The phrase “listeth to obey” suggests that Mormon is familiar with, and is perhaps purposefully alluding to King Benjamin’s great sermon:
But, O my people, beware lest there shall arise contentions among you, and ye list to obey the evil spirit, which was spoken of by my father Mosiah.
For behold, there is a wo pronounced upon him who listeth to obey that spirit; for if he listeth to obey him, and remaineth and dieth in his sins, the same drinketh damnation to his own soul; for he receiveth for his wages an everlasting punishment, having transgressed the law of God contrary to his own knowledge. (Mosiah 2:32–33)
In both Benjamin’s statement and Mormon’s apparent restructuring of it, the emphasis is on individual volition: the one who “listeth [listens] to obey.” Both describe the eternal wage an individual receives depending on the spirit to whom he or she has listened. The main difference is that Benjamin emphasizes only the negative, while Mormon presents both the negative and positive options. Nevertheless, Mormon seems to be echoing Benjamin’s message: Our ultimate spiritual happiness or misery depends on our choices.
This is Mormon’s logical conclusion to the story of the Amlicites, who voluntarily took upon themselves the Lamanite curse. As Nephites originally, they were not subject to that curse; but they received that “wage” or “reward” when they chose to obey a different spirit.
From a historical viewpoint, what evidence shows that the Amlicites obeyed a spirit that drew them away? The answer lies in the Nephite conflict with the larger culture around them that has existed since their earliest days. The Amlicite-caused “contention” was their adoption of outside influences, primarily the king-culture, which has already become Book of Mormon shorthand for the way of life that is opposed to the way of Yahweh.
Text: The first sentence of this verse is the conclusion of the statement in verse 26. The final verse simply pastes on the conclusion that Mormon began to write in verse 25. This is the end of a chapter in the 1830 edition.