# Helaman 2

*Simple English*

### Helaman Becomes Judge

In the forty-second year of the judges’ rule, Moronihah had made peace again between the Nephites and the Lamanites. There was no one to fill the judgment seat. So there was another fight about who should fill the judgment seat. The people chose Helaman, who was the son of Helaman, to fill the judgment seat.

### Gadianton’s Secret Group

But Kishkumen, who had murdered Pahoran, hid and waited to kill Helaman too. His group supported him. They had promised that no one would find out about his evil deeds. There was a man named Gadianton. He was very good with words and clever at his work. He carried out secret murders and robberies. So he became the leader of Kishkumen’s group. He made big promises to them and to Kishkumen. He said if they would make him judge, he would give his group members power and high positions among the people. So Kishkumen tried to kill Helaman.

### The Servant Tricks Kishkumen

As he went toward the judgment seat to kill Helaman, one of Helaman’s servants had been out at night. He wore a disguise and learned about the group’s plans to kill Helaman. He met Kishkumen and gave him a secret sign. So Kishkumen told him what he wanted to do. He wanted the servant to take him to the judgment seat so he could murder Helaman. When the servant learned everything in Kishkumen’s heart, he knew his goal was to murder. He also knew that everyone in his group wanted to murder, rob, and get power. This was their secret plan. The servant said to Kishkumen: Let’s go to the judgment seat. This made Kishkumen very happy. He thought he would succeed with his plan. But as they were going to the judgment seat, Helaman’s servant stabbed Kishkumen right in the heart. He fell dead without a sound. The servant ran and told Helaman everything he had seen, heard, and done.

### Gadianton Escapes

Helaman sent people to capture this group of robbers and secret murderers. He wanted them to be punished by law. But when Gadianton saw that Kishkumen did not come back, he was afraid he would be killed. So he made his group follow him. They ran away from the land by a secret path into the wilderness. When Helaman sent people to capture them, they could not be found anywhere.

We will talk more about this Gadianton later. This was the end of the forty-second year of the judges’ rule over the Nephites. At the end of this book, you will see that this Gadianton caused the downfall of the Nephites. He almost destroyed them completely. I don’t mean the end of the Book of Helaman. I mean the end of the Book of Nephi. That’s where I got all the information I have written.

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*Source: [The Book of Mormon](https://bookofmormon.com/simple/helaman/2)*
