Mosiah 22:11-16

12 And they had taken all their gold, and silver, and their precious things, which they could carry, and also their provisions with them, into the wilderness; and they pursued their journey.

13 And after being many days in the wilderness they arrived in the land of Zarahemla, and joined Mosiah's people, and became his subjects.

14 And it came to pass that Mosiah received them with joy; and he also received their records, and also the records which had been found by the people of Limhi.

15 And now it came to pass when the Lamanites had found that the people of Limhi had departed out of the land by night, that they sent an army into the wilderness to pursue them;

16 And after they had pursued them two days, they could no longer follow their tracks; therefore they were lost in the wilderness.

Mosiah 22:12-16

As the people of Limhi fled from the Lamanite oppression, they had taken all their possession, including their gold, silver, and other things they valued. 

Eventually they arrived in Zarahemla and became a part of Mosiah’s people.  “Indeed, while it lasted, legitimate Nephite kingship remained within the line of Nephi. It is clear, for example, from Mosiah 22:13, that Mosiah's was the primary kingship and that the kingship of the Zeniffite line was derivative and subordinate.”^[1]

We further read:

Adding to the demographic complexity, the people of Limhi had made a dramatic escape from the city of Nephi and arrived in the land of Zarahemla shortly after Mosiah began his reign as king (Mosiah 22:13). The Limhites became Mosiah's subjects, but these righteous, quiet people seem to have settled and remained separate from the city of Zarahemla. They lived in the valley of Gideon, mentioned in Alma 6:7, which appears to have been named after the Limhite warrior named Gideon. If normal social conditions prevailed among the diverse populations in the land of Zarahemla, it is unlikely that many of these newcomers or refugees were fully assimilated as equal citizens into the upper levels of Nephite society. Although Limhi had earlier been named king by his people (Mosiah 19:26), he and his family and followers apparently voluntarily surrendered their claim to kingship; after all, they knew from their own firsthand experiences the kinds of problems that had been foisted upon them by the manipulative and overreaching administration of King Noah (Mosiah 11:3–4). Accordingly, they would not likely have been among those who were agitating for the reinstitution of the kingship after the law reforms of Mosiah.[2]

Mosiah received the people of Limhi.  He was also given their records (“And it came to pass that [King Limhi] caused that the plates which contained the record of his people from the time that they left the land of Zarahemla, should be brought before Ammon, that he might read them.” (Mosiah 8:5).) as well as the record we know to be of the Jaredites (“And they brought a record with them, even a record of the people whose bones they had found; and it was engraven on plates of ore” (Mosiah 21:27).).

The Lamanites were not pleased with departure of Limhi’s people.  They sent an army to pursue them.  “And after they had pursued them two days, they could no longer follow their tracks; therefore they were lost in the wilderness.”

How did the Lamanites lose the people of Limhi?

Now elephants or gorillas, we are told in travel books, can be very easily tracked through the densest tropical jungle—and the denser the better, since they are best trailed by broken twigs, branches and other wreckage. But a large host of humans driving flocks and herds (of all things) with them would leave a far more obvious trail. Whence it is plain, as it also is from the enormous distances involved, that our story does not take place in the jungles of Central America. How could their tracks have become lost to the swift and clever Lamanite trackers right behind them? Very easily in arid country, by winds laden with sand and dust, which have rendered many an army invisible and effaced its tracks. But never in a jungle.[3]

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[1] Authority in the Book of Mosiah, Daniel C. Peterson, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 20, 2014.

[2] The Trial of Nehor, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 20, 2014.

[3] The Nature of Book of Mormon Society, Hugh Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 20, 2014.

Mosiah 22:1-10

Chapter 22

Plans are made for the people to escape from Lamanite bondage—The Lamanites are made drunk—The people escape, return to Zarahemla, and become subject to King Mosiah. About 121–120 B.C.

1 AND now it came to pass that Ammon and king Limhi began to consult with the people how they should deliver themselves out of bondage; and even they did cause that all the people should gather themselves together; and this they did that they might have the voice of the people concerning the matter.

2 And it came to pass that they could find no way to deliver themselves out of bondage, except it were to take their women and children, and their flocks, and their herds, and their tents, and depart into the wilderness; for the Lamanites being so numerous, it was impossible for the people of Limhi to contend with them, thinking to deliver themselves out of bondage by the sword.

3 Now it came to pass that Gideon went forth and stood before the king, and said unto him: Now O king, thou hast hitherto hearkened unto my words many times when we have been contending with our brethren, the Lamanites.

4 And now O king, if thou hast not found me to be an unprofitable servant, or if thou hast hitherto listened to my words in any degree, and they have been of service to thee, even so I desire that thou wouldst listen to my words at this time, and I will be thy servant and deliver this people out of bondage.

5 And the king granted unto him that he might speak.  And Gideon said unto him:

6 Behold the back pass, through the back wall, on the back side of the city.  The Lamanites, or the guards of the Lamanites, by night are drunken; therefore let us send a proclamation among all this people that they gather together their flocks and herds, that they may drive them into the wilderness by night.

7 And I will go according to thy command and pay the last tribute of wine to the Lamanites, and they will be drunken; and we will pass through the secret pass on the left of their camp when they are drunken and asleep.

8 Thus we will depart with our women and our children, our flocks, and our herds into the wilderness; and we will travel around the land of Shilom.

