Mosiah 26:13-29

13 And now the spirit of Alma was again troubled; and he went and inquired of the Lord what he should do concerning this matter, for he feared that he should do wrong in the sight of God.

14 And it came to pass that after he had poured out his whole soul to God, the voice of the Lord came to him, saying:

15 Blessed art thou, Alma, and blessed are they who were baptized in the waters of Mormon.  Thou art blessed because of thy exceeding faith in the words alone of my servant Abinadi.

16 And blessed are they because of their exceeding faith in the words alone which thou hast spoken unto them.

17 And blessed art thou because thou hast established a church among this people; and they shall be established, and they shall be my people.

18 Yea, blessed is this people who are willing to bear my name; for in my name shall they be called; and they are mine.

19 And because thou hast inquired of me concerning the transgressor, thou art blessed.

20 Thou art my servant; and I covenant with thee that thou shalt have eternal life; and thou shalt serve me and go forth in my name, and shalt gather together my sheep.

21 And he that will hear my voice shall be my sheep; and him shall ye receive into the church, and him will I also receive.

22 For behold, this is my church; whosoever is baptized shall be baptized unto repentance.  And whomsoever ye receive shall believe in my name; and him will I freely forgive.

23 For it is I that taketh upon me the sins of the world; for it is I that hath created them; and it is I that granteth unto him that believeth unto the end a place at my right hand.

24 For behold, in my name are they called; and if they know me they shall come forth, and shall have a place eternally at my right hand.

25 And it shall come to pass that when the second trump shall sound then shall they that never knew me come forth and shall stand before me.

26 And then shall they know that I am the Lord their God, that I am their Redeemer; but they would not be redeemed.

27 And then I will confess unto them that I never knew them; and they shall depart into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

28 Therefore I say unto you, that he that will not hear my voice, the same shall ye not receive into my church, for him I will not receive at the last day.

29 Therefore I say unto you, Go; and whosoever transgresseth against me, him shall ye judge according to the sins which he has committed; and if he confess his sins before thee and me, and repenteth in the sincerity of his heart, him shall ye forgive, and I will forgive him also.

30 Yea, and as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me.

Alma has been given the authority to deal with those who refuse to follow God’s commandments.  The problem he faces is how does he deal with them?  Alma did what any other prophet would have done.  “[H]e … poured out hi whole soul to God.” 

In at least one instance, prayer about a difficult political problem elicits an answer. Unsuccessful in his effort to transfer jurisdiction over zealous apostates to the king, Alma takes his dilemma to the Lord in prayer. "And it came to pass that after he had poured out his whole soul to God, the voice of the Lord came to him," saying essentially that ecclesiastical dilemmas require ecclesiastical solutions (Mosiah 26:14).^[1]

The voice of the Lord came to Alma.

He was commended for his faith in the words of Abinadi.  Those who were baptized by him at the waters of Mormon were also blessed.  This is because of their faith in the words of Alma.

For establishing His church among the Nephites, he was blessed and they will be His people.  Those that bear His name will also be blessed.  “There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives” (Mosiah 5:8).  They will also be called by His name and they are His.  “And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee” (Deuteronomy 28:10).

The Lord covenants with Alma as long as he remains His servant.  He was to go forth and gather Christ’s sheep.   They will hear His voice and shall be received into the church.  Anyone who becomes a part of the church shall be baptized unto repentance.  He will freely forgive the believer’s sins.  Jacob taught, “And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God” (2 Nephi 9:23).

Usually we see repentance as occurring before baptism and a public proclamation of one’s belief in Christ.  Here, however, we see the Lord requiring baptism “unto repentance.”  What does this mean?  Noel Reynolds explains,

This phrasing can be confusing when we expect repentance to precede baptism, and the preposition unto seems to indicate that baptism precedes repentance. But the Oxford English Dictionary, which gives the most complete historical analysis of the varieties of English usage, lists 29 distinguishable uses for this preposition. The one which corresponds with the Lord's usage here would indicate that baptisms into the church should only occur in accordance, agreement, or correspondence with the prior repentance of the new member. Because the covenant witnessed in baptism is part of repentance, this relationship is signaled exactly by the phrase baptized unto repentance.[2]

The Lord will take the sins of the world upon Himself.  Those that know Him will find their place at His right-hand.  They will know Him.  “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). “[T]he wicked, who by choice never enjoyed an intimate and covenantal relationship with the Savior, will eventually acknowledge who he is; nevertheless, without his redeeming power to save them, they must attempt the impossible—to save themselves.”^[3]

When the second trump sounds, those that never knew Him will come forth.  Joseph and Sidney Rigdon saw these people in vision. 

81 And again, we saw the glory of the telestial, which glory is that of the lesser, even as the glory of the stars differs from that of the glory of the moon in the firmament.

