The Escape of King Limhi's People

After the death of King Noah, the people of King Limhi because subject to the Lamanites in that they had to give half of all their possessions in tribute to their captors. After an unfortunate battle caused by the actions of the wicked priests who were roaming about, the Lamanites began to “smite them on their cheeks, and exercise authority over them; and began to put heavy burdens upon their backs.” The people were weighed down with their afflictions, and they eventually convinced Limhi to let them try to battle against the Lamanites. They did this three times and were driven back at each attempt, losing many lives in the process. After that they gave up on trying to get out of their bondage by force and turned to the Lord for help: “And they did humble themselves even in the depths of humility; and they did cry mightily to God; yea, even all the day long did they cry unto their God that he would deliver them out of their afflictions.” They tried to send “a small number of men to search for the land of Zarahemla; but they could not find it, and they were lost in the wilderness” (Mosiah 21:3, 14, 25). They seemed to have exhausted all their options and didn’t know how they could escape from their heavy burdens. But eventually help did come in an unexpected way: Ammon and his brethren from Zarahemla came and brought the knowledge that their former home did still exist. Eventually they derived a plan by which they would get the Lamanite guards drunk, escape through a back pass, and flee for the land of Zarahemla with their possessions. Despite their “many strugglings, which [had] been in vain” they found “an effectual struggle” which allowed them to go free (Mosiah 7:18).

                As I thought about their means of escape today, it struck me that it was likely an option that was available to them from the beginning of their bondage. The fact that Ammon and his brethren were with them doesn’t appear to have been a factor in thinking of this plan or making it available—it was Gideon who proposed it—and so why hadn’t they tried this escape route earlier? They of course didn’t know the route all the way to Zarahemla without Ammon, but neither did Alma when he and his people escaped from King Noah and they were able to find a land to settle in. They could have slipped away and executed this plan at any time after they came under bondage and at least made themselves a new home in the wilderness somewhere. Perhaps the reason they didn’t try this earlier was because they didn’t want to let go of their home they had built up for decades—like Zeniff who originally brought their fathers there to Nephi, they wanted this goodly land and so their focus was to keep it and get the Lamanites out of it. Their aim was fixed on the idea of going “forth against the Lamanites to drive them out of their land” (Mosiah 21:7). They likely couldn’t see the simplest solution out of their problems because they didn’t want to let go of what they had. It wasn’t until they humbled themselves before the Lord that they were able to change their desires from maintaining the lands of their possessions to simply becoming a free people again. Ultimately it was the Lord that delivered them in His way—He didn’t want them to remain among the Lamanites where they would live in constant tension and thus didn’t bless their efforts to physically drive out their enemies. Rather, He wanted them back with the Nephites where they could be baptized and live among His covenant people. Perhaps the lesson for us is that we must be willing to let go of the things of the world and humbly turn to the Lord if we want the best solution to the challenges that we face. Ultimately, after letting go of their desire for the land of Nephi and turning humbly to the Lord, the people of King Limhi were greatly blessed. In Zarahemla they were baptized by Alma and “they were called the people of God. And the Lord did pour out his Spirit upon them, and they were blessed, and prospered in the land” (Mosiah 25:24). As we humbly turn to the Lord, willing to let go of those worldly things that are obstacles to our spiritual progression, we too can be His people and prosper in His way.