Helaman 1

Helaman 1

Helaman: Header

An account of the Nephites. Their wars and contentions, and their dissensions. And also the prophecies of many holy prophets, before the coming of Christ, according to the records of Helaman, who was the son of Helaman, and also according to the records of his sons, even down to the coming of Christ. And also many of the Lamanites are converted. An account of their conversion. An account of the righteousness of the Lamanites, and the wickedness and abominations of the Nephites, according to the record of Helaman and his sons, even down to the coming of Christ, which is called the book of Helaman, and so forth.

Comments

This book header continues Mormon’s practice of providing a synopsis of the book at the beginning. The practice of doing so probably came from the large plates. Nephi₁ provided book headers for his books on the small plates, as did Jacob.

The headers on the large plates had to have a different purpose, however. Where Nephi₁ and Mormon had outlines, and knew what they were going to write, that would not have been possible on the large plates, because the future was still unknown. This header confirms that Mormon wrote it, rather than copied it. The header ends with the statement that it covers events “even down to the coming of Christ.” That could not have been known by the large plate record keeper.

Incidentally, it is of interest that Mormon states that the book of Helaman covers the time “even down to the coming of Christ,” because it doesn’t. We don’t get that information until our book of 3 Nephi. It is possible that the large plate book of Helaman did contain that information, but that Mormon shifted to a new source for 3 Nephi and therefore, didn’t use the account from Helaman₂, but rather from the personal record of Nephi₃.

Pahoran’s Sons Contend for the Judgment Seat

Helaman 1:1–5

1 And now behold, it came to pass in the commencement of the fortieth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, there began to be a serious difficulty among the people of the Nephites.

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 judgment-seat among the brethren, who were the sons of Pahoran.

3 Now these are their names who did contend for the judgment-seat, who did also cause the people to contend: Pahoran, Paanchi, and Pacumeni.

4 Now these are not all the sons of Pahoran (for he had many), but these are they who did contend for the judgment-seat; therefore, they did cause three divisions among the people.

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.

Comments

The length of the book of Alma allows modern readers to be too distanced from the end of Mosiah₂’s reign to remember that this new system of the reign of the judges is still new. Even though forty years have passed, there have only been three judges since Mosiah₂ dissolved the monarchy. One of those two was Alma₂, who abdicated after only nine years. The subsequent Chief Judge, Nephihah, ruled for around sixteen years. His son, Pahoran, ruled for around fifteen years.

The first transition in power occurred early enough in the new government that it didn’t create any problems. Nevertheless, we see the presence of those who were later called king-men even as early as Alma₂, when Amlici desires to be king (Alma 1:2). In Nephihah’s reign, Amalickiah was the one who arose and desired to be a king. During Pahoran’s rule, it was the king-men who succeeded in replacing Pahoran for a time.

The situation in Zarahemla continued to be difficult, even though the rebellion had been put down. Thus, when Pahoran dies, there is controversy over who should be the Chief Judge. This was the very situation that Mosiah₂ had foreseen when he established the Reign of the Judges. In accordance with law, the voice of the people selected Pahoran. Not incidentally, it is probable that Pahoran was the eldest, and therefore was elevated to Chief Judge by birthright. This was not a democratic system.

Helaman 1:6–8

6 And it came to pass that Pacumeni, when he saw that he could not obtain the judgment-seat, he did unite with the voice of the people.

7 But behold, Paanchi, and that part of the people that were desirous that he should be their governor, was exceedingly wroth; therefore, he was about to flatter away those people to rise up in rebellion against their brethren.

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 unto death; for he had raised up in rebellion and sought to destroy the liberty of the people.

 Comments

The process Mosiah₂ set in place did what it was supposed to do. Pahoran was selected to be the Chief Judge, and his brother Pacumeni accepted the result of that legal process. Paanchi did not. As with each of the previous Chief Judges, there was still conflict over the process, and Paanchi and his followers did what Amlici, Amalickiah, and the king-men had done in the previous administrations. He incited people to rebellion.

Paanchi was arrested prior to being able to raise an army and was executed according to law. His crime would certainly have been treason. His death, however, did not end the political problems. A new problem begins in the next verse.

Helaman 1:9–13

9 Now when those people who were desirous that he should be their governor saw that he was condemned unto death, therefore they were angry, and behold, they sent forth one Kishkumen, even to the judgment-seat of Pahoran, and murdered Pahoran as he sat upon the judgment-seat.

10 And he was pursued by the servants of Pahoran; but behold, so speedy was the flight of Kishkumen that no man could overtake him.

11 And he went unto those that sent him, and they all entered into a covenant, yea, swearing by their everlasting Maker, that they would tell no man that Kishkumen had murdered Pahoran.

12 Therefore, Kishkumen was not known among 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, did mingle themselves among the people, in a manner that they all could not be found; but as many as were found were condemned unto death.

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.

Comments

Rather than armed rebellion, such as was undertaken in previous attempts to change the government, this attempt uses stealth and murder. Mormon introduces us to Kishkumen, a man with a very Jaredite name. Mormon uses Jaredite names to highlight actors in the story who are opposed to Nephite ideals, and Kishkumen will be more than just opposed to Nephite ideals. He will form the band that, from this time forward, Mormon will call Gadianton.

We will not learn until Moroni adds the book of Ether that covenants of secrecy, with the purpose of destroying governments by means of murder, will be a hallmark of the ancient Jaredites. But Mormon knows that, and he will use that Jaredite trait to connect Nephite history to the destruction of the Jaredites through these destructive secret covenants, or secret combinations.

