In the Days of Lachoneus: The Gathering

By David Armstrong

In the Days of Lachoneus is an epic story of politics and patriotism, intrigue and murder, war and violence, love and betrayal, friendship and loyalty, believers and unbelievers, good and evil, set in the landscape of pre-Columbian Meso-America. The historical background for the story is the account in the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, of the fierce struggle to the death between the murderous counter-culture of the Gadianton Robbers and the liberty-loving society of the Nephites, a people descended from the tribes of Israel.

The first volume in this series is The Gathering, in which Governor Lachoneus of Zarahemla faces the challenge to surrender or be destroyed by Giddianhi and his Gadianton terrorists. The citizens of Zarahemla have beaten and driven the Gadiantons once, only to lose ground in a second battle. Emboldened by his most recent success, Giddianhi writes an arrogant letter to Lachoneus boasting that his army will wipe out the population of Zarahemla unless they turn over all of the property and possessions to the robber band and join their secret society.

Woven between the scenes of war and government and politics on a grand scale are personal stories of intrigue and young love. Traitors within Governor Lachoneuss council plot his overthrow. Giddianhis ruthless rule over the Gadiantons is also not without its internal enemies who design his demise. At the same time, Lachoneuss beautiful daughter and his house servant are hopelessly in love, yet they are kept apart by class, station, and temperament.

Dissension and apostasy among the Nephites of Zarahemla threaten the people with utter destruction. Lachoneus fears that the decrees of God are about to descend upon his wayward people. When the letter from Giddianhi arrives, Lachoneus seizes upon this opportunity to call the people to repentance and to unite them in a common cause that is bigger than their petty jealousies and personal greed. He warns the people of the threat from the Gadiantons and issues a proclamation throughout all the land for the people to gather together into a single body. They will build a fortress and organize an army and prepare for a fight to the death to defend their lives, their liberty, their families, and their way of life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 19, 2015
• ISBN: 9781503572881

David Armstrong

David Armstrong was born in Birmingham and now lives in Shropshire. He left secondary school without qualifications but later went on to read English at university in Cardiff. His first novel was short-listed for the Crime Writers' Association Best First Crime Novel and since then his work has continued to receive critical acclaim.

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Copyright © 2015 by David Armstrong.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2015908313

ISBN:      Hardcover   978-1-5035-7289-8

                 Softcover    978-1-5035-7290-4

                 eBook          978-1-5035-7288-1

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Rev. date: 06/16/2015

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Contents

Prologue Before the days of Lachoneus

Chapter 1 In the Third Month of the Fourteenth Year

Chapter 2 In the Fourth Month of the Fourteenth Year

Chapter 3 In the Fifth Month of the Fourteenth Year

Chapter 4 In the Fifth Month of the Fourteenth Year

Chapter 5 In the Tenth Month of the Fourteenth Year

Chapter 6 In the Second Month of the Fifteenth Year

Chapter 7 In the Third Month of the Fifteenth Year

Chapter 8 In the Fourth Month of the Fifteenth Year

Chapter 9 In the Fifth Month of the Fifteenth Year

Chapter 10 Still In the Fifth Month of the Fifteenth Year

Chapter 11 In the Nineth Month of the Fifteenth Year

Chapter 12 In the Twelveth Month of the Fifteenth Year

Chapter 13 In the First Month of the Sixteenth Year

Chapter 14 In the First Month of the Sixteenth Year

Chapter 15 In the Second Month of the Sixteenth Year

Appendix

Dedication

To Evelyn, who inspires me, fires my faith, and supports me every day and in every way. Because of her I will always be a better person.

Foreword

This is a work of fiction inspired by events and people described in the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ. The story as presented here is from my imagination and does not purport to be a factual portrayal of real events beyond those that are clearly and definitively described in the Book of Mormon. Some of the leading characters in the novel were real people about whom the ancient prophet Mormon wrote. Most, however, are purely fictional and have been invented to enhance the story. Many quotes from the Book of Mormon have been altered in the novel to better fit the imagined speech patterns of the characters and to reduce elements of Biblical language that are not in keeping with the style of speech used in the novel.

