Textual: Mormon gives us the opening speech of Limhi. Interestingly, he will skip Ammon’s address (see Mosiah 8:2-3). One of the first interesting things about Limhi’s speech is that he begins by declaring that their deliverance is at hand. We know from his discussion with Ammon (verse 15) that Limhi expected that the appearance of Ammon was the beginning of their salvation at the hands of the Zarahemlaites. What it interesting is that with that particular connection in mind, Limhi neglects to introduce Ammon and his brethren. Here is Limhi proclaiming a new hope for temporal salvation that is based in Ammon and his brethren, and he fails to even mention them!
The most likely reason is that it was superfluous. It is quite unlikely that such momentous news had not already spread throughout the land, and been one of the reasons given for the gathering to this special occasion festival. Limhi doesn’t introduce them because he doesn’t need to, they are already well known – by reference although not by face.
The next question to be asked of the text is the reason that Mormon includes this text but abbreviates Ammon’s discourse. Limhi’s text does two things, it recounts some important history, and it dwells on the faith of the people. Both of those topics are of interest to Mormon, with the second more important than the first (historical information is frequently abbreviated). When Ammon begins, he recounts information about Benjamin’s new covenant that would have been tremendously important to his immediate audience, but superfluous to anyone reading Mormon’s work that had just spent so much space on Benjamin’s discourse.
Mosiah 7:19
19 Therefore, lift up your heads, and rejoice, and put your trust in God, in that God who was the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob; and also, that God who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, and caused that they should walk through the Red Sea on dry ground, and fed them with manna that they might not perish in the wilderness; and many more things did he do for them.
Mosiah 7:20
20 And again, that same God has brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem, and has kept and preserved his people even until now; and behold, it is because of our iniquities and abominations that he has brought us into bondage.
Limhi began his discourse with a promise of salvation, noting that “notwithstanding our many strugglings, which have been in vain; yet I trust there remaineth an effectual struggle to be made.” His people have made some attempts before to rid themselves of the yoke of the Lamanites, and now he is promising that it will happen. How will this happen?
Limhi’s confidence in their delivery clearly hinges upon the arrival of Ammon. What Limhi sees in this is a connection to Zarahemla, but also a reconnection with the people of God. The images he uses to build confidence in his people for yet one more struggle are two examples of exodus. The first is the Mosaic exodus which saves Israel from Egypt. The second is the Lehite exodus, which saves Lehi’s family from the destruction of Jerusalem. Although unstated, the combination of Ammon’s arrival from afar and these two examples of the type of salvation they may expect suggest that Limhi sees their salvation not in a rescuing invasion by the Zarahemlaites, but an exodus of his people to Zarahemla.
In their previous struggles, they were struggles-in-place. They were attempts to create some type of military solution that allowed them to remain in the land of Nephi. That situation has proven overwhelming to this point for the Limhites. The arrival of Ammon’s party, however, gives the Limhites a connection to another place to which they may escape. Thus the possibility of salvation is renewed because of the discovery of the continued existence of Zarahemla, and place which is seen as a possible refuge.
A last question to be asked is why the Limhites had not previously seen an exodus as a means of salvation. What difference did it make that Zarahemla still existed? Why couldn’t they leave without regard to Zarahemla? The answer is, of course, speculation, but in the context of the model that we are developing for the cultural milieu of the Book of Mormon world, the answer may be suggested. The answer lies in the populated nature of the land.
Were the New World devoid of populations, then the Limhites could strike off in a direction away from the Lamanites, and simply settle in uninhabited lands. That they did not do so, and saw an exodus as a possibility only after learning of the continued existence of Zarahemla suggests that they knew the land to be populated, and that entering a land already occupied with a population the size of a town would be an unwelcome intrusion. They would be trading a military difficulty with the known Lamanites for a military difficulty with unknown Lamanites. Zarahemla, however, offers refuge, not only through lineage, but through the explicit connection represented by Zarahemla’s representatives (Ammon and party).