Mosiah
47 verses
After Mosiah did this, he sent messengers throughout the land to all the people, asking them what their will was regarding who should be their king.
Now when Mosiah had done this he sent out throughout all the land, among all the people, desiring to know their will concerning who should be their king.
The people spoke and said, "We want your son Aaron to be our king and our leader.
And it came to pass that the voice of the people came, saying: We are desirous that Aaron thy son should be our king and our ruler.
Aaron had gone to the land of Nephi, so the king couldn't give him the kingdom. Aaron also wouldn't accept the kingdom, and none of the sons of Mosiah were willing to take the kingdom either.
Now Aaron had gone up to the land of Nephi, therefore the king could not confer the kingdom upon him; neither would Aaron take upon him the kingdom; neither were any of the sons of Mosiah willing to take upon them the kingdom.
So King Mosiah sent another message among the people, sending them a written word. These are the words that were written:
Therefore king Mosiah sent again among the people; yea, even a written word sent he among the people. And these were the words that were written, saying:
My people, my brothers, because I see you as such, I want you to think about the reason you are being asked to consider—for you want to have a king.
Behold, O ye my people, or my brethren, for I esteem you as such, I desire that ye should consider the cause which ye are called to consider—for ye are desirous to have a king.
I now tell you that the person who rightfully should be king has refused and will not accept the kingdom.
Now I declare unto you that he to whom the kingdom doth rightly belong has declined, and will not take upon him the kingdom.
If someone else were appointed in his place, I’m afraid there would be arguments among you. And who knows if my son, who is supposed to be king, might become angry and lead some of the people away with him? That could cause wars and arguments among you, leading to much bloodshed and turning people away from the Lord, and even destroying the souls of many people.
And now if there should be another appointed in his stead, behold I fear there would rise contentions among you. And who knoweth but what my son, to whom the kingdom doth belong, should turn to be angry and draw away a part of this people after him, which would cause wars and contentions among you, which would be the cause of shedding much blood and perverting the way of the Lord, yea, and destroy the souls of many people.
Let’s be wise and think about these things, because we have no right to kill my son, and we wouldn’t have any right to kill anyone else if he were chosen in his place.
Now I say unto you let us be wise and consider these things, for we have no right to destroy my son, neither should we have any right to destroy another if he should be appointed in his stead.
If my son were to return to his pride and vanity, he would take back what he said and claim his right to the kingdom, which would lead him and the people to commit many sins.
And if my son should turn again to his pride and vain things he would recall the things which he had said, and claim his right to the kingdom, which would cause him and also this people to commit much sin.
Let’s be wise, look ahead to these things, and do what will bring peace to the people.
And now let us be wise and look forward to these things, and do that which will make for the peace of this people.
So I will be your king for the rest of my life; however, let’s appoint judges to judge the people according to our law. We will reorganize the affairs of the people by choosing wise men to be judges, so they can judge everyone according to God’s commandments.
Therefore I will be your king the remainder of my days; nevertheless, let us appoint judges, to judge this people according to our law; and we will newly arrange the affairs of this people, for we will appoint wise men to be judges, that will judge this people according to the commandments of God.
It is better for a person to be judged by God than by people, because God's judgments are always fair, but human judgments are not always fair.
Now it is better that a man should be judged of God than of man, for the judgments of God are always just, but the judgments of man are not always just.
So, if it were possible for you to have righteous men as your kings, who would establish God's laws and judge the people according to his commandments—if you could have kings who would lead like my father Benjamin did—then I tell you, if this could always be the case, it would be best for you to always have kings to rule over you.
Therefore, if it were possible that you could have just men to be your kings, who would establish the laws of God, and judge this people according to his commandments, yea, if ye could have men for your kings who would do even as my father Benjamin did for this people—I say unto you, if this could always be the case then it would be expedient that ye should always have kings to rule over you.
I have worked with all my strength and ability to teach you God’s commandments and to establish peace throughout the land, so there would be no wars or arguments, no stealing, plundering, murdering, or any kind of wickedness.
And even I myself have labored with all the power and faculties which I have possessed, to teach you the commandments of God, and to establish peace throughout the land, that there should be no wars nor contentions, no stealing, nor plundering, nor murdering, nor any manner of iniquity;
And whoever has committed sin, I have punished according to the crime they committed, following the law given to us by our fathers.
And whosoever has committed iniquity, him have I punished according to the crime which he has committed, according to the law which has been given to us by our fathers.
I tell you, because not everyone is just, it is not wise for you to have a king or kings to rule over you.
