Lachoneus

One of the great leaders of the Book of Mormon whom we don’t talk about very often is Lachoneus.  He became chief judge around the time of the sign of Christ’s birth as recorded in 3 Nephi 1:1 and was chief judge during a very tumultuous time for the Nephites for approximately a 29 year-period.  The text doesn’t say whose son he was or who he replaced as the chief judge.  We know in the book of Helaman that Seezoram was the chief judge who was murdered by his brother Seantum around 23 years before the coming of Christ (Helaman 9:26).  After that chief judges were mentioned in general but not by name until Lachoneus came on the scene at the same time that Nephi (son of Helaman) departed out of the land.  Though we don’t know his history, it is clear that Lachoneus was prepared in righteousness by the Lord to lead the Nephites through some very difficult times. 

               The faith and righteousness of Lachoneus was seen in particular in the story of the war between the Nephites and the Gadianton robbers.  When the threat of the Gadianton robbers was upon them, Lachoneus sought to prepare them physically and spiritually just as Captain Moroni had done a couple generations previous.  He first “caused that fortifications should be built round about them” and prepared their armies to fight, and then he sought to awaken them spiritually: “Yea, he said unto them: As the Lord liveth, except ye repent of all your iniquities, and cry unto the Lord, ye will in nowise be delivered out of the hands of those Gadianton robbers.”  Mormon then described Lachoneus in these words: “Yea, he said unto them: As the Lord liveth, except ye repent of all your iniquities, and cry unto the Lord, ye will in nowise be delivered out of the hands of those Gadianton robbers” (3 Nephi 3:14-16).  Clearly he was a marvelous spiritual leader who was instrumental in preserving the lives of his people. He organized the gathering of the people to a central location and directed them to prepare for seven years of famine, and Lachoneus was instrumental in their incredible victory over the Gadianton robbers. Mormon credited him and Gidgiddoni, saying, “And now it was Gidgiddoni, and the judge, Lachoneus, and those who had been appointed leaders, who had established this great peace in the land” (3 Nephi 6:6). 

               What is sad to me is the fact that Lachoneus did not live to see the coming of the Savior among his people.  The only thing we know about him after the events with the Gadianton robbers is that he died and was replaced by his son: “And now it was in the days of Lachoneus, the son of Lachoneus, for Lachoneus did fill the seat of his father and did govern the people that year” (3 Nephi 6:19).  This was the thirtieth year and so presumably Lachoneus the father had died just recently.  But Lachoneus the son did not last long and was murdered in that same year: “in this same year, yea, the thirtieth year, they did destroy upon the judgment-seat, yea, did murder the chief judge of the land” (3 Nephi 7:1).  Neither the father or the son was able to be there in the flesh to when the Savior came less than five years later among the people, but perhaps they were among those who rose from the dead soon after the resurrection of the Savior to join their Lord on the right hand of God.