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 Mosiah 21:11 And it came to pass that Limhi and his people returned to the city of Nephi, and began to dwell in the land again in peace. Textual: As
noted at the end of chapter 20, this verse is misplaced here. Since there is no break in the 1830 edition, Mormon
did not create this division in the sentences. The literary units he is creating would require this verse to be
attached to the previous unit. Verse 2 below is the proper starting point of the new unit.Mosiah 21:22 And it came to pass that after many days the Lamanites began again to be stirred up in anger against the Nephites, and they began to come into the borders of the land round about. We are not told precisely
the amount of time that passed between the resolution of the previous war and this new increase in hostilities.
The only indication is that it is "after many days." This could be a few days, a week or more, or perhaps
a month. It would not appear to be a year, for then it would be easier to note that a year had passed (particularly
since there are indications that the large plates record was kept by years).This tells us that the increase in hostilities is close in time to the previous event, and therefore likely to be based upon the same reasons. Since the previous conflict regarded the oath itself, what is creating this conflict? Mormon does not tell us. We might speculate, however, that while there was an official recognition that the Limhites might not have broken the oath through the abduction of the daughters of the Lamanites, there was nevertheless no firm evidence that the priests of Noah really were the culprits. This would have created a situation where there was an official reinstatement of the treaty, but a personal hesitation on the part of individuals among the Lamanites. The official treaty might be in place, but they would likely suspect that the story of the priests of Noah was a tale of convenience; one that they did not believe. If they believed that the Limhites were indeed guilty, the resumption of hostilities is understandable. Mosiah 21:33 Now they durst not slay them, because of the oath which their king had made unto Limhi; but they would smite them on their cheeks, and exercise authority over them; and began to put heavy burdens upon their backs, and drive them as they would a dumb ass- Whether or not there
was any explicit information in the plates we do not know, but Mormon understands that this increase in hostility
is not a governmentally sanctioned effort. These are apparently individuals who are pushing the limits of their
treaty. They appear to want to fall upon the Limhites to slay them, but restrain themselves because of the oath.
The result is that the desire to harm is displayed in individual situations (slapping and overburdening) rather
than military situations. The original plate source could have understood this implicitly, but it is not likely
that there was an official recognition by the Lamanites of the type of harassment that was being applied. Therefore,
either Mormon is interpreting the situation based on what he read, or the plate source did the interpreting, and
Mormon is echoing it. Given those two options, I would favor Mormon as the interpreter. The actions of the Limhites appear to suggest that they did not fully understand the nature of the attacks upon them, which will result in their military response. Mosiah 21:44 Yea, all this was done that the word of the Lord might be fulfilled. Mosiah 21:5 5 And now the afflictions of the Nephites were great, and there was no way that they could deliver themselves out of their hands, for the Lamanites had surrounded them on every side. Textual: Verse
14 is very clearly Mormon's inserted conclusion. The Limhites may or may not have explicitly connected their current
burdens with their past actions (and the prophecy of Abinadi). Mormon, however, would know the whole story, and
most certainly would see it as a whole moral story, from their departure from God, God's punishment for their apostasy,
and the repentance and reconciliation of the people.Verse 15 sets up the conflict of the current story unit. The Limhites are oppressed terribly, and require deliverance. Once again this is Mormon's synopsis of the situation. This is made clear by the note that they are unable to extract themselves because the Lamanites have them surrounded. The indication that this is Mormon's statement and conclusion comes in the comparison of the following events. While Mormon knows that their situation is helpless, apparently the Limhites do not necessarily believe it to be that helpless. They will attempt to extricate themselves three times by military force. Certainly they will not do that expecting total failure, but Mormon knows that it did fail. Mosiah 21:66 And it came to pass that the people began to murmur with the king because of their afflictions; and they began to be desirous to go against them to battle. And they did afflict the king sorely with their complaints; therefore he granted unto them that they should do according to their desires. Mosiah 21:7 7 And they gathered themselves together again, and put on their armor, and went forth against the Lamanites to drive them out of their land. None of this information
