Nephi, Falsely Accused, Exposes Murderer

When Nephi said this, five men ran to the judgment-seat. As they ran, they said to each other, “Now we will know for sure if God has really commanded Nephi to prophesy such incredible things to us. We do not believe that he is a prophet, but if what Nephi said about the chief judge is true, then we will believe his other words.”

The five men quickly ran to the judgment-seat and found the chief judge lying in his blood. They were so astonished that they fell down, for they never thought they would actually see what Nephi had prophesied. Now they knew Nephi was truly a prophet. They were so afraid of God’s judgments upon the people that they trembled and fainted. The judge had been secretly stabbed by his brother, who had run away in disguise. Being the first ones to discover the dead judge, his servants had gone out to tell the people of the murder. The people came to the judgment-seat and were surprised to find the five men lying on the ground. The people did not know anything about the other crowd gathered at Nephi’s garden, so they said, “These men have killed the judge, and God has struck them down so they would not escape!” They tied up the men and carried them off to prison. Then a proclamation was sent throughout the land that the judge had been killed and that his murderers had been captured.

The next day, the people assembled to mourn and fast at the great chief judge’s funeral. The corrupt judges who had heard Nephi in his garden were also there. They asked the people where the five men were, whom they had sent. The people answered, “We do not know anything about five men who were sent by the judges, but we have put five murderers in prison.” The judges called for the five men, and they were the five who had been sent. The judges asked them what had happened. The men reported: “We ran to the judgment-seat, and when we saw that everything of which Nephi had testified was true, we were so shocked that we fainted. When we recovered, we were bound and put into prison. We do not know who killed the chief judge. All we know is that when we went to the judgment-seat as you asked us, we found the judge murdered, just as Nephi said he would be!”

Then the judges explained the matter to the people, accusing Nephi of conspiring with someone to kill the judge. They said, “He told us about this murder, attempting to trick us into converting to his faith, and to get us to believe that he is a great man—a chosen prophet of God. We will question him, and he will confess his guilt and tell us who murdered the judge.” The people untied the five men, but still held them as suspects. These men defended Nephi by arguing with and confounding the judges. But the judges still took Nephi and bound him. They questioned him, trying to trap him with his words. They wanted to trick him into confessing so that they could legally execute him. They said to him, “You have conspired with someone to kill the judge. If you will confess and tell us who killed the judge, we will give you money and spare your life.” Nephi replied, “Oh you fools with unclean hearts. You blind, stubborn people. Do you know how long the Lord your God will tolerate your sins? You should start to howl and mourn because of the great destruction that awaits you if you do not repent. You accuse me of conspiring with someone to murder Seezoram, our chief judge. I testified to you about his murder in order to witness to you that I know about the wickedness among you. Because of this, you now accuse me of conspiring to murder. Because I showed you this sign, you are angry with me and want to put me to death. Now let us see if you will still seek my life after I show you another sign. And this is the other sign:

“Go to the house of Seantum, Seezoram’s brother. Ask him, ‘Has Nephi, the pretended prophet, who prophesies so much evil about our people, conspired with you to murder your brother, Seezoram?’ He will say, ‘No, I have not conspired with Nephi.’ Then ask him if he murdered his brother. He will be afraid and not know what to say. Then he will act surprised, denying everything, and declare his innocence. Then examine his cloak and you will find blood on it. Ask him where the blood came from. Ask him if it is the blood of his brother. Then he will turn pale and shake as if he were about to die. Then say to him, ‘Because you are so afraid and pale, we know you are guilty.’ He will become even more afraid and confess that he murdered his brother. He will tell you that I, Nephi, could only have known these things through the power of God. Then you will know that I am an honest man and have been sent to you from God.”

The people did as Nephi told them. Nephi’s words were true, for Seantum denied the murder and then confessed just as Nephi said he would. Seantum was convicted of murder, and Nephi and the five men were set free.

Some of the Nephites believed Nephi’s testimony and were converted. Others believed the testimony of the five men who had been converted while in prison. Some said, “Nephi is a prophet!” Others said, “He is a god, for only a god could know all things, telling us our thoughts and who murdered our chief judge.”