Mormon describes Nehor’s specific crime, but only after cataloging his doctrinal and philosophical “crimes.” Although Nehor was executed for slaying Gideon, his influence on Zarahemla’s religious climate outlived him, and it is these problems about which Mormon is most concerned.
As Nehor preached his own version of religion, attempting to gain converts, he encountered the same Gideon who had been a hero in the city of Lehi-Nephi. Gideon, who is now an elderly man, may have been an exclusively religious teacher; but I hypothesize that he held a position of political leadership in which he taught religion as part of appropriate civic behavior (see commentary accompanying 2 Ne. 32:1, for the close connection between government and religion. See Alma, Part 1: Context, Chapter 2, “Alma’s Ecclesiastical Organization” for the position of “teacher” in the Nephite church). Although Mormon does not summarize their discussion, it probably focused on their sharp disagreement on the Messiah’s mission and Nephite egalitarianism versus Nehor’s advocacy of a paid clergy.