I have made an attempt to accurately represent the geography, geology, flora and fauna of Mesoamerica around the time of the birth of Christ. I have avoided the use of controversial terms from the Book of Mormon, such as horses, cattle, and sheep, not because I do not believe that the ancient writers used those words to name the animals in their experience, but because I want the reader to get a flavor for what life might have been like more than two thousand years ago in Central America. Generally accepted archeological studies indicate that Euro-Asian species were brought to the Americas by the Spanish and other colonists during the last seven hundred years.

I have several theories for why the names of Euro-Asian animals appear in the Book of Mormon, including:

1. When Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon, he ran across names for unfamiliar animals. Rather than fill the book with transliterated words that would have no meaning to modern English readers, he used words that conveyed the idea of the types of animals named in the original text.

2. When Lehi and his family crossed the ocean and landed in the Promised Land of the Americas, they were faced with a number of unfamiliar species, which they naturally needed to name. Being familiar with the animals of their home land and travels in Palestine and Egypt, and having large portions of the Jewish scriptures (written up to the time of Jeremiah) on the Brass Plates, which also referenced many Euro-Asian species, they would have used familiar names that conveyed the similarity between the animals they left behind and those they found in their new home.

3. It is possible that the animals named in the Book of Mormon did in fact exist in Meso-America before the Europeans arrived, but archeologists have not found evidence of them yet. For example, reports exist of recent findings of horse skeletons in parts of the Americas that appear to pre-date Columbus. Perhaps evidence of other familiar animals will eventually be found.

Nevertheless, to avoid all of the contention over whether sheep and horses and bovines were present in Central America at the time of this story, I have chosen to use modern words for the currently accepted fauna of pre-Columbian America. Thus I talk about bison, brockets, agouti, tapirs, and peccaries rather than cows, horses, sheep, asses, and swine.

I have chosen to set the story in what is today known as Guatemala, Southern Mexico, and the Yucatan Peninsula. My choice of setting is based on the scholarship, research and writing of F. Richard Hauck as published in Deciphering the Geography of the Book of Mormon (Deseret Book, 1988). I have also assimilated research from members of the Foundation of Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, and independent studies by Book of Mormon experts such as BYU assistant professor Mark Wright, PhD.

I recognize that many reputable scholars differ in their opinions as to the geographic regions in which the people of the Book of Mormon may have lived. Each opinion is supported by compelling evidence, leaving the reader in a quandary about the truth. I respect the research and scholarship of all those who have devoted considerable effort in answering the questions about the historical and geographical details of the Book of Mormon. Nevertheless, I had to choose the settings and the circumstances in which the story occurs and with which the characters interact. If there are errors in my representation of the setting or circumstances incident to the region, they are solely mine and are not attributable in any way to the scholars and archeologist I have studied.

This novel is solely my own work and in no way represents official doctrines or views of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I am indebted to many people who have made this work possible. A novel is always a team collaboration that draws on many talents. I am grateful to Kent Hauck, who was kind enough to provide both technical and literary guidance and who spent many hours reviewing and correcting my writing and making valuable suggestions. I thank those who were willing to read my early manuscripts and give me valuable feedback. I am grateful, also, to the people at Xlibris Publishing, and especially Michelle Legrand for her constant encouragement.

Lastly, and most particularly, I am forever grateful to my best friend and eternal companion, Evelyn, for her support in every adventure I have undertaken. She is a magnificent support in all that I do, whether I succeed or fail.

I have included as an appendix the excerpt from the Book of Mormon that formed the inspiration for this novel. The appendix comprises selected verses in Chapters 3, 4, and 5 in the Third Book of Nephi.

I greatly respect the men and women who have meticulously studied the background, geography, and history of the Book of Mormon with dedication, zeal, and passion. I acknowledge the tremendous scientific scholarship that these ardent students have put into their labors to uncover, examine, and explain the environments, locations, and archeology connected with this amazing book of scripture. I am only a superficial consumer of their masterly work.

