The Line Separating Good and Evil and the Modern Gadianton State

Book of Mormon Notes - Saturday, December 2, 2023, Helaman 6 (continued)

During this time of uneasy peace, and because the Lord had blessed the Nephites so long with the ^ariches of the world, they began to set their hearts upon their riches. Because they began to set their hearts upon their riches instead of the treasures of Heaven, these Nephites began to seek to get gain that they might be lifted upo one above another. The contrast between the worship of the true God, Jehovah, the pre-mortal Jesus Christ, and the idolatry that these Nephites practiced is clear. Hearts yielded unto God seek to lift up and edify others, whereas hearts set upon the idolatrous god of wealth seek to be lifted up above others. Whereas true followers of Jesus Christ seek to abase themselves in the service of others, idolaters seek to elevate themselves at the expense of others.

In this ancient Nephite society, idolatry had replaced true worship of the Lord to such an extent that even elevation above others wasn’t enough for them. The most wicked among them moved from self-elevation to the ^bsecret elimination of their perceived competition, namely their fellowmen. From the materialist mindset, fellow human beings eventually represent obstacles to the accumulation of wealth. Anyone who has spent any time at all in corporate America or in the modern American workforce can see how easily the transition from the manipulation of “human resources” for profit can be made to the elimination of humans for resources.

Among the ancient Nephites, Kishkumen and ^aGadianton had mastered the evil art of manipulating and eliminating humans for resources. Gadianton’s band grew among the Nephites, but they were more numerous among the more wicked part of the Lamanites. Gadianton and his band of robbers and murderers were responsible for the secret murder of the chief judge ^aCezoram and his son, but they escaped punishment for their crimes because of the secret combination that they had formed.

Mormon contrasts the Lamanite response to the Gadianton robbers to the Nephite response, showing us once again that the Lamanites were in many respects more righteous than the Nephites. How did the Lamanites respond to the threat?

And now it came to pass that when the Lamanites found that there were robbers among them they were exceedingly sorrowful; and they did use every means in their power to destroy them off the face of the earth. (Helaman 6:20)

How did the Nephite respond?

But behold, Satan did stir up the ^ahearts of the more part of the Nephites, insomuch that they did unite with those bands of robbers, and did enter into their covenants and their oaths, that they would protect and preserve one another in whatsoever difficult circumstances they should be placed, that they should not suffer for their murders, and their plunderings, and their ^bstealings. (Helaman 6:21)

Whereas the Lamanites felt sorrow and took action to destroy the iniquity of Gadianton’s band, the Nephites adopted a go-with-the-flow, live and let live, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, attitude. Mormon continually contrasts the faithfulness, firmness, steadiness, and wisdom of the righteous Lamanites with the idolatry, inconsistency, unsteadiness, and foolishness of the wicked Nephites. Whereas the righteous Lamanites sought to resist and destroy the iniquity among them, the wicked Nephites sought to embrace and build up the iniquity among them.

Mormon explains that all of the signs, secrets, oaths, covenants, secret words, and secret signs that the members of Gadianton’s band used did not come from the records that Alma had commanded his son to keep hidden, but that they were put into the heart of ^cGadianton by Satan. Gadianton and Kishkumen had even transformed the laws of the land in order to protect the wicked and punish anyone who dared to oppose them.

Like Nephi, son of Lehi before him, Mormon then reveals some of the major characteristics and tactics of the devil. The main purpose of the Book of Mormon is to bring souls unto Jesus Christ and repentance. But the Book of Mormon also reveals the reality of Satan and the nature and tactics of the enemies of Christ. The Book of Mormon testifies of Jesus Christ, His Doctrine, His Gospel, and the Plan of Salvation in order to assist in Heavenly Father’s work, namely to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. But it also exposes the devil and his tactics so that followers of Christ will not be deceived and so that followers of Christ may know how to resist and combat wickedness and evil. This chapter in the Book of Helaman builds upon Nephi’s revelations in 2 Nephi 28, and helps us to better understand who Lucifer is, how he works, and how to resist and defeat him.

Mormon teaches that Lucifer was the instigator of Gadianton’s wickedness, and that Lucifer has been opposing the Lord and His work from the beginning:

Now behold, those ^asecret oaths and covenants did not come forth unto Gadianton from the ^brecords which were delivered unto Helaman; but behold, they were put into the heart of ^cGadianton by that ^dsame being who did entice our first parents to partake of the forbidden fruit—

Yea, that same being who did plot with ^aCain, that if he would murder his brother Abel it should not be known unto the world. And he did plot with Cain and his followers from that time forth.