82 These are they who received not the gospel of Christ, neither the testimony of Jesus.

83 These are they who deny not the Holy Spirit.

84 These are they who are thrust down to hell.

85 These are they who shall not be redeemed from the devil until the last resurrection, until the Lord, even Christ the Lamb, shall have finished his work.

D&C 76:81-85

Then will they know their Redeemer, that he offered them salvation, but they refused to be redeemed. 

The prophets of the Book of Mormon teach that redemption is offered to all; however, only those who enter into covenants and are adopted by the Lord, receiving his name, create a family relationship with the Lord where he is able to act as their gō'ēl ^[4] and deliver them from the bondage of sin.^[5]

He will make it clear He never knew those who refused redemption.  They will depart and become subject to the devil and his torments. “But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity” (Luke 13:27).

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven [JST Matt. 7:31 For the day soon cometh, that men shall come before me to judgment, to be judged according to their works].

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?  and in thy name have cast out devils?  and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity [GR lawlessness].

Matthew 7:21-23

Those that refuse to hear His voice and accept His church will not be received at the last days.  He will tell them, “Go.”  They will be judged according to their sins.  If they sincerely repent, He will forgive them.

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[1] The Book of Mormon and Dialogic Revelation, Terryl L. Givens, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 13, 2014.

[2] The True Points of My Doctrine, Noel B. Reynolds, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 13, 2014.

[3] Treaties and Covenants: Ancient Near Eastern Legal Terminology in the Book of Mormon, RoseAnn Benson and Stephen D. Ricks, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 13, 2014.

[4] Ga'al refers to redemption made out of family obligation or responsibility. The person who carries this responsibility is known as the gō'ēl, the present participle of gā'al. The gō'ēl was a person's closest relative who was "responsible for standing up for him and maintaining his rights,"4 a responsibility based on feelings of tribal unity. Basic duties of the gō'ēl were: (1) to buy back sold property; (2) to buy back a man who had sold himself to a foreigner as a slave; (3) to avenge blood and kill a relative's murderer; (4) to receive atonement money; and, figuratively, (5) to be a helper in a lawsuit.5

[5] The Lord Will Redeem His People: Adoptive Covenant and Redemption in the Old Testament and Book of Mormon, Jennifer Clark Lane, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 13, 2014.

Mosiah 26:1-12

Chapter 26

Many members of the Church are led into sin by unbelievers—Alma is promised eternal life—Those who repent and are baptized gain forgiveness—Church members in sin who repent and confess to Alma and to the Lord shall be forgiven; otherwise they shall be excommunicated. About 120–100 B.C.

1 NOW it came to pass that there were many of the rising generation that could not understand the words of king Benjamin, being little children at the time he spake unto his people; and they did not believe the tradition of their fathers.

2 They did not believe what had been said concerning the resurrection of the dead, neither did they believe concerning the coming of Christ.

3 And now because of their unbelief they could not understand the word of God; and their hearts were hardened.

4 And they would not be baptized; neither would they join the church.  And they were a separate people as to their faith, and remained so ever after, even in their carnal and sinful state; for they would not call upon the Lord their God.

5 And now in the reign of Mosiah they were not half so numerous as the people of God; but because of the dissensions among the brethren they became more numerous.

6 For it came to pass that they did deceive many with their flattering words, who were in the church, and did cause them to commit many sins; therefore it became expedient that those who committed sin, that were in the church, should be admonished by the church.

7 And it came to pass that they were brought before the priests, and delivered up unto the priests by the teachers; and the priests brought them before Alma, who was the high priest.

8 Now king Mosiah had given Alma the authority over the church.

9 And it came to pass that Alma did not know concerning them; but there were many witnesses against them; yea, the people stood and testified of their iniquity in abundance.

10 Now there had not any such thing happened before in the church; therefore Alma was troubled in his spirit, and he caused that they should be brought before the king.

11 And he said unto the king: Behold, here are many whom we have brought before thee, who are accused of their brethren; yea, and they have been taken in divers iniquities.  And they do not repent of their iniquities; therefore we have brought them before thee, that thou mayest judge them according to their crimes.

12 But king Mosiah said unto Alma: Behold, I judge them not; therefore I deliver them into thy hands to be judged.

Mosiah 26:1-12

Problems were developing in Nephi society.  The younger generation were too young to understand King Benjamin’s words.  They grew to reject “the tradition of their fathers.”  They rejected Christ and the resurrection of the dead.

Not surprisingly, because of their unbelief, they were unable to understand the word of God.  In this, they were similar to Laman and Lemuel.  They were unable to understand the teaching of Nephi and the word of the Lord.  Nephi would tell them,

6 And it came to pass that after I had received strength I spake unto my brethren, desiring to know of them the cause of their disputations.

7 And they said: Behold, we cannot understand the words which our father hath spoken concerning the natural branches of the olive-tree, and also concerning the Gentiles.

8 And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord?

9 And they said unto me: We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us.

10 Behold, I said unto them: How is it that ye do not keep the commandments of the Lord?  How is it that ye will perish, because of the hardness of your hearts?

