Mosiah 22

(All of my own thoughts are in red type 6/20 3/21 Green Orange 6/22 Brown 6/23)

Chapter 22

Plans are made for the people to escape from Lamanite bondage—The Lamanites are made drunk—The people escape, return to Zarahemla, and become subject to King Mosiah. About 121–120 B.C.

  1 And now it came to pass that Ammon and king Limhi began to consult with the people how they should ^adeliver themselves out of bondage; and even they did cause that all the people should gather themselves together; and this they did that they might have the voice of the people concerning the matter. Government by the voice of the people! It's important for leaders to remember that others have good ideas too and that revelation could come through someone else. I guess this might be like our modern day "town hall"?
  2 And it came to pass that they could find no way to deliver themselves out of bondage, except it were to take their women and children, and their flocks, and their herds, and their tents, and depart into the wilderness; for the Lamanites being so numerous, it was impossible for the people of Limhi to contend with them, thinking to deliver themselves out of bondage by the sword. It feels like this is where we are at with the Secret Combinations...we are so outnumbered and there is no way to really fight them. We really just have to leave Babylon...
  3 Now it came to pass that ^aGideon went forth and stood before the king, and said unto him: Now O king, thou hast hitherto hearkened unto my words many times when we have been contending with our brethren, the Lamanites.
  4 And now O king, if thou hast not found me to be an unprofitable servant, or if thou hast hitherto listened to my words in any degree, and they have been of service to thee, even so I desire that thou wouldst listen to my words at this time, and I will be thy servant and deliver this people out of bondage.
  5 And the king granted unto him that he might speak. And Gideon said unto him:
  6 Behold the back pass, through the back wall, on the back side of the city. The Lamanites, or the ^aguards of the Lamanites, by night are ^bdrunken; therefore let us send a proclamation among all this people that they gather together their flocks and herds, that they may drive them into the wilderness by night. Gideon didn't really alter the first plan, just a way to do it...
  7 And I will go according to thy command and pay the last ^atribute of wine to the Lamanites, and they will be ^bdrunken; and we will pass through the secret pass on the left of their camp when they are drunken and asleep. I always wonder what the deal with wine was back them. Did they have “new” wine (grape juice) and “fermented” wine? The Nephites must have had wine to be able to give wine to the Lamanites.  Did only the Nephites know about the secret pass?
  8 Thus we will depart with our women and our children, our flocks, and our herds into the wilderness; and we will travel around the land of ^aShilom.
  9 And it came to pass that the king hearkened unto the words of Gideon. Sounds like it was ultimately the king's decision...
 10 And king Limhi caused that his people should gather their flocks together; and he sent the tribute of wine to the Lamanites; and he also sent more wine, as a present unto them; and they did drink freely of the wine which king Limhi did send unto them. Don’t you love how Satan does nothing to warn the Lamanites about the Nephites trickery or their plans to escape? Is it because he only has power to tempt but not to reveal? Hmmm....Or, Satan had already enticed them to be drunkards so even if he tried to tempt them not to drink that night, they were already too addicted to heed him.
 11 And it came to pass that the people of king Limhi did ^adepart by night into the wilderness with their flocks and their herds, and they went round about the land of ^bShilom in the wilderness, and bent their course towards the land of Zarahemla, being led by Ammon and his brethren. The guards must have been pretty drunk. Can't imagine that this exodus was quiet with all the animals and people. They must have been super drunk!
 12 And they had taken all their gold, and silver, and their precious things, which they could carry, and also their provisions with them, into the wilderness; and they pursued their journey. Pattern: take money, provisions; be prepared to go by night
 13 And after being many days in the wilderness they ^aarrived in the land of Zarahemla, and joined Mosiah’s people, and became his subjects.
 14 And it came to pass that Mosiah ^areceived them with joy; and he also received their ^brecords, and also the ^crecords which had been found by the people of Limhi.
 15 And now it came to pass when the Lamanites had found that the people of Limhi had departed out of the land by night, that they sent an ^aarmy into the wilderness to pursue them;
 16 And after they had pursued them two days, they could no longer follow their tracks; therefore they were lost in the wilderness. Was this divine intervention or the skills of the Nephites to cover their tracks? Sounds like divine intervention. That's a lot of tracks to cover, considering the number of people and the animals and their "droppings"...