there will be one day and a night and a day, as if it were one day and there were no night; and this will be to you for a sign; for you will know of the rising of the sun and also of its setting; therefore they will know of a surety that there will be two days and a night; nevertheless the night will not be darkened; and it will be the night before he is born.
Helaman 14:5
And behold, a new star will arise, such a one as you never have beheld; and this also will be a sign to you.
Helaman 14:6
And behold, this is not all, there will be many signs and wonders in heaven.
Helaman 14:7
And it will come to pass that you will all be amazed, and wonder, insomuch that you will fall to the earth.
Helaman 14:8
And it will come to pass that whosoever will believe in the son of God, the same will have everlasting life.
Helaman 14:9
And behold, the Lord has thus commanded me by His angel that I should come and tell this thing to you; indeed, He has commanded that I should prophesy these things to you; indeed, He has said to me, 'Cry to this people, repent and prepare the way of the Lord.'
Helaman 14:10
And now, because I am a Lamanite, and have spoken the words to you which the Lord has commanded me, and because it was hard against you, you are angry with me and seek to destroy me, and have cast me out from among you.
Helaman 14:11
And you will hear my words, for this intent have I come up upon the walls of this city, so that you might hear and know of the judgements of God which await you because of your iniquities, and also that you might know the conditions of repentance;
Helaman 14:12
And also that you might know of the coming of Jesus Christ, the son of God, the father of heaven and earth, the creator of all things from the beginning; and so that you might know of the signs of his coming, to the intent that you might believe in his name.
Helaman 14:13
And if you believe in his name, you will repent of all your sins, so that you may thereby have a remission of them through his merits.
Helaman 14:14
And behold, again, I give another sign to you, indeed, a sign of his death.
Helaman 14:15
For behold, he surely must die so that salvation may come; indeed, it behooves him and becomes expedient that he dies, to bring the resurrection of the dead to pass, so that men may thereby be brought into the presence of the Lord.
Helaman 14:16
Indeed, behold, this death brings the resurrection to pass, and redeems all mankind from the first death - that spiritual death; for all mankind, by the fall of Adam being cut off from the presence of the Lord, are considered as dead, both as to things temporal and to things spiritual.
Helaman 14:17
But behold, the resurrection of Christ redeems mankind, indeed, even all mankind, and brings them back into the presence of the Lord.
Helaman 14:18
Indeed, and it brings the condition of repentance to pass, so that whosoever repents, the same is not hewn down and cast into the fire; but whosoever does not repent is hewn down and cast into the fire; and a spiritual death comes upon them again, indeed, a second death, for they are cut off again as to things pertaining to righteousness.
Helaman 14:19
Therefore repent, repent, in case by knowing these things and not doing them you will allow yourselves to come under condemnation, and you are brought down to this second death.
Helaman 14:20
But behold, as I said to you concerning another sign, a sign of his death, behold, on that day that he will suffer death, the sun will be darkened and refuse to give his light to you; and also the moon and the stars; and there will be no light upon the face of this land, even from the time that he will suffer death, for the space of three days, to the time that he will rise again from the dead.
Helaman 14:21
Indeed, at the time that he will yield up the ghost, there will be thundering and lightnings for the space of many hours, and the earth will shake and tremble; and the rocks which are upon the face of this earth, which are both above the earth and beneath, which you know at this time are solid, or the more part of it is one solid mass, will be broken up;
Helaman 14:22
Indeed, they will be torn in two, and will ever after be found in seams and in cracks, and in broken fragments upon the face of the whole earth, indeed, both above the earth and beneath.
Helaman 14:23
And behold, there will be great tempests, and many mountains will be laid low, like a valley, and there will be many places which are now called valleys which will become mountains, whose height is great.
Helaman 14:24
And many highways will be broken up, and many cities will become desolate.
Helaman 14:25
And many graves will be opened, and will yield up many of their dead; and many saints will appear to many.
Helaman 14:26
And behold, the angel has thus spoken to me; for he said to me that there should be thundering and lightnings for the space of many hours.
Helaman 14:27
And he said to me that while the thunder and the lightning lasted, and the tempest, that these things should be, and that darkness should cover the face of the whole earth for the space of three days.
Helaman 14:28
And the angel said to me that many will see greater things than these, to the intent that they might believe that these signs and these wonders should come to pass upon all the face of this land, to the intent that there should be no cause for disbelief amongst the children of men.
Helaman 14:29
And this [is] to the intent that whosoever will believe might be saved, and that whosoever will not believe, a righteous judgement might come upon them; and also if they are condemned, they bring their own condemnation upon themselves.
