The wickedness of King Noah’s reign is well summarized into two major points. First, his iniquity caused the people to be brought into bondage, and only through the wisdom and mercy of God were they delivered (vv. 18–20 compare 23:23). Second, it is difficult to dethrone a wicked king because of his friends in iniquity and power, and in his replacing the laws of God with Satan’s laws that bind people in chains (vv. 21–23 compare 2 Nephi 28:19–22).