Mosiah 29:11 - 29:15

Mosiah 29:11 Therefore I will be your king the remainder of my days; nevertheless, let us appoint judges, to judge this people according to our law; and we will newly arrange the affairs of this people, for we will appoint wise men to be judges, that will judge this people according to the commandments of God.

Mosiah will remain their king for the rest of his life, but he proposes another system of government consisting of a panel of judges be put into place as the governing body of the Nephites after he dies. These judges are to be chosen from the best and wisest of the people. They will enforce the laws already on the books and by the commandments of God.

Mosiah 29:12 Now it is better that a man should be judged of God than of man, for the judgments of God are always just, but the judgments of man are not always just.

It is better to be judged of God than be judged by men. God will always do right by us, but the weakness of men will often do what is not in the best interest of those he rules over.

Mosiah 29:13 Therefore, if it were possible that you could have just men to be your kings, who would establish the laws of God, and judge this people according to his commandments, yea, if ye could have men for your kings who would do even as my father Benjamin did for this people—I say unto you, if this could always be the case then it would be expedient that ye should always have kings to rule over you.

Mosiah tells the people that if they could always have just men to rule over them, who would judge using the commandment of God as the basis for his actions, kings are the way to rule. In fact if people could always have good men like Mosiah’s father Benjamin to rule over them, no other form of government is superior. [Why is a king superior? First it is how heaven is ruled. God is the president of heaven and we all trust Him to not only tells us what is good for us, but that He will always do what is right for each of us individually. We had absolutely no doubt of that. We don’t need congresses to debate what we need to do next or a bureaucracy to administer the laws enacted by legislative decree. So we can spend time helping each other rather than debating what to do next.]

Mosiah 29:14 And even I myself have labored with all the power and faculties which I have possessed, to teach you the commandments of God, and to establish peace throughout the land, that there should be no wars nor contentions, no stealing, nor plundering, nor murdering, nor any manner of iniquity;

29:14—. Mosiah is convinced that a righteous king, is the best of government. He knows by personal experience. He has by his edicts been able to keep the people in line. He has not allowed by the power he possess because he is king to keep the people from making slaves of each other. He has prevented crime of various sorts and in fact any kind of wickedness by the power of his office.

Mosiah 29:15 And whosoever has committed iniquity, him have I punished according to the crime which he has committed, according to the law which has been given to us by our fathers.

And anyone who is guilty of any crime is quickly dealt with and punished according to the laws set down by good men in the past.