Alma 1:21-25

21 Now there was a strict law among the people of the church, that there should not any man, belonging to the church, arise and persecute those that did not belong to the church, and that there should be no persecution among themselves.

22 Nevertheless, there were many among them who began to be proud, and began to contend warmly with their adversaries, even unto blows; yea, they would smite one another with their fists.

23 Now this was in the second year of the reign of Alma, and it was a cause of much affliction to the church; yea, it was the cause of much trial with the church.

24 For the hearts of many were hardened, and their names were blotted out, that they were remembered no more among the people of God. And also many withdrew themselves from among them.

25 Now this was a great trial to those that did stand fast in the faith; nevertheless, they were steadfast and immovable in keeping the commandments of God, and they bore with patience the persecution which was heaped upon them.

The people of the church believed no one belonging to the church should persecute those who did not belong, nor should there be any persecution among themselves. Unfortunately, there were some church members who became a proud people. It’s important to remember, when the Book of Mormon uses the term “pride,” it is never considered positive. In fact, we will see how whenever the Nephites became a “proud” people, this led to problems in society. It would also lead to their destruction.

The great and spacious building in Lehi’s tree of life vision represents pride. “And it came to pass that I saw and bear record, that the great and spacious building was the pride of the world; and it fell, and the fall thereof was exceedingly great” (1 Nephi 11:36). “And the large and spacious building, which thy father saw, is vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men” (1 Nephi 12:18).

“O the wise, and the learned, and the rich, that are puffed up in the pride of their hearts, and all those who preach false doctrines, and all those who commit whoredoms, and pervert the right way of the Lord, wo, wo, wo be unto them, saith the Lord God Almighty, for they shall be thrust down to hell” (2 Nephi 28:15).

“O that [God] would rid you from this iniquity and abomination. And, O that ye would listen unto the word of his commands, and let not this pride of your hearts destroy your souls” (Jacob 2:16).

“When the Nephites were defeated by the Lamanites, Mormon explains, “And it was because of the pride of their hearts, because of their exceeding riches, yea, it was because of their oppression to the poor, withholding their food from the hungry, withholding their clothing from the naked, and smiting their humble brethren upon the cheek, making a mock of that which was sacred, denying the spirit of prophecy and of revelation, murdering, plundering, lying, stealing, committing adultery, rising up in great contentions, and deserting away into the land of Nephi, among the Lamanites—

“And because of this their great wickedness, and their boastings in their own strength, they were left in their own strength; therefore they did not prosper, but were afflicted and smitten, and driven before the Lamanites, until they had lost possession of almost all their lands” (Helaman 4:13).

Mormon would make it clear pride led to the destruction of the Nephites. “Behold, my son, I will write unto you again if I go not out soon against the Lamanites. Behold, the pride of this nation, or the people of the Nephites, hath proven their destruction…” (Moroni 8:27)/

Moroni wrote to us today, warning us of the consequences of pride.

“Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.

“And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts” (Mormon 8:35-36).

The pride led to contention among church members. Not only did they disagree, but they came to blows with those with those whom they disagreed.

“In the Book of Mormon, material wealth is frequently, but not universally, connected with prospering. Consistent with the covenant of the promised land, when wealth is a means to aid the poor, free the oppressed, comfort the disadvantaged, or strengthen the church—it is a prime virtue. However, as a means of oppression, a source of social stratification, a symptom of pride and materialism, or an end in itself, wealth is a great evil. As a prime example of the corrupting potential of wealth, "priestcraft"—that is, religious activities for the purpose of ‘getting gain’—is a particularly reprehensible evil among the Nephites.[1]

These problems occurred two years after Alma became the chief judge. These problems caused afflictions and trails within the church. Many wouldn’t repent and the were excommunicated. This is how the Lord had handled apostasy in the past. “And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book” (Exodus 32:33).

“Now I say unto you, Go; and whosoever will not repent of his sins the same shall not be numbered among my people; and this shall be observed from this time forward…

“And those that would not confess their sins and repent of their iniquity, the same were not numbered among the people of the church, and their names were blotted out” (Mosiah 26:32, 36).

“And it also came to pass that whosoever did belong to the church that did not repent of their wickedness and humble themselves before God—I mean those who were lifted up in the pride of their hearts—the same were rejected, and their names were blotted out, that their names were not numbered among those of the righteous” (Alma 6:3).

Others voluntarily left the church. “And there were many in the church who believed in the flattering words of Amalickiah, therefore they dissented even from the church; and thus were the affairs of the people of Nephi exceedingly precarious and dangerous, notwithstanding their great victory which they had had over the Lamanites, and their great rejoicings which they had had because of their deliverance by the hand of the Lord” (Alma 46:7).

The persecution was a trail for those who kept their faith. “[N]evertheless, they were steadfast and immovable in keeping the commandments of God, and they bore with patience the persecution which was heaped upon them” (Alma 1:25).

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[1] Prospering in the Land of Promise, Steven L. Olsen, Maxwell Institute website

Alma 1:7-18

7 And it came to pass as he was going, to preach to those who believed on his word, he met a man who belonged to the church of God, yea, even one of their teachers; and he began to contend with him sharply, that he might lead away the people of the church; but the man withstood him, admonishing him with the words of God.