Now I say unto you, that because all men are not just it is not expedient that ye should have a king or kings to rule over you.
Just think how much sin one wicked king can cause, and how much destruction he can bring!
For behold, how much iniquity doth one wicked king cause to be committed, yea, and what great destruction!
Remember King Noah, his wickedness and his abominations, and also the wickedness and abominations of his people. Great destruction came upon them, and because of their sins they were brought into bondage.
Yea, remember king Noah, his wickedness and his abominations, and also the wickedness and abominations of his people. Behold what great destruction did come upon them; and also because of their iniquities they were brought into bondage.
If their all-wise Creator had not intervened—because of their sincere repentance—they would still be in bondage today.
And were it not for the interposition of their all-wise Creator, and this because of their sincere repentance, they must unavoidably remain in bondage until now.
He delivered them because they humbled themselves before him, and because they cried out to him with all their strength, he freed them from bondage. This is how the Lord works with his power among all people, extending his arm of mercy to those who put their trust in him.
But behold, he did deliver them because they did humble themselves before him; and because they cried mightily unto him he did deliver them out of bondage; and thus doth the Lord work with his power in all cases among the children of men, extending the arm of mercy towards them that put their trust in him.
Now I tell you, you cannot remove a wicked king without a lot of conflict and the shedding of much blood.
And behold, now I say unto you, ye cannot dethrone an iniquitous king save it be through much contention, and the shedding of much blood.
He has friends in wickedness and keeps his guards around him; he destroys the laws of those who ruled righteously before him and tramples the commandments of God under his feet.
For behold, he has his friends in iniquity, and he keepeth his guards about him; and he teareth up the laws of those who have reigned in righteousness before him; and he trampleth under his feet the commandments of God;
He makes laws and sends them out among his people—laws based on his own wickedness. Anyone who does not obey his laws he has destroyed, and anyone who rebels against him he sends his armies to fight, and if he can, he destroys them. In this way, an unrighteous king corrupts all that is right.
And he enacteth laws, and sendeth them forth among his people, yea, laws after the manner of his own wickedness; and whosoever doth not obey his laws he causeth to be destroyed; and whosoever doth rebel against him he will send his armies against them to war, and if he can he will destroy them; and thus an unrighteous king doth pervert the ways of all righteousness.
Now I tell you, it is not good for such abominations to come upon you.
And now behold I say unto you, it is not expedient that such abominations should come upon you.
So choose judges by the voice of the people, so that you may be judged according to the laws given to you by our fathers, which are correct and were given to them by the hand of the Lord.
Therefore, choose you by the voice of this people, judges, that ye may be judged according to the laws which have been given you by our fathers, which are correct, and which were given them by the hand of the Lord.
It’s not common for the majority of people to want something that isn’t right, but it is common for a smaller group to want what isn’t right. So you should pay attention to this and make it your law—to conduct your affairs according to the voice of the people.
Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and make it your law—to do your business by the voice of the people.
If the time comes when the voice of the people chooses wickedness, then God’s judgments will come upon you; that is when he will visit you with great destruction, just as he has already done to this land.
And if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction even as he has hitherto visited this land.
If you have judges, and they don’t judge you according to the law that has been given, you can have them judged by a higher judge.
And now if ye have judges, and they do not judge you according to the law which has been given, ye can cause that they may be judged of a higher judge.
If your higher judges do not judge righteously, you should have a small group of your lower judges gather together, and they will judge your higher judges according to the voice of the people.
If your higher judges do not judge righteous judgments, ye shall cause that a small number of your lower judges should be gathered together, and they shall judge your higher judges, according to the voice of the people.
I command you to do these things with reverence for the Lord, and I instruct you not to have a king, so that if the people commit sins and wrongdoings, they will be responsible for their own actions.
And I command you to do these things in the fear of the Lord; and I command you to do these things, and that ye have no king; that if these people commit sins and iniquities they shall be answered upon their own heads.
I tell you, the sins of many people have been caused by the wickedness of their kings; so their kings are held responsible for those sins.
For behold I say unto you, the sins of many people have been caused by the iniquities of their kings; therefore their iniquities are answered upon the heads of their kings.
I want this inequality to end in this land, especially among my people. I want this land to be a land of freedom, where everyone can enjoy their rights and privileges equally, for as long as the Lord allows us to live here and inherit the land, and as long as any of our descendants remain on the land.
And now I desire that this inequality should be no more in this land, especially among this my people; but I desire that this land be a land of liberty, and every man may enjoy his rights and privileges alike, so long as the Lord sees fit that we may live and inherit the land, yea, even as long as any of our posterity remains upon the face of the land.