1 Nephi 15:6-10

Too bad the younger generation ignored the words of Nephi.

Wise King Benjamin knew personally of the importance of sacred records. Just a few years before Benjamin's reign, some of the people of Zarahemla ended up denying "the being of their Creator" (Omni 1:17). Why? Because they had no sacred record. Within one generation of Benjamin's great sermon, it was reported that: “there were many of the rising generation that could not understand the words of king Benjamin, being little children at the time he spake unto his people; and they did not believe the tradition of their fathers…”  How ironic that the last words of King Benjamin were lost on "many" of the first generation after him![1]

The refused to be baptized.  They refused to join the church.  They were “a separate people … and remained so ever after.”

A possible religious influence from the "Mulekites" appears as a distinct organizational element in the mixture constituting Nephite religion. Shortly after the start of the reign of the judges, toward the end of the second century B.C., a group of young adults in the land of Zarahemla refused to "believe the tradition of their fathers” … They would not join the church recently introduced by Alma₁ but "were a separate people as to their faith, and remained so ever after" (Mosiah 26:4). "A separate people as to their faith" clearly indicates the presence of a cult if not a church. The expression ever after may have been a comment from Mormon, more than four centuries later.[2]

At the beginning of Mosiah’s reign, they were less than half the people.  Eventually, they became the majority.  Those that followed them were deceived by flattering words.  We see this today.  People using glib words draw people away from the gospel and onto their paths.  They ignore God’s word and turn to a life of sin.  Any who were in the church were admonished by the church concerning their sin.

The teachers brought the apostates to the priests; the priests brought them to Alma, the high priest.

The numbers of dissenters grew, due to criticism within the Church. There were dissensions among the brethren, while the outsiders kept working on the members to accept the new moral emancipation (Mosiah 26:1—6). What was to be done? Members of the Church who had begun to make trouble were brought by local members before local priests and teachers; but those officers didn't know what to do, except to send the culprits on to Alma, since Mosiah recognized Alma as the head of the Church, the high priest (Mosiah 26:7).[3]

King Mosiah had given Alma authority over the church.  As he dealt with them he learned about their wickedness from witnesses against them.

Nothing like this occurred in the church in the past.  Not knowing how to deal with them, he had the people brought before the king.  He explained the situation.  They were sinners who refused to repent.  Alma wanted Mosiah to judge them according to the crimes.

“Mosiah championed religious freedom among his people and refused to judge those who dissented or criticized his religion (Mosiah 26:12). The Lord gave Alma authority, only in specific cases, to number such individuals in the church no longer (Mosiah 26:32–36).”^[4]  Mosiah returned them to Alma to be judged by him.

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[1] King Benjamin's Sermon: A Manual for Discipleship, Elder Neal A. Maxwell, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 11, 2014.

[2] Religious Groups and Movements among the Nephites, 200-1 B.C., John L. Sorenson, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 11, 2014.

[3] Brother Brigham Challenges the Saints – Criticizing the Brethren, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 11, 2014.

[4] Mosiah: The Complex Symbolism and Symbolic Complex of Kingship in the Book of Mormon, Gordon C. Thomasson, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 11, 2014.

Mosiah 25:15-24

15 And Alma did speak unto them, when they were assembled together in large bodies, and he went from one body to another, preaching unto the people repentance and faith on the Lord.

16 And he did exhort the people of Limhi and his brethren, all those that had been delivered out of bondage, that they should remember that it was the Lord that did deliver them.

17 And it came to pass that after Alma had taught the people many things, and had made an end of speaking to them, that king Limhi was desirous that he might be baptized; and all his people were desirous that they might be baptized also.

18 Therefore, Alma did go forth into the water and did baptize them; yea, he did baptize them after the manner he did his brethren in the waters of Mormon; yea, and as many as he did baptize did belong to the church of God; and this because of their belief on the words of Alma.

19 And it came to pass that king Mosiah granted unto Alma that he might establish churches throughout all the land of Zarahemla; and gave him power to ordain priests and teachers over every church.

20 Now this was done because there were so many people that they could not all be governed by one teacher; neither could they all hear the word of God in one assembly;

21 Therefore they did assemble themselves together in different bodies, being called churches; every church having their priests and their teachers, and every priest preaching the word according as it was delivered to him by the mouth of Alma.

22 And thus, notwithstanding there being many churches they were all one church, yea, even the church of God; for there was nothing preached in all the churches except it were repentance and faith in God.

23 And now there were seven churches in the land of Zarahemla.  And it came to pass that whosoever were desirous to take upon them the name of Christ, or of God, they did join the churches of God;

24 And they were called the people of God.  And the Lord did pour out his Spirit upon them, and they were blessed, and prospered in the land.

Mosiah 25:15-24

After Mosiah spoke, he had Alma speak to the body.  The record tells us he went from on group to another, preaching gospel basics – repentance and faith in the Lord. 

