Helaman
Encyclopedia
According to the Book of Mormon
, Helaman (icon ) was a Nephite
prophet
and soldier who lived around the 1st century BC. He is perhaps best known in LDS theology for leading into battle an army of two thousand young warriors, which he referred to as his two thousand sons
. Most of the parts of the narrative involving Helaman come from the latter half of the Book of Alma
.
, the Nephite capital land, and Helaman may also have lived in Zarahemla.
The Book of Mormon first mentions Helaman in Alma 31:7, and little is known of his life prior to this brief allusion. In this verse Helaman's father, Alma, and two younger brothers, Shiblon and Corianton, embark on a missionary
journey to the Zoramites
, but Helaman does not accompany them. This journey occurred towards the end of the 17th year of the "reign of the judges", which probably corresponds to about 75 BC
.
. At this time Alma gathered his sons together to give each of them a charge. In his charge to Helaman, Alma recounts his own conversion, exhorts Helaman to righteousness
, and confers stewardship of the sacred record
s and other artifact
s (including the "interpreters", or Urim and Thummim
). to Helaman. These sacred records were passed down from generation to generation throughout the history of the Nephites, with each generation adding the story of their own time. It was these records which Mormon
and Moroni
drew from and abridged when compiling the Book of Mormon
. Helaman accepted the records and continued the record-keeping tradition. The section of the Book of Alma beginning at chapter 45 states that it is, "The account of the people of Nephi, and their wars and dissensions, in the days of Helaman, according to the record of Helaman, which he kept in his days." This section may possibly continue as far as chapter 62, wherein Helaman dies.
Following Alma's words to his sons, he and his sons (including, presumably, Helaman) went among the people for a time, preaching the word of God. Shortly afterward, in the 19th year of the reign of the judges (circa 73 BC
), Alma approached Helaman for an important conversation. In what some consider a good model for child-parent interviews, Alma questioned Helaman, praised him for his beliefs, and blessed him. Alma also dictated to him a prophecy
of the destruction of the Nephites, which Alma commanded him to record but not to make known until it was fulfilled. Not long after his charge to Helaman, Alma departed and was never heard of again.
After this, Helaman and his brethren went among the people declaring the word of God and appointing "priest
s and teachers throughout all the land, over all the churches." Dissension arose, allegedly due to the people's pride
and riches
, and the people thus would not heed the words of Helaman and his brethren.
For the next several years, Helaman worked as a high priest
in the Church, though not necessarily as the high priest over the Church. Helaman's work suffered major set-backs during Amalickiah
's rise, but then prospered in the years following Amalickiah's departure from the Nephites to the Lamanite
s.
), trying to persuade the Anti-Nephi-Lehies, also known as Ammonites
, not to take up arms. Years earlier, upon their conversion to the gospel of Christ, the Anti-Nephi-Lehies had made an oath
to God
that they "never would use weapons again for the shedding of man's blood". The Nephites and the Lamanites were presently embroiled in war
, and the Anti-Nephi-Lehies wished to join the conflict and fight alongside the Nephites. However, to do so would mean breaking the oath which they had made. Helaman "fear
ed lest by so doing they should lose their soul
s". Overpowered by the persuasions of Helaman, the Anti-Nephi-Lehies resigned themselves to being spectators in the conflict.
However, the Anti-Nephi-Lehies had many sons who, unlike their fathers, had never entered into a covenant
not to take up weapons of war. These sons also wished to fight for the Nephites and, furthermore, to have Helaman as their leader. With no oath restricting them, and with the Nephites in desperate circumstances, they were permitted. There is no indication prior to this in the text that Helaman had any military
training whatsoever, and indeed he may not have. Certainly the sons of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies
had no fighting experience. Regardless, through this interesting turn of events Helaman left the Anti-Nephi-Lehies marching at the head of an army
of two thousand soldiers.
, or the sons of Helaman. Theirs is one of the most well-known stories from the Book of Mormon.
In brief, Helaman and his band marched in the 26th year of the reign of the judges (circa 66 BC
) to the western part of the land of the Nephite
s and there joined the existing Nephite forces. There they played a pivotal role in some crucial Nephite victories. As a result of those victories, the Nephites regained possession of all of the western cities which had been taken by the Lamanite
s. Although two of the battles they participated in were very bloody, the army of Helaman did not incur a single fatality. Helaman attributed this to divine preservation.
