Alma: Mosiah 18, 23-24 - Part 2

One thing I wanted to talk about regarding these passages have to do with - what else - the time line of events...  Consider this table I have prepared:

Date	Land of Zarahemla	Land of Lehi/Nephi	City of Helam (Alma)
200 B.C.	Zeniff and  people leave for Lehi/Nephi	Zeniff is made King by his people in Lehi/Nephi.
~180 B.C.	Benjamin, son of Mosiah, becomes king of Nephites at Zarahemla
160 B.C.		Noah, son of Zeniff, becomes king of Lehi/Nephi.  He and his people become wicked
150 B.C.		Abinadi comes to the land, prophesies against the king and his ways, flees for his life
148 -  147 B.C.		Abinadi again prophesies, teaches about the coming of the Savior.  Abinadi is put to death for his efforts by Noah and his evil priests.	Alma believes Abinadi, and has to flee. He writes Abinadi's words and secretly begins teaching them to people in Lehi/Nephi.
147 B.C.			Alma baptizes the believers in the Waters of Mormon
145 B.C.		King Noah hears of a new movement in his land, discovers Alma is preaching, sends his army to destroy Alma and his followers	Alma is warned by the Lord, takes his people (about 450 souls) and journeys into the wilderness.  They create the land of Helam.
~145 - 144 B.C.		Gideon and his supporters battle with Noah and his priests.  Lamanites attack, Noah orders his men to flee with him.  Noah is put to death by fire.  Limhi, Noah's son, is made king.
124 B.C.	Mosiah, Benjamin's son, becomes king of Nephites at Zarahemla	After years of battles and subjugation, the people of Lehi/Nephi are in complete bondage to the Lamanites
121 B.C.	People want to know about Zeniff and his people. They continually worry King Mosiah about them.  Mosiah sends Ammon and his men to find Lehi/Nephi.  Mosiah and the people of Zarahemla welcome Limhi's people to their lands.	Limhi receives Ammon and his men, make preparations to travel and miraculously escape the Lamanites. Limhi and his people, led by Ammon, return to Zarahemla and are received there.	Lamanite army who pursued Limhi discover the surviving priests of Noah as they try to find their way back to Lehi/Nephi.  Together they find Alma's people in Helam and subject the righteous people of Alma to bondage and torture.
120 B.C.	Mosiah and his people welcome Alma and the people who followed him to Zarahemla.		The Lord prepares Alma and his people to flee the Lamanites.  The Lamanites pursue them but are stopped.  Alma's people are welcomed by Mosiah at Zarahemla.

It's interesting to see the events laid out in a table this way; I think it gives a perspective that we may not have otherwise, at least to me it does.  First a couple of side-notes: 
I didn't realize that Noah was king for over 15 years before his unfortunate demise....  It didn't occur to me that it took him a lot of time to drag down his people as much as he did.  It's interesting to me that the Lord gave Noah ample opportunity to change his ways...
I didn't have a good appreciation for how long Limhi was king after his father left.  I imagine that Limhi's job was very difficult - to be the leader of the people during war time and war time occupation would be very difficult indeed.  To have to right the foundering ship of social and religious values at the same time would be extremely difficult.

Now to talk about Alma and his people:  I have the same comment for Alma and his people at Helam:  They were there a lot longer than I realized...  They also were under Lamanite occupation a much shorter time than the people of Limhi were.  What lesson do we learn from this?  I think that Alma's people were taken care of by the Lord sooner in their tribulation because they had learned to live Godly lives before they were tried.  I think Limhi's people had not yet turned back to the Lord when their tribulations started and it took a lot of woe and suffering to bring them to the point that they realized they needed God in their lives.  As an example of this, just think of how the Limhites reacted to occupation and bondage versus how the Almahites reacted...  Limhi's people put up with it briefly and then demanded that Limhi take them into battle to solve their problems.  The people of Helam, on the other hand, poured their souls out to God, trusted that He would take care of them, submitted themselves to be used, and felt the Lord's hand when He eased their burdens.  The difference?  Alma's people were relieved of their burden within the year by escaping through divine intervention.

The two best passages from this story:  "And it came to pass that they did multiply and prosper exceedingly in the land of Helam; and they built a city, which they called the city of Helam.  Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.  Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people." (Mosiah 23: 20-22).
"And it came to pass that so great were their afflictions that they began to cry mightily to God.  And [their captors] commanded them that they should stop their cries; and [they] put guards over them to watch them, that whosoever should be found calling upon God should be put to death.  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.  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.  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.  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." (Mosiah 24: 10-15).

Let us be prepared for trials, troubles or tribulations by already calling on the Lord, by already loving the Gospel, by already living God's commands.  It's not a matter of doing the right things so God will know who we are; it's a matter of doing the right things so that we will know who God is, how to recognize Him and where to look for Him.  May we be able to know God daily - in all things and in all seasons.

Don

Intermission: Just a moment for a disclaimer....

A preamble to my comments in this post (probably more like pReAMBLE).  I am constantly occupied with the concern that this blog should provide insights to the Book of Mormon that will uplift and enrich you, my blog readers.  I want you to know that I know that the Book of Mormon is true. 

Let me define what I mean when I use the word "true" in this instance:  This book is truly a record of groups of people that originated in Jerusalem and were led to what we know as the American continents.  The record was kept by men of God who recorded the lessons and trials that were faced by people who lived Godly lives.  It also records the consequences that these ancient people faced when they rejected godliness.  The events that are recorded in the book actually happened.  They were preserved by the hand of God for the purpose of convincing us, the people of the latter days of earth's history, that Jesus Christ is the son of God and that He lived and died to save mankind.  When I say the Book of Mormon is true, this is what I mean.

Some of the things I write about in this blog stem from questions that I have when I read the Book of Mormon.  I don't wish to have my questions become stumbling blocks that hinder belief for someone who may not have a testimony that the Book of Mormon is true.  If you don't have testimony of the truth of the Book of Mormon, please, please, please read from the Book of Mormon and then pray about what you have read.  I promise the same thing that the prophet Moroni promised, which is found at the end of the book: "...when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them ...remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things...  And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.  And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things" (Moroni 10: 3-5).  To reiterate:  Read these things;  Ask God in the name of Jesus if they are true; Receive a manifestation from God.

In researching answers to the questions that pop up in my head about the Book of Mormon, I start with the knowledge that what is written is true.  This rules out the possibility that what was written was fiction, myth or an out and out lie.  This opens many faith-promoting possibilities of answers to my questions.  In my reading and pondering I feel I have been led to conclusions (albeit sometimes speculation) that are in harmony with truth.  Let me say this, though:  my speculations and conclusions are my views and you, the reader, are free to accept them as possibilities as well.  I think that once we are past the veil, we will understand all things and any questions we may have will be answered.