What I bring to this story is my own personal and deeply rooted passion for the Book of Mormon and its people. It is a book of scripture as true and inspiring as the Bible. It is about real people who lived real lives and faced real challenges and experienced real problems. I love the truth of the Book of Mormon. I love the insights it brings to my life. I love the people, and I love the drama.

I invite anyone who has not read the Book of Mormon for himself or herself to get a copy and read it. Test it. See if it is not delicious to the soul. If my simple work of fiction stirs an interest in reading the true and genuine account from the hand of prophets of God, I am humbled to have offered an introduction to a marvelous and revelatory experience that may change someone’s life. Changing lives is God’s work. Entertaining and piquing interest is mine.

Prologue

Before the days of Lachoneus

Yea, blessed is the name of my God, who has been mindful of this people, who are a branch of the tree of Israel, and has been lost from its body in a strange land; yea, I say, blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land.

— The Book of Mormon: Alma 36:26

Six hundred years before the birth of Christ, during the reign of King Zedekiah in the kingdom of Judah, and while the prophet Jeremiah preached the imminent destruction of the wicked generation of Israel, a man named Lehi was warned by God in a dream to take his family and leave Jerusalem. Faithful and obedient, Lehi packed a tent and a few provisions and took his wife Sariah and his four sons, Laman, Lemuel, Sam and Nephi, into the desert in search of a new promised land.

Once his family was safely camped several days’ journey into the desert, Lehi sent his sons back to Jerusalem to fetch first a set of the Hebrew scriptures – the five books of Moses and the writings of the prophets that were extant at that time – and second the family of Ishmael. Ishmael was a righteous man who happened to have daughters who were of marriageable age to provide Lehi’s sons with wives.

The two families struck out across the Sinai Peninsula. For eight years they wandered slowly through the wastelands, carefully avoiding populated settlements. Sariah bore two more children during the journey, and the sons and daughters of Lehi and Ishmael married and started families of their own.

When they came to the Indian Ocean, they built a ship and set sail. The prevailing currents took them in an easterly direction. They eventually made landfall on the west coast of a new continent, which they believed was their promised land.

Shortly after they arrived in their new home, Lehi died. A blood feud erupted between two factions of the family. The four younger brothers, Nephi, Sam, Jacob and Joseph, and a servant named Zoram, were loyal to Lehi, who trusted in God. The two older brothers, Laman and Lemuel, together with the sons of Ishmael, were bent on dominating the family and the nation that would eventually arise from their meager beginnings.

After Father Lehi died, Nephi assumed the spiritual and moral leadership of the group. Laman would have none of it, however, and plotted to murder his brother and assert his natural right to leadership as the eldest son. Nephi and his small band of followers, with their families, escaped to the north and established a new settlement, which they called the Land of Nephi. His group dedicated themselves to worshipping the God of Israel and following the teachings of Moses and the prophets. Laman and his group, on the other hand, turned their backs on faith in God.

Generations of Laman’s descendants grew up with the stories of how Nephi had robbed their ancestor of the rightful leadership of the family and had stolen valuable heirlooms. The people who descended from Nephi became known as Nephites, and the descendants of Laman’s people were called Lamanites. Over the centuries, the Lamanites raided and attacked the Nephites until they eventually drove them completely out of the Land of Nephi to northern regions. The peace-loving Nephites migrated northwest until they settled in a land called Zarahemla. With enough distance between the two combatants, an uneasy truce developed, and both peoples thrived and multiplied in their respective areas. The family traditions perpetuated, however. The Nephites generally remained faithful to God and were led by a series of patriarchal prophets. The Lamanites were led by kings whose main goals were to destroy the thieving Nephites and rule the world, or at least as much of the world as they knew about.

Of course, not all was peace and love among the Nephites. The people went through cycles of righteousness and wickedness. At one point a man named Kishkumen organized a secret society of men who plotted to overthrow the Nephite government. Kishkumen assassinated the governor. A new governor was installed, and Kishkumen attempted to murder him as well. A spy from the governor’s office learned of Kishkumen’s plan and foiled his second assassination attempt, killing Kishkumen in the process. His secret society did not disband, but went into deep hiding; and a man named Gadianton took over the leadership of the group. They became known as the Gadianton Band.

