The Spy King Zeniff

Zeniff, a Nephite soldier, disobeyed orders from his commander to destroy their enemy the Lamanites to begin a spiritual history and heritage lasting for centuries. Zeniff's actions facilitated the rise of Mosaic Christianity among the ancient Americans decades before the birth of Jesus Christ.

A small army of spies/operatives/colonists deployed from Zarahemla, the capital city of the Nephite government employed to gain intelligence on the Lamanite confederacy--how to destroy it. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ chronicles the lives of key historical figures who helped to bring the culture, religion, and historical records of their society into existence. Zeniff's decisions provided the cultural context from which great men rose to power and shaped Nephite society.  

Zeniff received orders from his unnamed commanding officer to find weaknesses in Lamanite society to destroy them; however, after living among them, he and like-minded operatives decided there remained hope to reclaim the Lamanites who had rejected the Gospel due to incorrect information given to them from the foundations of their societies hundreds of years before. These spies/colonists did not want to act in a way to destroy their brethren, but to reclaim them.  Zeniff, by way of conscience, refused to hurt the Lamanites; and with a large number of supporters fought a battle with his leader and the rest of the colonists seeking to rid the Nephites of the Lamanite problem. Zeniff's revolted against his commander!

In his brief entry in the gold record of Nephi that is now The Book of Mormon, Amaleki accused Zeniff's leader of being obstinate. "There was a large number [of Nephites, who were the spies] who were desirous to possess the land of their [first] inheritance. Wherefore, they went up into the wilderness. And their leader being a strong and mighty man, and a stiffnecked man, wherefore he caused a contention among them; and they were all slain, save fifty, in the wilderness, and they returned again to the land of Zarahemla." (Omni 1:27-28)

He did not actively solicit followers, but Zeniff did not relent and submit to the command of his leader when told to act to harm their political rivals, an extermination order, in order to possess the lands. Zeniff and his followers prevailed in the battle and returned to Zarahemla to relate the tale to the citizens--especially the families of the dead colonists. Zeniff wanted "that our ruler should make a treaty with them," the Lamanites (Mosiah 9:2). The unnamed leader declined, "he being an austere and a blood-thirsty man commanded that I should be slain," (Mosiah 9:2) and the aforementioned battle commenced.

Zeniff's Faith 

After his report, Zeniff and his group of 49 recruited others to return to the Land of Nephi, as they called it, to inherit that land and possess it, as it once belonged to the Nephites who lost it through internal strife, apostasy, intrigue, and war to the Lamanites. He established an oasis kingdom of Nephites among their centuries-old enemies the Lamanites. 

Zeniff refers to himself as a zealous person in attempting to regain his claim to the lands of his inheritance. His desire to obtain title to lands the Nephites abandoned in flight from the Lamanites led Zeniff to make a rash action, petitioning King Laman to obtain the land of Nephi as an inheritance. Zeniff willingly admits his fault, a level of humility beyond the stubborn epitaph suggested in the record about this stiffnecked ruler attempting to murder him on his first journey. Zeniff admitted he contended with team members about the possibility of entering into a treaty with the Lamanites because he had a change of heart about destroying them by noticing their humanity. 

God favored Zeniff because of a blessing placed upon the Lamanites by their ancestor, Lehi. In his last act as Patriarch of his united family, Lehi pronounced blessings on all of his posterity and warnings, declaring that "inasmuch as ye shall keep [God's] commandments ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep [God's] commandments ye shall be cut off from [God's] presence" (2 Nephi 4:4). God's presence, as described in the reference, includes His protection, among other things, from ANY type of extermination and still holds valid upon the Americas.

Lehi informed them, "I know that if ye are brought up in the way ye should go ye will not depart from it. Wherefore, if ye are cursed, behold, I leave my blessing upon you, that the cursing may be taken from you and be answered upon the heads of your parents. ...because of my blessing the Lord God will not suffer that ye shall perish; ...he will be merciful unto you and unto your seed forever," 2 Nephi 4: 5-7. 