Ok, I told you it was going to ramble.  I will soon finish my discussion of Alma and his people.  Until then, please read and pray.

Don

Alma: Serving God - Mosiah 18, 23, 24

There was one convert to Abinadi's valiant and moving testimony, and that was Alma, one of wicked king Noah's priests.  The holy spirit must have testified strongly to Alma; he was so moved by Abinadi's words that Alma stood up to the king's court and plead that Abinadi should be released and allowed to depart.  This angered the king, who had Alma removed from his service and then sent his servants after him to kill him.  We can thank Alma for his willingness to speak up and we can be thankful that Alma managed to escape; it was Alma who wrote down Abinadi's sermon and testimony, and it was Alma who probably was able to relate the entire incident that we have in these chapters.  Some of Noah's people were also indebted to Alma... He proceeded to preach the things that Abinadi spoke of:  the the need for men to repent, the need for an atonement for mankind, the coming of Christ, and Christ's sacrifice on behalf of all men that all might be redeemed.

Alma's teaching resonated with some of the people and they began to meet regularly to hear the message of salvation and to worship together.  They met at a place known as Mormon which was described as a secluded, wooded and unpopulated area which gave them a private place to gather together.  On one occasion Alma challenged those with him:  "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; 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- 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).  Alma's challenge has been echoed many times in our day at baptismal meetings and in countless missionary discussions.  Look at the things he mentions in these 3 verses:
--  A desire to join with "the fold of God", who are like minded people that serve the Lord,
--  A willingness to be known as the Lord's people.
--  A desire to help others:  to bear others burdens and to mourn with and comfort others.  In other words, to be Christ-like in dealings with other people.
--  To "stand as a witness" of God at all times, in all places.
--  To receive baptism as a token of being willing to serve the Lord and keep His commandments.
--  Stand ready to receive His spirit.
These are things that any member of the church of Christ, then or today, should continually use as a measure of their testimony and faithfulness.  We should ask ourselves:  Am I willing to show that I am a faithful member of Christ's church?  Am I helping those who need my help?  Am I standing up to testify that God's church is on the earth today?  Am I furthering righteousness by my actions?  Am I keeping myself ready to receive inspiration?

Some of the wording of Alma's challenge has always puzzled me:  "...what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord..." (Mosiah 18:10).  It almost sounds like a question to me - what have you against...  Sort of like someone saying "what have you got against me?"  However, I realize that Alma wasn't asking a question... he was inviting those who desired to join the church using the colloquialism of his time.  Today we might say it like this: "...If you have a testimony of the Gospel, why don't you be baptized in the name of the Lord...".  It's not a question... it is gentle direction.

Alma's challenge did not go unanswered:  "...when the people had heard these words, they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed: This is the desire of our hearts" (Mosiah 18:11).  He baptized over 200 people in the Waters of Mormon on that occasion.  It's not clear to me if this occasion was the first time his followers were baptized into his church, or if there were others before.  In either case, they were a church devoted to the coming of the Savior and the precepts that had been taught by Abinadi and were now taught by Alma, and the were known as the church of God.  Chapter 18 discusses the church's organization, teachings and the interactions of the people, both ordained priests and the members, in accordance with the Gospel they had received.  I find it notable that Alma, who made a living in the king's cadre of priests, was very specific that the ordained priests of God's church should labor for their own support.  The only pay they should expect for teaching the Gospel was the joy they received from the conversion and spiritual experiences of those they taught.

So king Noah discovered this movement and sent his spies to find out what was going on... where they met, who was participating, etc.  He sent his army to destroy this movement, but Alma and his people were warned to flee, and flee they did.  Alma took his people - now numbering about 450 souls - with their possessions and journeyed into the wilderness for 8 days, putting them beyond the reach of the king's armies.

In a beautiful land they called Helam, they began to put down their roots.  We learn that the people tilled the ground, built buildings, were industrious and labored for their welfare.  It is evident to us that they were living righteously, for they prospered in the land and multiplied there.  They loved Alma, their leader and wanted to make him their king.  Alma declined the honor, and taught the people an important truth.  He said "Behold, it is not expedient that we should have a king; for thus saith the Lord: Ye shall not esteem one flesh above another, or one man shall not think himself above another... Nevertheless, if it were possible that ye could always have just men to be your kings it would be well for you to have a king.  But remember the iniquity of king Noah and his priests...  ye have been oppressed by king Noah...  And now as ye have been delivered by the power of God out of these bonds... even so I desire that ye should stand fast in this liberty wherewith ye have been made free, and that ye trust no man to be a king over you" (Mosiah 23:7-9,13).  This wise counsel given by Alma to his people is applicable to us today on a couple of levels.  Firstly, when we place people into a position of government, we give them power that we submit to.  We must be sure that they represent goodness and will do what is right for their constituents.  Nobody can determine who WE think is the right person.  It requires that we do our homework on the person we wish to vote for to determine if they represent the values we hold dear.  Once a person is in power, it is often difficult to unseat them.  On another level, it is important that we not allow improper habits, passions or desires in a position of power over us.  Removing bad habits or immoral tendencies can be as costly as removing a wicked king from power.  Leaving such habits or passions in their prominent position in our lives can be even more costly.  We must choose wisely who and what rules over us.

Alma also warned his people in choosing their teachers and ministers:  "And also trust no one to be your teacher nor your minister, except he be a man of God, walking in his ways and keeping his commandments" (Mosiah 23:14).   Another way of saying this:  "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?" (Matthew 7:16, also see v.20 and 3 Nephi 14:16, 20).  I urge each of us to 1) live so that we can be judged worthy of ministering to others; 2) use the Holy Ghost in wisely choosing by whom we will be taught.  Heavenly Father wants to guide us.  He has given us the ability to receive His guidance and has also given us the ability to make our own choices.  Seems like these match up well together, don't you think?

In my next post we will continue with Alma and his people.

Don

...Comes Around Mosiah 19-22, Part 2.

Previously we saw how the people of king Noah had slid off the path of righteousness, how Noah's perversions were repaid to him, and how his son Limhi became the king.  We saw that the people began to be smitten for their collective sins and for actively (or even passively) participating in the martyrdom of a prophet.  Limhi's people battled the Lamanites who unfairly and incorrectly accused them of stealing away some of their daughters, but through an act of wisdom and kindness, spared the Lamanite king, who helped Limhi's people avoid being exterminated.