Having been thwarted at least temporarily among the Nephites, the Gadiantons began to infiltrate the Lamanites to the southeast. Among the less civilized and less cultured Lamanites, the band thrived and grew. Though the Lamanites hated the Nephites in general, they welcomed Nephite dissenters. From these expatriates the Lamanite kings learned of Nephite strongholds and strategies, which they put to use in new wars. The Lamanite leaders often appointed Nephite traitors as the heads of their marauding armies. The violent discontent of the expatriate Nephites often inflamed the ingrained Lamanite hatred towards the Nephite people with explosive effect.

While the Gadiantons functioned freely among the war-mongering Lamanites, they continued to operate in secret among the Nephites. They posed as good citizens in their communities and worked their way into positions of power, authority and wealth. The secrecy of their society, enforced by blood oaths and recognizable by secret signs flashed between members, made them practically impossible to eradicate from among the Nephites. Among the Lamanites, the Gadiantons were the Nazi party; among the Nephites, they were the Mafia.

Such was the state of affairs among the Nephites and Lamanites six hundred years after Father Lehi took his family from Jerusalem and made his way across the desert and the ocean to his promised land. His faithful descendants maintained the Hebrew religion, worshipped Jehovah, studied the writings of the Israelite prophets, and looked forward to the Messiah. Prophets arose among the Nephites at critical times to call them to repentance and keep them on the straight and narrow path. The Nephites kept meticulous records and created an extensive library rich in written traditions.

The Lamanites, on the other hand, became a superstitious people who worshipped idols, if they bothered to worship at all. They depended on oral tradition passed down through family lines to understand their past.

On the first day of the first month in the six hundredth year from Lehi’s departure from Jerusalem an event occurred that changed Nephite history. The sun set at its usual time, but the night was not dark. A great light overpowered the night sky, and it was as bright as at noonday. All through the night the light illuminated the landscape. In the morning the sun rose again, and that next night a new star shone brilliantly in the heavens. This stunning event had been prophesied by the Nephite prophets as the sign of the birth of the Messiah in the Old World. The long-awaited Messiah had come to his people in Jerusalem. Not many years hence, when he had finished his mortal ministry among his people in Judea, the prophecies said that he would visit his people in the New World. Jesus spoke to his disciples in Palestine of this impending event when he said, Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd (Holy Bible, John 10:16).

This great sign from heaven was witnessed by every man, woman and child in the land. Not everyone believed that it was the sign of the Messiah, but everyone acknowledged it as such a singular event that they began to reckon their calendar and count the years forward from that day. The Nephite record keepers no longer marked the date as six hundred and nine years had passed away since Lehi left Jerusalem or an hundred years had passed away since the days of Mosiah, who was king over the people of the Nephites, but rather they wrote nine years had passed away from the time when the sign was given, which was spoken of by the prophets, that Christ should come into the world… therefore, nine years had passed away. (see Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 2:6-8)

The great sign of the night without darkness generated considerable religious fervor among the Nephites. Nevertheless, when no more spectacular miracles presented themselves in the succeeding months and years, the religious excitement faded away, and the Nephites returned to their typical patterns of life. The Gadianton and Lamanite symbiosis continued as strong as ever. Political and religious dissidents among the Nephites flocked to the Gadiantons. The majority of the Nephite population remained opposed to the lawless and greedy Gadiantons, and they were successful in ferreting out many of their cells and driving them out of the cities and populated areas and pushing them into the surrounding mountains and wilderness areas.

The balance was tenuous, however, between the good citizens of Zarahemla, the capital of the Nephite nation, and the Gadianton band now infesting their borders. These local Gadiantons, strengthened and reinforced by the brotherhood that flourished among the Lamanites, posed a serious threat to the national security of the land of Zarahemla.

