The division among the Nephite people is further put on display in this exchange. The Gadianton judges are in power because they had been able to sway the voice of the people. However, that voice had not been unanimous. In this occasion, they are confronted with a number of people who do not support the new government, but rather believe that Nephi was a prophet.
Nephi becomes a prophet to his people in the old tradition of prophets coming from outside the centers of power. For hundreds of years, the Nephites had been led by leaders who could often be seen as prophets due to the fact that they led the religious lives of the people. That was when the political and religious aspects of the community were more in concert.
Nephi is now a prophet declaring the sins of the rulers. He is a Lehi preaching to an unrepentant Jerusalem. Just as with the prophets in Jerusalem, Nephi was surrounded by those who believed him, even though those in power preferred to silence his voice.
Verse 8 notes that Nephi knows that “all the judgments will come upon us.” Although Mormon will tell the story of a particular prophecy, that isn’t the story the people are referencing here. Here, they are hearing the declaration that they are in danger of the negative aspect of the promise of the land. That is the particular prophetic call that Nephi makes. They are to repent in order to avoid destruction. It is a parallel message to the one that Lehi delivered to Jerusalem.