9 And it came to pass that the king hearkened unto the words of Gideon.

10 And king Limhi caused that his people should gather their flocks together; and he sent the tribute of wine to the Lamanites; and he also sent more wine, as a present unto them; and they did drink freely of the wine which king Limhi did send unto them.

Mosiah 22:1-10

Ammon and King Limhi consulted with the people to determine how they would escape the Lamanite rule.  The people were brought together and gave their opinions concerning the matter.  “And it came to pass that when they had gathered themselves together that he spake unto them in this wise, saying: O ye, my people, lift up your heads and be comforted; for behold, the time is at hand, or is not far distant, when we shall no longer be in subjection to our enemies, notwithstanding our many strugglings, which have been in vain; yet I trust there remaineth an effectual struggle to be made” (Mosiah 7:18).

Apparently, fighting the Lamanites was considered and rejected.  The only option that might work was for all the people take their possessions, tents, flocks and herds and escape into the wilderness.

Among the Nephites even after cities were built, uncomfortable or insecure minorities could always flee into the wilderness with their tents … [E]ntire populations would depart into the wilderness and disappear (Mosiah 22:2). These people always seem to have tents at hand…^[1]

Gideon, a leader among Limhi’s people, went to the king.  He reminded Limhi he had listened to him in the past about dealing with the Lamanites.  “O king, if thou hast not found me to be an unprofitable servant,” or if you have listened to me in the past, then Limhi needed to listen to him now.  He said he would be able to deliver the people out of bondage.

Limhi allowed Gideon to speak to the people.  His plan dealt with the Lamanite guards.  “And the king of the Lamanites set guards round about the land, that he might keep the people of Limhi in the land, that they might not depart into the wilderness; and he did support his guards out of the tribute which he did receive from the Nephites” (Mosiah 19:28).

He proposed they should get the guards drunk and they would be able to escape in the night.  He asked for a proclamation telling the people to gather everything together.  They were going to leave.

Gideon volunteered to deliver the tribute of wine to the guards.  They would drink it and become drunk and fall asleep.  This will allow the people of Limhi to escape with all their possessions.  King Limhi agreed.

The wine was sent to the guards, and they assisted the escape by consuming the wine and becoming drunk.

Here we see a different form of escape.  Frequently, the Lord assists in the escape from bondage.  He does so in the case of Alma1 and his people, as we will see.  Yet, here we do not see a miraculous escape.  We see a simple plan by a man and no divine intervention seems to occur.  A unique case in the Book of Mormon, indeed.

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[1] The Nature of Book of Mormon Society, Hugh Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 18, 2014.

Mosiah 21:21-36

21 For they were desirous to take them that they might punish them; for they had come into the land of Nephi by night, and carried off their grain and many of their precious things; therefore they laid wait for them.

22 And it came to pass that there was no more disturbance between the Lamanites and the people of Limhi, ^*even until the time that Ammon and his brethren came into the land.

23 And the king having been without the gates of the city with his guard, discovered Ammon and his brethren; and supposing them to be priests of Noah therefore he caused that they should be taken, and bound, and cast into prison.  And had they been the priests of Noah he would have caused that they should be put to death.

24 But when he found that they were not, but that they were his brethren, and had come from the land of Zarahemla, he was filled with exceedingly great joy.

25 Now king Limhi had sent, previous to the coming of Ammon, a small number of men to search for the land of Zarahemla; but they could not find it, and they were lost in the wilderness.

26 Nevertheless, they did find a land which had been peopled; yea, a land which was covered with dry bones; yea, a land which had been peopled and which had been destroyed; and they, having supposed it to be the land of Zarahemla, returned to the land of Nephi, having arrived in the borders of the land not many days before the coming of Ammon.

27 And they brought a record with them, even a record of the people whose bones they had found; and it was engraven on plates of ore.

28 And now Limhi was again filled with joy on learning from the mouth of Ammon that king Mosiah had a gift from God, whereby he could +interpret such engravings; yea, and Ammon also did rejoice.

29 Yet Ammon and his brethren were filled with sorrow because so many of their brethren had been slain;

30 And also that king Noah and his priests had caused the people to commit so many sins and iniquities against God; and they also did mourn for the death of Abinadi; and also for the departure of Alma and the people that went with him, who had formed a church of God through the strength and power of God, and faith on the words which had been spoken by Abinadi.

31 Yea, they did mourn for their departure, for they knew not whither they had fled.  Now they would have gladly joined with them, for they themselves had entered into a covenant with God to serve him and keep his commandments.

32 And now since the coming of Ammon, king Limhi had also entered into a covenant with God, and also many of his people, to serve him and keep his commandments.

33 And it came to pass that king Limhi and many of his people were desirous to be baptized; but there was none in the land that had authority from God.  And Ammon declined doing this thing, considering himself an unworthy servant.

34 Therefore they did not at that time form themselves into a church, waiting upon the Spirit of the Lord.  Now they were desirous to become even as Alma and his brethren, who had fled into the wilderness.

35 They were desirous to be baptized as a witness and a testimony that they were willing to serve God with all their hearts; nevertheless they did prolong the time; and an account of their baptism shall be given hereafter.

36 And now all the study of Ammon and his people, and king Limhi and his people, was to deliver themselves out of the hands of the Lamanites and from bondage.

Mosiah 21:21-36

Peace reigned in the land.  One day, Limhi was outside of the city gates with his guards.  They found a group of men whom they believed were some of his father’s priests.  He had them arrested and placed into prison.  It turned out he was mistaken.  He found Ammon and his party.  Remember, we met Ammon in Chapter 7.  They were searching for Limhi’s party and, at this point, didn’t realize they had found them.

