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.