“And Thus They Did Obtain the Sole Management of the Government”

Thanks goes out to dark_matter, who made a comment that inspired me to expound upon this principle.

The title of this post comes from Helaman 6: 39, speaking of the Gadianton robbers.  The full scripture reads this way:

And it came to pass that the Lamanites did hunt the band of robbers of Gadianton; and they did preach the word of God among the more wicked part of them, insomuch that this band of robbers was utterly destroyed from among the Lamanites.  And it came to pass on the other hand, that the Nephites did build them up and support them, beginning at the more wicked part of them, until they had overspread all the land of the Nephites, and had seduced the more part of the righteous until they had come down to believe in their works and partake of their spoils, and to join with them in their secret murders and combinations.  And thus they did obtain the sole management of the government, insomuch that they did trample under their feet and smite and rend and turn their backs upon the poor and the meek, and the humble followers of God.  And thus we see that they were in an awful state, and ripening for an everlasting destruction.  (Helaman 6: 37-40)

I wonder, does anyone still doubt that we are in the same situation?

Documenting the Most Abominable of the Secret Combinations

Here I present some non-LDS researchers who are documenting in minute detail the main secret combination, the one which Moroni referred to as seeking “to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries”.  (See Ether 8: 25.)  These men and organizations have been doing our work for us and we LDS have largely been ignoring and mocking their findings and conclusions:

Cutting Through the Matrix with Alan Watt – Clearing the rubbish from the road to reality

– suggested by what4anarchy

Bob Chapman’s The International Forecaster

– suggested by PallasAthena

Alex Jones’ Prison Planet – The truth will set you free!

– suggested by a lot of people

To be fair, not all LDS are turning a blind eye to the secret combination:

LDSFreemen.com

LatterdayConservative.com

– recommended by no one (I just stumbled upon them)

There are also a lot of 911 truth sites that point to the existence of a secret combination among us.  For example:

911 Truth Seekers

In addition to the above, there are many other web sites and researchers who are documenting the plans, words, actions and membership of the chief secret combination, both its supporting organizations as well as its main players (the ones actually calling the shots).  But the above web sites should be sufficient to get an idea of what is really going on and who is really in control of our government.

September 2008 Was Our Wake-up Call

Moroni’s warning to us about the multinational secret combination in Ether 8 prophesied that there would come a time “when ye shall see these things come among you” (Ether 8: 24.)  September 2008 was the time when everyone, the world over, finally and plainly saw the handiwork of the secret combination.  It was our wake-up call.  That call is also accompanied with a commandment from the Lord to wake up:

Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you; or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up. (Ether 8: 24)

The Secret Combination and Those Who Build It Up

I think it is safe to say that most LDS are not a part of the secret combination.  (At least, I hope not.)  But do we build it up? If you say, “No,” then I ask you, How is it even possible to build up the secret combination?  What is the chief means used by secret combinations to obtain power and authority over men? There is only one scriptural answer to these questions.  It is government.

The Secret Combinations of the World Gravitate to Government

Government control is always what they seek, from the lowliest, local, organized crime gang to the largest multinational combinations.  They want to rule and only government provides them the means to lord it over the people through the use of force.

This is why the first Nephite secret combination, started by Gadianton and Kishkumen had, as its goal, to elect Gadianton to the judgment seat so that he could cause the members of the gang to also have government jobs.  Here are Mormon’s exact words describing Gadianton’s plan:

“If they would place him [Gadianton] in the judgment-seat he would grant unto those who belonged to his band that they should be placed in power and authority among the people” (Helaman 2: 5.)

Gadianton Profiled

Some years ago, I started to write a script for a movie called, The Sons of Helaman, based upon the Book of Helaman.  The script was going to tell the story of the Gadianton robbers and so I had to develop the character of the first robber.  Here was my description of him (not a direct quote from the script, which I no longer have in my possession)  :

Gadianton wasn’t some two-bit thug, such as a local mugger or gang-member, he was an illustrious man of the community, a self-made man of means, a prominent businessman, having utilized the capitalistic system to further his wealth and influence upon the people to the point where he could no longer make the profits he wanted to make and do the things he wanted to do because of government interference. Honest people in government stood in his way to making more money and getting more power and control.  He was a well-known and influential citizen that felt that the amount of money you made and the amount of education you had (he was “exceedingly expert in many words”) ought to determine who ruled and who did not, not the voice of the people. It wasn’t enough that he owned a lot and influenced many, he needed to own everything and influence (rule) all things.