7 And behold, they met the king of the people who were in the land of Nephi, and in the land of Shilom; and they were surrounded by the king's guard, and were taken, and were bound, and were committed to prison.

8 And it came to pass when they had been in prison two days they were again brought before the king, and their bands were loosed; and they stood before the king, and were permitted, or rather commanded, that they should answer the questions which he should ask them.

Mosiah 7:7-8

Ammon responded:

12 And now, when Ammon saw that he was permitted to speak, he went forth and bowed himself before the king; and rising again he said: O king, I am very thankful before God this day that I am yet alive, and am permitted to speak; and I will endeavor to speak with boldness;

13 For I am assured that if ye had known me ye would not have suffered that I should have worn these bands.  For I am Ammon, and am a descendant of Zarahemla, and have come up out of the land of Zarahemla to inquire concerning our brethren, whom Zeniff brought up out of that land.

Mosiah 7:12-13

And here, we return to the events described in Chapter 7. Once Limhi learned who they were, there was much rejoicing.  As he spoke to Ammon and his party, he told them of an interesting event.

Limhi decided to send a party to find Zarahemla.  Their purpose was to ask for help freeing themselves from the bondage of the Lamanites.  As this group wandered, they became lost. 

During their search, they found a place where bones were scattered across the land.  Weapons of war were found among the bones.  They also found a set of twenty-four plates.  Ammon told his of their king, who was a seer and could translate the record.

Limhi was rejoiced knowing there was one who could interpret the record found.  The power to translate was mentioned by Amaleki.

20 And it came to pass in the days of Mosiah, there was a large stone brought unto him with engravings on it; and he did interpret the engravings by the gift and power of God.

21 And they gave an account of one Coriantumr, and the slain of his people.  And Coriantumr was discovered by the people of Zarahemla; and he dwelt with them for the space of nine moons.

22 It also spake a few words concerning his fathers.  And his first parents came out from the tower, at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people; and the severity of the Lord fell upon them according to his judgments, which are just; and their bones lay scattered in the land northward.

Omni 1:20-22

In the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon, Ammon was recorded as referring to King Benjamin.  In the 1837 edition, it is changed to refer to Mosiah.  It appears this change was made by someone other than Joseph Smith.  Critics use this as an argument against the Book of Mormon.  We don’t know exactly when Ammon left Zarahemla.  It is very much a possibility King Benjamin was still alive when Ammon left.  He lived for three years after Mosiah₂ became king.  Ammon referring to King Benjamin, if he were alive, would have been a natural thing.  The challenge to the Book of Mormon does not stand.[1]

Ammon and his group were told about King Noah, Abinadi, and what Noah’s priests had done.  They also were told about Alma₁ and those who went with him and the church he had formed.

The people of Limhi wanted to be baptized, but no one had authority to perform the ordinance.  Ammon refused, “considering himself an unworthy servant.”  Limhi’s people did make a covenant with God to serve Him and keep His commandments.

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[1] Ignoratio Elenchi: The Dialogue That Never Was, L. Ara Norwood, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 17, 2014.

Mosiah 21:13-20

13 And they did humble themselves even to the dust, subjecting themselves to the yoke of bondage, submitting themselves to be smitten, and to be driven to and fro, and burdened, according to the desires of their enemies.

14 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.

15 And now the Lord was slow to hear their cry because of their iniquities; nevertheless the Lord did hear their cries, and began to soften the hearts of the Lamanites that they began to ease their burdens; yet the Lord did not see fit to deliver them out of bondage.

16 And it came to pass that they began to prosper by degrees in the land, and began to raise grain more abundantly, and flocks, and herds, that they did not suffer with hunger.

17 Now there was a great number of women, more than there was of men; therefore king Limhi commanded that every man should impart to the support of the widows and their children, that they might not perish with hunger; and this they did because of the greatness of their number that had been slain.

18 Now the people of Limhi kept together in a body as much as it was possible, and secured their grain and their flocks;

19 And the king himself did not trust his person without the walls of the city, unless he took his guards with him, fearing that he might by some means fall into the hands of the Lamanites.

20 And he caused that his people should watch the land round about, that by some means they might take those priests that fled into the wilderness, who had stolen the daughters of the Lamanites, and that had caused such a great destruction to come upon them.

Mosiah 21:13-20

Limhi’s people have attacked the Lamanites three times and were defeated three times.  The people become a defeated and humbled people.  Mormon tells us they humbled “themselves to the dust.”  They accepted the treatment and orders of their captors.

In their humility, they turned to the Lord.  They cried unto Him for deliverance; however, the Lord was slow to hear their cries because of their sins.  This was similar to the Lord’s message to Israel when they demanded a king.  Samuel warned them, “And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day” (1 Samuel 8:18).  This was also a fulfillment of Abinadi’s prophecy, “Yea, and it shall come to pass that when they shall cry unto me I will be slow to hear their cries; yea, and I will suffer them that they be smitten by their enemies” (Mosiah 11:24).

Until the people repent, the Lord is under no compulsion to deliver them. Because the Zeniffites had been forewarned, “the Lord was slow to hear their cry because of their iniquities” (Mosiah 21:15). He does listen (just as 1 Samuel 8:18 says the Lord will not listen to the people's cries when they are enslaved by their king), after the lesson is learned.^[1]

While not freeing them from their captivity, the Lord did hear the cries.  He softened the hearts of the Lamanites overseers, and the treatment of the people of Limhi was eased.

