Not only has Pahoran failed to send more men, he has failed to send the provisions needed to support those already in the field. His anger easily comes through, even when he attempts more formal prose: “my beloved brethren—for ye ought to be beloved.” The address as “beloved brethren” is part of polite speech, but Moroni cannot allow it to stand. It is an ideal that isn’t being fulfilled.
Yet again, in verse 10, Moroni declares that the responsibility for thousands of Nephite deaths lies firmly at Pahoran’s door. Moroni does not accuse Pahoran of direct evil, but rather “exceedingly great neglect.”