8 Now the name of the man was Gideon; and it was he who was an instrument in the hands of God in delivering the people of Limhi out of bondage.

9 Now, because Gideon withstood him with the words of God he was wroth with Gideon, and drew his sword and began to smite him. Now Gideon being stricken with many years, therefore he was not able to withstand his blows, therefore he was slain by the sword.

10 And the man who slew him was taken by the people of the church, and was brought before Alma, to be judged according to the crimes which he had committed.

11 And it came to pass that he stood before Alma and pled for himself with much boldness.

12 But Alma said unto him: Behold, this is the first time that priestcraft has been introduced among this people. And behold, thou art not only guilty of priestcraft, but hast endeavored to enforce it by the sword; and were priestcraft to be enforced among this people it would prove their entire destruction.

13 And thou hast shed the blood of a righteous man, yea, a man who has done much good among this people; and were we to spare thee his blood would come upon us for vengeance.

14 Therefore thou art condemned to die, according to the law which has been given us by Mosiah, our last king; and it has been acknowledged by this people; therefore this people must abide by the law.

15 And it came to pass that they took him; and his name was Nehor; and they carried him upon the top of the hill Manti, and there he was caused, or rather did acknowledge, between the heavens and the earth, that what he had taught to the people was contrary to the word of God; and there he suffered an ignominious death.

16 Nevertheless, this did not put an end to the spreading of priestcraft through the land; for there were many who loved the vain things of the world, and they went forth preaching false doctrines; and this they did for the sake of riches and honor.

17 Nevertheless, they durst not lie, if it were known, for fear of the law, for liars were punished; therefore they pretended to preach according to their belief; and now the law could have no power on any man for his belief.

18 And they durst not steal, for fear of the law, for such were punished; neither durst they rob, nor murder, for he that murdered was punished unto death (Alma 1:7-20).

As Nehor was going around preaching to his followers, he met a man who belonged to the church of God. The man he met was Gideon. We first read about Gideon as an enemy to King Noah.

“And now there was a man among them whose name was Gideon, and he being a strong man and an enemy to the king, therefore he drew his sword, and swore in his wrath that he would slay the king.

“And it came to pass that he fought with the king; and when the king saw that he was about to overpower him, he fled and ran and got upon the tower which was near the temple.

“And Gideon pursued after him and was about to get upon the tower to slay the king, and the king cast his eyes round about towards the land of Shemlon, and behold, the army of the Lamanites were within the borders of the land.

“And now the king cried out in the anguish of his soul, saying: Gideon, spare me, for the Lamanites are upon us, and they will destroy us; yea, they will destroy my people.

“And now the king was not so much concerned about his people as he was about his own life; nevertheless, Gideon did spare his life” (Mosiah 19:4-8).

 “[W]hen we meet Gideon again, Mormon recasts his role by describing him as ‘he who was an instrument in the hands of God in delivering the people of Limhi out of bondage’ (Alma 1:8). Mormon believes, although he does not explicitly tell his readers, ‘Although we may attribute our successes to our own intelligence and daring, we nevertheless owe everything to God.’ He is teaching us how to see here, suggesting that there is more to understand about how God operates in human lives.”[1]

Nehor “began to contend with him sharply, that he might lead away the people of the church; but the man withstood him, admonishing him with the words of God” (Alma 1:7).

Failing to convince Gideon, Nehor was angry. He took out his sword and attacked Gideon. Gideon, “being stricken with many years,” was unable to fend off his blows. Nehor killed him.

Nehor was taken by church members to face Alma and be judged for his crimes. Nehor “pled for himself with much boldness” (Alma 1:11). He failed to convince Alma. “Behold, this is the first time that priestcraft has been introduced among this people. And behold, thou art not only guilty of priestcraft, but hast endeavored to enforce it by the sword; and were priestcraft to be enforced among this people it would prove their entire destruction” (Alma 1:12).

Further Alma reminded him he had killed a righteous man. If Alma spared Nehor, Gideon’s “blood would come upon us for vengeance” (Alma 1:13).

Nehor was condemned to die according to Nephite law. “Therefore, it came to pass that they assembled themselves together in bodies throughout the land, to cast in their voices concerning who should be their judges, to judge them according to the law which had been given them; and they were exceedingly rejoiced because of the liberty which had been granted unto them” (Mosiah 29:39). “[I]t has been acknowledged by this people; therefore this people must abide by the law” (Alma 1:17).

Nehor was taken to the hill Manti. He acknowledged that he had taught the people false doctrine. He then “suffered an ignominious death” (Alma 1:15).

“The concept of having a condemned man confess his sins before being executed is intriguing. Since the man is doomed, why would he cooperate with the authorities by detailing his crime? With no hope of leniency for confessing, what could he possibly gain? The answer may lie in the regulations followed by Jewish religious authorities in the time of Christ. One of the tractates of the Mishnah describes in detail the procedures used by the Sanhedrin in capital cases, from the value of eyewitness testimony to the various means of execution. A major provision concerning confession is described thus:

“When he [the condemned man] was about ten cubits from the place of stoning they used to say to him, ‘Make thy confession,’ for such is the way of them that have been condemned to death to make confession, for every one that makes his confession has a share in the world to come… (M Sanhedrin 6.2)

“The Mishnah makes it clear that although the confession would not alter the decision of the court, it would be taken into consideration in the final judgment that would be made by God.”[2]

Priestcraft continued to spread throughout the land. Those “who loved the vain things of the world … went forth preaching false doctrines” (Alma 1:16).