The Lamanites would not be utterly destroyed if they did not keep the commandments but continue on and receive blessings and sorrow at the hand of Gentiles who would appear after the Nephites' destruction. God would not have allowed the Nephites' preemptive strike against the Lamanites to prevail on the merit of Lehi's blessing to the children of his sons Laman and Lemuel which extended to their posterity.

Zeniff was a man of God, and it was the Spirit of God that drove him to speak up in defiance of his commanding officer to avoid destroying the Lamanites. It was probably the only time in Nephite history that the Nephites could have had the advantage to bring the Lamanite nation to an end. 

All Hail King Zeniff

Because the founding father, Nephi, laid the foundation of a city and a temple in the city of Nephi, Zeniff boldly requested the lands from King Laman. Laman provided graciously the lands of Lehi-Nephi and Shilom to the eager settlers, which included cities both with respective names as the lands. The Lamanites who inhabited those areas vacated peaceably to allow the return of the descendants of the original owners. Lehi-Nephi may have been the place of the temple Nephi constructed similarly to Solomon's temple 400 years earlier, but there is no indication from the records that this is the case. The City of Nephi (presumably Lehi- Nephi) became the seat of the new monarch of Zeniff.

Zeniff recorded that he possessed a superior Nephite education, which included language education and a religious history. Knowledge of the Land of Nephi gave him power to negotiate properly for inheritance with King Laman, at least for those two parts of the land, Shilom and Lehi-Nephi. Being the foremost of the group of people who accompanied him to the Land of Nephi, he became the obvious choice for leader, for a king. 

The goodwill of King Laman came with subterfuge, Zeniff related. Laman placed this group of settlers in a long con. After 12 years of living in peace and prosperity with the Nephites, Laman acted on his deception to take the possession of the Nephites. Apparently, Zeniff was under the impression that Laman wanted to enslave them. Laman sent his people to attack the outlying areas of Shilom killing citizens and stealing property. Those who could flee ahead of the carnage sought refuge in the City of Nephi where King Zeniff resided.

Zeniff rallied his people in prayer to the Lord for deliverance, which they received by repulsing the Lamanite attacks. Following this loss, King Laman abandoned his efforts to enslave the Nephites and left them in relative peace until he died 20 years later. Laman's son had designs on conquering the Nephites as he encouraged his people to oppose them. 

Espionage Saves the Day

Zeniff did not allow his experiences with Laman to go to waste. When first he went to the king he did so with trust. After 12 years when the truth of Laman's intentions fully matured, King Zeniff took measures to prepare against another surprise attack. Using the methods for which he was known, espionage, Zeniff kept tabs on the Lamanites following the first war. 

When the son of Laman began his propaganda machine against the Nephites when he ascended to the throne, Zeniff was prepared to counter. Zeniff searched the cultural heritage of the Lamanites so that he could understand their mentality as a group. After over twenty years of searching, he provided an assessment of their central philosophies to deliver to his people to motivate them to fight valiantly against their encroachment. 

The Lamanites felt wronged by the Nephites; so, King Laman planned to use his treaty with the Nephites, though a small group only, to exact revenge on them for 400 years of what he considered injustices! Mosiah 10:11-17 details the understanding of the Lamanites Zeniff provided, which has set the standard of belief about Lamanite aggression from that point forward.

Mosiah 10:11-17 Politicks of the Lamanites

Zeniff related that "the Lamanites knew nothing concerning the Lord, nor the strength of the Lord, therefore they depended upon their own strength. Yet they were a strong people, as to the strength of men. They were a wild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people, believing in the tradition of their fathers, which is this—Believing that they were driven out of the land of Jerusalem because of the iniquities of their fathers, and that they were wronged in the wilderness by their brethren, and they were also wronged while crossing the sea ... that they were wronged while in the land of their first inheritance, after they had crossed the sea, and all this because that Nephi was more faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord—therefore he was favored of the Lord, for the Lord heard his prayers and answered them, and he took the lead of their journey in the wilderness."

