Make for the Peace of the People

I find the reasoning that King Mosiah gave to his people for why they should not have a king to be somewhat intriguing.  When he first asked the people who should be king, they said, “We are desirous that Aaron thy son should be our king and our ruler.”  Aaron had just departed to be a missionary to the Lamanites, and he would not “take upon him the kingdom” (Mosiah 29:2-3).  His brothers felt the same way, and so no son of Mosiah could become the next king.  Given that, Mosiah responded to the people telling them, “I desire that ye should consider the cause which ye are called to consider.”  He then suggested an interesting scenario for them to think about.  He asked them to imagine the possibility that they chose someone instead of Aaron to be king but then Aaron “should turn to be angry and draw away a part of this people after him, which would cause wars and contentions among you” (Mosiah 29:5, 7).  What’s a bit puzzling to me is that Mosiah clearly knew that this wouldn’t happen.  The Lord had already told him about his sons when they wanted to leave on a mission, “Let them go up, for many shall believe on their words, and they shall have eternal life” (Mosiah 28:7).  Surely Mosiah didn’t believe that his son who was, according to the Lord, guaranteed to have eternal life was going to rebel and cause a great war among the people.  So why did he use this example?  

               I believe that Mosiah was trying to show what could happen in general with kings, even if he knew the specific future scenario he employed was not going to come to pass.  It seems most likely that it was the Jaredite record that caused him to make the suggestion.  I think he learned a lot about what could cause a society to go downhill fast in that stories of the Jaredites.  We see this exact kind of rebellion that Mosiah hypothetically described in numerous places in the history of the Jaredite record that we have.  For example, Corihor, the son of only the second king among the Jaredites “rebelled against his father” and “drew away many people after him” (Ether 7:4).  This caused a great war and brought may people into captivity.  He actually eventually repented, but his son Noah “rebelled against Shule, the king, and also his father Corihor, and drew away Cohor his brother, and also all his brethren and many of the people.”  He caused a war and much bloodshed and eventually the “country was divided” because of it (Ether 7:15, 20).  In a subsequent generation another jealous son of a king was Jared who “did flatter many people” and likewise drew them away after him.  He “gave battle unto his father” and likewise caused wars and bloodshed among the people (Ether 8:2-3).  Another son of a king who was jealous of his brother’s appointment to be king “did rise up in rebellion against [his brother], by which he did bring him into captivity” (Ether 10:14).  Again and again we see the wickedness and fighting among the people of the Jaredites by those who wanted to obtain the kingdom, especially those who were brothers or sons to the king.  They “drew away” people after them just as Mosiah suggested could be the case with Aaron.  Surely these almost repetitive accounts from the Jaredite history caused Mosiah to reflect deeply about what could happen if the Nephites kept having kings.  So while the actual scenario he proposed was not going to happen, it was not far off from the kinds of things that had happened among the Jaredites over and over again.  Mosiah did not want one power hungry man to cause “this people to commit much sin” (Mosiah 29:9).     

               Ultimately I think Mosiah was trying to get the people to think for broadly and to have a greater vision for the future.  They were thinking only about the here and now, but Mosiah wanted them to see into the future and make the choice that would be the best for the generations to come.  There is perhaps in this a lesson for us that we must seek to see not only the immediate effects of our decisions but also the long-term ramifications.  As he encouraged the people, “Let us be wise and look forward to these things, and do that which will make for the peace of this people” (Mosiah 29:10).  That’s a great call for reflection for all of us as we make important decisions that will affect not only us but those who will come after us—we should choose that which will “make for the peace” and well-being of our families, friends, and communities.