Those practicing priestcraft and teaching false doctrine dared not lie. The law required that liars be punished. So, they pretended they believed what they taught. The law had no power to punish anyone for their beliefs. “Now there was no law against a man’s belief; for it was strictly contrary to the commands of God that there should be a law which should bring men on to unequal grounds” (Alma 30:7).

“For many reasons (not the least of which was to ensure broad popular support for the new regime), the new law had promised that everyone would have ‘an equal chance,’ granting all people ‘liberty’ but also making them accountable (Mosiah 29:38–39). This guarantee was actualized initially in the legal maxim that ‘the law could have no power on any man for his belief’ (Alma 1:17), and eighteen years into the reign of judges it was stated, ‘There was no law against a man’s belief; for it was strictly contrary to the commands of God that there should be a law which should bring men on to unequal grounds … If [a man] believed in God it was his privilege to serve him; but if he did not believe in him there was no law to punish him’ (30:7–9). More than creating social or economic equality, the law of Mosiah made all people under its jurisdiction equal in the sense that they could not be punished for what they believed.”[3]

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[1] Another Testament of Jesus Christ: Mormon’s Poetics, Heather Hardy, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, Volume 16, Number 2, 2007: 22-23.

[2] Confession of Sins before Execution, Insights, Volume 23, 2003, pg. 2.

[3] The Legal Cases in the Book of Mormon, The Trial of Korihor, Maxwell Institute website.

Alma 1:1-6

The Book of Alma

The Son of Alma

The account of Alma, who was the son of Alma, the first and chief judge over the people of Nephi, and also the high priest over the Church. An account of the reign of the judges, and the wars and contentions among the people. And also an account of a war between the Nephites and the Lamanites, according to the record of Alma, the first and chief judge.

Chapter 1

Nehor teaches false doctrines, establishes a church, introduces priestcraft, and slays Gideon—Nehor is executed for his crimes—Priestcrafts and persecutions spread among the people—The priests support themselves, the people care for the poor, and the Church prospers. About 91–88 B.C.

1 Now it came to pass that in the first year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, from this time forward, king Mosiah having gone the way of all the earth, having warred a good warfare, walking uprightly before God, leaving none to reign in his stead; nevertheless he had established laws, and they were acknowledged by the people; therefore they were obliged to abide by the laws which he had made.

2 And it came to pass that in the first year of the reign of Alma in the judgment-seat, there was a man brought before him to be judged, a man who was large, and was noted for his much strength.

3 And he had gone about among the people, preaching to them that which he termed to be the word of God, bearing down against the church; declaring unto the people that every priest and teacher ought to become popular; and they ought not to labor with their hands, but that they ought to be supported by the people.

4 And he also testified unto the people that all mankind should be saved at the last day, and that they need not fear nor tremble, but that they might lift up their heads and rejoice; for the Lord had created all men, and had also redeemed all men; and, in the end, all men should have eternal life.

5 And it came to pass that he did teach these things so much that many did believe on his words, even so many that they began to support him and give him money.

6 And he began to be lifted up in the pride of his heart, and to wear very costly apparel, yea, and even began to establish a church after the manner of his preaching.

In the first year of the judges, a man, Nehor, was brought before Alma to be judged. Mormon describes him as a large man noted for his strength.

“The trial of Nehor is a classic case of an angry member of a minority religious and political party who lost his temper, feeling oppressed, frustrated, or insulted by the controlling government. Probably assuming that his popular power base was strong enough, Nehor figured he could use force with impunity. In his way stood only the novice judge Alma, who had to make a politically difficult decision in order to reinforce and stand up for important legal values and against the use of violence and physical force.”[1]

He taught what he claimed to be the word of God, speaking against the church. He believed the priests and teacher should be chosen because they were popular. “Thus saith the Lord God; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing” (Ezekiel 13:3).

“Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets” (Luke 6:26).

“For the time speedily shall come that all churches which are built up to get gain, and all those who are built up to get power over the flesh, and those who are built up to become popular in the eyes of the world, and those who seek the lusts of the flesh and the things of the world, and to do all manner of iniquity; yea, in fine, all those who belong to the kingdom of the devil are they who need fear, and tremble, and quake; they are those who must be brought low in the dust; they are those who must be consumed as stubble; and this is according to the words of the prophet” (1 Nephi 22:23).

He opposed the law requiring the priests and teachers to work for their support. He taught the people should support them.

“And he also commanded them that the priests whom he had ordained should labor with their own hands for their support.

“And there was one day in every week that was set apart that they should gather themselves together to teach the people, and to worship the Lord their God, and also, as often as it was in their power, to assemble themselves together.

“And the priests were not to depend upon the people for their support; but for their labor they were to receive the grace of God, that they might wax strong in the Spirit, having the knowledge of God, that they might teach with power and authority from God” (Mosiah 18:24-26).

“Yea, and all their priests and teachers should labor with their own hands for their support, in all cases save it were in sickness, or in much want; and doing these things, they did abound in the grace of God” (Mosiah 27:5).