Once this debacle was behind them, though, they were still in subjugation to the Lamanites, who took every opportunity to harass the Nephites.  I can see this happening - I would think that, although the Lamanite king was convinced that Limhi's people had nothing to do with the stealing of Lamanite girls, the Lamanites would still hold a grudge against the Nephites.  Think of the sentiment against all Muslims in this country after 9/11.  Think of the sentiment against the Japanese after Pearl Harbor.  I don't think the Lamanites, being human beings, would have been any different.  At any rate, the Lamanites were "stirred up in anger against the Nephites and they began to come into the borders of the land round about" (Mosiah 21:2).   According to their king's command, they couldn't kill the Nephites, but they "...would smite them on their cheeks...exercise authority over them, and...put heavy burdens on their backs and drive them as they would a dumb ass..." Mosiah 21:3).

Why did God allow this to happen?  These are words that have been spoken by people throughout the ages, by people of faith and by people who have little or no spiritual beliefs at all.  I'm sure Limhi's people asked this question at this time as well.  In their case, some already knew the answer.  Mormon, in his abridgment of these records, declares: "Yea, all this was done that the word of the Lord might be fulfilled... " (Mosiah 21:4).  Limhi, himself, spoke of the iniquities of his people under Noah's rule: "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.  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.  And a prophet of the Lord have they slain; yea, a chosen man of God, who told them of their wickedness and abominations..." (Mosiah 7: 24-26).

It is interesting to think about the time line that is involved:  Noah's reign was about 15 years (160 B.C. to 145  B.C.).  Abinadi appears after 10 years (150 B.C.), and he was killed 2 years later (148 B.C.).  3 years later Noah flees from his own people and from the Lamanites and is killed (145 B.C.).  Limhi rules for 24 years (from 145 B.C. to 121 B.C.) and during that time his people are in bondage to the Lamanites and suffer humiliation, brutality and loss of life at the hands of their oppressors.  Note how much quicker they fell from God's good graces than for them to return to His favor.  Mormon comments about this:  "And now the Lord was slow to hear their cry because of their iniquities..." (Mosiah 21:15).  This is a good lesson for us, one that I think we may already know:  It is easier (and better) to refrain from sin than it is to repent from sin.  I have seen this during my lifetime, as I have observed my actions and from observing others.  This is a truth that we need to keep in our minds and hearts on a daily basis.

A question pops up in my mind:  Does this make the Lord vindictive, vengeful and uncaring?  Certainly some of the people didn't agree with Noah, or his ways, and probably did not participate in his debauchery.  Was it fair to them?  Why did the Lord ignore their suffering?  For that matter, why did the Lord make the people in general suffer for so much longer than they (as a society) were astray?

First of all, I don't believe the Lord turns away from His children... It pains Him when they commit sin.  It pains Him when they suffer consequences that sinful actions bring on.  I believe the Lord truly sees all and knows what goes on.  I have to believe that Limhi's people were not ready to put their sins behind them until so much time had passed, and the Lord sent Ammon and his men to find them.  Limhi's people needed to "humble themselves even in the depths of humility and ...cry mightily to God, yea, even all the day long...unto their God..." (Mosiah 21:14).

We should remember that God is not a vending machine where, when we need blessings, we drop in a couple of prayers and out pops the blessing we asked for.  God is a real, living being who knows our needs and our actions.  He is full of mercy but is bound by justice.  He wants what is best for us but has to look on when bad choices are made.  He is bound by freedom of choice;  I said "bound by" but I should have said that He is a strong, strong proponent of freedom of choice because of the love He has for us.  Before Limhi's people could be accepted into the righteous Zarahemla society, they had to want to live as righteous beings.  To not wait until this refinement took place would have been to invite serious difficulties for Limhi's people as well as for the rest of the Nephites in Zarahemla.

Committing a sin takes us away from the Lord faster and easier than the return trip will take.  The return trip will be more costly to us as well.  Wisdom would dictate that we avoide the outward journey in the first place.  Oh, that we were always wise...

So the Lord DID send Ammon, and with his arrival, Limhi and his people found new hope;  Ammon's arrival was the catalyst to the people's escape from Lamanite rule.  A couple of interesting things to mention:
"...it came to pass that Ammon and king Limhi began to consult with the people how they should deliver themselves out of bondage...they could find no way to deliver themselves...except it were to take their women...children...flocks...herds...tents, and depart into the wilderness" (Mosiah 22:1-2).  After 24 years they put their heads together and decide that they could leave?  I am reminded of the movie "The Wizard of Oz";  Dorothy wanted to go home, and Glenda, the good witch, told Dorothy that she already knew how to; she knew it all along...  This comes back to what I said earlier... Limhi and his people were not yet ready and the Lord knew they weren't until they had become humbled, repentant.  Until they were ready.

The people, acting as one body, hastily prepared themselves to flee and then somehow were able to escape from under the (drunken) Lamanite guards noses.  They were a united body of people, united in a purpose, united in desire and (most importantly) united in faith.  An ember, removed from the fire, dies out quickly, but when united with the other embers, remains hot and glowing.  We are better when we are united in righteousness with our family, our friends and our society.

So Limhi's people escaped.  Although the Lamanites pursued them,  they were successful in evading the Lamanite armies until they had made it to the land of Zarahemla (good thing Ammon's party kept good notes on the journey to Lehi-Nephi). 

I think there are good lessons to take to our hearts in this story.  We have the right to make choices for ourselves.  With that right comes the responsibility for our choices.  No matter how much we may sometimes wish otherwise, we are solely responsible for any bad choices we make and the consequences that follow.  The Lord wants what is best for us.  He doesn't abandon us when we turn from Him.  He allows us to return to Him through any difficulties our choices have brought, and He loves us when we strive to make our lives right.  I know this is true.


Don

What goes around... Mosiah 19 - 22

I have skipped over a couple chapters - 17 and 18 of Mosiah; I will circle back and talk about those soon.

I'm going to try to cover 4 chapters by relating basic events.  Here are the hi-lights.

King Noah has lived the high life.  He has been king for about 15 years and his debauchery has spread through a lot of his society - although not all.  There are some of his people who dislike Noah's effect on them, so much so that in chapter 19 we read that there is contention in their kingdom.  One man who disapproves of Noah is Gideonl; he vowed to remove Noah from office.  When Gideon fights Noah and begins to prevail, Noah is saved by the sudden appearance of a Lamanite army.  Using this turn of events to his advantage, Noah cries "Gideon, spare me, for the Lamanites are upon us...yeah, they will destroy my people" (Mosiah 19:8).    Of course, Noah was only concerned for his own skin:  "...the king was not so much concerned about his people as his own life..." (Mosiah 19:8).  (I have to laugh about Mormon's commentary sometimes; I think he was my kind of guy).  Noah then orders his people to flee and when that isn't good enough he orders the men to leave their families and flee with him.  Many of the men refused, but many went with him and left their families behind.

