Chapter 2
Helaman the second
becomes chief judge—Gadianton leads the band of Kishkumen—Helaman's servant
slays Kishkumen, and the Gadianton band flees into the wilderness. About 50–49
B.C.
1 AND it came to pass in the *forty and second
year of the reign of the judges, after Moronihah had established again peace
between the Nephites and the Lamanites, behold there was no one to fill the
judgment–seat; therefore there began to be a contention again among the people
concerning who should fill the judgment–seat.
Moronihah had successfully defeated the Lamanites. Peach had
been reestablished. The issue the Nephites faced was filling the vacant
judgement seat. The Nephites being the Nephites, were not able to fill it
peacefully. Contentions arose.
Eventually the people came together and selected Helaman,
son of Helaman, grandson of Alma, great grandson of Alma.
Kishkumen[1]
and his band were not pleased. They had supported one of their own for the
judgement-seat. They decided Helaman was to be assassinated and replaced by
their choice.
“When hostility has matured, on whatever side, it produces
complete separation that leads to destruction, demonstrating that the Spirit of
the Lord has withdrawn. This condition of people is no longer characterized by
a love of riches as much as a hatred of one’s neighbors. This state of complete
separation was introduced by ancient terrorists when they formed secret
combinations that broke the laws and formed covenants to commit crimes against
the innocent and to usurp political and economic power (see Helaman 2:3–5;
6:17–26, 38–39; 3 Nephi 3:4–7).”[2]
One person in Kishkumen’s band was named Gadianton.[3]
He was effective at convincing those in the band to do what he wanted. He
eventually replaced Kishkumen as the leader of the band of robbers and
murderers.
Gadianton was an expert in the use of flattery. We see this
is a tool used by the devil to further his work. David warned us to avoid
flattery and the flatterer. “For there is
no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue” (Psalms 5:9).
“The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:” (Psalms 12:3).
He promised positions of power in the government if they
were to assassinate Helaman. Kishkumen went to assassinate Helaman.
A servant of Helaman had learned about the plot. He put on a
disguise and went to assist Kishkumen. Seeing Kishkumen, he gave him the
prearranged sign, letting him know he would lead Kishkumen to Helaman.
Seeing Kishkumen, he told him he would lead him to the
judgement-seat. These secret combinations go back to the beginning of human
history. “And Cain said: Truly I am Mahan, the master of this great secret,
that I may murder and get gain. Wherefore Cain was called Master Mahan [IE
"Mind," "destroyer," and "great one" are possible
meanings of the roots evident in "Mahan."], and he gloried in his
wickedness” (Moses 5:31).
Jacob, the brother of Nephi, would warn the Nephites against
secret combinations at the beginning of the Nephite civilization. “Wherefore,
for this cause, that my covenants may be fulfilled which I have made unto the
children of men, that I will do unto them while they are in the flesh, I must
needs destroy the secret works of darkness, and of murders, and of abominations”
(2 Nephi 10:15).
Kishkumen was pleased, believing the servant was helping him
in his efforts to assassinate Helaman. As they approached the judgement-seat,
the servant pulled out a knife and stabbed Kishkumen in the heart. He died
instantly.
The servant ran and told Helaman about the plot and the
band. Helaman sent troops to arrest the band. They would be executed according
to Nephite law.
Meanwhile, back at the hideout, Gadianton became concerned. Kishkumen
should have returned by now. He realized his plot was foiled and troops were on
their way to arrest them. They fled into the wilderness. When the troop
arrived, they found no one at the hideout. They couldn’t find where they fled.
Mormon breaks into the narrative to tell us we have not
heard the last of Gadianton’s band. “The editorial commentary in the Book of
Mormon often occurs at critical junctures in the narrative, such as crises of
leadership, social disintegration, major spiritual transitions, and moral
collapse…”[4]
By the end of this book, “ye shall see that this Gadianton
did prove the overthrow, yea, almost the entire destruction of the people of
Nephi. Behold I do not mean the end of the book of Helaman, but I mean the end
of the book of Nephi, from which I have taken all the account which I have
written” (Helaman 2:13-14).
Though the Nephite society will last for nearly half a millennium,
we learn that 49 B.C. marks the beginning of the end of Nephite society. The
Gadianton Robbers will be responsible for the destruction of the Nephites.
The Gadianton robbers are a
particularly heinous example of dissension. They erode Nephite society from
within and without and are motivated primarily by the evil objectives of Satan,
not simply the personal ambitions of conquest, greed, and revenge. The contrast
between following unrighteous personal ambitions and consciously embracing
satanic objectives seems to distinguish “priestcrafts” in the Book of Mormon
from “secret combinations.” The latter organize themselves according to the
“secret oaths and covenants” of Satan and “spread the works of darkness and
abominations over all the face of the land” in order to bring “the people down
to an entire destruction, and to an everlasting hell” (Helaman 6:25–30).
Because of their categorical opposition to the covenant of the promised land,
Mormon credits the “band of Gadianton” with “the overthrow, yea, almost the
entire destruction of the people of Nephi” (Helaman 2:13).[5]
[1] Now
when those people who were desirous that he should be their governor saw that
he was condemned unto death, therefore they were angry, and behold, they sent
forth one Kishkumen, even to the judgment–seat of Pahoran, and murdered Pahoran
as he sat upon the judgment–seat (Helaman 1:9).
[3] And
now behold, those murderers and plunderers were a band who had been formed by
Kishkumen and Gadianton. And now it had come to pass that there were many, even
among the Nephites, of Gadianton's band. But behold, they were more numerous
among the more wicked part of the Lamanites. And they were called Gadianton's
robbers and murderers (Helaman 6:18).
[4] Prophecy
and History: Structuring the Abridgment of the Nephite Records, Steven L.
Olsen, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 15/1 (2006): 20.
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