When speaking to the people of Limhi, Alma reminds them “they should remember that it was the Lord that did deliver them.”  This is an interesting statement.  Reading Mormon’s account, it is easy to conclude they were released from bondage without help from the Lord.  Grant Hardy explains,

[C]onsider the single thing Mormon chooses to tell us out of Alma’s exhortation (which probably lasted for hours) to the people of Limhi in Zarahemla after their arrival there. He features Alma’s statement that they "should remember that it was the Lord" that delivered them (Mosiah 25:16). When we read the account of Limhi’s escape (Mosiah 22), we see that freedom came through a cunning scheme by which they got the Lamanite guards drunk. Yet Mormon provides a spiritual interpretation of this escape to emphasize that, despite what may seem to be men’s own cleverness, planning, and apparent luck, God is really the one making things happen. Mormon's frequent "and thus we see" comments reveal this view.[1]

After Alma taught the people of Limhi, they wanted to be baptized.  “Mormon spoke in Mosiah 21:35 of Limhi's people, saying that ‘an account of their baptism shall be given hereafter.’ Almost a hundred verses followed before he told in Mosiah 25:17-18 about that ordinance being performed.”^[2]

Alma baptized them after the manner he baptized at the waters of Mormon.  That is, he baptized those who believe in Christ in His name. 

When the Nephite religion was reorganized in 121 BC, specific mention is made of baptism. Moreover, it is Alma who conducts those baptisms, which are specifically described: "yea, he did baptize them after the manner he did his brethren in the waters of Mormon" (Mosiah 25:18).

Mosiah 25:18 records that "as many as he did baptize did belong to the church of God." Since Alma is described at Mosiah 29:47 as the founder of the church, this would suggest that all those who came to consider themselves to be members of the church of God were baptized at this time, including King Mosiah and those who had taken upon themselves the name of Christ three years earlier at his coronation. Furthermore, the members are described as undertaking the rite of baptism, not because of their preexisting belief in Christ, but "because of their belief on the words of Alma" (Mosiah 25:18). All of this points very strongly to Alma's having introduced the rite of baptism among the Nephite peoples[3].

Having taught the people, King Mosiah placed Alma over the church.  He was to establish the church throughout the land, ordaining priests and teachers as needed.

The population was too large for one teacher.  The congregation was too large for one edifice.  To deal with this, Alma established churches throughout the land, appointing priests and teachers, the priests having been taught by Alma.

He was presumably quite happy to divest himself of some of them.) Priests in the church at Zarahemla taught the people what they received from Alma to teach (Mosiah 25:21), he having received it in his turn from God, whom he represented. Thus, the pyramidal hierarchy of heavenly king, earthly king, priests, teachers, and people, so characteristic of earlier Nephite thought and practice, survived under the new order, albeit in somewhat different form.[4]

This became a sort of renaissance of the church among the people of Zarahemla.  John Welch explains the situation as Alma found it.

By the end of Benjamin's reign, the role of these prophets or holy men seems to have diminished; they are never mentioned in any of Benjamin's words, nor do they reemerge as part of the church in Zarahemla during the subsequent reign of Mosiah₂. Perhaps the need to fill the vacuum caused by the reduction in the role of these prophets, preachers, and teachers contributed to Mosiah₂'s eagerness to embrace Alma₁ and his group and to grant him very broad powers to establish Nephite churches shortly after he arrived in Zarahemla (Mosiah 25:19) only a few years after the commencement of Mosiah's reign.[5]

Even though several churches were established, they were one church.  In today’s church, we would look on these churches as branches or wards, all part of the Church  of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  The principles taught were faith in God and repentance. 

As I have suggested, this first Alma was divinely called to reestablish and lead the Lord's church, first among his exiled followers and then in the larger nation after he and his people arrived safely in Zarahemla. There are several references later on to his being the appointed leader of that church. The record states that although "many churches" were established, "they were all one church, yea, even the church of God" (Mosiah 25:22). Clearly, Alma was to head them all, for "king Mosiah had given Alma the authority over the church" (26:8; see 25:19). Of course, the higher, ecclesiastical authority had to come from God himself, and it did.[6]

There were a total of seven churches throughout the land of Zarahemla.  Anyone desiring to take upon themselves the name of Christ joined one of the seven churches.  They were the people of God and they prospered in the land.

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[1] Mormon's Agenda, Grant R. Hardy, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 9, 2014.

[2] Mormon's Editorial Promises, John A. Tvedtnes, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 9, 2014.

[3] The Book of Mosiah: Thoughts about Its Structure, Purposes, Themes, and Authorship, Gary L. Sturgess, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 9, 2014.

[4] Authority in the Book of Mosiah, Daniel C. Peterson, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 9, 2014.

[5] Benjamin, the Man: His Place in Nephite History, John W. Welch, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 9, 2014.

[6] The Book of Mormon: Passport to Discipleship, Marilyn Arnold, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 9, 2014.

