Chapter 25
The people (the
Mulekites) of Zarahemla become Nephites—They learn of the people of Alma and of
Zeniff—Alma baptizes Limhi and all his people—Mosiah authorizes Alma to
organize the Church of God. About 120 B.C.
1 AND now king Mosiah
caused that all the people should be gathered together.
2 Now there were not
so many of the children of Nephi, or so many of those who were descendants of
Nephi, as there were of the people of Zarahemla, who was a descendant of Mulek,
and those who came with him into the wilderness.
3 And there were not
so many of the people of Nephi and of the people of Zarahemla as there were of
the Lamanites; yea, they were not half so numerous.
4 And now all the
people of Nephi were assembled together, and also all the people of Zarahemla,
and they were gathered together in two bodies.
5 And it came to pass
that Mosiah did read, and caused to be read, the records of Zeniff to his
people; yea, he read the records of the people of Zeniff, from the time they left
the land of Zarahemla until they returned again.
6 And he also read the
account of Alma and his brethren, and all their afflictions, from the time they
left the land of Zarahemla until the time they returned again.
7 And now, when Mosiah
had made an end of reading the records, his people who tarried in the land were
struck with wonder and amazement.
8 For they knew not
what to think; for when they beheld those that had been delivered out of
bondage they were filled with exceedingly great joy.
9 And again, when they
thought of their brethren who had been slain by the Lamanites they were filled
with sorrow, and even shed many tears of sorrow.
10 And again, when
they thought of the immediate goodness of God, and his power in delivering Alma
and his brethren out of the hands of the Lamanites and of bondage, they did
raise their voices and give thanks to God.
11 And again, when
they thought upon the Lamanites, who were their brethren, of their sinful and polluted
state, they were filled with pain and anguish for the welfare of their souls.
12 And it came to pass
that those who were the children of Amulon and his brethren, who had taken to
wife the daughters of the Lamanites, were displeased with the conduct of their
fathers, and they would no longer be called by the names of their fathers,
therefore they took upon themselves the name of Nephi, that they might be
called the children of Nephi and be numbered among those who were called
Nephites.
13 And now all the
people of Zarahemla were numbered with the Nephites, and this because the
kingdom had been conferred upon none but those who were descendants of Nephi.
14 And now it came to
pass that when Mosiah had made an end of speaking and reading to the people, he
desired that Alma should also speak to the people.
Mosiah 25:1-14
The Zeniffites and the “Almaites” have returned to
Zarahemla. They were welcomed by King
Mosiah. He then called an assembly of
the people. It is here we learn about
the structure of Nephite society.
We know the Nephites and Mulekites became united as a
people. Yet, we see that tribal
affiliation affected society as the Nephites and Mulekites gathered together in
two bodies.
According to the Book of Mormon,
the Nephites and "Mulekites" formed a coalition, making Mosiah2 king
over both groups. The Nephites discovered in Mulek's descendants an additional
witness concerning the destruction of Jerusalem. The Mulekites were elated to
have access to Nephite records, since their own language and traditions had
been distorted in the absence of historical documents. The Mulekites lived
thenceforth among the Nephites, enjoying separate-but-equal status and
ultimately outnumbering the descendants of Nephi (Mosiah 25:1—4, 13).[1]
We read further:
A good example of the importance of
tribal affiliation is the relationship between the Nephites and the Mulekites.
The two peoples united under the first Mosiah soon after they met, in the
middle of the second century B.C. (see Omni 1:19). But when Mosiah's namesake
and grandson assembled his people in Zarahemla together with the followers of
Limhi and Alma (groups recently arrived from the city of Nephi), he divided
them into two bodies. The text, which states that the Mulekites were more
numerous than the Nephites (see Mosiah 25:1-4), implies that these two
bodies, the Nephites and the Mulekites, were separated.
Religious and culture differences had the potential of
causing conflict.
