8. Escape

CHAPTER 8

ESCAPE

“Yikes!  I can’t see a thing,” Nephi complained.  “We’re lost down here!  Even if we feel our way along the walls, there are so many passageways going in different directions, how will we know which one to take?”

His father gave reassurance.  “Relax.  I know the way out.  And our eyes will gradually grow stronger in the darkness.  Use your hands as well as your feet on the stairway.  Listen for my guidance, and I’ll direct you on our way back up.”

“All right.  I’ve always been taught to follow the prophet.  I guess I need to do it blindly this time.  Don’t lead me astray.”

“I won’t.  Don’t forget to duck your head your head a little right here at the entrance to the vault.  That’s it.  Now, follow me.”

Carefully and slowly, father and son inched their way through the darkness and the maze of passageways.  Going up turned out to be easier than going down, even in the darkness.  Feeling with their hands and making sure their feet were placed solidly on each step, they mounted the steps without much difficulty.  Soon, light from the opening of the passageway to the interior grew brighter, helping them in their progress to complete the climb.

“Father, I didn’t read all your writing on the wall.  The torch burned out before I finished.  I remember the part about the properties and the rings, but what does the rest of it say?”

“Oh, primarily that the inheritance is effective in ten years from now.”

“What!?  Why ten years?  That doesn’t make any sense!  ---  Oh, … has the Lord already told you when you are going to die?”

“No, no.  The Lord has not revealed that to me.  I want to tell you the reason for that in another place, not here.”

“I wish I could have finished reading your writing before the torch burned out.  Does it specify a portion for Timothy as well as me?

“Yes, of course.  But as the oldest son, you are the only one who needs to provide the seal of endorsement.  Let’s go to my hut where we can talk about this some more if you want.  ---   Well, well, well.  Look what we have going on in here.”

Father Nephi completed the climb up the steps and stood in the entrance to the passageway.   His son followed not far behind.  Together they tried to make sense of the scene before them.

The crowd of people milling around the interior of the palace was larger than they had ever seen before.  Everyone was angry and filled with wrath.  Many were shouting and pushing.  All were agitated.  About twenty or thirty of the elite guard pushed their way through the unruly crowd, confronted everyone, and demanded names.  A tall guard was positioned at the entrance to the outside and constantly twisted back and forth.  It was Arumor!  And he was angry!

Arumor shouted orders and carried a sword in each hand.  Father and son Nephi watched motionless for a while in the passageway.  They went unnoticed by others and the guards.   Someone tried to escape and rushed by Arumor in the confusion.  But Arumor sprang on his prey, struck him with the hilt of his sword, and cast him down headlong.

“What are we going to do now?” Nephi asked his father.

“Don’t worry.  They’ll never notice us as we leave,” he replied.  “Keep by my side and we’ll be all right.”

Together, father and son left the passageway and walked in plain sight through the interior.  And passing through the midst of the crowd, they made their way.  No one stopped them.  No one questioned them.  Nor did Arumor ever notice them.  They went right past him through the entrance to the outside.

It was as if they had become totally invisible!  The two Nephis walked away from the temple-palace, crossed the courtyard, and left the judgment-seat unharmed.

This was the last time father Nephi would come to the judgment-seat.  A good part of his life had been spent there.  If ever new stela were to be erected in the temple-palace, his list of achievements would have been the most impressive.  He had been appointed chief judge.  He had also preached, baptized, prophesied, and converted more than eight thousand Lamanites.  He had conversed with angels, worked miracles, received revelations, and been esteemed as a great prophet.  Those things were still true, no matter what the majority of people currently thought.  Too many were blinded by wickedness today.

Father and son hurried past the city streets of Zarahemla.  There was no need to stop and investigate what the merchants were selling today.  In a short time, they were outside the city.  The pathway of dirt was again narrower and softer.  They found the forest peaceful and refreshing.  They passed the last village before arriving at father Nephi’s hut.

The sight of the hut in its garden setting took Nephi back in time to when they had previously been together as a family.

7. Father's Business

CHAPTER 7

FATHER’S BUSINESS

“Come, follow me,” said Nephi’s father.  “This worldly business won’t take long.  Afterwards, we’ll have time for more heavenly things.  I’ll be leaving soon for my next, and maybe, my final mission.  Your incident with the angels today is just another sign to me that I must go.  Have you ever been down to the record vault of inheritances?”

