THE DAYS OF THE JUDGES--THEIR NAMES AND REIGNS--THE HERESY OF
NEHOR--HE SLAYS GIDEON AND IS EXECUTED--AMLICI'S REBELLION--THE
BATTLE OF AMNIHU--THE CONFLICT AT THE CROSSING OF THE SIDON--A THIRD
BATTLE.
(ALMA CHAP. 1 TO 3.)
For a period of about one hundred and twenty years succeeding the
death of king Mosiah, the Nephite commonwealth was governed by judges.
These were chosen by the united voice of the people, as provided in
the constitution framed under Divine inspiration by the last king, and
acknowledged as the supreme law of the nation, through its unanimous
acceptance as such, by the entire people. At the end of this period the
republic was overthrown through the great wickedness of all classes
of the community, and the people divided themselves into numerous
independent tribes.
It is not actually certain that the Book of Mormon gives us the names
of all the Nephite chief judges. In the earlier portion of the annals
of these times the order of succession is plainly stated, but in the
record of later years the name of the judge is sometimes only mentioned
incidentally in the historic narrative. It is therefore beyond our
power to determine if there were, or were not, others whose names have
been omitted by the sacred historians. The judges mentioned by name or
description are twelve in number. Of these, five, Pahoran II., Cezoram,
Cezoram's son (whose name is not given), Seezoram and Lachoneus
II., were assassinated; one, Pacumeni, was slain in battle with the
Lamanites; two, Alma and Nephi, were translated or taken by the Lord;
three, Nephihah, Pahoran I., and Helaman, died a natural death, whilst
of the manner of the decease of one, Lachoneus I., we have no record.
They judged the Nephites in the following order: 1 Alma (the younger),
from B. C. 91 to B. C. 83; 2 Nephihah, from B. C. 83 to B. C. 68; 3
Pahoran I., from B. C. 68 to B. C. 53; 4 Pahoran II., from B. C. 52
to B. C. 52; 5 Pacumeni, from B. C. 52 to B. C. 51; 6 Helaman (the
younger), from B. C. 50 to B. C. 39; 7 Nephi, from B. C. 39 to B. C.
30; 8 Cezoram, from B. C. 30 to B. C. 26; 9 Cezoram's son, from B. C.
26 to B. C. 26; 10 Seezoram, B. C. -- to B. C. 23, 11 Lachoneus I., from
-- to --; 12 Lachoneus II., from -- to A. C. 30.
It is possible that some unnamed judge may have ruled the Nephites for
a short time after the murder of Cezoram's son, and before Seezoram
was chosen, and still more probable that one or more rulers presided
over the destinies of the nation between the death of Seezoram and the
election of Lachoneus I., as there was a space of fifty-three years
between the murder of Seezoram and that of Lachoneus II., who succeeded
his father. Alma, the son of Alma, was the first chief judge of the
Nephite republic, having been called to that high position before the
death of king Mosiah.
* * * * *
It was the first year of Alma's reign. Could our readers have taken
a glimpse at the fair capital of the Nephites at that time (B. C.
91), already rich in the awards of human industry, combined with the
lavish productions of nature in that much favored land, they might have
noticed in the principal street, a portly, handsome man, manifesting
in his carriage the evidence of great bodily strength, combined with
vanity, self-sufficiency and subtlety. They might have observed that
his raiment was made of the finest fabrics that the looms of Zarahemla
could produce, lavishly embroidered and ornamented with labors of the
cunning workman in silk, in feathers and the precious metals, whilst
at his side hung a richly decorated sword. This man was no king, no
governor, no general of the armies of Israel; he was simply Nehor,
the successful religious charlatan of the hour, to whom the unstable
listened and the weak-minded flocked. His teachings had at any rate
the interest of novelty to the Nephites, yet some of his theories were
older than Idumea. They had been rejected in the counsels of heaven
before Lucifer, the son of the morning, fell. He would save all men in
their sins and with their sins; he abolished hell, established a paid
order of priests, and taught doctrines so liberal that every man could
be a member of his church and yet continue to gratify every vice his
nature inclined to. For this liberality of doctrine, Nehor expected
in return liberality of support for himself and assistants, in which
anticipation he was not disappointed. Many adopted his heresies; his
success fired his zeal and developed his vanity. He was so used to the
sycophancy of his converts that he was restive under contradiction,
and when Gideon, the aged patriot, and teacher in the true church,
one day met him in the streets of Zarahemla and upbraided him for his
wicked course, neither respecting his great age nor his many virtues,
Nehor drew his sword and smote him till he died. For this wilful and
unprovoked crime, the murderer was tried, convicted, and afterward
executed. His execution took place on the hill Manti, and, from the way
in which his death is spoken of, we imagine that he was hanged.
Though Nehor's shameful life was thus ended, unfortunately his doctrine
did not die with him. It was too pleasant to those who desired to gain
heaven without a life of righteousness. Consequently it spread widely
through the teachings of his followers. In later years the traitorous
Amlicites, the apostate Amalekites, the blood-thirsty Amulonites and
Ammonihahites, were all believers in his soul-destroying doctrines.
