Alma 63

Alma 63:1

1 And it came to pass in the commencement of the thirty and sixth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, that Shiblon took possession of those sacred things which had been delivered unto Helaman by Alma.

Textual: After the death of Helaman, Shiblon takes possession of the “sacred things.” These are all of the official records. Shiblon is Helaman’s brother, not his son (we first meet Shiblon in Alma 31:6-7). Even though this isn’t a father to son transfer, the plates remain in the hands of the lineage of the religious leader, not in the line of the political leader. This point will become important as we examine the close of the book of Alma and the opening of the book of Helaman.

Alma 63:2

2 And he was a just man, and he did walk uprightly before God; and he did observe to do good continually, to keep the commandments of the Lord his God; and also did his brother.

Mormon has very little to say about Shiblon. We have seen Shiblon as righteous in his father’s blessing (Alma 38:2-3) and Mormon confirms Alma’s hopes that Shiblon might endure to the end (Alma 38: 2) by noting that he “did walk uprightly before God” just as did his brother Helaman.

Alma 63:3

3 And it came to pass that Moroni died also. And thus ended the thirty and sixth year of the reign of the judges.

Moroni dies just a year after Helaman. Either both men were of the same age, or perhaps there was something in the rigors of those long wars that tore at their health and undermined their longevity.

Alma 63:4

4 And it came to pass that in the thirty and seventh year of the reign of the judges, there was a large company of men, even to the amount of five thousand and four hundred men, with their wives and their children, departed out of the land of Zarahemla into the land which was northward.

What we are seeing in these verses is a large-scale migration out of the land of Zarahemla, and a movement to the north. The larger number leave on foot, and some smaller number embark with Hagoth.

From this point on in the Book of Mormon we will see the general trend of the Nephites to move north, away from the bellicose Lamanites to their south who so recently had attempted expansion in that area. The pressure from the south is just beginning and the exodus to the north is similarly beginning at this time.

Alma 63:5

5 And it came to pass that Hagoth, he being an exceedingly curious man, therefore he went forth and built him an exceedingly large ship, on the borders of the land Bountiful, by the land Desolation, and launched it forth into the west sea, by the narrow neck which led into the land northward.

Alma 63:6

6 And behold, there were many of the Nephites who did enter therein and did sail forth with much provisions, and also many women and children; and they took their course northward. And thus ended the thirty and seventh year.

Historical: There is a well-known tradition in the LDS church that connects the voyage of Hagoth with the Polynesian peoples (the most positive, yet complete, treatment of this topic is Robert E. Parsons. “Hagoth and the Polynesians.” Alma, the Testimony of the Word. Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University. 1992, pp. 249-262). The most accurate statement that can be made on this topic is that the church has no official position on the origins of the Polynesian peoples, even though there are have been several General Authorities who have made statements that would indicate a connection with Book of Mormon peoples (Parsons 1992, p. 260).

The cautious historical point of view is presented by Sorenson:

“What about the LDS tradition that Hagoth, the Nephite shipbuilder who failed to return home, was an ancestor of the Polynesians? Years ago I compiled a large body of shared culture traits that indeed suggest historical links between those islands and various parts of the Americas, and this has been supplemented by others. Yet the evidence does not allow our pinning down any single time or place for a migration of trade that would persuasively explain the similarities. It remains impossible to demonstrate any clearcut connection between the two areas, although debate continues. Having been a missionary in Polynesia, I am well aware of the Hagoth theme in LDS tradition, but the evidence available does not support it as historically based fact. Neither can we rule out the possibility of a rare voyage between the mainland and the islands. Most of the evidence cited one way or the other is either weak or unclear. Those who choose to believe that Hagoth reached Polynesia must rely mainly on faith rather than on reliable evidence. The Book of Mormon itself, of course, says only that the man and his mates disappeared from the knowledge of the people in Zarahemla. For all they knew he might have died at a ripe old age on the west Mexican coast without a suitable vessel in which to make the return voyage. And neither do we know.” (John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon [Salt Lake City and Provo: Deseret Book Co., Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1985], 269.)

The historical principles used in this commentary would side with Sorenson’s caution. There is no data that would allow for a causative connection between the Polynesians and a Mesoamerican people at this time period. Just as we cannot suggest that the arrival of the Lehites caused any of the Mesoamerican cultures or society, so too we would be incorrect to pretend that the scientific data on timing and origins of the Polynesian peoples supplied any indication that they were descendants of purely Nephite stock (whatever that meant at just before the time of Christ).

The historical evidence suggests that the Polynesian islands began to be populated by people from the Bismarck Archipelago north of New Guinea. The descendants of these first settlers eventually populated most of the habitable islands between 1200 BC and ad 500 (Jared Diamond. Guns, Germs, and Steel. W.W. Norton & Company, New York, 1999, p. 55). As with Mesoamerica, the genetic population of the islands suggests origins other than Book of Mormon peoples. However, that does not preclude the Lehites arriving in Mesoamerica, and perhaps the arrival of Hagoth in Polynesia. If this did occur, what may be said with some certainty is that Hagoth’s people would not have been alone when they arrived, just as Lehi and his people were not alone when they arrived.

Geographic: Sorenson has suggested the following for the location of Hagoth’s home port:

“The location of his home port is clear enough—exactly at the border between lands southward and northward that is right at the isthmus or narrow neck. On the west-sea or Pacific side of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec are large shallow lagoons that have often invited maritime activity. In the hills just inland on the isthmus grows fine timber, fn which was so desirable that the Spaniards cut it, floated it downriver to the Atlantic side, and shipped it to Cuba for building ships. The lagoons and the timber resources were located in precisely the spot on the Pacific side of the neck that chapter 63 of Alma calls for. (John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon [Salt Lake City and Provo: Deseret Book Co., Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1985], 268.)

