A Conspiracy Fact
Gadianton is one of the most insidious characters in the Book of Mormon.
As I began to study the Book of Helaman again this morning in the Book of Mormon, I wondered why Mormon, in an interesting editorial comment, paused to mention that there was more to say about this nefarious leader of a band of robbers and murderers.
As the Nephite nation began to decline in righteousness after the departure of Alma and the retirement of Moroni, they also began to experience greater afflictions at the hands of enemies both external and internal. The Lamanite armies, led by the bold and cunning Coriantumr, plunged into the very heart and capital of the Nephite nation. Intrigue and assassinations rocked the political foundations of the Nephite nation, and a secret band of robbers and murderers began to blend in with both the Lamanites and the Nephites.
Although the wicked Kishkumen was killed by a brave friend of the Nephite leader Helaman, Gadianton and his band escaped by a secret way into the wilderness. At this point in the narrative, Mormon interjects with this stirring observation and commentary:
“And more of this Gadianton shall be spoken hereafter. And thus ended the forty and second year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi. And behold, in the end of this book ye shall see that this aGadianton did prove the overthrow, yea, almost the entire destruction of the people of Nephi. Behold I do not mean the end of the abook 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 2:12-14)
Why would Mormon, a prophet, historian, and editor who was an eye witness to the downfall of the Nephite nation, include this interesting detail in a record that he was preparing for future generations, and particularly for those of us who read his book today? Where was more of this Gadianton spoken in the rest of the record, and why?
Gadianton Robbers are mentioned again later in the Book of Helaman (Helaman 3:23; 6:18, 24, 26-29, 37; 7:4, 25; 8:1, 27-28, 11:10, 24-26), in 3 Nephi (3 Nephi 1:27, 29; 2:11, 12, 18; 3:9, 15; 4:1), in 4 Nephi (4 Nephi 1:42, 46), and in Mormon (Mormon 1:18; 2:27-28). When Mormon mentions the “end of the book of Nephi,” perhaps he includes even the end of his own book, the Book of Mormon. By the time that Mormon compiled, edit, and recorded his own record, he had already witnessed how the Gadianton Robbers had destroyed his people, but prior to that, he had studied how Gadianton overthrew and almost entirely destroyed the Nephite nation:
“And it came to pass that in the latter end of the eighteenth year those armies of robbers had prepared for battle, and began to come down and to sally forth from the hills, and out of the mountains, and the wilderness, and their strongholds, and their secret places, and began to take possession of the lands, both which were in the land south and which were in the land north, and began to take possession of all the lands which had been deserted by the Nephites, and the cities which had been left desolate.” (3 Nephi 4:1)
After Jesus came and established a Zion society among the Nephites, the Gadianton Robbers once again rose to power:
“And it came to pass that the wicked part of the people began again to build up the secret oaths and combinations of Gadianton. And it came to pass that the robbers of Gadianton did spread over all the face of the land; and there were none that were righteous save it were the disciples of Jesus. And gold and silver did they lay up in store in abundance, and did traffic in all manner of traffic.” (4 Nephi 1:42, 46)
Gadianton and his band worked by secret combinations, a phrase that is used frequently in the Book of Mormon to describe conspiracies and criminal organizations whose primary object was to obtain power and gain through secret murders that were hidden and protected by seditious oaths and promises.
Earlier in his record, Mormon made sure to include Nephi’s warning to the readers in his future audience that similar kinds of secret combinations would be rampant among us moderns:
“And the Gentiles are lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and have stumbled, because of the greatness of their stumbling block, that they have built up many churches; nevertheless, they put down the power and miracles of God, and preach up unto themselves their own wisdom and their own learning, that they may get gain and grind upon the face of the poor. And there are many churches built up which cause aenvyings, and bstrifes, and cmalice. And there are also secret combinations, even as in times of old, according to the combinations of the devil, for he is the founder of all these things; yea, the founder of murder, and works of darkness; yea, and he leadeth them by the neck with a flaxen cord, until he bindeth them with his strong cords forever.” (2 Nephi 26:20-22)
In fact, the Lord destroyed both the Jaredites and the Nephites because they did not repent of their secret works and secret combinations:
“And they have caused the destruction of this people of whom I am now speaking, and also the destruction of the people of Nephi.” (Ether 8:21)
Moroni picked up on his father’s warnings against Gadianton, or at least, Moroni, in his abridgment of the Book of Ether, clearly warns us moderns about the destruction caused by secret combinations:
“And now I, Moroni, do not write the manner of their oaths and combinations, for it hath been made known unto me that they are had aamong all people, and they are had among the Lamanites. And they have caused the adestruction of this people of whom I am now speaking, and also the destruction of the people of Nephi. And whatsoever anation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold, they shall be destroyed; for the Lord will not suffer that the bblood of his saints, which shall be shed by them, shall always cry unto him from the ground for cvengeance upon them and yet he avenge them not. Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get apower and gain—and the work, yea, even the work of bdestruction come upon you, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God shall fall upon you, to your overthrow and destruction if ye shall suffer these things to be. Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this asecret combination which shall be among you; or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up. For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it up seeketh to overthrow the afreedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies; even that same liar who bbeguiled our first parents, yea, even that same liar who hath caused man to commit murder from the beginning; who hath chardened the hearts of men that they have dmurdered the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out from the beginning. Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have ano power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be bpersuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all crighteousness and be saved.” (Ether 8:20-26)
Awake to a sense of your awful situation. Repent, awake, and prevent these murderous conspiracies from conquering. Moroni warns us that there shall be this secret combination among us. Men like Gadianton and Kishkumen are among us who build up secret combinations for power and for gain, seeking to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries, leading to the destruction of all people. These evils, like the evils of Cain and many others, must be done away.
As President Benson warned, this is no theory:
“Now undoubtedly Moroni could have pointed out many factors that led to the destruction of the people, but notice how he singled out the secret combinations, just as the Church today could point out many threats to peace, prosperity, and the spread of God’s work, but it has singled out the greatest threat as the godless conspiracy. There is no conspiracy theory in the Book of Mormon—it is a conspiracy fact.”