Polarization in Nephite Society
Book of Mormon Notes - Monday, November 27, 2023, Helaman 3
Mormon’s voice grows in clarity. His summary and analysis of Nephite history also becomes clearer in its purpose. Mormon has already provided keys to understanding Nephite history through the cycle of repentance, faith, blessings, prosperity, pride, chastisements and afflictions, and back to repentance and faith in Christ. But in this portion of his record, Mormon reveals rapid oscillations from humility to pride and great divisions within Nephite society. He also provides us with more “thus we see” lessons to glean from his abridgment of the records.
Mormon measures the progress and decline of the Nephites by their levels of pride and contention. Even when there is only a little pride and contention among the people, especially the people of the Church, Mormon takes note. Mormon makes year by year summaries of Nephite history, passing quickly over some years, while pausing to comment more substantially on the events of other years. Mormon notes how even a little pride leads to little dissensions. Because it is part of his purpose in the Book of Helaman to write about the wars, contentions, and dissensions of the Nephites, years of peace or years with little or no contention often receive less attention or commentary.
However, in the forty-sixth year of the reign of the judges, there was much contention and many dissensions, even so much that they provoked another massive migration toward the north. Many people began to leave Zarahemla because of these contentions and dissensions. These events prompt one of Mormon’s most interesting side commentaries in the entire Book of Mormon.
Like Hagoth and his people, these migrants moved out of the capital city and toward the northern territories. But unlike Hagoth and his people, Mormon records that these people didn’t disappear. They travelled very far into a region with alarge bodies of water and many rivers. This is another golden chapter for the study of Book of Mormon geography. Mormon also mentions that the people spread throughout the land, but that this was the land that had been inhabited before. This was the land of the Jaredites, the land of desolation, near the land of Bountiful:
And now no part of the land was desolate, save it were for timber; but because of the greatness of the adestruction of the people who had before inhabited the land it was called bdesolate. (Helaman 3:6)
We’ve already learned a little bit about the Jaredites from Mormon’s abridgment of previous books, and we will soon learn more about them. But why does Mormon focus so much on contention or the lack thereof? My guess is that Mormon was especially influence by his study of the ministry of Christ among the Nephites and the events that led up to the time in which he was writing. It makes sense to me that Mormon had already thoroughly studied as many of the records as possible when he began his abridgment, and that the focus of all of his commentary and abridgment was on Christ, His ministry, and His teachings. In other words, as Mormon surveyed the landscape of Nephite history, their rise and their fall, the words of Jesus Christ reverberated in his heart and distilled upon his mind more than anything else that had been written. Remember that the words of Alma apply to Mormon as much as they do to us:
And now, as the apreaching of the bword had a great tendency to clead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God. (Alma 31:5)
I imagine that Mormon had already poured over the records that describe Christ’s visit among the Nephites, and that in addition to Christ’s personal ministry to Mormon, these words were the frame and the lens through which Mormon wrote everything else. We haven’t arrived there yet in our own study of the Book of Mormon, but Jesus’ crystal clear teachings regarding His doctrine are already foreshadowed in Mormon’s account of the Nephites under the reign of Helaman, son of Helaman:
For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of acontention is not of me, but is of the bdevil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.
Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things ashould be done away. (3 Nephi 11:29-30)
Thus Mormon writes of the ways in which Christ’s doctrine prevailed among the Nephites, and the ways in which the Nephites rejected Christ’s doctrine because of pride and thus fell into contention and dissension. Mormon’s abridgment of the large plates of Nephi, therefore, is a record of the workings of two Spirits among the Nephites - and also among the Lamanites - the Spirit of the Lord unto life and prosperity and the spirit of the devil unto death and destruction. In the Book of Helaman we begin to see the contrast between the influence of these two Spirits even more clearly, because, as is also the case in our time, the Spirit of the Lord grew stronger among the righteous, and the spirit of the devil increased among the wicked. This contrast was already apparent from the beginning of the record in the conflicts between Nephi and his brothers Laman and Lemuel. But in the Book of Helaman the contrast is even more pronounced because of the pride and contentions of the Nephites - and especially because of the wickedness of Gadianton and his band on the one hand - and the humility and conversion of the true disciples of Christ on the other hand. Nephite society wasn’t just fracturing or splintering, a chasm was opening up, the same chasm that Nephi witnessed in his vision and described to his brothers:
And the large and spacious building, which thy father saw, is vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men. And a great and a terrible gulf divideth them; yea, even the word of the justice of the Eternal God, and the Messiah who is the Lamb of God, of whom the Holy Ghost beareth record, from the beginning of the world until this time, and from this time henceforth and forever. (1 Nephi 12:18)
And they said unto me: What meaneth the ariver of water which our father saw?