4 And he also testified unto the people that all mankind should be saved at the last day, and that they need not fear nor tremble, but that they might lift up their heads and rejoice; for the Lord had created all men, and had also redeemed all men; and, in the end, all men should have eternal life.

Nehor taught all would be saved at the last day. Alma would deal with this in Ammonihah. “But as to the people that were in the land of Ammonihah, they yet remained a hard-hearted and a stiffnecked people; and they repented not of their sins, ascribing all the power of Alma and Amulek to the devil; for they were of the profession of Nehor, and did not believe in the repentance of their sins” (Alma 15:15).

Moroni warned this would once again occur. “Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be great pollutions upon the face of the earth; there shall be murders, and robbing, and lying, and deceivings, and whoredoms, and all manner of abominations; when there shall be many who will say, Do this, or do that, and it mattereth not, for the Lord will uphold such at the last day. But wo unto such, for they are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity” (Mormon 8:31).

“Nehor taught a universalist doctrine that all mankind would be saved at the last day (see Alma 1:3–4). This teaching became much more popular and had a deeper impact on Nephite religious beliefs than did priestcraft. Nehor’s universalism was an apparent reaction to Alma’s efforts to maintain discipline among the rebellious younger generation in Zarehemla. God revealed to Alma’s father the disciplinary policy of the church (see Mosiah 26:15–32), which included the expression that those who knew not God at the second trump would ‘depart into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels’ (Mosiah 26:27). Beginning with Nephi, and especially in the teachings of both Almas, there is a well-defined doctrine of everlasting postmortal punishment for sin. Nehor may not have been familiar with the teachings of the prophets who taught earlier in Nephite history, but he could hardly have avoided knowing the contents of the revelation to Alma since it outlined the disciplinary policy of the church and was recorded and undoubtedly publicized among church members (see Mosiah 26:33).”[2]

Many accepted his words. They began to give him money and support him.

Nehor became a proud man and wore costly apparel. As we will see throughout Nephite history, pride and costly apparel will be a sign the Nephites have rejected gospel truths and have become an unrighteous people.

Jacob faced this problem. “And the hand of providence hath smiled upon you most pleasingly, that you have obtained many riches; and because some of you have obtained more abundantly than that of your brethren ye are lifted up in the pride of your hearts, and wear stiff necks and high heads because of the costliness of your apparel, and persecute your brethren because ye suppose that ye are better than they” (Jacob 2:13).

Costly apparel will be seen as a sign of the Zoramite apostasy. “And it came to pass that after much labor among [the Zoramites], they[3] began to have success among the poor class of people; for behold, they were cast out of the synagogues because of the coarseness of their apparel” (Alma 32:2).

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[1] A Book of Mormon Casebook, Kevin L. Barney, FARMS Review 21/1 (2009): 60.

[2] Painting Out the Messiah: The Theologies of Dissidents, John L. Clark, Maxwell Institute website.

[3] “Therefore [Alma] took Ammon, and Aaron, and Omner; and Himni he did leave in the church in Zarahemla; but the former three he took with him, and also Amulek and Zeezrom, who were at Melek; and he also took two of his sons” (Alma 31:6).

Mosiah 29:40-47

40 And they did wax strong in love towards Mosiah; yea, they did esteem him more than any other man; for they did not look upon him as a tyrant who was seeking for gain, yea, for that lucre which doth corrupt the soul; for he had not exacted riches of them, neither had he delighted in the shedding of blood; but he had established peace in the land, and he had granted unto his people that they should be delivered from all manner of bondage; therefore they did esteem him, yea, exceedingly, beyond measure.

41 And it came to pass that they did appoint judges to rule over them, or to judge them according to the law; and this they did throughout all the land.

42 And it came to pass that Alma was appointed to be the first chief judge, he being also the high priest, his father having conferred the office upon him, and having given him the charge concerning all the affairs of the church.

43 And now it came to pass that Alma did walk in the ways of the Lord, and he did keep his commandments, and he did judge righteous judgments; and there was continual peace through the land.

44 And thus commenced the reign of the judges throughout all the land of Zarahemla, among all the people who were called the Nephites; and Alma was the first and chief judge.

45 And now it came to pass that his father died, being eighty and two years old, having lived to fulfil the commandments of God.

46 And it came to pass that Mosiah died also, in the thirty and third year of his reign, being sixty and three years old; making in the whole, five hundred and nine years from the time Lehi left Jerusalem.

47 And thus ended the reign of the kings over the people of Nephi; and thus ended the days of Alma, who was the founder of their church. (Mosiah 29:40-47).

The people loved Mosiah. “[T]hey did esteem him more than any other man” (Mosiah 29:40). He was not a tyrant who got rich from exploiting the people. He established peace throughout the land. “[T]hey did esteem him, yea, exceedingly, beyond measure” (Mosiah 29:40).

