Mosiah 9:1-13

The Record of Zeniff—

An account of his people, from the time they left the land of Zarahemla until the time that they were delivered out of the hands of the Lamanites.

Comprising chapters 9 to 22 inclusive.

Chapter 9

Zeniff leads a group from Zarahemla to possess the land of Lehi-Nephi—The Lamanite king permits them to inherit the land—There is war between the Lamanites and Zeniff’s people. About 200–187 B.C.

1 I, ZENIFF, having been taught in all the language of the Nephites, and having had a knowledge of the land of Nephi, or of the land of our fathers’ first inheritance, ^*and having been sent as a spy among the Lamanites that I might spy out their forces, that our army might come upon them and destroy them—but when I saw that which was good among them I was desirous that they should not be destroyed.

2 Therefore, I contended with my brethren in the wilderness, for I would that our ruler should make a treaty with them; but he being an austere and a blood-thirsty man commanded that I should be slain; but I was rescued by the shedding of much blood; for father fought against father, and brother against brother, until the greater number of our army was destroyed in the wilderness; and we returned, those of us that were spared, to the land of Zarahemla, to relate that tale to their wives and their children.

3 And yet, I being over–zealous to inherit the land of our fathers, collected as many as were desirous to go up to possess the land, and started again on our journey into the wilderness to go up to the land; but we were smitten with famine and sore afflictions; for we were slow to remember the Lord our God.

4 Nevertheless, after many days’ wandering in the wilderness we pitched our tents in the place where our brethren were slain, which was near to the land of our fathers.

5 And it came to pass that I went again with four of my men into the city, in unto the king, that I might know of the disposition of the king, and that I might know if I might go in with my people and possess the land in peace.

6 And I went in unto the king, and he covenanted with me that I might possess the land of Lehi-Nephi, and the land of Shilom.

7 And he also commanded that his people should depart out of the land, and I and my people went into the land that we might possess it.

8 And we began to build buildings, and to repair the walls of the city, yea, even the walls of the city of Lehi-Nephi, and the city of Shilom.

9 And we began to till the ground, yea, even with all manner of seeds, with seeds of corn, and of wheat, and of barley, and with neas, and with sheum, and with seeds of all manner of fruits; and we did begin to multiply and prosper in the land.

10 Now it was the cunning and the craftiness of king Laman, to bring my people into bondage, that he yielded up the land that we might possess it.

11 Therefore it came to pass, that after we had dwelt in the land for the space of twelve years that king Laman began to grow uneasy, lest by any means my people should wax strong in the land, and that they could not overpower them and bring them into bondage.

12 Now they were a lazy and an idolatrous people; therefore they were desirous to bring us into bondage, that they might glut themselves with the labors of our hands; yea, that they might feast themselves upon the flocks of our fields.

13 Therefore it came to pass that king Laman began to stir up his people that they should contend with my people; therefore there began to be wars and contentions in the land.

Mosiah 1:1-13

We take a break in the Book of Mormon narrative at this point in Mormon’s records. Benjamin is the king, inheriting the kingdom from his father, Mosiah₁.  We go back about one hundred years to an incident touched upon by Amaleki in the book of Omni.

“And now I would speak somewhat concerning a certain number who went up into the wilderness to return to the land of Nephi; for there was a large number who were desirous to possess the land of their inheritance.

“Wherefore, they went up into the wilderness.  And their leader being a strong and mighty man, and a stiffnecked man, wherefore he caused a contention among them; and they were all slain, save fifty, in the wilderness, and they returned again to the land of Zarahemla.

“And it came to pass that they also took others to a considerable number, and took their journey again into the wilderness.

“And I, Amaleki, had a brother, who also went with them; and I have not since known concerning them” (Omni 1:27-30).

Zeniff was a part of the group that went to claim the land of Nephi which had been lost to the Lamanites.  He was a part of the first group.  He went out and served as a spy for his party.  He was to find weaknesses that could be exploited and used to lead to their defeat. 

Instead of finding a vicious enemy, Zeniff found a people in which he found good.  He was so impressed by the Lamanites, he did not want to see them destroyed.

We get a somewhat unusual statement by Zeniff.  Zeniff tells us he was taught the language of the Nephites.  Why would he say this?  It’s obvious a Nephite would know the language of the Nephites.

“Zeniff stated that he had been taught ‘in all the language of the Nephites’ (Mosiah 9:1). Why would he have made that statement if there were no alternatives? Who among us, raised in the United States, would say in opening our autobiography, ‘I was taught English when I was young.’ Zeniff and his people lived for a time in close contact with the Lamanites, thus perhaps raising his perspective on a different language.”[1]

Zeniff returned with his report.  He “contended with my brethren in the wilderness.”  The group’s leader (Zeniff calls him “our ruler”) was described as a “stiffnecked man” (Omni 1:28) and as a “blood-thirsty man” by Zeniff.  He ordered Zeniff be killed.  Obviously the leader did not control the entire party.  There was a major conflict, with father against father and brother against brother.  All this accomplished was the killing of most of the party.  The survivors returned to Zarahemla, letting family members know what happened.