Helaman 14:30
And now remember, remember, my brethren, that whosoever perishes, perishes to himself; and whosoever does iniquity, does it to himself; for behold, you are free; you are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God has given knowledge to you and He has made you free.
Helaman 14:31
He has given to you so that you might know good from evil, and He has given to you so that you might choose life or death; and you can do good and be restored to that which is good, or have that which is good restored to you; or you can do evil, and have that which is evil restored to you.
Helaman 15:1
And now, my beloved brethren, behold, I declare to you that unless you will repent, your houses will be left desolate to you.
Helaman 15:2
Indeed, unless you repent, your women will have great cause to mourn in the day that they will give suck; for you will attempt to flee and there will be no place for refuge; indeed, and woe to those who are with child, for they will be heavy and cannot flee; therefore, they will be trodden down and will be left to perish.
Helaman 15:3
Indeed, woe to this people who are called the people of Nephi unless they will repent, when they will see all these signs and wonders which will be shown to them; for behold, they have been a chosen people of the Lord; indeed, He has loved the people of Nephi, and He has also chastened them; indeed, in the days of their iniquities, He has chastened them because He loves them.
Helaman 15:4
But behold my brethren, He has hated the Lamanites because their deeds have been continually evil, and this [is] because of the iniquity of the tradition of their fathers. But behold, salvation has come to them through the preaching of the Nephites; and for this intent, the Lord has prolonged their days.
Helaman 15:5
And I willed that you should behold that the greater part of them are in the path of their duty, and they walk circumspectly before God, and they observe to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgements according to the law of Moses.
Helaman 15:6
Indeed, I say to you, that the greater part of them are doing this, and they are striving with unwearied diligence so that they may bring the remainder of their brethren to the knowledge of the truth; therefore, there are many who add to their numbers daily.
Helaman 15:7
And behold, you know yourselves, for you have witnessed it, that as many of them who are brought to the knowledge of the truth, and to know of the wicked and abominable traditions of their fathers, and are led to believe the Holy Scriptures, indeed, the prophecies of the holy prophets, which are written, which leads them to faith in the Lord, and to repentance, which faith and repentance brings a change of heart to them -
Helaman 15:8
Therefore, as many who have come to this, you know yourselves are firm and steadfast in the faith, and in the thing whereby they have been made free.
Helaman 15:9
And you know also that they have buried their weapons of war, and they fear to take them up in case they should sin by any means; indeed, you can see that they fear to sin - for behold, they will allow themselves that they will be trodden down and slain by their enemies, and will not lift their swords against them, and this [is] because of their faith in Christ.
Helaman 15:10
And now, because of their steadfastness when they believe in that thing which they believe, for because of their firmness when they are once enlightened, behold, the Lord will bless them and prolong their days, notwithstanding their iniquity.
Helaman 15:11
Indeed, even if they should dwindle in disbelief, the Lord will prolong their days, until the time will come which has been spoken of by our fathers, and also by the prophet Zenos, and many other prophets, concerning the restoration of our brethren, the Lamanites, again to the knowledge of the truth.
Helaman 15:12
Indeed, I say to you, that in the latter times, the promises of the Lord have been extended to our brethren, the Lamanites; and notwithstanding the many afflictions which they will have, and notwithstanding, they will be driven here and there upon the face of the earth, and hunted, and will be struck and scattered abroad, having no place for refuge, the Lord will be merciful to them.
Helaman 15:13
And this is according to the prophecy, so that they will again be brought to true knowledge, which is the knowledge of their redeemer, and their great and true shepherd, and be numbered among his sheep.
Helaman 15:14
Therefore I say to you, it will be better for them than for you unless you repent.
Helaman 15:15
For behold, had the mighty works been shown to them which have been shown to you, indeed, to those who have dwindled in disbelief because of the traditions of their fathers, you can see yourselves that they never would again have dwindled in disbelief.
Helaman 15:16
Therefore, the Lord says, "I will not utterly destroy them, but I will cause that in the day of My wisdom, they will return to Me again," the Lord says.
Helaman 15:17
And now behold, the Lord says, concerning the people of the Nephites, "If they will not repent and observe to do My will, I will utterly destroy them," the Lord says, "Because of their disbelief, notwithstanding the many mighty works which I have done amongst them; and as surely as the Lord lives, these things will be," the Lord says.
