Main Themes of Bondage and Deliverance

John W. Welch

In these central chapters of the book of Mosiah, readers encounter several names and events that are not very well known. The primary theme, however, should be quite familiar. These four chapters deal mainly with what it takes to be delivered from bondage of any kind in our lives. Although the types of bondage we face today may be quite different from those faced by the people in these narratives, the primary message about how we overcome such challenges is just as important now as it was then.

The following summary may be helpful as a guide to this complicated series of accounts and these amazingly interconnected records. If this history seems hard to follow as you read through these chapters, imagine how much more difficult it would have been for King Mosiah or an assistant such as Alma or Mormon as the abridger to assemble the underlying, interlocking records that stand behind the final form of the book of Mosiah. In addition, notice how precisely the details in these chapters fit together, and then appreciate Joseph Smith keeping all of this straight as he translated and dictated this record, line upon line, to Oliver Cowdery in mid-April, 1829.

Many lessons can be learned from these chapters about bondage and deliverance, as the Nephites came into bondage for various reasons and were delivered by watching, preparing, and trusting in the Lord. In this compilation of texts and materials, plenty of hints can be found to help us figure out the spiritual and allegorical implications. The captivity experienced by these Book of Mormon peoples can meaningfully function as an allegory for our own spiritual captivity. The story is about physical bondage, but the Book of Mormon contains these stories to tell us something about our spiritual bondage, including guidance on how we can get out of spiritual captivity. Believers in Christ may not be following the path of wicked King Noah or heading for destruction. But are we modern Ammons? or Zeniffs? Or Limhis? Are we like Alma, or Gideon?

Further Reading

Monte S. Nyman, "Bondage and Deliverance: Mosiah 7–8, 19–24," in Book of Mormon, Part 1: 1 Nephi–Alma 29, Studies in Scripture: Volume 7, ed. Kent P. Jackson (Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book, 1987), 260–269.

Clyde J. Williams, "Deliverance from Bondage" in Mosiah, Salvation Only Through Christ, Book of Mormon Symposium Series, Volume 5, ed. Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate, Jr. (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1991).

John W. Welch Notes

References