Helaman 3:-31-37; 4:1-3

³¹ And in this year there was continual rejoicing in the land of Zarahemla, and in all the regions round about, even in all the land which was possessed by the Nephites. ³² And it came to pass that there was peace and exceedingly great joy in the remainder of the forty and ninth year; yea, and also there was continual peace and great joy in the fiftieth year of the reign of the judges.

³³ And in the fifty and first year of the reign of the judges [41 B.C.] there was peace also, save it were the pride which began to enter into the church—not into the church of God, but into the hearts of the people who professed to belong to the church of God—³⁴ And they were lifted up in pride, even to the persecution of many of their brethren.  Now this was a great evil, which did cause the more humble part of the people to suffer great persecutions, and to wade through much affliction.

Helaman 3:31 – 34 (Emphasis mine)

For two years there was peace in the land.  However, pride found its way into the hearts of members of the church.  “The church was in a period of tremendous growth. But this also presented a danger; many who joined were not really converted…”[1]  Those who were not truly converted began to persecute others in the church.  As usual, it was “the more humble part of the people” who suffered “great persecutions, and [had] to wade through much affliction” (v. 34).

³⁵ Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God. ³⁶ And it came to pass that the fifty and second year ended in peace also, save it were the exceedingly great pride which had gotten into the hearts of the people; and it was because of their exceedingly great riches and their prosperity in the land; and it did grow upon them from day to day. ³⁷ And it came to pass in the fifty and third year of the reign of the judges [39 B.C.], Helaman died, and his eldest son Nephi began to reign in his stead.  And it came to pass that he did fill the judgment–seat with justice and equity; yea, he did keep the commandments of God, and did walk in the ways of his father.

Helaman 3:35 – 37 (Emphasis mine)

Those who were being persecuted stayed faithful.  They fasted, they prayed.  Persecution is often used to weaken a person’s faith.  For those who have a true and pure faith, the opposite usually happens.  Those who are persecuted became “stronger, and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ” (v. 35).

The Nephite Syndrome appears again.  As the people became more prosperous and wealthy, “exceedingly great pride … had gotten into the hearts of the people … it did grow from day to day” (v. 36).

Richard Draper writes:

“By 39 B.C., [Mormon] observed that the year ended in peace, ‘save it were the exceedingly great pride which had gotten into the hearts of the people; and it was because of their exceedingly great riches and their prosperity in the land; and it did grow upon them from day to day’ (Helaman 3:36). What had started out as a blessing for faithfulness to the church—prosperity—had spread to all the people. The Church did indeed act as a barometer to society. Unfortunately, the evil that afflicted the hearts of some of the Church members began to generalize as well. The result was felt the next year, when ‘there were many dissensions in the church, and there was also a contention among the people, insomuch that there was much bloodshed’ (Helaman 4:1). Then certain dissenters went to the Lamanites and began to agitate them to war. The outcome brought death to many.”[2] (Emphasis mine)

Helaman₃ dies and Nephi₂ becomes chief judge and is given the plates and records held by his father.  “Although Helaman's eldest son, Nephi, was probably the custodian of the Nephite records (see Helaman 3:37), ultimately passing them on to his own son Nephi (see 3 Nephi 1:2), Helaman's son Lehi also apparently participated in the writing of the records. The preface to the book of Helaman records that the abridgment is an account which is ‘according to the records of Helaman’ and is ‘also according to the records of his sons’ (see also Helaman 16:25).”[3]

Chapter 4

Nephite dissenters and the Lamanites join forces and take the land of Zarahemla—The Nephites' defeats come because of their wickedness—The Church dwindles and the people become weak like the Lamanites. About 38–30 B.C.

¹AND it came to pass in the fifty and fourth year [38 B.C.] there were many dissensions in the church, and there was also a contention among the people, insomuch that there was much bloodshed. ²And the rebellious part were slain and driven out of the land, and they did go unto the king of the Lamanites. ³And it came to pass that they did endeavor to stir up the Lamanites to war against the Nephites; but behold, the Lamanites were exceedingly afraid, insomuch that they would not hearken to the words of those dissenters.

Helaman 4:1 – 3 (Emphasis mine)

Contention and dissension pervade Nephite society.  “Notice this: the church is not the people. It's no longer a sacral society. There's a distinction between the church, in which there were dissensions, and also contention among the people.”[4]

The Savior warned us to avoid contention at all cost.  “For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another” (3 Nephi 11:29). 

Lynn Wardle further explains the problems facing the Nephites at this time.