The failure of the first party did not discourage Zeniff.  In fact, he describes himself, in his own words, as “being over-zealous to inherit the land of our fathers.”  We will see that Zeniff was a poor choice to be the leader (and eventual king) of this group. 

“[W]e see that Zeniff is not a man of very good judgment. You notice that he has done foolish things. In Mosiah 9:2–3 he got into trouble with the leader of the crew. He wanted to make peace, but he wasn’t too tactful about it. He was partly responsible for the breaking up of that group. Then soon after he insisted on leading another expedition which was poorly equipped, and they suffered from hunger and thirst. They had a terrible time because they weren’t properly prepared.?[2]

The new party went back into the wilderness, looking for the land of Nephi.  But, Zeniff tells us, they “were slow to remember the Lord our God.”  This lead to the suffering from a famine and other afflictions.  “This is not a case of getting lost, for a large number of survivors from the earlier expedition certainly knew the way; this party knew exactly where they were going—it was the immense length of the journey that made it so time-consuming and exhausting.”^[3]

They finally arrived at the location of the rebellion, near the land of Nephi.

A group of five went into the Lamanite king and asked to be allowed to “possess the land in peace.”  “Zeniff and his people willingly recognized the Lamanite king of the land (see Mosiah 9:5) and then proceeded to set up their own kingdom nearby.^[4]“

The king granted Zeniff’s request and covenanted with him that he and his people would not only possess the land of Lehi-Nephi, but the land of Shilom as well.  There were Lamanites living in those lands.  The king ordered his people to leave the land and allow Zeniff and his people to live in the land.

Zeniff has negotiated with the Lamanite king and won back the land of Nephi.  The residents were moved out of the land and Zeniff’s party moved in.  The first then they did was to begin to build buildings and repair the walls protecting the cities. 

Following the example of Lehi’s party, Zeniff brought a variety of seeds (see 1 Nephi 8:1).  They planted corn, wheat, and barley.

“Mosiah 9:9 in the Book of Mormon lists barley among several crops that were cultivated by the Nephites, and Alma 11:7 singles out barley as the primary grain into which silver and gold were converted in the Nephite system of weights and measures. Yet scientists of Joseph Smith’s day did not know of any examples of domesticated barley in the pre-Columbian Americas. It was not until the 1980s that the first direct evidence of cultivated barley in the ancient New World was discovered.”[5] 

Zeniff also mentions seeds of sheum.

“Broadening the discussion from a focus on measures for grains, we come to ‘sheum,’ a Nephite word for a kind of grain. As one might expect, the term is at home in the ancient Near East. It is the Old Assyrian name for wheat, which is she’um or e’um. We find this very term listed among other cereal names, including corn (maize), wheat, barley, and neas (see Mosiah 9:9).”[6]

Remember how willing the Lamanite king, King Laman, was to give Zeniff the land?  He even went so far as to forcibly remove his people who lived in the land.  Zeniff should have been more skeptical of Laman’s willingness to grant his wishes.  About twelve years later, Laman’s true intent becomes clear.

King Laman became “uneasy” about the people of Zeniff.  What if they became strong enough, the Lamanites couldn’t defeat them and bring them into bondage.

If you recall, the first party that searched for the Land of Nephi intended to destroy the Nephites.  Limhi spied on them and found they were a good people (see Mosiah 9:1).  It was over the issue of destroying the Lamanites that the first party failed.  We now see his opinion of the Lamanites has changed.[7]

Now Zeniff sees them as lazy and idolatrous.  Why did they want to bring Zeniff’s people into bondage?  They didn’t want to do the work themselves.  They wanted to take advantage of the work of the Nephites.  They wanted them to do the work while they lived off their labor.  A description of the Lamanite like this one has been called racist by critics of the Book of Mormon.  “Mosiah 9:12 describes the Lamanites as ‘a lazy and an idolatrous people,’ but it does not associate these traits with their skin color.”^[8]

King Laman began to stir up his people.  This led to them desiring war with the Nephites.  “[T]here began to be wars and contentions in the land.”  (This might well be the wars mentioned by Amaleki in Omni 1:24, writing about King Benjamin leading his people during a Lamanite war.)

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[1] Who Are the Children of Lehi? D. Jeffrey Meldrum and Trent D. Stephens, Maxwell Institute.

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

[3] The Nature of Book of Mormon Society, Maxwell Institute.

[4] Kingship. Coronation, and Covenant in Mosiah 1–6, Stephen D. Ricks, Maxwell Institute.

[5] Complexity, Consistency, Ignorance, and Probabilities, Melvin J. Thorne, Maxwell Institute.

