Mosiah 28
People in this chapter
Mosiah 27 ended with Alma and the four sons of Mosiah traveling through Zarahemla, repairing the damage they had done. Mosiah 28 opens with the sons asking for something much harder: permission to go to the Lamanites, the Nephites' enemies, and preach to them (vv. 1-2). Their reason is one of the most quoted lines in the Book of Mormon: they could not bear that any human soul should perish (v. 3).
Tap any highlighted phrase to jump to the commentary that unpacks it.
Mosiah 28:1-4They Could Not Bear That Any Human Soul Should Perish
1Now it came to pass that after the sons of Mosiah had done all these things, they took a small number with them and returned to their father, the king, and desired of him that he would grant unto them that they might, with these whom they had selected, go up to the land of Nephi that they might preach the things which they had heard, and that they might impart the word of God to their brethren, the Lamanites— 2That perhaps they might bring them to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and convince them of the iniquity of their fathers; and that perhaps they might cure them of their hatred towards the Nephites, that they might also be brought to rejoice in the Lord their God, that they might become friendly to one another, and that there should be no more contentions in all the land which the Lord their God had given them.
The sons of Mosiah ask their father to let them preach to the Lamanites, the Nephites' enemies. They hope to bring them to the Lord and end the hatred between the two peoples.
3Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble. 4And thus did the Spirit of the Lord work upon them, for they were the very vilest of sinners. And the Lord saw fit in his infinite mercy to spare them; nevertheless they suffered much anguish of soul because of their iniquities, suffering much and fearing that they should be cast off forever.
Mormon calls them the very vilest of sinners, and says the Lord spared them in his infinite mercy. The ones forgiven most now want to share it most.
Mosiah 28:5-9Let Them Go Up
5And it came to pass that they did plead with their father many days that they might go up to the land of Nephi. 6And king Mosiah went and inquired of the Lord if he should let his sons go up among the Lamanites to preach the word. 7And the Lord said unto Mosiah: Let them go up, for many shall believe on their words, and they shall have eternal life; and I will deliver thy sons out of the hands of the Lamanites.
The sons plead for many days. Mosiah, a father and a king, takes the question to the Lord.
The Lord says yes, with three promises: many will believe, the sons will have eternal life, and the Lord will deliver them from the Lamanites.
8And it came to pass that Mosiah granted that they might go and do according to their request. 9And they took their journey into the wilderness to go up to preach the word among the Lamanites; and I shall give an account of their proceedings hereafter.
Mosiah 28:10-16Seer after the Manner of Old Times
10Now king Mosiah had no one to confer the kingdom upon, for there was not any of his sons who would accept of the kingdom.
None of Mosiah's sons will take the throne. They chose the mission over the kingdom.
11Therefore he took the records which were engraven on the plates of brass, and also the plates of Nephi, and all the things which he had kept and preserved according to the commandments of God, after having translated and caused to be written the records which were on the plates of gold which had been found by the people of Limhi, which were delivered to him by the hand of Limhi; 12And this he did because of the great anxiety of his people; for they were desirous beyond measure to know concerning those people who had been destroyed.
Limhi's people had found twenty-four gold plates among the ruins of a destroyed people. Everyone wanted to know who those people were, so Mosiah translated the plates.
13And now he translated them by the means of those two stones which were fastened into the two rims of a bow. 14Now these things were prepared from the beginning, and were handed down from generation to generation, for the purpose of interpreting languages; 15And they have been kept and preserved by the hand of the Lord, that he should discover to every creature who should possess the land the iniquities and abominations of his people; 16And whosoever has these things is called seer, after the manner of old times.
Mosiah translated with two stones set in the two rims of a bow, prepared by God for the purpose of interpreting languages and preserved by His hand. Latter-day Saints know this instrument as the Urim and Thummim.
Whoever has the interpreters is called a seer. A seer can know things past and things to come.
Mosiah 28:17-20Handed Down from One Generation to Another
17Now after Mosiah had finished translating these records, behold, it gave an account of the people who were destroyed, from the time that they were destroyed back to the building of the great tower, at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people and they were scattered abroad upon the face of all the earth, yea, and even from that time back until the creation of Adam. 18Now this account did cause the people of Mosiah to mourn exceedingly, yea, they were filled with sorrow; nevertheless it gave them much knowledge, in the which they did rejoice. 19And this account shall be written hereafter; for behold, it is expedient that all people should know the things which are written in this account.
The record tells of a people destroyed, going back to the great tower and even to Adam. It made the Nephites mourn, but it also gave them knowledge. Mormon says it will be written later, and Moroni does that in the Book of Ether.
20And now, as I said unto you, that after king Mosiah had done these things, he took the plates of brass, and all the things which he had kept, and conferred them upon Alma, who was the son of Alma; yea, all the records, and also the interpreters, and conferred them upon him, and commanded him that he should keep and preserve them, and also keep a record of the people, handing them down from one generation to another, even as they had been handed down from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem.
Mosiah gives all the sacred records and the interpreters to Alma the Younger and commands him to keep a record and pass them on.
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.
- Book of Mormon TranslationThe Church's essay on how Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon. It notes that the instrument called in the Book of Mormon the interpreters is better known to Latter-day Saints as the Urim and Thummim, and cites Mosiah 28:14-15, 20.
- SeerScriptures on the calling of a seer, the title verse 16 gives to whoever has the interpreters.
- Urim and ThummimScriptures on the instrument God prepared to help a seer receive revelation and translate languages.
- What Do the Jaredites Have to Do With the Reign of the Judges?Scholars suggest that what Mosiah read in the Jaredite record (vv. 11-19) shaped the warnings about kings he gave in the next chapter.
Where this echoes in Scripture
They Could Not Bear That Any Human Soul Should Perish
- 2 Peter 3:9The Lord is... not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
- 1 Timothy 1:15Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.Another former persecutor who became a missionary.
- Luke 7:47Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much.
- Alma 26:23We go up to the land of Nephi, to preach unto our brethren, the Lamanites, and they laughed us to scorn.How others in Zarahemla received their plan.
- Alma 29:1-2O that I were an angel... that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God.Alma the Younger shares the same desire.
Let Them Go Up
- Alma 17:2-4They had been teaching the word of God for the space of fourteen years among the Lamanites.The sons of Mosiah, fourteen years later.
- Alma 19:22-23The Lord had said unto Mosiah, his father: I will spare him.The promise of verse 7 kept.
- Alma 23:5Thousands were brought to the knowledge of the Lord.Many shall believe on their words.
- Matthew 28:19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations.
Seer after the Manner of Old Times
- Mosiah 8:13-17A seer is a revelator and a prophet also.Ammon explains the interpreters to Limhi.
- 1 Samuel 9:9He that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.
- D&C 17:1The Urim and Thummim, which were given to the brother of Jared upon the mount.
- Joseph Smith—History 1:35Two stones in silver bows... constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim.
- Omni 1:20He did interpret the engravings by the gift and power of God.Mosiah's grandfather and the large stone.
Handed Down from One Generation to Another
- Genesis 11:7-9The LORD did there confound the language of all the earth.
- Ether 1:2-5I take mine account from the twenty and four plates which were found by the people of Limhi.Moroni fulfills verse 19.
- Ether 4:1For this cause did king Mosiah keep them.Part of the record Mosiah held back.
- Alma 37:1-4I command you that ye take the records which have been entrusted with me.Alma passes the records on to Helaman.