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A Study of Nephite, Lamanite, and Jaredite Governmental Institutions and Policies As Portrayed in the Book of Mormon

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Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Theses and Dissertations 1972 A Study of Nephite, Lamanite, and Jaredite Governmental Institutions and Policies as Portrayed in The Book of Mormon Donald Arthur Cazier Brigham Young University - Provo Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd Part of the Mormon Studies Commons, and the Political Science Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Cazier, Donald Arthur, "A Study of Nephite, Lamanite, and Jaredite Governmental Institutions and Policies as Portrayed in The Book of Mormon" (1972). Theses and Dissertations. 4587. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/4587 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. A STUDY OF NEPHITE LAMANITE AND ARPDTTEJAREDTTE governmentalg0vernlvt e74t 1l institutions AND POLICIES AS portiPORTTporttfukPORTRAYEDFUk ED IN THE BOOK OFI- MORMON A thesis ged Presentpresented4 led to the departpicntdeparllrnient of ancient scripture brigbrighambrigbam11allalifil t young university in partiapantiapartialpannia rfulfillment of the requirementsplaul I1rementscements for the degree master of 1rtsarts by donald arthuranthur caficicazieicazici august 1972 this thesis by donald arthur cazier is accepted in its present form by the department of ancient scripture in the college of religious instruction of brighamyoungBrighabrigham youngmYoung university as satisfying the thesis requirements for the degree of master of arts hyrum lo10L andrus committee chairman rsrs 0P 7 monte S kymannynymanman Qqdmmitteesmitteemmittee member v v aan X A ajnat robert C patch department chairman ii acknowledgments the writer wishes to acknowledge with gratitude the willing assistance and invaluable suggestions of drdro hyrum loL10 andrusandrus committee chairman drdro monte S nynymanlnananan committee member and dr robert C patchpatchy department chairman in the preparation of this thesis 0 appreciationasprecapprec lation is also expressed to drdro chauncey Cco riddle who suggested the topic and to drdro paul R cheesman who read the first five chapters and offered several helpful suggestions 0 special gratitude is expressed to the writers dijwijwifee virginia for her help in typing and proofreading the manuscript and for her patience while the writing was in progress 0 similar appreciatioappreciativappreciationLI is extended to ginette susan carina cheryl david and danny for their cooperation in the project and for temtemporarilyPorarily& foregoing some of the time their father could otherwise have spent with them iii TABLET LE OF CONTENTSC0N TE NTS page acknowledgments illlii chapter 1 introduction 3 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE STUDYSTU DY 1 delimitations 2 limitation OF THE STUDY 3 justification OF THE STUDY 4 value of political histoihistonhistoryy 4 need for the present study 8 the book of mormons contribution to americanamerleameriean political thought 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 MSEARCHRESEARCH procedures 10 2 THE LATTERDAYlatmerLATTER bayDAY SAINTSAINT CONCEPT OF THEOCRACY 12 gitimarvlegitimacyLE 0 0 0 it 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 RE 16 THE theocraticTHE ocrkfIC s91ruSTRUCTURECTU 0 0 POPULARPOPULAR CONSENT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 21 PURPOSES AND FUNCTIONSFUNC 1tions OF theocratic governmentGOVERNNTvient 0 0 0c 22 DDIVINEI1v1va 4 ej SANCTION OF LIMITEDLTMITEUD theocraciesTHEOtheocratTHEOCcrateratCRAiRACIESjes11 25 ivV v chapter page 3 THEOCRACYTHEOGRAGY IN THE OLD WORLD ANCIENTANCTENT ISRAELISRALL UNDER THFTHE TUIGESJUDGES AND UNDER tiietlleoheoneTHE MONARCHY 28 ISRAEL UNDER rheTHE JUDGES 29 theccrttheccrotictic origin 30 hierarchal s1Sstructure1 31 dedecentralizationcentralizationbation 0 32 functions of the judges 32 the principle of consent 34 civil liberty 1 6 9 0 Is 4 Is 37 warfiogarfiowarfarere and military law 39 an unrealized ideal 0 6 40 ISFAF-ISRAELL UNDER THE MOTMONARCHYbarchqarch Y 41 origins a 0 41 limited monarchy 42 superiority of the prophet 0 0 1 Is 16 43 T constitutional limitationslimitadimitationoaiono 0 0 JA powers of the king 0 0 0 45 7 popular sovereignty 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 dedecentralizationcentral ization 0a 0 9 0 0 0 0 4 4 0 0 0 49 morality andannal the public welfare 50 4 THE NEPHITE MONARCHY 53 patriarchal ORIGINS 0 3044 ajrvjrae THE monarchiMONARCHY IN THE1e LAND OF NEPHI a 0 a 60 VI chapter parpampagee nephis status as king 0 0 0 0 1 60 reasons for the establishment of a monarchymonamonorc y 0 0 62 powers and responsibilities of the king 646 4 religious leadership 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 a 65 kings as teachers 66 protector 0 67 historian 0 a 0 0 ID 0 8 0 0 68 promoter of the general welfare 0 68 appointment of susuccessorI