Book of Mormon Commentary - Mosiah 9

by Don R. Hender

THE BOOK OF MOSIAH

THE RECORD OF ZENIFF—An account of his people, from the time they left the land of Zarahemla until the time they were delivered out of the hands of the Lamanites. [Comprising chapters 9 to 22 inclusive.]

Note: Though it states here in the Book of Mormon that chapters 9 to 22 is from the record of Zeniff, there are parts of those chapters which could have only been taken from the separate record kept by Alma of his brake-off group, for Alma's people were not united back with the people of king Limhi since the days they departed at the death of Abinadi, until they had also come down into the land of Zarahemla. And Alma's prople did come down after that Limhi and his people had come down to Zarahemla. Thus what we have must be considered to be Mormon's compilation and abridgement from those two records which comprise today chapters 9 to 22. Also remember this is a modern notation for the record WAS NOT so divided in the chapters of today until Orson Pratt had so divided them to make them more uniform to the form of scriptures today.
Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
Commentary & Explanation
Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
             CHAPTER 9

Zeniff leads a group from Zarahemla to posses the land of Lehi-Nephi—The Lamanite king permits them to inherit the land—There is war between the Lamanites and Zeniff's people. [About 200-187 B.C.]

Mormon begins his coverage of the people of Zeniff with direct qoutation in the first-person from the record of Zeniff, later he will switch over to his abridgement mode. He will combine the records of Alma and the kings in his combined abridgment.
1 aI, bZeniff, having been taught in all the language of the Nephites, and having had a knowledge of the land of cNephi, or of the land of our fathers' first inheritancea, *and having been sent as a spy among the Lamanites that I might spy out their forces, that our army might come upon them and destroy them—but when I saw that which was good among themb I was desirous that they should not be destroyed.
2 Therefore, I contended with my brethren in the wilderness for I would that our ruler should make a treaty with them; but he being an austere and a bloodthirsty man commanded that I should be slain; but I was rescued by the shedding of much blood; for father fought against father, and brother against brother, until the greater number of our army was destroyed in the wilderness; and we returned, those of us that were spared, to the land of Zarahemla, to relate that tale to their wives and their children.

 1a having been taught in all the language of the Nephites, and having had a knowledge of the land of Nephi, or the land of our fathers' first inheritance It is significant that Zeniff had a knowledge of the land of Nephi. Yet he, in his record quoted in the first-person 'I', calls the names of the two cities and lands which the Lamanites give them by the names of Shilom and Lehi-Nephi and NOT by the name of the 'City of Nephi' or 'Land of Nephi' (2 Nephi 5:8). And while he later states that they are in the Land of Nephi, well of course they are, but in just two of the provincial lands and NOT in the city built by Nephi.
 1b I saw that which was good among them Even in the days of Jacob, the brother of Nephi, it was said of the Lamanites that their righteousness did exceed that of the Nephites. In this Jacob was speaking of the principle of sexual morality and the commitment to family and having one wife only (See Jacob 2). This family orientation was perhaps what Zeniff saw which was good among them. 		 1a Mosiah 8:5; Mosiah 22:14
   b Mosiah 7:13
   c 2 Ne. 5:8; Omni 1:12, 27; Mosiah 7:6-7;
     Mosiah 28:1, 5
   * [About 200 B. C.]
3 And yet, I being aover-zealous to inherit the land of our fathers, collected as many as were desirous to go up to possess the land, and started again on our bjourney into the wilderness to go up to the land; but we were smitten with famine and sore afflictions; for we were slow to remember the Lord our God.
4 Nevertheless, after many days' wandering in the wilderness we pitched our tents in the place where our brethren were slain, which was near to the land of our fathers.
5 And it came to pass that I went again with four of my men into the city, in unto the king, that I might know of the disposition of the king, and that I might know if I might go in with my people and possess the land in peace.

 3a Omni 1:27-29; Mosiah 7:21
   b Mosiah 25:5
6 And I went in unto the king, and he covenanted with me that I might possess the aland of Lehi-Nephi, and the land of Shiloma.
7 And he also commanded that his people should depart out of the land, and I and my people went into the land that we might possess it.