Helaman wrote an epistle to the captain of the Nephite armies, Moroni
, informing him of their success and expressing confusion that the government did not send more troops and support to the western front. Moroni received the epistle in the 30th year of the reign of the judges (circa 62 BC
). The next year the Nephites successfully drove the Lamanites back into the land southward and thus the war ended at last.
), Helaman first briefly "returned to the place of his inheritance". He then went forth with his brethren, preaching the word of God and establishing the Church. About four years later, in the 35th year of the reign of the judges (circa 57 BC
), Helaman died. At the time of his death, Helaman had not yet formally conferred stewardship of the sacred records and artifacts to his son, Helaman, as would have been traditional. Instead Shiblon "took possession of those sacred things" following Helaman's death.
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
, Helaman (icon ) was a Nephite
Nephite
According to the Book of Mormon, a Nephite is a member of one of the four main groups of settlers of the ancient Americas. The other three groups are the Lamanites, Jaredites and Mulekites. In the Book of Mormon, the Nephites were a group of people descended from or associated with Nephi, the...
prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
and soldier who lived around the 1st century BC. He is perhaps best known in LDS theology for leading into battle an army of two thousand young warriors, which he referred to as his two thousand sons
Two thousand stripling warriors
The two thousand stripling warriors, also known as The Army of Helaman, were an army of young men in the Book of Mormon, first mentioned in the Book of Alma They were extremely valiant and loyal warriors who were all reportedly wounded at one time or another, but none ever died from their...
. Most of the parts of the narrative involving Helaman come from the latter half of the Book of Alma
Book of Alma
The Book of Alma is one of the books that make up the Book of Mormon. The full title is The Book of Alma: The Son of Alma. The title refers to Alma the Younger, a prophet and "chief judge" of the Nephites.-Historical Outline:...
.
Known genealogy
Early life
Helaman was the eldest son of Alma the Younger, another Nephite prophet. The exact time and place of his birth are unknown. The house of his father, Alma, was in ZarahemlaZarahemla
Zarahemla is the name of a prominent land, a capital city, and a leader in the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is revered by members of various Latter Day Saint churches as sacred scripture....
, the Nephite capital land, and Helaman may also have lived in Zarahemla.
The Book of Mormon first mentions Helaman in Alma 31:7, and little is known of his life prior to this brief allusion. In this verse Helaman's father, Alma, and two younger brothers, Shiblon and Corianton, embark on a missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
journey to the Zoramites
Zoramites
In the Book of Mormon, the Zoramites were one of three major Nephite sects, existing during the administration of Alma the Younger as the High Priest over the Church of God...
, but Helaman does not accompany them. This journey occurred towards the end of the 17th year of the "reign of the judges", which probably corresponds to about 75 BC
75 BC
Year 75 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Octavius and Cotta...
.
Later life
After their missionary labors among the Zoramites, Alma, his sons, and the rest of their company returned to ZarahemlaZarahemla
Zarahemla is the name of a prominent land, a capital city, and a leader in the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is revered by members of various Latter Day Saint churches as sacred scripture....
. At this time Alma gathered his sons together to give each of them a charge. In his charge to Helaman, Alma recounts his own conversion, exhorts Helaman to righteousness
Righteousness
Righteousness is an important theological concept in Zoroastrianism, Hinduism , Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
, and confers stewardship of the sacred record
Chronicle
Generally a chronicle is a historical account of facts and events ranged in chronological order, as in a time line. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events, the purpose being the recording of events that occurred, seen from the perspective of the...
s and other artifact
Cultural artifact
A cultural artifact is a term used in the social sciences, particularly anthropology, ethnology, and sociology for anything created by humans which gives information about the culture of its creator and users...
s (including the "interpreters", or Urim and Thummim
Urim and Thummim
In ancient Israelite religion and culture, Urim and Thummim is a phrase from the Hebrew Scriptures or Torah associated with the Hoshen , divination in general, and cleromancy in particular...
