Tag Archives: King Mosiah

Mosiah 7

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The Book of Mosiah is the eighth book in the Book of Mormon…

Mosiah is most likely linked to the Hebrew term; “Moshia”, which represents a Champion of Justice against oppression, appointed by God, whose Mission is to liberate a chosen people from oppression, especially by non-violent means.

               After the space of 3 years of peace, king Mosiah decides to check up on the people who dwelt in the land of Lehi-Nephi. Remember Mosiah found the people of Zarahemla back in the Book of Omni. King Mosiah sends “…sixteen of their strong men…” (Mosiah 7:2). Mosiah appoints “…Ammon, he being a descendant of Zarahemla…” (Mosiah 7:3)

               Ammon and his group travel through the wilderness to go to the land of Lehi-Nephi, however, “…they knew not the course they should travel…” (Mosiah 7:4), because of this they wandered in the wilderness for 40 days, being lost, but arriving at a hill north of the land of Shilom, where they created camp. Ammon took three (Amaleki, Helem and Hem) with him to go down among the land of Nephi. When they arrive, they meet the king and the kings guard, and are bound and thrown into prison.

               “…when they had been in prison two days they were again brough before the king… their bands were loosed… and were… commanded, that they should answer [the] questions…” (Mosiah 7:8)

               Limhi, the son of Noah, who was the son of Zeniff, who had also come out of the land of Zarahemla inquires of them; “…I desire to know the cause whereby ye were so bold as to come near the walls of the city, when I, myself, was with my guards without the gate?” (Mosiah 7:10) King Limhi adds that if he didn’t have a desire to know who they were, he would have had them killed then and there.

He then permits them to speak, Ammon responds by bowing before the king.

“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)

King Limhi rejoices with this news and causes that a team should go to gather the rest of Ammon’s team from the hill, that they might be able to eat, drink and rest in the city. King Limhi then sends a proclamation to his people that in the morning they should meet at the temple, so that he can address his people.

King Limhi addresses his people:

“O ye, my people, lift up your heads and be comforted; for behold, the time is at hand, or is not far distant, when we shall no longer be in subjection to our enemies… lift up your heads, and rejoice, and put your trust in God, in that God who was the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob; and also, that God who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, and caused that they should walk through the Red Sea on dry ground, and fed them with manna that they might not perish in the wilderness; and many more things did he do for them.” (Mosiah 7:18-19)

               King Limhi comforts his people, assuring them that they should rejoice, for God will help them overcome their enemies, just as God helped the children of Israel leave the land of Egypt. He explained that King Zeniff had entered into a treaty with King Laman, who with his cunning and craftiness, did deceive King Zeniff. He tells them that it was through their own “…iniquities and abominations that [they brought us into bondage.” (Mosiah 7:20)

Because of this, they were in bondage, paying “…tribute to the king of the Lamanites, to the amount of one half of our corn, and our barley, and even all our grain of every kind, and one half of the increase of our flocks and our herds; and even one half of all we have or possess the king of the Lamanites… 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. (Mosiah 7:22-23)

King Limhi reminds his people that because of their iniquities, they have lost many through contentions and have these great burdens to bear.

For God will not protect his children when they turn from him. “…I [the Lord] 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) However, the same is true of the opposite, if we shall humble ourselves before God and “…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 7:33)

Here we learn a very simple, yet powerful truth. If we chose to follow God, He will not always allow us to prosper and could through up stumbling blocks. However, if we put our full trust in Him, and have a heart full of purpose, He will deliver us out of bondage.

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Mosiah 6

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The Book of Mosiah is the eighth book in the Book of Mormon…

Mosiah is most likely linked to the Hebrew term; “Moshia”, which represents a Champion of Justice against oppression, appointed by God, whose Mission is to liberate a chosen people from oppression, especially by non-violent means.

               Following the address given by King Benjamin to his people (encompassing chapters 2-5), King Benjamin felt the strong need to “…take the names of all those who had entered into a covenant with God to keep his commandments. And it came to pass that there was not one soul, except it were little childen [who had] taken upon them the name of Christ.” (Mosiah 6:1-2)

               Shortly after this, King Benjamin consecrates or passes down his power to his son, Mosiah. Unfortunately, many people did not hear the words of warning that King Benjamin spoke. Three years after this address, King Benjamin died.

               Mosiah then rose to power at the age of 30, but “…did walk in the ways of the Lord, and did observe his judgements and his statutes, and did keep his commandments…” (Mosiah 6:6) Mosiah was a righteous ruler who followed the commandments of God and remembered of his power and judgement.

               Mosiah was not only a righteous ruler, but also a ruler who led by example; “…king Mosiah did cause his people that they should till the earth. And he also, himself, did till the earth…” (Mosiah 6:7)

               The chapter concludes by explaining that there was no contention among his people for a space of 3 years.

