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. 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 [13 B.C.] 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.
Helaman 11:20 – 23 (Emphasis mine)
The famine ended and the Nephites are prospering again. Their population is increasing and they are
spreading out, filling up more of the land.
The church is also spreading through the face of the
land. The majority of both Nephites and
Lamanites became members of the church.
There was peace in the land.
John L. Sorenson explains the society of the church.
“In the multicultural, multiethnic society into which ‘the
Nephites’ were evolving at this period of time, the old tribal-based religious
system was seriously hampered. Functional social support for those who
believed in Alma1's teachings allowed people of different
localities, ancestries, and tongues to associate and support one another, free
from the bonds of tribal and local affiliation. For example, Helaman
11:21 notes that ‘both the Nephites and the Lamanites, did belong to the
church.’ Adherence was not a matter of descent, ethnic background, or locality
but of personal choice to believe and accept membership in the body of ‘Christians’
(see Alma 46:13—15).”[1] (Emphasis
mine)
There came a brief time when there were contentions over “points
of doctrine” (v. 22). Over the next
year, the contentions became strife.
Nephi2 and Lehi4, understanding the doctrine,
preached to the people and the strife was ended.
24 And it came to pass that in the eightieth year of
the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi [12 B.C.], 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.
Helaman 11:24 – 26 (Emphasis mine)
After four years of peace, Nephite dissenters (who called
themselves Lamanite) along with Lamanites (“real descendants of the Lamanites)
began to stir up anger among the people.
They begin to murder and plunder, and to retreat to the mountains and
wilderness. The Gadianton Robbers lived
again. “The Gadianton robbers existed
because of, and their success depended upon, ‘dissenters that went forth unto
them’ (Helaman 11:25; 3 Nephi 2:18; 7:12). It is no wonder that Mormon declared
that contention among the Nephites was ‘a cause of all their destruction’
during the great series of wars described in Alma (Alma 51:16).”[2]
Hugh Nibley explains the source of the Gadianton Robbers.
“Since it is Satan's prerogative to try men and to tempt
them with the treasures of the earth, the means of doing so will always be
within his reach. Accordingly, only four years after the great famine we find a
"certain number of dissenters from the people of Nephi" who had
permanently joined the Lamanites some years before, bent on stirring up another
war (Helaman 11:24). Their motive was robbery.”[3]
[1] Religious
Groups and Movements among the Nephites, 200–1 B.C., John L. Sorenson, Provo,
Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed August 2, 2012.
[2] Dissent:
Perspectives from the Book of Mormon, Lynn D. Wardle, Provo,
Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed August 2, 2012.
[3] Freemen
and King-men in the Book of Mormon, Hugh Nibley, Provo, Utah:
Maxwell Institute, accessed August 2, 2012.
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