Some in government could be bought, while others (like Pahoran and Helaman) could not.  So, the plan was to put Gadianton directly in government instead of going through front-men or puppets.

Kishkumen and his gang assassinated Pahoran so that Gadianton would be put in power.  This means that they fully expected to get him into office after the assassination, indicating that Gadianton was a viable and visible candidate for the judgment-seat.  Helaman, though, was voted in by the voice of the people (and not Gadianton), and then he (Helaman), too, was targeted for assassination, with the thought that this would finally get Gadianton in.  So, the profile painted by the scriptures is that Gadianton was popularly known, had campaigned for the highest government office in the land, possibly already held a governmental office, was a man of means and influence, was highly educated and was not just some thug or assassin.  In other words, Gadianton was a member of the Nephite elite, or at least thought of himself this way.  The other robbers also were elites as they thought they had sufficient influence over the people to get Gadianton elected.

Additionally, the plan of Gadianton wasn’t his own.  This strategy—which consisted of infiltrating the government by a shadow government that has its own “citizens”, secret laws, trials, code words, covenants, oaths, signs and wonders (see Alma 37: 27) by which to recognize a brethren of the order, and then, once members obtain positions of power and authority, they use their influence to grant other members government jobs until they can use the combined influence to change the government into one that more closely matches the shadow government they belong to, essentially establishing a monarchy—was directly revealed to Gadianton from Satan himself.  (See Hel. 6: 26-29.)  So, this secret plan and strategy is the master blueprint that all secret combinations rely upon, including that most abominable one that is among us now.

Gadianton, then, became the Master Mahan of the Western Continent, when Satan likely appeared to him as an angel of light and revealed to him the ancient plans of how to obtain “kingdoms and great glory” (Ether 8: 9).  Kishkumen and his band adopted the plans of Gadianton when it became apparent that these were the real (satanic) deal, the actual blueprint from the black soul of the devil himself.

So, while Shiblon was conferring the sacred records upon his nephew Helaman (in Alma 63), Satan was conferring the cursed plans upon Gadianton.  Nevertheless, although blackhearted, in all outward appearances Gadianton was still the upright and “moral” citizen, after all, he was blessed materially so he must have been blessed by the Lord, right?  (The pure doctrine of “If ye keep the commandments of the Lord, ye shall prosper in the land” was perverted into the satanic doctrine of “If ye are prosperous in the land, it shows that ye do keep the commandments of the Lord.”  To this very day, all robbers use the riches = righteousness defense.)

The Gadianton Robbers Were all Elites, as Is the Present Combination

Every Gadianton robber thought that it was his right to rule (and to literally own) the people and their lands and property and this is consistently shown from the time of Gadianton to the end of the Nephite civilization.  Their means of rule was always the government and consistently their tactics were to infiltrate the judgment-seats with their own members and work to consolidate all governmental power into an executive branch, to eventually appoint a king.

Although Anthony E. Larson’s Nephite-American harbinger theory (see parts 1, 2, 3 & 4) explains that the Gadianton robbers paralleled Islamic terrorist cells and organizations in our own day, the Nephite combination only used these gorilla tactics when they were forced from their government positions of power and from the community itself.  While they still resided among the people, they infiltrated and sought to control, not fight, the government and to change it from within.  The Islamic terrorists do not work this way.

The Gadianton robbers are the pattern for the secret combination in our day.  The combination we have among us is comprised of elites.  They come from families of power, prestige, wealth, education, influence, fame, etc.  They feel, like the ancient Gadiantons, that they were born to rule and they use government as a means to that end.

The modus operandi and goal is always the same.  Compare, for example, Giddianhi’s words (threats) with President Bush’s words (threats) concerning the need for a 700 billion dollar robbery, er, bailout:

And behold, I am Giddianhi; and I am the governor of this the secret society of Gadianton; which society and the works thereof I know to be good; and they are of ancient date and they have been handed down unto us.  And I write this epistle unto you, Lachoneus, and I hope that ye will deliver up your lands and your possessions, without the shedding of blood, that this my people may recover their rights and government, who have dissented away from you because of your wickedness in retaining from them their rights of government, and except ye do this, I will avenge their wrongs. I am Giddianhi.  And now it came to pass when Lachoneus received this epistle he was exceedingly astonished, because of the boldness of Giddianhi demanding the possession of the land of the Nephites” (3 Ne. 3: 9-11.)

And now for President Bush.