I can't help but wonder why a man would leave his wife and children behind to possible annihilation.  Why would a good man do that?  In asking this question, I guess I'm showing my intolerance - or at least some might say that.  I don't have a good experience base to really know how I would act in that circumstance; however, my gut tells me that I couldn't abandon my family so that I might save my skin. 

Noah got his just reward (considering what he has done to his people and what he caused to happen with Abinadi).  The men who left with him decided to return to face the same fate as those left behind.  Noah ordered them to stay and they turned on him and put him to death by fire...  just as Abinadi predicted.  When Noah's priests tried to intervene, the men went after them as well, but they escaped.  The men returned to find that, happily, their families had been spared.

Noah's son, Limhi, is declared king, and Limhi is a better man than his father. Limhi sought to bring the kingdom back to more stolid ways.  It is a tribute to Limhi's governance that the people were able to enjoy some peace after the stormy period they had just gone through.  It is a tribute to the love of the Lord that peace could come to this people after such a difficult experience.  We learn that the Lord's peace is upon all of His children who seek to be in harmony with His ways.

The peace didn't last for the Nephites; Noah's priests stirred up trouble for Limhi and the kingdom when they kidnapped a group of Lamanite daughters.  Why?  Probably because they wanted them, probably because they could, and probably because they had no respect for the likely outcome.  The Lamanite king blamed Limhi's people and came in his wrath to punish Limhi and his people.  Because Limhi was diligent in keeping watches, the Nephites had enough warning to prepare for battle.  The Nephites prevailed because "...they fought for their lives, and for their wives, and for their children; therefore they exerted themselves and like dragons did they fight" (Mosiah 20:11).  What cause do we fight for?  For that matter, what cause do we live each day for?  If our priorities are set properly, there is no question that we would prevail in our daily struggles because we would be expending our daily exertions in the right cause.

After driving the Lamanites out, Limhi's people find the injured Lamanite king among the Lamanite dead.  Limhi has them treat his wounds and then questions him; he finds that the Lamanites broke the treaty because their daughters had been carried away, and everyone blamed Limhi's people.  Talk about jumping to conclusions!  This is a good lesson for us; Often we make decisions - sometimes life-altering ones - based upon our own impressions, knowledge or experience.  We need to seek the Lord's guidance when we make choices, especially when they are critical.  We might know a lot - the Lord knows all.  We might understand much - the Lord understands all.  We might see many things - the Lord sees all.  Sometimes the choice the Lord would have us make is not what we would have chosen;  "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord" (Isaiah 55:8).  We have to trust that the Lord's guidance will lead us to the right decision, and that the outcome from trusting the Lord's guidance is ultimately for our good.

This is interesting:  Limhi and his people convinced the Lamanite king that Noah's priests were the perpetrators of the heinous daughter-snatching act.  The king convinces Limhi and his people to lay down their weapons of war and accompany him to the front of the Lamanite army.  Both things, miraculous by themselves, lead to the amazing halt of bloodshed - just when the Lamanites were about to overwhelm the Nephites in battle.  These events all stemmed from an act of compassion and kindness and built upon a need to understand.  Limhi spared the Lamanite king, even though his people wanted to finish him off.  He had to know what had happened; he wanted to know what provoked the Lamanite king to break his vow.  I think he also felt it wrong to slay the injured king.  Mankind has advanced, technologically and spiritually, because people had to know why.  People who wanted to understand things have led us to better standards of living.  People who had a thirst for knowledge of the physical and spiritual world have paved the way for us.  We strive to know more and thus follow in their footsteps.  In turn, we prepare the way for those who come after in the same manner.  There is a quote by an author whose name I don't know:  "We stand on the shoulders of those who came before; We provide the shoulders for those who follow us".  In knowledge - of the world and of spiritual things - we truly owe a lot to those who came before and we repay that debt to our successors.

Limhi and his people were spared destruction by the Lamanite army.  Their king persuaded them to stop the bloodshed; the Lamanite army had compassion when they saw that the Nephites had come to them unarmed.  Interestingly enough, this is the second time in these couple of chapters that the Lamanite army showed compassion on the Nephites.  I believe that the Lord's work is being done when compassion is demonstrated by someone in a position to make a difference.  Think about it... Compassion is becoming a rare quality in these times.

More about Limhi's people in my next post.

Don

Abinadi Testifies: Mosiah 13 - 16 Pt. 2

In my last post, I said I would talk about Abinadi's testimony as it relates to the verses from Isaiah and the result of Abinadi's bold testimony.  As you recall, after silencing King Noah and his priests, Abinadi teaches them about the coming of Christ and bears testimony of the things he taught them.

Abinadi's testimony of Christ was magnificent, one of the most eloquent I have ever heard.  There is no room for question about his beliefs;  He states:  "...I would that ye should understand that God himself shall come down among the children of men, and shall redeem his people." (Mosiah 15:1).  Abinadi tells his captors that he foresaw that the Redeemer of men: "suffereth temptation, and yieldeth not to the temptation, but suffereth himself to be mocked, and scourged, and cast out, and disowned by his people...And after all this, after working many mighty miracles among the children of men, he shall be led, yea, even as Isaiah said, as a sheep before the shearer is dumb...Yea, even so he shall be led, crucified, and slain, the flesh becoming subject even unto death...And thus God breaketh the bands of death, having gained the victory over death" (Mosiah 15:5-8).

Abinadi's testimony, as powerful and pure as it was, did not end there.  Abinadi proceeded to instruct these wicked men about the purpose of the Lord's mission on earth.  Abinadi explains:  "O how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that is the founder of peace, yea, even the Lord, who has redeemed his people; yea, him who has granted salvation unto his people;  But behold, the bands of death shall be broken, and the Son reigneth, and hath power over the dead; therefore, he bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead" (Mosiah 15: 18-20)

I wish that my testimony could be so eloquent.  I wish that, like Abinadi's words, my testimony of the Savior were this sure and strong.  We probably all wish to have this kind of testimony, but it isn't wishing that makes it possible...   We have control over whether our testimony is strong or weak.  We alone can make the effort that such a testimony requires.  May we each find the strength and desire come to believe and to testify convincingly of the truthfulness of the good news that Jesus is the Savior and Redeemer of mankind.

I wanted to address one of the things in these chapters that I have puzzled over for some time.  We have all been taught that the Godhead is comprised of three separate and distinct beings:  The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.  Mosiah 15:2-4 tells us:  "And because he dwelleth in flesh he shall be called the Son of God, and having subjected the flesh to the will of the Father, being the Father and the Son— The Father, because he was conceived by the power of God; and the Son, because of the flesh; thus becoming the Father and Son—  And they are one God, yea, the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth."