“It is noteworthy that dissension in the Nephite church was associated with contention in the nation (Alma 45:21–46:7; Helaman 4:1). In other words, there may be a spill-over effect. The spillage may move in both directions. For instance, dissension within the church preceded (and perhaps spiritually caused) the great civil dissensions that soon plagued the entire Nephite nation as it plunged into a terribly destructive series of wars with the Lamanites, who were led and strengthened by Nephite dissenters (Alma 45:20–24; Alma 46–62).”^[5] (Emphasis mine)

Those responsible were eventually slain or driven out of the land.  These dissenters went to the Lamanites and attempted to incite them to war.  The Lamanites refused, fearing the power of the Nephite armies.

As the Nephite Syndrome invades society, Lindon Robison identifies three stages that are present when this happens.

“All three stages of separation were evident during the critical period between the 54th and the 56th years of the reign of the judges (see Helaman 4:1—4). Following a period of military successes against their enemies, the Nephites demonstrated the familiar pattern of sliding from unity to a love of riches, from a love of riches to separations, and from separations to hostility and inequality. First, they set their hearts on riches and used them to separate themselves from those who had less. Next they made worse the condition of the poor by withholding from them food and clothing. Then they mocked that which was sacred and ignored their laws by murdering, plundering, lying, stealing, and finally separating themselves from their families by committing acts of adultery (see Helaman 4:11—12). In the end, inequality bloomed as spirituality faded.”[6]  (Emphasis mine)

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[1] Hubris and Ate: A Latter-day Warning from the Book of Mormon, Richard D. Draper, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed June 19, 2012.

[2] Op. cit

[3] The Book of Lehi and the Plates of Lehi, David E. Sloan. Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, June 20, 2012.

[4] Lecture 75: Helaman 3-6, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed June 20, 2012.

[5] Dissent: Perspectives from the Book of Mormon, Lynn D. Wardle, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute,  accessed June 20, 2012.

[6] "No Poor Among Them", Lindon J. Robison, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed June 20, 2012.

Alma 1:19-28

¹⁹ But it came to pass that whosoever did not belong to the church of God began to persecute those that did belong to the church of God, and had taken upon them the name of Christ. ²⁰ Yea, they did persecute them, and afflict them with all manner of words, and this because of their humility; because they were not proud in their own eyes, and because they did impart the word of God, one with another, without money and without price. ²¹ Now there was a strict law among the people of the church, that there should not any man, belonging to the church, arise and persecute those that did not belong to the church, and that there should be no persecution among themselves. ²² Nevertheless, there were many among them who began to be proud, and began to contend warmly with their adversaries, even unto blows; yea, they would smite one another with their fists. ²³ Now this was in the second year of the reign of Alma [About 90 B,C.] and it was a cause of much affliction to the church; yea, it was the cause of much trial with the church.

Alma 1:19-23 (Emphasis mine)

Those who were not a member of the church began to persecute those who “had taken upon them the name of Christ” (verse 19).  They didn’t persecute them for their religious beliefs; they were persecuted because they didn’t act as they did.  Members were humble.  Members shared the gospel without pay.  In fact, they helped those who were poor.  They followed the teachings Isaiah when he wrote “every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread?  and your labour for that which satisfieth not?  hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness” (Isaiah 55:1-2).

The issue of priestcraft threatened Nephite society. Alma(2) emphasized this point during the trial of Nehor.  He warned that “were priestcraft to be enforced among this people it would prove their entire destruction” (Alma 1:12).  Gary Sturgess explained that “Nehor and Amlici were challenging the very foundations of Nephite society (Alma 1:19). This was far deeper than an attack upon the church or the institution of judgeship. The order of Nehor posed a direct threat to the tradition that defined the Nephite identity and kept their society intact in the face of external military and cultural encroachment. A book written at this time in defense of the Nephite tradition should therefore give the doctrine of Christ a prominent place.” [1] (Emphasis mine)

Members were prohibited, by law, from persecuting those who weren’t members of the church.  This meant that those who persecuted those who were not members of the church could be brought before a judge and face legal sanctions for their actions.

Even with this prohibition, pride overtook members and they began to contend with those who opposed the church.  Things got so heated that they came blows.

How did this affect the church?  Mormon explains:

²⁴ For the hearts of many were hardened, and their names were blotted out, that they were remembered no more among the people of God.  And also many withdrew themselves from among them. ²⁵ Now this was a great trial to those that did stand fast in the faith; nevertheless, they were steadfast and immovable in keeping the commandments of God, and they bore with patience the persecution which was heaped upon them.