How We Build Up the Secret Combination

Just as the ancient robbers sought to consolidate governmental power into one executive branch, so the current combination seeks to do the same.  Every law or action taken by the Congress, by the President or by the Justices that builds up executive power and reduces the power of the legislative and judicial branches, and/or reduces (or eliminates) the checks of power put into the government by the Constitution, builds up the secret combination.

Below the level of the Federal government, all robbers and their accomplices in State, county and city governments have the dual job of consolidating power into the executive branches of these governments, with the intention of eventually handing over the reigns to the Federal handlers.  Thus, we see robbers on all levels performing their secret work of destruction as they intentionally destroy their local economies and stall budget deals (sound familiar California?), so that local governments will need federal bailouts, becoming federalized (or nationalized) and consolidating power into one central location.  With their mouths they speak lies, saying they are working to save us, while in reality they work to destroy and enslave us.

This work of destruction of liberty has gone on since the beginning, but as time goes on it becomes more pronounced due to greater numbers of robbers (and their accomplices) and more infiltration of all levels of government.  Eventually, they reach the point where they in fact do obtain the sole management of the government.  It is then that they rape, pillage, murder and rob the people with impunity and in full view.  We are at that point now.

As the secret combination has been in government since the publication of the Book of Mormon, and as it uses government to accomplish its goals, if you have supported or voted for anyone at all in government who has concentrated power and authority in the hands of the President (or any of the executive branches), or you have supported or voted for any measure, proposition, law or policy that does the same thing, you have built up the secret combination. Whether it was done knowingly or unknowingly, directly or indirectly, the effect is the same.

The Hands of the LDS and of the People of this Nation are NOT Clean

If you are like most LDS, you have probably voted for people or issues that have concentrated governmental power into the hands of the secret combination.  You may think Moroni’s prophecy of vengeance “upon those who built [the secret combination] up” (Ether 8: 24) doesn’t apply to you, because you did not do it intentionally to build it up, but the Lord at the last day will show you that it does.  (This brings to mind the saying, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”)  We are an unclean people and have largely sought to build up power bases and authority instead of seeking, like Moroni, to pull them down.

Repentance is Our Only Option

I believe the literal and complete and final fulfillment of the following prophecy is about to burst upon us:

Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments;  and also gave commandments to others, that they should proclaim these things unto the world; and all this that it might be fulfilled, which was written by the prophets—the weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh—but that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world; that faith also might increase in the earth; that mine everlasting covenant might be established; that the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers. (D&C 1: 17-23)

Moroni has given us the solution to this major problem on our hands: “Repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you.”  If we do not follow this counsel, the penalty is destruction, for the weak are about to break down (destroy) the strong.  Destruction will be upon the secret combination (for the Lord will not allow it to accomplish its goal in this nation) and also upon all those who built or who are building it up.

Next Secret Combinations article: Opening old wounds

Previous Secret Combinations article: Is the topic of “secret combinations” taboo in the LDS church?

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The prophetic counsel against having kings (rulers)

King Nephi didn’t want the people to have a king (a ruler)
From the time Lehi and his family left Jerusalem down to the time that Nephi and company split from Laman and Lemuel and company in the promised land, the Lehites had lived in tribal anarchy using the law of Moses as the tribal, customary law.

And it came to pass that they would that I should be their king. But I, Nephi, was desirous that they should have no king; nevertheless, I did for them according to that which was in my power. (2 Ne. 5: 18 )

The Nephites, though, sought to change that tribal anarchy into a monarchy and despite his protests, he hearkened unto the voice of the people and became their first king. In fact, when he was about to die, he anointed another king in his stead, too, thus perpetuating the reign of Nephite kings among the people.

Now Nephi began to be old, and he saw that he must soon die; wherefore, he anointed a man to be a king and a ruler over his people now, according to the reigns of the kings. The people having loved Nephi exceedingly, he having been a great protector for them, having wielded the sword of Laban in their defence, and having labored in all his days for their welfare-wherefore, the people were desirous to retain in remembrance his name. And whoso should reign in his stead were called by the people, second Nephi, third Nephi, and so forth, according to the reigns of the kings; and thus they were called by the people, let them be of whatever name they would. And it came to pass that Nephi died. (Jacob 1: 9-12)

Alma didn’t want the people to have a king (a ruler)
During the reign of the Nephite kings Noah, Limhi and Mosiah and the lamanitish king Laman, Alma and his people (see The Anarchy of Alma) escaped (see Mosiah 18 ) from king Noah and founded the city of Helam, in the land of Helam, where they lived in tribal anarchy using the law of Moses as the customary, tribal law. Like the people of the first king Nephi, Alma’s people wanted a king to rule over them, and they asked him to become their king. Again like the first king Nephi, Alma counseled against having kings. Remarkably, these people actually listened to his counsel and remained in anarchy, unlike their ancestors.

