The Book Of Helaman (Chap. 11)

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.

Helaman 11:2
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.

Helaman 11:3
And it came to pass that in this year Nephi did cry unto the
Lord, saying:

Helaman 11:4
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.

Helaman 11:5
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.

Helaman 11:6
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.

Helaman 11:7
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.

Helaman 11:8
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.

Helaman 11:9
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:

Helaman 11:10
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.

Helaman 11:11
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.

Helaman 11:12
O Lord, wilt thou turn away thine anger, yea, thy fierce
anger, and cause that this famine may cease in this land.

Helaman 11:13
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.

Helaman 11:14
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.

Helaman 11:15
Yea, O Lord, and thou seest that they have repented, because
of the famine and the pestilence and destruction which has come
unto them.

Helaman 11:16
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.

Helaman 11:17
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.

Helaman 11:18
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.

Helaman 11:19
And behold, Lehi, his brother, was not a whit behind him as
to things pertaining to righteousness.

Helaman 11:20
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.

Helaman 11:21
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.

Helaman 11:22
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.

Helaman 11:23
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.

Helaman 11:24
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.

Helaman 11:25
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.

Helaman 11:26
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.

Helaman 11:27
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.

Helaman 11:28
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.

Helaman 11:29
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.

Helaman 11:30
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.

Helaman 11:31
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.

Helaman 11:32
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.

Helaman 11:33
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.

Helaman 11:34
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.

Helaman 11:35
And thus ended the eighty and first year of the reign of the
judges.

Helaman 11:36
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.

Helaman 11:37
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.

Helaman 11:38
And thus ended the eighty and fifth year.