How is Alma’s baptism and Joseph Smith’s baptism in some ways similar?
When was the first baptism mentioned in the Book of Mormon?
Why does the name “Mormon” offend God today?
Highlighted text – Verses that are similar or exactly the same in the Bible.
For the sake of time, I will not cite all the parallel phrases and words from the Old and New Testament that are in the Book of Mormon text. While it can be argued that some of the parallels are coincidental, most are so strong that it is impossible not to conclude that their, true source is the King James Version of the Bible. For a complete transcript of this lesson, please click on the link in the description below.
To begin, I want to bring you up to date. Abinadi warned King Noah and his people of their wicked ways. He was burned to death as a result. But, during Abinadi’s final message to the King and his wicked priests – one of those priests by the name of Alma was influenced by the words of Abinadi and stood for his defense. That upset Noah who ordered his servants to capture Alma to kill him as well. Fortunately, Alma escaped and hid.
Mosiah 18:1 “And now, it came to pass that Alma, who had fled from the servants of king Noah, repented of his sins and iniquities, and went about privately among the people, and began to teach the words of Abinadi –“ The words “sins and iniquities” are in Hebrews 10:17.
Mosiah 18:2 “Yea, concerning that which was to come, and also concerning the resurrection of the dead, and the redemption of the people, which was to be brought to pass through the power, and sufferings, and death of Christ, and his resurrection and ascension into heaven.” The words “his resurrection” are also in Matthew 27:53. To use the word “resurrection” in an Old Testament era is anachronistic. “Resurrection” comes from the Latin word “resurgere” meaning “rise again.” The Old Testament prophets certainly wrote about the hope of humans rising from the dead, but the word for that concept was never created until the 13th century. The Book of Mormon uses the term 53 times before Jesus was even born.
Mosiah 18:3 “And as many as would hear his word he did teach. And he taught them privately, that it might not come to the knowledge of the king. And many did believe his words.” The phrase “come to the knowledge of the” is also in 2 Timothy 3:7.
Mosiah 18:4 In this verse, for the first time in the Book or Mormon, we are introduced to the word “Mormon.” Where does that word come from? And, what does it mean? It is purported that Joseph Smith in 1843 wrote in the periodical “Times and Seasons” vol. 4, page 194, that the word “MOR-MON” literally means, “more good.”
“And it came to pass that as many as did believe him did go forth to a place which was called Mormon, having received its name from the king, being in the borders of the land having been infested, by times or at seasons, by wild beasts.” The reality of where the name comes from is in this verse. Mormon was a name given by “the king” assuming it was wicked King Noah. Not because it was a “more good” place. But because it was “infested” with “wild beasts.” This according to “times or at seasons” with allusion to the 1843 Mormon periodical “Times and Seasons.” Interesting, huh? The words “And it came to pass that as many as” is also in 2 Samuel 2:23.
Mosiah 18:5-6 This was a great hiding place with a water spring and trees for Alma to hide out in. This is where he secretly met with people who were interested in his teachings.
Mosiah 18:5 The words “resorted thither” are also in John 18:2 and “did hide himself” are in John 12:36.
Mosiah 18:6 The words “he went thither to” are the same in 1 Samuel 19:23.
Mosiah 18:7 “And he did teach them, and did preach unto them repentance, and redemption, and faith on the Lord.”
Mosiah 18:8 As a result of these teachings, Alma’s followers were desiring baptism. “And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;” The words ‘bear one another’s burdens” are also in Galatians 6:2. In the 1830 edition page 192, it read “Behold, here is the waters of Mormon” which later was changed from “is” to, “are”.
Mosiah 18:9 “Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life –“ Meaning exaltation and godhood in the Celestial kingdom for Latter-day Saints. The phrase “witnesses of God” is also in 1 Corinthians 15:15 and, “comfort those” is similar, to 2 Corinthians 1:4, and, “the first resurrection” is the same in Revelation 20:6 and, “may have eternal life” is also in Matthew 19:16.
Mosiah 18:10 “Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?” For Latter-day Saints it means to have the Gift of the Holy Ghost. The phrase “baptized in the name of the Lord” is from Acts 10:48 and, “ye shall serve him” is in Deuteronomy 13:4.
Mosiah 18:11 The people clapped their hands for joy. The phrase “When the people had heard “is similar, to Matthew 22:22 and, “they clapped their hands” is also in 2 Kings 11:12.
Mosiah 18:12 “And now it came to pass that Alma took Helam, he being one of the first, and went and stood forth in the water, and cried, saying: O Lord, pour out thy Spirit upon thy servant, that he may do this work with holiness of heart.” Interestingly, this is the first baptism to be described in the Book of Mormon – 453 years after Lehi left Jerusalem. Were they not baptizing at all up to that time? Or, just not teaching about it?
Before we go on, we need to address some questions namely: Who baptized Alma? Where did Alma get his authority to baptize? According to Mormonism – Alma would need at least the Aaronic priesthood to baptize someone. But, as we know, the Levitical priesthood was not present with Lehi and Nephi when they came over to the promised land. There is one explanation – that Alma held the Melchizedek priesthood before he, with others, became wicked priests under King Noah.