And the people were desirous that Alma should be their king, for he was beloved by his people. But he said unto them: Behold, it is not expedient that we should have a king; for thus saith the Lord: Ye shall not esteem one flesh above another, or one man shall not think himself above another; therefore I say unto you it is not expedient that ye should have a king. Nevertheless, if it were possible that ye could always have just men to be your kings it would be well for you to have a king. But remember the iniquity of king Noah and his priests; and I myself was caught in a snare, and did many things which were abominable in the sight of the Lord, which caused me sore repentance; nevertheless, after much tribulation, the Lord did hear my cries, and did answer my prayers, and has made me an instrument in his hands in bringing so many of you to a knowledge of his truth. Nevertheless, in this I do not glory, for I am unworthy to glory of myself. And now I say unto you, ye have been oppressed by king Noah, and have been in bondage to him and his priests, and have been brought into iniquity by them; therefore ye were bound with the bands of iniquity. And now as ye have been delivered by the power of God out of these bonds; yea, even out of the hands of king Noah and his people, and also from the bonds of iniquity, even so I desire that ye should stand fast in this liberty wherewith ye have been made free, and that ye trust no man to be a king over you. And also trust no one to be your teacher nor your minister, except he be a man of God, walking in his ways and keeping his commandments. Thus did Alma teach his people, that every man should love his neighbor as himself, that there should be no contention among them. (Mosiah 23: 6-15)

King Mosiah didn’t want the people to have a king (a ruler)
The Nephite monarchy lasted until king Mosiah, who proposed that monarchies be done away in favor of a popularly elected governmental system of higher and lower judges, who would not legislate, judge and execute like kings, but merely serve as adjudicators using the law of Moses.

And I command you to do these things in the fear of the Lord; and I command you to do these things, and that ye have no king; that if these people commit sins and iniquities they shall be answered upon their own heads. (Mosiah 29: 30)

The system of judicial government, set up by Mosiah, lasted until 3 Nephi 7, when it was dissolved and the people naturally fell back into tribal anarchy, each tribe having their own set of laws and tribal chiefs and leaders, with inter-tribal agreements securing the peace between tribes. From this point on to the end of the Nephite civilization, the Book of Mormon is silent concerning any other form of government established among the people. For all we know, anarchy remained to the end, a period of over 300 years. (See 300 + years of Nephite anarchy.)

Jared and his brother didn’t want the people to have a king (a ruler)
From the time that Jared, his brother and their tribes left the Tower of Babel to the time that they were nearing death in the promised land, the Jaredite tribes lived in tribal anarchy, using whatever customary laws they had among them. However, the last thing asked of them by their people was that they anoint a king for them, which they reluctantly did, after protesting to the people.

And it came to pass that the people desired of them that they should anoint one of their sons to be a king over them. And now behold, this was grievous unto them. And the brother of Jared said unto them: Surely this thing leadeth into captivity. But Jared said unto his brother: Suffer them that they may have a king. And therefore he said unto them: Choose ye out from among our sons a king, even whom ye will. And it came to pass that they chose even the firstborn of the brother of Jared; and his name was Pagag. And it came to pass that he refused and would not be their king. And the people would that his father should constrain him, but his father would not; and he commanded them that they should constrain no man to be their king. And it came to pass that they chose all the brothers of Pagag, and they would not. And it came to pass that neither would the sons of Jared, even all save it were one; and Orihah was anointed to be king over the people. (Ether 6: 22-27)

From king Orihah to the end of the Jaredite civilization, they remained under monarchies.

The Lord doesn’t want the people to have a king (a ruler)
In a couple of the revelations given to Joseph Smith, Jun., the Lord prophesies that in time there will be no kings, rulers or laws, at all, only his laws, with him as our king.

