Alma 61

Soon Moroni got this reply from Pahoran:

From: Pahoran

To: Moroni, Big Chief

I take no joy in your suffering. Some do. Quite a few, actually. They have formed a coalition against me and all other freemen.

They are to blame. They’re good rhetoricians, high-end Pr folks who get signatures on petitions and whip up crowds. And they oppose military support. Meanwhile, political opportunists, even among the freemen, get cowed by these types.

I myself have been run out of town to Gideon. I have a small entourage. I’ve had couriers carry a proclamation to gather here and help out our cause. We’ve gotten enough support to stave off attacks by monarchists. The latter, however, basically run the show now. They have their own king, an ambitious whack-job who has forged an alliance with the Lamanite king in which he basically cedes to the Lamanites non-Zarahemla territory in exchange for continued kingship of Zarahemla. It’s a convoluted, untrustworthy pact.

Now you’ve gotten on my case. Jumped on it, really. No problem: I’m not angry, don’t resent you, don’t hate you. You’re a good man. I’m a good man too. I have no hunger for power. But I would like to keep my judgeship, because I care about fundamental rights. King’s don’t. I’m bound to protect people from being bound. For me it’s a spiritual duty.

I don’t want to kill anyone. But I’ll stand my ground. We will, I should say, my allies and I, just like bees who get their hive kicked. We’ll swarm and sting in our own defense.

If I felt God was commanding a new form of government, I’d accept it. But this is pure power-grabbing by people who think they’re entitled to opulence and worship.

God wants to be our only king. Trust in him, he’s said, and he’ll flush out our enemies. And flush them down.

So let’s join ourselves in resistance, my brother. Anything we can’t stave off with words we’ll stave off with staves. This is really about religious liberty—liberty for our religion, at least—and, I don’t know about you, but I can’t see any other bastion of real happiness for the community.

I’d appreciate you and a few of your men coming here soon. (Leave the rest under the command of Lehi and Teancum, who can handle current skirmishes.

I’ve even sent them some provisions, hoping that would sweeten the pot.) Let’s put some muscle behind our speeches. Together, we can beat these savages.

I’m actually glad you wrote, because I didn’t know what to do that wouldn’t get us in trouble with someone. I accept now that, unless they clean up their act, we should kill every last one of them. And I’m thought to be a pretty religious guy.

Tell Lehi and Teancum to buck up. God’s in charge. He’ll lead the true freemen in a righteous and unloseable war.

Vulnerably yours,

Pahoran