He provided this explanation to his people when they prepared to go to battle against the Lamanites to help them understand their enemy's motivations based on a misunderstanding, as opposed to the Nephites' motivations based on their faith in God. He continued, referring to Nephi and his brothers Laman and Lemuel. Laman and his followers felt "wroth with him [Nephi] because they understood not the dealings of the Lord; they were also wroth with him upon the waters because they hardened their hearts against the Lord. And again, they were wroth with him when they had arrived in the promised land, because they said that he had taken the ruling of the people out of their hands; and they sought to kill him." 

"And again, they were wroth with him because he departed into the wilderness as the Lord had commanded him, and took the records which were engraven on the plates of brass, for they said that he robbed them. And thus they have taught their children that they should hate them, and that they should murder them, and that they should rob and plunder them, and do all they could to destroy them; therefore they have an eternal hatred towards the children of Nephi. For this very cause has king Laman, by his cunning, and lying craftiness, and his fair promises, deceived me [Zeniff], that I have brought this my people up into this land, that they may destroy them; yea, and we have suffered these many years in the land."

Safety Before the End

Motivating his people to go against an army of people who surrounded them on all sides is what Zeniff had to do. Immersed in a deadly waiting game, the Nephites in the City of Nephi looked to God for their support instead of 400-year-old grievances to justify abuse toward their foes as the Lamanites did. The fact that the information was presented incorrectly to generations of Lamanites, who thought their interpretations were correct, meant utter destruction to this group of Saints unless they yielded to the wisdom of God, which they did.

Using his skills as a spy and his faith as a follower of Christ, Zeniff saved his people from the attacks of the Lamanites before the cold hand of death claimed him in his old age. Noah, his son, inherited the protected mini-kingdom of Nephites. The death of Zeniff ended the Messianic-Judac kingdom as Noah undid all that his father accomplished. Noah strived as zealously as his father except that King Noah reigned for the glory of his passions and desires and not the glory of God and his people.

Mormon: Captain and Leader of Integrity and Honor

Mormon is the name of a man of God who lived hundreds of years ago on one of the American continents. He kept a record that became The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ and the impetus of change for millions for goodness in Christ. This article chronicles part of his life. 

Previous Article

Mormon: Among the Spiritually Dead. In the failing moral environment, Mormon describes how he received visitations of the spirit and acknowledgment of heaven to soothe him in his jaded culture.

After terrible battles and loss of life, the warring nations entered a treaty. Following the treaty with the Lamanites, Mormon chronicles that the Nephites had a decade of non-aggression with the Lamanites. During this time of peace, the Nephites had the opportunity to prepare for any future wars with the Lamanites.

Mormon does not focus on such preparations as he gives a reference to it in his record at what is now the beginning of Chapter three in The book of Mormon.

He still heralded the days of Captain Moroni when the preaching of the gospel of Christ was used as a way to prepare the people psychologically for war and hoped heeding the gospel would justify the protection of heaven. What was Mormon's joy when the Lord instructed him during this time to preach the gospel to his brethren!

Mormon presented with great earnest the message of invitation to the Nephites soldiers under his command. God had spoken to Mormon as their prophet and would bring them protection.

Mormon reveals, "I did cry unto this people, but it was in vain; and they did not realize that it was the Lord that had spared them, and granted unto them a chance for repentance. And behold they did harden their hearts against the Lord their God." Mormon 3:20

From the very beginning of the record, Mormon records that if the people who dwelt on the Americas would hearken or heed the God of the Land, who is Jesus Christ, the Lord would protect them from all enemies and prosper them.

The Lord in mercy always calls out and warns His children before destruction. Mormon was the instrument, a general in their very military, God used to call them to repentance!

The only revelations that the people would heed from Mormon would be those related to military strategy. No more did the people consider the religion of their leaders a pertinent source of victory. No more did the people seek prophets to consult for battle. Luckily, the people had Mormon to volunteer for service.

