Jeffersonian Book of Helaman the Younger

The Book of Helaman the Younger

--------------------Chapter 1--------------------

Traditionally composing of Helaman 1

1 The start of the 40th year of the reign of the judges was a difficult time for the Nephites.

2 Pahoran passed away, and there was a lot of debate over who should be the new chief judge.

3 Pahoran's kids had all followed in their father's footsteps, and they were among those that were being considered by the people for the position.

4 Pahoran had many kids, but the ones who were being considered for the chief judge position were named Pahoran the Younger, Paanchi, and Pacumeni.

5 Each had a following that wanted them to be the next chief judge.

6 Eventually, Pahoran the Younger was chosen by the people to be the next chief judge of the Nephites.

7 Pacumeni was happy for his brother and accepted the will of the people.

8 Paanchi and his followers, however, did not like the election results.

9 Paanchi started a rebellion over the election he lost so he could rule over the Republic of Zarahemla.

10 Several people were killed because of this small rebellion.

11 Paanchi was arrested and put on trial for treason, murder, and for attempting to deprive the citizens of their liberty.

12 He was found guilty and sentenced to death.

13 When Paanchi's followers heard about this news, they were angry.

14 They hired the assassin named Kishkumen to kill Pahoran the Younger while he was working in his office.

15 After Kishkumen killed Pahoran the Younger, he was able to flee from the guards so quickly and efficiently that he was not caught.

16 Since he wore a disguise, the guards were never able to identify him.

17 Kishkumen went and spoke to Paanchi's followers that had hired him, and they all made a promise that no one would reveal that it was Kishkumen that had killed Pahoran the Younger nor any of the people who had hired Kishkumen.

18 At the end of the 40th year there was another election, and Pacumeni was voted to be the new Chief Judge.

19 In the 41st year of the reign of the judges, the Lamanites assembled a large army that wielded swords, scimitar, bows and arrows, stones and slings, as well as headplates, breastplates, and shields.

20 The Lamanites were looking for another war with the Nephites.

21 Their military leader was named Coriantumr, who was a descendant of King Zarahemla and a dissenter from the Nephites.

22 Coriantumr was a large and a strong man.

23 The son of Ammoron had become the king. His name was King Tubaloth.

24 King Tubaloth assumed that since Coriantumr was a strong man that he could lead a strong army and defeat the Nephite and take the land they felt entitled to.

25 King Tubaloth rallied his citizens for war and assembled armies and appointed Coriantumr as the military leader.

26 The Lamanites marched to the Land of Zarahemla to battle the Nephites.

27 Because of the election, Paanchi's rebellion, the assassination of Pahoran the Younger, and the 2nd election, the Nephites had not stationed proper scouts to warn of invasions from the Lamanites.

28 The Nephites especially assumed that the Lamanites would never attack the Land or City of Zarahemla.

29 However, Coriantumr lead his army into the City of Zarahemla with such a speed that it caught the Nephites off guard and the city fell to the Lamanites.

30 Coriantumr killed all the Nephite soldiers he could find and everyone who would not comply with Lamanite occupation.

31 Pacumeni, who was the chief judge, tried to flee the city but was caught at the city's walls.

32 Coriantumr killed Pacumeni against the walls of the City of Zarahemla.

33 Coriantumr was filled with pride because of how he conquered the Nephites, and was ready to start invading other lands.

34 He marched his army to the City of Bountiful, because he was determined to make the Confederacy subject to the rule of the Lamanite Kingdom.

35 Coriantumr marched his troops through the area where the Nephite soldiers were most concentrated.

36 As he marched his soldiers, he scattered them in small groups so that the Nephites would be unable to attack his whole army.

37 Regardless, where the Lamanites marched gave Moronihah a great militaristic advantage.

38 Moronihah guessed that the Lamanites wouldn't attack the cities where the troops were, but attack the cities around those.

39 Moronihah ordered his troops to strengthen those cities as well.

40 The Lamanites didn't concern themselves with what Moronihah did, because they were filled with pride from their victory from capturing the Land of Zarahemla - the capital of the republic.

41 Wherever the Lamanites went they massacred the Nephites. THey killed them all. Not just the men, but the women and children too.