). to Helaman. These sacred records were passed down from generation to generation throughout the history of the Nephites, with each generation adding the story of their own time. It was these records which Mormon
Mormon (prophet)
Mormon is believed by followers of Mormonism to have been the narrator of much of the Book of Mormon, a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which describes him as a prophet-historian and a member of a tribe of indigenous Americans known as the Nephites...
and Moroni
Moroni (prophet)
The Angel Moroni is an angel that Joseph Smith, Jr. said visited him on numerous occasions, beginning on September 21, 1823. According to Smith, the angel was the guardian of the golden plates, which Latter Day Saints believe were the source material for the Book of Mormon, buried in a hill near...
drew from and abridged when compiling the Book of Mormon
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
. Helaman accepted the records and continued the record-keeping tradition. The section of the Book of Alma beginning at chapter 45 states that it is, "The account of the people of Nephi, and their wars and dissensions, in the days of Helaman, according to the record of Helaman, which he kept in his days." This section may possibly continue as far as chapter 62, wherein Helaman dies.
Following Alma's words to his sons, he and his sons (including, presumably, Helaman) went among the people for a time, preaching the word of God. Shortly afterward, in the 19th year of the reign of the judges (circa 73 BC
73 BC
Year 73 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Lucullus and Longinus...
), Alma approached Helaman for an important conversation. In what some consider a good model for child-parent interviews, Alma questioned Helaman, praised him for his beliefs, and blessed him. Alma also dictated to him a prophecy
Prophecy
Prophecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a prophet are then communicated to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the...
of the destruction of the Nephites, which Alma commanded him to record but not to make known until it was fulfilled. Not long after his charge to Helaman, Alma departed and was never heard of again.
After this, Helaman and his brethren went among the people declaring the word of God and appointing "priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
s and teachers throughout all the land, over all the churches." Dissension arose, allegedly due to the people's pride
Pride
Pride is an inwardly directed emotion that carries two common meanings. With a negative connotation, pride refers to an inflated sense of one's personal status or accomplishments, often used synonymously with hubris...
and riches
Wealth
Wealth is the abundance of valuable resources or material possessions. The word wealth is derived from the old English wela, which is from an Indo-European word stem...
, and the people thus would not heed the words of Helaman and his brethren.
For the next several years, Helaman worked as a high priest
High priest (Mormonism)
In most denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement, a high priest is a member of the priesthood within the Melchizedek priesthood order. High priests are typically older and more seasoned leaders within the priesthood. The term derives in part from the Epistle to the Hebrews which describes...
in the Church, though not necessarily as the high priest over the Church. Helaman's work suffered major set-backs during Amalickiah
Amalickiah
In the Book of Mormon, Amalickiah was a Nephite leader of a movement to reestablish a king, specifically him as the king of the Nephites. When he failed to gain power through a popular uprising he dissented to the Lamanites becoming their king and using them as a means to gain power over the...
's rise, but then prospered in the years following Amalickiah's departure from the Nephites to the Lamanite
Lamanite
According to the Book of Mormon, a Lamanite is a member of a dark-skinned nation of indigenous Americans that battled with the light-skinned Nephite nation...
s.
Ministering to the Anti-Nephi-Lehies
Helaman next appears in Alma chapter 53, in the 26th year of the reign of the judges (circa 66 BC66 BC
Year 66 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Lepidus and Tullus...
), trying to persuade the Anti-Nephi-Lehies, also known as Ammonites
Ammonites (Book of Mormon)
According to the Book of Mormon, the Ammonites were a group of Lamanites who had been converted to the Christian religion of the Nephites by the missionary efforts of Ammon and his brothers. They rejected the traditions of their fathers and embraced the traditions of the Nephites. To distinguish...
, not to take up arms. Years earlier, upon their conversion to the gospel of Christ, the Anti-Nephi-Lehies had made an oath
Oath
An oath is either a statement of fact or a promise calling upon something or someone that the oath maker considers sacred, usually God, as a witness to the binding nature of the promise or the truth of the statement of fact. To swear is to take an oath, to make a solemn vow...
to God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
that they "never would use weapons again for the shedding of man's blood". The Nephites and the Lamanites were presently embroiled in war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
, and the Anti-Nephi-Lehies wished to join the conflict and fight alongside the Nephites. However, to do so would mean breaking the oath which they had made. Helaman "fear
Fear
Fear is a distressing negative sensation induced by a perceived threat. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger...
ed lest by so doing they should lose their soul
Soul
A soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
s". Overpowered by the persuasions of Helaman, the Anti-Nephi-Lehies resigned themselves to being spectators in the conflict.
