More Than 20,000 Nephites Go North

In the beginning of 56 BC, Shiblon took charge of the sacred things that Alma had given to Helaman. Shiblon was a just man who did good continually. He kept the commandments of the Lord his God, like his brother, Helaman.

By the end of 56 BC, Moroni had died. In 55 BC, 5,400 men took their families out of the land of Zarahemla and traveled to the northern land. One man, named Hagoth, was very curious and adventurous. He built a very large ship and launched it into the western sea.

By the end of 55 BC, many Nephite men, women, and children had boarded this ship, which sailed north, carrying many provisions.

In 54 BC, Hagoth built other ships. The first ship returned, and many more people boarded the ship with many provisions, and the ship sailed north a second time. They were never heard of again, and we think they were drowned in the depths of the sea. And one other ship sailed to a destination not known to us.

In 54 BC, many people went to the northern land. In 53 BC, Shiblon died, and Corianton was gone, having boarded a ship to deliver provisions to the people who had gone to the northern land.

Before he died, Shiblon gave those sacred things to Helaman’s son, Helaman.

Now all the engravings on the plates held by Helaman were published and distributed among the people throughout the land. Only those parts of the record that Alma had commanded not to go forth were not published.

Those things were to be kept sacred and handed down from one generation to another.

In the same year that Helaman had been given the sacred things, some dissenters had gone to the Lamanites and had stirred them up again to be angry with the Nephites. That year, the Lamanites came with a numerous army to war against the army of Moronihah, but the army was beaten, driven back to their own lands, suffering great losses.

This is how 53 BC ended. This is the end of the account of Alma, and of his sons, Helaman and Shiblon.