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64-554: The second was a Nephite prophet and military leader who lived around the 1st century BC. He was the grandson of Alma and the oldest son of Alma (the younger), and was entrusted with maintaining a record of their people, the Nephites, as found in the Book of Alma. According to the Book of Mormon, he led into battle an army of two thousand young male warriors, which he referred to as his two thousand sons (two thousand stripling warriors) . Most of

128-509: A 1960 LDS Church General Conference , apostle Spencer W. Kimball suggested that the skin of Latter-day Saint Native American was gradually turning lighter: I saw a striking contrast in the progress of the Indian people today. ... The day of the Lamanites is nigh. For years they have been growing delightsome, and they are now becoming white and delightsome, as they were promised. In this picture of

192-548: A flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them. On the other hand, the Book of Mormon teaches that skin color is not a bar to salvation and that God: denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile. The non-canonical 1981 footnote text of

256-594: A land bridge over the Bering Strait in prehistoric times. The statement said that there was no credible evidence of contact between Ancient Egyptian or Hebrew peoples and the New World, as indicated by the text of the Book of Mormon. The statement was issued in response to reports that the name of the Smithsonian Institution was being improperly used to lend credibility to the claims of those looking to support

320-450: A new king, he would finish out his reign as king, after which the Nephites would elect judges to govern them. There were at least three levels of judges: one chief judge, several higher judges, and several lower judges. (Some passages speak of multiple "chief judges", probably synonymous with "higher judges"; for example, Alma 62:47; 3 Nephi 6:21.) Judges were paid according to the amount of time they spent officiating. Mosiah II set

384-497: A revelation given to Joseph Smith in May 1829. In the Book of Mormon, Jesus told people in the New World that conversion would precede the millennium, and members interpreted this promise as one referring to Lamanites, and by extension, Native Americans. These Native American converts would work alongside other members as partners in building Zion . After the failure of early missions to Indigenous peoples, Smith focused on building Zion without

448-518: A series of large battles over two centuries, ending with the extermination of the Nephites by the Lamanites. The Doctrine and Covenants is composed of writings that adherents in the Latter Day Saint movement believe to be revelations from God. It is considered scripture in the sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement and says that God called Oliver Cowdery (D&C 28:8) and later Peter Whitmer and Parley P. Pratt (D&C 32:1–2) to teach

512-489: A skin of blackness, and become a scourge unto the Nephites." The phrase "skin of blackness" and the passage was changed to "Because of their unbelief, the Lamanites are cut off from the presence of the Lord, are cursed, and become a scourge unto the Nephites." The second change appears in the summary of Mormon 5. Formerly, it included the phrase that "the Lamanites shall be a dark, filthy, and loathsome people." The new version deleted

576-427: A small number of your lower judges should be gathered together, and they shall judge your higher judges, according to the voice of the people. After announcing the governmental shift from kings to judges, Mosiah explained the principle behind the change: The sins of many people have been caused by the iniquities of their kings.... Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which

640-435: A society that approached the ideals of Zion . The society endured for about two centuries before the people fell into wickedness again. After 4 Nephi , no mention is made of whether the Nephites used judges or kings. Mormon mentions that "the Lamanites had a king" (Mormon 2:9). His inclusion of that detail, phrased as it is, can be seen as a contrast to the Nephites having a chief judge. Since no change in government form

704-603: A son of the prophet Lehi , who left Jerusalem at the urging of God in about 600 BC and traveled with his family to the Western Hemisphere and arrived to the Americas in about 589 BC. The Book of Mormon notes them as initially righteous people who eventually "had fallen into a state of unbelief and awful wickedness" and were destroyed by the Lamanites in about AD 385. Some Mormon scholars have suggested that

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768-459: Is included in the Nephites, his sons-in-law are presumably included together in the Ishmaelites , and Zoram was not Lehi's son, but his family travelled with Lehi's family. In 2 Nephi 5, the narrative divides the people into Nephites and Lamanites; in his book The Testimony of Two Nations , Michael Austin interprets these as categories of convenience for the sake of the narrative, similar to how

832-492: Is manifest through right intentions and actions, not physical appearance." Michael Austin argues that Jacob's warning to the Nephite people concerning their prejudice against the Lamanites is one of the book's attempts to combat the "anti-Lamanite" biases presented by the individual narrators. Austin further supports Max Perry Mueller's assertion that the narrative of the Book of Mormon does not support anti-Lamanite prejudices, using

896-535: Is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and make it your law—to do your business by the voice of the people. The system of judges lasted for 120 years, when it was briefly overthrown for about three years (c. 30–33 AD) by an aristocratic cadre, led by a man named Jacob. It was replaced by a loose system of tribes and kinships, which lasted until Jesus appeared in America and established