As time went by, the people began to prosper.  The flocks and herds increased and much grain was raised.  “Grain was perhaps the most important food crop cultivated by the Book of Mormon people. The grain harvest became a measure of prosperity and favor with the Lord…”^[2]

The wars had taken their toll on the population.  Many men died during the battles leaving their wives and children to fend for themselves.  Seeing this, Limhi commanded his people to support the widows and their families.  Limhi, not knowing the words of King Benjamin, followed them.

16 And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.

26 And now, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you—that is, for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God—I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants.

Mosiah 4:16, 26

As much as possible, they people secured their grain and flocks.  The king would not leave the city alone.  He always left with his guards to protect him from possible Lamanite attack.

The people of Limhi also kept their eyes open looking for the Limhi’s father’s priests, the men who had kidnapped the Lamanite daughters and brought upon so much suffering upon them.

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[1] Historical Narrative, Literary Narrative—Expelling Poetics from the Republic of History, Alan Goff, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 15, 2014.

[2] Agriculture in Lehi's World: Some Textual, Historical, Archaeological, and Botanical Insight, Terry B. Ball & Wilford M. Hess, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 15, 2014.

Mosiah 21:1-12

Chapter 21

Limhi's people are smitten and defeated by the Lamanites—They meet Ammon and are converted—They tell Ammon of the twenty–four Jaredite plates. About 122–121 B.C.

1 AND it came to pass that Limhi and his people returned to the city of Nephi, and began to dwell in the land again in peace.

2 And it came to pass that after many days the Lamanites began again to be stirred up in anger against the Nephites, and they began to come into the borders of the land round about.

3 Now they durst not slay them, because of the oath which their king had made unto Limhi; but they would smite them on their cheeks, and exercise authority over them; and began to put heavy burdens upon their backs, and drive them as they would a dumb ass—

4 Yea, all this was done that the word of the Lord might be fulfilled.

5 And now the afflictions of the Nephites were great, and there was no way that they could deliver themselves out of their hands, for the Lamanites had surrounded them on every side.

6 And it came to pass that the people began to murmur with the king because of their afflictions; and they began to be desirous to go against them to battle.  And they did afflict the king sorely with their complaints; therefore he granted unto them that they should do according to their desires.

7 And they gathered themselves together again, and put on their armor, and went forth against the Lamanites to drive them out of their land.

8 And it came to pass that the Lamanites did beat them, and drove them back, and slew many of them.

9 And now there was a great mourning and lamentation among the people of Limhi, the widow mourning for her husband, the son and the daughter mourning for their father, and the brothers for their brethren.

10 Now there were a great many widows in the land, and they did cry mightily from day to day, for a great fear of the Lamanites had come upon them.

11 And it came to pass that their continual cries did stir up the remainder of the people of Limhi to anger against the Lamanites; and they went again to battle, but they were driven back again, suffering much loss.

12 Yea, they went again even the third time, and suffered in the like manner; and those that were not slain returned again to the city of Nephi.

Mosiah 21:1-12

The war was over.  Peace was found in the land.  Eventually, however, the Lamanites became upset with the Nephites.  They moved into the lands around the people of Limhi.

The Lamanites couldn’t kill them because of their king’s oath.  Instead, they abused them.  They hit them and placed heavy burdens upon them. 

They started harassing; that's the way it starts. They couldn't kill them because they had made an oath to King Limhi. (Isn't that nice they observed their oaths? We observe oaths, too, as long as it is convenient. Our treaties with the Indians, for example; there are some "beauties.") But they did bother them and do what Indians would do. They were brutal. They would hit them in the face, boss them around, and then "put heavy burdens upon their backs, and drive them as they would a dumb ass." That was the prophecy—they started bullying them.[1]

Mormon tells us this was done to fulfill the words of the Lord.  Abinadi warned them of the consequences of their wickedness and they didn’t repent.  Now they were reaping what they had sown.

Things were very had for the Nephites.  Not only were they suffering many afflictions, they were surrounded by the Lamanites.  Things were not looking good.

The people complained about their situation to king.  They wanted to go to war.  Limhi eventually agreed.  The people prepared for war and went forth to attack the Lamanites.

Limhi’s people were roundly defeated.  Many died in the battle.  Mourning was heard throughout the land.  There were many widows in the land. 

Anger increased among Limhi’s people.  They went to battle a second time and suffered a major defeat with many casualties.  They went forward with battle for a third time, and suffered a terrible defeat.

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[1] Teachings of the Book of Mormon – Semester 2, Lecture 38 – Mosiah 20–23, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 12, 2014.

Mosiah 20:12-26

12 And it came to pass that they found the king of the Lamanites among the number of their dead; yet he was not dead, having been wounded and left upon the ground, so speedy was the flight of his people.

13 And they took him and bound up his wounds, and brought him before Limhi, and said: Behold, here is the king of the Lamanites; he having received a wound has fallen among their dead, and they have left him; and behold, we have brought him before you; and now let us slay him.

14 But Limhi said unto them: Ye shall not slay him, but bring him hither that I may see him.  And they brought him.  And Limhi said unto him: What cause have ye to come up to war against my people?  Behold, my people have not broken the oath that I made unto you; therefore, why should ye break the oath which ye made unto my people?

15 And now the king said: I have broken the oath because thy people did carry away the daughters of my people; therefore, in my anger I did cause my people to come up to war against thy people.

