Helaman 3:1-7

Chapter 3

Many Nephites migrate to the land northward—They build houses of cement and keep many records—Tens of thousands are converted and baptized—The word of God leads men to salvation—Nephi the son of Helaman fills the judgment seat. About 49–39 B.C.

¹ AND now it came to pass in the forty and third year of the reign of the judges [49 B.C.], there was no contention among the people of Nephi save it were a little pride which was in the church, which did cause some little dissensions among the people, which affairs were settled in the ending of the forty and third year. ² And there was no contention among the people in the forty and fourth year; neither was there much contention in the forty and fifth year. ³ And it came to pass in the forty and sixth [46 B.C.], yea, there was much contention and many dissensions; in the which there were an exceedingly great many who departed out of the land of Zarahemla, and went forth unto the land northward to inherit the land.

Helaman 3:1 – 3 (Emphasis mine)

For a time, there was peace in the land, “save it were a little pride which was in the church, which did cause some little dissensions among the people.”  As we have read throughout the Book of Mormon, pride is the first sin that begins to afflict the Nephites.  Pride enters the hearts of some members and this leads to dissensions.

In this case, the dissensions are settled quickly and peace is restored.  Many times pride increases, dissensions increase, sin increases, and it affects all society.  The Book of Mormon warns us that pride is the foundation of sin and falling away from the church and the gospel.

Richard Draper writes:

“The Lord directed his warning specifically to the Saints, and well he should. If they resist evil, they offer counterpoint to the problems of society and a haven of safety. If they do not, all moorings are lost, and society drifts into chaos. At the beginning of this paper, I said that the Church acts as a kind of barometer to society. The book of Helaman illustrates the point: it focuses on the period just before the first coming of the Lord. At the beginning of the book of Helaman, the Nephites were at peace with the Lamanites, and there was no contention among the people of Nephi themselves, ‘save it were a little pride which was in the church, which did cause some little dissensions among the people’ (Helaman 3:1/emphasis in original). This was in 46 B.C. By 43 B.C. the book reports that ‘there was exceedingly great prosperity in the church, insomuch that there were thousands who did join themselves unto the church’ (Helaman 3:24). The church was in a period of tremendous growth. But this also presented a danger; many who joined were not really converted.”[1] (Unless noted, emphasis mine)

Three years into Chapter 3, contention and dissensions increased.  Eleven-years after we read about the first migration to the land northward (see Alma 63:4), a major migration begins at this time.  Mormon tells us that “an exceedingly great many” left “to inherit” the land northward.

⁴ And they did travel to an exceedingly great distance, insomuch that they came to large bodies of water and many rivers. ⁵ Yea, and even they did 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.

⁶ And now no part of the land was desolate, save it were for timber; but because of the greatness of the destruction of the people who had before inhabited the land it was called desolate.  ⁷ And there being but little timber upon the face of the land, nevertheless the people who went forth became exceedingly expert in the working of cement; therefore they did build houses of cement, in the which they did dwell.

Helaman 3:4 – 7 (Emphasis mine)

In verses 4-6, we read about how the people found the “land was desolate.”  It was obvious it had been inhabited before.  Here is evidence that there were people here before the Nephites.

We first read about this land when Limhi sent a group of men to find Zarahemla.  They “discovered a land which was covered with bones of men, and of beasts, and was also covered with ruins of buildings of every kind, having discovered a land which had been peopled with a people who were as numerous as the hosts of Israel” (Mosiah 8:8).  We know that they had discovered a Jaredite city as they found the plates made by Ether. 

But there is still evidence of people other than the Jaredites.  