I realized as I thought about these verses that they relate to something that Isaiah said in chapter 14: "He was taken from prison and from judgment; and who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgressions of my people was he stricken." (Mosiah 14:8 / Isaiah 53:8).  Who shall declare his generation?  Another way of saying this might be "and who shall be his children?".  Abinadi explains this to the king's courtiers:  "who shall declare his generation? Behold, I say unto you, that when his soul has been made an offering for sin he shall see his seed.  Behold I say unto you, that whosoever has heard the words of the prophets, yea, all the holy prophets who have prophesied concerning the coming of the Lord—I say unto you, that all those who have hearkened unto their words, and believed that the Lord would redeem his people, and have looked forward to that day for a remission of their sins, I say unto you, that these are his seed, or they are the heirs of the kingdom of God.  For these are they whose sins he has borne; these are they for whom he has died, to redeem them from their transgressions. And now, are they not his seed?" (Mosiah 15:10-12)

Am I a child of Christ?  Are you a child of Christ?  If we have learned of Him, believed in Him, and patterned our lives after Him, having hope and faith in His redemptive sacrifice, then we are his generation.  He truly is the father of our redemption, making him the Father and the Son,  and we are His children.  I believe that coming to appreciate and accept this  idea as truth opens the door for one to have a higher testimony of the Savior and His mission.

Does this make sense?  To me it does, now that I've pondered it and then read and reread the scriptures.  To me, this is the essence of scripture study - to have a question, to ponder what is said, to read and re-read, to pray and to be given an understanding.  My hope is that all of us will partake in this spiritual opportunity.

Abinadi proceeded to warn the king and his priests about the sad fate awaiting those who will not hearken to the Lord's call.  This serves to anger the priests, and they egg on the king to have Abinadi killed, even when the King becomes reluctant to do so after being told by Abinadi that "...if ye slay me ye will shed innocent blood, and this shall also stand as a testimony against you at the last day." (Mosiah 17:10).  One of the king's priests, Alma, believes Abinadi's words and calls for his release, but he is ejected from the king's chambers and then chased to be slain.  More about Alma in future posts.  Abinadi then seals his testimony with his own life:  "I say unto you, I will not recall the words which I have spoken unto you concerning this people, for they are true; and that ye may know of their surety I have suffered myself that I have fallen into your hands.  Yea, and I will suffer even until death, and I will not recall my words, and they shall stand as a testimony against you." (Mosiah 17: 9-10).  Abinadi was put to death by king Noah and his priests by fire.

I hope and pray that none of us will ever be faced with such a heavy burden as Abinadi was.  But if we were so challenged, would we stand up to the task?  You can't run a marathon without first being able to run a mile.  We can't sacrifice for what we believe in until we believe in it.  Let me repeat:  We alone can make the effort that such a testimony requires. 

May we make the opportunities we need to cultivate a strong testimony of Jesus Christ and His gospel.  May we stand true when asked to sacrifice for the Lord.  May we stand in His presence one day.

Don

Abinadi Testfies: Mosiah 13 - 16

This is a very moving part of the Book of Mosiah.  King Noah's society began to decay after he assumed kingship; after 10 years of downslide as a general society, the Lord sent Abinadi to call them to repentance.  Abinadi flees when the people are angered by his words, but about 2 years later the Lord sends him back to finish the job... side-note:  this is one of the world's worst blown covers; Abinadi goes back in disguise but the first thing that he says: "...Thus the Lord commanded me, saying - Abinadi, go and prophesy..." (Mosiah 12:1). Anyway, Abinadi is before the king, accused as one who is saying undesirable things to the people.  What follows is one of the great testimonies of the Gospel and description of the coming Savior.  Here are a few hi-lites.

King Noah's dismissal and Abinadi's Protection (13:1-5).  The king tells his guards to take Abinadi away, saying "Away with this fellow, and slay him; for what have we to do with him, for he is mad." (Mosiah 13:1).  As the king's wicked priests try to take Abinadi, he declares "Touch me not, for God shall smite you if ye lay your hands upon me, for I have not delivered the message which the Lord sent me to deliver... therefore, God will not suffer that I shall be destroyed at this time.  But I must fulfill the commandments wherewith God has commanded me..." (Mosiah 13:3-4).  This is very effective; not just the declaration, but that Abinadi's face is shining with the spirit of the Lord.  Note that this isn't the first time in the Book of Mormon that such a declaration was made to wicked people; "...they [Nephi's brothers] were angry with me, and were desirous to throw me into the depths of the sea; and as they came forth to lay their hands upon me I spake unto them, saying: In the name of the Almighty God, I command you that ye touch me not, for I am filled with the power of God, even unto the consuming of my flesh; and whoso shall lay his hands upon me shall wither even as a dried reed; and he shall be as naught before the power of God, for God shall smite him... And it came to pass ... that they were confounded and could not contend against me; neither durst they lay their hands upon me nor touch me with their fingers..." (1 Ne 17:48,52).  Lessons we can learn?  Although this is an extreme case, we find that God will support his servants as they carry out His commands.  I don't think I've ever seen a priesthood holder command another person to touch them not because the Lord will smite them, but I have seen people who were filled with the spirit of the Lord - almost to the point that their countenance seemed to be shining.  I recall President Gordon B. Hinckley once saying that as he served the Lord as his modern day prophet that the Lord sustained him on a daily basis.  We must trust the Lord as we do His work.

Abinadi reads and explains the 10 commandments to the king's court:  Having king Noah and his priest's attention, this was a practical place to establish the message the Lord has sent him to give.  Since the priests pretended to teach and keep the Law of Moses, Abinadi read them the actual commandments and then asks:  "Have ye taught this people that they should observe to do all these things for to keep these commandments?"  Abinadi answers for them: "I say unto you, Nay; for if you had, the Lord would not have caused me to come forth and to prophesy evil concerning this people" (Mosiah 13: 25-26). 
Interesting point:  The Lord loved these people enough to send a prophet to tell them to change their ways....  The alternative?  Leave them to their own devices until they are "ripe" for destruction.  Funny thing that they are angered by this act of love on the Lord's part.

Explanation of why salvation doesn't come by the Law of Moses:
 Abinadi explained to the so-called priests, who should have known the law of Moses if it truly was their theological basis, about salvation.  He told them:  "...it is expedient that ye should keep the law of Moses as yet....the time shall come when it shall no more be expedient to keep the law of Moses" (Mosiah 13:27). 
Abinadi explained the reason for the Law of Moses:  "...it was expedient that there should be a law given to the children of Israel, even a very strict law; for they were a stiffnecked people ...  therefore there was a law given them... a law of performances and of ordinances...which they were to observe strictly from day to day to keep them in remembrance of God and their duty towards him" (Mosiah 13:29-30). 
Abinadi testified to them that, although this strict law was needed, it would not ultimately lead to salvation: "...there could not any man be saved except it were through the redemption of God" (Mosiah 13:32).
This redemption was foretold by prophets of all ages.  Each prophet prophesied that "...he should bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, and that he, himself, should be oppressed and afflicted" (Mosiah 13:35).

