Alma 51:1-10

Chapter 51

The king–men seek to change the law and set up a king—Pahoran and the freemen are supported by the voice of the people—Moroni compels the king–men to defend their liberty or be put to death—Amalickiah and the Lamanites capture many fortified cities—Teancum repels the Lamanite invasion and slays Amalickiah in his tent. About 67–66 B.C.

¹ AND now it came to pass in the commencement of the twenty and fifth year of the reign of the judges [67 B.C.]  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; 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.

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. 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 51:1 – 4 (Emphasis mine)

We read that there had been peace for a time.  Now, that is threatened by a new group of dissenters.  These people wanted a king.  They petitioned the chief judge, asking him to change the law.

Pahoran refuses.  This angers those who want a king and “there arose a warms dispute concerning the matter, but not unto bloodshed.”

“When a faction desiring to overthrow the free government and establish a king tries to change the law, Pahoran, we are told, does not ‘hearken to those who had sent in their voices with their petitions concerning the altering of the law’ (Alma 51:3). When the king-men still try to get their way, it is others—not Pahoran—who resist them. Moroni, especially, rises to the fore with his petition to Pahoran representing "the voice of the people" in asking to be granted the ‘power to compel those dissenters to defend their country or to put them to death’ (Alma 51:15).”[1]   (Emphasis mine)

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. 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 religion by a free government.

Alma 51:5 – 6 (Emphasis mine)

The group fighting for change was called “king-men.”  They wanted “to overthrow the free government and to establish a king over the land.”

John Tvedtnes writes about the possible background of the “king-men.”  “The name Mulek comes from the Hebrew root *mlk for ‘king,’ and it may be that the ‘king-men’ of the Book of Mormon were, in fact, Mulekites (see Alma 51:5). The text informs us that these were people of ‘high birth’ (Alma 51:8), ‘who professed the blood of nobility’ (Alma 51:21), and who felt that they should rule — perhaps because of descent from King Zarahemla or King Zedekiah of Judah.”^[2] 

The group supporting Pahoran were called “freemen.”  Mormon tells us “the freemen had sworn or covenanted to maintain their rights and the privileges of their religion by a free government.”

⁷ And it came to pass that this matter of their contention was settled by the voice of the people.  And it came to pass that the voice of the people came in favor of the freemen, and Pahoran retained the judgment–seat, which caused much rejoicing among the brethren of Pahoran and also many of the people of liberty, who also put the king–men to silence, that they durst not oppose but were obliged to maintain the cause of freedom. ⁸ Now those who were in favor of kings were those of high birth, and they sought to be kings; and they were supported by those who sought power and authority over the people.

⁹ But behold, this was a critical time for such contentions to be among the people of Nephi; for behold, Amalickiah had again stirred up the hearts of the people of the Lamanites against the people of the Nephites, and he was gathering together soldiers from all parts of his land, and arming them, and preparing for war with all diligence; for he had sworn to drink the blood of Moroni.

¹⁰ But behold, we shall see that his promise which he made was rash; nevertheless, he did prepare himself and his armies to come to battle against the Nephites.

Alma 51:7 – 10 (Emphasis mine)

A vote was held.  The voice of the people was heard.  The results were “in favor of the freemen, and Pahoran retained the judgment-seat.”  The issue should have been settled.

The “king-men” were “those of high birth, and they sought to be kings.”  They refused to accept the results.

Making an appearance again was Amalickiah.  It is probably no coincidence that Amalickiah reappears in the record at this time.  “[T]he royalists had not played all their cards; their agitation had been timed to coincide with a move from the direction of their banished leader Amalickiah, who ‘had again stirred up the … Lamanites … and [was] preparing for war with all diligence’ (Alma 51:9). Counting on Amalickiah's aid, the beaten party ‘were glad in their hearts’ of his approach, and ‘refused to take up arms’ to resist it, being ‘wroth with the chief judge, and also with the people of liberty’ who had given them a setback (Alma 51:13).[3]

Mormon then breaks in to give us a brief preview of what will happen in his narrative.  Referring to Amalickiah’s oath to drink the blood of Moroni(1), he writes, “we shall see that his promise which he made was rash.”

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[1] "Their Fathers" - Letters and Autobiography, Richard Dilworth Rust, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed April 18, 2012.

[2] Book of Mormon Tribal Affiliation and Military Castes, John A. Tvedtnes, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed April 18, 2012.

[3] A Rigorous Test: Military History, Hugh Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed April 18, 2012.