MosiahChapter29

Now when Mosiah had done this he sent out throughout all the land, among all the people, desiring to know their will concerning who should be their king.

When Mosiah had finished all this, he sent out word throughout the land, among all the people, wanting to know their will about who should be their king.

And it came to pass that the voice of the people came, saying: We are desirous that Aaron thy son should be our king and our ruler.

And the voice of the people came back, saying, "We want your son Aaron to be our king and our ruler."

Now Aaron had gone up to the land of Nephi, therefore the king could not confer the kingdom upon him; neither would Aaron take upon him the kingdom; neither were any of the sons of Mosiah willing to take upon them the kingdom.

But Aaron had gone up to the land of Nephi, so the king could not confer the kingdom on him; and Aaron would not have accepted the kingdom in any case, nor were any of the sons of Mosiah willing to take it.

Therefore king Mosiah sent again among the people; yea, even a written word sent he among the people. And these were the words that were written, saying:

So king Mosiah sent among the people again, and this time he sent a written word. And these are the words that were written:

Behold, O ye my people, or my brethren, for I esteem you as such, I desire that ye should consider the cause which ye are called to consider—for ye are desirous to have a king.

My people: I call you my brothers, because that is how I regard you. I want you to consider carefully the question you are called to consider, for you want 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.

Now I declare to you that the one to whom the kingdom rightly belongs has declined, and he will not accept it.

And now if there should be another appointed in his stead, behold I fear there would rise contentions among you. And who knoweth but what my son, to whom the kingdom doth belong, should turn to be angry and draw away a part of this people after him, which would cause wars and contentions among you, which would be the cause of shedding much blood and perverting the way of the Lord, yea, and destroy the souls of many people.

And if another man were appointed in his place, I am afraid it would stir up contention among you. Who knows whether my son, to whom the kingdom belongs, might turn angry and draw away part of this people after him? That would cause wars and contention among you, the shedding of much blood, and the perverting of the way of the Lord; and it would destroy the souls of many people.

Now I say unto you let us be wise and consider these things, for we have no right to destroy my son, neither should we have any right to destroy another if he should be appointed in his stead.

Now I say to you, let us be wise and consider these things, for we have no right to destroy my son, and we would have no right to destroy another man if he were appointed in his place.

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.

And if my son turned again to his pride and to empty things, he would take back what he has said and claim his right to the kingdom; and that would lead him, and this people as well, into much sin.

And now let us be wise and look forward to these things, and do that which will make for the peace of this people.

And now let us be wise and look ahead to these things, and do what will bring peace to this people.

Therefore I will be your king the remainder of my days; nevertheless, let us appoint judges, to judge this people according to our law; and we will newly arrange the affairs of this people, for we will appoint wise men to be judges, that will judge this people according to the commandments of God.

Therefore I will be your king for the remainder of my days. Even so, let us appoint judges to judge this people according to our law; and we will arrange the affairs of this people in a new way, for we will appoint wise men to be judges, who will judge this people according to the commandments of God.

Now it is better that a man should be judged of God than of man, for the judgments of God are always just, but the judgments of man are not always just.

Now it is better that a man should be judged by God than by man, for the judgments of God are always just, but the judgments of man are not always just.

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.

Therefore, if it were possible that you could have just men to be your kings, men who would establish the laws of God and judge this people according to his commandments — if you could have men for your kings who would do just as my father Benjamin did for this people — I say to you, if this could always be the case, then it would be expedient for you always to have kings to rule over you.

And even I myself have labored with all the power and faculties which I have possessed, 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, nor murdering, nor any manner of iniquity;

And I myself have labored with all the power and faculties I possess to teach you the commandments of God and to establish peace throughout the land, so that there would be no wars and contention, no stealing, no plundering, no murder, nor any kind of wickedness.

And whosoever has committed iniquity, him have I punished according to the crime which he has committed, according to the law which has been given to us by our fathers.

And whoever has done wrong, I have punished according to the crime he committed, in keeping with the law our fathers gave us.

Now I say unto you, that because all men are not just it is not expedient that ye should have a king or kings to rule over you.

Now I say to you: because not all men are just, it is not expedient that you should have a king or kings to rule over you.

For behold, how much iniquity doth one wicked king cause to be committed, yea, and what great destruction!

For think how much evil one wicked king can cause, and what great destruction!

