THE BOOK OF MOSIAH
THE RECORD OF ZENIFF—An account of his people, from the time they left the land of Zarahemla until the time that they were delivered out of the hands of the Lamanites. Comprising chapters 9 to 22 inclusive.
[ So we are now going back in time to make up some of the history that has been skipped over. We will go back in time and look at things from the point of view of Zeniff the Nephite leader of the splinter group discussed in the previous chapters. These chapters provide some insight into this people who were not particularly spiritual, but whose
afflictions chastened them and brought them to remember the Lord.
Led by a man who feared the Lord and confessed their
weakness before Him, and so the people prospered under his
leadership. Setting the stage for the comparison between Zeniff and his son Noah; and how his leadership drags them down into
apostasy. The sharp contrast between Zeniff
and Noah as leaders and we see the impact a single man can have
on a whole population. Chapters 9-10 are take from Zeniff speaking in the first person. So it appears that Moroni just copied the record from Zeniff. Since his son Noah was not going to comment on his unrighteous ways we go back to the third person account in chapter 11 -. ]
CHAPTER 9
Zeniff leads a group from Zarahemla to possess the land of Lehi-Nephi—The Lamanite king permits them to inherit the land—There is war between the Lamanites and Zeniff’s people. [About 200—187 B.C.]
1 aI, Zeniff, having been taught in all the language of the Nephites, and having had a knowledge of the land of Nephi, or of the land of our fathers’ first inheritance, [ Why is this important? Because Zeniff a Nephite as part of a larger Mulekite population understands the terrain. He knows the land its topography and where the strategic points are for battle, he has lived there and knows them well, verses being a stranger in the land. tie in with WofM 1:12-14, informing us why the Nephite advance against the Lamanites stalled.
The context is that of an ongoing war between the Nephites and Lamanites, cf. Omni 1:1-11. The Lamanites had advanced against the Nephites capturing all of their lands until reaching the Land of Zarahemla (this is what necessitated the righteous Nephites fleeing and discovering the land of Zarahemla, cf. Omni 1:12). But, under king Benjamin's leadership the Lamanites are routed and driven back all the way to the original border between the Nephites and Lamanites, cf. WofM 1:14. ] *and having been sent as a spy among the Lamanites that I might spy out their forces, that our army might come upon them and destroy them—but when I saw that which was good among them I was desirous that they should not be destroyed. [ The Nephite army is ready to come down upon the Laminites and annihilate them. But they see that they are good and so they choose not to do so. ]
2 Therefore, I contended [ What was the source of contention between Zeniff and leader of the Nephite army? Zeniff wanted to not kill these Lamanites because they were good. The leader of the Nephite army wanted to slay them and every other Lamanite that he could get his hands on.] with my brethren in the wilderness, [ Which was near the city of Lehi-Nephi ] 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; [ So the leader of the Nephite army wants to have Zeniff killed because he is in-subordinate to the command to slay the rest of the Lamanites. ] but I was rescued by the shedding of much blood; [The result is an internal fight between the Nephite army. ] for father fought against father, and brother against brother, until the greater number of our army was destroyed in the wilderness; [ Until most of the army was killed. Zeniff must have been on the winning side as he and those who are left appear to return back to Zarahemla to tell the story. ] and we returned, those of us that were spared, to the land of Zarahemla, to relate that tale to their wives and their children.
3 And yet, I being over-zealous
to inherit the land of our fathers, [ Why do you suppose that he used the words being over-zealous? Do we ever want something so bad that we do not think to look around, to make a good decision. We just jump into the water without looking to see what is below. I think that when he is writing he is saying that it seemed too good to be true and if I would have really looked at the situtation I should have known better. Maybe I should have inquired of the Lord. One assumption is that Zeniff wanted to secure the borders for the Nephites. Since they had driven the Lamanites back so badly they did not just want to leave what was there for the Laminites to gain a strong hold there as well. Did he imagine things as they once were there and wanted those glory days back so badly that he did not see the trap that was being set up for him and his people? MAybe he was praying for guidance but he was so over-zealous as he suggests that he did not hear the answers he was given. DO we ever get that way? Dating? Jobs? we just want something to happen so badly that we almost cannot hear the Lord if he was speaking to us. ] collected as many as were desirous to go up to possess the land, and started again on our journey into
the wilderness to go up to the land; but we were smitten with famine
and sore afflictions; for we were slow to remember the Lord our God. [ What is the message that Zeniff is trying to get across here? That their journey could have been easier if the would have relied upon the hand of the Lord more, but they did not.]
