Helaman
34 verses
At the beginning of the fortieth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, a serious difficulty began among the Nephites.
And now behold, it came to pass in the commencement of the fortieth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, there began to be a serious difficulty among the people of the Nephites.
Pahoran had died and passed away like everyone else, so a serious disagreement began among his sons about who should have the judgment-seat.
For behold, Pahoran had died, and gone the way of all the earth; therefore there began to be a serious contention concerning who should have the judgment-seat among the brethren, who were the sons of Pahoran.
Their names, who competed for the judgment-seat and caused the people to argue, were Pahoran, Paanchi, and Pacumeni.
Now these are their names who did contend for the judgment-seat, who did also cause the people to contend: Pahoran, Paanchi, and Pacumeni.
These are not all the sons of Pahoran, because he had many, but these are the ones who competed for the judgment-seat. As a result, they caused three divisions among the people.
Now these are not all the sons of Pahoran, (for he had many) but these are they who did contend for the judgment-seat; therefore, they did cause three divisions among the people.
However, Pahoran was chosen by the voice of the people to be chief judge and governor over the people of Nephi.
Nevertheless, it came to pass that Pahoran was appointed by the voice of the people to be chief judge and a governor over the people of Nephi.
When Pacumeni saw that he could not obtain the judgment-seat, he joined with the voice of the people.
And it came to pass that Pacumeni, when he saw that he could not obtain the judgment-seat, he did unite with the voice of the people.
Paanchi and the group of people who wanted him to be their governor were extremely angry; so he was about to persuade those people to rebel against their brothers.
But behold, Paanchi, and that part of the people that were desirous that he should be their governor, was exceedingly wroth; therefore, he was about to flatter away those people to rise up in rebellion against their brethren.
As he was about to do this, he was captured, tried according to the voice of the people, and sentenced to death because he had started a rebellion and tried to destroy the people's freedom.
And it came to pass as he was about to do this, behold, he was taken, and was tried according to the voice of the people, and condemned unto death; for he had raised up in rebellion and sought to destroy the liberty of the people.
When the people who wanted him to be their governor saw that he was sentenced to death, they became angry and sent a man named Kishkumen to the judgment seat of Pahoran, and Kishkumen killed Pahoran as he sat on the judgment seat.
Now when those people who were desirous that he should be their governor saw that he was condemned unto death, therefore they were angry, and behold, they sent forth one Kishkumen, even to the judgment-seat of Pahoran, and murdered Pahoran as he sat upon the judgment-seat.
He was chased by the servants of Pahoran, but Kishkumen fled so quickly that no one could catch him.
And he was pursued by the servants of Pahoran; but behold, so speedy was the flight of Kishkumen that no man could overtake him.
He went to those who had sent him, and they all made a covenant, swearing by their everlasting Maker that they would not tell anyone that Kishkumen had murdered Pahoran.
And he 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 that Kishkumen had murdered Pahoran.
So Kishkumen was not recognized among the people of Nephi, because he was in disguise when he killed Pahoran. Kishkumen and his group, who had made a secret agreement with him, mixed in with the people so well that they couldn’t all be found; but everyone who was discovered was sentenced to death.
Therefore, Kishkumen was not known among the people of Nephi, for he was in disguise at the time that he murdered Pahoran. And Kishkumen and his band, who had covenanted with him, did mingle themselves among the people, in a manner that they all could not be found; but as many as were found were condemned unto death.
Pacumeni was appointed, according to the voice of the people, to be chief judge and governor over the people, to rule in place of his brother Pahoran, and it was his right. All this happened in the fortieth year of the reign of the judges, and it came to an end.
And now behold, Pacumeni was appointed, according to the voice of the people, to be a chief judge and a governor over the people, to reign in the stead of his brother Pahoran; and it was according to his right. And all this was done in the fortieth year of the reign of the judges; and it had an end.
In the forty-first year of the reign of the judges, the Lamanites gathered an innumerable army of men and armed them with swords, scimitars, bows, arrows, headplates, breastplates, and all kinds of shields.
And it came to pass in the forty and first year of the reign of the judges, that the Lamanites had gathered together an innumerable army of men, and armed them with swords, and with cimeters and with bows, and with arrows, and with head-plates, and with breastplates, and with all manner of shields of every kind.
They came down again to fight against the Nephites. They were led by a man named Coriantumr, who was a descendant of Zarahemla and a dissenter from among the Nephites. He was a large and mighty man.
And they came down again that they might pitch battle against the Nephites. And they were led by a man whose name was Coriantumr; and he was a descendant of Zarahemla; and he was a dissenter from among the Nephites; and he was a large and a mighty man.
So the king of the Lamanites, named Tubaloth, who was the son of Ammoron, thought that Coriantumr, being a strong and wise man, could stand against the Nephites, and that by sending him out, he would gain power over the Nephites—
Therefore, the king of the Lamanites, whose name was Tubaloth, who was the son of Ammoron, supposing that Coriantumr, being a mighty man, could stand against the Nephites, with his strength and also with his great wisdom, insomuch that by sending him forth he should gain power over the Nephites—
He stirred them up to anger, gathered his armies, appointed Coriantumr as their leader, and sent them to march down to the land of Zarahemla to fight against the Nephites.
Therefore he did stir them up to anger, and he did gather together his armies, and he did appoint Coriantumr to be their leader, and did cause that they should march down to the land of Zarahemla to battle against the Nephites.
