The record of Helaman, son of Alma, is ended and Helaman’s son, Helaman continues the record. Thus Alma chapters forty-five through sixty-two, eighteen chapters, are an abridgement of the record of Helaman, son of Alma, but included in the book of Alma (see superscription of Alma 45). The sixty-third chapter was abridged from the record of Helaman, but was written by Shiblon, the brother of Helaman (v. 17, see also v.1). Alma sixty-three covers just four years of the Nephite account, the thirty-fifth through the thirty-ninth, the years lived by Shiblon after Helaman died.
That the Nephite people had the opportunity to read some of the records has not been mentioned before (Alma 63:12), although it has been assumed. There were some records that were not made accessible (vv. 12–13).
All of the historical facts mentioned in the above verses are general and need no further commentary.