However, the Anti-Nephi-Lehies had many sons who, unlike their fathers, had never entered into a covenant
Covenant (historical)
In a historical context, a covenant applies to formal promises that were made under oath, or in less remote history, agreements in which the name actually uses the term 'covenant', implying that they were binding for all time...
not to take up weapons of war. These sons also wished to fight for the Nephites and, furthermore, to have Helaman as their leader. With no oath restricting them, and with the Nephites in desperate circumstances, they were permitted. There is no indication prior to this in the text that Helaman had any military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
training whatsoever, and indeed he may not have. Certainly the sons of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies
Ammonites (Book of Mormon)
According to the Book of Mormon, the Ammonites were a group of Lamanites who had been converted to the Christian religion of the Nephites by the missionary efforts of Ammon and his brothers. They rejected the traditions of their fathers and embraced the traditions of the Nephites. To distinguish...
had no fighting experience. Regardless, through this interesting turn of events Helaman left the Anti-Nephi-Lehies marching at the head of an army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
of two thousand soldiers.
Commander of the Stripling Warriors
Helaman's army of two thousand young men is often referred to as the two thousand stripling warriorsTwo thousand stripling warriors
The two thousand stripling warriors, also known as The Army of Helaman, were an army of young men in the Book of Mormon, first mentioned in the Book of Alma They were extremely valiant and loyal warriors who were all reportedly wounded at one time or another, but none ever died from their...
, or the sons of Helaman. Theirs is one of the most well-known stories from the Book of Mormon.
In brief, Helaman and his band marched in the 26th year of the reign of the judges (circa 66 BC
66 BC
Year 66 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Lepidus and Tullus...
) to the western part of the land of the Nephite
Nephite
According to the Book of Mormon, a Nephite is a member of one of the four main groups of settlers of the ancient Americas. The other three groups are the Lamanites, Jaredites and Mulekites. In the Book of Mormon, the Nephites were a group of people descended from or associated with Nephi, the...
s and there joined the existing Nephite forces. There they played a pivotal role in some crucial Nephite victories. As a result of those victories, the Nephites regained possession of all of the western cities which had been taken by the Lamanite
Lamanite
According to the Book of Mormon, a Lamanite is a member of a dark-skinned nation of indigenous Americans that battled with the light-skinned Nephite nation...
s. Although two of the battles they participated in were very bloody, the army of Helaman did not incur a single fatality. Helaman attributed this to divine preservation.
Helaman wrote an epistle to the captain of the Nephite armies, Moroni
Captain Moroni
According to the Book of Mormon, Captain Moroni was an important Nephite military commander and patriot who lived during the 1st century BC. He is perhaps best known for raising the "Title of Liberty" as a call to arms for his people to defend their country, family and religion...
, informing him of their success and expressing confusion that the government did not send more troops and support to the western front. Moroni received the epistle in the 30th year of the reign of the judges (circa 62 BC
62 BC
Year 62 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Silanus and Murena...
). The next year the Nephites successfully drove the Lamanites back into the land southward and thus the war ended at last.
Last years
After the war ended in the 31st year of the reign of the judges (circa 61 BC61 BC
Year 61 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Calpurnianus and Messalla...
), Helaman first briefly "returned to the place of his inheritance". He then went forth with his brethren, preaching the word of God and establishing the Church. About four years later, in the 35th year of the reign of the judges (circa 57 BC
57 BC
Year 57 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Lentulus and Metellus...
), Helaman died. At the time of his death, Helaman had not yet formally conferred stewardship of the sacred records and artifacts to his son, Helaman, as would have been traditional. Instead Shiblon "took possession of those sacred things" following Helaman's death.
See also
- Book of AlmaBook of AlmaThe Book of Alma is one of the books that make up the Book of Mormon. The full title is The Book of Alma: The Son of Alma. The title refers to Alma the Younger, a prophet and "chief judge" of the Nephites.-Historical Outline:...
- Two thousand stripling warriorsTwo thousand stripling warriorsThe two thousand stripling warriors, also known as The Army of Helaman, were an army of young men in the Book of Mormon, first mentioned in the Book of Alma They were extremely valiant and loyal warriors who were all reportedly wounded at one time or another, but none ever died from their...
External links
- The Book of on WikisourceWikisourceWikisource is an online digital library of free content textual sources on a wiki, operated by the Wikimedia Foundation. Its aims are to host all forms of free text, in many languages, and translations. Originally conceived as an archive to store useful or important historical texts, it has...
- Book of Mormon Index entry on Helaman