should surprise us. The people were unhappy with the way they were being treated. On top of the burdensome tribute,
they had to endure the taunts and physical oppression of the Lamanites. It is not surprising that under those circumstances
they would want to deliver themselves from the their troubles. It is also not surprising that they would want to
do so militarily, as they would remember having success against the Lamanites. They have previously beaten back
Lamanite advances, and very recently ambushed and beaten one Lamanite army. After much pleading, it is also not
surprising that Limhi relented and allowed his people to fight.Mosiah 21:88 And it came to pass that the Lamanites did beat them, and drove them back, and slew many of them. Unfortunately for the
Limhites, it is also not surprising that the Lamanites should have beaten them back. We were told in the beginning
of the story of the destruction of Noah that the army was greatly reduced (Mosiah 19:2). In addition, Alma had
taken a number of people away, certainly including some able bodied men. Finally, while the ambush had been successful,
there were no doubt Limhite casualties. The ambush worked precisely because it was an ambush, as they were already
outnumbered about two to one (Mosiah 20:11). With the Lamanites surrounding the Limhites, and with clear numerical
superiority, and with an expectation of violence (and perhaps even the hope of provoking it) the Limhites went
forth to a doomed battle.It is culturally important, however, to note that when the Limhites are defeated and driven back, there is no further attack upon the city. The tribute function was still important, and the effect of the force of arms was to pacify the population and return them to profitable tributaries. The war of retaliatory destruction that one might expect from the history of western warfare did not happen. Geography: The Lamanites are able to surround the Limhites, and it appears that all Limhite action comes from a single location. We may suppose that this is the city of Lehi-Nephi. Early in the story of Zeniff, we heard that Zeniff was also granted the land of Shilom (Mosiah 9:6) and that Noah had a building project in Shilom (Mosiah 10: 13). Nevertheless, at this point we have no indication of any Limhites in Shilom. Somewhere in the untold history of this people, Shilom was lost. Perhaps it was lost in the time of Noah, and may have been a struggle that resulted in the diminution of the king's army (as noted in Mosiah 19:2). In any case, Shilom is lost, and Limhi and his people are surrounded in Lehi-Nephi. It is to that one remaining city that Ammon will come. Mosiah 21:99 And now there was a great mourning and lamentation among the people of Limhi, the widow mourning for her husband, the son and the daughter mourning for their father, and the brothers for their brethren. Mosiah 21:10 10 Now there were a great many widows in the land, and they did cry mightily from day to day, for a great fear of the Lamanites had come upon them. In addition to the
obvious emotional pain of losing husbands, brothers, and sons, there was a "great fear of the Lamanites… come
upon them." There should have been reason for fear previously, but this fear was a new one in the light of
the great defeat. Always before they had been victorious, even with smaller numbers. Now this defeat placed them
in a clearly vulnerable position. They had lost men, but they had also lost some confidence.Mosiah 21:1111 And it came to pass that their continual cries did stir up the remainder of the people of Limhi to anger against the Lamanites; and they went again to battle, but they were driven back again, suffering much loss. Mosiah 21:12 12 Yea, they went again even the third time, and suffered in the like manner; and those that were not slain returned again to the city of Nephi. Mosiah 21:13 13 And they did humble themselves even to the dust, subjecting themselves to the yoke of bondage, submitting themselves to be smitten, and to be driven to and fro, and burdened, according to the desires of their enemies. Mosiah 21:14 14 And they did humble themselves even in the depths of humility; and they did cry mightily to God; yea, even all the day long did they cry unto their God that he would deliver them out of their afflictions. These verses are entered
to show the way in which the pride of the Limhites was destroyed. While the end of verse 10 suggests that they
were becoming humble, the military sorties of verses 11 and 12 show that this humbling was not complete. Somewhere,
somehow, there were still those with a pride of arms that told them that they could defeat the Lamanites that were