And I said unto them that the awater which my father saw was bfilthiness; and so much was his mind swallowed up in other things that he beheld not the filthiness of the water.
And I said unto them that it was an awful agulf, which separated the wicked from the tree of life, and also from the saints of God.
And I said unto them that it was a representation of that awful ahell, which the angel said unto me was prepared for the wicked.
And I said unto them that our father also saw that the ajustice of God did also divide the wicked from the righteous; and the brightness thereof was like unto the brightness of a flaming bfire, which ascendeth up unto God forever and ever, and hath no end. (1 Nephi 15:26-30)
This gulf or chasm that Nephi saw in his vision was widening during the reign of Helaman, son of Helaman, and it is widening today. Mormon had already immersed himself in the visions of Lehi and Nephi, the visions of the tree of life that contain an allegory for Nephite history as well as our own. Thus, in my estimation, Mormon -besides being tutored by Christ personally and led by the Spirit of God in his writing -composed his abridgment with both Lehi and Nephi’s vision and the fulfillment of those visions in Christ’s ministry among the Nephites as the lens and the framework for his record. In the Book of Helaman, therefore, we can see how those who had come unto and partaken of the fruit of the tree of life were preparing for the coming of Christ, whereas many others were wandering in the mists of darkness or occupying the great and spacious building. Perhaps my point is that as we progress in our study of the Book of Mormon and work up to the time in which Mormon was doing all of this work, we will better see how and why Mormon wrote they way that he did of the events in Nephite history.
Because there was a scarcity of timber in the land northward, the people who migrated there became experts in cement, and they also allowed trees to grow so that they would have more timber in the future. This is another interesting detour in Mormon’s writings that, in my opinion, supports a north American model of Book of Mormon geography. When I think of timber, I think of North America. Maybe I’m wrong about that, but when I think of timber, I think of a specific kind of trees, and probably not the kind of trees that grow in South and Central America. But I looked up the definition of “timber” to better understand the word, and there are many types of timber, including:
Cross-laminated
Glulam
Green timber
Lime
Mahogany
Pine
Sapele wood
Tulipwood
Wood ash
Spruce
Maybe I’m wrong, but most of those trees sound like North American trees to me. I’m sure that someone has already studied this topic in detail. In any case, the migrant Nephites became expert builders with cement while they waited for more trees to grow so that they could build with timber. They also gathered timber by shipping. Maybe these Nephites learned a thing or two from Hagoth before he disappeared. I’m sure that someone has also written about cement among the Nephites.
Consider this: Mormon grew up and lived in the land northward, and he had certainly also studied the rise and fall of the Jaredites in that same region. Here was a man who understood the rise and fall of the civilization that preceded his own in the very area where his own civilization had risen and was then on the verge of destruction. And this is the same area where Joseph Smith was born and grew up. Thus perhaps what seems to be a detour from Mormon’s focus on Zarahemla and the main body of the Nephites at the time may not be a detour at all, because Mormon already knows that the Nephites will be destroyed in or near the same place where the Jaredites before them were destroyed.
Interestingly, many of the Ammonites also migrated to the north. Remember that the Ammonites were the best, the most converted, the most valiant, and the most peaceful Nephites who were once Lamanites. Why would they leave? Their migration to the north reminds me of the previous migrations - first Lehi’s migration out of Jerusalem to the Promised Land, then Nephi’s migration out of the original Lehite settlements, and then the migrations of the Nephites to the land of Zarahemla. Perhaps the Ammonites were tired of putting up with all of the contentions, dissensions, and conflicts that were stirred up because of the pride of the Nephites in Zarahemla. I don’t know. What we do know is that all was not well in the Nephite capital.