[6] Weighing and Measuring in the Worlds of the Book of Mormon, John W. Welch, Maxwell Institute.

[7] Alma’s Enemies: The Case of the Lamanites, Amlicites, and Mysterious Amalekites, J. Christopher Conkling, Maxwell Institute.

[8] The Charge of “Racism” in the Book of Mormon, John A. Tvedtnes, Maxwell Institute.

Mosiah 8:1-21

Chapter 8

Ammon teaches the people of Limhi—He learns of the twenty–four Jaredite plates—Ancient records can be translated by seers—The gift of seership exceeds all others. About 121 B.C.

1 AND it came to pass that after king Limhi had made an end of speaking to his people, for he spake many things unto them and only a few of them have I written in this book, he told his people all the things concerning their brethren who were in the land of Zarahemla.

2 And he caused that Ammon should stand up before the multitude, and rehearse unto them all that had happened unto their brethren from the time that Zeniff went up out of the land even until the time that he himself came up out of the land.

3 And he also rehearsed unto them the last words which king Benjamin had taught them, and explained them to the people of king Limhi, so that they might understand all the words which he spake.

4 And it came to pass that after he had done all this, that king Limhi dismissed the multitude, and caused that they should return every one unto his own house.

5 And it came to pass that he 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.

6 Now, as soon as Ammon had read the record, the king inquired of him to know if he could interpret languages, and Ammon told him that he could not.

7 And the king said unto him: Being grieved for the afflictions of my people, I caused that forty and three of my people should take a journey into the wilderness, that thereby they might find the land of Zarahemla, that we might appeal unto our brethren to deliver us out of bondage.

8 And they were lost in the wilderness for the space of many days, yet they were diligent, and found not the land of Zarahemla but returned to this land, having traveled in a land among many waters, having discovered a land which was covered with bones of men, and of beasts, and was also covered with ruins of buildings of every kind, having discovered a land which had been peopled with a people who were as numerous as the hosts of Israel.

9 And for a testimony that the things that they had said are true they have brought twenty–four plates which are filled with engravings, and they are of pure gold.

10 And behold, also, they have brought breastplates, which are large, and they are of brass and of copper, and are perfectly sound.

11 And again, they have brought swords, the hilts thereof have perished, and the blades thereof were cankered with rust; and there is no one in the land that is able to interpret the language or the engravings that are on the plates.  Therefore I said unto thee: Canst thou translate?

12 And I say unto thee again: Knowest thou of any one that can translate?  For I am desirous that these records should be translated into our language; for, perhaps, they will give us a knowledge of a remnant of the people who have been destroyed, from whence these records came; or, perhaps, they will give us a knowledge of this very people who have been destroyed; and I am desirous to know the cause of their destruction.

13 Now Ammon said unto him: I can assuredly tell thee, O king, of a man that can translate the records; for he has wherewith that he can look, and translate all records that are of ancient date; and it is a gift from God.  And the things are called interpreters, and no man can look in them except he be commanded, lest he should look for that he ought not and he should perish.  And whosoever is commanded to look in them, the same is called seer.

14 And behold, the king of the people who are in the land of Zarahemla is the man that is commanded to do these things, and who has this high gift from God.

15 And the king said that a seer is greater than a prophet.

16 And Ammon said that a seer is a revelator and a prophet also; and a gift which is greater can no man have, except he should possess the power of God, which no man can; yet a man may have great power given him from God.

17 But a seer can know of things which are past, and also of things which are to come, and by them shall all things be revealed, or, rather, shall secret things be made manifest, and hidden things shall come to light, and things which are not known shall be made known by them, and also things shall be made known by them which otherwise could not be known.

18 Thus God has provided a means that man, through faith, might work mighty miracles; therefore he becometh a great benefit to his fellow beings.

19 And now, when Ammon had made an end of speaking these words the king rejoiced exceedingly, and gave thanks to God, saying: Doubtless a great mystery is contained within these plates, and these interpreters were doubtless prepared for the purpose of unfolding all such mysteries to the children of men.

20 O how marvelous are the works of the Lord, and how long doth he suffer with his people; yea, and how blind and impenetrable are the understandings of the children of men; for they will not seek wisdom, neither do they desire that she should rule over them!

21 Yea, they are as a wild flock which fleeth from the shepherd, and scattereth, and are driven, and are devoured by the beasts of the forest.

Mosiah 8:1-21

Limhi finishes speaking to his people.  Mormon tantalizes us with hints that Limhi “spake many things … and only a few of them I have written.”  One wonders what he might have said.

Limhi had Ammon speak to the people.  He reviewed the history of Zarahemla from the time of Zeniff to the present.  After reviewing the history, he told the teachings of King Benjamin and explained the meaning of his words. 

Limhi the told thee people to return to their homes. 

