pgs. 372 and 373...there are many books and many records of every kind...

THE BOOK OF HELAMAN

CHAPTER 3

Many Nephites migrate to the land northward—They build houses of cement and keep many records—Tens of thousands are converted and baptized—The word of God leads men to salvation—Nephi the son of Helaman fills the judgment seat. Between 49 and 39 B.C.

  1 And now it came to pass in the *forty and third year of the reign of the judges, there was no contention among the people of Nephi save it were a little pride which was in the church, which did cause some little dissensions among the people, which affairs were settled in the ending of the forty and third year.

  2 And there was no contention among the people in the forty and fourth year; neither was there much contention in the forty and fifth year.

  3 And it came to pass in the *forty and sixth, yea, there was much contention and many dissensions; in the which there were an exceedingly great many who departed out of the land of Zarahemla, and went forth unto the land ^anorthward to inherit the land.

  4 And they did travel to an exceedingly great distance, insomuch that they came to ^alarge bodies of water and many rivers.

  5 Yea, and even they did spread forth into all parts of the land, into whatever parts it had not been rendered desolate and without timber, because of the many inhabitants who had before inherited the land.

  6 And now no part of the land was desolate, save it were for timber; but because of the greatness of the ^adestruction of the people who had before inhabited the land it was called ^bdesolate.

  7 And there being but little timber upon the face of the land, nevertheless the people who went forth became exceedingly ^aexpert in the working of cement; therefore they did build houses of cement, in the which they did dwell.

  8 And it came to pass that they did multiply and spread, and did go forth from the land southward to the land northward, and did spread insomuch that they began to cover the face of the whole earth, from the sea south to the sea north, from the sea ^awest to the sea east.

  9 And the people who were in the land northward did dwell in ^atents, and in houses of cement, and they did suffer whatsoever tree should spring up upon the face of the land that it should grow up, that in time they might have timber to build their houses, yea, their cities, and their temples, and their ^bsynagogues, and their sanctuaries, and all manner of their buildings.

  10 And it came to pass as timber was exceedingly scarce in the land northward, they did send forth much by the way of ^ashipping.

  11 And thus they did enable the people in the land northward that they might build many cities, both of wood and of cement.

  12 And it came to pass that there were many of the ^apeople of Ammon, who were Lamanites by birth, did also go forth into this land.

  13 And now there are many ^arecords kept of the proceedings of this people, by many of this people, which are particular and very large, concerning them.

  14 But behold, a ^ahundredth part of the proceedings of this people, yea, the account of the Lamanites and of the Nephites, and their wars, and contentions, and dissensions, and their preaching, and their prophecies, and their shipping and their building of ships, and their building of ^btemples, and of synagogues and their ^csanctuaries, and their righteousness, and their wickedness, and their murders, and their robbings, and their plundering, and all manner of abominations and whoredoms, cannot be contained in this work.

  15 But behold, there are many books and many ^arecords of every kind, and they have been kept chiefly by the Nephites.

  16 And they have been ^ahanded down from one generation to another by the Nephites, even until they have fallen into transgression and have been murdered, plundered, and hunted, and driven forth, and slain, and ^bscattered upon the face of the earth, and mixed with the Lamanites until they are ^cno more called the Nephites, becoming wicked, and wild, and ferocious, yea, even becoming Lamanites.

  17 And now I return again to mine account; therefore, what I have spoken had passed after there had been great contentions, and disturbances, and wars, and dissensions, among the people of Nephi.

  18 The forty and sixth year of the reign of the judges ended;

  19 And it came to pass that there was still great contention in the land, yea, even in the *forty and seventh year, and also in the forty and eighth year.

  20 Nevertheless ^aHelaman did fill the judgment-seat with justice and equity; yea, he did observe to keep the statutes, and the judgments, and the commandments of God; and he did do that which was right in the sight of God continually; and he did walk after the ways of his father, insomuch that he did prosper in the land.

  21 And it came to pass that he had two sons. He gave unto the eldest the name of ^aNephi, and unto the youngest, the name of ^bLehi. And they began to grow up unto the Lord.

  22 And it came to pass that the wars and contentions began to cease, in a small degree, among the people of the Nephites, in the latter end of the forty and eighth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.

  23 And it came to pass in the *forty and ninth year of the reign of the judges, there was continual peace established in the land, all save it were the ^asecret combinations which ^bGadianton the robber had established in the more settled parts of the land, which at that time were not known unto those who were at the head of government; therefore they were not destroyed out of the land.

  24 And it came to pass that in this same year there was exceedingly great prosperity in the church, insomuch that there were thousands who did ^ajoin themselves unto the church and were baptized unto repentance.

I am fascinated by the fact that so many records were kept by the people of this civilization.  It seems like it would have been so hard to keep a record if it had to be engraved on metal, and yet we know there were a lot of records kept.  We know from Brigham Young that when Oliver Cowdery and Joseph Smith returned the plates to the hill Cumorah, "they laid the plates on a table, it was a large table that stood in the room.  Under this table there was a pile of plates as much as two feet hight, and there were altogether in this room more plates than probably many wagon loads... (Journal of Discourses, 19: 38-39)  It will be a great day when we are able to read some of those records!