Yea, remember king Noah, his wickedness and his abominations, and also the wickedness and abominations of his people. Behold what great destruction did come upon them; and also because of their iniquities they were brought into bondage.

Remember king Noah, his wickedness and his abominations, and also the wickedness and abominations of his people. See what great destruction came upon them; and because of their sins they were brought into slavery.

And were it not for the interposition of their all-wise Creator, and this because of their sincere repentance, they must unavoidably remain in bondage until now.

And if their all-wise Creator had not intervened, which he did because of their sincere repentance, they would inevitably have remained in slavery until now.

But behold, he did deliver them because they did humble themselves before him; and because they cried mightily unto him he did deliver them out of bondage; and thus doth the Lord work with his power in all cases among the children of men, extending the arm of mercy towards them that put their trust in him.

But he delivered them because they humbled themselves before him; and because they cried mightily to him, he delivered them out of their captivity. This is how the Lord works with his power in all cases among people, extending the arm of mercy toward those who put their trust in him.

And behold, now I say unto you, ye cannot dethrone an iniquitous king save it be through much contention, and the shedding of much blood.

And now I say to you: you cannot dethrone a wicked king except through much contention and the shedding of much blood.

For behold, he has his friends in iniquity, and he keepeth his guards about him; and he teareth up the laws of those who have reigned in righteousness before him; and he trampleth under his feet the commandments of God;

For he has his friends in wickedness, and he keeps his guards around him; and he tears up the laws of those who reigned in righteousness before him, and he tramples the commandments of God under his feet.

And he enacteth laws, and sendeth them forth among his people, yea, laws after the manner of his own wickedness; and whosoever doth not obey his laws he causeth to be destroyed; and whosoever doth rebel against him he will send his armies against them to war, and if he can he will destroy them; and thus an unrighteous king doth pervert the ways of all righteousness.

And he enacts laws and sends them out among his people, laws patterned after his own wickedness. Whoever does not obey his laws, he has destroyed; and if anyone rebels against him, he sends his armies against them to make war, and if he can, he destroys them. This is how an unrighteous king perverts the ways of all righteousness.

And now behold I say unto you, it is not expedient that such abominations should come upon you.

And now I say to you, it is not expedient that such abominations should come upon you.

Therefore, choose you by the voice of this people, judges, that ye may be judged according to the laws which have been given you by our fathers, which are correct, and which were given them by the hand of the Lord.

Therefore choose judges, by the voice of this people, so that you may be judged according to the laws given to you by our fathers, laws that are correct, and that were given to them by the hand of the Lord.

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; therefore this shall ye observe and make it your law—to do your business by the voice of the people.

Now it is not common that the voice of the people desires anything contrary to what is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire what is not right. Therefore this you shall observe, and make it your law: to do your business by the voice of the people.

And if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction even as he has hitherto visited this land.

And if the time comes that the voice of the people chooses wickedness, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; then is the time he will visit you with great destruction, just as he has visited this land in times past.

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.

And now, if you have judges and they do not judge you according to the law that has been given, you can have them judged by 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.

If your higher judges do not give righteous judgments, you shall have a small number of your lower judges gathered together, and they shall judge your higher judges, according to the voice of the people.

And I command you to do these things in the fear of the Lord; and I command you to do these things, and that ye have no king; that if these people commit sins and iniquities they shall be answered upon their own heads.

And I command you to do these things in the fear of the Lord; and I command you to do these things and to have no king, so that if this people commit sins and wickedness, those sins will be answered upon their own heads.

For behold I say unto you, the sins of many people have been caused by the iniquities of their kings; therefore their iniquities are answered upon the heads of their kings.

For I say to you, the sins of many people have been caused by the wickedness of their kings; and their wickedness is answered upon the heads of their kings.

And now I desire that this inequality should be no more in this land, especially among this my people; but I desire that this land be a land of liberty, and every man may enjoy his rights and privileges alike, so long as the Lord sees fit that we may live and inherit the land, yea, even as long as any of our posterity remains upon the face of the land.

And now I want this inequality to end in this land, especially among my own people. I want this land to be a land of liberty, where every man may enjoy his rights and privileges alike, as long as the Lord sees fit that we may live and inherit the land, even as long as any of our posterity remains on the face of the land.

And many more things did king Mosiah write unto them, unfolding unto them all the trials and troubles of a righteous king, yea, all the travails of soul for their people, and also all the murmurings of the people to their king; and he explained it all unto them.

