Moroni is a student of history. He learned what Mormon has shown us, that these internal dissensions had “been hitherto a cause of all their destruction.” Knowing the potential danger of this particular dissent, he had asked for the ability to put down the rebellion by treating it as punishable by death (previous verse). It is interesting that the mechanism for granting his petition is listed as the voice of the people rather than the simple decision of the chief judge. It may be that this decision required the voice of the people because it threatened some of the people.