960-605: Is specifically mentioned after 4 Nephi, it is possible that the Nephites continued to use judges until their destruction in about AD 385. Lamanites In the Book of Mormon , the Lamanites ( / ˈ l eɪ m ə n aɪ t / ) are one of the four peoples (along with the Jaredites , the Mulekites , and the Nephites ) described as having settled in the ancient Americas in

1024-562: 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 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

1088-436: The Book of Mormon , the Nephites ( / ˈ n iː f aɪ t / ) are one of four groups (along with the Lamanites , Jaredites , and Mulekites ) said to have settled in the ancient Americas . The term is used throughout the Book of Mormon to describe the religious, political, and cultural traditions of the group of settlers. The Nephites are described as a group of people that descended from or were associated with Nephi ,

1152-615: The Book of Mormon . The Lamanites also play a role in the prophecies and revelations of the Doctrine and Covenants , another sacred text in the Latter Day Saint movement . In the Book of Mormon's narrative, the Lamanites begin as wicked rivals to the more righteous Nephites, but when the Nephite civilization became decadent, it lost divine favor and was destroyed by the Lamanites. Latter Day Saints have historically associated Lamanites with present-day Native American cultures. According to

1216-464: The 17th year of the " reign of the judges ", which probably corresponds to about 75 BC. After their missionary labors among the Zoramites, Alma, his sons, and the rest of their company returned to Zarahemla . 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

1280-632: The 31st year of the reign of the judges (c. 61 BC), 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 (c. 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. Nephite In

1344-410: The Book of Mormon as an accurate, historical account of the New World peoples. ... Let me now state uncategorically that as far as I know there is not one professionally trained archaeologist, who is not a Mormon, who sees any scientific justification for believing the foregoing to be true, and I would like to state that there are quite a few Mormon archaeologists who join this group. ... The bare facts of

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1408-479: The Book of Mormon closely linked the concept of "skin of blackness" with that of "scales of darkness falling from their eyes," which suggests that the LDS Church has now interpreted both cases as being examples of figurative language. Several Book of Mormon passages have been interpreted by some Latter Day Saints as indicating that Lamanites would revert to a lighter skin tone upon accepting the gospel. For example, at

1472-505: The Book of Mormon narrative, the labels "Nephite" and "Lamanite" became terms of political convenience, and membership was both varied and fluid and not based on skin color. Within the first 200 years of the Nephites' 1,000 year chronology, the prophet Jacob stated that any who were enemies of his people were called Lamanites and that any who were friends were called Nephites: But I, Jacob, shall not hereafter distinguish them by these names, but I shall call them Lamanites that seek to destroy

1536-463: The Book of Mormon precludes migration into the Americas by peoples of Asiatic origin". The 1981 edition introduction to the Book of Mormon was changed in 2006 from stating Lamanites "are the principal ancestors of" to "are among the ancestors of the American Indians." Apologetics seeking to maintain relatively orthodox understandings of the Book of Mormon's depiction of Lamanites while recognizing

1600-629: The Book of Mormon said Lamanites "are the principal ancestors of the American Indians". The existence of a Lamanite population has received no support in mainstream science or archaeology. Genetic studies indicate that the Indigenous Americans are related to the present populations in Mongolia , Siberia , and the vicinity, and Polynesians to those in Southeast Asia . In the twenty-first century, LDS Church outlets have stated that "[n]othing in

1664-549: The Book of Mormon's first-person narration means its content is couched in "limited, human perspectives". The Nephite narrators of the Book of Mormon had the power to "characterize their antagonists [the Lamanites] as they wished", Armand Mauss writes. Deidre Green, a professor of Mormon studies, suggests that the prophet  Jacob  condemns the Nephites' racist attitudes towards the Lamanite people and "clarifies that righteousness

1728-591: The Book of Mormon, the family of Lehi , described as a wealthy Hebrew prophet , the family of Ishmael , and Zoram traveled from the Middle East to the Americas by boat in around 600 BC. In his dying blessings to his children, Lehi assigns tribes to his descendants, usually named after the son whose family made up the tribe: Nephites, Jacobites, Josephites, Zoramites, Lamanites, Lemuelites, and Ishmaelites after Nephi , Joseph , Zoram, Laman, and Lemuel . Lehi's son Sam

1792-559: 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

1856-455: The Nephites in desperate circumstances, they were permitted to do so. 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, the interesting turn of events made Helaman have the Anti-Nephi-Lehies marching at the head of an army of two thousand soldiers. LDS leader Richard J. Maynes cited

1920-612: The Nephites settled somewhere in present-day Central America . However, non-Mormon scholars and, notably, the Smithsonian Institution , have stated that they have seen no evidence to support the Book of Mormon as a historical account. The existence of the Nephites is part of the Mormon belief system. The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) , part of Brigham Young University , has performed extensive archaeological research on this subject, and publications on

