13 Behold their women did toil and spin, and did amake all manner of bcloth, of fine-twined linen and cloth of every kind, to clothe their nakedness. And thus the sixty and fourth year did pass away in peace. 14 And in the *sixty and fifth year they did also have great joy and peace, yea, much preaching and many prophecies concerning that which was to come. And thus passed away the sixty and fifth year.
15 And it came to pass that in the *sixty and sixth year of the reign of the judges, behold,
aCezoram was murdered by an unknown hand as he sat upon the judgment-seat. And it came to pass that in the same year, that his son, who had been appointed by the people in his stead, was also murdered. And thus ended the sixty and sixth year.
16 And in the *commencement of the sixty and seventh year the people began to grow exceedingly wicked again.
17 For behold, the Lord had blessed them so long with the
ariches of the world that they had not been stirred up to anger, to wars, nor to bloodshed; therefore they began to set their hearts upon their riches; yea, they began to seek to get gain that they might be lifted up one above another; therefore they began to commit
bsecret murders, and to rob and to plunder, that they might get gain.
18 And now behold, those murderers and plunderers were a band who had been formed by Kishkumen and
aGadianton. And now it had come to pass that there were many, even among the Nephites, of Gadianton’s band. But behold, they were more numerous among the more wicked part of the Lamanites. And they were called Gadianton’s robbers and murderers.
19 And it was they who did murder the chief judge
aCezoram, and his son, while in the judgment-seat; and behold, they were not found.
20 And now it came to pass that when the Lamanites found that there were robbers among them they were exceedingly sorrowful; and they did use every means in their power to destroy them off the face of the earth.
21 But behold,
Satan did stir up the ahearts of the more part of the Nephites, insomuch that they did unite with those bands of robbers, and did enter into their covenants and their oaths, that they would protect and preserve one another in whatsoever difficult circumstances they should be placed, that they should not suffer for their murders, and their plunderings, and their bstealings. 22 And it came to pass that they did have their signs, yea, their
asecret signs, and their
bsecret words; and this that they might distinguish a brother who had entered into the covenant, that whatsoever wickedness his brother should do he should not be injured by his brother, nor by those who did belong to his band, who had taken this covenant.
23 And thus they might murder, and plunder, and steal, and commit
awhoredoms and all manner of wickedness, contrary to the laws of their country and also the laws of their God.
24 And whosoever of those who belonged to their band should reveal unto the world of their
awickedness and their abominations, should be tried, not according to the laws of their country, but according to the laws of their wickedness, which had been given by Gadianton and Kishkumen.
25 Now behold, it is these secret
aoaths and covenants which Alma commanded his son should not go forth unto the world, lest they should be a means of bringing down the people unto destruction.
26 Now behold, those
asecret oaths and covenants did not come forth unto Gadianton from the
brecords which were delivered unto Helaman; but behold, they were put into the heart of
cGadianton by that
dsame being who did entice our first parents to partake of the forbidden fruit—
27 Yea, that same being who did plot with
aCain, that if he would murder his brother Abel it should not be known unto the world. And he did plot with Cain and his followers from that time forth.
28 And also it is that same being who put it into the hearts of the people to
abuild a tower sufficiently high that they might get to heaven. And it was that same being who led on the people who came from that tower into this land; who spread the works of darkness and abominations over all the face of the land, until he dragged the people down to an
bentire destruction, and to an everlasting hell.
29 Yea, it is that same being who put it into the heart of
aGadianton to still carry on the work of darkness, and of secret murder; and he has brought it forth from the beginning of man even down to this time.
30 And behold, it is he who is the
aauthor of all sin. And behold, he doth carry on his works of darkness and secret murder, and doth hand down their plots, and their oaths, and their covenants, and their plans of awful wickedness, from generation to generation according as he can get hold upon the hearts of the children of men.
31 And now behold, he had got great hold upon the hearts of the Nephites; yea, insomuch that they had become exceedingly wicked; yea, the more part of them had turned out of the
away of righteousness, and did
btrample under their feet the commandments of God, and did turn unto their own ways, and did build up unto themselves
cidols of their gold and their silver.
32 And it came to pass that all these iniquities did come unto them in the space of
anot many years, insomuch that a more part of it had come unto them in the sixty and seventh year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.
33 And they did grow in their iniquities in the *sixty and eighth year also, to the great sorrow and lamentation of the righteous.
34 And thus we see that the
aNephites did begin to dwindle in unbelief, and grow in wickedness and abominations, while the Lamanites began to grow exceedingly in the knowledge of their God; yea, they did begin to keep his statutes and commandments, and to walk in truth and uprightness before him.
35 And thus we see that the Spirit of the Lord began to
awithdraw from the Nephites, because of the wickedness and the hardness of their hearts.
36 And thus we see that the Lord began to pour out his aSpirit upon the Lamanites, because of their easiness and bwillingness to believe in his words.This reading points out that we all need to be aware of the gravity of secret combinations. I like the insight offered by this detailed commentary from the Institute Manual:
Helaman 6 and Ether 8 provide some of the most important insights into secret combinations, including how they worked, what motivated them, and how they came to power. Moroni prophetically warned his latter-day readers that secret combinations were the source of the destruction of both the Jaredite and Nephite societies (see Ether 8:18–21). Moroni then warned us in terms of utmost gravity of the dangers such secret combinations hold for our own day (see vv. 22–26). From this chapter and other places in the Book of Mormon we learn the following important characteristics of secret combinations:
1. The devil is the inspiration and source of all such organizations (see Helaman 6:26–30). Mormon clearly pointed to Satan as the grand conspirator, the real organizer of all such organizations.
2. Such organizations are viewed by the Lord as constituting a wickedness “above all the wickedness of the whole earth” (3 Nephi 9:9; see also Ether 8:18). While individuals may rob, steal, plunder, and murder, how much more wickedness occurs when men plunder and kill on a national or an international scale involving millions of lives?
3. Such organizations flourish and thrive when the “more part” (Helaman 6:21) of the people are wicked and seek to benefit from the spoils of such wickedness (see v. 38).
4. Secrecy is one of the basic operating tenets of such organizations (see vv. 22, 25–26).
5. Joined with the idea of secrecy is the idea of making covenants (see vv. 22, 25–26). An oath of loyalty to the organization is made which involves a vow to maintain the secret of the conspiracy. After the murder of the chief judge, Kishkumen “went unto those that sent him, and they all entered into a covenant, yea, swearing by their everlasting Maker, that they would tell no man” (Helaman 1:11). Helaman 6:21 refers to “their covenants and their oaths.” Moroni described this same covenant making among the Jaredites (see Ether 8:13–14). Ironically, the oaths were sometimes made in the name of God (see Helaman 1:11, Ether 8:14).
6. The objectives of such secret combinations are power or gain, or both (see Helaman 6:38, Ether 8:22, Moses 5:31–33). Since the government is a source of great power, it is not surprising that often the target of action is to take over the reins of government (see Helaman 1:1–4, 2:4–5, 3 Nephi 3:6, 6:30, 7:12, Ether 9:1–6, 13:18).
7. These organizations use immorality, money, and violence to achieve their ends (see Helaman 6:15, 17, Ether 8:10). Assassinating government leaders to bring their own people to power is a common tale found in the Book of Mormon.
8. The only way to lastingly curtail these organizations once they are established and begin to flourish is through conversion of the people to righteousness (see Helaman 6:37, 3 Nephi 5:4–6).
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