King Mosiah and Nehor: Cause and Effect

Mosiah 29 and Alma 1:

Ever been unhappy with a church leader? Ever known a fellow you thought would make a much better leader? Ever wondered why we can't just replace them and create the church any old way?

Nehor did.

In mosiah chapter 29, King Mosiah establishes a new government among his people. Needless to say this great social change is extraordinary in the history of the people of the earth, and worthy of greater preponderance, but what I found interesting to consider is the consequences of that change on the people of Nephi.

Because the people were given say over their own government, rather than requiring a king to make all their decisions, Satan took advantage of them and their newfound freedom IMMEDIATELY. (Nehor appears in the FIRST YEAR of the reign of the judges, you'd think they'd get at least a year or two reprieve, but NOOOOOooooOOOOOooo...)

I don't know if you've ever read the arrival of Nehor and his new religion as anything related to Mosiah's righteous choice to give the people more responsibility in their own governance, but it is my opinion that this is exactly what made it possible for Nehor to take such advantage over the people.

The people had just been given the power to vote. In that process, judges had to run for positions, based upon popularity, because they were appointed "by the voice of the people". Their competence and their eloquence, their "righteousness" or character were all aspects of their appeal to the people. (see the process executed in verses Mosiah 29:38-39)

This event gave the people a great sense of power. It was exciting! They held Mosiah in great esteem because of it. A power that Satan wasted no time in using against the people. (see Mosiah 29:40)

So then along comes Nehor. He was a big man. Strong. Probably a man admired or envied by many a man. It is not clear he had ANYTHING to do with politics, but He was a religious man who did not like how things were running in the church. He was a man of great pride. (see Alma 1:2,6) He taught a very popular doctrine--one of universal salvation. Leaving aside the contradictory nature of why you would need any sort of religion if everyone was automatically saved, consider that his main thrust was that priests themselves ought to be popular. (see Alma 1: 3-4)

Nehor's pride fueled him to overstep his bounds. He killed a man who withstood Nehor's preaching. In fact, he killed, Gideon, a man who'd chased King Noah up a tower, and was a fierce patriot for the people. A man who no doubt understood the dangers of Nehor's type of thinking. (see Alma 1:7-10)

This desire to make priests paid and popular is precisely the process the judges had to go through in order to obtain their positions in the government. Since the government and religion were closely tied together (King Mosiah was a seer, and the fact that he gave up on kings is no doubt inspired by his translation of the Book of Ether (well, that and the bad example of King Noah).), it is not a big shock then that Nehor thought he could "make matters better" (aka. take advantage of...) by encouraging others to do the same thing in the church.

Why not? If the people had a say in the government, why not the church?

I've found that Satan is always ready to take the best of the Lord's blessings and push us all just a bit too far with them... make us think we deserve them, that such exceptions are the rules, and making rules exceptions.

I find it remarkable just how consistent the Book of Mormon is when you look for Cause and Effect. (I've discussed how Captain Moroni's actions against traitors directly led to the adoption of secret combinations by those who chose wickedness... a generation later...) Yet such lessons are not stated outright, one has to search for them, and these hidden stories, imo, are just as interesting as some of those that are stated outright.

--Ray