surrounding them. The third defeat finally showed the error of that pride, and they finally begin to humble themselves.The humility of the people took two forms. The first was the resignation to the Lamanite's conditions. They because humble as a defeated people is humble. They allowed themselves to be "smitten, and to be driven to and fro, and burdened." While this is a logical consequence of the terrible losses they would have suffered, it still isn't the type of humility they needed. That finally comes in verse 14. They humble themselves before the Lord, realizing that only He can save them. They no longer have pride in their strength of arms. They no longer believe that they are able, of themselves, to extricate themselves. In this great extremity, they finally call upon the Lord. This recognition of our relative position before God is the type of humility He requires of all of us. We need not be beaten down to find it, however. We can enjoy his great blessings and yet acknowledge Him and His guidance. The Limhites had become so filled with pride that they had to be torn down before they could be built up again. However, what God wants is the humility, not the process by which we develop it. Mosiah 21:1515 And now the Lord was slow to hear their cry because of their iniquities; nevertheless the Lord did hear their cries, and began to soften the hearts of the Lamanites that they began to ease their burdens; yet the Lord did not see fit to deliver them out of bondage. We do not understand
the timetable of the Lord. While he hears and answers prayers, He clearly does not do so according to our desires,
but His own wisdom. For the Limhites, he did not immediately deliver them from bondage. However, things did improve
for the Limhites. What we have here is Mormon's assessment of the situation. Because Mormon understood God, he clearly gives God credit for the easing of the tensions and the burdens. A dispassionate historian might note that this is a relatively normal event. The further time took them from the conflicts, the lesser the immediate tensions. The longer they lived with the burdens, the more they were normal and less obviously imposed. The faithful historian would note that God works with the world, and that both Mormon and the "dispassionate historian" were correct. Mosiah 21:1616 And it came to pass that they began to prosper by degrees in the land, and began to raise grain more abundantly, and flocks, and herds, that they did not suffer with hunger. Mosiah 21:17 17 Now there was a great number of women, more than there was of men; therefore king Limhi commanded that every man should impart to the support of the widows and their children, that they might not perish with hunger; and this they did because of the greatness of their number that had been slain. Verses 16 and 17 are
probably connected. The ability to produce more in a condition of diminished male-power would have come with the
relearning of roles in the society. The women likely took on more of a role in the fields and with the flocks.
This relearning of tasks would increase the available manpower pool to the point where goods were more readily
available. However, it would also not be a surprise if the households without an able bodied male would have a
harder time in food production. This would not be due only to the physical prowess of the male, but the simple
fact of fewer hands to accomplish the tasks. Thus a widow might be able to provide for some food, but not what
she and her husband could have produced together.In these tight economic times, Limhi introduces a policy of communal sharing. Remember that we have seen such communal sharing from Alma and his people. It is quite likely that the sharing is typically a result of economic necessity, and that it is related to smaller populations. Here the once prosperous Limhites are greatly reduced in number through warfare. In that smaller population there is greater individual contact, and greater need to share rather than create wealth divisions (or even worse, divisions in the availability of the basic necessities of life). Mosiah 21:1818 Now the people of Limhi kept together in a body as much as it was possible, and secured their grain and their flocks; This is a means of
mutual protection. Since the treaty was in place, it was not so much against official Lamanite attack, but probably
protection from "unauthorized" bands of Lamanites. Those same men who were so bold as to burden and beat
the Limhites would certainly continue to do so, but would find a less attractive target in a larger group of people.Mosiah 21:1919 And the king himself did not trust his person without the walls of the city, unless he took his guards with him, fearing that he might by some means fall into the hands of the Lamanites. This is the direct
