Helaman 6:9-14

9 And it came to pass that they became exceedingly rich, both the Lamanites and the Nephites; and they did have 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. 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 did bring Mulek into the land north, and Lehi into the land south. 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 did work all kinds of ore and did refine it; and thus they did become rich.

Helaman 6:9 – 11 (Emphasis mine)

There is an overall righteous society among both the Nephites and Lamanites.  Both have become very rich.  We read there was gold, silver, and precious metals in the lands north and south.  There “were also curious workmen, who did work all kinds of ore and did refine it” (v. 11)

What about the metals and the “curious workmen?”  John L. Sorenson writes:

“Despite the simple means they employed, the metalworkers did remarkable work. Albrecht Dürer, the son of a European goldsmith, saw Aztec metal artifacts in Brussels in 1520, and praised the results roundly: ‘I have never in all my days seen anything that so delighted my heart as these things. For I saw amazing objects and I marvelled at the subtle ingenuity of the men in these distant lands.’ Clearly the ‘curious workmen, who did work all kinds of ore,’ among the Nephites (Helaman 6:11) or the like among the Jaredites, need not have had "a sophisticated development of … metallurgy’ nor have involved ‘complex technological processes,’ as Matheny puts it, beyond what the Aztecs knew.”[1] (Emphasis mine)

¹² They did raise grain in abundance, both in the north and in the south; and they did flourish exceedingly, both in the north and in the south.  And they did multiply and wax exceedingly strong in the land.  And they did raise many flocks and herds, yea, many fatlings. ¹³ Behold their women did toil and spin, and did make all manner of cloth, of fine-twined linen and cloth of every kind, to clothe their nakedness.  And thus the sixty and fourth year did pass away in peace. ¹⁴ And in the sixty and fifth year [27 B.C.] they did also have great joy and peace, yea, much preaching and many prophecies concerning that which was to come.  And thus passed away the sixty and fifth year.

Helaman 6:12 – 14 (Emphasis mine)

The agricultural economy was doing well.  “They did raise grain in abundance” (v. 12).  John L. Sorenson explains the importance of farming.

“The fundamental economic activity was farming: ‘They did raise grain in abundance, both in the north and in the south; and they did flourish exceedingly’ (Helaman 6:12). Specific crops mentioned, at one point in time and in the land of Nephi, were ‘corn,’ ‘barley,’ ‘wheat, ‘neas,’ and ‘sheum,’ and ‘all manner of seeds’ as well as fruits (Mosiah 9:9). ‘Corn’ is intimated to have been the preferred grain (see Mosiah 7:22 and 9:9, where it is first in the list of grains, and Mosiah 9:14, according to which Lamanites stole it specifically). When grain was insufficient, famine prevailed (see Alma 3:2; 4:2; Helaman 11:5–6; 3 Nephi 4:3, 6). Nothing in the text suggests that the people prepared or cultivated the land using anything other than their own hands; while animals (‘flocks and herds’) were kept, they seem to have been used mainly for food (see, for example, 3 Nephi 3:22; 4:4).”[2] (Emphasis mine)

Women spun “all manner of cloth, of fine-twined linen and cloth of every kind” (v. 13).  This was a time of joy and peace.

There was “much preaching and many prophecies concerning that which was to come” (v. 14).  “This passage reflects one of Joseph Smith's favorite sayings, from Revelation 19:10, that ‘the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy’ (compare Mosiah 8:17). It is a frequent theme in the Book of Mormon as well, where the ‘prophecies concerning that which was to come’ (Helaman 6:14) refer primarily to Christ (see Helaman 8:20).”[3]

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[1] Viva Zapato! Hurray for the Shoe!, John L. Sorenson, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed July 5, 2012.

[2] The Environment of the Nephites and How They Exploited It, John L. Sorenson, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed July 5, 2012.

[3] That Which Is to Come, John A. Tvedtnes, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed July 5, 2012.