In most cases, Book of Mormon politics are vastly different from the American politics of Joseph Smith’s day. Joseph would have been exposed to the idea that the American Revolution involved “heroic resistance,” with the colonists fighting for freedom from monarchial tyranny. But the Book of Mormon account of the Revolution speaks more of divine intervention than of bravery in battle. In fact, as Noel B. Reynolds points out, “Book of Mormon peoples never overthrow an established government, no matter how tyrannical.” Nephite peoples frequently desire to live under a monarchy, whereas their leaders—even some of the kings themselves—warn of the precarious situation the people face when an evil king takes the throne. This is a significant difference from widespread American ideas at the time that Joseph translated the Book of Mormon, when the people viewed monarchs as oppressive. (See Echoes, 146–148.)