This was the situation faced by Lachoneus, the governor of Zarahemla at the beginning of the fourteenth year since the great sign of the Messiah. A growing army of terrorists, murderers and robbers stood poised on the southeastern borders of the land. Behind them lay the masses of a Lamanite nation sworn to the destruction of his people. Discontent and unrest were rife among his own citizens. These were the days of Lachoneus.

Chapter 1

In the Third Month of the Fourteenth Year

And it came to pass in the commencement of the fourteenth year, the war between the robbers and the people of Nephi did continue and did become exceedingly sore; nevertheless, the people of Nephi did gain some advantage of the robbers, insomuch that they did drive them back out of their lands into the mountains and into their secret places.

— Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 2:17

The summer sun approached the top of the mountains to the west. The humid air still shimmered with the heat of the day. Small columns of smoke swirled upwards from scattered spots on the valley floor into the cloudless blue sky. Cries and moans from the wounded and dying were mixed with shouts for help from the men who scurried among the lifeless bodies that were strewn along both banks of the river and up the gentle slopes on either side. More bodies floated in the muddy river, moving gently with the current. The ground was spongy from yesterday’s afternoon rain and today’s blood.

The faded sounds of battle still rang in the ears of a stocky man in his mid-forties who knelt on the damp ground by the side of a fallen warrior. The kneeling man’s thick, silver hair was matted against his head from perspiration. Blood was splattered across the front of his simple beige tunic and covered his bare legs and sandaled feet. He finished tying off the tourniquet around the stump of the soldier’s severed arm. He wiped sweat from his brow with the back of his wrist. He was grateful that the man was unconscious. It was hard to tell how much blood on the ground had come from the man’s arm and how much had come from the pierced and slashed bodies around him. Perhaps the poor fellow would survive, but probably not. He pressed his finger against the wounded man’s bloody neck one more time. The pulse was weak, but his heart was still beating. He grimly placed his hand on the man’s other shoulder and whispered, Farewell, my friend.

He scanned about and saw a figure slumped against a boulder about thirty paces up the river bank. The man made his way slowly up the slope. Fatigue weighed on his shoulders and sucked the strength from his legs. His arms ached from having wielded his sword and shield for many hours during the day’s battle.

As he approached the lone figure, he saw it was a young man, hardly more than a boy, propped up against a small boulder. The setting sun glinted on the tears that streamed down the boy’s ashen face. His straight, dark hair was wet and matted. In his lap his blood-soaked hands cradled a mass of intestines that protruded from a vicious gash across his abdomen. The boy stared at the gory mess in his lap and cried softly.

The older man surveyed the situation and slumped to the ground next to the boy. He leaned against the rock, letting his shoulder touch the boy’s. The boy slowly looked up and into the eyes of the older, silver-haired man, who marveled at how calm and quiet the young man was. Nonetheless, after all the death he had seen in the past few days, the older man was becoming accustomed to unexpected reactions from those who had little time left.

Tears continued to stream down the boy’s muddy cheeks. He swallowed hard as he looked deeply into the man’s eyes. Then he looked back at his lap. I can’t go home like this, he croaked. How’ll they ever put all this back in me? He looked quickly back again at the man next to him with pleading in his eyes. You won’t let my mama see me like this, will ya? It’d kill her.

The man reached out his hand and placed it on the boy’s bloody arm. No, son, I won’t let your mother see you like this.

I’m such a mess! The boy let out a sob. He slowly looked around. Did we … did we win?

The man sighed. It’s over anyway, he said, more to himself than to the boy. For now, he added bitterly.

He squeezed the boy’s arm with a gentle grip. What’s your name, son?

Kimrah, of Manti, the boy answered.

I am Lachoneus of Zarahemla; you fought manly today before the eyes of your people and your God. Your mother and father will be proud of you.

Have ya seen my father? Kimrah’s eyes widened. He was next to me down there by the river till they rushed us and broke through our line. I didn’t see where he went. I ‘magine he’s probably lookin’ for me. Will ya find him and tell him where I am?

