This post covers Mosiah 25-29. The Come Follow Me reading for this week is Mosiah 25-28.
Mosiah may genuinely be one of my favorite books in the Book of Mormon. Every time I read it, I am overwhelmed with the awareness of the goodness of God and his hand in our lives. I say this knowing that so many people suffer so many terrible things in this world, and it doesn't seem right, but I truly believe that He suffers when we suffer. In the grand view of the eternities, our life on earth is but a small drop of time. If we can hang on through the tough times, it will get better, and we will return to our Father in Heaven, where all will be well.
I want to focus today's thoughts on three themes that stuck out to me the most in Mosiah 25-29, the last chapters of Mosiah. These are themes I've talked about before from other verses of the Book of Mormon and the Bible, which just reaffirms for me their great importance:
1. The importance of record keeping.
At this point in the book, all the people that we know of that are trying to follow God have reunited in Zarahemla:
1. The descendants of Zeniff (Limhi and his people) that left for the land of Nephi and then ended up in bondage to the Lamanites have escaped back to Zarahemla.
2. Ammon and King Mosiah's other men who went searching for the descendants of Zeniff have returned to Zarahemla with Limhi and his people.
3. Alma, the prophet who listened to the prophet Abinadi and led 450 faithful people into the wilderness, and were eventually put in bondage by the Lamanites have also escaped and returned to Zarahemla.
4. The wicked priests of Noah that kidnapped Lamanites and ended up with Alma's people have already gone to Zarahemla and changed their names to Nephites because they don't want to be associated with that evil (Mosiah 25:12)
It is because of these records, and the records that were brought together that Mosiah read to the reunited people, that they, and now us, know of their stories. I love picturing the people gathered together as they gasped and reacted to the history as it was shared to the people. (Mosiah 8-11). I related to to Mosiah 25:8 when it says, "For they know not what to think" as it goes through their emotions of great joy and grew sorrow for what happened to their brethern.
Throughout the Book of Mormon, we get updates on who is keeping the records, and how they are being handed off. Near the end of Mosiah, King Mosiah uses seer stones to translate some of the new records that came into his care from all the people gathering in Zarahemla, and then he entrusts them to Alma the Younger, to both care for and to continue the history of his people. (See Mosiah 28:20)
What experiences are you living through now, and what have you learned from them, that can bless others? What legacy do you want to live behind? I was intrigued as a read someone's hand-written history recently how they divided their history: 88% about their personal work history, 5% listing their trips, 4% listing their church positions and one story of faith, and 3% about family that skimmed over spouse, children, and grand-children. What balance do you want in your history? Or do you have one at all? Even writing an annual Christmas newsletter and binding those together could be a decent history. Think of the book of Enos, where Amaron summarized 320 years of the history of his people in just five verses! (Omni, 1:4-8).
2. The blessings of great faith.
Throughout the Book of Mormon and the Bible, there are great stories of mighty faith, and how the Lord blessed them. When Alma has to deal with people that are taken "in divers iniquities" (Mosiah 26:11) he goes to the Lord in prayer about what to do, rather than taking advantage of his power.
The Lord answers him, "Blessed art thou, Alma, and blessed are they who were baptized in the waters of Mormon. Thou art blessed because of they exceeding faith in the words along of my servant Abinadi. And blessed are they because of their exceeding faith in the words alone which thou has spoken unto them."
Remember, those that were baptized in the waters of Mormon had to leave behind their belongs and flee into the wilderness to practice what they believed.
Another area where I saw great faith was after a son of Alma and the sons of Mosiah repented, the sons of Mosiah wanted to return to the land of Nephi to preach repentance. I'm sure Mosiah would have liked to keep his children near and safe, after all, his sons had to plead "for many days," (Mosiah 28:5). Mosiah trusted in the Lord though, who told him, "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." (Mosiah 28:7).
3. The importance of loving everyone and what that means.
Mosiah was a good and faithful man. In fact, it says in Mosiah 29:40 that, "... 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 sou; 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."
His love was selfless.
In addition, he fought for fairness between all groups. It says in Mosiah 27:3-4, "And there was a strict command throughout all the churches that there should be no persecutions among them, that there should be an equality among all men. That they should let no pride nor haughtiness disturb that peace; that every man should esteem his neighbor as himself, laboring with their own hands for their support.
When men were brought before Mosiah that were doing bad things, he asked Alma to figure out what to do, and Alma turned to the Lord (Mosiah 26). They both sought to be fair.
Conclusion
When the book of Mosiah draws to a close, two great men, King Mosiah, and Alma have passed away.
King Mosiah's legacy is one that was esteemed greatly and loved greatly by his people "exceedingly, beyond measure" (Mosiah 29:40).
Alma's legacy was founding the church in the land of Zarahemla, which you can see best through the son that he raised, who "did walk in the ways of the Lord, and he did keep his commandments, and he did judge righteous judgements; and there was continual peace through the land" (Mosiah 29:43).
Alma (the elder) then died at 82, and Mosiah then died at 63, 509 years after Lehi left Jerusalem (Mosiah 29:46).
What an incredible legacy and a story of great faith among so many.