And also it is that same being who put it into the hearts of the people to ^abuild a tower sufficiently high that they might get to heaven. And it was that same being who led on the people who came from that tower into this land; who spread the works of darkness and abominations over all the face of the land, until he dragged the people down to an ^bentire destruction, and to an everlasting hell.

Yea, it is that same being who put it into the heart of ^aGadianton to still carry on the work of darkness, and of secret murder; and he has brought it forth from the beginning of man even down to this time.

And behold, it is he who is the ^aauthor of all sin. And behold, he doth carry on his works of darkness and secret murder, and doth hand down their plots, and their oaths, and their covenants, and their plans of awful wickedness, from generation to generation according as he can get hold upon the hearts of the children of men. (Helaman 6:26-30)

Anyone who thinks that Lucifer gave up or got tired after enticing Adam and Eve, plotting with Cain, directing the construction of the Tower of Babel, destroying the Jaredites, and leading Gadianton to destroy the Nephites has only to look around or turn on the news to see that the the ^aauthor of all sin is still hard at work. Furthermore, Lucifer is even hard at work where we least expect it. As the great Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn so astutely observed and so eloquently wrote:

Gradually it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties - but right through every human heart - and through all human hearts.

It’s often much easier to see how the devil operates on a grand scale, causing war and destruction, or inciting hatred and evil among others. But as Elder Uchtdorf taught not long ago:

It was our beloved Savior’s final night in mortality, the evening before He would offer Himself a ransom for all mankind. As He broke bread with His disciples, He said something that must have filled their hearts with great alarm and deep sadness. “One of you shall betray me,” He told them.

The disciples didn’t question the truth of what He said. Nor did they look around, point to someone else, and ask, “Is it him?”

Instead, “they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?”¹

I wonder what each of us would do if we were asked that question by the Savior. Would we look at those around us and say in our hearts, “He’s probably talking about Brother Johnson. I’ve always wondered about him,” or “I’m glad Brother Brown is here. He really needs to hear this message”? Or would we, like those disciples of old, look inward and ask that penetrating question: “Is it I?”

In these simple words, “Lord, is it I?” lies the beginning of wisdom and the pathway to personal conversion and lasting change.

Elder Uchtdorf even refers to the age in which we now live as an “age of self-justification and narcissism”. That’s not a flattering way to talk to us moderns, but it’s true. Elder Uchtdorf suggests that “the holy scriptures and the talks given at general conference are an effective mirror we can hold up for self-examination”. He recommends that as we “hear or read the words of the ancient and modern prophets”, we “refrain from thinking about how the words apply to someone else and ask the simple question: ‘Lord, is it I?’”

I want to assure my audience that this is one of the reasons why I love the Book of Mormon, because it helps me to see myself - my weaknesses, sins, and shortcomings as well as my strengths and potential - more clearly, and it inspires in me the desire to repent and come unto Christ for forgiveness and healing. It helps me to see more clearly the things that I need to improve in my life so that I can become a more effective instrument in the hands of God, a more faithful disciple of Jesus Christ, and a better person.

Even though my current and public study of the Book of Mormon and my Book of Mormon Notes often lead me to examine Mormon’s methods and the larger patterns that foreshadow events and circumstances in the last days, my personal study of the Book of Mormon helps me to see that the line separating good and evil passes right through every human heart - and through all human hearts, including my own. It helps me to ask the introspective question “Lord, is it I?” and to joyfully and gratefully receive the answer that then President Uchtdorf provided:

And if the Lord’s answer happens to be “Yes, my son, there are things you must improve, things I can help you to overcome,” I pray that we will accept this answer, humbly acknowledge our sins and shortcomings, and then change our ways by becoming better husbands, better fathers, better sons. May we from this time forward seek with all our might to walk steadfastly in the Savior’s blessed way—for seeing ourselves clearly is the beginning of wisdom.

As I work on and improve in this honest and introspective process of repentance in my personal life and in my personal study, however, it also helps me to see more clearly how the Book of Mormon mirror applies to and reflects the broader society in which we now live. Thus when Mormon describes Lucifer’s machinations among the Gadianton robbers I know that Mormon’s mirror shines light on the secret combinations and the Gadianton robbers that infest our own communities while holding up the best examples of what to do about this problem:

And now it came to pass that when the Lamanites found that there were robbers among them they were exceedingly sorrowful; and they did use every means in their power to destroy them off the face of the earth. (Helaman 6:20)

Mormon records that the devil had got great hold upon the hearts of the Nephites. The Nephites had become exceedingly wicked. Most of them turned out of the ^away of righteousness, ^btrampled under their feet the commandments of God, turned unto their own ways, and built up unto themselves ^cidols of their gold and their silver. In Mormon’s mirror it is easy to see that the devil is doing the same thing today as he did back then among the Nephites. Moreover, Mormon highlights the fact that all these iniquities came upon the Nephites very quickly, in a short span of time, or ^anot many years.

