Mosiah 10:1-10

Chapter 10

King Laman dies—His people are wild and ferocious and believe in false traditions—Zeniff and his people prevail against them. About 187–160 B.C.

1 AND it came to pass that we again began to establish the kingdom and we again began to possess the land in peace.  And I caused that there should be weapons of war made of every kind, that thereby I might have weapons for my people against the time the Lamanites should come up again to war against my people.

2 And I set guards round about the land, that the Lamanites might not come upon us again unawares and destroy us; and thus I did guard my people and my flocks, and keep them from falling into the hands of our enemies.

3 And it came to pass that we did inherit the land of our fathers for many years, yea, for the space of twenty and two years.

4 And I did cause that the men should till the ground, and raise all manner of grain and all manner of fruit of every kind.

5 And I did cause that the women should spin, and toil, and work, and work all manner of fine linen, yea, and cloth of every kind, that we might clothe our nakedness; and thus we did prosper in the land—thus we did have continual peace in the land for the space of twenty and two years.

6 And it came to pass that king Laman died, and his son began to reign in his stead.  And he began to stir his people up in rebellion against my people; therefore they began to prepare for war, and to come up to battle against my people.

7 But I had sent my spies out round about the land of Shemlon, that I might discover their preparations, that I might guard against them, that they might not come upon my people and destroy them.

8 And it came to pass that they came up upon the north of the land of Shilom, with their numerous hosts, men armed with bows, and with arrows, and with swords, and with cimeters, and with stones, and with slings; and they had their heads shaved that they were naked; and they were girded with a leathern girdle about their loins.

9 And it came to pass that I caused that the women and children of my people should be hid in the wilderness; and I also caused that all my old men that could bear arms, and also all my young men that were able to bear arms, should gather themselves together to go to battle against the Lamanites; and I did place them in their ranks, every man according to his age.

10 And it came to pass that we did go up to battle against the Lamanites; and I, even I, in my old age, did go up to battle against the Lamanites.  And it came to pass that we did go up in the strength of the Lord to battle.

Mosiah 10:1-10

Having defeated the Lamanite armies, Zeniff’s people went back to working the land.  Even so, Zeniff ensured they had weapons necessary to defeat the Lamanites should they come them again.

Guards were placed throughout the land to prevent surprise attacks.  Zeniff ensured his people were protected from the Lamanites.

“Equally impressive were King Zeniff’s heroics while defending his kingdom against Lamanite invasion. Zeniff protected his people not only by setting ‘guards round about the land, that the Lamanites might not come upon [them]’ (Mosiah 10:2), but also by sending out spies into enemy territories to discover Lamanite movements and preparations for war (Mosiah 10:7).”[1]

There was peace in the land for twenty-two years.

During that time, the men were the farmers, tilling the ground and planting and harvesting grains and fruits. The women would spin cloth and linen for clothing. 

At the end of the twenty-two years, the king died.  His son inherited the throne.  He immediately began to rouse his people against the Nephites.  They prepared for and attacked Zeniff’s people.

Zeniff, however, had sent spies to watch the Lamanites.  Through his spy network, he learned the Lamanites were preparing for war. 

The Lamanites began their battle north of the land of Shilom.  There were many Lamanites in the army.  They were well-armed.  They had bows and arrows, swords and cimeters, and stones and slings.  Their heads were shaved and they were nearly naked, wearing only a leather girdle.  Hugh Nibley explains the reason for the Lamanite “attire.”

“You notice the standard equipment here—the leather clothing and the wild hairdo. They are like a motorcycle gang, aren’t they? They had the equipment and their heads shaved, and they were naked except for the leather garments they had on. They were trying to inspire terror, of course, and this is a very important thing.”[2]

Zeniff had the women and children taken into the wilderness for their safety.  All men, young and old, who could bear arms gathered together and were organized in ranks according to age. 

“The same basic duty to serve in the army existed in Nephite law and society. Indeed, Moroni had power to punish any person in the land of Zarahemla who would not ‘defend [his] country’ (Alma 51:15; see 46:35). Like Saul and Yaqim-Addu, he symbolically portrayed the brutal fate of those who would not fight (see Alma 46:21–22). Under extreme and desperate circumstances, this duty fell even upon old men, women, and children (see Mosiah 10:9; Alma 54:12).”[3]

Even though Zeniff was an old man, he led the army in the battle against the Lamanites.  When they went to battle, they “did go up in the strength of the Lord to battle.”

“When the Lamanites finally attacked, Zeniff led virtually the entire male population into battle, including all old and ‘young men that were able to bear arms’ (Mosiah 10:9). Zeniff emphatically noted, ‘even I, in my old age, did go up to battle against the Lamanites’ (Mosiah 10:10). Thus, although Zeniff’s people went ‘up in the strength of the Lord to battle’ (Mosiah 10:10), victory was due in no small part to King Zeniff’s tactical prowess and battlefield valor.”[4]

An observation:  this is another possible reference to the war mentioned by Amaleki, where King Benjamin led his people to victory over the Lamanites (Omni 1:24).

---

[1] Ancient Aspects of Nephite Kingship in the Book of Mormon, Todd R. Kerr, Maxwell Institute.

[2] Lecture 33: Mosiah 10-11, Hugh Nibley, Maxwell Institute.

[3] Echoes and Evidences of the Book of Mormon – A Steady Stream of Significant Recognitions, John W. Welch, Maxwell Institute.

[4] Ancient Aspects of Nephite Kingship in the Book of Mormon, Todd R. Kerr, Maxwell Institute.