3 Nephi 3:9-11

⁹ And behold, I am Giddianhi; and I am the governor of this the secret society of Gadianton; which society and the works thereof I know to be good; and they are of ancient date and they have been handed down unto us. ¹⁰ And I write this epistle unto you, Lachoneus, and I hope that ye will deliver up your lands and your possessions, without the shedding of blood, that this my people may recover their rights and government, who have dissented away from you because of your wickedness in retaining from them their rights of government, and except ye do this, I will avenge their wrongs.  I am Giddianhi.

¹¹ And now it came to pass when Lachoneus received this epistle he was exceedingly astonished, because of the boldness of Giddianhi demanding the possession of the land of the Nephites, and also of threatening the people and avenging the wrongs of those that had received no wrong, save it were they had wronged themselves by dissenting away unto those wicked and abominable robbers.

3 Nephi 3:9 – 11 (Emphasis mine)

Giddianhi closes his epistle by identifying his authority.  He is the governor of the Gadianton Robbers.  He goes on to tell us that that their works are goo.  It is reminiscent of Korihor’s confession to Alma₂ and Amulek about the source of his teachings. 

“But behold, the devil hath deceived me; for he appeared unto me in the form of an angel, and said unto me: Go and reclaim this people, for they have all gone astray after an unknown God.  And he said unto me: There is no God; yea, and he taught me that which I should say.  And I have taught his words; and I taught them because they were pleasing unto the carnal mind; and I taught them, even until I had much success, insomuch that I verily believed that they were true; and for this cause I withstood the truth, even until I have brought this great curse upon me.”

Alma 30:53

He proclaims that his organization is of “ancient date and they have been handed down unto us” (v. 9).  In Helaman, Mormon writes about this ancient source.

Now behold, those secret oaths and covenants did not come forth unto Gadianton from the records which were delivered unto Helaman; but behold, they were put into the heart of Gadianton by that same being who did entice our first parents to partake of the forbidden fruit—

Yea, that same being who did plot with Cain, that if he would murder his brother Abel it should not be known unto the world.  And he did plot with Cain and his followers from that time forth.

And also it is that same being who put it into the hearts of the people to build a tower sufficiently high that they might get to heaven.  And it was that same being who led on the people who came from that tower into this land; who spread the works of darkness and abominations over all the face of the land, until he dragged the people down to an entire destruction, and to an everlasting hell.

Yea, it is that same being who put it into the heart of Gadianton to still carry on the work of darkness, and of secret murder; and he has brought it forth from the beginning of man even down to this time.

And behold, it is he who is the author of all sin.  And behold, he doth carry on his works of darkness and secret murder, and doth hand down their plots, and their oaths, and their covenants, and their plans of awful wickedness, from generation to generation according as he can get hold upon the hearts of the children of men.

Helaman 6:26 - 30

Mormon tells us the devil plotted with Cain.  We read in the Pearl of Great Price:

And Satan said unto Cain: Swear unto me by thy throat, and if thou tell it thou shalt die; and swear thy brethren by their heads, and by the living God, that they tell it not; for if they tell it, they shall surely die; and this that thy father may not know it; and this day I will deliver thy brother Abel into thine hands.

For Lamech having entered into a covenant with Satan, after the manner of Cain, wherein he became Master Mahan, master of that great secret which was administered unto Cain by Satan; and Irad, the son of Enoch, having known their secret, began to reveal it unto the sons of Adam;

Wherefore Lamech, being angry, slew him, not like unto Cain, his brother Abel, for the sake of getting gain, but he slew him for the oath's sake.

For, from the days of Cain, there was a secret combination, and their works were in the dark, and they knew every man his brother.

Wherefore the Lord cursed Lamech, and his house, and all them that had covenanted with Satan; for they kept not the commandments of God, and it displeased God, and he ministered not unto them, and their works were abominations, and began to spread among all the sons of men.  And it was among the sons of men.

Moses 5:29, 49 - 52

A number of scholars have addressed Giddianhi’s claim of being an ancient organization.

John L. Sorenson writes:

Millennia later, among the Nephites, Giddianhi, "the governor of . . . the secret society of Gadianton [a Jaredite name]," brags in a letter to Nephite chief judge Lachoneus about his organization, "which society and the works thereof I know to be good; and they are of ancient date and they have been handed down unto us" (3 Nephi 3:9). There is virtually a one hundred–percent chance that he refers to an ultimate Jaredite origin for his organization and its symbols.[1] 

Monte Nyman writes about ancient records.

