The Book of Helaman
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.
Chapter 1
Pahoran the second
becomes chief judge and is murdered by Kishkumen—Pacumeni fills the
judgment–seat—Coriantumr leads the Lamanite armies, takes Zarahemla, and slays
Pacumeni—Moronihah defeats the Lamanites and retakes Zarahemla, and Coriantumr
is slain. About 52–50 B.C
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 [52
B.C.], 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.
Helaman 1:1-4 (Emphasis mine)
Pahoran1 died, the last of the leadership that fought
the great war. A new generation is in position
to take over leadership of the Nephites; however, the Nephites being the
Nephites, are going to have problems selecting a new leader. Mormon tells us “there began to be a serious
difficulty among the people of the Nephites.”
“The odd phrase ‘the people of the Nephites’ in such places as Alma
54:14 and Helaman 1:1 suggests a social structure where possibly varied
populations (‘the people’) were controlled by an elite (‘the Nephites’).”[1]
With Pahoran1’s death, a new chief judge needed
to be chosen. Three of his sons, Pahoran2,
Paanchi, and Pacumeni contended for the judgment seat. This divided the people with serious
consequences.
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. 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.
Helaman 1:5-8 (Emphasis mine)
Pahoran2 was appointed chief judge and governor
by the voice of the people. Pacumeni,
having lost, accepted the people’s choice.
Paanchi did not. He began to make
plans to lead his supporters to “rise up in rebellion against their brethren.” His plans were discovered before he
began. He was “taken and tried according
to the voice of the people, and condemned to death.”
“The experiment with government by priestly judges
collapsed, largely due to a rivalry for the chief judgeship among three
candidates, all sons of the great chief judge,
Pahoran. Their names are Pahoran, Paanchi,
and Pacumeni (Helaman 1:1—3).”[2]
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.
Helaman 1:9-12 (Emphasis mine)
Those supporting Paanchi refused to accept the results. The death sentence given him angered
them. Their response to this was to send
“one Kishkumen” to assassinate Pahoran2. As he was in disguise, no one knew who he
was. He assassinated Pahoran2
while he sat on the judgment seat.
He escaped and returned to his band. They made a covenant, “swearing by their
everlasting Maker,” they would “tell no man that Kishkumen had murdered
Pahoran.”
“Starting some 50 years before Christ, the first of three secret,
murdering bands organized to make covenants to protect their members, who had
murdered the chief judge Pahoran and attempted to murder the prophet Helaman
(see Helaman 1:11; 2:3). This band of Kishkumen later fled into the wilderness,
where it seems to have died out (see Helaman 2:11)…
“The secret bands seek strength in numbers and make their vows with each
other in God's name and before each other, using their own heads or lives as a
final witness. However, they do not want their membership and
participation to be witnessed or known publicly (see Helaman 1:12; 2:3;
6:21—22; and 3 Nephi 6:28).”[3]
(Emphasis mine)
We will see how these secret societies take oaths in the
name of God to keep the membership and their deeds secret. Evil men performing evil acts use God’s name
as a part of their oath. I can think of
no better example of the lengths the devil will go to twist and pervert the
name of God and righteousness. This has
to be one of the most evil acts used by the devil to mock God.
“The conspirator Kishkumen disguises himself and murders the chief judge
for his own power and gain (Helaman 1:9–12). When we read the account
of Kishkumen in context of the book as a whole, we may well reflect back on
Nephi being directed by God in killing Laban and then taking on a disguise so
as to spiritually save a nation (see 1 Nephi 4:13), whereas the kind of secret
combination of robbers and murderers of which Kishkumen is a part eventually
causes the destruction of the Nephites (Ether 8:21).”[4] (Emphasis
mine)
The band made the covenant and rejoined society. Some were eventually caught and condemned to
death, but many of this evil group were never found.
“The man who in disguise committed the crime, one Kishkumen, went back
to the Paanchi people and told them that they were now all in it together,
so they all took a vow ‘by their everlasting Maker’ not to divulge Kishkumen's
secret (Helaman 1:11). Then having taken this pious religious oath (not
by the devil but by the Creator!) the defenders of Paanchi (who was
only trying to save his own life) went about their business unrecognized as
perfectly respectable citizens (Helaman 1:12).”[5]
(Emphasis mine)
[1] Peoples
of the Book of Mormon, John L. Sorenson, Provo, Utah: Maxwell
Institute, accessed June 4, 2012.
[2] The
Troubled Orient, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell
Institute, accessed June 4, 2012.
[3] Covenant
Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Victor L. Ludlow, Provo, Utah:
Maxwell Institute, accessed June 4, 2012.
[4] Recurrence
in Book of Mormon Narratives, Richard Dilworth Rust, Provo, Utah:
Maxwell Institute, accessed June 4, 2012.
[5] The
Way of the Wicked, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell
Institute, accessed June 4, 2012.
No comments:
Post a Comment