“Mosiah 8:4 does not say whether Limhi’s people entered into the covenant before he ‘dismissed the multitude, and caused that they should return every one unto his own house,’ but it appears that they did so for two reasons: First, the same phrase describes how Benjamin ‘dismissed the multitude, [so] they returned, every one, according to their families, to their own houses’ (Mosiah 6:3), immediately after his covenant-making and name-taking ceremony was completed; thus it seems likely that the identical formula is used in Mosiah 8:4 as a summary statement indicating that all the same covenants had been concluded in Limhi’s case as well. Second, Mosiah 21:30–31 reports that Ammon and the people declared a time of mourning for those who had been lost; this mourning would likely have begun the next day. Whenever it began, by that time the people had already ‘entered into a covenant with God to serve him and keep his commandments’ (Mosiah 21:31), and these words appear to describe the same covenant required by Benjamin’s speech as it was delivered by Ammon to King Limhi’s people.”[1]

Plates had been kept containing a record of the people of Zeniff.  Ammon read through the plates.

Limhi asked Ammon if “he could interpret languages.”  He said he could not. Limhi explained he sent a party of forty-three to find a way to get help from Zarahemla. They became lost and wandered for a time.  Unexpectedly, they came upon a land that was covered with the bones of men and beasts.  (Amaleki briefly refers to this on the small plates [see Omni 1:22]).  They also found ruins.  It was obvious that this had once been home to an unknown civilization. 

While searching the area, they came across twenty-four gold plates containing engravings in a language they could not read.  They also found useable breastplates as well the hilts of swords as well as rusted swords (see Ether 15:15).

I wish we would know more about how they found the Jaredite record.  It seems they were wandering around the ruins they suddenly came upon the plates.  These were important records.  In addition to containing an account of the Jaredites, it contains the brother of Jared’s record of his vision.  There is a school of thought that the brother of Jared’s record of the history of the world from the beginning to the end make up the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon.  I would think a record of this importance would have been better preserved; yet, because of their wickedness they may have no longer valued this record.  We just don’t know.

Limhi inquired of Ammon if he knew of anyone who could translate the record.  He was sure it was a record of the people that had inhabited the land.

Ammon said he was glad he asked!  He refers to King Mosiah₂.  He has received the gift and ability to translate records from God.  He has “things [that] are called interpreters.”  He was referring to a Urim and Thummim. 

Using these, he would be able to translate them.  “And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim [HEB Light and Perfection]; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually” (Exodus 28:30).  Using the “interpreters,” he would be able to translate the record.  “[W]hosoever is commanded to look in them is call seer.”  A seer, Ammon explains, is greater than a prophet.

“[W]e sustain 15 men not only as prophets and revelators but as seers also. The presence of seers among us is not much spoken of, yet the ability to see beyond the present lends power and authority to apostolic testimony and teaching.”[2]

After telling Limhi King Mosiah₂ was a seer who could translate the records.  He then goes on to explain what a seer is.  In addition to being a seer, he is also a revelator and a prophet.  These are gifts no one can have save it be given him of God.

A seer knows both things of the past and things of the future.  They will be made known to him through the power of God.  Steven Olsen explains how knowing the past affected those who wrote the Book of Mormon.

“Just as the concept of history in the Book of Mormon is singular, so is the set of personal qualifications needed for the authors to produce such a work. In particular, priesthood keys and highly refined spiritual gifts—including prophecy, revelation, and ‘seeing’-were required to grasp the mind and will of God, as regards the overall focus and particular contents of the narrative. In addition, its principal authors needed well-developed analytical and literary skills to reveal such exalted concepts within and through the stuff and substance of everyday life and language. For Nephi and Mormon, the past, in this exalted sense, was no more knowable than the future without such spiritual and professional capacities (e.g., Mosiah 8:16–17 identifies one of the qualities of a seer as being able ‘to know of things which are past,’ presumably in a way that was unattainable to record keepers who did not possess this spiritual gift).”[3]

Through this means, “God as provided a means that man, through faith, might work might miracles; therefore he becometh a great benefit to his fellow beings.”

“In connection with the powers of revelation, as Ammon says, a righteous priesthood holder can work by faith to provide great benefits to his fellow beings (see Mosiah 8:18). A priesthood holder can, in fact, exercise great faith in behalf of others of lesser faith and can ‘fill in’ with faith for them; thus a prophet and a people together can bring down blessings for even a whole community. The Lord seems to be interested not only in individuals, but also in communities of individuals who wish to establish holy cities and have the possibility of uniting with heavenly communities. A priesthood holder’s office is to sanctify himself and stand as an advocate before God seeking blessings for his community in the manner of the Lord Jesus Christ himself, whether the community be as small as a family or as large as King Benjamin’s. Like the ancients, one who holds the holy priesthood is always ‘look[ing] for a city’ (Hebrews 11:10, 16).”[4]

Ammon ended his words at this point.  Limhi rejoiced.  He knew the plates contained a mystery and the interpreters (Urim and Thummim) we prepared to translate the record and discover the mysteries therein. “Behold, I have written upon these plates the very things which the brother of Jared saw; and there never were greater things made manifest than those which were made manifest unto the brother of Jared” (Ether 4:4).