In this portion of the abridgment of the large plates of Nephi, Mormon also gives us a peak into understanding the amount of records that he had to work with:
And now there are many arecords kept of the proceedings of this people, by many of this people, which are particular and very large, concerning them.
But behold, a ahundredth part of the proceedings of this people, yea, the account of the Lamanites and of the Nephites, and their wars, and contentions, and dissensions, and their preaching, and their prophecies, and their shipping and their building of ships, and their building of btemples, and of synagogues and their csanctuaries, and their righteousness, and their wickedness, and their murders, and their robbings, and their plundering, and all manner of abominations and whoredoms, cannot be contained in this work.
But behold, there are many books and many arecords of every kind, and they have been kept chiefly by the Nephites.
And they have been ahanded down from one generation to another by the Nephites, even until they have fallen into transgression and have been murdered, plundered, and hunted, and driven forth, and slain, and bscattered upon the face of the earth, and mixed with the Lamanites until they are cno more called the Nephites, becoming wicked, and wild, and ferocious, yea, even becoming Lamanites. (Helaman 3:13-16)
There was simply too much to write. Mormon couldn’t even record a fraction of what there was to record, or “a hundredth part” of their proceedings. Mormon later expressed a similar thought:
And there had many things transpired which, in the eyes of some, would be great and marvelous; nevertheless, they cannot all be written in this book; yea, this book cannot contain even a hundredth part of what was done among so many people in the space of twenty and five years; (3 Nephi 5:8)
Mormon’s inability to capture everything is even more pronounced when it comes to the account of the Lord’s ministry among the Nephites:
And now there cannot be written in this book even a hundredth part of the things which Jesus did truly teach unto the people;
But behold the plates of Nephi do contain the more part of the things which he taught the people.
And these things have I written, which are a lesser part of the things which he taught the people; and I have written them to the intent that they may be brought again unto this people, from the Gentiles, according to the words which Jesus hath spoken.
And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them.
And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation.
Behold, I was about to write them, all which were engraven upon the plates of Nephi, but the Lord forbade it, saying: I will try the faith of my people. (3 Nephi 26:6-11)
Think of that! As amazing as the Book of Mormon is - and it is amazing - it is the lesser part, not even a fraction of what there was to write, and only a lesser portion of what the Lord has to teach us. Nevertheless, if we gratefully receive what has already been given, and if we believe these things first, then shall the greater things be manifest unto us. There are much greater things that the Lord wants to manifest unto us when we are ready. But it is expedient, or necessary, that we have these things first, to try our faith. I believe, and I am eager for the greater portion of the word. But I am also grateful for that which has already been given.
To some extent, the greater portion of the word is also what is given to us by the Spirit, the truth in between the lines of the written word. But that greater portion of the word is also contained in records that have yet to be revealed, in books that have been kept back in order to try our faith.
In Mormon’s brief detour to describe the northern migrations, he condenses so much into a few small paragraphs. Mormon seems eager to get on with the rest of the story that pertains more directly to his purpose for writing. As interesting as the account of the Lamanites and the Nephites was - as interesting as all of their wars, contentions, dissensions, preaching, prophecies, shipping, ship-building, Temple, synagogue, and sanctuary-building, righteousness, wickedness, murders, robbings, plundering, and all manner of abominations and whoredoms were - Mormon could not write it all. It could not be contained in this particular work, the work that we now read as the Book of Mormon.