Quoting Isaiah to establish the coming of the Savior:
Abinadi quoted Isaiah's writings to the king and his priests as he delivered his message. Chapter 14 of Mosiah quotes verses found in Isaiah chapter 53 of the Old Testament.  Some of my favorite verses, which appear in the wonderful oratorio "The Messiah" by George Freidrich Handel, can be found in this chapter: 
"For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not." (Mosiah 14 and Isaiah 53: v.2-3).
"Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities... and with his stripes we are healed.  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.  He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken." (Mosiah 14 and Isaiah 53: v.4-6,8)
"He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities." (Mosiah 14 and Isaiah 53: v.11)

I can hear the strains of Handel's Messiah as I read these words.  Abinadi uses these words, those of the great prophet Isaiah, to establish his testimony of  the coming of a Savior for mankind.  All of the prophets had testified of the Savior's coming, and Abinadi also testified of that. In short, Abinadi's testimony to the king and his minions leaves them no excuse for their actions and behavior.  Do we search the scriptures - the writings of the prophets - for their testimony of the Savior?  We can improve our spiritual lives by reading their words.  We can strengthen our testimonies by receiving their testimonies.  That is what they recorded them for.

Next post I will talk about Abinadi's testimony as it relates to the verses from Isaiah and the result of Abinadi's bold testimony.

Don

King Noah and Abinadi: Mosiah 11 - 12

Here is the setup in a nutshell:  Zeniff, the leader of the Nephites who returned to the land of Lehi-Nephi, gets old and annoints his son Noah to be king.  Noah doesn't live up to the standards set by his father and walks the road of sin and temptation.  Noah's debauchery leads many of his people to embrace his lifestyle and the Lord sends the prophet Abinadi to warn them of their fate, should they fail to turn from the path they are on.  Noah and his people take exception to this prophet, reject him from their society and even try to kill him.  He flees from them, but after a couple of years, the Lord sends him back to cry repentance to them again.  Abinadi is taken by the people to Noah, and the king and his priests question him, trying to trip him up.

This is a summary of the happenings in Mosiah chapters 11 and 12.  As I read and re-read this part I was impressed by Abinadi's willingness to serve the Lord as asked in spite of any consequences.  There are several  things that came to my mind as I read these chapters; allow me to elucidate:

I know I'm always harping about how things in the Book of Mormon fit in a time line; please bear with me...  I'm not sure I have ever fully appreciated that Noah was king for 10 years before Abinadi was sent to prophesy.  It makes sense, though.  King Noah's corruption (seduction?) of his people couldn't have happened overnight; flattery takes time to properly apply and do it's work.  During thise 10 years  (just a little longer than a U.S. president's 2 terms of office), Noah managed to turn the people's hearts away from the Lord.  He managed to levy a tax upon the people.  At the same time he did this, he managed to win their loyalty.  I can imagine Noah building spacious buildings at the taxpayers expense and labeling it as social programs.  I can imagine Noah's priests preaching the need for a palace for their beloved king.  I can see the people justifying his taxation because the "programs" are in the public's interest.  My point is that the people allowed themselves to be taxed and support Noah because he convinced them that it was for their good (sound familiar?).  What a seducer!  I can also imagine Noah and his priests telling the people that they shouldn't be subservient to their father's religion, that they can boldly do what their ancestors considered wrong because the old people didn't live in these times (an oldie but goodie, as far as lies go).


This brings to mind the scripture:  "And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell" (2 Nephi 28:21).  As I said, these things take time.


Question:  Did Noah do these things willfully?  Or was he deceived himself?  I don't know the answer, read the chapters and tell me what you think.


While we're speaking of time, consider this time-line:  It was 10 years from when Noah became king until Abinadi first appeared to cry repentance.  Abinadi fled and was not heard from for 2 years.  Abinadi delivers his scathing message to Noah and his followers and is then slain about 148 B.C.  It is about 3 years later that Noah is driven out and slain by fire, and  Limhi, Noah's son, is recognized as the new king.  Limhi leads his people during their bondage to the Lamanites for the next 24 years,  when Ammon and his band is dispatched from Zarahemla to find them.  I guess I always thought of these events happening in a shorter period of time, but in reality we are talking about the span of almost 40 years.  Pretty interesting, don't you think?  Consider this:  Noah managed to lead the people astray in the space of 10 years.  The Lord made them suffer in bondage for 24 years before He provided them a way of escape.  It reminds me of the children of Israel going to Egypt and then being held slaves to the Egyptians for 400 years before being led out of Egypt.

So Abinadi came among the people to give them the Lord's message:  "...for I have seen their abominations, and the wickedness...and except they repent I will visit them in mine anger.  And except they repent and turn to the Lord their God, behold, I will deliver them into the hands of their enemies..." (Mosiah 11:20-21).  The people were angry with the message and tried to take Abinadi to the king for judgement but Abinadi escaped.  This is how we know that the people's hearts were hardened to the Lord's word:  "Now the eyes of the people were blinded; therefore they hardened their hearts against the words of Abinadi..." (Mosiah 11:29).

The Lord's message, delivered by Abinadi, angered the people.  It seems to always be true that a person (or people) who are doing something wrong are greatly offended when they are called out about it.  These people were no different;  they denied any wrongdoing on their part and on the part of the king:  "...they took him and carried him bound before the king, and said unto the king: Behold, we have brought a man before thee who has prophesied evil concerning thy people, and saith that God will destroy them.  And he also prophesieth evil concerning thy life, and saith that thy life shall be as a garment in a furnace of fire....And he pretendeth the Lord hath spoken it. And he saith all this shall come upon thee except thou repent...And now, O king, what great evil hast thou done, or what great sins have thy people committed, that we should be condemned of God or judged of this man?" (Mosiah 12:9-10,13).

It is so easy to justify ourselves when we are confronted; I believe that is human nature, maybe even part of the flight part of the fight or flight response mechanism that people seem to have (a.k.a the natural man).  But easy isn't what opens the doors of God's heavenly kingdom.  Even though it is our nature to excuse ourselves of wrongdoing, it is God's desire that we acknowledge wrongdoing and then try to change the offensive behavior.  The steps of repentance include acknowledging sin in order to repent.  We should constantly have repentance in our hearts and minds, take the high road by admitting to our foibles, seek for the Lord's guidance as we seek to become more in tune with Him.  This is not the easy way but it IS the Lord's way.  May we do so continually.

