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CHAPTER 2
Limhi's people are smitten and defeated by the Lamanites—They meet
Ammon and are converted— |
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1 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.
2 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. 3 Now they durst not slay them, because of the aoath which their king had made unto Limhi; but they would smite them on their bcheeks, and exercise authority over them; and began to put heavy cburdens upon their backs, and drive them as they would a dumb assa—
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3a they would smite them on their cheeks, and exercise authority over them; and begin to put heavy burdens upon their backs, and drive them as they would a dumb ass This was in fulfillment of Abinadi's prophecy (See Mosiah 12:2). |
3a
Mosiah 19:25;
Mosiah 20:24 b Lam. 3:30; Mosiah 12:2 c Ex. 1:11 (10-11); Mosiah 12:5; Mosiah 24:9
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4 Yea, all this was done that the aword of
the Lord might be
bfulfilleda.
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 asurrounded them on every sidea.
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4a all this was done that the word of the
Lord might be fulfilled In Mosiah 12:2 it is recorded that Abinadi
did prophesy that the Nephites of king Noah would be 'smitten on the
cheek and that they would be driven by men and that they would be
slain'. Thus the words of the Lord given by the Lord's prophet Abinadi were
fulfilled.
 
tormenting a white skinned person in bondage as indicated by the rope about
his neck. The nose of the white skinned person is bleeding from being struck
in the face.Whether this is a historical or period piece and whether it exemplies the Lamanite fulfillment of Abinadi's prophecies against the people of Noah or a representation of how all Nephite captives were so treated by the Lamanites is to be considered. Certainly from the traditions of their fathers the Lamanites hated the Nephites and considered that they had the right to rule over them. 
NOTE: Moche art often depicts a person of 'two toned skin' as was
one warrior upon the plate and by this portrait jug. This perhaps indicates
a mix between the white and the darkskinned people like the priests
of King Noah and other Nephite dessenters.
5a the Lamanites had surrounded them on every side during the reigns of Zeniff and Noah the Nephites had possessed two cities, the city of Shilom and the city of Lehi-Nephi later referred to by just the single name of Nephi. It does seem that Lehi's people are confined to but one city, the city of Nephi and that either for the housing of the Lamanites or in consideration of the half of everything tribute to the Lamanites, that the Lamanites may well have likely taken to occupying the city of Shilom as a Lamanite city. Certainly the Nephites' numbers had greatly diminished and the one city of Nephi (Lehi-Nephi) could house and support them during this time. And here also it does state that the Lamanites had taken up positions of occupancy to the extent that they did surround the Nephites on every side. No longer was Shilom, which was on the north and upon the wilderness, therefore controlled by the Lamanites if they indeed had placed themselves between the Nephites of Lehi-Nephi and the wilderness round about to the north by way of Shilom—which would by the way be their avenue of escape 'round about the land of Shilom to the north. (See also verse 18 below) |
4a
D&C 3:19 b Mosiah 20:21 5a Mosiah 19:28; Mosiah 22:6-10
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6 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.
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. 8 And it came to pass that the Lamanites did beat them, and drove them back, and aslew many of them.
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8a
Mosiah 21:29
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9 And now there was a great amourning 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.
10 Now there were a great many awidows in the land, and they did cry mightily from day to day, for a great fear of the Lamanites had come upon them. 11 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.
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9a
Mosiah 12:4;
TG
Mourning 10a TG Widows
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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.
13 And they did humble themselves even to the dust, subjecting themselves to the ayoke of bondage, bsubmitting themselves to be smitten, and to be driven to and fro, and burdened, according to the desires of their enemies. 14 And they did ahumble 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 bdeliver them out of their afflictions.
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13a
Mosiah 19:28 (26, 28);
Mosiah 21:36 b TG Submissiveness 14a Mosiah 29:20 b TG Deliverance; TG Protection, Divine
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15 And now the Lord was slow to ahear their cry
because of their iniquities; nevertheless the Lord did hear their
bcries, 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.
16 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. 17 Now there was a great number of women, more than there was of men; therefore king Limhi commanded that every man should aimpart to the support of the bwidows 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.
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15a
1 Sam. 8:18;
Prov. 15:29; Mosiah 11:24 (23-25); D&C 101:7-9 b Ex. 3:9 (7, 9); 2 Ne. 26:15; D&C 109:49 17a Mosiah 4:26 (16, 26) b TG Widows
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18 Now the people of Limhi kept together in a body as much as
it was possiblea, and secured their
grain and their flocks;
19 And the king himself did not trust his person without the walls of the citya, unless he took his guards with him, fearing that he might by some means fall into the hands of the Lamanites.
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18a the people of Limhi kept together in
a body as much as it was possible Here again, this statement would
but confirm what was surmised from verse 5. And that is that the Nephites
at the time when Ammon had found them had retreated to living within the
confines of but one city, the city of Lehi-Nephi, also called Nephi. They
could not live in two cities and keep together in a body as this verse so
states. Thus being both surrounded and in one body together, it must be
concluded that Limhi's people had abandoned and given up living in the city
of Shilom though they still worked the lands of both the lands of Shilom and
Nephi. And when Ammon found them they were thus in but one walled city the
city of Nephi, in the land of Nephi, though they were farming and working the
joint lands of Shilom and Nephi for their support and the support of the
tribute they would pay unto the Lamanites. And this will also be found
consistant with the manner of their escape as reported in chapter 22.