42 The Lamanites captured many stronghold cities.

43 When Moronihah discovered the Lamanites' goal of capturing the Land of Bountiful, he sent Lehi with an army to cut them off.

44 Lehi's army was able to drive the Lamanite army away from the Land of Bountiful back towards the Land of Zarahemla.

45 Moronihah was able to stop their retreat, and the Lamanites were surrounded, and decided to fight instead of surrender.

45 The battle was a bloodbath. Many Nephite and Lamanite soldiers were killed, including Coriantumr.

46 The Lamanites ended up surrendering to the forces of the Nephites.

47 Moronihah was able to recapture the City of Zarahemla and left the Lamanite prisoners of war go.

48 This ended the 41st year of the reign of the judges.

--------------------Chapter 2--------------------

Traditionally composing of Helaman 2

1 The 42nd year was one marked by peace because of Moronihah between the Nephites and the Lamanites.

2 However, there were many factions among the Nephites on who should fill the office of Chief Judge.

3 Eventually, Helaman the Younger was chosen to fill the office.

4 Kishkumen waited for the chance to kill Helaman the Younger, just as he had killed Pahoran the Younger.

5 At this time, there was a man named Gadianton who was very charismatic.

6 Gadianton was also an expert assassin, and skilled in murder and robbery.

7 He convinced Kishkumen and the people who hired Kishkumen that he should be their leader.

8 He promised them that if they made him ruler over the Republic of Zarahemla, he would make them leaders in the government.

9 This convinced Kishkumen to assassinate Helaman the Younger.

10 One of the people who were present at this meeting was one of Helaman the Younger's guards in disguise.

11 He went with Kishkumen to Helaman the Younger's office, as if to help assassinate him.

12 As they went, the guard stabbed Kishkumen in the heart and died instantly.

13 He ran to Helaman the Younger and told him everything that had happened.

14 Helaman sent guards to arrest the Gadianton Robbers to put them on trial for murder and treason.

15 Gadianton found Kishkumen's body, and realized that they had been caught.

16 He took the Gadianton Robbers and fled into the wilderness.

17 Helaman the Younger ordered soldiers to look for them, but they weren't able to be found.

18 However, this wasn't the last time that Gadianton would be heard from.

19 This ended the 42nd year of the reign of the judges.

--------------------Chapter 3--------------------

Traditionally composing of Helaman 3

Many people move to The Lands of Desolation and form The Confederation of Desolation, the Republic of Zarahemla does well, the Almakites do very well because they care for one another. Their riches bring pride, which brought persecutions of the poor. Helaman the Younger dies and his son Nephi becomes the Chief Judge.

1 In the 43rd year of the reign of the judges there was peace, with the exception of a little pride among the Almakites, but that pride was fixed by the end of the next year.

2 The 44th and 45th years were also marked by peace.

3 The 46th year was full of fights and dissensions.

4 Many people also migrated to The Lands of Desolation to claim a stake of land, and they called their new government The Confederation of Desolation.

5 The migrants, who now called themselves Desolites, spread out to everywhere that wasn't desolate and deforested because of the people who had inherited the land before them but destroyed themselves.

7 Since there was so much desolate wasteland above the narrow neck of land, this land was called The Lands of Desolation.

8 Since there were so few trees to build with, the Desolite houses, cities, and rameumptoms were made with cement.

9 Whenever a tree started to grow, you were forbidden from cutting it down.

11 They often imported wood from the Confederacy of Bountiful or the Republic of Zarahemla, and this enabled them to build even more cities.

