Zeniff Confers Kingdom on Son Noah

Event 55

Reference: Mosiah 11:1-19

AND now it came to pass that Zeniff conferred the kingdomupon Noah, one of his sons; therefore Noah began to reignin his stead; and he did not walk in the ways of his father. 2For behold, he did not keep the commandments of God, buthe did walk after the desires of his own heart. And he hadmany wives and concubines. And he did cause his people tocommit sin, and do that which was abominable in the sightof the Lord. Yea, and they did commit whoredoms and allmanner of wickedness. 3 And he laid a tax of one fifth partof all they possessed, a fifth part of their gold and of theirsilver, and a fifth part of their ziff, and of their copper, andof their brass and their iron; and a fifth part of their fatlings;and also a fifth part of all their grain. 4 And all this did hetake to support himself, and his wives and his concubines;and also his priests, and their wives and their concubines;thus he had changed the affairs of the kingdom. 5 For he putdown all the priests that had been consecrated by his father,and consecrated new ones in their stead, such as were liftedup in the pride of their hearts. 6 Yea, and thus they weresupported in their laziness, and in their idolatry, and in theirwhoredoms, by the taxes which king Noah had put upon hispeople; thus did the people labor exceedingly to supportiniquity. 7 Yea, and they also became idolatrous, becausethey were deceived by the vain and flattering words of theking and priests; for they did speak flattering things untothem.MormonLand of Nephiand land ofShilom280 to 121 B.C.8 And it came to pass that king Noah built many elegant andspacious buildings; and he ornamented them with fine workof wood, and of all manner of precious things, of gold, andof silver, and of iron, and of brass, and of ziff, and ofcopper; 9 And he also built him a spacious palace, and athrone in the midst thereof, all of which was of fine woodand was ornamented with gold and silver and with preciousthings. 10 And he also caused that his workmen should workall manner of fine work within the walls of the temple, offine wood, and of copper, and of brass. 11 And the seatswhich were set apart for the high priests, which were aboveall the other seats, he did ornament with pure gold; and he caused a breastwork to be built before them, that they mightrest their bodies and their arms upon while they shouldspeak lying and vain words to his people.MormonLand of Nephiand land ofShilom280 to 121 B.C.12 And it came to pass that he built a tower near the temple;yea, a very high tower, even so high that he could standupon the top thereof and overlook the land of Shilom, andalso the land of Shemlon, which was possessed by theLamanites; and he could even look over all the land roundabout.13 And it came to pass that he caused many buildings to bebuilt in the land Shilom; and he caused a great tower to bebuilt on the hill north of the land Shilom, which had been aresort for the children of Nephi at the time they fled out ofthe land; and thus he did do with the riches which heobtained by the taxation of his people.Land of Shilom14 And it came to pass that he placed his heart upon hisriches, and he spent his time in riotous living with his wivesand his concubines; and so did also his priests spend theirtime with harlots.15 And it came to pass that he planted vineyards roundabout in the land; and he built wine-presses, and made winein abundance; and therefore he became a wine-bibber, andalso his people.16 And it came to pass that the Lamanites began to come inupon his people, upon small numbers, and to slay them intheir fields, and while they were tending their flocks. 17 Andking Noah sent guards round about the land to keep themoff; but he did not send a sufficient number, and theLamanites came upon them and killed them, and drovemany of their flocks out of the land; thus the Lamanitesbegan to destroy them, and to exercise their hatred uponthem.Fields near landof Nephi and landof Shilom18 And it came to pass that king Noah sent his armiesagainst them, and they were driven back, or they drovethem back for a time; therefore, they returned rejoicing intheir spoil. 19 And now, because of this great victory theywere lifted up in the pride of their hearts; they did boast intheir own strength, saying that their fifty could stand againstthousands of the Lamanites; and thus they did boast, and did delight in blood, and the shedding of the blood of theirbrethren, and this because of the wickedness of their kingand priests.MormonFields near landof Nephi and landof Shilom280 to 121 B.C.