Religious affiliation and its
intersection with the new political system were not the only challenges facing
Nephite society. Social and cultural distinctions also had the potential of
causing conflict, particularly between the Nephites and the Mulekites
(Zarahemla’s original settlers), the latter of which represented the majority
of the population in Zarahemla.21 While
little is said about interactions between the Mulekites and the Nephites, what
does appear in the record is revealing. During the reigns of both Benjamin and
Mosiah₂,
the Mulekites and the Nephites apparently viewed themselves as separate
peoples.[2]
We also see the blood lines may have been mingled.
Latter-day Saints have concluded
too readily that the Lamanites are direct descendants of Laman and Lemuel.
Actually much Nephite blood flows in their veins, not to mention the blood of
the Mulekites. In respect to the latter, it should be recalled that in the days
of the younger Mosiah more of his people were Mulekites than Nephites … From [reading
Mosiah 25:1-2] we are probably justified in concluding that the
"Nephites" of the period following Christ's appearance on this
continent had more Mulekite blood flowing in their veins than Nephite blood.
From the viewpoint of the Book of Mormon, then, our Indians are descendants of
several peoples—Nephites and Mulekites, with some Lamanite influence thrown in
for good measure.[3]
Here we appreciate the Nephite interest in historic
records. Mosiah had the records of the
people of Zeniff and Alma and his brethren read to the people. They learned what occurred, both good and
bad.
[T]here appears to be a fascination
with historical records throughout the entire history of the Nephites. The best
example of this is when King Limhi's people and the followers of Alma returned
to Zarahemla and were reunited with the main Nephite group. Their first act,
filled with emotion, was the reading of each group's records (Mosiah 25:5–9).[4]
Once the records had been read, there is an almost
ritualistic response to what they heard.[5] Their response consisted of the following:
- They were “struck with wonder and amazement.”
- They were “filled with exceedingly great joy” for those who had been delivered out of bondage.
- They “shed many tears of sorrow” for those who were killed by the Lamanites.
- They “raised their voices and give thanks to God” for their delivery from bondage.
- They “were filled with pain and anguish” for the Lamanites and their sinful state.
As a part of the assembly, the children of Noah’s priests
renounced their fathers. “They took upon them the name of Nephi.”
While genetics generally determine
descent among the Nephites, it is not the sole criterion. A practice similar to
adoption is also recognized. For example, the children of the priests of King
Noah are so ashamed of their fathers' wickedness that they repudiate their
ancestry and begin to call themselves after and trace their descent from Alma,
who had spiritually liberated them (Mosiah 25:12).[6]
Further:
This passage implies that the
Amulonites' fathers (despite the fact that they lived in the city of Nephi)
were, in fact, not Nephites, but we cannot be certain of their
real origin. The fact that the Amulonite priests, like the Amalekites, were of
the order of Nehor (see Alma 24:28-29), and the further fact that they ruled in
Nephi under King Noah, may imply that they were Mulekites.[7]
We now have a society made up of four groups: Nephites, Mulekites, Zeniffites, and “Almaites.” Still, the kingship was bestowed only on the
descendants of Nephi.
[2] “And
it came to pass . . .”: The Sociopolitical Events in the Book of Mormon Leading
to the Eighteenth Year of the Reign of the Judges, Dan Belnap, Maxwell
Institute, accessed December 7, 2014.
[3] The
Lamanites Portrayed in the Book of Mormon, Sidney B. Sperry, Maxwell
Institute, accessed December 7, 2014.
[4] Moses'
Brazen Serpent as It Relates to Serpent Worship in Mesoamerica, Wallace E.
Hunt Jr., Maxwell Institute, accessed December 7, 2014.
[5] The
Book of Mosiah: Thoughts about Its Structure, Purposes, Themes, and Authorship,
Gary L. Sturgess, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 7, 2014.
[6] The
Covenant of the Chosen People: The Spiritual Foundations of Ethnic Idenity in
the Book of Mormon, Steven L. Olsen, Maxwell Institute, accessed December
7, 2014.
[7] Book
of Mormon Tribal Affiliation and Military Castes, John A. Tvedtnes, Maxwell
Institute, accessed December 7, 2014.
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