Alma also echoes Nephi on governance. Alma’s people, like Nephi’s, wanted him to be king: “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).
Alma and Nephi share some of the same circumstances in beginning their colonies. The biggest difference is that Nephi agreed to become king but Alma refuses. Nephi never indicated any dislike for the position of king per se, but Alma is adamantly opposed to the institution itself.
Nephi had had first-hand experience with an unjust and tyrannous ruler—Laban or perhaps Josiah. (See 1 Nephi, Part 1: Context, Chapter 1, “The Historical Setting of 1 Nephi.”) He apparently had other models of righteous rulers from which to draw (or at least an Israelite tradition that accepted some kings as righteous). By contrast, Alma’s experience with king Noah had fostered in him a dislike of kingship per se, not simply the person who might occupy that position. This distinction is an important one, because Alma will influence Zarahemla to replace its system of hereditary rulers with the reign of the judges. (See commentary accompanying Mosiah 29:12–13.)
Part of his argument against kings comes from his interpretation of a divine commandment: “for thus saith the Lord: Ye shall not esteem one flesh above another, or one man shall not think himself above another.” Since this particular commandment appears only in this passage, it is impossible to tell whether Alma is quoting a source lost to us or announcing a new revelation. Certainly the argument is an extrapolation. Apparently, the “commandment” was “ye shall not esteem one flesh above another, or one man shall not think himself above another.” But the conclusion (“therefore I say unto you it is not expedient that ye should have a king”) appears to be Alma’s interpretation of the commandment.
It is interesting that Alma dismisses kingship because it can lead to presumed personal superiority and social hierarchies. He is certainly thinking of King Noah here. Nephi could not be accused of this fault nor could Benjamin (though Alma did not and could not have known Benjamin), and Alma quickly points out that a good man could be a good king. Possibly Alma was including the Lamanite kings along with Noah.
But Alma was concerned with more than the occupier of the throne. Kingship led to social stratification along economic lines as it had in the land of Nephi. When a bad man ruled, the institution itself could be disastrous, since it did not check the temptation to indulge in stratification.
Text: The printer’s manuscript and the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon begin this text with “And it came to pass that.… ” This phrase was removed from all editions from the 1837 through the present.