“Pahoran Should Be Dethroned from the Judgment–seat Were Called King–men”

Alan C. Miner

According to John Tvedtnes, the name Mulek comes from the Hebrew root mlk for "king," and it may be that the "king-men" (Alma 51:5) of the Book of Mormon were, in fact, Mulekites. The text informs us that these were people of "high-birth" (Alma 51:8), "who professed the blood of nobility" (Alma 51:21), and who felt that they should rule -- perhaps because of descent from King Zarahemla or King Zedekiah of Judah . . . It is interesting that the king-men who survived the war "were compelled to hoist the title of liberty upon their towers, and in their cities" (Alma 51:20). If this means that they were settled in specific cities, then they are more likely a tribal group than a political faction. [John A. Tvedtnes, "Book of Mormon Tribal Affiliation and Military Castes," in Warfare in the Book of Mormon, F.A.R.M.S., p. 299]

Step by Step Through the Book of Mormon: A Cultural Commentary

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