“While the Nephite kings were largely moral, effective leaders, it is intriguing that with Mosiah₂’s announcement of the new political system, the text reports that the people in the land ‘assembled themselves together in bodies throughout the land … and they were exceedingly rejoiced because of the liberty which had been granted unto them’ (Mosiah 29:39). Because of the reform, Mosiah₂ actually increased in popularity … In light of the implicit Nephite sense of superiority reflected in the text, part of this appreciation may have been in recognition that Mosiah had reinstalled some Mulekite political identity.”[1]

“In sum, it appears that Nephite society assessed their kings in terms of humble service to the kingdom. A monarch such as Noah, who did little for anyone except himself, was viewed ‘as a tyrant who was seeking for gain, yea, for that lucre which doth corrupt the soul’ (Mosiah 29:40). On the other hand, kings possessing the Benjamin-like attitude of noble servitude were embraced by their subjects, insomuch as the people would ‘esteem [the just king] more than any other man’ (Mosiah 29:40).”

“The people … loved Nephi exceedingly, he having been a great protector for them, having wielded the sword of Laban in their defence, and having labored in all his days for their welfare” (Jacob 1:10).

They people appointed judges to rule over and judge them according to their law. Alma₂ was appointed the first chief judge as well as a high priest. Mormon explains his authority. “[H]is father having conferred the office upon him, and having given him the charge concerning all the affairs of the church” (Mosiah 29:42).

The reign of the judges began throughout the land of Zarahemla, Alma being the first chief judge. he “did walk in the ways of the Lord, and he did keep his commandments, and he did judge righteous judgments; and there was continual peace through the land” (Mosiah 29:43).

Alma₁ died, being 82 years old, “having lived to fulfill the commandments of God” (Mosiah 29:45).

After ruled as king for 33 years, Mosiah died, 509 years after Lehi left Jerusalem. “Now it came to pass that in the first year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, from this time forward, king Mosiah having gone the way of all the earth, having warred a good warfare, walking uprightly before God, leaving none to reign in his stead; nevertheless he had established laws, and they were acknowledged by the people; therefore they were obliged to abide by the laws which he had made” (Alma 1:1).

“And thus ended the reign of the kings over the people of Nephi” (Mosiah 29:47).

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[1] “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, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 23 (2014): 125-126.

Mosiah 29:32-39

32 And now I desire that this inequality should be no more in this land, especially among this my people; but I desire that this land be a land of liberty, and every man may enjoy his rights and privileges alike, so long as the Lord sees fit that we may live and inherit the land, yea, even as long as any of our posterity remains upon the face of the land.

33 And many more things did king Mosiah write unto them, unfolding unto them all the trials and troubles of a righteous king, yea, all the travails of soul for their people, and also all the murmurings of the people to their king; and he explained it all unto them.

34 And he told them that these things ought not to be; but that the burden should come upon all the people, that every man might bear his part.

35 And he also unfolded unto them all the disadvantages they labored under, by having an unrighteous king to rule over them;

36 Yea, all his iniquities and abominations, and all the wars, and contentions, and bloodshed, and the stealing, and the plundering, and the committing of whoredoms, and all manner of iniquities which cannot be enumerated—telling them that these things ought not to be, that they were expressly repugnant to the commandments of God.

37 And now it came to pass, after king Mosiah had sent these things forth among the people they were convinced of the truth of his words.

38 Therefore they relinquished their desires for a king, and became exceedingly anxious that every man should have an equal chance throughout all the land; yea, and every man expressed a willingness to answer for his own sins.

39 Therefore, it came to pass that they assembled themselves together in bodies throughout the land, to cast in their voices concerning who should be their judges, to judge them according to the law which had been given them; and they were exceedingly rejoiced because of the liberty which had been granted unto them.

Mosiah reminds his people there was to be no inequality among them. Earlier we read, “And there was a strict command throughout all the churches that there should be no persecutions among them, that there should be an equality among all men” (Mosiah 27:3). Later we read, “For there was a law that men should be judged according to their crimes. Nevertheless, there was no law against a man’s belief; therefore, a man was punished only for the crimes which he had done; therefore all men were on equal grounds” (Alma 30:11).

Mosiah’s kingdom was to be a land of liberty. Speaking to his family, Lehi told them, “Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever” (2 Nephi 1:7).

Jacob would reaffirm this sentiment. “And this land shall be a land of liberty unto the Gentiles, and there shall be no kings upon the land, who shall raise up unto the Gentiles” (2 Nephi 10:1).

Mormon stops quoting Mosiah at this point by telling us, “[a]nd many more things did king Mosiah write unto them” (Mosiah 29:33).

“Due both to the difficulty in engraving plates (Jacob 4:1) and to the fact that writers of the Book of Mormon were trying to summarize countless records from a long and complex history, we constantly find phrases indicating editorial condensations and omissions. One such phrase is ‘And many more things did king Benjamin teach his sons, which are not written in this book’ (Mosiah 1:8) and ‘many more things did Mosiah write unto them’ (Mosiah 29:33). Nevertheless, the Book of Mormon is an inspired book. In its final form it is thoughtfully structured and written, and it is evident that conscious planning, not chance, went into its composition.”[1]

Mosiah told them things which should not happen. “[T]he burden should come upon all the people, that every man might bear his part” (Mosiah 29:34).

“One of the prices of kingship is that a king must assume personal responsibility for many of the iniquities of his subjects (Mosiah 29:30-34, 38). Mosiah specifically wanted to protect his sons from this burden. He desired ‘that the burden should come upon all the people, that every man might bear his part’ (Mosiah 29:34), and that each be willing ‘to answer for his own sins’ (Mosiah 29:38).”[2]

Mosiah explained disadvantages of having a wicked king to rule them. They have to deal with…

• ·        his iniquities and abominations.
• ·        wars.
• ·        contentions.
• ·        bloodshed.
• ·        stealing.
• ·        plundering.
• ·        committing of whoredoms.
• ·        all manner of iniquities which cannot be enumerated.