Alma 1:24-25 (Emphasis mine)

Many left the church “and their names were blotted out” (verse 24).  The Lord told Moses that “[w]hosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book” (Exodus 32:33).  As Alma(1) was forming the church, the Lord told him “whosoever will not repent of his sins the same shall not be numbered among my people; and this shall be observed from this time forward … And those that would not confess their sins and repent of their iniquity, the same were not numbered among the people of the church, and their names were blotted out” (Mosiah 26:32, 36). 

After the names were “blotted out,” Mormon writes “they were remembered no more among the people of God” (verse 24).  Louis Midgley explains the concept of remembrance in the Book of Mormon.

“The close links between thought and action can also be seen in the way in which remembering in the Book of Mormon is tied to the heart of man (see, for example, Alma 1:24; 10:30). It is also demonstrated in the giving of names. To remember someone is to know or believe on his name. ‘I would that ye should remember also, that this is the name that I said I should give unto you that never should be blotted out, except it be through transgression; therefore, take heed that ye do not transgress, that the name be not blotted out of your hearts. I say unto you, I would that ye should remember to retain the name written always in your hearts’ (Mosiah 5:11-12). For man, remembering is to awake, to hearken, to heed, to pray, and to obey by keeping the commandments and by knowing, pondering, and being willing to take a name upon them.” [2] (Emphasis mine)

²⁶ And when the priests left their labor to impart the word of God unto the people, the people also left their labors to hear the word of God.  And when the priest had imparted unto them the word of God they all returned again diligently unto their labors; and the priest, not esteeming himself above his hearers, for the preacher was no better than the hearer, neither was the teacher any better than the learner; and thus they were all equal, and they did all labor, every man according to his strength. ²⁷ And they did impart of their substance, every man according to that which he had, to the poor, and the needy, and the sick, and the afflicted; and they did not wear costly apparel, yet they were neat and comely. ²⁸ And thus they did establish the affairs of the church; and thus they began to have continual peace again, notwithstanding all their persecutions.

Alma 1:26-28 (Emphasis mine)

The church is facing challenges.  So what happens?  Priests left their jobs to “impart of the word of God unto the people, the people also left their labors to hear the word of God” (verse 26).  This effort was successful.  Equality was important.  The priest did not esteem “himself above his hearers, for the preacher was no better than the hearer, neither was the teacher any better than the learner; and thus they were all equal” (verse 26).   

They also helped the poor, the need, and the sick.  Riches no longer became important to them.  When “a certain ruler” came to the Savior and asked about eternal life, He gave him a list of things he needed to do.  He told the Savior that he had done all these things.  The Savior responded that “lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me” (Luke 18:22).  Riches were more important to him then eternal life.  He couldn’t give up his money.

The people were to accumulate only the money they needed to provide for their needs and to help the poor.  “[T]he religious views of the Nephites strongly discouraged the accumulation of wealth or ‘getting gain.’ Leaders and prophets such as Nephi (see 2 Nephi 28), Jacob (see Jacob 2:11–22), Benjamin (see Mosiah 4:13–28), Alma the Elder as well as his son, Alma the Younger (see Mosiah 18:24–29; Alma 1:26–33), Abinadi (see Mosiah 12:29), Samuel the Lamanite (see Helaman 13:28–39), and many others spoke out strongly against the hoarding of wealth.” [3]

We see throughout the Book of Mormon how wealth can have a corrupting influence.  “Nibley observes that when ‘business boom[s],’ people are corrupted. ‘The prosperity in the time of good king Mosiah produced a spoiled generation of smart-alecks’ and while Alma's people later became ‘an ideal community (Alma 1:26–28) … the rest of society’ went to an assortment of immoral and criminal activity.” [4]

Paul reminded the people that he worked with his own hands.  “I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:33-35).

Mormon tells us they imparted their substance as best they could to the poor.  The church was following the command of King Benjamin.  He told the people “for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you—that is, for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God—I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants” (Mosiah 4:26).

The people no longer wore “costly apparel.”  Even with the humble clothing they wore, “they were neat and comely.” 

Finally, they were to serve and give “every man according to his strength” (verse 27).  We are not expected to do more than we can.  King Benjamin taught this to the people.  He told them to “see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength.  And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order” (Mosiah 4:27).

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[1] The Book of Mosiah: Thoughts about Its Structure, Purposes, Themes, and Authorship, Gary L. Sturgess, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed February 19, 2012.

[2] The Ways of Remembrance, Louis Midgley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed February 19, 2012.

[3][3] Rollercoaster Economics, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed February 19, 2012.

[4] "Words words words": Hugh Nibley on the Book of Mormon, Marilyn Arnold, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed February 19, 2012.

Alma 19:12-28

12  And it came to pass that he arose, according to the words of Ammon; and as he arose, he stretched forth his hand unto the woman, and said: Blessed be the name of God, and blessed art thou.

