An account of Alma and
the people of the Lord, who were driven into the wilderness by the people of
King Noah.
Comprising chapters 23
and 24.
Chapter 23
Alma refuses to be
king—He serves as high priest—The Lord chastens his people, and the Lamanites
conquer the land of Helam—Amulon, leader of King Noah's wicked priests, rules
subject to the Lamanite monarch. About 145–121 B.C.
1 NOW Alma, having
been warned of the Lord that the armies of king Noah would come upon them, and
having made it known to his people, therefore they gathered together their
flocks, and took of their grain, and departed into the wilderness before the
armies of king Noah.
2 And the Lord did
strengthen them, that the people of king Noah could not overtake them to
destroy them.
3 And they fled eight
days' journey into the wilderness.
4 And they came to a
land, yea, even a very beautiful and pleasant land, a land of pure water.
5 And they pitched
their tents, and began to till the ground, and began to build buildings; yea,
they were industrious, and did labor exceedingly.
6 And the people were
desirous that Alma should be their king, for he was beloved by his people.
7 But he said unto
them: Behold, it is not expedient that we should have a king; for thus saith
the Lord: Ye shall not esteem one flesh above another, or one man shall not
think himself above another; therefore I say unto you it is not expedient that
ye should have a king.
8 Nevertheless, if it were
possible that ye could always have just men to be your kings it would be well
for you to have a king.
9 But remember the iniquity
of king Noah and his priests; and I myself was caught in a snare, and did many
things which were abominable in the sight of the Lord, which caused me sore repentance;
10 Nevertheless, after
much tribulation, the Lord did hear my cries, and did answer my prayers, and
has made me an instrument in his hands in bringing so many of you to a
knowledge of his truth.
11 Nevertheless, in
this I do not glory, for I am unworthy to glory of myself.
12 And now I say unto
you, ye have been oppressed by king Noah, and have been in bondage to him and
his priests, and have been brought into iniquity by them; therefore ye were
bound with the bands of iniquity.
13 And now as ye have
been delivered by the power of God out of these bonds; yea, even out of the hands
of king Noah and his people, and also from the bonds of iniquity, even so I
desire that ye should stand fast in this liberty wherewith ye have been made
free, and that ye trust no man to be a king over you.
14 And also trust no
one to be your teacher nor your minister, except he be a man of God, walking in
his ways and keeping his commandments.
15 Thus did Alma teach
his people, that every man should love his neighbor as himself, that there
should be no contention among them.
Mosiah 23:1-15
Limhi’s people have joined with the Nephites at
Zarahemla. They were welcomed with open
arms and found a place to settle in the land of Zarahemla. We return to the
group that had escaped king Noah under the leadership of Alma1.
Alma1’s group has been warned the armies of king
Noah were approaching their settlement. “And it came to pass that Alma and the
people of the Lord were apprised of the coming of the king's army; therefore
they took their tents and their families and departed into the wilderness” (Mosiah
18:34).
They gathered together all their possession and escaped
before Noah’s army arrived. Alma2
would later remind the people of Zarahemla of this event. “And
behold, I say unto you, they were delivered out of the hands of the people of
king Noah, by the mercy and power of God” (Alma 5:4).
The Lord was with them as they traveled. They were strengthened by the Lord to the
point the armies of king Noah could not catchup with them.
They traveled for eight days and came to a land that was “a very beautiful and peasant land, a land
of pure water.” It was here they
chose to settle and began to establish their city.
After settling at Helam, the people wanted Alma1
to become king. In spirt of all the
problems Noah caused, the people still wanted a king.
He turned the people down.
“He turned down the title but, of necessity, did carry out some kingly
duties. It was Alma who ordained priests and teachers for his outcast people,
among whom he was in fact the sole human source of authority (Mosiah 18:18;
23:17).”[1]
In verse 7, we see an example of chiasmus.
A Behold, it
is not expedient that we should have a king;
B for thus saith the Lord:
C Ye shall not esteem one flesh above
another,
C 'or one man shall not think himself
above another;
B' therefore I say unto you
A' it is not expedient that ye should
have a king.
(Mosiah 23:7)[2]
Solomon warned about wicked kings. “It is
an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by
righteousness” (Proverbs 16:12).
Alma1 had no objection to a king if the king was
a righteous, just man. In fact, a
righteous and just man as king would be a good thing for the people.
He again reminded them of Noah. He confessed he “was caught in a snare and did many things which were abominable in the
sight of the Lord.”
Alma1 went before the Lord asking
forgiveness. “[A]fter much tribulation, the Lord did hear my cries.” “For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned
with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand” (D&C 58:4). He became an instrument in the hand of the
Lord to bring many “to a knowledge of his
truth.” He does not glory in what has occurred. The Lord deserves the glory, not him.
The people had been oppressed by Noah. He led his people to
sin. “For
behold, he did not keep the commandments of God, but he did walk after the
desires of his own heart. And he had
many wives and concubines. And he did cause
his people to commit sin, and do that which was abominable in the sight of the
Lord. Yea, and they did commit whoredoms
and all manner of wickedness” (Mosiah 11:2).
In the Book of Mormon, aversion to
oppression is connected with the just conduct of government. Among the evils
and iniquities of King Noah and his priests, who are prime examples in the Book
of Mormon of the miscarriage of justice, was the fact that they
"oppressed" people and held them "in bondage" (Mosiah 23:12).[3]
The people had been delivered through the power of God. He released them from the bonds of iniquity
and out of the hands of king Noah. They are
free from all bondage. “Stand fast therefore in the liberty
wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of
bondage” (Galatians 5:1).
[1] Authority
in the Book of Mosiah, Daniel C. Peterson, Maxwell Institute, accessed November
22, 2014.
[2] Nephite
Kingship Reconsidered, Noel B. Reynolds, Maxwell Institute, accessed November
22, 2014.
[3] The
Ideal of Righteous Judgment, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 22, 2014.
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