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Cezoram was appointed as the chief judge after Nephi(3) (Helaman 5:1) stepped down from the judgment-seat to focus on his ministry. However, Cezoram’s time as chief judge was short-lived, as he was “murdered by an unknown hand as he sat upon the judgment-seat” (Helaman 6:15).
After Cezoram’s assassination, his son was appointed to succeed him as chief judge, but he too was murdered in the same year (Helaman 6:15). This pattern of violence and instability in the Nephite government was a troubling sign of the growing wickedness and secret combinations that were spreading among the people.
The Book of Mormon makes it clear that Cezoram’s murder, as well as the murder of his son, were carried out by the Gadianton robbers – a secret society of criminals and murderers who had infiltrated the Nephite government (Helaman 6:18-19). This group was able to operate with impunity, assassinating leaders while avoiding detection, as the Nephites had become increasingly wicked and corrupt.
Cezoram’s untimely death, along with that of his son, marked a significant turning point in Nephite history, as the secret combinations gained more power and influence, eventually leading to the destruction prophesied in 3 Nephi. The rapid decline of righteous leadership and the rise of wickedness during Cezoram’s brief tenure as chief judge serves as a sobering warning about the dangers of complacency and the erosion of moral standards within a society.
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