Mosiah 25:1-14

Chapter 25

The people (the Mulekites) of Zarahemla become Nephites—They learn of the people of Alma and of Zeniff—Alma baptizes Limhi and all his people—Mosiah authorizes Alma to organize the Church of God. About 120 B.C.

1 AND now king Mosiah caused that all the people should be gathered together.

2 Now there were not so many of the children of Nephi, or so many of those who were descendants of Nephi, as there were of the people of Zarahemla, who was a descendant of Mulek, and those who came with him into the wilderness.

3 And there were not so many of the people of Nephi and of the people of Zarahemla as there were of the Lamanites; yea, they were not half so numerous.

4 And now all the people of Nephi were assembled together, and also all the people of Zarahemla, and they were gathered together in two bodies.

5 And it came to pass that Mosiah did read, and caused to be read, the records of Zeniff to his people; yea, he read the records of the people of Zeniff, from the time they left the land of Zarahemla until they returned again.

6 And he also read the account of Alma and his brethren, and all their afflictions, from the time they left the land of Zarahemla until the time they returned again.

7 And now, when Mosiah had made an end of reading the records, his people who tarried in the land were struck with wonder and amazement.

8 For they knew not what to think; for when they beheld those that had been delivered out of bondage they were filled with exceedingly great joy.

9 And again, when they thought of their brethren who had been slain by the Lamanites they were filled with sorrow, and even shed many tears of sorrow.

10 And again, when they thought of the immediate goodness of God, and his power in delivering Alma and his brethren out of the hands of the Lamanites and of bondage, they did raise their voices and give thanks to God.

11 And again, when they thought upon the Lamanites, who were their brethren, of their sinful and polluted state, they were filled with pain and anguish for the welfare of their souls.

12 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.

13 And now all the people of Zarahemla were numbered with the Nephites, and this because the kingdom had been conferred upon none but those who were descendants of Nephi.

14 And now it came to pass that when Mosiah had made an end of speaking and reading to the people, he desired that Alma should also speak to the people.

Mosiah 25:1-14

The Zeniffites and the “Almaites” have returned to Zarahemla.  They were welcomed by King Mosiah.  He then called an assembly of the people.  It is here we learn about the structure of Nephite society.

We know the Nephites and Mulekites became united as a people.  Yet, we see that tribal affiliation affected society as the Nephites and Mulekites gathered together in two bodies. 

According to the Book of Mormon, the Nephites and "Mulekites" formed a coalition, making Mosiah₂ king over both groups. The Nephites discovered in Mulek's descendants an additional witness concerning the destruction of Jerusalem. The Mulekites were elated to have access to Nephite records, since their own language and traditions had been distorted in the absence of historical documents. The Mulekites lived thenceforth among the Nephites, enjoying separate-but-equal status and ultimately outnumbering the descendants of Nephi (Mosiah 25:1—4, 13).^[1]

We read further:

A good example of the importance of tribal affiliation is the relationship between the Nephites and the Mulekites. The two peoples united under the first Mosiah soon after they met, in the middle of the second century B.C. (see Omni 1:19). But when Mosiah's namesake and grandson assembled his people in Zarahemla together with the followers of Limhi and Alma (groups recently arrived from the city of Nephi), he divided them into two bodies. The text, which states that the Mulekites were more numerous than the Nephites (see Mosiah 25:1-4), implies that these two bodies, the Nephites and the Mulekites, were separated.

Religious and culture differences had the potential of causing conflict.

Religious affiliation and its intersection with the new political system were not the only challenges facing Nephite society. Social and cultural distinctions also had the potential of causing conflict, particularly between the Nephites and the Mulekites (Zarahemla’s original settlers), the latter of which represented the majority of the population in Zarahemla.²¹ While little is said about interactions between the Mulekites and the Nephites, what does appear in the record is revealing. During the reigns of both Benjamin and Mosiah₂, the Mulekites and the Nephites apparently viewed themselves as separate peoples.^[2]

We also see the blood lines may have been mingled.

Latter-day Saints have concluded too readily that the Lamanites are direct descendants of Laman and Lemuel. Actually much Nephite blood flows in their veins, not to mention the blood of the Mulekites. In respect to the latter, it should be recalled that in the days of the younger Mosiah more of his people were Mulekites than Nephites … From [reading Mosiah 25:1-2] we are probably justified in concluding that the "Nephites" of the period following Christ's appearance on this continent had more Mulekite blood flowing in their veins than Nephite blood. From the viewpoint of the Book of Mormon, then, our Indians are descendants of several peoples—Nephites and Mulekites, with some Lamanite influence thrown in for good measure.^[3]

Here we appreciate the Nephite interest in historic records.  Mosiah had the records of the people of Zeniff and Alma and his brethren read to the people.  They learned what occurred, both good and bad. 