He made sure they understood these things were not to be as they were “expressly repugnant to the commandments of God” (Mosiah 29:36). After hearing his words, the people accepted the truth of what he wrote.

The people no longer desired there to be a king. They wanted all to “have and equal chance throughout all the land; yea, and every man expressed a willingness to answer for his own sins” (Mosiah 29:38).

“In a monarchy, the king ultimately bears the sole responsibility for maintaining the state. In a representative system, such responsibilities need to be decided upon and enacted by group acceptance, which, just by virtue of including others, leads to greater indecision as well as to potentially harmful compromise.”[3]

The people assembled and selected those who would be their judges.

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[1] Mosiah: The Complex Symbolism and Symbolic Complex of Kingship in the Book of Mormon, Gordon C. Thomasson, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 2/1 (1993): 22-23.

[2] Ibid., pg. 36.

[3] “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, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 23 (2014): 106.

Mosiah 29:25-31

25 Therefore, choose you by the voice of this people, judges, that ye may be judged according to the laws which have been given you by our fathers, which are correct, and which were given them by the hand of the Lord.

26 Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and make it your law—to do your business by the voice of the people.

27 And if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction even as he has hitherto visited this land.

28 And now if ye have judges, and they do not judge you according to the law which has been given, ye can cause that they may be judged of a higher judge.

29 If your higher judges do not judge righteous judgments, ye shall cause that a small number of your lower judges should be gathered together, and they shall judge your higher judges, according to the voice of the people.

30 And I command you to do these things in the fear of the Lord; and I command you to do these things, and that ye have no king; that if these people commit sins and iniquities they shall be answered upon their own heads.

31 For behold I say unto you, the sins of many people have been caused by the iniquities of their kings; therefore their iniquities are answered upon the heads of their kings.

After warning them of the consequences of an unrighteous king, Mosiah returns to explaining why having judges selected by the voice of the people avoids these consequences.

“There would be a ranking of judges, with higher and lower ones, and the judges would regulate each other. If a lower judge did not follow the law, then a higher judge would judge the matter; if a higher judge became corrupt, then a ‘small number’ of lower judges would judge him, ‘according to the voice of the people’ (Mosiah 29:29).”[1]

The people will “be judged according to the laws which have been given you by our fathers, which are correct, and which were given them by the hand of the Lord” (Mosiah 29:25).

The people will usually desire to do what is right. It is common the minority will desire the opposite. This is why they need to do “business by the voice of the people” (Mosiah 29:26).

If the people choose evil, then God’s judgements will bring destruction to the people. Around 10 years later, Amulek, when preaching to the people of Ammonihah, would remind them of Mosiah’s words.

“Yea, well did Mosiah say, who was our last king, when he was about to deliver up the kingdom, having no one to confer it upon, causing that this people should be governed by their own voices—yea, well did he say that if the time should come that the voice of this people should choose iniquity, that is, if the time should come that this people should fall into transgression, they would be ripe for destruction” (Alma 10:19).

Some 60 years later, the Nephites would be facing the consequences of iniquity. “For as their laws and their governments were established by the voice of the people, and they who chose evil were more numerous than they who chose good, therefore they were ripening for destruction, for the laws had become corrupted” (Helaman 5:2).

“One of Mosiah's justifications for allowing the people to elect their judges was that ‘it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right’ (Mosiah 29:26]. But he noted that ‘if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction even as he has hitherto visited this land’ (Mosiah 29:27). Since the Nephites had not experienced such ‘great destruction’ on ‘this land,’ Mosiah must have had the destruction of the Jaredites in mind.

“Significantly, Joseph Smith did not dictate the story of the Jaredites until long after he dictated the book of Mosiah, so during that earlier effort he could not have known the historical details of Jaredite kingship. That these two widely separated records agree in such details evidences the authenticity of the account of Mosiah's having translated the book of Ether and becoming acquainted with its contents. It also is further evidence of the internal consistency of the Book of Mormon.”[2]

If there are lower judges who refuse to judge according to the law, the people can have a higher judge review that judge’s decision. If higher judges do not judge righteously, the people can have a number of lower judges meet to judge the higher judge according to the voice of the people.

“Mosiah desired to rectify the inequality that can occur when one man exerts such excessive control over the lives and actions of his fellow men and to establish instead a land in which ‘every man may enjoy his rights and privileges alike’ (Mosiah 29:32).”[3]

Mosiah commanded them to “do these things in the fear of the Lord” (Mosiah 29:30). Should there be a wicked king, and he causes his people to sin, these sins will be “answered upon their own heads” (Mosiah 29:30).

The sins caused by the unrighteous king will be answer upon their heads. We saw this in Old Testament times.

 “And [the Lord] shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin” (1 Kings 14:16).

“And [Nadab the son of Jeroboam] did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin” (1 Kings 15:26).