King Mosiah wrote many more things to them, explaining all the trials and troubles of a righteous king, all the struggles he went through for his people, and all the complaints the people had against their king; he explained everything to them.
And many more things did king Mosiah write unto them, unfolding unto them all 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; and he explained it all unto them.
He told them that these things should not happen; instead, the responsibility should be shared by everyone, so that each person carries their own part.
And he told them that these things ought not to be; but that the burden should come upon all the people, that every man might bear his part.
He also explained to them all the disadvantages they experienced by having an unrighteous king rule over them.
And he also unfolded unto them all the disadvantages they labored under, by having an unrighteous king to rule over them;
All his iniquities and abominations, and all the wars, contentions, bloodshed, stealing, plundering, committing of whoredoms, and all kinds of iniquities that cannot be listed—he told them that these things should not happen, that they were completely against the commandments of God.
Yea, all his iniquities and abominations, and all the wars, and contentions, and bloodshed, and the stealing, and the plundering, and the committing of whoredoms, and all manner of iniquities which cannot be enumerated—telling them that these things ought not to be, that they were expressly repugnant to the commandments of God.
After King Mosiah sent these things out among the people, they were convinced that his words were true.
And now it came to pass, after king Mosiah had sent these things forth among the people they were convinced of the truth of his words.
So they gave up their desire for a king and became very eager for everyone to have an equal chance throughout the land, and each person expressed a willingness to be accountable for their own sins.
Therefore they relinquished their desires for a king, and became exceedingly anxious that every man should have an equal chance throughout all the land; yea, and every man expressed a willingness to answer for his own sins.
So they gathered together in groups throughout the land to vote on who should be their judges, to judge them according to the law that had been given to them; and they were extremely happy because of the freedom that had been granted to them.
Therefore, it came to pass that they assembled themselves together in bodies throughout the land, to cast in their voices concerning who should be their judges, to judge them according to the law which had been given them; and they were exceedingly rejoiced because of the liberty which had been granted unto them.
They grew strong in their love for Mosiah and respected him more than anyone else. They didn’t see him as a tyrant seeking personal gain or wealth that corrupts the soul, because he hadn’t taken riches from them or taken pleasure in shedding blood. Instead, he established peace in the land and freed his people from all kinds of bondage. Because of this, they valued him extremely highly.
And they did wax strong in love towards Mosiah; yea, they did esteem him more than any other man; for they did not look upon him as a tyrant who was seeking for gain, yea, for that lucre which doth corrupt the soul; for he had not exacted riches of them, neither had he delighted in the shedding of blood; but he had established peace in the land, and he had granted unto his people that they should be delivered from all manner of bondage; therefore they did esteem him, yea, exceedingly, beyond measure.
They appointed judges to rule over them and judge them according to the law, and they did this throughout the entire land.
And it came to pass that they did appoint judges to rule over them, or to judge them according to the law; and this they did throughout all the land.
Alma was appointed to be the first chief judge, and he was also the high priest, since his father had given him the office and the responsibility for all the affairs of the church.
And it came to pass that Alma was appointed to be the first chief judge, he being also the high priest, his father having conferred the office upon him, and having given him the charge concerning all the affairs of the church.
Alma walked in the ways of the Lord, kept His commandments, and judged righteously; and there was continual peace throughout the land.
And now it came to pass that Alma did walk in the ways of the Lord, and he did keep his commandments, and he did judge righteous judgments; and there was continual peace through the land.
This was the beginning of the reign of the judges throughout all the land of Zarahemla, among all the people called the Nephites, and Alma was the first and chief judge.
And thus commenced the reign of the judges throughout all the land of Zarahemla, among all the people who were called the Nephites; and Alma was the first and chief judge.
Now his father died at the age of eighty-two, having lived to fulfill the commandments of God.
And now it came to pass that his father died, being eighty and two years old, having lived to fulfil the commandments of God.
Mosiah also died in the thirty-third year of his reign, at the age of sixty-three, which was five hundred and nine years since Lehi left Jerusalem.
And it came to pass that Mosiah died also, in the thirty and third year of his reign, being sixty and three years old; making in the whole, five hundred and nine years from the time Lehi left Jerusalem.
This is how the reign of the kings over the people of Nephi ended, and this is also when the days of Alma, who founded their church, came to an end.
And thus ended the reign of the kings over the people of Nephi; and thus ended the days of Alma, who was the founder of their church.