This situation reminds us of another story from Mormonism, which begs the question – Which came first: the chicken or the egg? It is the same riddle when talking about the baptism of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. Reportedly, the angel, John the Baptist conferred upon the heads of Joseph and Oliver the Aaronic priesthood (see D&C 13). In Mormonism, baptism must proceed receiving the priesthood, so why didn’t John the Baptist baptize them first? Instead, he told Smith – who had not yet been baptized by someone who had the proper authority – to baptize Cowdery. Subsequently, Cowdery went on to baptize Smith. By today’s Mormon standards, both baptisms would be invalid. In, light of Alma and Helam being baptized at the same time – why didn’t Joseph baptize himself, while baptizing Oliver? So that is the question in a nutshell (or an eggshell, if you like).
Mosiah 18:13 “And when he has said these words, the Spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he said: Helam, I baptize thee, having authority from the Almighty God, as a testimony that ye have entered into a covenant to serve him until you are dead as to the mortal body; and may the Spirit of the Lord be poured out upon you; and may he grant unto you eternal life, through the redemption of Christ, whom he has prepared from the foundation of the world.” Alma got a little verbose. We can see why Jesus later simplified the baptismal prayer (see 3 Nephi 11:25). The phrase “And when he had said these words” is the same in Acts 28:29 and, “having authority” is in Matthew 7:29 and, “prepared from the foundation of the world” is from Matthew 25:34.
Mosiah 18:14 “And after Alma had said these words, both Alma and Helam were buried in the water; and they arose and came forth out of the water rejoicing, being filled with the Spirit.” You have probably tried to picture in your mind how both Alma and Helam were buried in the water together at the same time. The words “and they arose and came forth out of the water” are similar, to Isaiah 48:1.
Mosiah 18:15-16 After that, Alma baptized a total of 204 people in one day.
Mosiah 18:15 The words “second time into” are also in John 3:4.
Mosiah 18:16 The words “the grace of God” are also in Hebrews 12:15 and, “after this manner he” are in 1 Kings 7:37 and, “every one that went” is in Exodus 38:26.
Mosiah 18:17 “And they were called the church of God, or the church of Christ, from that time forward. And it came to pass that whosoever was baptized by the power and authority of God was added to his church.” The words “the church of Christ’ are similar, to Romans 16:16 and, “the power and authority of” are also in Luke 20:20 and, “added to his church” are similar, to Acts 2:47. During Jesus’ mortal ministry, He repeatedly described the church as something yet to come (see Matthew 16:18 and Acts 2:47). However, the Book of Mormon here in Mosiah 18:17 claims the church was already formed as early as 147 BC. That is nearly two hundred years before it truthfully happened. Both cannot be true. Verse 17 also mentions “baptism” as the means of being added to the church. However, according to the Bible the baptism taught by Christ did not begin until Jesus commissioned his disciples in Matthew 28:19.
Here in 147 BC., the church was to be called “the church of God, or the church of Christ.” Obviously, Joseph Smith believed that God and Christ were one and the same being when he wrote it. Now, you might think that during Jesus’ mortal ministry He would have clarified the name of His church. The fact is, neither Christ, nor His disciples gave an official name to the Church or to the body of believers. They were known by a number of references, like: “The Way” “Christians” “Nazarenes” “Church of Christ” “Church of God” “Church of the Firstborn” and even “Church of the Thessalonians.” (see T2M “Name of the Church” Episodes 24 and 25)
Mosiah 18:18 “And it came to pass that Alma, having authority from God, ordained priests; even one priest to every fifty of their number did he ordain to preach unto them, and to teach them concerning the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” Sort of unbelievable how quickly these 50 men were “ordained” and had the knowledge and understanding to teach other newbies “things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” But that is what it says. The phrase “preach unto them” is in Revelation 14:16 and, “the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” is from Acts 1:3.
Mosiah 18:19 Alma told them to teach what has been “spoken by the mouth of the holy prophets.” The words “of the holy prophets” are in Revelation 22:6. Since they were in the wilderness without scriptures – how would these new members know what the holy prophets have spoken?
Mosiah 18:20 Alma told them to keep it simple – “preach nothing save it were repentance and faith on the Lord.” We know all too well that commandments, laws, ordinances, and covenants are soon to follow if one wants to advance in the Mormon gospel.
Mosiah 18:21-23 He tells them to have no contention, be unified, love one another, keep the Sabbath, and have gratitude.
Mosiah 18:21 The words “with one eye” are also in Matthew 18:9 and, “one faith and one baptism” are similar, to Ephesians 4:5 and, “knit together” are in Colossians 2:2 and, “together in unity” is the same in Psalm 133:1 and, “in love one towards another” are in 1 Thessalonians 3:12.
Mosiah 18:22 The words “the children of God” are also in 1 John 5:2.
Mosiah 18:23 The phrase “Observe the sabbath day, and keep it holy” is similar, to Exodus 20:8.
Mosiah 18:24-26 He commands the priests to support themselves. In other words, the people should not have a “paid clergy.” I guess, he did not want any spoiled priests like Noah had. LDS general authorities taught throughout most of its history that there was no professional clergy in the Mormon Church. Joseph Fielding Smith in Answers to Gospel Questions 3:79 said, “We do not have a paid ministry.” LDS leaders were always quick to criticize churches that did have a paid clergy – believing that paid ministers will succumb to greed and serve their own self-interests. But, with the MormonLeaks documents that made the news beginning in 2014, it was revealed that General Authority paychecks are in the six-figure range and provide for a very, comfortable living. (see MormonLeaks documents)
Mosiah 18:24 The
words “labor with their own hands” are similar, to 1 Corinthians 4:12.