“No, I don’t think so.  What records?  Where are they?”

“Well, I’ll show you.  Most people don’t know about them or use them anymore.  That’s because most people either don’t have much in the way of riches to begin with, or even if a person does possess much gold and silver or other precious things, our current law determines who is a rightful heir.  However, on rare occasions where there are unusual circumstances, the law may not determine a rightful heir.  For those special cases, a person prepares a record to indicate his desires for inheritance.”

“Sounds like really dull and boring stuff to me,” remarked Nephi.  “What would records like that have to do with us?”

“Oh, Neffy, I think you’ll find some of the records to be very interesting.  They may have removed the stela and made other changes in here, but the records down in the vault of inheritances are still there.  There’s still some family history here you must see.” 

“In that case, I’ll follow you, father.”

Father Nephi put his arm around the shoulders of his son and led him to the entrance of a passageway with steep steps descending to a lower level of the palace.  He removed an unlit torch from a cranny in the wall and handed it to his son.

“Light this in the fire over there,” he instructed.  “We’ll need it for the vault underground.  All we need is for you to mark a new record with your personal seal, and we’re done.”

Nephi took the torch from his father and lit it in the fire.  He looked closely into the dark passageway and could not see the bottom.

“Wow!  Exploring down there in the darkness is not exactly what I thought we would be doing today.  I thought there was something up on the platform you needed me for, or maybe something on one of the higher levels where you once governed.  I never imagined we would be going down.  That’s all right, though.  I didn’t want to have to revisit the spot where mother fell anyway.”

“Yes, I’m just full of surprises, aren’t I?”  Nephi’s father usually wasn’t much of a joker.  “Be sure and watch your step.  I don’t want you to fall!”

“Ha, ha!  That’s not even close to being funny.”

Nephi held the torch and followed his father carefully down the steps.  He could only see three or four steps ahead at a time.  His father obviously had been down here before and never hesitated in leading the way, even when the passageway he took was intersected by others in the maze.  The steps ended where a narrow tunnel took them to the entrance of a small cavern.

“What’s in there, father, the gold and riches and treasures of all the past kings of Zarahemla for our inheritance?  When I was a boy and sometimes had to wait for you before you finished your duties as chief judge, I explored some of the passageways in these pyramids and imagined finding a secret hidden treasure in a place like this.”

“No, unfortunately not their actual gold, just the records they left behind about who got it after they died.  Let me show you inside.”

The opening into the vault was not very high and they had to bend over slightly to enter.  Once inside, they could stand fully upright again.  Nephi was startled by the sound of wings beating through the air.  Flying creatures zoomed right past him, almost hitting him in the face.  Moving air caused the torch to flicker, and it almost blew out.

“I should have warned you about the bats,” Nephi’s father apologized.  “I forgot how they find their way down here during the day to sleep.  I think this vault is one of a series of connecting caves that existed before the pyramids were even built.  I’ve prepared a spot for your mark in some fresh clay over there.  First, I thought you would be interested in some of the older stuff down here.  For example, take a look at this.”

Nephi held the torch higher over his head and looked all around the cavern.  In every direction, there were marks and writings on the wall in hardened clay; names of people, the names and relations of their family members, the time in which they lived, and something about their life. The genealogy for hundreds of families, if desired, was written on the walls.

Nephi’s father pointed to a place where somebody’s writing had solidified into hard rock years ago.  In the flickering light of the torch, Nephi read:

 

I, MOSIAH

Son of Benjamin, Son of Mosiah

Five hundred and nine years from the time Lehi left Jerusalem

Being sixty and three years old; In the thirty and third year of my reign

Never seeking for the riches that corrupt the soul,

Yet receiving much in blessings and gain

And having received the promises of the Lord

Know that my departed, beloved sons shall one day return

After being delivered from among the Lamanites.

At which time, I expect my body shall rest in the grave.

All of the properties and the monies that were mine

Are, upon his return, in equal portion entitled to

Each son, Ammon, Aaron, Omner, Himni

This is the final desire of a loving father for his unforgotten sons.