explanation for the circumstances we first met in the account of Ammon, given in Mosiah 7:7-8.Mosiah 21:2020 And he caused that his people should watch the land round about, that by some means they might take those priests that fled into the wilderness, who had stolen the daughters of the Lamanites, and that had caused such a great destruction to come upon them. Mosiah 21:21 21 For they were desirous to take them that they might punish them; for they had come into the land of Nephi by night, and carried off their grain and many of their precious things; therefore they laid wait for them. Verses 20 and 21 deal
with the continuing concern with the priests of Noah. Limhi has his people vigilant for them for two reasons. The
first is that these priests are the direct cause of their current level of distress. Presumably, the finding and
punishment of the priests of Noah would demonstrate with finality the innocence of the Limhites in the conflict
over the oath/treaty. That should diminish the anger of the Lamanite guards towards them, though it would not change
the conditions of the original treaty.The second reason is that the priests of Noah have been raiding the Limhites. How does Limhi know that it is the priests of Noah and not the Lamanites? He does not (unless they had been seen, which is not disclosed in this record). Nevertheless, he may readily surmise that the Lamanites have no need to steal, as they are receiving a large tribute already. Thus the only ones with true motivation for theft would be the priests who would be in need, seeing that they have a much smaller population and a lesser base on which to live. Since those priests would not have had time to plant and grow food, their theft of grain is completely understandable. Mosiah 21:2222 And it came to pass that there was no more disturbance between the Lamanites and the people of Limhi, even until the time that Ammon and his brethren came into the land. Textual: Mormon
is now concluding his elaborate and lengthy flashback. He has a technical problem in front of him as to how he
might pick up the tale where he left Ammon back at the end of chapter 8. He solves this problem by simply repeating
the story of the meeting of Ammon and Limhi. We have this single occasion in two places in our text, once from
Ammon's perspective, and once from Limhi's.Mosiah 21:2323 And the king having been without the gates of the city with his guard, discovered Ammon and his brethren; and supposing them to be priests of Noah therefore he caused that they should be taken, and bound, and cast into prison. And had they been the priests of Noah he would have caused that they should be put to death. Mosiah 21:24 24 But when he found that they were not, but that they were his brethren, and had come from the land of Zarahemla, he was filled with exceedingly great joy. Here we learn something
new that we did not know when we first saw this story in Mosiah 7; Ammon and his brethren are originally mistaken
for the priests of Noah. In chapter 7 we are allowed the misperception that they would have thought them to be
Lamanites. However, with the information now available, that could not have been the case, as the Limhites were
tributaries to the Lamanites and the capture of Lamanites would be an act of war, an event that Limhi would want
to avoid. Thus it is the suspicion that these are the priests of Noah that leads to the capture and imprisonment
of Ammon, Helem, and Hem (see Mosiah 7:6).This information suggests that Limhi's guard were younger men who were not part of Noah's court, else they should have recognized the priests of Noah. They could tell that Ammon, Helem, and Hem were not Lamanites, but they clearly did not recognize them either as the priests whom they could have been, or the Nephites, whom they were. Ammon spent two days in prison (Mosiah 7:8) and certainly in this time there was a determination made that they were not the priests of Noah. Since they were not the priests of Noah, and were certainly not Lamanites, Ammon is given the audience before Limhi to discover just who they were (Mosiah 7:9-13). Mosiah 21:2525 Now king Limhi had sent, previous to the coming of Ammon, a small number of men to search for the land of Zarahemla; but they could not find it, and they were lost in the wilderness. Mosiah 21:26 26 Nevertheless, they did find a land which had been peopled; yea, a land which was covered with dry bones; yea, a land which had been peopled and which had been destroyed; and they, having supposed it to be the land of Zarahemla, returned to the land of Nephi, having arrived in the borders of the land not many days before the coming of Ammon. Mosiah 21:27 27 And they brought a record with them, even a record of the people whose bones they had found; and it was engraven on plates of ore. Textual: This
is a repeat of the story found in Mosiah 8:6-11. Why is the story repeated? There is nothing in this story that
returns us to the essential story line of Ammon, which is the meeting and eventual liberation of the Limhites.