Mosiah 18:25 “And there was one day in every week that was set apart that
they should gather themselves together to teach the people, and to worship the
Lord their God, and also, as often as it was in their power, to assemble
themselves together.” This
verse reflects 19th century Christianity not 147 BC. Judaism. In Judaism worship, services are held
daily. The concept of a, once a week
worship service is unique to Christianity.
The words “that was set apart” are also in Ezekiel
22:10.
Mosiah 18:26 The
phrase “the grace of God” is in Titus
2:11 and, “power and authority” is in Luke 20:20.
Mosiah 18:27-29 Alma
then sets up a church welfare system to take care of their temporal and
spiritual needs.
Mosiah 18:27 This entire verse is similar, to Matthew 25:29.
Mosiah 18:30 Everything was going well in the land of
Mormon. They did not even mind the word “Mormon” back
then. “And now it came to pass that all this was
done in Mormon, yea, by the waters of Mormon, in the forest that was near the
waters of Mormon; yea, the place of Mormon, the waters of Mormon, the forest of
Mormon” Mormon who was abridging this record must
have been pretty, proud to have his namesake after this special place. What is in a name anyway? For the first 180 years of its history as a
church, those who believed the Book of Mormon to be the keystone to their
religion were referred to as “Mormons”. In
2010, the LDS Church launched a public campaign titled “I’m a Mormon”
featuring biographical sketches of church members throughout the world. In 2014, the LDS Church released a
full-length film titled, “Meet the Mormons”. But, in 2018 soon after Russell M. Nelson
became the President of the church, he called the term “Mormon” offensive to
God. He told church members not to refer
to themselves anymore as Mormons. In,
essence he declared all Mormons – “non-Mormons.” (We have 2 episodes
discussing this topic.
Episode 59 What’s in a
Name and
Episode 60 Mormons,
Now Non-Mormon) So,
from now on I am going to call our text, The Book of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints. Just kidding!
Mosiah 18:31 The
phrase “these things were done in” is also in John 1:28 and, “of
the land, that they might” is
in Nehemiah 9:24.
On with our story – Mosiah 18:32-35 The
King sent spies who located this group of new believers. And, Noah sent his army to destroy them. But, Alma and his people of about 450 being
alerted, escaped into the wilderness.
Mosiah 18:35 The
phrase “four hundred and fifty souls” is similar, to 1 Kings 18:22.
Mosiah 19:1-3 By this
time, Noah’s wicked excesses have weakened his kingdom. Many were fed up with him and there were
threats against his life.
Mosiah 19:2 The phrase “a
division among the remainder of the people” is similar, to John 7:43.
Mosiah 19:4 A man
by the name of Gideon decides to kill the king with his sword. The words “now there was a man” are also in 1 Samuel 9:1.
Mosiah 19:5 But, Noah flees to the tower by the
temple.
Mosiah 19:6 Just as Gideon was about to slay him
Noah saw from the tower that the Lamanites were preparing to attack the
city. The words “pursued
after him” are in Judges 1:6 and, “within
the borders” are similar, to Judges 11:18.
Mosiah 19:7 He told Gideon that he should not kill him,
or else the people will be killed by the Lamanites. The words “cried out in the” are also in Acts 23:6 and, “the
anguish of his soul” are in
Genesis 42:21 and, “will
destroy my people” are
the same in Jeremiah 15:7.
Mosiah 19:8 Noah’s ploy works, and Gideon spares his life.
Mosiah 19:9-10 Noah
commanded his people to flee into the wilderness. They do, but the Lamanites catch up and start
killing the people.
Mosiah 19:9 The words “commanded
the people” are also in
Mark 8:6.
Mosiah 19:11-13 Noah
tells the men to abandon their wives and children, and to run for their
lives. Some do, but others choose to
stay and try to defend their families.
Mosiah 19:11 The words “and
flee before” are in
Deuteronomy 28:7.
Mosiah 19:13 The phrase “that
they would not slay them” is similar, to Revelation
9:5.
Mosiah 19:14 The
Lamanites were charmed by the beauty of their women and had compassion on
them.
Mosiah 19:15 “Therefore the Lamanites did spare their lives, and took them
captives and carried them back to the land of Nephi, and granted unto them that
they might possess the land, under the conditions that they would deliver up
king Noah into the hands of the Lamanites, and deliver up their property, even
one half of all they possessed, one half of their gold, and their silver, and
all their precious things, and thus they should pay tribute to the king of the
Lamanites from year to year.”
By way of review, back in Mosiah chapter 7,
Ammon and his companions finally found the Nephites in the Land of Nephi, who
had been gone from Zarahemla for 79 years.
It was Limhi and his people whom they found. King Limhi’s people were in bondage to the
Lamanites, paying 50% of all they had, to survive. Mosiah 19:15 explains how this bondage came to be.
Mosiah 19:16 “And now there was one of the sons of the king among those
that were taken captive, whose name was Limhi.”
He was the son of King Noah. Are you piecing all of this together? The words “the sons of the king” are in 1 Kings 1:19 and, “was
taken captive” are the
same in Genesis 14:14.
Mosiah 19:17 The
words “was not ignorant of” are similar, to 2 Corinthians 2:11 and, “the
iniquities of his father” are similar,
to Ezekiel 18:17 and “being a just man” are the same in Matthew 1:19.
Mosiah 19:18-23 Now, Gideon sent men into the wilderness to
search for Noah and those who left their children and wives behind when fleeing
from the Lamanites. They found those men
– who themselves had decided to kill Noah – even by fire. But the wicked priests got away.