 6a the land of Lehi-Nephi, and the land of Shilom The greater land of Nephi had many cities and lands. The two sub-lands within the land of Nephi are here stipulated as 'Lehi-Nephi' and 'Shilom'. It is important to understand that these are two 'provincial lands and cities' which are in the northwestern most sector of the previous greater land of Nephi bordering immediately on their west with one of the original provincial lands of Lamanites named Shemlon. And thus for the close proximity to the Lamaites lands alone, it should be understood that 'Lehi-Nephi' is not the same city of Nephi, for that city was many days journey into the interior of the land separated by both travel and distance. It will be further found that both these border provinces are within visual serveillance of the Lamanite land of Shemlon. (See Geography of Lehi-Nephi)  6a 2 Ne. 5:8; Mosiah 7:1-4, 21

Land of Lehi-Nephi 
 Over the span of 300+ years the 'land of first inheritance' of father Lehi and the Land of Nephi of Nephi's people, had spread out upon the west sea coast and inland on the west and throughout the interior of the land of Nephi, until the two lands occupied the the Lamanites and Nephites came to 'abutt' each other in a region that would be known of the land of Lehi-Nephi. 'Lehi' because that was the 'lands of first inheritance' while Lehi had yet lived and that first land was shared by the sons of Lehi together. It was after Lehi's death that Nephi was warned of the Lord to take those who would follow him and depart into the wilderness in order to avoid Nephi's brotherrs, once again attempting to kill their younger brother Nephi. When Zeniff returned to the land from Zarahemla, he was interested in the lands the Nephites had inherited. As fate would have it, he did so the that region where the west land of first inheritance bordered with the western portion of the land of Nephi. It WAS NOT the original city of Nephi, that was further into the interior of the land, but so that the Lamanites could maintain a watch on their 'restored' Nephite neighbors, they allowed them to settle two of the western cities of the land of Nephi named Lehi-Nephi and Shilom, to which the people of Zeniff agreed. And they preferred to call the city of Lehi-Nephi as their city of Nephi. The earlier Nephites had built an additional temple in that city, which the people of Zeniff would restore and use as their temple of worship.
8 And we began to build buildings, and to repair the walls of the city, yea, even the walls of the city of Lehi-Nephia, and the city of Shilom.
9 And we began to till the ground, yea, even with all manner of aseeds, with seeds of corn, and of wheat, and of barley, and with neas, and with sheum, and with seeds of all manner of fruits; and we did begin to multiply and prosper in the land.

 8a to repair the walls of the city, yea, even the walls of the city of Lehi-Nephi It is apparent that these two cities were once two of the many cities and/or villages of the Nephites. Zeniff proceeds to rebuild the city walls and to build buildings in both cities. Whether the city of Lehi-Nephi once housed a temple in the more ancient days of the Nephites is not clearly stipulated by Zeniff. And when it comes to Noah's elboration of the temple in Lehi-Nephi it also fails to identify just when the temple was first constructed. If it was one of the Nephite temples from before, it had likely fallen into disrepair also and needed to be reconstructed. Zeniff who was a righteous man in the Lord would have seen that his people had a proper temple in either case. Since the national land of Zarahemla of the Nephites had at least two known temples namely Bountiful and Zarahemla, and likely more, during their less than 200 year occupation. There is no reason to doubt that the Nephites in the greater land of Nephi with all of its cities over more than 350 years of occupation, did not also have more than one temple site. The city of Lehi-Nephi could well be one of them.  9a 1 Ne. 8:1; Enos 1:21; Mosiah 10:4
10 Now it was the cunning and the craftiness of king aLaman, to bbring my people into bondage, that he yielded up the land that we might possess it.
11 Therefore it came to pass, that after we had dwelt in the land for the space of *twelve years that king Laman began to grow uneasy, lest by any means my people should awax strong in the land, and that they could not overpower them and bring them into bondage.