“Wow, father!  That is indeed an incredible record.  I never thought much about king Mosiah never seeing his sons again.  He obviously never forgot about them.”  Nephi’s voice trembled with excitement.  “What else is down here like that?  Perhaps these records aren’t so boring after all.”

“Oh, lots of stuff, really.  We could spend days down here studying these old records.  But we don’t have time for that now.  I notice the torch is flickering and might burn out.  Before it does, I want you to put your mark in writing next to mine on this wall.  In the future, if needed, you can use this record to prove to judges that my riches are yours and not theirs.”

Nephi’s father led him to a spot near the back of the vault where something was recently written in soft clay.  Nephi began to read:

I, NEPHI

Son of Helaman, Son of Helaman, Son of Alma

High Priest; Chief Judge

Six hundred years from the time Lehi left Jerusalem

Being sent by the Lord on a mission to faraway lands

And without a knowledge of when or if I may return,

I desire my personal properties, my riches, my rings,

…

“Hey!  You’re not rich, are you?”  Nephi stopped reading and looked somewhat bewildered at his father.  “If so, where are these properties and these rings of yours?  I’ve never seen them.”

“True.  True, Neffy.  I’ve never shown them to you or publicly paraded them around.  Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.  I’ve always tried to live that way.  We can all be ruined by the sin of pride if we don’t watch out.”

“I understand that.  But you don’t even have a ring.”

“Oh, yes I do!  I have several, actually.  You would have learned about one the day your mother fell.  The ring presentation was interrupted.  As it is, I received it privately a while later.  I’ve never worn it because I miss your mother.  Ammaron, my loyal counselor, keeps that ring and my other properties with him.  I still have a few friends here that I can trust.  Ammaron has been instructed to give you the ring and my other properties when the time comes.”

“We’re wealthy!?” questioned the astonished Nephi.

“Well --- yes, maybe people with only a worldly view would consider us wealthy.  The Lord has blessed me with the means to accomplish my many missions.  Our riches can bless others in need.  It is far better to become wealthy in heavenly things.”

The torch flickered again and momentarily died before another weak flame emerged, emitting less light than before.

“Neffy, the light is about to go out.  Hurry!  Please just press your mark to leave your personal witness in the wall next to mine.  That’s all we need to do for now.  After I’m gone, when the time comes, you shall inherit what I leave behind.” 

“Wait!  Wait, wait.  Not so fast, father.  Why do we have to do this now?  Can’t it wait!?  It’s still going to be many more years before you die.  You’re not going anywhere for quite a while.”

“No!  It can’t wait any longer!  This really should have been done before as it is.  Your mother’s death should have taught us that!  Besides, this has to get done eventually.  Who knows when God may call me back home to Him?  We have to be ready for the inevitable.”

Nephi waited for his son to reply.  But his son said nothing.

“What is it?  What’s wrong?”  Nephi looked lovingly at his son.  Tears were in his son’s eyes.  He stifled a sob.

“Oh, great.  The inevitable!  Why is it that just the split-second I was able to stop thinking about mother’s murder and the difference her death has made around here, you have to bring it up again!?  Huh?  Don’t you know this is why I didn’t want to come to the judgment-seat today in the first place?  I’ve stayed away ten years!”

Embarrassed by his sudden outburst, Nephi began to cry in front of his father.  The tears he had managed to wash away at the fountain above returned in full flow.  He felt like he was twelve years old all over again.

“And, well, I guess it is not really only remembering mother’s death that is getting me so upset.  Now it’s the thought of losing you too!  Just like king Mosiah’s sons never saw their father alive again!  I don’t want that!”

  “Listen, Neffy.  Listen to me!  I don’t like coming here and having to talk about this either.  I adored your mother.  I miss her so very much.  But she’s gone.  At least when I die, I have the reunion with her to look forward to.”

“I look forward to seeing her again, too.”  Nephi was slowly regaining his composure.

Nephi’s father continued, “You know, when I first realized your mother was really dead---I wanted to bring her back to life.  I wanted to use my priesthood authority and bring her back to me.  That was selfish.  That would have been an inappropriate use of God’s power.  Once I prayed for a famine to come so people would repent.  And God brought a famine.  Later I prayed for the famine to stop, and it stopped.  But it was God’s will for those things to occur.  Maybe there will come another time when it will be God’s will for you to raise someone from the dead.