The bloodshed, the misery produced, the treasure expended through the
wickedness and folly of these base creatures, cannot be computed.
The increase of these false teachers among the Nephites rapidly
developed class distinctions and social divisions; their adherents
being generally gathered from amongst those who loved the vain things
of the world. Naturally they became proud and overbearing, and bitter
in their feelings towards the members of the true church of Christ.
Many of the latter received severe persecution at the hands of the
dissenters and bore it without retaliation, while others returned
insult for insult and gave blow for blow.
The example of these self-appointed teachers produced a like spirit
throughout their churches, and their members became idle and full of
devices to enable them to live without honest toil. They gave way to
sorcery and idolatry, to robbery and murder, and to all manner of
wickedness, for which offenses they were duly punished according to the
law, whenever conviction could be obtained, and when the intent of the
law was not thwarted by their unholy combinations. This development
of priestcraft also gave rise to another evil. Many belonging to the
apostate churches, though not willing to openly plunder or murder for
gain, were anxious for a monarchy to be established, that thereby they
might be appointed office holders, etc., and fatten at the public
crib. Their hope and intention was to destroy the church of God, and
undoubtedly to despoil its members.
In the fifth year of the Judges, a willing instrument arose to effect
their purpose. His name was Amlici, a follower of Nehor, corrupt and
ambitious, but cunning in the wisdom of the world. He was chosen by
the enemies of the commonwealth to be the king of the Nephites. The
whole question was brought before the people at a general election, as
provided by the code of Mosiah. The monarchists were out-voted; the
republic and the church were saved.
This should have ended the matter, but it did not; the turbulent
minority, incited by Amlici, would not accept this constitutional
decision. They assembled and crowned their favorite as king of the
Nephites, and he at once began to prepare for war, that he might force
the rest of the people to accept his government. Nor was Alma idle;
he also made ready for the impending contest. He gathered his people
and armed them with all the weapons known to Nephite warfare. The two
armies of those who so short a time before were brethren, met near a
hill called Amnihu, on the east bank of the river Sidon. There a bloody
battle followed, in which Amlici's forces were disastrously defeated
with a loss of 12,532 men, whilst the victors had to mourn the loss of
6,562 warriors slain.
After pursuing the defeated monarchists as far as he was able, Alma
rested his troops in the valley of Gideon (named after the martyr slain
by Nehor). He there took the precaution to send out four officers
with their companies to watch the movements and learn the intentions
of the retreating foe. These officers were named Zeram, Amnor, Manti
and Limher. On the morrow these scouts returned in great haste, and
reported that the Amlicites had joined a vast host of Lamanites in the
land Minon, where unitedly they were slaying the Nephite population and
ravaging their possessions; at the same time they were pushing rapidly
towards the Nephite capital with the intent of capturing it before
Alma's army could return. Alma at once headed his troops for Zarahemla,
and with all haste marched toward it. He reached the crossing of the
Sidon without meeting the enemy, but while attempting to pass to the
western bank he was confronted by the allied armies.
[Illustration: WILDERNESS OF HERMOUNTS.]
A terrible battle ensued; the Nephites were taken somewhat at a
disadvantage, but being men of faith, they fervently sought Heaven's
aid, and in the increased fervor this faith inspired, they hastened
to the combat. With Alma at their head, the advanced guard forded
the river and broke upon the enemy who stood awaiting them. By the
impetuosity of their charge they drove in the ranks of the enemy, and
as they pushed onward they cleared the ground by throwing the bodies
of their fallen foes into the Sidon, thus making an opening for the
main body to obtain a foothold. In this charge Alma met Amlici face
to face, and they fought desperately. In the midst of this hand to
hand combat, Alma lifted his heart on high, and prayed for renewed
strength that he might not be overpowered, but live to do more good to
his people. His prayers were answered, and thereby he gained new vigor
to battle with and eventually slay Amlici. Amlici slain, Alma led the
attack to where the king of the Lamanites fought. But that monarch
retired before the impetuous valor of the high priest and commanded his
guards to close in upon his assailant. The order was promptly obeyed,
but it did not succeed. Alma and his guards bore down upon them with
such fury that the few of the monarch's warriors who escaped made
a hasty retreat. Pushing steadily on, Alma kept driving the allies
before him, until his whole army had crossed the Sidon. There the
enemy, no longer able to meet his well ordered advance, broke in all
directions, and retreated into the wilderness that lay to the north and
west. They were hotly pursued by the Nephites as long as the latter's
strength permitted, and were met on all quarters by patriots rallying
to the call of the commonwealth who slew them by thousands. A remnant
eventually reached that part of the wilderness known as Hermounts.
There many died and were devoured by the wild beasts and vultures with
which that region abounded.
A few days after this decisive battle, another invading Lamanite army
appeared. This one advanced along the east bank of the Sidon. Alma,
having been wounded, sent one of his officers, who met the hosts of the
Lamanites, and drove them back to their own lands.