Helaman 8:4-10

⁴ And those judges were angry with him because he spake plainly unto them concerning their secret works of darkness; nevertheless, they durst not lay their own hands upon him, for they feared the people lest they should cry out against them. ⁵ Therefore they did cry unto the people, saying: Why do you suffer this man to revile against us?  For behold he doth condemn all this people, even unto destruction; yea, and also that these our great cities shall be taken from us, that we shall have no place in them. ⁶ And now we know that this is impossible, for behold, we are powerful, and our cities great, therefore our enemies can have no power over us.

Helaman 8:4 – 6 (Emphasis mine)

Why were the judges so angry?  Nephi₂’s words were plain “unto them concerning their secret works of darkness” (v. 4).  Hugh Nibley explains, “That's what they were afraid of—that he would give away the whole thing. Shut up, you'll give away everything, they said. Their defense is a counterattack, of course, the best defense. So they're crying unto the people saying [Helaman 8:5]: ‘Why do you suffer this man to revile against us? For behold he doth condemn all this people, even unto destruction.’”[1]

They had to be careful dealing with Nephi₂’s words.  If they were to “lay their own hands upon him … they feared the people [would] cry out against them” (v. 4). 

Hugh Nibley writes:

“[T]he judges had to proceed with some care, since they were supposed to be administering justice (Helaman 8:4), and could not be too crude and obvious in their attack, for even among the exceedingly wicked and depraved Nephites the feeling of civic virtue was perhaps as alive as it is in America today; instead of trying to lynch Nephi in fact, the crowd actually protected him from the treatment the judges would have liked to give him (Helaman 8:4).”[2]

The judges attempted to turn the mob against Nephi₂.  “Why do you suffer this man to revile against us?  For behold he doth condemn all this people, even unto destruction” (v. 5).  They also complained Nephi₂ said they would lose their cities and have no place to live.

They pointed out, we are powerful, and our cities great, ”therefore our enemies can have no power over us” (v. 6).  This cry reminds us of the words of Laman and Lemuel after Nephi₁ promised them the Lord would deliver them from Laban:

And after the angel had departed, Laman and Lemuel again began to murmur, saying: How is it possible that the Lord will deliver Laban into our hands?  Behold, he is a mighty man, and he can command fifty, yea, even he can slay fifty; then why not us?

1 Nephi 3:31

This is a time of peace between the Nephites and Lamanites, so this response begs a question.  Who were the enemies referred to in verse 6?  John L. Sorenson writes:

“Also of interest is a statement by the judges in Zarahemla to Nephi when he prophesied the destruction of the Nephites because of wickedness. At Helaman 8:6 they reply, ‘we are powerful, and our cities great, therefore our enemies can have no power over us.’ The surprising thing is that nominally the Nephites and Lamanites were at this time in an unprecedented condition of peace (see Helaman 6:34–37). So who were the "enemies" those Gadianton-linked judges had in mind? Could they have been non-Lamanites (rival secret groups?), some of whose descendants in the final period of Nephite history constituted a third, non-Lamanite force (see Mormon 2:10, 27)?”[3] (Emphasis mine)

We see the multitude was not of one mind.

⁷ And it came to pass that thus they did stir up the people to anger against Nephi, and raised contentions among them; for there were some who did cry out: Let this man alone, for he is a good man, and those things which he saith will surely come to pass except we repent; ⁸ Yea, behold, all the judgments will come upon us which he has testified unto us; for we know that he has testified aright unto us concerning our iniquities.  And behold they are many, and he knoweth as well all things which shall befall us as he knoweth of our iniquities;

⁹ Yea, and behold, if he had not been a prophet he could not have testified concerning those things. ¹⁰ And it came to pass that those people who sought to destroy Nephi were compelled because of their fear, that they did not lay their hands on him; therefore he began again to speak unto them, seeing that he had gained favor in the eyes of some, insomuch that the remainder of them did fear.

Helaman 8:7 – 10 (Emphasis mine)

“Still, even among the wicked Nephites, there were those in the crowd who had the courage and fairness to cry out: ‘Let this man alone, for he is a good man, … for … he has testified aright unto us concerning our iniquities’ (Helaman 8:7—8). Fair play prevailed, and Nephi continued his preaching…”[4]

Those defending Nephi₂ reminded the rest of the multitude that the judgments he said would come upon them would do so because of their iniquities.  Only a prophet could know this.

Those opposing Nephi₂ started to back off because of the fear the words of his defenders caused.  This allowed Nephi₂ to continue talking to the multitude.

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[1] Lecture 78: Helaman 6-10, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed July 20, 2012.

[2] The Way of the Wicked, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed July 20, 2012.

[3]When Lehi's Party Arrived in the Land, Did They Find Others There? John L. Sorenson, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed July 20, 2012.

[4] The Way of the Wicked, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed July 20, 2012.