16 And now Limhi had heard nothing concerning this matter; therefore he said: I will search among my people and whosoever has done this thing shall perish.  Therefore he caused a search to be made among his people.

17 Now when Gideon had heard these things, he being the king's captain, he went forth and said unto the king: I pray thee forbear, and do not search this people, and lay not this thing to their charge.

18 For do ye not remember the priests of thy father, whom this people sought to destroy?  And are they not in the wilderness?  And are not they the ones who have stolen the daughters of the Lamanites?

19 And now, behold, and tell the king of these things, that he may tell his people that they may be pacified towards us; for behold they are already preparing to come against us; and behold also there are but few of us.

20 And behold, they come with their numerous hosts; and except the king doth pacify them towards us we must perish.

21 For are not the words of Abinadi fulfilled, which he prophesied against us—and all this because we would not hearken unto the words of the Lord, and turn from our iniquities?

22 And now let us pacify the king, and we fulfil the oath which we have made unto him; for it is better that we should be in bondage than that we should lose our lives; therefore, let us put a stop to the shedding of so much blood.

23 And now Limhi told the king all the things concerning his father, and the priests that had fled into the wilderness, and attributed the carrying away of their daughters to them.

24 And it came to pass that the king was pacified towards his people; and he said unto them: Let us go forth to meet my people, without arms; and I swear unto you with an oath that my people shall not slay thy people.

25 And it came to pass that they followed the king, and went forth without arms to meet the Lamanites.  And it came to pass that they did meet the Lamanites; and the king of the Lamanites did bow himself down before them, and did plead in behalf of the people of Limhi.

26 And when the Lamanites saw the people of Limhi, that they were without arms, they had compassion on them and were pacified towards them, and returned with their king in peace to their own land.

Mosiah 20:12-26

Limhi’s people have successfully defeated the Lamanite army.  As they walked through the battlefield, the found the Lamanite king, seriously wounded.  He had been left by his army’s retreat.

They bound the king and treated his wounds.  He was brought before Limhi.  They wanted him dead.

Limhi refused to have him put to death.  Instead, he wanted the king brought to him.  When the king arrived, Limhi asked him the most obvious question.  Why have you started a war?  We haven’t broken the oath we made, yet you broke the oath.  Why?

The Lamanites were aware that the crime was kidnapping, and possibly worse, for the king told Limhi that "thy people did carry away the daughters of my people" (Mosiah 20:15). Hence, as I understand this passage, either there were witnesses, or one or more of the young women successfully escaped the priests.^[1]

Obviously, Limhi knew nothing about this.  He assured the king he would question his people.  If they find the guilty party, he would be put to death.  

Gideon, the king’s captain, went to him.  He asked him not to question his people and look for someone who committed this crime.  He reminded him about his father’s priests.  They had to have been the ones responsible for the kidnaping. 

Gideon suggested he explain all this to this king.  This may calm things as they are preparing another attack.  The Lamanites were many, the Nephites were few.

Gideon reminded Limhi the words of Abinadi had been fulfilled.  His father suffered death by fire.  The people of Limhi are in bondage to the Lamanites and are facing possible annihilation.  “Abinadi's stature as a prophet of Christ was securely enhanced by the prompt and literal fulfillment of his prophecies about the fate of Noah and his priests. Abinadi prophesied that the people of Limhi would be hunted and driven, which soon came to pass (Mosiah 20:21).”^[2] 

Gideon’s final argument was it is better to be in bondage than dead.  This would put an end to any more bloodshed.

Limhi took Gideon’s advice.  He went to the king and explained the situation with his father and is priests.  He explained they were responsible for the kidnapping. 

The king accepted Limhi’s word.  He told Limhi he would go to his people, unarmed, and see to it his people would not kill Limhi’s people.

The king then performed a remarkable act of humility.  He went before his army, “bow[ed] himself before them, and did please in behalf of the people of Limhi.”

Seeing the people of Limhi had no arms, they returned to their land and the two societies lived in peace.  Hugh Nibley sums up the resolution of the situation.

Here was a perfect set-up for a long war; but because Limhi took the pains to investigate, and Gideon talked sense instead of heroic clichés, and a proud king was willing to humble himself before his subjects, and those subjects were willing to have compassion on a hereditary foe, and because the people of both sides, though both had been attacked without provocation, were able to see that a mistake had been made, the story had a happy ending.[3]

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[1] Marriage and Treaty in the Book of Mormon:  The Case of the Abducted Lamanite Daughters, S. Kent Brown, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 10, 2014.

[2] The Legal Cases in the Book of Mormon – The Trial of Abinadi, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 10, 2014.

[3] Since Cumorah – Good People and Bad People, Hugh Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 10, 2014.

Mosiah 20:1-11

Chapter 20

Lamanite daughters are abducted by the priests of Noah—The Lamanites wage war upon Limhi and his people—They are repulsed and pacified. About 145–123 B.C.

1 NOW there was a place in Shemlon where the daughters of the Lamanites did gather themselves together to sing, and to dance, and to make themselves merry.

2 And it came to pass that there was one day a small number of them gathered together to sing and to dance.

3 And now the priests of king Noah, being ashamed to return to the city of Nephi, yea, and also fearing that the people would slay them, therefore they durst not return to their wives and their children.

4 And having tarried in the wilderness, and having discovered the daughters of the Lamanites, they laid and watched them;

5 And when there were but few of them gathered together to dance, they came forth out of their secret places and took them and carried them into the wilderness; yea, twenty and four of the daughters of the Lamanites they carried into the wilderness.