“One of the prices of kingship is that a king must assume personal responsibility for many of the iniquities of his subjects (Mosiah 29:30-34, 38). Mosiah specifically wanted to protect his sons from this burden. He desired ‘that the burden should come upon all the people, that every man might bear his part’ (Mosiah 29:34), and that each be willing ‘to answer for his own sins’ (Mosiah 29:38).”[4]

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[1] “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, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, 2014 Volume 23, pg. 105.

[2] King Mosiah and the Judgeship, John A. Tvedtnes, Maxwell Institute website.

[3] “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, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, 2014 Volume 23, pg. 105-106.

[4] Mosiah: The Complex Symbolism and Symbolic Complex of Kingship in the Book of Mormon, Gordon C. Thomasson, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 2/1 (1993): 36.

Mosiah 26:16-24

16 Now I say unto you, that because all men are not just it is not expedient that ye should have a king or kings to rule over you.

17 For behold, how much iniquity doth one wicked king cause to be committed, yea, and what great destruction!

18 Yea, remember king Noah, his wickedness and his abominations, and also the wickedness and abominations of his people. Behold what great destruction did come upon them; and also because of their iniquities they were brought into bondage.

19 And were it not for the interposition of their all-wise Creator, and this because of their sincere repentance, they must unavoidably remain in bondage until now.

20 But behold, he did deliver them because they did humble themselves before him; and because they cried mightily unto him he did deliver them out of bondage; and thus doth the Lord work with his power in all cases among the children of men, extending the arm of mercy towards them that put their trust in him.

21 And behold, now I say unto you, ye cannot dethrone an iniquitous king save it be through much contention, and the shedding of much blood.

22 For behold, he has his friends in iniquity, and he keepeth his guards about him; and he teareth up the laws of those who have reigned in righteousness before him; and he trampleth under his feet the commandments of God;

23 And he enacteth laws, and sendeth them forth among his people, yea, laws after the manner of his own wickedness; and whosoever doth not obey his laws he causeth to be destroyed; and whosoever doth rebel against him he will send his armies against them to war, and if he can he will destroy them; and thus an unrighteous king doth pervert the ways of all righteousness.

24 And now behold I say unto you, it is not expedient that such abominations should come upon you.

Mosiah points out they cannot be sure they will have a just man as king. Because of this, it is not a good idea they have a king. A wicked king can do a much iniquity. In 2 Samuel we read…

“But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the Lord, and did worse than all that were before him.

“For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin, to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger with their vanities” (1 Kings 16:25-26).

A wicked man, Amalickiah attempted to overthrow the government, Mormon tells us, “Yea, and we also see the great wickedness one very wicked man [Amalickiah] can cause to take place among the children of men” (Alma 46:9).

Proverbs warns us about a wicked king. “It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness” (Proverbs 16:12).

In the end, a wicked king can lead to the destruction of the people.

He reminded them of what happened under the rule of the wicked king, Noah.

“And now it came to pass that Zeniff conferred the kingdom upon Noah, one of his sons; therefore Noah began to reign in his stead; and he did not walk in the ways of his father.

“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 11:1-2).

This eventually led to their downfall and bondage.

Having translated the Jaredite record, he may well have had them in mind. The Jaredites wanted a king. The brother of Jared warned them against having a king.

“And it came to pass that the people desired of them that they should anoint one of their sons to be a king over them.

“And now behold, this was grievous unto them. And the brother of Jared said unto them: Surely this thing leadeth into captivity” (Ether 6:22-23).

Jared convinced him to appoint a king. This put them on the road to the eventual destruction.

The only way the people of Noah were freed from bondage was through their repentance and God’s intervention; otherwise, they would still be in bondage.

They humbled themselves before Him. “And they did humble themselves even in the depths of humility; and they did cry mightily to God; yea, even all the day long did they cry unto their God that he would deliver them out of their afflictions” (Mosiah 21:14).

When they repented, He extended “the arm of mercy towards them that put their trust in him” (Mosiah 29:20). “Yea, and as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me” (Mosiah 26:30).

A wicked king can only be dethroned through the shedding of blood. He has friends supporting him and keeps his guards with him at all times. King Rehoboam is an example of this.

“And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men [OR elders], that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?

“And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.

“But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him” (1 Kings 12:6-8).

He ignores the laws and “trampleth under his feet the commandments of God” (Mosiah 29:22).

He well enact “laws after the manner of his own wickedness” (Mosiah 29:23). He will do all he can to destroy his opponents, “[perverting] the ways of all righteousness” (Mosiah 29:23).

It is not right that these abominations should come upon the people.

Mosiah 29:1-15

Chapter 29

Mosiah proposes that judges be chosen in place of a king—Unrighteous kings lead their people into sin—Alma the younger is chosen chief judge by the voice of the people—He is also the high priest over the Church—Alma the elder and Mosiah die. About 92–91B.C.

1 Now when Mosiah had done this he sent out throughout all the land, among all the people, desiring to know their will concerning who should be their king.

2 And it came to pass that the voice of the people came, saying: We are desirous that Aaron thy son should be our king and our ruler.

3 Now Aaron had gone up to the land of Nephi, therefore the king could not confer the kingdom upon him; neither would Aaron take upon him the kingdom; neither were any of the sons of Mosiah willing to take upon them the kingdom.