“The history of the interpreters follows very much the same story line as that record, but the interpreters have an additional history. While the sealed record was simply kept for a long period of time, the interpreters were used for other purposes besides the translation of the sealed record for which they were primarily created. They were the means of several translations and revelations in various dispensations. King Limhi, referring to the translation of the 24 plates, said that ‘these interpreters were doubtless prepared for the purpose of unfolding all such mysteries to the children of men’ (Mosiah 8:19).”[5]

The works of the Lord are marvelous and He is longsuffering with his people.  They are blind and do not understand for “they will not seek wisdom, neither do they desire that she should rule over them!”  The people are a wild flock.  They run form the shepherd and are driven and scattered.  They will be devoured by the beasts in the wilderness.

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[1] Benjamin, the Man: His Place in Nephite History, John W. Welch, Maxwell Institute.

[2] Living Prophets, Seers, and Revelators, Elder Dennis B. Neuenschwander, October 2000 General Conference.

[3] Prophecy and History: Structuring the Abridgment of the Nephite Records, Steven L. Olsen, Maxwell Institute.

[4] King Benjamin and the Mysteries of God, M. Catherine Thomas,  Maxwell Institute.

[5] A Third Jaredite Record: The Sealed Portion of the Gold Plates, Valentin Arts, Maxwell Institute.

Mosiah 7:23-33

23 And now, is not this grievous to be borne?  And is not this, our affliction, great?  Now behold, how great reason we have to mourn.

24 Yea, I say unto you, great are the reasons which we have to mourn; for behold how many of our brethren have been slain, and their blood has been spilt in vain, and all because of iniquity.

25 For if this people had not fallen into transgression the Lord would not have suffered that this great evil should come upon them.  But behold, they would not hearken unto his words; but there arose contentions among them, even so much that they did shed blood among themselves.

26 And a prophet of the Lord have they slain; yea, a chosen man of God, who told them of their wickedness and abominations, and prophesied of many things which are to come, yea, even the coming of Christ.

27 And because he said unto them that Christ was the God, the Father of all things, and said that he should take upon him the image of man, and it should be the image after which man was created in the beginning; or in other words, he said that man was created after the image of God, and that God should come down among the children of men, and take upon him flesh and blood, and go forth upon the face of the earth—

28 And now, because he said this, they did put him to death; and many more things did they do which brought down the wrath of God upon them.  Therefore, who wondereth that they are in bondage, and that they are smitten with sore afflictions?

29 For behold, the Lord hath said: I will not succor my people in the day of their transgression; but I will hedge up their ways that they prosper not; and their doings shall be as a stumbling block before them.

30 And again, he saith: If my people shall sow filthiness they shall reap the chaff thereof in the whirlwind; and the effect thereof is poison.

31 And again he saith: If my people shall sow filthiness they shall reap the east wind, which bringeth immediate destruction.

32 And now, behold, the promise of the Lord is fulfilled, and ye are smitten and afflicted.

33 But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage.

Mosiah 7:23-33

The people of Limhi are under Lamanite bondage.  This is because of their wickedness.  Limhi reminds them their captivity is painful to bear.  Their suffering is great and they have reason to mourn.  “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn” (Proverbs 29:2).

They have reasons to mourn.  They have lost many of their people in battles with the Lamanites.  This is “all because of iniquity.”  Nephi₂ told the people at the time of the murder of the chief judge, “O ye ought to begin to howl and mourn, because of the great destruction which at this time doth await you, except ye shall repent” (Helaman 9:22).

The people are suffering because of their sins.  Instead of listening to the words of the Lord, they were a contentious people fighting and killing each other. 

“Limhi clearly saw the parallels between the difficulties that the people of his colony faced in their bondage and those that the earlier Israelites and the family of Lehi faced. Of course Limhi knew the reason for the suffering of his people. He laid it squarely at the feet of his father and the earlier generation’s rejection of the word of the Lord brought by the prophet Abinadi (Mosiah 7:25-28).”[1]

They had killed the prophet Abinadi for telling them about their wickedness and prophesied about the coming of Christ.

Abinadi taught Noah and his priests “Christ was the God, the Father of all things.”  Abinadi could very well have been referring to the words of Isaiah, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6) as well as the words of Nephi.  “And as I spake concerning the convincing of the Jews, that Jesus is the very Christ, it must needs be that the Gentiles be convinced also that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God” (2 Nephi 26:12).  After Alma₂ revived from his vision, he told the gathered group, Yea, every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess before him.  Yea, even at the last day, when all men shall stand to be judged of him, then shall they confess that he is God; then shall they confess, who live without God in the world, that the judgment of an everlasting punishment is just upon them; and they shall quake, and tremble, and shrink beneath the glance of his all–searching eye” (Mosiah 27:31).

