Helaman 9

Hel. 9:1

1 Behold, now it came to pass that when Nephi had spoken these words, certain men who were among them ran to the judgment-seat; yea, even there were five who went, and they said among themselves, as they went:

Hel. 9:2

2 Behold, now we will know of a surety whether this man be a prophet and God hath commanded him to prophesy such marvelous things unto us. Behold, we do not believe that he hath; yea, we do not believe that he is a prophet; nevertheless, if this thing which he has said concerning the chief judge be true, that he be dead, then will we believe that the other words which he has spoken are true.

Literary: What might Mormon have known of the five who went? He surely would have known that five went. That much would easily have made it into the record. What of this conversation? If it is true that “they said among themselves, as they went,” then Mormon should not have an accurate record of this conversation. There was no recorder playing as the men went, and even were they to have reconstructed this bit of conversation later, it is doubtful that it is more than a reconstruction.

It is just as likely that this is Mormon’s editorial insertion about what their conversation would have been. The import would have been available, and ancient writers had no problem in inventing dialogue to further their text. What we appear to have in this case is Mormon writing in such a way as to make his story more human by attributing dialogue. The literary effect of the dialogue is to bring us in to the action, and that is fully within Mormon’s editorial desire. Mormon wants us to be interested in this story, and he tells it for its dramatic qualities.

As history, we may assume that the overall facts are accurate, while allowing Mormon’s literary license in making the account more interested by invention some dialogue.

Cultural: Although there is no way to confirm it, it is possible that there was a cultural reason behind having five men sent. Why not six, why not two? In Mesoamerican culture there were five directions, one for each of the cardinal directions, and another for the center. Thus the sending of five could indicate a “complete” witness, or symbolically the “whole world” would be a witness if a symbolic five were sent.

Hel. 9:3

3 And it came to pass that they ran in their might, and came in unto the judgment-seat; and behold, the chief judge had fallen to the earth, and did lie in his blood.

Hel. 9:4

4 And now behold, when they saw this they were astonished exceedingly, insomuch that they fell to the earth; for they had not believed the words which Nephi had spoken concerning the chief judge.

We have seen the theme of falling to the earth as a response to a spiritual experience. How might this have been a spiritual experience? It was the confirmation of Nephi as a prophet. The “event” that causes the men to fall to the earth is not the astonishment at the death of the chief judge, but rather the fulfillment of this specific prophecy. They are astonished at Nephi and the Spirit, through the terrible event before them.

Hel. 9:5

5 But now, when they saw they believed, and fear came upon them lest all the judgments which Nephi had spoken should come upon the people; therefore they did quake, and had fallen to the earth.

Here is Mormon’s confirmation that we need to see the “falling to the earth” move as representative of a spiritual experience, not one specifically related to the chief judge. The imagery of falling to the earth is a culturally accepted response to the spirit, and becomes evidence of the spirit in the action. There are many gestures that we use that convey a spiritual meaning. We may indicate that someone “folded their arms and bowed their head.” Knowing only that gesture, we immediately know that the person is praying. The gesture itself does not require prayer. We may fold our arms for many reasons. We may decline our head – and perhaps even bow it under weight. Nevertheless, this particular combination signifies prayer. This is how we should read Mormon’s description of the falling down gesture. It is to be understood that it is related to being overcome by the Spirit.

As Mormon tells this story, he expands on his underlying message at the same time. Of course the five are amazed that Nephi was right. It is important to the continuation of Mormon’s theme, however, that they also recognize that having been right in this thing, Nephi would also be right in his other prophetic statements. In the end, it is the other prophetic statements that Mormon is truly concerned with, so he takes this opportunity to highlight their veracity at this time.

Hel. 9:6

6 Now, immediately when the judge had been murdered—he being stabbed by his brother by a garb of secrecy, and he fled, and the servants ran and told the people, raising the cry of murder among them;

Narrative: Mormon certainly had a source for this story. We cannot tell how accurately Mormon is reproducing his source, because Mormon is crafting these events. In the official history, the interplay of Nephi’s prophecy and the murder of the chief judge may not have been as prominent as Mormon makes it here. The sequencing of events may have been different.

At this point, Mormon is dealing with the story, not Nephi’s role in the story. The actual events of the death of the chief judge would have been reconstructed after the apprehension of the murderer, but certainly a record of them would have been retained. Mormon is citing that record, of course knowing the culprit from the beginning. In the story we have the murder, and then the servants running to tell the people. This suggests that the murder occurred when the chief judge was not accompanied by a large throng of people, as the servants exit the location to tell others to come to witness.