4 Therefore king Mosiah sent again among the people; yea, even a written word sent he among the people. And these were the words that were written, saying:

5 Behold, O ye my people, or my brethren, for I esteem you as such, I desire that ye should consider the cause which ye are called to consider—for ye are desirous to have a king.

6 Now I declare unto you that he to whom the kingdom doth rightly belong has declined, and will not take upon him the kingdom.

7 And now if there should be another appointed in his stead, behold I fear there would rise contentions among you. And who knoweth but what my son, to whom the kingdom doth belong, should turn to be angry and draw away a part of this people after him, which would cause wars and contentions among you, which would be the cause of shedding much blood and perverting the way of the Lord, yea, and destroy the souls of many people.

8 Now I say unto you let us be wise and consider these things, for we have no right to destroy my son, neither should we have any right to destroy another if he should be appointed in his stead.

9 And if my son should turn again to his pride and vain things he would recall the things which he had said, and claim his right to the kingdom, which would cause him and also this people to commit much sin.

10 And now let us be wise and look forward to these things, and do that which will make for the peace of this people.

11 Therefore I will be your king the remainder of my days; nevertheless, let us appoint judges, to judge this people according to our law; and we will newly arrange the affairs of this people, for we will appoint wise men to be judges, that will judge this people according to the commandments of God.

12 Now it is better that a man should be judged of God than of man, for the judgments of God are always just, but the judgments of man are not always just.

13 Therefore, if it were possible that you could have just men to be your kings, who would establish the laws of God, and judge this people according to his commandments, yea, if ye could have men for your kings who would do even as my father Benjamin did for this people—I say unto you, if this could always be the case then it would be expedient that ye should always have kings to rule over you.

14 And even I myself have labored with all the power and faculties which I have possessed, to teach you the commandments of God, and to establish peace throughout the land, that there should be no wars nor contentions, no stealing, nor plundering, nor murdering, nor any manner of iniquity;

15 And whosoever has committed iniquity, him have I punished according to the crime which he has committed, according to the law which has been given to us by our fathers.

The time came when Mosiah asked the people who they wanted as their king. The voice of the people said they wanted his son, Aaron to be the king; however, Aaron had left on his mission to take the gospel to the Lamanites in the land of Nephi. All his sons had made it clear they were not willing to become king.

“[This was the] immediate situation that prompted Mosiah II to institute a system of judges to govern the Nephites was the departure of his four sons. The people asked that Aaron be appointed king, but he and his brothers had gone to the land of Nephi to preach to the Lamanites and had renounced their claims to the monarchy.”[1]

“[T]he Nephite shift described in Mosiah 29 resulted from more immediate concerns, namely the succession after Mosiah₂. With the rightful heir, Mosiah’s son Aaron, proselyting among the Lamanites, the king was concerned that if he appointed someone else as his successor, Aaron might return and lay claim to the throne, resulting in civil strife. No doubt his heightened awareness of the problems of royal succession in the Jaredite writings (see Ether 7-15), along with the unfortunate events surrounding King Noah (see Mosiah 11-19), influenced his decision

to end the monarchy and forestall calamity.”[2]

Mosiah sent a written epistle to his people. He wrote he was addressing their desire to have a king. He reminded them none of his sons would accept the kingship.

If he appointed someone else king, he feared this would divide the people. What if one of his sons returned and desired the kingdom. This could lead to a civil war and there would be “contentions among you, which would be the cause of shedding much blood and perverting the way of the Lord, yea, and destroy the souls of many people” (Mosiah 29:7).

“Such a situation had never occurred among the Nephites, but it was common among the Jaredites for brother to rebel against brother or father and draw away part of the people to wage war … Indeed, the idea in Mosiah 29:7 of ‘drawing away’ supporters is known in the Book of Mormon only from the Jaredite record.”[3]

Mosiah wrote he would remain king for the remainder of his life. Then, he asked the people to appoint judges, “by the voice of this people, judges, that ye may be judged according to the laws which have been given you by our fathers, which are correct, and which were given them by the hand of the Lord” (Mosiah 29:25).

“‘Let us appoint judges,’ he says (Mosiah 29:11), and everyone seems to know exactly what he means, for in his speech, which is given in full, he does not have to explain the system to his hearers at all, and they adopt his suggestions quite readily and without any of the confusion and jamming that always goes with a shift from one type of government to a wholly different one.”[4]

Mosiah reminded them it is better we should be judged by God, for His judgments are always just, unlike the judgments of man which are not always just.

“The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God” (2 Samuel 23:3).

“And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself” (Psalm 50:6).

“But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another” (Psalms 75:7).

“But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked” (2 Nephi 21:4).

If they could ensure they would have just men to be their kings, like his father Benjamin, it would be appropriate for them to have a king.

Mosiah had given his best efforts to teach them the commandments of God and established peace throughout the land.

Those who were guilty of violations of the commandments were punished according to the crime which they committed. Punishments were given “according to the law which has been given to us by our fathers” (Mosiah 29:15).

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[1] King Mosiah and the Judgeship, John A. Tvedtnes, Maxwell Institute website.

[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, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 23 (2014): 104-105.

[3] King Mosiah and the Judgeship, John A. Tvedtnes, Maxwell Institute website.

[4] An Approach to the Book of Mormon, Politics in Jerusalem, Hugh Nibley, Maxwell Institute website.