ספר חלמן

    CHELEMAN

    THE BOOK OF CHELEMAN

    An account of the Nefites, their wars and contentions, and their dissensions, and also the prophecies of many holy prophets before the coming of Mashiach, according to the record of Cheleman, who was the son of Cheleman, and also according to the records of his sons, even down to the coming of Mashiach. And also many of the Lamanites are converted — an account of their conversion. An account of the righteousness of the Lamanites, and the wickedness and abominations of the Nefites, according to the record of Cheleman and his sons, even down to the coming of Mashiach, which is called The Book of Cheleman, and so forth.

    THE BOOK OF CHELEMAN Chapter 1

  1. And now behold, it came to pass in the commencement of the fortieth year1 of the reign of the judges over the people of Nefi, there began to be a serious difficulty among the people of the Nefites. For behold, Parhoron had died and gone the way of all the earth; therefore, there began to be a serious contention concerning who should have the judgment seat2 among the brothers who were the sons of Parhoron. Now these are the names who did contend for the judgment seat, who did also cause the people to contend: Parhoron, Paanchi, and Pacumeni. Now these are not all the sons of Parhoron, for he had many, but these are they who did contend for the judgment seat; therefore, they did cause three divisions among the people. Nevertheless, it came to pass that Parhoron was appointed by the voice of the people to be a chief judge3 and a governor over the people of Nefi.
  2. 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. But behold, Paanchi, and that part of the people that were desirous that he should be their governor, was exceedingly angry; therefore, he was about to flatter away those people to rise up in rebellion against their brothers.
  3. 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;4 for he had risen up in rebellion and sought to destroy the liberty of the people. 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 Kishcumen, even to the judgment seat of Parhoron, and murdered Parhoron as he sat upon the judgment seat. And he was pursued by the servants of Parhoron; but behold, so speedy was the flight of Kishcumen that no man could overtake him. And he went unto those that sent him, and they all entered into a covenant, yes, swearing by their everlasting Maker that they would tell no man that Kishcumen had murdered Parhoron. Therefore, Kishcumen was not known among the people of Nefi, for he was in disguise at the time that he murdered Parhoron. And Kishcumen 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. 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 place of his brother Parhoron, 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.
  4. 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 headplates, and with breastplates, and with all manner of shields of every kind, and they came down again that they might commence battle against the Nefites. And they were led by a man whose name was Coriantumr, and he was a descendant of Zerach’mla,5 and he was a dissenter from among the Nefites, and he was a large and a mighty man. 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 Nefites, insomuch (with his strength and also with his great wisdom) that by sending him forth, he should gain power over the Nefites, 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 Zerach’mla to battle against the Nefites.
  5. And it came to pass that because of so much contention and so much difficulty in the government, they had not kept sufficient guards in the land of Zerach’mla; for they had supposed that the Lamanites dared not come into the heart of their lands and attack that great city Zerach’mla. 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 Nefites to gather together their armies. 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 everyone who did oppose them, insomuch that they did take possession of the whole city. 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.
  6. And now when Coriantumr saw that he was in possession of the city of Zerach’mla, and saw that the Nefites had fled before them, and were slain, and were taken, and were cast into prison, and that he had obtained 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. And now he did not remain in the land of Zerach’mla, 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. 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 except it was in small bodies, and in this manner they did fall upon them and cut them down to the earth.
  7. But behold, this march of Coriantumr’s through the center of the land gave M’ronihah great advantage over them, despite the greatness of the number of the Nefites who were slain. For behold, M’ronihah had supposed that the Lamanites dared not come into the center of the land, but that they would attack the cities round about in the borders as they had previously done; therefore, M’ronihah had caused that their strong armies should maintain those parts round about by the borders. 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 Zerach’mla, and were marching through the most important 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. But when M’ronihah had discovered this, he immediately sent forth Lechi with an army, round about to get in front of them before they should come to the land Bountiful. And thus he did, and he did get in front of them before they came to the land Bountiful, and gave unto them battle insomuch that they began to retreat back towards the land of Zerach’mla. And it came to pass that M’ronihah did get in front of them in their retreat and did give unto them battle, insomuch that it became an exceedingly bloody battle, yes, many were slain, and among the number who were slain, Coriantumr was also found. 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 side by the Nefites. And thus had Coriantumr plunged the Lamanites into the midst of the Nefites, insomuch that they were in the power of the Nefites, and he himself was slain. And the Lamanites did yield themselves up into the hands of the Nefites.
  8. And it came to pass that M’ronihah took possession of the city of Zerach’mla again, and caused that the Lamanites who had been taken prisoners should depart out of the land in shalom. And thus ended the forty and first year of the reign of the judges.
  9. And it came to pass in the forty and second year6 of the reign of the judges, after M’ronihah had established again shalom between the Nefites and the Lamanites, behold, there was no one to fill the judgment seat; therefore, there began to be a contention again among the people concerning who should fill the judgment seat. And it came to pass that Cheleman, who was the son of Cheleman, was appointed to fill the judgment seat by the voice of the people. But behold, Kishcumen, who had murdered Parhoron, did lay wait to destroy Cheleman also. And he was upheld by his band who had entered into a covenant that no one should know his wickedness. For there was one Gaddianton, 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 Kishcumen. Therefore, he did flatter them, and also Kishcumen, 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, Kishcumen sought to destroy Cheleman.
  10. And it came to pass as he went forth towards the judgment seat to destroy Cheleman, behold, one of the servants of Cheleman, having been out by night and having obtained, through disguise, a knowledge of those plans which had been laid by this band to destroy Cheleman — and it came to pass that he met Kishcumen, and he gave unto him a sign. Therefore Kishcumen made known unto him the object of his desire, desiring that he would conduct him to the judgment seat, that he might murder Cheleman. And when the servant of Cheleman had known all the heart of Kishcumen, and how that it was his object to murder, and also that it was the object of all those who belonged to his band to murder, and to rob, and to gain power (and this was their secret plan and their conspiracy),7 the servant of Cheleman said unto Kishcumen, Let us go forth unto the judgment seat. Now this did please Kishcumen exceedingly, for he did suppose that he should accomplish his design; but behold, the servant of Cheleman, as they were going forth unto the judgment seat, did stab Kishcumen, even to the heart, that he fell dead without a groan. And he ran and told Cheleman all the things which he had seen, and heard, and done.
  11. And it came to pass that Cheleman did send forth to take this band of robbers and secret murderers, that they might be executed according to the law. But behold, when Gaddianton had found that Kishcumen did not return, he feared that he should be destroyed; therefore, he caused that his band should follow him, and they took their flight out of the land by a secret way into the wilderness. And thus when Cheleman sent forth to take them, they could nowhere be found. And more of this Gaddianton shall be spoken hereafter. And thus ended the forty and second year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nefi. And behold, in the end of this book you shall see that this Gaddianton did prove the overthrow, yes, almost the entire destruction of the people of Nefi.8 Behold, I do not mean the end of The Book of Cheleman, but I mean the end of The Book of Nefi, from which I have taken all the account which I have written.