Mosiah 20
People in this chapter
This chapter begins far from the battlefield, with a group of young Lamanite women singing and dancing together (v. 1). Hidden nearby are the priests of the late King Noah. They are afraid to go home and face the people they abandoned, so they wait, watch, and then carry off twenty-four of the young women into the wilderness (vv. 3-5).
Tap any highlighted phrase to jump to the commentary that unpacks it.
Mosiah 20:1-5The Priests Durst Not Return
1Now there was a place in Shemlon where the daughters of the Lamanites did gather themselves together to sing, and to dance, and to make themselves merry. 2And it came to pass that there was one day a small number of them gathered together to sing and to dance.
Young Lamanite women gathered at a place in Shemlon to sing and dance. It was an ordinary, happy scene, and it was about to be shattered.
3And now the priests of king Noah, being ashamed to return to the city of Nephi, yea, and also fearing that the people would slay them, therefore they durst not return to their wives and their children. 4And having tarried in the wilderness, and having discovered the daughters of the Lamanites, they laid and watched them; 5And when there were but few of them gathered together to dance, they came forth out of their secret places and took them and carried them into the wilderness; yea, twenty and four of the daughters of the Lamanites they carried into the wilderness.
Noah's priests were too ashamed and afraid to go home to the families they had abandoned. So they hid, watched, and kidnapped twenty-four young Lamanite women.
Mosiah 20:6-16Ye Shall Not Slay Him
6And it came to pass that when the Lamanites found that their daughters had been missing, they were angry with the people of Limhi, for they thought it was the people of Limhi. 7Therefore they sent their armies forth; yea, even the king himself went before his people; and they went up to the land of Nephi to destroy the people of Limhi. 8And now Limhi had discovered them from the tower, even all their preparations for war did he discover; therefore he gathered his people together, and laid wait for them in the fields and in the forests.
The Lamanites blamed Limhi's people for the kidnapping. They were wrong, but their army marched anyway. Limhi saw them coming from the tower and set an ambush.
9And it came to pass that when the Lamanites had come up, that the people of Limhi began to fall upon them from their waiting places, and began to slay them. 10And it came to pass that the battle became exceedingly sore, for they fought like lions for their prey. 11And it came to pass that the people of Limhi began to drive the Lamanites before them; yet they were not half so numerous as the Lamanites. But they fought for their lives, and for their wives, and for their children; therefore they exerted themselves and like dragons did they fight. 12And it came to pass that they found the king of the Lamanites among the number of their dead; yet he was not dead, having been wounded and left upon the ground, so speedy was the flight of his people.
Limhi's people were outnumbered more than two to one, but they fought for their lives, and for their wives, and for their children, and they drove the Lamanites back.
13And they took him and bound up his wounds, and brought him before Limhi, and said: Behold, here is the king of the Lamanites; he having received a wound has fallen among their dead, and they have left him; and behold, we have brought him before you; and now let us slay him. 14But Limhi said unto them: Ye shall not slay him, but bring him hither that I may see him. And they brought him. And Limhi said unto him: What cause have ye to come up to war against my people? Behold, my people have not broken the oath that I made unto you; therefore, why should ye break the oath which ye made unto my people?
Limhi asks why the Lamanites broke their oath when his people kept theirs. The king explains that his daughters were stolen. Limhi knows nothing about it and promises to punish whoever did it.
15And now the king said: I have broken the oath because thy people did carry away the daughters of my people; therefore, in my anger I did cause my people to come up to war against thy people. 16And now Limhi had heard nothing concerning this matter; therefore he said: I will search among my people and whosoever has done this thing shall perish. Therefore he caused a search to be made among his people.
Mosiah 20:17-26Without Arms
17Now when Gideon had heard these things, he being the king's captain, he went forth and said unto the king: I pray thee forbear, and do not search this people, and lay not this thing to their charge. 18For do ye not remember the priests of thy father, whom this people sought to destroy? And are they not in the wilderness? And are not they the ones who have stolen the daughters of the Lamanites?