Cultural: The ship that Hagoth would not have been the same style as the European vessels that eventually arrived on the East Coast of Mesoamerica. It is very improbable that the design of Nephi’s ship would have been preserved, so the greatest l

ikelihood is that the ship would have been similar to those that were known to have been built in Mesoamerica, that is, a large dugout with raised sides, or perhaps a raft ((John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon [Salt Lake City and Provo: Deseret Book Co., Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1985], 268.)

Alma 63:7

7 And in the thirty and eighth year, this man built other ships. And the first ship did also return, and many more people did enter into it; and they also took much provisions, and set out again to the land northward.

Hagoth did not set sail in his ships, but rather stayed behind as a shipbuilder. His first ship was successful, because it returned. The round trip came after somewhat less than one year. It is doubtful that all of that time, or even most of it, was on the ocean. The voyage would have taken the people to some location, and then they would have spent some time there before sending the ship back. Unfortunately, the data are so vague that we cannot get any idea of distance from the fact of the return.

Alma 63:8

8 And it came to pass that they were never heard of more. And we suppose that they were drowned in the depths of the sea. And it came to pass that one other ship also did sail forth; and whither she did go we know not.

The “we” in this verse appears to refer to Mormon and his time. For Mormon, there was no record of any further return, nor any indication in the subsequent years of what happened. The process of sailing on the ocean was not complete foreign to Mormon, for he knew that one of the possibilities of sea travel was failure. Thus they “suppose[d] that they were drowned in the depths of the sea.” In spite of the fact that no other ship returned, still one more left.

While the loss of the ship at sea is entirely possible, it is more probable that they reached a coastal landfall to the north, and either merged with the people in that area, or were killed by them.

Alma 63:9

9 And it came to pass that in this year there were many people who went forth into the land northward. And thus ended the thirty and eighth year.

In addition to the three ship voyages and the mentioned departure of the group of five thousand, there were “many people” who went into the land northward. It is possible that the long residence of the people in the land of Zarahemla had created an increase of population that pushed the desire for expansion. The death of so many men in war suggests that other factors were also at work, however, as the loss of so many men should have delayed a population-pressure-based expansion.

Alma 63:10

10 And it came to pass in the thirty and ninth year of the reign of the judges, Shiblon died also, and Corianton had gone forth to the land northward in a ship, to carry forth provisions unto the people who had gone forth into that land.

Alma 63:11

11 Therefore it became expedient for Shiblon to confer those sacred things, before his death, upon the son of Helaman, who was called Helaman, being called after the name of his father.

Shiblon survives his brother by only three years. In about 55 BC Shiblon needs to pass on the plates and the responsibility for them. He is unable to pass them to his brother Corianton, for Corianton is one who has gone north. It should be noted, however, that Corianton was apparently deemed worthy of consideration. This suggests that he turned his life around after the incident during the preaching to the Zoramites, about which his father gave him such explicit charge in Alma 39-42.

Without an appropriate same-generation family member to whom the plates may be entrusted, Shiblon turned to the next generation. While it is possible that Shiblon did not have sons to whom the responsibility could be passed, it is also possible that Shiblon was caring for the plates in the stead of his brother. The “rights” to the plates would still pass through Helaman even though they were temporarily in the care of his brother, Shiblon.

Alma 63:12

12 Now behold, all those engravings which were in the possession of Helaman were written and sent forth among the children of men throughout all the land, save it were those parts which had been commanded by Alma should not go forth.

There were both public and private records in the collection of documents that were in Helaman’s possession. The public records were apparently replicated and located at different places in the land. We may suppose that they would be present in every major city that was part of the Zarahemla hegemony.

Alma 63:13

13 Nevertheless, these things were to be kept sacred, and handed down from one generation to another; therefore, in this year, they had been conferred upon Helaman, before the death of Shiblon.

Mormon confirms that the general line of transmission is generational. This further supports the idea that the lateral transmission to Shiblon was a caretaking position for Helaman’s right, which eventually did pass on to Helaman’s son, also named Helaman.

Alma 63:14

14 And it came to pass also in this year that there were some dissenters who had gone forth unto the Lamanites; and they were stirred up again to anger against the Nephites.

While the internal dissent had been quieted with the execution of the rebellious kingmen in Zarahemla (Alma 62:6-10), it had not been eliminated. Just eight years later the dissatisfactions were welling up again, and more Nephites defected to the Lamanites and once again stirred up military action against the Nephites. After a respite of only eight years, war came again to the Nephites.

Alma 63:15

15 And also in this same year they came down with a numerous army to war against the people of Moronihah, or against the army of Moronihah, in the which they were beaten and driven back again to their own lands, suffering great loss.

The phrase “the people of Moronihah” is the same structured phrase that has always designated the people inhabiting a city. There in no city named Moronihah, and this verse quickly corrects the possible erroneous understanding by noting that what is meant is really the army of Moronihah, who is the son of Moroni, and the man to whom the generalship of the army had been passed (Alma 62:43). It is interesting to note, in passing, that even the leadership of the army is a lineally-defined position.

Alma 63:16

16 And thus ended the thirty and ninth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.

Alma 63:17

17 And thus ended the account of Alma, and Helaman his son, and also Shiblon, who was his son.

Textual: This ends the account of Shiblon. It is also the end of the book of Alma, a book covering the times of Alma, Helaman the son of Alma, and Shiblon, Helaman’s brother. While the end of this book indicates the entrusting of the plates to Helaman the son of Helaman, this book is not his record. That record begins in the next section, and the information that allows us to understand the reason that he does not simply continue the book of Alma as his father had done is given in that next book, and will be examined at that time.