But, verily I say unto you that in time ye shall have no king nor ruler, for I will be your king and watch over you. Wherefore, hear my voice and follow me, and you shall be a free people, and ye shall have no laws but my laws when I come, for I am your lawgiver, and what can stay my hand? (D&C 38: 21-22)

And at that day, when I shall come in my glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins. For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived—verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day. And the earth shall be given unto them for an inheritance; and they shall multiply and wax strong, and their children shall grow up without sin unto salvation. For the Lord shall be in their midst, and his glory shall be upon them, and he will be their king and their lawgiver. (D&C 45: 56-59)

Samuel didn’t want the people to have a king
Moving on to the Bible, from the time the Israelites were led from Egypt by Moses to their promised land, down to the time of the prophet Samuel, they lived in tribal anarchy, using the law of Moses as the customary, tribal law.

In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes. (Judges 21: 25)

Then, as always, the people wanted a king and asked Samuel to anoint one. He protested and explained to them the horrors a human king would bring them, but they still wanted one and he ended up anointing Saul. From that point on the Israelites always had kings or other rulers ruling over them.

And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.

But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.

And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king. And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.

Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; that we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles. And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD. And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city. (1 Samuel 8: 5-22)

And thus we see that whenever faced with the choice of establishing a state government of rulers (kings) or remaining in tribal anarchy, the prophets among the people always counseled the people to remain in anarchy.

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Previous Anarchism/Anarchy article: 300 + years of Nephite anarchy

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300 + years of Nephite anarchy

3 Nephi chapter 7 records the destruction of the Nephite popularly-elected, judicial system of government based upon the law of Moses and the subsequent tribal anarchies that formed in its stead. (See Book of Mormon Anarchy.) From page one of the Book of Mormon, to chapter 7 of 3 Nephi, Mormon is emphatic in recording the governmental proceedings of the people of Nephi. But after 3 Nephi 7, neither Mormon nor his son Moroni ever mention another system of government among the Nephites.

The reason?

Because they lived in anarchy.

One of the keys to understanding the Nephite concept of government, as taught to them by their prophets, is the repeated association of freedom and liberty and not esteeming one man above another with anarchy, while associating captivity and bondage with rulers and kings–the State (government.) This association was started by Alma, continued with Mosiah and even mentioned by Moroni to have been expressed by the brother of Jared: “Surely this thing leadeth into captivity.” (See Ether 6: 23.)

After the Savior visited the Nephites, things changed drastically. Nevertheless, the record is very brief in describing the changes. 4 Nephi is our only glimpse into life during those times, but Mormon was gracious enough to at least tell us the following:

And they had all things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift. (4 Nephi 1: 3)

“They were all made free,” says Mormon. As I understand the scriptures, according to the associations given in the Book of Mormon, this is referring to anarchy. This particular anarchy, unlike the anarchy of Alma, was not based upon the law of Moses, but upon the law of Christ. (See 4 Nephi 1: 12.) Whereas the people of Alma, who used the law of Moses, “did multiply and prosper exceedingly” (Mosiah 23: 20), the later Nephites, who used the law of Christ, “did wax strong, and did multiply exceedingly fast, and became an exceedingly fair and delightsome people” (4 Nephi 1: 10). Thus, they had a more excellent anarchy, as the tribal, customary laws they used were the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ itself.

Three types of Book of Mormon anarchies

The Book of Mormon records three instances of anarchy, each one peaceful.

The lowest form of anarchy, recorded in 3 Nephi 7 was one in which each tribe made its own laws. (See 3 Nephi 7: 11, 14.) In other words, instead of using the law of Moses as their tribal, customary law, they scrapped that and made their own laws. This is why Mormon lamented the destruction of the government. The judicial, State government used the law of Moses, which was the law given by God to this people. When the State government was destroyed, the people rejected the law of God (the law of Moses) and established their own laws in tribal anarchy. So, it wasn’t so much the destruction of the government that was iniquitous, as it was the rejection of the law of Moses and substitution of that God-given law with inferior laws of man. Nevertheless, despite inferior laws of man in tribal anarchy, Mormon admits that these iniquitous people had peace.

The second or middle form of anarchy is Alma’s anarchy, established using the law of Moses. The account of this anarchy is found in Mosiah 23. (See The Anarchy of Alma.)

The third or highest form of anarchy is recorded in 4 Nephi and is based upon the celestial law, or law of Christ.

No matter which form of anarchy, though, was recorded by Mormon, all of them were peaceful and ordered societies, contrary to what statists teach. Counting all three anarchies, the cumulative time spent by the Nephites in anarchy was at least 300 years.