Helaman 16:1
And now, it came to pass that there were many who heard the words of Samuel, the Lamanite, which he spoke upon the walls of the city. And as many who believed in his word, went forth and sought for Nephi; and when they had come forth and found him, they confessed their sins to him and did not deny, desiring that they might be baptized to the Lord.
Helaman 16:2
But as many who were there, who did not believe in the words of Samuel, were angry with him; and they cast stones at him upon the wall, and many also shot arrows at him as he stood upon the wall; but the [Holy] Spirit of the Lord was with him, insomuch that they could not hit him with their stones neither with their arrows.
Helaman 16:3
Now, when they saw that they could not hit him, there were many more who believed in his words, insomuch that they went away to Nephi to be baptized.
Helaman 16:4
For behold, Nephi was baptizing, and prophesying, and preaching, crying repentance to the people, showing signs and wonders, working miracles amongst the people so that they might know that the Christ must shortly come -
Helaman 16:5
Telling them of things which must shortly come, so that they might know and remember at the time of their coming that they had been made known to them beforehand, to the intent that they might believe; therefore, as many who believed in the words of Samuel went forth to him to be baptized, for they came repenting and confessing their sins.
Helaman 16:6
But the greater part of them did not believe in the words of Samuel; therefore, when they saw that they could not hit him with their stones and their arrows, they cried to their captains, saying, "Take this fellow and bind him, for behold, he has a devil; and because of the power of the devil which is in him, we cannot hit him with our stones and our arrows; therefore take him and bind him, and away with him."
Helaman 16:7
And as they went forth to lay their hands on him, behold, he cast himself down from the wall, and fled out of their lands, indeed, even to his own country, and began to preach and to prophesy amongst his own people.
Helaman 16:8
And behold, he was never heard of more amongst the Nephites; and thus were the affairs of the people.
Helaman 16:9
And thus the eighty sixth year of the reign of the judges ended over the people of Nephi.
Helaman 16:10
And thus the eighty seventh year of the reign of the judges also ended, the greater part of the people remaining in their pride and wickedness, and the lesser part walking more circumspectly before God.
Helaman 16:11
And these were the conditions also, in the eighty eighth year of the reign of the judges.
Helaman 16:12
And there was only a little alteration in the affairs of the people, unless the people began to be more hardened in iniquity, and do more and more of that which was contrary to the commandments of God, in the eighty ninth year of the reign of the judges.
Helaman 16:13
But it came to pass in the ninetieth year of the reign of the judges, there were great signs and wonders given to the people; and the words of the prophets began to be fulfilled.
Helaman 16:14
And angels appeared to men, wise men, and declared glad tidings to them of great joy; thus in this year, the Scriptures began to be fulfilled.
Helaman 16:15
Nevertheless, the people began to harden their hearts, all except the most believing part of them, both of the Nephites and also of the Lamanites, and began to depend upon their own strength and upon their own wisdom, saying,
Helaman 16:16
"They may have guessed some things right, amongst so many; but behold, we know that all these great and marvelous works cannot come to pass, of which has been spoken."
Helaman 16:17
And they began to reason and to contend amongst themselves, saying,
Helaman 16:18
"That it is not reasonable that such a being as a Christ will come; if so, and he is the son of God, the father of heaven and of earth, as it has been spoken, why will he not show himself to us as well as to those who will be at Jerusalem?
Helaman 16:19
Indeed, why will he not show himself in this land as well as in the land of Jerusalem?
Helaman 16:20
But behold, we know that this is a wicked tradition, which has been handed down to us by our fathers, to cause us that we should believe in some great and marvelous thing which should come to pass, but not among us, but in a land which is far distant, a land which we do not know; therefore, they can keep us in ignorance, for we cannot witness that they are true with our own eyes.
Helaman 16:21
And they will, by the cunning and the mysterious arts of the evil one, work some great mystery which we cannot understand, which will keep us down to be servants to their words, and also servants to them, for we depend upon them to teach us the word; and thus they will keep us in ignorance if we will yield ourselves to them, all the days of our lives."
Helaman 16:22
And the people imagined many more things up in their hearts which were foolish and vain; and they were greatly disturbed, for Satan stirred them up to do iniquity continually; indeed, he went about spreading rumors and contentions upon all the face of the land, so that he might harden the hearts of the people against that which was good and against that which should come.
Helaman 16:23
And notwithstanding the signs and the wonders which were done amongst the people of the Lord, and the many miracles which they did, Satan got great hold upon the hearts of the people upon all the face of the land.
Helaman 16:24
And thus the ninetieth year of the reign of the judges ended over the people of Nephi.