Mosiah 19:18 One of the most frequent mistakes in the 1830
edition is the use of the word “was” instead of “were”. In this verse, page 195, it read “and those that was
with him.” In
later editions “was” has been changed to “were”.
Mosiah 19:19 The
words “tarried with them” are also in John 3:22.
Mosiah 19:20 The
phrase “commanded them that they should not” is also in Acts 1:4.
Mosiah 19:21 The
words “and put them to death” are the same in Jeremiah 52:27 and, “they
fled before them” are also
in 2 Kings 3:24.
Mosiah 19:22 The
phrase “of all that had happened” is also in Esther 4:7.
Mosiah 19:23 The
words “had slain the king” are the same in 2 Kings 14:5.
Mosiah 19:24 Gideon
and all the men returned to the land of Nephi to be with their families. The words “they returned to the land” are also in Genesis 21:32.
Mosiah 19:26-27 Limhi,
son of Noah becomes the new king. And
there was peace in the land.
Mosiah 19:28 But,
the Lamanites put guards around the land to prevent the Nephites from leaving. The phrase “they might not depart” is from
2 Chronicles 35:15 and, “the tribute which” is in Numbers 31:43.
Mosiah 19:29 The words “continual
peace in his kingdom for the space of two years” are similar, to Acts
19:10.
Mosiah 20:1-5 Remember the wicked priests of Noah are
still on the loose. They deserted their
wives and are embarrassed to return to their families. The wicked priests discovered a place where
the daughters of the Lamanites liked to gather to sing and dance. One day, the priests kidnapped 24 of them and
carried them into the wilderness.
Imagine what the Lamanites thought when they found out their daughters
had been abducted.
Mosiah 20:1 In the 1830 edition page 196, it
read “the
Lamanites did gather themselves together for to sing” The awkward word “for” in
that sentence was
deleted in later editions.
Mosiah 20:3 The
words “would slay them” are in 1 Samuel 2:25.
Mosiah 10:5 This
verse is similar, to Judges 21:21.
Mosiah 20:6-7 The Lamanite King and his armies went to
the land of Nephi to destroy the people of Limhi, because they thought the
Nephites stole their daughters.
Mosiah 20:8-11 A huge battle ensued. Yet, with half the numbers, Limhi people
began to drive them back.
Mosiah 20:8 The
words “and laid wait for them” are similar, to Judges 16:2 and, “and
in the forests” are in
2 Chronicles 27:4.
Mosiah 20:10 The
words “like lions” are also in Jeremiah 51:38.
Mosiah 20:11 The phrase “yet they
were not” is in Jeremiah 36:24 and, “like
dragons” is in Jeremiah 14:6.
Mosiah 20:12 During the battle they found the king of the
Lamanites among the dead but still alive.
Mosiah 20:13 They brought him to King Limhi for
questioning. The phrase “him, and bound up his wounds” is in Luke
10:34 and, “and brought him before” is in 1 Samuel 17:57 and, “is
the king of the” is
also in Luke 23:38 and, “let us slay him” is the same in Genesis 37:20.
Mosiah 20:14 “And Limhi said unto him: What cause have ye to come up to war
against my people? Behold, my people
have not broken the oath that I made unto you; therefore, why should ye break
the oath which ye made unto my people?” The words “And bring him hither” are in Luke 19:50 and, “saith unto him, What” are the same in John
18:38.
Mosiah 20:15-16 The
Lamanite King said they did not, but it was because your people stole our
daughters.
Mosiah 20:16 King
Limhi said, he would find who did it and kill them. The phrase “has done this thing shall perish” is
similar, to 2 Samuel 12:5.
Mosiah 20:17-18 Then, Gideon reminded Limhi of Noah’s creepy priests who were still
at large. It was probably them who stole
the Lamanite girls.
Mosiah 20:17 The phrase “when
Gideon had heard these things” is similar, to Matthew 2:3 and, “the king’s captain” is also in Daniel 2:15 and, “said unto the king: I pray thee” is in 2 Samuel 15:7 and, “lay not this thing to their charge” is similar, to Acts 7:60.
Mosiah 20:18 The words “do
ye not remember” are in
Mark 8:18 and,
“not in the wilderness” are in Nehemiah 9:19.
Mosiah 20:19-23 Limhi
informed the Lamanite King concerning the wicked priests who fled into the
wilderness, that they were most likely the culprits.
Mosiah 20:19 The words “tell
the king of these things” are similar, to Jeremiah
36:16.
Mosiah 20:20 The words “except
the king” are also
in Esther 2:14.
Mosiah 20:21 The phrase “are
not the words of” is also in John 10:21 and, “hearken unto the words
of the Lord” is the same in Jeremiah 37:2 and, “turn from our
iniquities” is in Daniel 9:13.
Mosiah 20:22 The phrase “for
it is better that we should be in bondage than that we should lose our lives” is
similar, to Exodus 14:12.
Mosiah 20:23 The words “concerning
his father” are also
in 1 Chronicles 19:2 and, “the carrying away of” are in Jeremiah 1:3.
Mosiah 20:24-26 With
this explanation for the abduction, the Lamanites were pacified and agreed not
to fight anymore. The Lamanite king was
returned to his people and peace was restored between the two nations.
