A "Seer", Revelator, Prophet; plates, breastplates and swords

In Mosiah 8 there is so much amazing information I don't know where to start.  I might just do bullets.

We learn the following:

• Limhi sent out a party of 43 to try to find help for their current situation.  
• In their search, they couldn't find Zarahemla, which they were trying to find, but instead found a land covered in bones of man and beast.  
• It was a land of many waters.  
• They returned with 24 plates with engravings on them, made of pure gold.  
• They also brought large breastplates, made of copper and brass
• and rusted swords, where the hilts had broken off.  

Can you imagine, coming across a land left desolate like this?  They describe it as being covered with ruins of buildings of every kind.  Wow.   

(Beautiful photo at Little Round Top, Gettysburg, PA, USA, taken by shaunoboyle from his photoblog, here. I imagine the ruins they found resembled something in a setting like this, for some reason.)

I can just picture Limhi, being so excited to realize who Ammon is once Ammon explains that he's from Zarahemla.  Can you feel his heart just swell with that knowledge?  Limhi asks Ammon if he can translate these plates of gold which they had found.  Can you imagine the anticipation of that answer???  Drumroll, please?

Ammon says he... can't, but then says he knows someone who can!  How excited that must have made Limhi and his people feel!

There is then discussion about Mosiah and how he uses "interpreters", and how it is a "gift" from God.

• They were a tool used to translate the records.
• No man can look in them except he be commanded.
• ...lest he should look for that he ought not and perish.
• Whoever is commanded to look in them is called a "seer". (Mosiah 8:13)

Then there's a description about what a "seer" is.

• A seer is greater than a prophet.
• A seer is both a revelator and a prophet.  
• "...a gift which is greater can no man have, except he should possess the power of God, which no man can..."
• "yet a man may have great power given him from God." (Mosiah 8:16)

 Of course, after this,

"the king rejoiced exceedingly, and gave thanks to God, saying: Doubtless a great mystery is contained within these plates, and these interpreters were doubtless prepared for the purpose of unfolding all such mysteries to the children of men.  O how marvelous are the works of the Lord"! (Mosiah 8:19-20)

I can only imagine how excited he was!  I can't imagine how long he waited to hear such things.  Could you imagine, having such things in your possession, and not being able to interpret them?  I think I'd go crazy.  What a blessing, to have been able to finally find a way to get some answers!

~Jen:)

Ammon, descendant of Zarahelma

It's been fascinating to read the Book of Mormon in a relatively fast manner.  It's allowed me to grasp things through different glasses.  There's a section in Mosiah and into Alma where there's a bit of a "flashback", where so many different stories are told quite quickly, and it's often been hard for me to keep them straight.  I hope to record on here some notes to keep the stories a bit more clear in my mind.

One thing I caught yesterday in Mosiah 7:3 was the description about Ammon.  Often when we take lazy perspectives on the Book of Mormon, we just assume that most of the main characters are descendants of Lehi, and then Nephi as well.  They're all lumped into the label "Nephites" for general reference.

In regards to Ammon, we learn that he is "a descendant of Zarahemla" –a Mulekite.  For the reference chain on this, read Mosiah 7:3, Omni 1:14-15, and Mosiah 25:2.  (If you click on Mos. 7:3, there's a hyperlink that'll lead you to Omni, then to Mosiah.  Cool!)  That means he was a descendant of Mulek, son of Zedekiah, king of Judah.  He was not of the descent of the family of Lehi. 

Ammon and about 40 others, to include his three brothers, were sent to find the people of Zeniff, who left Zarahemla about 79 years prior to settle in the land of Lehi-Nephi.  When they encountered Limhi and his guards, they (Ammon & bros.) were taken, bound, and imprisoned for several days. 

(The Lamanite King before King Limhi, by Minerva Teichert)

Upon giving an opportunity to speak with Limhi again, they all basically get reintroduced.  We learn of Limhi's background, but *thus far* there is nothing spoken to say if he's a Nephite or Mulekite.  I'm excited to read the account that was kept from Zeniff down to Limhi, and learn more about what went on! 

~Jen:)