Upon the death of Nephi, the son of Lehi, and first ruler over his people after their settlement in the land of promise, the governance of the Nephites passed to a man who was anointed as the “second king.” His given name is not specified in the scriptural record, but he was referred to by the name-title of “second Nephi,” denoting his succession and in honor of the beloved first ruler (Jacob 1:9-11). This second king assumed the throne in a time when the Nephites had begun to grow hard in their hearts, indulging in practices that were contrary to the commandments given to them. Reflecting the behaviors of ancient Israelite kings such as David and Solomon, the Nephite society under his rule began to adopt the custom of having many wives and concubines, indicating a deviation from the teachings and policies implemented by the first Nephi (Jacob 1:15).
The specific achievements, administration, and duration of the reign of this second king are not detailed in the existing record, due to the loss of the larger history written on the plates of Lehi, otherwise known as the 116 pages of manuscript that went missing. This king’s reign was, therefore, chronicled in other records, which are not extant in the current Book of Mormon text, and as such, little is known about the extent of his influence and the exact nature of his leadership over the Nephite people.