Christ would take upon Himself the image of man.  “And never have I showed myself unto man whom I have created, for never has man believed in me as thou hast.  Seest thou that ye are created after mine own image?  Yea, even all men were created in the beginning after mine own image” (Ether 3:15).

“The significance of this mortal birth was more critical than we often realize. It was not an experimental thing, nor an event that was optional in the plan of salvation. The coming of a part-divine part-mortal Jesus into the world, Son of Mary and Only Begotten of the Father, was an absolute necessity. The human family could be saved in no other way. Only the Lord himself, by coming into mortality, partaking of the nature of man, living a sinless life, atoning with his blood for the sins of men, dying, and rising from the dead with his physical body could bring about redemption. (See Al. 34:8—16; Mosiah 7:27.) Eternal justice would admit no other way.”[2]

God would come down among the people and take upon himself flesh and blood.  Abinadi said, “Have they not said that God himself should come down among the children of men, and take upon him the form of man, and go forth in mighty power upon the face of the earth” (Mosiah 13:34).

Because Abinadi taught this, he was put to death.  “And it came to pass that they took him and bound him, and scourged his skin with faggots, yea, even unto death” (Mosiah 17:13).  Is it any surprise they are in bondage because of their wickedness?

Continuing his chastisement of his people, Limhi explained the Lord will not assist them in their sin.  This was a common warning given Israel in the Old Testament.  Joshua warned, “If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good” (Joshua 24:20).  Samuel told Israel, “But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers” (1 Samuel 12:15).  Zechariah forewarned, “And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper?  because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you” (2 Chronicles 24:20).

They will not prosper.  In fact, the Lord will place stumbling blocks before the people.  “Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish” (Jeremiah 6:21).

“It is one thing to look back upon the events of history. It is another to regard our own time. We have the Lord’s assurance that he will bless and prosper his people if they will keep his commandments and remember to look to him as the source of their blessings.

“On the other hand, we must not forget that these blessings are conditional. As King Limhi warned his people, ‘For behold, the Lord hath said: I will not succor my people in the day of their transgression; but I will hedge up their ways that they prosper not; and their doings shall be as a stumbling block before them’ (Mosiah 7:29).”[3]

The people have sown sin; therefore, they will reap chaff.  Hosea taught, “For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up” (Hosea 8:7).  Paul told the Galatians:

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

“For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Galatians 6:7-8).

John the Baptist told the people, “Whose fan [OR winnowing fork] is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner [GR storehouse, granary]; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable” (Luke 3:17).

If the people sow filthiness, they will “reap the east wind, which bringeth immediate destruction.” 

The Lord promised what would happen if the people were wicked, and they are now “smitten and afflicted.”

In spite of their sin and bondage, it they “turn to the Lord … and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind … he will … deliver you out of bondage.”  Moroni writing what he may well have thought was his farewell at the end of his father’s book wrote, “O then ye unbelieving, turn ye unto the Lord; cry mightily unto the Father in the name of Jesus, that perhaps ye may be found spotless, pure, fair, and white, having been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, at that great and last day” (Mormon 9:6).

“Limhi reminds his people that the Lord can redeem them as well, if they bring themselves into the necessary relationship with him. He explains that through their wickedness under King Noah they separated themselves from this relationship with the Lord, but Limhi tells them to ‘turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind’ and that ‘if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage’ (Mosiah 7:33).”[4]

“Spiritual security provides interesting advantages: you do not have to pay taxes on it, it does not change, it does not take away your liberty or free agency, and it brings positive, comforting, spiritual, and eternal results.

“Security cannot be guaranteed because free agency also brings insecurity, and spiritual security does not automatically suppress or eliminate danger, oppression, or opposition.

“Then how can we gain spiritual security? The very simple answer is perhaps too simple for too many: first, turn to the Lord.”[5]

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[1] The Exodus Pattern in the Book of Mormon, S. Kent Brown, Maxwell Institute.

[2] Mary and Joseph: Heirs of David, Highly Favored, Guardians of Our Lord, Robert J. Matthews, Maxwell Institute.

[3] The Lord Will Prosper the Righteous, Dean L. Larsen, October 1992 General Conference.

[4] The Lord Will Redeem His People: Adoptive Covenant and Redemption in the Old Testament and Book of Mormon, Jennifer Clark Lane, Maxwell Institute.

[5] Spiritual Security, Elder Charles Didier, April 1987 General Conference.

Mosiah 7:18-22

18 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.

19 Therefore, lift up your heads, and rejoice, and put your trust in God, in that God who was the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob; and also, that God who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, and caused that they should walk through the Red Sea on dry ground, and fed them with manna that they might not perish in the wilderness; and many more things did he do for them.