13  For as sure as thou livest, behold, I have seen my Redeemer; and he shall come forth, and be born of a woman, and he shall redeem all mankind who believe on his name.  Now, when he had said these words, his heart was swollen within him, and he sunk again with joy; and the queen also sunk down, being overpowered by the Spirit.

14  Now Ammon seeing the Spirit of the Lord poured out according to his prayers upon the Lamanites, his brethren, who had been the cause of so much mourning among the Nephites, or among all the people of God because of their iniquities and their traditions, he fell upon his knees, and began to pour out his soul in prayer and thanksgiving to God for what he had done for his brethren; and he was also overpowered with joy; and thus they all three had sunk to the earth.

Alma 19:12-14 (Emphasis mine)

Right on time, Lamoni arose and began prophesying and preaching Christ.  He proclaimed Christ would be born of a woman and would redeem all mankind. 

Then, he “sunk down, being overpowered by the Spirit.” (verse 13)  The queen was overpowered by the Spirit as well. 

Ammon began to pray and express his gratitude for what was happening.  Then Ammon became overpowered with joy and sunk to the ground.

Why was there all this passing out?  Hugh Nibley explains:

“An interesting thing is about to happen here. He [the king] arose and said, ‘I have seen my Redeemer.' … They were all passing out. This is the way you do when you are completely overwhelmed this way. Verse 14: ‘He fell upon his knees, and began to pour out his soul in prayer and thanksgiving to God for what he had done for his brethren [Ammon did this because his message has gotten over]; and he was also overpowered with joy [and he fell down, too]; and thus they all three had sunk to the earth.’

“Of course, the hardest thing to contain is joy … joy is a thing that scares the daylights out of you. You can't contain it and don't know what to do with it … that's the purpose of our existence—we ‘are that we might have joy.’ So we are learning to control joy and control ourselves when we have it. We can't contain it, you see. It's a hard thing to contain. What do you do? Do you shout and holler and run around? Do you make a fool of yourself, etc.? How can you contain that in yourself? Well, they are all sinking down here and passing out, and that's the best thing. After all, when pain becomes too great you black out automatically. So that takes care of that. It's the same thing with joy if you can't contain it. When you don't know how to handle a problem psychologically, what do you do? You black out. This is your defense.” [1] (Emphasis mine)

The Spirit had to have been very powerful and these three had great joy, joy beyond measure for there to be a response like this. 

15  Now, when the servants of the king had seen that they had fallen, they also began to cry unto God, for the fear of the Lord had come upon them also, for it was they who had stood before the king and testified unto him concerning the great power of Ammon.

16  And it came to pass that they did call on the name of the Lord, in their might, even until they had all fallen to the earth, save it were one of the Lamanitish women, whose name was Abish, she having been converted unto the Lord for many years, on account of a remarkable vision of her father—

17  Thus, having been converted to the Lord, and never having made it known, therefore, when she saw that all the servants of Lamoni had fallen to the earth, and also her mistress, the queen, and the king, and Ammon lay prostrate upon the earth, she knew that it was the power of God; and supposing that this opportunity, by making known unto the people what had happened among them, that by beholding this scene it would cause them to believe in the power of God, therefore she ran forth from house to house, making it known unto the people.

Alma 19:15-17 (Emphasis mine)

The servants, observing their king and queen, and the powerful Ammon on the ground, began to pray.  They, too, were overcome and fell to the Earth.

We here meet a remarkable woman, one of the few women in the Book of Mormon who is addressed by name.  Abish had been converted through a vision of her father.  She had secretly believed for many years.  Now, she was seeing the Spirit work among her people. 

Who is Abish?  She makes a brief appearance in this account, her name only mentioned once. 

 “The Book of Mormon [woman] … Abish … can be viewed not only as [a] historical [figure] but also as [an] archetypal [figure] of … the godly servant …

“Abish, a Lamanite convert of surpassing faith, servant to the queen of king Lamoni, recognized that the power of God had overcome the king, queen, and Ammon when they fell to the ground unconscious; she gathered people to witness the event and then raised the queen with her touch when the confusion of the crowd led to contention. Many believed the testimonies of the revived queen, who then raised the king, who also testified of Jesus (Alma 19:16—36).” [2]  (Emphasis mine)

 “In the very heart of the abridgment, Alma 19, is the story of the queen and her servant Abish, a narrative that could serve as a pattern for our efforts to understand ‘the things of God.’ These women are at opposite ends of the social scale: if anyone lived in luxury or had access to education, it was likely to be the king, the queen, and their children; we don't know Abish's marital status, but she was at least a working woman, if not a slave, and already converted to the Lord. Whatever else she didn't have, we know she had the gospel of Jesus Christ, the one thing we all must possess.

