Famine is an affliction that smote people who were unfaithful, when they “did not prosper nor progress in their journey” and were driven back (Mosiah 1:17). Nephi asked that famine come instead of destruction by the sword, and “there was a great famine upon the land, among all the people of Nephi”. The earth “did not yield forth grain in the season of grain” among Lamanites and Nephites (Helaman 11:4-8).
During the famine, people “did perish by thousands in the more wicked parts of the land” and pleaded with their leaders to ask Nephi to turn it away (Helaman 11:4-8). After the people repented and humbled themselves, Nephi asked the Lord to “cause that this famine may cease” and send rain so the earth could bring forth fruit and grain (Helaman 11:9-15). Under King Heth, a great dearth came because “there was no rain upon the face of the earth,” and rain later came upon the earth (Ether 9:28-35).