Mosiah 28-29

Mosiah 28

The sons of Mosiah have been preaching throughout the land, trying to repair the damage they did in their rebel years. But it isn’t enough for them… they want to go preach to the Lamanites because “they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thought that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble (vs. 3).” What a deep conversion they have had!

Now keep in mind, the Lamanites HATE the Nephites and will just as soon eat them as listen to them talk about the gospel. And for this reason, Mosiah is not keen on the idea of his sons going to sacrifice themselves to these people who surely won’t benefit from their preaching anyway. But his sons persist in wanting to go, so Mosiah goes to the Lord to ask for advice. He receives this answer:

7 And the Lord said unto Mosiah: Let them go up, for many shall believe on their words, and they shall have eternal life; and I will deliver thy sons out of the hands of the Lamanites.

And with this reassurance from the Lord, Mosiah allows his sons to go. Incredible missionary adventures await us in the chapters ahead! And can I just say I am astounded at the courage and the LOVE the sons of Mosiah have—what an unselfish desire! And I also love the complete trust that Mosiah has in the Lord to keep his promise to deliver his sons out of the hands of the Lamanites. We will see some cool ways that promise is fulfilled.

In this chapter we also learn about Mosiah’s God-given ability to be able to translate, and he translates the records brought to him by the people of Limhi which they found back when they sent a small group to search for the land of Zarahemla while they were in bondage (Mosiah 21:27). We will get to read an abridgment of this translated record in the book of Ether, toward the end of the Book of Mormon.

Mosiah 29

King Mosiah is old, but none of his sons are willing to take the throne after him because they want to be missionaries instead. Mosiah uses this difficult dilemma as an opportunity to open up a new political era for the Nephites—the reign of the judges. As you read the chapter you’ll learn all the reasons Mosiah feels that a system of judges is safer than a king, because if you get one bad king he can cause a lot of trouble and wickedness (take King Noah for example!). A system of judges allows the people to rule themselves, and they will be safe as long as the majority of the people desire good:

25 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.

 26 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.

 27 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.

So the people elect judges, and Alma (the younger) is elected as Chief Judge of the land, and he is also head of the church. Both King Mosiah and Alma’s father (Alma the Elder) pass away from old age.

 47 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.