“We don't know the queen's name, but we know the name of the servant, a believer who was able to understand ‘the power of God’ (Alma 19:17) …

“The actions of the faithful servant woman in gathering a crowd and taking the hand of the queen set in motion the successive testimonies of the queen and the king, resulting in the conversion of many hearers. By the end of the story there are an abundance of witnesses: many hearts are changed, many see angels, many are baptized, and the church is established among the Lamanites … And like the queen and Abish, we each are dependent upon Jesus Christ for our salvation.”  [3]  (Emphasis mine)

She wanted to let the people know and see the power of God, hoping that this would cause them to believe.  She ran from house-to-house letting the people know what happened.

18  And they began to assemble themselves together unto the house of the king.  And there came a multitude, and to their astonishment they beheld the king, and the queen, and their servants prostrate upon the earth, and they all lay there as though they were dead; and they also saw Ammon, and behold, he was a Nephite.

19  And now the people began to murmur among themselves; some saying that it was a great evil that had come upon them, or upon the king and his house, because he had suffered that the Nephite should remain in the land.

20  But others rebuked them, saying: The king hath brought this evil upon his house, because he slew his servants who had had their flocks scattered at the waters of Sebus.

21  And they were also rebuked by those men who had stood at the waters of Sebus and scattered the flocks which belonged to the king, for they were angry with Ammon because of the number which he had slain of their brethren at the waters of Sebus, while defending the flocks of the king.

Alma 19:18-21 (Emphasis mine)

People came and saw the king, queen, and a Nephite lying on the ground, most likely dead.  Let the murmuring begin!  Some claimed the king brought it upon himself because he allowed the Nephites to stay in the land.  Others claimed that this came upon them because the king killed his servants. 

We also see the reappearance of those who attempted to scatter and steal the king’s sheep.  They were angry with Ammon because of their losses when the failed in their attempts to steal from the king.

22  Now, one of them, whose brother had been slain with the sword of Ammon, being exceedingly angry with Ammon, drew his sword and went forth that he might let it fall upon Ammon, to slay him; and as he lifted the sword to smite him, behold, he fell dead.

23  Now we see that Ammon could not be slain, for the Lord had said unto Mosiah, his father: I will spare him, and it shall be unto him according to thy faith—therefore, Mosiah trusted him unto the Lord.

Alma 19:22-23 (Emphasis mine)

One of the bad guys wanted to be sure that Ammon was dead.  He was going to exact revenge for Ammon’s killing his brother.  He raised his sword and immediately fell dead.

Mormon interjects his thoughts at this point.  Here, he tells us, is evidence that the Lord kept his promise to Mosiah.  Mosiah was promised that his children would be spared and Ammon was spared.

24  And it came to pass that when the multitude beheld that the man had fallen dead, who lifted the sword to slay Ammon, fear came upon them all, and they durst not put forth their hands to touch him or any of those who had fallen; and they began to marvel again among themselves what could be the cause of this great power, or what all these things could mean.

25  And it came to pass that there were many among them who said that Ammon was the Great Spirit, and others said he was sent by the Great Spirit;

26  But others rebuked them all, saying that he was a monster, who had been sent from the Nephites to torment them.

27  And there were some who said that Ammon was sent by the Great Spirit to afflict them because of their iniquities; and that it was the Great Spirit that had always attended the Nephites, who had ever delivered them out of their hands; and they said that it was this Great Spirit who had destroyed so many of their brethren, the Lamanites.

28  And thus the contention began to be exceedingly sharp among them.  And while they were thus contending, the woman servant who had caused the multitude to be gathered together came, and when she saw the contention which was among the multitude she was exceedingly sorrowful, even unto tears.

Alma 19:24-28 (Emphasis mine)

Seeing the dead man, contentions broke out again.  Ammon was the Great Spirit some claimed.  Others maintained he was sent by the Great Spirit.

Others said he was a monster sent to torment them.  Others said he was sent by the Great Spirit to torment them because of their sins.

Chaos reigned.

Abish watched this happen.  This is not what she wanted.  She wanted them to see the work of the Lord.  Because of the contention among the people, she was extremely upset.  Something had to be done.

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[1] Lecture 52: Alma 19-22, Hugh W. Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed September 10, 2011.

[2] Women in the Book of Mormon, Donna Lee Bowen, and Camille Williams, Maxwell Institute, accessed September 10, 2011.

[3] Women in the Book of Mormon, Camille Williams, Maxwell Institute, accessed September 10, 2011.