Now we commence the history made by Helaman, the eldest son of Alma. He says the people were so grateful to have won the war of threatened annihilation by the Lamanites that the people engaged in a great thanksgiving to God with prayer and fasting.
This marks the beginning of the 19th year of the judges or 73 B.C. This was the year that Alma, the father of Helaman, ended his earthly career. In preparing to turn over the sacred Nephite records to Helaman, Alma asked his son and successor a series of questions.