Alma 60:1-8

Chapter 60 contains Moroni₁’s epistle to the chief judge, Pahoran.  This epistle illustrates the complex nature of Moroni₁’s personality.  We’ve seen his genius as a military strategist and leader of men.  He’s committed to his soldiers and their needs. 

But, we’ve also seen the quick to anger and impulsive Moroni₁. (See his negotiations with Ammoron.  He called him “a child of hell” [Alma 54:11], not the wisest approach during a negotiation.  Ammoron ends up to agreeing to his terms for a prisoner exchange [Alma 54:20], but Moroni₁ is so angered that, even though he got the terms he wanted, he rejects a prisoner exchange [Alma 55:2]).

In this epistle, we once again see the angry and impulsive Moroni₁. 

Chapter 60

Moroni complains to Pahoran of the government's neglect of the armies—The Lord suffers the righteous to be slain—The Nephites must use all of their power and means to deliver themselves from their enemies—Moroni threatens to fight against the government unless help is supplied to his armies. About 62 B.C.

¹ AND it came to pass that he wrote again to the governor of the land, who was Pahoran, and these are the words which he wrote, saying: Behold, I direct mine epistle to Pahoran, in the city of Zarahemla, who is the chief judge and the governor over the land, and also to all those who have been chosen by this people to govern and manage the affairs of this war. ² For behold, I have somewhat to say unto them by the way of condemnation; for behold, ye yourselves know that ye have been appointed to gather together men, and arm them with swords, and with cimeters, and all manner of weapons of war of every kind, and send forth against the Lamanites, in whatsoever parts they should come into our land. ³ And now behold, I say unto you that myself, and also my men, and also Helaman and his men, have suffered exceedingly great sufferings; yea, even hunger, thirst, and fatigue, and all manner of afflictions of every kind.

⁴ But behold, were this all we had suffered we would not murmur nor complain.

Alma 60:1-4 (Emphasis mine)

Helaman₂ has written and ask for reinforcements and provisions and twice mentions he received no response.  Moroni₁, too, has not heard from the government.  He is rightfully unhappy with this apparent lack of support. 

He begins by telling them he has “somewhat to say unto them by the way “of condemnation.”  He makes his unhappiness very clear. 

He reminds them of their responsibility to provide men and armaments.  They sent them throughout the land to battle the Lamanites. 

They have suffered many things (“myself, and also my men, and also Helaman and his men, have suffered exceedingly great sufferings”).  He continues telling them “were this all we had suffered we would not murmur nor complain.” 

Richard Rust looks at the epistle.

“The tone of Moroni's epistle is described by Hugh Nibley: ‘The letter seethes with the resentment of the man at the front for the easy-living ways of the “VIP's” back at the capital—the old misunderstandings between the “office” and the “field.”' In his thorough analysis of the letter, Nibley goes on to say:

“’Moroni was bursting with pent-up emotions and the accumulated memories of reverses that could have been avoided and operations that could have ended the war had the necessary support been forthcoming from home. He knows, as Helaman suspects, that someone in high places is working against him, and for his noble and idealistic nature the thought that anyone should make capital of the miseries of others was simply maddening.’

“Granted the bursting of pent-up emotions, the epistle nevertheless has a shape of development that makes it powerful and persuasive. (Moroni is incorrect in his surmise concerning Pahoran, yet he is right in his main suspicion, and the force of his challenge impels Pahoran to decisive action.) Though directing his epistle to Pahoran specifically, Moroni at first speaks generally ‘by the way of condemnation’ to ‘those who have been chosen by this people to govern and manage the affairs of this war’ (Alma 60:2, 1). He reminds them of their responsibility, tells how he and others have suffered afflictions, and then recounts the slaughter among the people—which, he asserts, might have been otherwise "if ye had rendered unto our armies sufficient strength and succor for them" (Alma 60:5).”[1]

⁵ But behold, great has been the slaughter among our people; yea, thousands have fallen by the sword, while it might have otherwise been if ye had rendered unto our armies sufficient strength and succor for them.  Yea, great has been your neglect towards us. ⁶ And now behold, we desire to know the cause of this exceedingly great neglect; yea, we desire to know the cause of your thoughtless state.

⁷ Can you think to sit upon your thrones in a state of thoughtless stupor, while your enemies are spreading the work of death around you?  Yea, while they are murdering thousands of your brethren— ⁸ Yea, even they who have looked up to you for protection, yea, have placed you in a situation that ye might have succored them, yea, ye might have sent armies unto them, to have strengthened them, and have saved thousands of them from falling by the sword.

Alma 60:5-8 (Emphasis mine)

Thousands of our people have been slaughtered because you, our government, did not provide us with “sufficient strength and succor.”  Moroni₁ demands that he received an explanation.  Hugh Nibley writes, “[h]e admits his ignorance of the situation and asks for information, and yet he cannot resist passing judgment with a peevish and quite unjustified charge of negligence: ‘We desire to know the cause of this ... neglect; yea ... of your thoughtless state’ (Alma 60:6—7).”[2]

We see an example of chiasmus in these verses.   

A  But behold, great has been the slaughter among our people; yea, thousands have

    fallen by the sword,

          B  while it might have otherwise been if ye had rendered unto our armies

               sufficient strength and succor for them. 

               C  Yea, great has been your neglect towards us.

                   D  And now behold, we desire to know the cause of this exceedingly great

                         neglect; yea, we desire to know the cause of your thoughtless state.

                   D’ Can you think to sit upon your thrones in a state of thoughtless stupor,

                         while your enemies are spreading the work of death around you?  Yea,

                         while they are murdering thousands of your brethren—

            B’ Yea, even they who have looked up to you for protection, yea, have

                 placed you in a situation that ye might have succored them, yea, ye might

                 have sent armies unto them, to have strengthened them,

A’ and have saved thousands of them from falling by the sword.