But Mormon wants us to know that there were many books and many arecords of every kind. Remember Brigham Young’s account of the cave full of records that I mentioned previously (see here, and here). I also find it fascinating that Mormon mentions that all of these records were kept chiefly by the Nephites, which to me suggests that there are also Lamanite records that may one day come to light in addition to the numerous Nephite records that will one day come to light. Then Mormon inscribes an editorial note that brings us up to date with his work of inscription:
And they have been ahanded down from one generation to another by the Nephites, even until they have fallen into transgression and have been murdered, plundered, and hunted, and driven forth, and slain, and bscattered upon the face of the earth, and mixed with the Lamanites until they are cno more called the Nephites, becoming wicked, and wild, and ferocious, yea, even becoming Lamanites. (Helaman 3:14-16)
We will soon learn about Mormon’s reception of the plates from Ammaron. In the meantime, we return to Mormon’s narrative in which he returns to his account of the main body of Nephites in Zarahemla and the surrounding regions. It was a time of great contention for several years, but Helaman, the son of Helaman, was a wise and just ruler and chief judge. He was also a great father to two great sons whom he reared in light and truth and the nurture and admonition of the Lord. He named the oldest son Nephi, and the younger son Lehi, and we later learn that Helaman gave them these names for a wise purpose.
There were brief interludes of peace and prosperity among the Nephites, but they were also vexed by the secret asecret combinations which bGadianton the robber had established in the more settled parts of the land. This may give us a clue to where secret combinations have taken root in our own time and in our own countries. It is also disturbing that at this particular time, those who were at the head of the Nephite government (Helaman and others) did not know about these secret combinations, and therefore they were not destroyed out of the land. This suggests that eventually those in the government will discover and attempt to root out the secret combinations that at this time remained a secret. In our own time many secret combinations remain a secret only because too many people refuse confront the fact that there are secret combinations among us and that they will continue to grow and spread until we do something about it.
In the midst of these conflicts and in the midst of this wickedness, however, the Church also began to prosper in an astonishing and miraculous way. As I mentioned earlier in this post, the Spirit of God was increasing exponentially along with the exponential increase in the power of the opposite spirit. Mormon hones in on another patented “thus we see” lesson for his latter-day audience that he draws from this growing prosperity of the Gospel and the Church even in the midst of much wickedness - a lesson that applies as much or even more today than it did in the time of Helaman or in the time of Mormon:
Thus we may see that the Lord is merciful unto all who will, in the sincerity of their hearts, call upon his holy name.
Yea, thus we see that the agate of heaven is open unto ball, even to those who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God.
Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the aword of God, which is bquick and powerful, which shall cdivide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and dnarrow course across that everlasting egulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked—
And land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the aright hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out. (Helaman 3:27-30)
These are a few of my favorite verses in all of scripture.
Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ are merciful. We can call upon the holy name of Lord in the sincerity of our hearts, and He will answer. Faith in Jesus Christ is the key. The gate of heaven is open unto all, but it is up to us to decide to enter therein. We are free to choose whether or not to lay hold upon the aword of God. Much later in the Book of Mormon, Mormon’s son Moroni shares a sermon by his father that teaches us more precisely how to lay hold upon the word of God (see Moroni 7-10).
Again there was a temporary oscillation in Nephite history toward peace, prosperity, and rejoicing, until a little pride began to enter into the Church, or at least into the hearts of the people who aprofessed to belong to the church of God. Once again Mormon draws out the contrast between these prideful people and the humble followers of Christ whom they persecuted and caused to suffer. The response of these followers of Christ to their trials is an example to us today:
Nevertheless they did afast and bpray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their chumility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the dpurifying and the esanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their fyielding their hearts unto God. (Helaman 3:35)
This is another one of my favorite verses in all of scripture.
Mormon shows us why the righteous were becoming more righteous, and why the wicked were becoming more wicked. The righteous were becoming more righteous because they humbly yielded their hearts unto God even in the midst of affliction, and the wicked were becoming more wicked because of the pride which had gotten into their hearts because of their exceedingly great ariches and their prosperity in the land. While one portion of the people grew stronger and stronger in their humility and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, another portion of the people was simultaneously growing in pride. The gulf was widening. Can we see a gulf that is widening in our own time? Are there lessons in Nephite history that apply to us today?
In these polarized and polarizing circumstances, Helaman died, and his eldest son bNephi began to reign in his stead, following in the footsteps of his father.