The daughter of Jared referred to "the record which our fathers brought across the great deep[.] Behold, is there not an account concerning them of old, that they by their secret plans did obtain kingdoms and great glory?" (Ether 8:9). This record does not seem to be the same as the 24 plates of gold translated into what Moroni called the book of Ether (see Ether 1:2), although the first part of Ether does speak of the creation and the time from Adam to the great tower (Ether 1:3). There is no mention that this record would be preserved for the last days, but it was durable enough to be available in the fifth generation of the Jaredites. Since the Jaredites kept records on metallic plates, it is possible that the record that the daughter of Jared spoke of is still in existence and will come forth and be translated at some future day. It is even possible that Giddianhi, the leader of the Gadianton robbers, had in mind some version of that record when he said that his secret society had information "of ancient date" that had been "handed down unto us" (3 Nephi 3:9).[2]

Hugh Nibley writes:

A letter from the leader of the society to the governor of the Nephite land gives remarkable insight into their psychology. The chief who signs himself the governor of the Society (3 Nephi 3:9) begins by expressing warm admiration for the Nephite governor's firmness "in maintaining that which ye suppose to be your right and liberty" (3 Nephi 3:2), showing himself to be a fair-minded and sporting type. In the next verse he is very patronizing—every inch the "big-shot." "And it seemeth a pity unto me, most noble Lachoneus, that ye should be so foolish and vain as to suppose that ye can stand against so many brave men who are at my command" (3 Nephi 3:3). So, big hearted as he is, the chief proposes a deal, but not until he has first given a little sermon which burns with righteous indignation for the wrongs he and his people have suffered (3 Nephi 3:4). The deal is that Lachoneus, for whose genuine talent and courage the chief again expresses his sincere admiration, is to be taken into the Society, and in return for bringing with him all the property over which his authority extends, he is to be received on a 50-50 basis—"not our slaves, but our brethren and partners of all our substance" (3 Nephi 3:6—7). It was all very high-minded and idealistic. The chief was speaking only in the name of virtue; he was simply giving the other side a break, "feeling for your welfare," as he so nicely put it (3 Nephi 3:5). If the deal was refused, it would be curtains ["mob talk"]; "ye shall become extinct" (3 Nephi 3:8). All he is asking for, Giddianhi concludes, is "that this my people may recover their rights and government, who have dissented away from you because of your wickedness in retaining from them their rights of government" (3 Nephi 3:10; italics added). And let no one suppose that his followers did not sincerely believe that they were the righteous and offended ones, and their opponents just too wicked to live with.[3]

Giddianhi expresses hope that Nephite lands and possessions will be given to them without the shedding of blood.  He claims that they are simply attempting to reclaim the rights and the government. 

Were Mulekites a part of this band?  John Tvedtnes discusses this question.

If the Mulekites carried on elements of Jaredite culture, the "secret combinations" of Jaredite times may have been preserved in the Gadianton band of the first century B.C. Indeed, the name Gadianton, as well as the name Kishkumen (the first-named member of the band) are Jaredite in form.⁶ Another Jaredite-like name is that of Giddianhi, a leader of the Gadianton band ca. A.D. 16. He wrote that he was ready to command his troops to "go down upon the Nephites and destroy them" (3 Nephi 3:3). His words may indicate that the band was not comprised of Nephites. In his epistle to the Nephite governor Lachoneus, Giddianhi demanded the surrender of the government "that this my people may recover their rights and government" (3 Nephi 3:10). These words reflect the same claim made by the king-men several decades earlier. We are tempted to suggest that the king-men and the Gadianton robbers were, in whole or in part, the same group and that they were Mulekites seeking to recover a lost kingship.[4]

Hugh Nibley also examines his claim. 

Giddianhi, the robber leader, insists that his followers are the good guys who are only trying to protect their sacred rights and property against the bad guys, "because of the many wrongs which ye have done unto them" (3 Nephi 3:4). He is the chief of the large and powerful "secret society of Gadianton; which society and the works thereof I know to be good; and they are of ancient date and they have been handed down unto us" (3 Nephi 3:9). The chief is merely trying to "recover their rights and government," lost to them "because of your wickedness in retaining from them their rights" (3 Nephi 3:10). It is the rigid tribal morality of the Mafia.[5]

It is not a surprise to tell you Lachoneus was quite astonished “because of the boldness of Giddianhi” and his demands. 

---

[1] The Book of Mormon as a Mesoamerican Record, John L. Sorenson, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed October 11, 2012.

[2] Other Ancient American Records Yet to Come Forth, Monte S. Nyman, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed October 11, 2012.

[3] The Way of the Wicked, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed October 11, 2012.

[4] Book of Mormon Tribal Affiliation and Military Castes, John A. Tvedtnes, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed October 11, 2012.

[5] Scriptural Perspectives on How to Survive the Calamities of the Last Days, Hugh Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed October 11, 2012.