1984-409: 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 (c. 62 BC). The next year the Nephites successfully drove the Lamanites back into the land southward and thus the war ended at last. After the war ended in

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2048-492: The children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God." However, 84 years after the coming of Christ, "a small part of the people who had revolted from the church" started calling themselves Lamanites again. Those who remained were again identified as Nephites, but both groups were reported to have fallen into apostasy. The reestablished Lamanites and Nephites were largely distinguished by ideological choices rather than by previous ethnic distinctions. The Book of Mormon recounts

2112-460: The connection. Kimball definitively stated in 1971, "The term Lamanite includes all Indians and Indian mixtures, such as the Polynesians ...." and, "the Lamanites number about sixty million; they are in all of the states of America from Tierra del Fuego all the way up to Point Barrows, and they are in nearly all the islands of the sea from Hawaii south to southern New Zealand." The 1981 edition of

2176-479: The cooperation of "Lamanite" people. The concept began to expand to include all Indigenous peoples of the Americas . Twentieth century teachings connecting modern Native Americans and Lamanites reached their height under the presidency of Spencer W. Kimball (1973 –1985), then declined, but did not disappear. For example, in 1967, then apostle (later church president) Kimball stated that Native Americans were descendants of Middle Eastern settlers who traveled over

2240-401: The entire episode in a General Conference as containing good examples of covenant-keeping behavior. Helaman's army of two thousand young men is often referred to as the two thousand stripling warriors , 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 (c. 66 BC) to

2304-552: The events of the Book of Mormon. The National Geographic Society issued a similar letter in response to an inquiry from the Institute for Religious Research saying that "the Society does not know of anything found so far that has substantiated The Book of Mormon ". After the Nephites arrived in America, up to the reign of Mosiah II (c. 592–91 BC), the Nephites were ruled by kings. Nephi's brother Jacob explains that subsequent kings bore

2368-436: The findings of modern genetic studies—some of which were publicized by the LDS Church at the turn of the twenty-first century—argued that DNA findings invalidated not the existence of Book of Mormon peoples per se but the presumption that they were a hemispheric society. This has involved supposing that Nephites and Lamanites dwelled in only part of the Americas while genetically identified ancestors of Indigenous peoples occupied

2432-651: The gospel to the Lamanites. Cowdery is given the power to build up God's church among them (D&C 30:6). The men believed that God was referring to the Native Americans and began teaching among the Lenape . Historically, Mormons have identified the Lamanites as the primary ancestors of the North American Native Americans . Early Mormons expected large numbers of Native American converts, who would teach gentiles how to interpret scripture, according to

2496-404: The matter are that nothing, absolutely nothing, has even shown up in any New World excavation which would suggest to a dispassionate observer that the Book of Mormon, as claimed by Joseph Smith, is a historical document relating to the history of early migrants to our hemisphere. In 1996, the Smithsonian Institution issued a statement that addressed claims made in the Book of Mormon by stating that

2560-414: 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 Lamanites . Helaman next appears in Alma 53, in the 26th year of the reign of the judges (c. 66 BC), trying to persuade

2624-473: The oath which they had made. Helaman "feared lest by so doing they should lose their souls." 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 have Helaman as their leader. With no oath restricting them and

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2688-407: The ocean, and were "not Orientals" of East Asian origin, further quoting a previous First Presidency proclamation which said God, "has revealed the origin and the records of the aboriginal tribes of America, and their future destiny.-And we know it." During the time many Polynesian people converted, the concept expanded to include them as well. The scriptural account of Hagoth was used to justify

2752-444: The parts of the narrative involving Helaman come from the latter half of the Book of Alma . The third Helaman was the son of the above mentioned Helaman. He was a chief judge over the Nephites and was also responsible for maintaining a record of this people. The account that Helaman kept was recorded on the same records as his father. This record, however, was first given by Helaman (the father) to his brother Shiblon, who then handed

2816-455: The people for a time, preaching the word of God. Shortly afterward, in the 19th year of the reign of the judges (c. 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

2880-507: The people of Nephi, and those who are friendly to Nephi I shall call Nephites, or the people of Nephi, according to the reigns of the kings. Book of Mormon scholars have used various lenses to interpret how race is portrayed in the Book of Mormon, particularly in relation to the Lamanites. Throughout the book, Nephite narrators describe the Lamanites as a "wild", "ferocious", and "bloodthirsty people" who "loved murder". As Grant Hardy , Jared Hickman, Elizabeth Fenton, and Terryl Givens explain,

2944-504: The phrase "dark, loathsome, and filthy" and now reads "the Lamanites will be scattered, and the Spirit will cease to strive with them." The changes are seen by some critics to be another step in the evolution of the text of the Book of Mormon to delete racist language from it. Others, such as Marvin Perkins , see the changes as better conforming the chapter headers and footnotes to the meaning of