Mosiah 20:24 The words “was
pacified towards” are similar,
to Ezekiel 16:63 and,
“and he said unto them: Let us go” are the same in Luke 8:22 and, “slay thy people” are also in Ezekiel 26:11.
Mosiah 20:26 The phrase “that
they were without” is also in Romans 1:20 and, “had compassion on them,
and” is also in Matthew 20:34.
Chapters 21 and 22 will conclude the account of Limhi and
his people. They will go through more
misery and bondage to the Lamanites but will eventually escape the land of
Nephi. Ammon and his men – who came from
the land of Zarahemla – will take them to join Mosiah II and his people
there. Chapters 21 and 22 complete
the “flashback” begun in Mosiah 9, as far as the history of Limhi and his
people are concerned. The 79 years of
Zeniff, Noah, and Limhi who built up a Nephite colony in Lamanite
territory.
Then, Chapters 23 and 24 will finish the flashback as far as Alma
and his converts are concerned. They
too, will arrive in the land of Zarahemla and join King Mosiah II and his
people.
Mosiah 21:1-5 Back to our story – Limhi and his people were
experiencing peace for a while. Then,
the Lamanites began to harass the Nephites – smiting them on their cheeks and
putting burdens on their backs. There
was not much the Nephites could do because they were surrounded.
Mosiah 21:2 The words “come
into the borders of the land” are similar, to Exodus 16:35.
Mosiah 21:3 The words “because
of the oath which” are also
in Joshua 9:20 and,
“dumb ass” are in 2 Peter 2:16.
Mosiah 21:4 The phrase “all
this was done that the” and “might be fulfilled”
are in Matthew 26:56.
Mosiah 21:5 In the 1830 edition page 198, it
read “the
afflictions of the Nephites was great” which was changed in
later editions from “was” to, “were”.
Mosiah 21:6-8 Limhi’s people convinced the king to let them go to battle against the
Lamanites, to drive them out of their land. But the Lamanites beat them back
and killed many of them.
Mosiah 21:6 The words “them
that they should do according to” are also in Nehemiah 5:12.
Mosiah 21:9-12 Limhi’s
people tried two more times to rise, up against the Lamanites but were defeated
again. The words “in the like manner”
are also in Luke 6:23.
Mosiah 21:13-14 Limhi’s
people were humbled and chose to turn to God for help.
Mosiah 21:13 The
phrase “the yoke of bondage” is in Galatians 5:1 and, “driven to and fro” is in Job 13:25.
Mosiah 21:14 The words “and
cry mightily to God; yea” are
similar, to Jonah 3:8 and, “and he would deliver them out of their afflictions” are similar, to Psalm 107:6.
Mosiah 21:15 “And 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 fit to deliver them out of bondage.” The words “the
Lord was slow to” are
similar, to Nahum 1:3.
Mosiah 21:16-19 The Nephites worked hard and began to
prosper.
Mosiah 21:16 The
words “flocks, and herds” are in 1 Samuel 30:20.
Mosiah 21:17 The
phrase “perish with hunger” is in Luke
15:17.
Mosiah 21:18 The
words “now the people of” are in 1 Peter 2:10.
Mosiah 21:20 In the
meantime, Limhi and his people are still trying to find the remainder of King
Noah’s wicked priests. The words “which had stolen” are in 2 Samuel 21:12.
Mosiah 21:21 Limhi
wanted to catch and punish those priests for not only stealing the Lamanite
daughters but also sneaking into the city of Nephi at night and stealing their
grain and other precious things. They
watched for a chance to capture them. The phrase “they were desirous to” is in John 16:19 and “they might punish them” is in Acts 4:21.
Mosiah 21:22-23 Now, we
are about to be told why King Limhi was so quick to have Ammon and his
companions arrested and thrown into prison when they approached the city after
having come from the land of Zarahemla to try to find the Nephite colony. (see Mosiah 7:7) He mistook Ammon and his friends for those
wicked priests.
Mosiah 21:23 The
phrase “that they should be put to death” is also in Acts 12:19.
Mosiah 21:24 “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” which
is similar, to Matthew 2:10.
Mosiah 21:25-27 These next verses repeat what Limhi told
Ammon back in Mosiah chapter 8. It
is the account of Limhi’s men finding the ruins of the Jaredite
civilization.
Just before Ammon arrived, Limhi had sent some men to
search for the land of Zarahemla, but they got lost. They did stumble upon the
ruins of a city covered with dry bones that they thought might be
Zarahemla. They found 24 gold plates
which belonged instead to the extinct Jaradite Nation. The plates would contain the book of Ether.
Mosiah 21:26 The
words “not many days” are also in Luke 15:13.
Mosiah 21:28 “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.” The words “was again filled with joy” are similar, to Acts 13:52. This verse contains
a very, serious mistake. In the 1830
Edition page 200 it said, “king Benjamin had a gift from God.” Since, King Benjamin died 15
chapters earlier, the name had to be changed to “king Mosiah” in
later editions to correct the obvious mistake.
So, in today’s version it reads “king Mosiah had a gift from God.” This
was not a mere grammatical or punctuation change – but a change of considerable
substance. How did such a conspicuous
mistake slip into a translation being overseen by the power of God?
But it appears this was not the only place where such a
change needed to be made. The original 1830
edition page 546 text of Ether 4:1 read “Benjamin” and had to be changed
in later editions to “Mosiah”.