He continues his accusations.  Can you think to sit upon your thrones in a state of thoughtless stupor, while your enemies are spreading the work of death around you?”  He reminds them again that he has placed them in a situation where support might have saved thousands. 

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[1] "Their Fathers" - Letters and Autobiography, Richard Dilworth Rust, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed May 20, 2012.

[2] A Rigorous Test: Military History, Hugh Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed May 20, 2012.

Alma 59:1-13

The break Mormon takes to share Helaman₂’s epistle covers a four-year period, from 66 B.C. to 62 B.C.  Mormon picks up the story again, turning his attention to General Moroni₁.

Chapter 59

Moroni asks Pahoran to strengthen the forces of Helaman—The Lamanites take the city of Nephihah—Moroni is angry with the government. About 62 B.C.

¹ NOW it came to pass in the thirtieth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi [62 B.C.], after Moroni had received and had read Helaman's epistle, he was exceedingly rejoiced because of the welfare, yea, the exceeding success which Helaman had had, in obtaining those lands which were lost.   ² Yea, and he did make it known unto all his people, in all the land round about in that part where he was, that they might rejoice also.

³ And it came to pass that he immediately sent an epistle to Pahoran, desiring that he should cause men to be gathered together to strengthen Helaman, or the armies of Helaman, insomuch that he might with ease maintain that part of the land which he had been so miraculously prospered in regaining. ⁴ And it came to pass when Moroni had sent this epistle to the land of Zarahemla, he began again to lay a plan that he might obtain the remainder of those possessions and cities which the Lamanites had taken from them.

Alma 59:1-4 (Emphasis mine)

Moroni₁ “was exceedingly rejoiced” because of Helaman₂’s success “in obtaining those lands which were lost.”  He shared this epistle with “all his people, in all the land round about in that part where he was, that they might rejoice also.” 

Helaman₂ raises the question about the lack of support from home twice in his epistle (see Alma 58:9, 34-36).  Moroni₁ has the same concerns.  “Moroni had been wondering about the breakdown of communications also. At once he sat down and sent an urgent dispatch to Zarahemla, addressed directly to the chief of state, urging that help be sent to Helaman without further delay (Alma 59:3).”[1]

He then “began again to lay a plan that he might obtain the remainder of those possessions and cities which the Lamanites had taken from them.”

⁵ And it came to pass that while Moroni was thus making preparations to go against the Lamanites to battle, behold, the people of Nephihah, who were gathered together from the city of Moroni and the city of Lehi and the city of Morianton, were attacked by the Lamanites. ⁶ Yea, even those who had been compelled to flee from the land of Manti, and from the land round about, had come over and joined the Lamanites in this part of the land.

⁷ And thus being exceedingly numerous, yea, and receiving strength from day to day, by the command of Ammoron they came forth against the people of Nephihah, and they did begin to slay them with an exceedingly great slaughter. ⁸ And their armies were so numerous that the remainder of the people of Nephihah were obliged to flee before them; and they came even and joined the army of Moroni.

Alma 59:5-8 (Emphasis mine)

Moroni₁ began to make an ambitious plan to battle the Lamanites.  Hugh Nibley tells us what happens.  “[The plan] was never put into operation, however, because the Lamanites beat Moroni to the punch with a massive attack on the people of Nephihah, whose survivors came streaming to Moroni's camp (Alma 59:5—8). It seems that Moroni had made a serious mistake in overestimating the defensive strength of Nephihah (Alma 59:9)…”[2]

The Lamanites “did begin to slay [the people of Nephihah] with an exceedingly great slaughter.”  They fled, escaping the slaughter, and “joined the army of Moroni.”

⁹ And now as Moroni had supposed that there should be men sent to the city of Nephihah, to the assistance of the people to maintain that city, and knowing that it was easier to keep the city from falling into the hands of the Lamanites than to retake it from them, he supposed that they would easily maintain that city. ¹⁰ Therefore he retained all his force to maintain those places which he had recovered.

¹¹ And now, when Moroni saw that the city of Nephihah was lost he was exceedingly sorrowful, and began to doubt, because of the wickedness of the people, whether they should not fall into the hands of their brethren. ¹² Now this was the case with all his chief captains.  They doubted and marveled also because of the wickedness of the people, and this because of the success of the Lamanites over them. ¹³ And it came to pass that Moroni was angry with the government, because of their indifference concerning the freedom of their country.

Alma 59:9-13 (Emphasis mine)

Moroni₁ knew that it was easier to hold onto a city than to have to retake a city.  In spite of his hope to keep Nephihah, he would see that the city was lost.

“[H]is grand design collapsed and he was greatly out of sorts, blaming the failure of the operation onto "the wickedness of the people" while his staff stood around nodding agreement, and berating the indifference of the government, with which he was very angry (Alma 59:11—13).”[3]

Moroni₁ was “angry with the government.  He was tired of being ignored and having to deal with “their indifference concerning the freedom of their country.”

“Although the Nephites finally rout the Lamanite aggressors, they come so close to defeat that even the great Moroni, who had before guaranteed victory in his polemical epistle to Ammoron (see Alma 54:5—14), begins to doubt the outcome (see Alma 59:11—12). The Book of Mormon leaves no room to speculate about why the Nephites brush up against destruction at this point in their history. It is not because their system of government goes bad but because it comes perilously close to being overthrown.”[4]

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

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] For the Peace of the People: War and Democracy in the Book of Mormon, Ryan W. Davis, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed May 18, 2012.