[T]here appears to be a fascination with historical records throughout the entire history of the Nephites. The best example of this is when King Limhi's people and the followers of Alma returned to Zarahemla and were reunited with the main Nephite group. Their first act, filled with emotion, was the reading of each group's records (Mosiah 25:5–9).^[4]

Once the records had been read, there is an almost ritualistic response to what they heard.^[5]  Their response consisted of the following: 

• They were “struck with wonder and amazement.”
• They were “filled with exceedingly great joy” for those who had been delivered out of bondage.
• They “shed many tears of sorrow” for those who were killed by the Lamanites.
• They “raised their voices and give thanks to God” for their delivery from bondage.
• They “were filled with pain and anguish” for the Lamanites and their sinful state.

As a part of the assembly, the children of Noah’s priests renounced their fathers.  “They took upon them the name of Nephi.” 

While genetics generally determine descent among the Nephites, it is not the sole criterion. A practice similar to adoption is also recognized. For example, the children of the priests of King Noah are so ashamed of their fathers' wickedness that they repudiate their ancestry and begin to call themselves after and trace their descent from Alma, who had spiritually liberated them (Mosiah 25:12).[6]

Further:

This passage implies that the Amulonites' fathers (despite the fact that they lived in the city of Nephi) were, in fact, not Nephites, but we cannot be certain of their real origin. The fact that the Amulonite priests, like the Amalekites, were of the order of Nehor (see Alma 24:28-29), and the further fact that they ruled in Nephi under King Noah, may imply that they were Mulekites.[7]

We now have a society made up of four groups:  Nephites, Mulekites, Zeniffites, and “Almaites.”  Still, the kingship was bestowed only on the descendants of Nephi. 

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[1] Mulek, H. Curtis Wright, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 7, 2014.

[2] “And it came to pass . . .”: The Sociopolitical Events in the Book of Mormon Leading to the Eighteenth Year of the Reign of the Judges, Dan Belnap, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 7, 2014.

[3] The Lamanites Portrayed in the Book of Mormon, Sidney B. Sperry, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 7, 2014.

[4] Moses' Brazen Serpent as It Relates to Serpent Worship in Mesoamerica, Wallace E. Hunt Jr., Maxwell Institute, accessed December 7, 2014.

[5] The Book of Mosiah: Thoughts about Its Structure, Purposes, Themes, and Authorship, Gary L. Sturgess, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 7, 2014.

[6] The Covenant of the Chosen People: The Spiritual Foundations of Ethnic Idenity in the Book of Mormon, Steven L. Olsen, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 7, 2014.

[7] Book of Mormon Tribal Affiliation and Military Castes, John A. Tvedtnes, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 7, 2014.

Mosiah 24:18-25

18 Now it came to pass that Alma and his people in the night–time gathered their flocks together, and also of their grain; yea, even all the night–time were they gathering the flocks together.

19 And in the morning the Lord caused a deep sleep to come upon the Lamanites, yea, and all their task–masters were in a profound sleep.

20 And Alma and his people departed into the wilderness; and when they had traveled all day they pitched their tents in a valley, and they called the valley Alma, because he led their way in the wilderness.

21 Yea, and in the valley of Alma they poured out their thanks to God because he had been merciful unto them, and eased their burdens, and had delivered them out of bondage; for they were in bondage, and none could deliver them except it were the Lord their God.

22 And they gave thanks to God, yea, all their men and all their women and all their children that could speak lifted their voices in the praises of their God.

23 And now the Lord said unto Alma: Haste thee and get thou and this people out of this land, for the Lamanites have awakened and do pursue thee; therefore get thee out of this land, and I will stop the Lamanites in this valley that they come no further in pursuit of this people.

24 And it came to pass that they departed out of the valley, and took their journey into the wilderness.

25 And after they had been in the wilderness twelve days they arrived in the land of Zarahemla; and king Mosiah did also receive them with joy.

Mosiah 24:18-25

The time had come.  The people are preparing at night, getting their possessions together.  They Lord is about to lead them out of their bondage.  A deep sleep came over the Lamanites, allowing them to make their bid for freedom.

While this has similarities to the Zeniffite’s escape, there is one major difference.  It was Ammon’s idea to get the guards so drunk they would pass out.  The Lamanite guards willingly (though unknowingly) went along with plan.  They drank so much the passed out, allowing them to flee the Lamanites.

In this case, the sleep was a miracle of the Lord.  There is no mention of the hand of man in this process.  Mormon tells us “the Lord caused a deep sleep to come upon the Lamanites.”  This was a miracle performed for the benefit of Alma’s people.

In several crucial encounters between the Nephites and the numerically superior Lamanites, the Lamanites simply fall asleep. Alma the Elder and his people are able to escape during the day because "the Lord caused a deep sleep to come upon the Lamanites" (Mosiah 24:19) … Physical sleep also symbolizes a type of spiritual darkness … Hugh Nibley in The Message of the Joseph Smith Papyri (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1976), 147, says, "Sleep, like water, is one of those things in which reality and symbol meet and fuse. It is both the rest of the body and the freeing of the spirit." Nibley quotes A. Altmann on "the Gnostic idea that sleep represents spiritual death, the 'Forgetfulness of man's divine origin.'"[1]

They went into the wilderness and traveled for one day.  At the end of the day, they came to a valley, which they called the valley of Alma.