Narrow Neck of Land

The King of the Lamanites, possibly named King Aaron, sent an epistle to the Nephites in 360 A.D. that he planned to attack for war. The nonaggression treaty had expired. It is interesting that Mormon received the letter from King Aaron rather than it being received by a Nephite civilian head of state.

Mormon appears to be the sole head of government left since the beginning of the rebellion. In Alma 51:13-21 Captain Moroni had to send an epistle to the head of state, Pahoran, to gather permission from the people just to compel the King-men to arms against their particular group of Lamanite aggressors.

The civilian form of government among the Nephites ceased to operate officially or at least surrendered to a form of Marshall Law--giving the command of the functions of government to the military.

Whatever position is correct, Mormon received the communique from King Aaron (again assuming that the leader during this time is still Aaron). With the information that Mormon received, he endeavored to provide as much protection to the southern border as possible.

With almost an entire year to prepare for the upcoming attack, Mormon commanded the armies to fortify the land in the borders near the Narrow Neck of Land with headquarters probably in or around the city of Desolation. Mormon intended to keep the Lamanites from gaining any of the lands from the treaty ten years earlier.

Source: Cebu Temple

Tennis Shoes Among Nephites Kingdoms Conquerors Chris Heimerdinger 

Covenant Over Country

Mormon explains that

...it was only the distance of a day and a half’s journey...on the line Bountiful and the land Desolation, from the east to the west sea; and thus the land of Nephi and the land of Zarahemla were nearly surrounded by water, there being a small neck of land between the land northward and the land southward.

Mormon records that the distance to cross the strip of land was a day and a half of walking or by an animal--he did not specify which. Patrolling that length of land would take a small army depending on how the Nephites did it! They did do it, though.

Mormon wanted to hold the Lamanites at that place. With so little ground to cover it was easier to protect and defend that confined space. It is evident that naval warfare was not something the Nephites and Lamanites contrived though surrounded by water. They utilized hand-to-hand combat--maybe slings were used.

Armed with such tools and the confidence to boot, the Nephites prepared under Mormon's lead to defend against the Lamanite invasion. In 361 and 362, A. D. the Lamanites warred with the Nephites and did not conquer them. Each time the Lamanites attacked, the Nephites repelled them! Such success among the Nephites did not lead to gratitude as Mormon recorded, but to pride and self-righteous behavior.

Mormon tolerated many things from his men, but when they forswore themselves of all that that he had vowed not to, Mormon had his fill of wickedness. He complained

...they began to boast in their own strength, and began to swear before the heavens that they would avenge themselves of the blood of their brethren who had been slain by their enemies. And they did swear by the heavens, and also by the throne of God, that they would go up to battle against their enemies, and would cut them off from the face of the land. And it came to pass that I, Mormon, did utterly refuse from this time forth to be a commander and a leader of this people, because of their wickedness and abomination."Mormon 3:9-11

Swearing by heaven and the throne of God pushed Mormon to his career's end as their general because of the depth to which he held his covenant with Jesus Christ to not dishonor those things.

Nephi described the gospel of Jesus Christ as a strait gate, a narrow gate. The only way to get in is through this gate by following the commands of God precisely. In 2 Nephi 31:18-21 , Nephi states that

"this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive...after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, ...ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.

...[Y]e must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life... [T]here is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God...."

The narrow path that Mormon walked could not include the swearing upon sacred things. He retired his general’s regalia at the Narrow Neck of Land. It was a symbolic statement. The defeat of the Lamanites occurred at the Narrow Neck and the way became too narrow for the soldiers under Mormon's command--or should I say the path became too broad for Mormon to allow further insult to injury.

As general, Mormon decided to draw a line and not accept every type of behavior thrown at him. If he could not garner the respect of his men enough to cease defiling deity, he would leave them to their own designs--he would try to anyway.