And king Mosiah wrote many more things to them, setting out all the trials and troubles of a righteous king: all the anguish of soul for their people, and also all the complaints of the people to their king; and he explained it all to them.

And he told them that these things ought not to be; but that the burden should come upon all the people, that every man might bear his part.

He told them that these things ought not to be, and that the burden should come upon all the people, that every man might bear his part.

And he also unfolded unto them all the disadvantages they labored under, by having an unrighteous king to rule over them;

He also set out for them all the disadvantages they labored under by having an unrighteous king to rule over them:

Yea, all his iniquities and abominations, and all the wars, and contentions, and bloodshed, and the stealing, and the plundering, and the committing of whoredoms, and all manner of iniquities which cannot be enumerated—telling them that these things ought not to be, that they were expressly repugnant to the commandments of God.

all his wickedness and abominations, and all the wars, the contention, the bloodshed, the stealing, the plundering, the sexual immorality, and all kinds of evil that cannot be counted — telling them that these things ought not to be, that they were in direct opposition to the commandments of God.

And now it came to pass, after king Mosiah had sent these things forth among the people they were convinced of the truth of his words.

And after king Mosiah had sent all this out among the people, they were convinced that his words were true.

Therefore they relinquished their desires for a king, and became exceedingly anxious that every man should have an equal chance throughout all the land; yea, and every man expressed a willingness to answer for his own sins.

So they gave up their desire for a king, and they became extremely eager that every man should have an equal chance throughout all the land; and every man expressed a willingness to answer for his own sins.

Therefore, it came to pass that they assembled themselves together in bodies throughout the land, to cast in their voices concerning who should be their judges, to judge them according to the law which had been given them; and they were exceedingly rejoiced because of the liberty which had been granted unto them.

So they assembled in groups throughout the land to cast in their voices about who should be their judges, to judge them according to the law that had been given them; and they rejoiced greatly because of the liberty that had been granted them.

And they did wax strong in love towards Mosiah; yea, they did esteem him more than any other man; for they did not look upon him as a tyrant who was seeking for gain, yea, for that lucre which doth corrupt the soul; for he had not exacted riches of them, neither had he delighted in the shedding of blood; but he had established peace in the land, and he had granted unto his people that they should be delivered from all manner of bondage; therefore they did esteem him, yea, exceedingly, beyond measure.

And they grew strong in love toward Mosiah; they valued him more than any other man. They did not look on him as a tyrant who was seeking gain, for that lucre which corrupts the soul; for he had not demanded riches from them, and he had not delighted in the shedding of blood. He had established peace in the land, and he had granted his people deliverance from every kind of servitude. Therefore they valued him beyond all measure.

And it came to pass that they did appoint judges to rule over them, or to judge them according to the law; and this they did throughout all the land.

And they appointed judges to rule over them, or rather to judge them according to the law; and this they did throughout all the land.

And it came to pass that Alma was appointed to be the first chief judge, he being also the high priest, his father having conferred the office upon him, and having given him the charge concerning all the affairs of the church.

And Alma was appointed to be the first chief judge. He was also the high priest, for his father had conferred the office on him and had given him charge over all the affairs of the church.

And now it came to pass that Alma did walk in the ways of the Lord, and he did keep his commandments, and he did judge righteous judgments; and there was continual peace through the land.

And Alma walked in the ways of the Lord, and he kept his commandments, and he judged righteously; and there was continual peace through the land.

And thus commenced the reign of the judges throughout all the land of Zarahemla, among all the people who were called the Nephites; and Alma was the first and chief judge.

And thus began the reign of the judges throughout all the land of Zarahemla, among all the people who were called the Nephites; and Alma was the first and chief judge.

And now it came to pass that his father died, being eighty and two years old, having lived to fulfil the commandments of God.

And his father died, being eighty-two years old, having lived to fulfill the commandments of God.

And it came to pass that Mosiah died also, in the thirty and third year of his reign, being sixty and three years old; making in the whole, five hundred and nine years from the time Lehi left Jerusalem.

And Mosiah died also, in the thirty-third year of his reign, at sixty-three years old, making in all five hundred and nine years from the time Lehi left Jerusalem.

And thus ended the reign of the kings over the people of Nephi; and thus ended the days of Alma, who was the founder of their church.

And thus ended the reign of the kings over the people of Nephi; and thus ended the days of Alma, who was the founder of their church.