Once they got settled, “they poured out their thanks to God.”  He had eased their burdens.

5 This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not.

6 I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.

Psalms 81:5-6

There was only one way their deliverance could have occurred.  That was through the power of God.  All praised God for what He had done for them.

Bondage is often considered in the Book of Mormon to be a necessary condition as preparation for conversion or salvation … [T]he bondage suffered by peoples such as Alma's group was beyond what humans could do to solve it, requiring the power of God to be shown directly: "They were in bondage, and none could deliver them except it were the Lord their God" (Mosiah 24:21).[2]

Not long after they arrived in the valley of Alma, the Lord told him the Lamanites had recovered and were in pursuit.  Alma was told to leave the valley and the Lord would stop the Lamanites in the valley.

They followed the Lord’s commands and continued their journey.  They traveled for twelves day and arrived in the land of Zarahemla.  “[K]in Mosiah did also receive them with joy.”

Once again, in Moses-like fashion, Alma guided his people out of bondage, and led them during a twelve-day journey to a new land—the Land of Zarahemla—where they joined with the people of Zarahemla and exiled Nephites to form a new and stronger Nephite nation (Mosiah 24:24—25).[3]

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[1] "Not Cast Off Forever" – Imagery, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 5, 2014.

[2] Book of Mormon Imagery, Richard Dilworth Rust, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 5, 2014.

[3] Alma₁, L. Gary Lambert, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 5, 2014.

Mosiah 24:8-17

8 And now it came to pass that Amulon began to exercise authority over Alma and his brethren, and began to persecute him, and cause that his children should persecute their children.

9 For Amulon knew Alma, that he had been one of the king's priests, and that it was he that believed the words of Abinadi and was driven out before the king, and therefore he was wroth with him; for he was subject to king Laman, yet he exercised authority over them, and put tasks upon them, and put task–masters over them.

10 And it came to pass that so great were their afflictions that they began to cry mightily to God.

11 And Amulon commanded them that they should stop their cries; and he put guards over them to watch them, that whosoever should be found calling upon God should be put to death.

12 And Alma and his people did not raise their voices to the Lord their God, but did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the thoughts of their hearts.

13 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.

14 And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.

15 And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.

16 And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage.

17 And he said unto Alma: Thou shalt go before this people, and I will go with thee and deliver this people out of bondage.

Mosiah 24:8-17

Amulon and his priests have become the teachers of the Lamanites.  In addition, Amulon has also been given responsibility over the people of Alma. 

Amulon remembered Alma and how he was responsible for his losing everything.  He began to persecute Alma and his people.  He didn’t stop there.  He had their children persecute the children of Alma’s people.

Amulon placed many tasks on the people as well as placing taskmasters over them.  

Here we see exactly the type of a person about whom the Lord advised Joseph Smith.  “We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion” (D&C 121:39).

Amulon took the opportunity to abuse the people as much as he could.  The tasks became so hard, they people began to pray to the Lord for relief.

Amulon would not allow this.  Using his authority in an unrighteous manner, he ordered the guards to kill anyone who was found praying.  He misjudged the character of the people.  While they stopped vocally praying, they “pour[ed] their hearts to [the Lord].”

The Lord knows our thoughts.  David wrote, “Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off” (Psalms 139:2).  When the Pharisees confronted Christ, accusing Him of using the power of the devil to perform his miracles, they hoped to see him slip up.  Instead, we are told, “And Jesus knew their thoughts” (Matthew 12:25).

The Lord heard their silent prayers.  Scriptures emphasize this.  While Jeremiah was in prison, the Lord told him, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not” (Jeremiah 33:3).  As a part of the Sermon on the Mount, Christ told the people, “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly” (Matthew 6:6).

The Lord remembered the covenant the people made with Him at their baptism.

8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another's burdens, that they may be light;

9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—

10 Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?

Mosiah 18:8-10

The Lord then covenanted with “my people and deliver them out of bondage.”

Throughout scripture we can easily recognize many examples of both physical and spiritual redemption. Deliverance from physical bondage occurs repeatedly. The Old Testament tells how the children of Israel were redeemed from bondage in Egypt. In the Book of Mormon we see how numerous peoples were delivered from bondage and captivity. This physical intervention for the preservation of his people demonstrates the Lord's faithfulness to his covenants (Exodus 6:4—8; Mosiah 24:13—16). In addition, physical deliverance functions as a type of spiritual deliverance. It points to something that is just as real but not visible. It is this spiritual redemption from sin and death that the Lord seeks to make available to us through covenants.^[1]

Until they had been delivered, the Lord told them He would “ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even your cannot feel them upon your backs.”  They were told to “stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.”

