Mosiah 23:1-9

Earlier, I wrote about Mosiah 9-22.  Mormon referred to this as the record of Zeniff.  Once I reached chapter 22, I moved on to other parts of the Book of Mormon.  I decided it was time to return and continue studying Mosiah beginning with chapter 23.

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.

Mosiah 23:1-5 (Emphasis mine)

Alma(1) and his people were warned by the Lord that the armies of King Noah were planning to attach Alma(1) and his people.  They responded by getting their things together and departing into the wilderness before the armies could overtake them.

This was not the first time that Alma(1) was warned about the imminent arrival of Noah’s armies.  When he was at the waters of Mormon, he received a warning from the Lord to depart.  They were “…apprised of the coming of the king's army; therefore they took their tents and their families and departed into the wilderness. And they were in number about four hundred and fifty souls.” (Mosiah 18:34-35)

They fled for eight days and came to a wonderful place.  It was beautiful and pleasant and had pure water.  They settled her and began building a new settlement.

In the Book of Mormon, being warned of the Lord to depart is a common occurrence.  Bruce Boehm explains:

“Many of the exoduses in the Book of Mormon tend to follow a basic pattern with the Lord initially warning a righteous leader to depart from the land. We see the Lord also warning Mosiah and Alma₁ to flee with their followers into the wilderness. In fact, the first verse of many of the exodus narratives begins with the Lord warning his servant: the Lord "did warn" Nephi to depart from his brethren (2 Nephi 5:5); King Mosiah, "being warned of the Lord" (Omni 1:12); "Alma, having been warned of the Lord" (Mosiah 23:1). After this initial warning, the basic pattern of exodus continues: the more righteous portion of the people flee into the wilderness to a promised land, those who remain suffer physical or spiritual destruction, the Lord's people wander in the wilderness for some time before reaching the promised land, they prosper, and the pattern begins anew.” [1] (Emphasis mine)

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;

Mosiah 23:6-9 (Emphasis mine)

Once settled, the people wanted Alma(1) to be their king.  But, he knew better.  He was concerned with the idea of a king.  He chose not to accept the kingship for a number of reasons.

First, no one person should be revered more than another should.  Under King Mosiah, there were some strict laws.  “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 … that every man should esteem his neighbor as himself.”  (Mosiah 27:3-4). 

If it were possible to have a just king, it would be acceptable to have a king.  But Alma(1) knew from experience what could happen.  King Mosiah also understood this.  He told his people “… if it were possible that you could have just men to be your kings, who would establish the ^claws of God, and judge this people according to his commandments … if this could always be the case then it would be expedient that ye should always have kings to rule over you … behold, how much iniquity doth one wicked king cause to be committed, yea, and what great destruction!” (Mosiah 29:13, 17). 

Alma(1) also knew from experience what could happen with a king.  He had been a priest in King Noah’s court.  He saw firsthand a wicked king.  He had power and authority and he used it unrighteously.  His action caused him “sore repentance.”  I have to wonder if he trusted himself.  He knew what happened when he had the authority and power.  Did he fear he would turn away from the Lord?  I believe it was a possibility.

Daniel Peterson observed:

“Alma, in fact, claimed to have authority from God (Mosiah 18:13), a claim that the later editor implicitly acknowledges as valid (Mosiah 18:18; Alma 5:3). Furthermore, in the power vacuum left by the absence of King Noah, the people implored Alma to assume the royal title and prerogatives (Mosiah 23:6). 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). Indeed, Mosiah 18:18 informs us that Alma ordained ‘one priest to every fifty’ of his followers …

“Alma begins his denunciation of kingship by referring to the equality of all flesh but soon alludes to his basic reason for opposing monarchy, which is that the king might well prove to be unrighteous—like his old boss, Noah.  (Of course, a truly righteous king would not esteem himself to be better than others and would not allow others to think so of him; see Mosiah 2:10—19, 26.) Later, in Zarahemla, Alma emphasized equality within the church, insisting that priests and teachers should labor for their own support rather than relying upon the surplus of others (Mosiah 27:4—5).” [2]    (Emphasis mine)

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[1] Wanderers in the Promised Land: A Study of the Exodus Motif in the Book of Mormon and Holy Bible, Bruce J. Boehm, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed January 13, 2012.

[2] Authority in the Book of Mosiah, Daniel C. Peterson, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed January 13, 2012.

Alma 20:1-12

Chapter 20

The Lord sends Ammon to Middoni to deliver his imprisoned brethren—Ammon and Lamoni meet Lamoni's father, who is king over all the land—Ammon compels the old king to approve the release of his brethren. About 90 B.C.

1  AND it came to pass that when they had established a church in that land, that king Lamoni desired that Ammon should go with him to the land of Nephi, that he might show him unto his father.

2  And the voice of the Lord came to Ammon, saying: Thou shalt not go up to the land of Nephi, for behold, the king will seek thy life; but thou shalt go to the land of Middoni; for behold, thy brother Aaron, and also Muloki and Ammah are in prison.

3  Now it came to pass that when Ammon had heard this, he said unto Lamoni: Behold, my brother and brethren are in prison at Middoni, and I go that I may deliver them.