20 And again, that same God has brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem, and has kept and preserved his people even until now; and behold, it is because of our iniquities and abominations that he has brought us into bondage.

21 And ye all are witnesses this day, that Zeniff, who was made king over this people, he being over–zealous to inherit the land of his fathers, therefore being deceived by the cunning and craftiness of king Laman, who having entered into a treaty with king Zeniff, and having yielded up into his hands the possessions of a part of the land, or even the city of Lehi-Nephi, and the city of Shilom; and the land round about—

22 And all this he did, for the sole purpose of bringing this people into subjection or into bondage.  And behold, we at this time do pay tribute to the king of the Lamanites, to the amount of one half of our corn, and our barley, and even all our grain of every kind, and one half of the increase of our flocks and our herds; and even one half of all we have or possess the king of the Lamanites doth exact of us, or our lives.

Mosiah 7:18-22

Limhi has called the people together to meet at the temple. 

“After the death of King Noah, the temple of Nephi continued to serve the people of that city as its religious and political center. When Ammon and his party from Zarahemla arrived in the city of Nephi, King Limhi sent out a proclamation that all his people should ‘gather themselves together to the temple, to hear the words which he should speak unto them.’ Limhi then spoke to them as ‘witnesses this day’ that ‘iniquities and abominations’ had brought them into bondage.”[1]

Limhi began by telling the people the day of their deliverance was at hand. 

Rejoice, Limhi says.  Trust in God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. David wrote, “And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee” (Psalms 9:10) and his son, Solomon wrote, “He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he” (Proverbs 16:20).

He reminded them of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, walking through the Red Sea, and feeding them with manna. When the Lord revealed the Ten Commandments, he reminded Israel, “I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage” (Exodus 20:2). Before departing Bountiful to come to the new world, Nephi advised his brethren, “And he loveth those who will have him to be their God.  Behold, he loved our fathers, and he covenanted with them, yea, even Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and he remembered the covenants which he had made; wherefore, he did bring them out of the land of Egypt” (1 Nephi 17:40).  Speaking to Helaman₂, Alma₂ told him, “And I know that he will raise me up at the last day, to dwell with him in glory; yea, and I will praise him forever, for he has brought our fathers out of Egypt, and he has swallowed up the Egyptians in the Red Sea; and he led them by his power into the promised land; yea, and he has delivered them out of bondage and captivity from time to time” (Alma 36:28).

“Limhi’s message, delivered in liturgical language, was the familiar theme of Jehovah’s promise of deliverance. For example, the use of ‘the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob’ as a title for deity in Mosiah 7:19 is rare. One finds it only eight times throughout the Book of Mormon, and on every occasion except one the title is used in conjunction with this message of deliverance.”^[2]

The same God that led the Israelites out of bondage led Lehi’s party out of Jerusalem before it was destroyed and brought them to the new world. 

“FOR behold, it came to pass that the Lord spake unto my father, yea, even in a dream, and said unto him: Blessed art thou Lehi, because of the things which thou hast done; and because thou hast been faithful and declared unto this people the things which I commanded thee, behold, they seek to take away thy life.

“And it came to pass that the Lord commanded my father, even in a dream, that he should take his family and depart into the wilderness.

“And it came to pass that he was obedient unto the word of the Lord, wherefore he did as the Lord commanded him.

“And it came to pass that he departed into the wilderness.  And he left his house, and the land of his inheritance, and his gold, and his silver, and his precious things, and took nothing with him, save it were his family, and provisions, and tents, and departed into the wilderness” (1 Nephi 2:1-4).

The people have been preserved by the Lord to this day; however, they are in bondage because of their sins and unrighteous lifestyle.  They are to blame for their bondage.

“Limhi then tells the people that ‘it is because of our iniquities and abominations that he has brought us into bondage’ (Mosiah 7:20). Yet by so doing he is merely changing the tense and agent of the verb in the prophecy of Abinadi: ‘Thus saith the Lord, it shall come to pass that this generation, because of their iniquities, shall be brought into bondage’ (Mosiah 12:2). It is likely that Limhi knows the details of Abinadi’s prophecies.”[3]

Here Limhi talks about his grandfather, Zeniff, the leader of the party that settled in the land of Nephi. 

“At this point, Limhi continues the story and describes Zeniff as ‘being over-zealous to inherit the land of his fathers’ (Mosiah 7:21). Limhi is quoting from Zeniff’s own record where Zeniff describes himself as ‘being over-zealous to inherit the land of our fathers’ (Mosiah 9:3). The only change here is from first to third person, as would be expected of one retelling a story from his grandfather’s journal.”[4]

As we will learn when we begin studying Zeniff’s record, he was deceived by king Laman.  Laman’s goal was to bring the people of Zeniff “into subjection or into bondage.” 

Things are so bad Limhi’s people were forced to pay 50% of their crops, flocks, and herds as tribute to the king.  Failure to do so would cost them their lives.