10 The Desolites spread out throughout the land, traveling generally northward.

11 They had such large families so quickly that The Confederation of Desolation began to fill up.

12 Many Ammonites chose to migrate to this land as well.

13 Many people in The Confederation of Desolation kept journals and records of their lives.

14 Not even 1/100 of what they wrote can be written here.

15 As the Desolites traveled from the Republic of Zarahemla they brought with them libraries worth of books.

16 These books were the records of their families and everything they had learned.

17 All of this happened in the 46th, 47th, and 48th years of the reign of the judges.

18 During this time Helaman the Younger served in his office as Chief Judge with justice and equity.

19 He kept the established moral laws and abolished immoral ones.

20 He lived a very moral life, just like his father.

21 The Nephites prospered in the land because of their morality.

22 Helaman the Younger had 2 sons he named Nephi and Lehi, and were taught to live a moral life.

23 At the end of the 48th year, Nephites stopped mass migrating to The Confederation of Desolation.

24 The 49th year was one that was marked by peace throughout the Republic of Zarahemla, except for one small annoyance.

25 The Gadianton Robbers had become a secret organization that had settled throughout the land.

26 No one in the government knew they existed, let alone who ran the organization.

27 The Almakites in particular saw great success during this time because of how they treated and helped one another.

28 Over 10,000 decided to join with the Almakite people and commit to living moral lives.

29 The teachers of the Almakites were surprised by how well the people cared for each other.

30 The Almakites gave mercy to everyone who gave mercy.

31 The advantages of this moral lifestyle were available to anyone who wanted it.

32 The 49th and 50th years of the reign of the judges was marked by an extraordinary amount of love and peace.

33 The 51st year was also very peaceful, but many Almakites began to become prideful and look down upon others because of their success in life.

34 Because of this immorality, it caused the humble and poor to be persecuted and endure hardships that weren't necessary.

35 Those who were persecuted were able to recognize this immorality for what it was, and remained unwavered in wanting to live a moral life.

36 The 52nd year brought even more pride among the Almakites because of how rich they had become.

37 In the 53rd year of the reign of the judges, Helaman the Younger died, and his eldest son Nephi was voted in by the Republic of Zarahemla to become the next Chief Judge.

38 Nephi served in his office as Chief Judge with justice and equity.

--------------------Chapter 4--------------------

Traditionally composing of Helaman 4

Immoral Almakites start a rebellion and are exiled where they go to the Lamanites to help start a war against the Nephites. All of the Republic of Zarahemla is occupied by the Lamanites because the Nephites were unprepared. Moronihah recaptures 1/2 of the land. Nephites realize they put themselves in this situation.

1 In the 54th year of the reign of the judges there were many fights and dissensions among the Almakites.

2 The immoral Almakites started a rebellion, but were defeated and exiled, and they decided to go to the Lamanite Kingdom to speak with the king.

3 They wanted the Lamanites to go to war against the Nephites, but the Lamanites were afraid to do so and wouldn't listen to the dissenters.

4 In the 56th year of the reign of the judges, the dissenters were able to get a large enough following to go to battle without the king's consent.

5 In the 57th year the dissenter army went to battle against the Nephites, and caught them so off guard that by the 58th year of the reign of the judges they had captured all the lands east of the River Sidon.

6 The Nephite armies lead by Moronihah were driven into the Land of Bountiful and were able to fortify themselves against the Lamanites there.

7 They prevented the dissenters and Lamanites from gaining the Confederacy of Bountiful as well.

8 By the 59th year of the reign of judges, the dissenters and the Lamanites were able to take complete control of the Republic of Zarahemla.

9 In the 60th year, Moronihah was able to recapture roughly a quarter of what had fallen to the Lamanites.

10 All this death would not have happened if it hadn't been for the pride of the dissenting Almakites because of their riches, oppressing the poor, starving the hungry, keeping the unclothed naked, beating innocent people, murdering, plundering, lying, stealing, cheating on their spouses, and in general forsaking morality.

11 They refused to love and care for one another, which lead to the war quickly becoming in the Nephites' favor.

12 They didn't prosper, lost many battles, were exiled to the Lamanites, and had lost nearly everything that had once had.

13 Moronihah, Nephi, and Lehi taught many lessons of morality that addressed the immorality of the dissenting Almakites.

14 They implored their people to give up immorality, or there would be more fights wars like they were experiencing.

15 The people saw the consequences of living immorally, and so they gave it up.

16 By the end of the 61st year of the reign of the judges, Moronihah had recaptured half of what was taken by the Lamanites.

17 The Lamanites were so numerous that Moronihah could not regain any more land in the 62nd year of the reign of the judges.

18 Moronihah ordered his armies to retain the land that they had recaptured.

19 The Nephites were scared that the large Lamanite armies would be able to overpower and defeat them.

20 Those that sought to live moral lives began to remember the teachings of their ancestors such as Alma the Elder and Younger, King Mosiah the 1st and 2nd, and King Benjamin.