6 And it came to pass that when the Lamanites found that their daughters had been missing, they were angry with the people of Limhi, for they thought it was the people of Limhi.

7 Therefore they sent their armies forth; yea, even the king himself went before his people; and they went up to the land of Nephi to destroy the people of Limhi.

8 And now Limhi had discovered them from the tower, even all their preparations for war did he discover; therefore he gathered his people together, and laid wait for them in the fields and in the forests.

9 And it came to pass that when the Lamanites had come up, that the people of Limhi began to fall upon them from their waiting places, and began to slay them.

10 And it came to pass that the battle became exceedingly sore, for they fought like lions for their prey.

11 And it came to pass that the people of Limhi began to drive the Lamanites before them; yet they were not half so numerous as the Lamanites.  But they fought for their lives, and for their wives, and for their children; therefore they exerted themselves and like dragons did they fight.

Mosiah 20:1-11

The people of Limhi have made peace with the Lamanites, but at a high cost.  They are taxed at the rate of 50% of all they own.  Even so, there is peace.

The priests of Noah did not return to their families because they feared they would be killed.  We later read that their children disown them.  “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” (Mosiah 25:12).

These priests of Noah, part of a Nephite colony in the midst of Lamanites, had abandoned their homes and families in an effort to avoid death at the hands of an invading Lamanite army (see Mosiah 19:9—23). Two years later (see Mosiah 19:29), the priests crept back to the outskirts of their former colony and, presumably in order to stay alive, "carried off [fellow colonists'] grain and many of their precious things," coming "by night," which made their thievery potentially a capital crime (Mosiah 21:21).^[1]

The priests of Noah found a place where “the daughters of the Lamanites” gathered.  “This seems to say that the place was a customary one. The place may have been at an outlying shrine or sacred spot. It was not in the wilderness as such, for the priests went from there into the wilderness (see Mosiah 20:5), but neither was it inside a city.”^[2]

Where there was a small group, they “laid in wait” for them. “The Hebrew idiom translated ‘lying in wait’ usually connotes premeditation and planning, implying that the priests may well have known of this place and the custom for young women to be there.”^[3]

When the time was right, the priests kidnapped twenty-four of the Lamanite women.  They escaped into the wilderness.

Not surprisingly, when the Lamanites learned their daughters had been kidnapped, they were exceedingly angry.  The figured the only ones who could have done the dastardly deed was the people of Limhi.  They organized for war and attacked the Nephites. 

We also learn about law in the Book of Mormon.

The decree of death to the priests, issued by both the Lamanite king and the Nephite ruler Limhi (see Mosiah 20:7, 16), strongly suggests that some of the young women were already betrothed to be married—and therefore were considered to be under a marriage obligation—and that their kidnappers were thought of as rapists. In such a situation, the men would be sentenced to die.^[4]

Limhi was on his tower when he saw the Lamanites making preparations for war.  He gathered his armies together and had them gather in their fields and in the forests. When the Lamanite army arrived in the land inhabited by Limhi’s people, they were ready for them. 

It was a vicious battle.  Limhi’s people were able to defeat the superior Lamanite army.  Mormon wrote they “fought for their … wives and for the children.”  This is the first mention of what would become General Moroni’s title of liberty.  “And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it—In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—and he fastened it upon the end of a pole” (Alma 46:12).

At the end of verse 11, we have an interesting metaphor.  Mormon records the fought like dragons. 

That's a very interesting thing that it uses the word dragons here. There was this surprising ferocity. You wouldn't think dragons, a concept from the Old World, would be found among these people, but it is. The one-horn and the two-horn societies get themselves up as savagely as possible, and you know in Central America this is common. The warrior phratries, every one of them, had monsters for their emblems, and they wore the mask. You see this on the vase paintings and the murals, etc. They wore these monster masks for emblems, and there was nothing more popular than the snake with the horns and all the rest. The dragons, and other monsters appear there. (emphasis in original)[5]

The way Mormon worded the way the Nephites fought follows Hebrew grammatical style.  In English, we would have written, “they fought like dragons.”   Mormon wrote, “like dragons did they fight.”  This follows traditional Hebrew grammar.

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[1] Marriage and Treaty in the Book of Mormon: The Case of the Abducted Lamanite Daughters, S. Kent Brown, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 8, 2014.

[2] Dancing Maidens and the Fifteenth of Av, John W. Welch, Robert F. Smith, Gordon C. Thomasson, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 8, 2014.

[3] ibid.

[4] Marriage and Treaty in the Book of Mormon: The Case of the Abducted Lamanite Daughters, S. Kent Brown, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 8, 2014.

[5] The Daughters of the Lamanites, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 8, 2014.

Mosiah 19:25-29

25 And it came to pass that the king of the Lamanites made an oath unto them, that his people should not slay them.

26 And also Limhi, being the son of the king, having the kingdom conferred upon him ^aby the people, made oath unto the king of the Lamanites that his people should pay tribute unto him, even one half of all they possessed.

27 And it came to pass that Limhi began to establish the kingdom and to establish peace among his people.

28 And the king of the Lamanites set guards round about the land, that he might keep the people of Limhi in the land, that they might not depart into the wilderness; and he did support his guards out of the tribute which he did receive from the Nephites.

29 And now king Limhi did have continual peace in his kingdom for the space of two years, that the Lamanites did not molest them nor seek to destroy them.