 10a Mosiah 24:3
     b Mosiah 7:22; Mosiah 10:18
 11* [About 188 B. C.]
     a Ex. 1:9-10
12 Now they were a alazy and an bidolatrous people; therefore they were desirous to bring us into bondage, that they might glut themselves with the labors of our hands; yea, that they might feast themselves upon the flocks of our fields.
13 Therefore it came to pass that king Laman began to stir up his people that they should contend with my people; therefore there began to be wars and contentions in the land.

 12a TG Laziness
     b Enos 1:20; TG Idolatry
14 For, in the *thirteenth year of my reign in the land of Nephia, away on the south of the land of aShilom, when my people were watering and bfeeding their flocks, and tilling their lands, a numerous host of Lamanites came upon them and began to slay them, and to take off their flocks, and the corn of their fields.
15 Yea, and it came to pass that they fled, all that were not overtaken, even into the city of Nephi, and did call upon me for protection.

A Brief Geography 
Without going into great detail, the geography and relationship of Shilom, Lehi-Nephi and Shemlon seem to be this. Shimlon is/was the most northern city of the Nephites in this sector. The hill just north of Shilom upon which it lookout tower is built is that hill at which Mosiah finds tempory refuge for his people who responded to the warnings of God just prior to their departing into the northern wilderness to travel north to Zarahemla. Thus from north to south on a line we have the hill of Shilom, the city of Shilom and then the certain 'farm' lands of Shilom in which the Nephites were working when first attacked by King Laman's Lamanites. The people of Shilom flee further south to the city of Lehi-Nephi from which their king Zeniff is ruling. And there they seek King Zeniff's help. And it is here that Zeniff first drops the 'Lehi-' portion of the city's name and merely calls it the 'city of Nephi'. Why he does this is not stipulated by Zeniff. But one must consider that it is Mormon who is transcribing the record of Zeniff from whatever medium Zeniff's record is upon to Mormon's uniform gold plates of the Book of Mormon. Perhaps as a matter of engraving convinience does Mormon drop the prefix of the name which clarifies it to not be the same ancient city of Nephi, for certainly it is not.

Now with Shilom north of Lehi-Nephi and Lehi-Nephi south of Shilom, it is quite easy to conclude where the land of the Lamanites of Shemlon is. If the Lamanites in this Northwestern sector of the land did withdraw from these two one time cities of the Nephites, it would most logical for them to withdraw to the west, to the traditional lands of the Lamanites, and that is where Shemlon is found, running to the west of both Shilom and Lehi-Nephi to be visually observed by both of them from their two lookout towers.

 14a my reign in the land of Nephi When Zeniff begins to speak of being in and reigning in the 'land of Nephi', many begin to conclude that Zeniff's people are in the original city of Nephi. They completely ignore the fact that Zeniff clearly sets forth that the city and land names are 'Lehi-Nephi' and 'Shilom' NOT Nephi. And of course Zeniff is reigning in the land of Nephi as both the cities of Shilom and Lehi-Nephi were and still are in the land of Nephi. In fact there is evidence that Zeniff may be dealing with just one of the larger provincial kings of the Land of Nephi in obtaining his two cities for shortely after the time of King Limhi who is still so dealing with the king of Shemlon, the sons of Mosiah come into the land and the King of the whole of the Lamanites is not a Lamanite at all but a Ishmaelite, the father of Lamoni who is also another greater provincial king over the land of Ishamael. That the warring Lamanites against King Benjamin in Zarahemla were never detected and noted by the observing people of King Noah and their two towers would further suggest that there are various Lamanite groups at work in the whole of the land, and that Zeniff's people are just dealing with one such sub-group of the whole.
 15a the city of Nephi Why the 'record of Zeniff' switches from 'city of Lehi-Nephi' to just 'city of Nephi' is not explained in the Book of Mormon. Many quickly jump to the conclusion that Lehi-Nephi is the same as the ancient city of Nephi where Nephi builds his temple like unto Solomon's. This is not borne out by the logical facts of the matter. Nephi's first city was 'many days' travel and distance from the land of the Lamanites into the interior of the land. He sought division from them not a mere day's journey and within visual surveillance distance which Lehi-Nephi possed over the land of the Lamanites. The Nephites built many cities over some more than 350 years. Logic would set out that certainly a number of these cities would be nearer the Lamanite border than that of Nephi's initial interior isolated city. With that same reasoning of spreading forth upon the land with many cities of the Nephites over 350 years, the original city of Nephi would not logically be nearly upon the northern border of the land either as are Shilom and Lehi-Nephi. There are many such logical evidences that they are not the same city including the fact that Zeniff begins by callin the city 'Lehi-Nephi' and that it might be Mormon's transcription which drops the prefix and not Zeniff at all. 		 14* [About 187 B. C.]
     a Mosiah 7:5; Mosiah 11:12-13
     b Mosiah 10:21