This murder must be happening at the same time as Nephi is speaking to the assembled crowd, and so Mormon has the problem of trying to narrate sequentially what happened simultaneously. His choice is to emphasize Nephi’s prophetic role, and then to make this slight back-up in time to re-coordinate the essential events. That Mormon concentrates on Nephi and coordinates the murder to Nephi’s timetable further exemplifies Mormon’s editorial intent. It is Nephi and his prophecies that are important. This event is told because it substantiates Nephi as a prophet, not because Mormon is interested in the intricacies of the Gadianton government.

Mormon does tell us, in his own way, that this is a Gadianton murder. He notes that this is done under “a garb of secrecy.” This is Mormon’s literary clue to his readers that this murder should be seen in the context of the Gadianton murders for political power.

Hel. 9:7

7 And behold the people did gather themselves together unto the place of the judgment-seat—and behold, to their astonishment they saw those five men who had fallen to the earth.

Hel. 9:8

8 And now behold, the people knew nothing concerning the multitude who had gathered together at the garden of Nephi; therefore they said among themselves: These men are they who have murdered the judge, and God has smitten them that they could not flee from us.

Hel. 9:9

9 And it came to pass that they laid hold on them, and bound them and cast them into prison. And there was a proclamation sent abroad that the judge was slain, and that the murderers had been taken and were cast into prison.

Here we have reasonable history. The crowd returns and finds the five in the presence of the murder. This implicates them by their location, even if it doesn’t completely match what the servants would have said. For the ancient world that did not understand the science of detective work, the presence of the five in a compromising position was sufficient to seize them and throw them in jail.

Cultural: We get a glimpse into the ancient mind when Mormon tells us that the response of the people to the five who are overcome with the spirit is to conclude: “God has smitten them that they could not flee from us.” While the conclusion was directly opposite of the facts, even though God was the cause of their falling to earth, this very statement tells us that this is a people who expect that God will be an immediate judge in the affairs of men. As we will see shortly, this is a people whose conception of the world accepted the interference of God, or more precisely, gods, in their lives. These same people will claim Nephi as a god – one who can interfere in the affairs of man.

Hel. 9:10

10 And it came to pass that on the morrow the people did assemble themselves together to mourn and to fast, at the burial of the great chief judge who had been slain.

Cultural: The burial of the chief judge is accompanied by mourning and fasting. This may be a retention of tradition from the Old World, though it is not that unusual to associate abstinence from food with a time of mourning. In the Old Testament we find:

Esther 4:3

3 And in every province, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

Even though Ester would not have been with the brass plates, the cultural practices referred to in Ester would have been present earlier. They are certainly a part of the Nephite tradition for burial:

Alma 30:2

2 Now their dead were not numbered because of the greatness of their numbers; neither were the dead of the Nephites numbered—but it came to pass after they had buried their dead, and also after the days of fasting, and mourning, and prayer, (and it was in the sixteenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi) there began to be continual peace throughout all the land.

Regardless of the ultimate source, there were specific signs of mourning that accompanied death, and one of the accompanying “signs” was fasting.

Hel. 9:11

11 And thus also those judges who were at the garden of Nephi, and heard his words, were also gathered together at the burial.

Hel. 9:12

12 And it came to pass that they inquired among the people, saying: Where are the five who were sent to inquire concerning the chief judge whether he was dead? And they answered and said: Concerning this five whom ye say ye have sent, we know not; but there are five who are the murderers, whom we have cast into prison.

The judges who heard Nephi’s prophecy also knew that five had gone to discover the truth of the prophesy. As the public ceremonies are in process, these judges become curious as to the five who were sent, as they should have some information that would be valuable. What the judges learn is that there are five who are in jail, accused of the murder. The coincidence of the number would be too great, and the judges would immediately know that it would be the five that were sent.

Hel. 9:13

13 And it came to pass that the judges desired that they should be brought; and they were brought, and behold they were the five who were sent; and behold the judges inquired of them to know concerning the matter, and they told them all that they had done, saying:

It is important to note that it is the judges who send for the five. As judges, they would have the right to bring the accused for judgment and questioning.

Hel. 9:14

14 We ran and came to the place of the judgment-seat, and when we saw all things even as Nephi had testified, we were astonished insomuch that we fell to the earth; and when we were recovered from our astonishment, behold they cast us into prison.

Hel. 9:15

15 Now, as for the murder of this man, we know not who has done it; and only this much we know, we ran and came according as ye desired, and behold he was dead, according to the words of Nephi.

The five finally get to tell their story. Important to Mormon’s narrative is that they also get a chance to confirm Nephi as a prophet in the process of exonerating themselves.

Hel. 9:16

16 And now it came to pass that the judges did expound the matter unto the people, and did cry out against Nephi, saying: Behold, we know that this Nephi must have agreed with some one to slay the judge, and then he might declare it unto us, that he might convert us unto his faith, that he might raise himself to be a great man, chosen of God, and a prophet.

Hel. 9:17

17 And now behold, we will detect this man, and he shall confess his fault and make known unto us the true murderer of this judge.