“For mother, it was not God’s will that she stay with us.  The time wasn’t right.  But there will be a time in the future.  A glorious day will come when she also will be resurrected.  But Christ first, for He is the firstfruits of them that sleep.

“I take such hope and comfort in the remarkable words of Samuel when he said, ‘And many graves shall be opened, and shall yield up many of their dead; and many saints shall appear unto many.’  Those words mean a lot to me, Neffy.”

“Me, too.  I have those words committed to memory.”  Nephi sniffed a little.  “Those words of the prophet Samuel are very meaningful to me.  I felt at the time, and I still feel, that mother will be among those saints.  Samuel said this would happen at the time of Christ’s death.”

“No doubt about it, son.  Your mother was a saint.”

“Father, are you worried that the five year period of time predicted by Samuel is already past?  Many people are laughing and saying it is already too late.”

“Not at all!  The sign will be unmistakable.  A day, followed by a night without darkness, and then another day.  The sign of His birth is coming soon, just as Samuel said.  In fact, I want to talk to you some more about this very thing later.

“But for now, let’s hurry and finish the business we have to do here.  All you need to do is write on the wall with your personal mark in the clay here.  Ready?”

Nephi’s father pointed to a space on the wall below where his writing stopped.

“Well, I suppose I’m ready.”   Nephi handed the torch to his father and reached automatically into his bag.  He removed his own unique seal.  He pressed it firmly and solidly into the clay.  After hardening to rock, the marked impression would match only the seal of the person who made it.

“Thank you, son.  I am now more at ease about going.”

The torch flickered and dimmed dramatically once again.  A tiny flame erupted but went out immediately.  Blackness enveloped the vault.

6. Father

CHAPTER 6

FATHER

          “No appeal is sought, Alumon.  None will be necessary.”  Father uses his voice of authority, the one I sometimes hear when he counsels other adults; seldom at home.  He speaks in a way that shows his learning, his understanding and wisdom, his position among the people.  I am amazed by his ability to speak with conviction, power and courage, even in front of his enemies.

“I give up my position as chief judge for the people of Nephi.  This change is effective immediately.  I appoint Cezoram as the chief judge for this people in my place.”

          The gasps and hushed cries of surprise spread through the crowd, everyone staring at us.  When complete silence returns, Father continues to speak.

          “What are my reasons for this sudden announcement?  You are probably asking yourselves that question right now.  You probably think it is because I disagree with judge Alumon.  I do not!  The available testimony and evidence are too conflicting and inconclusive to convict in this matter.”

          Even greater cries of surprise ripple through the crowd.

          “See!  I told you so.”  Alumon’s voice is heard shouting above the noise.

          “But liars beware!  I believe in the eternal justice of God.”  The noise in the crowd vanishes in an instant.  “I believe in truth and honesty.  And I know that my son Timothy told the truth.

          “Therefore, I fear mightily that God’s wrath will ultimately come upon you, Tyreantum!  As well as you also, Alumon!  And upon the many others of you who conspire together to hide your sins, and your murders, and your evil-doings! 

          “The amount of corruption that has been allowed to enter into the government of this land has reached such a high level, polluting so much of our land that our freedom is in peril.  They who choose evil are more numerous than they who choose good.  Therefore, you are ripening for destruction!  Even the laws have become corrupted.  Yea, and this is not all; you have become a stiffnecked people.  You can not be governed by law nor by justice.  I am weary because of your iniquity.  I fear lest you shall be forever destroyed.  I intend to preach nothing but the word of God to you and to all this people all the remainder of my days.  That is why I give up my position as chief judge.  Repent and yet be saved!  That is your only hope for salvation.  Otherwise, the devil has claim on you, and in his chains, you shall burn eternally with him in hell!”  

Alumon and Tyreantum glance fearfully at father, then at each other. 

“Hello, son.  You made it.  Good!  You’ve been studying the new pillar ironically called GREAT MEN OF OUR NATION, I see.”

“What!?  Oh …. Father!!  It’s you!”

