Redaction: Why does Mormon deviate from his narrative to explain Nephite law? I hypothesize that he expected his readers to be surprised at this tolerance of an offense to the majority religion. Therefore, Mormon’s greater society apparently did not share the concept of tolerating individual beliefs, or Mormon would not have needed to mention it.
Culture: Mormon cited a brass plate scripture as a basis for Nephite law (v. 8), but the general explanation might also have been based in the law of Moses, which proscribed certain activities but not the thought that preceded them. Thus, the law of Moses focused on the act of adultery, not upon the lust that might lead to it. This shift in emphasis to thought is a major theme in Christ’s Sermon on the Mount. (See commentary accompanying 3 Nephi 12:27–28 and 12:21–48.)
The Nephite laws proscribe actions only, not thoughts that might lead to those actions. This distinction was important enough for Mormon to explain it. The reference to scripture as the basis for Mosiah’s laws and the generally close correspondence between Mosiah’s laws and Mosaic law strongly suggests that Mosiah turned to scripture when formulating his legal system.