Gideon, the king's captain, works out who the real kidnappers are: Noah's priests hiding in the wilderness. He asks Limhi not to search and punish his own innocent people.
19And now, behold, and tell the king of these things, that he may tell his people that they may be pacified towards us; for behold they are already preparing to come against us; and behold also there are but few of us. 20And behold, they come with their numerous hosts; and except the king doth pacify them towards us we must perish. 21For are not the words of Abinadi fulfilled, which he prophesied against us—and all this because we would not hearken unto the words of the Lord, and turn from our iniquities?
Gideon sees that this is exactly what Abinadi warned about. The people are suffering because they would not listen to the Lord and repent.
22And now let us pacify the king, and we fulfil the oath which we have made unto him; for it is better that we should be in bondage than that we should lose our lives; therefore, let us put a stop to the shedding of so much blood. 23And now Limhi told the king all the things concerning his father, and the priests that had fled into the wilderness, and attributed the carrying away of their daughters to them. 24And it came to pass that the king was pacified towards his people; and he said unto them: Let us go forth to meet my people, without arms; and I swear unto you with an oath that my people shall not slay thy people. 25And it came to pass that they followed the king, and went forth without arms to meet the Lamanites. And it came to pass that they did meet the Lamanites; and the king of the Lamanites did bow himself down before them, and did plead in behalf of the people of Limhi. 26And when the Lamanites saw the people of Limhi, that they were without arms, they had compassion on them and were pacified towards them, and returned with their king in peace to their own land.
Limhi tells the king the truth, and the king believes him. Limhi's people go out unarmed to meet the Lamanite army, the king pleads for them, and the Lamanites have compassion and go home in peace.
Research trail
Sources & further study
These references support the historical, linguistic, manuscript, and contextual notes in this chapter. Scripture remains the primary text; external sources are provided so readers can inspect the research directly.
- How the Lamanite Daughters May Have Been Abducted on an Israelite HolidayJohn W. Welch suggests the dancing in verse 1 may reflect an ancient Israelite festival when young women danced in the vineyards, and compares the priests' crime with the seizing of the daughters of Shiloh in Judges 21.
- LimhiScripture references for Limhi, son of Noah, from his reign in bondage to his people's return to Zarahemla.
- Gideon (Book of Mormon)The Nephite captain who served Limhi, from his confrontation with King Noah to his death at the hands of Nehor.
- OathHow seriously the scriptures treat a sworn oath, the issue at the center of verses 14-24.
Where this echoes in Scripture
The Priests Durst Not Return
- Judges 21:19-23If the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife.A similar crime in the Bible.
- Mosiah 19:21And they were about to take the priests also and put them to death, and they fled before them.How the priests ended up in the wilderness.
- Mosiah 17:18And in that day ye shall be hunted, and ye shall be taken by the hand of your enemies.Abinadi's warning to these same priests.
- Genesis 3:8-10I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.Hiding from God after sin goes back to the beginning.
Ye Shall Not Slay Him
- Matthew 5:44Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you.
- Luke 10:33-34When he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds.The same act of mercy in the Savior's parable.
- Mosiah 19:25-26The king of the Lamanites made an oath unto them, that his people should not slay them.The oath both kings are talking about.
- Alma 46:12In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children.Captain Moroni's title of liberty uses the same reasons to fight.
Without Arms
- Mosiah 12:2This generation, because of their iniquities, shall be brought into bondage, and shall be smitten on the cheek.The words of Abinadi that Gideon sees fulfilled.
- Proverbs 15:1A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
- Matthew 5:9Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
- Alma 24:21-24They prostrated themselves before them to the earth, and began to call on the name of the Lord.Later Lamanites are moved by people who refuse to fight.
- D&C 98:16Therefore, renounce war and proclaim peace.