This is a sidetrip in the current narrative. In the previous story, it fit into the context of the events very
well. Here it appears out of place.The plausible answer lies in the shift in sources. In Mosiah 8 we have the story from Ammon's point of view. That story made sense because Ammon knew of King Mosiah's abilities with the Urim and Thummim. However, in this context we have the story from Limhi's records. As Mormon is writing the story he is using different sources. His current source is Limhi's account, and Limhi also records the incident of the men who searched for Zarahemla. In Limhi's records the story is relevant because of the great contrast between the expedition to find Zarahemla with its disappointing conclusion that Zarahemla had been destroyed (see verse 26) and the joy at discovering that Zarahemla really was still there. As a modern reader, this is a useless repetition. In the context of each of Mormon's two sources, however, the insertion of the event is quite appropriate. We are left now only with Mormon's decision to include it. While Mormon is synopsizing, we may suppose from this evidence that he intended to remain relatively faithful to his source documents. Because the event was included in this place in his source, he reproduces it. This also suggests that Mormon's editorial hand was not as heavy as it could have been. He appears to allow much of the original to surface in hisd abridgement. Mosiah 21:2828 And now Limhi was again filled with joy on learning from the mouth of Ammon that king Mosiah had a gift from God, whereby he could interpret such engravings; yea, and Ammon also did rejoice. In the corresponding
passage in Mosiah 8 we have Limhi's words of joy:Mosiah 8:19-21 19 And now, when Ammon had made an end of speaking these words the king rejoiced exceedingly, and gave thanks to God, saying: Doubtless a great mystery is contained within these plates, and these interpreters were doubtless prepared for the purpose of unfolding all such mysteries to the children of men. 20 O how marvelous are the works of the Lord, and how long doth he suffer with his people; yea, and how blind and impenetrable are the understandings of the children of men; for they will not seek wisdom, neither do they desire that she should rule over them! 21 Yea, they are as a wild flock which fleeth from the shepherd, and scattereth, and are driven, and are devoured by the beasts of the forest. As noted in the commentary on those verses, Limhi expects that the plates will hold important information that might show them their own future. Textual: The printer's manuscript and the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon read "that king Benjamin" had a gift from God…." This was changed to Mosiah beginning in the 1837 edition. This was certainly an error on someone's part, as the internal history of the Book of Mormon indicates that Benjamin would have probably died by the time Ammon left, and Mosiah was certainly the sitting king. Nevertheless, Benjamin must have been in possession of the Urim and Thummim and passed them on to Mosiah. Thus it would not have been incorrect to associate Benjamin with the Urim and Thummim, though for Ammon to do so in the present tense would be the error. Whether or not this was a "slip of the tongue" for Ammon, an timing error by Mormon, and a slip among names for Joseph or Oliver we cannot know. Certainly we have all had the experience of thinking we have said one thing, and finding out we actually said something else. That could easily explain such a slip on Joseph's part (or Oliver's). Mosiah 21:2929 Yet Ammon and his brethren were filled with sorrow because so many of their brethren had been slain; Ammon's version of
the encounter does not explicitly mention their sorrow at the slain among the Limhites. Certainly they were sorrowful,
but Ammon's perspective is different from Limhi's and while this is important for Limhi to record, it apparently
was not that important for Ammon's record.Mosiah 21:3030 And also that king Noah and his priests had caused the people to commit so many sins and iniquities against God; and they also did mourn for the death of Abinadi; and also for the departure of Alma and the people that went with him, who had formed a church of God through the strength and power of God, and faith on the words which had been spoken by Abinadi. Ammon does record Limhi
describing his people's relationship to Noah and the death of Abinadi (Mosiah 7:25-28) but does not mention Alma
specifically. Nevertheless, Limhi would surely have discussed that aspect of Abinadi's mission as it is clearly
important to Limhi. Just how important Alma is to Limhi is evidence in the last part of the verse. While these
are Mormon's words, we may easily suppose that they accurately echo the original in describing Alma, "who
had formed a church of God through the strength and power of God." Limhi's people in their humble state would
certainly have recognized the truth of Abinadi's teachings (since his predictions about the Limhites had come true,
