Key Verses & Themes

Dangers of a kingdom.

• 29:1: A democratic election for kingship.
• 29:5-6: for ye are desirous to have a king. Now I declare unto you that he to whom the kingdom doth rightly belong has declined, and will not take upon him the kingdom.”
• 29:9 And if my son should turn again to his pride and vain things he would recall the things which he had said, and claim his right to the kingdom, which would cause him and also this people to commit much sin.
• 29:13 “Therefore, if it were possible that you could have just men to be your kings, who would establish the laws of God, and judge this people according to his commandments, yea, if ye could have men for your kings who would do even as my father Benjamin did for this people—I say unto you, if this could always be the case then it would be expedient that ye should always have kings to rule over you.”
• 29:17 “For behold, how much iniquity doth one wicked king cause to be committed, yea, and what great destruction!”
• 29:21 “ye cannot dethrone an iniquitous king save it be through much contention, and the shedding of much blood….”
• 29:26 “Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right;

Benefits of a democracy

• 29:10 “Do that which will make for the peace of this people.”
• 29: 14: “to teach you the commandments of God, and to establish peace throughout the land, that there should be no wars nor contentions, no stealing, nor plundering.”
• 29:28-29 “And now if ye have judges, and they do not judge you according to the law which has been given, ye can cause that they may be judged of a higher judge. If your higher judges do not judge righteous judgments, ye shall cause that a small number of your lower judges should be gathered together, and they shall judge your higher judges, according to the voice of the people.”
• 29: 30 “That if these people commit sins and iniquities they shall be answered upon their own heads.”

Doctrines and Consequences of Nehor

• Alma 1:3 – 4 “preaching to them that which he termed to be the word of God, bearing down against the church; declaring unto the people that every priest and teacher ought to become popular; and they ought not to labor with their hands, but that they ought to be supported by the people. And he also testified unto the people that all mankind should be saved at the last day, and they need not fear nor tremble, but that they might lift up their heads and rejoice; for the Lord had created all men, and had also redeemed all men, in the end all men should have eternal life.”
• Alma 1:16: “Nevertheless this did not put an end to the spreading of priestcraft through the land; for there were many who loved the vain things of the world, and they went forth preaching false doctrines; and this they did for the sake of riches and honor”.
• Alma 1:22: “Nevertheless, there were many among them who began to be proud, and began to contend warmly with their adversaries, even unto blows; they would smite one another with their fists.”
• Alma 1:32: “For those who did not belong to their church did indulge in sorceries, and in idolatry or idleness, and in babblings, and in envyings and strife, wearing costly apparel;
• Preaching for wealth and popularity skews natural incentives if those are the motives. There’s no room to change your mind. You’re kind of tied to your audience.

Questions

• Why would the people be so insistent to have a king? Why is Mosiah’s oldest son the person to “whom the kingdom doth rightly belong.” How does this help explain the original schism and the Lamanite’s long-lasting grudge with the Nephites?
• Is Mosiah right that democracy protects society against societal sin? The main argument he makes is that while the minority often wants that “which is not right”, it is “not common” for the majority to go against that “which is right”. Is this actually true? (thinking here of slavery, genocide, etc.).
• It’s interesting that Mormon describes a society anxious to have “an equal chance throughout all the land” and a “willingness to answer for his own sins” and that “they were exceedingly rejoiced because of the liberty which had been granted unto them”, as if this weren’t already true, but reading about King Benjamin and Mosiah, it seems like they had these experiences were already given to them. I understand the risks they might lose this and maybe it’s a projection of that possibility but it seems like inevitably, democracy and accountability doesn’t end up saving them.
• Nehor’s doctrine is similar to Noah’s in that they wanted the people to lift up their heads and rejoice that they will be saved as they are. (Salvation in their sins. Salvation by the law of Moses alone), but Nehor seems to take it further, dropping the law of Moses altogether, whereas other dissenters, including Alma the Younger’s dissension focused on Christ.
• Sherem, Alma the Younger and Mosiah’s sons seem to have similarities but are decidedly dissimilar to Nehor (we don’t know actually exactly what Alma the younger or Mosiah’s sons preached). But in the cases of Sherem, Alma and Mosiah’s sons their conversion was triggered by a miraculous intervention and their testimonies healed their community.
• Nehor had no such conversion and in fact enforced his words with the sword, killing Gideon who withstood his words.
• What is priestcraft? What are modern day examples of those who preach for the sake of riches and honor?
• There’s some interesting descriptions about the church – they were modest, their hearts were not on riches, they cared for the poor, but then they prospered far more than those who were seeking for riches. There’s something about wealth, that if you don’t seek for wealth, often you get it, especially if you’re goal is to use it for good.
• What is this attraction for Amlici? Alma 2 describes the vulnerabilities of a democracy. You can vote away your freedom.