Helaman, the eldest son of Alma², received from his father the Nephite records, the plates of brass, the twenty-four Jaredite plates, the interpreters (Urim and Thummim), and the Liahona, with the charge to keep a record of the people on the plates of Nephi (Alma 37:1-2, 21, 24, 38-41).
With his brethren he established the church again throughout the land and appointed priests and teachers over the churches; some afterward dissented and would not heed him (Alma 45:22-23). He and his brethren preached the word and baptized all who would hearken, and were named among the high priests over the church (Alma 46:6); their teaching brought four years free of war and, later, continual peace and prosperity in the church (Alma 48:19-20, 49:30).
During the war with the Lamanites, two thousand young men, sons of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies, took up arms and asked Helaman to lead them (Alma 53:19). In the twenty-sixth year he marched at the head of these two thousand to the city of Judea to support Antipus (Alma 56:9). After returning to attack a pursuing Lamanite army that had overtaken Antipus, Helaman numbered his young men and found that not one had been killed; they told him their mothers had taught them that God would deliver them if they did not doubt (Alma 56:47-56). He continued in further campaigns, his force later increased to two thousand and sixty, and reported his actions in letters to Captain Moroni (Alma 57:1-4, 56:20-23, 28, 58:1-28).
After the wars Helaman returned to preaching and, with his brethren, made a regulation in the church again and brought many to repentance and baptism (Alma 62:44-46). He died in the thirty-fifth year of the reign of the judges, 57 B.C. (Alma 62:52).