The people at Nephi’s garden were a crowd that gathered around a tower in the garden of Nephi, which stood by the highway leading to the chief market in the city of Zarahemla. Men passing by saw Nephi mourning and praying on the tower, ran and told others, and multitudes came together to learn the cause (Helaman 7:10-12). Nephi addressed them, and judges who belonged to the secret band of Gadianton tried to stir the crowd against him, calling for him to be seized for reviling the people and their law (Helaman 8:1-7). Some in the crowd defended him, saying, “Let this man alone, for he is a good man, and those things which he saith will surely come to pass except we repent” (Helaman 8:7). These defenders affirmed that the judgments Nephi had testified of would come upon them, that he had spoken rightly concerning their iniquities, and that he could not have testified of such things had he not been a prophet (Helaman 8:8-9). Because the crowd feared the people who favored Nephi, those who sought to destroy him did not lay hands on him, and he resumed speaking (Helaman 8:10).