Prior to king Mosiah, the Nephites had been ruled by kings. When Mosiah dissolved his own monarchy and established a democratic form of government, it was not for the sake of efficiency. Certainly, a democracy is an intentionally inefficient political system. It’s great redeeming quality is the tendency to preserve the rights and freedom of the people. This is based on one simple principle, that it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right (Mosiah 29:26). Mosiah considered the alternative but thought it unlikely, if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction even as he has hitherto visited this land (Mosiah 29:27). Well, congratulations to the Nephites, they have done it again! Their wickedness has exceeded all expectations! Were it not for the perceptiveness and preaching of Nephi and Lehi, they would have been destroyed according to the prophecy.
"In other words, in a democracy or a republic when the majority of the people desire wickedness and become more numerous than they who choose righteousness, the people can no longer be governed by law or by justice. This principle applies to our own form of constitutional government. We who live in the United States tend to feel that we would always be protected by the Constitution. However, some experienced political scientists and jurists have said that if the day ever comes that the majority favor that which is morally wrong, we as a people would not be safe-even with the Constitution…
“John Adams often expressed his conviction that a nation’s liberty is ultimately dependent upon the morality of the people. President Adams is quoted as saying: ’[The Constitution] was made only, for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other’ (Nelson 101).” (Book of Mormon Symposium Series, Helaman 3 – 3 Nephi 8, edited by PR Cheesman, MS Nyman, and CD Tate, Jr., 1988, p. 73)
Joseph B. Wirthlin
“If television viewing choices serve as a valid measure of our society, they who choose evil surely are more numerous than they who choose good.” (Finding Peace in Our Lives, p. 218)