The fact that there are two such major changes leads one to speculate
that Joseph Smith may possibly have had a slightly different course in mind for
the life of Benjamin and had the king die prematurely in writing the
narrative. In this lesson alone, we have
seen several edits and changes in the text of the Book of Mormon. Joseph Fielding Smith, a former
LDS prophet and Church historian said in The Improvement Era, December 1961
“…enemies of
the Church…have made the statement that there have been one or two or more
thousand changes in the Book of Mormon since the first edition was
published. Well, of course, there is no
truth in that statement.” Really, President Smith, no truth to that at
all? I think it has been proven
otherwise.
Mosiah 21:33 “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.” This hints that Ammon had the priesthood but was not worthy
to use it. Again, in the 1830 edition
page 200, it read, “…many of his people was desirous
to be baptized…” It has since been changed to read “were”. The words “that had authority” are also in Mark 1:22.
Mosiah 21:34 Indicates that they did not form
into a church at that time.
Mosiah 21:35 Limhi
and his people desired to be baptized, and they would eventually be baptized by
Alma, in the land of Zarahemla as
recorded in Mosiah chapter 25. The words “They were desirous to” are also in John 16:19 and, “with all
their hearts” are in 2 Chronicles 6:14.
Mosiah 21:36 From
this point on, every effort and thought was to figure a way to escape from the
bondage of the Lamanites. Limhi and his
people will have to figure out a way to distract their Lamanite guards.
Mosiah 22:1-5 After
deciding there was no chance for a military victory, Gideon came up with a plan
which they implemented.
Mosiah 22:2 The phrase “and
their flocks, and their herds, and” is in Genesis
47:1.
Mosiah 22:3 The words “before
the king, and said” are also in 2 Samuel
18:28 and, “hearken
unto my words” are in Jeremiah 6:19.
Mosiah 22:4 The words “unprofitable
servant” are also in Matthew 25:30.
Mosiah 22:5 The phrase “And
Gideon said unto him” is in Judges 6:13.
Mosiah 22:6-12 At
night, while the Lamanite guards were drunken with wine – Limhi’s people with
their herds and possessions, slipped through the back wall of the city into the
wilderness. Being miraculously
undetected, they were led by Ammon who took them to the land of Zarahemla.
Mosiah 22:8 This verse is similar, to Exodus 10:9.
Mosiah 22:9 The words “the
king hearkened unto” are in Chronicles 24:17.
Mosiah 22:11 The phrase “their
flocks and their herds” is also in Genesis
47:1 and, “went
round about the” is the same in Mark 6:6.
Mosiah 22:13 “And after being many days in the wilderness they arrived in
the land of Zarahemla, and joined Mosiah’s people, and became his
subjects.” The words “and became his subjects” are similar, to 1 Chronicles 19:19.
Mosiah 22:14 “And it came to pass that Mosiah received them with joy; and
he also received their records, and also the records which had been found by
the people of Limhi.” Their
records were started by Zeniff and were finished by Limhi. Also, the 24 gold plates of the Jaradites
which had been found by the people of Limhi.
Mosiah 22:15-16 When
Lamanites woke up from their hangover and discovering the Nephites had pulled a
fast one on them – they sent an army after them. But eventually they got lost in the wilderness. We will see that these Lamanites will stumble
onto the wicked priests of Noah, who kidnapped the Lamanite daughters. And a bit later, they will stumble onto Alma
and his converts – who have had many years of peace in the area in which they
settled.
(no reference) We now pick up the story of Alma and his
people who had years earlier, fled into the wilderness. They settled in an area named Helam, and
built a city named Helam. Remember Helam
was the first convert Alma baptized in the waters of Mormon. They lived peaceably there for a couple of
decades before the Lamanites find them.
Mosiah 23:1 This
chapter picks up where Chapter 19 left off. “Now Alma, having
been warned of the Lord that the armies of King Noah would come upon them, and
having made it known to his people, therefore they gathered together their
flocks, and took of their grain, and departed into the wilderness before the
armies of king Noah.” The
words “made
it known to his people” are similar, to Acts 7:13 and, “therefore they
gathered” are also in John 6:13.
Mosiah 23:2 “And the Lord did
strengthen them, that the people of king Noah could not overtake them to
destroy them.” The words “could not overtake them” are similar, to Hosea 10:9.
Mosiah 23:3-5 Eventually
Alma’s people settled in a place somewhere between the city of Nephi and the
city of Zarahemla where they began building a city and planting crops.
Mosiah 23:4 The words “And
they came to a land” are
similar, to Mark 14:32 and, “pleasant land” are also in Jeremiah 3:19.
Mosiah 23:5 The words “they
were industrious” are
similar, to 1 Kings 11:28.
Mosiah 23:6 “And the people were desirous that Alma should be their king,
for he was beloved by his people.”
Mosiah 23:7 “But he said unto them: Behold, it is not expedient that we
should have a king; for thus saith the Lord: Ye shall not esteem one flesh
above another, or one man shall not think himself above another; therefore I
say unto you it is not expedient that ye should have a king.” The phrase “it is not expedient” is also in 2 Corinthians 12:1 and, “for thus saith the
Lord: Ye shall not” is the
same in 2 Kings 3:17 and, “esteem one flesh above another” is similar, to Romans 14:5.
Mosiah 23:8 “Nevertheless, if it were possible that ye could always have
just men to be your kings it would be well for you to have a king.”
The words “if it were possible” are also in Mark 14:35.