Next Anarchism/Anarchy article: The prophetic counsel against having kings (rulers)

Previous Anarchism/Anarchy article: The Anarchy of Alma

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The Anarchy of Alma

One of the more remarkable accounts of scriptural anarchy is found in the Book of Mormon, among Alma and the people of the Lord. Mosiah 18 records the conversion of these people to the Lord and their subsequent escape from the persecutions of king Noah. Then the record leaves off their account to talk about other things. Later, in Mosiah 23 and 24 we are told what happened to them.

After traveling eight days, Alma and his people arrive at a nice piece of real estate and start working the land to sustain themselves, building edifices and doing other industrious things. Then, they decide that they want Alma to be their king. Just like the other prophets who came before him and who also had a people living in anarchy, desirous to establish a state government, Alma protests and explains why this is a bad idea.

But he said unto them: Behold, it is not expedient that we should have a king; for thus saith the Lord: Ye shall not esteem one flesh above another, or one man shall not think himself above another; therefore I say unto you it is not expedient that ye should have a king. Nevertheless, if it were possible that ye could always have just men to be your kings it would be well for you to have a king. But remember the iniquity of king Noah and his priests; and I myself was caught in a snare, and did many things which were abominable in the sight of the Lord, which caused me sore repentance; nevertheless, after much tribulation, the Lord did hear my cries, and did answer my prayers, and has made me an instrument in his hands in bringing so many of you to a knowledge of his truth. Nevertheless, in this I do not glory, for I am unworthy to glory of myself. And now I say unto you, ye have been oppressed by king Noah, and have been in bondage to him and his priests, and have been brought into iniquity by them; therefore ye were bound with the bands of iniquity. And now as ye have been delivered by the power of God out of these bonds; yea, even out of the hands of king Noah and his people, and also from the bonds of iniquity, even so I desire that ye should stand fast in this liberty wherewith ye have been made free, and that ye trust no man to be a king over you. And also trust no one to be your teacher nor your minister, except he be a man of God, walking in his ways and keeping his commandments. (Mosiah 23: 7-13)

Alma’s speech is remarkable in several ways. First, he calls on the words of the Lord himself to prove his point: “Ye shall not esteem one flesh above another, or one man shall not think himself above another.” Whether this is new Nephite scripture or old scripture written upon the plates of Brass and not had in our Old Testament, no one knows, but Alma appeals to it as authoritative and one of the scriptural proofs he uses to show why having a king is wrong.

Second, Alma states categorically that if it were possible to always have just men be kings, then the people should have kings. This concept would be repeated by king Mosiah later when explaining why the Nephite monarchy should be changed into a judicial government. But what other prophets have stated such a thing? This appears to be a new concept initiated by Alma and, since Alma and his people later came into contact with Mosiah, one that perhaps influenced Mosiah’s own opinion, since he apparently echoes Alma’s words here.

Third, this is the first instance of the Nephite concept of bondage and captivity being associated with a State, and liberty and freedom being associated with anarchy. This theme will permeate the rest of the book.

Fourth, the anarchic concept of not trusting those in authority is introduced. In the case of men who would be kings or rulers in governmental positions, the counsel is “trust no man to be a king over you.” There are no qualifiers to this statement. In the case of men who would be teachers or ministers of religion, the counsel is “trust no one to be your teacher nor your minister,” with one qualifying exception, “except he be a man of God, walking in his ways and keeping his commandments.” Nevertheless, the standing orders are to “trust no one.”

Fifth, Alma exhorts his people to “remember the iniquity of king Noah.” In other words, he directs them to look at the potential badness of the State, not its potential goodness. The emphasis is not that the State is a necessary evil, but that it is an evil we should avoid, if at all possible.

Sixth, Alma’s speech actually has the effect of causing the people to change their minds! Instead of insisting on a king, they realize the wisdom of Alma’s words and remain in anarchy. This never happened with Samuel’s people, nor with Nephi’s, nor with the brother of Jared’s, so these people were truly enlightened by the Lord.

Contrary to popular belief, the anarchy of Alma and the people of the Lord did not result in chaos and terror. It did not result in high crimes, contention and confusion. The only comment that Mormon makes of the anarchy of Alma is the following:

And it came to pass that they began to prosper exceedingly in the land; and they called the land Helam. And it came to pass that they did multiply and prosper exceedingly in the land of Helam; and they built a city, which they called the city of Helam. (Mosiah 23: 19-20)

Prosperity! Exceeding prosperity! That was the result of their anarchy. Oh, how the State propaganda machine must hate the Book of Mormon!…

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