- 1At the start of the 40th year of the judges’ rule over the Nephites, a serious problem arose among the Nephites. 2Parhoron died and departed this earth. A serious fight began between the brothers (Parhoron’s sons) about who would occupy the judgment seat. 3Now the names of those fighting for the judgment seat were Parhoron, Paanchi, and Pacumeni. This resulted in the people fighting. 4Now the fighting didn’t involve all Parhoron’s sons, since he had many, but these were the ones competing for the judgment seat. This caused three divisions of the people. 5Nevertheless, Parhoron was chosen by the people’s vote to be the chief judge and governor over the Nephites.
- 6And Pacumeni, when he saw he would lose the judgment seat, joined with the vote of the people. 7But Paanchi and his supporters who wanted him to be governor were disappointed and angry. Therefore he actively planned to lead people in a rebellion against their fellow Nephites.
- 8As he was planning this, he was captured, tried under the approved law, and was sentenced to death, because he planned a rebellion and attempted to destroy the people’s liberty. 9When his supporters for the governorship learned he was sentenced to death, they were so angry that they assigned a person named Kishcumen to go to Parhoron’s judgment seat to murder him. 10He was chased by Parhoron’s servants, but Kishcumen’s escape was so quick no one caught him. 11And he returned to those who sent him, and they all made a covenant swearing by their everlasting Maker they wouldn’t tell anyone Kishcumen had murdered Parhoron. 12Therefore Kishcumen remained unknown to the Nephites, since he had been disguised when he murdered Parhoron. Kishcumen and his gang, who covenanted with him, blended in with the people so well that not all of them were identified, but all those who were identified were sentenced to death. 13Now Pacumeni was elected by the people’s vote to be the chief judge and governor over the people, replacing his brother Parhoron, following the right of succession. And all this occurred in the 40th year of the judges’ rule, and the year ended.
- 14In the 41st year of the judges’ rule, the Lamanites gathered an innumerable army of men equipped with swords, cimeters, bows, arrows, helmets, breastplates, and a variety of shields. 15They attacked the Nephites. Their leader was named Coriantumr, a descendant of Zarahemla. He was a Nephite defector, and was a large, powerful man. 16Therefore the Lamanite king, named Tubaloth, the son of Ammoron, trusted that Coriantumr, being so powerful, could take on the Nephites. He believed that by sending so strong and wise a leader he could defeat the Nephites. 17Therefore he aroused the anger of his people, assembled an army, appointed Coriantumr as their leader, and sent them marching to war against the Nephites in Zarahemla.
- 18Because the Nephites had been distracted by internal conflict and fighting for control of the government, they neglected to keep enough guards for Zarahemla, thinking the Lamanites wouldn’t dare attack the great city of Zarahemla in the heart of their lands. 19But Coriantumr led his large army and attacked the city, and their attack was so sudden there wasn’t any time for the Nephites to assemble their armed forces. 20Therefore Coriantumr cut down the guards by the city entrance and led his whole army right into the city. They killed everyone who opposed them, taking control of the entire city. 21Pacumeni, who was the chief judge, ran from Coriantumr to the city wall. Coriantumr killed him against the wall, ending Pacumeni’s life.
- 22When Coriantumr realized he not only held the city of Zarahemla, but that the Nephites had run away, were killed, captured, and thrown into prison, and he had overtaken the strongest fortification in the whole land, he was so confident that he prepared to conquer the whole land. 23So he didn’t pause in Zarahemla, but quickly marched a large army directly to the city of Bountiful. He was determined to act quickly and cut his way through with the sword, planning to take the entire north part of the land. 24Because he mistakenly believed their greatest strength was in the center of the land, he immediately attacked, not giving them any time to gather their defense except in small companies. By quickly attacking them in small companies he cut them down.
- 25But Coriantumr’s campaign through the center of the land gave Moronihah a great advantage, despite the many Nephites who were killed. 26Moronihah thought the Lamanites would never dare to attack the center of the land, but that they would invade cities along the border, as they had always done before. Therefore Moronihah positioned their strongest armed forces to protect the border, away from the center. 27But the Lamanites weren’t afraid to attack the center, as he had hoped; instead, they surprisingly invaded the center of the land and captured the capital, the city of Zarahemla, and were attacking throughout the center of the land, slaughtering the people — men, women, and children — and overtaking many cities and fortresses. 28But when Moronihah realized this, he immediately dispatched Lehi with an army on a route to intercept them before they reached Bountiful. 29He intercepted them before they reached Bountiful, and successfully attacked, forcing their retreat. 30Moronihah intercepted them in their retreat and fought them in a very bloody battle costing many lives. Coriantumr was one of those who were killed. 31Then the Lamanites couldn’t retreat in any direction — not to the north, south, east, or west — since they were surrounded on every side by the Nephites. 32Coriantumr had put the Lamanites into the middle of the Nephites, clearly vulnerable to the Nephites; and he had been killed. So the Lamanites surrendered to the Nephites.
- 33Moronihah retook Zarahemla and the Lamanite prisoners left peacefully. 34And the 41st year of the judges’ rule ended.
- 2In the 42nd year of the judges’ rule, after Moronihah reestablished peace between the Nephites and Lamanites, no one occupied the judgment seat. So the people debated who would fill the position. 2Helaman, who was the son of Helaman, was elected by the people’s vote. 3But Kishcumen, who had murdered Parhoron, set a trap to kill Helaman as well. He was supported by his gang, who had made a covenant to keep their murderous conspiracy secret. 4A man named Gaddianton led Kishcumen’s gang, and he was persuasive, careful in planning killings and robbery, and very cunning in protecting the gang. 5He promised them if they would place him in the judgment seat, Kishcumen and other gang members would be appointed to positions of power and authority. Therefore Kishcumen planned to kill Helaman.
- 6An official loyal to Helaman spied on the gang the night the murder was planned, knew of the plan, and met Kishcumen on his way to kill Helaman on the judgment seat. 7He gave Kishcumen a sign he was a gang member, and so Kishcumen explained his purpose, and asked him to take him to the judgment seat so he could murder Helaman. 8After Helaman’s loyal official heard all of Kishcumen’s secret plans, about the planned murder, and how gang members intended to murder, rob, and rise to power as the objective of their conspiracy, then Helaman’s loyalist said to Kishcumen: I’ll take you to the judgment seat. 9Now that really pleased Kishcumen, because he thought he would accomplish his plan. But Helaman’s servant, as they were going to the judgment seat, stabbed Kishcumen in the heart, and he fell dead without a groan. And he ran and told Helaman everything he had seen, heard, and done.
- 10Helaman sent out forces to arrest this gang of robbers and secret assassins, so they could be executed according to the law. 11But when Gaddianton saw Kishcumen didn’t return, he was afraid he might be killed. So he led his gang and they quickly fled the land in secret, entering the wilderness. As a result, when Helaman sent out forces to arrest them, they were nowhere to be found. 12You’ll learn more about this Gaddianton later. And so the 42nd year of the judges’ rule ended. 13At the end of this book, you’ll learn Gaddianton ultimately caused the overthrow, and almost caused the entire annihilation of the Nephites. 14Now I don’t mean the end of the Book of Helaman, but I mean the end of the record of Nephi, from which I’ve taken the entire account written here.
The Book of Helaman
An account of the Nephites, their wars, conflicts, and disagreements, as well as the prophecies of many holy prophets before Christ’s coming, according to the record of Helaman the son of Helaman, and according to the records of his sons, up to Christ’s coming. In addition, many of the Lamanites are converted — an account of their conversion, describing the righteousness of the Lamanites and the wickedness and abominations of the Nephites, etc.
Chapter 1