Mosiah 23:9 He
reminds them how wicked king Noah and his priests were – including himself. The phrase “abominable in the sight of the
Lord” is similar, to Luke 16:15.
Mosiah 23:10-11 But
after Alma had repented, God ended up using him to convert many people – which
he gives all the credit to God.
Mosiah 23:10 The words “after
much tribulation” are
similar, to Acts 14:22.
Mosiah 23:11 This verse is similar, to 1 Corinthians 9:16.
Mosiah 23:12 The words “And
now I say unto you” are also
in Acts 5:38.
Mosiah 23:13 Alma goes on to say – being freed from the bonds of iniquity and
delivered by the power of God “even so I desire that ye
should stand fast in the liberty wherewith ye have been made free, and that ye
trust no man to be a king over you.” The
phrase “by
the power of God” is also in 1 Peter 1:5 and, “stand fast in this
liberty wherewith ye have been made free” is similar, to Galatians 5:1.
Mosiah 23:14 “And also trust no one to be your teacher nor your minister,
except he be a man of God, walking in his ways and keeping his commandments.” The words “walking in his ways and
keeping his commandments” are
similar, to Luke 1:6.
Mosiah 23:15 He
warns them that there should be no contention among them. The phrase “love his neighbor as himself”
is also in Mark 12:33.
Mosiah 23:16 “And, now, Alma was their high priest, he being the founder of
their church.”
Mosiah 23:17 It says that being the high priest, Alma
had all the power to consecrate their priests and teachers. Here is a concern with Alma being a high
priest. Under the Law of Moses every
priest was born of the tribe of Levi and was descendant of Aaron. Of those Levitical priests there was only one
high priest at a time. We have already
established in previous lessons that descendants of Father Lehi could not be a
descendant of Aaron. Thus, the Levitical
priesthood did not exist at that time in the New World. So, from what priesthood would Alma be a high
priest? In Mormonism, it is taught that
these men were performing under Melchizedek priesthood. The problem with that is that there was no
Melchizedek priesthood. Hebrews 3:1 tells
us that Jesus is our High Priest. He is
our Great High Priest as stated in Hebrews 6:20. Jesus was a High Priest
after the order of Melchizedek (see Hebrews 5:6, 9-10). No one other than Christ ever had been a high
priest after the order of Melchizedek.
So, it really makes no sense for Alma to be called high priest.
Mosiah 23:17 The
words “priests and all their teachers” are similar, to Acts 22:30.
Mosiah 23:18 The
words “things pertaining to” are also in 1 Corinthians 6:4.
Mosiah 23:19-20 The people prospered, multiplied, and built
the city of Helam.
Mosiah 23:20 The
words “built a city, which they called the
city of Helam” are similar,
to Judges 1:26.
Mosiah 23:21-22 Next, Mormon – who is abridging this record –
inserts an editorial to explain that even when things are going well, the Lord
likes to test his people.
Mosiah 23:22 The
phrase “whosoever putteth his trust in his
Lord” is similar, to Proverbs 29:25 and, “up at the last day” is also in John 6:40.
Mosiah 23:23 Mormon says,
“For behold I will show unto you that they were brought
into bondage, and none could deliver them but the Lord their God, yea, even the
God of Abraham and Isaac, and of Jacob.”
The phrase “the God of Abraham and Isaac, and of Jacob” is
also in Acts
3:13.
Mosiah 23:24 “And it came to pass that he did deliver them, and he did show
forth his mighty power unto them, and great were their rejoicings.”
Mosiah 23:25-29 Next, Mormon tells the reader what happened
to Alma and his people. While they were working in their fields, an army of
Lamanites showed up. So, they fled into
the city where Alma counseled them to not be frightened. He told them to trust in God to deliver them. Then Alma’s people delivered themselves up to
the Lamanites who took possession of the land.
Mosiah23:25 In the 1830 edition page 204, it read “an army of the Lamanites were
in the borders” It’s
since been changed in later editions from “were” to, “was”.
Mosiah 23:27 The
words “and exhorted them” are in Acts 11:23.
Mosiah 23:29-34 Mormon tells the reader that these were the
same Lamanites, who chased the people of Limhi after they had gotten the guards
drunk and escaped into the wilderness.
These Lamanites first stumbled upon the wicked priests of Noah, led by
Amulon. Remember, those priests had
kidnapped the daughter of the Lamanites and made them their wives. So, in order to prevent the Lamanite army
from killing Amulon and the other priests, they had their wives plead for their
husbands lives. Consequently, the
Lamanites had compassion on them.
Mosiah 23:35 “And Amulon and his brethren did join the Lamanites, and they
were traveling in the wilderness in search of the land of Nephi when they
discovered the land of Helam, which was possessed by Alma and his
brethren.”
Mosiah 23:36 “And it came to pass that the Lamanites promised unto Alma and
his brethren, that if they would show them the way which led to the land of
Nephi that they would grant unto them their lives and their liberty.” The Lamanites just wanted to
find their way back home after being lost in the wilderness. I do not know why they thought Alma would
know the way. Evidently, he did.
Mosiah 23:37 “But after Alma had shown them the way that led to the land of
Nephi the Lamanites would not keep their promise; but they set guards round
about the land of Helam, over Alma and his brethren.” Alma had been set up and
lied to. The words “round about
the land” are also in Amos 3:11.
Mosiah 23:38 “And the remainder of them went to the land of Nephi; and a
part of them returned to the land of Helam, and also brought with them the
wives and children of the guards who had been left in the land.” The phrase “them returned to the land of
Helam” is similar, to Acts 13:13.