“Limhi clearly saw the parallels between the difficulties that the people of his colony faced in their bondage and those that the earlier Israelites and the family of Lehi faced. Of course Limhi knew the reason for the suffering of his people. He laid it squarely at the feet of his father and the earlier generation’s rejection of the word of the Lord brought by the prophet Abinadi (Mosiah 7:25-28). Even so, King Limhi was determined to escape, and he was given hope by the successes of his forbears (Mosiah 7:33).”[5]

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[1] The Temple in the Book of Mormon: The Temples at the Cities of Nephi, Zarahemla, and Bountiful, John W. Welch, Maxwell Institute website.

[2]The Book of Mosiah: Thoughts about Its Structure, Purposes, Themes, and Authorship, Gary L. Sturgess, Maxwell Institute website.

[3] Limhi in the Library, John Gee, Maxwell Institute website.

[4] Ibid, John Gee, Maxwell Institute website.

[5] The Exodus Pattern in the Book of Mormon, S. Kent Brown, Maxwell Institute website.

Mosiah 7:12-17

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.

14 And now, it came to pass that after Limhi had heard the words of Ammon, he was exceedingly glad, and said: Now, I know of a surety that my brethren who were in the land of Zarahemla are yet alive.  And now, I will rejoice; and on the morrow I will cause that my people shall rejoice also.

15 For behold, we are in bondage to the Lamanites, and are taxed with a tax which is grievous to be borne.  And now, behold, our brethren will deliver us out of our bondage, or out of the hands of the Lamanites, and we will be their slaves; for it is better that we be slaves to the Nephites than to pay tribute to the king of the Lamanites.

16 And now, king Limhi commanded his guards that they should no more bind Ammon nor his brethren, but caused that they should go to the hill which was north of Shilom, and bring their brethren into the city, that thereby they might eat, and drink, and rest themselves from the labors of their journey; for they had suffered many things; they had suffered hunger, thirst, and fatigue.

17 And now, it came to pass on the morrow that king Limhi sent a proclamation among all his people, that thereby they might gather themselves together to the temple, to hear the words which he should speak unto them.

Mosiah 7:12-17

Ammon and his party are before King Limhi.  He has asked them to identify themselves and explain what they are doing wandering his kingdom.

Ammon speaks for his party.  Bowing before Limhi, Ammon expresses his thanks he is permitted to speak.  Had they known who he was, his party would not have been taken in bondage.  He introduces himself and informs the King he is a descendant of Zarahemla.  He and his party were sent to determine what happened to Zeniff’s party.

Limhi’s handling of Ammon and his party imply there were others in the new world when Lehi’s party arrived.

“Why were Ammon and company not recognized immediately as Nephites? Was their costume and tongue or accent so much different than what Limhi’s people expected of a Nephite that this put them off? Ammon was a ‘descendant of Zarahemla’ (Mosiah 7:13), a point that he emphasized in his introduction to the king. Does this mean that he somehow looked different than a ‘typical’ Nephite? Or had the Zeniffites had encounters with other non-Nephite types in their area which might have prompted Limhi’s cautious reception?”[1]

Limhi was happy to hear Ammon’s words.  There must have been questions about the survival of the people of Zarahemla.  Limhi rejoiced at learning of their survival.

Limhi explains that they are “in bondage to the Lamanites and are taxed” by the Lamanite king.  We will later read how the Lamanites came upon the people of Limhi and placed them in bondage.  “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 19:15).

Limhi is expecting Ammon and his party to deliver them from their situation.  He went so far as to say, “it is better that we be slaves to the Nephites than to pay tribute to the king of the Lamanites.’

Limhi ordered Ammon and his party to be freed.  A group was also sent out to gather the remaining members of Ammon’s party and bring them into the city.  They were to “eat, and drink, and rest themselves from the labors of their journey.”  The journey was not an easy one and there group had suffered many afflictions.

“After the sixteen messengers were properly identified (see Mosiah 7:13–14), Limhi gathered all his people together at the local temple, where he spoke of bondage and deliverance (see Mosiah 7:17–33).”^[2]  Following Nephite tradition, Limhi sent a proclamation to the people calling on them to gather at the temple.[3]  He would speak to his people.

“At this same time, among the people of Lehi-Nephi, who happened to be in bondage to the Lamanites, ‘king Limhi sent a proclamation among all his people, that thereby they might gather themselves together to the temple, to hear the words which he should speak unto them’ (Mosiah 7:17). Apparently such assemblies were a general practice and not invented by Benjamin.”^[4] 

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[1] When Lehi’s Party Arrived in the Land, Did They Find Others There?  John L. Sorenson, Maxwell Institute website.

[2] Benjamin, the Man: His Place in Nephite History, John W. Welch, Maxwell Institute website.

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

[4] Old World Ritual in the New World, Hugh Nibley, Maxwell Institute website.