Alma 20:1-3 (Emphasis mine)

It didn’t take long for a church to be established among Lamoni’s subjects.  Once that had been done, he wanted to take Ammon to meet his father.

The Lord told Ammon this wasn’t a good idea.  He wanted Ammon dead.  Instead, he was told that his brother Aaron and two others who were with him were in prison. 

He told this to Lamoni.  He needed to go and do what he could to get them released.  Lamoni proved to be a true friend to Ammon.

4  Now Lamoni said unto Ammon: I know, in the strength of the Lord thou canst do all things.  But behold, I will go with thee to the land of Middoni; for the king of the land of Middoni, whose name is Antiomno, is a friend unto me; therefore I go to the land of Middoni, that I may flatter the king of the land, and he will cast thy brethren out of prison.  Now Lamoni said unto him: Who told thee that thy brethren were in prison?

5  And Ammon said unto him: No one hath told me, save it be God; and he said unto me—Go and deliver thy brethren, for they are in prison in the land of Middoni.

6  Now when Lamoni had heard this he caused that his servants should make ready his horses and his chariots.

7  And he said unto Ammon: Come, I will go with thee down to the land of Middoni, and there I will plead with the king that he will cast thy brethren out of prison.

Alma 20:4-7 (Emphasis mine)

When Lamoni learned why Ammon wanted to go to Middoni, his first response is to tell Ammon he can help.  He knows the king and can flatter him and get him to release Ammon’s brethren. 

Lamoni’s use of the word “flatter” is an interesting choice.  While it can have negative connotations (insincere praise, for example), it has other meanings.  The way it is used, we should read it to mean that he would praise the king and use language he knows will make the king more receptive to Ammon’s request.

Then, Lamoni asked who told Ammon his brethren were in prison.  Ammon responded that he was told this by God.

Ammon immediately got the horse and chariots ready.  He is ready to go and get Ammon’s brethren freed.  As they travel, they have an unexpected experience.

8  And it came to pass that as Ammon and Lamoni were journeying thither, they met the father of Lamoni, who was king over all the land.

9  And behold, the father of Lamoni said unto him: Why did ye not come to the feast on that great day when I made a feast unto my sons, and unto my people?

10  And he also said: Whither art thou going with this Nephite, who is one of the children of a liar?

11  And it came to pass that Lamoni rehearsed unto him whither he was going, for he feared to offend him.

12  And he also told him all the cause of his tarrying in his own kingdom, that he did not go unto his father to the feast which he had prepared.

Alma 20:8-12 (Emphasis mine)

Whom should they meet, but the last person they wanted to meet – Lamoni’s father.  Remember, Ammon’s been warned he wants to kill him.  And, he wasn’t very happy with Lamoni.

Why did he miss his feast for his sons and the people?  He should have been there.  To make matters worse he was with, of all people, a Nephite, the child of a liar (Nephi).  The bitterness of the family break up is strong even half a millennium later.

Remember the tradition among the Lamanites:

12  [The Lamanites] were a wild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people, believing in the tradition of their fathers, which is this—Believing that they were driven out of the land of Jerusalem because of the iniquities of their fathers, and that they were wronged in the wilderness by their brethren, and they were also wronged while crossing the sea;

13  And again, that they were wronged while in the land of their first inheritance, after they had crossed the sea, and all this because that Nephi was more faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord—therefore he was favored of the Lord, for the Lord heard his prayers and answered them, and he took the lead of their journey in the wilderness.

14  And his brethren were wroth with him because they understood not the dealings of the Lord; they were also wroth with him upon the waters because they hardened their hearts against the Lord.

15  And again, they were wroth with him when they had arrived in the promised land, because they said that he had taken the ruling of the people out of their hands; and they sought to kill him.

16  And again, they were wroth with him because he departed into the wilderness as the Lord had commanded him, and took the records which were engraven on the plates of brass, for they said that he robbed them.

17  And thus they have taught their children that they should hate them, and that they should murder them, and that they should rob and plunder them, and do all they could to destroy them; therefore they have an eternal hatred towards the children of Nephi.

Mosiah 10:12-17 (Emphasis mine)

Hugh Nibley wrote about this encounter.

“Now here is a very dramatic situation right out of Oedipus. Verse 8: ‘They met the father of Lamoni, who was king over all the land.’ He was the sachem, the high king. He gave a real speech, and this shows you that the Lamanites had a case. They really believed this, and this is the point at which the Lamanites turn. They now start to become the righteous people. They were justified in their own eyes in what they did because here was the king, and he couldn't stand Nephites. He said they have betrayed us, tricked us, and outsmarted us all the time. This was the point because the Nephites did outsmart them. They would have a great resentment against that.

“Verse 9: ‘Why did ye not come to the feast on that great day when I made a feast unto my sons, and unto my people?’ Well, the feast of the king is compulsory wherever you go…

“You must come to the feast, and you must bring something with you. No one shall come empty handed. You had to bring your offerings of lamb or doves, etc. You had to bring food with you, and they had the great feast … Now this is the case the Lamanites make out for themselves. This is a skillful history, too. It's like the telling of a saga. The language is, too.” [1] (Emphasis mine)                           

Lamoni did his best to explain things to his father.  But, he wasn’t very successful.

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[1] Lecture 52: Alma 19-22, Hugh W. Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed September 12, 2011.