Mosiah Son of King Benjamin

Persecution of the Church by unbelievers became a serious issue during Mosiah’s reign. He established laws to forbid persecution on the basis of religious beliefs and promote equity among his people (Mosiah 27:1-5). His four sons with Alma, the son of Alma the High Priest, were once numbered among the unbelievers who persecuted the Church, but were converted through the miraculous intervention of an angel (Mosiah 27:8-37).

While this event was a cause for rejoicing, it created a political challenge when his sons refused the kingship and devoted their lives to preaching the gospel among the Lamanites (Mosiah 28:1-10). Under divine direction and with the voice of the people, Mosiah discontinued the institution of kingship among the Nephites and established judges (Mosiah 29:1-11).

In addition to being a king, Mosiah was responsible for establishing a set of laws to govern the new political system, including a law forbidding slavery (Alma 1:1; 27:9), as well as a money standard (Alma 11:1). It is notable that, in spite of the increasing social complexity within his kingdom, there is no reference to war among the people of Zarahemla during the 23 years of his reign (Mosiah 29:14). Given the history of the people of Lehi, this seems a remarkable achievement.

The word "higher" occurs only four times in the Book of Mormon. Three of these are from Mosiah. Words about judgment are 38 times more likely to be spoken by Mosiah than in the rest of the Book of Mormon. Words about laws are nearly 15 times more likely. The "unrighteous" appears only three times in the Book of Mormon. One of these three times is used by Mosiah. The words "iniquity," "iniquities," or "iniquitous" are 10 times more likely to be used, and it is 50 times more likely that the words "pervert" or "perverting" will be used by Mosiah than by the other speakers in the rest of the Nephite record. This is understandable for a king whose life was occupied with the trappings of government, the judgment of crimes, and punishments (Mosiah 29:15).

Mosiah is the only Book of Mormon speaker to refer to God as the "all-wise" Creator. He also is the only one to use the words "arrange," "enacteth," "extending," "iniquitous," "interposition," "newly," "posterity," "remains," "sees," and "trampleth."

Mosiah’s words, although they are few, suggest that he drew upon several sources. His concerns over the danger that his son Aaron might change his mind, desire the kingship, and "draw away" a faction of the people, leading to contention and bloodshed, points to influence from the Jaredite record he had translated, which recounted the actions of sons of kings who "drew away" or did "draw away" such factions (Ether 7:4, 15; 9:11; 10:32). Only the book of Ether shares this language with Mosiah.

Chronologically, Mosiah’s desire that the land "be a land of liberty" is interesting (Mosiah 29:32)¹. That phrase, used in connection with the abolishment of kingship among the Nephites, reminds the reader of Jacob’s earlier discourse against kings who rise up against God and Zion, that the land may "be a land of liberty" (2 Nephi 10:11). Mosiah possessed the small plates of Nephi, which recorded this teaching of Jacob. These words suggest that as he pondered the changes in the Nephite political system and the future of his people, the record and fate of the Jaredites might have been on Mosiah’s mind and that he might have also been influenced by Jacob’s earlier teachings.

Key Insights

Mosiah spoke of the "trials and troubles of a righteous king, yea, all the travails of soul for their people, and also all the murmurings of the people to their king" (Mosiah 29:33). Mosiah, who spoke from personal experience, used words that reflected the task of one who often had to make such decisions. He also seems to have been one who drew upon divine guidance to make difficult decisions, including the scriptures. We may not be kings, but we can also draw upon divine guidance as we face different challenges in our lives.



¹ Lehi had also previously used the phrase "land of liberty," but not in connection with kingship (2 Nephi 1:7).