Shemlon
Land of First Inheritance 
From a Book of Mormon perspective in the columns to the left Shemlon, the land of the Lamanites, has been set out to be that land along the western coast line first inhabited on a perminate basis by Lehi. Nephi left that land and many days journey inland he founded his city. Now from a archeaological perspective we will furher identify this land of Shemlon, this land of first inheritance.

Scientist, who speculate and contrive to interpret and rebuild the past from fragments found in the earth, have set out just where this land of Shemlon, this land of first inheritance, was without knowing what it was they were doing.

Indentified as the realm of the Moche Civilization along the northern coast of Peru is to be found where the land of Shemlon, the land of first inheritance, is located. Science develops the Moche from logical step groups they call the Cupisnique, Salinar, Gallinazo and then the various stages of the Moche (I-V). Not realizing that this was the same people at various stages of influence and development. When the Lamanites first inhabited the land, they lived as hunters and gathers as described in the Book of Mormon. Thus they developed at rudimentary levels accounting for the eariler phases known and labeled by scientist by the various names. Then at the time of the first real Nephite infusion, when the wicked priest of King Noah became associated with them, they began to actually develop what would come to be known by scientists as Moche. Then through additional Nephite infusions and associations, including the missionary effort by the sons of Mosiah and other Nephite defections over to the Lamanites, these Lamanites who lived in that original land of first inheritance began to develop a recognizable stable and developing culture beyond their early stages of hunting and gathering. Then at the coming of Christ, when all the people were one, the infusion of high civilization set in and laid the basis for the Lamanite high civilization solidedly known as Moche. And though the basis of civilization was there with its infastructure, during the 4th century A.D. both the civilizations of the Lamanites and Nephites fell into idolitries and apostasy from the Gospel of Christ. This is what science studies most today, the fallen culture of human sacrifice and wars. And though the infastructure of buildings are there and the technology to build them, the moral fiber of the people caves into darkness. And what science has done in attempting to define this people over hundreds of years, is to take but the latest preserved 'snapshots' of their society as they fell into idolatry and human sacrifice, as also recorded by the Book of Mormon. Though now of low pagan culture, the Lamanites were about to 'conquered' their way into Central America, bring with them their pagan corruptions and human sacrifice, which also becomes that same 'snapshot' type view, which the scientists of Mesoamerica assign to the Mayan civilization.
16 And it came to pass that I did arm them with bows, and with arrows, with swords, and with cimeters, and with clubs, and with slings, and with all manner of weapons which we could invent, and I and my people did go forth against the Lamanites to battle.
17 Yea, in the astrength of the Lord did we go forth to battle against the Lamanites; for I and my people did cry mightily to the Lord that he would bdeliver us out of the hands of our enemies, for we were awakened to a remembrance of the deliverance of our fathers.

 17a TG Strength
     b Josh. 21:44; Alma 46:7
18 And God did ahear our cries and did answer our prayers; and we did go forth in his might; yea, we did go forth against the Lamanites, and in one day and a night we did slay three thousand and forty-three; we did slay them even until we had driven them out of our land.
19 And I, myself, with mine own hands, did help to bury their dead. And behold, to our great sorrow and lamentation, two hundred and seventy-nine of our brethren were slain.

 18a Ex. 2:24 (23-24); Ps. 4:1, 3; Dan. 10:12;
       D&C 35:3; Abr. 1:15-16
* Verse 1 [About 200 B.C.]; Verse 11 {About 188 B.C.]; Verse 14 [About 187 B.C.].
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