21 They realized that by not addressing the Almakite immorality it lead to this war.

22 They realized that by not stopping immoral laws that had been enacted over the years many fled to The Confederation of Desolation to find liberty.

23 The Immoral hated the Almakites so much that the Almakites were afraid to reveal their identity.

24 They knew because they didn't look after one another like they truly should have, they would have to face their consequences.

25 Their consequences was Lamanite occupation and facing large armies to reclaim their land.

--------------------Chapter 5--------------------

Traditionally composing of Helaman 5

Nephi resigned as chief judge and the immoral Nephites elect Cezoram. Nephi and Lehi remember the words of their father and both go teach morality. They eventually travel to the Lamanite kingdom and are thrown in prison without food until they are at the brink of death. They are about to be executed when they start teaching morality, and the Lamanites are astonished by it. An earthquake happens, and the Lamanites save all the prisoners from the collapsing prison. They and the entire land they are resolve to live a moral life and take the Ammonite Oath.

1 In that same year, Nephi resigned from the office of Chief Judge.

2 There were more immoral Nephites at this time than there were moral Nephites, and they voted in A man named Cezoram to be the Chief Judge of the Republic of Zarahemla.

3 The immoral used the immoral laws to their advantage, while ignoring the moral laws.

4 The immoral Nephites were quickly going to reap they they had sown.

5 Nephi gave up his office because he believed he would be a greater help teaching morality among his people.

6 He and his brother Lehi taught morality the rest of their lives, while remembering a lesson that their father had given them, which said:

	7 "My sons, I want you to live moral lives and help others do so as well.

	8 I have given you the names of our ancestors who brought us out of The Great City so that you will remember what they did for us.

	9 They left behind the immoral city because they wanted to live moral lives.

	10 Let all of your actions be moral ones.

	11 Do not boast about your accomplishments in life, but be happy that you helped others.

	12 Helping others can be an act that forever changes the future.

	13 Remember the words of King Benjamin.

	14 He taught that it is by helping one another that we prosper.

	15 Remember the words that Amulek spoke to Zeezrom in the City of Ammonihah.

	16 It is only by living a moral life that we do not destroy ourselves.

	17 My sons, build the foundation of your lives upon the rock of morality, that that when the whirlwind of immorality comes it will have no power over you."

18 Nephi and Lehi remembered the words of their father and went to teach morality to the Nephites.

19 They began their journey together in the City of Bountiful, and then traveled to the cities of Gid and then Mulek.

20 They had taught in all the lands in the south of the Republic of Zarahemla when they reached the Land of Zarahemla, which was still occupied by the Lamanites.

21 They taught morality with great conviction, and made many of the Almakite dissenters see the error of their ways.

22 These dissenters resolved to give up their immorality and live moral lives instead.

23 8,000 Lamanites also realized the immorality they had been raised with for generations and decided to give it up and live moral lives instead.

24 After this, Nephi and Lehi traveled to the Lamanite Kingdom.

25 They were captured by a Lamanite army and thrown into the same prison that Ammon had once been held in by King Limhi.

26 They were in prison for so long without food that they began to starve.

27 When they were on the brink of death, the Lamanites took them out of prison to kill them.

28 Nephi and Lehi taught such a simple morality, that the Lamanites dared not kill them and felt bad because of how they had mistreated the brothers.

29 Nephi and Lehi were relieved that the Lamanites were willing to hear their lessons of morality.

30 They said to the Lamanites:

	31 "Don't feel bad regarding out treatment, because it has lead to you opening up to morality."

32 Suddenly, the earth began to shake.

33 The prison they were in was unstable and began to collapse.

34 The guards were paralyzed with fear, and could not run out of the building.

35 When the earth stopped shaking, all was quiet until a man named Aminadab, an Almakite dissenter, said how the earthquake made him reevaluate his life choices, and he now desired to live a moral life.

36 Aminadab begged the Lamanite guards to do the same and release him as well as Nephi and Lehi before the prison collapsed.

