Limhi’s People Escape back to Zarahemla and King Mosiah - Book of Mosiah, Chapter Twenty-Two (Mosiah 22)

You can read the entire chapter at the following link: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/mosiah/22?lang=eng.

As this chapter begins, we get some insight into the unity that King Limhi’s people have forged when he seeks their input about how to plan an escape from the Lamanite guards who surround their city walls (verse 1). This doesn’t seem like a distant, tyrannical ruler from on high, but an approachable, fatherly figure actively concerned for the welfare of his fellows. As they counsel together, they all agree that flight—rather than fight—is the only option because the Lamanites so outnumber them (verse 2).

And once again, the trusty Gideon comes through. Gideon has already confronted the wicked King Noah (Mosiah 19) and helpfully defused conflict between his people and the Lamanites by pointing out that it was Noah’s cowardly priests who kidnapped the Lamanite daughters (Mosiah 20). Gideon observes with great discernment a weakness in the Lamanite guard (verses 6-8). Those posted in the back of the city are drunken and unconscious by night, giving Limhi’s people an opportunity to slip past them if they are able to coordinate the escape in a sufficient swift and orderly way.

King Limhi accepts Gideon’s plan, and arranges to have an extra portion of wine sent to the Lamanite guards for the appointed evening (verses 9-10). Everything works out to plan, and the people make their way back to Zarahemla with their flocks, herds and other important possessions, making sure to avoid the Lamanite stronghold of Shilom in their travels (verses 11-12). 

We get a sense of the gratitude and humility of Limhi and his people when they arrive in Zarahemla. Mormon records that the people became the subjects of King Mosiah (verse 13). It is not a small thing for Limhi, whose family has ruled as kings for three generations, to willingly give up his claim to leadership. How Mosiah welcomes Limhi’s people probably makes this much easier. The account reads simply that Mosiah received them “with joy,” along with the records they brought of their own experiences and from the lost civilization (the Jaredites) their recent expedition had discovered (verse 15).

The chapter ends with us going back to the Lamanites. In a slightly smaller-scale version of Pharaoh sending his armies after Moses and the Israelites, the Lamanites pursue Limhi’s people once they learn of their escape in the morning (verse 16). It seems that they are able to track them for two days, but without further explanation we learn after that time, the Lamanites couldn’t make sense of the trail (verse 17). This is curious because with so many people and animals involved in the escape, it’s hard to believe that once a trail is picked up, the Lamanites wouldn’t be able to follow it. Whether Limhi’s people used means of deceiving or confusing the Lamanites by splitting their party or doubling back in some way, we don’t know, but we might wonder whether the Lord helped keep the Lamanites off their trail in some manner. This leaves the Lamanite army in their own predicament—lost in the wilderness. Stay tuned for our next “episode” to find out what happens to this army!