Alma 51:1 - 51:5

Alma 51: 1 And now it came to pass in the commencement of the twenty and fifth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, they having established peace between the people of Lehi and the people of Morianton concerning their lands, and having commenced the twenty and fifth year in peace;

With the settlement of the dispute between the people of Morianton and Lehi, peace once again w established in the 25th year.

Alma 51: 2 Nevertheless, they did not long maintain an entire peace in the land, for there began to be a contention among the people concerning the chief judge Pahoran; for behold, there were a part of the people who desired that a few particular points of the law should be altered.

However, peace did not last long. Some of the people were wanting to change the change the form of government.

Alma 51: 3 But behold, Pahoran would not alter nor suffer the law to be altered; therefore, he did not hearken to those who had sent in their voices with their petitions concerning the altering of the law.

These people were demanding by their voice and partition for a change but Pahoran would not allow it.

Alma 51: 4 Therefore, those who were desirous that the law should be altered were angry with him, and desired that he should no longer be chief judge over the land; therefore there arose a warm dispute concerning the matter, but not unto bloodshed.

As a result, these people were demanding that Pahoran remove himself from his position as chief judge. The contention was great but not so far as to cause any fighting.

Alma 51: 5 And it came to pass that those who were desirous that Pahoran should be dethroned from the judgment-seat were called king-men, for they were desirous that the law should be altered in a manner to overthrow the free government and to establish a king over the land.

These people who wanted the change the government were called king-men as they wanted to install a king in place of the judges. The repercussions of this would be the overthrow of the government controlled by the voice of the people to a single individual controlling the lives of the people.

It never ceases to amaze me how there are always people who want to be in control. They think they knew better and will go to great lengths to acquire this power, even to killing those who stand in their way. But they seem to forget, they are only alive for a limited time and all will die and have to answer for their attitudes and desires. In fact, it seems that when one does acquire power, there are others who now want to take their position and will kill them to get it too. The only true happiness comes when we serve one another not when we seek to control one another.