Nephi awoke from his bad memory and embraced his father with a grateful hug.  He is comforted by the warm spirit that comes with being united with his father.

A few moments passed before either one of them spoke.

His father was considerably taller than the average man, slim but not skinny, and still in fine shape and vigor for a person of middle age.  Except for a difference in ages, people might not be able to discern who was father and who was son.

Finally, the older Nephi looked his son in the eye and said, “Neffy, thank you for coming.  Obedient, as always.  … Are you all right?”

 

“I am.  Yes, yes.  I’m all right – now, with you.”

“Coming back in here sort of forces you to think about the past, doesn’t it?”

“That it does.  But…oh, father…just now.  Arumor saw me coming…and…”

“I know, Neffy.”

“You know?  What do you mean ‘you know’?  Did you see what happened?  Were you there?”

“No.  I was not there.  I did not see them.  You know, Lehi and I also once avoided being slain by angels.  We were cast into prison by the Lamanites, and after many days without food, they took us that they might slay us.  Then when we were encircled about as if by fire….”

“So you do know about the angels!!”

“You didn’t have to tell me for me to know.  I can see it in your eyes and I can feel it in your presence.  I have prayed mightily for a long time that you would be the one to take my place when I am gone.”

“That’s exactly what the angel said too.”  Nephi blushed.

For a while, neither father nor son knew what else to say aloud.  Their love for each other was greatly felt, even if unspoken.

“I wish I could chisel off the name of Alumon from this pillar and never see it again.”  Nephi attempted to break the silence with his father.

“Me, too!  It’s a farce isn’t it,” his father chuckled.

“That’s for sure!  It’s so different in here than it used to be.”

Both of them chuckled together.  No words could adequately capture the change in spirit, the different feelings they had now compared to back then.

“Father, what are we doing here?  Can you finally tell me now?  You promised you would.  Why did you want to meet me here?  This is no longer a good place for us to be.  I don’t like it here.  Are you positive there isn’t some other place we can go?”

“Thanks again for coming, Neffy.  I needed you to come.  I wish this were done someplace else too, but this is where the records are kept.”

“OK, but don’t you feel strange being here again after all these years?  Don’t you hate how everything is different now?  No more government, you said.  Remember?  I enjoyed being here with you so much when I was little, but now this place just reminds me that this is where mother was killed!  She died right over there!  Doesn’t that get to you like it does to me?”

“I know, I know.  I miss her dearly too.  You’re right.  Everything around here is different now.  Remembering her is certainly the most difficult of all.

“But we won’t need to be here much longer.  Let’s talk some more as soon as we leave.  You did remember to bring your personal seal with you, didn’t you, Neffy?  Let’s get this over with!”

5. The Fall

CHAPTER 5

THE FALL

A gigantic Arumor slithers over and around a terrified, tiny Timothy.

“S-s-s-so, you say you were where when you saw Tyreantum attack your mother with the knife?”  Arumor keeps his back turned toward the frightened child but has the ability to twist his neck and head around until he scowls in the boy’s face.

           “I,…I …haven’t told you yet.  You keep asking me other stuff before I even get to that part.”

“S-s-s-sorry.  Let me not waste any more precious time for these good people and explain for you where you were.  You ran away from the ceremonial platform to sneak off through the palace pathways by yourself, didn’t you?  You weren’t even there, were you?”

          “I was too there!  Well, …I did leave to go pee.  But when I was climbing back up the steps, I saw way up high here on the platform…”

          “Oh --- so you can see pretty far, eh Timmy?  Show us.  What do you see at the far end of this platform way back there?”  The interrogator coils around and points his finger right at father and me.

         

          “Well, hmm, it’s really not that far, you know.  Like I can see pretty good and far.  I see my father and my brother sitting back there.  See?  Daddy doesn’t look very pleased, though.”

          Laughter erupts on the platform.

Timothy squirms in his over-sized seat even more than he had before.  Tyreantum flies out of his seat with the giggles.  The people next to him grin with amusement and they all share little pokes and jabs in their sides.  Alumon, also smiling, bangs his rod against his bench and orders, “Settle down, settle down!”

          The interrogator, still snickering, asks, “Shall I continue?”

          “Yes, please do,” says Alumon.