The word of the Lord came to pass and their burdens were “made light.”  They were strengthened so they could bear the burdens.  The Savior called on us to:

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you ^crest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek [GR gentle and humble] and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

(Matthew 11:28-30)

The Lord told Joseph Smith, “And again, be patient in tribulation until I come; and, behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, and they who have sought me early shall find rest to their souls” (D&C 54:10).

The day came when the Lord spoke to Alma.  Because of their great faith and patience, the Lord told him they would be freed the next day.  Alma was commanded to go to the people and deliver them out of bondage.

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[1] The Redemption of Abraham, Jennifer Lane, Maxwell Institute, accessed December 2, 2014.

Mosiah 24:1-7

Chapter 24

Amulon persecutes Alma and his people—They are to be put to death if they pray—The Lord makes their burdens seem light—He delivers them from bondage, and they return to Zarahemla. About 145–120 B.C.

1 AND it came to pass that Amulon did gain favor in the eyes of the king of the Lamanites; therefore, the king of the Lamanites granted unto him and his brethren that they should be appointed teachers over his people, yea, even over the people who were in the land of Shemlon, and in the land of Shilom, and in the land of Amulon.

2 For the Lamanites had taken possession of all these lands; therefore, the king of the Lamanites had appointed kings over all these lands.

3 And now the name of the king of the Lamanites was Laman, being called after the name of his father; and therefore he was called king Laman.  And he was king over a numerous people.

4 And he appointed teachers of the brethren of Amulon in every land which was possessed by his people; and thus the language of Nephi began to be taught among all the people of the Lamanites.

5 And they were a people friendly one with another; nevertheless they knew not God; neither did the brethren of Amulon teach them anything concerning the Lord their God, neither the law of Moses; nor did they teach them the words of Abinadi;

6 But they taught them that they should keep their record, and that they might write one to another.

7 And thus the Lamanites began to increase in riches, and began to trade one with another and wax great, and began to be a cunning and a wise people, as to the wisdom of the world, yea, a very cunning people, delighting in all manner of wickedness and plunder, except it were among their own brethren.

Mosiah 24:1-12

After joining the Lamanites, Amulon met the king.  The Lamanite king, named Laman, liked Amulon.  He decided Amulon and the other priests would be teachers over all his people in every land. “In gaining the favor of the Lamanites, these priests clearly lost favor with God. There is a note of disapproval in the narrator's words when he says that the people of Amulon not only found favor in the eyes of the Lamanite king, but also that the king appointed these men to be teachers over all his people (see Mosiah 24:1).”^[1] 

Amulon’s group taught the Lamanites the Nephite language and then taught them in the Nephite language.  “This ‘language’ was probably a script, not a spoken language. It is hard to believe that a new tongue could be taught so quickly and widely as is implied here, or that the Lamanites would accept the notion of using their enemy's actual tongue, if it was different, even for commerce.”^[2]

“Their teaching seems not to have been explicitly religious…”^[3]  They taught nothing about the Lord, the Law of Moses, and most especially the words of Abinadi.

 “[T]hey did promote literacy among the varied Lamanite groups, by means of which trade was fostered, whereupon they ‘began to increase in riches’ (Mosiah 24:7).”[4]   They did this through trade with each other.  They became and cunning and wise people.  They began to plunder others, “except it were among their own brethren.”

Mosiah 24:7 reports the Lamanites' practicing "all manner of wickedness and plunder, except it were among their own brethren." Now, given this verse's context, those plundered do not appear to have been Nephites. Who is referred to? Possibly the statement means that the Lamanites considered it acceptable to plunder any community other than those involving immediate relatives or neighbors, but such a limited sense of "their own brethren" is without precedent in the text. Rather it seems to me that this expression tells us that certain portions of the Lamanites classified other segments of the population in their lands as being of different origin and thus subject to less protection. That … could mean that Lamanites were plundering "Lamanites" not of that bloodline, and vice versa. Amulonites and Amalekites could have fallen into the target category as well as the Zeniffites, who certainly were "plundered" (see Mosiah 9:14). Yet it seems to me that plunderable "others," of non-Lehite stock, may have been at odds with "the [real] Lamanites" and thus have come into conflict with them (compare Mormon 8:8). That could explain Helaman 5:21, where there is mention of "an army of the Lamanites," whose existence in their homeland is strange since no war against the Nephites was going on or threatened.[5]

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[1] The Stealing of the Daughters of the Lamanites, Alan Goff, Maxwell Institute, accessed  November 30, 2014.

[2] The Book of Mormon as a Mesoamerican Record, John L. Sorenson, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 30, 2014.

[3] Religious Groups and Movements among the Nephites, 200-1 B.C., John L. Sorenson, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 30, 2014.

[4] Ibid.

[5] When Lehi's Party Arrived in the Land, Did They Find Others There? John L. Sorenson, Maxwell Institute, accessed November 30, 2014.