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Summary of Omni + Omni 1

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Summary of Omni + Omni 1

                The Book of Omni… is the sixth book in the Book of Mormon….

Omni opens up with Omni confessing that he fought many battles to keep his people, the Nephities from falling into the hands of their enemy the Lamanites. However, he confesses that he has failed to follow all the commandments of God, calling himself a wicked man. He passes the plates down to his son Amaron.

Because of the wickedness, explains Amaron; “…the Lord did visit them in great judgment; nevertheless, he did spare the righteous that they should not perish…” (Omni 1:7) This shows that even during great wickedness in the world, God does spare the righteous. Amaron passes the plates down to his brother Chemish, who only writes one verse testifying of what his brother had wrote to be true.

The plates are then transferred to the son of Chemish, Adinadom. Abinadom opens up by explaining that he has, with his; “…own sword, have taken the lives of many of the Lamanites in the defence of my brethren.” (Omni 1:10) Here we learn that killing another human being in defense of yourself or others IS justified, even under God’s wrath. Abinadom goes on to testify of the writing that has been added to the plates so far, and makes note that he has no prophecy to add, but that he would continue to preserve them by passing them down to the next generation.

Amaleki, the son of Abinadom continues to write on the plates, opening up by testifying of Mosiah, who was the king of Zarahemla. Amaleki explains that when Mosiah discovered the people of Zarahemla, he knew that they came out of Jerusalem; “…Mosiah discovered that the people of Zarahemla came out of Jerusalem at the time that Zedekiah, king of Judah was carried away captive into Babylon. And they journeyed in the wilderness, and were brought by the hand of the Lord across the great waters, into the land where Mosiah discovered them; and they had dwelt there from that time forth.” (Omni 1:15-16)

                This is where things get very interesting, if we read in the Bible, in Jeremiah we learn that King Zedekiah was overtaken by the Chaldeans’ army in the plains of Jericho. Zedekiah is forced to watch his sons be murdered before his eyes, then having his own eyes removed and being bound in chains and sent to Babylon. (See Jeremiah 39:4-8). However, we learn from the Book of Mormon that one of the sons of Zedekiah escaped. Nephi testifies before corrupt judges who sought to incite the people against him, but Nephi testifies that Abraham, Moses, Zenock, Zenos, Ezias, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Lehi all testified of Christ. Nephi questions the judges; “… will you dispute that Jerusalem was destroyed? Will ye say that the sons of Zedekiah were not slain, all except it were Mulek? Yeah, and do ye not behold that the seed of Zedekiah are with us, and they were driven out of the land of Jerusalem…?” (Helaman 8:21) This and other instances throughout the Book of Mormon show how much it meshes with the stories of the Bible. The reason for this is simple, they are all interconnected. The people of the Book of Mormon have ancestral ties with the people of the “Old World” found in the Bible.

Mulek and his people traveled across the ocean to the “New World”, where they became numerous. However, with most civilization, eventually the prosperity ends. The people of Zarahemla had fallen away from the Gospel and denied that there was a Creator. Because of this they had many wars and contentions amongst themselves, they lost the record of their people and they even lost their own language. Mosiah taught the people of Zarahemla his own language and caused that a genealogy being written up based on his own memory. The people loved Mosiah and caused that he be there king. The people gave Mosiah a large stone that had engraving upon it, by the power of God he was able to translate these engravings.

The engravings gave an account of Coriantumr and the slaying of his people.  It also held a genealogy of his fathers, who came out from the tower, at the “…. time the Lord confounded the language of the people…” (Omni 1:22) Here we learn that more people going back thousands of years were living in the Americas that we know of today. Coriantumr’s father came from the Tower of Babel, when the Lord not only confounded the languages, but scattered the people around the World.

Amaleki continues to write that he was born in the days of Mosiah, after his death, his son Benjamin ruled in his placed. Amaleki, knowing that King Benjamin was a just and good man decides to pass the plates onto him upon his death. Amaleki explains that “…there is nothing which is good save it comes from the Lord: and that which is evil cometh from the devil.” (Omni 1:25) How simple of principle is that?  If it is good, it comes from God. If it is bad, it comes from the devil. Before his death, Amaleki exhorts anyone reading his testimony to; “…come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved.” (Omni 1:26) Again, another simple principle. To be “saved” and return to the presence of God, we must come unto Him. It is NOT enough to simply confess that He is your savior. Coming unto Him means that you offer your whole soul unto him, continuing in fasting, prayer and enduring to the end. This is a process and something that is ongoing throughout your life. We must always follow in the footsteps of Jesus and do as He would do. Remember, faith without works is dead.