Helaman 11

Helaman 11

Nephi Seals the Rains and a Famine Ensues

Helaman 11:1–2

1 And now it came to pass in the seventy and second year of the reign of the judges that the contentions did increase, insomuch that there were wars throughout all the land among all the people of Nephi.

2 And it was this secret band of robbers who did carry on this work of destruction and wickedness. And this war did last all that year; and in the seventy and third year it did also last.

Comments

Even though Nephi₂ had spoken out against the Gadianton-led government and had provided rather dramatic proof that he could knowledgeably tell the future, the majority of the people did not believe his prophecy that they would be destroyed except they should repent. Thus, they continued doing as they had done.

As Mormon continues to develop this story, he continues to build his case that the Gadiantons were the harbingers of destruction. He does not overtly name them in verse 2, but there is no doubt that “this secret band of robbers who did carry on this work of destruction” were the Gadiantons.

Helaman 11:3–5

3 And it came to pass that in this year Nephi did cry unto the Lord, saying:

4 O Lord, do not suffer that this people shall 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 unto thee.

5 And so it was done, according to the words of Nephi. And there was a great famine upon the land, among all the people of Nephi. And thus in the seventy and fourth year the famine did continue, and the work of destruction did cease by the sword but became sore by famine.

Comments

At the end of Helaman 10, Nephi₂ is given authority to use Yahweh’s power. He is told that what he sealed on earth would be sealed in heaven, that if he declared that something should be so, Yahweh, in heaven, would make it so. What Nephi₂ seals is a famine, and what likely caused the famine was sealing the rains.

In a Mesoamerican setting, there are two seasons, a rainy season and a dry season. The water that comes in the rainy season is the time of planting and the growing of crops. Droughts could become severe in many parts of Mesoamerica and have been suggested as a major cause of the fall of the Maya civilization. Thus, a drought would be desperate. It led to a lack of food, which, of course, defines a famine.

An interesting question would be why Nephi₂ chose a debilitating famine rather than an invasion. At times, warfare could also cause famine because crops might be trampled in the fields. The answer, or at least a possible answer, might lie in the idea that the Nephite government had been filled with Gadiantons. If they continued to have contact with the north, it is conceivable that they could call upon the north to aid in a Lamanite invasion, and thus increase the number of Gadiantons in the region.

Helaman 11:6–8

6 And this work of destruction did also continue in the seventy and fifth year. For the earth was smitten that it was dry, and did not yield forth grain in the season of grain; and the whole earth was smitten, even among the Lamanites as well as among the Nephites, so that they were smitten that they did perish by thousands in the more wicked parts of the land.

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.

8 And the people began to plead with their chief judges and their leaders, that they would say unto Nephi: Behold, we know that thou art a man of God, and therefore cry unto the Lord our God that he turn away from us this famine, lest all the words which thou hast spoken concerning our destruction be fulfilled.

Comments

The supposition that what Nephi₂ sealed was the rain from heaven is confirmed in verse 6: “The earth was smitten that it was dry.” In the first year, when the drought began, there were probably already crops in the field and stores set aside. The yield might not have been as good, but the first year of a drought wouldn’t have been serious. However, in the second year, the lack of food became critical. It was also a widespread drought, so that even trade could not bring in food, because the possible trading partners didn’t have food either: “[T]he whole earth was smitten, even among the Lamanites as well as among the Nephites.”

Times of desperation awake more feelings of dependence upon God that do times of prosperity. These were times of desperation, and so the people began to ask Nephi₂ to pray for relief.

Nephi Unseals the Famine

Helaman 11:9–11

9 And it came to pass that the judges did say unto 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 unto the Lord, saying:

10 O Lord, behold this people repenteth; 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.

11 Now, O Lord, because of this their humility wilt thou turn away thine anger, and let thine anger be appeased in the destruction of those wicked men whom thou hast already destroyed.

Comments

The judges come to Nephi₂ to ask that he pray to have the famine end. It is important to note that verse 10 declares that they “have swept away the band of Gadianton.” At least symbolically, Mormon is telling his readers that it will be possible for the nation to repent because the destructive Gadiantons have been removed.

