Helem was one of three brethren whom Ammon, a descendant of Zarahemla, took with him on the expedition to the land of Nephi around 121 B.C.; the other two were Amaleki and Hem (Mosiah 7:6). King Mosiah had sent sixteen strong men, led by Ammon, to learn what had become of the people who had left Zarahemla to dwell in the land of Lehi-Nephi and had not been heard from since (Mosiah 7:1-5).
On reaching the land of Nephi, Helem and his companions were taken by the king’s guard, bound, and held in prison for two days. They were then brought before the king, who identified himself as Limhi, son of Noah, son of Zeniff, and they explained who they were (Mosiah 7:7-9). Ammon and his brethren afterward led Limhi’s people out by night, around the land of Shilom, and back to Zarahemla, where they became subjects of Mosiah (Mosiah 22:11-13). The record names Helem only in this account and gives no further detail about his life.