The Gadianton judges have a vested interest in discrediting Nephi as a prophet. Nephi has prophesied against them directly, and if Nephi is honored as a prophet, then the people might remove them from power on Nephi’s word alone, becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. They certainly don’t want to take that chance, and so rather than see Nephi’s prediction as prophecy, they declare it to be complicity. Nephi knew, not because he was a prophet, but because he was involved in the nefarious deed.

Hel. 9:18

18 And it came to pass that the five were liberated on the day of the burial. Nevertheless, they did rebuke the judges in the words which they had spoken against Nephi, and did contend with them one by one, insomuch that they did confound them.

In spite of the judges’ accusations, the five now stand as witnesses for Nephi as a prophet. Mormon has them contending with the judges, “insomuch that they did confound them.” We do not know what this meant in the context of the time. The five may have had great arguments that the judges could not counter, but the judges retained the power, and exercised it, as seen in the next verse.

Hel. 9:19

19 Nevertheless, they caused that Nephi should be taken and bound and brought before the multitude, and they began to question him in divers ways that they might cross him, that they might accuse him to death—

The judges bind Nephi and bring him for questioning. They have already decided the verdict that they will pronounce, but the must go through the sham of questioning. Mormon understands this, and it may have been obvious from the record of the “trial” although it is amply clear from the circumstances. The judges need Nephi to die as a criminal to remove Nephi’s prophecy from them.

Hel. 9:20

20 Saying unto him: Thou art confederate; who is this man that hath done this murder? Now tell us, and acknowledge thy fault; saying, Behold here is money; and also we will grant unto thee thy life if thou wilt tell us, and acknowledge the agreement which thou hast made with him.

Hel. 9:21

21 But Nephi said unto them: O ye fools, ye uncircumcised of heart, ye blind, and ye stiffnecked people, do ye know how long the Lord your God will suffer you that ye shall go on in this your way of sin?

The judges do have two options. One is to kill Nephi, but the other is to have Nephi discredit himself. If Nephi had accepted the goods offered, he would have violated his religious principles, which were well known. By accepting, Nephi would have negated his position of righteousness, and his prophecy would be null and void in the minds of the people because of his dismissal of his principles. Of course there was no fear that this would happen, and it is quite probable that the judges understood that they would not be able to deal with Nephi so easily.

Hel. 9:22

22 O ye ought to begin to howl and mourn, because of the great destruction which at this time doth await you, except ye shall repent.

Nephi uses his opportunity to respond to not only reject the offer, but to continue to point the finger of destructive prophecy at the Gadianton judges. The judges’ ploy has just backfired by giving Nephi a chance to further proclaim the message that the judges are leading the people to destruction.

Hel. 9:23

23 Behold ye say that I have agreed with a man that he should murder Seezoram, our chief judge. But behold, I say unto you, that this is because I have testified unto you that ye might know concerning this thing; yea, even for a witness unto you, that I did know of the wickedness and abominations which are among you.

Nephi’s defense is to tell them the reason he prophesied. He wanted to let them know that he was a prophet, and therefore they should believe his word. Of course they cannot, because Nephi’s word threatens them directly.

Hel. 9:24

24 And because I have done this, ye say that I have agreed with a man that he should do this thing; yea, because I showed unto you this sign ye are angry with me, and seek to destroy my life.

Hel. 9:25

25 And now behold, I will show unto you another sign, and see if ye will in this thing seek to destroy me.

Nephi turns the tables on the judges again. He not only proclaims himself a prophet in his last utterance, but he declares that he will do it again. He dares the judges to use this new revelation against him as they have this one.

Hel. 9:26

26 Behold I say unto you: Go to the house of Seantum, who is the brother of Seezoram, and say unto him—

Hel. 9:27

27 Has Nephi, the pretended prophet, who doth prophesy so much evil concerning this people, agreed with thee, in the which ye have murdered Seezoram, who is your brother?

Hel. 9:28

28 And behold, he shall say unto you, Nay.

Nephi’s new prophecy is to deliver the murderer. Seezoram was murdered by his brother, and Nephi tells the people to go to that man, and declare that Nephi has indicated that he is the murderer. Nephi correctly predicts that the brother will deny his guilt.

Cultural: Mormon is interested in this story because of prophecy, not because of the intricacies of Gadianton politics. However, we may be more curious, and wonder why the brother would slay his own brother. Politics in Mesoamerica were intimately linked with kinship groups. The succession in rulership frequently went from brother to brother rather than from father to son. When Seezoram’s brother kills him, it is most probable that the murdering brother would be next in line for the chief judge seat, and therefore had a very powerful political and economic incentive to murder. To understand this more fully we must remember that in the Mesoamerican economy, access to wealth was controlled politically, and secondly that the judgeship among the Nephites did not function by election, but rather following kin rules. The role of the “voice of the people” appears to have been able to function as a “vote of confidence/no confidence” to allow the ruler to remain, or to oust him. As we saw earlier, this very Nephi was likely removed from the judgment seat by that “voice of the people.”