More in the next post about Abinadi's confrontation with king Noah and his so-called priests. 

Don

Zeniff's record, Part 2 (Mos. 9 - 10)

In my last post I mentioned that several things popped out at me while reading Zeniff's record (chapter 9 and 10 of Mosiah). 

Knowledge and Learning:  "I, Zeniff, having been taught in all the language of the Nephites, and having had a knowledge of the land of Nephi..." (Mosiah 9:1).  Compare this with the words of Nephi:  "...I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father... having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God... ...I make a record in the language of my father, which consists of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians." (1 Nephi 1:1-2).  It seems that Zeniff, like Nephi, and probably many Nephites as well, were taught in languages and other important knowledge.  This would have included knowledge of traditions of their ancestors as well as truths relating the branch of Israel that they came from.  It is likely that this included traditions pertaining to the relationship between Nephites and Lamanites (to me, some of what Zeniff writes about the Lamanites sounds like handed-down traditions, peppered with first hand knowledge).

In reading the Book of Mormon, one of the major differences that I can see between the Lamanites and the Nephites is how knowledge is passed on.  The Nephites kept records, they taught each generation from those records; they communicated from a well documented language.  The Lamanites, on the other hand, probably passed down stories from mouth to ear throughout the generations.  In our day, knowledge of the world (science, trades, the arts, professions, etc.) is critical to sustaining comfortable lives.  Knowledge of society and social skills (meaning how to relate to each other, how to have and keep friends, how to fit in social circles) provides a bedrock for creating and maintaining relationships and friendships.  Having spiritual knowledge (meaning knowing how to relate to God, understanding His place in your life, feeling at peace with Him and with yourself) provides a counterbalance to the base nature of being a mortal.  Knowledge is important; Knowledge balanced in all areas is critical to having a happy life.  Most of this important knowledge is taught from documented sources, i.e. books, etc.

The other thing I take from this topic is that keeping records is important.  Writing your thoughts, especially thoughts related to your spirituality, is important for your children and their descendants.  Recording important things keeps them fresh in our minds. Without writing things down, the facts and feelings can be misconstured, dropped, lost or changed.  Record  something about what you think or feel.  Write your testimony.  Write down spiritual experiences and how they made you feel.  Let the future experience some of the things that inspired or moved you.  Let your posterity hear your testimony first-hand.

Protection and Preparation:  Zeniff wrote about two battles his people had with the Lamanites. In the first battle, those Nephites who escaped the initial onslaught fled to the city of Nephi.  Zeniff says: "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.  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" (Mosiah 9:15-17). 

In the second major battle, Zeniff wrote: "...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.  And I set guards round about the land, that the Lamanites might not come upon us again unawares and destroy us...  And it came to pass that they came up upon the north of the land of Shilom, with their numerous hosts... 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" (Mos. 10:1,2,8,10)

In both battles, the Lord's hand of protection was upon the people. The Nephites were victorious in the second battle in part because of the preparations they had made for potential war.  In both cases, they had prepared spiritually so that the Lord could bestow his divine protection upon them.  We see that there are different types of preparation; both spiritual preparation and physical preparation.  Today we face many dangers, both physical and spiritual.  Both types of preparation are important in our lives as we face our daily trials.  We shouldn't neglect either type of preparation in our lives.

Time Lines:  The account of Zeniff, Noah and Limhi in these chapters of the book of Mosiah include dates that give us insight of when things happened during this time of the Book of Mormon.  I could give examples but have run out of room in this post, so no specific details are included here.  Suffice it to say, I feel that the time line in one of my previous posts (see my April 30th post ) fits nicely with the details in the records of Zeniff and his successors.

There are more discussions to come which will include Abinadi, Alma, and others.  Stay tuned!  Meanwhile, I have a testimony that these things that we read in the Book of Mormon really did happen and have been accurately written for our benefit.  I testify this in the name of Jesus Christ.

Don

The Record of Zeniff: Mosiah 9 - 10

In my last post I set the stage to examine the story of the people of Nephi who returned to the land of Lehi-Nephi.  They were led by a man called Zeniff.  Zeniff had seen the land the Nephites left behind, which was since peopled by the Lamanites.  He was desirous to go and dwell there.  Not only did he want to go himself , he wanted as many others as he could get to come with him.  Apparently he was pretty successful in enlisting others; in the book of Omni Amaleki writes:  "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.  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, 27, 29-30).  Zeniff himself records:  "...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... " (Mosiah 9:3).  Zeniff must have gathered a lot of people.  After living in Lehi-Nephi for 13 years, Zeniff led his people to battle against a large and aggressive Lamanite army.  Zeniff's people withstood them, slaying over 3,000 of their number.  My uninformed guess is that the Lamanite army must have been 3 or 4 times the number of men who were slain.  With this in mind, I think Zeniff's population may have been more than a thousand people, including the women and children.  My question is this:  How many righteous Nephites does it take to withstand a Lamanite horde?

A word about the land of Lehi-Nephi.  It is not clear to me where this might be in relation to Zarahemla.  Zeniff says that his party wandered "many days" as they journeyed there from Zarahemla (see Mosiah 9:4).  Ammon's party, who left Zarahemla seeking word of the people in Lehi-Nephi, wandared for 40 days before arriving at their destination (see Mosiah 7:4).  If we assume that Ammon's party traveled at a very moderate pace of 10 miles per day, they could have traveled 400 miles.  I speculate that it is likely not that far (going directly, that is), since Ammon and his men had to guess which direction to take as they traveled.  Trips back to Zarahemla, mentioned later in the account and taken be at least two groups, do not talk about the trip other than it was done.

I also speculate about how the land Lehi-Nephi fits in to Nephite history.  Is it the place that Lehi and his family landed after a long ocean voyage?  Is it the land where Nephi and his people fled to shortly after Lehi's death?  Is it the land that King Mosiah - Benjamin's father - and his followers fled from when they discovered the people of Zarahemla?  I don't think the records contained in the Book of Mormon give us any hints.  Either of these three locations could be the case, but consider this:  At the time that Zeniff and company left the people of Zarahemla, it probably had been less than 50 years since Mosiah and his people left their former homes.  It makes sense to me that this is where the people of Mosiah and Benjamin thought of as the land of their inheritance.  They had lived in that place for centuries.  It also makes sense that the people of Zarahemla felt threatened by the inhabitants of their former home and would send men to spy out their intentions and plans.

