Pahoran’s Sons Fight for Power
At the start of the fortieth year of the judges’ rule over the Nephites, there was a serious problem among them. Pahoran had died. So there was a serious fight about who should be the next judge. Pahoran’s sons were fighting about it. These are the names of those who wanted to be judge: Pahoran, Paanchi, and Pacumeni. They also made the people fight. These were not all of Pahoran’s sons. He had many sons. But these three wanted to be judge. They split the people into three groups.
The people chose Pahoran to be the chief judge and leader over the Nephites. When Pacumeni saw he could not become judge, he accepted what the people wanted. But Paanchi and the people who wanted him to be their leader were very angry. He was about to trick those people into fighting against their brothers. As he was about to do this, he was caught. The people put him on trial and sentenced him to death. He had started a rebellion. He had tried to destroy the people’s freedom.
Kishkumen Murders Pahoran
When the people who wanted him to be their leader saw he was sentenced to death, they were angry. They sent a man named Kishkumen to the judgment seat. He murdered Pahoran while Pahoran was sitting on the judgment seat. Pahoran’s servants chased him. But Kishkumen ran away so fast that no one could catch him. He went back to those who sent him. They all made a promise. They swore by their Eternal Maker that they would not tell anyone that Kishkumen had murdered Pahoran. So the Nephites did not know who Kishkumen was. He wore a disguise when he murdered Pahoran. Kishkumen and his group mixed in with the people so they could not all be found. But those who were found were sentenced to death.
The people chose Pacumeni to be the chief judge and leader. He took his brother Pahoran’s place. This was his right. All this happened in the fortieth year of the judges’ rule. Then it ended.
The Lamanites Attack
In the forty-first year of the judges’ rule, the Lamanites gathered a huge army. They gave them swords, curved swords, bows, arrows, head armor, chest armor, and all kinds of shields. They came down to fight the Nephites. They were led by a man named Coriantumr. He was from Zarahemla’s family. He had left the Nephites. He was a large and mighty man. The king of the Lamanites was named Tubaloth. He was Ammoron’s son. Tubaloth thought Coriantumr was a mighty man. He thought Coriantumr could beat the Nephites with his strength and wisdom. By sending him, he would gain power over the Nephites. So he made them angry. He gathered his armies. He made Coriantumr their leader. He made them march down to Zarahemla to fight the Nephites.
Coriantumr Takes Zarahemla
Because of all the fighting and problems in the government, they had not left enough guards in Zarahemla. They thought the Lamanites would not dare come into the middle of their lands. They thought they would not attack the great city of Zarahemla. But Coriantumr marched at the front of his huge army. He came upon the people of the city. He marched so fast that the Nephites had no time to gather their armies. So Coriantumr killed the guard at the city entrance. He marched with his whole army into the city. They killed everyone who fought against them. They took over the whole city. Pacumeni, the chief judge, ran from Coriantumr to the city walls. Coriantumr hit him against the wall so hard that he died. That was the end of Pacumeni’s days.
When Coriantumr saw he had taken the city of Zarahemla, he saw the Nephites had run away. They had been killed, captured, and put in prison. He had taken the strongest place in all the land. His heart became brave. He was about to go against all the land. He did not stay in Zarahemla. He marched with a large army toward the city of Bountiful. He had decided to fight his way through with the sword. He wanted to get the north parts of the land. He thought their strongest force was in the middle of the land. So he marched on. He gave them no time to gather together except in small groups. This way they attacked them and cut them down to the ground.
Moronihah’s Strategy
But Coriantumr’s march through the middle of the land gave Moronihah a great advantage over them. This was true even though many Nephites were killed. Moronihah had thought the Lamanites would not dare come into the middle of the land. He thought they would attack the cities around the borders like they had done before. So Moronihah had made his strong armies guard those parts around the borders. But the Lamanites were not scared like he wanted. They had come into the middle of the land. They had taken the capital city, which was Zarahemla. They were marching through the most important parts of the land. They were killing many people—men, women, and children. They were taking many cities and strong places.
When Moronihah learned this, he quickly sent Lehi with an army. He sent them around to get ahead of the Lamanites before they could reach Bountiful. He did this. He got ahead of them before they came to Bountiful. He fought them. They began to go back toward Zarahemla. Moronihah got ahead of them as they went back. He fought them. It became a very bloody battle. Many were killed. Coriantumr was found among the dead.
The Lamanites Are Trapped
The Lamanites could not run away in any direction. They could not go north, south, east, or west. The Nephites surrounded them on every side. Coriantumr had led the Lamanites right into the middle of the Nephites. They were in the Nephites’ power. He himself was killed. The Lamanites gave themselves up to the Nephites.
Moronihah took back the city of Zarahemla. He let the Lamanite prisoners leave the land in peace. This was the end of the forty-first year of the judges’ rule.