cessor 0 6909 limitations on the king 69 later years of the first dynasty 71 government amonoAMONG IIIETHEro MULEKITES 73 THE MONARCHY IN ZARAITZARAHEMLAiehilanehila 0 76 propheprophetss and Kkingslncfs 777 7 the king cisusois a teacher 0 0 a a 80so national defense 82 3 legislative duties 0 83 law enforcement Is q1qa84 1 servant of the people 0 f 1 0 0 84 9.9 hishistorianlorianlorlan0 85 role of the people 0 0 0 a 87 succession in the monarchy 0 0 88 vii chapter page zeniffscolonyZENIFFS COLONY 0 9 0 t 0 0 0 0 0 10 90 zeniffsZenifis reign 0 0 0 9 90 Ragn 40 noahs resignjgn 0 0 0 91 agn limhisLinihis reignredgn 0 0 0 94 ALMAS cmGIVY OF edlamKFLAMFIELAM 0 97 SUMMARY 0 99 Ss5 THE REIGN OF THET JUDGESin 01 REASONS FOR THE CHANGEC0 B PPJTadtJTGE 10 theocratic ELEMENTS 105 CURE organizationalorga01zationjiJ STRUCISTRUCTURE 0 0 0 0 0 0 illlii POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE JUDGE 0 0 0 113 judicial procedures 115 1 L military responsibilities 0 0 v 0 0 ilg1199 FINANCES AND TAXATION 0 0 0 0 W 6 11 Is 40 120 6gionalismregionalismR 121 democratic fekFEXFEATURESfURES 12512 5 6 NEPHITE LAWS RIGHTS OF CITIZENS AND DOMESTIC POLICIES 9 0 a 0 131355 0rarORIGINSI1 GINS THE LAWSLA vlvrs OF MOSES AND MOSIAH 136 RIGHTS AND privileges OF CITIZENS a 0 138 CRIMINAL LAWS AND punishments 141 laws 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 6 141 punipunishmentsshmentssements 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 144 viiivill chapter pagelt handling of religious offenses 149 DOMESTIC POLICIES PROJECTS AND regulations 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 150 beighlweighlweightsEs and measures 4 0 150 public works 151 miscellaneous governmental regulations and provisions 1525 27 PUBLIC WELFARE 154L LIMITED effectivenessEFFLE cmIffENESSweness OF CIVIL LAWS 158 7 nephitenephitemtltkpyMILITARY POLICY AND internationalINTERN ATIONAL DIPLOMACY 160 DT MIIITIMILITARYRY organizatioorganizationORGANI zatloZATIO 14 162 authorized ancANDAT TD unauthorizeduna13 I1 HORIZED WARS 171 MILITARYMILITKRY METHODS AND POLICIES 185 vyp n7na1 jphi1enephite atrvtrVIEWvyrLW OF WAR ITS CAUSES AND ITS EFFECTSE FFE 4 6 0 0 0 a f 10 197 aey internationalINTE rnrenrAT TONAL dipl0tvDIPLOMACYACY 206 8 THE irtleLITTLET millennium POLJTICALPOLTTICAL conditions ding aiualuadiongakiongNG THE NEPHITLSli folFOITC- 1 LOWINGI 0vavjing THE VISIT CFOF CHRIST 0 is 1waw 0 0 0 0 a 213 9 THE LAST DAYS OF THE NEPHITE NATIONNAXION 221 10 secretisecreriSECSECRETrekiREri combinations THEIR NATURE AND EFFECT 224 SAFANICSATANIC ORIGIN 225 goadsGOAISGOALS AND METHODS 230 p 2 3 LATTERDAYLATTERL TTER-A DAY ECRIETSECRETSECRIETS combinationscombinirlCOMBINIrl lonsIONS 2386 ix chapter page 11 THE LAMANITESLAMitNITSNIT S 243 governmental STRUCTURE 243 POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE KING 247 MILITARY POLICY INANDD FOREIGNFOREII AFFAIRS 0 0 0 0 251 governmental modifications IN PERIODSPF-periodsplodsPIODS 01OF righteousness4.4 254 12 THE JAREDITES 0 0 258 13 SUMMARY 269ab6b SELECTED bibliography 2848 4 t chapter 1 introduction STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE STUDY the purpose of this study was to analyze and describe the governmental institutions and policies of the nephite lamanite and Jarjareditejaredineedite nations on the basis of information contained in the book of mormonmo 1I mon itself although an introductory chapter reviews the govern- mental practices of the ancient israeliteisraelites whose culture according to the book of mormomormonn lehis colony transtransplantedplarilted in the new world insofar as was possible conclusions were drawn concerning the follow- ing aspects of these cvilavilcivilizationsi z at ionslonsduridurlduringig their recorded history lo10 the governmental sstructure undeunder whwhichlchach these nations lived at different times in their history and the theoretical powers and offikc dutitdubitdutiesI1 s of their officersers 0 2 the laws which were enacted and domestic policies which were purpursuedsuea 303 the rights enjoyed by the citizens 0 440 the foreign policy of these nations where applicable including military policy 0 2 550 the teachings of book of mormon prophets and secular leaders concerning governmental matters 6 the reasons forthefor the relative success or failurefaltfalilure of the various types of government the reasons for the change from one type of government to ananotheraher and the lessons which can be drawn fihiomfromom the political experiences of the book of mormon peoples delimitations this study vaswas limiteddelimitedde by choice in the iolfolfoilowingiollowingfollowinghollowing respectsA 1 0 no attempt was made to prove the divine origin of the book of mormon or to demonstrate its authenticity as either an historical or a religious document 220 no analysis was made of ecclesiastical institutions except insofar as they were directly related to the civil govelgovekgovernmentamentnmentnment 0 330
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