King Noah - Limhi Becomes King

Limhi Becomes King

Noah and his people fled, but were unable to escape the Lamanites. He ordered them to leave their wives and children behind. Some did, while others did not. They were captured by the Lamanites and returned to their lands, where they were taxed one half of all they owned and produced. They made Noah's son, Limhi, their king. Those who abandoned their families and stayed with Noah were sorry for their choice. They turned on Noah and his priests. They burned Noah to death but his priests ran away and hid in the wilderness. The men then returned, determined to find out what had happened to their families and to avenge them or die with them. They rejoined Limhi's people.

Limhi ruled over his people in captivity for some time. Eventually they escaped and rejoined the main body of the Nephites in Zarahemla, as did Alma and his followers. Their story of the wickedness of King Noah and the consequences for his people was most likely a great motivation for the people in accepting King Mosiah's proposition that kingship be done away with among the Nephites. At the death of Mosiah, kings were replaced with a system of lesser and chief judges. The first chief judge was Alma (known as Alma the Younger), the son of that Alma who had been a priest of King Noah.