Because there was so much contention and difficulty in the government, they hadn’t kept enough guards in the land of Zarahemla, since they thought the Lamanites wouldn’t dare come into the center of their lands to attack the great city of Zarahemla.
And it came to pass that because of so much contention and so much difficulty in the government, that they had not kept sufficient guards in the land of Zarahemla; for they had supposed that the Lamanites durst not come into the heart of their lands to attack that great city Zarahemla.
Coriantumr marched at the front of his large army and attacked the people in the city, moving so quickly that the Nephites had no time to gather their armies.
But it came to pass that Coriantumr did march forth at the head of his numerous host, and came upon the inhabitants of the city, and their march was with such exceedingly great speed that there was no time for the Nephites to gather together their armies.
So Coriantumr killed the guards at the entrance of the city, then marched in with his entire army, and they killed everyone who tried to resist them, taking control of the whole city.
Therefore Coriantumr did cut down the watch by the entrance of the city, and did march forth with his whole army into the city, and they did slay every one who did oppose them, insomuch that they did take possession of the whole city.
Pacumeni, who was the chief judge, fled from Coriantumr all the way to the city walls. Coriantumr struck him against the wall so hard that he died. That was the end of Pacumeni’s days.
And it came to pass that Pacumeni, who was the chief judge, did flee before Coriantumr, even to the walls of the city. And it came to pass that Coriantumr did smite him against the wall, insomuch that he died. And thus ended the days of Pacumeni.
When Coriantumr saw that he had control of the city of Zarahemla, saw that the Nephites had fled from them, had been killed, captured, or thrown into prison, and that he had taken possession of the strongest fortress in the whole land, he gained confidence and was about to march against the entire land.
And now when Coriantumr saw that he was in possession of the city of Zarahemla, and saw that the Nephites had fled before them, and were slain, and were taken, and were cast into prison, and that he had obtained the possession of the strongest hold in all the land, his heart took courage insomuch that he was about to go forth against all the land.
He didn’t stay in the land of Zarahemla, but marched with a large army toward the city of Bountiful, because he was determined to fight his way through with the sword so he could take control of the northern parts of the land.
And now he did not tarry in the land of Zarahemla, but he did march forth with a large army, even towards the city of Bountiful; for it was his determination to go forth and cut his way through with the sword, that he might obtain the north parts of the land.
Assuming that their greatest strength was in the center of the land, he marched forward, giving them no time to gather except in small groups; in this way, they attacked them and cut them down.
And, supposing that their greatest strength was in the center of the land, therefore he did march forth, giving them no time to assemble themselves together save it were in small bodies; and in this manner they did fall upon them and cut them down to the earth.
Coriantumr’s march through the center of the land gave Moronihah a great advantage over them, even though many Nephites had been killed.
But behold, this march of Coriantumr through the center of the land gave Moronihah great advantage over them, notwithstanding the greatness of the number of the Nephites who were slain.
Moronihah had assumed that the Lamanites wouldn’t dare enter the center of the land, but would attack the cities around the borders as they had done before. So Moronihah made sure their strong armies defended those areas along the borders.
For behold, Moronihah had supposed that the Lamanites durst not come into the center of the land, but that they would attack the cities round about in the borders as they had hitherto done; therefore Moronihah had caused that their strong armies should maintain those parts round about by the borders.
However, the Lamanites were not afraid as he wanted. They had entered the center of the land, captured the capital city of Zarahemla, and were moving through the most important parts of the land, killing many people—men, women, and children—and taking control of many cities and strongholds.
But behold, the Lamanites were not frightened according to his desire, but they had come into the center of the land, and had taken the capital city which was the city of Zarahemla, and were marching through the most capital parts of the land, slaying the people with a great slaughter, both men, women, and children, taking possession of many cities and of many strongholds.
When Moronihah discovered this, he immediately sent Lehi with an army to intercept them before they could reach the land Bountiful.
But when Moronihah had discovered this, he immediately sent forth Lehi with an army round about to head them before they should come to the land Bountiful.
He did just that; he confronted them before they reached the land of Bountiful and fought against them, causing them to start retreating back toward the land of Zarahemla.
And thus he did; and he did head them before they came to the land Bountiful, and gave unto them battle, insomuch that they began to retreat back towards the land of Zarahemla.
Moronihah intercepted them as they retreated and fought against them, resulting in an extremely bloody battle. Many were killed, and among those who died was Coriantumr.
And it came to pass that Moronihah did head them in their retreat, and did give unto them battle, insomuch that it became an exceedingly bloody battle; yea, many were slain, and among the number who were slain Coriantumr was also found.
The Lamanites could not retreat in any direction—north, south, east, or west—because the Nephites had surrounded them on all sides.
And now, behold, the Lamanites could not retreat either way, neither on the north, nor on the south, nor on the east, nor on the west, for they were surrounded on every hand by the Nephites.
In this way, Coriantumr led the Lamanites deep into the Nephite territory, so they ended up under the Nephites’ control. Coriantumr was killed, and the Lamanites surrendered to the Nephites.
And thus had Coriantumr plunged the Lamanites into the midst of the Nephites, insomuch that they were in the power of the Nephites, and he himself was slain, and the Lamanites did yield themselves into the hands of the Nephites.
Moronihah took control of the city of Zarahemla again and made sure that the Lamanites who had been taken as prisoners left the land peacefully.
And it came to pass that Moronihah took possession of the city of Zarahemla again, and caused that the Lamanites who had been taken prisoners should depart out of the land in peace.
That is how the forty-first year of the reign of the judges ended.
And thus ended the forty and first year of the reign of the judges.