“King Noah and King Limhi,” Book of Mormon Stories (2023)
King Noah and King Limhi
Escaping from the Lamanites
King Noah ruled a group of Nephites. He did many bad things, and some people were mad at him. A man named Gideon fought Noah with a sword. Noah ran away and climbed a tower. From the tower, he saw an army of Lamanites coming. Noah pretended he was afraid for his people, so Gideon let him live.
Noah and his people ran away. But the Lamanites chased them and began attacking them. Noah told the men to leave their families behind and go with him.
Some men left with Noah. But many of the men chose to stay with their families. Noah’s son Limhi also chose to stay.
Many daughters stood in front of the army and asked the Lamanites not to hurt their families. The Lamanites listened to the daughters and let the Nephites live. Instead, the Lamanites captured the Nephites.
The men who ran away wanted to go back to their families. Noah tried to stop them, so the men put him to death. Then they went back to their families.
The men were very happy that their families were safe. They told Gideon what happened to Noah.
The people chose Limhi to be their new king. Limhi promised the Lamanite king that they would pay the Lamanites half of everything they owned. In return, the Lamanite king promised he would not hurt Limhi’s people.
They lived in peace for several years. Then the Lamanites started to treat Limhi’s people badly. The people wanted to be free again. They tried to fight the Lamanites, but they lost. The people prayed to God for help.
One day, a Nephite named Ammon visited Limhi and his people. Ammon came from a land called Zarahemla. Limhi was happy to see Ammon.
Ammon could lead Limhi’s people to Zarahemla, but they had to escape from the Lamanites first. Gideon had a plan.
At night, Gideon gave the Lamanite guards extra wine to make them fall asleep. While the guards slept, Limhi and all of his people escaped the city.
They went to Zarahemla and joined the Nephites there. Limhi and his people learned more about God. They made a covenant, or special promise, to serve God and obey His commandments. They were baptized and became part of God’s Church. They remembered that God helped them escape from the Lamanites.