The recombination of the religious and political aspects of Nephite society into one person ends after only nine years. Alma the younger abdicates the chief judge seat and selects another person to rule. Although the chief judge would no longer be the head of the church, he was nevertheless chosen from “among the elders of the church,” and accepted by the voice of the people. That the voice of the people accepted such a man as their chief judge suggests that while there were increasing divisions, the larger number of people in Zarahemla were either church members or, at least, followed the Nephite religious and political ideals.