          “All right, OK.  S-s-s-so you can see pretty good.  Let’s hurry and just get right to the point, shall we?  You see that fine gentleman over there?”  Arumor points to Tyreantum who is finally getting back into his seat.

“Yes, sir.”

          “Did you see him on the platform with your mother?”

          “He ran at her and hit her with his knife!”

          Arumor makes three clicks with his curled tongue and speaks quite condescendingly, “Really!?  Come, come, Timmy.  What else did your daddy want you to say?”

          “Well, …He said to tell the truth.  Be honest.  That’s about it, I guess.”

          Another wave of laughter goes through the crowd, not as loud as the last one, and it rapidly dies away.

          “Hmmm.  I see.  Yes.  Of course.  Well, …we all want to know the truth about this dreadful accident, don’t we?  But you, my boy, are the only witness who claims his mommy was killed by Tyreantum striking her with a knife before she fell.  … Now, I’m sure it makes you feel better to make up a wild story for why she isn’t here anymore, doesn’t it?  Why should we believe you when everybody else says something different?  Huh!?  Everybody else says she fell!” 

          “She did fall!  After he pushed her!”  Timothy points to Tyreantum.

Tyreantum glares at Timothy who breaks into tears after trying so hard for so long to withstand so much adult attention focused entirely on him.

          Arumor twists away from Timothy and speaks in the direction of the crowd.  “Oh, we already know she fell, all right.” Arumor feigns sympathy.  “Such a shame.  A tragedy, really.  Especially since the ceremony that evening was to honor her husband, Nephi, our chief judge.  This should never have happened.  But it’s not the first time somebody has fallen off the sides of pyramids, is it?  The steps are steep.  Unfortunately, accidents happen.”

Arumor quickly recoils back to Timothy and shouts over the boy’s sobbing.  “But you can’t really prove that Tyreantum here stabbed her with a knife and pushed her off the platform, can you?  Because you’re just making that stuff up!  Tell us, Timmy, how old were you when your father started teaching you to lie!?  Two?  Three?  Four?” 

          “I…, I’m not lying.  …I…”

Timothy’s lips quiver and he looks around desperately for help.  He frantically jumps from his seat, rushes through the crowd, and falls sobbing into father’s arms.

Arumor silently slinks off to the side and sits.

Alumon bangs his rod across his bench to take charge.  “That’s all right, all right now.  I think we can wrap up this nonsense without too much more difficulty or crying.  I will ask Tyreantum a few simple questions directly myself.”

          Tyreantum comes forward to sit where Timothy had been sitting.  He is short, and chubby.  He wears a robe made of costly material, and has a large stone ring on his finger as well as dangling, golden bracelets on his wrists, a silver chain around his neck, and other jewelry.

          Tyreantum takes his seat and Alumon asks, “Tyreantum, were you at the celebration to honor Nephi, our chief judge?  And did you see what happened to his wife there?”

          “Of course I was there.  With my family’s influence and our position among the tribal villages, I was there to represent those interests.  And yes, I was in fact watching her when she tripped on the edge of the platform and fell over the side to her death.  I immediately rushed over and looked down.  She must have died instantly.  There was no movement.  Believe me, it was a very scary sight.  That such a tragic accident would ever occur is dreadful.  And that it happened right before an honor was to be given to the chief judge is indeed a shame.”

          “A shame indeed.”  Alumon echoes as if he had rehearsed it.  “So I also need to clarify one possible bit of controversy.  Chief judge Nephi alleges that later you were found with blood on the skirts of your cloak.  That allegation might implicate you if this story of little Timothy, who is chief judge Nephi’s six-year old son, is true.  Timothy insists that he saw a man, fitting your description, rush at his mother with a knife, strike her, and push her off the top of the platform.  Can you comment about this?  And do you have anything to say that might explain the presence of blood on your clothing?”

          Tyreantum nods as if he had been awaiting this final question.

“Absolutely.  There is a very simple and logical explanation, really.  Since I saw her trip and fall, I rushed as quickly as I could down the steps and was one of the first, if not the very first person, to see if I could do something for her.  Her head must have hit the stone steps several times as she fell.  It was bleeding badly.  Some of her blood must have soaked onto my clothes when I tried to help, but it was too late.  Despite my best efforts, she was already dead.  There was nothing I could do.  And, as can be verified by other witnesses, no knife cuts were later found on her body.”

