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The Four Sons of Mosiah

Born to be kings they chose instead to be servants. The four sons of Mosiah lived around 100 BC. Though their father was a king, a prophet, and a good man, they chose to rebel against him, and sought to destroy the faith he cherished. They became the vilest of sinners, but then an angel of the Lord appeared in power and scared them. He warned them that if they continued their work of wickedness they would be cast off forever.

They changed! The Spirit of the Lord came upon them and they were changed in the inner man. They went about “zealously striving to repair all the injuries which they had done to the Church” (Mosiah 27:35).

When it came time for their father to choose a successor each of the brothers declined the honor of being king. Instead “they did plead with their father many days that they might go up to the land of Nephi” (Mosiah 28:5) as missionaries among the Lamanites. After receiving assurances of the Lord that his sons would return safely, Mosiah consented for them to go.

This was no light thing. “They had undertaken to preach the word of God to a wild and a hardened and a ferocious people; a people who delighted in murdering the Nephites, and robbing and plundering them” (Alma 17:14). Even their friends laughed them to scorn at the idea. Why then did the brothers want to do this? Born to honor and privilege they gave it up for suffering and servitude.

No sooner had the brothers arrived among the Lamanites and separated that Ammon was arrested, bound, and imprisoned. When questioned by the King, Lamoni, Ammon asked for the opportunity to live among Lamoni’s people. The King was so impressed he offered Ammon one of his daughters in marriage. Ammon declined asking for the opportunity to be the King’s servant instead. The request was granted. Within three days Ammon would be locked in a fight to the death on behalf of that king whose servant he was. Once again—why did he want this?

Aaron, his brother, traveled from city to city but was mocked and persecuted everywhere he went. Finally in the land of Middoni he and his brethren were arrested, stripped, beaten, and cast into prison, where they suffered terribly for many days. When they were finally delivered from prison, and fed and clothed, they immediately went back to their work. They journeyed to the land of Nephi to meet that man who was king over all the lands of the Lamanites. “O King,” they said, “if thou wilt spare our lives, we will be thy servants” (Alma 22:3) Why would they endure such things and keep coming back for more? What motivated them to endure such hardship?

In answer, these men were filled with charity. They were a living embodiment of the pure love of Christ. So filled with the Spirit of God were they that “they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble” (Mosiah 28:3). Charity suffereth long—and they did. Charity is kind—and they were. Charity beareth all things and endureth all things—and they lived that. “A man filled with the love of God is not content with blessing his family alone, but rangeth through the whole world anxious to bless the whole human race.”

For any of us who want to learn charity and seek a model of its qualities, we need look no further than the four sons of Mosiah and their two friends, Muloki and Ammah.