Over-Zealous to Inherit the Land

In the Book of Mormon, the leader Zeniff is perhaps best known for his own description of himself: “I being over-zealous to inherit the land of our fathers” (Mosiah 9:3). His grandson Limhi used the same description of Zeniff when speaking to his people: “And ye all are witnesses this day, that Zeniff, who was made king over this people, he being over-zealous to inherit the land of his fathers, therefore being deceived by the cunning and craftiness of king Laman” (Mosiah 7:21). These are the only places in the scriptures that this term, over-zealous, is used, but I think it holds in it an important warning for all of us. Limhi suggested that it was this fact—that Zeniff was so determined to obtain the land—that he was deceived by the Lamanites and they ultimately came into bondage. Because of this extreme desire to obtain the land formerly owned by his fathers, many people ultimately endured great suffering.

We see this suffering in the first attempt made by the Nephites to go back and inherit the land of Nephi. Zeniff described how he had joined the original group going up to the land but he had disagreed with their ruler over attacking the Lamanites. He recounted, “Therefore, I contended with my brethren in the wilderness, for I would that our ruler should make a treaty with them; but he being an austere and a blood-thirsty man commanded that I should be slain; but I was rescued by the shedding of much blood; for father fought against father, and brother against brother, until the greater number of our army was destroyed in the wilderness; and we returned, those of us that were spared, to the land of Zarahemla, to relate that tale to their wives and their children” (Mosiah 9:2). How terrible! This group of Nephites, who knew the commandments of the Lord and should have been righteous, fought and killed their own brethren in a terrible battle amongst themselves. Their desire to obtain the land of Nephi had blinded them to the point of being willing to fight against their own people and family.

              The intensity of Zeniff’s zeal to obtain the land of his forefathers is seen in the fact that even after the terrible massacre amongst themselves, he still wanted to go back and try to obtain the land. Didn’t he realize the terrible price that had already been paid because of this desire for material possessions? If only he had been willing to give up that desire, his people could have remained in peace with their brethren the Nephites. But they went, and by the end of his life he realized that it had caused great suffering among them as they were forced to live in fear of the Lamanites’ attacks. Many battles ultimately were fought and many of his people died, all because he (and others) had had this great desire for better land. Ultimately he did turn to the Lord, and the Lord helped them, but how much suffering could have been avoided if they had been content with their own land in Zarahemla! One of the greatest tragedies is what happened at the end of his life: “And now I, being old, did confer the kingdom upon one of my sons” (Mosiah 10:22). Zeniff by this time was a righteous man who had repented and trusted in the Lord, but it seems that he made a terrible mistake in his final days—he conferred the kingdom on Noah. He clearly stated here that he had other sons, and surely there was a more righteous than Noah among them, but somehow Zeniff didn’t see or understand the extent of Noah’s wickedness. Perhaps the stresses of fighting the Lamanites had taken up so much of his mental and spiritual energy that he just did not have time left for his sons and did not know them like he should have. Ultimately his over-zealousness and that of others put this group of Nephites in a situation that led to great suffering and wickedness, all of which could have been avoided if they had been content to stay in the land they already had. His life is a warning for all of us to keep in check our own zeal for the things of the world.