Mosiah 29:21 - 29:25

Mosiah 29:21 And behold, now I say unto you, ye cannot dethrone an iniquitous king save it be through much contention, and the shedding of much blood.

Now another problem with a wicked king. It is hard to get rid of them. They have a good thing going for themselves and don’t want to lose it. They will even fight to the death to keep their situation.

Mosiah 29:22 For behold, he has his friends in iniquity, and he keepeth his guards about him; and he teareth up the laws of those who have reigned in righteousness before him; and he trampleth under his feet the commandments of God;

Because by the time he is in control of the kingdom, he has a lot of support from people who want in on the action as well.

Mosiah 29:23 And he enacteth laws, and sendeth them forth among his people, yea, laws after the manner of his own wickedness; and whosoever doth not obey his laws he causeth to be destroyed; and whosoever doth rebel against him he will send his armies against them to war, and if he can he will destroy them; and thus an unrighteous king doth pervert the ways of all righteousness.

So they all cooperate and join forces to stay in power even to the point of doing away with the laws and ruling the force and bloodshed. They especially don’t live the laws of God because they say a ruler should be a help and a servant to the people not a group of despots who live by taking from them and living life styles of luxury while the people often live in poverty and slavery.

Mosiah 29:24 And now behold I say unto you, it is not expedient that such abominations should come upon you.

It is obvious that you don’t really want such a situation to come upon you like what happened to the people of Limhi.

Mosiah 29:25 Therefore, choose you by the voice of this people, judges, that ye may be judged according to the laws which have been given you by our fathers, which are correct, and which were given them by the hand of the Lord.

Mosiah now proposes a system of government whereby judges are the leaders of the people. There is not just one ruler or king but a system of judges who will judge and administer the laws that the Nephites have had in place for many years and were given by the Lord himself.