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.