Mosiah’s proposal for a government to judge by the standard of the commandments of God rests upon choosing wise men as judges. In a revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord warned of choosing wicked men and then said:
9 Nevertheless, when the wicked rule the people mourn.
10 Wherefore, honest men and wise men should be sought for diligently, and good men and wise men ye should observe to uphold; otherwise whatsoever is less than these cometh of evil.
11 And I give unto you a commandment, that ye shall forsake all evil and cleave unto all good, that ye shall live by every word which proceedeth forth out of the mouth of God. [D&C 98:9–11]
The choosing of wise men must be combined with honest and good men. A man may be honest, but not intellectually capable of understanding the political ramifications of government. A man may be good in his personal standards, but lacking in wisdom to interact with the people. The lack of integrity leads to deceit and corruption. Evil men are influenced by Satan to lead the people astray. Thus, all three attributes; honesty, goodness, and wisdom are required to bring peace among the people.
Justice is a divine attribute of God, but is not always found in man. The guarantee of a just man being king is expedient because a king as leader is much more efficient. While democracy has checks and balances, it takes much longer than a system that operates on revelation and the commandments of God. The Lord has and will continue to reveal the principles for establishing and maintaining peace. Mosiah and his father Benjamin (vv. 13–15) are examples of a peaceful reign under righteous kings.