          “Thank you, Tyreantum.  That will do.”  Alumon stands up to address the crowd.

“The unfortunate death of the wife of chief judge Nephi was the result of a regrettable accident.  Her loss saddens all of us who remember her beauty and charm.

“No other witnesses, besides this six-year old boy, who also happens to be the son of chief judge Nephi, claims to have witnessed the event.  When a little child witnesses something so traumatic, especially the accidental death of a loved one, it is easy to understand how facts in a child’s head could get mixed up.  Even if he were not intentionally lying, the child’s mind could be creating a defense mechanism to avoid the reality of what he really saw.  The reality is that his mother died as a result of falling from the top of the pyramid.  It was an accident.

“Tyreantum is innocent!”

 People in the crowd begin to stand up in order to leave, but Alumon is not finished.  He strikes his rod on the bench to regain their attention and have them sit back down.  Alumon speaks again to the crowd, but looks directly at father -- rather arrogantly -- while he does.

“In ending this matter, according to our law, decisions of a lesser judge may be appealed to a higher judge.  However, also according to our law, whenever a judge may have some personal interest in the matter, a potential conflict of interest exists.  In those instances, it would be inappropriate for that judge to rule on the matter.

“Chief judge Nephi himself is the next higher judge.  He would have to preside if there were to be an appeal of this decision.  However, I believe that even he would have to agree that a very strong conflict of interest exists.  No rational person could ever refute that.  In declaring Tyreantum innocent, no appeal can or will be made.”

A low rumble of voices is heard which gradually grows louder as some people in the crowd start to clap their hands together in approval of Alumon’s words.

Everybody in the crowd turns around to look at father.  They stare at the three of us huddled together in the rear; father, Timothy, and me.  They point at us, stare at us.  I tremble in fright alongside Timothy who never stops sobbing.  Father seems serene despite the smugness and the mocking expressions of the people scorning us. 

Father comforts us in one arm while he motions with his other one to hush the crowd.  He waits for silence before he speaks.

4. Judgment-seat

CHAPTER 4

JUDGMENT-SEAT

Inside the temple-palace, Nephi caught his breath.  He needed a moment to rest, collect his thoughts, and recover his emotions.  He went to the fountain located in the center of the spacious interior and washed his face with the water that constantly flowed there.  The water came from an underground spring and was clean enough to drink.  He cupped his hands and splashed several handfuls of the refreshing water over his face.  Without a cloth to dry his face, he had to let it dry naturally in the air.

He decided to look around the interior while his face dried before searching elsewhere to meet his father.  His father could be in one of several passageways which led up and down and throughout the entire complex of pyramids like a spider’s web.  Steep steps of stone made a maze which interconnected rooms above with vaults beneath.  Small fires and torches were kept burning near the entrances of darkened passageways which led away from the interior.

Nephi wanted now to please his father more than ever.  They shared the same name.  And from an early age, Nephi had strived to be like his father in more than name only.  As a boy, his father sometimes called him “Neffy.”  Even now, although he was twenty-two years old, his father still frequently called him Neffy as a token of affection.

          The father could certainly be pleased with the son.  The son had grown to match his father physically.  He was a little taller than average in height, slender, but muscular.  His hair was straight, dark in color like everybody else, and he kept it clean and cut so that it just covered his ears.  He usually wore a thin leather headband to hold his hair in place which partially covered his broad forehead.  His eyes were light brown, and he had long, dark lashes that really accented them.  His nose was straight and had a high bridge; his chin was prominent.  Perfectly straight and white teeth showed when he smiled at friends who would delight at the dimples in his cheeks.

Many of the young girls in the nearby villages would look up and twitter among themselves in small groups whenever Nephi passed by.   Up to this point, although Nephi was friendly with many of the village girls, none of them were the person he thought he would marry some day.  Perhaps he was looking and waiting for a girl who matched the qualities and characteristics of his mother.