“It is clear, then, that substantial areas of the land southward—probably most of it—were forested. When people went from that area to settle in the land northward, they encountered a marked contrast in the flora. Instead of the abundant timber resources that were at hand in their homelands southward, they now had to use alternative housing or import timber (see Helaman 3:7–10). Note too that the deforested portion of the land northward was not termed ‘wilderness,’ but merely ‘desolate (Helaman 3:6).”[2] (Emphasis mine)

“And who were the unnamed ‘many inhabitants who had before inherited the land (Helaman 3:5-6)? Must we assume Jaredites when they were not named and were not necessarily in the same location? What about those ‘many nations’ that would overrun the land after the Nephite fall (2 Nephi 1:8)? John Sorenson suggests these could include nearby American populations, rather than exclusively referring to European ‘Gentiles.’” [3] (Emphasis mine)

“Were there people before the Nephites? (the third item in the speech). Well, there certainly were, according to the Book of Mormon. Latter-day Saints are disturbed when we read that remains much older than the Book of Mormon are found on the continent. Well, of course, they are. We assume that everything that's found is either Nephite or Jaredite. But read Helaman 3:4-5 where he says, ‘And they did travel to an exceeding great distance, insomuch that they came to large bodies of water and many rivers. Yea, and even they did spread into all parts of the land, into whatever parts had not been rendered desolate and without timber, because of the many inhabitants who had before inherited the land.’ A very interesting thing. There were lots of people there before them. They'd wiped out all the timber, and when they wipe it out, it stays that way.”[4]  (Emphasis mine)

Since timber was not available, the people built homes of cement.  In fact, Mormon tells us they became “expert in the working of cement.”

This has long been used as a tool by critics to challenge the Book of Mormon.  Archeology has shown that cement was not uncommon in the past.  Cement work has been found in areas where it is believed we would have found the Nephites.

“Well, cement can be any bonded building [material]. You use rocks with lime, adobe, or something between them. But this is real cement. In the National Geographic for August 1980 there's something about that. Let me read you this section here from a talk I gave earlier down in Merida in Yucatan. S. Jeffrey K. Wilkerson says here: ‘In use of poured concrete, says my engineer colleague David Hyman, El Tajin's builders excelled at techniques remarkably similar to today's.’ (National Geographic, August 1980, p. 216). It wasn't just building with bonded masonry. It was pouring concrete. It was real cement houses, concrete just as we talk about it, which came as a surprise to me. I didn't know they had it [to that extent].”[5]  (Emphasis mine)

“Recent research shows that cement was in fact extensively used in Mesoamerica beginning largely at this time. One of the most notable uses of cement is in the temple complex at Teotihuacan, north of present-day Mexico City. According to David S. Hyman, the structural use of cement appears suddenly in the archaeological record. Its earliest sample ‘is a fully developed product.’ The cement floor slabs at this site ‘were remarkably high in structural quality.’ Although exposed to the elements for nearly two thousand years, they still ‘exceed many present-day building code requirements.’”[6](Emphasis mine)

“A lime cement was in frequent use in southern Mesoamerica, especially in the lowland Maya area in the period after AD 200. However, central and Gulf Coast Mexico was the scene of the culmination of concrete engineering. Particularly at the vast ruins of Teotihuacn, near Mexico City, large constructions of this material can still be seen. (That area lies, of course, northward from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, which most LDS scholars consider to be the dividing point between the Nephite lands southward and northward.) The earliest concrete known is from the Valley of Mexico and dates to perhaps two centuries BC. Chemically, early Mexican concrete was ‘much the same as present-day concrete.’ The fact that very little carbon is found in this cement attests to the ability of these ancient peoples.’ These constructions date a little earlier than the reference in the book of Helaman; we may assume that the Nephites' expertness in cement work was taught to them by people who were already living in the ‘land northward’ and had earlier experience in that technology.”[7] (Emphasis mine)

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[1] Hubris and Ate: A Latter-day Warning from the Book of Mormon, Richard D. Draper, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed June 10, 2012.

[2] The Environment of the Nephites and How They Exploited It, John L. Sorenson, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed June 10, 2012.

[3] Indian Origins and the Book of Mormon, Kevin Christensen, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed June 10, 2012.

[4] Lecture 108: Mormon 9, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed June 10, 2012.

[5] Lecture 74: Helaman 1-3, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed June 10, 2012.

[6] Concrete Evidence for the Book of Mormon, John W. Welch, and Matthew G. Wells, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed June 10, 2012.

[7] How Could Joseph Smith Write So Accurately about Ancient American Civilization? John L. Sorenson, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed June 10, 2012.