So Chapter 9 and 10 of Mosiah relate some of the experiences Zeniff's people had the first 23-25 years of their inhabiting the land of Lehi-Nephi.  Several things popped out to me while reading Zeniff's record.  More on this in my next post.  Let me leave with this thought:  Sometimes God leads his children to where he needs them to be.  Sometimes God's children go where they feel they should be.  In either case, the important thing is to rely on God, live His precepts, and accept the blessings and responsibilities that accompany living a Godly life.

Don

Mosiah 7-8; What Became of Them?

It's been 3 years now since Mosiah was anointed king of the people of Nephi.  Little is said of his tenure as king, either in these 3 years or, for that matter at all, except this:  He walked in the ways of the Lord, observed the Lord's judgments and kept the Lord's commandments.  We also read that he followed his father's ways; he did all he could for his own daily maintenance so he wouldn't be a burden to the people.  Mosiah, like Benjamin, his father, was a great man, leading by example and inspiring those they served.  We can also be inspired by their example.

Chapter 7 and 8 of Mosiah deal with concern for the people who had gone off to inhabit the land of Lehi-Nephi.  This is the land where the Nephites settled after separating themselves from the Laman and Lemuel and their followers.  A man named Zeniff desired to return to that area and actively enlisted others to go with him, as we read in Omni, v.27-30.  The writer, Amaleki, tells us that a considerable number of people accompanied Zeniff as he returned to the land of Lehi-Nephi, including Amaleki's brother.

After Mosiah had been king for several years the people began to be anxious about the welfare of those who returned to Lehi-Nephi.  Much concern expressed to the king  - "...therefore, they wearied him with their teasings" (Mosiah 7:1) - and he agreed to send a party to search for the lost group.  King Mosiah calls on a group of 16 men to send  to the land of Lehi-Nephi to determine status of the lost people.

So the setting is placed for the next several chapters in the book of Mosiah.  There are some great details to be learned from them.

Ammon, the leader of the search party and a descendant of Zarahemla, takes his men through the wilderness and wanders for 40 days.  It isn't clear if the length of this trip is due to distance or if it is because they were unsure of which way to go.  I believe it is probably mostly due to the distance to travel and the hard-going labor of trekking through the wilderness.  They must have carefully kept a record of their journeys, since we don't really hear anything about the difficulty of the trip back to Zarahemla when they eventually return.  Ammon and his party finally arrived at their destination and proceeded to determine the status of the people.  Being a careful leader, he left the majority of his group nearby while he and two companions approached the people now living in the land of Lehi-Nephi.

I initially wondered why Ammon left most of his men behind, but in thinking about it, to me the reason was logical.  Ammon didn't know how they would be greeted by the people they had just found and probably wanted some of his men to be able to return and relate the things that happened, should go wrong.  Ammon took two others with him.  Some say there is power in the number 3; in my thinking, I agree with this to the extent that no matter which of the 3 they questioned, there were two witnesses to corroborate his story.  Ammon and his two companions were likely questioned carefully about their origin and their aims before the people of the land trusted him... (given the circumstances of this people, I don't really blame them for being so suspicious).

Ammon was a good representative of the people of Zarahemla.  The king of the people at Nephi-Lehi, Limhi, recognized the truth of Ammon's story because of the spirit Ammon carried with him.   Ammon "bowed himself before the king; and rising again he said: O king, I am very thankful before God this day that I am yet alive, and am permitted to speak; and I will endeavor to speak with boldness; For I am assured that if ye had known me ye would not have suffered that I should have worn these bands. For I am Ammon, and am a descendant of Zarahemla, and have come up out of the land of Zarahemla to inquire concerning our brethren, whom Zeniff brought up out of that land" (Mosiah 7:12-13).  Ammon used boldness, yes, but it was boldness in righteous doing.  King Limhi immediately knew Ammon was speaking the truth.

The appearance of Ammon and his companions brought a much sought-for commodity to the people of Limhi:  Hope.  They had a Lamanite problem and needed help from the Lord.  It is interesting to me that at the time when Limhi was so desperate that he sent a party out, at risk of punishment by the Lamanites, to search for Zarahemla, that the people in Zarahemla were being touched by the spirit of concern for these people.  The Lord knew Limhi's circumstances.  Working in His miraculous way, the Lord inspired the people of Zarahemla with concern for the welfare of they who had left years earlier.  The Lord inspired Mosiah to take action as his people wanted.  The Lord had Mosiah choose the right person to lead the search party, one who was divinely inspired himself.  When you think about it, the Lord works this way in all of our lives.  Have you ever gotten a call from the one person who could relieve your burden just when you needed them?  This happens time and time again.  This happens because the Lord knows us, He knows our circumstances, and He wants to ease our burden and to help us to become more like him.  It has always been this way.

Ammon was the right person to lead the search party and to meet with king Limhi.  The king had all the people come so that Ammon could speak to them.  After Limhi rehearsed to the people their present circumstances and the reasons they were in such a mess, he had Ammon talk.  Ammon told them of the things that had happened in Zarahemla.  He told the people about king Benjamin's last address.  "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" (Mosiah 8:3).  Side note:  Notice that the verse says "so that they might understand all the words...".  The key word there is "might".  It is up to each of us, when we hear truth, to recognize and understand it.  Ammon could not make the people recognize the value of the things Benjamin taught, but he presented the truth to the people for their edification; seeing and understanding the truth is up to the individual.  We need to prepare ourselves to be able to recognize and act on truth as it is revealed to us.

King Limhi told Ammon about the plates that his people found when they were searching for Zarahemla and he asked if Ammon could interpret the plates.  This brought a discussion about seers...  Ammon indicated that his king, King Mosiah, was a seer and could translate the plates that were found.  Two points to bring up about this discussion: 
1) Ammon gives us further indication of the kind of man that King Mosiah was.  He was living his life such that he was worthy to look into the interpreters when commanded.  Mosiah, like his grandfather (see Omni v.20) and undoubtedly his father, was the prophet-leader of his people.  Oh, that the priesthood leaders of each of our families would be like these men and lead their "kingdom" righteously.
2) Ammon refers to the interpreters... "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" (Mosiah 8:13).  These interpreters are, I believe, what we know as the Urim and Thummim.  I believe these interpreters were with the plates that Joseph Smith was entrusted with and the very instruments that he used in the translation of the Book of Mormon.  There appears to be more than one set of interpreters; This set was different than the set that is referred to in the Old Testament as being used by Moses (Exodus 28:30).  It is possible that this set is the same that was used by the Jaredites, but that set could be different as well.

After Ammon and Limhi discuss the attributes of a Seer and Prophet, it is obvious that Limhi's mind is relieved of a great burden.  In his excitement "...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. O how marvelous are the works of the Lord, and how long doth he suffer with his people..."

May we each be excited about the Lord's workings in our lives.  May we recognize the truth he offers to us and embrace His love which is offered freely. 

Don