Hel. 9:29

29 And ye shall say unto him: Have ye murdered your brother?

Hel. 9:30

30 And he shall stand with fear, and wist not what to say. And behold, he shall deny unto you; and he shall make as if he were astonished; nevertheless, he shall declare unto you that he is innocent.

Nephi’s description is an accurate depiction of a man who is becoming more and more nervous as the accusations come closer to home. He still attempts to declare his innocence, but he is beginning to show visible signs of cracking and confessing.

Hel. 9:31

31 But behold, ye shall examine him, and ye shall find blood upon the skirts of his cloak.

Hel. 9:32

32 And when ye have seen this, ye shall say: From whence cometh this blood? Do we not know that it is the blood of your brother?

Hel. 9:33

33 And then shall he tremble, and shall look pale, even as if death had come upon him.

Hel. 9:34

34 And then shall ye say: Because of this fear and this paleness which has come upon your face, behold, we know that thou art guilty.

Hel. 9:35

35 And then shall greater fear come upon him; and then shall he confess unto you, and deny no more that he has done this murder.

There are two pieces to the final revelation of the guilt of the brother. The first is Nephi’s prediction that blood will be found on the edges of his garment. Perhaps had the brother not already become nervous that someone knew, he might have created a plausible story about it being animal blood. At that time, no one would have been able to tell. However, the brother is not thinking clearly because it is so obvious that someone knows. Eventually he confesses.

This confession is the essential second part of this episode. Without the confession there might be some doubt, but the confession makes the case final. Nephi’s prediction will be accomplished in full, down the confession. It is this confession that will absolutely clear Nephi of any charges, and simultaneously strengthen his position as one who knows the future.

Hel. 9:36

36 And then shall he say unto you, that I, Nephi, know nothing concerning the matter save it were given unto me by the power of God. And then shall ye know that I am an honest man, and that I am sent unto you from God.

For Nephi, the point will not be clearing his name of the charges. The point of this will be in cementing his position as a prophet of God.

Hel. 9:37

37 And it came to pass that they went and did, even according as Nephi had said unto them. And behold, the words which he had said were true; for according to the words he did deny; and also according to the words he did confess.

Hel. 9:38

38 And he was brought to prove that he himself was the very murderer, insomuch that the five were set at liberty, and also was Nephi.

Having given such a detailed setup, Mormon closes this part of the event quickly. The messengers go, and it is all as Nephi predicts. They return, and he is freed. All of this happens much more quickly that the build up. This is because it is the build up to prophecy that is interesting and important to Mormon. Mormon’s intent in writing is to propose Nephi as a prophet, and so he spends his time on that aspect, not the sham trial for which he already knew the conclusion.

Hel. 9:39

39 And there were some of the Nephites who believed on the words of Nephi; and there were some also, who believed because of the testimony of the five, for they had been converted while they were in prison.

Hel. 9:40

40 And now there were some among the people, who said that Nephi was a prophet.

The result of this incident is that some people believe Nephi’s prophecy of the coming desctruction. It is painful to note that not all of the people believe in Nephi. In spite of the rather dramatic and public way in which Nephi discovered the murderer of Seezoram, there were still Nephites who did not believe on the words of Nephi. This is an important point to remember as the events continue to unfold between now and the arrival of the Messiah. Even with all of the best efforts of prophets like Nephi, there were still many who did not believe. The balance between believers and unbelievers would continue to swing.

Hel. 9:41

41 And there were others who said: Behold, he is a god, for except he was a god he could not know of all things. For behold, he has told us the thoughts of our hearts, and also has told us things; and even he has brought unto our knowledge the true murderer of our chief judge.

Mormon gives us three categories of people based on their response to this prophetic incident. There are some who believe. There are some who do not believe. There are some who think Nephi is a god. Does not this last category indicate that they also believe?

The answer is yes and no, and is the reason that Mormon creates this third category. There are people who believe, and understand the gospel. It is these people who are listed as the believers. To them, Nephi is a prophet, and the leader of the true church.

Those who believe Nephi to be a god might believe in Nephi as something unworldly, but they do not understand the gospel. They are those who are indoctrinated into the worldview of the outside world, where there are many gods. The Lamanites of King Lamoni were similarly impressed with Ammon, and similarly thought that Ammon might be a god – specifically the “great spirit.” (see Alma 18:3). Mormon is telling us that the social construction of the Nephite world at this point in time includes some who follow the Lamanite traditions, and are accepting of many gods, even gods among men. They do not, however, accept the gospel.

Textual: There is no chapter break at this point in the 1830 edition.