Mosiah 19:25-29

The people of Limhi are under the rule of the Lamanites.  A treaty was made with the Lamanites.  On the Lamanites part, they agreed not to kill Limhi’s people.  Limhi’s people agreed to pay tribute to the king in the amount of one-half of all they owned.  A treaty was a very serious matter.

The making of the treaty is to be understood as a very serious and sacred matter.²⁴ On the human side, it was the basis for an era of peace, even though the peace chiefly benefited the Lamanites (see Mosiah 19:25—27, 29).²⁵ According to Old Testament law, the breaking of an agreement between two parties led to whatever consequences were spelled out in the "curses" of the oaths—the classic example being the one between the Israelites, who were about to possess the promised land, and the Lord.²⁶ As is plain from his response, the Lamanite king's promise that "his people should not slay" the people of Limhi (Mosiah 19:25) was reversed as one of the penalties for breaking the treaty.[1]

“Noah dies and Limhi is made king. His generation will pay for the sins of Noah: they are in bondage to the Lamanites having to pay half their possessions in tribute (Mosiah 19:26). This is slavery pure and simple.”^[2]

Living in peace with the Lamanites, Limhi began to establish his kingdom.  They were forced to deal with guards watching over them.  They were free, to a point.  The guards were there to prevent them from leaving the land.  The guards were supported with the tribute the Lamanite king received.

For two years, there was peace between Nephites and Lamanites.

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[1] Marriage and Treaty in the Book of Mormon: The Case of the Abducted Lamanite Daughters, S. Kent Brown, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 5, 2014.

[2] Historical Narrative, Literary Narrative—Expelling Poetics from the Republic of History, Alan Goff, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 5, 2014.

Mosiah 19:16-24

16 And now there was one of the sons of the king among those that were taken captive, whose name was Limhi.

17 And now Limhi was desirous that his father should not be destroyed; nevertheless, Limhi was not ignorant of the iniquities of his father, he himself being a just man.

18 And it came to pass that Gideon sent men into the wilderness secretly, to search for the king and those that were with him.  And it came to pass that they met the people in the wilderness, all save the king and his priests.

19 Now they had sworn in their hearts that they would return to the land of Nephi, and if their wives and their children were slain, and also those that had tarried with them, that they would seek revenge, and also perish with them.

20 And the king commanded them that they should not return; and they were angry with the king, and caused that he should suffer, even unto death by fire.

21 And they were about to take the priests also and put them to death, and they fled before them.

22 And it came to pass that they were about to return to the land of Nephi, and they met the men of Gideon.  And the men of Gideon told them of all that had happened to their wives and their children; and that the Lamanites had granted unto them that they might possess the land by paying a tribute to the Lamanites of one half of all they possessed.

23 And the people told the men of Gideon that they had slain the king, and his priests had fled from them farther into the wilderness.

24 And it came to pass that after they had ended the ceremony, that they returned to the land of Nephi, rejoicing, because their wives and their children were not slain; and they told Gideon what they had done to the king.

Mosiah 19:16-24

Among the people who became subject to the king of the Lamanites was a man named Limhi.  Limhi was son of Noah.  He did not was his father to be killed; yet, he knew he was a wicked man. 

First, we should notice a few unusual things about Limhi as an individual. Whereas Zeniff "did confer the kingdom upon" Noah (Mosiah 10:22–11:1), Limhi had "the kingdom conferred upon him by the people" (Mosiah 19:26).¹ Limhi was just "one of the sons of the king" (Mosiah 19:16), for Noah "had many wives and concubines" (Mosiah 11:2, 14). It is unknown whether Limhi was chosen because he was the oldest of Noah's sons "among those that were taken captive" (Mosiah 19:16) when "the king commanded [his people] that all the men should leave their wives and their children" (Mosiah 19:11), or the only one so taken. We might have thought that his docile nature made him the choice of the king of the Lamanites had the record not stated that it was "the people" who chose him (Mosiah 19:26). We could hazard a guess that Limhi was a young man at the time he took over the kingdom, being left among the children.[1]

A man named Gideon sent men out to search for Noah and those who were with him.  They met people in their search, but the king and his priests were not among the group.

Some of those who abandoned their wives and families chose to return to the land of Nephi.  If their families were dead, they vowed revenge and they would die with them.  Noah was the one who ordered them to abandon them.  “Now it came to pass that the king commanded them that all the men should leave their wives and their children, and flee before the Lamanites” (Mosiah 19:11).

Noah commanded them they should not return.  They had had enough.  They killed the king, a death by fire.  This was a fulfillment of the words of Abinadi. “And it shall come to pass that the life of king Noah shall be valued even as a garment in a hot furnace; for he shall know that I am the Lord” (Mosiah 12:3).  “And in that day ye shall be hunted, and ye shall be taken by the hand of your enemies, and then ye shall suffer, as I suffer, the pains of death by fire” (Mosiah 17:18).

“In this case, an earthly [king] had failed to recognize that he was a [subject] to the heavenly [king]. King Noah did not heed the prophetic warning, and the consequence for him was death by burning (see Mosiah 19:20). King Noah's refusal to recognize the Lord as God was catastrophic both for himself and, frighteningly, for his people (see Mosiah 11:2–23).”^[2]

They were about to execute the priests, but they ran and preserved their lives.  They began their journey to find their families when they ran into Gideon and his party.  They told them what had occurred and all that had happened to their families.  They also learned about the terms the Lamanite king forced on the Nephites.

