Page:A dictionary of the Book of Mormon.pdf/325

Rh desired that his father should compel him to be king, but he would not do so, and commanded that they should constrain no man to be their king. The result was that all Pagag's brothers and three of the four sons of Jared followed his example, and when chosen refused to accept the proffered dignity; at last, Orihah, the fourth son of Jared, accepted. Nothing more is said of Pagag in the Book of Mormon, but from his action in this matter we judge him to have been a wise and God-fearing man. (Ether, 6:25.)  PAHORAN, THE ELDER. The third chief judge of the Nephite republic. He succeeded his father, Nephihah, on the judgment seat, B. C, 68, and held that exalted position until his death in B. C. 53, when he was succeeded by his son, Pahoran. The days that Pahoran judged the people were full of tumult and war. No sooner was he placed on the judgment seat than great contentions arose between the royalists and republicans. There was quite a number of the people who desired to restore the monarchy, but they were not as numerous as those who desired to maintain the existing form of government. Being outvoted, the king-men refused to take up arms against the hosts of the Lamanites under Amalickiah, who were then invading the lands of the Nephites. Full power being given to Moroni, the Nephite general, to deal with these rebels, he marched against them with his forces, and in the conflict that followed 4,000 of the royalists were slain, while many of their leaders were captured and cast into prison. The remainder submitted, joined their countrymen in opposing the Lamanite hosts, and gave full allegiance to the republican government. In the meantime, the Nephites having been weakened by their internal dissensions, Amalickiah marched triumphantly northward, capturing city after city, along the Atlantic seaboard, while his brother Ammoron conducted a 