“Did Traffic in All Manner of Traffic”

Alan C. Miner

In 4 Nephi 1:45-46 we find:

. . . there were none that were righteous save it were the disciples of Jesus. And gold and silver did they lay up in store in abundance, and did traffic in all manner of traffic (4 Nephi 1:46; A.D. 305).

According to Joseph Allen, you may say that nothing is wrong with practicing free enterprise and having a year's food supply, or more, stored in your basement. The Mesoamerica archaeological record drives home the problem. The thing that was wrong with laying up "in store in abundance" and trafficking "in all manner of traffic" is that priests controlled everything. We can only imagine the "religious" and "social" means the priests employed to control the profits. The Uxmal account states:

This period runs from A.D. 200-1000 and has been called the period of the Theocratic States Monopoly by the virtue of the fact that the high priests controlled and monopolized the main activities of the social and economic life of the population, encompassing even the simple ritualism, symbolism and beliefs" (Uxmal 1986:32).

From A.D. 350 to A.D. 900, a great deal of trade activity occurred throughout Mesoamerica. By A.D. 400 , strong trade agreements had been reached between the administrators living in the Mexico Valley (Teotihuacan) and the administrators who lived in Guatemala. On the outskirts of the City of Huehuetenango, in Guatemala, are the Postclassic Maya ruins of Zaculeu. These ruins apparently served as the last outpost for centuries previous to A.D. 900. Even today, the Guatemala military outpost is nearby. Much trading activity passed through this military outpost. [Joseph L. Allen, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, pp. 393-394]

4 Nephi 1:45-46 The people . . . did lay up in store in abundance . . . and did traffic in all manner of traffic ([Illustration]): Map illustrating trade activities beginning after A.D. 350. [Joseph L. Allen, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, p. 395]

4 Nephi 1:47 Amos died, and his brother, Ammaron, did keep the record in his stead (Nephite Record Keepers) [[Illustration]]: Nephite Record Keepers. Adapted from [Church Educational System, Book of Mormon Student Manual: Religion 121 and 122, 1989, p. 155]

Step by Step Through the Book of Mormon: A Cultural Commentary

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