CAUSES THAT LED TO THE MIGRATION FROM THE LAND OF NEPHI--THE
PEOPLE OF ZARAHEMLA--MULEK AND HIS COLONY--THE FUSION OF THE TWO
NATIONS--MOSIAH MADE KING--HIS HAPPY REIGN.
(BOOK OF OMNI.)
Mosiah resided in the land of Nephi, and lived there as near as we can
discover during the latter half of the third century before Christ.
Whether he was originally a prophet, priest, or king, the historian
(Amaleki) does not inform us. Most certainly he was a righteous man,
for the Lord made choice of him to guide the obedient Nephites from
their native country to a land that he would show them.
The causes that led the Lord to make this call upon the Nephites are
not stated, but some of them can be easily surmised. Amongst such we
suggest that:
The aggressive Lamanites were constantly crowding upon them, ravaging
their more remote districts, entrapping and enslaving the inhabitants
of the outlying settlements, driving off their flocks and herds, and
keeping them in a constant state of anxiety and dread, which hindered
their progress and stayed the growth of the work of God. The Lord
therefore led them to a land of peace.
Again, this course of events, continued for so long a period, had
caused much hard-heartedness and stiff-neckedness in the midst of the
Nephites. Some of the people had remained righteous, some had grown
very wicked. To separate these classes the Lord called the faithful and
obedient to follow Mosiah to another land.
For a third reason: there was a portion of the house of Israel, a
few hundred miles to the north, entirely unknown to their Nephite
brethren. These people had sunk very low in true civilization; they
were so degraded that they denied the being of their Creator, they had
had many wars and contentions among themselves; they had corrupted
their language, had no records nor scriptures, and were altogether in
a deplorable condition. To save and regenerate this branch of God's
covenant people, Mosiah and his people were led to the place where they
dwelt.
Few are the words and brief is the statement made by Amaleki regarding
this great migration under Mosiah. We are altogether left to our
imagination to picture the scenes that occurred at this division of a
nation.
Imagine the conflict that perplexed many a heart between the appeals
of love and faith, between duty and affection, when the old homes had
to be deserted, when families had to be parted, and the one stern,
uncompromising feeling of duty to the right and devotion to God had to
be the all-controlling sentiment. Nor can we tell how many, preferring
home, kindred and friends, and the endearments and associations of
their native land, faltered and tarried behind, whilst the faithful
started on their journey northward into the untrodden wilderness. Nor
are we told what afterwards became of those who allowed the allurements
of the world to prevail. It is most probable that they united with
the Lamanites, were absorbed into that race, and, like them, became
darkened, blood-thirsty and savage. Neither do we know the proportion
to the whole population of those who left with Mosiah and those who
stayed behind.
The Nephite evacuation of the cities built in the land of Nephi no
doubt had a beneficial effect on those portions of the Lamanite race
that took possession of them. They thereby became acquainted with some
of the comforts and excellencies of civilization, and, though very
slow to learn, their experience at this time laid the foundation for a
slight advance of the arts of peace in their midst, and from this time
we read of two classes of this people, the one living in cities, the
other roaming in the wilderness.
Mosiah gathered up the willing and obedient and, as directed by the
Lord, started on the journey.
Whither they were going they understood not, only they knew that the
Lord was leading them. Like their forefathers under Moses, when in
the wilderness of Sinai, they were taught continually by the word of
Jehovah and were led by his arm. With preachings and prophesyings they
crossed the wilderness and passed down into the land of Zarahemla.
On the west bank of the river Sidon the people of Mosiah found a
populous city of whose existence they had never before heard. Its
people were a semi-civilized and irreligious race, speaking a strange
language, and with many habits and customs different from those of the
new comers.
The meeting must have been a perplexing one to both people. Heretofore
both had considered themselves the owners of the whole continent. Now
they were brought face to face, but unable to understand each other by
reason of their different modes of speech. We often read in history of
the irruption of an inferior or more barbarous race into the domains of
one more highly civilized, but it is seldom, as in this case, that the
superior race moves in a body, occupies the country, and unites with
the less enlightened people. It is probable that the first feelings of
the old settlers were akin to awe and dismay as they learned of the
hosts of the invaders that were marching upon them; but these feelings
were soon soothed and an understanding arrived at by which the two
people became one nation. Though the Book of Mormon gives us no details
on this point, we are forced to the conclusion that this arrangement
could not have been effected without the direct interposition of
heaven, by and through which both people were brought to a united
purpose and common understanding.
[Illustration: THE JEWS LED AWAY TO CAPTIVITY.]
When the Nephites began to comprehend the language of their new fellow
citizens, they found that they were the descendants of a colony which
had been led from Jerusalem by the hand of the Lord in the year that
that city was destroyed by the king of Babylon (say B. C. 589). In that
little colony was a child named Mulek: he was the only son of king
Zedekiah who had escaped the fury of the Babylonish monarch. After
wandering in the wilderness, they were brought across the great waters
and landed in the southern portion of the North American continent,
and in after years moved southward to the place where they were
discovered by Mosiah and his people. At this time their king or ruler
was named Zarahemla (about B. C. 200). He was a descendant of Mulek,
and consequently of the tribe of Judah and of the house of David. The
reason assigned for their departure from the worship of the true God,
their degradation and the corruption of their language, was that their
forefathers brought from their ancient home in Palestine no records or
copies of the holy scriptures to guide and preserve them from error in
their isolated land of adoption.
When the two races joined, it was decided that Mosiah should be the
king of the united people, though the Nephites were then the less
numerous. This arrangement probably grew out of the fact that though
less in numbers they were the most civilized, and being worshipers of
the God of Israel they would not willingly submit to be ruled by those
who had no knowledge of his laws.
The education of the people of Zarahemla to the standard of the
Nephites, and the work of harmonizing the two races, were not the task
of an hour. It required much wisdom, patience and faith. Mosiah gave
stability to the new kingdom by his own virtues and wise example, by
the just laws he established, and by placing the service of the Lord
before all earthly considerations. It is evident that he built a temple
in the new land, as its existence is particularly mentioned in the days
of his son, king Benjamin, and as the people observed the law of Moses
in the matter of sacrifices and offerings, a temple would be one of the
very first necessities to enable them to carry out the requirements
of their religion. But to the forms, types, shadows and ceremonies of
the Mosaic law were added gospel principles, with a clear and definite
understanding of the coming and divine work of the Messiah, all of
which is very evident in the instructions given to their subjects by
Mosiah's two successors.
Mosiah was not only a divinely inspired leader and king, but he was
also a seer. Whilst reigning in Zarahemla a large engraved stone
was brought to him, and by the gift and power of God he translated
the engravings thereon. They gave an account of the rise, fall and
destruction of the great Jaredite nation, from the days of its
founders, who came out from the Tower of Babel, to the time of their
last king, Coriantumr, who himself was discovered by the people of
Zarahemla and lived with them nine moons.
When Mosiah died he was succeeded by his son Benjamin.