His Early Reign
Mosiah 6:6-7
6 And it came to pass that king Mosiah did walk in the ways of the Lord, and did observe his judgments and his statutes, and did keep his commandments in all things whatsoever he commanded him.
7 And king Mosiah did cause his people that they should till the earth. And he also, himself, did till the earth, that thereby he might not become burdensome to his people, that he might do according to that which his father had done in all things. And there was no contention among all his people for the space of three years.
From the above passage we learn that Mosiah wasn't one to sit around and be served. He was up and doing interesting things:
- He encouraged his people to expore and discover new places and things.
- He possessed (cultivated?) the gift of interpretation.
- Able to peacefully blend new groups of people into his society
- Oversaw the establishment of the church by Alma
- Organized a system of measures used in the Nephite economy long after his death.
His Golden Years
King Mosiah is a good example of one who was very thorough about tidying up all his earthly affairs before leaving this life.
- He sent his sons out into the world on important missions (probably knowing that they would never see each other again in mortality).
- He translated the ancient records found by the people of Limhi, satisfying the "great anxiety of his people...to know concerning those people who had been destroyed." (Mosiah 28:12)
- He conferred the sacred records to Alma.
- He taught those around him about how they could remain righteous without him or his way of governing.
- He wanted what was best for those around him, even after he would be gone and wasn't afraid of making substantial recommendations for change, even though things were already going well.
- He even implemented those changes before leaving the scene.
His only goal was to serve those he led, hopefully leaving the situation more stable then when he inherited it:
Mosiah 29:10
And now let us be wise and look forward to these things, and do that which will make for the peace of this people.
His Legacy
Mormon's conclusion of Mosiah's legacy is found in the final chapter of Mosiah:
Mosiah 29:40
40 And they did wax strong in love towards Mosiah; yea, they did esteem him more than any other man; for they did not look upon him as a tyrant who was seeking for gain, yea, for that lucre which doth corrupt the soul; for he had not exacted riches of them, neither had he delighted in the shedding of blood; but he had established peace in the land, and he had granted unto his people that they should be delivered from all manner of bondage; therefore they did esteem him, yea, exceedingly, beyond measure.
Alma the younger summarized his contributions in this way:
Alma 1:1
1 Now it came to pass that in the first year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, from this time forward, king Mosiah having gone the way of all the earth, having warred a good warfare, walking uprightly before God, leaving none to reign in his stead; nevertheless he had established laws, and they were acknowledged by the people; therefore they were obliged to abide by the laws which he had made.
It's amazing the ponder on the people's reaction and attitude toward Mosiah and his political contributions. He was somehow able, as the very last of the Nephite Kings, to institute a totally new govenment (without any uprisings or violence), and is remembered with fondness by his subjects. He set a very high standard for modern-day royalty, public servants, and leaders in general.