According to Richard Bushman, details about government in the Book of Mormon make it possible to ask if the political forms in the book are genuinely ancient, or if they bear the marks of nineteenth century creation. Rather than illustrating the prevalent political attitudes in the United States after the American Revolution, the details of Book of Mormon political attitudes tend to have Old World precedents, particularly in the history of the Israelite nation. One good example is when "the people were desirous that Alma should be their king" (Mosiah 23:6). Biblical people too raised up kings among themselves, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. The most famous instance was the anointing of Saul. There the Book of Mormon prototypes are laid down precisely. The people demanded a king of Samuel who tried to persuade them otherwise, warning them of the iniquities a king would practice on them, just as Alma (Mosiah 23:7-13) and Mosiah2 (Mosiah 29:4-36) warned their people (see 1 Samuel 8:1-22; 10:18-25; Deuteronomy 17:14). This basic plot was not singular to Saul either. Earlier, the Israelites had requested Gideon to be their king, and he had refused because "the Lord will rule over you" (Judges 8:22-23). [Richard Bushman, "The Book of Mormon and the American Revolution," in BYU Studies, Fall 1976, pp. 3, 18-19]
Mosiah 23:6 The people were desirous that Alma should be their king. But he said . . . it is not expedient that ye should have a king (Major Nephite Leaders) [[Illustration]]: The Major Leaders During Nephite History. [Church Educational System, Book of Mormon Student Manual: Religion 121 and 122, 1989, p. 160]