“In the Reign of Shule”

George Reynolds, Janne M. Sjodahl

The rest of the story of Shule is soon told. During his reign prophets appeared who warned the people against wickedness and idolatry. This would indicate that the king no longer officiated in spiritual functions, but that the office of the prophet had been separated from that of the king as it was in the days of Israel during the time of Samuel, the Prophet and Saul, the first King of the covenant people. It seems that when a government deteriorates and inclines toward autocracy, it necessarily leaves the Priesthood standing outside of its calculations. God can always find a prophet fit to be a king, but seldom a king qualified for the office of a prophet.

As is usually the case, the prophets of God met with the opposition of the wicked, because they spoke the truth. But the king protected them and made religious persecution a crime. Protected by law, the prophets delivered their message with great power. The people repented. Family life, a sure indication of the moral and social status of a people, flourished. The last paragraph in this chapter concerning Shule is a beautiful tribute to his memory: "And there were no more wars in the days of Shule; and he remembered the great things that the Lord had done for his fathers in bringing them across the great deep into the promised land; wherefore he did execute judgment in righteousness all his days."

Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 6

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