Introduction to Mosiah

In your study of the book of Mosiah, you will read powerful testimonies of the mission of Jesus Christ. You also will learn about people whom the Lord delivered from the bondage of sin or from physical oppression. Furthermore, you will learn how the righteous efforts of individuals such as King Benjamin, Abinadi, and Alma brought tremendous blessings to others. Conversely, you will see how the poor choices of individuals such as Zeniff and his son, King Noah, brought negative consequences upon themselves and their people.

Mormon compiled and abridged the records of several other writers to create the book of Mosiah. The book is named for Mosiah, who was a son of King Benjamin. Mosiah was a prophet, seer, revelator, and king who ruled in Zarahemla from approximately 124 to 91 B.C. He was named after his grandfather Mosiah, who was also a king of Zarahemla (see Omni 1:12–13, 19).

Mormon drew from a number of records to compose the book of Mosiah. He abridged and quoted from the record kept by Mosiah on the large plates of Nephi, which detailed the history of the Nephites in the land of Zarahemla (see Mosiah 1–7; 25–29). He also drew from the record of Zeniff, which recounts the history of Zeniff’s people from the time they left Zarahemla until they returned (see Mosiah 7–22). Additionally, Mormon quoted from and abridged portions of the writings of Alma, who preserved the words of Abinadi (see Mosiah 17:4) and kept a record of his own people (see Mosiah 18; 23–24).

The original records used as sources for the book of Mosiah were likely written between 200 B.C. and 91 B.C. Mormon abridged these records sometime between A.D. 345 and 385. Mormon did not record where he was when he compiled this book.