I will do my best. Your father was a brave man this day as well. Even as he spoke the words, Lachoneus was certain that Kimrah’s father had fallen with the rest of the men who were cut down at the river’s edge.

Lachoneus felt a shiver go through the boy’s body. I’m cold, Kimrah said, staring straight ahead again. Why’s it so cold?

The older man lifted his blood-stained hand to shield his eyes as he looked toward the western mountains. The sun will be down soon.

The young man let out a long sigh, and another shiver shook his body. His eyes began to droop, and his chin slowly dropped to his chest. I’m so tired, he whispered.

Yes, it is time for you to rest, son.

Kimrah’s breathing became slow and shallow. He went completely still for a long moment, then he suddenly jerked and drew in a long, deep breath, which startled Lachoneus. He held the air in his lungs for a moment, and then let it out in one long, slow release. His body leaned heavily against Lachoneus’s shoulder, and his hands finally slipped from his lap.

Lachoneus gently pushed the boy’s weight off his shoulder, slid himself to the side, and reverently laid the limp body on the ground. He straightened Kimrah into a comfortable position of dignified slumber. He noticed for the first time the wooden shield leaning against the other side of the boulder. He heaved himself off the ground to retrieve it. A sharp pain in his right thigh caught his breath away for a moment. He adjusted the piece of cloth that he had tied around his leg to staunch the bleeding. He then lifted the battered shield and placed it carefully over the gory gash in the boy’s abdomen. When his mother would come to find him in the morning, Lachoneus had promised that she would not see him as he was.

O God, into thy hands I commend the valiant spirit of Kimrah of Manti, Lachoneus intoned.

Lachoneus had no tears left to shed after such a horrendous day. There was only great weariness. As the governor of the land of Zarahemla, he had led his people against the onslaught of the Gadianton Robbers. He dared not call his men an army. They were merely farmers and shopkeepers, blacksmiths and tinsmiths, millwrights and wheelwrights, shepherds and carpenters. They had come together as volunteers to defend their cities and villages and farms, their wives and children, against the marauders and terrorists who threatened to overrun their land, seize their property and destroy their lives.

When the Gadiantons were first discovered moving stealthily along the outskirts of the valley to the northeast of the city of Zarahemla, the alarm had gone quickly through the city and into the surrounding villages. Lachoneus was surprised that so many men rallied to the cry so quickly. Some brought scythes and axes and crude clubs, but many had costly bronze swords. Others carried cimeters – broad wooden paddles edged with flecks of sharp rock, sea shells, bones, and sharp teeth. Many brought round wooden shields, a few edged with iron. Considering these were not fighting men, they were surprisingly well equipped for combat.

The Gadiantons had the advantage of spears and a few bows to augment their swords, shields and clubs. But they had lost the advantage of complete surprise, thanks to the vigilant watchmen who kept an eye day and night on the edge of the narrow strip of wilderness where the Gadiantons were bivouacked in mountain strongholds.

On the first day of battle, the men of Zarahemla held their own, and the Gadiantons retreated into the wilderness to the north when the sun went down. Losses were heavy for the less experienced band of volunteers, but they had the advantage of numbers over the robbers. The second day, the fighting did not fare so well for the defenders, and by the evening, they had to retreat behind the main gates of the city, leaving the robbers to scream and chant and taunt them as they camped for the night directly in front of the east gate.

During the night, a fresh band of men from some of the farther villages and farms had arrived at Zarahemla and entered the city through the west gate. Before sunrise of the third day, which was today, Lachoneus had sent the fresh arrivals back through the west gate with orders to circle behind the robbers’ encampment. As the sun rose, they rushed the enemy’s camp from the rear. At the same time, the last of the men inside the city who could still hold a weapon, led by Lachoneus, threw open the east gate and charged out.

Surprised and surrounded, the Gadiantons were in a state of confusion. It looked like the people of Zarahemla would win the day before the sun was fully up. But the captains of the robbers quickly rallied their men, and they fought back ferociously. They began to drive the defenders south over a small ridge and towards the river, which ran along the bottom of the valley above which Zarahemla was perched. Lachoneus and his small band drove into the robbers’ flanks, but they could not slow their gradual pressure against the main force that stood between the robbers and the river.

