# 3 Nephi 3

*Simple English*

### Giddianhi’s Threatening Letter

In the sixteenth year after Christ came, Lachoneus was the governor of the land. He received a letter from the leader of the robber gang. This is what the letter said:

Lachoneus, great and chief governor of the land: I am writing you this letter. I want to give you great praise because you are strong. Your people are also strong. You hold on to what you think are your rights and freedom. You stand well, like God’s hand is helping you. You defend your freedom, your things, and your land. It is sad to me, great Lachoneus, that you are so foolish. You think you can fight against so many brave men under my command. Right now they are holding their weapons. They are very excited and wait for me to say: Go attack the Nephites and destroy them. I know their spirit cannot be beaten. I have seen them fight in battle. I know they hate you forever. This is because you have done many wrong things to them. So if they come against you, they will completely destroy you. That is why I wrote this letter with my own hand. I care about what happens to you. This is because you are strong in what you believe is right. You have a good spirit in battle. So I write to you and ask that you give my people your cities, your lands, and your things. This is better than having them attack you with their swords and destroy you. In other words, give yourselves up to us and join us. Learn our secret ways and become our brothers. You can be like us. Not our slaves, but our brothers. You can share everything we have. I promise you with an oath: If you do this, you will not be destroyed. But if you do not do this, I promise you with an oath: In one month I will tell my armies to come against you. They will not stop. They will not spare anyone. They will kill you with their swords until you are all gone. I am Giddianhi. I am the governor of this secret group called Gadianton. I know this group and what it does is good. It is very old and has been passed down to us. I write this letter to you, Lachoneus. I hope you will give up your lands and your things without anyone getting hurt. This way my people can get back their rights and their government. They left you because you are wicked. You kept their rights from them. If you do not do this, I will pay you back for their wrongs. I am Giddianhi.

### Lachoneus Prepares His People

When Lachoneus got this letter, he was shocked. Giddianhi was very bold. He demanded the Nephite land. He also threatened the people. He said he would pay them back for wrongs against people who had no wrongs done to them. The only wrong was that they hurt themselves by leaving to join those wicked robbers.

Lachoneus the governor was a fair man. The demands and threats from a robber could not scare him. So he did not listen to the letter from Giddianhi, the robber governor. Instead, he had his people pray to the Lord for strength. They needed strength for when the robbers would come. He sent a message to all the people. They should bring together their women, children, animals, herds, and everything they owned except their land. They should all go to one place. He had them build very strong walls around them. He had armies from both the Nephites and Lamanites stand guard around them. All those who were counted as Nephites were guards. They watched day and night to keep the robbers away.

He said to them: As the Lord lives, if you do not turn away from all your sins and pray to the Lord, you will not be saved from these Gadianton robbers.

The words and messages from Lachoneus were so great and amazing that they made all the people afraid. So they worked as hard as they could to do what Lachoneus said.

### Gidgiddoni Is Chosen as Commander

Lachoneus chose chief captains over all the Nephite armies. They would lead when the robbers came down from the wild lands against them. The highest of all the captains and the great commander of all the Nephite armies was chosen. His name was Gidgiddoni. It was the custom among all the Nephites to choose their chief captains from men who had the Spirit to speak God’s messages and tell about the future. They only did this differently when they were wicked. So this Gidgiddoni was a great speaker of God’s messages among them. He was also the chief judge.

The people said to Gidgiddoni: Pray to the Lord. Let us go up to the mountains and into the wild lands. We can attack the robbers and destroy them on their own lands.

But Gidgiddoni said to them: The Lord says no! If we go up against them, the Lord would let them capture us. So we will get ready in the middle of our lands. We will bring all our armies together. We will not go against them. We will wait until they come against us. So, as the Lord lives, if we do this, he will let us capture them.

### The People Gather Together

In the seventeenth year, at the end of the year, Lachoneus’ message had gone out through all the land. The people took their horses, chariots, cattle, all their animals, herds, their grain, and everything they owned. They marched out by thousands and tens of thousands. They all went to the place they were told to go. They would meet there to protect themselves from their enemies. The place they were told to go was the land of Zarahemla. It was also the land between the land of Zarahemla and the land Bountiful. It went up to the line between the land Bountiful and the land Desolation. There were many thousands of people called Nephites. They came together in this land. Lachoneus had them meet in the southern land. This was because there was a great curse on the northern land.

They built walls to protect themselves from their enemies. They lived in one land and stayed together as one group. They were afraid of the words Lachoneus had said. So much that they turned away from all their sins. They prayed to the Lord their God. They asked him to save them when their enemies came down to fight them. They were very sad because of their enemy. Gidgiddoni had them make all kinds of weapons for war. They became strong with armor, shields, and bucklers. He taught them how.

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*Source: [The Book of Mormon](https://bookofmormon.com/simple/3-nephi/3)*
