Mosiah¹ was a Nephite prophet and king whose reign is dated to roughly 279–130 B.C. Warned by the Lord, he fled the land of Nephi with all who would heed the Lord’s voice and was led through the wilderness to the land of Zarahemla (Omni 1:12-13). The journey was marked by prophetic ministry: his people were led by many preachings and prophesyings, admonished continually by the word of God, and brought through the wilderness by the power of God’s arm — making clear why Mosiah¹ is remembered as a prophet and not merely a relocating king (Omni 1:13).
There he found the people of Zarahemla, descendants of those who came from Jerusalem when Zedekiah, king of Judah, was carried captive to Babylon; their ancestor Mulek was a son of Zedekiah. They had kept no records, their language had become corrupted, and they “denied the being of their Creator” (Omni 1:17). The people of Zarahemla rejoiced greatly when Mosiah¹’s party arrived, specifically because the Lord had sent them with the plates of brass containing the record of the Jews (Omni 1:14). Mosiah¹ had the people of Zarahemla taught in his language, after which the two peoples united and Mosiah¹ was appointed their king (Omni 1:18-19).
A large stone with engravings was brought to him, and he interpreted it “by the gift and power of God.” It gave an account of Coriantumr and the slain of his people, and of his fathers who came from the tower when the Lord confounded the language, an earlier people whose bones lay scattered in the land northward (Omni 1:20-22).
Amaleki, who recorded this account, lived to see Mosiah¹’s death, after which his son Benjamin reigned in his stead (Omni 1:23).