Mosiah 8

Then Ammon stood before the crowd and told all that had happened in Zarahemla from the time Zeniff left the land. Ammon told them the words of King Benjamin and the words from the brass plates.

Later, King Limhi asked Ammon if he could understand strange languages. Ammon told him that he could not. The king said to him: Some time ago, I sent forty-three men into the wilderness toward the land of Zarahemla. I had hoped that we might find your people to help us out of our slavery. But they were lost in the wilderness for many days and could not find Zarahemla. They returned to this land having traveled in a land among many waters.

They discovered a land that was covered with bones of men and beasts. The land was covered with old buildings of every kind. It must have had many people.

My men brought back a large chest with rusty swords and shields made of brass and of copper. They also brought twenty-four plates made of pure gold which had many words written in them. [These plates tell of the people of Jared. You will read about them later in the Book of Ether. ]

Ammon said to him: I can tell you, O king, of a man that can understand the words on the plates. He has a tool from God that helps him to understand all records; it is a gift from God. This tool is called an interpreter and no man can look in them unless God tells him to. Whoever God tells to use it is called a seer.

A seer is greater than a prophet. This is the greatest gift a man can have on the earth. A seer can know of things in the past and also of things in the future. Thus, God has provided a way for man, through faith, to work mighty miracles. The seer who can understand this record is the king of Zarahemla; he has this high gift from God.

Then King Limhi was happy and gave thanks to God, saying: A great mystery is written on these plates. Wonderful are the works of the Lord; He suffers patiently with His people. For people do not seek wisdom. They do not want wisdom to rule over them! People are as a wild flock of sheep that run away from the shepherd and are scattered and driven and eaten by the beasts of the forest.