were led by a man whose name was Morianton, found that the people
of Lehi had fled to the camp of Moroni, they were exceedingly
fearful lest the army of Moroni should come upon them and destroy
them.
Alma 50:29
29 Therefore, Morianton put it into their hearts that they
should flee to the land which was northward, which was covered
with large bodies of water, and take possession of the land which
was northward.
Alma 50:30
30 And behold, they would have carried this plan into effect,
(which would have been a cause to have been lamented) but behold,
Morianton being a man of much passion, therefore he was angry
with one of his maid servants, and he fell upon her and beat her
much.
Alma 50:31
31 And it came to pass that she fled, and came over to the camp
of Moroni, and told Moroni all things concerning the matter, and
also concerning their intentions to flee into the land northward.
Alma 50:32
32 Now behold, the people who were in the land Bountiful, or
rather Moroni, feared that they would hearken to the words of
Morianton and unite with his people, and thus he would obtain
possession of those parts of the land, which would lay a
foundation for serious consequences among the people of Nephi,
yea, which consequences would lead to the overthrow of their
liberty.
Alma 50:33
33 Therefore Moroni sent an army, with their camp, to head the
people of Morianton, to stop their flight into the land
northward.
Alma 50:34
34 And it came to pass that they did not head them until they
had come to the borders of the land Desolation; and there they
did head them, by the narrow pass which led by the sea into the
land northward, yea, by the sea, on the west and on the east.
Alma 50:35
35 And it came to pass that the army which was sent by Moroni,
which was led by a man whose name was Teancum, did meet the
people of Morianton; and so stubborn were the people of
Morianton, (being inspired by his wickedness and his flattering
words) that a battle commenced between them, in the which Teancum
did slay Morianton and defeat his army, and took them prisoners,
and returned to the camp of Moroni. And thus ended the twenty
and fourth year of the reign of the judges over the people of
Nephi.
Alma 50:36
36 And thus were the people of Morianton brought back. And upon
their covenanting to keep the peace they were restored to the
land of Morianton, and a union took place between them and the
people of Lehi; and they were also restored to their lands.
Alma 50:37
37 And it came to pass that in the same year that the people of
Nephi had peace restored unto them, that Nephihah, the second
chief judge, died, having filled the judgment-seat with perfect
uprightness before God.
Alma 50:38
38 Nevertheless, he had refused Alma to take possession of those
records and those things which were esteemed by Alma and his
fathers to be most sacred; therefore Alma had conferred them upon
his son, Helaman.
Alma 50:39
39 Behold, it came to pass that the son of Nephihah was
appointed to fill the judgment-seat, in the stead of his father;
yea, he was appointed chief judge and governor over the people,
with an oath and sacred ordinance to judge righteously, and to
keep the peace and the freedom of the people, and to grant unto
them their sacred privileges to worship the Lord their God, yea,
to support and maintain the cause of God all his days, and to
bring the wicked to justice according to their crime.
Alma 50:40
40 Now behold, his name was Pahoran. And Pahoran did fill the
seat of his father, and did commence his reign in the end of the
twenty and fourth year, over the people of Nephi.
Alma 51 Chapter 51
Alma 51:1
1 And now it came to pass in the commencement of the twenty and
fifth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi,
they having established peace between the people of Lehi and the
people of Morianton concerning their lands, and having commenced
the twenty and fifth year in peace;
Alma 51:2
2 Nevertheless, they did not long maintain an entire peace in
the land, for there began to be a contention among the people
concerning the chief judge Pahoran; for behold, there were a part
of the people who desired that a few particular points of the law
should be altered.
Alma 51:3
3 But behold, Pahoran would not alter nor suffer the law to be
altered; therefore, he did not hearken to those who had sent in
their voices with their petitions concerning the altering of the
law.
Alma 51:4
4 Therefore, those who were desirous that the law should be
altered were angry with him, and desired that he should no longer
be chief judge over the land; therefore there arose a warm
dispute concerning the matter, but not unto bloodshed.
Alma 51:5
5 And it came to pass that those who were desirous that Pahoran
should be dethroned from the judgment-seat were called king-men,
for they were desirous that the law should be altered in a manner
to overthrow the free government and to establish a king over the
land.
Alma 51:6
6 And those who were desirous that Pahoran should remain chief
judge over the land took upon them the name of freemen; and thus
was the division among them, for the freemen had sworn or
covenanted to maintain their rights and the privileges of their