Coriantumr Leads the Lamanites against the Nephites

Helaman 1:14–17

14 And it came to pass in the forty and 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 cimeters and with bows, and with arrows, and with head-plates, and with breastplates, and with all manner of shields of every kind.

15 And they came down again that they might pitch 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 among the Nephites; and he was a large and a mighty man.

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—

17 Therefore he did stir them up to anger, and he did gather together his armies, and he did appoint Coriantumr to be their leader, and did cause that they should march down to the land of Zarahemla to battle against the Nephites.

Comments

The story here is straightforward, but the way it is told is convoluted. The basic information is that Coriantumr, a Nephite dissenter, leads a Lamanite army against the Nephites. We have seen this pattern before. However, we know nothing about Coriantumr or why the Lamanites might be attacking.

Mormon appears to realize that he has neglected to get some of the details straight and corrects that neglect in verses 16 and 17. The actions represented by those two verses would have occurred prior to what we see in verses 14 and 15, but Mormon was backfilling the information he realized he had missed. This suggests that, while Mormon had an outline of what he wanted to write, he was not copying from a previously written manuscript, but rather writing directly onto the plates.

Helaman 1:18–21

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 durst not come into the heart of their lands to attack that great city Zarahemla.

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 together their armies.

20 Therefore Coriantumr did cut down the watch by the entrance of the city, and did march forth with his whole army into the city, and they did slay every one who did oppose them, insomuch that they did take possession of the whole city.

21 And it came to pass that Pacumeni, who was the chief judge, did flee before Coriantumr, even to the walls of the city. And it came to pass that Coriantumr did smite him against the wall, insomuch that he died. And thus ended the days of Pacumeni.

Comments

Although Pahoran and Chief Captain Moroni had regained control over Zarahemla from the king-men, and undoubtedly believed that they had solidified that city as a Nephite stronghold, the events surrounding the transfer of power after Pahoran’s death suggest that there was still discord in the city. Coriantumr’s invasion takes advantage of that discord.

Mormon records that the division that existed after Pacumeni’s ascension to the judgement seat, and Paanchi’s execution, left the city less protected than it might have been. Therefore, Coriantumr is able to enter the land and take over the main city. In doing so, Pacumeni was killed. The transfer of power is even more fragile.

Helaman 1:22–24

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.

23 And now he did not tarry in the land of Zarahemla, but he did march 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, that he might obtain the north parts of the land.

24 And, supposing that their greatest strength was in the center of the land, therefore he did march forth, giving them no time to assemble themselves together save it were in small bodies; and in this manner they did fall upon them and cut them down to the earth.

Comments

Mormon doesn’t tell us how the Lamanites entered the land of Zarahemla, but the speed with which they arrived in the heart of the land suggests that they entered through the pass near Manti. We don’t hear about Manti after the book of Alma, so we cannot know if it was captured, or simply bypassed.

Coriantumr takes his army up the center of the land of Zarahemla. While he might have thought it would be the strongest defended area, it was, in fact, the least defended. The last major conflict had concentrated on both the western and eastern borders, and those cities had not only been physically fortified, but likely, at least, somewhat garrisoned. That left the center with fewer defenses.

Following the Sidon River valley allowed Coriantumr the most direct route to Bountiful, which, if captured, would significantly weaken the Nephite lands by dividing them in two without a good means of reinforcements and provisions crossing the center.

Helaman 1:25–29

25 But behold, this march of Coriantumr through the center of the land gave Moronihah great advantage over them, notwithstanding the greatness of the number of the Nephites who were slain.

26 For behold, Moronihah had supposed that the Lamanites durst not come into the center of the land, but that they would attack the cities round about in the borders as they had hitherto done; therefore Moronihah had caused that their strong armies should maintain those parts round about by the borders.

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 of many strongholds.

28 But when Moronihah had discovered this, he immediately sent forth Lehi with an army round about to head them before they should come to the land Bountiful.

29 And thus he did; and he did head them before they came to the land Bountiful, and gave unto them battle, insomuch that they began to retreat back towards the land of Zarahemla.

Comments

The problem that Coriantumr didn’t realize was that, while he was presented with a weakened center, there were still large Nephite armies assigned to the borders. Thus, as Coriantumr presses toward Bountiful, Moronihah (Moroni’s son and successor) sends reinforcements to Bountiful under the leadership of the seasoned general, Lehi₂. This created a defensive army sufficiently strong that Coriantumr’s forces were defeated and forced to retreat toward Zarahemla. This would place them in a center city where they could be easily surrounded. This invasion was essentially defeated, even if it was not yet over.

Helaman 1:30–34

30 And it came to pass that Moronihah did head them in their retreat, and did give unto them battle, insomuch that it became an exceedingly bloody battle; yea, many were slain, and among the number who were slain Coriantumr was also found.

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.

32 And thus had Coriantumr 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 did yield themselves into the hands of the Nephites.

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.

34 And thus ended the forty and first year of the reign of the judges.

Comments

Moronihah’s advantage continued to be that he had armies distributed along the borders. This allowed him not only to send reinforcements to Bountiful, but to still have armies available to cut off the Lamanite retreat. Coriantumr’s situation was hopeless, and Zarahemla was recaptured.

Perhaps because of lessons he learned from his father, Moronihah allows the prisoners to depart. There is no mention of a covenant, but it would be a reasonable assumption that a covenant existed, even though Mormon isn’t interested enough in this war to give the details of it.

There is no chapter break at this point in the 1830 edition.