The Gadiantons appear and disappear throughout Mormon’s story, starting in the beginning of the book of Helaman. The first time they disappear, they come back, having learned their secret combinations from the devil himself. This time, however, they disappear, and bury their secrets in the earth. Mormon is never dealing with a perpetuation of the exact same band but is dealing with the designs of the band of robbers and their secret combinations.

Nephi₂ prays for restitution of the rains because the destroying Gadiantons have now been destroyed (verse 11).

Helaman 11:12–15

12 O Lord, wilt thou turn away thine anger, yea, thy fierce anger, and cause that this famine may cease in this land.

13 O Lord, wilt thou hearken unto me, and cause that it may be done according to my words, and send forth rain upon the face of the earth, that she may bring forth her fruit, and her grain in the season of grain.

14 O Lord, thou didst hearken unto my words when I said, Let there be a famine, that the pestilence of the sword might cease; and I know that thou wilt, even at this time, hearken unto my words, for thou saidst that: If this people repent I will spare them.

15 Yea, O Lord, and thou seest that they have repented, because of the famine and the pestilence and destruction which has come unto them.

Comments

Even though Nephi₂ had been promised that what he would loose on earth would be loosed in heaven, Nephi₂ does not presume to command God. He makes requests. He understands that these things are done through God’s power, and he maintains his humility, even though he has been given such a great promised.

Therefore, Nephi₂ asks. Nephi₂ notes that the people have repented, which was the purpose of the famine. It might have been a repentance of convenience, brought on by desperate times, but it at least put the people in a position where they were once again willing to listen to the word of the Lord.

Nephites Again Prosper

Helaman 11:16–20

16 And now, O Lord, wilt thou turn away thine anger, and try again if they will serve thee? And if so, O Lord, thou canst bless them according to thy words which thou hast said.

17 And it came to pass that in the seventy and sixth year the Lord did turn away his anger from the people, and caused that rain should fall upon the earth, insomuch that it did bring forth her fruit in the season of her fruit. And it came to pass that it did bring forth her grain in the season of her grain.

18 And behold, the people did rejoice and glorify God, and the whole face of the land was filled with rejoicing; and they did no more seek to destroy Nephi, but they did esteem him as a great prophet, and a man of God, having great power and authority given unto him from God.

19 And behold, Lehi, his brother, was not a whit behind him as to things pertaining to righteousness.

20 And thus it did come 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 did cover the whole face of the land, both on the northward and on the southward, from the sea west to the sea east.

Comments

Yahweh loosed the rains, and the famine eased. That was not in question, as Nephi₂ had been told that he could make that change solely upon asking. The release from famine had the obvious effect of generating great joy. We may suppose that there were many prayers to God for the rains to come. With the introduction of a different religion by the Gadiantons, it is possible that there were many prayers to a different god, or perhaps to many gods. Only Nephi₂’s prayer was effective. Therefore, the people “did esteem him as a great prophet, and a man of God.”

Nephi₂ and his brother, Lehi₃, were both righteous. They had both been successful missionaries, and a successful end of the famine elevated both to a much more respected position. This presumes that the people also began to return to the commandments of the Lord, for “the people of Nephi began to prosper again in the land.” That was the result of obeying Yahweh’s commandments.

Helaman 11:21–23

21 And it came to pass that the seventy and sixth year did end in peace. And the seventy and seventh year began in peace; and the church did spread throughout the face of all the land; and the more part of the people, both the Nephites and the Lamanites, did belong to the church; and they did have exceedingly great peace in the land; and thus ended the seventy and seventh year.

22 And also they had peace in the seventy and eighth year, save it were a few contentions concerning the points of doctrine which had been laid down by the prophets.

23 And in the seventy and 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 did preach unto the people, insomuch that they did put an end to their strife in that same year.

Comments

These verses highlight an important aspect of Mormon’s editing of the large plates. The first is that he follows the annalistic nature of the plates, that is, events are collected chronologically, year by year. The second is that Mormon’s interest is not in peacetime, but in times of conflict.

Mormon will note that things are going well, but he doesn’t describe them. The seventy-sixth year ended in peace. That is all we know of that year, even though it is certain that there were events recorded for the year on the large plates.