Very few people were mingling about inside the cavernous interior of the temple-palace.  Nobody showed any interest in Nephi, and Nephi did not recognize any of them.  Most of the people were standing up, clustered in small groups of three or four for private conversations.  The stone benches at the far end of the interior were being used by a class of young priests.  Here and there, a single individual was examining some of the many carvings and works of art prominently on display.

This temple-palace was built to function as a visual learning center -- as were all the pyramids.  The structures themselves were intended to teach the principles of science and astronomy.  They were carefully designed to demonstrate the wisdom of the learned, to place man in his proper relationship to God and the heavens, and to serve as giant stone calendars for all civic, religious and agricultural purposes.

That is why the Elders of Zarahemla so meticulously measured the rising of the sun each morning and its setting each night.  They studied the movement of the stars throughout the constellations.  They celebrated the solstices and carefully recorded the equinoxes.  They proclaimed the seasons and controlled when the crops were to be planted.

Not many years ago, for three years the earth was smitten in that it was dry and did not yield forth grain in the season of grain.  Thousands had perished and those who survived had stopped believing the Elders of Zarahemla during the famine.  Only after rain fell upon the earth so that it brought forth fruit in the season of fruit did the people rejoice and submit themselves again to the proclamations of the Elders.

They tried especially hard to predict the occurrence of an eclipse.  An eclipse or any other unforeseen heavenly event signified the displeasure of the gods.

Nephi had entered the central interior on the ground level of the pyramid.  The open space was big enough for more than a dozen full-grown trees.  High overhead, the stoned roof was actually the bottom of the ceremonial platform.  Sunlight came through holes in the platform as well as through small openings strategically placed along the walls.  Depending upon the time of day and the season of the year, different openings would allow sunlight to reach the interior so that it was never as dark as otherwise might be expected.

There were several levels in this particular pyramid.  Nephi had never learned exactly how many.  At a very early age, he learned which steps to climb in order to reach the level where his father, serving as chief judge, could be found.  He wasn’t really interested in the other levels back then, especially the lower ones that were dark and scary.  He liked going up the very top, however.  The view below was breath taking.  The ceremonial platform was the place for special events.  It was where the rulers of government could make speeches, deliver new laws, hold special observances, or simply entertain themselves.

The exterior of the pyramid still looked the way Nephi remembered.  But a lot had changed in ten years on the inside of the temple-palace.  The differences from before were alarming.  Nephi’s thoughts turned to the many changes.   

My goodness!  Look what they have done to this place!  The stone carvings and the art work are totally new.  What have they done?  Where are the stela that used to be here?  They’re gone!  Oh, no!  What would they have done with them?

The missing stela were previously located prominently near the fountain.  Each stele recognized the life and the accomplishments of a different chief judge.  They started with Alma, the son of Alma, who was the first and chief judge over the people of Nephi.  The last one was for Helaman, who Nephi thought of only as grandfather.  How exciting it was going to be, anticipated Nephi, when the next one would be erected in honor of his own father!  The stela were family history for Nephi.

His family history was replaced by a new artistic stone carving.  The carving was an illustration of a group of women swimming in a lake without any clothing.

What is this!?  Is this supposed to be part of the “artistic and cultural” improvements I heard were planned for the judgment-seat?   What is so artistic or cultural about this?  I bet the real reason they replaced the stela is so they won’t be reminded of their guilt and their crimes when they pass by here every day.

Off to the side of the new stone carving of nude women, a large new pillar of stone caught Nephi’s attention.  The writing on the stone said: GREAT MEN OF OUR NATION.

Nephi went to take a closer look at the writing on this pillar.  He wanted to see whose names were written there.  He searched around the pillar looking for the names he thought should be listed.  But there was no Alma!  No Helaman!  No Abinadi!

A name that he did find, though, struck him through the heart --- Alumon!

What are they possibly thinking!?  How could Alumon have his name listed here?  Here, in the temple-palace where father once served as chief judge.  They honor Alumon instead?  This is supposed to be a pillar to honor great leadership, not a trophy to reward a criminal and a coward!  Not only are the guilty not being punished, are they now the ones erecting pillars to admire themselves?

Mental images and voices from the past began to reemerge from Nephi’s suppressed memory.  The awful scene associated with Alumon’s name was replayed through his mind, the feelings and emotions still raw, unwelcomed, and uncontrolled.