11. The Nephite Republic: The transition from a kingly form of government to what may be called a democracy was made at the death of Mosiah II; 509 years from the time Lehi left Jerusalem, or 91 years B. C. The Israelitish genius in matters of government inclines them to the acceptance of what men commonly call a theocracy, which is defined as meaning literally "a state governed in the name of God." The election of this form of government by Israelites as most desirable, grows out of the fact of the Mosaic legislation; for Moses received the law by which Israel was governed direct from Jehovah; its regulations were carried out in Jehovah's name by the administration of judges, both during the life time of Israel's great prophet and also after his demise. Living thus under the divine law, administered in the name of Jehovah by judges divinely appointed, was to be governed of God.
12. Civilization and Government Among the Lamanites: The Lamanites in respect of these matters should not be overlooked. It is true that they were idle; that they loved the wilderness and dwelt in tents; that they depended upon the fruits of the chase and such products of the earth as the rich lands they occupied produced without the labor of man, as the principal means of their sustenance; still they came in contact now and then with Nephite civilization, which must have modified somewhat their inclination to utter barbarism. * * * * * That there was some system and regularity in Lamanite government must be apparent from the degree of efficiency to which it must have arisen in order to conduct the protracted wars with the Nephites. The largeness of their armies, the length of the wars, and the extensive scale on which they were projected, would indicate the existence of some strong, central government capable of making its authority respected. That such a government existed among the Lamanites is disclosed through the facts that are brought to light by the mission of the young Nephite princes, the sons of Mosiah II., in the century preceding the birth of Messiah. It appears that at that time what I shall venture to call the Lamanite Empire was divided into a number of petty kingdoms whose kings, as it always the case among semi-civilized peoples, were possessed of great and arbitrary power; but these in turn seem to have been subject to a central ruler whose dominion extended over all, and whose power in his larger sphere was as absolute as that of the petty kings in the smaller states.
LESSON IV.
SCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.
THE ANCIENT AMERICAN SCRIPTURE—THE BOOK OF MORMON.
| ANALYSIS. | REFERENCES. |
| I. Civilization in Ancient America.
1. Jaredite, Extent and Nature of. 2. Nephite, Character of. 3. Lamanite Civilization, Extent and Character of. | Book of Mormon. Book of Ether. |
| II. Religion Among the Ancient Nations
of America.
1. Among the Jaredites. 2. The Nephites. 3. The People of Zarahemla. 4. The Lamanites. | Y. M. M. I. A. Manual (No. 7), Chap. xiii. Notes 1, 2, 3. |
SPECIAL TEXT: "Fools mock, but they shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek. * * * * And if men will come unto me I will show unto them their weaknesses. I give unto men weaknesses that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me."—THE LORD TO MORONI.
NOTES.
1. Religion of the Jaredites: "Relative to the religion that obtained among the Jaredites, we are left in well nigh as much ignorance as we are concerning the nature of the subordinate features of their government. The two brothers, Moriancumr and Jared, seem to have been among the righteous people of Babel; so much so in fact that Moriancumr was a very great prophet of God, and had direct access to the source of revelation; * * * * He so far prevailed with God through faith that he beheld him face to face, and talked with him as a man speaks with his friend. That is, he saw and talked with the pre-existent spirit of the Lord Jesus. * * * * * Moriancumr was commanded, however, not to suffer the things he had seen and heard to go into the world until the Lord Jesus should have lived in the flesh. He was commanded to write what he had both seen and heard, and seal it up that it might be preserved to come forth in due time to the children of men. While Moriancumr was prohibited from making known to his people the great things thus revealed to him, his knowledge of the things of God must have given him wonderful power and influence in teaching his people the righteous truths which are fundamental and universal. * * * * The fifth monarch, Emer, possessed such faith that he, like Moriancumr, had the blessed privilege of seeing "the Son of Righteousness, and did rejoice and glory in his day." And of the whole people it is said, "never could [there] be a people more blessed than were they, and more prospered by the hand of the Lord." All of which is good evidence that the Jaredites at this time (in the reign of Lib, the sixteenth monarch) were a righteous people; and this righteousness was doubtless brought about by the preaching of faith in God and his laws as only Moriancumr and other prophets whom God raised up to the Jaredite nation could preach it.
2. The Religion of the Nephites: Religion among the Nephites consisted in the worship of the true and living God, the Jehovah of the Jews, whose revelations to the children of Israel through Moses and all the prophets to Jeremiah were brought with them into the new world. They therefore accepted into their faith all the Bible truths, and in its historical parts they had before them the valuable lessons which Bible history teaches. They looked forward also to the coming of Messiah, through Prophecy; and when he finally came and taught the gospel in its fulness they accepted it and thus became Christians.