The seventy-seventh year “began in peace.” Good things happened, but Mormon warns that change is coming. There was peace in the seventy-eight year, except for “a few contentions.” In the seventy-ninth year, there “began to be much strife.” Nephi₂ and Lehi₃ were able to calm the strife. However, the incidents are simply listed, with no elaboration. There are no great speeches or sermons, no doctrinal expositions. There is only the general peace that is more often being interrupted by contentions.

Reemergence of the Gadianton Robbers

Helaman 11:24–26

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 some years before gone over unto the Lamanites, 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.

25 And they did commit murder and plunder; and then they would retreat back into the mountains, and into the wilderness and secret places, hiding themselves that they could not be discovered, receiving daily an addition to their numbers, inasmuch as there were dissenters that went forth unto them.

26 And thus in time, yea, 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.

Comments

Mormon’s description of the passage of the years has been leading up to the eightieth year. In that year there is a significant change. Dissenting Nephites have gone to the Lamanites and stirred up trouble. This is not a new thing. It has happened multiple times, and Mormon has made it clear that the most devastating wars with the Lamanites came at the hands of dissenting Nephites.

What is different here is that Mormon attributes this new threat to “robbers of Gadianton.” In Helaman 11:10, the secret plans of the previous Gadiantons had been buried. These new Gadiantons seek them out. The connection to other groups named Gadianton is through the ideas and methods they employ, not any direct connection among the groups.

In this case, the new apostate-driven Lamanite incursion begins as more of a guerilla-style warfare, or perhaps simply raids to acquire goods. As time passes, however, they become “an exceedingly great band of robbers,” and then they become dangerous Gadiantons themselves.

Helaman 11:27–31

27 Now behold, these robbers did make great havoc, yea, even great destruction among the people of Nephi, and also among the people of the Lamanites.

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.

29 But behold, it came to pass that in that same year they were driven back even into their own lands. And thus ended the eightieth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.

30 And it came to pass in the commencement of the eighty and first year they did go forth again against this band of robbers, and did destroy many; and they were also visited with much destruction.

31 And they were again obliged to return out of the wilderness and out of the mountains unto their own lands, because of the exceeding greatness of the numbers of those robbers who infested the mountains and the wilderness.

Comments

What Nephi₂ describes is not a full war, but rather skirmishes. The nature of the conflict is similar to guerilla warfare, where there is a skirmish, and then a retreat. The Gadiantons are established in strongholds in the wilderness and mountains of their own lands and use those lands as a base to raid Nephite holdings.

The Nephites meet them in battle and fight them back, but they do not fight until they are defeated or overly depleted, preferring instead to retreat to the wilderness and mountain strongholds, which are strong enough that the Nephites cannot conquer them.

Helaman 11:32–38

32 And it came to pass that thus ended this year. And the robbers did still increase and wax strong, insomuch that they did defy the whole armies of the Nephites, and also of the Lamanites; and they did cause great fear to come unto the people upon all the face of the land.

33 Yea, for they did visit many parts of the land, and did do great destruction unto them; yea, did kill many, and did carry away others captive into the wilderness, yea, and more especially their women and their children.

34 Now this great evil, which came unto the people because of their iniquity, did stir them up again in remembrance of the Lord their God.

35 And thus ended the eighty and first year of the reign of the judges.

36 And in the eighty and second year they began again to forget the Lord their God. And in the eighty and third year they began to wax strong in iniquity. And in the eighty and fourth year they did not mend their ways.

37 And it came to pass in the eighty and fifth year they did wax stronger and stronger in their pride, and in their wickedness; and thus they were ripening again for destruction.

38 And thus ended the eighty and fifth year.

Comments

Mormon moves quickly through the eighty-first through the eighty-fifth years. There is a continuation of tension with the Gadianton robbers, but there is also a change in the Nephite people. “And in the eighty and second year they began again to forget the Lord their God.”

That statement can only lead to worse conditions to come.

This is not the end of a chapter in the 1830 edition. Indeed, all our current chapter 11 is setting up for the resolution of the conditions that Mormon has set us up to expect.