“King of the Lamanites Made an Oath”

Brant Gardner

There is no conceptual break between verses 24 and 25, but the place, occasion, and meaning all change between these verses. These verses have two actors—the Lamanite king and Limhi, who just became king, not only because he was Noah’s son but also because the kingdom was “conferred upon him by the people.” (See “Excursus: The Voice of the People,” following Mosiah 29.) The two rulers have a formal exchange, the one imposing and the other accepting the terms of subjugation (paying tribute). This imposition of tribute is, ironically, the very thing that Zeniff had, two generations earlier, feared as the Lamanites’ ultimate goal (Mosiah 9:12).

Second Witness: Analytical & Contextual Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 3

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