Nephihah was an elder of the Church and a respected wise man who was appointed the second chief judge over the Nephites in Zarahemla around 83 BC, succeeding Alma the Younger (Alma 4:16-17). During his leadership, which spanned approximately 16 years, Nephihah’s integrity and dedication to uprightness were hallmarks of his tenure, leading to his governance being described as one of “perfect uprightness before God” (Alma 50:37). His administration was marked by significant challenges, including the integration of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies—an event that expanded the Nephite lands (Alma 27:20-22)—and critical confrontations with figures such as Zerahemnah (Alma 43-44) and the treacherous Amalickiah (Alma 46-50).
Notably, Nephihah was involved in the judgement against the anti-Christ Korihor, sitting with Alma to consider the case (Alma 30:29-30). His governance also saw the militancy of society increase, as reflected by conflicts with the Lamanites and internal dissent, which threatened the stability of the Nephite system of judges. Nephihah’s role as chief judge lent itself more to maintaining juridical and administrative order rather than ecclesiastical matters, a purposeful separation of church and state echoed in Alma’s concurrent relinquishment of the judgement seat in favor of spiritual ministry (Alma 4:19).
Upon his death in approximately 67 BC, Nephihah was succeeded by his son, Pahoran (Alma 50:39-40). Interestingly, Nephihah declined the responsibility of maintaining the sacred Nephite records, a duty which Alma then entrusted to his own son, Helaman (Alma 50:38). The city of Nephihah mentioned later in the Book of Mormon could well have been named in his honor, a testament to his influence and standing among his people.