Then to the surprise of the men of Zarahemla, a band of robbers appeared and descended upon them from the southeast. Outflanked, the defenders began to give way more quickly. The fighting was intense. The clanging of metal, the smashing of wood, and the sickening crack of shattered skulls and bones assaulted the ears and mixed with cries and grunts and shouts. The troops in the rear saw the plight of the men whose backs were to the river and broke off their assault to try to circle the robbers’ flanks and join the battle on the river bank. Before they could join their comrades, the Gadiantons slashed and pushed their way through the last thin line of defenders and dashed across the river and back up the southern slope of the broad valley towards the forest. The men of Zarahemla tried to follow, but they were too spent to go far. In the wake of their escape, the robbers left the trail of carnage that Lachoneus now surveyed.

The robbers had gained nothing and had lost many men. The people of Zarahemla had lost many more men, and had gained only a brief reprieve from the constant threat of the Gadiantons, their sworn enemies. Lachoneus’ hope was that their losses would cause the Gadiantons to take their time to regroup and reorganize before they came again. For surely another day and another attack would come. It had been so for a decade, and no end was in sight.

Lachoneus limped up the slope, following the trail of the fleeing robbers. He picked his way carefully among the twisted bodies, the bloody limbs, the hunks of raw flesh, and the pools of blood. He looked for other signs of life among the fallen humanity. His thoughts turned to the time – so long ago, it felt – when he had transitioned from an ordinary citizen to the leader of the people.

Lachoneus had come to the governorship of Zarahemla nearly sixteen years ago. He was the third son of the previous governor. Governors traditionally served for life. When a governor became incapacitated or passed away, one of his sons – typically the oldest son – would be chosen by the people as the new governor. It was not a law that the son succeed the father, but it had been so for many generations. Being the third son, and his father being in good health, Lachoneus had little inclination as a young man to think about government service. He had planned on making a good living from the silver mine he had discovered, raising a family, and being an ordinary citizen. His plans were changed when first his father took sick and died unexpectedly from one of the many fevers that swept through the lowlands of the jungle from time to time, and then both of his older brothers refused the governor position. They were both doing well in business and had established families in provinces away from Zarahemla. Neither was willing to give up his business and the prospects of wealth and comfort to take on the burden of being governor. They had watched their father struggle under the load of leadership, and neither had an appetite for it.

When both brothers refused to answer the call to service, the people turned to the third and last son – Lachoneus. He had no more desire to be governor than his brothers had. He was a young man, married but a few years, with a young son and a long-awaited second child finally on the way. His mining business was new and profitable, but he did not know how extensive the vein of silver was and where he might find the next rich deposit. He had recently acquired a house in the city of Zarahemla. Despite his public objections, the lot fell to him. When faced with the decision, he counseled with his wife, Miriam. Though he was not a religious man, Miriam was a firm believer in the One God of Israel. She made the decision a matter of prayer, as was her custom with most decisions, and she announced to Lachoneus the next day that he should accept the appointment. She was willing to give up her new house and do whatever was needed to faithfully support her husband. Lachoneus put little stock in prayer, but he was won over by Miriam’s enthusiasm. Despite his intentions to the contrary, Lachoneus became governor, which also meant he was the chief judge – the main officer of the final court of appeals. In the years since his decision to accept the appointment, Lachoneus had often wondered whether he had been right in letting his wife sway him. Mostly, he knew, it was vanity that motivated him to take the job. For once he could outdo his older brothers. He could be an important man with power and authority. These temptations were hard to resist. He had since learned for himself that the glory would quickly fade as the demanding work administration became the daily task.

A month later, a baby girl was born to Miriam. The happy parents named her Rachel.