19a the king himself did not trust his person without the walls of the city Now this fear was likely cause by various contributing factors, it being a stressful and strained circumstance in which they did dwell unto their servitude unto the Lamanites. They had retreated to living within but one city, there numbers being so reduced. And they did fear the Lamanites in this circumstance, knowing that after all their various loses in battle against them that they were but few in comparison to the Lamanites. And also they knew of the prophecies of Abinida that the Nephites were to be destoryed least they repent. And in that circumstance of fear did king Limhi only dare venture outside the city wall only while being attended by his guard. Now Ammon and his brethren would have been armed and they would also be supposed to be of the wiceked priests of Noah. They did not know that those priest were actually lost in the wilderness themselves and need not be feared. But this fact leads one to ' further understand the nature of the situation. for there must be theives among the Nephites of Limhi, for such theft had been of concern which they did attribute to the wicked priests. But if not the wicked priest, then they had a grave internal problem that a sub-culture of wickedness did exist within them, perhaps which would actually be that small beginnings of the secret combinations that would not be publicly acknowledged until some years later in Zarahemla. |
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20 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 adaughters of the Lamanites,
and that had caused such a great destruction to come upon them.
21 For they were desirous to take them that they might apunish them; for they had come into the land of Nephi by night, and carried off their grain and many of their precious thingsa; therefore they laid wait for them.
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21a for they had come into the land of Nephi by night, and carried off their grain and many of their precious things Was this a 'known fact' or was it a presumption of convienence, so as not to mistrust one own's poeple? It was a correct assumption that the wicked priests of king Noah had captured and taken the daughters of the Lamanites, but was this a crime laid to their credit which was not? In Mosiah 23, according to the record of Alma, Amulon and his people who had joined with the Lamanite army who pursued the people of Limhi had apparently also become lost in the wilderness of thier land of Amulon many days from the land of Nephi, and they could not even show the Lamanites the way back to the land of Nephi little alone find it to plunder and steal in the night time (See Mosiah 23:35). |
20a
Mosiah 20:5 21a Mosiah 7:7-11
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22 And it came to pass that there was no more disturbance between the
Lamanites and the people of Limhi, *even until the time
that aAmmon and his brethren came into the land.
23 And the king having been without the gates of the city with his guard, adiscovered 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 bprison. And had they been the priests of Noah he would have caused that they should be put to death. 24 But when he found that they were not, but that they were his brethren, and had come from the aland of Zarahemla, he was filled with exceedingly great joy.
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22*
[About 121 B.C.] a Mosiah 7:6-13) 23a Mosiah 7:10 b Mosiah 7:7 (6-8); Hel. 5:21 24a Omni 1:13
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25 Now king Limhi had sent, previous to the coming of Ammon, a
asmall number of men to bsearch for the
land of Zarahemla; but they could not find it, and they were lost in the
wilderness.
26 Nevertheless, they did find a land which had been peopled; yea, a land which was covered with dry abones; 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 bcoming of Ammon. 27 And they brought a arecord with them, even a record of the people whose bones they had found; and it was engraven on plates of ore.
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25a
Mosiah 8:7 b Mosiah 7:14 26a Mosiah 8:8; Hel. 3:6 (3-12) b Mosiah 7:6-11 27a Mosiah 8:9; Mosiah 28:11
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28 And now Limhi was again filled with joy in learning from the
mouth of Ammon that king Mosiah [Benjamin] had a agift from
God, whereby he could binterpret such
engravingsa; yea, and Ammon also
did rejoice.
29 Yet Ammon and his brethren were filled with sorrow because so many of their brethren had been aslain; 30 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 adeath of Abinadi; and also for the bdeparture 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. 31 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 acovenant with God to serve him and keep his commandments.
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28a from the mouth of Ammon that king Mosiah [Benjamin] had a gift from God, whereby he could interpret such engravings Now after bestowing the kingdom upon his son Mosiah, king Benjamin still lived out 3 more plus years, not living out 4 years (see Mosiah 6:5). After 3 years of peace, king Mosiah sent 16 men headed by Ammon to seek the people of Zeniff. After 40 days wandering they found them under Zeniff's grandson Lemhi. After being in prison for a few days, Ammon was brought before king Lemhi and all was discussed, Lemhi finding out that there was still a Zarahemla. In short order Lemhi's people effected an escape back to Zarahemla, likely within 3 months of Ammon's group being sent. King Benjamin according to the 1830 edition was still living during that time and when the record was brought him as the original Ether 4:1 represents, king Benjamin would not translate it. After king Benjamin's death, the people persuaded king Mosiah to undertake a translation of the record, which Mosiah would have done perhaps somewhat in the manner that Joseph Smith was persuaded by Martin Harris to release the 116 pages (see Mosiah 28:11-20). |
28a
Omni 1:20-22;
Mosiah 28:13 (11-19); TG God, Gifts of b 1 Cor. 12:10; Mosiah 8:6, 12-13 29a Mosiah 21:8 (7-14); Mosiah 25:9 30a Mosiah 17:13 (12-20) b Mosiah 18:34-35 31a Mosiah 18:13
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32 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.
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 aauthority from God. And Ammon declined doing this thing, considering himself an unworthy servant.
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33a
TG
Baptism, Essential; TG Priesthood, Authority
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34 Therefore they did not at that time form themselves into a
achurch, 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.
35 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 agiven hereafter.
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34a
Mosiah 18:17 35a Mosiah 25:18 (17-18)
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36 And now all the study of Ammon and ahis people,
and king Limhi and his people, was to deliver themselves out of the hands of
the Lamanites and from bbondage.
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36a
Mosiah 7:3 (2-3) b Mosiah 21:13
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| * Verse 22 [About 121 B.C.] |
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