Alma and Mosiah's Sons Preach

After King Mosiah’s four sons had preached in the land of Zarahemla, they returned to their father. After selecting some men, they asked their father if they and those whom they had selected could go to the land of Nephi to preach God’s word to the Lamanites.

They were hoping to bring the knowledge of the Lord to the Lamanites—to convince them of their false traditions and end their hatred towards the Nephites. Mosiah’s sons explained to their father, “If the Lamanites knew the truth, they would rejoice in the Lord their God. They would become friendly with the Nephites, and there would be no more fighting in all the land that the Lord has given us.”

Mosiah’s sons wanted salvation to be declared to everyone, for even the thought of any soul enduring endless torment made them tremble. This is how the Spirit of the Lord worked in them, for they had been the worst sinners of all. The Lord had spared them because of His infinite mercy. But they still suffered great anguish of soul because of their sins, fearing they would be cast off forever. They begged their father over a period of many days for permission to go to the land of Nephi. King Mosiah finally asked the Lord if he should let his sons go among the Lamanites to preach the word.

The Lord said to Mosiah, “Give them permission to go and preach, for many will believe them and gain eternal life. I will deliver your sons out of the hands of the Lamanites.”

Then Mosiah granted his sons permission to go and preach to the Lamanites, and so they did. I, Mormon, will give an account of Mosiah’s sons later.

After his sons had departed, King Mosiah had no one to confer the kingdom upon, for none of his sons would accept it. So he gathered the brass plates, Nephi’s large and small plates, the sacred things to be preserved according to God’s commandments (Liahona, Laban’s sword, and the interpreters), and his translation from the twenty-four pure gold plates that Limhi had brought to him. Mosiah had translated the plates because his people were very anxious to know about those people whose bones were scattered over the land. Mosiah translated the twenty-four plates using two stones fastened to two rims of a bow. These interpreters were prepared from the beginning of the world, and had been handed down from generation to generation for the purpose of interpreting languages. They had been preserved by the Lord so that He could reveal the sins of His people to all those who would possess this land. And whoever has these interpreters is called a seer (one who sees), like those of ancient times.

Mosiah’s translation of the twenty-four plates gave an account that began from the creation of Adam and Eve. It continued through the time when the people at Babel built a great tower—when the Lord confused their language and scattered them over all the earth. The account continued up until the time when the people who had migrated to this continent from Babel had completely annihilated one another.

The record of this great destruction filled Mosiah’s people with sorrow, but it also gave them much knowledge, for which they were thankful. The record of these people will be written later.

After King Mosiah translated the twenty-four plates, he took the brass plates, all the records and sacred things, and conferred them upon Alma’s son, Alma. Then Mosiah commanded Alma to preserve everything, and also to keep his own record of the people, handing everything down from one generation to another, just as they had been handed down from the time Lehi had left Jerusalem.