Lessons from Helaman 2

 One of the lessons for us in Helaman 2 is that there is a danger in seeking power over others. Helaman was appointed to the judgment seat, but the band who had killed Pahoran and tried to get Paanchi as their leader were not happy. Mormon recounted, “But behold, Kishkumen, who had murdered Pahoran, did lay wait to destroy Helaman also; and he was upheld by his band, who had entered into a covenant that no one should know his wickedness.” Another man had become the leader of their group: “For there was one Gadianton, who was exceedingly expert in many words, and also in his craft, to carry on the secret work of murder and of robbery; therefore he became the leader of the band of Kishkumen. Therefore he did flatter them, and also Kishkumen, that if they would place him in the judgment-seat he would grant unto those who belonged to his band that they should be placed in power and authority among the people; therefore Kishkumen sought to destroy Helaman” (v3-5). It was a quest for power that motivated Gadianton and Kishkumen to murder and the rest of his band to support them. They wanted to run the government and control the people, and this led them to perform these terrible deeds. Their story serves as a warning to us about what can happen if the temptation to gain power over others gets ahold of us and distorts the way we see the world. The pride and quest for power of Gadianton and his follower ultimately “did prove the overthrow, yea, almost the entire destruction of the people of Nephi” (v13). Clearly Mormon wanted us to see that there is great danger when we seek to put ourselves above others and to obtain positions of power to satisfy our pride.

            A related lesson from this chapter is the danger of flattery. The reason that Gadianton was able to gain the leadership over the others in this band was because “he did flatter them,” appealing to their pride and promising them great prominence among the people. For Kishkumen this led to his immediate death. This was the same tactic that Paanchi had tried to use when he didn’t obtain the judgment seat as desired, “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” (Helaman 1:7). He also died soon thereafter because of this rebellion. This was the same tactic that King Noah had used to inspire his people to support his wickedness: “They also became idolatrous, because they were deceived by the vain and flattering words of the king and priests; for they did speak flattering things unto them” (Mosiah 11:7). His life likewise spun out of control, culminating in his own people taking his life. Flattery was also the same method that Korihor used as described by Alma to the anti-Christ: “Behold, it is better that thy soul should be lost than that thou shouldst be the means of bringing many souls down to destruction, by thy lying and by thy flattering words” (Alma 30:47). He had gained followers because of his flattering words, but eventually that led to his own death among the Zoramites. The ruthless Amalickiah had likewise employed flattery to get other Nephites to follow him: “Yea, we see that Amalickiah, because he was a man of cunning device and a man of many flattering words, that he led away the hearts of many people to do wickedly” (Alma 46:10). This led to a terrible war because these people allowed flattery and pride to distort their view of themselves and to lead them away to great wickedness. And ultimately Amalickiah lost his life because of it. These stories of the Book of Mormon stand as a stark warning to us today to beware of the power of flattery which seeks to get us to buy things or support certain causes or to even to depart from our faith. In the end it never leads to where we really want to go.  

            Humility is the way to protect ourselves from the pride of the world that tempts us to seek for power and flatters us to see ourselves in a distorted light. The faithful Nephites knew this, and I love this description of those who resisted these temptations. The pride of some “did cause the more humble part of the people to suffer great persecutions, and to wade through much affliction. Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God” (Helaman 3:34-35). True strength comes not from pride and worldly power but from humility and faith in Christ. Only then can we obtain righteous power of the kind that God has: “The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever” (Doctrine and Covenants 121:46). An “everlasting dominion” will come to us through righteousness, not through the compulsory means used by Gadianton and Kishkumen.