Gadianton and Conspiracy Facts
Book of Mormon Notes - Sunday, November 26, 2023, Helaman 2
Just five short decades before the birth of Jesus Christ there was yet another contention among the Nephites over the judgment seat. With what we now call the presidential election season now approaching, we can relate with these ancient Nephites. Pahoran had been murdered by Kishkumen, Paanchi had been executed (or at least sentenced to death), and Corinatumr bashed Pacumeni against a wall and killed him. There was another power vacuum for the highest political office, and once again there was civil unrest.
Although the voice of the people was a necessary element in King Mosiah’s wise system of government, it was not always the most stable or reliable element. This has always been true of democracy. Fortunately for the Nephites at this time, in spite of the tumults among them, the voice of the people chose the best possible leader, namely Helaman, the son of Helaman, the son of Alma. This is the same Helaman that was the first author of this book that Mormon abridged.
Meanwhile, Kishkumen and his band were ready to eliminate Helaman just as they had assassinated Pahoran. Mormon then introduces us to one of the most nefarious characters in the Book of Mormon, and indeed in all of scripture: Gadianton. The name should send chills down the spine of every serious student of the Book of Mormon, especially when we consider that there are Gadiantons among us today.
Why was Gadianton such a loathsome and diabolical criminal? Mormon records that
For there was one aGadianton, who was exceedingly expert in many words, and also in his craft, to carry on the secret work of murder and of robbery; therefore he became the leader of the band of Kishkumen.
Therefore he did aflatter them, and also Kishkumen, that if they would place him in the judgment-seat he would grant unto those who belonged to his band that they should be placed in power and authority among the people; therefore Kishkumen sought to destroy Helaman. (Helaman 2:4-5)
This was the ancient Nephite mafia. Gadianton knew how to use language to deceive. Remember Sherem, the antiChrist? Remember how Jacob described that evil man?
And he was alearned, that he had a perfect knowledge of the language of the people; wherefore, he could use much bflattery, and much power of speech, according to the cpower of the devil. (Jacob 7:4)
Gadianton was like Sherem in this way. He was evil, but he wasn’t dumb. Can you think of anyone in modern American society who works in a similar way, someone who is “exceedingly expert in many words” or who has a “perfect knowledge of the language of the people” who uses “much flattery, and much power of speech, according to the power of the devil”? If you thought of Kamala Harris’ word salads, that’s not quite what I mean because her speeches don’t even make sense. Obama and the Clintons were and are more effective and deceptive rhetoricians, somewhat more like Sherem and Gadianton. I would add Biden to the list of deceivers, but some surmise - not without reason - that Biden is a puppet that has been placed on stage in order to distract Americans by his utter incompetence while the nation crumbles before our eyes. I’m sure that you can think of others who fit the aforementioned descriptions of cunning men who are experts in linguistic duplicity.
Notice the tactics that Gadianton used to form his band. His craft was the secret work of murder and robbery. Like the wicked Zerahemnah, he used flattery to deceive Kishkumen and other members of the band, giving them false promises of positions of power and authority. Gadianton planned to take control of the judgment seat that was left vacant because of the murders of the previous two chief judges. Gadianton sought power and authority over the entire Nephite nation, not by overt force, but through a subtle and secret craft. Which modern politicians or office seekers do you think might be using a similarly subtle and secret craft?
We still don’t have the full story on Jeffrey Epstein, but there was obviously something very nefarious going on there. But this is nothing new. When I learn about the Bushes’ involvement in Skull and Bones, and when I discover how many politicians have participated in the secret ceremonies of the Bohemian Grove, it’s easy to see that the craft of Gadianton is alive and well in modern American society. On a smaller scale, I’ve witnessed similar kinds of linguistic trickery and chicanery in the work force. There are just too many examples of careerists who flatter their way into positions of authority, and professionals who form mutual self-congratulation societies in order to promote themselves and their own mediocrity and exclude and ostracize anyone or anything that has the faintest scent of excellence.
In any case, Gadianton flattered Kishkumen into attempting a second secret assassination, this time against the great new chief judge, Helaman. Kishkumen might have carried out another successful assassination if it had not been for the courageous and heroic intervention of one of the servants of Helaman. We don’t have the name of this brave servant, but he is another hero, like the unnamed Nephite soldier who scalped Zerahemnah. This servant of Helaman was alert to the dangers of assassination attempts and was able to identify the conspirators and infiltrate their group. He discovered the conspiracy against Helaman and he played along with the conspiracy until it was clear that Kishkumen was on his way to murder the new chief judge. This brave servant even learned the sign that he had to give Kishkumen in order to lead him to Helaman to carry out the assassination. In other words, the servant of Helaman successfully uncovered the secret combination of Gadianton, Kishkumen, and their band, and he stabbed Kishkumen to the heart, that he fell dead without a groan. (And just a quick note, who could have ever come up with names like “Kishkumen” or “Gadianton”?)
Helaman’s servant saved Helaman’s life, but Helaman and his men were unable to capture and apprehend Gadianton and his band because they fled by a secret route into the wilderness. Listen carefully to Mormon’s chilling and sobering description of Gadianton:
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)
Just a quick side note - this last verse sure looks like the kind of thing that was inscribed on metal plates because Mormon couldn’t just insert the more detailed description of the book to which he referred after he had already inscribed. Mormon clarified his meaning by adding a new sentence.
Who are the Gadiantons and the Kishkumens among us today? They are not always easy to identify because they work in secret, in disguise, and through a network of evil that is upheld by secret oaths. But we can read about these latter-day secret combinations in books such as:
There are many other books and resources for researching and bringing to light the hidden things of darkness (see Tree of Liberty Society and Defending Utah, e.g.).
These are not conspiracy theories. These are facts:
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. - President Ezra Taft Benson
Mormon tells us that he will write more concerning Gadianton, and that Gadianton did prove the overthrow, almost the entire destruction of the people of Nephi. Gadianton is clearly someone that Mormon wants us to know about and understand, not just because of what he did to destroy the Nephites, but mainly because of the secret combinations in the last days that Gadianton and his robbers foreshadow. Mormon is warning us, his readers. As the Nephite society began to disintegrate, it also began to be infested with secret combinations - conspiracies. I imagine that there were Nephites who mocked their fellow citizens about “conspiracy theories” while Gadianton and his band were growing in power. But the Nephites would soon find out that the supposed “conspiracy theories” were really conspiracy facts.