To the great sorrow and lamentation of the righteous, the Nephites continued to grow in their iniquities. Then Mormon extracts from the secular Nephite history on the large plates of Nephi another one of his patented “Thus we see” lessons:

And thus we see that the ^aNephites did begin to dwindle in unbelief, and grow in wickedness and abominations, while the Lamanites began to grow exceedingly in the knowledge of their God; yea, they did begin to keep his statutes and commandments, and to walk in truth and uprightness before him.

And thus we see that the Spirit of the Lord began to ^awithdraw from the Nephites, because of the wickedness and the hardness of their hearts.

And thus we see that the Lord began to pour out his ^aSpirit upon the Lamanites, because of their easiness and ^bwillingness to believe in his words. (Helaman 6:34-36)

Mormon’s patented “Thus we see” lessons are clear enough, but why does Mormon insist on emphasizing the stark contrast between Nephite unbelief, wickedness, abominations, and hardness of heart on the one hand and the Lamanite righteousness, knowledge of God, obedience, integrity, and willingness to believe in the Lord’s words on the other hand? I think it may be for the same reason that the Lord often taught lessons and parables - such as the parable of the Good Samaritan and the lessons from the Samaritan woman at the well - about foreigners or outsiders who did the will of God, while the insiders - Jews, priests, and Levites, or in the Book of Mormon, the Nephites - too often failed to live up to their covenants and their status as chosen people. This stark contrast will be brought into even greater relief with the teachings of Samuel the Lamanite.

Throughout the Book of Mormon there is an intense focus on the importance of the condition of our hearts. The Spirit of the Lord began to withdraw from the Nephites because of their hard-heartedness, whereas the Spirit of the Lord began to be poured out upon the Lamanites because of their soft and tender-hearted easiness and ^bwillingness to believe in the Lord’s words.

The Lamanites’ easiness and willingness to believe in the Lord’s words also inspired them to hunt the band of robbers of Gadianton in order to preach the word of God among the more wicked part of them. This is an amazing thing. Sometimes when I consider the Gadianton robbers and murderers that are among us, I feel Moroni-like indignation and a Teancum-like desire to launch javelins into every one of their wicked hearts. But these Lamanites had so much faith in God and spiritual power from God that they destroyed the band of robbers by preaching the word of God among them.

Meanwhile, the Nephites not only failed to hunt down the robbers and destroy their craft by the word of God, they even joined with them in their wickedness:

And it came to pass on the other hand, that the Nephites did build them up and support them, beginning at the more wicked part of them, until they had overspread all the land of the Nephites, and had seduced the more part of the righteous until they had come down to believe in their works and partake of their spoils, and to join with them in their secret murders and combinations. (Helaman 6:38)

This is exactly what I see happening in modern American society, on a national level, on a state level, and even in our own communities. We are building up, supporting, and spreading the work of the modern Gadiantons because we have been seduced into believing in their works, partaking of their spoils, and joining with them in their secret murders and abominations. There are some who participate in these activities knowingly, but there are more who participate by their refusal to acknowledge the reality of secret combinations among us. When too many people are eager to partake of the spoils of the modern Gadiantons - the spoils of prestige, prominence, praise, and monetary incentives- it makes it more difficult for the proverbial Lamanites among us to hunt down the Gadiantons, destroy their craft, and extirpate their wickedness from among us.

Mormon records that the Gadiantons became so powerful that they even obtained the sole management of the government. A quick glance toward Washington, D.C. (and our state capitals), toward the administrative state, the deep state, and the gargantuan bureaucratic apparatus that has replaced the Constitutional Republic that our Founders established, suggests to me that if we don’t already, we will soon live under the tyranny of a Gadianton state. There are certainly no wise and enlightened statesmen at the helm, and even worse, it seems to me that robbers and murderers are obtaining or have already obtained the sole management of the government, trampling under their feet, smiting, rending, and turning their backs upon the ^apoor and the meek, and the humble followers of God.

Mormon gives us one more patented “Thus we see” lesson in all of this:

And thus we see that they were in an awful state, and ^aripening for an everlasting destruction. (Helaman 6:40)

This “thus we see” lesson encapsulates well the conditions in which we now live. What Mormon calls “an awful state” among the Nephites, Mormon’s son Moroni will soon call our own “awful situation”:

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. (Ether 8:24)