3008-420: The rate at one senine of gold (or the equivalent senum of silver) for one day's work (Alma 11:1, 3). He also arranged for checks in this system to avert corruption as much as possible: And now if ye have judges, and they do not judge you according to the law which has been given, ye can cause that they may be judged of a higher judge. If your higher judges do not judge righteous judgments, ye shall cause that

3072-505: The record down to his nephew, Helaman. The writings of this second Helaman are contained within the Book of Helaman. Brigham Young University proposes several etymologies for the name Helaman , including "Hammer of God". 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 Zarahemla ,

3136-515: 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

3200-487: The rest. In the Book of Mormon, Lamanites are described as having received a "skin of blackness" to distinguish them from the Nephites. The "change" in skin color is often mentioned in conjunction with God 's curse on the descendants of Laman for their wickedness and corruption: And he had caused the cursing to come upon [the Lamanites], yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity. For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, and they had become like unto

3264-400: The sacred records and other artifacts (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

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3328-539: The skin of the Lamanites as "dark." The Book of Mormon describes the animosity that the Lamanite people held toward the Nephites. The Lamanites believed that they were "driven out of the land of Jerusalem because of the iniquities of their fathers" and were wronged by Nephi and so swore vengeance against his descendants. The Lamanites taught their children to have "eternal hatred" towards the Nephites, and "that they should murder them, and that they should rob and plunder them, and do all they could to destroy them." After

3392-431: The story of Samuel the Lamanite as an example of criticism in the book's narrative of Nephite tendencies to "link skin color to righteousness". In December 2010, the LDS Church made changes to the non-canonical chapter summaries and to some of the footnotes in its online version of the Book of Mormon. In Second Nephi 5, the original wording was the following: "Because of their unbelief, the Lamanites are cursed, receive

3456-404: The subject and other historical topics are issued regularly by FARMS. This research is disputed by many researchers, including Michael Coe , a scholar in pre-Columbian Mesoamerican history, as well as the Smithsonian Institution . In 1973, Coe addressed the issue in an article for Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought : Mormon archaeologists over the years have almost unanimously accepted

3520-529: The text is primarily a religious text and that archeologists affiliated with the Institution found "no direct connection between the archeology of the New World and the subject matter of the book." The statement further says that there is genetic evidence that the Native Americans are closely related to peoples of Asia and that archaeological evidence indicates that the Native Americans migrated from Asia over

3584-434: The title "Nephi". The people having loved Nephi exceedingly… were desirous to retain in remembrance his name. And whoso should reign in his stead were called by the people second Nephi, third Nephi, and so forth, according to the reigns of the kings; and thus they were called by the people, let them be of whatever name they would. The last Nephite king was Mosiah II . About 91 BC, he declared that, instead of naming

3648-507: The twelve tribes of Israel are divided into the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah in the Old Testament. After the two groups separated from each other, the rebellious Lamanites were cursed and "cut off from the presence of the Lord." They received a "skin of blackness" so they would "not be enticing" to the Nephites. Centuries later, the narrative in the Book of Alma still describes

3712-476: The twenty Lamanite missionaries, fifteen of the twenty were as light as Anglos, five were darker but equally delightsome. The children in the home placement program in Utah are often lighter than their brothers and sisters in the hogans on the reservation. At one meeting, a father and mother and their sixteen-year-old daughter we represent, the little member girl – sixteen – sitting between the dark father and mother, and it

3776-479: The two groups warred for centuries, the narrative states that Jesus Christ appeared to the more righteous Nephites and the Lamanites, who, by then, had converted in large numbers to righteousness before God. Soon after his visit, the Lamanites and Nephites merged into one nation and co-existed for two centuries in peace. The Book of Mormon further recounts, "There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one,

3840-474: The western part of the land of the Nephites 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 Lamanites . Although two of their battles were very bloody, the army of Helaman did not incur a single fatality. Helaman attributed this to divine preservation. Helaman wrote an epistle to

3904-402: The writings of ancient prophets to become the Book of Mormon, changed the wording to "a pure and a delightsome people," consistent with contemporary interpretation of the term "white" as used in scripture. However, all future LDS Church printings of the Book of Mormon until 1981 continued from the second edition, saying the Lamanites would become "a white and delightsome people." Eventually in

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3968-424: Was buoyed by passages such as 2 Nephi 30:6, which in early editions of the Book of Mormon, read: [T]heir scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes; and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a white and a delightsome people. In 1840, with the third edition of the Book of Mormon, the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, Joseph Smith , whose adherents believe translated

4032-405: Was evident she was several shades lighter than her parents – on the same reservation, in the same hogan, subject to the same sun and wind and weather. ... These young members of the Church are changing to whiteness and to delightsomeness. One white elder jokingly said that he and his companion were donating blood regularly to the hospital in the hope that the process might be accelerated. That view

4096-421: 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 " priests 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

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