surely Abinadi was also correct about the nature of the atoning Messiah). They also would have known of Alma and
those who went with him. Apparently that knowledge also included information about Alma's "church" and
his ordinance of baptism, as we will see in verse 33.Mosiah 21:3131 Yea, they did mourn for their departure, for they knew not whither they had fled. Now they would have gladly joined with them, for they themselves had entered into a covenant with God to serve him and keep his commandments. Note that the reason
that Limhi and his people would have joined Alma is not simply their desire to be out from under the oppression
of the Lamanites as Alma's people were, but because Limhi and his people recognize that Alma's people have made
a covenant with God, and are under God's protection. They now want that covenant from themselves.Mosiah 21:3232 And now since the coming of Ammon, king Limhi had also entered into a covenant with God, and also many of his people, to serve him and keep his commandments. Mosiah 21:33 33 And it came to pass that king Limhi and many of his people were desirous to be baptized; but there was none in the land that had authority from God. And Ammon declined doing this thing, considering himself an unworthy servant. Limhi sees the arrival
of Ammon as a means of entering into the covenant that Alma had made with God. Indeed, as indicated in verse 32,
they had already made the covenant in their hearts, but they were awaiting the final act of that covenant, which
was baptism. Having seen Alma and his church, they wanted that same benefit for themselves, and presumed that Ammon
would be able to provide them the benefits of Alma's baptism. Ammon declines. The official reason is that Ammon
considers himself "an unworthy servant."The Limhites have already delayed baptism because "there was none in the land that had authority from God." They presumed that Ammon would have it. It might be that Ammon did not feel that he did. Of course we do not know the intricacies of priesthood in Zarahemla, so we do not know whether or not Ammon might otherwise have performed a baptism. However, there is another possibility that becomes clearer in the next verse. Mosiah 21:3434 Therefore they did not at that time form themselves into a church, waiting upon the Spirit of the Lord. Now they were desirous to become even as Alma and his brethren, who had fled into the wilderness. As discussed earlier,
Alma's baptism became the sign of assembling into a church. It is this context in which we need to see the Limhite's
desire. They have been through tribulations occasioned by the death of Abinadi, and have seen Alma come through
that experience with a renewed covenant with God, and at least the obvious blessing of not being a tributary to
the Lamanites. It makes the most sense for Limhi and his people to desire to do what Alma has done, but become
a "church." There is no clear indication of a "church" in Zarahemla at this point in time.
There will be churches there, but only after Alma's arrival, and probably at his instigation. It is quite possible
that Ammon is balking not at the right of baptism, but at the greater implication of the formation of a church,
an authority that he would not presume, even assuming the authority to baptize. Ammon is probably deferring because
he is being asked to perform a rite with a context and meaning with which he is unfamiliar, and therefore would
prefer to wait until he gets an indication from Zarahemla as to how they should proceed.Mosiah 21:3535 They were desirous to be baptized as a witness and a testimony that they were willing to serve God with all their hearts; nevertheless they did prolong the time; and an account of their baptism shall be given hereafter. The issue here is baptism
into a church, and that is delayed. If we were to assume that Ammon had the priesthood and the right and authority
to baptize, it is hard to imagine a reason why he would deny baptism to a people who so clearly desired it, and
were prepared for it. Peterson suggests that it is because Ammon is a warrior (Peterson, Daniel C. "Priesthood
in Mosiah." The Book of Mormon: Mosiah, Salvation Only Through Christ. Religious Studies Center, BYU, 1991,
pp. 201). The more probable answer would appear to be Ammon's unfamiliarity with the specifics of what the Limhites
desired. Note that Peterson agrees that the institution of a "church" would be a new innovation with
Alma (Peterson, p. 200).Mosiah 21:3636 And now all the study of Ammon and his people, and king Limhi and his people, was to deliver themselves out of the hands of the Lamanites and from bondage. Textual: This
verse serves as a transition into a new literary unit. Mormon is closing the flashback portion of the text, and
now begins new material. That new material will be in a separate chapter, befitting the beginning of the return
to the main story line. |
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| by Brant Gardner. Copyright 2000 |
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