Mosiah 10:1-10

Chapter 10

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mosiah 10:1-10

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mosiah 9:14-19

14 For, in the ^*thirteenth year of my reign in the land of Nephi, away on the south of the land of Shilom, when my people were watering and feeding their flocks, and tilling their lands, a numerous host of Lamanites came upon them and began to slay them, and to take off their flocks, and the corn of their fields.

15 Yea, and it came to pass that they fled, all that were not overtaken, even into the city of Nephi, and did call upon me for protection.

16 And it came to pass that I did arm them with bows, and with arrows, with swords, and with cimeters, and with clubs, and with slings, and with all manner of weapons which we could invent, and I and my people did go forth against the Lamanites to battle.

17 Yea, in the strength of the Lord did we go forth to battle against the Lamanites; for I and my people did cry mightily to the Lord that he would deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, for we were awakened to a remembrance of the deliverance of our fathers.

18 And God did hear our cries and did answer our prayers; and we did go forth in his might; yea, we did go forth against the Lamanites, and in one day and a night we did slay three thousand and forty–three; we did slay them even until we had driven them out of our land.

19 And I, myself, with mine own hands, did help to bury their dead.  And behold, to our great sorrow and lamentation, two hundred and seventy–nine of our brethren were slain.

Mosiah 9:14-19

King Laman’s plan to place the people of Zeniff into bondage begins.  After thirteen years in the land of Nephi, they Lamanites attack.  While the Nephites were tending their flocks and working the land, the Lamanites attack.  They kill the people and take the flocks and corn in the fields.

“The fundamental economic activity was farming: ‘They did raise grain in abundance, both in the north and in the south; and they did flourish exceedingly’ (Helaman 6:12). Specific crops mentioned, at one point in time and in the land of Nephi, were ‘corn,’ ‘barley,’ ‘wheat,’ ‘neas,’ and ‘sheum,’ and ‘all manner of seeds’ as well as fruits (Mosiah 9:9). ‘Corn’ is intimated to have been the preferred grain (see Mosiah 7:22 and 9:9, where it is first in the list of grains, and Mosiah 9:14, according to which Lamanites stole it specifically).”[1] 

Those that were not killed by the Lamanites fled to the city for protection.

Zeniff stepped up in his responsibilities as king.  He armed his people.  “Zeniff’s band possessed a similarly impressive array of weapons, including bows, arrows, swords, cimeters, clubs, slings, and ‘all manner of weapons which [the Nephites] could invent’ (Mosiah 9:16).”^[2]  Being king, Zeniff led his people in their fight with the Lamanites. “In the Book of Mormon, the duty to fight evidently fell upon all able-bodied men. Thus Zeniff reports, ‘I and my people did go forth against the Lamanites to battle…’”^[3]

“The pattern followed by the Nephites (and by the Lamanites when they became sedentary) was evidently brought from the Old World. In ancient Israel, the cities were places of refuge for farmers in surrounding villages. In time of war, the peasants could flee to the protection of the city walls, where arms were stored for defense. This is precisely what we find described in Mosiah 9:14–16.”[4]

The army gathered, and before they left for battle, they cried to the Lord that they would be delivered from the Lamanites.  “We do not know what ‘cry[ing] mightily to the Lord’ meant, but it occurs so often in this context that we must understand it to be some kind of prebattle ritual.”^[5]  Because we read Zeniff had his army crying to the Lord, there is an inference he was a righteous man; however, Clark Johnson, observes, “the only thing that we learn about Zeniff from the Book of Mormon is that he was righteous in times of war…”^[6]

Zeniff tells us “God heard our cries … and in one day and a night … we [did drive] them out of our land.”  The Lord heard their prayers and they were delivered from the Lamanites.  The words of David are appropriate to this situation.  “HEAR me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.” (Psalms 4:1).

In the end, over 3,000 Lamanites died during the battle and near 300 Nephites were killed.  Zeniff and his people buried the dead on both sides.

“The Book of Mormon war records go out of their way to report the burial of war dead, particularly those of the enemy King Zeniff, for example, reports, ‘I, myself, with mine own hands, did help to bury their dead’ (Mosiah 9:19) … [This shows] considerable concern for burial and respect for the bodies of the victims of battle, including those of one’s enemies. High regard for burying the dead was common in early and late antiquity.[7]

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[1] The Environment of the Nephites and How They Exploited It, Maxwell Institute.

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

[3] Law and War in the Book of Mormon, John W. Welch, Maxwell Institute.

[4] Cities and Lands in the Book of Mormon, Maxwell Institute.

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

[6] Fathers and Sons in the Book of Mormon, Reviewed by Clark V. Johnson, Maxwell Institute.

[7] Law and War in the Book of Mormon, John W. Welch, Maxwell Institute.

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.