He had been in office hardly a year when he experienced the first significant disturbance among his people. A sharp division had arisen between a group of religious fanatics who believed in prophecies of a coming Messiah and a much larger faction of the populace who were decidedly anti-Messiah. The contention was a matter of religious philosophy on which Lachoneus had no particular opinion. His wife, however, was very much a believer in the prophecies and often spoke of the promised Messiah to her husband, who tolerated her faith but had no interest in it. He was interested, however, in the peace of his people, and he sought for ways to squelch the religious contention. Despite his efforts, the tensions rose between the two groups. He was dismayed when the two factions became organized parties. A harmless but enthusiastic believer named Nephi was the defacto head of the Messiah worshippers. Lachoneus was more disturbed to learn of the hot-headed leaders who had stepped forward within the anti-Messiah party. The people were becoming fractured. Tempers heated up. Mob violence erupted. Lachoneus tried to remain impartial between the two groups as he judged disputes and ruled on criminal charges.

Then his wife brought him unbelievable news. The anti-Messiah coalition was threatening to exterminate the believers. The leaders had set a date by which, if the heavenly sign awaited by the believers did not occur, the anti-Messiah group would declare open warfare on the believers. Messiah worshippers who were still in Zarahemla on the designated date would be hunted down.

Lachoneus was dumbfounded by the open disregard for law, which the anti-Messiah faction flaunted. He offered to arbitrate between the two groups, but the powerful anti-Messiah leaders ignored his invitation. The governor had a small group of local constables at his disposal, but they would be no match for the mobs that were forming. Zarahemla had no militia or standing army. The beleaguered governor decided the best strategy was to encourage the believers to leave the province until the excitement died down. He was frustrated when many, including Nephi and the other leaders of the group, stubbornly refused to leave their homes. His own wife, Miriam, was among those who insisted on staying in Zarahemla. She was steadfast in her faith that her God would send the much-awaited sign of the Messiah. As the designated day approached, she spent more and more time in prayer. Lachoneus was beside himself with worry for her safety and the safety of their son and baby daughter. He could not abandon his position at such a critical moment, and he could not convince his wife to leave. On the day before the date set by the anti-Messiah leaders, Lachoneus finally settled on a strategy. He arranged with a cousin to take his wife and baby by force if necessary out of the city after dark.

What happened that night, however, changed Lachoneus’s life forever. The sun set behind the western mountains in its normal course, but the sky did not get dark. A brilliant light directly overhead flared into existence and lit up the night sky as if it were noon day. The light was so bright that Lachoneus could not look directly at it. Throughout the night, the dazzling object hung in the sky and traveled toward the western horizon. As it began to set behind the peaks, the sun rose in the east. A day, a night, and a day passed with no darkness, just as had been prophesied five years earlier by a Lamanite named Samuel.

The believers who remained in the city took to the streets shortly after the great light appeared. They celebrated through the bright night and well into the morning. The sign had been given. The mobs did not form. Lachoneus was impressed most by the humility of the believers. They exhibited no recrimination against their would-be exterminators. The backlash, which the governor feared, did not materialize. While the believers danced in the streets and sang songs of thanksgiving, most of the population cowered in their homes. When the sun set at the end of the second day, the night sky returned to its normal darkness. A spectacular new star, however, blazed in the heaven. It remained exceptionally bright every night for several weeks. Nevertheless, it gradually faded in intensity until a few months later it was no brighter than the bigger stars at night.

Lachoneus conceded to Miriam that something truly miraculous had occurred. Encouraged by his open heart, she brought Nephi, the leader of the believers, to the palace to meet her husband. Lachoneus was impressed by the man who exhibited quiet confidence without being overbearing. He listened to him speak of faith, mercy, and forgiveness. In time, after repeated discussions with his wife that often lasted late into the night, Lachoneus felt a stirring of faith in his heart. He found himself wanting to believe in a Messiah and in redemption. A feeling took possession of him that what his wife and the other believers taught was true. Eventually he consented to be baptized.

That was fourteen years ago. In the initial flush of excitement after the sign of the night without darkness many flocked to Nephi and joined themselves to the believers. As the excitement waned, however, most people returned to their former ways. Nevertheless, Lachoneus knew that he would never return to his way of life before the sign. He