Mosiah may genuinely be one of my favorite books in the Book of Mormon. Every time I read it, I am overwhelmed with the awareness of the goodness of God and his hand in our lives. I say this knowing that so many people suffer so many terrible things in this world, and it doesn't seem right, but I truly believe that He suffers when we suffer. In the grand view of the eternities, our life on earth is but a small drop of time. If we can hang on through the tough times, it will get better, and we will return to our Father in Heaven, where all will be well.
Four Sons of Mosiah Kneeling in Prayer
Photo Source: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints website
I want to focus today's thoughts on three themes that stuck out to me the most in Mosiah 25-29, the last chapters of Mosiah. These are themes I've talked about before from other verses of the Book of Mormon and the Bible, which just reaffirms for me their great importance:
1. The importance of record keeping.
At this point in the book, all the people that we know of that are trying to follow God have reunited in Zarahemla:
1. The descendants of Zeniff (Limhi and his people) that left for the land of Nephi and then ended up in bondage to the Lamanites have escaped back to Zarahemla.
2. Ammon and King Mosiah's other men who went searching for the descendants of Zeniff have returned to Zarahemla with Limhi and his people.
3. Alma, the prophet who listened to the prophet Abinadi and led 450 faithful people into the wilderness, and were eventually put in bondage by the Lamanites have also escaped and returned to Zarahemla.
4. The wicked priests of Noah that kidnapped Lamanites and ended up with Alma's people have already gone to Zarahemla and changed their names to Nephites because they don't want to be associated with that evil (Mosiah 25:12)
It is because of these records, and the records that were brought together that Mosiah read to the reunited people, that they, and now us, know of their stories. I love picturing the people gathered together as they gasped and reacted to the history as it was shared to the people. (Mosiah 8-11). I related to to Mosiah 25:8 when it says, "For they know not what to think" as it goes through their emotions of great joy and grew sorrow for what happened to their brethern.
Throughout the Book of Mormon, we get updates on who is keeping the records, and how they are being handed off. Near the end of Mosiah, King Mosiah uses seer stones to translate some of the new records that came into his care from all the people gathering in Zarahemla, and then he entrusts them to Alma the Younger, to both care for and to continue the history of his people. (See Mosiah 28:20)
What experiences are you living through now, and what have you learned from them, that can bless others? What legacy do you want to live behind? I was intrigued as a read someone's hand-written history recently how they divided their history: 88% about their personal work history, 5% listing their trips, 4% listing their church positions and one story of faith, and 3% about family that skimmed over spouse, children, and grand-children. What balance do you want in your history? Or do you have one at all? Even writing an annual Christmas newsletter and binding those together could be a decent history. Think of the book of Enos, where Amaron summarized 320 years of the history of his people in just five verses! (Omni, 1:4-8).
2. The blessings of great faith.
Throughout the Book of Mormon and the Bible, there are great stories of mighty faith, and how the Lord blessed them. When Alma has to deal with people that are taken "in divers iniquities" (Mosiah 26:11) he goes to the Lord in prayer about what to do, rather than taking advantage of his power.
The Lord answers him, "Blessed art thou, Alma, and blessed are they who were baptized in the waters of Mormon. Thou art blessed because of they exceeding faith in the words along of my servant Abinadi. And blessed are they because of their exceeding faith in the words alone which thou has spoken unto them."
Remember, those that were baptized in the waters of Mormon had to leave behind their belongs and flee into the wilderness to practice what they believed.
Another area where I saw great faith was after a son of Alma and the sons of Mosiah repented, the sons of Mosiah wanted to return to the land of Nephi to preach repentance. I'm sure Mosiah would have liked to keep his children near and safe, after all, his sons had to plead "for many days," (Mosiah 28:5). Mosiah trusted in the Lord though, who told him, "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." (Mosiah 28:7).
3. The importance of loving everyone and what that means.
Mosiah was a good and faithful man. In fact, it says in Mosiah 29:40 that, "... 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 sou; 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."
His love was selfless.
In addition, he fought for fairness between all groups. It says in Mosiah 27:3-4, "And there was a strict command throughout all the churches that there should be no persecutions among them, that there should be an equality among all men. That they should let no pride nor haughtiness disturb that peace; that every man should esteem his neighbor as himself, laboring with their own hands for their support.
When men were brought before Mosiah that were doing bad things, he asked Alma to figure out what to do, and Alma turned to the Lord (Mosiah 26). They both sought to be fair.
Conclusion
When the book of Mosiah draws to a close, two great men, King Mosiah, and Alma have passed away.
King Mosiah's legacy is one that was esteemed greatly and loved greatly by his people "exceedingly, beyond measure" (Mosiah 29:40).
Alma's legacy was founding the church in the land of Zarahemla, which you can see best through the son that he raised, who "did walk in the ways of the Lord, and he did keep his commandments, and he did judge righteous judgements; and there was continual peace through the land" (Mosiah 29:43).
Alma (the elder) then died at 82, and Mosiah then died at 63, 509 years after Lehi left Jerusalem (Mosiah 29:46).
What an incredible legacy and a story of great faith among so many.
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