Mosiah 23:39 “And the king of the Lamanites had granted unto Amulon that he
should be a king and a ruler over his people, who were in the land of Helam;
nevertheless he should have no power to do anything contrary to the will of the
king of the Lamanites.” The words “to do anything contrary to the”
are similar, to Acts 26:9.
So, the wicked priest –
Amulon, was put in charge of ruling over Alma and his people. He was really, no more than a puppet king
since he was still accountable to the Lamanite King.
Mosiah 24:1-4 The name of the Lamanite king was
Laman. He and Amulon were getting quite
cozy. Laman told Amulon to appoint
teachers – from among his wicked priests – to teach the Nephite language to the
Lamanites.
Mosiah 24:1 The
phrase “did gain favor in the eyes of the” is also in 2 Samuel 15:25 and, “and his brethren that they should” is in Judges 9:41.
Mosiah 24:3 The
words “And he was king” are also in Deuteronomy 33:5.
Mosiah 24:5 Which Amulon did. However, they taught the
Lamanites nothing concerning God nor the law of Moses nor the words of Abinadi. The words “knew not God” are in 1 Corinthians 1:21 and, “not
God; neither” are also in Luke 18:2.
Mosiah 24:6 “But they taught them that they should keep their record, and
that they might write one to another.” In
fact, this will come in handy in about 30 years when the four sons of Mosiah go
on missions to the Lamanites in the land of Nephi. We will cover this in our next Come Follow Me
lesson. It is also interesting that the
Lamanites themselves started keeping records.
Mosiah 24:7 The
Lamanites started to become rich, through trade, and being a cunning
people. They also delighted in all
manner of wickedness. The words “increase in riches” are in Psalm 73:12 and, “the wisdom of the
world” are similar,
to 1 Corinthians 1:20.
Mosiah 24:8 “And now it came to pass that Amulon began to exercise
authority over Alma and his brethren, and began to persecute him, and cause
that his children should persecute their children.” Sounds like some bullying going on here. Since Amulon and Alma were both part of king
Noah’s wicked priesthood – Amulon seems to enjoy lording over Alma now. And, perhaps Alma resented Amulon for
encouraging Noah to kill Abinadi.
Mosiah 24:9 “For Amulon knew Alma, that he had been one of the king’s
priests, and that it was he that believed the words of Abinadi and was driven out before the king, and
therefore he was wroth with him; for he was subject to king Laman, yet he
exercised authority over them, and put tasks upon them, and put task-masters
over them.” The words “and was driven” are also in Luke 8:29. Amulon is blaming Alma for the limits set by King Laman
as to what he could and could not do to Alma.
Yet, Amulon still treated them like slaves.
Mosiah 24:10 “And it came to pass that so great were their afflictions that
they began to cry mightily to God.” The words “cry mightily to God” are in Jonah 3:8.
Mosiah 24:11 “And Amulon commanded them that they should stop their cries;
and he put guards over them to watch them, that whosoever should be found
calling upon God should be put to death.” Guess the praying got too irritating for
those heathens. No religious freedom for
Alma’s people. The words “calling
upon God” are also in Acts 7:59.
Mosiah 24:12 “And Alma and his people did not raise their voices to the
Lord their God, but did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the
thoughts of their hearts.” The words “know the thoughts of their hearts” are similar, to Daniel 2:30.
Mosiah 24:13 “And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them
in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I
know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my
people and deliver them out of bondage.”
The phrase “the voice of the Lord came” is also in Acts 7:31 and, “be of good
comfort, for I know” is
similar, to Philippians 2:19 and, “covenant with my people” is the same in Psalm 89:3.
Mosiah 24:14 “And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your
shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are
in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter,
and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in
their afflictions.”
Mosiah 24:15 The
words “all the will of the Lord” are similar, to Colossians 4:12.
Mosiah 24:16 So great was the people’s faith and patience,
God said that He would deliver them out of bondage the very next day. The words “on the morrow I” are in Acts 25:17 and, “I will
deliver you out of” are
similar, to Jeremiah 15:21.
Mosiah 24:17 The
phrase “Thou shalt go before” is also in Luke 1:76.
Mosiah 24:18 During the night, Alma and his people
gathered up their flocks and grain.
Mosiah 24:19 In the morning, God a caused a deep sleep to
come upon the Lamanites. The words “And in the morning the” and, “caused a deep sleep to”
are in Genesis 2:21.
Mosiah 24:20 Consequently, Alma and his people were able to escape
into the wilderness. The words “way in the wilderness” are in Isaiah 43:19.
Mosiah 24:21 The
people were thankful and grateful to God for delivering them from bondage. The words “had delivered them out of” and
“the Lord their God” are in Judges 8:34.
Mosiah 24:22-24 God
told them to keep moving because the Lamanites were about to wake up and pursue
them.
Mosiah 24:22 The phrase “And
they gave thanks to God” is in Acts 27:35 and, “voices in the” is
also in 1 Corinthians 14:10.
Mosiah 24:23 The words “Haste
thee and thou” are similar,
to 1 Samuel 23:27.
Mosiah 24:25 “And after they had been in the wilderness twelve days they
arrived in the land of Zarahemla; and king Mosiah did also receive them with
joy.” Now every is back home in Zarahemla.
And, this
concludes our study for today. For More you can find this podcast on demand
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Until then,
God Bless!