The Significance of Desolation in the Book of Mormon Heritage

Notice the importance of Desolation to the Nephites as Mormon recorded it in the Book of Mormon. Desolation has received many mentions in the book. At first glance, the reader might disregard the significance of the word at all.

Desolation is the name of a land as stated before in conjunction with the city which headed the passage into the Northern lands then occupied by the Nephite nation. The land of Desolation received its appellation from the Mulekites, another group of people besides the ancestors of the Nephites who journeyed to the ancient Americas before the captivity of Judah by Babylon.

This group of people thus named the land because of the number of human skeletal remains that they found upon the land and the lack of trees in the land upon arriving there following their journey.

It follows that the land south of Desolation was called Bountiful because of its bounty of animals and game among other things. Desolation existed as its name denotes--because of a great ecological purging and destruction in the land Northward.

Mormon highlights the noteworthy voyages of:

Hagoth, he being an exceedingly curious man, therefore he went forth and built him an exceedingly large ship, on the borders of the land Bountiful, by the land Desolation, and launched it forth into the west sea, by the narrow neck which led into the land northward. Alma 63:5

Desolation is the land Northward but throughout the record, Mormon refers to it depending on circumstance. In fact, it seems that Mormon does much to keep from naming the incidental places by calling places the "land of Zarahemla" rather than specify a suburb of the city proper.

He does this when referring to the birthplace of his coming Lord Jesus by writing at Jerusalem rather than mentioning the suburb Bethlehem when copying out the speech Alma gave at a city called Gideon. God would have revealed to Nephi that city when considering all the other things he revealed to the man!

Also, Lachoneous, the chief judge during the seven-year-siege (though it did not last that long), used the land of Desolation as a line of demarcation on the north and Zarahemla on the south to wait out the Gadianton robbers who afflicted both Nephites and Lamanites the years 19 to 22 A. D.

Having to use the border of the Land of Desolation as the holding point again takes on significance for the Nephites. This time, however, the Nephites would be on the northern side of the border instead of the southern.

This time, the people would be in the part that was actually Desolation. This time, the land would describe their souls as well as their location because they refused to heed the counsel of God through Mormon.

Mormon Returns

"I, Mormon," says that august historian, "do not desire to harrow up the souls of men in casting before them such an awful scene of blood and carnage as was laid before mine eyes...therefore I write a small abridgment, daring not to give a full account of the things which I have seen, because of the commandment which I have received, and also that ye might not have too great sorrow because of the wickedness of this people." Mormon 5:8-9

The time was terrible for the general. They had lost many cities. Before he took leadership again, the Lamanites had taken the wives of the defeated and sacrificed them to idols. 

The first group of dissenters who purposely taught their children different beliefs than those of Jesus achieved their goal to separate themselves spiritually and culturally from the Nephites evidenced in that terrific act of debauchery.

Never did Mormon mention that the Nephites stopped believing the traditions of their parents were true. Mormon did say that they would rather die than follow the teachings of Jesus Christ as prescribed by the now dead church. It was not the gospel that failed, but the people who made up the church who failed. These people rejected Jesus Christ cursing the heavens as they died.

Mormon prayed yet still for those people but without faith. He had no hope of their salvation as a nation. Many even started to desert to the other side, though if they were found out death soon would follow.

Author's Note

I hope that I have demonstrated how Christ is the center of all the pages, even the history of this great book, The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

One of my favorite Authors, Chris Heimerdinger, has written a series of books of fiction based on the Book of Mormon. I enjoy reading them repeatedly as Chris offers some compelling insight into the lives of those ancient people. Though his works are fiction, they are fun to read. Check out his site Frost Cave.

The Book of Mormon is a tool to bring people to Christ.

Next

The Legacy and Righteousness of Mormon the General. When the Nephites took it upon themselves to attack the Lamanites out of vengeance, it nullified their contract of deliverance completely with God. Not only did this nation forswear itself and commit unholy acts, but it dared....