4 Nevertheless, after many days’ wandering in the wilderness we pitched our tents in the place where our brethren were slain, which was near to the land of our fathers.
5 And it came to pass that I went again with four of my men into the city, [ Suggesting that Zeniff's previous spying in v. 1 placed him in amongst the Lamanites and not just watching them from a distance. There must have been a considerable number of Nephites among the Lamanite population in order for him to go among them unnoticed. WofM 1:16. ] in unto the king, [ Who was King Laman ] that I might know of the disposition of the king, and that I might know if I might go in with my people and possess the land in peace.
6 And I went in unto the king, and he covenanted with me that I might possess the land of Lehi-Nephi, and the land of Shilom. [ so why would King Laman give up the land so easily; without expecting something in return? Because he had an ulterior motive. The answer is in verse 10. Let them build everything up develop it - then put them into bondage. something they most likely would not have agreed to in the beginning.]
7 And he also commanded that his people should depart out of the land, [ If King Laman was willing to ask his people to leave then this was planned from the very beginning. If the city was destroyed then it would not have been such a big deal for King Laman to give it up - since there would have only been a few lamanites there anyway. ] and I and my people went into the land that we might possess it.
8 And we began to build buildings, and to repair the walls of the city, yea, even the walls of the city of Lehi-Nephi, and the city of Shilom.
9 And we began to till the ground, yea, even with all manner of seeds, with seeds of corn, and of wheat, and of barley, and with neas, and with sheum, [ We can assume that Joseph Smith did not know what these were and so he just translated them as they read. ] and with seeds of all manner of fruits; and we did begin to multiply and prosper [ Means to have God's presence with them. ] in the land.
10 Now it was the cunning and the craftiness of king Laman, to bring my people into bondage, that he yielded up the land that we might possess it.
11 Therefore it came to pass, that after we had dwelt in the land for the space of *twelve years that king Laman began to grow uneasy, lest by any means my people should wax strong in the land, and that they could not overpower them and bring them into bondage.
[ So there came a point where King Laman could not allow the Nephites to continue to grow without exerting his authority. The time to act was now. So he does just that - he overtakes them while he still can and enslaves them. ]
12 Now they were a lazy and an idolatrous people; [ They did not work; or want to work. It was easier to take. When one never learns to work then they do not learn to appreciate the effort required by those who do work. How does this look in line with our government today; all of the programs designed to take from those that work and just give to those who do not? ] therefore they were desirous to bring us into bondage, [ Sure why not - it was free; and easy. What can we learn from these principles here? ] that they might glut themselves with the labors of our hands; yea, that they might feast themselves upon the flocks of our fields.
13 Therefore it came to pass that king Laman began to stir up his people that they should contend with my people; [ Why? Because he was telling them that they could have something that they did not need to work for. Easy money, easy food...] therefore there began to be wars and contentions in the land.
14 For, in the *thirteenth year of my reign [ Zeniff ] in the land of Nephi, away on the south of the land of Shilom, when my people were watering and feeding their flocks, and tilling their lands, a numerous host of Lamanites came upon them and began to slay them, and to take off their flocks, and the corn of their fields.
15 Yea, and it came to pass that they fled, all that were not overtaken, even into the city of Nephi, [ Is this the same city referenced in verse 8 as the city Lehi-Nephi or is it a new city? ] and did call upon me for protection.
16 And it came to pass that I did arm them with bows, and with arrows, with swords, and with cimeters, and with clubs, and with slings, and with all manner of weapons which we could invent, and I and my people did go forth against the Lamanites to battle.
17 Yea, in the strength of the Lord did we go forth to battle against the Lamanites; for I and my people did cry mightily to the Lord that he would deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, for we were awakened to a remembrance of the deliverance of our fathers. [ What has changed here since verse 3? Before they were slow to remember the Lord now they have learned that they need the Lord in order to survive. ]
* Verse 1 [About 200 B.C.]; Verse 11 [About 188 B.C.]; Verse 14 [About 187 B.C.].