To see the context for this and other questions in this series, please see the introduction, parts 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Why Did Lachoneus Allow the Unbelievers to Plan a Mass Murder?
Since it’s the week of Christmas,
I’ve been thinking about the story in 3 Nephi 1, how the unbelievers
planned to kill all the believers if Samuel the Lamanite’s sign was not given.
In the very first verse, we find out that Lachoneus was the chief judge and
governor over the land. As far as we know, this was the same Lachoneus who sixteen
years later received an epistle from Giddianhi, the chief of the Gadianton
robbers, threatening to invade the Nephite lands and kill all the people if
they refused to join with the robbers. “Now behold, this Lachoneus, the
governor, was a just man, and could not be frightened by the demands and the
threatenings of a robber” (3 Ne. 3:12). No, Lachoneus was not afraid of the
robbers. He sent a proclamation throughout the land, calling the people to
repentance and instructing them to gather together in one place with all their
horses and chariots and cattle and flocks and herds and grain and “all their substance,”
indeed, enough substance to last them seven years (3 Ne. 3:22; 4:4).
Now, we might wonder how, on such
short notice, the Nephites could gather enough “substance” together to last
them seven years, but that’s maybe a question for another day. For now, let’s
focus on Lachoneus. He was obviously a very righteous man and extremely influential,
because the people “did fear the words which had been spoken by Lachoneus,
insomuch that they did repent of all their sins; and they did put up their
prayers unto the Lord their God, that he would deliver them in the time that
their enemies should come down against them to battle” (3 Ne. 3:25).
Of course, the Nephites defeated
the Gadianton robbers and were all converted to the Lord, largely because of
the words and instructions of their governor, Lachoneus. Eventually, they
returned to their lands, and they became a righteous people and prospered
greatly . . . for about three years. They then began to divide up according to “their
riches and their chances for learning” (3 Ne. 6:12). Everything fell apart quickly,
until the Savior came to visit them.
But let’s go back to the beginning
of 3 Nephi. If this Lachoneus was such a great and righteous leader, why did
he, as governor, allow the unbelievers to “set apart” a day on which “all those
who believed in those traditions [of Christ’s birth] should be put to death,
except the sign should come to pass”? (3 Ne. 1:9). This was apparently not a secret plan. So why would the chief judge not uphold their laws? I suppose it’s possible that
Lachoneus was one of the unbelievers and that after the sign was given, he
repented and became a believer. Unfortunately, the record is silent on that
matter. It’s also possible that Lachoneus was new to the job and had little
influence over the unbelievers. Whatever the case, it seems a bit inconsistent
that Lachoneus would be so influential a few years later and yet have no
influence at all in upholding their laws before the sign was given.
We also don’t know what happened
to Lachoneus after this episode with the Gadianton robbers. The people quickly
fell into sin and unbelief again, and in the thirtieth year, “they did destroy
upon the judgment-seat, yea, did murder the chief judge of the land” (3 Ne.
7:1). We don’t know if this was Lachoneus. My guess is that it was not, because
Mormon doesn’t mention him by name, which he likely would have, considering how
prominent Lachoneus had been just a few pages earlier. So, it’s very possible
that Lachoneus had died by this time. But in this rapidly unfolding narrative,
Lachoneus makes one brief appearance at the beginning of 3 Nephi and then one
longer appearance several years later, when the robbers threaten to destroy the
Nephites. Other than that, we know very little about this important chief
judge.
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