Pahoran acknowledges that Moroni has accused him of being personally responsible for neglecting the army. Pahoran does not apologize for diverting the troops to Gideon nor does he rebuke Moroni for his heated rhetoric. He deliberately quotes a phrase from Moroni’s letter (Alma 60:36) in asserting that he (Pahoran) “standeth fast in that liberty in the which God hath made us free.” He seeks the same goal as Moroni: sustaining the Nephite ideal in the government he is responsible for leading.