Mormon affirms two laws, which contrast with the building pressures toward priestcraft. The law did not eradicate priestcraft, but its application made for greater order. Mormon seems to contrast failure on the one hand with success on the other. Implicit in Mormon’s argument is that the ideas of priestcraft were not against the law in and of themselves. Mosiah2 set in motion a potential division between the religion and the state, an act that immediately legitimized multiple religions in the community. When Mosiah2 established the laws, they applied to all, not just the Nephite religion. This tolerance opened the door for priestcraft, leaving no legal recourse against it.
Formerly, the king could have outlawed priestcraft by the power of his position. The judges, however, can rule only on the basis of received (and interpreted) law. This shift in how authority functioned in Zarahemla allowed for the continued increase in priestcraft, while law could deal with specifics such as lying and robbing, or murder.