37 The Lamanites had also had a change of heart because of their brush with death, and got all of the prisoners out of the prison just before the building collapsed.

38 Nephi and Lehi thanked them for doing the right thing, and continued to teach morality to the Lamanites who were eager to hear the lessons.

39 These Lamanites decided to take the Ammonite Oath and give up their weapons of war as well as their immorality that was taught to them by their ancestors.

40 They also allowed the Nephites to live in their land in peace.

--------------------Chapter 6--------------------

Traditionally composing of Helaman 6

Nephites and Lamanites live in a short era of unprecedented peace and prosperity. This peace is ended after the Nephites are filled pride because of their riches. They embrace the immoral Gadianton Robbers as their leaders, while the Lamanites kill the Gadianton Robbers.

1 By the end of the 62nd year of the reign of the judges, most of the Lamanites had become a moral people.

2 Many were more moral than the Nephites.

3 Many of the Nephites had become an unashamedly immoral people and rejected all of the moral teachings of their ancestors.

4 However, the Almakites were happy because of the moral lifestyle the Lamanites chose to live.

5 Almakite communities were established within the Lamanite Kingdom because of the friendship that the Almakites and the Lamanites were able to build.

6 The Almakites and the Lamanites became close friends.

7 Many Lamanites chose to go teach morality to the people in the Republic of Zarahemla, and encourage them to give up their new immoral lifestyles.

8 There were many great teachers during this time that gave fantastic speeches that humbled the people that they were given to.

9 Many, including Nephi and Lehi, also traveled to the Confederacy of Bountiful and the Confederation of Desolation to teach morality.

10 This ended the 63rd year.

11 In the 64th year, the lessons of morality were well received and there was peace in all the lands.

12 Lamanites were allowed to freely travel to Nephite lands.

13 Nephites were allowed to freely travel to Lamanite lands.

14 There were no tariffs and trade was free.

15 Because the Nephites and Lamanites worked together, they both became very rich.

16 They became skilled craftsmen with metal, wood, and cloth.

17 Their farmers saw an overabundance in both their crops and their flocks.

18 The 65th year of the reign of the judges was also filled with this peace.

19 Cezoram, the Chief Judge of the Republic of Zarahemla, was murdered in the 66th year of the reign of the judges.

20 Cezoram's son was voted in by the will of the people to be their next Chief Judge, but he was murdered as well.

21 At the beginning of the 67th year of the reign of the judges, the Lamanites and the Nephites began to revert back to their immorality.

22 They began to care more about their riches more than each other.

23 They began to devise ways to cheat each other so they could gain more riches, including robbery, rape, and murder.

24 Some of these people were the Gadianton Robbers.

25 Some were among the Nephites, but they were now chiefly among the Lamanites.

26 It was this group of people that had murdered Chief Judge Cezoram and his son.

27 The Lamanites were startled to find that the Gadianton Robbers were among them, and tried their best to catch them.

28 The Nephites, on the other hand, chose to embrace the Gadianton Robbers that were among them.

29 The Nephites took oaths to protect their fellow robbers at any time or place, as well as to not murder or steal from another robber.

30 The Gadianton Robbers worked in secrecy and darkness to plot and execute their robberies, rapes, and murders.

30 Only other initiated Gadianton Robbers were able to tell who was a Gadianton Robber, because they had secret handshakes and passwords that were given to each Gadianton Robber during initiation.

31 If a Gadianton Robber were to reveal the handshakes and passwords to the uninitiated, they would be tried by the Gadianton Robbers, not the government, and the sentence would be death.

32 These practices were established by Gadianton and Kishkumen, who were expert assassins.

33 These were so secret that they were never written down and the moral teachers knew nothing about them.

34 By the 67th year of the reign of the judges the majority of the Nephites were initiated Gadianton Robbers.

35 In the 68th year of the reign of the judges even more Nephites were initiated into the order of the Gadianton Robbers.

36 The Nephites had given up morality while the Lamanites had poured their hearts into living moral lives.

37 The Nephites supported and honored immoral mean as their leaders, and began to suffer because of their immoral behavior.

38 The Lamanites hunted the Gadianton Robbers that were in their kingdom and put them to death.

39 This ended the 68th year of the reign of the judges.