The Book of Helaman

The last part of the book of Alma records how the Nephite civilization was ravaged by war. Wars with the Lamanites, which had been going on for several hundred years, and civil war between the king-men and freemen had crippled the nation’s ability to sustain itself.

The book of Helaman reveals a new threat, much more insidious, lurking within the fabric of Nephite society. This book, taken from Mormon’s abridgment of the large plates of Nephi, details the rise of a secret combination known as the Gadianton robbers. Their purpose was to obtain power and gain through murder, robbery, and intrigue (see Helaman 2:8). In Gadianton, Satan found a man like Cain to whom he could reveal secret oaths and covenants (see Helaman 6:26–27). Mormon declared, “This Gadianton did prove the overthrow, yea, almost the entire destruction of the people of Nephi” (Helaman 2:13).

• Helaman 1–6

• Helaman 7–12

• Helaman 13–16