They were happy their families survived.  I have to wonder about the meeting when the men returned after abandoning their families to save their sorry hides.  To steal a line from the 3 D’s, I did notice there is a scorch mark around the footnotes to verse 22.

They then told Gideon and his group what they had done to the king.

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[1] Limhi in the Library, John Gee, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 3, 2014.

[2] Treaties and Covenants:  Ancient Near Eastern Legal Terminology in the Book of Mormon, RoseAnn Benson and Stephen D. Ricks, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 3, 2014.

Mosiah 19:1-15

Chapter 19

Gideon seeks to slay King Noah—The Lamanites invade the land—King Noah suffers death by fire—Limhi rules as a tributary monarch. About 145–121 B.C.

1 AND it came to pass that the army of the king returned, having searched in vain for the people of the Lord.

2 And now behold, the forces of the king were small, having been reduced, and there began to be a division among the remainder of the people.

3 And the lesser part began to breathe out threatenings against the king, and there began to be a great contention among them.

4 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.

5 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.

6 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.

7 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.

8 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.

9 And the king commanded the people that they should flee before the Lamanites, and he himself did go before them, and they did flee into the wilderness, with their women and their children.

10 And it came to pass that the Lamanites did pursue them, and did overtake them, and began to slay them.

11 Now it came to pass that the king commanded them that all the men should leave their wives and their children, and flee before the Lamanites.

12 Now there were many that would not leave them, but had rather stay and perish with them.  And the rest left their wives and their children and fled.

13 And it came to pass that those who tarried with their wives and their children caused that their fair daughters should stand forth and plead with the Lamanites that they would not slay them.

14 And it came to pass that the Lamanites had compassion on them, for they were charmed with the beauty of their women.

15 Therefore the Lamanites did spare their lives, and took them captives and carried them back to the land of Nephi, and granted unto them that they might possess the land, under the conditions that they would deliver up king Noah into the hands of the Lamanites, and deliver up their property, even one half of all they possessed, one half of their gold, and their silver, and all their precious things, and thus they should pay tribute to the king of the Lamanites from year to year.

Mosiah 19:1-15

The army that had been searching for Alma₁’s congregation returned, having failed to find them.  The army was small and, within Noah’s people, they were divided.  Some began to murmur about the King and threatened him. 

One man in particular was fed up with Noah.  Gideon drew his sword and swore he would kill the king.  He fought with Noah and, when he was about to be killed, Noah ran to the tower near the temple.  Gideon was about to climb onto the tower, when Noah saw an army of the Lamanites was approaching the borders of his kingdom.

Verse 6 gives us some information about distances in the land of Shemlon.  “From this tower Noah spotted a Lamanite army coming up out of the land of Shemlon toward Nephi (see Mosiah 19:6). For a Zeniffite to have such a view, the distance to Shilom could hardly have exceeded ten miles and the near border of Shemlon would have been within twenty miles.”[1]  We had a better understanding of what is meant by wilderness.  “[A]s in the Old World the ‘wilderness’ in question was not jungle, for when Gideon chased the wicked king to the top of the tower, the two could see from there that ‘the army of the Lamanites were within the borders of the land’ (Mosiah 19:6), which means that the invading host had only the poorest sort of cover.”[2]

Noah cried out to Gideon, begging him to spare his life.  The Lamanite army was coming and he was concerned about the safety of his people.  Gideon spared his life.

Mormon informs us something we already assumed.  Noah did not care on whit about his people.  He was more concerned about saving his sorry old hide.  “Here's a comment on the character of [Noah] in verse 8. The king wasn't really interested in his people—it was his own life he wanted to save. That reflects on his character. You notice [Noah's] greatest sin was not lechery or luxury; it was his meanness. He was a mean, petty person. He had no feelings for anybody else but a great deal for himself. It's characteristic here of people with great power.”^[3]

The king and his people fled from the Lamanites, taking their families with them.  Unfortunately, the Lamanite army caught up to them, and began to kill them.

Noah commanded the men to leave their families behind and save their sorry lives.  Many refused, but there were a few cowards.  They left them behind to they could save themselves.

The reader is led to see the contrasting lives, not just of Alma and Amulon, but of the people of Limhi and Alma and the people of Amulon. Both Alma and Amulon led colonies into the wilderness: Alma and his people, when Noah's soldiers discovered their "movement," "took their tents and their families and departed into the wilderness" (Mosiah 18:32, 34). Amulon and his followers also fled into the wilderness, but at Noah's command they left their families behind (see Mosiah 19:11-23).  The wicked priests abandoned their wives when King Noah "commanded them that all the men should leave their wives and their children, and flee before the Lamanites" (Mosiah 19:11), then they went about trying to find substitute wives.[4]

Those that stayed behind had their daughters plead with the Lamanites to spare them.  The Lamanites were charmed by the beauty and please of the daughters.  They chose to spare them.

There was a price.  They agreed to live in Lamanite captivity.  They would be allowed to possess the land of Nephi.  They agreed to deliver King Noah to the Lamanites.  They would pay one-half of all their possessions to the Lamanite king each year.

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[1] Mormon's Map – Distances and Directions, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 1, 2014.

[2] The Nature of Book of Mormon Society, Hugh Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 1, 2014.

[3] Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 2 – Lecture 37: Mosiah 19-20, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 1, 2014.

[4] The Stealing of the Daughters of the Lamanites, Alan Goff, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 1, 2014.