Helaman 11
1 And now it came to pass in the seventy and second year of the reign of the
judges that the contentions did increase, insomuch that there were wars
throughout all the land among all the people of Nephi.
2 And it was this secret band of robbers who did carry on this work of
destruction and wickedness. And this war did last all that year; and in the
seventy and third year it did also last.
3 And it came to pass that in this year Nephi did cry unto the Lord, saying:
4 O Lord, do not suffer that this people shall be destroyed by the sword; but
O Lord, rather let there be a famine in the land, to stir them up in
remembrance of the Lord their God, and perhaps they will repent and turn
unto thee.
5 And so it was done, according to the words of Nephi. And there was a
great famine upon the land, among all the people of Nephi. And thus in the
seventy and fourth year the famine did continue, and the work of destruction
did cease by the sword but became sore by famine.
6 And this work of destruction did also continue in the seventy and fifth
year. For the earth was smitten that it was dry, and did not yield forth grain
in the season of grain; and the whole earth was smitten, even among the
Lamanites as well as among the Nephites, so that they were smitten that they
did perish by thousands in the more wicked parts of the land.
7 And it came to pass that the people saw that they were about to perish by
famine, and they began to remember the Lord their God; and they began to
remember the words of Nephi.
8 And the people began to plead with their chief judges and their leaders,
that they would say unto Nephi: Behold, we know that thou art a man of
God, and therefore cry unto the Lord our God that he turn away from us this
famine, lest all the words which thou hast spoken concerning our destruction
be fulfilled.
9 And it came to pass that the judges did say unto Nephi, according to the
words which had been desired. And it came to pass that when Nephi saw
that the people had repented and did humble themselves in sackcloth, he
cried again unto the Lord, saying:
10 O Lord, behold this people repenteth; and they have swept away the band
of Gadianton from amongst them insomuch that they have become extinct,
and they have concealed their secret plans in the earth.
11 Now, O Lord, because of this their humility wilt thou turn away thine
anger, and let thine anger be appeased in the destruction of those wicked
men whom thou hast already destroyed.
12 O Lord, wilt thou turn away thine anger, yea, thy fierce anger, and cause
that this famine may cease in this land.
13 O Lord, wilt thou hearken unto me, and cause that it may be done
according to my words, and send forth rain upon the face of the earth, that
she may bring forth her fruit, and her grain in the season of grain.
14 O Lord, thou didst hearken unto my words when I said, Let there be a
famine, that the pestilence of the sword might cease; and I know that thou
wilt, even at this time, hearken unto my words, for thou saidst that: If this
people repent I will spare them.
15 Yea, O Lord, and thou seest that they have repented, because of the
famine and the pestilence and destruction which has come unto them.
16 And now, O Lord, wilt thou turn away thine anger, and try again if they
will serve thee? And if so, O Lord, thou canst bless them according to thy
words which thou hast said.
17 And it came to pass that in the seventy and sixth year the Lord did turn
away his anger from the people, and caused that rain should fall upon the
earth, insomuch that it did bring forth her fruit in the season of her fruit. And
it came to pass that it did bring forth her grain in the season of her grain.
18 And behold, the people did rejoice and glorify God, and the whole face
of the land was filled with rejoicing; and they did no more seek to destroy
Nephi, but they did esteem him as a great prophet, and a man of God, having
great power and authority given unto him from God.
19 And behold, Lehi, his brother, was not a whit behind him as to things
pertaining to righteousness.
20 And thus it did come to pass that the people of Nephi began to prosper
again in the land, and began to build up their waste places, and began to
multiply and spread, even until they did cover the whole face of the land,
both on the northward and on the southward, from the sea west to the sea
east.
21 And it came to pass that the seventy and sixth year did end in peace.
And the seventy and seventh year began in peace; and the church did spread
throughout the face of all the land; and the more part of the people, both the
Nephites and the Lamanites, did belong to the church; and they did have
exceedingly great peace in the land; and thus ended the seventy and seventh
year.
22 And also they had peace in the seventy and eighth year, save it were a
few contentions concerning the points of doctrine which had been laid down
by the prophets.
23 And in the seventy and ninth year there began to be much strife. But it
came to pass that Nephi and Lehi, and many of their brethren who knew
concerning the true points of doctrine, having many revelations daily,
therefore they did preach unto the people, insomuch that they did put an end
to their strife in that same year.
24 And it came to pass that in the eightieth year of the reign of the judges
over the people of Nephi, there were a certain number of the dissenters from
the people of Nephi, who had some years before gone over unto the
Lamanites, and taken upon themselves the name of Lamanites, and also a
certain number who were real descendants of the Lamanites, being stirred up
to anger by them, or by those dissenters, therefore they commenced a war
with their brethren.
25 And they did commit murder and plunder; and then they would retreat
back into the mountains, and into the wilderness and secret places, hiding
themselves that they could not be discovered, receiving daily an addition to
their numbers, inasmuch as there were dissenters that went forth unto them.
26 And thus in time, yea, even in the space of not many years, they became
an exceedingly great band of robbers; and they did search out all the secret
plans of Gadianton; and thus they became robbers of Gadianton.
27 Now behold, these robbers did make great havoc, yea, even great
destruction among the people of Nephi, and also among the people of the
Lamanites.
28 And it came to pass that it was expedient that there should be a stop put
to this work of destruction; therefore they sent an army of strong men into
the wilderness and upon the mountains to search out this band of robbers,
and to destroy them.
29 But behold, it came to pass that in that same year they were driven back
even into their own lands. And thus ended the eightieth year of the reign of
the judges over the people of Nephi.
30 And it came to pass in the commencement of the eighty and first year
they did go forth again against this band of robbers, and did destroy many;
and they were also visited with much destruction.
31 And they were again obliged to return out of the wilderness and out of
the mountains unto their own lands, because of the exceeding greatness of
the numbers of those robbers who infested the mountains and the wilderness.
32 And it came to pass that thus ended this year. And the robbers did still
increase and wax strong, insomuch that they did defy the whole armies of the
Nephites, and also of the Lamanites; and they did cause great fear to come
unto the people upon all the face of the land.
33 Yea, for they did visit many parts of the land, and did do great
destruction unto them; yea, did kill many, and did carry away others captive
into the wilderness, yea, and more especially their women and their children.
34 Now this great evil, which came unto the people because of their iniquity,
did stir them up again in remembrance of the Lord their God.
35 And thus ended the eighty and first year of the reign of the judges.
36 And in the eighty and second year they began again to forget the Lord
their God. And in the eighty and third year they began to wax strong in
iniquity. And in the eighty and fourth year they did not mend their ways.
37 And it came to pass in the eighty and fifth year they did wax stronger and
stronger in their pride, and in their wickedness; and thus they were ripening
again for destruction.
38 And thus ended the eighty and fifth year.
