For the Nephites, righteousness was at the heart of good government; a government was only as good as its people and its leaders. They were convinced that they could enjoy the blessings and protection of the Almighty only in a state of faithfulness and fidelity to their covenants. Thus the people “cast their garments at the feet of Moroni, saying: We covenant with our God, that we shall be destroyed, even as our brethren in the land northward [the Jaredites], if we shall fall into transgression; yea, he may cast us at the feet of our enemies, even as we have cast our garments at thy feet to be trodden under foot, if we shall fall into transgression” (Alma 46:22).
Similarly, in the exchange of letters between Moroni and the chief judge Pahoran, even though Moroni is unaware of Pahoran’s plight (the judgment seat having been taken over by the king-men), we see the nobility of soul and fearlessness of Moroni in his attitude toward upholding the Nephite government and destroying all influences which would seek to rob men and women of their inalienable rights (see Alma 59-61).